to her side and stared up at him. "W-what's wrong?"
She didn't realize it but her husky voice had cracked a bit and Chris heard. Taking a deep breath, he turned his back to her. "Anyway," he said, casually, pretending that nothing odd had just happened between them, "I have this friend I think you would like."
Callie stared at his back, feeling her heart breaking. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I work with him. I think you'd really like him."
Callie blinked. "H-him?"
Chris squared his shoulder and turned around, a fake smile on his lips. "Yeah, Jerry's great. Funny and a real animal lover. He's a nurse at the hospital I work in."
He was setting her up with another man? Not a woman this time? All Callie could do was stare at him, at that phony smile on his handsome face and inside...inside she was curled up in a ball crying.
"You think I'm gay?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"Well aren't you?" Chris laughed and patted her shoulder. "Look, man, I don't discriminate. I have Abel for a brother remember? Jer's a great guy. You should give him a chance."
"I should?"
"Yup. You should."
Callie mimicked his fake smile. "Okay. If you say so, Chris."
"Okay. Good." He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly looking uneasy again. "Um, so I guess I'll call him and tell him you said yes."
Callie nodded numbly. "Yeah. Yeah...you do that."
"Okay." Chris placed his hands on his hips, awkwardly looking around her apartment. "Huh, you changed the flowery curtains to a blue one. Nice touch."
"Thanks." She had chosen it because it was the color of his eyes. But she couldn't tell him that...not without revealing her feelings.
Chris stared at the silk blue curtains before walking around her without another word. He hesitated by the door and stared at Cal's forlorn back before shaking his head. "See ya, Cal."
Callie didn't turn around. "See ya." But he probably didn't hear her because he was already closing the door behind him. Callie looked back at the closed door, eyes burning with unshed tears.
***
Like she had promised, she went to the date with Jerry the very next day. Alone. Chris hadn't went with her, telling her that it was better that she went alone. Jerry had been a wonderful date, a kind man with curly dark hair and thick glasses. Though she found him amusing, she knew that he was no Chris, though like Chris, he had no idea that she was actually a girl.
He had confessed to her that he had just come out the closet and was new to the whole dating another man thing. Hell, he was new to the whole dating experience all together which explained his obliviousness. Jerry had said the she was cute, really cute. A really cute guy. He didn't mind that she was a bit overweight at all.
A bit was still an understatement. Though she had lost forty pounds all together, she had another sixty or more to go before reaching what her weight should really be. Still, it was nice of Jerry to keep giving her compliments she didn't deserve. Especially when she couldn't even completely enjoy his company since she was thinking about Chris all the damn time.
Throughout their whole date at Olive Garden, while Jerry had sat across from her in his fancy white suit chattering excitedly about something she didn't even remember, the whole time she had been wondering what Chris was doing. Was he with at home? Or with Brenda?
At one point Jerry had been brave enough to jokingly ask if he was boring her...or him, but she had smiled and told him no, she just wasn't feeling well. An hour into their date and Jerry had taken her back home, even walking her up to her door. He had even placed a hesitant kiss on her cheek before cheerfully waving as he walked down the stairs back to his car.
Once inside her apartment Callie had taken off her blue jeans and white dress shirt and blazer and crawled into bed. There, she cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, Chris knocked on her door and she opened it. He smiled at her, looking heartbreakingly handsome in black jeans
She didn't realize it but her husky voice had cracked a bit and Chris heard. Taking a deep breath, he turned his back to her. "Anyway," he said, casually, pretending that nothing odd had just happened between them, "I have this friend I think you would like."
Callie stared at his back, feeling her heart breaking. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I work with him. I think you'd really like him."
Callie blinked. "H-him?"
Chris squared his shoulder and turned around, a fake smile on his lips. "Yeah, Jerry's great. Funny and a real animal lover. He's a nurse at the hospital I work in."
He was setting her up with another man? Not a woman this time? All Callie could do was stare at him, at that phony smile on his handsome face and inside...inside she was curled up in a ball crying.
"You think I'm gay?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"Well aren't you?" Chris laughed and patted her shoulder. "Look, man, I don't discriminate. I have Abel for a brother remember? Jer's a great guy. You should give him a chance."
"I should?"
"Yup. You should."
Callie mimicked his fake smile. "Okay. If you say so, Chris."
"Okay. Good." He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly looking uneasy again. "Um, so I guess I'll call him and tell him you said yes."
Callie nodded numbly. "Yeah. Yeah...you do that."
"Okay." Chris placed his hands on his hips, awkwardly looking around her apartment. "Huh, you changed the flowery curtains to a blue one. Nice touch."
"Thanks." She had chosen it because it was the color of his eyes. But she couldn't tell him that...not without revealing her feelings.
Chris stared at the silk blue curtains before walking around her without another word. He hesitated by the door and stared at Cal's forlorn back before shaking his head. "See ya, Cal."
Callie didn't turn around. "See ya." But he probably didn't hear her because he was already closing the door behind him. Callie looked back at the closed door, eyes burning with unshed tears.
***
Like she had promised, she went to the date with Jerry the very next day. Alone. Chris hadn't went with her, telling her that it was better that she went alone. Jerry had been a wonderful date, a kind man with curly dark hair and thick glasses. Though she found him amusing, she knew that he was no Chris, though like Chris, he had no idea that she was actually a girl.
He had confessed to her that he had just come out the closet and was new to the whole dating another man thing. Hell, he was new to the whole dating experience all together which explained his obliviousness. Jerry had said the she was cute, really cute. A really cute guy. He didn't mind that she was a bit overweight at all.
A bit was still an understatement. Though she had lost forty pounds all together, she had another sixty or more to go before reaching what her weight should really be. Still, it was nice of Jerry to keep giving her compliments she didn't deserve. Especially when she couldn't even completely enjoy his company since she was thinking about Chris all the damn time.
Throughout their whole date at Olive Garden, while Jerry had sat across from her in his fancy white suit chattering excitedly about something she didn't even remember, the whole time she had been wondering what Chris was doing. Was he with at home? Or with Brenda?
At one point Jerry had been brave enough to jokingly ask if he was boring her...or him, but she had smiled and told him no, she just wasn't feeling well. An hour into their date and Jerry had taken her back home, even walking her up to her door. He had even placed a hesitant kiss on her cheek before cheerfully waving as he walked down the stairs back to his car.
Once inside her apartment Callie had taken off her blue jeans and white dress shirt and blazer and crawled into bed. There, she cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, Chris knocked on her door and she opened it. He smiled at her, looking heartbreakingly handsome in black jeans
Similar Books
