Amanda sighed and set her laptop aside. If Dunc was standing there, she had a feeling he wanted to talk to her. Amanda opened the door, and Dunc stared down at her for a moment in surprise.
“Lasagna.”
“Lasagna?” Amanda gave him a confused look.
“Tonight?” Dunc seemed to be stuck on one-word sentences.
“Tonight?”
Both Dew and Sallie burst into laughter, looking at each other, and repeating. “Lasagna!” Amanda shot them a dirty look and stepped out on the porch with Dunc. She closed the door behind her, so Sallie and Dew wouldn’t hear them.
“Dunc? Are you okay?” She touched his hand. Then she wrapped her fingers around his loosely. The gesture was jarring, but Dunc didn’t pull away.
“My mother wanted me to invite you for lasagna tonight.” Dunc found his words.
“Just your mother?” Amanda raised an eyebrow at Dunc.
“I would like it if you would join me for dinner tonight.” He whispered as though afraid someone might hear him. “Just you and me. Maybe watch a movie at my house?”
“That sounds suspiciously like a date.” Amanda gave him a confused look. “I don’t date. Dating leads to stupid things like Joseph.” Dunc looked mortified, then wholly crushed. His shoulders sagged, and he nodded.
“It’s okay.” Then he turned from her, pulling his hand away from hers. Amanda fidgeted. Dunc was not Joseph.
“No, wait. I’ll have dinner with you and watch a movie as friends.” Amanda grinned as Dunc turned and flashed an awkward smile back at her. It was one of those cute self-conscious smiles with his lips parted just enough to show his teeth.
“That’s all I wanted.” Dunc stood taller and looked relieved. “I don’t have any desire for more than that. Watching Lola and Trey and your sister and Dew is enough. I don’t even understand why they go through with it.”
“I agree,” Amanda smirked. “I’m done with that garbage. Who needs it. I certainly don’t. That’s how I ended up with the J-word!”
“The J-word?” Dunc laughed. “Is that how we refer to that idiot?”
“I have far nastier words, but I don’t think your mother would like to hear them.” Amanda had the sneaky suspicion that Dunc’s mother was lurking nearby in her yard.
“Yeah, uh, don’t swear in front of my mother!” Dunc turned serious. “She’ll wash your mouth out with soap!” Dunc and Amanda stared at each other for a moment, and then both broke into hysterical laughter.
***
Amanda knew she was playing with fire, but she wanted to do it anyway. She liked lasagna, and all Dew and Sallie cooked came out of cans or involved bread and cheese. The two of them had no imagination when it came to meal preparation.
She also liked being around Dunc. She could be friends with a guy she found attractive in so many ways. She had never had a friendly relationship turn into a dating one. Amanda then told herself she also never had a lot of friends in general. Every date she had been on had been a blind date. That included the one set up by her father with Joseph that set off their relationship.
Amanda had Sallie help her with her hair. Sallie had ways of managing her sister’s thick wild hair that Amanda could not understand. She opted for a loose red sweater and jeans. It was very casual. Then Sallie caught her off guard and spritzed her with one of her perfumes. Amanda had been annoyed by that. She wasn’t trying to impress Dunc. Really. She wasn’t.
***
Dunc answered the door in similar casual attire. He was wearing a white t-shirt, which surprised Amanda. She thought his wardrobe only consisted of black with a scattering of dark colors here and there. He was wearing jeans and black sneakers. That was also surprising because usually, he was barefoot. His hair was neat and brushed back, and his face was clean-shaven, bringing out all the sharp lines and angles.
Amanda was silent when Dunc stepped aside with a smile and welcomed her to his home. The white t-shirt and jeans were what did it all for her. She had to put a lot of effort into not staring at him. Everything about him made her feel warm inside. Classically handsome, he was not, but every little difference made him more unique. He was attractive in other ways. There was nothing artificial about Dunc. And his voice? It was warm and friendly with that light Scottish accent. She could listen to him talk for hours.
This was a mistake.
Amanda pushed a surge of panic down. Her brain was screaming at her that she was far too interested in Dunc.
This was a mistake!
She should not have come here. A voice inside repeated that statement. Dunc was nothing less than the gentleman her ex never was. Dunc respected her.
Amanda resisted the urge to touch him. He was so close. She wanted to reach out and just lay her hand on his chest and make sure he was real. Her mind was full of conflict. Her heart was leading her along a reckless path.
Dunc turned to lead her to the dining room, moving with confidence and grace that she hadn’t seen before. He was shy toward her, but there was something to him that she couldn’t understand. Some kind of energy rolled off of him. Dunc pulled out a chair for her at the table. It was set up nicely for dinner with lasagna, Caesar salad, and garlic bread already on the table. A pitcher of iced tea with lemon was sitting on the table as well.
Amanda moved in a daze, close enough she could smell his pleasant natural smell. She caught the disappointing added scent of cologne or aftershave. It wasn’t strong, but it disrupted
