People to Avoid:
Gray
Kevin
Gray
Art
Mom
Gray
"Mom called from Australia again. She says she's left a bunch of messages for you but you haven't returned any of them."
Not bothering to look up at Mena, I flipped a page of the magazine I was looking at. I'd never read Cosmopolitan until I realized normal women didn't read the Stanford Medicine Magazine for leisure. It was highly educational. This month I learned ten sex secrets men kept from women.
"Daph, you aren't listening to me." Mena dropped onto the other end of the couch.
"Of course I'm listening to you. And my name is Daphne."
"Your name is toast if you don't call Mom soon."
Talking to our mother was not something I could handle right now. "I'll call her later."
"Oh please. How hard is lying on the couch all day?" she asked sarcastically as she grabbed the remote.
"Actually, I found a job." My heart pounded in my chest at the thought of how she'd react.
"You did?" She sat up at attention. "Where are you working?"
"Have you read this article?" I lifted the Cosmo to show her. "It gives the top five moisturizers on the market."
"Daphne," she said warningly.
"As you age, skin loses collagen and elastin, and moisturizing becomes necessary." I turned the page. "But it's your skin."
"Oh God." Groaning, Mena turned off the TV and gave me her full attention. "You're working as a stripper. Mom's going to kill me."
Frowning, I dropped the magazine on the table and stood up. "Why would she kill you?"
"She always blames me for your falls from grace. Remember the time you blew up the kitchen because you wanted to see how volatile phosphorous could be?"
"I was curious. And I didn't blow up the kitchen," I said, heading for my bedroom. "There were only a few flames that got out of control."
Mena followed me. "You torched the curtains."
Sometimes there were casualties in furthering science. I opened the closet. "Mom blamed you?"
"Hell yeah. She said you were acting out because I'd dismembered your Barbie."
"I liked that doll." I tried not to think of Gray and his Barbie fetish. I tried not to think about him at all-there was only disaster in that direction. Besides, I had Charles now.
I frowned.
"So are you stripping?" she asked, flopping onto my bed.
"No." Feigning nonchalance, I pulled out a dress and studied it. "I'm working at Play Me."
"Oh God." Mena groaned again. "That's almost as bad as stripping. Not only is Mom going to come after me but Dad's going to chew me out for corrupting his little girl."
I didn't have to ask why she'd think that. Our parents always viewed my sister as the underachiever while I was destined for great things. When they found out my current career choice, they'd blame Mena as the corrupting force. Returning the dress to its spot, I pulled out a pair of black wool pants.
"Do you like it, at least?"
"It's interesting," I answered noncommittally.
"Coming from you, that's as good as saying you've found your calling. What are you doing?"
"Picking out an outfit to wear on my date."
"You're wearing that?"
I didn't have to turn around to know that her face was twisted in distaste. Before I could retort, my cell phone rang.
Shocking. I walked to the dresser and picked it up. Art, the tuber guy. I never should have given him my number. Between him, Kevin, and my mom, the phone was always ringing.
The glaring absolute was Gray not calling. I frowned at the phone.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" Mena asked.
"No." I set it down and went back to my wardrobe dilemma.
"Who is it?" She stretched for it.
"Just a guy I met." I moved it so she couldn't answer, because I knew she would.
"Gray?" She perked up. "I liked him. If you don't want to talk to him, I will."
"You have your own man. And speaking of Rio, why aren't you torturing him tonight?"
"Guys night out." She grinned at me. "Jealous of me and Gray, huh? I can't help it. He's hot."
"I'm not jealous in the least," I lied.
"So is it Gray you're going out with? Because if you are, I have this killer dress I think he'd like."
"I am not going out with Gray." Even I recognized I said it with a touch too much vehemence. "I met someone new and I'm going on a date with him tonight."
She frowned. "Who is he?"
"No one you know."
"What's his name?" When I didn't answer, she said, "You might as well give it up, because you know I'm not going to relent until you do."
"Fine. His name is Charles."
"Charles..."
Sigh. I wondered what it was like to be an only child. "Charles Brown."
She froze and then rolled on her stomach to look at me, her mouth gaping but a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Are you for real?"
"Why would I lie about his name?"
"You're dating a guy named Charlie Brown?" She guffawed. Loudly.
"It's a perfectly respectable name. I don't see why it's so funny."
"Do you think he can get Schroeder to play Beethoven at my wedding?" That sent her into more gales of laughter.
Knowing it was best just to ignore her hysterics, I held up the pants. "Do you have a shirt I can wear with this?"
"Just wear one of your silk shirts," she advised when she finally calmed down.
"I'll look okay?"
She shrugged. "You'll look like you."
"Can I see that dress you were talking about?"
"Hell no." She slid off the bed. "I'll give you the dress for your next date with Gray."
