Lush (5 page)

“I say the forty minute
interval is about to start down at Dating Central and you need to
get back there to announce it.”

“My club manager is
handling that. She’s even going to find a replacement for you so
that the dating can continue without a hitch. Thanks for that, by
the way. I’ll be sure to never depend on you again.”

She almost choked on
her tongue. “Really? You’re trying to guilt me?”

He grinned ruefully.
“Sorry. Habit. It works on most women. I forgot who I was talking
to for a second.”

“Yeah, you must
have.”

“So why’d you run out
of there anyway? Was it really that bad?”

“No.” She shook her
head slightly and actually managed to muster a polite smile. “It
was fine. I’m just not into that kind of thing and when I agreed to
it I was under the influence of my mum’s Margaritas. You know how
bad those are for my reasoning ability. Remember how when I was
fourteen Kirst and I stole a pitcher during your dad’s forty-fifth
birthday bash and got wasted. You rocked up just after Kirst puked
and managed to convince us that if you told on us we’d both get
grounded for months.”

He frowned faintly as
he scratched his head, obviously trying to recall the event in
question. “I think I blackmailed you. Didn’t I?”

“Damn straight. You
said that the only way you would keep quiet about it was if we
polished your motorbike everyday for a week. I think it was the
first time in my life that I wished the school days would never
end.”

“Oh yeah. It’s all
coming back to me now. My bike was never shinier.” He smiled at the
memory, no doubt quite proud of himself. “But you got something out
of the deal too. The next weekend you managed to talk me into
teaching you how to ride.”

“Yeah, but let’s not
forget that two weeks later my dad found out and we both got
grounded.”

He shook his head, his
eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter. “No. You got grounded. I
got my licence revoked.”

“How could I forget?
You didn’t talk to me for ages.” It caught her off guard to note
the tinge of resentment in her voice, but thankfully Michael didn’t
seem to pick up on it. He seemed to be lost in his own
recollections of that long ago time. He looked a little sad.

As if a switch had
flipped he was all smiles again. “What can I say, I was in a very
dark place. Sadie Landry broke up with me ’cause I lost some of my
‘cool factor’ when my mother started dropping me off at
school.”

“You say that like it’s
a bad thing. Sadie was a slut.” Yep, more of that resentment. She
really should cut it out, but hell, Sadie had been a slut. A big
skanky one.

Michael grinned
salaciously. “That’s why it was a bad thing. That girl gave
terrific–”

Not willing to hear
more she got to her feet and glared down at him. “Oh shut up. I
know exactly what she gave. I also know that she gave it to every
guy on the basketball team when they made it to state finals.”

“Every guy but me.”

Julia smiled her first
real smile of the night. Actually it was more of a smirk. “Yeah,
and lucky for you, that was the reason you didn’t get suspended
along with the rest of the team. In fact it was the reason your dad
gave you your licence back. Your folks thought you were so mature
and moral after that.”

“Yes they did. And you
and Kirst threatened to tell them the truth unless I tutored you
both in advanced trig.”

“I had nothing to do
with that. It was all your sister.”

Michael’s smile faded
as he too got to his feet. “Is that why you ended up here tonight,
Kirsten threatened you with something?”

“No.” She fought down
the urge to snigger. Maybe even giggle. “Kirst would never do that.
I’ve got too much dirt on her. She bribed me. Told me you had great
tickets to the game. I’d been too busy to buy any and by the time I
tried to all the good ones had sold out.”

Tapping his breast
pocket Michael wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Lucky for you I
have a couple of
very
great tickets right here. Front row
seats right behind the dugout and just the perfect distance from
home plate. It doesn’t get much better than that when you want to
be part of the action.”

Trying to keep her
expression serious she said, “I don’t know, Mike. It would mean
having to sit next to you.”

Playfully jabbing her
in the ribs he grumbled, “You are still the cheekiest brat I know.
So what do you say, Jules, you wanna go to the game with me?”

