by Cathie Linz
“I am a bookworm.”
“Yes, but we can turn you into a well-dressed one. What about this black outfit?”
“I wore it to my former boss’s funeral four years ago.”
The dress joined the pile on Chloe’s bed. Lynn continued her search. “Okay, how about red? Do you have anything red? It’s a power color and with your dark hair and creamy skin it would look great on you.”
Lynn efficiently moved through Chloe’s closet until she found what she was looking for. “Ah, this is good.”
“I’ve never worn it.”
“I deduced that much from the tag still hanging on it.”
“Maybe I should cancel. I hate this ritual, getting all dressed up to please someone else.”
“Well, there’s your first mistake. You’re getting dressed up to please yourself. And me, of course. Here, go try this on in the bathroom.”
Chloe did as she was told. She always did as she was told.
An unexpected wave of rebellion rose up within her. That’s why she left the top two buttons of the red knit top undone.
Big deal, she mocked herself in the mirror.
Narrowing her eyes, she undid another button, as if daring her reflection to make fun of her now. Then another button was undone. Take that!
Wait, now her bra was visible. She quickly did up that last button.
Coward.
Since when had her reflection gotten so mean? “Listen, I don’t need you insulting me,” she sternly muttered to herself. “I’ve got enough on my plate as it is.”
Wanting to get away from the mirror, she yanked open the bathroom door to find Lynn standing on the other side.
“Oh, yes.” Lynn nodded. “That’s looking good. Just needs a little tweaking. Undo another button and replace those black tights with these.” She shoved an unopened package of black stockings at her.
Chloe was amazed at the difference the stockings made. They made her black skirt look much shorter than it had with the tights.
“Shoes,” Lynn muttered. “We need shoes.”
A few moments later, Chloe eyed Lynn’s selection doubtfully. “Isn’t it a little late to be wearing sandals? It’s almost October.”
“They look better than your combat boots or the Mary-Jane flats. At least these have a heel. Okay, now you need jewelry. Something to fit into that curve of your throat. A choker.”
Lynn ended up using a piece of black ribbon and slipping a silver and black heart onto it. “You’re good,” Chloe noted with a nod of approval. “I should have you dress me more often.”
“Here, borrow these marcasite drop earrings. I’ve never worn them. Okay, now some makeup. I’m telling you, it’s a good thing my sister is a hairstylist and makeup artist or I wouldn’t have a clue what to do.”
“Like me.” Chloe tried not to let her self-doubts overcome her again.
“You always look fine at work. But you’re going for something else now.”
“Yeah, and that something else is stupidity. What made me think I could do this? You know how things ended with Brad.”
“You’re not going out with Brad.”
“With someone very much like him.”
“All good-looking guys aren’t jerks.”
“Just most of them.”
“You know Steve’s grandmother,” Lynn pointed out.
“She’s the reason I’m having to go through all this.”
“I meant that knowing his grandmother means that chances are he’s not going to mess up big time. You’re just going out for dinner. No big deal.”
“If it’s no big deal, then why did I call you in a panic? And why did we just spend the past hour getting me ready?”
“So you’d feel confident.”
“I think we’re just going to the local Chinese place. I don’t want to look too dressed up.”
“You look fine.”
Chloe nervously tucked a strand of her hair between her fingers. “Maybe I should pin my hair back or something.”
“It looks nice loose like that.”
“But the drop earrings keep getting stuck in my hair.”
“Oh.” Lynn reached into the small box on the dresser where Chloe kept her hair clips. “In that case, just use one of these to just fasten your hair up and away from your face. There, you’re done.”
“I’m done all right,” Chloe muttered, wondering when the confidence would start kicking in.
“And stop buttoning up that button.” Lynn slapped Chloe’s hand away.
“You can see my bra.”
“Not all the time. And it’s a nice black bra, nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Right. Easy for you to say. You’re not going out with a Marine tonight.”
“Believe me, I’d change places with you if I could, but I don’t think my husband would understand.”
“You know you wouldn’t trade Dave in for anyone else.”
“True.” Lynn put her arm around Chloe’s shoulders for a quick hug. “Just relax and enjoy your evening out. I’ll get out of your way now. But call me as soon as you get home. I want to hear all about it.”
Chloe felt a bit guilty for not telling Lynn about Steve’s suggestion that they hang out together. But she didn’t know how to explain things. And it wasn’t as if Chloe had agreed to Steve’s plan yet. She just wanted more information so she could make an informed decision. And so she could avoid Wanda trying to hook her up with Roland across the street.
To calm herself while waiting for Steve, Chloe picked a book out of her tote bag and started reading. As was always the case when she had a great book in hand, she was drawn into that world and it took her a moment to realize that Steve was at her front door. Using her bookmark to mark her page, she set the novel aside and hurried to the foyer.
Taking a deep breath, she checked her appearance in the mirror. Great, one side of her hair was sliding down. She quickly redid the clip and then opened the door.
“You okay?”
