“I need to run to the restroom.” I pointed as we walked into the restaurant. “Can you get us a table?”
“Sure, want me to order drinks?” He lifted his eyebrows inquisitively.
“I don’t know what I want yet.” I shook my head. “I’ll have to look at the menu. Just get me a water for now.”
My bladder needed a trip to the restroom, but that wasn’t the only reason I needed to go. I was, as my gynecologist put it, one of those lucky women that always knew when I ovulated. My body temperature swayed so much when the hormones went into overdrive that I often didn’t know if I was freezing or burning up, and everything below the waist was a little tender. I also had to wear a thin pantyliner, which was the main reason I needed a trip to the restroom—it needed to be changed. There was definitely some me time on the agenda for the weekend because my body wanted what nature intended it to have—even if I was a virgin.
Okay, that should take care of things until I get back to my apartment.
I walked back into the main part of the restaurant and looked around for Arlo. I saw him at a table in the corner, looking over the menu. As I approached, I noticed that I wasn’t the only one who was staring at him—there was a woman at the bar sipping a martini who seemed to be carefully studying him—like a lioness sizing up her prey, or maybe just trying to make sure there was eye contact if he looked her way. She was pretty enough—at least ten years older than me with blonde hair and a couple of assets I wasn’t blessed with. I couldn’t tell if they were natural or surgically enhanced, but it didn’t look like she was a stranger to Botox.
I don’t know why I feel a hint of jealousy. I can’t have him—I need his clone without the baggage of Penny Grove.
“See anything that looks interesting?” I sat down across from Arlo and reached for the menu.
“I’m leaning towards Chicken Bryan or the pasta sampler.” Arlo looked up at me. “The waitress will be back to get your drink order in a couple of minutes.”
“Ah, yes—the reason weekends are awesome.” I smiled and glanced over at the drink options. “I’ll probably stick with wine tonight—isn’t that what most people drink with Italian food anyway?”
“I think so.” He nodded. “Zinfandel or Merlot with tomato sauces and Pinot Noir or Riesling with everything else.”
“I wish I could just pull that out of my brain encyclopedia that easily.” I laughed under my breath. “I think I want Chicken Alfredo, so I’ll go with Riesling.”
“Too many nights entertaining clients.” He reached for his whiskey.
“By the way, the blonde sitting at the bar wants your number—and probably a whole lot more than that.” I winked at him.
“What?” Arlo looked up in surprise.
“Don’t make eye contact—just glance.” I motioned with a quick side-shake of my head.
Arlo did his best not to make it obvious as he sized her up, and the waitress returned to take my order, which gave us a little cover so he could do everything but stare. I tried not to let the jealousy flood through my veins like it was flooding through my thoughts, but that was a lot more difficult than I thought. My wonderful hormones weren’t helping—especially when the hottest guy I had ever laid eyes on was sitting at the table with me. Still, if I couldn’t have him, then he deserved happiness—whether it was with the blonde who wanted to treat him like a snack, or someone entirely different.
Anyone but me…
“Are you going to go talk to her?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively once Arlo returned his attention to the menu.
“I don’t think so.” He shook his head back and forth.
“Why not?” My head snapped back a little bit, and my eyebrows furrowed. “She’s pretty—it’s not like you’ve got anyone waiting on you at the hotel.”
“I’m too busy with the case to date anyone. Besides, I’m not going to stay in New York City forever.” He shrugged.
“Maybe she isn’t looking for someone that intends to stay here forever—maybe she’s just looking for a warm bed tonight.” I grinned and leaned back when the waitress arrived with my wine.
“I’m not looking for that either.” He shook his head quickly. “That’s not the kind of guy I am.”
Why did he have to say something that makes him sound even more perfect than he already is? Damn it…
Chapter Fifteen
Arlo
The woman at the bar was pretty, but she didn’t really hold my interest for more than the time it took to glance in her direction. In my younger years, I would have probably gotten her number—maybe even left with her. The wisdom of age was both a gift and a curse because I had too many experiences to remind me that relationships were really complicated.
My time in New York City was like sand in an hourglass that was going to run out eventually—and that meant goodbye, trying to make it work from a distance, or matrimony. None of those options appealed to me, which made it easy to write-off our potential relationship in a matter of seconds.
The real problem was that I missed Phoebe more than I ever should have when I returned to Penny Grove. All of the reasons why we needed to make sure the distance between us at the table was as close as we got hadn’t left my thoughts—but it was impossible not to think about it. I didn’t like sitting at home alone, knowing that she was out on a date with someone else. I understood what she was looking for—she had me on a pedestal that highlighted the few good qualities I had and hid all of my flaws, but she needed someone that would treat her with the kindness and respect she deserved.
I’ve always done that because it’s the kind of person I am—and it’s a fucking shame that I’m the only one who has.
“How’s the tomato pasta?” Phoebe looked across the table at me as I prepared to take my second bite.
