The Gratitude Guarantee (Boyfriend in the Bargain #4)

21. Zach

21

ZACH

“ I ’m not sure what you want me to say.” Grant’s voice coming from my phone sounds exasperated. “I knew this was going to happen but you didn’t listen to me.”

After breakfast, I bummed around for a while waiting for Brenna to get back. Kevin and Ben were watching playback footage of a football game I had no interest in, and I wasn’t sure what else to do in this unfamiliar house, so I ended up laying on my bed ruminating on everything that has happened in the last two days. Eventually, I realized that wasn’t good for my mental health, so I called Grant to vent about my complicated feelings for Brenna and ask him what I should do. His response is typical Grant—no nonsense.

“I did listen to you. I took your advice to take a break from dating.”

Grant sighs dramatically. “Yes, but then you neutralized it by fake dating a girl and meeting her family.”

“What’s done is done,” I tell him. “I can’t retroactively heed your warning, so now I’m asking for new advice. I think I really like her. What should I do?”

“Uhhh…take her out on a date?” Grant says this so sarcastically that I can practically hear his eyes rolling.

“But what if I’m only interested in her because of the dating ban? What if I’m just desperate like a hungry person who would rather eat kale than starve?”

“Did you really just compare Brenna to kale?” Grant sounds amused.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do. And if you want to know my real opinion, I think you’ve set yourself up for failure with your insistence on love at first sight.”

I scoff. “That’s ridiculous. I don’t even believe in love at first sight.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Of course. Does anybody really believe in love at first sight?”

“What else do you call it when you refuse to go out on a second date with anyone?”

This gives me pause. “I…call it having high standards.”

“High standards are great,” Grant allows. “But the standard you set is that she only gets a second date if you fall head over heels in love with her on the first one.”

Grant is a straight shooter. It’s one of the things I’ve always liked about him.

I don’t love it right now.

“Look, all I’m saying is that sometimes it takes more than an hour to get a true feel for a person. It makes sense that you’re starting to feel something for Brenna now that you’ve actually spent some time with her.”

“I see what you’re saying…” I run my free hand through my hair. “But I just want to be sure. I don’t want to jump in with both feet only to find out she’s not the one for me, you know?”

“Right, so you want a crystal ball to tell you the future before you make any moves. Good luck with that, man.”

Irritation courses through me. “If you don’t have anything helpful to say, then I think I have something else to do.”

“I’m trying to be helpful, but it’s like you’re not listening.” Grant pauses and regroups, then continues. “All I’m saying is that there is no aspect of life in which you can guarantee the outcome before you start. You can be pretty sure of something but never one hundred percent sure. If you wait for absolute certainty, then you’ll never do anything. Were you one hundred percent convinced that your lawn care business was going to be a success when you left your accounting job?”

“Of course not,” I respond petulantly.

“Dating is no different. Don’t be reckless, but do take some calculated risks. I think Brenna is a good risk.”

“You haven’t even met her.” I don’t know why I’m arguing against her. I guess I just don’t like being told what to do. Yes, I realize the irony of that since I called to ask for advice.

“No, but you’ve told me about her, and I think anyone who has captured your attention after so long is worth a second look. Plus, Annie did some social media stalking and said she seems cool.”

I hear a muffled gasp and mumbled words in the background that tell me Annie is nearby and takes offense at Grant’s comment. I’m almost positive I hear the words “not a stalker.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.” I’m ready to end this conversation. “I’ll let you get back to your family now.”

“Alright, but think about what I said, okay?”

“Okay.” I don’t think I’ll be able to stop thinking about it.

We hang up and I turn my phone over and over in my hand, thinking. What if Grant’s right and I just need to go for it? But what if I’m right and my motivations are wrong?

I throw the phone at my pillow in frustration, wincing when it bounces off and hits the floor with a thud. I huff out a breath.

I need to wait out the rest of the year and let the dating ban expire as planned. Then, if I still feel attracted to her once I’m free to date anyone, I’ll know it’s worth pursuing. That seems like the only reasonably safe approach.