Page 6 of Don't Fall For Your Grumpy Neighbor
“I’ll rake the leaves.” She smiles.
“I thought you were gonna do that anyway.”
“Maybe, but now you know I will because I’ll owe you.” She winks.
I take the coffee mug and put it on the table next to mine, then hold out my hand to her. “Deal.”
She places her tiny hand in mine. “Deal. I’ll meet you outside at six-thirty.”
“Fine, but I’m driving.”
“Oh, you do have a suit, right?”
I raise a brow. “Yes, I have a suit.”
Chapter 5
Felicity
I don’t keep it casual when I pick a dress for this party. I have a long chocolate-colored number to match my eyes. It showcases my curves, and legs. I hope to show everyone at the party tonight that I’m back.
That what Karl did to me may have hurt me then, but not now. I’m a new woman. And I’ll have a handsome man on my arm. Even if he isn’t charming. I fluff my hair in the mirror, and check my makeup once more.
Perfect. There’s a knock, and I rush out of my room, down the hall, and swing open the front door.
The sight of Shepherd Atwood takes my breath away.
“Um, wow,” he breathes out. “You’re stunning.”
I smile up at him, and try to play it cool. “You’re not so bad yourself.” But he’s even better than that. He’s dressed to the nines, and his hair is gelled to perfection. I’ve never seen him look so good. He even smells like a million bucks. Such a contrast to the man who drinks his coffee on the front porch and yells at the children riding by on their bikes.
Much different.
His big hand engulfs mine as he takes it and leads me down to his truck. He opens the door for me, and for a second I’m nervous at the thought that this is a real date. It’s not some fake thing I asked him to help me with. I thought for sure I wasn’t ready to date, but now, with the wind in my hair, I’m hopeful.
He starts his engine and pulls away from our houses. It’s go time. Whether I feel ready or not, I’m now officially on a date. The first date since Karl left me. And so far it’s going better than anything Karl and I have ever done. Karl always sat in his car and honked his horn. I know it’s so cliché of what a man shouldn't do, but I always agreed that he didn’t need to get out of his car to come fetch me. However, having Shep come to my door, knocking, the anticipation brimming, it made it so much more.
I navigate for him, and before long we’re at the hotel where the office party is being held.
“Um, before we go in, I should mention a few things,” I say, turning in my seat to face him.
He studies me with his intense eyes. “What is it?”
“I should tell you a lot of the people I work with know about Karl. They’re concerned about me.”
“Concerned?”
I nod. “Yeah. They think I’m not moving on, and maybe before tonight I wasn’t. I guess what I’m trying to say is I want to show everyone that I have moved on.”
He gives me a genuine smile. “Have you moved on, though?”
I shrug. “How can anyone ever really know? I mean, if you had asked me last week if I’d be going on a date today, I’d have said no. Yet, here I am. I think moving on happens at a snail’s pace that nobody ever really notices it until they’re so far away from the place they were that they can’t help but take notice.” I laugh lightly. “Did that make any sense?”
He nods. “I think it made perfect sense. I’ve been trying not to move on from something as well. I’ve been stuck in this one spot, churning in circles, but tonight I’m hopeful.”
There’s that word again. I smile at Shep and we exit his vehicle. When we enter the hotel, he places his hand at the small of my back, sending shivers cascading down my spine, as he leads me toward the ballroom.
Here goes nothing. I scan the room, and nerves take flight when I notice all my co-workers.