“Yes. I’m sorry, Dean. If I had thought this was going to be an issue, I would have brought it up. But it’s like you wear your jeans and Pulse shirt to work and I wear this. I guess that is how I think of it.”
He let out a breath. “You weren’t a virgin but I’ve got to ask how many people have you’ve been with?”
Boy. That came out of left field. “Does it matter?” she asked. “Much less than you, I know that.”
“I guess not.”
“Are you mad at me?” She wiped her nose on her arm, then cringed and went back for another tissue. “I know you’re confused and I’m sorry. I hope I explained it well. I’m not lying at all. I promise you that. You can even ask Ruby. You know her.”
“I don’t know what I am,” he said, standing up. “I guess I need time to think about it. But I don’t need to ask your sister things I’ve witnessed myself. I’m a pretty smart guy.”
“I really am the same person. It’s just clothes, Dean.”
“Deep down, I know. Everything you’re saying, I believe. And I know. I really do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need time to process this either.”
He turned and left and rather than chase him down the hall like a fool, she let him go and reminded herself, that, yes, he’s smart and he’ll understand.
Eventually.
25
REMAINED UNCHANGED
Dean looked up at lunch to see Molly come into the bar, dressed exactly how she’d been hours ago.
He was still processing like he’d said.
Still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was losing his heart to a woman and so excited to surprise her and then not even recognize the person in front of him.
And maybe that was the root of the problem right there.
He was falling in love.
His son loved Molly and asked about her all the time. When they could spend more time together.
That was what he was going to ask her today too. To come over on Saturday for dinner, maybe spend the night.
He was only going to work the lunch crowd and then at home see how it went as the night went on.
To see if everyone still got along as well as they had been.
She lifted her wobbly chin and stared him down and his lips twitched. He didn’t even ask her what she wanted, only got her a seltzer and placed it in front of her. “Lunch?”
“Yes,” she said.
He handed over the menu and then went to take the order a waitress brought to the bar.
“You look uncomfortable,” he said.
“I am.”
“Why?”
“That’s kind of a stupid remark considering our conversation a few hours ago. I’m not sure where we stand.”
“Looks like we are standing in the same place as we’ve been before.”
“I’m trying to tell you that. That I just look different.”
