Page 21 of Snowbound with My Dad's Best Friend

People change in a shorter time than that.

Maybe I’m not what she’s into anymore…

For the last four years, I’ve put my all into my career.

Now, all I have to show for it is objects.

I want someone to share my life with, my accomplishments…

Do I even know how to flirt anymore?

My thoughts are all over the place, and I can feel the sweat starting to form on my face.

The nervousness also comes with the thought of having to confront her.

I need answers, but it’s not going to be easy.

She’s a very private person, so getting her to tell me anything that she isn’t comfortable talking about is going to be like pulling teeth.

I can feel myself starting to spiral, and I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

“You just need a distraction,” I say as I stand up from the couch.

With a quick pace, I go through my living room and kitchen, picking up any trash I find and putting dishes into the dishwasher.

Grabbing the box of matches from my junk drawer, I light a few candles I picked up from the store a few weeks back.

They are mahogany wood scented, which is my favorite and only comes around during the holiday season, so I like to stock up when given the chance.

One sits on my granite countertop, and I walk the other one out to my coffee table.

My attention is caught by the loud breaking news alert that comes across the news channel as I enter the living room.

Setting the candle down, I take a seat on the couch to watch the report.

“You can see here that the storm is blowing down across Lake Superior and even hits a bit of Lake Michigan before it completely covers the entire state.” The newswoman begins pointing to the storm. “It will hit Grand Rapids by tonight, making traveling nearly impossible. Get prepared to be snowed in.”

As I listen to the report, part of me wants to text Becca back and tell her not to come tonight, but I really want to speak to her.

If we make this quick, she should be able to get home before the storm even starts.

I decide not to say anything as I don’t want to mess this all up, and I may not get another chance like this.

Jumping up, I rush around my house, continuing to tidy before she shows up.

There’s a knock on my door that makes me jump.She’s here…

Taking a much-needed breath in, allowing it to fill my lungs, I exhale and check my hair in the mirror before opening the front door.

“Hey, did you find it okay?” I ask with a smile, trying my best to hide the fact that I’m seemingly out of breath.

Becca’s large blue eyes gleam as she smiles back at me. “Yeah. It was easy to find. It’s beautiful, by the way.”

“Thanks,” I laugh nervously. “I’ve been doing pretty good for myself.”

Immediately, I shudder with embarrassment as she steps inside, and I turn to close the door.

God, could you sound more pretentious?