...continued from part-1, part-2, part-3, part-4, part-5, and part-6
James got home feeling downcast. The evening hadn’t gone as he had expected with Anna.
She had clearly stated that she hadn’t expected him to ask her on a date.
James wondered, “What did she expect from me then? To be her designated driver?”
He wanted Anna in his life, and yet Anna seemed not to want any one in her life. He wondered if Steven was the reason for all this.
“Was that smug Steven her beau?” He wondered.
Since he met both of them at the restaurant, he hadn’t really brought up the issue of Steven to Anna, and she also never spoke of him.
“What’s up with this girl, exactly?” He asked himself.
James struggled to shake off the forlorn feeling he experienced after he returned home from dropping Anna off.
He hadn’t been lucky with women in his life, and he now had the feeling that his non-existent love life was about to take a plunge down south, again.
That Friday night, he promised himself that should things not go well with Anna the following day when he goes to pick her up, he would steer clear of her and move on.
Meanwhile, Anna felt terrible that same night. She dropped to her sofa and cried as soon as she stepped into her apartment.
“Why won’t guys just let her be?” She quizzed.
Even the guys she consider as simply friends or even brothers, all want to date her, and she wasn’t interested in any of them.
She knew she had to open up about her love life, soonest. The drama she just had with James before entering her house left her feeling sad.
And she knows eventually, that she would end up hurting him, if she opens up about her love life.
Meanwhile, the condition James gave her regarding his proposed outing with her tomorrow has put her in a tight spot.
She liked James, but not in a sexual way. He was funny, quick-witted and an all-round nice guy. But she didn’t want any sexual relationship with him.
“How do I explain that to him?” She quizzed herself.
After some minutes of reflection, she decided she would open up to James the next day.
True to his word, James arrived at Anna's home the next day and parked where he had parked the day before.
He stayed inside the car and decided not to step out.
James was very surprised to see Anna step out of the house, lock her door and approach his car.
He had somehow resigned himself to the possibility of getting rejected; of which he'd then forget about Anna and her issues.
Anna smiled as she approached James and the car that faithful morning. James didn't know whether the smile was genuine or not. The one thing he knew for sure was that Anna was looking absolutely gorgeous.
As she approached the car, James stepped out and walk over to open the door for her. He complimented her as well.
"Hello Anna, you look beautiful and radiant today", James said.
Anna responded, "Thanks Jay. And a good morning to you."
"If I recall, you said it a date, so I had to look it", she added.
Once, he had settled back into the car, he roared the engine to life, and then drove off.
According to James' itinerary, they were to have brunch first before heading to a cinema.
At the eatery, the talked about small stuffs - Work, Work people, Brian's upcoming wedding and movies they could see.
Neither of them mentioned the issue and drama that transpired between them, the night before.
They were simply trying hard to avoid talking about it, but it was always going to come up for discussion later.
After brunch, they headed for the cinema to see a "rom-com".
James loved the pleasant camaraderie they shared throughout the morning.
He was literally in the clouds and was completely oblivious of the shocker he would receive later that evening, which would change everything between them.
Thank you for your time and for reading.
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