He recalled the last thing she had said before she walked out… I really enjoy spending time with you. I’m just not ready for this. I hope that this doesn’t ruin things between us.
What did that mean? Maybe he should just quit overanalyzing everything. She probably got scared that they were going too far, too fast, and freaked.
He flopped down on the chair and covered his eyes with his hands. As he sat there sulking and pondering, he glanced through his fingers and noticed her violin case across the room. Had she left it on purpose? He doubted it, but it gave him a glimmer of hope. They would definitely be in contact again. She’d have to come back to get it, or he’d have to take it to her. Either way, it gave him a reason to contact her. He decided not to do anything for the night. Just let it go for now and seek counsel from Claire in the morning.
He finished cleaning the kitchen and tried to go to sleep, but sleep evaded him as he replayed the events of the night in his mind. It had been a wonderful date. They’d had a great time. He recalled what it felt like to kiss her, the way she made him feel. He had loved every moment of it. He hated the complete disappointment that he felt from her abrupt departure. Was he falling in love with Maddie? Was he already in love with her? The night’s events continued to replay over and over in his mind as he tried to make sense of it all. Eventually, he fell into a fitful sleep.
Chapter 10
The next day Adam visited Zach and Claire. He needed some advice from his relationship counselor. He relayed the entire story to them and emphasized that everything seemed fine until the very end.
“Claire, what should I do next? Should I wait? Should I call her?”
“I think you should give her some space. I mean, based on the fact that she told you that she had a great time and that she didn’t want to ruin things between you, makes me think she wants to see you again. She was just scared for some reason. Maybe she’s old-fashioned and believes in a long courting period. Maybe she likes you more than she wants to admit to herself.”
“If only,” he sighed.
“Seriously,” she said. “I wouldn’t call her. I would play it cool. Give her time to come around on her own. She knows there’s an open invitation to rehearsals on Thursday nights, and she knows what gigs you have at the clubs on Fridays and Saturdays. Not to mention that she happens to be your next-door neighbor. So, if she wants to see you, she’ll find a way. She’ll come around.”
Adam knew that Claire was probably right, but waiting would be excruciating for him. He wanted to call Maddie badly. He wanted to apologize if he had done something wrong. But at the same time, he wanted to play it cool. He didn’t want to upset her any further and scare her off even more. In the end, he took Claire’s advice and didn’t call her. It would be a long wait until Thursday’s rehearsal, wondering if Maddie would come.
Chapter 11
Wednesday came and went with no word from Maddie. By the time Thursday night rehearsal came around, Adam worried that she wouldn’t show up. The longer he went without contact with Maddie, the more insecure he became. He had taken Claire’s advice and had not called her. He had given her space. He hoped Claire was right.
When the rehearsal started, there was still no sign of Maddie. He had even stalled the rehearsal start time for a few moments, just in case she was running late, but to no avail. So, with shoulders slumped and a heavy heart, he performed the opening number. He went through the motions robotically and scanned the crowd frequently for any sign of her.
About midway through the first set, Adam glanced at the door—like he had done a thousand times that night—and spotted her as she walked in. His heart began to beat rapidly, partly because he was excited to see her and partly because he didn’t know what was going to happen next. He didn’t think he could handle being rejected by her. He would be crushed. It had to work out between them. He could hardly wait to get through the last song of the set.
She stood at the back of the room and watched him with a face blank. He looked away and rubbed his sweaty palms on his shirt. As soon as he belted out the last lyric, while the instrumentals finished up, he left his mic in the stand and headed toward the back of the room to meet her.
As he approached, her eyes met and held his gaze. Adam had no idea what he was going to say to her. Where would he begin? He would just wing it. When he finally reached her, without saying a word, she threw her arms around him, pressed her body against his, and buried her face in his neck. Caught off guard, he stiffened momentarily before he put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
She pulled back just enough to see his face and said, “Adam, I’m so sorry for freaking out on you the other night. I hope you can forgive me. I’m really into you and I want you to know it wasn’t anything you did.”
His eyes searched hers. His heart pounded so loudly that he wondered if she could hear it. Relief flooded his body as he closed his eyes and hugged her tightly.
She continued, “I’d rather not go into the details right now, but just know that I’ve had some bad experiences in the past and I’m just a little cautious. So, if you don’t totally hate me, and you don’t mind taking it slow, I’d like to continue seeing you.”
He
