“Table for two, somewhere private.”
The girl he’d been flirting with flashed him the hate stare, but he didn’t notice. Jenna got the message, though.
Note to self, she thought. Violet wasn’t kidding about this guy being a player. Absolutely no emotional engagement was allowed.
As they were shown to a quiet table in back, Jenna tried to figure out if she could really have sex with a stranger. Mark was handsome enough and obviously practiced, but her body had never been one to perform on command. The theory of rebound sex was interesting, but she wasn’t sure it was for her.
When they were seated, Mark moved his chair closer to hers. “Hello, Violet’s friend. I understand you’re new in town.”
“I’ve been back a couple of months.”
“Back from where?”
“Los Angeles.”
He studied her appraisingly. “I can see you on the beach.”
“I’m not really a beach kind of person. But I did go a few times.”
“I love the beach.”
She stared into his blue eyes. “You love the girls in bikinis.”
His smile was unrepentant. “God gave us beautiful women for a reason.”
“So you could admire them?”
“Something like that.”
The waiter appeared. Jenna risked ordering a margarita. Mark got a beer on tap.
She waited until they were alone before angling toward him. “Tell me about yourself.”
“I’m a doctor.” He paused, as if waiting for appropriate oohs and ahs.
“Violet mentioned that. What kind?”
“Orthopedic surgeon. Show me a broken bone and I’ll heal it.”
“Just like Jesus.”
“Almost.” He flashed her a grin, then shifted his chair a little closer and took one of her hands in both of his. “I’m very good with bodies.”
He was close enough that she could inhale the scent of his skin. The smell was pleasant enough, but he was invading her personal space, which she didn’t like.
“Do you handle any of the local sports teams?” she asked as a way to distract him.
“Mostly the Longhorns. I’ve fixed up several of their players. They have a team doctor but I’m called in for the difficult cases. Teams in other cities fly me in for consults.”
He got into his story, telling her about private jets, operating rooms in different cities and what it was like to watch a game on Sunday morning, knowing if someone got injured, he could get the call.
Their drinks arrived. She used the moment to inch her chair back and slide her glass away from him so he wouldn’t hold her hand as much.
From his work, Mark segued to his personal travel. Jenna found herself thinking about Serenity and Tom and wondering what they were doing, alone in a strange city. While she didn’t want to spend time with them, she also felt a little guilty for ignoring them. Telling herself they would be at brunch on Sunday wasn’t enough.
This was all Beth’s fault, she told herself. If her mother hadn’t raised her to have good manners, she could cheerfully ignore her birth parents.
“Jenna?”
She looked at Mark.
“That was funny,” he said. “You’re supposed to laugh.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. “I’m distracted. You’re great and this is fun, but I’ve had the weirdest week.”
“I know how that goes.” His smile was back, and interest danced through his deep, blue eyes.
“This is different from work issues though. Wednesday morning two strangers walked into my store. They seemed nice enough—maybe a little hippy. They announced they were my birth parents. I always knew I’d been adopted, but I never had any contact with them before. And there they were, in my store.”
He stared into her eyes and nodded. “That’s rough.”
“Tell me about it. I totally freaked. I’m not looking for more parents. I love the ones I have. I just want the new ones to go home. Worse, they’re hippies. Serenity and Atomic, if you can believe it. They would have called me Butterfly. Who does that to an innocent kid?”
He sipped his beer and nodded.
“But they’re my blood relations, and they have two sons, who are my brothers. So there’s this whole other part of my life I don’t know about. It’s confusing and kind of scary. I don’t know what to do. My mom—my real mom—is having them over for brunch on Sunday. So I’ll see them then. Part of me thinks that’s plenty of getting-to-know-you-time while another part of me feels guilty about not hanging out with my biological parents more. Still, it’s not like I asked them to show up.”
She sucked in a breath, then let it out slowly. “And I’ve just done the emotional dump thing, haven’t I? Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
He captured her hand before she could pull it away and lightly kissed her knuckles. The contact was the most erotic thing to happen to her in close to six months, so she waited for the tingle or a whisper of heat. All that surfaced was the realization she was going to have to wash her hands before she was comfortable diving into the chips and salsa.
“What’s the plan?” Mark asked, running the tip of his tongue across the pads of her fingers.
“Plan?” Weren’t they having dinner? This was a restaurant, right? Those sheets of paper in the corner of the table really looked like menus.
“Did you want to eat, or should we go somewhere private?”
Now she felt stupid. “Private?”
He leaned in close and pressed his mouth to her ear. “You’re beautiful, Jenna. Soft and feminine.” His hand dropped to her knee, slipped under her dress and started a purposeful journey up her thigh.
She jumped and scooted the chair back about a foot. “What are you talking about?”
Mark looked more puzzled than annoyed. “Violet said you were looking for a rebound guy and I’m good with that.”
Jenna’s mouth dropped open. She closed it only to have it fall open again.
“I thought this was a date,” she said at last. “I don’t think I can have sex with a stranger.”
