One Good Man (18 page)

"Of course you were. Of course," he answered soothingly.

His hand reached for hers again and Andie allowed him to clasp it, but made no effort it hold his in return. "It was a big mistake. It didn't take me long to realize that. To realize who I really belong with."

It didn't take long for Gretchen to kick your ass to the
curb
, Andie thought. Maybe she had gone back to the other guy. Or maybe she realized Douglas, once she had him, was no great prize. But whatever the reason, Gretchen had given him the old heave-ho.

Andie was not the same fool she'd been a few weeks ago.

The real reason Douglas was here, making nice, was because he had nowhere else to go.

And he assumed she'd fall into his arms again.

"It's stupid, us being apart," he went on. "We belong together."

That's it?
Andie wondered. No groveling, no self-recrimination, no promises of happily-ever-after? Was she not worth even one measly "I love you"? Apparently not. That had to be the laziest, lousiest apology ever given. It was downright insulting.

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But why should he make the effort? She was boring old Andie, wasn't she? Andie the Librarian—predictable, safe, and deadly dull—desperate enough to accept anything thrown her way. At least that's what Douglas believed. Well, let him believe it. For a little while longer.

"I need to think," she murmured, looking away so he didn't see the disgust she felt. Still, she registered his surprised annoyance. Well, hell. Had he really thought she'd let him back tonight?

"Of course," he answered grudgingly.

"Where are you staying?"

His mouth twisted in frustration. "Max is letting me crash at his place."

Andie glanced away again, this time to hide her grin. His friend Max was a slob, which was sure to be driving Douglas crazy. No doubt that was another reason he wanted back in their—scratch that—her apartment. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering with humor. "Well, that's nice. It's good to have friends."

He grunted.

"We need to talk more," she told him. "In private. Why don't you come by tomorrow night." She looked up at him with a promise in her eyes.
Step into my parlor, said the
spider to the fly.
"Maybe we can settle things then."

His eyes lit up as he agreed. Andie wanted to laugh. This was too perfect. When he explained he'd promised to meet Max for dinner, Andie urged him to keep the date. "You don't want to disappoint your friend."

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Not that she cared about Max. Andie only wanted to get rid of Douglas to enjoy a few moments alone to savor her victory. When they parted she was afraid he'd try to kiss her goodbye, but he changed his mind—thank God—and pressed her hand instead.

Andie lingered at the table, finishing the last few sips of her drink when someone pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

Tania glared at her. "You're not going anywhere until you hear what I have to say." Tania brought reinforcements.

While she sat directly across from Andie, Latisha took the chair to Andie's left. Andie's mouth went slack with surprise.

"Where did you come from?"

A pretty African-American woman with long-lashed eyes and full red lips, Latisha indicated a far table with a roll of her neck. "We were over there, hiding behind the menus like a couple of spies."

Latisha might have been embarrassed, but Tania was furious. "Why are you even talking to that asshole, after everything he did to you?"

"Take it easy." Andie laughed.

"No, I will not. I'm not going to stand by and let you get dumped on again." She glanced over to her girlfriend. "Tee, come on, back me up here."

The other woman sighed and looked at Andie. "This really wasn't my idea."

"I didn't think so. This set up has Tania Talcott written all over it."

"Excuse me?" Tania huffed. "Hello, sitting right here."

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"Andie's a grown woman." Latisha was addressing Tania.

"She has every right to make her own decisions about who she will and will not allow into her life."

Andie nodded. "Exactly. Thank you, Latisha."

"Even if," Latisha went on, zeroing her big brown eyes on Andie, "those decisions are absolutely disastrous to her own well-being."

"Hah!" Tania crowed. "Thank
you
, Latisha."

"I know you're doing this because you care about me, and I really appreciate it," Andie responded. A lovely sense of rightness flooded her, allowing her to feel beneficent. "But it's all right. I know what I'm doing."

"Oh my God." Tania rolled her eyes heavenward. "This girl needs to be committed, she's cracking up. She is hell-bent on getting her heart broken again."

