Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Tara levels me with a look. “Yes, but you know you, girlfriend. You get obsessed, and then you get hurt, and then I have to buy you emergency ice cream and clean up your DMs for three weeks.”
I shrug, determined to keep the mood light. “You’re not even letting me have fun! Jack’s different. I know it. He makes me feel like an actual person, not a prop.”
Tara nods slowly, her expression thoughtful. “And Gerald? You think your dad’s going to roll out the red carpet for this? Or do you plan to elope with ‘Uncle Jack’ and live in exile?”
I sigh, stabbing at my salad with my fork. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far. It’s not like we’re engaged. Heck, we’ve only been on one date.”
Tara’s smile softens a bit as she fiddles with her salad. “And it was a wonderful date, but I’m just saying: I don’t want to see you in a Lifetime movie about a college girl who gets groomed by a military alpha.”
I laugh, grateful for the reprieve. “It’s not like that, I promise, although I don’t know if I’d mind being that because he’s so hot. But seriously, Jack’s not some creep. If anything, he spends half the time warning me off.”
Tara’s voice drops even lower. “So who’s chasing whom here?”
I flush a little. “Honestly? It’s kind of mutual. But if you want the truth—me, mostly. I can’t help it. He’s just so different from any of the boys I know.”
Tara cocks her head, studying me like a rare bird. “Are you in love with him?”
I blink, not expecting the question. “No! How could I be? It’s so soon! Well, maybe. I don’t know because I’ve never been in love before. It’s just that when he talks, I want to listen, and when he touches me, I feel alive.”
My friend holds my gaze for a long time, then smiles. “Okay. But if he hurts you, I’ll run him over with my car.”
“Noted,” I say, relief making me giddy. “But you don’t have to worry. I promise.”
Tara shifts, resting her chin on her hand. “Just be careful, okay girlfriend? He’s a hardened veteran with years of service under his belt. He’s a mature, older man, and he knows what he’s doing. That’s all I’m saying.”
I reach across the table and squeeze her fingers. “I’ll be careful. Don’t worry about me.”
She nods, biting her lip. “Good, because you know I love you, Eliza, and I don’t want to have to pick you up off the floor again.”
I squeeze her fingers, and sit like that for a while, the silence warm and easy. Outside, people hurry by, faces blurred by the glass, while inside, everything feels calm, full of possibility.
I think about the night ahead, and my heart thuds with anticipation. I wonder what it will be like, being alone with Jack—really alone, with no danger of being interrupted by either passerby or my parents. I hope it works out okay.
But for now, I’m spending time with my buddy, and I like being with Tara. We’ve known each other since forever, and it’s amazing how a good salad and a bad pun can reset the universe. Halfway through my meal, I realize Tara’s skepticism is already on a slow burn to something more dangerous: genuine excitement. It’s in the way her questions change from “are you sure you’re not being manipulated” to “so how big is his dick, like, in practical terms.”
I giggle as my buddy wipes her mouth with a napkin, then leans across the table, eyes sparkling. “I lied before, girlfriend. I am worried about you, but I also want the details. You’re living the dream, babe. Every girl wants to bag a DILF at least once.”
I giggle. “Jack’s not a DILF because he doesn’t have kids. He’s a—what’s the male version of a cougar? Is there a word?”
She considers. “A silver fox. A daddy. A zaddy. Or a grandzaddy in your case.” She grins wickedly. “Anyway, it’s hot. But tell me more.”
I laugh helplessly. “Jack’s not just hot. He’s … I don’t know. He makes me feel like I’m worth something.”
Tara fixes me with a look that’s one part incredulous, one part pure affection. “Eliza, you are worth something. You’re worth so much, girlfriend! Why do you doubt yourself? You don’t need a man to build your self-confidence.”
“I know,” I say softly. “But Jack’s not like other guys. He doesn’t ghost, he doesn’t play games. He just says what he wants, and I find that refreshing.”
Tara’s smile shifts into something more thoughtful. “Honestly? I think that’s what you need. Someone who can handle your crazy.”
I pick at my salad. “You think I’m crazy?”
My pretty friend shrugs. “No more than any other woman in St. Cloud. But Eliza, you want things, and you go after them. You don’t hold back, and it can be intimidating sometimes. Most men don’t know what to do with that.”