“Hey, Charlie.” The nurse practitioner behind the receptionist counter pops his head up once he hears my voice. It’s a Tuesday afternoon and this place was my last errand to run before heading home.
Stepping into Ageless Men’s Health Clinic always feels welcoming, from the clean and open space to the friendly people that work here, like Charlie.
“Amelia. What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing in here?”
“I ran out of business cards and needed to get some more. I was out running errands and figured I’d just pop in. Do you have a minute to help me?”
Charlie smiles, standing up and walking over to a filing cabinet where he pulls out a cardboard box and lifts out a sizable handful of cards for me. “Of course. No problem. And thanks again for sending people over. Business has been booming, and so many men are leaving as happy customers.” He puts the cards in a plastic bag, sealing it shut, before walking back over to me and placing it in my hand.
“Of course. You guys are doing good work here. More often than not, women become the scapegoats for problems in the bedroom, when men have hormones and issues as well.”
“That should be our new tagline.” A voice to my right has me spinning in that direction as Dr. Anderson walks toward me. Brayden flashes his charming smile as he strides across the room in his white lab coat, his light-brown hair perfectly combed back, and his dark brown eyes trained on me. “Hello, Amelia.”
“Brayden. So nice to see you.”
“Likewise.” His eyes eat me up as I stand there, my body coming alive from the attention. “What are you doing in here? I’d offer you a shot of testosterone, but I’m sure that’s not what you’re looking for,” he jokes.
Charlie coughs behind him, stifling a laugh I presume, catching my attention momentarily before I look back at Brayden and hold up the plastic bag of business cards. “I just needed some more cards. I’ve been handing them out to a lot of clients lately.”
He smiles with pleasure. “I’m aware. They all name you as their reference when they come in. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Well, the feeling is mutual. You’re helping a lot of my clients.”
“That’s our goal. As you said, men’s health is important too.” Silence rests between us as I glance behind Brayden and find Charlie’s eyes bouncing between the two of us.
“Okay then. Well, I best be going. This was all I needed.”
Brayden clears his throat and then nods. “Let me walk you to your car?”
“Oh, that’s not necessary.”
“I want to.” He turns back to Charlie. “Hold down the fort for a few moments, will you?”
“You got it, Doc. Nice to see you again, Amelia.”
“Same to you, Charlie.”
Brayden holds the door open for me, waiting to walk through before he accompanies me out to my car. I suddenly feel nervous. He’s never done this before, even though we’ve always remained quite friendly with each other. We met at a conference last year, and when I learned about his clinic, I was eager to recommend his services to my clients. The venture has worked out well for both of us, but besides the casual conversations here or there, he’s never alluded to anything else.
Flashing me that brilliant white smile of his, he waits for me to unlock my door and put my things inside before I turn around to face him. “So, Amelia…I don’t want to seem too forward, but…”
“Is everything okay, Brayden?”
“Uh, yeah.” He clears his throat before continuing. “I actually was wondering if you’d like to go to dinner with me sometime?”
My hand flies to my chest. “Really?”
He chuckles, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Yes. Jesus, I didn’t think I’d be this nervous,” he says before taking one hand out of his pocket and fiddling with his tie.
“You’re asking me out?”
“Yes, I am. I think you’re stunning, intelligent, and witty. Hell, I wanted to ask you out right after I met you, but I didn’t want to seem too eager, and we had just agreed to work together, more or less, and I didn’t want to cross those lines. Getting to know you a bit over the past year made me realize that I enjoyed your company and found you very attractive, but I couldn’t get up the nerve to do something about it. However, I told myself that the next time I saw you I would take advantage of the opportunity and put myself out there. So, that’s what I’m doing.”
“I’m…speechless. I didn’t know you felt that way.” Nerves run through me, and some feel a little like excitement. Brayden is a great guy—attractive, successful, hardworking, and honest. And he just bared his true feelings for me, and I can’t remember the last time I experienced that with a man.
But he’s not Ethan.
Images of Ethan flash through my mind—his cockiness the other night when we were talking and my body’s desire for him every time he gets close—and even though I know I shouldn’t want him, the way he makes my body come alive is very different from the way I feel about Brayden at the moment.
But here is this guy, who is available and being vulnerable right in front of me, asking me out on a date. Maybe this is a sign that it’s time to date again, to try to find my person. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date, and Brayden is the perfect guy to try to move forward with. Besides, it’s not like Ethan is asking me out or that I would even entertain that idea.
Then why are you still thinking about it?
“So, what do you say? Would you let me take you to dinner next Friday?”
“Next weekend?”
“Yes, unless you already have plans. I’m free Saturday as well. Or the following week. Hell, give me a date, and I’ll make it happen even if I do have plans.”
My gut is telling me I’d be a fool to waste this opportunity, even though my heart is hesitant. But in a matter of a few moments, I know what the right decision is. “Yes, I’d love to. Next Friday night would be perfect.”
His smile almost blinds me. “Really?”
I nod. “Yes. I would like to have dinner with you.”
“Hell, that’s great. Seriously, I can’t wait, Amelia.” He lifts my hand to his mouth and presses a kiss to the top. A flurry releases in my stomach, but I instantly catalog that it’s not nearly as strong as the reaction I have to Ethan.
Stop it, Amelia. This man is interested and available. Focus on him.
“You have my number, so just call or text with the details.” I smile up at him, pleasantly optimistic about this.
“Would you mind if I picked you up for our date?”
“That would be okay with me.”
“Perfect. Talk to you soon, Amelia.” He begins to walk backward with his eyes still on me.
“You too, Brayden.”
On my drive home, I think about how I obviously never anticipated Brayden asking me out, but the idea of having a date this coming weekend has developed a little bubble of anticipation in me that I haven’t felt in a while.
And even though the idea of adding dating again on top of everything else in my life makes me feel anxious, I know this will help me push forward in all of the changes going on in my life.
Brayden is smart, kind, and supports my work. He’s the antithesis of Ethan.
And that is why I need to pretend like Ethan Fuller doesn’t even exist.
Easier said than done…