CHAPTER NINE
Pen reached across the seat and took both her hands in his. She had to use all her conscious effort not to react by jerking them back as if burned. They might not be burned but there sure was a warm tingly feeling starting in her hands and moving up her arms and throughout her body when he touched her. Her awareness was so focused on that feeling that it took her a few seconds to realize Pen was talking.
"? not part of your job. I've always heard about that famous Texas hospitality. I thought it might mean you'd be willing to help a newcomer get settled. Guess I forgot that Texans don't like Yankees invading their state. You probably wish I'd disappear back to Chicago."
"That's not fair. I'd be glad to help you out. It's just that I already have plans this weekend." She hoped her words sounded more sincere than they were.
He dropped her hands and picked up his briefcase. "Forget it. See you Monday at seven."
He was already out of the car before she managed to say, "Okay. Have a good weekend."
She was determined to have a good weekend, in spite of her mother. Why did she let Mr. High and Mighty Morgenthal affect her this way? She couldn't even decide exactly how he did affect her.
His high-handed manner made her furious. His ability to destroy her precious independence terrified her. But his sense of humor made her laugh until she cried, and his intelligence impressed her. His magnificent body seemed to call to hers and hers seemed determined to answer the call.
This was silly. So what if he had a great body and the eyes and voice to go with it? She didn't need him. She didn't want him.
Kevin had been trying to deepen their relationship for months. She'd do it. Kevin was a safe, comfortable friend. He'd never throw her into a state of confusion like Pen did. Maybe she didn't feel electricity when he touched her, but she wouldn't get burned either. Tonight she'd give him the encouragement he wanted.
When she opened the door to Kevin an hour later, she knew her first step had been successful. Instead of the casual slacks she usually wore for their pizza and movie dates, she wore a bright red dress that she'd never worn because she thought it was too short. Would Pen's eyes light up the way Kevin's did when he saw her in it? She didn't know why she had that thought. She didn't care how Pen would react, did she? Wasn't she trying to attract Kevin, not Pen?
"Wow. You look gorgeous." Kevin's voice was husky, just as she'd hoped. "Too gorgeous for pizza and movies. I'm taking you out for a night of dinner and dancing."
Her plan would work. If she could make Kevin happy by deepening their relationship, she might forget all about Pen. Well, maybe not forget him. She had to work for the man, after all. She'd see him as just her boss. She'd forget he was a man.
Besides, Kevin was attractive. Before she'd met Pen, she would have said Kevin was the best-looking man she knew. He was as successful as he was good-looking. Her friends told her how lucky she was to have his interest. Even her mother approved of Kevin. Fern liked him, too.
So why didn't she feel ready to deepen their relationship? Why didn't she experience the same thrill in her body when Kevin touched her that she did when Pen just looked at her?
Throughout the evening of dinner and dancing, Fern tried to respond to Kevin. She really did. She leaned forward across the table and tried to listen to everything he said. If intentions could inspire desire, she would have melted in his arms on the dance floor. Her determination, however, didn't spark the feelings she sought to create.
Kevin was the perfect date. He looked deeply into her eyes over the dinner table and held her close as they danced. She tried to respond, but her body wanted to pull away from his touch. Obviously, he was more attracted to her than she was to him. Kevin was a good friend, but she knew now he could never be more than that. On the crowded dance floor, held tightly in Kevin's arms, Fern visualized the image of Pen's strong face with his special smile.
Omigosh. What was she doing? Fern realized she was using Kevin to avoid her attraction to Pen. She couldn't believe she'd been so unfair to Kevin, a friend who deserved much better. On the silent ride home, she wondered what she would do now.
She still hadn't figured out what to do when Kevin stopped the car in his driveway. He put the keys in his pocket but made no move to open the door.
"This isn't working, is it?" he asked without looking at her.
"Kevin, I-"
"Don't say anything else, Fern. Until this week, I really thought I might have a chance with you. Something's changed in the last few days, Fern. If there's someone else, I hope he feels about you the way I do."
"You're a good friend." She knew this wasn't what Kevin wanted to hear, but it was the best she could offer.
"I wanted to be much more than that, but I don't want to destroy our friendship." He took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel. "I'll miss our dates, Fern."
"Believe me, Kevin, I wish I could feel more for you."
"If you don't, you don't. Goodbye, Fern." He was out of the car and inside his side of the duplex before she could answer.
After a restless night filled with guilt over her treatment of Kevin, Fern put on a dress to take her mother shopping. Fern preferred jeans, but her mother believed a woman should look like a woman. Wearing a dress was more comfortable than listening to her mother's lectures.
Mrs. Tate still found something to complain about over lunch. "I wish you had listened to me when I warned you not to sell your business. You're regretting it now, aren't you?"
"Not regretting it, Mother-just getting used to a few things."
"You must be regretting it. You told me you have a boss now. I know how independent you are. You've never taken direction very well." She shook her head. "You've certainly never listened to me. Why would you listen to a boss?"
