by Kay Bigelow
Lauren laughed. “Max is not my husband, but is my cat.”
“Excellent. Tell you what, I’ll stop by a really good Chinese restaurant named The Southern Panda and bring dinner with me to your house. Sound good?”
Actually it did. “It does, but only if we go dutch.”
“Absolutely not. I asked you out and you’re providing the plates and eating utensils. So I’ll treat and you can get dinner next time.”
There’ll be no next time.
“All right. Is six good for you?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay. See you at six.”
As she turned to go to her car, Lauren heard Alex say, “Uh, Lauren?”
“Yes?”
“I’ve been given the brush-off a few times, but yours was the best.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, even as she was thinking, Who in the world would give this woman the brush-off?
“I don’t know your phone number nor your address.”
“Oh, right,” she said and felt herself blushing. She’d assumed Alex had both those things since she’d given them to her the day before in order to get the library card.
Lauren pulled a three-by-five card with her name embossed on it from her purse and wrote her name, address, and phone number. The cards had been a gift from Lindsey the previous Christmas. Lauren handed it to Alex with both hands. Alex smiled.
“That’s quite a unique business card you have there.”
“Thanks, I’m fond of it.”
“See you at six,” Alex said with a smile.
“I hope so.”
Alex turned and headed back toward the library while Lauren stood watching her stride away. Good Lord. I have a date with a beautifully handsome woman.
The woman Alex had been sitting with inside Hudson’s came out and approached Lauren.
“Be careful with that one. She’ll break your heart like the dozens of other hearts she’s broken in this town.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Lauren said, wondering what the story was about Alex and the brokenhearted woman who warned her away from Alex.
Chapter Four
Alex surprised herself by asking Lauren out. So much for playing it by ear and letting Lauren do the asking. What’s the big deal? It’s just dinner, for God’s sake. I’m not going to ask her to marry me. Lauren was the first woman she’d asked out in over three years. While she and Lucia had never talked about exclusivity or commitment, she hadn’t slept with anyone but Lucia. She was sure Lucia saw others, and Alex didn’t care. She certainly didn’t love Lucia, who was probably not the monogamous kind. Lucia would no longer be Alex’s first choice to date, she decided. What kind of woman would be my type these days? Someone with brains and looks. Someone who is classy. Someone who loves art. Someone who reads. A conversationalist. Someone who knows herself. Someone who can talk about their feelings. Good Lord! How long is this list going to be? And is there any one woman who can be all those things?
Before she started painting, Alex paused to set a reminder on her phone to stop at five o’clock. When the alarm went off, it startled her. It felt like only minutes had passed since she’d picked up her brush. Instead, nearly five hours had rushed past. After cleaning her brushes and before heading for the shower, she called The Southern Panda and ordered takeout.
The shower helped ease the kinks in her shoulders and back. As she soaped her body, she wondered what it would be like to be in a shower with Lauren. She closed her eyes, and as the hot water coursed over her body her imagination could almost picture Lauren in a shower with her hair wet, a sultry look in those denim-blue eyes, her mouth...
Alex shook her head to clear her mind of the erotic scene. After dressing, she went into the kitchen to retrieve her keys and phone, then grabbed her bag from the table near the door. When she got to the restaurant, she was told her order wasn’t quite ready yet so she paid and sat in a nearby chair. She pulled her small sketchbook from her messenger bag. As she waited for her food, she sketched two women entwined in a rain shower. When the sketch was done, she looked at it closely. To her, it was obvious the two women were her and Lauren. What would Lauren think if I showed her this sketch? Would she be titillated? Outraged? Intrigued?
Her thoughts of Lauren were interrupted when the hostess brought her order to her. During the short drive to Lauren’s house, she wondered what Lucia would say if she found out she was dating Lauren. Aren’t I putting the cart before the horse? I haven’t even had a first date yet and already I’m concerned about how Lucia will react if she finds out I’ve had dinner with another woman.
