8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Helene

I 'm pissed off at myself and my sister. Why did I have to blurt out that Theo was my stalker? I just can't keep stuff from Mags. Then Theo starts being Theo, and she's already digging for a police record. When I begged her to go along with the "matched" thing, she refused, so I had to usher him out in a hurry.

Now she's waiting for me inside our house to "find out what's going on." I almost don't want to go inside, but she's my sister, and she's got to know. I walk inside and lock the door behind me. Mags is sitting on the couch eating a pretzel but looking like the bad cop she is. The guys at her precinct tell me she's one of the toughest detectives there, and she takes no shit from anyone.

"I can explain."

"You better."

"He's cute and sweet. He just took me to Universal Studios, and we had an amazing time."

"Why does he think you're matched?"

"He thinks I'm his matched bride from some mail-order bride agency. The Perfect Bride or something like that."

"You're not his match." She crosses her arms.

"I know."

"Why did you go along with it? And why was he stalking you?"

I sigh. I best just tell her everything.

"He got matched, but the girl ghosted him. He looked for her on social media, and her name was either exactly like mine or so similar that he thought I was her, and he started following me there. It sort of escalated from there."

"How did it escalate?"

"I…"

"How, Hellie?"

"He's been in my yoga class for a month."

"God damn it." She frowns. "This guy could be dangerous."

"He's harmless."

"You need to avoid all contact with him until I run a check on him. Will you do that for me?"

"I can do that. I'll tell him I'm busy with school."

"No. Don't make contact."

"I can't do that. He'll get worried and come see me."

"That's another thing. Why in the hell did you tell him where you lived? I thought I taught you better."

"I'm not perfect like you, Mags. Give me a break."

I don't know if Mags is finished with her lecture, but I leave her in the living room eating the rest of her pretzel. I've got a lot of things on my mind. Could Theo be dangerous? How am I going to find out more about him if I can't talk to him? Then a thought pops into my head, and I bring out my phone. After a bit of Googling I have some more information on the man that could win my heart.

He opened the club with his two best friends from college. They're on the brink of opening a second location in New York. He's the most reserved of the three owners, saying very little in the online interviews. Never been known to have a girlfriend—rumors of maybe being gay. I think back and know it's not accurate. He's straight, alright, but he has this code of conduct that he follows, which makes him more rigid than the rest.

That's probably why he went looking for love at a mail-order agency. How angry will he be if I come clean with him about not being his match? Will he dump me? Go looking for the other Helene? I need to tell him for my own well-being, but I don't even know how to broach the subject. I don't want to disappoint him.

I put away all my goodies from Universal Studios and sit down with my journal. Maybe if I write it out, I can find a way to confess everything to Theo because I want our relationship to be real, not filled with subterfuge. I put pen to paper, and the words just came out, like an open faucet letting all the water run through my fingers.

After I finish writing in my journal, I'm more convinced than ever that I have to tell Theo the truth. I don't want to wait until Mags does her investigation, though, so I text him.

Me: Are you up for some frozen yogurt tonight, or have you had enough of me for a while?

Theo: I'd love to spend more time with you. I'll pick you up at seven

Me: See you then

By seven, my nosy sister will already be gone for her shift at the precinct, so I don't have to worry about her finding out where I'm off to or who with. I think of telling Tammy to cover for me, but I remember I'm thirty-eight years old and am an adult. I spend the rest of the afternoon grading papers from the kids and taking it easy.

When the doorbell rings, I try to get myself down from the high of seeing Theo again. I think I've built him up to be this god, which is ironic since he calls me his goddess. I'm just so happy to see him, though. I open the door, ready to go.

"Hi!"

"Hi, goddess. Ready?"

"You bet I am. Do you know what flavor of ice cream I always ask for?"

"Strawberry."

How does he do that? "What flavor do you like?" I ask.

"I'm a chocolate kind of guy, but I have to tell you I tried one of those frozen yogurts, and it didn't do much for me."

"I'll guide you on what to get. You'll like them, and they won't hurt your waistline if that's what you're worried about, you lady killer."

"No ladies will ever be harmed by me. Besides, I've got a goddess with me now. I don't need any other ladies."

"You always know what to say. Why is that?"

"Because I'm a nerd, and we always have these conversations rehearsed in our heads, so when the time is right like it is now, we wow our ladies. It's kind of sad, really."

"Nah, I think you're more like a boy scout, always prepared."

"That's the line I'll use the next time someone asks me about my charm. Thank you. You see, you're improving my life already."

He opens the passenger door for me and I hurry to get in. I'm surprised when he leans over me and buckles my seat belt for me. I manage to sniff some of his fancy cologne, and it does something to the butterflies in my belly—something good that I want to treasure for as long as possible.

The drive to my favorite yogurt place is really fun and filled with laughter.