Did she? In those
fantastic seats? With Mike? Did she even have to think about it?
“Hell yes!”

“I thought you’d say
that.” He unleashed a killer smile and made it even deadlier when
he added a panty-soaking wink.

Whoa!
She had to
shut him down before he charmed her right out of those soaking
panties. “We’re going as friends, Michael. Just friends. It’s not a
date.”

“Of course it’s not a
date. Just two old friends going to watch the game and shoot the
breeze.” With that he reached out his hand and ripped the sticker
off her chest.

“Ouch, you jackass!
Why’d you do that?”

“Friends don’t let
friends draw attention to their tits with suggestive stickers no
matter how perfect those tits are.” To his credit he kept his eyes
focussed on hers even as her hand rubbed the discomfort out of her
breasts and their achingly peddled nipples.

“Come.” He held out his
hand. “I have a big screen TV and a popcorn maker in my office.
Let’s see what’s on ESPN. Kirsten will probably come looking for us
any minute now.”

***

Michael couldn’t
remember the last time he’d had so much fun with a woman. He and
Julia had stayed in his office all through the dating intermission
and the second round of dates. They’d watched highlights from past
MLB games and discussed some of their favourites. As the dating
wound down in the VIP lounge they got into his Wii games and played
golf and tennis. Jules was a natural at both and she’d given him a
run for his money. Yes, he could have won, but seeing her do her
silly victory dances had been reason enough to throw the games.

It was well past 2 am
when they both collapsed on beanbags and decided to call the Wii
marathon to a close.

“Jules,” he said,
studying her gorgeous, flushed face as she sipped on her sparkling
water. “Why did you make that remark earlier? What were you playing
at?”

She looked at him
blankly. “I’ve made hundreds of remarks tonight. Which one are you
referring to?”

“The one about not
being that pretty.”

“You mean to tell me
you still haven’t figured it out?”

“I don’t get how you
expect me to.”

Placing her water on
the coffee table she turned to him with a guarded and decidedly
brittle smile. “Well then, think back to the last time we saw each
other before tonight.”

“You mean the night I
kissed you and warned you off that asshole who was chasing your
skirt.” Just thinking about that kiss had him wanting to kiss her
again. It had been the best of his life till that point. A kiss
that had changed the way he graded all kisses after for a long
time.

“Yeah, that night.”

He wracked his brain to
find what exactly could have sparked her ‘pretty’ remark but drew a
blank. He’d been a jerk, yes. He hadn’t known how else to handle
his attraction towards her or his overwhelming fear for her future,
but never once had he done anything to make her feel undesired. She
had to have felt how much he’d wanted her. She’d all but rubbed him
to a hair’s breadth of cuming in his shorts before Roger had
fortuitously started snapping away with the Polaroid
Instamatic.

Julia obviously sensed
his confusion, but she was showing no mercy. “Mike, the
significance of that statement will probably never occur to you,
and that’s fine. It was a long time ago. Anyway, it’s really late
and I have a meeting tomorrow.” She got to her feet and let out a
big yawn.

Damn, the woman was so
sexy she could even make a yawn look hot.

“Night, Mike. It’s been
fun hanging out.”

He let out a dry laugh,
and just as intended, Julia stopped in her tracks and gave him a
quizzical look.

“Jules, tomorrow is
today and today is Saturday. I know for a fact that your firm is
closed on weekends. If you need to make excuses to get away from me
you might as well try to think up believable ones.”

She rolled her eyes but
showed no trace of having taken offence. “Actually I really do have
a meeting tomorrow, or as you pointed out, today. My dad wants me
to drop by and look over some of the new custom bikes that he’s
just finished building. My weekdays are too hectic to take time out
for the drive to Sylvan Beach and it’s best to see them in full
daylight. I’m planning on spending the weekend there like I do most
weekends.”

