“I make omelets.”
“Okay, so you can make omelets and burnt toast.”
“I don’t burn the toast all the time.”
“You burn the toast most of the time.”
“Whatever.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Do you want me to get you that beer or not?”
“Well, do you want to eat any pizza?”
“I can always order my own pizza, you know.”
“Well, then go ahead,” he said, as he opened the box and took out a slice.
It smelled absolutely delicious as the aroma hit the air. “Fine, fine, fine. You win this time, big brother.”
“I win every single time,” he laughed. Then he looked at Shelby. “And just in case you’re wondering, Shelby, I’ll win every conversation with you as well.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, Hunter?”
“Well, I’m like your big brother now, too, so …”
“You’ve always been like my big brother.” She gave him a grin.
I shook my head and rolled my eyes and we headed toward the kitchen. “Sometimes I’m just like, ‘Grow up, Hunter.’”
“Really?” Shelby said as she opened one of the cupboard doors and grabbed some plates. “Don’t you think he’s thinking the same thing about you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, you’re both immature,” she laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m immature too. But it’s just kind of funny.”
“It’s not funny. I’m not immature. I’m the most mature twenty-two-year-old I know.
“That’s not saying much, though, is it, girlfriend?”
“Shelby, are you supporting me or not?”
“I’m just playing devil’s advocate. I’m just saying, if you want to get a hottie like Steele, who has three kids, you’re going to have to be a lot more mature than you are right now.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that if you show up acting like the kid that you are right now, he’s going to kick you out before you can even blink. But if you show up with some presents for the kids and you have on a nice suit—”
“What do you mean, have on a nice suit?”
“Show that you can dress professionally, Nellie.”
“I’m not going over to his house in a nice suit, are you joking?”
“What are you going to wear? Short shorts and a tank top?” She rolled her eyes. “That is not going to impress him.”
“I’m not trying to impress him.”
“Do you want him to think you’re a mature woman or not?”
“I am a mature woman.”
“Okay, Nellie.”
“Shelby, you’re really making me doubt myself now.”
“I’m not trying to make you doubt yourself, but this guy’s a father. He is going to want someone who’s going to be a good influence on his kids.”
“I’m not trying to be their stepmom, you know.”
“You might not be trying to be their stepmom, but he’s most probably looking for a stepmom. I mean, how old must he have been when he got married and had those kids?”
“I don’t know. He looks pretty young to me,” I shrugged.
“Like really young.”
“How old do you think he is?”
“I mean, if I would have had to guess I would have said twenty-four, but obviously he has three kids, so I think it’s unlikely he’s twenty-four. So maybe he’s like thirty, a young-looking thirty. Or maybe he just got started when he was like thirteen.”
“Really, Shelby?”
“What?” she laughed. “I’m just saying—”
“You know what, Shelby, sometimes I think you’re the immature one.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, if and when you contact your dad’s best friend and try and go on a date with him, you’re going to have to act a whole lot more mature than you are now if you want a chance with him. Because we know for a fact that he’s a lot older.”
“Girl, that’s just a fantasy. Nothing’s ever going to happen there,” she sighed. “But I wish.”
“Shelby, you’re really into this guy, aren’t you? I’ve never heard you sound like this about a guy before.”
“Maybe because I’ve never been around a real man before. And he’s just like so funny and witty and sarcastic and intelligent and … Oh, he’s just perfect.”
“Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. I gotta meet this dude,” I laughed. “I did not know that such men existed.”
“You did not know that witty, intelligent, sarcastic, beautiful men existed?”
“I wouldn’t use all those adjectives to describe any man that I’ve met and dated thus far, no.”
“Well, that’s because you’ve been dating boys, Nellie.”
“Don’t I know it,” I laughed. “And that’s why tomorrow I’m going to be going on my first date with a real man.”
Chapter Twelve
I was a little bit trepidatious but also really excited as I drove over to Steele’s house. I couldn’t wait to see him. Even though the only interactions we’d had in person had been at the grocery store, I felt like I knew him in a way that I’d never experienced with a guy before.
He’d been in my thoughts ever since that first interaction in the grocery store. And even though I thought he was a jerk, I could understand why he might not be great with his kids if his wife had died. I was curious as to what had happened, but I didn’t know if it was really my place to ask. If he was still in love with her, I didn’t want to make anything worse.
I’d never gone on a date with anyone who was widowed. In fact, I’d never gone on a date with anyone who’d even been married before or even engaged, but I suppose not many women my age had. At twenty-two, I had just dated guys in high school and college. I hadn’t even dated anyone significantly older than me—though that wasn’t to say that I wouldn’t. I found older guys to be very attractive.
In fact, I’d always imagined myself with an older guy. Maybe not much older, but definitely older and much more mature than the guys I met in college. I thought about Hunter and his friends. They were older, but they certainly weren’t more mature. And if I was honest, this guy in the grocery store didn’t appear to be that mature either, but I liked the fact that he had a sense of humor.
I pulled up to the driveway and admired the house. It wasn’t grand like my parents’ house, but I didn’t expect it to be, given that Steele couldn’t have been more than thirty. It was nice, though. It had two stories, a fresh coat of white paint, and a vibrant bright red front door. The garden was well kept. There were bougainvillea and roses shrubs around the front windows. I wondered if Steele was a gardener.
I smiled as I got out of the car and walked toward the door, a bottle of wine and a board game in my hands. I couldn’t quite believe it, but here I was on a date with the hottie from the store. Maybe I’d judged him too harshly. Maybe he was a nicer guy than I’d given him credit for.