huh? I know that Chance will be home…he’s recovering from a nasty cold, so the only person who may not be there is Channing. He’s always off on some date or other.”
“Looking forward to it.”
And he was. He spent far too much time in his head, or working, and not nearly enough having fun. One night a week drinking with his boys at the bar did not constitute having fun. And one date in a million didn’t, either. He’d need to up his fun quotient, and putting dinner with the McKenzies back on the calendar was just the beginning. Already he had two things scheduled on this week’s fun list…though his feelings about possibly seeing Bennett again were a jumble of dread and anticipation.
“You cheated, as usual,” he said on Wednesday night after dinner. They’d cleaned up and were playing cards in the McKenzie living room. All the siblings were home, and Jordan had been caught up on all their news by the time the card game started. Thankfully, none of them had asked about his dating life in the part of the conversation where dating had inevitably come up. He figured Mac had had a hand in that, probably steering his siblings away from the subject.
One of the things he loved about his friend was his sensitivity to the feelings of others. He’d have to remember to thank him when he saw him on Friday night. Which reminded him…
“So, are you guys gonna be at Mr. Tucker’s birthday party on Friday?”
“Yeah,” Chantal replied for her brothers. “Are you?”
“I am. Need me to pick you all up?”
“Nah. We’re good. Channing just bought a new car and we’re all dying to ride in it.”
“New car, huh? Where is it?”
“In the shop. I’m getting it detailed and some last minute repairs done. Don’t tell Chan…I want it to be a surprise.”
Jordan smiled at the young man. “Mum’s the word,” he reassured him.
He understood wanting to prove oneself to another, and he sensed that Channing needed to show his older brother that he was smart and capable. He approved wholeheartedly. Affection for them welled in his heart and he smiled.
“One more game, and then I have to go, guys. Work starts early for me.”
By Friday night, Jordan was just tired enough that it took the edge off of the case of nerves he’d been battling the closer it got to party time. He checked himself in the full-length mirror one last time. it was important that he make a good third impression on the Tuckers, especially the lady of the house, who seemed to have taken a shine to him.
He had decided to wear dress slacks, a button-down shirt and blazer, no tie, to dress down a little while still being business casual. He didn’t want to embarrass either himself or the Tuckers by not being appropriately dressed. He knew that they were unpretentious people despite their wealth, but he wanted to show that he knew how to fit in. Which was inexplicable to him…he’d spent all his adult life doing his best to be his own man.
Pushing away the confusing thoughts, and refusing to acknowledge that he had also dressed like this to impress Bennett, he grabbed his wallet, cell phone, and keys, went to say goodnight to Mrs. Salvietti, and took himself off for the evening. All the way over to the Tucker estate, Jordan rehearsed what he might say as a conversation starter, should he find himself alone with Bennett. He wanted it and dreaded it, and had to keep reminding himself that he wasn’t a wet-behind-the-ears teenager.
Get a grip, Jay! Switching on the radio, he let whatever was on play while he tried to distract himself from his ridiculously rambling thoughts. He hummed along with the songs he recognized and made it to the front of the graceful home before he knew it. He parked behind a shiny black Accord that had pulled into the estate driveway just ahead of him and grinned. Channing had done well for himself with this one. He watched as the siblings exited the vehicle and waited for him to get out himself. He knew Mac would be proud of his little brother for being so sensible with his money.
“Hey, kiddos!”
He approached them with outstretched arms, a gift-wrapped bottle in one hand, and Chantal walked into his embrace, hugging him hard as though she hadn’t seen him two nights earlier. he hugged her back, and planted a kiss on her hair. Then he bro-hugged