Or at least I thought I could.
Chapter Four – Chloe
After work, I stopped by the store to pick up supplies to cook for Sean. I had been nervous for lunch, and that nervousness had doubled. I still couldn’t believe I had invited him over to my place. It would just be the two of us.
Jesus Christ.
I walked around the grocery store looking for the best cut of meat. As I was looking, a few people came over to say hi. Sewanee was more abuzz than usual. I knew it was for the reunion (the thing most people would ask me about – if I was going, was I bringing anyone, etc). A lot more unfamiliar faces were in town as well. My guess was that they were also there for the reunion.
Some people had changed so much that I could no longer recognize them. It made me think about Sean. He had changed quite a bit. Physically, he had grown into his body, and he seemed more confident and self-assured. However, he was still the same at his core – a little awkward, charming – I liked all of it.
I grabbed a box of condoms just in case. If the opportunity presented itself, I planned on making a move. I was pretty confident Sean was interested, and I wanted to be prepared.
After making my purchases, I headed home. When I got inside, Bandit greeted me at the door.
“Hey, buddy.” I walked into the kitchen and dropped my grocery bags. “Guess what. We have a friend coming over,” I explained to my very exuberant sheepdog-mix. I liked to think he was sharing my excitement to see Sean. Still, it was probably more excitement about all the food I had just brought into the house.
As I unpacked everything, I told Bandit about Sean and my hopes for where the evening would go. My pup was very supportive.
Once I put the food away, I looked around my house and saw it needed some cleaning. I was too distracted last night, and things still looked pretty messy. I got to work, sweeping, swiping, spritzing, and organizing. It took some time, but I could get it all done.
I was just about to start the steaks when I heard the doorbell. Bandit raced to the door. I took a deep breath before following.
“It’s just dinner. No reason to freak out,” I said to myself before opening the door. There Sean was, looking cute in a tight t-shirt and blue jeans.
Bandit was also excited. He sniffed Sean’s legs, his tail wagging furiously.
“Hi, come in.”
I moved to the side so Sean could come inside. He handed me a bottle of wine. “I brought this for you.”
“Thanks. I was about to get started with the steaks on the patio. There are some chairs to hang out in if you’d like, and I could get you a beer?”
“Sounds good.”
I pointed Sean towards the patio. Bandit followed him outside while I got the beers. When I got outside, the two of them were getting along fabulously. Bandit was a friendly dog in general, but it felt like he already liked Sean more than me.
“Here ya go.” I handed Sean a beer before opening my own. “I’m gonna go make those steaks. Don’t want to keep you waiting for too long.”
“Take your time. Your dog is keeping me company.”
I looked down at Bandit, who looked right at home with my high school tutor. “Yeah, Bandit really likes you. Maybe more than me.”
“That’s hard to believe. You’re so…” Sean stopped himself and looked down, embarrassed. “But yeah, thanks for inviting me over.”
I wasn’t sure where that was going, but it sounded good.
I started working on the steaks, seasoning them before placing them on the grill. “How do you like your steak?”
“Medium rare is good.”
“Perfect.” I kept an eye on the food while I made conversation with Sean. “How do you like your stay in Sewanee?”
“It’s interesting. A lot has changed.” He glanced over at me as if there was more that he wanted to say, but he didn’t.
“Is this your first time back since graduation?”
He shook his head. “I’ve visited a few times over the past ten years, but I never really left my grandmother’s house. She was able to convince me to take a look around, though she said a lot of the change is more recent.”
“Yeah, the past couple of years, it’s like Sewanee got a major face lift,” I commented. I liked some of the changes. Our town could be a little traditionalist and bringing in some fresh perspectives would be good for us. “And I’m glad your grandmother convinced you to look around. We got to see each other again.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m glad we’ve reconnected.”
It felt like Sean had some reservations. Almost like he didn’t believe what I was saying. Or maybe it was all in my head. He accepted both of my invitations, after all. I just needed to enjoy the evening and not read too much into it.