Date Shark

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Vanished

Eli's phone started buzzing as he rounded the last corner back to his apartment. He slowed his jog back to a walk and tugged his phone out of the pocket of his running shorts. He didn't usually answer his phone when he was running because he hated sounding like a creepy B-movie caller breathing heavy into the receiver when he picked up. When he saw Leila's name flash on the screen he answered it right away.

"Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time? It sounds like you just finished running a marathon."

"No, just a couple of miles." Eli took in a deep breath and tried to calm his breathing. "How did the show go last night?"

"Oh, it was fine. A little crazy, but it was good other than that."

"Good, I'm glad everything worked out."

Leila tried to stifle it, but Eli could hear her smothered yawn through the phone. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't get to bed until almost three last night. I just woke up."

"Go back to bed then," Eli said, trying not to think about Leila in bed too much. "Sounds like you had a long night. It's Sunday. Stay in bed and relax."

"I wanted to talk to you."

Eli was glad Leila couldn't see the grin that broke out on his face. Unfortunately it only lasted until her next sentence hit him.

"I need your advice, Eli."

Of course. Why else would she be calling him? Eli closed his eyes for a moment and dug up his professionalism. "Sure, Leila, what did you need advice about?"

"I ... met someone. A guy at the show last night.

He's a photographer and he asked me out."

Eli was starting to wish he hadn't eaten that morning. She met a guy already? How was he ever going to get the chance to befriend her if she started dating someone right away?

"I told him no," Leila said, giving him hope, "because I already had plans with Ana, but I told him he could call me this week. I didn't say for sure I'd go out with him, though. I was trying to follow your advice, but I don't know if I'm doing it right. I don't know what to say when he calls."

Tell him no, Eli wanted to shout at her. He didn't. "Well, have you thought about whether his career and position in life is something that matches with yours? He's not another college student, is he?"

"Well, he's working on his master's degree, but

he already has a career as a photographer for the Tribune. He's a couple of years older than me, and he seemed genuinely nice and funny. And attractive."

Eli didn't like the wistful way she said attractive.

"Anyway, he just wanted to get a drink last night. I know I'm not very good at seeing people's real intentions, but it didn't seem like he wanted to ask me out for any reason other than just to get to know me. I don't know, what do you think, Eli?"

Eli couldn't prove Conrad right. He couldn't prove Ana right. "You were really interested in this guy?"

"Yeah. I do want to see him, but I don't want to keep making the same mistakes."

"Leila, that wasn't a hard and fast rule I expected you to follow. I only wanted you to think before you accepted a date." Eli's emotions tried to talk him out of his next sentence, but he beat them back. "If you feel confident about this guy's intentions and you really want to go out with him, then say yes when he calls."