As she drove down the two-lane country road toward Lauren’s house, she realized she must have passed her driveway when she found herself in a much more rural setting. She made a U-turn and headed back toward town. She drove slowly so she could read the numbers on the mailboxes beside the road. She found the driveway and pulled in. She drove up to the house and parked her car next to Lauren’s SUV.
Alex sat for a few minutes to clear her mind of salacious thoughts about Lauren. She didn’t want to enter Lauren’s house thinking about how much she wanted to kiss her and touch her.
Alex took the two bags of Chinese food out of the back seat and went to the front door. She rang the doorbell and waited. She was just beginning to wonder if she’d been stood up when the door opened. All her salacious thoughts returned in a tumble when she saw Lauren standing there smiling at her. She had on ecru slacks and a sky-blue silk shirt. The shirt made Lauren’s eyes lighter than usual and the effect was stunning. Alex stood thoroughly mesmerized by those blue eyes.
****
After Lauren arrived home earlier in the day, she was trying to process what the woman at the bookstore had said to her. She knew better than to believe the woman had told her the absolute truth—more than likely, she told her own version of the truth.
So the gorgeous Alex Aoki is a heartbreaker, is she? Well, she won’t break my heart. I’m too old to have my heart broken by a beautiful, sexy younger woman with dimples, a great smile, long legs, bedroom eyes, and a body to die for. And yet, I’m having dinner with her at my home. That’s really keeping her at arm’s distance. Maybe she just wants to be friends. Yeah and maybe she just wants another notch on her bedpost.
“You need to stop thinking about her,” she muttered. That lasted all of thirty seconds.
She decided that, instead of spending more time thinking about Alex, she and Serena would go for a walk. Lauren had passed what looked like a large park only a fifteen-minute drive from her home. Serena would be more than happy to help distract her from thinking of Ms. Aoki. Lauren set her books on the couch, went to the coat closet, and took a can of tennis balls off the shelf. When Serena saw the can, her tail created a distinct breeze that confirmed her happy-camper status.
At the park, they stayed on the bike/walking path for a while. There were baseball fields, soccer fields, acres of open space, and lots of benches. On this Friday, there weren’t many people around so it felt like they had the park to themselves. Since she didn’t see anyone else, she let Serena off the leash. Serena gave her a look that said she should never have been on a leash in the first place. Lauren knew Serena was too well behaved to go running off and too sweet to bite someone, but the people they encountered didn’t know that. Serena’s size could be intimidating to people who didn’t know her, so Lauren routinely kept a leash on her to calm the fears of those who weren’t dog people.
Serena raced ahead and went out onto the grass to do her business. Lauren pulled a bottle of water out of her bag and doused the grass Serena had peed on to dilute the damage to the grass. She’d started doing that when she lived in Hong Kong. Dogs there weren’t allowed into the parks so they had to pee on the sidewalks. As a courtesy, most dog owners washed down their dog’s urine with a bottle of water.
Serena kept glancing at Lauren’s bag where she’d put the tennis balls, trying to will her to take the can out. When she did, Serena bounced a
round like a puppy. Lauren walked into the middle of an open space.
After chasing the ball a dozen times, Serena was slowing down. She’s as out of shape as I am, apparently. City life has taken its toll on both of us. Despite daily walks in Central Park by her dog sitter, Serena hadn’t really gotten the exercise she needed. Serena clearly still wanted to chase the ball, so Lauren did as asked but didn’t throw it as far as the first few times. After another dozen tosses, Serena finally gave up and refused to bring the ball back to Lauren.
“Do you play softball by chance?” a voice behind Lauren asked, startling her and setting her heart racing. “You’ve got quite an arm. Please tell me you play softball. We could use a good left fielder,” the woman said.
“Not anymore,” she told her.
“Hi. My name’s Char.”
“Char?” Lauren asked, sure she’d heard her wrong.
