another ride home. There were several people she knew attending the concert. If all else failed, she could take an Uber.
They reached Jordan’s car, and he stood there for a moment with a smile. “Don’t be too hard on the man. He’s obviously obsessed,” Jordan told her as he gave her a hug.
“I’m not into obsession,” she said.
“I wouldn’t mind someone being obsessed with me. It’s not such a bad thing,” he said.
“In your opinion,” she countered. He laughed as he climbed into his car. She walked back as he drove away. She really was torn on what she should do when it came to Brandon. She was going to try to enjoy the end of the concert for the moment, though.
By the time she returned, she’d missed a few songs, but the artists were still going strong. Brandon found her in a heartbeat, leaving her no other choice but to stand with him unless she wanted to make a scene. She simply tried to tune him out. After a while she got lost in the fun of it all. She hadn’t forgiven him, but she wasn’t going to let it ruin her evening.
At least the noise of the crowd made it impossible to talk. It didn’t keep Brandon from brushing against her every five seconds or singing along with the crowd. It also softened her resolve. It was hard to stay aloof with a man singing “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”
When it ended, he kept an arm around her as they exited the arena. They’d made it to his car before he turned to her and decided he was extending their night.
“Let’s get hot chocolate and pie,” Brandon said.
She wasn’t going to admit it, but she truly didn’t want the night to end, anyway. She was having an amazing time, even if she didn’t want to say so. “Okay, I could use some more sugar,” she said.
They drove to her favorite diner, which was far enough from the venue to not be crowded. There were only a few people inside. Most of them had had a bit too much to drink and were now looking for fried food and coffee before heading home.
“What was that date all about?” Brandon asked after they’d placed their order. She’d changed her mind from pie and ordered onion rings and mozzarella sticks. It was a perfect midnight snack.
“He’s an old friend,” she said, knowing she couldn’t avoid this conversation.
“Do you always go out with multiple men?” he asked.
That had her glaring at him. Then the look fell away as her shoulders slumped. “No, I don’t. I was mad about the woman showing up,” she admitted.
“It’s not my child,” he said, throwing his hands in the air.
“I know that,” she told him. “I know you aren’t that guy. I don’t know why it upset me. We aren’t a couple and haven’t ever been a couple. I don’t want a boyfriend, and it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever why it bothered me at all,” she said.
He gazed at her for so long she wondered if he was going to say anything at all. Finally, he laughed. Then the waitress placed their food down. He had two slices of pie and a large cup of coffee. She had her fried treats and a diet soda. The sugar-free soda made her feel better about her food choice.
“I’m glad I’m amusing you,” she said after devouring her first mozzarella stick.
“You always make me feel plenty of emotions,” Brandon said. “Maybe that’s why I keep seeking you out.”
“You make me feel a lot of emotions as well. I don’t like it so much,” she told him.
“Why does it bother you so much?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s just that I have a plan for life. I’ve always been a perfectionist, and there’s nothing predictable about a relationship. I like dating when I have the time, but I don’t ever want it to be a priority. I don’t want to have the lows along with the highs. I don’t want to fall in love. And it’s just easier to focus on my work so I can have one thing in my life that’s as close to perfect as I can make it.”
He listened to her speech while he slowly ate his pie. When she was finished, she dipped an onion ring in some ranch and popped it into her mouth. She’d sobered up from her spiked eggnog, and she was filling up fast. She was also