“What happens if I do?” Greg asked.
“You get to see the real woman you’ll be going out with. Jellica hated that picture.”
Greg swiped right and there she was in tree pose looking majestic. Her form was perfect. It was what he got from Tai Chi—the enjoyment of the perfect form. He ran fingertips over the screen and wondered if she would feel smoothly muscled and as lean as she looked. She was lovely, no doubt about it. Now what in the world did she want with someone like him? He had no illusions about himself.
He slid the tablet back on the desk. “I don’t know.”
Della nodded. “That’s usually a polite way of saying no without actually having to say it. Any sort of yes is much more decisive. Even a maybe is a positive. We’re going to say it’s not going to work and leave it at that. I’ll tell her tomorrow.”
“Wait,” Greg said, befuddled. “I didn’t say no.”
“So you want to go out with her?” Della asked.
“Well, no… I mean… I don’t know yet. Can I think about it?”
“Mr. Skyler… Greg…” Della began. “I’m going to be honest with you and tell you something I probably shouldn’t. This woman is a friend of Mariah’s. Dangling a friend of Mariah’s is not a good practice. Dr. Bates is very protective of everyone in her database. Understand?”
No, Greg decided, he didn’t understand, but he did get that Dr. Bates might hold rejecting her friend against him. Since he hadn’t yet decided to abandon The Perfect Date, he needed to play along. What was one more botched date other than another hit to his wallet? He could afford the money and it wasn’t like his feelings were going to be getting hurt by a woman he’d picked out for himself.
“Fine. Set us up,” Greg ordered.
“Now I feel like I’ve pressured you into saying yes,” Della said.
“You have,” Greg admitted, “but I’m used to being talked into things by pushy women. My mother and sister do it to me all the time.”
“But you don’t…” Della began.
Greg held up a hand to stop her. “It’s okay. She’s beautiful and I’m not crazy. If she wants us to meet, who am I to refuse fate? Right?”
Della laughed nervously. “Jellica is a big believer in fate.”
“I’m starting to be,” Greg said dryly, but he didn’t mean it. He was just trying to get himself out of the mess he’d stumbled into. “Got any suggestions about where to take her for dinner?”
“Someplace healthy,” Della replied.
Greg nodded and fought back a sigh. She was probably vegetarian too. He didn’t know why the thought depressed him so much. “Healthy. Right,” he answered, knowing he was going to have to research to find the right place. It was going to cost him a fortune on top of paying for the date.
And worst of all was that Brittany was going to once again be proven right about his sorry, sexless dating life.
Chapter Five
Jellica looked around Trudy’s red room in awe. “Why have I never been back here? Now I know why Georgia and Ann were so stunned.”
Trudy shrugged. “It’s a clothes collection. Once I started putting my TV clothes in here, I couldn’t stop. I suppose I could have given it all away to charity years ago. Instead, I saved it and now I’ve turned it into a lending closet for my friends who all have started dating rich guys recently,” she said, laughing as she looked at the racks.
“Everything looks too fancy for me. Do you actually have something simple enough to wear on a date with an accountant?”
“Sweetie, I have clothes that you could meet the Queen of England in as well as go shopping at the mall. Are we talking normal date or date-date?”
“Date—as in the first date—maybe only date. Della said he reluctantly agreed to go out with me. I’d planned to wear my own dress of seven veils that flutters when I walk, but that didn’t seem like a very proper thank-you for his willingness to spend three grand to go out with me. I already have the problem of reciprocating his friendship. I didn’t want to make a bad first impression.”
“The fact that I actually followed your logic about this worries me,” Trudy said, eyes blinking rapidly. “So… are you thinking a suit like the one in your bio photo or something fitted on the verge of sexy without going all the way into seduction?”
“The second sounds better,” Jellica answered quietly. “I don’t think I could wear a suit and feel like myself. I want him to at least like me. I feel like I’m channeling Georgia when I wear a suit.”
“Well, we can’t have that. Georgia has corrupted you enough. Are you still angling for a friendship-only thing?” Trudy asked as she walked around the room and searched the racks.