“Yeah, as in ‘charwoman.’ My mother, God rest her soul, named me Charity. And, I ask you, do I look like a Charity to you?”
The woman was androgynous, well built, slim without being skinny, about Lauren’s height, had short dirty-blond hair and blue eyes, and was a poster child for butchdom.
“Why don’t you change your name?”
“And deprive people of the joy my name brings them? No, I’ll keep the name. But don’t you dare call me that, okay?”
“I can’t call you ‘Char,’ though.”
“You can call me ‘Hey you’ and I’ll answer.”
Lauren frowned without meaning to.
“Too much?”
Lauren nodded.
“I thought so the minute the words left my mouth. Sorry about that,” she said, smiling.
“Why don’t I call you Charlie?”
“I like the sound of that. Are you going to tell me your name?”
“It’s Lauren.”
“And who’s the beast with you?”
“Her name is Serena.”
“And is she named after Serena Williams?”
“Of course.”
When Serena heard her name, she came ambling up to them. Charlie held out her hand, palm down, to let Serena decide whether to allow Charlie the privilege of touching her. Before Lauren knew it, there was a lovefest going on. Charlie was on one knee in front of Serena whispering sweet things to the dog while rubbing her ears.
“Tart,” Lauren muttered under her breath.
“I heard that,” Charlie said.
“I wasn’t talking about you.”
“Well, damn. It would have been more interesting, to me at least, to be called a tart. I’ve been called many things, but never a tart.” Charlie laughed. “What are you doing tomorrow around six thirty?”
Lauren hesitated. She wasn’t sure she wanted to have dinner with another twenty-something stranger.
“I’m not asking you out on a date, Lauren. I want to know if you’re free to come watch me and my friends play softball.”
“I don’t know whether to be insulted or relieved,” Lauren said, smiling.
“Don’t be insulted. I’d love to ask you out, but I’m sure you’re way out of my league.”
“Now you are insulting me, Charlie.”
“This is going from bad to worse. If you want to watch some softball, be over there tomorrow evening at six thirty,” she told Lauren, pointing to a nearby baseball field.
“Thanks for the invite.”
“I hope to see you tomorrow,” she said. She turned and walked away. About twenty steps later, she did a little happy dance. Lauren laughed out loud. Charlie didn’t turn back.
It was only twelve-thirty when Lauren and Serena got home so she had to decide what to do in the intervening hours before Alex arrived at her door. She made a quick sweep through the house, but hadn’t lived in it long enough to mess it up so there was nothing she needed to sweep, mop, or dust. She didn’t even have enough dishes in the dishwasher to warrant running it. She set out two place mats, two plates, two sets of chopsticks, two forks, two napkins, and two glasses on the kitchen table. Now it was nearly one o’clock.
She went upstairs, decided what she would wear that evening, and lay down on the bed to read. The next thing she knew Serena was nuzzling her hand. She glanced at the non-existent clock and swore she’d actually buy one the next time she was out and about. She dug her phone out of her pocket and thumbed it on. Thank God, it was only three o’clock. She was mildly shocked she’d slept for two hours. She chalked it up to a combination of her exercise in the park and residual stress from the move. She knew she had only a finite amount of time in which she could blame having worked in a high-stress job and the move for what ailed her.
Lauren took a shower and dressed for the evening in a pair of navy slacks and a pale blue silk T-shirt, and added a pair of sandals. She went downstairs to her study and picked up Louise Penny’s A Still Life, the first book in her series, and got lost in the story until the doorbell rang. Despite wanting to see the sexy Alex Aoki again, she reluctantly set aside her book.
When Lauren opened the door, Alex stood there looking quite handsome. Her hands were holding two large paper bags Lauren assumed was their dinner.
“Did I interrupt something?” Alex asked.
“I was reading and time got away from me.”
“What are you reading? I love books that make me lose track of time.”
