| Romance Fiction posted December 16, 2024 | Chapters: |
2 3 -4- 5... 
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Kendra takes a Chance
A chapter in the book Barefoot In The Rain
Barefoot In The Rain Chap 4
by Begin Again
The morning after leaving her client at the hospital had been a blur. Kendra had watched her mystery man being wheeled out of the hospital, his eyes distant, his movements slow and uncertain. It was like a dream—a fleeting encounter that left her with more questions than answers.
She hadn't said a word to him, hadn't been able to. Her mind spun with all the things she could've said. But it was too late. He was gone with another woman. She struggled to find the right words to express the whirlwind of emotions inside her.
Back at work, her mind was a jumble of thoughts. At her desk, a thick fog clouded her mind, causing the words to vanish. Her boss had given her a simple assignment, but she couldn't focus. Whenever she tried, her thoughts drifted back to the hospital — back to him. His tired blue eyes, the way he had looked at her. Could he have recognized her? Or was that wishful thinking?
Her phone buzzed on the desk, and Rachel's name flashed on the screen. Kendra sighed, muttering to herself, "Oh, Rachel, I don't want to hear what you have to say." But she still answered the phone.
"Hi, Rach. I'm busy right now. Can this wait?"
"No, it can't! I go out of my way to arrange a date with a terrific guy, and all you can say is there wasn't a spark."
"Well, there wasn't. I'm not interested."
"You're not being fair, Kendra. I'm sure Tim talked about a lot of things. Mark says he couldn't stop talking about you this morning when they were getting coffee."
Kendra sighed, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice as she spoke, "That's nice, but he's not my type."
"Not your type? You must be kidding me! He's totally your type — he's smart, stable, successful, and cute. What gives?"
Kendra rolled her eyes, straining to make Rachel understand. "It's just — I don't know. He's so boring. He's a tax accountant, Rachel. He spends all his time talking about numbers. I couldn't care less about his spreadsheets."
Rachel's voice was a little edgy. "You're being picky." She paused, reconsidering what she had to say. "Okay, I get it. He's not the one for you — no bells or whistles. So, what about the app I told you about? You should try it out. I swear, it'll be better than sitting around hoping some guy falls into your lap."
Kendra stared at her phone. The thought of a dating app felt exhausting. After her experience with Tim, she wasn't sure she was ready for more of the same. But she also knew her best friend would be relentless.
"Trust me, Kendra. You've got nothing to lose, and who knows? You might find someone who gets you. Just give it a shot!"
She hadn't said a word to him, hadn't been able to. Her mind spun with all the things she could've said. But it was too late. He was gone with another woman. She struggled to find the right words to express the whirlwind of emotions inside her.
Back at work, her mind was a jumble of thoughts. At her desk, a thick fog clouded her mind, causing the words to vanish. Her boss had given her a simple assignment, but she couldn't focus. Whenever she tried, her thoughts drifted back to the hospital — back to him. His tired blue eyes, the way he had looked at her. Could he have recognized her? Or was that wishful thinking?
Her phone buzzed on the desk, and Rachel's name flashed on the screen. Kendra sighed, muttering to herself, "Oh, Rachel, I don't want to hear what you have to say." But she still answered the phone.
"Hi, Rach. I'm busy right now. Can this wait?"
"No, it can't! I go out of my way to arrange a date with a terrific guy, and all you can say is there wasn't a spark."
"Well, there wasn't. I'm not interested."
"You're not being fair, Kendra. I'm sure Tim talked about a lot of things. Mark says he couldn't stop talking about you this morning when they were getting coffee."
Kendra sighed, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice as she spoke, "That's nice, but he's not my type."
"Not your type? You must be kidding me! He's totally your type — he's smart, stable, successful, and cute. What gives?"
Kendra rolled her eyes, straining to make Rachel understand. "It's just — I don't know. He's so boring. He's a tax accountant, Rachel. He spends all his time talking about numbers. I couldn't care less about his spreadsheets."
Rachel's voice was a little edgy. "You're being picky." She paused, reconsidering what she had to say. "Okay, I get it. He's not the one for you — no bells or whistles. So, what about the app I told you about? You should try it out. I swear, it'll be better than sitting around hoping some guy falls into your lap."
Kendra stared at her phone. The thought of a dating app felt exhausting. After her experience with Tim, she wasn't sure she was ready for more of the same. But she also knew her best friend would be relentless.
"Trust me, Kendra. You've got nothing to lose, and who knows? You might find someone who gets you. Just give it a shot!"
Kendra groaned. "I've got to go, Rach. I'll talk to you later."
She tossed her phone aside. She didn't want to deal with this. Her mind kept circling back to HIM, the man she barely knew but couldn't stop thinking about. She didn't want to waste time on another Tim — not when she was so tangled up in thoughts and possibilities of a man who did cause sparks — big time.
But Rachel's voice kept ringing in her ears. You've got nothing to lose.
*****
Kendra was a mess when she dragged herself through her apartment door that evening. She was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. All she wanted was to collapse on the couch and lose herself in mindless TV, but her thoughts were a storm she couldn't escape.
