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“Come on. You’re not dumb.”
“I am adept at logical reasoning. But the facts you’re presenting don’t lead up to anything. She has a kayak. I have a kayak. So does Mrs. Miller, down the street. So what?”
I roll my eyes. “Mrs. Miller isn’t a cute, successful, smart single lady who gets all perky at the mention of your name. Hana asked me all about you. I think she’s interested.”
“Okay…”
“I think you should ask her out on a date.”
There.
I got it out, and I didn’t break out in hives or anything.
I do feel sort of clammy, though, and my appetite is gone. It’s not only because I scarfed down that bowl of deliciousness, either.
It’sthis.
Setting Nick up.
It feels icky.
But I have to do it.
I push my chair back and tuck my knee to my chest. “It might be fun. When was the last time you went out on a date?”
He scratches the back of his head. “Ah… er… I don’t know. It’s been a while.”
“See? It doesn’t hurt to get out there. When was your last relationship, anyway?”
“Do we have to talk about this?”
“What, sore topic?”
“Not exactly. It’s just—” His eyes flick to meet mine. His are blue, wide. “Agh. I don’t know. Not my strong suit, I guess. Relationships. Give me an EKG strip to read and I’m off to the races, you know?”
“So, I’m giving you a nudge. Grab a coffee with her. What’s the big deal?”
He sighs. “Once you get coffee with a woman, you have to follow a whole flow chart. Call or text her the next day. Say you had a nice time. Or—don’t. Both have implications. Then, there’s the unspoken question of what you’ll do next. A hike? Lunch? Dinner and a movie? Every one of those is a minefield.”
“I know… believe me. I’m going to have to face the whole dating thing again, unless I want to end up a spinster, and it’s terrifying. But what if you two hit it off? The reward might be worth the risk of a few awkward conversations.”
He falls silent.
I give him time.
Finally, he nods. He runs his hand through his sandy-blond hair again. “Yeah, okay. I see your point. Getting out there would be good for me. Thanks. That is cool she has a boat. I didn’t realize that about her.”
“If coffee goes well, you could invite her up to Stillwell Pond for a paddle. The sunset is so pretty up there. It’d be romantic.”
“You think?”
“Any woman in her right mind would think that was a kick-butt second date.”
“Let me get through this first date before I think about the second.”
“Of course.”
“So, how do I do this? I’ve never been great at cold calls. There’s something about the phone that throws me off.”
