Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
The knock on my door wasn’t unexpected, but it still felt like my heart might explode from my chest. Matt was here to pick me up for our pizza date. In my imagination, it was a date; manifestation started with imagination and lots of prayer.
After a calming breath, I buttoned all but the top button of my jean jacket and curled my hair behind my ear on one side and then uncurled it.
Curled it.
Uncurled.
“Stop it,” I whispered, fisting my hands to quit fidgeting while briefly closing my eyes. “Hey,” I said, opening the door.
“Ready?”
I bobbed my head, pretending that Matt wasn’t out of my league because he was older, smarter, talented, and gorgeous. “You look handsome,” I said.
He chuckled, glancing down at his gray Michigan T-shirt and navy unzipped hoodie. “I don’t think I tried hard enough to deserve that compliment, but thanks. You look nice too.”
“Nice” felt like wholesome’s slightly prettier cousin. I wanted to be beautiful in his eyes.
“Everything cool?” he asked.
My smile rebounded from my slight disappointment that he didn’t shoot for a higher compliment. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
Matt opened all the doors for me, including the passenger door to his red 1972 El Camino.
“Thank you.”
After he slid into the driver’s seat, I put on my seat belt. “I wondered if you still had this car. I’ve always loved it.”
“Oh, hell yes. I’ll buy other cars someday, but I won’t sell this one.”
For a few seconds, I thought it was cool that he wasn’t selling it, since it had been a graduation present from his grandparents. But then it hit me; my sister lost her virginity on this very bench seat. I slowly peeled my hands from it and folded them on my lap.
“How are your classes going? If you ever need help with anything, just ask.” He shot me a sideways glance and a killer smile.
“Thanks.”
“How are your parents?”
“Good. Dad’s still preaching. Mom’s still organizing everything from funerals at the church and fellowship dinners to baby and wedding showers. She’s been bugging my dad to take some time off to travel, but he thinks the town will fall apart without him. His best friend Fred has offered to fill in at the church if my parents want to go out of town for a couple of weeks to visit Sarah or Eve, but my dad can’t bring himself to do it.”
“Your dad has always been dedicated.”
“You mean a workaholic?”
Matt laughed. “I was trying to be nice since I imagine when I’m an attorney, I’ll have to work long hours and take minimal time off. Hopefully, I find a wife who’s as understanding and supportive as your mom.”
I folded my hands, squeezing them hard to keep from raising one to volunteer to be said wife. As a school counselor or something like that, I’d have normal hours and could be home to have dinner ready. And when we had kids, I’d stay at home to raise them.
Garden.
Sew.
Clean the house.
Bake bread.
“I’m sure if you’re a true romantic, you won’t have trouble finding a good woman.”
“A true romantic?” He pulled into the Pizza Hut parking lot.
“Flowers. Love notes. Perhaps a necklace with her birthstone. Help with dishes after dinner. You know, make her feel appreciated and it will go a long way to her understanding and feeling okay about you working long hours.”
“Love notes?” He wrinkled his nose while unbuckling.
I giggled. “Don’t panic. You don’t have to be a poet or anything like that. A simple ‘Have a good day. I love you,’ is sufficient. And flowers don’t have to be bouquets. A single rose or a few spring tulips are just as special.”
He made funny duck lips and nodded. “I see. I guess I need to find someone like you who feels content with such simplicity.”
“Well,” I unbuckled, “I need to get through school, but you can check back with me. I might be available.” I didn’t have Sarah’s confidence or Eve’s quick wit and practiced humor, but I did my best to feign that I did.
Matt opened the door and gave me a conspiratorial grin. “Can you imagine? That would make our families talk for sure.”
“But we wouldn’t care, because we are the babies of our families. The favorites.” I stepped out of his car and shot him a flirty smile and a wink. At least it was supposed to be a wink. I didn’t have the genes for bodily functions like tongue rolling and winking, so it must have looked like I had something in my eye.
“Favorites, huh?” Matt perked up as we met at the front of the car and headed into the building. “You might be right.”
“The only ones who went to college and didn’t start a war between our parents,” I said.
“You’re cutthroat.” He playfully nudged me while we waited to be seated.
My heart soared higher with every innocent touch and flirty grin. It’s how I had always imagined we’d fall in love. Well, it’s how I’d imagined he would fall in love with me. I’d been in love with him for years. I didn’t want him to see me as a sexy, short fling, blinded by physical passion. Those didn’t last. But admiration and respect were foundations that could withstand the test of time, and I wanted him to be mine forever.