GRAHAM EVANS:The truth is, I’ve been trying to think of a good reason to reach out, but since it’s been three weeks and I can’t come up with one, I decided to just shoot my shot. Cards on the table, I was hoping you’d have dinner with me.
My eyes widened.
ME:You’re asking me out?
Not the smoothest reply, but my fingers typed before my mind could catch up.
GRAHAM EVANS:Yes. That’s why I texted on a Sunday. Because this is personal, not business.
ME:On a date?
GRAHAM EVANS:Yes. If you’d like to.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, picturing the attractive man I’d liked from the start of TremMark’s buyout of JBC. With everything going on, Graham reaching out to ask me to dinner had not been on my radar. I’d barely dated since Marcus, loath to try again after having my carefully curated life upset by his refusal to enter into a passionless marriage. After we’d split, I’d turned the entirety of my drive into building a successful career.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to put myself out there.
But Graham? While it was true I hadn’t felt a spark with him, maybe that was because I’d been denying that side of myself for so long.
I must have waited too long to respond because my phone shook again.
GRAHAM EVANS:I’m sorry if I was too forward in asking. You can feel free to delete this conversation, and if we ever see each other again, we can pretend it never happened.
ME:Sorry. I just have a lot going on right now. It’s been hectic since I left JBC.
GRAHAM EVANS:I understand. No problem.
ME:No. I’m not blowing you off.
ME:It really has been hectic.
ME:I wouldn’t mind getting together and telling you about it. Maybe over coffee?
GRAHAM EVANS:Just name the time and place.
ME:Coffee. Not dinner. And just so we’re clear, let’s not call it a date. I’m not ready for that right now.
GRAHAM EVANS:We’ll call it coffee. And no pressure.
ME:I’ll text next week once I figure it out.
GRAHAM EVANS:Looking forward to it.
I walked back into the kitchen.
“Well, you’re certainly looking…perplexed,” Britta said. “Who was that?”
“A colleague. He wanted to, um, ask me out.”
Britta’s eyes widened. “What? Who? Are you gonna go?”
“One of the TremMark execs. Nice guy named Graham. I’m going to meet him for coffee. Not a date.”
“That’s wonderful.” Britta clapped her hands.
Marcus peered at me skeptically. “You don’t seem too enthusiastic.”
“Honestly, I never really thought of Graham that way before. But after you guys talked about how great it is not to plan everything out, I figure maybe I should sayyesto something unexpected for a change.”
