Bedding Mr. Birdsong

by Deborah Camp

  “You want to see Oklahoma!, courtesy of my pal Lonnie? She gave me two tickets for the matinee today. We could go backstage afterward and you can meet her. Well, meet her again. I think you two might have known each other in college.”

  “I looked through one of my college yearbooks and I found her photo. I do remember her. She was good friends with one of Carin’s girlfriends. There were five or six girls who were like a pack.”

  “Girls do that,” she said. “Run in packs. There’s safety in numbers.”

  “I’d like to go with you. Maybe I could take you two ladies to dinner after the show.”

  “We’d probably let you do that.” She reached behind her and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “I’ll text her our plans. This updated Oklahoma! is pretty cool. I’ve seen it in rehearsals.”

  “As a big fan of the old one, I’ll need convincing.”

  She glanced at her phone. “Okay. Lonnie’s in. She said dinner out with us sounds better than a limp salad and leftover pizza at her place.” She shoved her phone into her pocket. “You enjoy musical theater?”

  “Love it.” He noted her surprise. “What’s that face for?”

  “Hetero men are sometimes reluctant to admit that they like musicals. I’m glad you don’t have that hang-up.”

  He squared his shoulders to broaden his chest. “I’ll have you know that I tear up when Jean Valjean sings ‘Bring Him Home’ in Les Miz.”

  She clasped her hands under her chin and batted her lashes at him. “Awww. A man after my own heart.” Grabbing up her book, she stood. “I’m off. If I’m meeting you later for a show and dinner, I have errands I have to run now.” She placed a hand on his shoulder when he moved to stand. “And you can’t come with me. It’s girlie stuff. I’ll see you in the foyer at one.”

  With a sigh, he relaxed back into the chair and happily watched her depart, that cute butt of hers encased in snug jeans.

  A man after my own heart.

  That clichéd phrase had given his heart a swift kick. He’d been fantasizing about her more often lately, waking with the dreamy dregs of being buried deep inside her and her moaning of his name still ringing in his ears. But it was more than sex dreams. Sometimes he dreamed of walking hand-in-hand with her, laughing at silly jokes, getting caught up in the beauty of her smile and the glimmer in her eyes. A couple of days ago at the office, a conference call had interrupted him daydreaming about cooking dinner with her in his kitchen of all things! He’d never woolgathered about such mundane things before. Not about a woman!

  Zaney Miller wasn’t like any woman he’d known. She was easy to be with while being complicated, goofy while being smart, and candid while being careful with her feelings. She had a lot of heart. Would it be enough to settle for only a piece of it? That was a question he wasn’t ready to answer yet.

  Chapter 9

  When Lonnie Met Seth

  “Did you know that he’s balled one of the dancers?” Lonnie whispered, keeping her eyes on Matthew as she leaned in closer to Zaney to be heard above the backstage cacophony.

  “Nope. But it doesn’t surprise me.” She kept her gaze trained on Matthew, too. He was a few feet away, talking to a slim brunette, one of the attractive dancers in Oklahoma! The dancer rested a hand on his chest and laughed up into his smiling face. But his smile wasn’t sincere, Zaney noted. It was forced. Funny, how she had learned to read his expressions and gestures. When his gaze slipped sideways to her, she could tell that he was uncomfortable. Probably at being ambushed again by one of his one-nighters, she thought with a twist of malice. “Banging actresses and models is his specialty,” she told Lonnie.

  Lonnie’s chuckle was low and dirty. “He is a handsome hunk of manhood. I’ll give him that. Go rescue him and let’s go. I’m dying for a drink and a big, juicy burger.”

  “You’re all wrapped up here?” Zaney glanced around, seeing that the troupe and backstage guests were thinning out.

  “All done. I’ll grab my stuff and meet you at the stage door.”

  “Right.” Zaney sauntered to Matthew, catching the lift of his brows and the flicker of apprehension that raced across his features. “Excuse me.” She waited for the brunette to stop talking and turn toward her. “I hate to interrupt, but Lonnie is waiting for us, Matthew.”

  “Yes, sorry.” He edged away from the brunette. “Good to see you again, Christy.” He glanced down at the folded square of paper Christy pressed into his palm. “Uh. Oh, right. Thanks.” He shoved it into his jacket pocket and cupped Zaney’s elbow as they walked away.