“Not bad. How’s the—other pasta.” I watched as Phoebe twirled a strand of fettuccine and stabbed her fork into a piece of chicken.
“It’s pretty good.” She nodded. “Definitely better than I expected based on the Yelp reviews and the fact they didn’t have a crowd of people waiting.”
“I’ll make reservations for a nice restaurant tomorrow.” I picked up a piece of garlic bread and bit into it.
“You have to quit spoiling me like this.” She smiled and shook her head. “After you go back home, I’m going to miss being able to eat out every weekend.”
“Well if you hurry up and get your GED, you might have time to take some college classes before I leave—then you could find a job that would allow you to do that on your own.” I raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
“I’m going to get my GED—eventually.” She nodded in agreement. “I just don’t know what comes after that…”
“Why don’t you try to become a paralegal or a research assistant at a law firm?” I tilted my head inquisitively and took a sip of my drink. “You’ll have a year of experience on your resume—and a reference.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” Her face twisted into a look of contemplation. “I’ve never really looked into it—how would I even become a paralegal?”
“These days? A lot of them just get their degree online. Some of the bigger firms want the full-fledged four-year classroom program, but there are some two-year programs that will get you a certificate.” I nodded. “I’ve always cared more about the quality of work than experience anyway, and it’s not easy to find a good paralegal.”
“I’ll think about it.” She nodded. “I have to get off my ass and actually get my GED before I can do it anyway.”
“How about I make a deal with you?” I took a sip of my drink.
“What kind of deal?” She narrowed her eyes.
“If you pick up your phone and enroll in a GED program right now, I’ll buy you something after dinner.” I motioned towards the exit. “There are a lot of nice stores out there—pick anything you want.”
“You realize I could really take advantage of you with that kind of offer?” She leaned back and grinned.
“I’ll risk it.” I shrugged. “Besides, I know you—you’re not going to make a mad dash for the closest jewelry store.”
“True.” She nodded. “Okay, twist my arm. I’ll do it—Daddy.”
“Yeah, young lady.” I put a halfway serious expression on my face and shook my finger at her. “You better—otherwise I’ll have to treat you like a little girl and ground you.”
“Ha!” She started laughing and reached for her phone. “My mom wasn’t even able to successfully ground me very often—she wasn’t there to make sure I did what she said.”
“I bet you did it anyway.” I narrowed my eyes. “You never seemed very defiant.”
“No, I really wasn’t.” Phoebe shook her head back and forth as she continued to laugh. “Of course, the flat side of my mother’s favorite hairbrush might have had something to do with that…”
“Oh, so that’s how she kept you in line?” I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Yep, but I wouldn’t recommend trying that these days.” Her laugh turned into a giggle. “It doesn’t scare me as much as it used to.”
Phoebe enrolled in a GED program, and we finished our meal. The whiskey wasn’t really hitting the spot—or maybe their selection just wasn’t what I was used to. Phoebe didn’t seem especially thrilled with her Riesling either. We decided to take care of our shopping adventure, and then see if we could find somewhere else to have our next couple of drinks. The woman at the bar was still there when we walked towards the door—her eyes followed me for a few feet, but she turned her attention to someone else when I didn’t acknowledge her. Apparently, seeing me with Phoebe didn’t make her completely lose interest—another sign that the girl I was hanging out with was way too young for me.
“Okay, where to spend your money…” Phoebe looked around as she pulled her Juul out to take a few puffs.
“Too bad your mother’s hairbrush didn’t do anything about that.” I gave her hand a slight nudge when she lowered it.
“This?” She glanced at her Juul. “Yeah, she never found out about it—she might have actually pulled my panties down for that spanking. I’ll quit one day…”
“Until then, I guess my weekends will smell like mango.” I looked down and laughed. “Alright, where do you want to shop?”
“I honestly don’t know what I need.” She continued glancing at the stores we passed. “You really don’t have to buy me anything—the motivation was enough.”
“I’m going to buy you something anyway. I keep my word.” I motioned to a store up ahead. “What about a new dress?”
“Uh, not from there.” She shook her head quickly.
“Why not?” I raised an eyebrow.
“That place is so expensive I can’t even walk past it without feeling my bank account cringe.” She grimaced and laughed at the same time.
“That’s nonsense, come on.” I took her hand and pulled her towards the dress store.
I didn’t even realize I was still holding Phoebe’s hand until I got closer to the store—then it seemed too late to simply pull away—especially when she gave it a squeeze and leaned against me. I finally let go when I had to open the door, and it felt like the spot where her hand fit in mine had an electrical pulse that surged through my entire body. She looked up at me for a brief moment before she walked into the store, and it seemed like that electrical pulse was also resonating from her stare. My throat seemed to dry out in an instant, and my pulse started racing like I had just gotten off the treadmill at the gym. I shook off the feeling and followed her into the shop—but my head spun for a couple of seconds before I finally came back down to earth.
