Who Gets the Friends? (2 page)

“Thanks. I thought it was silly.”

“Why?”

He took a sip. “The whole closure thing. He thought it would help me feel better, but I think I was doing fine without it.”

Jessica rested her trim frame against the bar and cradled her drink in her hands. “How long were you married?”

“Nearly ten years.”

“And you don’t think that after that much time it isn’t a major adjustment?”

“No, I agree it’s difficult.”

“It gets easier.”

Tom looked at her. “Is that the voice of experience talking?”

“Mm-hmm. I’ve been on my own for five years, but the first few months were tough.”

Tom closed the gap between them. “What was the most difficult thing for you to get used to?”

She sipped her drink. “Not feeling self-conscious going into a restaurant alone.”

Tom chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that, too. I’ve gotten some strange looks when I request a table for one. Almost like there’s something wrong with me.”

Jessica rested her hand on his arm and gave a pleasant laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with you. I went through the same thing.”

Tom peered into her soft eyes. “At the risk of getting too personal too fast, may I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

He hesitated a moment. “Are you currently involved with anyone?”

She looked at him with a sly smile. “Are you really interested or on the rebound?”

“No, I’m really interested.”

“I’m not seeing anyone at the moment.” She took a drink. “Is this where you ask me if I’d like to run away with you to Cancun?”

Tom laughed. “Whoa, that’s a little fast for me.”

She traced her fingertip along his hand. “Then why don’t you come out of your shell and ask what’s on your mind?”

“Okay, I will. I was thinking we could continue this conversation somewhere more private.”

She laughed. “You can’t leave your own party so soon. Where did you think we’d go?”

“No one was using the upstairs living room when I came in. Would you feel safe there if I promise to keep my hands to myself?”

“Okay, I accept your proposition.”

Tom refreshed their drinks, then escorted Jessica through the crowd. Doug intercepted them at the stairs.

“Hey, you’re not leaving already, are you?” he asked.

“No, we’re going upstairs,” Tom replied. “Quieter up there.”

Doug nodded, then leaned in close to Tom and lowered his voice. “Just not on the couch, okay?”

Tom scowled at him. “Shut up, Doug.”

When they reached the main level, Tom set his drink on the coffee table and took a seat in an occasional chair while Jessica cleared a space on the sofa. She tucked one leg under her, then sat. Tom hesitated, thinking of something to say.

“What do you like to do when you’re not rescuing bored women at divorce parties?” Jessica asked.

“I like to watch movies, play a little golf when the weather cooperates.” He paused. “Right now that’s about it.”

“You mean until you find yourself all over again?”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s it.” He sipped his drink. “I don’t want to get all melancholy, but for the past month or so I’ve been wondering what I was going to do with myself now that things have changed.”

“What did you like to do before?”

He thought for a moment. “I was into photography, a little writing, things like that.”

“How did you do with those hobbies?”

“Photography was more than a hobby. I used to do some freelance work and entered a few contests.”

“Did you ever win?”

“Yeah, I had some of my pics published in photo magazines. That was when I thought of doing it as a career or part-time job.”

“Why not go back to that?”

“I’ve been thinking about it. What do you like to do when you aren’t playing Florence Nightingale?”

“Go to jazz concerts, take long walks in the park, cook. Things like that.”

“Sounds like a well-rounded life.”

She took a drink, then set her glass on the table. “Are you in the market for a little free advice?”

“I’ll take any I can get.”

She looked down for a moment, then raised her eyes to lock onto his. “Don’t waste a lot of time wallowing in self-pity or second-guessing yourself. It isn’t healthy.”

“Thanks. I already went through the what-could-I-have-done-differently bit when we first separated.”

“What answers did you come up with?”

“None, because there wasn’t a damn thing I could’ve done that would’ve changed anything.”

She laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have any trouble.”

They both looked toward the stairs at the sound of footsteps. Peggy appeared, carrying a plate loaded with various foods from the buffet.

“Doug said I’d find you two here,” she said. She set the plate on the table along with some napkins. “You’re not getting away without trying my sweet and sour meatballs.”

