Definitely.
We can work out the details when we meet. Do you want to do so before Thursday? Or just that night?
So many decisions to be made. Had I known it would be this difficult, then maybe I’d have just opted to show up alone again.
I think just that night will be fine. Maybe around four? We’re supposed to be at my Gram’s at five and it’s about forty-five minutes away. That will give us time to chat.
Yeah that’s fine.
I’m not sure what else to say. The conversation seems to have come to a natural end. Do I thank him? Wish him well? Say goodnight, at least? This is all so stressful.
I have an early morning with the kiddos, so I’m going to be heading off to bed soon, but thank you for reaching out.
I have an early morning myself, so I was about to say the same. Nice chatting with you. I’ll be in touch. Night Valerie.
I leave his response alone and close the app.
The smile spanning my face is odd. But something about Lincoln seems like he’s easy to talk to. The small back-and-forth we had put me at ease, which is a good thing for somebody I’m going to be pretending to date in front of my family.
Hopefully, the rest of the night goes just as smoothly.
Chapter 5
Lincoln
Valerieseemsnervous.Ican’t blame her, as it’s a lot to put yourself on the app and then bring a date you don’t know to a family event.
I was hoping this would be more of a friendly gathering. Family is harder than friends, since they tend to be more judgy. We’ll have to have our story down pretty solid before we arrive at her Gram’s house.
It’s a good thing moms and grandmas love me. Must be my boyish charm.
Or maybe it’s the smile. I do have a nice one that seems to put people at ease. I’ve been told it makes me seem trustworthy and solid. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it has given me a hand in business.
Opening your own store in your twenties isn’t easy. I’ve had to rely on the money left to me when my parents died, and yes, my charm. It’s a highly underrated superpower.
A lot of it boils down to just having good manners and being polite. The smile helps, though.
In the long run, I hope it will help me with Valerie and her family on Thursday. It’s only a few days away, and she didn’t seem to want to meet beforehand to prep, so hopefully we get along well from the get-go.
It’ll be a lot harder if we don’t mesh well. Though from the small chat, she seems intelligent and put together, so that will help. It’s hard to have conversations with somebody who can’t carry one and even harder to seem like you like each other when you can’t communicate efficiently.
I guess the only thing to do now is wait for Thursday.
I’m kind of shocked she picked me. She doesn’t even know what I look like. I carefully selected a photo of me only in a suit. No face, no hands, just a body in a suit. For all she knows, I’m horribly ugly.
Though, I suppose when you’re desperate, looks don’t necessarily matter. And she’s stunning enough to have her pick of guys. Why she’s single, I haven’t a clue. I may have to break my self-written rule and ask her.
It’s a question I find somewhat rude to ask. Maybe she just wants to be single, maybe she’s picky, maybe she recently had her heart broken, or had it broken years ago and has had a hard time moving on. None of it is my business.
Besides, I’m also single this holiday. It’s hard to be with somebody when all they feel is pity that you have no family and try to push theirs on you. That’s been my past experiences. When it’s right, it will click. All of it. I don't like forcing things.
Until Thursday, when I meet this lovely woman and her family, I’ll be focusing on work, and only work.
Or so I tell myself, because one brief chat, and I already can’t get her out of my mind.
Chapter 6
Valerie
