Free to Love

Chapter 34

Shawn

Our first date was over. It had gone fine. We'd gone out to dinner, since that was a fairly safe way to start. Now I was standing at Brooke's door unsure of what to do. I definitely didn't want to kiss her. It wasn't that she wasn't kissable. She totally was. I just wasn't ready. It's like there was this voice in my head screaming at me to avoid her plump pink lips.

"Want to come in for a bit?" she asked after unlocking the door.

"Um, actually, I should get home. I might be able to tuck the kids in if I hurry," I said anxiously as I rubbed the back of my neck.

She smiled at me sweetly as if she understood. "I had a really nice time tonight, Shawn. I hope we can see each other again."

"I'd like that."

I meant that, too. Brooke was wonderful woman. The kissing thing had nothing to do with her personally.

I turned and started down the hall, calling out goodbye before getting to the elevator. Kiss successfully avoided. Phew.

Aaliyah grilled me as soon as I got done putting the kids to bed. I told her all about the date, how we'd gone out for Greek food, talked the whole time, and how I thought she was great.

"So it was okay? Dating again?" she asked.

"It was one date. And I guess it was okay, though it felt a bit weird the whole night. At dinner, I felt like I was sitting across from the wrong person," I said as I leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Meaning you aren't that interested in her?"

"Meaning she's not Mallory."

Aaliyah frowned. "No one's ever going to be Mallory. You need to accept that. It doesn't mean someone else can't be special."

"I know. I'm convinced I won't find the same kind of love I had with Mal, but I'm starting to come to terms with the idea that I can find someone who I'm happy with."

"That's a start," she said as she grabbed her keys and purse.

~~~~~~

Our second date was a bit more relaxed. We went to dinner again, but then went to a concert afterwards. I'd been comped good seats to see Kings of Leon who Brooke happened to love, too. I was impressed that she knew the words to all their songs as we stood moving to the music as they played.

The kids were at the house in the woods with my parents. I'd be joining them there the next morning. I no longer had the excuse of needing to get home to them, so I decided to take Brooke up on the offer to have a drink at her place when I took her home.

"What's your poison?" she asked from the kitchen, opening up a cupboard to show me she had many options.

"Rye, bourbon, or scotch. Neat. Just a little, though. I have to drive home."

She joined me on the couch in the living room with two glasses of bourbon. The space between us was small enough to imply a little intimacy, but not so close that we were touching.

We talked as we drank our drinks. Brooke opened up a bit more about her divorce. She liked to play it off as a mutual break-up, but I sensed that he was the one who initiated it and that she'd ended up pretty hurt. She also told me about her job as a computer programmer. It sounded pretty dull to me, but she seemed to like it. It's not like I really understood what ordinary jobs outside of music were like. Thank god.

When my glass was empty, I stood up.

"This was a fun night," I said. "You are an awesome concert date."