Secrets, Lies, and Online Dating: Three Generations Learn to Love Again (Women's Fiction)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  She stopped in front of the outside door. Kids came and went by them, laughing and talking.

  “I’ll help you. Meet me at the library tomorrow.”

  He grinned at her. “Why can’t we work at my apartment?”

  “Do you have a copy of the constitution? Do you have the reference books we’re going to need?”

  Wrapping his arms around her, he held her, and they swayed together. “Probably not, but we could start our research there and end it at the library.”

  “You’re doing things backwards. Research first.”

  “It’s just so hard to do personal research at the library.”

  “There are ways,” she said and leaned forward to kiss him goodnight.

  He took her face in his hands and held her mouth to his while he explored her mouth, ravaging her until she felt like she would melt into a puddle at his feet.

  “Hey, get a room,” someone yelled and he abruptly released her.

  Katie stood there stunned, regretting her decision not to go with him to his apartment. She wanted to jump his bones, but her conscience told her to move her feet inside.

  “Good night, Katie,” he said, smiling at her, knowing he’d left her wanting him.

  “Good night,” she said, trying to gather her wits about her. Her feet were weighted down with regret as she made her way inside.

  She reached the door and turned to see him walking cockily down the street, his hands in his pockets.

  Oh yeah, she was definitely giving her virginity to him.

  Brenda stood on the fishing dock and watched the sun go down over Lake Proctor near Comanche, Texas. On her way to Colorado, she’d stopped to spend a few days doing laundry, resting and relaxing. And now here she stood, her fishing line disappearing into the depths of the lake, trying to catch some Crappie for supper.

  Her bobber went under and she yanked, reeling her line in to land the fish. She had him to the top of the water, when with a shake of his head, he fell off the line, and splashed back into the lake.

  “Damn!” she said, reeling her empty hook in.

  “You pulled too hard,” a male voice called.

  She watched as a man in a small boat with a tiny troll motor wove in and out of the brush alongside the bank.

  “Thank you,” she said sarcastically. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  Just what she needed, a man to critique her fishing capabilities.

  He laughed. “Spoken just like a woman. Never open for any criticism.”

  “Excuse me,” she said, raising her voice, irritated that her peaceful evening was disturbed by a jerk on the wrong end of the fishing line.

  “What kind of bait are you using?” he asked, ignoring her sarcasm.

  “I’m sure it’s the wrong kind.”

  “It probably is, especially if you bought it from that crook at the convenience store.”

  She didn’t say anything. She had bought her minnows and her worms from the convenience store close to camp. It was convenient.

  “You’re not responding,” he said.

  “Huh?” she asked. “Did you say something? Your noise is scaring the fish.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Try buying your bait further down the highway at the Minnow Shack. They’re honest, their bait is better quality, and you come away with at least 15-20 minnows instead of twelve.”

  “Thanks,” she said reluctantly, running the hook through the minnow’s back and then tossing her line in the water.

  “How many have you caught?” he asked.

  Brenda didn’t know why, but she grabbed her fish basket and raised it proudly showing off her three twelve-inch crappie and two small Brine. Not bad for a couple of hours work.

  “You do know how to fish.”

  Smartass, she thought to herself.

  “What about yourself?” she asked, hoping his basket was empty.

  He lifted his fish basket. It was half full.

  “Damn,” she said, wishing she’d beat him. “I’m glad I’m not cleaning all those fish.”

  He grinned. “We’re having a fish fry tomorrow night over at the big camp area. You should come.”

  “And have to share my fish?” she shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Nah, I’ve been catching fish for several days and I’m due to go home on Sunday. We’ve got plenty of fish. We’re asking people to bring either a salad or a dessert.”

  She thought about it a moment, intrigued by this man. “Who is we, kemosabe? I don’t hang out with bikers or old geezers.”

  “How about geezer don’t-wannabes?”

  She laughed. “Now, that’s a group I could possibly consider joining. As long as no one talks about their cholesterol meds or their blood pressure medicine.”

  He was an older gentleman, but he had a keen sense of humor and he seemed nice. Not that she was going to find out for sure.

  “No guarantees, but the last time we all got together, one guy in camp was peddling natural herbs that promised to keep you young forever.”

  “Hmph. There is no such drug.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I told him and he took a hike.”

  “What time do the grateful undead gather?”

  It wouldn’t hurt to check out the local senior group in the RV park. She’d soon be moving on to Colorado.

  He smiled and shook his head. “Don’t call them that or they will run you out of the park.”

  “I’ll wait and see whether or not I like these people before I call them the grateful undead.”

  “Good idea.”

  Brenda felt a nibble on her line and turned her attention back to the fish at hand. When her bobber went under, she reeled the fish in and pulled him up onto the dock.

  “Hey, that’s a nice one.”

  “Thanks. I guess I didn’t pull too hard on this one.”

  “Nope, you did a great job of setting the hook.”

  She gripped the fish in her hand and took the hook out of its mouth and then slid it into the basket. She wiped her slimy hands on a nearby rag.

