Sincerely, Sinclair || Sinclair Bryant x Reader ||

Chapter 2: A Fair Chance

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"Like, happy excited or nervous excited?"

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Audrey was adamant that she handle the organization of my and Sinclair's first meeting. Audrey didn't trust me to do it, for fear of me not actually doing it. Audrey didn't want Sinclair to plan it, because she was afraid he'd plan something too extravagant.

Audrey knew that something simple, yet effective was in order, and she had the most perfect idea.

Jade stuck around with me in the days leading up to the date (although I refused to refer to it as such) to make sure that I didn't try to back out at the last minute. Jade and Audrey had both agreed that Sinclair might've been my last chance before I completely gave up on finding someone. I was still so young and had so much life ahead of me. They didn't want me to cruise through the rest of my life thinking I wasn't good enough for anyone. Jade was there to ensure that I kept my spirits high and maintain a positive attitude.

"How about this one?" Jade questioned, plucking another cocktail type of dress from my closet, "You always look so pretty in this color."

I was lying on my bed with my head propped in my hand as I continued to turn down each outfit that Jade suggested to me. I wouldn't have been so stubborn over an outfit if I had even a slight idea of where my "date" with Sinclair would be taking place. Audrey refused to give me any details until the day of, thinking that I would be less likely to be a no show if Audrey told me everything last minute. Audrey was adamant that she wouldn't be telling me anything, but I had a feeling I could get Jade to crack.

"J, this is impossible. How am I supposed to pick something to wear if I don't even know where we're going?" I argued, a distressed sigh escaping my chest, "I'm going out with Sinclair tomorrow, you know."

Jade eyed over the dress again before hanging it back on the rack as perfectly as she had found it.

"I know, I know. I'm not supposed to tell you anything other than you're going out to lunch." Jade retorted, her back turned towards me as she thumbed through more of the clothes.

"Is it like brunch lunch or like regular lunch?" I questioned, hoping to get some kind of idea as to what to expect.

"I believe Aud has the date set for 12:30, so that would classify as regular lunch in my book." Jade replied.

My eyes narrowed in thought as I recalled all of the clothing items that Jade had offered to me thus far. They had all been party or cocktail dresses that I typically only wore to outdoor gatherings and parties. My guess was that Audrey had set something up at a restaurant that was pretty flexible.

"Did...Audrey mention anything more about Sinclair?" I pressed on, shaking my head when Jade presented another dress.

Jade raised one of her dark, perfectly sculpted brows.

"I don't think so. Only that he was excited to meet you." Jade remarked, her eyes lighting up when she spotted what she knew would be the lucky winner.

"Like, happy excited or nervous excited?" I rambled on, suddenly feeling a bubble of anxiety in my gut.

Jade scoffed at all the questions, taking the hanger that had the light blue pastel colored dress hanging on it.

"Will you stop? You're going to psych yourself out and you haven't even met him yet," Jade encouraged me, "I have a good feeling about this. I think you'll really hit it off."

"How can I be sure that Sinclair isn't going to be like everyone else? My taste in men doesn't exactly match with Audrey's," I returned, "If he's just another sports loving slob with no real sense of connection, I want to end this shit right now."

Jade couldn't help but laugh at my aggravation. Most of the men that I had attempted to go out with weren't very interested in a serious relationship, which is what Jade thought had frustrated me more than anything.

"From what I remember about him, Sinclair isn't at all what you think. He's very...eccentric." Jade explained, holding up the dress in front of her eyes to look over it once more.

"Oh, great. So he's a wild card?" I mumbled, fidgeting with the edge of my throw blanket.

"Come on, [Y/N]. You said you'd give him a fair chance," Jade reminded me with a tone of warning, tossing the dress on the bed in front of me, "Now go try this on."

I huffed at my friend, but obliged to her command. The last several days had been a mixture of both Audrey and Jade trying to keep me in good spirits. Audrey was persistent that Sinclair was going to be a good match for me. Jade trusted Audrey's intuition, considering that Audrey was rarely ever wrong about anyone.

So, with all of the arrangements set and her outfit picked out, there wasn't much else that needed to be done. All I had to do was show up and be myself. I wasn't sure if excited was the word I'd use to describe how I felt about it. I still had my doubts, and I wasn't expecting much out of this. But Audrey and Jade never asked for much, and if they were asking me to simply go on a date, then I'd oblige for them.

Sunday came around, and my date with Sinclair was in an hour. I entered my living room where Audrey was waiting for me. Jade was working at the bakery, or else she would've been there. But Jade was sure to catch up with Audrey and me later to see how it went. Audrey's eyes brightened at the sight of me.

"Okay, Audrey. You have to tell me now," I said, adjusting the sleeves on my dress, "Where am I meeting Sinclair?"

"First of all, you look absolutely stunning. I refuse to ignore it," Audrey grinned, "Secondly, you're meeting him at The Blues Kitchen. You know the little place not far from where I work?"

I nodded with remembrance. It was a nice place, and one of my favorites. I was comforted to know that it was a place that I was familiar with. If nothing else, at least I knew I'd get a good meal out of it. Audrey stood from my sofa, making sure that I was spick and span.

"And you're sure Sinclair's going to show up?" I questioned.

Audrey snickered, straightening the collar on my dress while admiring the light blue color.

"I'm positive. Sinclair isn't one to cancel on plans," Audrey replied, "Can you promise me something, [Y/N]?"

I made a noise of disapproval. Ever since they had been kids, Audrey and I had taken our promises seriously. We never went back on a promise.

"Depends." I returned, a faint smirk on my face.

Audrey was smiling with amusement, but her voice was light and full of seriousness.

"Promise me that you'll actually give him a chance. If you give him a fair shot and still don't see things going anywhere, then I won't question it," Audrey said, her green eyes shining with hope, "I just want you to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's a great friend of mine and an even better person."

It was rare for Audrey to ever be this serious about something. I was beginning to see just how much this meant to Audrey and Jade.

"Of course, Aud. I'll be fair to him." I promised.

"Good. Just be yourself and go with the flow. You're going to like him." Audrey announced, handing me my purse.

I knew it was too late to back out now. I couldn't help but feel a little bit of dread. I knew that this was part of the whole starting over and moving on thing. But if I was ever going to make steps forward, I had to start somewhere.

And somewhere started with Sinclair.