Not Quite Dating Read online

  It was one date, for crying out loud.

  One lousy date.

  Danny, dressed in a big jacket, mittens, and a scarf, sang his little heart out in the kindergarten Christmas play. Parents sat in the audience, snapping pictures and taping the entire performance to rewatch for years to come.

  Jessie sat between Jack and Monica, who both hit it off wonderfully, which Jessie knew would backfire on her at the first opportunity.

  When the performance was over, the excited kids made their way off the elementary school stage and melted into the audience to find their proud parents. Danny ran to Jessie, threw his precious arms around her, and graced her with a huge smile. “Did you see me up there?”

  “You were great, Danny. You must have practiced for a really long time to remember all the words to the songs,” she told him.

  “We sing every day in class.”

  Danny pulled out of her arms and hugged Monica.

  He slipped into Jack’s embrace just as easily. “Hey, Uncle Jack. Wasn’t that cool?”

  Uncle Jack, that was new. Jessie narrowed her eyes and watched Jack’s expression. When it didn’t change, she wondered if Jack had caught Danny’s title.

  “Cool for days, partner.”

  “Do you want some cookies? There are cookies in the back.” Danny grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled him toward the back of the room, where the teachers and the parents had set out the refreshments.

  “Uncle Jack?” Monica asked under her voice.

  “New to me.”

  “Danny loves him. Look at them.”

  Jessie couldn’t stop staring. Danny was chatting up a storm, and Jack was listening and laughing alongside him.

  “It’s natural,” Jessie told her sister. “Danny doesn’t have a man in his life. Jack has been around a few times, so he’s gravitating toward him.” She really hoped she wasn’t making a mistake by letting the two of them get to know each other. Jack was an all-around good guy, and she trusted him. Trusted that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her son in any way. However, who knew how long Jack would be in their lives. It was a chance she wasn’t willing to take.

  “I don’t know why you’d bother dating anyone else.”

  “Jack and I aren’t dating.” Was no one listening to her on this subject?

  “Lawyers are boring.”

  “You can say that again.” Jack snuck up behind them. Jessie jumped when she heard his voice. She turned and noticed the candy cane sticking out between his lips. The smile on his face was simply priceless. “Are we talking about a particular lawyer?”

  Guilty. God, she felt so guilty. “No. Hey, Danny, do they have any more of those candy canes?”

  Her son nodded and pulled her away from Jack and Monica. The farther away from her sister and Jack she walked, the more she worried about their topic of conversation.

  At the refreshment table, Danny greeted one of his friends, and the child’s mother turned to Jessie and started chatting.

  A few minutes later, Jessie meandered her way through the thinning crowd and back to Monica and Jack’s side. The two of them were laughing. Mo held her side as if the laughing pained her.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.” But Monica was hiding her grin behind a hand.

  Jessie’s sister radar was flying high. Monica was up to something. “Sure. Nothing.”

  Danny pulled on her hand. “My teacher said we can go after the show.”

  Jessie glanced down at her son. “Are you ready to leave?”

  People were already filing out of the auditorium. “I need to get my backpack from my room,” Danny told her.

  Monica placed her hand on Danny’s shoulder and said, “Why don’t you take me with you so you can show me your classroom.”

  Before Jessie could say anything, Monica and Danny were walking away, leaving Jack and her standing alone.

  “It was really nice of you to come.”

  “I enjoyed it,” he said as they started to walk out of the busy room with the other parents. “I haven’t been to something like this since I was Danny’s age. They haven’t changed much, have they?”

  “More treats, but that’s about it.”

  He smiled. “I remember a cookie and, if we were lucky, one candy cane. Seems as if they had an entire bakery in the back.”

  “Lots of the parents bring treats for the kids.”

  Loads of adults were crammed into Danny’s classroom, so Jessie decided to stay outside. Through the window, she saw Danny pointing out some of his “artwork” to Monica that hung on the walls.

  “Danny seems to like his school.”

