by Nancy Warren
Within a minute a response came.
Hi sweetie,
Please trust me. I want us to be together.
And then he’d included full instructions on how to wire money via Western Union.
And that’s when she knew she’d been scammed.
* * *
“DO NOT SAY, ‘I told you so,’” Hailey warned Rob. “Julia’s very sensitive about what happened.”
He held up his hands. “Hey, I was only trying to warn her. Not trying to score points. I didn’t want the guy to turn out to be a scammer. She seems like a nice woman. I’m sorry it happened.”
“Okay,” she said more mildly.
His eyes crinkled at the edges as he faced her. “But to you, I can say it, right? ‘I told you so.’”
“It was the lucky guess of a suspicious mind.”
“Bull. It’s an instinct honed by years of gathering and reporting news.”
“We won’t mention her getting scammed when she gets here. I don’t want her to feel stupid. It could happen to anyone.”
“Why is she coming, anyway?” And Hailey had a feeling there was an unspoken and why are you here? in his tone, as well.
Neither of them had mentioned that steamy kiss they’d shared in the bedroom yesterday. She was happy she’d had a dramatic story to impart the minute she got to Bellamy House so there were no awkward silences, no talking about something she preferred to ignore.
Even if Rob did look far too kissable in worn jeans, a much-washed and faded T-shirt advertising some band she’d never heard of and those bare feet that she found ridiculously sexy.
“I’m not happy about the way we’ve staged the small bedroom upstairs. It was fine to have it as a nursery when the MacDonalds were looking at it. However, most of the people who look won’t have a baby so I’m thinking of turning it into an older child’s bedroom with a single bed and a desk.”
“Can’t the people who look at houses figure out where their own stuff will fit?”
She thought about it. “Some can, I guess. Most only see what’s in front of them. In this economy we want to do everything we can to make a home so inviting a buyer can’t resist. Since this is a family neighborhood with schools nearby and that big park right across the street, it makes sense to stage it for a family.”
“So you put a single bed and a desk in it. That’s pretty much how it was when I grew up.”
“I’m glad you approve of something we’re doing. Which reminds me, you’re going to have to make yourself scarce. Two sets of potential buyers are coming today between two and three o’clock.”
He scowled. “We made a deal. You could keep the listing but I’d be living here.”
“And I said I’d work around you. That means you leave fifteen minutes before the appointment time so I have a few minutes to clean up after you.”
“Hey, I’m neat.”
“I know you are. And what a relief that is, but I’ll need to put your shoes away and hide your toothbrush. Stuff like that.”
“You leave my toothbrush alone. A man’s toothbrush is a personal thing. Handling it implies intimacy.”
And just like that the intense lust she’d experienced during that kiss came roaring back. She was trying to forget it, and based on the way he was acting around her, so was he. Now he mentioned intimacy and she felt the warmth of his words touching her.
“Fine. Put away your own toothbrush.”
“Okay,” he said gruffly and she knew he’d been thinking about that steamy kiss, too.
They heard a knock and then the front door opening. “Hi,” called Julia.
“Hi. We’re in the kitchen.” She put her finger over her lips as a reminder not to mention Julia’s troubles.
Julia swept in with all the drama of an opera diva preparing for her final, tragic aria. “I feel so stupid!” she cried. “I am never, ever dating again.”
Well, so much for worrying that Rob might bring up a difficult subject. She might have known Julia would be more than happy to share.
Even though her friend spoke in a tragi-comic tone, Hailey could see she’d been crying recently.
She wasn’t going to sit by and let a good friend hurt. It was difficult for Hailey to make intimate friendships; she sometimes felt as though she’d never learned how. That’s why her friendship with Julia was so important to her.
They’d met at a networking business event and they’d talked a little and laughed a little and exchanged business cards. She was startled when Julia had called her a couple of days later and suggested lunch, but she’d been pleased. They chatted about the industry, about their ambitions and then about men.
She liked Julia’s frankness and honesty. Within a couple of weeks they were seeing each other regularly for a yoga class, a drink after work, shopping and brunch. Julia had a big, noisy family who’d lived at the same address for fifty years. She had friends she’d known since kindergarten. She had everything Hailey had never had and always craved.
She watched as Julia, her sisters, brothers and mother would argue, sometimes squabble like kids and then hug and joke minutes later. Julia took her in, made Hailey part of her life. Almost forced her to open up and share. At some point she realized that Julia was her best friend. Probably the closest woman friend she’d ever had.
And if there was one thing she could do to thank Julia for teaching her what a friend was, it was to be one. So she said, “You are not giving up.”
“I knew when I saw the photograph that he was too good-looking for me.”
“That wouldn’t be his real photo,” Rob said. “You know that, right? He’s probably a twenty-two-year-old Nigerian kid with a degree who speaks good English. They steal pictures of male models and hope nobody notices.”
“I didn’t,” she moaned. “And I thought his accent was so cute. He said he’d been born in Manchester and moved around a lot. That’s why his accent was different.” She smacked her forehead with her palm. “And I believed him. I fell for the whole scam, hook, line and sinker.”
