Opposites Attract

by Cat Johnson

  She turned to face the blanket covered lump on the couch. “No, he didn’t sleep over. He just came in for coffee and to bring me the laundry. He lives across the hall and he’s a fireman. He helped me with the cat when I got here… Oh my God, where’s the cat? I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

  “Calm down. He slept with me last night. Which brings us back to Mr. Studly, the cat-loving fireman who does laundry and why he didn’t sleep with you last night.”

  “Because I just met him, that’s why.” Amy didn’t mention that she may have considered it, had the offer been made, which it hadn’t.

  “Are you sure it isn’t because he saw the anal compulsive way you take your coffee?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” She’d already set up her cup before he came in. “Besides, Troy’s a gentleman.”

  Henri rolled his eyes. “Of course he is.”

  Amy decided arguing with Henri wasn’t worth the effort and instead started to sort through the laundry Troy had just delivered. She was about to rib Henri some more about his inability to hold his Cosmopolitans when her hand struck her bra and thong underwear buried in the bottom of the basket.

  She’d forgotten exactly what she’d thrown in the wash. Besides, she’d never intended for Troy to unload the machine anyway, she’d just lost track of time. She held one in each hand, appalled and speechless.

  “Well, well. Those aught to put a fire in your gentleman’s pants.” Unfortunately Henri was never without the power of speech, but this time, Amy hoped Henri was right.

  Pushing the embarrassment aside, she decided she wouldn’t mind lighting a fire under the hunky fireman one bit.

  Chapter 4

  He must be crazy. That was the only thought in Troy’s mind as he stood again hours later at Amy’s, or rather Maria’s door. He pushed the doorbell with his elbow since his hands were currently occupied carrying a very hot pot full of chili.

  What the hell was it about this girl that she drew him like a magnet? The attraction had to stem from the fact that he couldn’t have her. Yeah, that was it. As long as he kept in mind that they were just two buddies hanging out and sharing a meal, he’d be fine. He and Maria had become friends. They hung out together now and then. No problems there.

  He laughed at himself. He’d also never fondled Maria’s undergarments in the laundry room or imagined ripping them off her the way he did with Amy. Amy, who now opened the door with a smile of genuine happiness at seeing him.

  Just a friend, just a friend… He repeated the mantra to himself.

  “Hi. Come on in. What have you got there?”

  She’d changed into some sort of silky flowing outfit that clung in all the right places in a way that was somehow even sexier than the tight clothes she’d been wearing earlier. He took a breath to steady himself.

  “Hey. I, uh, made too much chili and was hoping you would help me eat it.”

  “Wow, a man who cooks. I’m impressed. Here, put it down on the stove. It looks heavy.”

  Troy laughed. “Don’t be too impressed. We take turns cooking down at the firehouse. I can pretty much cook anything that can be made in a big pot and feed a dozen hungry guys. I just haven’t figured out how to cook for just one person yet.”

  “I’ll be happy to help you eat it. Sometimes I get so involved in reading submissions I forget to take a break for meals.” She opened the fridge. “Maria doesn’t have any beer, but there are a couple of bottles of wine here that she told me I was welcome to. Want some?”

  What he needed was a good stiff drink to knock this attraction right out of him, but wine would have to do. “Sure.”

  Amy had just located the corkscrew when Troy walked over and took both the bottle and opener out of her hand. “Here, let me do that.”

  Wow. What was this guy doing alone? A man this great shouldn’t have to cook for just one. Maybe he wasn’t alone—the horrid thought struck her. Maybe he had a girlfriend somewhere. She’d never asked him but he seemed to spend a lot of time alone in his apartment for a man with a girlfriend.

  She pondered this as she took the glass he offered and took a big swallow, which went directly to her head since she’d forgotten to eat lunch. Better get some of that chili into her belly to sop up the wine. “Thanks. Let me find the bowls.”

  He held up a hand. “You sit. I’ll serve us.”

