by Natalie Ann
“You’ll figure it out,” he said.
They pulled into a pub, Brian hardly able to believe they just could talk and talk and time flew by. Not that they had that far to go.
“I’m starving,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been out to dinner. When I go out it’s normally with a friend for lunch, but even then it’s been a while. I think the last time was with my mother on the weekend or a day off. That makes me sound pathetic too.”
He’d had a feeling she hadn’t dated anyone since her divorce. “Not pathetic,” he argued. “I’d much rather have home cooked meals myself, but I like dining out. Not so much the food but for the company or atmosphere for a change.”
“It is a nice change to get out. I’m looking forward to it.”
They were seated in a booth. The place was pretty busy, Robin taking her jacket off and putting it next to her.
“You look nice,” he said, feeling bad he was just saying it now. She had on a pair of dark jeans with a button-down shirt tucked into the waist and fitted to her tiny frame. He’d noticed she had little flats on her feet. He didn’t picture her the type of woman to wear heels or dress up much and that was fine with him.
He’d dated his fair share of high-maintenance women and it got old fast. Maybe that was why he was still single. He’d been with the wrong type.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m more comfortable in jeans than dresses or skirts, but I do own them. I just don’t think many people really dress up anymore.”
“I’ve already said I hate wearing a tie. I know it’s part of my profession, but if I don’t have court, I’ve been known to wear jeans into work with a nice shirt. That’s professional enough for me. The truth is, I think society just isn’t as hung up on fancy clothes anymore.”
“Clothes don’t make the man in my opinion,” she said softly.
Which gave him a lot more insight into things, but he knew enough not to mention that.
“Brian.”
He turned his head and saw an old high school friend walking by. “Kurt, hey, nice to see you,” he said, standing up to shake his hand. He’d gotten along well enough with Kurt in school, but not as much as some of the other guys in their group.
Many were jocks, which Brian didn’t consider himself. Sure, he played baseball and basketball, but not football and it’s not like he was the top athlete either. He didn’t like to ram into guys and show his strength or be macho. Troy was the football player, all big and tough, but quiet and kept to himself. Baseball was the only sport the two of them played together, Troy the catcher, Brian the second baseman.
“This is my wife, Nicole,” Kurt said, Brian shaking her hand. “We just moved back to the area a few months ago. Nicole is a law clerk looking for a job. You don’t happen to have anything available or know someplace to put a good word in for her?”
“Kurt,” Nicole said. “Not now.”
“It’s fine,” Kurt said. “Brian’s an old friend. That’s what we do.”
Brian held back the snort. He hadn’t spoken to Kurt in over ten years. Maybe more. Hadn’t even known he wasn’t in the area and came back. The last thing he was doing was putting out a word for a job on a woman he didn’t know anything about.
“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t know of anything. I’m sure you’ll find something though.”
“Yeah, I’m sure she will,” Kurt said, his smile dropping. “Nice to see you again.”
When Kurt walked away, Brian sat back down. “Sorry I didn’t get to introduce you. I didn’t expect him to take off that fast.”
“No worries,” she said. “Looks like he had an agenda and it didn’t go his way. I know a lot of people like that too.”
He laughed. Yeah, she got him and understood the same as what he thought. “We weren’t that close in school. Friend would be a loose term, but we all hung around in the same group and parties.”
“Those cliques in high school. I was never in them,” she said. “I had some close friends but we didn’t belong. When I married Alex, plenty of those type of women came forward and wanted to be my friend when they didn’t even look at me in school. I just don’t play those games.”
“Good to know,” he said. “Neither do I.”
9
Solve Their Problems
Robin hated people like Kurt. Those that came forward and wanted something from you and when you wouldn’t or couldn’t give it to them, they turned their nose up as if you were rotten fish in a dumpster on a hot day.
When she’d been married to Alex people came out of the woodwork. Those in school she never talked to much and didn’t care for. Then they all wanted to be her friend.
Even after her divorce, those that thought she wasn’t good enough for Alex tried to weasel their way in because they were dying to know what went wrong. How much money she got. Just being plain nosy or petty. And she was glad to hear Brian say he didn’t play those games.
Not that she suspected he did, but it was nice to have it reaffirmed.
“So you talked about hating to dress up for work. But what do you love about your job? I think in society we are always too used to saying what we don’t like about something rather than what we do.”
“I think you’re right. I’m guilty of that myself. I should make a conscious effort to talk about the positive more than the negative. There is a lot I like. I guess when it comes down to it I like being able to help other people. Being their voice for them when they can’t be for themselves. To help solve their problems, take care of what I can.”
“Not everyone knows how to voice what they want.”
He smiled at her. “And that is why they might hire me.”
Guess he didn’t get what she was trying to say. Or maybe he did and was just being polite about it. Either way, she was going to let it drop. “It’s good there are people like you then.”
He laughed this time. “What do you like about your job?”
“I’m good at it,” she said.
