Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

Sabrina

Things had been calm between myself and Daphne since I came home from the date I hadn't known I was going on and eventually had to have the talk with my kid about setting me up with a man without my agreement, let alone knowledge.

It had been an admittedly half-hearted talk since the larger part of me was incredibly happy the interaction had taken place.

The most surprising part of it all had been the fact that Daphne had reached back out to Allie to help her hatch a plan to make it all work.

A plan that included Allie—sweet, good, well-behaved Allie—pretending to be sick to the point of actually making herself throw up just to get Britney to stay home with her, leaving me alone at the coffee shop.

As horrified as I was to learn they'd done something like that to Britney, I couldn't help but be happy that our kids were talking again. Even if my kid was being a bit of a bad influence on Allie.

Because I had to be the grown up in the situation, I'd brought Daphne over to Britney and Sam's house to make her tell them all about their little schemes. Daphne spoke clearly and confidently, her shoulders back, clearly proud of herself. While poor Allie wilted in her seat, looking like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole right then and there.

Luckily for her, Britney and Sam were actually kind of relieved to find out their daughter did have it in her to be a little misbehaved. While Britney loved that her daughter was so reserved and good, Sam had been fretting for many years, worried that if Allie didn't ever branch out and risk failure or condemnation, that she was never going to find true confidence. Let alone be able to navigate college and adult life without feeling really unsure and anxious.

So, all around, everyone was… happy.

That two teenaged girls fucked with our lives.

Yeah, it was a weird situation.

But, hey, for whatever reason, the whole situation meant that Daphne was a lot less prickly and not actively trying to screw up again.

I hadn't even heard her mention Tammy in days. Sure, kids had their whole own secret worlds that not even the most helicopter parent could truly know the ins and outs of, and there was a very good chance that the older girl was still an influence on my daughter's life, but at least she wasn't sneaking out to go hang out with her. Doing God-knows what. While I sat at work or home oblivious.

The only real downfall since the night at She's Bean Around was the fact that Callow hadn't texted or called. That he clearly didn't seem as affected by the whole situation as I'd been.

I didn't even just mean that kiss. But, holy hell, that kiss.

I used to think that it was a figment of singers', writers', and poets' imaginations that you could feel a kiss down to your toes. Until Callow.

I'd been so far gone that if he'd started to strip me bare right there on the street, I might have actually let him.

That exact scenario had been the new dream that woke me up in the middle of the night sweaty in tangled sheets, the need an acute sort of ache in my core.

Yet it wasn't just that.

It was the conversation. It was the way some of my questions caught him off guard, made him really sit back and think before giving me an answer. Like he was learning something about himself as he was telling me about himself.

It was the most connected I'd felt with someone in a really long time. And possibly the only time I'd ever felt that in tune with a man.

But my phone had been silent since the date. Save for the endless emails announcing sales on websites I did not need to be checking out, but was also much more likely to thanks to the disappointment hanging like a personal storm cloud over my head.

Needless to say, I had a new pair of shoes and a really cozy cardigan on the way to me. And a pretty sweater for Daphne because it was impossible for me to spend money on myself and not her.

"Oh, hey Allie," I said as I pulled open the door, expecting some sort of delivery only to see the pretty, petite blonde with her familiar brown eyes and her ever-present backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Hey, Sabrina," she said, giving me that unsure smile of hers.

"Is Daphne expecting you?" I asked as I moved aside to let her move in.

"Yeah. I'm going to help her with an extra credit project," she told me.

"That's news to me," I said, turning to see Daphne moving down the hallway with her hair slicked back from her head with some sort of oil soaking in and three colored acne stars stuck on various spots on her skin. "Are you having trouble in one of your classes?" I asked.

"No," she said with the casualness that told me she wasn't trying to pull one over on me. "We had a choice of three essays to write if we wanted extra credit."

And as much as she wouldn't admit it aloud, my daughter loved her English classes. Especially when it allowed her to write something herself. I sincerely hoped that in a few years, there would still be jobs available in journalism or something like that because it would be a job she'd not only excel at, but would love.