“That’s because you’ve never tried.” He winked at her. “If you’re worried it won’t be good for you, there isn’t a woman alive I can’t please. I’m up for anything.” He grinned. “If you’ll excuse the pun.”
She collected her purse and stood. “Mark, you’re really, um, unexpected. I appreciate the offer, but I can’t right now.”
“Want to go make out in my car? I bet I could change your mind.”
“Flattering, but no. I guess I’m not ready for a rebound guy.”
He stood. “I understand.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. After writing on it, he handed it to her. “I’ve given you my cell phone number. When you change your mind, give me a call.”
He moved toward her, put one hand on her shoulder and bent to kiss her. While her instinct was to turn her head, she stayed where she was as his mouth brushed against hers.
The contact was soft and exploring. And she felt nothing. Yup—a hasty retreat was exactly right.
He straightened enough to whisper, “I make house calls.”
“Good to know.” She turned to leave, then looked back at him. “You going after the hostess?”
He chuckled. “Sure. Did you get a look at her ass?”
“No.”
“It’s impressive,” he said with a wink.
“Okay, then.” Jenna couldn’t find it in her heart to be angry. Violet had promised a player who was good in bed and that’s who Mark was. There was an ick factor she couldn’t overcome, but he was probably exactly what some other woman was looking for.
Once she got to her car, she grabbed her cell.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mom. Are you and Dad up for some company?”
“Of course. Have you eaten?”
“No. Are there leftovers?”
“Yes, although I doubt they’re up to yo
ur standards.”
“They’ll be perfect. See you in a bit.”
She hung up, then started her car and drove the familiar route to her parents’ house. Beth was waiting and opened the front door before Jenna could ring the bell.
Her mother took in the dress, the fluffy hair and extra makeup. “You look pretty. Were you on a date?”
“If that’s what you want to call it.”
Beth grinned. “Really? That’s wonderful. Tell me everything.” Her smile faded. “Wait. If you’re done already, it didn’t go well, did it?”
“Not exactly.”
“Come on, honey. We’ll go in the kitchen and you can talk about it. I warned your father there might be girl talk, so he found a baseball game to watch.”
Jenna loved everything about being in the house. It was warm and welcoming, happy and familiar. Her mother settled on a bar stool in the kitchen while Jenna pulled containers of leftovers from the stainless steel refrigerator.
As she turned on the oven and reviewed the leftover potential, she explained Violet’s theory of rebound guy.
“Makes sense,” her mother said. “You don’t want to get serious too quickly.”
“I guess.” Jenna checked the vegetable drawer for herbs and pulled out some fresh basil. “But Dr. Mark was a pro.”
She detailed her date as she got out a premade single serving pizza crust from the pantry, then smoothed on the leftovers. After topping it with grated mozzarella, she added fresh basil, then put the whole thing in the oven.
Maybe she should do a pizza class, she thought absently. How pizza could be made with just about anything. It was a fun way to use up leftovers, and the mothers might appreciate it as a way to get their kids to eat all kinds of things.
Beth was laughing by the end of her story. “He actually said he could please any woman? There’s a claim. You should have taken him up on it.”
“I’m not sure sex with a stranger is a stress I need right now.”
“It might make you feel better. Clear out the pipes, so to speak.”
“Mom!” Jenna was shocked. “I’m your daughter.”
“You’re an adult. It could be fun. Dr. Mark sounds intriguing.”
“Then you go out with him.”
“I’m married.”
“I’m not sure that would bother him at all.”
Jenna moved toward her mother, who hugged her tight.
“You doing all right?” Beth asked.
Jenna knew they weren’t talking about her date anymore. “I’m dealing. They haven’t been in the store again, which is good. I’ll see them Sunday.”
“Yes, you will. It will be fine, you’ll see. We’ll all get along.” Beth touched Jenna’s cheek. “Want to spend the night?”
Jenna thought about her familiar room upstairs. The bed she’d had since she was a teenager. Not that she’d used it much, once she’d left for college. The attached bathroom was probably still stocked with her old perfumes and acne treatments.
“You should clean it out and make it a guest room.”
“We have a guest room.”
“Then take up a hobby. Scrapbooking or knitting. Only Ewe has classes.”
“I like that it’s your room. It makes me happy.”
Jenna held on to her mother and kissed the top of her head. “I would love to stay the night.”
Violet was waiting when Jenna arrived at work the next morning.
“Now it’s my turn to want details,” her friend said. “Tell me everything.”
Jenna laughed. “Mark was exactly as you promised. Handsome and more than willing to take care of my personal plumbing.”
Violet’s dark eyebrows drew together. “Why don’t I like the sound of that? It didn’t go well, did it?”
“Not exactly. Mark was thinking that sex was a sure thing, while I wasn’t sure I was ready to date.”
“Oh, God. That’s not good. What happened?”
Jenna gave her the basic details as she put her purse on the shelf and led the way into the store.
“I’m sorry. I should have been more clear with him.”