I can sometimes see Theo withdraw as if he's shy. The problem is, I enjoy it when he's more forward—more daring in his teasing and flirting, but I suspect he doesn't want to do or say the wrong thing. I think I like the whole package, another reason I need to be truthful. If I confess, I might never have to tell him why I quit nursing.

He finds a parking spot near the shop, and I wait until he comes around. He opens my door and offers his hand to me. I take it and let him help me up, like the gentleman he is. Holding hands is now a habit for us, and he opens the door of the yogurt place for me. We place our order and get a nice booth in a quiet corner. Things are quiet tonight, and I wonder how to bring up the subject of the agency.

The frozen yogurt is delivered, and we dig in, Theo more reluctantly than me. I eye him with curiosity, wondering what the verdict will be. I'm waiting in suspense when he sighs.

"It's passable." He says.

"Only passable?"

"It's no rocky road."

"You said you liked chocolate. There are other flavors over there."

"Yeah, but I didn't want to spoil those too."

"Ugh, if you're going to be nasty like that, leave it. I'll eat it when I'm done with mine."

"It'll be melted by then."

"I'll drink it then. Damn it. I was so sure you would love it."

"We don't need to agree on everything to like each other, goddess. I mean, you're already out of my league."

I take the opportunity to change the topic.

"How long were you a member of the agency before you were matched?"

"About three months. I was starting to get antsy and told the owner, Miss Sarong, that I was going to end my subscription, but she insisted I try for at least a few more months. The week after that, I got a message that I'd been matched with someone. How about you?"

"I, ah…"

"Helene, Theo, it's so great to see you. Are you guys on a date?"

My friend Tammy must have either the worst or best timing in the world because she comes in for an ice cream at the moment I'm about to confess my sins.

"Hey, Tammy. I wanted Theo to taste the fro-yo here, but it didn't pass his high-quality test."

"Well, Theo, you'd better find something on the menu to enjoy here because our girl loves this place."

"Yeah, I know. I saw a few things I might try." He says.

"I'll be right back. I just want to put in my order." Tammy walks away.

"Is she going to sit with us?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Even she acknowledged we're on a date."

"Just go with it. She's very dense about this, even when you tell her to her face she's being a third wheel. Besides, we've got time to get to know one another, right?"

"Yeah."

A soft smile appears on his handsome face, and he reaches out his hand to grab mine and squeeze it gently. It makes me feel like we're connected somehow, and I don't want that feeling to go away. So we sit there like that, holding hands, until Tammy comes back with her ice cream cone.

The good thing about this whole thing is that Tammy knows me well. This means she spends the rest of the evening telling Theo funny stories about me, like how I once turned a whole load of laundry pink by putting my red socks in or how I suck at ball sports like baseball, basketball, and even volleyball. Thankfully, Theo is a nerd, and I don't think he'll be very interested in doing sports with me. Fingers crossed.

At around ten p.m. I put a stop to the date.

"Theo, I'm sorry, but I've got class tomorrow. I should be going to bed soon."

"That's fine, goddess. Tammy, do you need a ride?"

She wiggles her keys in front of us.

"No, I'm all set."

The ride back is quiet, and I start getting nervous. Was Theo embarrassed by what a dork I was growing up? Does he not like me anymore after hearing all that stuff about me? It just looks like he's doing a whole lot of thinking. He parks in my driveway. I notice my sister's car is not in the garage.

"Let me walk you to the door." He says.

He comes to the passenger seat, unbuckles me, and takes my hand. Once we're in front of the door he turns and watches me with a loving look on his face.

"Are you doubting my goddess status now that you've discovered I was a dork growing up?" I whisper.

"I think you're more perfect than ever."

He brushes my hair away from my face and leans towards me. This is it, this is when he kisses me for the first time. I open my lips lightly and look up at him, desire in my eyes. Before I know it, our lips are touching. The kiss is gentle at first, making me melt, but then I breathe him in and get hungry for him and lick his lips to gain entry to his mouth.

I don't care if he thinks I'm too forward. I want this man in ways I never thought I'd want anyone before. He lets me in and our tongues do battle together. I feel his hands going up and down my arms, and then they circle my waist in a possessive manner. He softly pulls me to him, and I get lost in the fire between us.

When I grab his shirt to pull him closer to me, I realize we're making out in front of all the neighbors, and I stop kissing him. I'm breathing hard, so I need a moment to get a hold of myself.

"I'm sorry, we're out in the open, and the neighbors are nosey. They'll tell my sister."

"Yeah, I did not make a good impression on her, either."

"She'll relax once the background check comes back."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Sorry, no."

"She loves you. She wants to protect you. I'd do the same thing."

He leans forward again and gives me an innocent peck on the lips.

"You have a good night, goddess. I'll see you on the weekend."

"Goodnight, Theo."

He waits until I open my door and lock it behind me to leave. And I'm left wondering how much harder it will be to lose him if I continue to fall for him.