My Dream Man

by Marie Solka

  Greg examined me like I was goddess worthy of worship. Then he asked, “What are you in the mood for?”

  “Anything. I’ll leave it up to you,” I said, then curled up onto his bed, rested my head on the pillow and closed my eyes.

  It had been a long day and our little interlude had drained me of the last of my energy. I felt satisfied but sleepy. When Greg woke me later to say the food had arrived, I was surprised I had actually fallen asleep. I never heard him order.

  I sat up and stretched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to nod off on you.”

  Greg gazed at me, clearly enamored, then tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “I don’t mind,” he said. Then he grabbed my hand. “C’mon, let’s go eat.”

  As we ate I thought about his dad’s desire for grandchildren. And my own desire to have a family someday. I knew it was still too soon to bring it up, but as I took a bite of a chicken wing I casually asked, “What do you think of kids?”

  “They’re small.”

  I almost choked on my food, laughing. “Your dad mentions them a lot. Must be a parent thing,” I said, trying to feel him out.

  Greg seemed to be considering his reply, and while I waited a knot began to form in my stomach. “He does seem obsessed with the idea of having a grandchild even though it’s a proven fact our planet suffers from overpopulation. At the rate we’re growing it cannot be sustained.”

  I took another bite of my food and puzzled over his response. It sounded like he was saying he didn’t want kids. A twinge of concern nagged me, but I brushed it off as another example of my tendency to overanalyze.

  Maybe he was just stating a fact. I gazed at him from across the table and he smiled, completely unaware of what was going on in my mind.

  I wanted to talk to him about it, but I couldn’t. Not yet. I didn’t want to ruin anything.

  Chapter 27

  I woke up at three in the morning wrapped in Greg’s arms. We’d fooled around again before his dad came home, then stayed up late chatting. I lay still, listening to him breathing, thinking about everything we discussed.

  I learned a lot of new things about him in a short amount of time. I found out his dad was an only child, and that his grandparents had died when he was very young. He didn’t seem interested in talking about exes. All he would say was that he was in love at a young age and it didn’t work out. After that break up and losing his mom, he focused all his energy on his work.

  Considering all the articles he’d been quoted in, and that he was going to be speaking at the upcoming robotics convention, he was doing well for his age. When I tried to tell him so he thanked me, but explained he wasn’t one to rest on his laurels. He was the type that was driven to learn more, to discover more. But he admitted he didn’t have many friends outside work because he hadn’t devoted much time to cultivating relationships.

  I leaned on my elbow and watched my beloved sleep. He was a genius with the face of an angel. I wondered how a woman could hurt him so much that he would shut everyone else out.

  That was in the past, I decided. Whoever she was, it was her loss. And now he was mine. I had never been happier about anything in my entire life.

  When I woke next it was morning. Six-thirty to be exact. Greg’s alarm was set for earlier than mine. He swatted it, making the shrill noise stop, then turned to me. “Morning.”

  He looked so cute with his hair all messy and his eyes still heavy with sleep. “Morning,” I said back, then gave him a kiss. I got up. “I’m sorry to rush off, but I’ve got to go. I have to make myself presentable for work and that takes more than a few minutes.”

  “You look perfectly presentable to me,” he said.

  “You’d think I was pretty in a burlap sack.”

  “Hmm…I’d like to see that.”

  “No time for dress up today. I have to get to work.”

  “I understand. Call me later,” he said.

  Because I didn’t get enough sleep the day dragged on indefinitely. Every patient had twice as many complaints as usual. My computer locked up. I couldn’t wait to get home so I could pass out.

  Later that night, I woke up from an unplanned nap and gave Greg a call. “Hey,” I said. “How was your day?”

  “Long. I don’t function well on little sleep. I probably shouldn’t have done that, but I was having such a great time I didn’t want it to end.”

  “My day was rough too,” I said. “How about we do late nights on weekends only.”

