“Not that I know of, and I’m sure that’s the kind of thing she’d mention. As far as I know, the only men she’s been spending any time with are her dad and me.” I shrug, but internally, I’m doing an end zone-worthy celebration dance.
“Dexter, I like her. She’s so fucking beautiful. I’ve been looking for someone like her…someone that could be more than a few fun nights.” He steps forward and takes me by the shoulders. “You gotta help me.”
“I don’t know what I could possibly do to help.”
“Let me call her now, while you’re here. Help me figure out the right things to say to her. Listen and if I’m fucking it up, just tell me what to say instead.” He still has one hand on my shoulder, and he gives it a little shake as he stares me down. “Bro, please. You gotta help me.”
“I’ll help if I can, but I don’t really like this. It feels weird being here while you talk.” My words drip with reluctance, but Clair did help me on my phone call with Tabitha, so I feel like it’s only fair I help him the same way. Finally, I concede. “She was headed to her parents’ house, so you might text to see if she can talk before you call her.”
“Good idea. By the way, did you ever call that cute girl from the salsa club?”
“Tabitha. Yeah, actually we’re going out on Thursday night. Clair coached me through it.” I think of her being there for moral support. Then I remember that she said a guy needing someone’s help to get a girl to go out with him was kind of sad, and feel a twinge of guilt.
“Thursday, huh? That’s great, man. I hope you hit it off. She was pretty hot, and seemed really into you.” Cole sends Clair a text, following my suggestion.
He exchanges a couple of text messages with her, then dials the phone. I pull up a word doc on the laptop as it rings.
He tells her he had a great time on their date, and he wants a do-over. He wants her to leave their next date having had as good of a time as he did.
I type out some tips on the laptop and point to it.
Be specific. Tell her why you want another chance.
He tips the phone up a little so I can hear what she’s saying, and I type more.
Be humble. Tell her you want the chance to knock her socks off.
He cocks his head to the side in skepticism.
Trust me.
He does, and when I hear that sweet laugh I know so well, I’m instantly jealous that it’s for him and not me. Well, at least as far as she knows it’s him that’s making her laugh. I feel like I own a little piece of that, though. They’re my words he’s using, after all. His own might not have yielded the same response.
Clair says she’ll go out with him again and asks about Thursday night. Cole immediately blurts out, “No!” I give him a look of confusion.
He makes up what instantly sounds like an excuse. When she offers alternate days, he chooses Saturday and looks at me.
Ask her if she’d feel more comfortable meeting you instead of you picking her up – less presumptuous. Tell her you can meet here at AE.
He nods his head enthusiastically and winks. They talk a bit more and he tells her he wants the date to be a surprise, and looks at me shrugging.
I got it. Take her to the planetarium, then you can take her to a low-key dinner. She’ll love that.
They’re about to hang up, and Clair sounds far more enthusiastic about this date than she did before. I hear her tell him she’ll be sure to wear socks, and I chuckle. Cole looks at me, pleading and confused.
You said you’d knock her socks off.
He smacks his forehead with his free hand. He says he’s looking forward to their date and they hang up.
“Dude, that was amazing.” He high-fives me as he hangs up. “You were such a huge help.”
“I’m glad it worked out.” I choke the words out. I hate this feeling—this jealousy. He’s the right kind of guy for her. Anyone who saw them together would just think, “Yeah, that figures. Picture perfect couple.”
A moment later, Clair texts me, seeming excited about their date, and I know I’m right.
“So, what can we do about Saturday? Should I just call you from the bathroom, or what? I think if I text you, she’ll catch me.”
“What? No, man, I can’t do that. I can’t feed you information while you’re actually on a date. That’s too far.” I protest, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.
“You have to, Dexter. You saw what a mess I was. I want a decent shot with her. Just get me started…this one date, and then I’ll take it from there.” He gives me a look that reminds me of a little kid.
I take off my glasses and pull my palm down my face with a sigh. “I don’t even know how that would work. I mean, how could I even tell you what to say without her hearing us talking?”
I take off the earpiece, and pop the Sana out from the holder. Cole looks down at it.
“What about that? Isn’t that the new earpiece you wanted to test in our batting helmets? The prototype you told me about a few weeks ago?”
“You don’t think she’ll see a giant earpiece hanging over your ear?”
“Oh, yeah. Hadn’t thought about that. Well, is there something else that would work?”
I think for a minute and have an idea. I walk over to the first aid kit, grabbing a large bandage. I cut a narrow slit in the edge of the gauze padding, and slip the Sana into the makeshift pocket. Then, I adhere the bandage to the spot just in front of Cole’s ear.
I pair the device to his phone, then walk to the far end of the lab and call him.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” He sounds unsure.
“I can.” My reply is a whisper. “You?”
“Fuck yeah, I can!” He exclaims, throwing both hands in the air.
I immediately run back to the tablet and enter in some notes, realizing the implications of this breakthrough. After I shift back out of work mode, Cole asks where he should take Clair for dinner.
“There’s a restaurant called Victor Hugo. She’s never been there, I don’t think, and she loves him. She loves anything to do with Paris.”
“She knows this Victor guy, but she hasn’t been to his restaurant?” He cocks his head to the side.
