She didn’t know what to say about that because she couldn’t help how she felt or how she looked at Tate. “And yet I agreed to lunch with you and not him because I want to move on with my life with you.” She backed away from Tate because she needed to make room in her life for someone new.
Clint showed up just when she decided to put herself and her wants and desires first.
While she liked Clint, and they’d had some fun up until last night’s odd and questionable encounter, she didn’t know if they’d go the distance.
If he kept reacting with anger and resentment about Tate, their new relationship might never have a chance.
Why did relationships with the men in her life have to be so complicated?
Clint brushed his thumb back and forth against her skin. “If that’s what you really want, then make sure your friend knows it.”
“I will.”
“Call him. Tell him. There’s no reason for you to go see him.” His gaze hardened when she raised a brow at that order.
He gave her whiplash. He didn’t mind that Tate was her friend, but oh yes, he did. Talk to him. Don’t talk to him. She couldn’t keep up, but she would make her own decisions about her life and who was in it. Or not.
“I will talk to Tate later.” She tried to distract him. “Right now, I’m going to put Tate out of my mind and go to lunch with you.”
Clint didn’t look quite convinced to drop it.
“I loved my flowers and your showing up to ask me to lunch. Why spend our time together talking about Tate instead of talking about each other?”
Clint yielded with a nod. He peppered her with questions about her childhood and high school years during the drive to the restaurant and all through lunch. After the second story she told that included Tate, and Clint’s hands fisted on the table, she avoided stories that included him and focused on herself.
When they arrived back at the spa, she turned to him in the front seat of his car. “Thank you again for the flowers and lunch.”
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to ditch working for your friend this weekend and spend it with me?”
“Sorry. I promised I’d help Trinity.” She didn’t want to leave her friend in the lurch.
Clint brushed his hand over her hair. “Promise me we’ll have more dates like today.”
“I don’t know. You took a little too much enjoyment in that story I told you about James putting that toad in my locker when I broke up with him.”
Clint laughed again. “Come on, it jumped out and landed on your chest and made you scream. I would have paid money to see that.” Clint’s laughter started anew.
She could laugh about it now, but back then, she’d been scared and humiliated in front of everyone. She hated frogs and toads and lizards. James got her back for breaking up with him in front of everyone at lunch in the quad, but he’d deserved it for trying to cop a feel under the football field bleachers the day before and not taking no for an answer. The exchange ended in an awkward struggle. She ran away before anything terrible happened, but he’d scared her a little bit then, too. The next day, someone vandalized James’s car. She always wondered if Tate flattened James’s tire in the student parking lot. Her heart wanted to believe it. But Tate refused to fess up about it.
“I’ll see you soon.” She kissed his cheek and rushed out of the car, hurrying to get back to work before she was late.
Emmy was still working the reception counter. Even though four customers waited to be checked in or out, Liz headed back to the office. The memories of Tate prompted her to send him a text before she went over the reservations for the afternoon and started on the accounts.
LIZ: Sorry about lunch.
She tucked her purse in the desk drawer, sat in her chair, and booted up the computer.
TATE: We still need to talk
LIZ: I know. Okay if I come by tonight at 6
It was out of her way to drive out to see him, then back into town to meet Clint for their seven thirty movie date, but she didn’t want to let this thing with Tate simmer any longer.
TATE: Yep
The man of few words wanted to talk. She’d go and let him talk, because