Today People
Page 43
As if she hadn't been dreaming such a thing could happen! Why was reality so hard? She'd visited his house a hundred times in her mind since his birthday almost three months ago, and now that she could do it for real, she freaked out?
"Maybe he wants to get to know you better." Kevin shrugged. "Like he did with me. And unwillingly with Julie. I think he's trying to make friends here at the office."
"But why?" Bea tapped her foot impatiently, almost hiding behind the snacks machine in the break-room.
"Why don't you ask him?" Kevin suggested. "Why are you hiding, Bea? What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid!" She glared at him and stepped out of the corner where she'd found refuge. "We're all grownups, aren't we?"
Still, she wasn't sure she should go at Rick's. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him if he was okay. Maybe she should just stay away from him.
Except she couldn't. Curiosity was stronger. Now that he wasn't all taken by Penny, Rick was opening up with everyone, and his guard was down, which made him even more charming.
Drat! I'm supposed to have a life outside of the office! And not with a handsome younger coworker who is technically still married!
Maybe when Rick's divorce came through... If he was going to divorce Penny. But then, he didn't love her anymore. It must be tough to go back to one's parents at forty...
Julie had tried to convince him to move in with her but had failed. She still considered his kids a hindrance, which was probably why Rick had enough of her. Is he considering me now? Bea wondered. Kevin said he didn't date, though...
Snorting at herself, Bea went back to work.
***
Fred's school musical was a success. Rick went with Penny, Mandy and Harry, but invited also Kevin and Bea – and the grandparents, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Sam who was the loudest to cheer the start of his nephew's onstage career. Charlene and her boyfriend, Jamal, also came, and so did Julie, albeit late.
It was Penny's week with the children, so Rick left the school with his coworkers, and they went for a drink with Charlene and Jamal to a nearby place. Sam also tagged along, although he ended up meeting some friends and leaving them at their table.
"You could go back to singing too, Rick," Kevin said.
"I don't know," Rick said, but he was in fact thinking he missed the shows. Singing and dancing on stage had been the best part of the boyband. The rest, he could live without. But he wasn't going to be a solo artist like Robbie, so a second career in the music business was out of the question.
"Hey, let me tell you that the boy can shake his ass," Charlene said. "I've seen him dancing with the kids, and he's darn good!"
"Aw, come on, Charlene..."
"Hey, why don't we all go dancing a little?" Jamal suggested. "Come on, I'm sure the ladies would love it!"
Julie looked expectantly at Rick, but he turned to Bea instead.
"Shall we?"
She hesitated, but then followed him on the dancefloor. Rick noticed Julie's frown, but saw Kevin staying with her. Maybe Kevin could take her off his back and live happily ever after.
Bea danced with her eyes closed, as if she didn't want to see what was around her. A slow dance came on, and she had to look at him when he stepped closer and took her in his arms.
"What are you doing?" she asked, stiffening.
"Dancing?" he answered, amused.
She relaxed only slightly and kept her eyes wide open.
"Relax, Bea, I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to."
"Good, because I don't want you to do anything besides dancing," she replied, looking away. "Mmm, I think Kevin is ridding you of Julie."
Rick turned to glance at the two seated at the table, very close now. They weren't kissing, but Kevin's arm was around Julie's shoulder. She was still frowning, but she was listening to whatever he was saying.
Rick looked back at Bea and grinned. "Good. I think it was high time they united their lonelinesses."
She raised her eyebrows, skeptical. "And how are you doing in that area? Still feeling lonely?"
"No, not anymore. I guess I'm enjoying singletude."
She smiled and he felt her relax.
"Great!" she said. "Now we're talking!"
"Are you going to take me to the Singles' Club?" he asked, amused. "Is there such a place? Where do you go with Kevin and Julie?"
"Kevin and I go for walks on the lake shore, and I don't go out with Julie. We shared a room once at a convention and it was more than enough."
"So where do singles hang out?"
"I don't know. You'll have to ask Kevin to take you to the right places. For me Singles' Club is more a metaphor than a real place."
"So, you don't go out much, but you like dancing."
"Yes. Charlene is right, you're a great dancer."
"Thank you." He pulled her closer. "That's not the only thing I'm good at, by the way," he whispered in his ear.
He felt her stiffen again.
"Sorry, that was creepy," he apologized, pulling back. "I'm changed, Bea. The past three months have been a total wreck, but I survived. Except I don't know yet what I've become."
"It's okay," she whispered, eyes low.
He pulled her closer again. "How about a date?"
"Rick, I don't think..."
"Hush."
He kissed her. It felt good. It might not be the start of a new relationship, but he didn't want to think about it. Just be in the moment. No plans for the future. Just waiting for the next change in his life.
She pulled back, breathless. And then she kissed him back with unexpected fervor.
***
About the Author
Barbara G.Tarn is a prolific writer who writes whatever comes to her mind. At the dawn of indie publishing (2011), the old paradigm of "different genre, different pen name" still stood. Not anymore.