“Why?” She looked down at her top to see if her bra was showing. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. You look great.”
“Then why did you ask if I was okay?”
“Because it took you a while to answer the door. I wondered if you’d gotten cold feet and changed your mind about going out tonight.”
“Absolutely not,” she fibbed. “Let’s go.”
Steve was once again driving Wanda’s car. He opened the passenger door for her and held it open while she got inside. Then he closed it for her. His manners were impeccable. That wasn’t something you saw much these days. Brad had rarely opened a door for her. She’d thought it was because he considered her to be a modern liberated woman. Now she wondered if he was just lazy and self-centered.
“I don’t know how familiar you are with the restaurants in this area,” Chloe began.
“Not very,” Steve admitted.
“There’s a nice Chinese place about a mile away. I often get takeout from there on my way home from the library.”
She gave him directions but instead of following them, he made two right turns.
“Where are we going? This is the entrance ramp to the expressway,” Chloe said.
“We’re going to dinner.”
“I thought we were going to the Chinese place.”
“Nope.”
“Then where are we going?”
“To a place in Lincoln Park. I think you’ll like it.”
Chloe loved it. The Arts and Crafts decor was near and dear to her heart. In fact, she wanted to take the light fixtures home with her.
They were led to an enclosed patio area where nine-foot glass French doors offered views of Lincoln Park on three sides. In the background was the Chicago skyline, the buildings rising up in sharp contrast to the natural fall foliage of the surrounding trees. No matter how many times Chloe saw that skyline, she was always amazed by it. A large fieldstone fireplace lent warmth and intimacy to the room.
She almost gulped wh
en she saw the prices on the menu.
Reading her expression, Steve reminded her, “I’m a Marine with money.”
“You won’t be a Marine with money if you eat at places like this all the time.”
“Don’t worry about it. And if you try that dainty girl trick of just ordering a small salad instead of a real meal I’ll be forced to order for you and you might not like what you get then.”
“I don’t like being ordered around.”
“No, I don’t suppose you do. You’re probably used to being the one giving orders like ‘Shhh!’ and ‘Put that book back on the reference shelf.’”
“Okay, just for that, I’m ordering the most expensive thing on the menu,” she retorted.
She didn’t, but it was only after their server had taken their order that she realized that Steve had deliberately pushed her buttons. He appeared to enjoy goading her. “You did that on purpose,” she accused him.
“Did what?”
“Don’t give me that innocent look. You can’t carry it off anyway.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about how you used the stereotype of librarians to get me aggravated.”
“You? Aggravated? No. Surely not.”
She had to laugh at his mocking disbelief. “I admit I can be a tad stubborn sometimes.”
“Same here.”
They paused as their first course arrived. They’d both chosen the corn-on-the-cob soup. At her first mouthful, Chloe closed her eyes and mmmmed with pleasure.
The expression of sublime pleasure on her face made Steve hot. She totally revved his engine. And she wasn’t even trying. Was she?
He studied her closer. As an officer, he’d learned to read people. Not that he’d done real well in that department where Gina was concerned. She’d blindsided him. He wasn’t about to be caught unprepared again.
Chloe appeared oblivious to his attention, which made watching her easier. Okay, that was a lie. When her tongue darted out to lick the soup from her bottom lip, his entire body tightened. He reached for some ice water, sipping it when he should have dumped it on his lap to cool down.
She suddenly looked up at him, her blue eyes meeting his with unabashed directness. “Is this awesome or what?”
“Awesome.” How did this librarian manage to generate this kind of a reaction from him? Had he been too long without a woman, was that it?
“You’re not eating yours,” Chloe noted in concern. “Is there something wrong?”
Affirmative. Something was definitely wrong here. Off kilter. He was supposed to hang around with the girl next door, not lust after her.
“The soup is fine,” he belatedly replied.
Things didn’t improve with the arrival of their main course. He’d ordered the wild salmon and she had the sea scallops with toasted walnuts. Every time she placed a plump bite of the seafood into her mouth, he was engrossed with her enjoyment…and with her lush lips. Why hadn’t he noticed them before? Or had he? He was so muddled, he couldn’t think clearly.
He’d told her earlier that she looked great and he’d meant it. She looked good in red compared to the non-descript colors she usually seemed to favor. Her sensual satisfaction with the gourmet food made him wonder if she’d be equally expressive in bed.
Whoa. About face! he ordered his thoughts. Do not go there.
What was he afraid of here? That he’d fall for the librarian? Come on. He was only in town for a few weeks. Besides, she wasn’t his type.
Was he afraid that she was setting him up? Not a problem if he didn’t fall for her.
He was just getting paranoid, that’s all. This was a simple matter. Hang out with the devil you knew. Let his grandmother think he and Chloe were getting to know one another. Have some fun in the process. Leave. What was so complicated about that?
“You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“Sorry about that.” Steve felt much better now that he had his thoughts in order once more. “So how do you like this place?”
