Working It Out (32 page)

Janessa walked into the kitchen stretching like a cat
awakened after a century of slumber. Even in the morning, with her short, dark
hair sticking up in all directions, she was beautiful. Janessa was the much
prettier half of our best-friends duo. Her blue eyes and fair skin seemed lit
from within, ethereal almost. My light, wavy hair and the freckles across my
nose and cheeks would never inspire people to call me beautiful. Cute was the
word most often used, if anyone commented on my looks at all.

“Oh, you’re still here,” she said. “I thought you’d be
gone to work already.” Janessa was a manager at Urban Elegance, a boutique
women’s clothing store in the mall. She didn’t have to be to work until nearly
ten so I was usually gone before she got up.

“I needed a good breakfast this morning. There’s a teller
meeting during lunch and Delia always orders the worst food. I may not get
anything decent to eat until tonight.”

“How was your big date yesterday? I wanted a full report
but you were already asleep when I came in.” Janessa pulled out a bowl and
rattled through the spoons. Everything she did in the kitchen made noise. Even
by herself, she sounded like an entire staff of energetic sous chefs. She
loudly shuffled through a half dozen boxes of cereal before settling on Cheerios.

“It was fine but it wasn’t a big date. It was lunch.”

“Was there potential?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What was wrong with this one?”

“Who said there was anything wrong with him?”

“You don’t have a list of objections for me?” Janessa
raised one eyebrow, a talent I couldn’t master no matter how hard I tried.

“I don’t have objections about everyone I date,” I said.

“So when are you going out again?”

“Probably never.”

“So there was something wrong with him.” Janessa said.

“No, there wasn’t. He was a perfect gentleman,” I said.

“Then why don’t you want to go out with him again?” I
shrugged. “Listen Lizzie. Any guy who gets up the courage to ask a girl out at
the grocery store should get a few bonus points.  Go out with him again.”

Last week I’d been standing in the Asian aisle of the
grocery store picking up some curry paste and coconut milk. “Do you actually
drink coconut milk?” a tall, cute guy asked.

“I suppose you could but I don’t know anyone who does. I
use it for chicken curry.”

“Sounds interesting. You like Indian food?”

“It’s actually Thai.”

“I haven’t had Thai food for years. I don’t know why. I
think I liked it.”

“I start craving it at least once a month. Sometimes I
get it from Pok Pok and sometimes I make it myself.”

“Pok Pok?” he’d asked.

“It’s over on Division Street. If you like Thai, you
should try it. The food is amazing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’m Chad, by the way.” I shook
his outstretched hand. I couldn’t help but smile. It was cute that he’d shake
my hand in the grocery store.

“I’m Lizzie.”

“Nice to meet you, Lizzie. I’m just stocking up on
ramen.” He waved a little plastic pouch of ramen and put it back in his basket.

“Ramen has its place,” I said.

“I agree. It makes a quick and easy lunch.” We looked at
each other for a moment longer than was comfortable. He smiled a slightly
crooked smile. “Well, I guess I’ll take my ramen and run. Thanks for the
recommendation. I’ll have to try Pok Pok sometime.”

* * *

“Sure.” I watched as he walked away. When he reached the
end of the aisle, he turned around and walked back to me.

“I just have to ask. Would you mind if I called you
sometime? Maybe we could meet for lunch or something?”

“Oh, um . . .” He was cute and earnest but I could
already tell there was no future.

“Unless you’re not available. You probably have a
boyfriend, right?”

I shook my head. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Then can I call you?”

“Uh, sure. I guess so.”

“Great.” Chad handed me his cellphone and I punched in my
number. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.” He put his phone back in his pocket and
shook my hand again before he left.

He’d called me two nights ago. We’d met for lunch
yesterday.

“I just wasn’t interested,” I said to Janessa. “Can we
leave it at that?”

Janessa folded her arms and looked at me for so long I
started to squirm. “What?”

“I wish you’d look at yourself. You’re ruining your life
with this stupid obsession.”

“I’m not obsessed.” I stood up quickly, nearly tipping my
chair over. I rinsed my plate and put it in the dishwasher. I could feel
Janessa’s eyes on me the entire time, but I refused to look at her. “And just
because I’m not interested in this guy doesn’t mean my life is ruined.”

“Let me guess. Was he blond?”

“Knock it off.”

“Too short?”

“He wasn’t short. I’ve got to go.” I left the kitchen
with Janessa on my heels.

“Was he too cheerful?”

“Oh brother. I’m not having this conversation with you.”

Janessa grabbed my arm and turned me toward her. “Yes,
you are.”

“I’m going to be late for work.”

“Then we’d better talk fast.”

“I don’t have anything to say,” I said.

“Then I’ll talk. You listen. You have to start giving
these guys a chance.”

I folded my arms tightly. “I give them a chance.”