  He watched her and laughed. “My wife used to always wipe her hands, too.”

  His wife used to! He must be a widow. It seemed to be an epidemic among her age group.

  “I love to fish, but I don’t like that slimy icky feel or smell on my hands.” She baited her hook and threw it back out in the water.

  “My name is Paul McConnell, by the way.”

  “Nice to meet you Paul, I’m Brenda Jones.”

  They continued to fish, but with the introduction of names, it felt awkward. The spontaneity seemed to have disappeared along with the setting sun.

  “It’s getting dark,” Paul said. “I guess I better head to the bank, so I can start cleaning fish. You could come help me.”

  There was no way she was going to follow this man back to his campsite and help him clean all those fish. It would take her just about five minutes and then her fish would be frying in a hot skillet. His would take hours.

  “Yeah, and people in hell want ice water. It’s time for me to head back to my camper,” Brenda said.

  “If you don’t mind the cold, the fish usually bite here early in the morning or late in the evening, especially under that light.”

  She’d noticed the light on the other side of the dock, but chose to fish on this side of the pole.

  “Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

  He yanked the pull start on the trolling motor, until it finally sputtered to a start. The battery operated engine quieted to a purr.

  “Maybe I’ll run into you again.”

  “Yeah. See you around,” she said.

  He waved and she watched as he headed the little boat around the dock, keeping close to the shoreline. Soon, he disappeared into the darkness and she couldn’t help but smile. The old man had been kind of fun.

  Chapter 8

  A week later, Katie walked into her dorm room and shut the door. She sighed.

  Crystal glanced up from her laptop.
“Good date?”

  “The best,” she said kicking her boots off. “I think I could marry this boy.”

  “Whoa, wait a minute. We’re in our first year of college. Who in the world gets married now?”

  Katie plopped down on her bed and leaned back against the wall. After all the upheaval in her life, she'd like some stability. Something she could count on forever. Someone who wouldn’t leave her.

  “My mother did.”

  “And didn’t you tell me she regretted getting pregnant and marrying your father?”

  Since the time she was a little girl, her mother had told her ‘you're going to college and you're going to finish’. At the time that had seemed like a great plan, but not now. Now, she didn't know what she wanted. She just felt lost.

  “Yes, but don’t you want to get married?” Katie asked.

  “Sure, eventually. But for now I’m more focused on passing this semester – and flirting and partying, and just having fun. I don't want any kind of commitment beyond finals.”

  Sitting there, Katie thought about what she was saying. That was the person she'd been up until four months ago. She had just wanted to party, have a good time, and get into college. She had her life all planned out with her parents beaming at her when she walked across the stage to receive her college diploma. But now, nothing was the same. She wasn't even certain there was a good reason to finish college.

  Crystal shook her head at her. “Besides, I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my life,” Crystal said with a laugh. “I've seen my older sister with her husband and two kids. I’m not ready for dirty diapers, sick kids, and a husband who’s more interested in watching sports than helping. Hopefully in four years, I’ll be able to get my own place and have some fun before I commit to happily ever after with someone.”

  All of that had been Katie’s plan, but now she felt empty. She wanted someone to make her feel alive again and Jake made her laugh. For the first time in months, she'd smiled and had a good time. She needed that right now. She needed someone to think of her happiness.

  Crystal frowned at her. “I thought you were just playing with him, like he likes to play with other girls. You knew the night you met him that he likes to string women along. Are you certain you want to commit to someone like that?”

  She was right. But with her Jake was different. He was caring and sweet and made her forget her problems. She was the only girl in his life and she would do what it took to keep him from straying.

  Shrugging, she said, “It’s only been three dates. But I'm the only girl he's with right now. I like him a lot. Let's just say, if I was going to get married, he’d be at the top of my choices.”

  “Well, I hope he doesn't break your heart. And I hope at the end of this semester you focus more on school and less on guys and marriage.”

  In her heart, Katie knew she was right. She should be working harder at school, but right now she didn’t feel like she could, not when she felt like she had nothing, no home, no family, no one, and it was the worst feeling in the world. The aloneness was frightening. She needed someone, and Jake was that someone, she was sure of it, because he needed her too.

  Marianne glanced at Stuart, sitting in the car next to her. This was their third date. The ‘obligatory’ sex date. According to Paige, every man expected sex no later than the third date. And earlier in the evening, Stuart had informed her his kids were not at his house tonight.

  “Look, it’s starting to snow,” she said excitedly. It was such a rare sight in Texas that she couldn’t help but feel delighted. By the end of her first winter, everyone told her she would hate the white stuff, but right now the flakes spiraling to the ground were beautiful.

  “You’re worse than one of my kids,” Stuart said, glancing at her and then patting her on the leg, where his hand remained.

  Oh yeah, he was expecting a little something tonight.

  “Can’t help it,” she said. “I can count the number of times I’ve witnessed snow in Texas. I love the sight.”

  “It will look even better by firelight,” he said, smiling at her.

