Read Deep Surrendering: Episode Ten for Free Online

you pay.”
    “Why?” I asked. There were a lot of potential reasons, but I wanted to know his reasons.
    “Because that’s just how it works.” I gave him a look as he let me get in front of him in line.
    “How it works? What does that mean exactly?”
    He shrugged.
    “I don’t know. Look, I am a big believer in equality for everyone. Unlike some men, I find assertive and in-control women sexy as hell. But there are some things, like paying for a woman and opening doors for her that I think are just nice and we should keep doing them. If that makes me old-fashioned, then I guess I’m happy to wear that label.” That was quite a speech and a few people in line were definitely listening when he said it. An older gentleman in front of us turned around and gave Chase a thumbs up.
    “That’s the way it should be, young man,” he said. Chase just grinned and flashed him a thumbs up.
    “Well, I can’t argue with that,” I said.
    “You should never argue with a lawyer. They always win.” I rolled my eyes at him.
    “You should never argue with a woman. They always win,” I said, giving him a smug smile.
    Chase started a slow clap that made everyone around him stare, but he didn’t seem to notice.
    “You win,” he said.
    “Yes. I do.”
     

     
    This second encounter (I refused to call it a date because it just simply wasn’t) with Chase was just as nice as the first.
    “So, your girlfriend isn’t mad that you’re hanging out with me?” I said.
    “Wow, subtle much?” I shrugged. Chase didn’t seem like the kind of guy who got easily offended. Or offended at all.
    “Just wondering. I showed you mine, show me yours.” I didn’t mean it that way, but he definitely raised an eyebrow and I threw a napkin at him that he caught with one hand and then tossed in the trash with impeccable aim.
    “Four years of high school basketball,” he said in response to the aim. “And to answer your very blunt question, no. I don’t have a girlfriend at the moment. There was a girl at one point that I was engaged to, but it didn’t work out.” For the first time since I met him, he wasn’t smiling. Ah. So he couldn’t be jolly and upbeat about everything. I knew there had to be a dark side. Everyone had one hidden somewhere.
    God, that made me think about Fin. I needed one of those machines that when I thought about Fin, I could push a button and give myself an electric shock to make me stop doing it. Somehow I didn’t think that would quite work.
    “I’m going to take a wild guess and say whenever you get that faraway look on your face, you’re thinking about him.” Chase didn’t need to specify who “him” was. I hadn’t told him Fin’s name. I hadn’t told him anything about Fin other than that I had an ex and we’d recently broken up. I just didn’t want to start a new friendship with something like that.
    “Yeah. I’m sorry. It’s hard.”
    “I know. I’ve been there. It was really rough there for a while. I didn’t even want to get out of bed. I missed a lot of class and had to take summer semesters just to catch up.” Wow, he had had it rough. That only made me like him more. Because he got it.
    “If you want to talk about it, I don’t mind. It can really help.” I shook my head and put on a smile.
    “No, it’s fine. I just drift away every now and then. It’s getting better. He… he called two days ago. That’s why I’ve been determined to be so focused on school. It helps.” I couldn’t believe I was talking to him about this. I didn’t want to, but here I was. The words just kept coming out.
    “How long ago did you break up?” he asked and I found myself telling him. Not the whole story, of course, but a sanitized version.
    “It just didn’t work out,” I said, finishing my coffee and folding my hands around the cup. I needed something to hold onto.
    “It happens like that sometimes. Love isn’t enough.” Yes. He got it.
    “It wasn’t. And it’s hard to go on.”