Short Soup

by Coleen Kwan

Two more years and she would have achieved her goal a whole year ahead of time. Then she’d be able to step back and enjoy the results of all her hard work. Until then she couldn’t afford to be distracted by a good looking man, no matter how he made her insides churn. She’d go on this date and make it perfectly clear that she wasn’t interested in anything more. Emily chewed her bottom lip as she bent forward to fit her breasts into the cups of her bra properly. The delicate lace hugged her size-A mounds, barely covering her nipples. She didn’t normally wear such a low-cut undergarment, but the dress’s scooped neckline made the risqué underwear a necessity. And Emily excelled at doing what was necessary.

  Emily reached for her dress and lowered the zipper. Carefully, she lifted the fabric over her head and shimmied until the soft material floated down her body. The silky caress of cool cloth sent a shiver down her spine. Twisting, she managed to get the zip up to her shoulders before contorting herself like a pretzel to close it the rest of the way. With another small shimmy the dress rippled and slid into place. Satisfied with her outfit if not precisely comfortable, Em searched the cupboard for her black sandals then headed for the living room.

  She checked her phone in the hope of finding a message from Wade telling her he had to cancel, but there was no little envelope icon on the screen. It was probably best if she just accepted she was going on a date with Wade Johnson no matter how much she’d fought against it. Resigned to the inevitable Emily sighed and sat on the couch to wait for him to arrive.

  Wade parked in front of the small clapboard house and studied it. The paint looked fresh, the garden well kept, and the car in the driveway was brand new. Those things told him a lot more about Emily than she’d told him herself. He wasn’t stupid; he knew she didn’t want to go out with him. What he couldn’t work out was why. They were attracted to each other – more than, if the sparks arcing between them were an indication. He’d taken a chance on tonight. No guy liked rejection, but in Emily’s case Wade thought the risk would be worth it.

  He pulled his keys from the ignition and opened the door. Brushing his hands down his slacks, he straightened them as he walked up the front path. Two steps led to the wide porch. A swing sat to the left, its cushions plump and inviting. There wasn’t time to take in more of the cosy setting because he’d no sooner pressed the bell than the door swung open. Wade couldn’t decide if that meant Emily was keen for their date to start or keen for it to end. Probably the latter. A smile tugged at his lips, but it froze half formed and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as she stepped from behind the door and into view.

  His gaze travelled from her dark curly hair to her strappy black shoes, taking in every sexy inch of her in between. He swallowed. Hard. Jeez, she’d be the death of him for sure. The black dress was made of material that sparkled as it shifted over her subtle curves. Emily wasn’t waif thin, although she didn’t have a spare millimetre of flesh on her either. Her breasts were on the small side, but he’d had more than one fantasy about getting his hands—and mouth—on them. With supreme effort, Wade gathered what remained of his wits and offered her a hand.

  “Ready to go?”

  Her shoulders pulled back and her breasts thrust forward making his mouth water and his mind splinter again.

  “Yes.” She spoke in her prim school teacher voice. The one Wade imagined she used on the children she cared for every day.

  He took her elbow and urged her out of the house. “Let’s go then.” Making sure the door locked behind them, Wade led her down the stairs and to his car, his mind blank of anything intelligent to say.

  Opening the passenger door, he waited while Emily slid in and buckled up before he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. Slipping behind the wheel, he started the car and got them on their way before he dared to speak. He cleared his throat.

  “I should have said this already: you look beautiful, Emily.” From the corner of his eye he saw her fidget in her seat. Was she nervous?

  “Um, thank you.” She took a deep breath. “You look nice too.”

  The compliment wasn’t said with the enthusiasm he would have liked, but it was a start, and, while the silence that stretched between them was slightly uncomfortable, he didn’t feel the need to fill it with inane chatter. Neither did Emily and they remained quiet while he navigated the busy streets. Wade was thankful they didn’t have far to go. In twenty minutes he was turning onto his street and hoping she wouldn’t demand he take her home when she realised where they were spending the evening.