"That's not going to happen," Andie promised in a soothing voice.

"Oh, of course not." Tania's voice dripped sarcasm. "Let me guess. He's gonna change, it's all gonna be perfect from now on, you're his soul mate, you complete him."

"Nope." Andie shook her head. "He didn't say any of that."

"He didn't? Well, what did he say?"

"Well, apart from a half-assed apology, he really didn't say much of anything."

Tania gave her a narrow-eyed stare, then turned to her girlfriend. "Okay. Maybe
I
should be committed. 'Cause I hear her talking, but it's not adding up."

Latisha frowned. "Hmmm. It's not making a lot of sense to me, either. Care to explain, Andie?"

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Andie lifted a shoulder. "It doesn't matter what he says. Or doesn't say. He's a liar and a cheat. I could never trust him again."

"Then why are you even...?"

"He wants to come back. To safe, boring Andie. I'm going to show him just how un-boring I've learned to be." She smiled at her two friends. "I'm going to blow his little mind.

Then I'm gonna drop him like he's hot."

Fate had practically dropped Douglas into her lap. What had gone around was finally coming back around, and Andie was going to get even. She sat back in her chair, smiling smugly as her two friends processed her little bombshell. A moment later, Tania wore a devious smile while Latisha frowned.

"You're going to sleep with him?" Latisha asked.

Before Andie could reply Tania broke in, "I love it. Serves the son-of-a-bitch right, after everything he did to you." Then she saw the somber look on her girlfriend's face. "What's the matter with you?"

"I don't like it." She shook her head, sending her long slender beaded braids swinging, brushing her shoulders. "It's a bad idea, Andie."

"What's bad? Dumbass will be getting exactly what he deserves. It's karma, baby!" Tania grinned.

"It's revenge," Latisha answered. "And remember,

'vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.'"

"Well, maybe." The redhead wriggled her eyebrows. "But who's to say we can't give the Lord a li'l hand from time to time?"

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Latisha snorted and rolled her eyes. She turned to Andie.

"Are you sure this isn't really about Matthew?"

Andie flashed a look at Tania, who flushed and shrugged her shoulders. Tania knew about the weekend with Matthew—

well, about most of it. It hadn't taken her long to wriggle it out of Andie, who wanted a shoulder to cry on anyway.

"She's the only one I told, I swear." Tania answered the unasked question. Andie shouldn't be surprised her friend shared the information with Latisha. And she wasn't really upset. But even Tania didn't know what Andie had overheard at the Pizza Palace.

Andie's lips firmed. "Of course not."

Latisha sighed. "Well, this other man—what's his name again?"

"Douglas," Andie said softly.

"Well, maybe this Douglas does deserve what you're planning. But is it what
you
deserve?"

Andie's forehead crinkled, but it was Tania who spoke.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Every time a woman gives her body, she gives a piece of her heart along with it." Latisha gave Andie a probing look. "It seems to me your heart's already been smashed up pretty well. Do you really want Douglas to have another piece of you? More than he's already taken?"

Latisha's brown eyes bored into her, and for the first time since she'd come up with the plan, Andie hesitated. Then she shook her head, refusing to let doubt undermine her. She looked from Latisha to Tania, who now appeared to be having some doubts herself.

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Andie gave a huff of frustration. "Don't you get it? I'm not
giving
him anything. I'm taking something back."

She was taking back all the self-respect Douglas had stolen from her.

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173

One Good Man

by Nona Raines

"Matthew Vostek. This is Tania Talcott, Andie's friend. We met, y'know, tall, red hair, big bazongas. Look, this is the fourth message I've left."

"Fifth," Matthew muttered as he leaned against his kitchen counter and listened to the voice that by now was all-too-familiar. He'd just gotten home from work. He was tired, sweaty, and hot and in no mood for anybody's bullshit.

"And if you don't call me back this time, I swear to God I'm going to drive over there and camp out in front of your house until you talk to me."

