Chapter Three
KELSEY
Well, Helix knows how to shut two people up real quick.
After we both put in an order for the meatloaf and mashed potatoes—I’m ignoring the fact that we ordered the same thing, thank you very much—Helix took off down the stairs, but not before telling us that the kitchen is short-staffed so the meal might take a bit longer to come out.
Just . . . great. Wonder if that’s intentional so “dates” have to stay longer.
An instrumental cover of Bad Guy plays overhead as JP and I look everywhere but at each other.
Helix brought in the truth bomb and completely obliterated the evening.
Even the nonstop annoyance from JP has shut down as he twirls his water glass on the table.
The silence is deafening.
Uncomfortable.
And even though I can’t stand sitting across from him at the moment, I can’t handle the silence. It’s more painful than not talking.
“So . . . do you often eat meatloaf?” I ask, unsure of what else to say.
When he looks up, his brow lifts in this Regé-Jean Page sort of way, like a fishhook grabbed it, tugged it up, and left it there. And does it take me straight back to a scene in Bridgerton that had me melting into my couch? Of course, but does it ease the protective ice shield that has formed around me because of this unfortunate evening? Not even a little.
“Are you attempting conversation with me?”
“You can’t possibly expect me to sit here in silence for God knows how long.”
“I don’t know, watching you squirm from a lack of conversation seems enjoyable.”
“Why are you an ass?”
“Couldn’t you tell from the rundown Helix just gave us? Abandonment issues and false fa?ades are high on that list for defense mechanisms. Doesn’t take a psychologist to figure that out, babe,” he says.
“Doesn’t give you an excuse to act like an asshole. I grew up without a dad and you don’t see me parading around with an indignant attitude.”
He laughs so loud it startles me backward. “Did you completely forget the ‘I hate JP Cane’ one-person show you just put on for the restaurant staff?”
“Well, pardon me for being flummoxed when I found out you were my date for the evening. In my head, I was picturing this night going a tad differently.”
“I see. And how did you picture it going?”
I take a sip of my water. “Not like this.”
“You said that, and given we have a long dinner in front of us, why don’t you educate me on how you thought tonight would pan out?”
“I’m not sharing that with you. You’re just going to make fun of me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you’re an oppressor of hopes and dreams.”
“How little you know me, Kelsey.”
I eye him for a few seconds and then ask, “So if I tell you what I thought would happen tonight, you’re not going to make fun of me?”
“You know, it might behoove you to get to know me. Then you might not have such a low opinion of me.”
Doubtful.
“Fine,” I say, chin held high. “But if you make fun of me, I’m throwing my water in your face.”
“That’s fair.” He nods at me. “Go ahead, light me up with your fantasies.”
God, I really despise him.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Well, I signed up for this program because I heard great things about it from Noely Clark.”
“Noely, one of the hosts from Good Morning, Malibu?” he asks.
“Yes. I interviewed her and her husband for my podcast—”
“You have a podcast? What’s it called?”
Feeling shy, because I know he’s probably judging me, I say, “I do, and the name is irrelevant. I would rather you not listen to it.”
“Afraid I might become a long-time listener?”
“Are you teasing me?” I ask, lifting my water.
He holds up his rather large hands. “No, not teasing. Just engaging in conversation.”
“Try using less sarcasm in your ‘engagements.’”
“Noted.” He gestures with his hand. “Proceed.”
“Well, I interviewed them for my podcast and while we weren’t recording, she told me all about Going in Blind. Since I’m in the market to settle down with someone . . .” I pause to assess his expression, and when he doesn’t crack a smile, I proceed. “I thought I’d give it a try. I heard nothing but good things, so when I was getting ready, I was actually kind of nervous. I assumed I’d be meeting someone interesting, someone like-minded, someone I matched well with. You can only imagine my disappointment when you turned out to be ManWearsPants.”