Bearded Dragon by Liz Stafford Page B

They hadn’t seen each other in twenty-odd years. His mouth was gaping down to his chin, which could mean he recognized her—she’d changed that much. She had to admit—she was night and day different from the thick glasses, fifty-five more pounds, oily-haired girl in high school. The girl a jock like him never would’ve looked at twice.
    He was gorgeous—from the wide shoulders that stretched the cotton plaid shirt, to the tapered waist she could only imagine, to the telltale bulge in his chinos. Wanda needed to go back upstairs and blot the moisture in her panties. But he was stepping forward, putting out his hand as if to shake hers. She reached out, too, but he jerked his back, wiped his hand on his pants and apologized as he introduced himself. Okay, so he didn’t recognize her. That was probably a good thing. They said good-bye to her mother.
    Wanda stopped short on the stoop seeing the bright blue Toyota she’d sideswiped. Could things get any worse today?
     

Chapter Three
     
    Wow. In a nanosecond, the tradition of the stereotypical blind date went out the window. This lady was perfect: tall and shapely, with intelligent eyes. He loved eyes. Whoever said they were the mirror to the soul had been right. By the time her mother shut the door behind them, Carlton was half in love. And half-hard. Plus-points pinged like bells.
    But when Wanda stopped on the doorstep, gaping at his car, she lost twenty points on Carlton’s rating chart. He lost his erection. How could she look down on his car? So what if it was small? It was brand new. It was a hybrid.
    He turned to her, ready to say something.
    Tears were running down her face. He melted. Carlton put a hand on her shoulder and changed their plans. They walked west to North San Fernando Road, to Adana’s, where over eggplant caviar, Carlton realized, with mounting horror, that this Wanda was the Wanda from high school. It couldn’t be possible. How could a person change that much? Worse, what would she do if she realized he’d been the one to make the pug comments?
    He covered for a minute, pretending to choke on the food. He patted the napkin against his mouth, then balled it on the table. She’d leaped up and was patting him on the back—and everyone in the place was watching. Carlton sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. Back to the original plan. Get this date over with.
    “I’m fine. Thanks,” he said and she went back to her seat. Graceful, like a swan. The half-erection returned.
    “Let’s get things out in the open,” she said. “I know you’re the one who said bad things about me in school.” The half-erection deflated.
    He picked up the napkin again and balled it tight in his right hand. Then he choked out, “Sorry.”
    “It’s all right. Water under the bridge.” She sipped from the long stemmed water glass. “I guess maybe I should thank you. It made me realize how things were.” She laughed. “How very bad they were. Anyway,” she waved a hand at herself, “this is me now. And I not only forgive you, I announce that, from that moment, I fell in love with you. How could I not love your honesty and forthrightness?”
    This time Carlton’s choking was real. This time, the waiter was the one patting him on the back. Still, everyone was watching. He waved the waiter back to his station, then tried to question Wanda, but all that came out was one letter. “L—”
    She nodded. “Love. I know it’s stupid to say it because it’ll probably send you running for the hills. But I’m an attorney and not one who shies from confrontation.”
    “A lawyer?” Right now, because of Tender Hearts’ permit troubles, attorneys weren’t at the top of his BFF list, but he supposed it was an honorable and well-paying career.
    She shrugged as if she didn’t want to talk about herself. A plus-point. “And you are a vet they call the Bearded Dragon.”
    When his eyebrows shot instinctively upward, she laughed. A nice laugh. Not one of