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“Hi, Heather,” I say. “Have you and Tim been dating long?” I might as well try to figure out how many encounters the guy needs before declaring exclusivity.
“This is our sixth date,” she says. Her eyebrow arches like she’s just challenged me to a duel.
“How nice.”
Terra puts a tray of steaks down and comes over to us. “Missy, Jamie, I’m so glad you came! I see you already know Tim.”
“We went to school together,” I tell her. “He was in Holly’s and my grade.”
“I didn’t know that.” When her husband joins her, Terra makes the introductions. “Rob, this is Jamie, he’s Sammy’s dad, and this is Missy. She and Holly were good friends when they were little.”
Rob is only slightly taller than Terra, who is an average height at best. He smiles engagingly before offering us cocktails. “I’ll have a large gin and tonic,” I tell him. “Light on the tonic.”
“I’ll just have a beer,” Jamie says. He winks at me before adding, “I’m the designated driver tonight, and I think Melissa is looking to tie one on.” Nice, out me as a lush. Which I’m not normally, but tonight feels like it might be an exception.
Tim’s date decides to follow Rob into the house. I bet she’s going to slam back some tequila shots of her own. After she leaves, Tim comes over to me and asks, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I shake off his hand—the one that’s found its way to my arm. “Sure.” I turn to Jamie and ask, “Will you excuse me?” I don’t wait for him to answer.
Tim leads the way to the edge of the deck before saying, “This is uncomfortable, huh?”
Playing dumb, I ask, “You mean running into you on two different dates in the same day?”
He has the courtesy to blush. “You’re on a whole day date with Jamie. How do you think that makes me feel?”
“Relieved?” I’m dumbfounded that he could possibly feel anything but total exhaustion, given his current social calendar.
“I deserve that,” he says. “But I told you I’m playing the field. I’m not lying to anyone.”
I suddenly realize I’m not angry with Tim. Sure I’m smarting, but ultimately, he’s a great guy. Who knows what might have happened had he only been dating me. Something might have come of it.
But he’s not just dating me. And to complicate matters, I’ve just been kissing the lips off a man who makes me feel more excited than a kid on Christmas morning with a puppy in her stocking.
“Tim,” I start to say.
“You’re breaking up with me.” He sounds sad.
I shake my head. “I can’t break up with you because we’ve only gone out a couple of times.”
“But you don’t want to go out with me again.”
“Not in a romantic way,” I tell him. “But I really like you and it would be fun to hang out together sometime. Maybe we can include Anna and Paige.”
“Friend-zoned again,” he grumbles before adding, “I like you too and I’ll happily see you again.”
“As a friend,” I tell him. “You should know that you are never going to find ‘the one’ while you’re playing the field like a midfielder in a soccer match.” As in, all over the freaking place.
“I’m just trying to make sure the next woman I commit to is going to be the one.”
“There are no guarantees in life, Tim. None. And by dating all these women, you’re not making any of them feel special. Why don’t you try staying with the one you’ve been seeing the longest and really give her a chance.”
“Jenny?”
“Who’s Jenny?” I ask.
“The woman I’ve been dating the longest.”
“Not Heather? This is your sixth date with her. How many have you gone on with Jenny?”