  A smile spread across her face as she shoved aside any unpleasant thoughts that he might already be taken and began to picture what her future with him would be like. Domestic bliss, hot sex, good food…what else could a girl wish for?

  He found not only the bowls, but also raided Maria’s fridge for topping ingredients and in just minutes, served up steaming chili covered with cheddar cheese and sour cream, garnished with chopped scallions and a side of tortilla chips. Wow, how hot was that? And she wasn’t thinking about the chili. She took another mouthful of wine.

  They both ate way too much and ended up sprawled on the couch. The wine was making Amy feel boneless as she allowed her head to loll back lazily against the sofa’s arm, her bare, pedicured feet up on the cushion just barely touching the side of Troy’s jean-clad thigh.

  “Troy, tell me a secret. Something you’ve never told anyone else, ever.” It was a game she often played with her girlfriends back home, before she moved here to the city for her job. She missed home. She missed those friends she’d lost contact with over the years.

  He looked thoughtful for a moment, leaning back in a relaxed pose with both arms stretched out along the back of the couch. He turned his head to look at her. His eyes looked like he’d had enough wine to be as relaxed as she felt, unless it was just a food coma.

  “You really want to know?” Troy asked.

  “Yes.” More than anything.

  “Okay.” He drew in and released a long, slow breath. “Last year a building collapsed on one of the guys, Antonio Sanchez. He’s married, got two beautiful kids. I pulled him out in time, but just barely. Ever since then I’m afraid. Every time I go into a fire I’m afraid, not of dying, but of having left nothing behind if I don’t make it out one day. I don’t want to be nothing but a name engraved on the plaque of fallen brothers on the wall of the firehouse.”

  Amy felt the tears sting her eyes and reached up to touch his hand. She shook her head. “You wouldn’t be. You would leave something behind. You would live on in the hearts of every person you’ve ever touched. Do you think Antonio’s family could ever forget you after what you did for them? That they would ever let your memory die?”

  He squeezed her hand, as his own eyes looked suspiciously shiny. “Your turn. Now you tell me something you’ve never told anyone else.”

  “I went to a sperm bank the other day.” She hadn’t told anyone else in the world about that.

  Troy’s eyes opened wide. “Did you actually…um, make a withdrawal?”

  She shook her head, “No, but I did look through the books of donors and I made a pact with myself that if I’m not in a serious relationship by the time I turn thirty-five, I’m just going to do it. I’m going to have a baby alone.”

  “Wow. You’re how old now?”

  No use hiding it. “I turned thirty this year.”

  “That’s why you’re feeling weird. Turning thirty is harder on women than on men. It almost sent my sister over the edge.”

  “I guess.” She shrugged.

  “When was your last serious relationship?”

  She laughed bitterly at that. “If I tell you, you’re really going to think I’m a loser. Whitney and I broke up about a year ago. There hasn’t been anyone serious since then.”

  “Whitney?” Troy asked. “Like in Whitney Houston, the singer?”

  “Yeah, same name but no, it wasn’t Whitney Houston.” She laughed again. Poor Whitney had always been confused for a girl on paper because of his name—the bastard.

  Amy thought back to the day Whitney Charles Bennington III had informed her she wasn’t marriage material, dropped her on the curb and
drove away in his snazzy sports car. She’d been good enough for him to sleep with during their year-long relationship, she just wasn’t good enough to marry. She was glad his parents had saddled him with a girly name. He deserved it.

  Troy shook his head. “I still don’t get why you’re so convinced you’re going to be alone in five years. I mean you’re great.” When she shook her head in protest, he continued. “I’m serious. You’re smart, funny, beautiful, a great friend. Anyone who doesn’t want to be with you is crazy.”

  He was being so sweet and she was feeling so insecure at the moment, tears started to blur her eyes.

  “Oh, no. Don’t cry. I’m sorry.” Troy leaned forward and brushed her cheek with his fingertips.

  With his lips so close to hers and with the wine and her emotions calling the shots, she couldn’t help herself. She closed the distance between them and brushed her lips over his.

