Fumbled (The Girls of Beachmont #1) (4 page)

Dad emerged and walked
over to give me a hug before I left. I kissed his cheek and laughed at his
mall-induced misery. “Sorry, Dad. You’re on your own… All I can say is, better
you than me.”

“Help. Me,” he mouthed
dramatically, making me laugh.

D
A N I

The school year
officially ended for my students, but I still had to wrap up a few things and
it would take a couple of trips to the school to complete. I wasn’t in a rush
to get anything done because I still had to figure out how to come up with the
funding needed to continue River’s Kids.

I sat down at my kitchen
table and rifled through the pages of information I had amassed when I
initially started the program. I was enthusiastic and idealistic when I got the
ball rolling last year, but finding volunteers and donations had proved
difficult. Still, I’d continued because I believed in the program and what it
could do for the kids.

Watching their eyes
light up when they walked in the first day it opened had warmed my heart, and I
knew I had done the right thing. All the hours of work and pleading for help to
get it off the ground had been worth the effort.

I closed the binder and
sighed heavily as I rested my chin on my hands. “This sucks,” I groaned.

Many of my students
depended on River’s Kids for activities and tutoring. Without it, they’d go
home to empty houses where they were left to their own devices. Knowing I had
the ability to do something is what drove me.

I grabbed my laptop and
began doing a search on local foundations that might be willing to help out in
some way. Mom always reminded me that it never hurt to ask, and she was right.

There were several
Fortune 500 companies headquartered in San Diego, so I jotted a few names down
and continued to look for others. It was going to be a long day, but I planned
on speaking to the principal when I went to work; maybe he’d have some
suggestions.

Just as I was about to
call Millie to see if she had any ideas, my phone rang in my hand. I looked
down and it was another unknown number.

I rolled my eyes and
answered it gruffly, allowing my irritation to show.

I hate telemarketers.

“Da-Dani?” he questioned
before clearing his throat. “Can I speak to Dani?”

When he finished
speaking, I knew who it was and my stomach flopped nervously.

Nick was right: three
days. I tried to play it cool.

“This is Dani,” I
answered, deciding to play dumb. “And this is?”

“Tabor. From the other
day,” he said.

My knees wobbled
slightly and I started pacing my small living room. I wanted to laugh at how
stupidly I reacted to his voice because it wasn’t like me at all. I realized
the silence had gone too long, and I desperately tried to find something witty
to say but nothing came out. Truth be told, I’d never expected him to actually
call.

“Hello?” he asked.

“Oh sorry,” I said,
tripping over a pillow that had fallen off my couch. I walked over to have a
seat, figuring I’d be safer sitting still. “I’m here. Just…cleaning.” I
stumbled over my words.

“If you’re busy I can
call back,” he said.

The room wasn’t remotely
dirty, but it was all I could come up with on short notice.

“No it’s fine. I was
just…finishing up,” I lied and then scoffed.

His soft laugh filled
the silence and I smiled at the sound.

“I wanted to make sure
you got that tire fixed,” he stated. “I mean, I’m sure it was fine, but you
never know.”

“You’re good…I mean,
it’s
good. The tire. The tire is fixed,”
I stuttered, running my hand over my face and laughing. “I took care of it the
next day. Thank you again for helping.”

“Not a problem.”

The TV in my living room
did little to fill the awkward silence that was taking over. I could hear Tabor
breathing on the other end, but he didn’t say anything.

“Well, it was nice of
you to check on me,” I finally said when I couldn’t think of something better.

“So that’s it?”

“What’s it?”

“I thought you were
going to let me take you out.”

I smiled. “Well, you
didn’t ask.”

I heard his laugh before
he spoke. “So Dani, do you have any plans tonight?”

There was nothing on my
calendar, but I didn’t want to appear too available. He’d waited three days to
call, just like Nick had predicted.

But if there was some
kind of game to be played, I wasn’t aware of the rules.
Am I supposed to wait three days before accepting? Damn.
The dating
apps were looking better and better. All I had to do was click a box to tell
them I was interested.

Plus, I didn’t even know
if Tabor had a girlfriend—or worse, a wife. I needed to know more before
I agreed to anything.

“Actually, I’m going out
with some friends tonight,” I began, “but I was thinking that maybe I could
take you out tomorrow…you know, as a thank you for helping me.”

“But I called you,” he
said.

“What about your
girlfriend
?” I asked, my voice going up
slightly at the mention of a partner, wincing as I awaited his response.

“I’m afraid my
girlfriend can’t make it,” he said.

I slouched and my bottom
lip jutted out, but he kept talking.

“Maybe I could bring her
along next time though. I mean, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

I opened my mouth to say
something, but with the disappointment simmering in my gut and my own
mortification clouding my mind, I couldn’t think of anything to say that
wouldn’t make me sound pathetic.

“Dani?” His deep voice
echoed down the phone. “I’m kidding. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

 
“Oh!” I chirped. “Okay. Good to know,” I
said, playing off the rush of relief I felt.

“And just so you know,
I’m not in the habit of asking women out when I’m dating someone else,” he
said.

“Great answer,” I
responded.

“Another test? Did I
pass?”

“Yeah, I think you did.”
I smiled, even though he couldn’t see it.

“Cool,” he said
confidently.

I couldn’t stop grinning
at the sound of his voice.

“So what time should I
pick you up?”

