Eric: I’m not telling you. It’ll be a surprise. You’ll love it.
Pippa: That’s a cocky statement.
Eric: Please. My romance skills might be rusty, but I’ve still got game. Still deciding what size the forklift should be, though. Between the two of us, we can probably do with a large one.
I fiddle with my phone in my hands, debating what I should write back. I love talking to him. Maybe it’s because he’s so open with me, but I don’t feel the need to keep up the bravado when I’m with him. Eric puts me at ease with nothing more than a smile and a few words, but I don’t want gloom to hang over our date.
Pippa: No forklift needed. I want us to have fun.
Eric: You sure? I can bring a tiny one.
Pippa: No need. Besides, tiny never does the job. Haven’t you heard? Size does matter.
I get no answer for one whole minute—I count the seconds—and I’m wondering if there’s anything inappropriate happening on his side of the line.
Eric: STOP the dirty talk right now, or I’ll start with the blue you-know-what again.
Ah, definitely inappropriate. I bite my lip, wishing more than ever that he could be here with me right now.
Pippa: You’re going all bossy on me. It’s sexy.
Eric: You haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until our nondate. Any chance I’ll see you at the gym before then? I’ll stop by later today. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to stare at me.
Pippa: Are you selling your body? You’re cheap, Callahan.
Eric: Merely interested in your general health and well-being.
For a fraction of a second, I debate going to the gym just to ogle him again, but not even the perfection that is his ass is worth all the sweat and muscle cramps.
Pippa: Doubt it. I have a full day with Alice today and a lot of work next week. Not sure if I’ll make it to the gym at all.
Eric: That’s a long-winded way of saying you’re too lazy to work out.
He nailed it, of course. What a waste of letters. There’s no way I’ll admit it, though.
Pippa: Get over yourself, Callahan. Got to go.
I put the phone back on the nightstand and grudgingly get out of bed to start my day. I’m grinning like an idiot the entire time I get ready to meet Alice. There’s something to be said about flirting upon waking up. It fills me with an infectious energy, and I love it.
Alice and I have our hands full at the charity center, but of course, my sister manages to question me about Eric. I have bestowed my butting-in ability on both of my sisters. Summer usually joins us, but she couldn’t make it today.
“What do you mean, a nondate?” Alice inquires while we’re on a break and sitting on a bench outside “You’ve said that before, and I still don’t get it. What is that?”
“The term used by two people who aren’t emotionally prepared for a date,” I explain, soaking in the sun.
“By the looks of your grin, you’re hormonally prepared for one. I bet he is too. So, where is he taking you?” Alice asks.
I shrug. “He wouldn’t say.”
“Oh, you’ve got to love a man who knows how to keep you on your toes.”
“You have no idea,” I murmur.
***
When I get back home, the doorman tells me there was a delivery for me, which awaits me in the foyer. To my astonishment, I find a large bouquet of roses there. Beaming like an idiot, I take the flowers and step into the elevator. I text Eric as soon as I step inside my apartment.
Pippa: From cookies to flowers? That’s an interesting change of tactics.