  “She gave you her phone number, address, or both right in front of me. Ballsy. Or did you tell her I was just your neighbor?”

  “I didn’t tell her anything. She did all the talking.” He craned his neck, peering over the heads of people and stage props and scenery. “Where’s Lonnie?”

  “She’s meeting us at the back door. Stage door.” She glanced up at him again, smothering a giggle. “Why are you so flustered? You must be used to running into your pillow pals by now.”

  “I’m not flustered.” He shot her a frown of pure irritation. “I’m hangry.”

  “Oh. Right.” She scoffed at that, then spied Lonnie. “There she is.” They exited the theater and shuffled along the alley to the street. “Where are we eating?”

  “I want a burger,” Lonnie said. “And a beer. Or a margarita. Or a shot of tequila. Or everything.” Thunder sounded, making her jump. “What I don’t want is to be rained on.”

  Matthew nodded straight ahead. “I go to a bar two blocks from here. Money Hungry. Have you been there? No? They have great burgers and fries. Seth and I stop in there nearly every week.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Lonnie moved to his other side and linked her arm in his. “Lead the way, Birdsong. Who’s Seth?”

  “My business partner.”

  “Oh, right, right.” Lonnie nodded. “Zaney has mentioned him. You know that Zaney tells me everything, don’t you?”

  He looked from her to Zaney on his other side. “Everything?”

  “Let her believe what she wants,” Zaney mock whispered. “It’s like with your parents. They think you talk to them about everything, but . . . really?” She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Uh-uh.”

  “I heard that,” Lonnie said, leaning forward a bit to glare past Matthew’s chest at her. “Don’t forget, Zee, I know who took your V card, who you’ve cried over, and who you secretly despise.”

  Zaney poked her nose into the air in a haughty display. A raindrop landed between her eyes. “That goes both ways, Lonnie.”

  “Girls, girls. Let’s not squabble.” Matt began trotting, pulling them along and making them laugh. “It’s starting to rain. Let’s boogey!”

  They made it to the bar just before the sky opened and sheets of rain soaked the pavement. Still laughing, they stopped inside and waited for their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. The place wasn’t packed, but it was busy.

  “We’re not the only ones who decided to grab a burger and beer here,” Lonnie noted.

  Matthew held up three fingers, acknowledging the bartender’s quick nod in his direction.

  “You meeting Seth?” the bartender called to him.

  “Got a table for us?” Matthew motioned to Zaney and Lonnie.

  “Sure.” The bartender set a mug of beer in front of a customer and made his way down to them. “You want to eat with Seth?”

  “Oh! He’s here?” Matthew scanned the area, clearly surprised.

  “Yeah. He’s back near the pool tables. He’s got a booth to himself. Said he brought some work with him.”

  “Sure. We’ll intrude on him.” Matt grinned. “Thanks, Rob. Can you fire up three burgers and three fries for us?” He looked at Zaney, then Lonnie. “What do you want to drink?”

  “Glass of water and a Cosmo,” Zaney told the barkeep.

  “Shot of tequila and a tall one,” Lonnie said.

  “And I’ll take water and a New York Sour.
”

  “Gotcha.” Rob shot them with his finger gun, sending them off to find Seth.

  Curious about Seth, having not met him yet but feeling like she already knew him from listening to Matt, Zaney eyed the man in a blue, lightweight pullover and dark jeans who sat in a back booth all alone. He looked up from a stack of papers in front of him and a huge smile spread over his face. Blue-eyed and brown-haired, Seth Anderson had an instantly likeable demeanor. Friendliness poured off him as he laughed, half-stood, and motioned them to join him.

  “I can’t get away from you, Birdsong,” he complained, laughing under his breath before his twinkling blue gaze landed on Zaney. “Oh, hey! This pretty redhead must be your woman friend, huh? Zaney?” He reached out and shook her hand. “I’m Seth. I admire you for taking this guy on as a pal. As one pal to another, he’s not easy to be around.”

  “Gee thanks,” Matthew grumped. He motioned for Lonnie and Zaney to sit opposite Seth before he slid in next to his partner. “This is Lonnie O’Grady, Zaney’s friend.”

