“I guess I must be. My stomach seems to think I am, even if my mind isn’t sure. Maybe I’ll have a full meal rather than something light. I can always take the leftovers home. I’m going to have a glass of the house white wine too.”
Everyone ordered meals, and wine. They sat talking of nothing while waiting for their drinks.
“Gr.” Candice wrinkled her nose and frowned, the expression reminding Honey of an angry puppy, not that she’d ever mention it to her friend.
“What?” Honey glanced around to see what irritated her friend. Garth Gunderson, the man Candice loved to hate, stood near the hostess desk.
“I detest that man,” Candice growled.
“He’s a nice guy. A bit rugged and outdoorsy for my taste, but he’s kind and gentle. Kids love him,” Honey said.
“And so hot.” Lacy fanned her face with one hand. “I dated him once.”
“Really?” Candice growled.
“Yup. So hot to look at, but no chemistry between us at all.” She frowned. “Actually, I’m surprised at how many guys I’ve dated once. I better watch myself or I’ll get a reputation. But I won’t date a guy twice if there’s no chemistry.”
“I won’t date a man who rapes the environment,” Candice growled.
“He doesn’t rape the environment. He guides people in outdoor activities like hiking and boating. He makes his money from the environment and keeping it clean and pure is in his best interest. Sure, he instructs in fishing and hunting, but he’s a staunch defender of saving the planet. He’s just not vocal about it like you are,” Honey said. “Maybe you should give him a chance. Ask him out for coffee.”
“That’ll be the day I give a man like him two seconds of my time.” She turned her head away as if it hurt her to look at him.
Honey pondered her friend’s overreaction. She wasn’t like this with many people. She sure had a bee in her bonnet about Garth. Perhaps she was attracted to him, it would certainly explain her attitude. Best to let sleeping dogs lie.
Her adamant attitude started something turning in Honey’s mind. Ira wanted to know all about her work. She refused to let him in. She’d debated asking for permission to share her career with him but had neglected to actually put the question out there. The question was why. What made her reluctant? Was she really so worried about losing her job?
Probably not.
Maybe she was more worried about letting Ira all the way into her life. The idea was feasible, so she put the question to her friends. “Why am I so reluctant to ask my boss if I can share my career with Ira? I mean, he wouldn’t need the down and dirty details, just a general idea of what I work on.”
“That’s exactly what I was getting at earlier. Poorly I admit,” Lacy said. “You’re so hell bent on keeping him in the dark it makes me wonder why.”
Candice didn’t say anything, she just looked thoughtful. Perhaps she was thinking of her own situation with Garth. Relationships were difficult sometimes. Especially when ideologies clashed. Or seemed to.
“Am I wrong not to ask my boss?” she asked, trusting her friends to be honest.
“Probably,” Lacy responded immediately.
“I think you should figure out why you are reluctant,” Candice suggested. “What’s nagging deep in your brain and pushing you to keep him out? You can’t go forward until you know what’s holding you back.”
The words ping ponged around Honey’s brain until she felt dizzy. She pushed them aside, deciding to let her subconscious consider the question and answer her when it reached a decision. Sometimes, her brain was smarter than her heart.
