He hands me the papers that he’s gathered from the sidewalk and helps me to my feet. My soul feels so much calmer than it did, even though I exploded. “If you’re serious,” I say, “about cancelling the project and not tearing all of this up to create more condos for glitzy tech bachelors, then I’ll think about letting you take me on a second date…if you still want to.”
“Oh, I want to,” he says.
“After all, you do owe me a meal. I paid for the last one.” He takes a step closer to me, and I let him. I know why he’s hesitating. I gave him good reason. “I’m sorry,” I say again.
When he wraps his arm around my waist and kisses me gently, I know that I’m forgiven. At least partly. “I’m not like them,” he says softly. “I promise.”
Placing my hand to his chest, I breathe in his scent that I’ve somehow already missed even though it’s only been two days. “I know.”
He smiles, lips against my forehead. “I will give you reason to trust me, Justine.”
“How did you know that I was here?”
Keenan actually laughs now. “I asked Lila if she knew a way to contact you, and she figured out that I was the ‘one you had gone on a date with,’ in her words. So she told me where you were and I came. I’m glad she told me, so I could see it. The park, the people, you.”
“I’ll give her hell for it later,” I promise. “Though it’s probably going to be her giving me hell. Since I decided to fuck her most important client.”
He grins. “I’m her most important client?”
“Shut up.”
“Will do,” he says, and kisses me again.
12
Justine
I’m in trouble.
As usual.
Keenan talked me into a second date, and this time, it’s on his terms. I let him into my world. Cheap delicious food and casual atmosphere, and this time he told me that he wants to let me into his world. To show me that money isn’t always evil. And part of that is dressing up.
The only problem is, the only remotely fancy dress I had was the one I wore on our first date. I wasn’t lying when I said it wasn’t that fancy, but it’s the only thing I have. So now I’m standing in front of Lila’s closet. Lamenting.
“You really don’t have to do this,” I say.
Her smile is literally a mile wide. “Oh, I really, really do.”
“It’s not weird for you?”
Lila smirks. “What, that I sent you on an errand and you ended up with a date that absolutely rocked your world and who also happens to be my best client? Nah. I think it’s great.”
I sit down on her bed. “I think I’m going to throw up.”
“You are not. Now get up, you have to try some stuff on.” She starts pulling out dresses that are fancier than anything that I’ve ever seen her wear.
“Why do you have these?”
“Never know when you’ll need them,” she says, laughing. “No, you know my mom. She’s always trying to get me to be better than a florist and sending me clothes to match what she thinks my status ought to be. I’ve only kept a few that I actually liked.”
“Well, thanks.” They’re definitely better than anything I own.
“I really want you to knock his socks off.”
I run my fingers over a deep purple dress with a short skirt. “You seem to be pretty invested in this.”
Lila turns and looks at me. “J, you’ve been single for years. You work yourself to the bone helping everyone, including me. This is the most interest you’ve shown in anyone, even if y’all are some kind of star-crossed lovers. I want you to be happy, and if he’s going to make you happy, then I am one-hundred percent behind you.”
I laugh. “Okay then.”
She tosses a red number at me. “Put that on.”
“I’m not totally sure that red is my color.”
“Put it on.” I do, and she makes a face. “Yeah, no good. I really think it’s that one,” she points to the purple one that I was looking at. “The color will be nice with your eyes.”
The fabric shimmies down over my hips and flows around my thighs. The dress doesn’t quite reach my knees, and I love the way it feels.
Lila looks me up and down. “Fuck yes.”
“Really?”
“If I were into women, I would be all over you,” she grins.
I step over to her mirror against the door and look at myself. “Wow.” My reflection doesn’t look like me. I can’t remember the last time I’ve worn something this…nice. I’ve never bothered with fancy clothes because I haven’t needed them, and the people that I hang out with were the same as me.
I don’t know what it says about me that I like the way this looks on me, but I do.