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Authors: Fran Shaff

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Crossed Wires

BOOK: Crossed Wires
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CROSSED WIRES

By Fran Shaff

Classic Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Crossed Wires by Fran Shaff

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition

Coypright 2010 by Fran Shaff

Characters, names and incidents used in this
story are products of the imagination of the author and are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely
coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system without permission in writing from the author.

August, 2010

Discover Fran Shaff books and short stories
available in e-format, paperback and hardcover by visiting her
website at:
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff

E-mail Fran Shaff at:
[email protected]

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copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

CROSSED WIRES

Hank Garcia left his tools in the van. The
work order the office had given him didn’t specify what kind of
wiring problem his next customer had, and he really didn’t care.
After the way his secretary Lizzie Lancelot had been mixing up his
calls since she’d become engaged two weeks ago, he was ready to
quit.

He shut the door of his van a little more
forcefully than he’d intended.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t quit his job. He
was the owner of
Garcia’s Electric
.

He’d love to fire Lizzie, but she was his
niece. And he’d promised his sister…never mind what he’d promised
Louise. He couldn’t fire Lizzie.

It’d be nice if he could close the business
until after Lizzie’s wedding. Maybe then his secretary would be
operating at her normal, efficient capacity. Maybe, but he wouldn’t
count on it.

Hank walked up the steps leading to the porch
and wished he didn’t posses such a strong work ethic. If he had the
ability to simply forget this call, he’d have the guts to play
hooky. He badly needed a little r and r.

He tucked his gray tee shirt into his jeans
and rang the bell next to the front door of the white two-story
house. While he waited for a response he admired the black
shutters. The owner was doing a nice job maintaining the house, he
mused. He appreciated owners who took pride in their homes.

He rang the bell again. A few seconds passed
before a young woman answered his call.

“Hello,” she said smiling up at him. “You’re
a little early, but that’s okay. I’m ready.”

Hank’s breath caught, and he could feel his
eyes doubling their size as he looked down at the most beautiful
woman he’d ever seen. “I beg your pardon?” he said when he regained
his ability to speak.

She flicked her slender fingers through her
short, dark hair. “I said I’m ready.” He watched her full, red lips
as she spoke. She was absolutely stunning.

“Ready?” he stammered. Blast! Why was he
acting like such an idiot? He’d met tons of beautiful women in his
life. Not one of them had ever thrown him off balance like this one
had.

Her eyes started to sparkle, and a smile lit
her face. She held out a delicate hand. “I’m Melanie Baker.”

As Hank grasped her warm, silky fingers, he
felt his insides turning to jelly. “Hank Garcia.”

“Very nice to meet you, Hank. I am so pleased
you could come by today,” she said, drawing back her hand. She
straightened the collar on her turquoise sleeveless shirt.

“No problem, Miss Baker.” He cleared his
throat in an attempt to restore the composure Miss Baker’s aura of
beauty had stolen from him. “I’m afraid I’m not sure what you have
in mind. Would you please explain?”

She picked up a small duffle bag which had
been sitting on a chair near the door and slung it over her
shoulder. “I have a nice surprise for you,” she said as she joined
him on the porch. She closed the front door and locked it before
she faced him again. “I hope you like hiking.”

“Hiking?” What was she talking about?

“Yes. When Cynthia told me you’re an
outdoorsman, I figured you might enjoy the guided hike at Bear Lake
State Park.”

“Bear Lake State Park? The park north of
town?” The job she wanted him to do was in a park? He could work in
a park, but why were they hiking to the job, and who the heck was
Cynthia?

“Yes, I’m sure you’ve been there.”

He shrugged. “Of course.” He just hadn’t
remembered the name of the park. He wasn’t remembering much of
anything since he’d looked into Miss Baker’s emerald green
eyes.

As she stood looking up at him, she raised
her hand to his shoulder. “You seem a bit nervous. Please, don’t be
anxious, Hank. I know blind dates are difficult, but I think we’ll
have a great time.” She placed the hand she’d had on his shoulder
into the pocket of her white shorts. “Like you, I love the
outdoors. In fact, I’ve hiked in the state park dozens of times. I
go fishing and scuba diving there as well.”

Date? She thought he was her blind date?
“Miss Baker, I think we have a misunderstanding.”

She withdrew her hand from her pocket and
gave it a casual wave. “Oh, of course. I should have asked if you’d
rather do something besides hiking. It’s just that I hadn’t taken
the guided hike, and I’ve really wanted to take it. I am sort of a
botany enthusiast, and I haven’t identified all the plants on the
trails yet.” She gave him a sweet smile. “Would you rather go scuba
diving?”

“Miss Baker,” he said, only half listening to
what she said, “I don’t think we--wait a minute. Did you say scuba
diving?” Her words finally began to register.

“Yes, and, please, call me Melanie. A dive
shop opened last spring near the park. We can rent gear and a boat
there.”

He’d been saving up for scuba gear ever since
Lizzie and Louise had talked him into getting his certification
earlier in the year. “I love scuba diving.”

“You do?”

“Absolutely!” What was he saying? What was he
doing? If he pretended to be this woman’s blind date, he’d be the
jerk of the year.

But he loved scuba diving, and he needed an
afternoon off. He had the time, too, thanks to the mess Lizzie had
made of his schedule again.

“It’s settled then. We’ll go diving instead
of hiking,” she said, giving him another of her man-melting
smiles.

