by Troy Storm
The grinning Buddy carefully closed the door behind him.
“I’m on my lunch break,” she said, sounding as if they had just talked yesterday. “You know how Amelia is. Even if there are no customers, she wants us ready and waiting for walk-ins. I’ll have to get back soon. I’m glad you’ve got time to see me. I just—”
He grabbed her hand. They were both startled at how the touch affected them.
“Dot, I’ve been meaning to call you. For a long time.”
Dismissing his urgent look, she interrupted. “It’s about Lucy.”
“Lucy?”
“Matt, I’ve gotten in way over my head here, but it’s not the first time and probably won’t be the last. But…I can take care of myself…always have. Well, mostly.” Breaking eye contact, she looked around. “Place hasn’t changed much. Funny. I thought it would have to be different. I mean, you getting a new house, and everything.”
He started to speak. She interrupted. “That stupid joke of ours, to get you moving, seems to have gone to Christy’s head…or lower.” She gave a wry chuckle and began to move about the office. “You two must have hit it off great.” She was quickly dead serious again. “But now she’s got Lucy all fired up and I don’t want her to…”
“You don’t want her to get hurt like you got hurt?” His mouth continued to work, but no more words come out. They never did. He never could get them to.
She stared at him for a moment and then took a long, deep breath. He waited for her to say more, but then realized most of it had already been said…on her part…a long time ago.
Matt sat on the edge of the cluttered desk, rubbing his face with both hands.
“What’s Christy got in her head now, and what’s it got to do with Lucy? And you? And me?”
“Well, I can’t go into details—it’s a female pact thing, it appears, and she is still my friend, but we’re all, the three of us, going to help you break out of your cone of inactivity, so to speak.” Finally her face relaxed. Her slow grin sly. She was beginning to get her footing around him. If only he could feel the same. He had better be on his guard, Matt thought. He trusted Dorothy above all other human beings on the planet, but the two of them still weren’t the same person. She had to protect herself too.
“I think I can say, though,” she smirked, “that we’re all expected to do our best to try and get you interested in…dating again. Christy seems to have won the first round, she tells us. And, damn,” Dorothy patted her cheek mock sadly, “I didn’t even get a kiss out of it.”
Matt could feel his cheeks heat up. Dadgummit, he thought, how old does a man have to get before… that wasn’t all that was heating up, either.
“Or maybe dating is too mild a word. Christy does tend go for the gonads when she’s got her sights set.” The old sarcastic Dorothy emerged, secure as ever.
“And those sights are set on me?” Matt’s testosterone began to flow. Christy was a mighty fine woman. Any man would be proud to possess…Ha! Possess. Fat chance.
“Well, we, that is, the three of us, you, me and Christy, have a history…of sorts. And so do the three of us girls. Women. At the beauty parlor all we ever call ourselves is girls,” she said, parenthetically. “We are so ‘not’ that anymore.” She gave a slight shiver. “Even Lucy is way past. Further than she gives herself credit.”
“What am I supposed to do about Lucy?”
“The main thing, Matt, is she kind of comes with a disadvantage. Do you like her?”
“I don’t really know her that well. From what I can tell, she’s pretty special.”
“She is. And I’d like her to stay that way.”
“Which means?”
“You can still hurt, Matt. Pride yourself on that. Probably even more than you know. Now, there’s a mystery around you. ‘What’s he thinking? Where’s his head, after all these years.’ We all wonder.”
His head was probably right between his legs, he thought, the memory of his encounter with Christy still fresh in his loins.
She shrugged, continuing her thought. “Everybody can read me like a book. Much as I loved Beau, it wasn’t the same losing him as it was for you losing Alice. He went quick. She took a long time. I gotta get back.”
He quickly grabbed both her hands in his. She wasn’t recoiling any more. It was almost…almost…like it had been.
“Why is this whole thing such a big deal?” he asked. “You’re not betting money, are you?”