He laughed at her again. “That’s always a good thing, but what made you go toward that career? Why not something with animals since you love them so much?”
“I wish I had. I just never cared for school. Maybe it’s because I was always quiet and just didn’t seem to fit in. I didn’t stand out. I’m not a complete loser though.”
“No one thinks you’re a loser. And if they do they have issues.”
“I’ve always thought so. Anyway, I didn’t see myself going to college for four years and most good paying careers with animals need that, if not more to be a vet. I didn’t even want to go away from home. A dental hygienist is a good solid job that pays well. It’s just not for everyone.”
“No,” he said. “I don’t think I want to put my hands in other people’s mouths.”
“That is a downside. Even I can’t say anything positive about it. But I am happy when I get someone who actually takes good care of their teeth. You’ve got nice teeth,” she said.
It was something she always noticed on someone right away. It was hard not to.
Brian’s teeth were white but not glaring that they’d glow in the dark. They were straight, but not to the point he’d had a mouth full of braces his whole life either.
“Thank you, I think. All I do is brush them twice a day.”
“No floss?” she asked.
“Of course. My mother taught me well. Or rather after the first filling I got as a kid that was sandwiched between my teeth I swore to never let that happen again.”
“That usually does it,” she said.
“So you just like it because you’re good at it?” he asked again.
“I also like talking to people when they can’t answer me back.”
“You have a little twisted side to you, don’t you?”
“Sometimes.” The waitress finally brought their drinks out that they’d ordered before Kurt stopped over at the table. They were quick to give their dinner orders as well.
“You probabl
y meet a lot of people that way. Do you remember everyone?”
“I do meet a lot of people. And since I haven’t been at this job that long, it’s hard to remember many. The longer I’m there the easier it might be, but I do only see them twice a year.”
“Thankfully.”
“Do you dislike the dentist?” she asked batting her eyelashes.
“I never thought of it much one way or another, but when I get that text message reminding me of my appointment I do end up giving a little shudder. I mean nothing good ever happens at the dentist.”
She was going to debate that and then remembered that was how she met Alex.
He’d been a patient and he was flirting with her. He was older but not so old that it seemed icky.
She was quiet and naive and he just seemed so sweet and worldly.
She fell for his charm and thought she was the luckiest girl in the world.
Then he broke her heart and maybe Brian was right. Not much good happened there.
Or she could choose to look at it like her life changed at that job.
Meeting and marrying and then divorcing Alex brought her to where she was at this point in her life. Dinner with Brian Dawson.
“Robin. Robin, is that you?”
She turned her head to see one of her mother’s oldest friends just walking through. “Lucy. Yes, it’s me.”
She stood up and gave Lucy Russell a hug. She hadn’t seen her in years. “I was just telling Will that I hadn’t talked to your mother lately and was going to drop her a line and see if she wanted to meet for lunch. And here I am running into you. Imagine that. And who is this?”
There was no getting out of it. Which of course meant now she was going to have to tell her mother she was on a date and she might have to do it fast or Lucy would do it first.
“Brian Dawson, this is Lucy Russell. She’s a good friend of my mother’s. What are you doing here tonight?”
The two shook hands. “Will and I spent the day shopping in town and didn’t want to get dinner at the mall. If we did I wouldn’t have run into you and your new man.”
What was she supposed to say to that? She wasn’t sure if Brian was her man or not...even if she wanted him to be.
“I’m glad I got to see you. I’m sure Will is wondering where you are.”
“Yes, I’m sure he is. You have a good dinner tonight. Nice to meet you, Brian.”
“You too,” Brian said.
She held her hand up. “I’m apologizing right now, but if I don’t text my mother that I saw Lucy and that I’m on a date, Lucy is going to do it first. I’ll never hear the end of it.”
He laughed at her and she didn’t care. She pulled her phone out, sent a quick text and then told her mother they’d talk tomorrow.
“What did you tell her?” he asked
“That I’m on a date with someone, ran into Lucy, and knew Lucy was probably texting her too. Then I said don’t contact me, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Will she be upset you said that?”
“No. She’ll be frustrated, but she’ll understand. Then she’ll be happy and get frustrated over that because she’ll want the details and she has to wait.”
“Details like what?” he asked.
“Who you are. What you do. How we met.”
“And what are you planning on telling your mother? If anything.”
“I’ll be honest. I always am.”
If she couldn’t be honest with her parents then who could she be with? She wasn’t trusting any friends with what happened to her and Alex. Only her parents and Rick knew. Alex obviously knew, but she wasn’t positive how much Alex’s parents knew. Enough.
“I’m close with my family too,” Brian said. “Not that they know everything about my life, but they know more than most.”
“Do they know about me?” she found herself asking before she could stop herself. Then she wished she didn’t. It sounded almost childish on her part to even inquire about that.
“My sister and her husband do. Not my parents.”
“Really?” she asked. “What does Meena know?”
