Set Up for Love

by Virna DePaul

  Glancing at the adjoining bathroom, I saw shadows move beyond the partially open door. I glanced at his wallet again, wondering how many pieces of paper I’d find from women who’d slipped him their number. Snooping like that was beneath me but I needed to know if he was lying when he said he loved me. I had to have proof. My peace of mind depended on it.

  Gingerly, I picked up the wallet and opened it. It was crammed with little pieces of paper, notes and credit cards. I carefully pulled out a tiny yellow slip of paper, making a mental note of where it belonged. Angela 555-4698. And another with Lisa 555-9182. Then three more just like those. Granted, women threw numbers at guys like him all the time but why would he keep them if he had no intention of using them? For all I knew, he had a date with one of them later that day. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to wash away the hurt.

  I stuffed the papers back in his wallet, not really caring anymore how they’d been arranged before. I’d gotten my evidence but it didn’t bring the relief or closure I’d hoped for.

  At the door creaking open, I closed his wallet and dropped it on the desk.

  “Hey.”

  I flinched and my hand hit the glass and water spilled over the shiny surface of the dresser. “Damn it.”

  A moment later, he brought a hand towel and sopped up the water.

  “Sorry,” I said.

  “No problem. I’m glad you did that.”

  “Made a mess on your dresser? Oh, baby, sarcasm will get you everywhere,” I mocked.

  He laughed. “I was beginning to think you’d become this hard woman with nerves of steel. You getting nervous around me proves I can still get to you.”

  I couldn’t let him see that he could get me flustered. “What? What?” The echo was not helpful.

  “You remind me of a girl I once knew. Sweet and innocent. Every time I looked at her, I thought I was seeing an angel,” he whispered, moving close enough to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. His proximity excited my senses, confused my brain. My body tensed, anticipating what I was pretty sure would be a damn good ride.

  Not going to happen. I backed up and he closed the distance again.

  “I couldn’t talk to you after I kissed that girl. I was afraid you’d figure out I wasn’t good enough for you and dump me. Waiting for the ball to drop was torture.” His thumb brushed my temple and I pulled away.

  “So you dumped me instead? I would have forgiven you. The fact that you blew me off is what made you not good enough for me. And news flash. You don’t make me nervous. Getting caught rifling through your wallet to see if you have a dozen girls’ phone numbers, which you do, is what made me jump. I’ll wait for you out there.” I bolted.

  Pictures lined the hallway walls and I paused for a closer look. A man and woman surrounded by three kids smiled at me.

  Peppermint and something else not unpleasant assaulted my senses, sending a stab of unwanted desire through my gut.

  “Friends of mine. They’re gone for the summer so I rented it out.”

  I sidestepped, hoping to escape Logan and the sexy scents of clean yumminess, making me want to lick him all over. I needed to resist those impulses. I couldn’t stand it if I gave in then he went for one of the girls who gave him her number.

  “Why here and not a swanky hotel?”

  “Hotels are so impersonal. I’m lower maintenance than you think.”

  Yeah, he didn’t require much. He certainly hadn’t needed me nine years ago. “Ready to go?” I asked, keeping my gaze off him.

  “All set.”

  Inside my car, I started it up then glanced over to find Logan grinning. “What?”

  “Going through my wallet was an invasion of privacy, don’t you think?”

  Then why was he smiling? “You don’t look too broken up over it.”

  “I’m not, but only because you were seeing if there were other women. Which only proves you do care.”

  Caught. A part of me really hated him at that moment.

  “Or maybe I wanted evidence so I could once and for all prove what a player you are. Then maybe, just maybe you’d give up.” Ouch. That was cruel, even for a woman scorned.

  He didn’t even twitch. His eyes didn’t waver. “Nah. I gave up once, long ago. It didn’t work out too well for me. Besides, those numbers don’t mean anything. When someone gives me their number, it’s not like I’m going to throw it away right in front of them. So I stuff it in my wallet and forget about it. If I intend to call a girl, her number goes straight into my cell.”