“Maybe like friends with limited benefits,” Jellica stated but laughed when Trudy turned and arched an eyebrow. “I just meant that I want to find a way to make it worth his while to be my friend.”
Trudy turned away and shook her head. “Is there any point in me stating the big obvious hole in that plan of yours since he barely agreed to this date?”
Jellica winced. “I know it’s a long shot. But if I’m only doing this once—and I’ve made that decision for sure—going out with Greg Skyler was better than any of those other thirty guys. Some of them were barely older than my sons. They’re like twenty-eight or something.”
“Thirty guys?” Trudy said, swinging around with mouth open. “You’re kidding me.”
Jellica shook her head. “No. At least thirty. There might have been more. I quit counting.”
Trudy rolled her eyes. “So much for my two or three, not to mention the first guy who stood me up.”
“Because he was an idiot,” Jellica said firmly. “That was not about you.”
Trudy laughed. “Oh, that was about me alright, but I don’t care. We can’t all be svelte yoga teachers.”
“No worries. You’re flexible enough for me,” a deep voice said from the doorway.
A giggling Jellica turned to see Chef Jack Dozen giving her friend a leering look. Trudy’s face turned pink, but her eyes sparkled at the praise.
“Because you like to think you’re Houdini in the sack,” Trudy replied tartly.
“I’m your Houdini,” Jack said firmly, entering the room. “What are we doing here?”
“We are doing nothing,” Trudy said. “I’m trying to find Jellica a dress for her date with a boring accountant.”
“Why date one? I know a good accountant,” Jack said. “Mine owes me for raising him.”
Trudy hit his chest. “Your accountant is engaged already. Jellica wants her own. She might develop nefarious longings giving the proper motivation.”
“Oh,” Jack said, giving the revelation some thought. “Now I understand.” He walked to a rack and pulled out a red dress. “Red sends a good message, but the high collar will keep him guessing if he’s interpreting it correctly.”
“What message?” Trudy demanded, snatching the red dress from his hand.
Jellica laughed and eased the dress from Trudy’s fingers.
“That Jellica wants a long courtship before they fall madly in love,” Jack said with a shrug.
“My eyes can’t possibly roll up any higher in my head,” Trudy told him, trying to stare him down.
Jellica walked to a mirror and held up the dress. It was a little large for her, but that would make it flow rather than cling. It would look nice but demure despite the bright color. It was a good shade and she had a pair of red heels that would be perfect for it.
“I like this one. Can I try it on?” Jellica asked.
“Let’s find a few more first,” Trudy insisted. She looked at the man who’d invaded her home and her heart… and now her friendships. “Shoo, Jackson. This is woman’s work.”
“Your friends are my friends now,” Jack said simply. He walked to the opposite side of the room and flipped through several racks. “I was the youngest child in a family full of women. My male opinion was priceless to them despite my age. Who do you think helped them pick clothes for their dates?
I did. Now this one is nice. It says she wants to be friends first.”
He walked back carrying a teal shift with a matching sweater and handed it over to Jellica.
“Great. I do want to be his friend,” Jellica explained.
“Perfect,” Jack said. “Let’s find one dress more to keep Trudy happy. I can practically see the number three floating through her head.”
Trudy planted her hands on her hips and Jellica had to laugh at the challenge. Jack pushed and pushed. Trudy pretended to mind, but if you knew her well, you could see she really didn’t. Jack adored her. And Trudy adored him right back. The rest was just them adjusting to each other’s eccentricities. In the end, wasn’t that what love was really like?
“How about yellow?” Jack asked, slipping another dress off the rack.
“No yellow,” Jellica answered. “My ex made me wear suits in that color even though it was awful on me.”
“No yellow,” Jack said, putting it right back. “Here’s one. You can’t go wrong with a sexy black dress.” He brought it back and handed it over. “Go try them on.”
Grinning, Jellica headed out of the room and to the bathroom down the hall.
