Friday night - Two weeks later

Thomas: Five dollars you're thinking about me

Lisa: You wish.

Thomas: But I'm right, aren't I?

Lisa: FYI I'm getting ready to go out. No time to think about you.

Thomas: Oh! Do tell!

Lisa: Alexia's kids will be spending the night with their grandparents and she invited some friends over. What about you? What are your plans for tonight?

Thomas: I'm literally in the middle of nowhere right now. Look at my new friends.

Me: Wow! Cool! I think I've never seen a Rhino in real life.

Thomas: I'll make sure to tell them you said hi.

Me: Such a dork...

Thomas: I think I liked you better when you thought I was a sexy stranger.

Me: But then you opened your mouth.

Thomas: :)

Me: Talk to you later.

Thomas: Ok. But hey, Lisa?

Me: Yes, Thomas?

Thomas: Stay away from tequila shots. They do crazy things to your stomach.

Me: Har Har

The moment I get to Alexia's place, I get a picture of him. He's holding a beer bottle as he pretends to talk to the rhino, and I can't hold the laughter that comes out of my mouth.

"What is going on?" Lucas asks as he opens the door.

"Oh, Hi! Sorry. Just a silly pic a friend sent me." I shrug as he ushers me inside.

"They're all out in the back. I'll just get more ice and will be joining you guys soon." He smiles as he heads to the kitchen.

"Hey there, guys!" I smile at the group in front of me.

Vivian and Liam, Lucas's sister and his brother-in-law, along with Alexia's colleagues Sophie and John, are all laughing at whatever Mark, Luca's best friend, is saying. But they all wave at me when they see me. Alexia doesn't seem so happy and mumbles something as she comes my way.

"Hey girl!" She gives me a hug.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Mark is telling them about the first time he met me and how I was all goofy smiles and puppy eyes towards Lucas..." She rolls her eyes, making me chuckle.

"Is he wrong?" I wink at him and he laughs.

"Elizabeth." He stands up, pulling me into a hug. "Long time no see you."

"I just saw you last month." I slap his arm playfully.

"And that's way too long!" He pulls away to look into my eyes.

"Cheesy!" I chuckle at his attempt at flirting, and he touches his chest as if I'd hurt him.

"You break my heart every damn time, you know," he says.

"Is that so? I'm sure the girl who spent the night at your place helped you to mend it." I grab a beer from the cooler by my side and he raises his eyebrows, his cheeks getting a little red.

Mark is a mechanic and Lucas's best friend. His shop is on the same block as the bakery, and we've become closer over the years. He's all up for a good time as I used to be and he can be so funny, it's impossible to ignore him. Well, and he's also hot. You'd have to be blind not to see it.

The thing about Mark is that besides being Lucas's best friend, he is way similar to me or to how I used to be. And I'll be dammed to go there with someone as close to Alexia and Lucas as him. Nobody wants a repeat of my last fuck up.

Now, does that mean that he'll ever stop with the cheesy lines?

Yeah, I don't think so, either.

"I never meant to break your heart, Elisabeth... But I have needs, you know?" He laughs, making me roll my eyes.

"Ew! Gross!" I grab a plate and start filling it with food as I walk away from him.

"Mark, you're just too much sometimes." Alexia laughs, but I choose to ignore both of them.

*****

After three hours of no sense talking and good laughter, the guys are not even close to calling it a night. My legs and back are hurting after spending the day on my feet, and since I'll be opening the bakery tomorrow, I know I have to start with my goodbyes soon.

"Hey guys, I think I'll get going. I have to be up early tomorrow," I say.

"Boo, boring!" Alexia shouts, her words a bit slurred.

"I'm beat, too," Mark asks. "Did you drive?"

"No, got an Uber," I say.

"I'll drive you home, then." He smiles and we get up to go.

"Thanks." I smile back and turn to my favorite happy couple. "And thanks for having me, guys."

"Always nice to hang out with you all. Let me know when we're doing it again." Mark waves them a good night and soon we're walking to his car.

"Are you good to drive?" I ask when we approach his car.

"Just had two beers when I got here." He opens the door for me and I smile at the gesture.

"So, you're just naturally loud and funny?" I chuckle when he grins.

"You know it!" He winks at me and starts the car.

We drive in comfortable silence and soon he's parking in front of Sweet Spot and opening the door of the car again for me.

"If you're not careful, people will start thinking you're a gentleman," I say when he offers me his hand to help me out.

"Well, when will you start thinking I'm a gentleman?" He holds my hand and soon I'm standing in front of him.

"Uh..." I try to laugh it away, but the look on his face stops me.

He is serious.

Shit!

"I've been trying to be your friend and, well, Alexia told me some time ago you were not really looking for a relationship... I mean, when you opened the shop you weren't really looking for a relationship... but... Would you- Uh... Would you like to go on a date with me? Like a real date?" he asks, his eyes locked with mine.

"A date?" I feel my face getting hot.

"A date, yeah." He gives me a small smile, and it's then I realize he's not only serious, but he's nervous, too.

Oh my God! Mark is asking me on a date!

"Uh..."

"Are you seeing someone?" he asks when I keep looking at him without saying anything.

"Am I seeing someone?" I try to make sense of what's going on here.

"Are you?" He tilts his head to the side, a little grin on his lips.

"Uh... that would be... Uh... No... Not really?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

I take a deep breath. "I'm telling you."

"Well, I'm not seeing anyone either."

"But I saw a girl leaving-"

"That was almost four months ago, Elizabeth," he says, and the Elizabeth part is what I need to pull myself together.

This is freaking Mark! Shit! Shit!

"We've known each other for some time now." He continues. "We get along well and... I think you're a great person. Starting your life over and... Well, I'm attracted to you. Have always been."

"I don't know what to say," I whisper and I hate when I see him flinch. "You're a great guy but we have never really hung out, just the two of us, you know? And you're Lucas's best friend, and..."

"I'm just asking for a date, Lisa." He touches my face ever so slightly as if he's afraid I might break.

"I'm really fucked up in the head, Mark."

"Aren't we all?" he asks, his voice soft but persuasive.

"You called me Lisa." I smile.

"I have to say I prefer Elizabeth." He chuckles and I shake my head.

"Mark..."

"Just a date..."

He makes it sound so easy. But as flattered as I am right now. I'm also feeling extremely guilty. Thomas has not once hinted that he wanted more than friendship than a quick lay with me and, to be honest, neither have I. But the attraction is there, no matter how hard we try to ignore it.

So, should I be considering a date with another guy?

"We'll go out. Just the two of us. Have a meal together. Talk." He keeps going. "If by the end of the night you're not feeling it, we'll part as friends and things will go back to as they were before. No hard feelings."

"No hard feelings?" I swallow, my brain having a hard time coming up with a reason I shouldn't say yes.

"No hard feelings." He gives me a full-blown smile as if I had already said yes.

"I haven't said yes yet." I roll my eyes for good measure.

"Come on, Elizabeth."

"One date, Mark."

"Thank-"

"And if it doesn't work, there'll be no hard feelings. No awkwardness." I look deeply into his eyes.

"You got it!" He nods, his gaze steady on mine.

"I'm serious!" I walk to my door.

"Me too!"

"Okay." I wave at him.

"Okay." I hear him say, but I'm already locking myself inside.

A date with Mark? What the hell am I doing?

_____

A/n: So, a date with Mark? How do we feel about that?

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XOXO

- Celeste