  Zaney was used to men giving Lonnie the old once-over and then twice-over. After all, she was stacked. A curvy girl with piles of curling, dark brown hair and almond-shaped, blue eyes, Lonnie was a looker. As she often said, “I’m the kind of girl who gives men soppy wet dreams about motorboating between my boobs and slapping my wiggly ass.” However, the appreciative regard that Seth paid her was more than sexual. His dimples deepened and his smile went a little wonky as he shook her hand.

  “So glad to make your acquaintance there, Lonnie. You don’t happen to have any relatives from Ireland now, do you?”

  She grinned across the table at him. “Only a few hundred.”

  Zaney settled more comfortably in the booth, but couldn’t keep from eyeing her friend and Seth from time to time. Something was going on there. Something very interesting. The last time she’d seen Lonnie fiddle with her hair as she covertly checked out a guy was a couple of years ago when she’d met Christian, a college swim coach. They’d hit it off quickly and became a couple within a month of meeting. She’d stuck with him for almost two years before their quarrels over his possessive streak and checking up on her constantly ruined the relationship. Even with Christian, though, she hadn’t had such trouble taking her eyes off him.

  “We’ve already ordered,” Matt said, moving Seth’s half-full beer mug to one side and glancing at the papers. “What are you working on? The cruise line campaign?”

  “What? Oh, yeah.” Seth gathered up the papers and stuffed them into a leather folder. “I have a Reuben and fries coming.”

  “Whatever you ordered isn’t a Reuben,” Matt said. “He has them hold the sauerkraut,” he explained to Lonnie and Zaney. “So, he’s basically eating a corned beef sandwich.”

  “I don’t like the sauerkraut either,” Lonnie said. “I always ask for extra Russian dressing, though.”

  Seth’s eyes lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning. “So do I! The dressing is what makes it. Not the kraut.”

  “Exactly,” Lonnie agreed, giving him a slyly sexy wink. “We understand what’s good, don’t we?”

  “We do.” Seth stared straight into her eyes. “You’re the Broadway dresser, right?”

  “I am.”

  “You’ve seen Laurey and Curly naked, then.”

  She giggled. “Almost naked. They keep their undies on. You’re the other ad man.”

  His grin grew. “I am. At your service.”

  “What ad have I seen that you’ve been part of?”

  “The Sports Guy for Ump and Ref Sporting Goods stores?”

  “I love those crazy guys! Wow. You did those ads, huh?”

  Zaney switched from watching the strange interplay to staring across at Matthew. She widened her eyes, silently asking him, What gives? His lips quirked as he tried not to grin. She wondered if this was normal behavior for Seth, but from the comical looks Matt was throwing around, she surmised that it wasn’t. By the time the food arrived, it was obvious that Seth and Lonnie liked each other. A lot.

  The evening continued in that vein, with Seth and Lonnie enjoying the crap out of each other and mostly forgetting that Zaney and Matthew were seated next to them. After they’d finished eating, Matthew lounged back in the booth and grinned across at her, shaking his head slowly.

  “You jealous?” Zaney asked, leaning across the table to speak softly to him.

  “Of what?” he asked, mirroring her.

  She nodded to the other couple. “Them.”

  He shrugged. “No. It’s been entertaining watching this play out.”

  “So, this isn’t normal behavior for him?”

  “No. He’s a friendly guy, but he is absolutely into her.” He eyed Seth for a few moments and shook his head again. “He doesn’t even know we’re here.”

  “It’s kind of cute. Oh, and you forgot to tell me that he’s a babe and he has dimples.”

  “Really?” He looked at Seth again in quiet speculation. “He doesn’t have trouble attracting the ladies.”

  “Is he a player, too?” She held her breath, hoping that he wasn’t. If Lonnie liked him and he was only interested in one night . . .

  “What do you mean by, too?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t pretend that you aren’t.”

  “I’ve never considered myself a ‘player.’ I told you that I don’t play games with women. Everyone knows the score.”

  She conceded his point – almost. “True, but knowing the score and still hoping you can throw a Hail Mary and come out a winner . . .” She shrugged. “It’s sort of what women do. I’ve witnessed the disappointment, resentment, and even anger of a few of your past pillow friends. They were hoping for more. They were thinking you might call them again and ask them out.”