“Peggy, I was hoping you’d fix these,” Tom said.

She smiled at the compliment, then looked at Jessica. “How did you happen to hook up with this fine specimen?”

“He saved me from a case of terminal boredom,” Jessica answered.

“Better watch yourself,” Peggy cautioned. “He’s been alone too much lately.”

Tom laughed. “Thanks a lot.”

Peggy giggled. “You know I’m kidding.” She went downstairs.

Tom speared a meatball with a toothpick and ate it. “You mentioned that you like to cook. What’s your specialty?”

Jessica crunched on a celery stick before answering. “A little bit of everything. I’ve experimented with all kinds of cuisine, but my latest kick is Thai.”

“I’ve heard that’s very difficult to prepare.”

“The tough part is finding authentic ingredients. Sometimes I have to hit several different stores. So what’s the first item on your list?”

“What list?”

“Your now-that-I’m-single-again-here-are-the-things-I-want-to-do list.”

“I haven’t made a list.”

“Oh, come on,” she chided. “Everyone has a list. What’s on yours?”

He took a drink while composing a good response.
I’m not going to tell her the first item
is Get laid quickly!
“I suppose getting my place in order, then deciding what I’d really like to do with all the time I’ll have on my hands.”

Jessica picked up a cheese cube, then ate it. “If you really enjoyed photography, maybe you should get back into that.”

“I’m going to. If you don’t my asking, why are you on the market?”

She glanced down. “I broke up with my last boyfriend a few months ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

She flashed a coy smile. “Sure you are.”

Tom laughed. “Okay, I’m transparent.”

Jessica cast a dreamy-eyed gaze in his direction. “I’m curious as to why you’re back in the game. I mean, you seem like a nice guy and you’re not hard on the eyes.”

“Thanks, I think. It’s a long dreary story that I’m not going to bore you with.”

“Hmm, that’s refreshing.”

“What is?”

“A man who isn’t eager to trash his ex. It’s a nice change.”

“What would be the point?”

Jessica looked at him for a few moments. “I like you, Tom.”

He grinned. “Thanks. I’m getting a good vibe about you, too.” He took another sip.
Do I
or don’t I?
“Would you like to go out sometime, maybe for coffee or dinner?”

“I wondered when you’d get around to asking. I’d love to.”

“Even though I’ve been alone too much lately?”

Jessica laughed. “I’ll take the chance.”

Tom entered Boston Stoker a little before 3:30 the following afternoon and looked around. Jessica wasn’t there yet so he eased himself into a booth to wait for her.
I didn’t think to get her phone number last night. I hope she shows.

A few minutes later the door opened and Jessica stepped in. She spied Tom and approached. He stood and smiled, looking her over. She had on a pair of cream-colored slacks and a lime green shirt with the hospital logo embroidered on the left side. She surprised Tom by giving him a hug before she sat.

Tom resumed his seat. “How was work?”

Jessica groaned and rolled her eyes. “Not worth talking about. I had to work the geriatric ward today and those old folks were cranky.”

A server came by to take their orders. When she departed, Jessica continued. “What have you been doing today?”

“Not much. I found an old movie on TV I hadn’t seen in a long time.”

“Which one?”

“
The Big Sleep
. Ever seen that one?”

“Is that the one with Bogart and Bacall?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Surprised you weren’t watching football.”

“I’d rather watch a movie. I’m not a real big sports fan.”

Their coffee and biscotti arrived. Jessica took a sip, then picked up one of the biscuits.

“I don’t meet many men who aren’t into sports.”

Tom took a drink. “Disappointed?”

“No, not really. I’m not much into it, either, except for NASCAR.”

Tom raised his eyebrows. “That’s interesting. What about NASCAR fascinates you?”

“The skill of the drivers. What really hooked me was the first time they flashed a close-up of Dale Earnhardt.”

Tom laughed. “Is that the type you go for, the bad boy?”

She giggled. “Not necessarily.” She sipped her coffee. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What type do you go for?”

“You’ve got me stumped. I’ve never really thought about it.”