“Why not?” He placed his hand on her back and
urged her to cross the porch.

She stopped half way between the front door
and the steps and turned round to look up at him. She quirked a
brow and gave him a puzzled look. “I thought Cynthia told me you
had black hair and blue eyes.”

Busted!

He swallowed hard and nervously drove his
fingers through his curly brown hair. But before he could begin his
explanation, she went on.

“Don’t get me wrong,” she said, laying her
hand on his forearm, “I love brown eyes.”

Hank knew her hand should not be on his arm.
He knew he should straighten out this mix up. But his sense of fair
play seemed to be out to lunch. His work facade had blown away, and
his date persona was taking over. “Emerald green eyes like yours
are true gems,” he said, giving her one of his most charming
smiles. Okay, sometimes he got a little corny on dates.

“Oh, Hank,” she said, playfully tapping his
forearm. “You’re going to make me blush.” She linked her arm with
his and tugged him to the steps. “We’d better get going before all
the scuba gear is rented.” She took a few steps before she turned
toward him again, dropping his arm. “You know, I must be really
scatter brained today. I thought Cynthia said your name was Bill or
Bruce or Brad, something with a ‘B.’”

Her comment hit him like a sledgehammer to
the gut. He had to put an end to this charade. “Melanie, there is
something I need to tell you.”

“Yes, Hank?”

It would be a lot easier to tell her the
truth if she wasn’t the most perfect woman he’d ever met. She
wasn’t only beautiful she was full of life, so free and happy. And
she liked to scuba dive. “It isn’t easy to say, Melanie.”

She bit her lip as an awful look of
apprehension settled on her lovely features. “You don’t like me.”
She held her hands up in front of her and took a step back. “It’s
all right, Hank. Believe me I’ve been on a few blind dates I would
rather forget. It’s no fun going out with someone who is just not
your type. I’m glad you feel uninhibited enough to speak up at the
beginning of our date. I certainly wouldn’t want to put you through
the agony of trying to look like you’re having a good time, when
all you really want to do is get the date over with.”

Hank would have been less surprised if he’d
seen her sprout wings and fly away than he was hearing her jumping
to such an unbelievable conclusion. “Melanie, you couldn’t be more
wrong. If I had a choice of being anywhere else or of being with
anyone else in the whole world, I would choose to be with you right
here right now.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely! I love scuba diving, and, as for
you…Melanie, you are truly lovely. It will be my pleasure to spend
the afternoon with you.”

Her face lit with another man-melting smile
when her doubt went away. “I am so glad to hear that, Hank, because
I think you…”

“Yes?”

She shook her head and linked arms with him
again. “Never mind. I will not jump to anymore conclusions, not
even good ones.”

“Whatever you say, Melanie.” It seemed being
forthright was no longer an option. If he told her the truth, it
would only put the awful, hurtful look back into her eyes. He
didn’t want to see sadness or disappointment in her again. He would
figure a way to straighten things out later, after he’d spent the
afternoon with her. They could deal with the consequences of his
secret after their date.

“You’re an electrician?” she asked when she
saw his van.

“You say that like it’s a crime.” He couldn’t
help but notice the tone she’d used.

“Forgive me.” She smiled at him as he guided
her down the stairs. “I thought Cynthia said you were a
plumber.”

“No, ma’am, I’m an electrician. Always have
been.”

She sighed lightly. “I suppose the anxiety of
facing another blind date has left me a bit confused. Cynthia is
always setting me up. I tried dozens of times to get her to stop,
but she won’t.” She shrugged and tossed her curls with her fingers.
“I’ve finally given up and started agreeing to most of her setups.”
She focused on him and bit the corner of her mouth. “I guess this
time, I owe Cynthia a big thank you,” she said, giving him a coy
smile.

Tell her the truth!
his angelic
conscience ordered.

Let her think what she wants and enjoy the
afternoon,
his devilish rival told him.

She took his hand as she continued to grin at
him. “I don’t see a state park sticker on your van. We should
probably take my car. We won’t have to pay an admission price then.
I have a season pass to the park.”

Hank agreed. He enjoyed the touch of her palm
against his as he took Melanie to her car. He helped her into the
driver’s side and walked around to the passenger side When he sat
down he decided he had to come clean with her. Lying wasn’t
fair.

“I feel I must tell you something, Melanie,
something you have a right to know,” he said, watching her start
the car.

She briefly glanced at him before she focused
on maneuvering the car out of the driveway. “Oh? What is so
important?”

He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but--.
“I…ah…I…”

Her right hand left the steering wheel while
her left guided the car down the street. The next thing Hank knew,
she was placing her warm, silky fingers on top of the hand he’d
laid between them.

“You don’t have to say it, Hank. This has
happened to me before.”

“It has?”

“Yes. Cynthia is no private detective. She
doesn’t always check out the dates she sends my way as thoroughly
as she might. She’s a persuasive person, and I know she can talk
anyone into anything.”

“She can?” He had no idea where Melanie was
going with her explanation, but he had a feeling he should let her
continue before he set her straight if she’d jumped to the wrong
conclusion again.

“Yes, she can. You’re not the first gay man
who has been roped into a date with me.”

“What!” He sat forward and turned toward her.
“I am not gay!” he said, placing his hand over his chest.

BOOK: Crossed Wires
3.31Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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