“Honestly, just a guy I had one date with, no big deal.” I sat completely stunned that I’d even spoken about Jayden, though he’d been heavy on my mind all morning.

“Apparently he’s made an impression,” my mother chimed in.

“Maybe, and we’re not discussing it,” I said.

“You brought it up,” Bradley said, making me feel more uncomfortable. So I shot back, “Let’s talk about your girlfriend, Bradley.” Only my mother was allowed to call him Bradley. He narrowed his eyes. I still saw my baby brother as the awkward kid with the cute lisp who used to run around pulling pranks on the family. Namely duct taping the kitchen faucet so when we turned it one we were instantly soaked. I blamed shows like The Wild Boys and Jackass. They had been his greatest influences. It was a nightmare watching him reenact the stunts, including the time he slid down our huge staircase on a snowboard. He’d cracked his skull and needed sixty-two stitches. Nothing had ever been funnier to me than my foul mouth baby brother at nine years old cursing horribly on the doctor’s table to my mother’s horror like a grown man while getting his head stitched.

“If thath murther furken snowboard hadn’t been so flurking sthlippery I wouldn’t halph busted my head on the sthupid sthairs.”

From that day on I’d made it my sole responsibility to keep the boy safe from himself. I caught hell from him, but I couldn’t under any circumstances stop myself. He was my pride and joy and I couldn’t handle the thought of him getting hurt. I was sure one day he would thank me for keeping him from blowing his hand off with fireworks, or covering for him when he took the family car out at eleven-years-old for a joy ride. The child was a daredevil and I was the only one who knew his tells, or when shit was about to go down. He grew out of it a few years later when he discovered girls and that had been another nightmare altogether.

“Yes, Bradley,” Alexis added, “please tell me you are wise to her motives.”

“She’s not the one, okay. Lay off. I’m not an idiot and I’m not interested in getting married yet. I’m only twenty-two.” That was his explanation and he was sticking to it.

“She’s disgusting,” Sabrina said as I turned to her, noticing her newest hair disaster was filled with eggs. I pushed my plate away, no longer interested in my food once I observed it in hers. Molly chuckled as she looked as Sabrina’s protein filled hair then turned to me with wide eyes. We shared a private eye roll and giggle before Alexis caught it and smiled.

“Sabrina, you have eggs in your horse hair,” Alexis spouted as she nodded toward her drenched hair.

“That’s disgusting,” Bradley said, wrinkling his nose.

My mother seemed to be bothered by my sister’s new getup, commenting next, “Baby, you have beautiful hair. Why don’t you just let your natural hair through? What is the point of this wild Cleopatra thing you have going on?”

“Or the people of Wal-Mart thing you have going on,” Alexis added with a laugh and a snort.

Sabrina stiffened as she prepared to defend herself. “I like it, Mom. Screw you, Alexis. When is the last time you got action?”

“In the courtroom yesterday, sasquatch,” Alexis defended.

“Ladies, act your age,” my mother scolded before turning to Sabrina. “Then wear it your way,” my mother said softly as she diffused the situation then smiled at her daughter.

It was the look she gave Sabrina that confirmed my mother meant her words. She wasn’t keeping score; she was measuring smiles. I knew then no matter what decision I made about my life, she wouldn’t let me live with it until I’d found what made me do that the most.

I walked into my bedroom that night, grabbed my laptop, and looked up the location of the travel agency versus the address of the building of the architect as I weighed the pros and cons of each job. Money was a concern, but in the end, I took Jayden’s advice and was attempting to do “what made me happy.” It wasn’t long before I went with my gut. Being a flight attendant had always been on my list of possible career choices. Becoming a travel agent was the next best thing. I was off in the morning— Monday being our slowest day at the diner—and decided to make the call first thing to request an interview. I thought of Jayden, as I had the last twelve hours, and wondered if he was thinking of me. I knew our date went well, I didn’t wonder if he’d call. I just wondered if he had any sort of game to play or none at all. I didn’t want to over analyze, but I liked him.

Jayden: I’ve been thinking about you all day, fishnipple.

I gave it a minute or two before I replied.

Me: Is that nickname really going to stick? I mean, it doesn’t even roll off the tongue naturally.

Jayden: I disagree. Your nipple rolled off my tongue quite naturally.

Both me and my sex moaned in agreement.

Jayden: Sorry. Too much?

Me: No, I was thinking of something clever to say but I’m too tired. I’m going for the agency job. Wish me luck.

Jayden: I would but it’s already yours. Dinner tomorrow, my place?

I smiled as I answered.

Me: Can you cook?

Jayden: Bring dessert. Seven.

Me: :)

I set my alarm and woke up the next morning to call the agency. As promised by Jayden, Adam welcomed my call and we set up an interview for noon that day. Adam was kind, but explained to me quickly that I would be working under his wife, Marcy. After a brief but thorough interview with the two of them, I was set to start the following Monday after I worked my two week notice at the diner. I was more excited than I had been in years. The pay was decent—more than I was making now—and there was the added bonus of fringe benefits such as travel discounts, which appealed to me more than anything. I started making a mental list of the places I wanted to go and quickly filled the passenger seat on the imaginary plane with the blue-eyed man who filled my thoughts. During the drive, I felt nothing but gratitude as thoughts of Jayden crossed my mind.

In my kitchen, I prepared a strawberry rhubarb pie from scratch and spent the rest of my day waxing, buffing, and polishing every surface of my body. I wasn’t sure if tonight would be the night, but I was going prepared with no reservation. I didn’t want Jayden to think I was easy, and so far between my big “O” in his lap and my topless escapade at the pool, I probably wasn’t making a good impression of being a good girl. But with him, the attraction was undeniable. I’d decided to let him take the lead, and in all truth, he already had. Because if at any time on our first date he’d attempted to take off my clothes, I would have easily let him. And the truth was, I didn’t know him well at all.

At five after seven, I knocked on the door in my prettiest sundress, made-from-scratch pie in hand. He opened the door and drank me in one sweeping movement, making me instantly hot.

“You’re late, but the pie smells good, so you’re forgiven.” He took the burden from my hand as I followed him in.

Once the pie was on the counter he turned to me. “Thirsty?” I took in his bare feet, long athletic shorts, black wife-beater and was suddenly parched. He dressed super casual for our date and I appreciated every detail.