Fern bit her lower lip. It was a wonder there was anything left of her lip, between Pen and her mother. "Of course, I've listened to you, Mother, and I have to listen to my boss if I want to keep my job."
"I certainly hope you manage to keep your job. What would you do if you got fired? You've never done anything else in your life. If you had gotten a teaching certificate like I wanted you to-"
"Mother," Fern interrupted, "are you still playing bridge every week?"
Hortense Tate was not so easily distracted. "We're talking about you, dear. There's nothing interesting in my life in that boring place I live. What's happening with you and Kevin?"
There was no way Fern was going to give her mother anything else to criticize. If Fern told her mother she wasn't seeing Kevin any more, she'd want to know who she was seeing, and since that line of inquiry would lead nowhere ?
"Nothing exciting. Just burgers and pizzas and movies." She tried to change the subject. "Did I tell you that I'm the keynote speaker at a workshop the Chamber of Commerce is having on starting a business?"
"How wonderful. I'm glad somebody appreciates you."
Thank goodness, she had picked a positive subject. For once, her mother was interested in hearing about her accomplishment and actually expressed praise instead of censure. They managed to discuss the upcoming speech for the remainder of lunch. Hortense was too occupied with comparison pricing and interpreting her own handwriting on her list to be interested in conversation during their grocery shopping.
When she arrived home several hours later, Fern hurried into the bedroom to change out of her dress and into comfortable slacks and a big shirt. Now what would she do? On Saturday night she usually cooked a fancy meal for Kevin. Normally during this time of the afternoon, she would be planning and preparing the dinner.
This thought reactivated the guilt feelings that hadn't gone away. Suddenly, she felt the need to get away from the duplex. She was tired of shopping, and she didn't feel like visiting any of her friends who would ask about Kevin.
Without being aware of making a decision, Fern found herself dialing the number for Pen's hotel. Her palms were sweating and her heart beat faster. Why was she acting like a lovesick schoolgirl? Pen
probably wasn't even there.
"Yes," the voice on the phone said. Pen's voice was easily recognizable.
"Uh, Pen, it's Fern."
"Is something wrong?" He sounded concerned.
"No, nothing's wrong." She took a deep breath and her next words came out in a rush. "My plans for the rest of the day fell through. I can take you apartment hunting, if you still want to, that is."
"Are you sure, Fern? You were definite last night."
"Well, yes, but, as I said, my plans changed. Do you still want to go or not?"
"Fern, Fern, Fern." Was that a sigh she heard? "Of course I still want to go. How soon can you be here?"
"I can leave right now if you're ready."
"I'll be ready by the time you get here. I'll meet you in the lobby." There was a long pause, then Pen said softly, "Thanks, Fern, I appreciate this."
How could he be so unpredictable? Last night he was so high-handed and demanding. Now he was thanking her in a way that warmed her insides. Maybe she was the unpredictable one.
True to his word, Pen was waiting for her in the lobby. "It's just a block to the apartment locator's office. Leave your car parked here, and we can walk there and back. I already called them and told them what kind of apartment we're looking for. They'll have some information ready." He took her elbow and guided her toward the front door.
"We're not looking for any apartment." She threw the words over her shoulder at him. "I'm just your chauffeur."
"Not just my chauffeur. I asked you for your opinion," Pen reminded her.
She hoped he didn't have any idea what his touch was doing to her. All he was doing was gently holding her elbow, but she felt a heat coursing through her entire body. Get a grip, she told herself. Her hormones must be going through a second adolescence. Why didn't they react this way to anyone else?
When they reached the office, Pen introduced himself and asked to speak to Kara, the representative he had spoken to on the phone. She was a model-beautiful blonde, and she put her hand on Pen's sleeve as she handed him the brochures.
"I've found several wonderful possibilities for you." All the time she described the advantages of each complex, she eyed Pen as if sizing up his possibilities.
Fern turned away in disgust. Did the woman have to be so obvious? And did Pen have to enjoy it so much? If he planned to flirt with every gorgeous female he saw, why didn't he leave Fern out of it?
He finally finished his conversation and turned to leave. Fern was standing near the door, and she hurried out ahead of him. She was perfectly capable of walking back to the hotel without his guidance. He could keep his arousing hands to himself. Or save them for Miss Blonde Bombshell.
Pen's long legs brought him almost even with her before she'd gone even half a block. "Hey, what's the hurry? Wait up."
"Why don't you ask the blonde bombshell to show you the apartments? I'll bet she'd be thrilled." Fern thought she had spoken softly enough so Pen couldn't hear her, but obviously he had better hearing than she thought.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
"Nothing. I was just mumbling to myself. Do you know where you want to go?"
"Of course I do. Wasn't that the purpose of this little exercise? You're the one who suggested using the apartment locator."
Pen took her elbow again. When did he become such a gentleman? And why did her elbow-her whole body-feel a heat, a tingling that should never be caused by a gentlemanly touch?