“No, she doesn’t know him…he’s a nineteenth century author. He wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Les Misérables. He’s one of her favorites.” I’m surprised he doesn’t know this. He went to college, after all. “The restaurant is named for him.”
“Not cool, man.” Cole crosses his arms as he leans against the stainless steel counter.
“What’s not cool?” I don’t understand his meaning.
“I saw you roll your eyes. Don’t treat me like I’m stupid. I’m not stupid, I’m just not as smart as you…but neither is anyone else.” His brows dip in a pained expression as he shakes his head.
I immediately think of half a dozen people who are as smart or smarter than me, Clair included, but that’s not the point. I clearly hit a nerve with Cole. I didn’t even realize I’d rolled my eyes and I certainly didn’t mean to hurt my friend. I feel sick, thinking I’ve treated him like so many bullies have treated me in my lifetime.
“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to…I guess I just wasn’t thinking.” My remorse is genuine, and I hope it comes across that way.
“It’s okay, brother.” He pats my shoulder hard, once. I like the authenticity with which he uses this term of endearment, but at the same time, it makes me feel even guiltier.
“So, how do you plan to explain a big-ass bandage on your head?” I hand him the packet with the bandage that has the device slipped inside.
“I’ll just tell her it was a medical thing. If she pushes the issue, I’ll say I had a mole removed. Donovan, the center fielder? He had that done at the end of the season and he looked like an ad for Band-Aid by the time they were done with him.” He chuckles.
“That’s believable,” I concede. “So you’ll call me when you pull in to meet her. Just remember, you have to keep your phone on and the call activ
e. If it drops, I can’t hear you and you lose me.”
We say goodnight and I head back to my house. I’m roiling with so many emotions that my mind won’t relax. I’m happy I was able to help Cole—especially when he has done so much for me. I’m excited about my date with Tabitha this week, and hope we hit it off. I’m both nervous and happy for Clair. If she hits it off with Cole, that’s a good thing for both of them. At the same time, it feels like this could change our relationship forever. I’m jealous of Cole for being the type of guy that Clair could really go for.
My mind is also cycling through the new implications of what we tried with the bone conduction audio device. If we can streamline the profile a little more, it could have so many other applications for both sports and those whose hearing is compromised. If we can streamline it a lot more, we might be able to create something implantable to help with permanent outer-ear hearing loss. That’s a huge leap forward in that sort of technology.
With my mind swimming, I know sleep won’t come, so I do what the trainer taught me to do. I work it off.
I grab my gear and go down to the small, makeshift gym in my basement. I run a couple of miles and then decide to hit the rowing machine. By the time I’m done, I’m sweating and my muscles are tingling in the best possible way.
I peel off my shirt and take of my glasses, trying to see the guy in the mirror as other people might see him. I’m not as big as the guys on Cole’s team, by any stretch, but my shoulders have some definition, and look pretty good for my height and frame. My chest is finally starting to appear sculpted after nearly a year of hard work. I can finally see that six-pack that Cole has been promising I’d get if I put in the extra effort. There’s even a slight V shape to the cut of my hips.
I put my glasses back on, and I can see myself clearly. I see brown hair that’s more stylish than it used to be, and a defined jaw with what I hope is just the right amount of stubble. I see a straight nose, and thick, dark brows over brown eyes.
I blink, and for a moment, the physique is that of the hundred and fifty pound kid in a doctoral program at twenty years old. The one with scraggly hair and too-big glasses. The kid who thought the pretty girl in his programming class couldn’t be interested in anything but bolstering her grade. I see the kid with few friends and even fewer girls. I blink again and see myself as I am today.
I wonder which version Clair sees when she looks at me. I wonder if it even matters.
CHAPTER 9
Sinclair
I CALL THE GIRLS on the way back from the ranch and I’m lucky enough to find them both free tonight. I ask them to meet me at my place around nine to catch up.
When they knock, I’ve got a bottle of wine at the ready, and one of the pop music channels playing on TV, since I have yet to locate my Bluetooth speakers during my quest to unpack my life from a thousand paper boxes.
“Hey, girlie.” Lily kisses me on the cheek as she sashays through the door. She holds up two grocery bags. “I wasn’t sure what kinda party this might turn out to be, so I brought Jack and Jim.” She holds up the bag in her left hand and I hear bottles clink together. “I also brought Ben and Jerry.” She holds up the other bag and I see the outline of three pints of ice cream.
“Bearing those kinds of gifts? You might be my favorite!” I laugh, and show her to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Anna joins us, and we’re all sitting on the sofa chatting, each of us with our libation of choice. I hadn’t told them about my date with Cole, in part because I knew they were both crushing hard on him as soon as they met him. The other reason was that I wasn’t sure what it would be. I mean, if it was a one-time thing, I wouldn’t necessarily feel the need to tell the world about it.
“Okay,” I say, blowing out a deep breath. “Confession time.”
“Yummy!” Anna exclaims. “Please make it something good, because I am so boring I put my own Grandma to sleep these days.” She offers a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Yes, dish! What have you been holding out on us?” Lily arches an eyebrow, pursing her lips suspiciously.