  The sizzle in his gaze had her doing math problems in her head, trying to control her fear. “Do you want to stop and get a movie?” she asked, anything to distract him.

  It sounded lame, even to her ears, but her nerves were playing Wimbledon and she was losing forty love. Stuart was kind. He’d sent her flowers after their first date, he’d called her almost every day, he understood when she had a test and couldn’t go out with him. There were just so many nice things about him and yet she wasn’t certain of her feelings.

  He seemed almost too good to be true.

  She wanted to really, really like him, and she did, but she wasn’t convinced she liked him enough to have sex with him. She’d only had sex with one man and she couldn’t remember how she was supposed to feel.

  Stuart glanced over at her. “I have streaming video at home. We can choose a movie to watch.”

  “What kind of movies do you like?” she asked, trying to calm her nerves.

  “Action adventure and some romantic comedies, but not all of them.”

  She smiled. “You’d sit through a chick flick with me?”

  “Sure. I’m good for a chick flick as long as you are willing to sit through a James Bond movie for me.”

  “I can do that.”

  He smiled and reached for her hand. “Have I told you how much I enjoy being with you?”

  Heat spread across her face. How long had it been since a man had said this to her? He treated her so special and yet she didn’t know what to think of him. “You have, but I enjoy hearing it again.”

  He pulled into the driveway and her heart gave a little extra beat. Maybe she should just tell him to take her home. Maybe she should feign a stomachache. What the hell was she doing?

  “Come on, let’s go inside,” he said.

  “Okay,” she replied her knees knocking. He got out of the car and came around to her side. Like an awkward ninny, she sat waiting for him to open her door.

  He took her elbow and led her into the house. He swung open the door and flipped on a light illuminating a large room with a fireplace. She stood in the entryway, her nerves still slugging out the tennis match.

  Stuart helped her out of her coat and laid it on the back of the sofa in the middle of the room. “Have a seat. I’m going to open another bottle of wine and light the fireplace. The restroom is right down the hall, if you want to freshen up.”

  “Thanks,” she muttered.

  If she went into the bathroom, she might lock herself in and never come out.

  She strolled around the room, concentrating on her breathing, glancing at the pictures of his kids. They were obviously very important in his life, and he displayed their pictures proudly. He returned, carrying a bottle and two glasses.

  “That’s Jason and Mark,” he said.

  She picked up a plaque. “Soccer Coach of the year?”

  He grinned. “For a while, I was the little league coach for Jason’s soccer team. Until I got tired of out of control parents.”

  She strolled to his bookcase and looked at the titles. Most were college textbooks and real estate books, with a few fiction titles.

  The lights dimmed and she turned to see him gazing at her, like she was cherry pie with whipped cream on top. Yet his gaze left her warm inside. Part of her was interested, part of her was uncertain, and part of her was terrified.

  “As you see, I don’t read much. I just don’t have the time and when I do, I usually read industry manuals that I need to learn something from.”

  “That’s the one thing I don’t like about college. All my reading time is spent on textbooks,” she responded.

  “But it will pay off one day.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  With the flick of a switch, the gas logs in the fireplace blazed. He opened the bottle of wine and poured a glass for her. Her hands shook as she took the glass from him.

&n
bsp; He lifted his glass and clicked it against hers. “To another great evening together and hopefully the beginning of something meaningful for both of us.”

  She smiled, warmth spreading through her. He said the nicest things. “Thanks.”

  “Have a seat,” he said, and motioned to the pit group that was arranged around the fireplace.

  She sank onto the sofa and sipped from her glass, needing the liquid courage.

  He took a seat beside her. “You know these last few days I’ve dreamed of you being in this room with me, with us sitting here talking. It’s nice to see you here.”

  “I enjoy your company,” she said sincerely. She had fun when she was with him. She liked him. So why the nerves? Why not just be with him and see if the physical side of their relationship was as good?

  His mouth nuzzled her neck and she swallowed, feeling like a boulder was stuck in her neck. He took her glass from her hand and set it on the table. She gazed into his eyes and the passion burning there left her breathless.

  His lips covered hers, his mouth magically clearing her mind of everything but Stuart. He leaned her back against the couch, while his lips continued their magic, his fingers beginning to unbutton her blouse.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, as cool air brushed her now bare nipples and she wondered when he’d unhooked her bra.

  How long had it been since a man had wanted her, had said words of pleasure to her as he slowly undressed her?

  “I’ve wanted you since the first day I met you,” he said, his words so perfect they eased the doubts that had plagued her on the drive over. In her marriage, sex had become overrated. Great sex had been extinct since the honeymoon.

  What was she waiting for? Why not take a test drive to see if her engine even remembered how to purr?

  She reached out, wanting to be an active participant, and began to unbutton his shirt. Her hands made quick work to reach his chest, needing to feel his naked skin, needing Stuart to replace old memories with new ones.

  Katie glanced around the dorm room. Candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow in the room. Crystal, her roommate, had gone to visit her parents for the weekend and everyone else had been warned she had plans this evening.