She threw her purse onto the couch and sank into the nearest chair. The silence of the apartment felt deafening. The walls were too close, the emptiness too overwhelming. She felt trapped in her own life, disconnected from everything.
Her phone buzzed. Of course, it was Rachel.
"Girl, don't you have anything better to do than harass me? Aren't you with Mark?"
"He's got a late meeting," Rachel snapped, adding, "Is that what I'm doing? Harassing you? Well, forgive me for caring."
Kendra could hear the hurt in her best friend's voice. A pang of guilt shot through her. "I'm sorry, Rach. It's been a tough day."
"Well, maybe I'm a little pushy, but I swear it's not as bad as it sounds. You deserve someone exciting, Kendra. If not Tim — someone else. You still haven't tried the app, huh? Try it for a week. Just see what happens."
Kendra's gaze drifted to her laptop. She leaned over and picked it up, resting it on her lap. She clicked a button, and it brought up her history. There it was — in big, bold letters — Take A Chance.
She should have deleted the app long ago, but she hadn't, and now her mouse hovered over the site address.
Her phone buzzed, but she refused to look at it. Instead, she clicked the mouse and scrolled through the app, her skepticism waning as a profile caught her eye:
James. 27. Loves a good cup of coffee, roaming through bookstores, and late-night conversations, preferably under the stars.
Something about his warm eyes and casual demeanor drew her in. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. Before she could overthink it, she swiped, trying to be excited at the possibility of a new connection.
Her heart skipped a beat when a message popped up moments later: "Hi there! I'm glad you decided to take a chance. Shall we talk, or would you like to meet up sometime?"
She hadn't expected someone to ask to meet her. She glanced across the room, her gaze landing on the drawer where the train schedule peeked out. It was still there, waiting. She quickly stood and slammed the drawer shut.
She returned to the sofa and reread his comments and brief description. Before she could overthink it, she swiped, replying, "Sure, let's talk."
Moments later, James responded. After exchanging basic information, he took the plunge and asked if she would consider meeting him at a coffee shop, a public place where they could get to know each other and explore the possibilities.
Kendra hesitated, having difficulty believing she had texted someone from a dating site. The minutes stretched out — one —three — then five. Assuming he'd moved on after her delayed response, she was about to apologize and disconnect when her phone buzzed. It was Rachel. She ignored it.
Sighing, Kendra typed in "Yes" and waited to see if James was still there. Much to her amazement, he immediately typed back — "Tomorrow's Saturday. How about Margie's Cafe near the library at 11 a.m. Are you familiar with the place?"
The cafe was around the corner from her work, so she was very familiar with it. She answered, "Sounds great. See you then."
He typed back, "Are you into sports?"
"Not really. I attend a baseball game now and then. Is that a strike against me?"
"Nope. I'll be wearing a Packer's Jersey in Bear Country. Just making sure you wouldn't shoot me at first sight."
"You're safe. I don't own a gun." Kendra chuckled. She liked his sense of humor.
"Whew! That's good to know. Looking forward to tomorrow."
*****
Kendra arrived early, wanting the advantage of being able to slip out if things didn't look promising. She sat in a corner booth near the door, fiddling with her phone as she waited. Her thoughts drifted to her BFF and how excited she'd been before Kendra left the house.
Rachel had stumbled out of her bedroom as Kendra was leaving, surprised to see her up, dressed, and leaving the house. Of course, she was filled with questions, but when wasn't she?
"Where are you going this early? You don't have to work, do you? Or are you going to the train station?"
Kendra had scowled and shook her head. "You ask too many questions so early in the morning. Go back to bed, and I'll talk to you later." Not waiting for Rachel to continue, she'd left and headed for the train station and the trip downtown. After seeing her stranger in a wheelchair at the hospital the other day, she didn't expect to run into him, but it didn't stop her from scanning the seats.
She felt more relaxed once she arrived at the coffee shop until Rachel called, squealing with delight. "I saw you had your laptop open to the dating site. Are you meeting someone?"
"Yes, for coffee. His name's James. He's a book lover," Kendra replied.
"Perfect. You better text me every detail later," Rachel insisted.
Kendra said goodbye, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was 10:55. Her nerves tingled as the cafe door opened. A tall, good-looking man wearing a Packer jersey and a Bear's cap walked in.
Kendra couldn't help but laugh, especially as the waitress passed him, checked him out, and mumbled, "Now, that's a first!"
James smiled as he responded to her. "Thought I was being safe."
She chuckled, "Maybe, but it looks like you'd be making both sides mad at you. It's an either-or kind of thing."
James nodded and removed his hat, running his fingers through his hair. "You might have something there." Turning, he spotted Kendra and moved toward her booth. "You must be Kendra," he said, extending a hand.
"And you must be James."
Their conversation flowed effortlessly, filled with laughter, and shared stories.
As they stood to leave, James hesitated. "Hey, I've got an extra ticket to a book reading on Wednesday. Do you want to come?"
Kendra blinked, her heart fluttering with surprise. Her quick answer surprised her even more. "I'd love to."
As she left the coffee shop, she couldn't believe she'd actually accepted a second date.
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