She laughed. “Just like a man. No.” She stroked his cheek, enjoying his noonday stubble. “Money can’t buy what you’ve got to offer, it seems.” Her eyebrow cocked at him. “I’ve never seen Christy quite so…taken down. You must really be turning on the charm.”
Matt was beginning to feel his…if not oats, then a fresh crop of something rising.
“Why the rush?” he asked. “I’ve been out of it so long, I might do something stupid without meaning to. Why not take it easy. Let me slide back into how to treat a woman.”
“I’d like that.” Her eyes were soft. But just for a moment. “But Christy doesn’t mess around. When she’s got her mind set, we’d all better look out. We all know that. And just because we’re all buddies, she’s giving us a shot at you too.”
“You…too?” He leaned in close.
“I’m thinking about it. Thought I had scabbed over, but…lot of baggage, Matt.”
The heaviness in his loins instantly shifted to his heart.
“We can handle it. I promise.”
“Yeah. You promised a lot before too.”
She had him there.
“Just be sure you handle Lucy easy.” She pulled away and started for the door. “She’s got the purest soul of us all. Even if she doesn’t know it.” At the door, she turned back toward him. “I’m not telling you how to handle your women, Matt. That would be stupid. But you’re fresh out of the gate, again. You may have something different in your mind than Lucy does. Just keep that in your head while you’re stretching those unused muscles back into shape.” She grinned, smugly, clarifying. “Dating muscles, I mean.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I know just what muscles you’re talking about.”
She nodded, appraising him. “You’re looking good, Matt. I’m looking forward to our time together. Assuming it gets that far.” She was in full control of herself now. The old careful wary Dorothy. “Give me a call one of these days. I’m about two bases behind.” She waved and left.
She still knew how to cut. She still was capable of riling him. She still looked great. Fantastic.
Why did he suddenly think of Little League? At eight years old. Being shoved out there. In front of everybody. Made to compete against his will.
And how he had hated it.
At first.
Chapter Five
“Here you are, m’lady. Your carriage awaits.” Matt bowed grandly and gestured toward the midnight-black loaner sedan. Lucy beamed.
“Oh, Matt, this is so exciting. A whole day to spend together. And in the middle of the week. I feel like I’m skipping school.” She bounced down the sidewalk, small heels clicking, skirt fluttering, eyes sparkling. Matt felt a lightness mid-chest. And he had to admit, a growing heaviness lower and more centered. “How are you able to take off work?” she asked, her voice bright with excitement.
Lucy might not be the hottest pistol in the rack, but she had charm and beauty and above all enthusiasm and…on second look, he thought, her pistol standing in the rack was looking exceptionally good today.
“I'm the boss. And I might be able to mix a little business with pleasure, which will make it okay on all counts. You look great.” She certainly did buff up nicely. Holding the door for her, as she moved past, a cloud of something flowery and heady floated around her. “Did you do something to your hair?” She gleamed in the morning sunlight.
“It’s streaked.” She proudly smoothed the highlighted waves as Matt came around and slid into the driver’s seat. “Dot did it. A couple of weeks ago. I
had just had it done when I brought Sam over to you. It was a little blatant, I thought then, but now it's all settled in. I'm used to it. Isn’t it terrific? Dorothy's just awesome when it comes to my dead hair. Usually it just lays there, and now it's all bouncy. Like a TV commercial.” She swung her head around happily.
“Dot is your hairdresser?” Of course, now that he thought about it, she must be. He knew many of the local girls went to The Crowning Glory, thank goodness. Either support the few businesses left in town or trek off to the mall a couple of dozens miles away. “Well, she does a great job. You look terrific.”
“It took all the girls a long time to talk me into it. I didn’t want to be too, well, you know, I don’t think I’m exactly the glowing auburn waves type. I'm not very outgoing.”
He laughed, thinking of the previous week he had spent with Christy, who could hardly be more outgoing. He was ready for a date centered more around “us” than around “her.”