  He’d planned the night down to the last second. Nothing was left to chance for this, what he hoped would be the first of many dates with Emily. Their dinner, catered by one of the local five star restaurants, would be delivered at eight-thirty. Wade had prepared their entrées himself, and they were ready to serve the minute they took their seats out on the patio that overlooked the sparkling waters of Sydney Harbour. There was no better entertainment for New Year’s Eve in Sydney than the two spectacular fireworks displays and as far as Wade was concerned, no better place to witness them than his own backyard.

  When he’d inherited the family home, Wade had thought about selling. It seemed silly to have just him wandering around the huge ten-bedroom mansion, but his sister had convinced him to keep hold of the one thing they had left of their parents. Now, as he pulled into his harbour side home, he was grateful for Vee’s guidance. Winding down his window, Wade reached out and punched in the security code that would open the front gate. As the wrought iron monstrosity parted in two wide arcs the house came into view.

  “Oh, my,” Emily whispered beside him. “Are we attending a private party?”

  Wade smiled. “You could say that.”

  “I think I’m under-dressed.”

  He glanced at her as he steered the car through the gates. “No. You’re perfect.” Returning his eyes to the driveway, Wade drove passed the garage to the front door. There was no point putting the car away when he knew he’d be driving Emily home later.

  Unless he convinced her to stay.

  A man could dream, after all, and if he was going to, he may as well go for the brass ring.

  Wade stopped the car, shifted into park, and killed the engine. Without looking at Emily he climbed out and strode around to her side. Opening her door, he offered his hand. When she didn’t immediately respond, a shiver of fear worked its way down his spine. Did she want to bail on him already? “Emily?”

  She turned to face him, her eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. “I…I’m speechless. This place is gorgeous.”

  He smiled and grabbed her hand. “Come on, this is nothing compared to the view out back.” Tightening his grip, Wade tugged her from the car and swung the door closed as she stepped aside.

  “Oh, my gosh. The garden smells wonderful.” She pulled free of his hand and walked over to his mother’s prized rose garden.

  Watching her lean forward and smell the blooms reminded him of his mother and the hours she’d spent tending her favourite flowers. Wade hired a gardening service to take care of them now. He’d never learned to appreciate the joys of gardening or the skills needed to keep his mother’s creations alive. He joined her. “They’re my mother’s.”

  “Oh.” Her gaze darted up to meet his before zeroing in on the front door. “We’re at your parents’ house?”

  “No. They died a few years ago. I inherited the house from them.”

  “Oh, Wade. I’m sorry seems so insignificant in the face of such a loss.” Emily glanced around the front garden and finally stopped when her eyes reached him again. “Nothing this beautiful should ever come at so high a cost.”

  Wade’s chest ached. No one, not even his sister, had understood the depth of hate he’d had for this house when his parents first died. The pain had diminished over the years, but he still had days where he couldn’t bear to be here. Emily seemed to hit the nail right on the head with a few words. How could he enjoy such luxury when he had to be without his parents to
have it? “Thank you.”

  Her gaze held his. “For?”

  “Understanding that beauty isn’t everything.” He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. “Come on, enough of memory lane. I want to show you the rest of the place.”

  He led her around the garden to the door. Like the car, he’d left the door unlocked. Nothing could get passed the state-of-the-art security system and, if some genius managed it, there was still Brent to deal with. And his friend’s two Dobermans. They entered the foyer and Wade punched his personal code into the control panel by the door. Pulling Emily farther into the house, he bypassed the front rooms and headed for what he liked to refer to as Wade’s World. He’d changed very little since he’d moved back in, except the rooms running across the back of the house on the lower level. Here he’d put his stamp on the place.

  An archway led into the spacious kitchen, and the back of the house opened up to the yard and back patio through the full wall of glass concertina doors. The sun hadn’t fully set and the view of the harbour and foreshore was, as usual, breath taking. He let Emily’s hand go and opened the fridge to pull out the platter of finger foods he’d prepared before going to pick her up. Turning, he led the way outside.

  “Come on. The last rays of sunset beckon.”