“Thanks.” Her gaze darted around the place, and he caught nervous vibes. Was she getting impatient taking it slow? Should he up his game tonight? They’d stuck to kissing and holding hands, never needing to go further, but maybe she was questioning his intentions? He remembered a Glamour article that said men needed to make a move by date four or the woman lost interest. What number was this? Six? Crap, he was way behind.
He slid his hand over and grabbed hers. She jerked a bit, laughed, and then busied herself with the menu. Yeah, this was heading south fast. Maybe he’d invite her back to his place and text his brother to leave. Nate fought back the nerves jumping in his stomach. He was good at sex. It would probably bond them and get him to the next level. Right?
His dick remained silent.
Nate cleared this throat. “I ordered you a glass of the Merlot you like.”
“That’s so sweet.” She looked up from the menu and sighed. “You’re a wonderful man. Do you realize that?”
“Thanks. Listen, why don’t we skip dessert and head back to my place after dinner? Spend some quiet time.”
She dropped the menu and closed her eyes. “We need to talk.”
He clearly remembered at least four blog posts on the worst things a woman could say was “We need to talk.” He tried not to panic. “Sure. You can tell me anything.”
“I’ve had a wonderful time dating you. Truly, when we met at the mixer, I thought we’d be good together. But I can’t see you anymore.”
Huh? He stared at her and tried to gather his thoughts. “Did I do something stupid?”
She laughed and squeezed his hand. “No, of course not! See, I met someone at work. And though you and I have a good time together, I don’t think there are the sparks needed to start a long-term relationship.” She bit her lip. “I hope you’re not mad. I truly believed nothing would happen with this man, but he let me know how he feels, and I need to take a chance. We decided to date monogamously, so I’m going to pull myself out of Kinnections.”
Her eyes sparkled with the flush of that first excitement of meeting someone who clicked with you. Someone who got you in every way. Someone you wanted to spend every spare moment with, and whom you missed, and who made you feel alive. Nate waited for the deep disappointment to hit for losing the woman who could’ve been his mate. Instead, relief sunk into his whole being and settled to stay.
Mary wasn’t for him.
He laughed then, because it was too damn ironic. “No, I’m not mad at all. In fact, I’m happy for you. You’re an amazing woman and he’s a lucky guy.”
She smiled. “You are one hell of a catch, Nate Dunkle. I hope the next woman in your life sees that.”
“Yeah, me too.” They chatted for a bit more, and then he kissed her on the cheek and watched her disappear.
And the question pulsed through his mind. What next?
Maybe . . . nothing.
He sipped his drink and went over his options. If he was going to have a shot at happiness with someone else, he needed to get over Kennedy. Dating other women and hoping to forget wasn’t helping. Maybe he’d take a break. He liked his new home. Enjoyed his new friendships. He was confident to approach women now and open to possibilities. Kennedy had given him all those gifts, but until his heart was free to give again, he was only going through the motions.
Yes. He’d pull out of Kinnections. Forfeit the fee, take some time to heal, and go back on his own terms. He couldn’t be involved with Kate or Arilyn when he’d only be hoping to catch a glimpse of his real matchmaker. Distance and time was what he needed.
Nate paid the bill and walked home. The spring evening was lively with crowds, mingling in and out of the shops and filling up the outdoor cafés. The moon was full tonight, a beautiful orangey disc hanging over the Hudson. The Tappan Zee Bridge spread deep and long, with twinkling lights against the black sky. He stopped to chat a bit with a few residents and when he reached the door, he felt positive about his decision.
His brother was propped up on the sofa, beer at his side, chips on the table, Breaking Bad on the big screen. “Hey, you’re home early. Everything okay?”
Nate joined him on the sofa. God, he was tired. “Yeah.”
“Date good?”
“Nah, she broke up with me.”
His brother cranked his head around. “Are you kidding? Why?”
He shrugged and grabbed a few chips. “She met someone at work. We didn’t have any chemistry. Blah, blah, blah.”
“Dude, that sucks. Wanna go out and get drunk?”
Nate laughed. “No, I agreed with her. I’m actually relieved. I’m gonna take a break from the dating scene for a while. Get my head together.”
His brother gave him a strange look. “I think that’s the wrong move. You need to get laid. Get out there and date someone else. Don’t stop and don’t look back.”
“I’m not like you. It’s not that easy.”
“This is about her, isn’t it? Your matchmaker? You’re still pining when you should be celebrating you got rid of her. She’s toxic, man.”
He shook his head. “No. She’s just like you, Con.”
His brother popped off the sofa with his mouth open like a guppy. “What? What the hell did you just say to me?”
Crap. What a night. But it was time for some hard truth, and he was tired of skirting the real issue. “She’s like you. You both got damaged from the past. You’re both afraid to trust. Hell, neither of you thinks you deserve a real relationship, citing bullshit excuses like you don’t want to be tied down, or have a long list of people you’ve already prejudged and declared guilty. Look at you, for example. No cosmetologists, no beautiful women, no women who are too smart and who’ll judge you. It’s ridiculous. Kennedy did the same thing. Told me over and over we weren’t compatible, or that she’d end up breaking my heart.”
“She would break your heart!”
“How do you know? Because she’s beautiful? Because she’d leave me for someone better one day, like Mom did? You both drive me crazy! There’s no guarantees here. Bottom line is you have to be willing to go for it. Kennedy couldn’t. I hope one day she does, because I think I’ll love that woman till the day I die. But you? You still have a shot. Get your head out of your ass and do something with your life.”
Rage poured from his brother’s figure. Connor grabbed him by his shirt, dragged him off the couch, and shook him like a dog showing dominance. “Fuck you! I tried and didn’t get that supervisor job. I’m not a college-educated brilliant scientist, and I never will be. This is all I got!”