Author's Note: I really appreciate the comments on the story. It really means a lot. I am glad you like it. :)

"Hey, no cheating!" Renee said.

Pam had tried to tickle Renee's ribs to get her to throw her off guard. Renee was in the lead by two points while Pam and Sami trailed right behind her. Dean had a decent score but he wasn't too interested in bowling. He enjoyed seeing the others play.

And he was interested in Renee just a little.

Sami had told him a little bit about Renee. Very lovely lady who works at a flower boutique. She looked like a lovely lady he would definitely date. Renee would have to say yes, of course. Dean wasn't going to pressure Renee into doing something she didn't want to. Hopefully she wasn't too skeptical of most guys since her previous relationships were shitty.

Renee came back to the table and sat down. Dean, who was sitting on the opposite side, shot a quick glance at Renee. She was wearing dark purple lipstick and light makeup. Her short haircut made her face stand out significantly.

"Lovely," Dean thought to himself.

He turned his attention back to Sami and Pam before Renee would think he was a creeper.

Dean hadn't been in a relationship in some time either. He had been with two other women before but those relationships didn't last long. They were way too immature and childish for him. He began to wonder about Renee and what she liked. What made her cry. What was her favorite genre of music. Then again he could just make small talk right then and there.

But it was Renee who started the conversation first.

"So, where are you from?" she asked.

Dean turned to look at her.

"Cincinnati. And you?"

"Toronto, Canada."

"Wow. Big move."

"Yeah it was. I moved here when I was 8."

"That's cool. Sami told me you and Pam are good friends."

"Yup. How did you meet Sami?"

"High school friends. I almost dropped out of school but encouraged me to finish."

"That's very good."

"It is. You think you could hook me up with some flowers?"

Renee chuckled.

"Probably."

"That must be a cool job, though. Flowers are beautiful."

"Yes they are. What do you do?"

"I'm a construction worker. I like to build stuff. And destroy things."

Renee chuckled again at what Dean said. The more she laughed and smiled, the more Dean could feel himself falling for her. He couldn't let himself get too comfortable. He didn't want a repeat of what happened last time. Still, Renee seemed different from the rest. And she definitely seemed to be comfortable around Dean.

"Am I…falling for this guy?" Renee thought to herself.

Dean was quite the handsome man. His curly hair and blue eyes made him look like a Cabbage Patch kid doll. He had on a white t-shirt with a black leather jacket and a dark blue pair of jeans. Nothing fancy.

"I'm going to go get us something to drink," Renee said. If she didn't get up soon, she just might kiss Dean.

She had went to buy a soda at the concession stand. While waiting for the worker to pour the Coke into the pitcher, she looked back at Dean. Something about him made him shine brighter than the rest of the men she dated. He seemed so sincere and kind. Maybe, just maybe, Dean was the one after all.

Maybe.

Pamela kept urging Renee to call Dean and get to know him more and set up a date. Part of Renee wanted to while the other half simply said no. Even though Dean and Renee did swap numbers, they had not texted or called each other. Maybe they were waiting on each other to make the first move. Or maybe they were still skeptical and believed that they would just end up enemies instead of good friends.

Renee was lying on the couch watching t.v. in black skinny jeans and blue sweater. She was going to keep her pajamas on but since she wasn't going to cook anything at home and instead wanted to go out to buy food, she had her clothes on.

She kept wondering about Dean. She had only made small talk with him at the bowling alley. He seemed like a decent guy for the most part. Then again most guys are nice just so that they can get something out of a woman. Renee kicked herself in the head for saying that about Dean. Even though she had met him, she still didn't know him from a can of loose paint! If she wanted everything to go right with Dean, she had to change her mindset. It would be hard, but necessary for her to do.

Five o'clock had rolled around and Renee was up and ready to put on her coat. But before she walked out of the door, her cell phone started to ring. She reached into her pocket and saw that Dean was calling her.

"Oh my goodness," Renee said. Immediately, she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi there! How are you?"

"I'm fine. And you?"

"Good. Uh, I just wanted to know if you were free this weekend," Dean said. He tried to remain calm and not let it slip that he was indeed a bit nervous. "That is if you don't have any other plans. If you do, then it's totally fine."

"I don't do much on the weekends so I'm definitely free…"

"That's great. How does dinner at Olive Garden sound?"

"Sounds delicious!"

"That's good to hear. Um, I hate to cut this short but I have to go. I'll call you again tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Yup. I'll talk to you then."

"Talk to you tomorrow. Have a nice night."

"You too."

Renee hung up her phone and placed it back in her pocket.

"I'll be damned," she said.

She was really going on a date again. Man, was she hoping this wouldn't turn sour like the rest of the relationships she had. She didn't need to deal with someone else who couldn't be honest or acted like a little baby. No, she needed someone that was going to hold her tightly at night and tell her that they loved her and that they would protect her at all costs. She could not take her heart being broken. Not again. She expected Dean to be better than the other men she was with.

Renee took a look at her house. It was a cozy home. But she was so lonely in it. She opened the door and headed out to get some food.

Dean was hoping that Renee didn't find him weird or awkward in anyway. He didn't mind shopping at Walmart for his clothes and other things. As long as he had his necessities, then that's all that mattered. He didn't eat out much either, opting to cook at home more and save money.

But for Renee…he just had to.

Dean wasn't a fan of being set up on random dates but when Sami explained who Renee was and how she was Pamela's friend, Dean considered it. Maybe this would be good for him to go on this date with Renee. It couldn't be too bad. If everything went well, then he would definitely take her out on another date again. If everything went south, then Dean would just move on. Simple as that.

However, deep down in his heart he was hoping that this wouldn't be the case.

Renee ate her Chipotle in silence at the dinner table. She wished that she had a companion right about now. Probably Dean.

"Stop," she whispered to herself. "You cannot let yourself fall for him."

Oh, but her heart was telling her other wise. She didn't want to admit that she was falling for a man again. If she did, Pamela would say "I told you so". For an entire year, Renee vowed never to date again. She didn't care if someone paid her one million dollars. Now? She was taking a chance.

It was now or never.

"You guys are going on a date!?" Pam said.

"Yes."

Pam almost made Renee spill her coffee over the counter when she hugged her best friend.

"I am so happy for you!" Pam said.

"I'm only doing this to see if Dean is different than the rest of the other guys I've dated."

Pam sat back down on her stool next to Renee.

"I know that you've had heartache in the past with the other dudes, but Dean might be different."

"See? He might be different."

Pam sighed.

"Don't start that, Nae. You are going on a date with Dean and that's final."

"It's not too late to cancel."

Renee reached into her pocket and whipped out her phone. Pam snatched it out of her hand and held it away from Renee.

"No. You are not going to cancel. You and Dean can relate to each other. You guys might have similar interests. You're not going to cancel your date with him."

"He's not going to break my heart like the others. I did some thinking for the past two days. I don't know. I do not want to go through more bullshit."

"You don't know who Dean is a person. And he doesn't know who you are a person. The only way you two are going to find out is if you go on a date with each other. Now stop thinking Dean is like the rest!"

"Fine. I won't cancel. I'll go on the date with him."

In less than 24 hours, Renee would be going on a date with Dean. She didn't even bother to try to put together a good outfit for this date. Cancelling the date was definitely out the question. Dean was probably looking forward to seeing her again and getting to know her.

"It's only a date," she thought to herself. "Just for one night. That's it."

If he was truly than the rest of the guys she previously dated, then there was a possibility Dean had a chance with Renee.

Because she would surely put him to the test tomorrow evening.