  “He loves it. Such a social kid. You would think living in an apartment building would mean there were lots of kids he could play with, but there aren’t.” Her apartment building wasn’t loaded with nasty people and big parties, but it wasn’t loaded with families, either. “One of these days I’ll be able to put us in a house in a neighborhood. Ever since he saw that movie with the golden lab, Danny’s bugged me about getting a dog.”

  “I take it your landlord doesn’t accept pets.”

  “Right. Big dogs don’t belong cooped up inside all day, anyway.”

  Jack patted her on the back. “Give yourself a break. You’ll get there.”

  Jessie forced a smile onto her face. “I know. Someday.”

  Danny ran from his classroom and up to them. “I’m ready,” he informed them.

  “I have to get to class,” Monica announced. “Thanks for showing me your classroom, buddy.” She knelt down to talk to Danny. “Watch your mom for me, will ya? Make sure she takes a nap.”

  Danny giggled.

  “Are you staying late?” Jessie asked her sister.

  “We have a huge test on Monday, so we’re going to have a long study session. I’ll be home before you go to work. I’m inviting Lynn over to study Saturday while you’re gone.”

  Just the hint of a mention about her being away from home on Saturday was enough to have Jessie glancing over at Jack.

  “I thought you were off Saturday,” Jack said.

  “Mom has a date,” Danny spit out.

  The expression on Jack’s face froze. “Is that so?” Slowly his gaze moved to Jessie.

  “You remember Brad from the party.” Full disclosure. She shouldn’t feel guilty, but the feeling rolled off her in painful waves.

  “Right.” Jack drew out the word in a long sigh. “The lawyer-looking guy.”

  “He is a lawyer, actually.” She sounded defensive.

  “He’s not your type,” Jack said with absolute certainty in his voice.

  She shifted from foot to foot. “How do you know what my type is?”

  “You’ll be bored within thirty minutes.”

  Monica turned to Jack. “Do you know this guy?”

  Jack never stopped staring at Jessie. The gaze made her fidget. “I see his type all the time at the hotel. Stuffy, not a lot of fun.”

  “Why do you want to date someone who isn’t fun, Mommy?”

  Jessie pulled her eyes away from Jack’s and said to Danny, “Jack doesn’t know if Brad will be fun or not; he’s assuming.”

  “What’s assuming?”

  “It’s when someone thinks someone is a certain way when they don’t really know if they are a certain way.” Dammit, she shouldn’t have to be defending a date to her son, or Jack, or Monica for that matter.

  “You should date Jack,” Danny said, smiling. “We know he’s fun.”

  Three sets of eyes pinned her down. “Jack and I are just friends, right, Jack?”

  Jack didn’t say a word, just stared at her with a tiny lift in his lips.

  “What’s a date, anyway?”

  “It’s when two people go out to dinner or do something together to get to know each other.” And why wasn’t Jack helping her here?

  “We went with Uncle Jack to the zoo. That was kinda a date.”

  “Not quite a date.” Jessie shifted her attention to her s
on.

  “Oh.” He wasn’t convinced. Confusion marked his expression.

  “It’s complicated, Danny. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

  A few moments of awkward silence filled the air, then Monica said, “On that note, I’ve gotta go.”

  “So do I,” Jack said, a smile returning to his face. “Thanks again for inviting me, Danny.”

  Danny gave Monica and Jack hugs.

  “Have a nice time with the lawyer, Jessie.” Was it opposite day, and Jessie had somehow missed the memo? Jack actually sounded sincere.

  “I’m sure it will be fine.” Only now, she wasn’t positive of anything.

  Jessie watched Jack and Monica walk away, the two of them talking. She could only guess what about.

  Chapter Nine

  “I don’t plan on staying out late,” Jessie told her sister for the second time that night.