“I went on a date last night.” I wrinkle my nose and wince slightly.
“With who?” They ask, nearly in unison as they both scoot forward on the sofa and glare at me with anticipation.
“With Cole.” I pull my shoulders up and shut my eyes hard, awaiting their reply.
“What?” Their tandem speaking is starting to creep me out a little.
“He asked me the other week, when we went dancing, if he could call me to go out. I wasn’t sure, but he talked me into it, and we went out last night.” I shrug.
“Tell us everything!” Anna gushes.
“Yes! I have been dreaming about that mouth of his since we met. Please tell me he’s as good a kisser in real life as he is in my head.”
Thank you, Lily, queen of oversharing.
“You…might need to put an end to your dry spell, Lil.” I chuckle. “Also, I haven’t kissed him yet.”
“How is that even possible? Please tell me there’s a good explanation for this madness!” Anna interjects making animated gestures with her hands.
“We had a decent time, but there really wasn’t any spark. He seems nice …I just didn’t feel a big rush of attraction like I thought I would.” I shake my head and continue. “We had dinner, he brought me back to my car, and he was a perfect gentleman. I gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek, and said goodnight.”
Lily stands, theatrically clutches her hand to her heart, spins and drops to the floor.
“Nice going, Sinclair. You’ve killed Lily. Wasting a man like that and not even kissing him was too much for her poor, lonesome heart to take.” Anna rolls her eyes. “For that matter, I’m having palpitations of my own. I’m getting another drink.”
I grab Lily by the hands and drag her to her feet.
“Seriously…,” She grabs my shoulders and shakes them as she stares into my eyes. “What the fuck is wrong with you, woman? Have you been taken over by some alien being who doesn’t know what good man candy even is?”
I laugh then defend myself. “I am not going to suck face with some hot rando if I’m not feeling it.”
“He’s not a rando. He’s a hot baseball star!” Lily exclaims, throwing her hands up in frustration. “Seriously! I bet women all over America jill off to images of that hottie on the regular.”
“Jill off?”
“Yeah, it’s like jacking off, but for girls.” She wriggles her eyebrows and flashing a dirty grin.
I roll my eyes and laugh.
“Hottie is right. Did you see the ass on that man? And you know a good ass usually translates to athletic ability of the horizontal kind.” Anna thrusts her hips to the front and back.
“Stop!” I say on a laugh that is bordering on hyperventilation. “I’m trying to share here and you two sex fiends are only interested in the dirtiest of details.”
“Um, yeah, of course we are.” Lily’s tone dismisses my words as ridiculous. “What are friends for if not to provide entertaining sexual anecdotes when your own sheets are drier than the Chihuahuan Desert?”
We all laugh at her disturbingly evocative turn of phrase.
“Okay, okay, okay.” Anna points her palms downward as if trying to calm our collective laughter. “Sinclair is trying to tell us about her date with Cole. Clearly she didn’t get any action, so we need to hear exactly what happened so we can coach her on how to get some next time. Sinclair, continue.” She raises a flourish of her hand.
My cheeks are starting to hurt from laughing so hard with these crazy women, and I couldn’t love them more. Dex might be my jailhouse phone call. These women though? Their friendship is a thing of pure, unadulterated joy, and I don’t know what I’d do without them.
“Okay.” I put the back of my finger to one eye and then the other to wipe away tears of laughter. “As I was saying…we went on a date last night. We had dinner, but there just wasn’t any wow factor, ya know? But when I got to
my parents’ place this afternoon, he texted to see if I could talk.”
“Wow, a call the day after the first date? That sounds like he’s pretty damn interested.” Anna’s expression is full of surprise and a little skepticism.
“Maybe.” I shrug. “He said he felt like I didn’t have a great time, and he wanted a do-over date.” I realize I’ve got a broad smile plastered across my face. “He said he wants to knock my socks off.”
“Wow. Sounds like the kinda guy who could knock my panties off…just sayin’.” Lily shrugs.
“So? When’s the next big date?”
“Next Saturday.” I purse my lips and blow out a short breath.
“Are you excited? Please, tell me you’re excited!” Anna stands and waves her hands in the air.
I answer with a chuckle. “I am. He was different when we spoke today. He was funnier…more charming, somehow.”
“Wait, so you were with him last night, looking into the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen, watching him flash that adorable smirk, and you weren’t feeling it, but he calls you today, and you are?” Lily shakes her head. “What is with you?”
“I don’t know…Maybe he’s winning me over. We’ll find out on Saturday night.”
.-- --- -. -.. . .-.
On Thursday afternoon, Dex sends me a text to ask my opinion on a couple of outfits. I ask him to shoot me a photo, and he sends one of himself in a button down dress shirt, and another in a t-shirt with a V-necked sweater. In each, his brows are wrinkled, his grin crooked. I can’t believe how nervous he looks.
How can he not know how gorgeous he is?
The sweater outfit is like the one he wore the first night we hung out when I got back into town. It’s what I suggested he wear, and when I see it, my heart flutters. He has on black frame glasses and dark jeans with the pale blue sweater, and he looks so good it makes my pulse quicken.
In Other Words Page 7