I watched her walk out of the room, but it was really the image of me in a little dress I saw in my head. With Gray kneeling in front of me, his hands roving up and down my bare legs.
I would not think about Gray tonight.
Gritting my teeth, I tossed the clothes on the bed and got dressed. I wasn't going to change out of my cotton underwear, but I realized I would have for Gra-certain people, so I put on my fanciest lace.
When I went back out to the living room, Mena was on the couch with the TV on again. "I thought you left."
"Hardly." She flipped channels with the quick reflexes that came from years of playing video games. "So what are you guys going to do tonight?"
"Dinner," I replied shortly. It was a minute till he was due to arrive, so I slipped into my coat. I could set time by Charles's punctuality.
"Cool. Cool." She nodded, pausing on one station before moving on. "Where are you going?"
"Why? So you can show up at the table next to us? I don't think so."
"I wouldn't do that." She settled on a program and tossed the remote aside. "I'd stare through the window."
I frowned at the TV. "Are you watching MacGyver?"
"Hell yeah."
"Don't you own all the episodes on DVD?"
"Yeah," she said, her eyes glued to the screen. "But this episode is from the third season, and I loaned that DVD to Matt."
I rolled my eyes.
The doorbell rang.
"Have a good evening." I snatched my purse and hurried to get out the door. Opening it, I smiled at Charles. "Let's go."
He looked surprised but delighted. "I love how eager you are."
The only thing I was eager for was to get out of there before Mena came down. Closing the door, I took hold of his arm and pulled. "I'm starving."
But I wasn't fast enough, because Mena threw open the door, her breathing escalated at having chased me. "Hi guys."
My eyes narrowed at her deceptively innocent grin.
But Charles didn't know any better. He smiled at her and stuck his hands out. "Hi. I'm Charlie."
"Right. Charlie Brown." She managed to inhale most of her snicker. Shaking his hand, she said, "I'm Mena, Daphne's sister."
He looked back and forth between us. "I can see the resemblance."
Then he was blind, which actually didn't bother me. "Let's go, Charles."
Mena ignored me. "So tell me about yourself. What do you do for a living? Doctor? Dentist? Financial planner?"
"I'm a plumber." He pulled out a card from his front shirt pocket and handed it to her. "That's how we met. I flushed Daphne's pipes."
"How kinky." Mena raised her eyebrows at me.
"We're going," I said decisively. "Lock up when you leave, Mena."
Not waiting for her reply, I yanked Charles down the porch steps after me, dragging him to his monster truck. I had a guilty flash, remembering how I told Gray how much I hated it when he dragged me around, but I stifled it and banished all thoughts of him from my mind.
"Your sister seems nice," Charles said after he sat behind the wheel.
She was the devil in disguise, but I just made a noncommittal sound.
"I had a great time the other night at the baseball game," he said happily.
Another noncommittal sound. I wanted to tell him that I had a great time too, but I couldn't muster up the energy for such a big lie.
The only good thing to have come out of the evening was Dulcie. I'd gotten her number and we planned on getting together. Which alternately thrilled and terrified me, because I didn't know what to expect out of a girl friendship, having never had one. At least before Magda. Not that I was sure Magda could be counted as a girlfriend. That seemed like such a benign title for her.
"We have another game next weekend." He glanced at me with puppy dog eyes. "I hope you can make it. I know everyone's looking forward to getting to know you better."
I couldn't help snorting at that (Mena was catching). "I have to check my work schedule," I said even though I only worked during the week.
He squeezed my thigh.
I waited for the warm fuzzies to strike, but the only thing I felt was a vague unease that I was making a big mistake.
Nonsense. Charles was a great guy. I deserved him, mostly. Except for the fact that I was doing the world a huge injustice by withholding potentially lifesaving information. Not to mention that I'd had sex with another man just days ago and could still feel him inside me, physically and emotionally.
I will not think about Gray tonight.
I was so busy trying not to think that I didn't notice we'd pulled into a parking space. I looked around outside and mentally groaned. "Are we going to Kells?"
"Yeah. Have you been there before?"
"Once or twice." My face burned as I remembered the night I drank too much and ended up stripping on the bar.
A waitress seated us at a booth. I slid in and he automatically got in the other side. I tried not to think that Gray would have pushed his way next to me. I would not think about Gray tonight.
"What's wrong?"
I looked up to see Charles staring at me. "Nothing."
"You're frowning."
I wanted to point out that he was too, but instead I schooled my expression and politely asked, "What are you thinking of having?"
Fortunately there were enough menu items to discuss until the waitress came and took our order. But after she took our menus away, the conversation stalled. Painfully.
I cleared my throat. "What's your favorite movie?"
"Pirates of the Caribbean," he answered without hesitation. "It rocks. I should just buy it I rent it so often."
"I've never seen it."