Formerly published under B.G. Hope, these are the contemporary titles of Barbara G.Tarn, a writer, sometimes artist, mostly a world-creator and story-teller. She's been building her world of Silvery Earth for a number of years – stories, comprise shorts, novels and graphic novels.
Her novella "The Hooded Man" has received an Honorable Mention at the Writers of the Future contest. Used to multiple projects (a graphic novel is always on the side of the prose), she writes, draws, ignores her day job and blogs every other day.
For more info on the series or other titles of Unicorn Productions join the mailing list and receive the bi-monthly newsletter to be notified of new releases, sales and other author's news and the exclusive opportunity to get free stories or discounts on Barbara G.Tarn's works.
Did you love Today People? Then you should read Body Switches by Barbara G.Tarn!
There's a witch on the loose and she can turn our lives upside down. Samantha enjoys toying with us and she switches bodies at will. That's the challenge Johnny & Marian, Ciaran & Harith and Pat & Babs have to deal with.Three novellas with a common denominator: Samantha the witch! Enjoy this humorous tales of body switches.
This collection of novellas was previously published as B.G. Hope
Read more at Barbara G.Tarn’s site.
Also by Barbara G.Tarn
Future Earth Chronicles
Brainwaves (Future Earth Chronicles Book 1)
Wanderlust (Future Earth Chronicles Book 2)
Across Continents (Future Earth Chronicles Book 3)
Himalayas (Future Earth Chronicles Book 4)
Airships (Future Earth Chronicles Book 5)
Silvery Earth
Books of the Immortals - Air
Books of the Immortals - Earth
Books of the Immortals - Ether
Books of the Immortals - Fire
Books of the Immortals - Water
Chronicles of the Varian Empire - Volume 1
Chronicles of the Varian Empire - Volume 2
Chronicles of the Varian Empire - Volume 3
Male Lovers of Silvery Earth
Amazon Spring
Amazon Summer
Books of the Immortals
The Hooded Man
Kilig & Hakeem
Saif & Kilig
Kilig the Sword
The Young King
Firebird
Beautiful
Amazon Fall
The Path of Water (Quests Book 1)
The Path of Fire (Quests Book 2)
Tales of the Northern Kingdoms volume 1
Tales of the Northern Kingdoms volume 2
Male Lovers of Silvery Earth Volume 2
Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth
Tales of the Queendom of Maadre
More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)
Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)
The Path of Air (Quests Book 3)
Quests Volume One: The Paths of Water and Air
The Path of Earth (Quests Book 4)
Quests Volume Two: The Paths of Fire and Earth
Talwar and Khanda - Assassins in Love
Saif's Story
Honorable Assassins
Axelle, Wanderer (Silvery Earth Heroines)
The Complete Chronicles of the Varian Empire Box Set
Assassins Guild of Silvery Earth Box Set
Fall of the Southern Kingdoms
Angelica, Scholar (Silvery Earth Heroines)
Two Stories of the Varian Empire
Male Lovers of Silvery Earth Volume 3
The Sun Sword (Legends of the Moren Empire Volume 1)
Quests Box Set
Star Minds Italiano
Angelo Tecnologico (Star Minds #1)
Mercanti di Schiavi (Star Minds #3)
Star Minds - la trilogia
Stella Cadente
Legame Mentale (Star Minds #2)
Star Minds Frammenti - Donne
Star Minds Frammenti
Star Minds Universe
Star Minds - The Trilogy
Star Minds Snippets
Star Minds Next Generation
Star Minds Next Generation Diaries
Star Minds Chasing Stardom
Star Minds Interregnum
Star Minds Third Generation Snippets
Star Minds Starter
Adventurer (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Pilot (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Hacker (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Thief (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Mercenary (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Freelance (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Star Minds Lone Wolves Shorts
Star Minds Lone Wolves Team - Missions 1-5
Star Minds Lone Wolves Team - Missions 6-10
Star Minds Lone Wolves Team - Missions 11-15
Star Minds Lone Wolves Team - Missions 16-20
Star Minds Lone Wolves Team - Missions 21-25
Star Minds Lone Wolves Team - Missions 26-29
Rogue (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Terra d'Argento in italiano
Amori Maschili a Terra d'Argento
L'eredità di Saif
Smeraldo e Kyrio
Il giovane re
Saif e Kilig
Vampires Through the Centuries
Charioteer of Buddha
Indestructible
Kaylyn the Sister-in-Darkness
Kristine the Youngest
Norman Blood
Rajveer the Vampire
Shashank the Fledgling
Vampires Through the Centuries Novellas
Standalone
Johnny & Marian
Six Months and Other Love Stories
Best of Friends
Ciaran & Harith
Happiness is...
Choices, Changes and Other Stories
Pat & Babs
Body Switches
Yash and Ryo Lost in the Milky Way
Today People
Soul Thieves
The Fern and The Cross
Otherside
Joint Operations
Relationships (5 Short Stories of Love and Friendship)
Mumbai Dreams
Watch for more at Barbara G.Tarn’s site.