“That I’ve had a few dates with you. She was the one who pushed me to bring the wine and chocolates the first day. Well, a housewarming gift. She mentioned the plant. I came up with the wine and chocolate on my own.”
“Then maybe I need to thank your sister when I meet her sometime.”
Again, she wanted to put her hand to her mouth for blurting that out. They weren’t anywhere near meeting family members. They hadn’t even done more than kiss. No matter how much she wanted to and had to find a way to work up to it.
“She might like that. She’d probably hold it over my head for knowing the right things to do and say over me.”
“I think that is what siblings do best,” she said. “Rick always knows the right things to say and do and that is why I go to him for everything.”
“Everything?” he asked.
“Not everything. But most stuff.”
Their burgers came out shortly after, they continued to talk back and forth and the night seemed to end way too fast for her.
“I bet your puppies are waiting for you to come home.”
“They’re sleeping,” she said and pulled out her phone. “I put a camera in my office a few days ago so I could watch them. When I texted my mother I looked at them quickly.”
She moved the phone over for him to see. “They are completely adorable.”
She wanted to giggle over his words but didn’t. “They are.”
“Then let’s get you home to them,” he said.
When they got to her driveway she was bummed he wasn’t going to get out, but he’d said he knew she’d want to get in and take care of them.
He was right. But he leaned over, their mouths met, and they had a make-out session for the ages. One she always wanted in high school and never had.
Not even when she was dating other men or married did she get so aroused over a kiss.
“Are you going to be around tomorrow? I’m sure I’ll be visiting my mother. Or they will be at my house. Probably that. They’ve wanted to come see the puppies and haven’t had a chance and I told them I wasn’t around today.”
“Did you fib about not being around today?” he asked, smirking at her.
“Sort of. I just didn’t want to be stuck having to push them out of the house for our date and then trying to explain. But now she’ll know. Anyway, I’ll call you if you’re around.”
“I will be. And we can make plans for another date if you want?” he asked.
“Oh, I want,” she said.
“I know you do. But we’ll know when it’s right.”
She opened her mouth, her jaw probably damn close to hitting the floor. He reached over and lifted her chin back up, then gave her a light kiss on the lips.
She got out of his car and went to the front door, then to the back and the dogs were wide awake having heard her come in. They were jumping around and squirming to get out.
She learned her lesson by now, and grabbed the leashes, quickly clipping them, then bringing them out to the backyard to do their business, walking them around.
When they were in the house, she unclipped them and played on the floor, letting them climb all over and lick her. She missed them but what she missed more was having a naked man in her bed.
Brian’s kisses were working her up to the point she was ready to argue with him in the car. But then she didn’t want to come off as desperate. If she was begging him to come in, it would seem that way.
Maybe next time...she hoped.
10
Time To Move On
“So when were you going to tell me you were dating your lawyer?” her mother asked the next morning.
Just as she expected, her mother showed up at ten. Good thing the puppies were getting up early and she made some muffins to have with their coffee while they chatted.
“I didn’t tell you he was my lawyer,” she said.
> “You gave his name. I remembered he handled your divorce. Are you sure he isn’t trying to get some of your settlement?”
“Mom,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “That is horrible. Do you think I’d be with someone like that?”
“I didn’t think you’d be married such a short period of time either, but no one could have known what happened with Alex.”
“I think we could have if we all looked. Maybe the signs were there and I just ignored them.”
She thought of this so much. Wondered where she might have gone wrong. Was she that blind? She knew their marriage wasn’t as strong as it should have been.
How many times had she brought up the time they didn’t spend together? His answer was always he was working or she was too busy with her animals. When she offered to spend it with him, he’d have meetings or have to go out of town.
She understood he was busy. She knew the family business was going to be turned over to him and his sister. But his sister was young yet and still in college.
Alex was the heir apparent and his father was ready to retire and travel the world.
She often wondered if that was why Alex settled down. Because his parents put the pressure on him.
She’d heard more than once a wife would ground him. Give him a home to come to each night to relax after a long day. Even his parents were questioning when kids would come, not just her.
She adored his parents. She really did. And she missed them at odd times. But the truth was, it wouldn’t be healthy to have any kind of relationship with them.
Not for her emotional well being or Alex’s.
It didn’t work out. Alex wasn’t the person everyone thought or hoped he’d be.
Time to move on.
“You can’t go back in time now,” her mother said.
“I know but everyone wants to bring it up like I could have. And those that don’t know what happened always ask me.”
“What do you say?”
“I just tell them it didn’t work out. It’s what we all agreed to say and then drop it. I’m not about to add anymore. It’s an embarrassment to me to have been played so foolishly as much as it is to his parents for their son’s cheating ways. They are old fashioned and have an image to uphold. They hated how many relationships he was always in. They hated his affairs. Maybe that is why Alex is the way he is. Maybe it’s his rebellion for no one listening to him for years and what he wanted. I just don’t know.”