  I could hear the tiny little explosion in my head as my evidence went poof. Sadly, it wouldn’t do any good to snag his phone and sneak a peek at his contacts since I wouldn’t know a potential date from someone in his publishing house.

  As I signaled to leave the curb, my phone rang. Caller ID told me it was Jared.

  He must be back in town for a few days and wanting to get together. I wish the thought brought me more pleasure. How could I go out with anyone after spending time with Logan? But answering the call would get me out of the awkward turn our conversation had taken. “Excuse me a second.” Inserting my earpiece, I answered, “Hello?”

  “Hey, babe, it’s me.”

  I cringed at the familiar term. Normally that endearment would’ve been fine from Jared, but not since Logan showed up. “I was wondering what you’re doing tonight.”

  “Oh, uh…” Thoughts of getting together with Jared seemed so remote now. It felt like I’d dated him weeks ago instead of only days. Until the Logan invasion, I’d thought Jared was pretty hot. Maybe he was exactly what I needed to purge Mr. A-lister from my head. “Going out with you, of course.”

  “Great. Pick you up at seven?”

  Logan’s scowl crept into my peripheral vision and I turned to get him out. “Sure. See you at seven.” I hung up.

  “Making a date with Jared, I see. What does he do?”

  It was as though little needles pricked at my skull, threatening a migraine of mammoth proportions. The two men were giving me a headache. I pulled away from the curb, hoping we weren’t going to be late and that the selling agent would still be there. “Well, he’s not a fancy writer hobnobbing with celebs and jet-setting across the country.”

  “But you didn’t answer the question.” Logan swiveled in the passenger seat to watch me.

  “He’s a doctor.”

  “How did you meet him?”

  Why did Logan care? Or was he just trying to get a rise out of me? My bunched up shoulders were beginning to cramp. Logan was not healthy for me. Maybe if I quit resisting so hard, he’d quit pushing. “I helped him buy an investment property about a month ago.”

  “Oh.” Logan’s brows furrowed. “You don’t strike me as the type to date your clients. You’re too much of a pro for that kind of thing. You’d wait until your business is finished. Which tells me you haven’t been dating him long. ”

  Just great. Now I couldn’t even pretend I was in a serious relationship. “Right.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Logan’s triumphant smile, which was both annoying and confusing. “I don’t get it.” I stopped at the red light and whipped my head around to face him. “You could have any girl you want, someone prettier than me. But you’re here, pursuing someone who’s not exactly encouraging you.”

  “First, there’s no one prettier than you.” I scoffed and he held up a finger for me to be quiet. “Second, you haven’t made it clear at all. In fact, you’ve done the exact opposite. The more you try to make me believe you don’t want me, the more convinced I am that you still love me.”

  “I give up trying to reason with you,” I mumbled, blowing out a breath.

  Several minutes later, we pulled up in front of the first house of the day. A three thousand square foot Spanish style home, built in the early thirties. It had an arched entryway, curved ceilings, hardwood floors and it had been painted recently.

  Logan poked his head into rooms and opened cabinets, finally stopping at the back door o
verlooking the garden. “Let’s put in an offer.”

  The house was nice but Logan could do better. It wasn’t as if he lacked funds and I couldn’t imagine him looking forward to remodeling when he could be writing. “Really? I think we should look around a little more before you decide on anything.”

  One side of his mouth curled up. “Don’t want to end our precious time together so soon?”

  “Exactly, because I’m always rude and sarcastic to people I want to hang out with.” I shook my head, knowing that if I let him buy the house, he’d be out of my life sooner. But I couldn’t. It wasn’t in me to let any client get a less than suitable house. “I like my clients to look around so they have things to compare it to. Gives you perspective. Then if something goes wrong with the deal, you already know the alternatives so you can make an informed decision.”

  “Thought you’d be happy for me to decide right away, get me out of your hair.”

