Gwendolyn or any of your boyfriends, until I've had my last date with you."
"No boyfriends, Moira," I said. "And I won't share with Gwendolyn. This is ours."
I heard her smile. "Thank you." She paused. "I will be a little stand offish Saturday morning. Don't take it personally. You'll get more of the attention you like once we get where we're going, if you want it."
"I want it," I told her. "You're being very mysterious."
"You'll understand by nine," she said. "I just didn't want you feeling neglected."
"I'll contain my disappointment if you promise it will be short-lived."
"I promise," she said. I could tell she was grinning. "Will Gwendolyn have kissed you by then?"
"I am seeing her tomorrow night."
"Good. Otherwise I was going to postpone."
"No need."
We flirted for a while longer on the phone before hanging up. I went to bed thinking about her.
* * *
Friday I got home early again. I primped for Gwendolyn. I wrote a black dress with a long, flowing hemline. I liked the way it moved when I danced. I finished getting ready then hovered nervously in the living room waiting for her.
She arrived a few minutes late. I let her ring the bell before walking to the door, lest she know I was watching for her.
"I'm sorry I'm late," she said, stepping inside.
"Only a few minutes."
"Medical emergency," she said. "We were lucky I didn't have to cancel." She paused, looking at me, and smiled. "You look nice."
"Thank you. So do you." She was wearing black slacks and a white blouse, and she looked nice. We hugged, then I took her hand. "Want a tour? It's small."
"It's cute," she said, looking around. "My house is big, but sterile. Yours is a home."
I led her through the house. When I got to the kitchen I told her, "This is my favorite room."
The house was small, but the kitchen was fabulous, and I was proud of it. "Do you cook a lot?" she asked.
"When I have someone to cook for. I invite the girls over a lot, especially when I want to test something new on them."
She smiled. "What do they say about it?"
"They get mad because they need double workouts after eating my food."
She laughed. "I'll consider myself warned."
I showed her the rest of the house. When we got back to the front door, she said, "You have a nice home, Pamela. Thank you for showing it to me."
"Thank you," I replied. "You are amazingly gracious."
She frowned. "This is a home. It shows your character. I think perhaps my house also shows my character, but if it does, it makes me sad."
"Fix it."
"I wouldn't know how. I hired an interior designer, who pulled her hair out trying to figure out what to do. She put a bunch of plants in, but they died due to lack of attention. It looked better with the plants."
I smiled. "You can hire companies to take care of them."
"I thought about that after they were all dead," she said, laughing at herself. "I've thought about replacing them, but I think the design needs more than just plants." She paused. "If we become real friends-"
"I'd love to help," I said. "But not until I know your personality better." I paused and handed her my pashmina, then turned around for her to drape over my shoulders. She brushed her fingers across my skin, lighting me on fire. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at her.
"Too much?"
"Absolutely not," I told her. "You're taking me dancing, Gwendolyn. Slow dancing."
"Seriously?"
"Well, not all the songs."
We stepped outside and I locked the door, then I took her arm as she led the way to her car. She didn't open my door for me, and I realized this would be a different date from Tuesday's.
I climbed in and buckled up. She did the same then looked over at me. "Oh hell."
"What?"
"I am still in work mode, sort of."
"All right," I said. "Why does that make you swear?"
"Did that bother you?"
"No. Puzzled me. Did I do something wrong?"
"No. Neither did I, exactly. But I missed an opportunity to do something right."
I reached over and brushed the back of her hand. "It's okay.
"No boyfriends, Moira," I said. "And I won't share with Gwendolyn. This is ours."
I heard her smile. "Thank you." She paused. "I will be a little stand offish Saturday morning. Don't take it personally. You'll get more of the attention you like once we get where we're going, if you want it."
"I want it," I told her. "You're being very mysterious."
"You'll understand by nine," she said. "I just didn't want you feeling neglected."
"I'll contain my disappointment if you promise it will be short-lived."
"I promise," she said. I could tell she was grinning. "Will Gwendolyn have kissed you by then?"
"I am seeing her tomorrow night."
"Good. Otherwise I was going to postpone."
"No need."
We flirted for a while longer on the phone before hanging up. I went to bed thinking about her.
* * *
Friday I got home early again. I primped for Gwendolyn. I wrote a black dress with a long, flowing hemline. I liked the way it moved when I danced. I finished getting ready then hovered nervously in the living room waiting for her.
She arrived a few minutes late. I let her ring the bell before walking to the door, lest she know I was watching for her.
"I'm sorry I'm late," she said, stepping inside.
"Only a few minutes."
"Medical emergency," she said. "We were lucky I didn't have to cancel." She paused, looking at me, and smiled. "You look nice."
"Thank you. So do you." She was wearing black slacks and a white blouse, and she looked nice. We hugged, then I took her hand. "Want a tour? It's small."
"It's cute," she said, looking around. "My house is big, but sterile. Yours is a home."
I led her through the house. When I got to the kitchen I told her, "This is my favorite room."
The house was small, but the kitchen was fabulous, and I was proud of it. "Do you cook a lot?" she asked.
"When I have someone to cook for. I invite the girls over a lot, especially when I want to test something new on them."
She smiled. "What do they say about it?"
"They get mad because they need double workouts after eating my food."
She laughed. "I'll consider myself warned."
I showed her the rest of the house. When we got back to the front door, she said, "You have a nice home, Pamela. Thank you for showing it to me."
"Thank you," I replied. "You are amazingly gracious."
She frowned. "This is a home. It shows your character. I think perhaps my house also shows my character, but if it does, it makes me sad."
"Fix it."
"I wouldn't know how. I hired an interior designer, who pulled her hair out trying to figure out what to do. She put a bunch of plants in, but they died due to lack of attention. It looked better with the plants."
I smiled. "You can hire companies to take care of them."
"I thought about that after they were all dead," she said, laughing at herself. "I've thought about replacing them, but I think the design needs more than just plants." She paused. "If we become real friends-"
"I'd love to help," I said. "But not until I know your personality better." I paused and handed her my pashmina, then turned around for her to drape over my shoulders. She brushed her fingers across my skin, lighting me on fire. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at her.
"Too much?"
"Absolutely not," I told her. "You're taking me dancing, Gwendolyn. Slow dancing."
"Seriously?"
"Well, not all the songs."
We stepped outside and I locked the door, then I took her arm as she led the way to her car. She didn't open my door for me, and I realized this would be a different date from Tuesday's.
I climbed in and buckled up. She did the same then looked over at me. "Oh hell."
"What?"
"I am still in work mode, sort of."
"All right," I said. "Why does that make you swear?"
"Did that bother you?"
"No. Puzzled me. Did I do something wrong?"
"No. Neither did I, exactly. But I missed an opportunity to do something right."
I reached over and brushed the back of her hand. "It's okay.
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