"Well then, by all means, carry on," I said, waving toward the living room, making Daphne roll her eyes and Allie give me one of those tight smiles that said she thought I was being cringy, but was trying to be nice about it. "How about you guys order some greasy brain food?" I suggested, going into the kitchen to our menu drawer and bringing a stack over to them.

I promised myself that I would go off to my room eventually, not hover like one of those needy moms who wanted to be involved with all the stuff the kids did.

But before I could do that, as the girls debated Italian, Mexican, or Chinese, my phone beeped.

Right there on the coffee table where they could see it.

And Callow's name flashed across the screen.

My heart leapt as I tried to reach for it casually, instead of snatching it up like a damn lifeline.

Though there was no way to hide who it was from the girls. Who each shared a mischievous glance, lips pressed tightly together to hide their excitement that their plans were clearly working.

My heartbeat was hammering as I swiped my passcode in before bringing up the text.

And there it was.

An invitation to a second date.

I wasn't sure I'd felt so excited since I was a teenager as I shot off my reply before setting down my phone, hoping I was playing it off casually.

I should have known better. Daphne knew me too well.

"So… where's he taking you?" she asked, voice singsong as she tapped one of the menus on her jean-clad thigh.

"It's… a surprise," I told her, watching as both the girls shared another look, eyes bright. "But seeing as I'm supposed to dress in layers, I'm assuming it's outdoors," I said.

"When?" Daphne asked.

"Thursday at seven."

"Seven at night ?" Allie asked, eyes round.

"Of course seven at night, Grandma," Daphne teased her friend with an eye roll and a smile as she tossed a throw pillow at her. "Who has a date at seven in the morning?"

"But it will be dark outside," Allie said.

"That might be a problem if they were werewolves and it was a full moon," Daphne said, shaking her head.

"But it could be dangerous," Allie, our sweet little Anxious Annie pressed.

"And Callow is a one-percent biker who likely has more than one gun strapped on him," Daphne added. "Mom will be perfectly safe. So, what are you going to wear?" she asked, looking at me.

"Layers," I said. Being particularly cold-sensitive, I knew I would ruin the date by trembling if I didn't have at least a long sleeve, sweater, and a light jacket on. Not exactly a great date look. But Callow was used to seeing me at my, you know, usual level of attractiveness. It wasn't like he was expecting me to show up looking like a bombshell.

"Ugh," Daphne said, rolling her eyes. "A dress would be better."

"I own exactly two dresses," I reminded her. "And one is my black funeral and work meeting dress. Besides, it's dropping to the forties at night lately."

"Come on, Al," Daphne said with a sigh as she unfolded off of the couch. "Let's go find something passibly hot," she said, handing me the pizza menu. "Sicilian, please," she said.

"Allie, veggie?" I asked, knowing she would never actually ask for it even though it was what she always ordered.

"Yes, please," she said, and I watched as the girls walked into my bedroom.

I knew I'd walk in there to find just about every item of clothing I owned strewn across my bed when I called them for pizza. But, honestly, I was glad for the assist.

My wardrobe consisted mostly of work uniforms and then casual stuff I could run around and do errands, clean, or do laundry in. So mainly jeans, yoga pants, old t-shirts, or oversized sweatshirts. I honestly didn't remember the last time I'd given what I was wearing more than two minutes of thought.

Who was I trying to impress anyway?

I resisted the urge to keep texting Callow after we set up our plans for the date. I felt really out of my depth on how to handle dating after so many years. Who texted who first? How much was too much? What was the line between interested and desperate? How could I make sure I didn't accidentally stumble onto the wrong side of it?

I figured that less was always more with this sort of thing. Maybe it was out of vogue to say so, but I felt like men liked to do the chasing instinctively. So letting him come to me was going to be my plan until things progressed to a place where I felt like I was on more solid footing.

Besides, I'd always preferred face-to-face interactions over texting.

By the end of the night, all three of us girls were absolutely loaded to the gills with pizza. Daphne had half of her essay written. And, most importantly of all, I had an outfit for my date.

And just, you know, a few days to stress myself the hell out about it.