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She opens the door, and I walk out and open the door for her. She laughs, and shuts the door herself. When I get in the driver’s seat, she clears her throat.
“Something the matter? If you want to cancel, I’ll understand,” I say, before backing out of her driveway.
“Let’s get out of here. Tina is still watching us from the living room window like a creeper.”
Does her friend usually meddle in her love life? If she didn’t push Vanessa, we wouldn’t be going on a date right now so I thank her.
The ride over is pretty silent, and she is very fidgety. Is she nervous? I’m not the type of guy she has to be nervous around.
“The diner, huh? This must be the staple of Grapevine,” Vanessa says, unbuckling and getting out before I’m around the car to open her door.
The bell rings above our heads as we step inside and I let her choose the booth. Her ass is perfectly round in the outfit, and I try not to be obvious.
She sits down, clasps her hands together, and stares out the window.
“Are you scared to look at me? You haven’t made eye contact with me once since I picked you up?”
She begins to pick at her fingers. “It’s been a long time, okay? And I’m not even sure if I’m ready to be on a date.”
“But here you are.”
Darlene takes our drink order, and I try to start a conversation. First dates are notorious for basic questions and I’d rather not do that.
“So, how long were you and your ex together?” I ask. Okay, so maybe talking about ex’s isn’t the best conversation starter, but might as well get it out of the way.
“Ten years. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. We had our troubles and in the end we had to split up. We weren’t happy and we both deserve better.”
Holy shit. Ten years? That’s one hell of a relationship. It makes sense why she isn’t ready to date yet. Breaking up with someone is hard enough, but after a decade, their lives are intertwined, even more so with Sherrie in the picture.
“Good for you. Some women will stay and be complacent. It says a lot that you wanted more for yourself.”
I have plenty of guys at work that are with their wives, but they aren’t happy. Divorces are be brutal and with kids involved, it’s a hard battle. If they filed, their concern is if they would be able to see their kids. That shouldn’t even be a worry. They are good fathers, and that shouldn’t be hindered because they didn’t want to stay with the mom.
“How is Sherrie handling it? I went through the same thing around her age.”
My entire focus is on her as Darlene sets down our drinks, and walks away.
“Lee and I sat her down and explained it. Worst night of my life. She didn’t come home for three days. One day at a time right now.”
Sherrie is a good kid, and something like this is going to crumble her perception of reality. No longer seeing her parents together. It’s a mind fuck, but she is smart.
“What about you? Why are you single?”
She takes a sip of her drink, but her eyes focus on me. Finally.
“Well, Tristan had me doing that online dating crap. FYI don’t waste your time. I did, and I’m over it. If I’m meant to be with someone, I’ll find her a different way.”
“That’s not what I asked, but online dating isn’t an option for me. Too many sickos out there. Can’t have that with Sherrie. Anyway, tell me about your ex?”
I hesitate at first, but I’m an honest person. So, I tell her about Cheryl. The first few months were amazing, and things were going great until her ex-boyfriend showed up at my house and threatened to kill me. Apparently, in his mind, they were still together, and I am not one to tolerating cheating. So, I kicked her to the curb, and explained my side to the man. I don’t think he believed me, but my conscience is clear.
“Wow. Who does that? If you aren’t happy, then break up, don’t go out and cheat. The grass is always greener. It just appears that way because it’s fresh and new. I don’t think people understand how real relationships work.”
I’m interested in hearing more about this. How does she think relationships work? What does she try to avoid? Everyone has their hard passes, and it’s better to see if we are compatible now besides on an attraction level. She’s fucking gorgeous, but sometimes that’s a red flag for crazy. I’ve had enough crazy in my life to last a lifetime.
13
VANESSA
