I'm Not Charlotte Lucas(33)

When Andy pulled in front of my house to drop me off after our burger date, I leaned over the console of his silver Acura—the Jeep was back with his brother—and kissed him good night.

“I had fun tonight,” I said, leaning back in my seat.

“Me too.” His dark-blond eyebrows pulled together. “Do you think it’s too soon to bring other people into this?”

I stiffened. Was he less in this than he had led me to believe? I knew I should have worn the black jeans tonight. They showed off my legs way better than this dumb cotton, knee-length skirt. But I had been going for casual. “Do you mean bowling?”

He reached forward and took my hand, playing with my fingers as he held my gaze. “As much as I feel like we are picking up right where we left off, it’s not really the truth. A lot has happened since we broke up. I’ve been with other people. You’ve dated other people. We are still growing more comfortable with each other.”

It would have been idiotic of me to have believed that Andy hadn’t looked at another woman in the last year, but his statement shocked me all the same. I just nodded. I wasn’t about to admit that he was the last guy I’d kissed.

He squeezed my fingers tighter. “Maybe it would make us more comfortable with this situation if we made a clean breast of it. I’ll tell you what I’ve been up to since we broke up, and you tell me about your boyfriends. Then we can move forward completely on the same page. No surprises.”

This was officially the strangest conversation I’d ever taken part in. I stared into Andy’s hazel eyes, trying to read the meaning behind his request. He looked so sincere, like he was just itching to start fresh.

How would he take it if I told him I’d been single for the last year? He would assume one of two things: either I was undesirable or totally hung up on him. Which I definitely was not. But he cared so much about appearances.

He was a dentist, for heaven’s sake. He was in the business of making people beautiful.

“Sure,” I croaked.

“I’m so glad you’re on the same page with me. It’s such a relief. Okay, would you like to go first?”

I shook my head, pressing my lips together. “You can.”

He nodded, an expression washing over his face that was both resolute and serious. “I went on a few dates with a woman I met at the Roasted Bean, Whitney, and then I dated another woman for about a month and a half, Laura.”

His shoulders dropped a little, as though he was relieved, a burden lifted. Had he been worried about telling me? He didn’t owe me anything after we broke up. But the way he watched me indicated that he put more stock into this conversation than I did.

I had no idea what I was going to say. So I stalled.

“Were either of them serious relationships?”

“No.” His eyebrows drew together. “Flings, pretty much. Neither of them really had that thing we had, you know? The chemistry. I gave them both a fair try though.”

Was Andy aware of how conceited he sounded? I supposed it was fine. He had compared me favorably, after all.

“What about you?” Andy asked, his voice dipping. He seemed to be moving even closer.

And my throat was closing up with each passing second.

“I dated . . .”

Silence sat between us, and I could see the worry mounting in his eyes. But what could I say? I couldn’t lie! It was part of my genetic makeup. If I lied, Andy would know right away . . . because I would tell him. I just didn’t know how to be dishonest.

The light came on above Vera’s garage next door as her car pulled into the driveway, and I swallowed a gasp. That was it. And bonus points: it wasn’t a lie.

“I dated my next-door neighbor’s grandson, Liam.”

“Oh?” Andy’s head reared back, surprise evident in his widened eyes. Had he expected me to say I’d remained single? That was obnoxious. There was nothing wrong with taking a break from dating.

“Yes,” I said with more confidence. “He’s a nice guy. No major complaints or anything, but it didn’t go anywhere. He’s got a different girl now, and we’ve decided we’re better as friends.”

I nearly slumped against the seat in relief. That sounded fantastic. So grown up and mature of me to decide with a tall, dark, and handsome man that we were better as friends.

“That’s not too bad,” he agreed, sliding his hands up my arms. He pulled me closer, laying a kiss on my lips that was wetter and longer than I expected after stuffing our faces with cheeseburgers, and I leaned back after a minute, desperate to get inside and brush my teeth.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then? Bowling?” I asked, opening the door.

Andy smiled, his eyes twinkling with satisfaction. “Tomorrow, babe. See you then.”

Babe? That was new. I guess it was just one more thing to get used to. I slipped inside quickly, shutting the door behind me and kicking off my shoes.

“Charlie?” Mariah called from the living room.

“Yep.” I grabbed my phone from my purse. Gathering my shoes, I left them with my purse at the foot of my attic stairs before plopping on the couch beside my sister. Her face was glued to the TV.

“The parentals are gone,” she said. “Dinner with the Hendersons or something.”

I nodded. Dad’s work friend. “Have you started rehearsals yet?”