  “I’d love nothing more, trust me. But you’re my client.” I shrugged. “I want to put you in a house you’ll fall in love with. Besides, I can already tell it needs a new roof and you never know how willing the sellers will be to negotiate on the price. Let’s go out and get you a Plan B and C.”

  ***

  “Oh, wow, this is nice. Much better layout.” Logan traveled the hallway of the vacant house, poking into rooms.

  “And it’s priced better too.” I gloated. “This is exactly why we’re going to look at a couple more. If you still want this house by then, we’ll write the offer later this afternoon.” My cell rang. “Hello?” I ogled Logan’s muscular arms as he slipped out the back door.

  “Ms. Winters, Wayne Fellows here.”

  “Oh, Mr. Fellows. How are you?”

  “Not sure. I’ve been looking over the inspection report for the Meadowview property. I’m having second thoughts. Maybe that house needs too much work.”

  “We don’t know that yet,” I said in my most soothing voice. “Look, I want you happy with whatever you end up with but the reality is that all houses need work. And there aren’t that many ten thousand square foot houses that meet your specs. Just hang on. The specialists will be there tomorrow. Let’s see what they say before we cancel escrow, okay?”

  There was a long pause and I bit the inside of my lip, wishing Mr. Fellows would chill. He’d probably never get another deal that good.

  “Alright. I’ll wait until tomorrow. See you then.”

  I hit the end button and exhaled.

  “You have a buyer with cold feet, huh?”

  I jolted. “Eavesdropper. You ready to look at the next one?”

  “Sure.” Logan held the front door open for me then trailed after me. “Must be a hefty commission on a house that big.”

  “That’s not the point, Logan.” I sighed, pressing the clicker to unlock my car. We got in and I twisted to face him. “He’d been burned before I met him, ended up with a couple money pits. We’ve been in escrow on three different houses and on this one for two months and I haven’t made a dime. Now he’s too scared to settle on anything. I’ve tried to assure him that the house is in good shape and the inspection report backs me up. But he’s too paranoid to see that.” I dropped my head against the back of the seat. “I’m willing to put in the time, but not without the hope of a payoff eventually.”

  “I get it. I’d love to hog you up for myself but if you need to go, I’ll understand. We can look at those other houses tomorrow.”

  Logan’s offer made me warm and fuzzy. I shook my head and started the car. “No. Can’t do anything on the Fellows deal until tomorrow anyway.”

  ***

  Later that evening, we sat at Logan’s dining room table reviewing the info on the houses we’d looked at. He pointed at a piece of paper.

  “This one?” I held up the house profile he’d indicated. “You’re sure you don’t want to look around more?”

  Logan sat next to me, so close we rubbed arms, and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “What did you think of the house?”

  Glorious. Breathtaking. “Doesn’t matter what I think. But if I thought it was a crappy deal, I wouldn’t let you do it.”

  He nodded. “Okay, but what do you like about that house? What’s special about it?”

  I smiled dreamily. “It’s… it’s not so much about glamour, although the house has that, for sure. It’s a matter of comfort too even though it’s bigger than you were looking for. The master bedroom is near the other bedrooms, but not too close. You could keep an ear on children while not hearing too much. With the French doors off the dining room, you can pick up your coffee and the newspaper right after breakfast and catch a breeze on the balcony. It’s little comforts like those that make a real home. Plus, it’s on a huge lot so there’s plenty of privacy.” I paused, remembering the lush landscaping. “I don’t know. There are so many things to love about it.”

  “If you could afford a house like that, I’d be in a bidding war with you right now.”

  I snorted. “No, you wouldn’t. Because if I had a real chance at that house, you’d never have the opportunity to see it.”

  Logan laughed and caught a hank of my hair between his fingers. “We should do dinner. You must be hungry.”

  I’d been treating him like anyone else the past several hours. More than that — I’d been treating him like a friend. Ever since Mr. Fellows threw me for a loop. Logan had slipped right in. Our conversations had been easy, as though we’d never parted. He wasn’t my friend though. I needed to remember that. I lifted a shoulder to brush him off. “I have a date, remember?”