“You give them one date, two at the most. But you’re not
really giving them a chance because your mind’s already made up before you even
go out.”

I was getting annoyed. “I don’t have time for this
conversation again.” Janessa was practically reciting word for word what she’d
said after my last date. And the one before that.

“Lizzie. If you don’t want to have the same conversation,
do something different. Shake things up a little.” She smiled and did a little
shimmy. I refused to smile no matter how silly she looked.

“How do you suggest I do that?”

“If this guy . . . What’s his name?”

“Chad.”

“If Chad calls you back, go out with him again.”

I sighed. “I don’t see the point.”

“Did you get a serial killer vibe from him?”

“No, I got a nice-guy-that-doesn’t-deserve-to-be-led-on
vibe from him.”

“Nice guys are good. So you’ll say yes, right?”

“If I’m not interested, it wouldn’t be fair to say yes.”

“Oh knock off the baloney. You haven’t been fair to a guy
since high school. You’re just afraid if you get to know a guy, you might like
him. And wouldn’t that be awful? Was Chad funny?”

“Yes, he was funny.”

“Handsome?”

I sighed. “I don’t know if I’d call him handsome, but he
was cute.”

“Cute is good. Especially if he was funny. So go out with
him again.”

“You act like it’s all up to me.” I walked to the closet
and collected my purse. Like a tiger leaping on her prey, Janessa pounced at
the bowl on the entry table and grabbed my car keys. “This isn’t funny,
Janessa. I’m going to be late for work.”

“Then let’s make a deal. You agree to go out with him ten
times before you toss him aside and I’ll give you your keys.”

“Ten times? No way.”

“That’ll give you time to get to know him.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I’m serious, Lizzie. Ten is a good number. In that
amount of time, you can make a real decision. Instead of one based on a stupid
movie.”

Now Janessa was skipping through a minefield. “It’s not a
stupid movie and I’ve got to go.”

“It’s the stupidest movie in the world if it ruins your
life.”

“Nothing’s ruining my life and I’m going to be late. Give
me my keys and we’ll talk about this later.” A little tussle ensued as I tried
to rescue my keys from her clutches. I almost had them when she darted to the
bathroom and shut the door hard and fast, locking it behind her. “This is real
mature.”

“I don’t care about mature. You’re my best friend,
Lizzie.  I love you and I’m trying to save you from yourself.”

I banged on the door. “Give me the keys. Now.” My voice
had become shrieky.

“I’ll give you the keys as soon as you promise you’ll go
out with him ten times.”

“I doubt he’ll ask me out again.”

“Why? Were you a jerk?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

I hesitated, knowing I hadn’t been very good company.
“I’m pretty sure.”

“If he doesn’t ask you out, you have to ask him.”

“No way am I asking out a guy ten times. No way!”

“You just have to ask him out once. If he doesn’t return
the favor you can move on. But you have to be nice to him and give him a reason
to want to ask you out again.”

“This is the dumbest idea you’ve ever had.”

“Listen Liz, I’m doing this for you. Give a guy a chance
before you give him the old heave-ho.”

I leaned my head on the door. “Just give me the keys.
Please.” Now I was whining.

“You’re the one keeping yourself from your keys. And
probably true love.”

I looked at my watch. Now I’d have to risk a speeding
ticket or get to work five minutes late. I wasn’t sure which was worse—a ticket
from a police officer or a tongue-lashing from Delia.

“Fine. I’ll go out with him again if he asks me.”

“And?”

“If he doesn’t ask me, I’ll ask him?”

“Right. And how many times will you go out with him?”

“Way too many,” I said under my breath.

“I can’t hear you.”

“Ten times. If he asks me.”

The door cracked open. “And you’ll be nice to him?”

“Whatever you say. Now give me the keys.”

Janessa emerged from the bathroom and triumphantly
dropped my keys into my outstretched hand.

“You’re an idiot,” I said.

“An idiot that loves you and wants you to be happy,” she
said. She turned and headed down the hall. “Someday you’ll thank me,” she sang.

“If I don’t kill you first.” I slammed the door behind
me.

If you enjoyed this excerpt and would like to continue
reading, see
Karey White's
page on Amazon.

A hundred-million thanks to Braden Bell, Karey White, and
Annette Lyon, for their brilliant editing skills. To Julie Bellon, for her talented way with words and willingness to help me come up with the blurb for this book. To my mom, Linda Marks, for always
being so ready and willing to read anything I write. To my many sisters, for
always letting me bounce ideas off them. To my children, for letting their mom
have some spare time to tap away at the computer. And to my husband, Jeff, for
being the wonderful man he is.

Rachael Anderson is the author of four novels:
The
Reluctant Bachelorette,
Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw,
and
Minor
Adjustments.
She’s the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up
fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing,
doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast
works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating. You
can find her online at
RachaelReneeAnderson.com
.