“I love it! Do you think they’d notice if I took one of these light fixtures home with me?” She pointed to the high ceiling.
“Yes, I think they would. And I don’t think it would fit in your purse, so removing it from the premises might be difficult.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
“What else are you afraid of?”
“Overdue books,” she solemnly informed him. “The very thought keeps me up nights.”
The librarian had a sense of humor. And great legs. Two things he liked in a woman.
They finished their meal with a bittersweet chocolate mousse accompanied by a hazelnut cookie wafer.
Chloe dabbed the last bit of chocolate from her lips with the linen napkin before proclaiming, “That was a meal to die for. But you still haven’t told me about your plan.”
“Right.” Pay attention to the plan, meathead. Don’t get distracted by luscious lips and darting tongues. He was a Marine, a breed apart. He had incredible willpower. He’d successfully completed the Marine Officer Candidates School, a physical, intellectual and emotional testing ground so grueling that every fourth candidate failed.
“As I said earlier, it makes sense for us to join forces to stave off Wanda’s matchmaking ways. We both know the score. Neither one of us is looking for romantic entanglements. My grandmother is quite capable of trying to hook us up with other people, which would be much more problematic. But if you and I temporarily hook up, then we avoid that problem.”
“I don’t know what she could think I have in common with Roland. I’ve gotten into a rut, that must be it. Doing the same-old, same-old day after day. I used to like the reliability of that, but now I’m not so sure. I’m bordering on becoming staid like Roland,” she muttered with displeasure.
“I can help you with that. Don’t give me that look, I’m not talking about sex.”
Her heart gave a funny leap at the sound of him saying that word. Sex. She prayed she wasn’t blushing. That would make her staid and a prude.
“Then what are you talking about?” she asked.
“We join forces for a training mission. We’d work as a team. The Marine Corps is big on using the buddy system. The ability to work together to accomplish goals is crucial to the successful outcome of any mission.”
“What kind of training mission?”
“Your goal is to lead a more adventurous life. I can help prepare you for that.”
Her pride was stinging at the thought that she had to be shown how to have fun. How pitiful was that? Before she could say anything, Steve started talking again.
“It’s the least I can do to try and repay you by helping me out. I’d still be deeply in your debt, but at least this wouldn’t make me feel so badly about requesting your help.”
Well, that made her feel better. A lot better. He needed her help.
“Look on it as a sort of adventure boot camp,” he suggested.
Boot camp? That sounded a little excessive. “I’m not into extreme stuff like bungee jumping.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about being spontaneous. That’s something I’m real good at. That’s how I got into trouble with Gina. I didn’t know her all that long when I stupidly fell for her.”
“If my goal is to lead a more adventurous life, then what’s your goal?” Chloe countered.
“To be more cautious where personal relationships are concerned.”
“I wouldn’t call what you’re proposing as being cautious. We haven’t even known each other more than a few days and here you are suggesting we join forces and become a team.”
“Right. A team. Not a couple.”
Chloe paused. He had a good point. There was definitely a difference between the two. A rather large difference in fact. Teams worked together toward a common goal, but without the romantic elements of being a couple.
And yes, their goals were different, but they could help one another.
What harm could come of it? She was tired of always overthinking everything.
“Okay. You’ve got a deal.”
“Great.”
“It will be a training mission for both of us.”
“Affirmative.”
“So does our team have a name? Like Alpha or Bravo or Charlie?” She was really getting into this now.
“How about Libras?”
“How about Alpha Libras?”
“Works for me.”
“Me, too.”
“Outstanding. Then allow me to propose a toast.” Steve lifted his wineglass. “To Alpha Libras and the successful completion of our joint mission.”
“Ooohraaaaaah! Did I get that right?”
He grinned. “Close enough.”
As she clinked her wineglass with his, she reminded herself that she would not be getting close enough to Steve to fall for him. Instead she’d stick to the mission and emerge a new woman.
“So when’s the wedding?” Steve’s brother Rad demanded in a phone call very early Sunday morning. Rad was assigned to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and had gotten married six months ago.
Well aware of the Kozlowski brothers’ duty to drive one another crazy, Steve was not thrown by Rad’s mocking comment. “There’s no wedding. Not gonna be one, so don’t go holding your breath.”
“I’m telling you, you’ve got to watch out for these bookworms,” Rad warned him. “They’ve got a way of sneaking up on you, and wham, you’re in over your head.”
“Since when does a bookworm beat out a Kozlowski Marine?”
“Ah, spoken like a man who believes, mistakenly, that he holds the upper hand.”
“I do hold the upper hand. I have a plan.”
Rad groaned. “Yeah, I had a plan, too.”
“I’m not talking about marriage.”
“I hear you, bro. Marriage wasn’t in my original game plan either. My original plan was to have Serena only pretend to be my fiancée.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“That’s why I’m telling you now, you’re in for trouble.”
“So you’re having regrets you married Serena?”
“No way! Best move I ever made.”
“Hey, I’m glad for you. But your experience has nothing to do with me.”