Testing Recipes for Disaster (Emberwood #2)

Chapter 26- Jeremy

T echnically, I was off work. And yet my ass was in the garage looking at Lauren’s car. I was going to fix it if it killed me because when she looked at me yesterday like she trusted that I could help her and take care of her, I swear to god, my brain chemistry changed. I was so focused on making sure I didn’t fuck up and disappoint everyone in my life again, that I didn’t think about anyone looking to me for help when shit went wrong. It felt good .

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the fuel pump she needed in stock, but I found one that could be here relatively quickly, so I got that ordered and set up to change the oil.

Waking up with her back pressed to my chest and her bare legs against mine was scarily enticing. A list of reasons why I needed to go back to her townhouse tonight was forming in my head, and it hit me how absolutely fucked I was. A year. That’s how long I spent hanging out with her, flirting with her, but constructing very firm boundaries in my mind around doing anything beyond flirting. It had been helpful when Jesse was a disgruntled-older-brother about the whole thing because it gave a whole other layer to that boundary. Obviously, it was a little hard for him to hang onto that once he was with Sam, and then the boundary started getting thin. And now I was standing here over her car, working for free, contemplating how to get myself an invite back to her bed tonight. Boundaries blown to hell.

“Shit.”

“You good, bro?” one of the other mechanics asked.

“What? Yeah. No, it’s not the car. I’m an asshole. I’ll be right back.”

I washed my hands and made my way into the main reception area, where Rachel sat.

“Hey. I need to know where to take someone on a date, like, tonight. Something good.”

“Oh? Are you ready to admit there are developments with you and Lauren?”

“Yes, developments, whatever, shut up. I haven’t been on an actual date since I was in high school.”

I’d slept with Lauren twice, and I hadn’t taken her out at all. Because happy hour didn’t count, even when I paid for her drinks behind her back. Rachel looked smug.

“What does she like to do ?”

“Decorate. Thrift things. Go to estate sales. Watch bad movies.”

“Oh! Take her to the drive-in. They play cheesy movies all summer. A little difficult to do any of the other things at night.”

“Bless you, Rach.”

“Wow, from ‘shut up’ to ‘bless you’ in under sixty seconds.”

“Yes, gold star for you.”

I returned to my closet office and looked up movie times. As a gift from the universe, they were showing You’ve Got Mail that night, and I knew that was one she liked. If I could do that and buy her gyros from her favorite food truck, I was pretty sure it would be a decent date. I started to text her, but I kind of wanted to hear her voice when I asked, so I pressed the call button instead. My nerves were bouncing around under my skin, worried that last night didn’t push her into the same headspace I was in.

“Hey, is everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, everything’s good. Can I take you out tonight?”

“Out... like, to soften the blow about how much it’s going to cost to fix my car. Oh my god, am I going to have to get a new car?!”

“No, your car is going to be fine. On a date. Can I take you on a date tonight?”

God, I felt like I was in high school.

“Oh! Um, yes? Yeah, of course. What kind of date?”

I could hear her grinning as she spoke, and my nerves switched from anxious to something else entirely. I ran my plan by her.

“Greek food and a rom-com. Are you for real?”

“Is that not okay? I can come up with something else. I know you like—”

“You’re completely ridiculous. Yes, it’s okay. You do realize you’ll have to drive. And let me eat a gyro pita in your car.”

“I don’t know why you think I’m this tyrant about my car. It’s fine. And yes, I’m acutely aware of the fact that I’ll be driving. I’ve had my head under the hood of your car all morning.”

“My hero,” she replied in a Disney princess voice.

“Trying to be, anyway. I’ll see you at six.”

“See you then.”

AFTER I FINISHED WHAT I could on her car without having the correct part yet, I swung by the florist and picked up a bouquet that was like an entire rainbow so it would match her house. I had way too much pent-up energy to sit around, so I thought about baking something non-wedding-related for fun. Except most of my shit was at Lauren’s house. I searched my pantry to see what I could come up with and ended up with everything I needed for peanut butter rice crispy treats.

Not exactly five-star .

But it would work to kill some time and keep my brain busy.

While they cooled, I vacuumed my apartment and threw in a load of laundry. I’d been home so little lately that I didn’t have much of a chance to get it messy, but I thought maybe I should invite Lauren over at some point instead of always being at her place. But her place was a thousand times cozier than mine. Just in case, though, I changed my sheets and cleaned the bathroom. A shower and a shave later, it was still too early to leave.

JEREMY: What does one wear on a date to the drive-in? Or a date, period?

LAUR: Your khaki joggers with the dark blue Henley and either the gray jacket or black hoodie if you wanna be comfy. Oh, and some jewelry. Because your rings are kind of hot.

JEREMY: Am I flattered or concerned that you have my wardrobe apparently memorized?

LAUR: I mean, you could be flattered, but I notice what everyone wears. I could tell you almost every item in Sam’s closet right now.

JEREMY: Well, slightly less flattered when you put it that way. Any other requests, Princess?

LAUR: Be very careful calling me that. I don’t know that you know what you’re doing.

JEREMY: I think I know exactly what I’m doing.

LAUR: I’ll see you soon.

She is so hot. I am so screwed.

As if to prove that point, I dressed in the exact clothes she told me to and put on no less than four rings and a leather bracelet. It might have been too much, but I was positive she would let me know and fix my appearance to her liking if needed.

Armed with flowers and dessert, I hopped in my car for my first date in a long time. All ideas of how I was going to screw this up were sealed in a jar somewhere in my brain, and I was full speed ahead into how I was going to be this person she saw when she looked at me.