If there wasn't a table in front of him I bet that he'd have fallen off the bench. "You've never seen Pirates? I'll get it and you'll have to come over and watch it."
Gray had insisted that I watch a movie with him as well, and look how that turned out.
No-I wasn't thinking about Gray tonight.
Pasting a smile on my face, I said, "I thought Pirates of the Caribbean was a ride at Disneyland."
"It is. They made a movie out of it. It's about a pirate and a sword maker who team up to recover lost treasure. But the sword maker only wants to rescue the girl he loves." He nodded at the waitress as she set our dinners in front of us. "Not that I can blame him."
"Hm." I nodded with gravity to let him know I was paying attention.
"If I loved a girl like that, I'd battle pirates to save her too."
Ignoring the meaningful look he shot me, I stuffed my mouth with a forkful of mashed potatoes.
"The final fight scene at the end between Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush is amazing." He licked some sauce from his forefinger. "The digital-"
I stared at his mouth, completely unmoved. Shouldn't I be imagining him licking me like that? I tried but came up blank.
"-switching back and forth in the light. Of course, some of the scenes-"
Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough. Concentrating, I pictured him lying on the bleachers at the ballpark, holding his arms out to me.
"-like the one of the ship sailing was completely-"
Couldn't do it. I just couldn't force myself to go over to him and sit on top of him, much less have him lick any part of me. I shook my head.
"I know!" he exclaimed. "I couldn't believe it when Johnny Depp didn't die at that moment either."
I'd just have to rectify the situation. Maybe I'd be able to force the other pictures out of my head if he really kissed me. On the lips. He'd pecked my forehead a couple times and that wasn't going to inspire me to forget anything.
"But then-"
I interrupted his movielogue. "I want you to kiss me."
His mouth shut suddenly. I watched him swallow. At least he didn't choke.
But then he didn't do anything. I waited for him to make some sort of comment but he just stared at me. Actually, he didn't stare so much as he gawked.
I frowned. Was the idea so distasteful? It wasn't as if I asked him to rip my clothes off and take me right here on the table. I just asked for a kiss. Wasn't I kissable? If I'd commanded Gray to kiss me, he wouldn't have hesitated to jump on me.
Mental wince. I would not think about Gray tonight.
Stabbing a piece of chicken breast, I said, "It's okay. I can understand if you don't want to."
"No, I-"
"I was rushing things. Obviously you're not comfortable with the idea."
"No, I'm-"
"And that's fine." I nodded, shaking the meat off my fork and shoving it aside. "I completely understand."
"Daphne, I want to kiss you," he said quickly. And a little loudly judging by the looks we got from our neighboring tables. "You just took me by surprise. Let's finish dinner, and then we can get out of here and I'll kiss you silly."
I should have been appeased with that compromise, but I couldn't help wondering why he couldn't kiss me now. I doubted a little table would stop Gray.
I would not think about Gray tonight.
Despite his earlier gaffe, Charles must have been eager to kiss me because he ate his food in unhealthy haste, skipped dessert, and pressed the waitress to bring the bill. I was bundled and back to the car in record time.
Only now, standing face to face with him (since he wasn't much taller than me), I was having misgivings. Maybe I couldn't imagine it for a reason.
He rubbed his hands up and down my arms. "Have I told you how happy I am you picked my plumbing company to call?"
I had to consciously keep from pulling away. "Yes, I believe you have."
He brushed my cheek with his lips. "I'm really happy."
Leaning away from him, which was not easy given I had my back to his truck, I patted his shoulder. "You've told me. Thank you."
Nuzzling my neck, he said, "You're so different from the other women I've dated. I didn't want to come on too strong. You don't know how happy you made me when you asked me to kiss you."
"Um, all right."
He lifted my chin and looked me in the eye.
Okay, I could do this. Charles was perfect: just smart enough, good work ethic without being overly driven, handsome without being gorgeous. He'd make the ideal husband. I just had to get over this small hurdle and I'd be set.
I could do this. I closed my eyes to wipe my mind clear in order to meet his kiss with an open mind. But before I was prepared, his mouth met mine.
My eyes flew open, and the only thought in my head was that he looked ridiculous with his eyes screwed shut.
So I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling of his kiss. Not bad. Not too firm, not too soft. A little wetter than I liked. No sparks though, and I certainly wasn't forgetting myself.
I remembered kissing Gray in the clearing by the lake and my body melted.
"That's right, sweetie," Charles murmured against my lips.
I stiffened, realizing Charles thought I was reacting to him and feeling guilty because I was thinking of another man. Pulling back, I pushed him gently on the chest. "I think I should get home. I have to get to work early tomorrow."
"Okay." He grinned happily and complied.
When he dropped me off, I cut off his effusive gushing with a brisk peck on the lips and ran up to Mena's house, feeling lower than an amoeba.