“Where are we going today, and so early? Do you have a plan?” she asked.
“I kind of did. Why? Do you have any suggestions?”
“I made a list. But then, I make lists all the time. You don't have to—”
“We don't have to do anything we don't want to do today,” he smiled, all endearing older charm. “What's on your list?”
“Well, Dia at Beacon would be the closest. I love that place. It just seems so un-museumlike, you know? It was an old factory. All that space. It's perfect for all that far-out modern art. It’s wonderful. And if we go up toward Poughkeepsie, we could see the gardens at Vassar. They’re so beautiful and today’s so lovely. Further up, there’s the Vanderbilt estate. It’s just overwhelming, but I love Kykuit down at Sleepy Hollow, too. The art in the basement is breathtaking.” She had been excited, but now she was suddenly hesitant. “But, maybe you'd prefer something more outdoorsy or…”
“I have been known to appreciate a well-made structure,” he said, raising an appreciative eyebrow. “And I certainly know a work of art when I see one.”
She blushed. Within ten minutes he had made her blush. Charmingly. Endearingly. Not like with Christy who could make him blush and bone up within five. Toward the end of the week he had been boning up before he even picked her up. Today, for a pleasant change, didn't seem quite like a bony kind of day.
“Well, since it’s so early I thought we might take a train in to New York and catch a matinee.”
She squealed with delight. It was exactly the reaction Clay said to expect.
“A Broadway show! Oh, that would be wonderful! Did you get tickets? I couldn’t imagine going to New York without having my tickets in hand.”
“Well, I know this guy who said there were a half-dozen shows we shouldn’t have a problem getting into at the last minute.” If we were willing to pay top dollar, Matt finished to himself. But for Lucy, top dollar would be a pleasure.
“Oh, that would be so great. What shows?”
He pulled a list from his pocket and named half-a-dozen shows. She had seen them all but would love to see them again and gave him a quick run-down of each to see which he might enjoy most.
“Wow, Lucy, you get around more than I thought. All the way to Broadway. And all the sights in the area. I'm impressed.”
Matt suddenly realized he now didn't have a driving destination in mind. He found a place to pull the car over.
She looked chagrined. “I have a lot to time on my hands when I'm not working. And I like to be up-to-date on what's happening. Have things to talk about, you know.”
He caught her hands in his. “I think it's great. Do any of the girls go with you?”
She took a deep breath, staring at their hands. “No, they're usually working. I can take time off every now and then, like today, if I work it out with Carmen. Since I do so much for him outside of business hours, he lets me pretty much work out my own schedule. Except when he has clients coming in,” she added, grinning. “Then he wants to show me off,”
“What do you do for Carmen outside of business hours?”
“Oh, mostly real-estate research on the Internet. You know, what's been sold in the area, what its price was. What we might be able to pick up a tip on. Carmen isn't really much good with a computer and neither is Mrs. Anders, so he's thrilled I can do that stuff.” She giggled. “I saved him a bundle on his taxes this year.”
“How'd you manage to pull that off?”
“He had never listed any of his expenses and he's too cheap to use an accountant. I filled out the whole thing this year and he saved about thirty-five hundred dollars.”
“Wow. He must have been really pleased. Did you get a raise?”
“He offered to take me to dinner.”
Matt laughed. “Yeah. That would be Carmen.”
She smiled, giving a slight shrug. “That's okay. I think of it as a learning curve. You know, the more you know, the more likely you are to always find a job. Was there a particular reason we're going to New York today? You said it might be business and pleasure.”
“Buddy's having trouble finding a part he needs to replace. I thought I might stop by the supplier's New York place and see if they've got it there.”
“Did you check their website?”
“Uh...no. I'm not that big on...”
She giggled. “Men never are big on checking.” She pulled out her smart phone and started tapping and sweeping her finger over it. “What are you looking for?”