  He looked down, still shaking his head, and chuckled softly. “You are such a romantic.”

  Shrugging, she lifted her chin. “Guilty as charged and proud of it.” When his gaze met hers again, she leaned across the table and lowered her voice. “I bet that once upon a time, you were a romantic, too. It’s still in you, Matthew. I know it is. You miss the hearts and flowers. You miss the feeling of being goofy in love. Don’t bother denying it.” Then she sat back and finished off her drink in one, smooth swallow, feeling his penetrating gaze but not meeting it. Instead, she cleared her throat noisily. “Ahem! Hey, you two. Are we done here? I need to visit the ladies’ room before we head out.”

  Lonnie blinked as if coming out of a daze and then, much to Zaney’s shock, she actually blushed! Zaney couldn’t help but gawk at her. In all her years of knowing Lonnie O’Grady, she’d never seen her blush.

  “Yes, I need to pop in there, too.” Lonnie grabbed her purse and opened it. “Let me give you some money, so you can settle the bill while we’re . . . what?” Her teeth clicked together when Seth reached across the table and laid his hand over hers.

  “Please. I’ll get this.”

  “You sure?” Lonnie asked, her voice a little breathy.

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  Zaney looked across at Matthew and had to slam her lips together to prevent the burst of laughter that erupted in her chest at the sight of his crossed eyes and silly grin. She gave him a little kick under the table as she slid out of the booth with Lonnie. In the ladies’ restroom, she hurried into a stall to relieve her aching bladder. She spied Lonnie’s practical Doc Martins in the stall next to her.

  “You blushed.”

  “Get out.”

  “You did. I swear. I wish I’d had my phone out to snap a picture.”

  “Get stuffed, Miller.”

  “You like him,” Zaney sing-songed.

  “Shut the front door.”

  “You want to kiss him,” Zaney continued with the sing-songing.

  “He’s okay.”

  “You want to go to bed with him.”

  “Hell, yes, I do! Is he cute or what? That smile. Jesus. I swear to God. I want to tear that man’s clothes off. And not
just that. I want to wake up with him and listen to him talk and admire his cute, little dimples and the way his blue eyes twinkle. He makes me happy, you know? We like the same things and we hate the same people. He’s smart, too. And he thinks I’m hot. Really hot. Don’t you think he’s a doll?”

  Zaney sat on the toilet listening to her friend babble and realized that Lonnie wasn’t just talking. She was falling for Seth Anderson. Right then. Right there in the women’s restroom at Money Hungry.

  When she emerged from the stall, Lonnie was washing her hands and staring at her reflection. Her happy, blissful reflection. “Don’t you?” she asked, glancing at Zaney in the mirror.

  “Don’t I what?”

  “Think he’s a doll?”

  “Oh, yeah. He’s a cutie. From what I can surmise, he’s the personable partner, the one the clients really like and seek out. Matthew is the nose-to-the-grindstone partner. He prefers working with the staff and letting Seth work with the clients.”

  “I can see that. Who wouldn’t like Seth?” She released a little sigh. “I like his name, too. Seth. It’s sexy, you know?”

  Zaney finished drying her hands and rested one on Lonnie’s shoulder. “Are you alright? I’ve never seen you like this about a guy you just met.”

  “I know! Right?” Lonnie’s blue eyes widened with her smile. “It’s crazy, but I feel like I’ve known him a while, but I haven’t. Do you think we were lovers in another lifetime?”

  “I don’t know, but if this keeps up, I’d bet that you’ll be lovers in this lifetime.”

  Lonnie laughed, did a little twirl, and then exited the restroom. Zaney followed, minus the twirl. Seth and Matthew stood at the front of the restaurant, waiting for them. They all walked out and all glanced up at the sky. It had stopped raining, but thunder rolled overhead and lightning illuminated the clouds for a few seconds.

  “Where are you headed?” Seth asked Lonnie.

  “Soho.”

  “You’re kidding!” Seth chuckled, glancing at Matt before locking gazes with Lonnie again. “I live in Greenwich.”

  “No!” Lonnie laughed with him. “We’re neighbors! Just like Zaney and Matt!”