They finally reached the hotel and took the garage elevator to the level where she had parked her car. At the exit, Pen handed her the money to pay the parking fee and told her to turn right.
Their first stop was a large singles complex, offering frequent social events and all the luxury one could want in an efficiency apartment. Pen wrinkled his nose at the clubroom and the calendar of events. When he saw the apartment, he thanked the manager for showing it to them and told Fern, "Let's move on."
She wondered why Pen had shown no interest in this location. "Since you're new in town, I thought you'd enjoy a place with so many events. You'd find it easy to meet people."
"Yeah, sure-easy to meet desperate single women who are looking for a husband or a lover." He opened the car door for her. After she got in, he walked around the car and seated himself in the passenger seat. "Imagine trying to get a decent night's sleep with all those parties going on. I want somewhere quiet."
When they arrived at the next complex, she said, "If you want quiet, we might as well not stop here. Look at all those kids."
"I think families with children should live in a house, but I don't have a problem being around them." He directed her to stop at the information center.
After looking around, Pen shook his head and led her back to the car. "I don't want a bachelor pad, with the hot tub and the big screen TV, but I don't want the family complex either, with pets and playgrounds instead of hot tubs. Surely we can find a happy medium."
The sat in the car in the parking lot as he continued to look through brochures. "Okay, let's try this one next." He held up a brochure. "It has both families and singles, so maybe it'll be better."
It wasn't. Neither was the next one, nor the next one, or the next one. One was too large, another too small, another too old, almost seedy.
As they drove away from the seedy complex, Fern said, "Pen, we've been at this for hours, and we're not any closer to finding something than we were when we started."
"Of course we are. We've eliminated six places that won't work. We only have one more to see today." He grinned. "Then I'll take you to dinner. It's almost six o'clock. That's why you're getting grouchy. You're probably hungry."
"I am not hungry. Okay, I am hungry-I had an early lunch. But I'm tired too." She stopped at a red light.
Pen reached over and gently lifted her chin and turned her face toward him. "Have I been pushing you too hard? We can quit now and have dinner if you like. The world won't come to an end if I don't find a place today."
Puzzled by his unexpected gentleness, Fern answered, "We only have one more complex, and we're almost there. Let's check it out before we eat."
He leaned over and lightly brushed her lips with his. "I'm tired, too. I'm tired of living in a hotel."
Fern felt the brief kiss all the way to her toes. It took her a few seconds to realize the light had changed. Pen dropped his hands from her face and looked straight ahead.
When she pulled into the driveway of the last complex on their list, Pen sat up in his seat and looked around. "This place has been here awhile. I like the trees and the landscaping. Look, each apartment actually has a patch of grass or a balcony."
Residents were visible on their patios and balconies-children playing, adults standing over barbecue grills, and others just sitting and talking. "Looks like there's a mix of singles and families," Fern commented.
"Yeah, there's even an older couple over there. This looks like a real neighborhood with all kinds of people-not an artificial community of people who are all alike." Pen's voice sounded wistful as he continued, "It's like the neighborhood where I grew up."
Fern was surprised at his enthusiasm for the interior of the apartment. It looked cozy and comfortable. It offered all the comforts-microwave oven, washer, and dryer-but it would never be described as luxurious. The furniture looked more appropriate for a family than for a handsome young bachelor.
The manager stayed in the bedroom adjusting the blinds while Pen and Fern walked back into the living room.
"This is perfect." Pen grabbed Fern's hands and twirled her around the room. "Look out that window. I can see the pool, but all those trees give privacy." He stopped spinning Fern around and kissed her on the forehead. When the apartment manager came into the living room, he dropped Fern's hands, and said, "I'll take it. When can I move in?"
"It's available immediately, but we have to verify your employment and income before we can rent it. We have to wait until Monday to do that," the manager answered. "You
can fill out the application and give me a deposit now, and if everything checks out okay Monday, you can move in Monday evening."
Pen smiled his most charming smile. "I'd really like to move in tomorrow. Is there any way I can do that?"
"I'm afraid not. I need to call your employer to verify your employment and income."
"Well, that's easy. I work for Ultimate Plant Service. You'll probably recognize it by its former name, Fern's Fancies."
"Of course, I've heard of Fern's Fancies," the manager answered.
"Well, this lady right here is Fern Tate. If you waited to call the office Monday, she's the one you'd talk to." He smiled again-a smile that could probably persuade any woman to do anything. "How about if she does the verification in person rather than over the phone? Isn't that even better?"
"Well, I don't know. My instructions tell me to call the employer." She paused. "Of course, some employers won't release information by phone. They require written permission from the employee, so we have to mail them the form with the authorization from the applicant. The employers fill out the form and send it back."
"Great." Pen guided them out of the apartment. "Let's go back to your office and I'll sign that form and Fern can fill it out right now. It'll save time and postage."
Fern's Fancies Page 9