“Then let’s make it easy. How do you feel about busty bleached blondes?”

“I could take ‘em or leave ‘em.”

Her eyebrows arched. “That’s a first. What about tall women who could look you in the eye?”

“As long as they aren’t looking into my soul, they’re okay.”

“You’re turning into more of a puzzle than I figured.” She paused. “What about redheads?”

Tom grinned. “At the risk of getting slapped, I’ve always heard that red hair is indicative of intense passion. Is that true?”

A teasing smile played across her lips. “Maybe.”

“You aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you?”

She patted his hand on the table. “Down, boy.”

Tom sipped his coffee.
I’m thoroughly enjoying her company. She’s so easy to talk with.
“What made you decide to go into nursing?”

“I helped take care of my grandmother before she died and when I saw how the nurses took such good care of her, I decided it was what I wanted to do.”

“That’s interesting.”

“Why did you choose the finance industry?”

“I’ve always been good at math and thought a business degree would ensure me a solid career. Nothing glamorous about it.”

“At least you’re honest. A lot of people wouldn’t admit that they only got into something for the money.” She took a drink. “So what’s the story behind your newfound bachelorhood?”

Tom looked at her for a moment. “Do you really want to talk about that?”

“Mm-hmm. I’d just like to know what pitfalls to watch out for.”

He laughed. “Okay, I’ll give you the Cliffnotes version. Things were going okay until one day I did the unthinkable.”

Jessica held up her hand. “Don’t tell me—you forgot your wedding anniversary or your ex-wife’s birthday.”

“Close. I remembered her birthday, I just forgot to take out a second mortgage to get the gift she expected.”

“You said expected.”

“That’s right. Why?”

“You didn’t say wanted. That tells a lot about a person’s character.”

Tom thought for a moment. “Guess I never looked at it that way.”

“And she wanted to divorce you because of that?”

“No, but it led to the final battle. She started blowing up at me whenever she didn’t get her way, I said some things a gentleman isn’t supposed to say to a lady and that was it. Your turn.”

Jessica chewed a biscotti before responding. “Mine was more direct. He was a physical therapist. I noticed that he had a lot of late afternoon appointments at a nursing home where he was under contract, but I didn’t think much about it. One day I paged him, he didn’t answer, I called the facility and they said he hadn’t been there.”

“Fooling around?”

“You got it. He found himself a cute little nurses aide to practice his stretching techniques with.”

“At the risk of moving too fast, I don’t know why a guy would want to step out on someone as attractive as you.”

Jessica smiled. “Thank you, Tom. And you’re moving at just the right speed.”

He laughed, then sipped his coffee.
Quick with the wit. I like that.

They finished their coffee and left. Tom walked Jessica to her car.

“Thank you for the coffee,” she said.

“You’re welcome.” Tom hesitated.
Still don’t know if I’m ready for this but here goes.
“Would you like to have dinner one night this week?”

Her face blossomed into a smile. “Thought you’d never ask. Does Friday work for you?”

“Definitely.”

She dug a business card from her purse, wrote her address and phone number on the back, then handed it to him. “Mind if I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Are you going to kiss me or not?”

Tom’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
Damn, she doesn’t waste any time.
He recovered from his momentary shock and took Jessica in his arms. Their lips pressed gently together and Tom felt her hand on the back of his neck. He tentatively slipped his tongue into her mouth and didn’t meet any resistance. He got a whiff of her perfume.
Don’t know what it is, but it suits her.

She pulled back slightly and gave him a dreamy gaze. “That was nice.”

“Thank you. See you Friday.”

“You can call before then if you’d like.”

“I may do that.”

Jessica stood at the medication cart in the nurses’ station the following morning, checking the inventory. She was approached by Peggy.

“How was your date with Tom yesterday?”

Jessica smiled at the memory. “Nice. He seems like a great guy.”

“You really like him?”

“Yeah, I do. He’s easy to talk to, funny, nice looking.” She paused. “And he has a cute butt.”

Peggy giggled. “You didn’t just say that.”