  She heard his quick intake of breath and then felt his big hands envelop her face. He kissed her back and when she opened her mouth slightly in silent invitation, he accepted. The warmth of his tongue melted what little reserve she had left. She wanted him like she’d never wanted anything else in her life. She wrapped her hands around the back of his head, surprised at how soft his cropped hair felt, then pulled him closer.

  He kissed her hard and deep until she lost all track of time. Then he suddenly backed away and dropped his hands from her face. She missed the heat of his contact immediately. He launched himself off the couch so quickly, she nearly fell into the dip he’d left in the cushion.

  “I have to go.”

  Of everything he could have said, that was the last thing she expected. What had just happened? The questions and doubts sailed through her mind. Was she too aggressive? Did he have a girlfriend? Were all those sweet things he said just to make her feel better even though he didn’t mean them?

  She wanted to beg him not to leave, ask him why he didn’t want her and tell him how much she wanted him. But instead all she said was, “Oh. All right.”

  He was out the door in an instant, leaving behind both his pot of chili and her to cool off without him. Amy leaned against the door and hugged her arms tightly around herself, more confused, alone and insecure than she’d felt in a long time.

  Across the hall inside his own apartment, Troy leaned back and let his head fall hard against the door. He stared at the white ceiling and berated himself.

  He’d pretty much done everything wrong, starting with going over there to begin with. Followed closely by letting Amy drink too much wine after she’d told him she hadn’t eaten all day, getting her upset by prying into her last relationship, then the topper, kissing her. And not just a friendly “feel better” kind of peck on the lips either. Oh, no. He had gone in for the full tongue probing, head grabbing, one step closer to ripping her clothes off kind of kiss.

  She must have been drunker than he thought, since he was sure she was as into that kiss as he. He ran a hand over his smooth chin thoughtfully and paused, then considered why he’d chosen to shave prior to going to Amy’s that night. He never shaved on his days off.

  God, he hadn’t let himself consider it, but he must have hoped on some level that something would happen between them, even as the evidence that she didn’t date men mounted higher before his very eyes. The newest knock-you-over-the-head clues being her ex-girlfriend Whitney and the visit to the sperm bank.

  What an idiot. He was just asking for heartache thinking he could change her. A broken heart was the last thing he wanted. Not at this stage in his life. He had a job he loved, a great apartment and a few women friends who he could call if he felt the need for human companionship for a night, no strings.

  Lesbian or not, he didn’t need the emotional upheaval that would come with falling in love with Amy. If he wasn’t careful, that’s what would happen. One dinner with her and he was confessing his deepest and darkest fears, the thing he’d never even told his best friend, the thing he barely admitted to himself. Best to avoid her as much as possible.

  With that resolution made, he blew out a breath filled with sheer frustration. His mind may know Amy was a lesbian and there was no hope for them, but other parts of his anatomy weren’t quite so quick. He headed for the shower to deal with them.

  Chapter 5

  Troy was sprawled on his couch munching on pretzels and watching TV when his doorbell sounded. His heart skipped a beat as he considered that it could very well be Amy. After spending a restless night trying to not think about her or that kiss, he didn’t need the temptation of her standing in his doorway.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he opened the door to find Antonio Sanchez standing there, a six-pack of beer in his hand. He must have looked surprised because Antonio stopped in the doorway.

  Antonio glanced around the apartment. “Is this all right? My wife has her book club at my house today. You told me I could come over to watch the basketball game. You’re not entertaining a girl or anything, are you?”

  Troy laughed at that. “No, I’m not entertaining. I just forgot what day it was. Hard to keep track when I’m off. Come on in.”

  Antonio popped open two longneck bottles and stowed the rest in the fridge. He handed one off to Troy and had just made himself comfortable in the recliner when the doorbell rang again. Antonio raised a brow. “You expecting someone else?”

