Write Before Christmas by Julie Hammerle

Author:Julie Hammerle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Women's Fiction; Small Town & Rural Fiction; Romantic Themes Workplace; Romantic Comedy; Holiday Fiction; Friendship Fiction; Contemporary Women's Fiction; Contemporary Romance Fiction; American Humorous Fiction; Write Before Christmas by Julie Hammerle; Entangled Publishing; Amara; Stand Alone Romance; Single Title Romance; August; Small Town Romance; Personal Chef; Writer; Divorcee; Later in Life Romance; RomCome; Christmas Romance; Forced Proximity Romance; Boss/Employee Romance; Muse
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara)
Published: 2020-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Dani

I adjusted the spaghetti straps on the red dress I’d borrowed from Una for dinner. This frock put my cleavage on full display. I’d felt good about the decision to wear it in the comfort of my own bedroom, but in this darkly lit restaurant, I wondered if this dress screamed “date” too loudly. Especially since Fred was having trouble keeping his eyes on my face and not on my bust.

And then there had been the emoji-filled text he sent me before I left for the restaurant that Kelsie said meant he expected sex.

What had I gotten myself into?

I coughed in an attempt to keep his eyes “up here.”

“Should we order a bottle of wine?” Fred asked.

“Yes,” I said. “Absolutely. Wine sounds great.”

Fred scanned the list. “What do you like?” He wore a pair of readers he kept on a thick gold chain around his neck. I think my grandma had the same one. “I don’t usually drink red. The tannins give me a headache.”

This conversation was giving me a headache. This whole night was. I wasn’t used to duplicity. Even back before I met my ex, I only ever dated one person at a time. Now I was sitting here at dinner with one guy, while thinking about the other guy I was sleeping with, who was also my boss and who would be gone and out of my life in a little over two weeks. When had my life devolved into one of my romance novel plots? “White is fine,” I said. “Whatever you think.”

Fred flagged over a waiter and gave him our drink order. Then he folded his hands on the table and said, “I’m so glad we’re doing this tonight.”

I forced a smile. “Me, too.” Matt would be back in Indy soon, the holidays would be over, and I’d be here, starting my own post-divorce life for real. Fred was a nice man, who could potentially be part of it, if I stopped letting my boss’s existence get in the way. At the very least, we could end up being friends. “It’s nice to talk to someone who gets what it’s like to be divorced.”

He waved that off. “Let’s not dwell on all that tonight. It’s hard enough being alone right now during the holidays. Tell me about you.” He rested his chin on his fist. “I want to know all about Dani. What makes her tick.”

I attempted to pull my face into something resembling a friendly smile, as the waiter returned with a bottle of wine. Fred kept his eyes focused unsettlingly on me as the waiter poured our drinks. I kept thinking I had something caught in my teeth. He’d worn his long hair in a low pony tonight. I’d never dated a guy with a ponytail, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Not that this was a “date.”

I should’ve told Matt explicitly it wasn’t a date. I should’ve been honest with him about where I was going tonight and that Fred and I were just two divorced people getting a meal together.

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