“Bossy. Bossy. Bossy,” Trudy chanted when Jellica was completely gone.
“I have plans for you this afternoon that don’t include an audience. Once your magical Dr. Bates fixes up your adopted child with her perfect man, I know Momma Trudy’s life will be complete and her attention will be all mine. I’m just helping the process along.”
“I’m not Jellica’s momma,” Trudy protested, ignoring the rest.
“I’ve watched you become Brandon’s momma in a few short months. I know what you’re like in momma mode. You’re being that girl’s momma.”
“Jackson, she’s not a girl. Jellica’s as old as you,” Trudy informed him.
“She’s an innocent,” Jack said. “Life has hurt her and she pulled into herself to survive. You and your crazy friends have kept her among the living, but true happiness hasn’t found her yet. Trust me, honey. I know all the signs… and I know what’s on the other side. Been there myself.”
“Jack…”
He pressed a finger to her lips. “I love you. I like her. Let me help.”
Trudy rolled her eyes just as Jellica came back wearing the teal dress.
“Yuck,” Jack said sharply. “Soccer moms dress better than that. Reject that dress.”
Trudy smacked his chest and looked at Jellica. “Don’t listen to him. It fits your body really well.”
Jellica frowned down at it. “Soccer mom? That won’t work.” Back down the hall she went.
“What was wrong with that dress?” Trudy demanded.
“Did you think ‘wow, you look great’ at any point?” Jack asked.
“Well… no… but…”
Jellica came wearing the black dress and Jack whistled. Trudy’s mouth fell open at the site of her friend’s incredible legs on display.
He laughed wickedly. “That one says you’re planning to be his dessert.”
“Oh dear, that’s too much,” Jellica said. She turned away and then turned back. “Can I keep this one just in case I eventually date some guy who…? No, never mind.” Back down the hall she went.
Trudy giggled while Jack laughed beside her.
“I told you I grew up with five sisters,” he said.
Finally, Jellica came back wearing the red dress. “How’s this one?”
Jack nodded. “You will look like his equal, especially if he shows up wearing a sweater vest and expensive Italian shoes.”
“How do you know he wears a sweater vest?” Trudy demanded when Jellica appeared too stunned to speak. Their eyes exchanged silent messages as they wondered if Jack had spies in her restaurant.
“Hello,” Jack said, his tone incredulous. “My son Brandon owns several of them. All cashmere as my empty wallet can attest. Ugly as sin if you ask me, but he swears they never go out of style.”
Jellica put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggling as Trudy swore under her breath. “This is the one,” she told them both when she could find the breath to speak clearly. “I’ll take this one.”
“Fine. Let me find you some jewelry to dress it up then,” Trudy said, heading for her treasure chests.
“Keep the black dress too,” Jack ordered, brushing by both women to leave. “In case the right opportunity comes up.”
Jellica was quiet for a moment after he left, then it hit her. “Was Jack trying to tell me something?”
“Only if you think your accountant is going to inspire you to wear that black dress.”
Jellica pondered the idea. “No offense to Jack’s son, but the man wears sweater vests, Trudy. I don’t see that happening.”
“Me neither,” Trudy agreed, bringing back several pieces. “Here. You can wear the big, flamboyant stones. Your personality won’t be dwarfed by them.”
“Was that a compliment?” Jellica asked.
Trudy looked into eyes asking all kinds of questions. She’d never met a more beautiful woman who was so unsure of herself. For the hundredth time, she damned Jellica’s bastard of an ex-husband for the feminine wounds he’d inflicted.
“Jack’s right. Keep the black dress. You never know what might come up. And I, for one, will be praying for the perfect man to own it when it does.”
Jellica giggled. “Now I know that was innuendo. It sounded like something Georgia would say.”
“No, sweetie. That was me being hopeful for you. It’s time to bury the past. You deserve to be happy even if it’s with a boring accountant.”
“This is not that kind of date. That’s why I chose the red dress,” Jellica explained.