And then the smile faded
as I remembered what I was doing before he’d called.

“I’m actually going to
my sister’s tomorrow night.”

“That’s all right,” he
said, a hint of disappointment in his tone. “Maybe another time.”

“Okay,” I agreed, though
it lacked any sort of enthusiasm.
Do not
let this man hang up!
the voice in my head shouted.

“It was good talking to
you. Have fun with your sister,” he said.

No. No. No. I’m not going to wait around for him to call
again!
“Thanks.”
Think, Dani!

“Bye—” he started,
but I cut him off.

“I’ll be back around
five,” I blurted.

“Oh yeah? Okay, well, is
seven good for you?”

“I think I can do
seven.” My heart slowed to a manageable level and I let out a breath.

“Sounds like a plan,” he
said. “What’s your address?”

In a rare Dani display,
I jumped up like a kid with a new toy and my smile threatened to split my face
in two. And then in very Dani-fashion…I tripped and fell onto my ass. “Ow!”

“Dani?” he asked, his
voice full of concern.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” I
replied. “I’m a bit of a klutz.”

“Why don’t you text me
your address and I’ll pick you up then.”

“If it’s easier, I can
just meet you there,” I offered.

“Call me old-fashioned,
but I’d like to take you out the right way,” he said.

“Oh. O…kay,” I stammered
and smiled.

It was if he were
plucked from the description of what I’d told Grace I wanted in a guy. And
since I was open to something new, someone old-fashioned was exactly what I
wanted. And Tabor sweetly insisting on being a gentleman made my heart skip a
beat.

“Well, now you have my
number, so you can text me,” he said. “Is that good for you?”

“Yeah, that sounds
good,” I answered.

“Then I’ll see you
tomorrow,” he said.

“See you then,” I
replied evenly, though inside I was beyond giddy and I didn’t understand the
reaction.

We hung up and I sat on
the floor where I’d landed moments before, immobile. It had been a while since
I had looked forward to a date, despite Millie’s numerous attempts at setups.

“I have a date,” I said
out loud, feeling excited and nervous at the same time.

I stood up and walked to
my bedroom to get everything ready so I could go out with my friends, but then
a surge of enthusiasm shot through me.

“I have a date!”

I turned into my
bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror, seeing the spark of hope in
my eyes. I pointed a finger at myself and narrowed my eyes.

“Do
not
look at me like that. For all you know, he’s a world-class
asshole who hides it well.”

I shook my head at my
words, knowing deep down he was a good guy. I wasn’t sure why I was so quick to
believe that, but something in me held tight to that notion. He was a handsome,
sweet, and funny guy.

Crap! A guy I need to text!

Me: 333 Antigua Hills Dr

Tabor: Got it. See you
at 7

Me: Where are we going?

Tabor: Have you been to
Metropolis?

Is this guy serious?
Metropolis was only one of the highest-rated
fine dining restaurants in the city, and that’s where he suggested going. I’d
never been, but I’d wanted to try it for some time.

Me: No. But I’ve heard
of it

Tabor: Do you like
steak?

Me: I do

Tabor: Then you’ll love
it

Me: Sounds good

***

After I texted Tabor, I
took a shower and got dressed so I could get over to the school. I had planned
on spending a few hours there every day of the week, so I’d have the rest of
the summer to myself.

Millie had her things
taken care of a week before school ended. She needed to go back to turn in her
keys and pick up a box or two, but she was otherwise done. I knew because I’d
listened to her brag the other day.

By the time I got to
River Valley Junior High, there were a few teachers tucked in their rooms
taking inventory and putting things away in boxes. We were told that the school
would be getting new paint and floors, so everything had to be packed up.

I visited with a few
co-workers on my way to the classroom, and they told me of the plans they had
with their kids. I didn’t envy them much, because they were going to be busy
entertaining while I was busy catching up on my reading and trying to enjoy
some downtime.

As I walked out of my
classroom with another box of books to turn in, I was stopped mid-delivery.

“Dani, can I see you in
my office when you’re done with that?” Principal Lopez asked.

I nodded and made my
drop-off to the library, and then walked back to the main office.

“You ready for summer?”
Linda, the secretary asked with a huge smile.

“I am,” I answered. “You?”

She glanced up at the
clock and nodded eagerly. “One more hour.”

“But who’s counting,
right?” I teased. She grinned sheepishly and I nodded toward the principal’s
office. “Is he in there?”

“Yeah. Go ahead, he’s
waiting for you,” she said and I felt my heart race.

I had only been called
into Mr. Lopez’s office once since I’d worked with him, and that was once more
than I had ever been called as a student growing up. Trips to the principal’s
office were something I dreaded more than visiting the gynecologist. At least
with the doctor I knew what to expect. It wasn’t pleasant, but there weren’t
any surprises. A visit with Mr. Lopez meant a lecture, a reprimand, or a
request for help that entailed too much paperwork.

When I knocked on the
door, Mr. Lopez waved at me and motioned for me to come in and close it behind
me.

Not a good sign.

I took a seat across
from his desk and tried not to fidget. His space was covered with pictures of
nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters. Since he’d never had any children of
his own, the students at River Valley Junior High were his kids.

“I know what you’re
going to say,” I started, but he put a hand up to stop me from speaking.

“I don’t know how you
did it, but I have to say, I’m impressed.” He smiled kindly.

Not what I thought he was going to say.