All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgans Page A

as shocked as if I’d just announced I was getting a sex change.
    I blushed. “Well, I’m just meeting a…a friend, that’s all. For a quick lunch.”
    Mark’s eyes were…knowing. Smiling, too, the type of smile a man uses when a woman…when he…ah, shit, I was losing my train of thought. His eyes were warm, as if we shared a secret, and his generous mouth pulled up at one corner. For a second I—
    â€œHow thrilling,” Damien drawled. “Toodles.”
    â€œHave fun,” Mark said. His eyes wandered down to my legs, and when he looked up again, he gave me a little wink, and my dopey heart leaped.
    â€œSee you in a bit,” I said. Get over him, Mrs. Obama said. I’m trying, I answered silently.
    Doug336 and I were meeting at Toasted & Roasted, one of the three restaurants in our fair city. It was a little café known mostly for its coffee, the usual endlessvariety of lattes, mochaccinos and chais, but it also served soup and sandwiches for lunch. It was a pretty space with brick walls and lots of plants, the old tile floor intricately patterned. “Hey, Callie,” the owner called as I came in.
    â€œHi, Guy,” I answered. “What’s good today?”
    â€œGot some nice hot pastrami and Swiss on rye,” he said. “Also a Philly cheese steak special.”
    Both sounded fantastic…but both were dangerous date foods, requiring much chewing and many napkins. They were really more of an “alone” type of food, where you could get grease on your chin and really enjoy. First impressions were so important, though, and I didn’t want Doug336 to have a mental image of me with a cheesy wad of steak on my bosom. “I guess I’ll have a cup of the soup,” I said regretfully.
    â€œComing up,” Guy answered cheerfully.
    At that moment, the door to Toasted & Roasted opened, and in came my mother. And Louis. Upon sighting me, Louis’s pale face lit up with creepy delight.
    â€œWell, well, well,” he said. “Someone looks good enough to eat.”
    â€œHi, Mom!” I said brightly, giving my mother a kiss and making sure she stood between myself and Voldemort there. “Hi, Louis.”
    â€œHello, honey, fancy running into you. And you do look nice. Louis is right.” A Grinchy grin spread across Louis’s face, and he stepped a little closer to me. Oh, God. He’d obviously come right from work.
    â€œLouis, you’re…you still have your gloves on,” I said, swallowing against the images that leaped with unfortunate clarity into my brain. Latex gloves meant he was…preparing someone.
    â€œOopsy,” he said. Without taking his eyes off me, he peeled off the gloves, slowly, as if doing a striptease, then did a throat-scraping snort to clear his postnasal drip. Dear God.
    â€œCalliope, did you know your father has been calling me?” Mom asked, frowning as she surveyed the take-out choices of the day. “Of course, I don’t pick up. Does he have a brain tumor or something I should know about?”
    â€œUm, nope, no brain tumor, Mom. He has more time now that he’s retired. Maybe he just…needs to talk.” She gave me a dubious look and said nothing.
    â€œI was just thinking about you today, Calliope,” Louis murmured. “How I’d… display you.” His anemic eyebrow rose.
    â€œCome on, Louis!” I blurted. “That’s a horrible come-on line, not to mention terrifying!” He said nothing, just smirked. “Well, I’m meeting a friend, so I’d better run,” I added, backing away. “Have a nice lunch!” With that, I scampered into the corner and took a seat.
    Toasted & Roasted started to fill up with the lunch crowd. I waved occasionally, since I knew just about everyone in town. There was Shaunee Cole, one of the River Rats. Dave, Annie’s brother, was on his phone. “Hey,