  “Sounds good. Speaking of weekend, I remembered you had plans with your girlfriends on Saturday so I offered to take Brad out for a steak dinner. He seemed puzzled. I told him I couldn’t explain why, but that he’d done me a great favor and I wanted to repay him.”

  I snickered. “Look at you. Out and about with other humans.” Then I remembered the dream. “Please don’t tell him the story. I’ll be mortified if I ever meet him.”

  “I’d never do that,” he promised. “I don’t kiss and tell. We’ll most likely just talk about the usual: quantum physics and the singularity. You know, sexy stuff like that.”

  “You do know what I like,” I said. “Hey. Not sure if you’re interested, but my girl’s night starts a bit later on Saturday. We’re meeting at a club and I thought maybe you’d like to join us?”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, sounding hesitant. “I mean, I don’t want to intrude on your girl’s night out.”

  “You wouldn’t be intruding. My friends really want to meet you.”

  “Hmm. I wonder what you told them about me,” he teased.

  “You know. Girl stuff.”

  “I’m guessing you don’t mean atoms and molecules.”

  “Not particularly.”

  “So, you mean the stuff you told me not to tell Brad, then?”

  Busted. “Exactly like that.”

  “I knew it,” he said, “Double standards run rampant in the female community.”

  I giggled. I could tell by the tone of his voice he didn’t mind one bit.

  “Are you going to take me over your lap and spank me because I’ve been bad?”

  “Is that a request?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never tried it,” I said, toying with him. “Do you want to meet us Saturday night? I mean, if you have time after dinner?”

  Greg sighed. “I wouldn’t miss it in a million light-years.”

  Valerie suggested we go to dinner before meeting Genevieve later at the club. Poor Gen had to work at her second job, the one she’d taken to pay down her student loans. I didn’t know how she’d find the energy to dance afterwards, but she said she’d be there, and I was looking forward to seeing her.

  “I’m glad you invited Greg,” Val said as we shared a pasta dish.

  “I’m glad you suggested it. I hope you like him,” I said. “He’s a little different.”

  “Sounds like it from what you’ve been saying,” she teased. I had built him up as an amazing lover, which of course was true.

  I took a sip of wine. “I don’t even know if he knows how to dance. Don’t force him on the floor just in case. He’s staying over and I don’t want him to be uncomfortable afterward.”

  “Don’t worry,” Val said. “I won’t ruin your sex life.”

  A while later, Greg texted me from outside the dance club asking me to come out to meet him. When I saw him I smiled. “How come you didn’t come in?”

  He looked irritated. Then his eyes darted to the entrance. “Because this Cro-Magnon buffoon decided I’m not worthy.”

  I was simultaneously mortified and pissed. I turned on my heel and walked over to the bouncer. We had a brief discussion, then I grabbed Greg, gave him a kiss, and we went inside.

  “Don’t worry about that crap,” I told him over the music, which was loud, but not so loud we couldn’t have a conversation. “They act like this is some kind of exclusive place and it’s not.”

  “No problem,” he said. But he appeared rattled.

  Valerie and Gen
evieve were standing at our table, drinks in hand, when we showed up. “Val. Gen. This is Greg.”

  Val eyed him, then jumped up to shake his hand. “Hi. So nice to meet you.” She grinned and added, “We’ve heard only great things.”

  Greg blushed. Even in a room with dim lighting it was noticeable. “Nice to meet you too,” he said. He lifted his hand and waved awkwardly at Genevieve. “Ditto,” he said to her, which made both of them giggle.

  “Do you want a drink?” I asked him.

  “No thanks,” he answered. I thought it might help relax him, but if he wasn’t in the mood, I wouldn’t press. “I’m going to use the restroom,” he said. “Where is it?”

  “I’m headed there,” Genevieve chimed in. “I’ll show you.”

  When they left I turned to Val. “Well, this isn’t going quite like I’d hoped. The bouncer wouldn’t let Greg in. Apparently he didn’t look ‘cool’ enough.”