Maybe the whiskey at Marco’s Bistro had a stronger kick than I thought…
“Seriously, we should just go…” Phoebe looked back at me after she glanced at a couple of price tags. “I normally do my shopping at the thrift store—or online if I find a really good sale.”
“Stop looking at the prices.” I flicked one of them around before she could see it. “Find something you like. It doesn’t matter how much it costs.”
“It really, really matters.” Phoebe’s head snapped back in surprise. “I didn’t do anything to deserve something this expensive. You literally did me a favor…”
“I see it differently.” I shrugged. “I’ll even take it a step further and offer to buy you something else when you actually get your GED.”
“Stop…” She shook her head quickly. “You’ve done so much for me already. I still haven’t paid back what you loaned me when I left Penny Grove.”
“It was a gift.” I waved off what she said. “I never expected you to pay me back.”
“But I expected to.” She looked down and sighed. “I’m sure that doesn’t sound very believable since you didn’t hear from me for three years...”
“What do you think I’m going to spend my money on anyway?” I tilted my head slightly. “I have a son who doesn’t want a dime from me, I’m too busy with work to even take a vacation, and I haven’t looked at my stock portfolio in years. Let me spoil you a little bit—it makes me happy to be able to help you.”
“There you go twisting my arm again...” She looked up at me, and a weak smile formed on her lips. “Okay, I’ll pick out a dress.”
“Without looking at the price tag?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Begrudgingly…” She sighed and turned back to the one she was previously looking at.
A sales associate came over to assist Phoebe with her selection, and I found a spot to sit down near the dressing room. She really seemed to get in the spirit of shopping once she had a few to try on. The first two were nice, and she looked astonishingly gorgeous in them, but they weren’t exactly what she was looking for. They looked like something you would wear to a fancy party or a ball, and she decided that she wanted a dress that was casual enough to wear out on the weekends. I assumed that it would be cheaper for me, but I really wasn’t concerned about the price. I was so happy that she finally enrolled in a GED course that I would have actually taken her to the jewelry store if she wanted.
“I really like this one.” She walked in an elegant dress with a smile on her face. “It’s so pretty…”
“It is.” I nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I think I’m done playing dress up now.” She did a twirl in front of the mirror—as much as she could in the restrictive fabric. “I’m going to try on something practical now.”
As soon as Phoebe walked back into the dressing room, I got the sales associate’s attention and told her to add the dress Phoebe had just tried on to my bill. It could be an extra surprise when the package arrived at her apartment. I made sure the associate knew it was a secret so that she wouldn’t spoil it. She put her finger to her lips and winked at me before she carried the dress over to the fitting area.
Phoebe went through a few casual dresses, and I thought they were nice, but she wasn’t entirely convinced. After her third dress, she picked up a few more and walked back to the dressing room. I pulled out my phone to check for any messages that I might have missed, and when I pushed it back into my pocket, I noticed that the dressing room door hadn’t completely latched. It was open enough that I could see Phoebe through the crack and got a view that took my breath away when she tossed the dress she had just tried on to the side. I immediately stared at my phone and did everything in my power not to get another glimpse—no matter how bad I wanted to. I felt like I had just survived a trial in front of the toughest judge in Penny Grove when she finally walked back out—fully clothed.
“I like this one.” She nodded as she stood in front of the mirror.
“I do too.” I leaned forward to get a better look. “I’ll have to make some good reservations so you can show it off.”
“Not tomorrow though.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to have to walk around the entire museum in heels.”
“Next weekend perhaps.” I smiled and nodded.
I’m definitely going to need a cold shower when I get ho
me tonight. Fuck, I wish I hadn’t seen her like that—now it’s stuck in my head.
Chapter Sixteen
Phoebe
I gave the dress I picked out to the sales associate so that it could be fitted for my measurements—I still couldn’t believe I was going to own a dress that was fitted for me instead of something I grabbed off the rack at the thrift shop. I didn’t even own any of the dresses I wore to my high school dances. They were borrowed from friends or rented from the shop on Melody Lane. I decided not to look at the price when Arlo finalized the purchase. It was hard enough to accept his generosity without seeing how many digits were on the screen.
“Do you still want to get another drink somewhere?” I looked over at Arlo as we walked out of the dress shop.
“Yeah, what about that bar down there.” He pointed. “They don’t look very busy, and it looks like the people who just walked out were wearing jeans.”
“Sounds good to me.” I pulled out my Juul and sucked on it as we walked to the bar.
My respect and admiration for Arlo just seemed to reach new heights every time I hung out with him. He was making it really hard for me to come up with the right list of qualities I wanted one of those eligible bachelors to have because I kept seeing new ones that I loved. I might have been a little unhappy if he had left me at Marco’s Bistro to go talk to the blonde that wanted to turn him into a snack, but I wouldn’t have held it against him. He had needs—everyone did. That was never more apparent than it was when I was in full-on lust mode thanks to my overactive hormones. It was a good thing the only guy that wanted to turn me into a snack recently was Larry—and I wasn’t that desperate.
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