As part of CLP Blog Tours, we are happy to share this excerpt today from Won’t Last Long by Heidi Joy Tretheway! Please visit CLP Blog Tours for more information and a giveaway!
Setup: Melina has a lot of rules about dating. Always pick the location. Always arrive early. And before you agree to the date, ask what kind of car a guy drives. It’s not only an opportunity to size him up—it’s a chance to watch him size up himself. In this chapter, we see Joshua’s perspective and realize the mistake Melina’s made long before she does.
“Hello, Melina? This is Joshua—we met at Eric’s party? I got your number from him? How’s it going?”
“Do you only ask questions?” she fired back.
Joshua plunged his hand into damp, unruly hair. Get a grip, man. You’re rusty, but you’re not dead yet. “No. Sorry. I just wasn’t sure if you remembered meeting me a few weeks ago.”
“Joshua. Joshua, Joshua, Joshua. Nope. No match. I haven’t met any Joshuas recently,” Melina countered, but he thought he heard a smile in her voice. “You said we met?”
“Yes, at Eric and Juan’s party—”
Melina cut him off. “No, we didn’t meet. You never told me your name or asked me mine. But I saw you there.” She paused. “We talked for a moment.”
“You called me dastardly,” Joshua feigned injury. “I remember that. I wondered who used that word anymore, unless they were describing a villain from the nineteen twenties.”
“So how did you get my number?”
“I had Juan and Eric over for dinner, and Eric gave it to me. I wanted to talk to you more, without a video game grabbing your attention.” Joshua’s tone took on a sudden intensity as his confidence returned. “So hello, my name is Joshua, and I would like to take you out on a date.”
“I see. Exactly what do you propose?”
“Dinner, drinks, conversation. Isn’t that what people normally do on a first date?”
“I don’t. I don’t do dinner. But I’ll meet you for a drink. Do you know the restaurant Next in Belltown?”
“What do you mean, you don’t do dinner?” True surprise registered in Joshua’s voice. “You mean you only eat breakfast and lunch?”
“I don’t do dinner on a first date,” Melina said simply. “So, Next? Have you been there?”
“No, but I’m sure I can find it. How about Thursday at six?”
“Six-thirty would be better,” Melina countered.
“Can I pick you up? I’m not sure where you live,” Joshua offered, curious. He knew nothing about Melina beyond what Eric told him, and he hadn’t Googled her—it felt a bit too stalker-ish before a first date. He liked the idea of seeing where she lived to get a sense of who she was.
“What kind of car do you drive?” Melina asked suddenly, catching Joshua off-guard.
“Short answer or long answer?”
“Short.”
“A Porsche.”
“I’ll meet you there. See you Thursday.”
Joshua heard the dial tone. What just happened? Did I give her the right answer, or the wrong one?
Whether Melina turned out to be worthy of romancing or they never got past the first date, Joshua knew: She is sure to keep me on my toes.
I would love to win a copy of this book.
Loved this book. and this author. 🙂
Author
Excited to read it!