  Dressed in a pair of slacks and a sweater, Jessie was comfortable and casual but not too casual. Wearing small heels with the slacks dressed up the outfit. Besides, Jessie didn’t have the occasion to wear heels very often, so she jumped at the opportunity whenever she could. Something about wearing heels reminded her that she was a grown-up, desirable woman.

  “Where are you two meeting?”

  “He picked an Italian place by the mall. Antonio’s.”

  “I’ve never heard of it.” Monica reached over and tucked a stray lock of Jessie’s hair back into place.

  “We’ve passed it a few times. I’ve never eaten there,” Jessie said.

  “Call me if things aren’t going the way you want them to and use me as an excuse to come home early if the date sucks.”

  Jessie dropped her chin and smiled at her sister. “Thanks. I don’t think I’ll need to use an excuse, but it’s nice to know you’ve got my back.”

  “Always.” Monica handed over the black purse Jessie had picked out for the night. “I still think it’s Jack you should be meeting for dinner and not this Brad guy.”

  Throwing up her hand, Jessie said, “Enough. You’ve told me this a dozen times since yesterday. I know you don’t approve, but this is what I need to be doing.”

  “Because Jack is a waiter and not a lawyer. You’re not that shallow, Jessie, and I know it. Jack likes you. A lot!”

  “Did he tell you that?” Jessie had been trying to pry out of her sister the meat of her conversation with Jack for the last twenty-four hours. Monica wouldn’t give up one syllable of their discussion.

  “I could see it in his eyes. The way he looks at you is magnetic. Even if you won’t admit it, you look at him the same way.”

  Jessie did her best to ignore the energy between them. She could look past the man and not dwell on their one kiss, most of the time. She could wipe the images her mind dreamed up of the man, even the naked ones, most of the time. She could ignore how her heart sped up when she saw him walking into the diner, or her son’s school, or the park, most of the time.

  OK, maybe not most of the time, but for a few hours at a time.

  Or a few minutes.

  She shook her head. You’re hopeless, Jessie.

  “I need someone stable, someone who has a real job, a real future. Not some temporary employee of a local hotel who will probably be traveling back to Texas after the holiday season is over. Have you forgotten Rory, Danny’s father? Or Mathew?”

  “Mathew? Oh, that guy you dated for, what, ten minutes?”

  “It was two months, and he moved in with me, if you remember. His idea of helping out was to take my rent money and leave.” Mathew was an expensive mistake.

  She swung her purse on her shoulder and walked out of her bedroom and into the living room, where Danny was talking with Monica’s friend Lynn.

  “I’m leaving, Danny. Can I get a kiss?”

  Danny pushed away from his Legos and Lynn before putting his arms around her.

  “Will you be home before I go to bed?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Danny’s normally happy smile slid into a tiny pout. “Can I go on your next date with you?”

  Oh boy. “I’m not sure. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.” The guilt was coming back tenfold.

  “I went on your date with Uncle Jack.”

  Arguing with him about the dating status and Jack was pointless. He didn’t understand, and Jessie was going to be late if she tried to explain the point again. “I’ll think about it,” Jessie said instead.

  Danny took his frowning face and plopped on the sofa.

  Jessie waved to her sister. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “Call if you need anything.”

  “I will. Bye, Monica. Bye, Lynn.” Jessie turned to her son. “Bye, buddy.”

  Danny gave her a quick wave but didn’t look at her.

  Jessie walked out of the apartment, wondering if she was doing the wrong thing.

  She found the restaurant easily enough. Parking was a little tight, but she managed to cram her car into the lot between a huge pickup truck and a Lexus. Glancing at her watch, Jessie realized she was five minutes early. She hoped Brad was already waiting for her inside so she wouldn’t have to wait in the lounge or reception area by herself.

  Inside the small Italian restaurant, the heavy smell of garlic and tomato sauce tickled her nose and made her mouth water. The dim lighting shed a nice romantic glow over the dark red booths.

  “Welcome to Antonio’s,” a leggy, tall blonde woman about Jessie’s age greeted her.

  “I’m meeting someone here. His name is Brad.”