  Val frowned. “I’m sorry. Bouncers can be buttheads. They’re always judging people on their clothes and their shoes and whether or not they have a two-hundred dollar haircut.”

  I raised an eyebrow. She caught on and added, “They think they know who’s cool and who’s not. They wouldn’t know cool if it bit them in the ass.”

  I smiled. “Greg is his own kind of cool.”

  “He’s got that sexy nerd thing going for him, but without the obnoxious hipster vibe.”

  “He’s definitely no hipster. But I’ll take ‘sexy nerd’ any day.”

  As I reached for my drink, I felt my stomach drop. Brian was walking toward me. Twice at the same place in such a short time when we hadn’t seen each other in ages? What were the frigging chances?

  “Hey,” he said, then gave me a kiss on the cheek. “What are you doing here again? Searching for a hot guy to take home?” He obviously was referring to himself. He never suffered for confidence.

  I smiled nervously. Val’s eyes were wide. I could smell Greg’s cologne and already knew he was there.

  “Nope. Just a night out with my two best girlfriends and boyfriend.”

  Greg put his arm around me. “Talking about me again,” he said.

  Brian looked him up and down and smirked. “Okay,” he said in a sarcastic tone.

  The DJ unknowingly saved the day by starting a new song and turning up the volume. Val grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s dance.” Genevieve seemed keen to leave too.

  “Will you dance with me?” I asked Greg.

  He looked a little bit scared. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather watch.”

  “Of course,” I said.

  I gave Greg a passionate kiss on the lips before being pulled on the dance floor by Val. I snuck a glimpse of Brian. He was slack-jawed.

  The techno music throbbed and Val, Gen, and I let our inhibitions go. I gazed longingly at Greg while exaggerating my hip movements, trying to be as sensual as possible. I didn’t think I could entice him onto the dance floor, but I didn’t really mind. I was content with the knowledge that we’d be enjoying our own little dance later that night.

  Brian had walked away, and Greg stood alone, observing me once again like a specimen. His specimen.

  Chapter 28

  “How did your friend like his steak dinner?” I asked as we lay next to each other the next morning.

  “He loved it. Brad’s a good guy, but he’s a colossal cheapskate, so a free meal was a big deal to him.” Greg laughed.

  I snuggled closer. “Did you tell him why you took him out to eat?”

  “If you must know, I told him the robe turned out to be a powerful aphrodisiac for my girlfriend, and that I was forever in his debt.”

  “Is that all you said?” I said while tickling him.

  He giggled and pulled away. “I didn’t divulge details. I just said wearing the fuzzy contraption brought on the most amazing sex of my life, which caused him to choke on a bite of steak. He said, and I quote, ‘Maybe I should run out and buy another one. My wife and I could use a little spark in our sex life.’”

  I broke into a fit of laughter. “Women,” I said. “We’re so finicky. It’s really hard to know what will turn us on and when. Even we don’t know.”

  Greg reached around and grabbed my butt. “Only when the chemical properties in one person have a positive interaction with the other.”

  I hitched my leg over his. “Well when you word it like that...”

  He nipped at my neck. “What did you really tell your girlfriends?” he asked, then stopped and waited for my confession.

  I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him on top me. “I told them you’re the sexiest man alive, and that when we’re together it’s like my panties are on fire.”

  His eyes lit up like I’d just awarded him the Nobel Prize. “You really said that?”

  “Uh huh,” I answered. Then I put on my best demure face. “I told them I was just a wholesome nurse, making my rounds, doing my best to help people. And that you turned me into a nympho.”

  He kissed me, then whispered. “I’m glad I could please you. Not like a certain someone we met last night.”

  Crap. I knew he’d bring Brian up eventually. I was hoping the whole thing could just slip away. “Exactly. He wasn’t half the man you are.”

  He sat back up and analyzed my expression. “You mean that?”

  “Of course I mean it. Why?”

  Greg shrugged. “I don’t know. Just seeing him kiss you. He looks like the kind of guy all women want. I’ve seen myself in the mirror. It’s kind of hard to believe.”

