about running into Sam at Becky’s Diner and explicitly asked that she keep the whole blind date thing on the down-low. She was adamant, however, that telling Sam about Ellery would be an excellent opportunity to see what his reaction would be. Seems like she thinks she’s pretty damn smart right about now.
I try to laugh off her announcement, but it comes off as more of a cackle. “Well, I wouldn’t say that.”
“What would you say?” asks Sam, his handsome face looking less than pleased as he fixes an intense gaze on me.
“Oh, well, I’m just going out with my friend’s cousin’s son. Apparently he doesn’t get out much and I just said I’d do her this favor.” I am a lying liar.
“Is that a fact? What’s this poor soul’s name?”
“It’s Celery. I mean Ellery! It’s Ellery.”
“What in the hell kind of name is that?” barks Jason, turning his gargantuan head toward Sam and me. “Sounds like a damned vegetable. What you going out with a vegetable for when Sam’s here for you?”
Sam, waving off Jason’s question without dropping my gaze, says, “Now, now, Jason, the lady said she’s just going out with this Ellery as a favor to a friend. We can’t find fault with that. It is just a favor, right? I mean, this isn’t a real date or anything? After all, you’re not ready to date again, are you, Ellie?”
I feel the blush breaking out across my cheeks as he focuses all of his attention on me. Was Luanne’s suspicion right? Could Sam James be jealous? Words have left me so I nod, stupidly, and try to avoid direct eye contact. But I can feel his eyes on me, traveling up the length of my body while he just stands there, calm and collected. I can’t stop myself from raising my eyes to meet his and that blush goes from my cheeks to my ears to my toes.
“If she was ready to date again,” he continues, “I’m sure she would choose a man who knows how to show a lady a good time.” He takes a step closer to me. “A man who’ll take his time with her, getting to know her better.” Another step forward and he’s a mere foot from me. My left hand on red-alert shoots up to push back hair that’s already pulled back in a ponytail. He smiles lazily at me and for a moment I forget to inhale. He leans in close, places a warm, slightly rough hand on my shoulder and whispers into my ear, “Breathe.”
I drag in a thick breath and feel my pulse racing. It’s as though my heart has skipped a thousand beats and is now trying to compensate for the loss. His hair tickles my face as he pulls back slowly. He’s so close to me, I literally have to bite down on my tongue.
“Good grief!” Luanne calls out, releasing a ‘woo’ of air. “You two keep it up and I’ll be forced to get out the hose.”
Luanne resumes clipping off long sections of Jason’s hair as he sits smiling and wiggling his overgrown eyebrows at Sam and me, clearly enjoying the show.
I jump at the sound of someone else knocking on the door, and the muteness which always surrounds my encounters with Sam is shattered by the return of alarm bells. I’m glad for the interruption as it provides me with an opportunity to move away from Sam and his effect on me. I force my shaky legs to walk to the place where my blind date is incessantly rapping. The bells are literally blasting their way through my skull, and then I see why.
I’m not mean by nature, but when I open the door and see the man standing on the other side of it, holding a bouquet of wilted daisies and dressed in what must have been his grandfather’s three-piece suit, I have to stop the laughter that tries to escape. It’s like the universe is saying, ‘See, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.’
“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Ellery Jude-Thomas. Are you Eleanor?” He’s a human walking stick.
“Oh, wow…you’re Ellery?” I stammer, desperately thinking up ways to keep the people inside the apartment from getting a glimpse of the man outside it.
“Indeed. And you’re Eleanor O’Keefe, is that correct? I haven’t got the wrong apartment, have I?” he asks, looking down the hallway.
If I say yes, Sam and Ellery never have to meet. “No, you