“Louise Penny’s A Still Life. Your colleague at the library recommended it.”
“If you invite me in, I’d love to find out why you love it. Unless we’re eating out here.”
“Oh, sorry. Come in.”
Alex handed Lauren one of the bags of food. Lauren watched as Alex took a minute to bend to rub Serena’s ears as she told her she was beautiful. I’d definitely like to have her whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Oh, stop it.
When Alex straightened up, Lauren led her through the living room and into the kitchen. Alex put her sack next to Lauren’s on the large island in the middle of the kitchen. Lauren moved the settings side by side, thought about what that would imply, then moved them across from one another where she’d put them earlier. Alex began taking the cartons out of the sack and opening them. As the aromas spread across the kitchen, Serena’s nose began twitching and Max started into the kitchen but changed his mind when he saw a stranger standing at the kitchen island.
“The food smells divine,” she said. “What did you get us?
“Tangerine shrimp, shrimp-fried rice, Gong Bao chicken, won ton soup, dumplings, and spring rolls”
“Good heavens, have you invited a small army to join us?”
“No. I didn’t know what you like so I got us a sampler,” Alex said, smiling.
Lauren’s heart skipped a beat when Alex smiled at her. Whoa there, girl. She’s got to know the effect that seductive smile has on women.
After helping themselves to food, they sat in the nook and devoured it. It was some of the best Chinese food Lauren had had in forever.
“Tell me about yourself,” Alex said as she cleared her plate.
“That’s an open-ended question. Why don’t you ask me what you want to know and we’ll go from there?”
“Why did you move here, where did you come from, and what did you do there?”
“I came here from the City and I’d fallen in love with the area while I was looking for a place to set down roots. I was a lawyer. Why did you move here and when?” Lauren asked.
Much to Lauren’s surprise, Alex hesitated before answering the simple question. And her eyes had gone from bright and flirtatious to deeply sad.
“I moved here eight years ago to recuperate from a car wreck.”
“Were you severely injured?”
Again, hesitation.
“If this is difficult for you to talk about, we can change the subject,” Lauren offered.
“No. I’ve not told anyone any of this, and while it is difficult to talk about, I want to tell you.”
“Why haven’t you told anyone, and why now a
nd why me?”
“That’s an easy one to answer. I want to tell you because you asked and no one else has,” Alex said.
That answer surprised Lauren, but she waited for Alex to speak again.
Alex took a deep breath, and said, “We both know people make assumptions about others not based on the person inside, but the superficial things like looks, what they wear, et cetera. I’m almost always judged on my looks and have been for most of my life. Sometimes people look at me and see only Asian and bounce right into the arena of prejudices about Asians. They only see the outer shell.”
“That must be difficult to deal with,” Lauren said.
“It was when I was younger, but as I’ve gotten older, I try to understand the other person and why they need to categorize me when, if I did the same to them, they’d be outraged. Since I can’t change how I look, I try to stay philosophical about it.”
“Does that work for you?”
“Not really,” Alex said, smiling. “But it gives me enough time not to become angry with the other person.”
“Were you severely injured?” Lauren asked again.
Alex took a deep breath. “No. But the people in the car with me were killed.”
“Friends?”
“My partner and another couple.”
“Good Lord. What happened?”
“We were on our way back from celebrating our graduation from the university when a teenager in a truck ran a stop sign and hit us,” Alex said.
There were tears in her voice. Lauren reached across the table and put her hand on Alex’s arm. Lauren said nothing until Alex gathered herself.
“How long were you and your partner together?” Lauren asked.
“Three years. We were so happy together we were already planning our twentieth anniversary.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Alex,” Lauren said, meaning it.
“I’ve put a real damper on the evening, haven’t I? Why don’t you tell me what makes you happy?” Alex asked.
It was Lauren’s turn to pause. “Aside from Serena and Max, I honestly don’t know.”
“What? You really don’t know what makes you happy?”