  I pulled him close again. “Don’t you dare say that. You’re gorgeous. Look, Brian and I were together, then we weren’t. He’s always wanted me back, but I’m not interested. I never felt desire for him like I feel for you.” He smiled a little when I said that. Then I added, “Sure he’s good looking. And he’s a nice guy who does honorable work for a living, but I don’t love him. I love you.”

  “What does he do for a living?” he asked, looking slightly annoyed.

  “He works with special needs kids.”

  “Of course he does.” He began playing with some loose threads that hung from the end of the blanket. “Is that important to you? Kids?”

  “Yes,” I admitted. “They are.”

  He rolled over and sighed. I didn’t know if I should turn and face him or stay where I was, so I stayed still.

  “I figured we were about to have this conversation. It kind of came up the other day,” he said.

  I continued staying quiet, waiting.

  “When I was younger, I wanted to have kids,” Greg admitted. “But as I grew up and got involved in science, I grew disheartened about the prospect. It wasn’t that I didn’t like children. I do. I just considered the idea from a more logical viewpoint, and decided I didn’t have any desire to add to the overpopulated species on the planet.”

  He eyed me to get my reaction. But I just sat there listening, trying to be open-minded to his point of view. “Then I was in a relationship, and thought about it some more, but I landed at the same conclusion, perhaps for a different reason though. I never had that feeling like I wanted a little version of the two of us.” He turned to face me. “But I’m rethinking the matter, and I could totally picture having a child with you one day.”

  I looked into his hazel eyes. They were clear and bright.

  “I have to admit, I’m a little relieved,” I said. “I didn’t know if it was something you’d consider.”

  I wanted to kiss him, to get intimate and cherish the moment, but the mention of his previous relationship made me curious. “Do you mind talking about the woman you were in love with when you were younger?”

  Greg suddenly looked like I’d thrown water over his head. “I prefer not to discuss her,” he grumbled. “When you make a colossal mistake it’s best to forget it. At least that’s how I operate.”

  “I’m confused.”

  Greg sat up. “When I was in high school I fell in love with a fellow student. Sh
e was into science, like me, and we were going to change the world together.”

  This got my complete attention. “And?” I asked.

  “We were serious, and then she got an internship in Europe. It was one of those deals that can’t be passed up. She wanted me to come along and finish school out there, but my mom had just died, and I couldn’t leave my dad. So she left to follow her dream and I stayed behind. Then we drifted apart. End of story.”

  I sat up and took his hand in mine. “I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”

  “Sometimes things just don’t work out,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “Do you still have feelings for her? Do you still talk?” I felt anxious all of a sudden. I hadn’t expected him to say any of this when I asked.

  Greg seemed overwhelmed. “I’ll always care about her,” he said. “But I don’t talk to her any more. We’re not even friends. Her life went one way, mine went another. So I care to the extent that I wish her well. I hope she’s accomplished what she set out to and is happy with her life. I suspect she wishes the same of me.” He turned to me and gave me a warm smile. “And in case it isn’t patently obvious, I’m incredibly happy with my life.”

  That made me feel better. I was thankful he ended the story by returning the focus to us.

  “I’m so glad we’re together,” I said. “And I want you to know I’d never put anything before you.”

  Greg’s eyes began to water, then he pulled me close, holding onto me like I was a life preserver. “I love you so much Sam.”

  I believed him. I just hoped I wasn’t second best to his first love. Unlike Brian, who I’d dumped, it sounded like he hadn’t wanted the relationship with her to end.

  Chapter 29

  Tabby returned home the day before Mom’s birthday party and stayed over at my place so we could do some catching up. We hadn’t talked like we used to since she’d been gone and had a lot to cover.

  “I’ve decided to become a teacher,” she said. “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s a great idea. You like variety, and getting new students each year would assure that. Sounds like a lot of fun. I mean, it’s not the greatest paying career in the world, but it pays off in other ways.”