“No. You didn’t,” Rob said. “You didn’t send any money. So he didn’t gain anything.” Rob was a lot more direct than Hailey would have been but she could see that his blunt words had an effect. Julia looked slightly less beaten down. While she watched him talking to her friend she realized he was a truly nice guy, and watching his lips move reminded her that he was a great kisser.
And she hadn’t been kissed in a long time.
He’d awakened her lusty, sexy side and she didn’t think it was going back into hibernation anytime soon. What she was going to do about this, she had no idea.
She wasn’t a casual woman and she didn’t do casual sex. Still, an image of Rob and her in that big bed upstairs kept intruding. She pictured the two of them, limbs entwined, and a feeling of heat began to spread through her.
“Scammers only win when they get—”
He paused, turned to stare at Hailey, and she felt him sharing her fantasy as surely as if the two of them were naked and entwined at this very moment. The look he gave her was searing, intense. She touched her chest, her fingers resting on her collarbone, and his gaze followed as though he were the one touching her there.
Julia’s expression was still bleak. “He gained my trust. I believed the guy. That’s what hurts so much. I consider myself an intelligent woman. How could I be so stupid?” She shook her head and her red curls bounced. “Anyway, I’m done with LoveMatch.com.”
Julia’s pain broke the moment of intense lust and Hailey returned her attention to where it belonged.
“No,” Hailey cried. “You can’t give up so easily. Then the scam artists really do win. Come on. You’re not going to let one bad apple wreck the whole orchard.”
“I’m giving up on apples.”
“Come on. Get your computer out. We’re going to get you a date with a real guy who may not be the love of your life but who exists.”
“Wow. How my standards are dropping. I used to think I couldn’t d
ate anyone who didn’t appreciate Frank Gehry. Now all I ask is that he actually breathes.”
Hailey laughed. “It will be fun. You’ll feel a lot better once you put this behind you.”
“I guess.” Julia allowed herself to be persuaded to open her computer and log on to the site. Hailey leaned over her shoulder, watching every keystroke. “What about him?” she asked, pointing when Julia’s possible matches appeared.
“I hate beards,” she said, and deleted the guy’s picture.
“What about him?”
Julia snorted. “The only good thing I can say about a guy that ugly is at least he’s not a scammer who stole a male model’s photo.”
Hailey squinted to get a better look at the profile photo. “He’s not that ugly.”
Julie glanced up at her. “Would you go out with him?”
“Oh, look,” she said, “Somebody’s sent you a message. Two in fact. Click through.”
Julia did. “Bigbrownbear? His handle is Bigbrownbear? I am so going into a nunnery.” She clicked the message open anyway. It showed a man who could have been one of Santa’s elves. His profile stated he was sixty, but he appeared a decade older. “Not big, not brown, not a bear. My luck continues,” Julia said.
“He’s a sculptor,” Hailey read. “That’s interesting. He says he’d like to meet for coffee.”
“Maybe he wants to adopt me.”
“Oh, look, another message just came through.”
“From hotboy.” She clicked the email icon and up came the message. She read aloud. “Lookin for a rockin’ older gal. Do you go for younger guys?”
No one said a word when she clicked Delete.
“Okay, let’s try John2012.”
“What do you bet his name isn’t even John?” Julia clicked on the message. A nice face looked out at them from the guy’s profile photo. He’d sent a short message that said he’d be interested in getting to know her a little better.
Instead of deleting him, Julia clicked through to the man’s online profile. He said he was recently divorced and worked in the computer industry. His hobbies included sailing, ethnic restaurants and reading. Hailey held her tongue and waited for Julia’s verdict.
“He looks boring,” she said. “And he has no style.”
Hailey read over her friend’s shoulder. “He sounds nice. And you both like to eat out. You have that in common. What have you got to lose?”
“He probably thinks Frank Gehry is a football player.”
“Julia, at least meet the guy for coffee.”
“Hmm. I don’t know.” All the same she pulled up each of his three photos and studied them.
“Julia, go for coffee with this man. It’s only coffee.”
“What if we hate each other on sight?”
“Order an espresso so you can gulp it down if you have to. You can always talk about books.”
“I don’t know.” Julia made to close her laptop. Hailey prevented her. “Do it. Send him a message back. Immediately.”
“You are so bossy. If I have a terrible time I’m billing you at my hourly rate.”
She squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “There’s someone wonderful out there for you. I know it.”
Rob said, “Let me take a look.”
Both women stared at him. “You’re interested in Julia’s matches? Maybe you and Bigbrownbear have a future.”
“Very funny. I want to look at Julia’s profile.”
“Why?”
“What is it with you two? I’m a guy. In the right age range. I can tell you if your profile’s any good.”
“I don’t want to appeal to you. No offense, but I wouldn’t date you.”
“None taken. I wouldn’t date you either.” He held out his hand. “Now give.”
Hailey brought Julia’s profile back up and handed over the tablet. He took his time, read everything she’d written and perused the three photos. Then he shook his head. “You come across as boring, too. This isn’t you.”
