She gives me a small wave, her eyes gleaming with happiness as well as nerves. I watch her until she’s inside her building, safe and sound.
I wish I could go in with her, but I don’t want to spook her. I’ll have to hold off my yearning a little longer. I’ve spent forty-one years alone. I can go a little longer if I have to.
She’s worth the wait, after all.
CHAPTER FIVE
Macy
Last night didn’t feel real in the slightest. How could it, when it was like all my dreams came true? A handsome man sweeping me off my feet, protecting me at all costs, making me feel like I matter. I lie on my back, staring up at the ceiling, and wonder whether I actually dreamed it. When I hear my phone buzz with a text, I check it right away.
It’s him.
Can’t wait to see you tonight, beautiful. Wear something nice, I’m taking you for a fancy dinner. Tate x
I can feel the excitement bubbling up inside me. It’s almost impossible to believe he didn’t change his mind overnight.
I wonder if he’s thinking about me as much as I’m thinking about him? I wonder if he spent all night feeling lost and confused without me by his side? Because since I met him, it feels like a part of me is missing now that he’s stepped into my life.
I know I’m acting crazy. I only just met the man. Can I really act like he’s my soulmate when I don’t know a thing about him?
Except that’s not true. I know a lot about him. I know he’s a good man, a kind man. I know that he’s protective, willing to do anything to keep a woman he cares about safe. What else do I really need to know? He’s perfect. Like no other man. He’s not the kind of guy that harasses a woman in a bar just because he doesn’t like the look of her. No, he’s different, and I like it. It makes me want him even more.
But I have to stop getting ahead of myself because if this dinner date kills all the magic of last night, then I’m going to be left devastated. What if we sit there for an hour with nothing to talk about? What if he sees me tonight and feels differently about me? What if this fantasy comes crashing down on my head and I’m back to being miserable?
It’s almost too hard a thought to bear.
I wonder if I should just cancel and save myself the heartache before it’s even happened. But I don’t want to. As scary as it is, this date with an older man might also be the best thing to ever happen to me. If it goes well, if we fall deeply for one another and find a connection, then all of these nerves will be worth it. And if I crash and burn…well, even if I don’t go on the date, that’ll happen when I tear myself away from him.
I have to be brave, be strong. And if I am, then I’ll reap the rewards.
I get myself up and out of bed, feeling my heart ready to jump out of my chest. I have all day to get ready, and yet it doesn’t feel like enough time.
I shower and head back into my bedroom to pick something out to wear when I hear my phone buzz again.
It’s Tanya, but I have no intention of talking to her. After what she did last night, I’m not even sure I want to be friends with her anymore. I know if it wasn’t for her selfishness then I never would’ve met Tate, but that’s not the point. She abandoned me. We were meant to have a fun night out together and all she did was embarrass me and hurt my feelings. I still can’t get that man out of my head as he shouted insults in my ear. The comments still sting. But I brush them aside. I’ve got more important things to focus on. Like my date with the hottest man on the planet, for example.
I smile and shake my head to myself. I never expected to be wanted by someone like him in a million years. Or by anyone, in fact. No one has ever looked at me the way he looked at me last night.
I wonder what it is that he sees in me that everyone else has missed.
Still, whatever it is, I don’t care. For as long as he wants me, I’m going to do my best to show him that I’ve got whatever it is that he wants. I don’t care what it takes. I’m going to make sure I don’t miss this opportunity and let him slip away from me.
I stand in my pajamas, staring into my closet for inspiration, but nothing jumps out at me. I don’t feel good in a lot of my clothes. I basically just wear things that hide away my body. I have one gorgeous dress that I’ve always wanted to wear, but I’ve never had the confidence to wear it. It’s emerald green and sparkly, the kind of dress a supermodel would look amazing in, but I’m no supermodel. I stare at it in despair. It clings to every single one of my curves. Maybe Tate would like that, but the thought of even putting the dress on is terrifying.