  His lips tightened. “Right. You’re seeing the doctor tonight.”

  I grabbed my files, headed to the door and kept my voice void of any emotion. “I’ll get your offer written up in the morning and stop by your house for your signature.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  For my date with Jared, I wanted to wear something that shouted just friends. On our last date, we had kissed and it had been nice enough to make me want more. Until Logan showed up. Naturally, Jared would expect more of the same tonight. A few more dates and we might’ve had sex. Too bad Logan’s return to town threw everything off.

  I rejected the little red dress and stilettos, opting for low heels, black pants and a soft grey scoop-neck blouse.

  What was I doing? I should call Jared and cancel. It wasn’t fair to go out with a guy while thinking about another. The idea of doing that to Jared made me feel dirty. Checking my watch, I realized he was probably half way to my house. By the time I finished explaining why we shouldn’t go out, he’d be at my front door. Ending it with someone in person was more personal and less cold anyway.

  Up the road when my business with Logan concluded I’d have no romantic prospects. Who knew when another eligible guy would come along? I wasn’t the kind of girl who slept with a guy on the first date… or second. It could be months before I had a chance at sex again. Sometimes, doing the right thing sucked. I whimpered at the prospect of the long dry spell. Heck, I was already in one.

  The doorbell rang fifteen minutes early. Creeping to the front door, I checked the peephole half expecting to see Logan. Much to my disappointment and relief, Jared stood on the other side, his blond hair spiked up and big beefy shoulders seeming to stretch to both sides of the front porch.

  Still, my heart didn’t beat faster for Jared, despite his rugged good looks. “Hi,” I said, a smile ready as I let him in.

  “Hey.” He bent for a kiss and I leaned forward to hug him instead, releasing him quickly.

  His eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”

  I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m really sorry. We can’t go out.”

  “Are you sick?” He laid a hand on my forehead. Always the doctor.

  “It’s nothing physical. It’s…”

  “What happened? Are you okay?”

  “More like who happened, not what,” I said. He raised his brows. “Can I get you something to drink, since you’r
e here?”

  “Beer, if you have one.” He followed me into the kitchen.

  I popped the cap and handed him the bottle. “My ex boyfriend came into town and he’s ruining my life.”

  “Exes come and go.” Jared shrugged then studied my face. “What’s the problem? Is he stalking you or something? I know someone in the police department.”

  A quick flash of Logan being arrested gave me a sort of satisfaction but I cared too much for him to ever let him get hurt. “No, it’s nothing like that. I got stuck working with him on a real estate deal.” I flopped onto one of the wood chairs.

  “Ah, I see.” Jared sighed. “You’re still in love with him.”

  I scoffed. “No, I’m not.”

  He sat next to me and bumped my shoulder. “Yes, you are.”

  “I hate him.” I dropped my head back and stared at the ceiling.

  Jared chuckled.

  “He’s not good for me. Logan equals pain.”

  “Logan?” Jared asked.

  Oops. I hadn’t meant to give Jared a name. But he wouldn’t know it was the Logan, local celebrity. “Just some guy. You probably don’t know him.”

  “What did he do to make you hate him? I have to be sure never to do that.”

  I got up and grabbed myself a beer. Why not? This way, if Jared prodded too much and I got emotional, I could literally cry in my beer. I’d been doing it metaphorically anyway. “You’d have to let me fall madly in love with you, cheat on me, then dump me. Easy.”

  “Well, whoever he is, he’s stupid. How about you and I hang out anyway? I prefer my women in love with me so you’re safe. We already have the beer so now we just need pizza. What do you say?”

  I beamed. “I rented a movie earlier.”

  If I’d never known Logan, I could have easily settled for Jared. He was everything I wanted in a man — gorgeous, successful, confident and fun. Guys like that didn’t come around too often. But he wasn’t a prospect for me. Not now. Not until I could forget the Logan I knew long ago. That kind of love was what I missed, what I wanted to have again.