  “No.” Troy got up again, but he knew there was pretty much only one other person it could be. His suspicion was confirmed as he opened the door and Amy stood there, his clean and empty pot in one hand and a plastic container filled with chili in the other.

  “Hey, Amy.” His heart rate kicked into double time at just seeing her.

  “Hey.” She seemed shyer than her usual cheerful self. Troy figured from her reaction to him that she was regretting what happened too. It made him feel even firmer about his decision to make sure it never happened again.

  “I brought back your chili pot and the leftovers. You…um…forgot them last night.” She raised her gaze to search his face.

  “Thanks.” He took the things from her and pointedly avoided eye contact. Just when the lack of further conversation could have gotten really uncomfortable, Antonio jumped up from the chair.

  “Is that Troy’s world famous firehouse chili? I’ll take that off your hands. I’m Antonio Sanchez, by the way.” Antonio shook hands with Amy.

  “Yeah, it is. I’m Amy.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Antonio wasted no time grabbing the chili from Troy and headed for the microwave. Thank God for Antonio, hungry grub that he was. At least it was a distraction from the obvious tension in the room.

  “That’s my friend Antonio from the firehouse.” Troy hooked a thumb in the direction of the kitchen.

  Amy laughed. “Yeah, I gathered that.”

  “Thanks for washing the pot for me. I didn’t mean to leave it for you to do…” He let the sentence trail off. What could he say? I was just running away from you so fast I forgot it?

  She jumped in. “It’s fine. I owed you for the laundry and for rescuing Henri and helping me with the locks and saving the cat—”

  He held up a hand. “I told you, you don’t owe me anything, but thanks anyway. I hope you kept some chili for yourself.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, luckily there was about a bowlful that didn’t fit into the container.”

  Her eyes darted from the game on the TV to the open beers and pretzels on the coffee table. “Well, I’m going to go and let you guys get back to your male bonding. Nice to meet you, Antonio.”

  “You too,” Antonio called back while noisily searching through the kitchen drawers.

  “Bye, Troy.” Her eyes rose to his again.

  “Bye, Amy. Thanks again.”

  She nodded and turned back toward her apartment across the hall. Troy closed the door behind her with a strange mixture of regret and relief.

  “Okay, spill. What’s going on there?” Antonio stood in the kitchen, spoon in hand.
r />   “Nothing.” Nothing at all, sadly.

  Antonio didn’t look convinced. “Come on. You could have cut the tension in here with a knife.”

  Troy grabbed his beer and dropped back onto the sofa. “You’re imagining things.”

  “At least tell me who she is and why she had your chili. Which, by the way, do you want any of?” Apparently Antonio wasn’t about to have his questions put off so easily.

  “No thanks.” He didn’t seem to have an appetite, especially not for the same food he’d shared just yesterday with Amy before he’d made the huge mistake of kissing her. “Amy’s watching the apartment for Maria across the hall.”

  “And?” Antonio plopped himself down in the chair and dug into the chili.

  “And nothing. She’s a lesbian, so that’s it. There’s nothing going on, so can we stop talking about it and watch the game?” Troy scowled at himself. Now he was sniping at his closest friend. See, women just plain made you lose your head, didn’t matter whether they were lesbians or not.

  Antonio put his bowl down on the table and leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees. “Troy. You saved my life, man. We’re like brothers. You know you can tell me anything and it goes in the vault. Now, I’ve known you for years and never in that time have I seen you react this way over a chick. So yeah, I think something’s going on. So why don’t you tell me what it is?”

  Troy hung his head and closed his eyes. Antonio was a good friend and was showing him much more patience than he deserved at the moment. He finally raised his head and looked up at him. “We ate, had too much wine. We started talking about some serious stuff. She got all teary eyed and before I know what’s happening, my tongue’s down her throat and we’re making out on the couch.”

  Antonio let out a breath and absorbed the information in silence for a moment. “Okay. So given what happened, what makes you think she’s a lesbian? Because I gotta tell ya, I didn’t get that vibe. And the way she looked at you…phew, I think you’re way off there.”