Julia tapped her fingernails on the tabletop. “Like I said, you’re not my target market.”
“What’s bothering you about her profile?” Hailey asked. Maybe he and Julia wouldn’t ever date each other but he was right. He was a man in the same age range. Also he was smart and well-traveled.
“The photograph is too businesslike. I bet it’s the one you use on your staging website, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely. I paid a lot of money for a professional portrait. Why not use it?”
“Because you’re not selling your services as a stager, you’re selling yourself as a sexual partner and possible marriage material. The business suit and heavy makeup aren’t cutting it.”
“But—”
“Wait right there.” He got to his feet, grabbed his cane and limped over to his camera bag, taking out a smallish SLR camera and came back toward her.
“What are you doing?” Julia sounded alarmed and looked to Hailey for help.
“I’m taking your picture.”
She flapped her hands. “I’m not dressed right. My makeup’s terrible.”
“You look great. You look like yourself.”
Hailey nodded. “I agree. You dress with such great Bohemian style. You’ve got your favorite dangly earrings on, you’re wearing a colorful sweater and you are having a good hair day. Swipe on some more lip gloss and you’ll look fab.”
After they’d both convinced Julia she didn’t have to post Rob’s pictures if she didn’t like them, they persuaded her to go into the living room and stand by the arrangement of flowers as colorful and vibrant as she was.
He got Hailey to move a lamp and then went to work snapping photos. He gave her quiet instructions about moving her chin down and what to do with her hands. He had her turn her body a little and Hailey watched her friend relax and get into the mood of the photo shoot. “Think about the greatest sex you’ve ever had,” he said as he focused.
Julia’s face softened and her smile grew intimate. Wow, Hailey thought, watching him bend and move, totally focused on his task. He might be injured, but everything apart from his leg was athletic, virile. She could imagine having the greatest sex ever with Rob. In fact it was all she could think about.
Damn. She had a problem.
He snapped a few more photos and then nodded.
“Okay. I’ll email you the best of these and you can post a new profile picture. I guarantee it will help. Also, maybe make your written profile more—I don’t know—personal. A guy’s not too interested in where you went to school.”
“What does he want to know?” Hailey asked.
“Will she be fun to be with? How much baggage is she dragging around? Does she play games? Is she looking for her kids’ daddy? Is she sane? You know, stuff like that.”
“Great,” Julia said, pretending to type. “I’m fun to be with, the only games I play are Scrabble and Monopoly, I may want kids someday but there’s no hurry, I’m a little bit crazy, but in a good way.”
“Yep, that works. Only, substitute strip poker for Monopoly if you really want to pull.”
She giggled. “Thanks. I’ll get you one of my business cards so you can email me the photos.”
He turned, still grinning, toward Hailey. “How about you? You want me to take some shots of you?”
“For what? A dating site?”
He shrugged, his eyes both teasing and challenging. “Sure, why not?”
She couldn’t hold his gaze. Instead she began fussing with the flower arrangement. “I don’t have time to date. I have a career to build.”
She heard the snapping of the camera and glared at him. “What are you doing?”
“Candid photos. You might want something for your website. You look good with those flowers.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Julia returned, handed over one of her business cards and Rob slipped it into his wallet. “I guarantee plenty more Bigbrownbears will be beating down your door when you fix your profile.”
“I can h
ardly wait.”
Then she turned to Hailey. “Come on. We’d better get to work upstairs.”
Hailey nodded. “And you, Rob, can make yourself scarce.”
“Thrown out of my own home,” he muttered, then looked at Hailey. “And I’m a cripple. What kind of woman throws a cripple out?”
“A woman who wants to sell this house.”
He repacked his camera bag and then grabbed his cane. He’d been using the cane, she noted, on a regular basis and neither of them had mentioned it. She was glad he had it in him to be a little bit sensible.
They’d been working together only a few days but she’d started to look forward to coming here. She liked Bellamy House, liked its history, the neighborhood, its possibilities.
And, in spite of his annoying quirks, she liked the house’s current owner.
When he looked at her with those white teeth set in his tanned face she thought maybe she liked the current owner a little too much.
“Have a nice afternoon,” she called when he stomped out, making his limp as pronounced as possible.
“Don’t sell my house to any losers.”
7
JULIA’S HOPES WERE so low when she entered Beananza for her first actual date with a real man from LoveMatch.com that if they’d been any lower she’d still be in bed.
What was she even doing here? All right for Hailey to talk her into emailing the only man who seemed remotely in her dating range since she wasn’t the one feeling like a complete fool.
The only thing that made a quick coffee with a complete stranger acceptable was that she could drink her favorite brew in her favorite location.
When the door banged behind her, she breathed in the coffee smell and glanced around.
She saw him right away, John2012. Sitting by himself at a table for two, a china mug in front of him. She glanced at the old-fashioned clock on the wall and realized she was ten minutes late. Oops.
She headed toward him and he stood up and held out his hand. “Hi. I’m John.” Nice firm grip. At least she’d give him that.