A few minutes later, Matt sat amazed at Lucy's efficiency. She had emailed the supplier in New York and found they didn't have the part he needed, but could order it from the area distributor, which was in Poughkeepsie, and have it shipped to him in a couple of days. She double-checked that Poughkeepsie had the part.
“Terrific!” he cheered. “We'll drive to Poughkeepsie and pick it up. What did you say there was to do around there? This'll give us a lot more time to do stuff.”
“There's the Loeb Art Center. It's wonderful. And you can even walk across the Hudson on this old bridge they've turned into a park. And there's a wonderful diner…”
“Okay, okay,” he laughed, totally charmed by her enthusiasm. “So you won't mind missing New York today?”
She looked at him with shining eyes and he felt his heart flop. “No. I won't miss New York at all.”
* * * *
Several hours later Matt lay in his bed staring at the ceiling.
It had been, and was continuing to be, an astonishing day. He had not had a relationship keep him awake in years.
All day long he and Lucy had hit it off as if he had never known her. And in truth, he hadn't. The woman he had spent the day with was nothing like the girl he thought was Lucy. Chuckling, he ran his hands over his naked body. Man, never judge an office hottie by her business attire.
She hadn't magically changed into another person. She had simply kept revealing layers and layers of a unique creature who turned out to be the core of Lucy, and that she guilelessly and innocently seemed to have no idea she had kept totally hidden from everyone.
Matt turned on his side and curled. She had really given him a run for his money.
It wasn't only her astonishing industriousness, the cleverness, the knowledge of what was going on in the world and how to deal with it that startled him, it was the sex that had totally and completely blown him away.
When, after a really great dinner, he pulled the gleaming black sedan up in front of her apartment, he had felt like he was back in college, desperately trying to impress and reel in a sexy classmate. Totally out of his depth. He wasn't sure he liked feeling so off balance, but he sure loved what had happened between him and Lucy in the last few hours.
“It's been one of the most fun and amazing days of my life,” he had said. She was silent. Not even the light little laugh that he had grown to appreciate during the day. Sometimes she could bust out a startling guffaw, her timing always impeccable, but the enchanting ripple of delight was a signature all her own, and he found himse
lf working like a dog to elicit it. And each time he achieved his goal, he felt as if he had won the lottery.
Her head was down. She looked out the window at her apartment building.
“Me, too.” Her voice was very small, “I had a wonderful time.”—and tentative. She wanted what he wanted. He knew it. For the day not to end. Matt’s heart thundered. His groin roared. They still had several hours if…
“Will you come home with me?” he asked, swallowing. “A cup of coffee, maybe? A nightcap?” Anything for her to stay with him as long as she could.
“Could we make love? It may be the only time we'll...I'll...I know it's just a contest...”
He slammed the big car into gear and took off with a gravel-scattering screech.
The ripple evolved into a full nervous laugh. “It's like a terrible reality show,” she called over the powerful car's straining engine. “I know…I know I can’t win…but I really want us to stay friends. Afterwards.” She clutched his arm. “Matt, you're wonderful. I feel awful begging like this, but I want…at least once.”
He threw a grin her way as the midnight-black machine streaked through the night.
“I'm going to bed you right and proper, baby. Better than taking you on the lawn of your apartment building, right?”
She returned his laugh. “That might be kinda different. There are a couple of retirees in the building I swear would run to unfold their lawn chairs and critique our moves.”
“I'm going to give you some moves that will blow their minds,” he laughed. “And if those moves don't, I've got a million more to try. I'm gonna keep trying until you cry mercy.”
“I'm loud, Matt. I yell a lot.”
“I'm looking forward to it.”
What he had not been expecting was her blowjob. Which, true to its name, blew his mind. None of his previous lady friends, or even Alice, were into blow jobs and, now that he thought about it—and in the last few hours he had been thinking about a lot of stuff he hadn't been thinking about lately—blowjob was a stupid name for what Lucy had done to his dick.