“Ah yes, Kirst told me
that he got pretty serious about building bikes after he retired,
but she never mentioned that you had any interest in them.”

“Why would she
have?”

“Because I like
bikes.”

“And that would be
relevant to mentioning my interest in them how?”

“I don’t know. I guess
it would have been nice to know.” God, he was pathetic.

What he really wanted
to say was that he’d indirectly asked about her many times over the
last ten years and now it was killing him to realise that his
sister had withheld so much. Hell, she hadn’t even sent him a
recent photo of Jules. Not that he’d asked for any photos after
Julia turned eighteen. That was how old she was when she broke his
heart without even trying to. After that he’d wanted to put her
behind him. But even so, every time he spoke to Kirst he asked how
the Kincaid’s were doing and there was no reason why she couldn’t
have motioned that Jules still liked bikes. Especially considering
that he was the guy who’d taught her to ride in the first
place.

Okay, enough. He really
was being pathetic now.

“Well, —” Julia settled
on the beanbag beside his and gave him an indulgent smile. “— if
you really want to know, I took an interest at the end of my senior
year. Dad took me along to pick up a Super Glide Harley that was a
gift from one of his former patients. It was a total beast and I
fell in love with the look of it. Whenever he let me ride with him
it was magic. We’d often take it on the open road and let it fly.
Hearing the roar of its engine and feeling the way it surged with
every gear change was utter nirvana.” Seeming to realise that she
was maybe sharing more than she’d intended to, she coloured
noticeably and looked away. “Anyway, that’s when I took a real
interest in the things. I’ve really got to get going now. My dad’s
expecting me at lunchtime and I need to get some sleep in for the
long drive over.”

He didn’t want to let
her go but he also realised that keeping her from getting some
sleep would be selfish. The drive out to her folks would take
almost four hours. If she stuck to the speed limits. “Jules let me
take you home. I know you took a taxi here and at this time of
night there won’t be many around.”

She didn’t argue and
she didn’t say much on the ten-minute drive to her apartment. She
didn’t even give him a goodnight kiss when he walked her to the
lobby elevator. Not that he’d expected one. It was more than
obvious that she was just not into him anymore. A real pity because
he was totally into her. He was falling all over again. Maybe he’d
never really stopped.

*

Text Between Michael
and Julia. Sunday evening, 5:15 pm.

Michael:
Hi Jules, Mike Winthrop here. Before you
interrogate me, I got your number from your Rapid-Fire registration
form. Reason I’m messaging because I forgot to give you your game
ticket the other night. Not sure if you still want to go together
so I’m happy to give them both to you. I’ll drop them off in your
mailbox if you like.

Julia:
Hey Mike. Don’t be a tool. Of course I still
want to go with you. Why wouldn’t I? Besides, I’ve got no one else
to take.

Michael:
Gee, don’t make me feel too special
now.

Julia:
Oh suck it up. I’m actually looking forward
to going with you. It will be like old times when our dads used to
take us.

Michael:
Yeah, I guess so. If you really want to
walk down memory lane I’ll take you for ice-cream after.

Julia:
Nah, I’ve got Italian gelato at home, but
thanks.

Michael:
So how do you want to do this? You happy
to let me pick you up Tuesday evening, say seven?

Julia:
Sure. That’s great. By the way, meant to
tell you, I love your car. I know it’s not real patriotic of me,
but nothing comes close to a vintage Aston Martin that’s been
refitted to have the steering on the left side.

Michael:
Thanks. Was a gift from my dad when I sold
my first club at a profit. He figured that since the club was in
the UK he’d buy me a fitting present.

Julia:
Damn! Just imagine if the club had been in
France! You could have had a Bugatti.

Michael:
You like those, do you?

Julia:
Who doesn’t! Anyway, got another early start
tomorrow and need to get on the road.

Michael:
Drive safe and please send a message when
you get in.

Julia:
Aww, are you worried about me, Mike?