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t think that would have helped. He’s a man on a mission. When last I saw him, he was off to seduce the restaurant hostess. What I’m curious about is the potential pool of women. The way he goes through them, isn’t he in danger of running out?”
“True, but he travels a lot.” Violet winced. “I’m sorry it was so horrible.”
“Actually, it wasn’t. I liked going out and seeing if I could date. I think maybe I could, but I’m not up for a professional rebound guy. Maybe if my biological parents hadn’t popped into my life with no warning, but they pretty much burned up all my extra energy. I just wish they’d go away.”
“They weren’t that bad,” Violet said.
“You want them?”
An expression of longing briefly passed over Violet’s face.
The look surprised Jenna. “You’re looking for a family?”
“I never knew my dad and I haven’t seen my mom since I was fifteen. She’s probably dead and I don’t know if I care enough to find out.”
Jenna was stunned. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I was very insensitive.”
“You didn’t know,” Violet told her. “It’s fine. I haven’t had a real family, so it’s not like I know what I’m missing. It would be weird if my dad just showed up. I wouldn’t know it was him.” She frowned. “I don’t think I’d believe him.” The frown faded. “I have trust issues.”
“We all have something,” Jenna said.
“You have too many parents. It’s cool that Beth isn’t freaking out. She could be and that would make this all really awkward.” Violet motioned to a stack of boxes by the cash register. “Those Bundt pans finally came in. We can schedule the cake class.”
Jenna wasn’t sure if the change in subject was deliberate or not, but she went with it. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Violet’s feelings. As much as she and the other woman had started to become friends, Jenna realized she barely knew anything about Violet’s previous life.
“Now I have to find a killer recipe,” she said. “Is chocolate too much of a cliché?”
Violet laughed. “Your primary customer base is women. I don’t think chocolate is ever a cliché.”
They went over the rest of the class schedule for the coming week.
“Are we sure about working with kids?” Jenna asked more to herself than to Violet. “It’s going to get messy.”
“But their moms are looking for new ways to cook healthy.”
“I know.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m thinking I should embrace the messiness. What about turkey meatballs? They’re packed with protein and very lean, which the moms should appreciate. We can make them relatively plain for the kids and then do a nice spicy sauce for the parents.”
“That would work. It’s a finger food. Children love finger foods.”
“Right. Oh, and for our classic Italian cooking class, I want to feature a Rachael Ray recipe for baked ziti. Everyone loves her and I’ve tried the recipe. It’s great.”
She spoke easily, careful not to let on how much it bothered her to use someone else’s recipe. It was worse than cheating—it was admitting she was a failure. Before, she would have simply come up with a recipe herself. Before, when she’d trusted herself.
A few days ago, she’d played with a cake-cheesecake combination. The idea had been so clear in her head. She knew how it was supposed to taste. But halfway through the baking, she’d pulled the cake out of the oven and dumped it in the trash without even tasting it. Because thinking it was horrible was better than being sure.
“I’m sure the Rachael Ray books would sell in the store,” Violet told her, drawing her back to the present.
“Me, too.”
The front door opened. They both turned to greet the new customer. Jenna held in a groan when she saw Serenity.
Today the other woman was dre
ssed in a long, flowing tunic in lavender, and stone-colored loose pants that came to just below her calves. A delicate chain circled her ankle, while sandals showcased a pedicure of purple nail polish.
“Good morning,” Serenity said, sounding happy. “I woke up just before dawn and knew I wanted to see my daughter again.”
Jenna did her best not to bristle at the “my daughter” comment. She would take the words in the spirit in which they were meant, she told herself. Or at least give it a good try.
“Nice to see you again,” she said. “Did you meet Violet last time you were here? She’s the brains behind the organization. I’m the cook.”
“We spoke,” Violet said, moving toward Serenity and offering her hand. “But I don’t believe there were introductions. Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.”
Serenity took Violet’s hand and held on to it. She put her other palm close to Violet’s cheek without touching it.
“Your aura is troubled,” Serenity said. “You’re unsure. But your future will be happy.” She frowned. “There’s a bump in the road ahead, but once you’re through that, you’ll be fine.”
Jenna stared, unable to think what to say. All this and no tarot cards, she thought, trying to find the humor in the situation. It was that or scream, and it seemed a little early for a full-throated yell.
Serenity dropped her hands and beamed at Violet. “I hope you don’t mind. I get a sense about people. Tom reminds me not everyone wants to know what’s going to happen to them. He thinks I should edit more.”
Yay, Tom, Jenna thought.
“A happy future is good,” Violet said. “Thanks for sharing.”
“Just watch out for the bump.”
“I will.”
Jenna wondered how Violet could be so calm and rational. Maybe she was more experienced with those slightly off the road of normal.
“We were planning menus for our cooking classes,” Jenna said into the silence. “We try to have a class every day. During the class we feature cookware or cookbooks. For some, we have the ingredients prepared ahead of time, along with a recipe card. Customers can buy them and re-create the dish that night, if they want.”
“That’s very innovative.” Serenity picked up the printed list of classes. “I see you’re doing organic but not vegan.”
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