Page 25 of The One He Desires

“I’m . . . I’m going on a date—this afternoon actually.” My words come out in somewhat of a scramble as I share the information with Mom for the first time.

“It’s about time. All you do is work and take care of my grandbaby. While there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s okay for you to get off the bench and play a little bit, within reason, of course. Your next one needs to post marriage.”

I laugh at Mom sliding in the part of her encouragement. I understand and feel her because single motherhood isn’t for the weak, and the next time I give birth, I need a man to be committed to sticking and staying longer than the cum used to fertilize the egg.

“You’re laughing, but I’m serious. I have placed you on the altar so much that Pastor told me that Heaven’s line is busy with the request.”

I laugh harder until I snort, which makes Mom break her serious demeanor and join in. My phone chimes before I have a chance to come up with a comeback. I pick up my phone and smile like my favorite celebrity has started following me on social media.

“Mm-hmm. I remember looking like that too. I’ll leave you to it.” Mom shakes her head and leaves the room.

It takes me a nanosecond to open the message from Sincere, my heart rate spiking at the sight of his name on the screen.

Sincere:

Hello, Ms. Journee. I thought you should know that I struggled so much to focus at work that my administrative assistant kicked me out. I’m heading home to get ready for this afternoon. I’m looking forward to today.

My mouth stretches to painful proportions from the smile that ensues upon reading the message. Knowing that Sincere and I are dealing with the same level of distraction makes me schoolgirl giddy. I’ve been on plenty of first dates, but something about this one with this man feels different in a good way.

Me:

So am I. Here’s my address: 24377 Daily Bread Rd Apt. F. What time should I be ready?

Sincere:

I’ll be picking you up at two thirty.

Me:

Okay. See you then.

A slight tinge of panic surges through me when I realize it’s just after noon and I need to get home to prepare. I hop up from my seat like it’s on fire and go through the process of saying goodbye to my parents and my baby. It takes a second, after I’m in my car, to realize I still haven’t asked Mom about keeping Milan overnight. So I make a quick call, get her blessing, and drive home like a bat out of hell. But I don’t have time to spare because Sincere will be at my apartment in a millisecond or so it seems.

Within thirteen minutes instead of the usual twenty, I rush through my front door, discarding clothes on my way to my bedroom. Thank goodness I laid out my stuff before I left, or my room would look like a tornado hit it. I’m grateful I had a mind to plan in advance as adrenaline fuels my blood as I rush to the bathroom for another shower.

Knocks at my front door force me to stop overthinking and analyzing how I look as I smooth my hands over my shorts. I leave my room while taking several breaths on the way. My head tingles, my shoulders are tight, my steps are wobbly despite wearing tennis shoes, and my hands are sweaty. When I’m at the door, I reach up and run my hand over my pixie to ensure that none of my hairs have moved out of place in the short walk. After a quick internal coach session, I unsecure the lock and turn the knob as I take in the fine specimen standing at attention.

I take Sincere in from head to toe as I try not to swallow my tongue the longer I stare. He’s in a blue long-sleeve flannel shirt, light-washed jeans, and some rugged boots that cause my brows to hike in question.

“Hm. You look great, but I’m hoping this wardrobe choice won’t be a regrettable one for either of us.”

“What do you mean? Where are we going?”

My mind spins with location and why my shorts, shirt, and tennis shoes could be a bad idea. Sincere provides more context before I can fall into the rabbit hole of analysis.

“We have reservations for Clem Stables. We’re going horseback riding.”

I take a step back as I look at him for a second to see if he’s serious or not. When he only smirks, I realize that he is.

“Oh. I’ve never been—don’t horses throw you off?”

Sincere’s face lights up like a Christmas tree as he chuckles, and the sound delights me. But my weary thoughts force me to stay in the moment.

“That’s a myth. You have nothing to worry about, Ms. Journee. I’ll protect you.”

My brain only hears the last three words as the beginning anxiety I was feeling eases from my body.

“Okay. Should I change into some jeans? I don’t have any of those types of boots, so I’ll have to keep on the shoes.” I point to the rugged boots he’s wearing, unsure of what to do.