Trudy sighed heavily and gave up. Jack was right. Jellica was still an innocent in many ways. She hoped the guy that woke Jellica up turned out to be a good one because a murder rep would not be good for her or Jack’s career.
She fastened a hammered silver and red jasper necklace around Jellica’s throat. It fell perfectly on the neckline of the dress as it had been purchased to do. There was a matching cuff bracelet and a pair of earrings that were nothing more than hammered silver hoops. They looked like they were meant for Jellica and Trudy was glad now that she’d kept them all these years.
“Trudy?”
“What sweetie?”
“Thanks for helping me. The last guy I dated was a co-pilot on a layover. The one before that was someone I met at a yoga retreat. It’s been a while since I’ve dated a normal guy.”
“Normal guy? What in the world is that animal?” Trudy demanded with a laugh. “Normal guy. You made that up. There’s no such thing.”
Trudy put her arms around a giggling Jellica and hugged tight. In the doorway, Jack stood quietly grinning before silently slipping out of sight again.
“Now go,” Trudy ordered, pushing Jellica out of her arms. “Go date your boring accountant and make your Momma Trudy proud.”
“Momma Trudy?” Jellica repeated.
“You heard me,” Trudy said. “And wear heels. You’ve got good legs. Knock his matching cashmere socks off.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jellica replied sharply, laughing as she left.
Chapter Six
It wasn’t the first time Greg had arranged the details of a date through texting, but it was the first time doing so had made him so nervous. He’d arrived early at the unfamiliar, overly pretentious restaurant. Now he had to sit through twenty minutes of alone time until his woo-woo date showed up.
Yes, he’d felt obligated to watch her recording, but it had only left him confused. Angelica Quartz was mostly a nice person—too nice to think like she did in his opinion.
“Hi, Greg. It’s good to see you.”
He looked up from his pondering and came face-to-face with the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her long brown hair was partially caught up, but curls escaped the confinement to fall around her face over her shoulders. Large silver hoops hung from her ears and red sto
nes in a matching silver necklace lay against the luscious skin not covered by a sexy red dress that hugged her curves. The woman herself kept the outfit from being too conservative… or maybe it was the matching four-inch red heels with pointed toes.
Her sparkling brown eyes twinkled at his admiration and the tiny laugh lines beside them begged to be stroked. His attraction to her was instantaneous, utterly ridiculous, and absolutely the most amazing feeling he’d ever felt in his entire life.
Greg stood automatically, his body acting without prompting. “Hello. Have we met?”
The woman beamed at him, her smile secretive and yet sweet. “By the standards of modern society, I would say that answer is a confirmed yes.”
He searched her eyes for clues about who she was. Despite her teasing, her gaze was kind, knowing, interested… in him. “I’d invite you to sit and visit with me until I sorted out this mystery, but I’m expecting a date any minute.”
Her laugh was a merry tinkle of sound. “An honest man… I guess chivalry isn’t dead then,” she mused.
“Not with me,” Greg answered solemnly, hating his good guy side for once. He really would have liked to invite her to sit and talk to him. “I’m totally embarrassed though. If we’ve met before, I simply can’t remember. I hope you’re not offended.”
The vision put out a hand. There were no long painted nails, no rings on any finger, and no pricey manicure masking the calluses on her warm palms. Her firm handshake was a big clue to her identity, he could tell, but he still didn’t put it together until she did it for him.
“Sorry for teasing you. I’m Angelica Quartz… your date.”
“Oh,” Greg said, dumbfounded at the revelation. Her bio did not do her justice at all. He motioned to the chair like he’d forgotten how to speak. Finally, his mouth opened again. “Sit. Please.”
Smiling, his mischievous date did as he asked. He sat too and just stared. He couldn’t help it. “You…”
“I know. I know. I don't look like the bio photo at all… or my yoga photo,” she said, finishing the statement.
Greg almost chuckled at her answer, but something vulnerable in her tone held the amusement back. “There is no polite way to answer that comment, is there? Guess I’ve totally screwed up your first impression of me.”
Never Try To Explain Page 4