And if the phone calls were any indication of her persistence, she'd do it, too. Matt shook his head in frustration and picked up. "What is it, Tania?"

"What did you do to Andie?" were her first words.

"What? Look, I'm not going to discuss this with you. I have no idea what Andie told you..."

"She didn't tell me a damned thing. But you must have done a real number on her, the way she's so all-fired determined to screw up her life."

"If it makes you feel any better," he snapped. "
She
dumped
me
, okay?"
Great. Way to sound pathetic, Vostek.

"She did?" That shut Tania down, momentarily. Then, in a tone laced with suspicion, "Why? What did you do?"

He would have laughed, if he wasn't so pissed off. Of course it had to be his fault.

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"Damned if I know." She'd been angry when he'd called her on her father's drinking, but he felt there was something more, another reason she hadn't called and was avoiding him.

They were both silent for a moment. "Do you care about her?" Tania asked.

Hell, yes. I only wish I didn't.
"Tania—"

"Look, she's about to make a big mistake." Tania's voice was a growl. "That stupid ass Douglas was sniffing around her yesterday. She invited him to come to her place tonight."

"Shit." His heart was a cold lump of clay in his chest.

"Shit is right." Anger vibrated through the phone line.

"What I want to know is, what are you going about it?"

"What should I do?" He was clenching his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. Goddamn, what was wrong with Andie, fooling with her ex after the way he treated her?

Tania was quiet again. "You don't care?"

"She dropped me, Tania. It's not my business." For a few moments there was no response. "Are you there?"

"You're as big an asshole as Douglas is," she told him.

"Don't lump me with him," Matthew snapped. Jesus, what was this? It was the second time someone compared him to that shit Douglas.

"Forget I called." She slammed the receiver down in his ear.

After a shower and a quick sandwich slapped together in his kitchen, Matthew went to the one place where, no matter how low he felt, he was sure to get his ass kicked. His brother's.

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"So, how's it goin'?" Adam asked lightly, in a way that hinted he'd already guessed the answer.

"Not so good. Shitty, as a matter of fact."

"Yeah?" There was no sympathy in his brother's voice.

"You talk to Annie lately?"

"Andie," Matt responded, pretty sure Adam purposely mispronounced the name, just to be an asshole, the same way he always managed to "forget" Chelsea's. "Not since the day I found her father on the kitchen floor."

"How come?" Adam leaned back in his chair, his eyebrows quirked.

Matt gave him a look of annoyance. "She dumped my ass, man. I told you that."

"And that's it? You lie back like a puss and take it? Wash, that's pathetic."

"Didn't you say she was a dog?" Matthew reminded him.

"Oh, come on," Adam scoffed. "You know I'm full of shit.

Kim chewed my ass all the way home and gave me a crash course in PC. Who cares what I think anyway, if you like the chick? Be a man, go fight for the woman you want."

"You never told me to do that when what's-her-name dumped me."

"Chelsea," Adam said. "Well, she wasn't worth fighting for."

"If I fought for Andie, I'd be fighting her dad, and I'd lose,"

Matthew told him.

"You expect her to turn her back on her old man?"

"She'd be better off if she did."

"Like mom would have been?" Adam asked.

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"Yeah." Matt's voice was soft. "If she'd left him, she might still be alive today."

"But she didn't, did she?"

Matthew was stubbornly silent.

Adam stared him down. "We never talk about it, do we?"

"No, we don't." Matthew spoke through gritted teeth. "And there's no reason to start now."

"But maybe it needs to be said. Mom made her choice. And she picked Don the drunk over us."

"Shut up. It wasn't her fault. It was him."

"She could have left him." Adam's tone was calm but unyielding.

Matthew shook his head. "She believed in her marriage vows. She wanted to live up to them."

"Even at our expense? Even though she knew how lousy it was for us?"

"She wanted us to have a father. She...she..." Matthew heard himself stuttering. He'd run out of breath and excuses.