  The hostess glanced at her reservation list and smiled. “Your party hasn’t arrived yet, but your table is ready if you’d like me to seat you.”

  Jessie sighed in relief. “You can seat me.”

  Several couples talked quietly in their intimate booths, drinking wine and eating breadsticks. At the table, Jessie removed her light jacket and placed it beside her.

  “Would you like something from the bar while you wait?”

  “Water for now.”

  The blonde left and Jessie went ahead and opened her menu to glance at the selections.

  A busboy brought water and a basketful of breadsticks and then left her alone to watch the time pass.

  Every minute that ticked by while Jessie waited felt like an hour.

  Ten minutes past seven, Brad walked up to the table.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” he said as he undid a button on his jacket and slid into the booth beside her. “I had a heck of a time getting through traffic, and the parking out there is a mess.”

  Jessie smiled and waved away Brad’s concerns. “I’m glad you made it.” And she was, she realized, despite her reservations about the date. Brad wore a well-pressed suit, his jaw was clean shaven, and he even smelled good. More because of the froufrou cologne he wore than his natural scent.

  Jack always carried a little spice and pine wherever he went. More masculine.

  “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

  Fifteen minutes, thirty seconds. But who is counting? “I was only ahead of you by a few minutes,” she lied, hoping she didn’t appear too anxious.

  Brad signaled the waiter as he walked by and ordered a bottle of wine and two glasses.

  Strike two, Jessie found herself thinking. First, he was late for the date, and although traffic was a factor, she had still managed to get there on time, and it wasn’t exactly rush hour out there. Second, Brad didn’t even ask her if she drank wine. Then again, maybe that’s what people with money did to impress their dates.

  “The food here is excellent,” Brad said as he pushed his menu aside. “You said you’ve never eaten here before, isn’t that right?”

  “I’ve passed here many times but never stopped.” Jessie went ahead and reopened her menu and then pretended to look over what the restaurant offered.

  “I can select the perfect dish for you, if you like.”

  “Ah…” She wasn’t sure what to say.
r />   Brad gently removed the menu from her fingers and folded it on top of his. “You have to have the lasagna. I don’t think I’ve tasted better outside of New York.”

  “Ah, OK.” Looks like it was lasagna, whether she wanted it or not. What was wrong with her? Brad was trying to be thoughtful, and here she was taking offense at nearly everything he was saying or doing.

  The wine arrived and saved her the trouble of coming up with small talk. Jessie watched Brad’s profile while he went through the process of tasting the wine and approving it. His features were just as she remembered: nice but not overly strong. His face was a little narrower than she remembered. There were no dimples when he smiled, and the smile did seem to lack something.

  Jessie sipped her wine and watched him over the rim of the glass. The wine tickled the back of her throat, then slid down easily.

  “What do you do at the hotel?” Brad asked.

  “I’m sorry?” She didn’t understand his question.

  “You do work at the hotel, don’t you? I thought for sure you were a waitress there.” He cocked his head to the side when he spoke.

  “No, I don’t work at the hotel, but I do wait tables.” She couldn’t for the life of her figure out how he knew what she did for a living.

  “You must know someone at the hotel who managed to get you a ticket to the party, then.”

  Jessie couldn’t help but feel as if she were under interrogation. She thought of Jack and the risks he’d taken to get her in the door.

  “Is being an investigator part of a lawyer’s job?” she asked with a little laugh.

  Brad let a sly smile pass his lips before he abruptly steered his words in a different direction. “You seemed a bit lost that night.”

  “A friend of mine forfeited his ticket for me,” she explained.

  Brad tipped his glass back again. “A friend who is a man?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t think I can call any woman in my life a friend. An ex–romantic engagement, a sister, a family member, a colleague, maybe, but never simply a friend.”

  “What about the wives or girlfriends of your male friends?”

  “I don’t consider them personal friends, more like how you just explained them…the wife of a friend of mine. Is this friend of yours married?”