by June Kramin
“At least they have somewhat hit it off already.”
“There is that, I suppose.”
“Wanna make out?” Dusty waggled his eyebrows at her.
She scooted over and they shared a lingering kiss. They were interrupted before they expected to be by the door opening. “That was fast,” Katie said to them.
“Fucking cold out,” Courtney answered.
Dean took a swig from the “Hot Sex” and handed it to her.
“I like how you guys party” Courtney said. “I don’t want to get too trashed though. I have a full day tomorrow.”
“Me too,” Dean admitted.
“Are you in law school, too?”
“Yup. Still want to finish the date?”
“I don’t know. My dad’s a lawyer. I’d hate to go out with someone he’d actually approve of.”
“Don’t worry, Courtney. No respectable father has approved of Dean yet,” Dusty said, jumping into the conversation. Dean threw a shooter at Dusty and missed. Katie picked it up and opened it before offering it to Dusty. “You drink it, babe. I have to mind myself if I’m going to be the DD of this crew.”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Again he thought to himself, worth it.
Immediately after everyone was settled at the table of the restaurant, Dusty ordered a bottle of champagne. “That’s okay, isn’t it?” he asked Katie.
“Sure. I can’t tell one from another. Don’t go spending a bundle.” Everyone was silent as they read the selections the menu offered.
“Either of you been here before?” Dean asked.
“I was once,” Katie said. “You haven’t though, right Court?”
“Never.” She folded her menu. “The name may be French, but it’s Greek to me.”
Dean took her menu. “Is there anything you absolutely hate?”
“Not really.”
“You trust me?”
She pondered it for a second before answering. “Sure.”
Dean asked Katie what she was having and then asked Dusty as well. Dusty knew what he was going to pull and had to fight his grin.
A waiter showed up with the bottle of champagne and after a proper presentation, filled everyone’s glasses. Another waiter was right behind him, ready to take their food order.
“Are we ready?” the waiter asked in a heavy French accent.
“Oui,” Dean answered. He proceeded to order for everyone in French. Dusty loved watching the expressions of the girls as he did so. Oh yeah. Dean’s getting laid.
After the waiter walked away, Courtney said, “Impressive.”
“I spent my junior year in Paris. Comes pretty easy when you are forced to use it 24/7.”
“I barely made it through Spanish. Long disease names and the bones in the body were a snap compared to another language. What did you order me anyway?”
“Some fancy chicken dish. I ordered a steak for me. You can pick which one you want.”
“Nice selection, Dean,” Katie said. “I forgot to mention if you ordered veal, you’d be wearing it.”
He chuckled. “Dusty told me you were studying to be a vet. I figured that would be on the no-no list. “See,” he said turning to Dusty. “I can be trained.”
The banter throughout dinner played out as if they had been friends for years. Once the bottle of champagne was gone, the girls switched to a bottle of wine while Dean switched to a fine bourbon. Dusty stuck with a beer, still wanting to take it easy. He might be in his younger body, but his older brain was still in charge.
After the dinner plates were cleared, Dean ordered them four different desserts so they could try them all. “Hey, Dusty.” Dean motioned his head to the piano in the corner of the room.
“Dude,” he groaned. “No.”
“Come on. You know they’ll let you.”
“I mean it. No.” Dusty hadn’t played the piano for Katie until he was at his parents’ house in his memory of their dating. He didn’t know why he hadn’t played or sung when they met when they were older, as Katie told him in her original memories of him. But in their present, they had a piano in their living room and he played for her and the kids often. Ali was too little to start lessons officially, but he tinkered away with her on the usual easy children’s stuff. Okay, “Requiem for a Dream” wasn’t easy, but she loved it and was eager to please her daddy.
“Earth to Andrews…”
“Huh?” Dusty had gotten lost in his thoughts. “I told you no.”
‘“No’ what?” Katie asked.
“You’ll see.” Dusty tried to grab at Dean’s shirt as he stood. He walked right up to the maître d' and handed him some money. He whispered something to him and pointed to the piano. The maître d' nodded and motioned to it, as if to say, “Go ahead.”
“Shit,” Dusty mumbled.
“What’s the matter?” both of the girls asked. Dean walked back over. “Showtime.”
“You’re a dick.”
“Come on, pooky. Show your girl what you got.”
“You play?” Katie asked.
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
“Please?” she begged as she went to his side.
Dusty muttered a “Dammit” and pushed his chair back. Dean took the seat next to Courtney, but Katie walked up with Dusty.
Dusty cracked his knuckles, then turned to Katie. “Don’t lecture me on how bad that is.”
“You’re safe with me. It’s Courtney I’d be afraid of.” She gave him a kiss. “Play me something.”
It only took him a second to think of what to play. “Remember the movie we just watched?”
“Somewhere in Time?”
“That’s the one. This was one of my mom’s favorites.” Dusty never liked the attention playing drew. Everyone else in the place was considerably older than their little group. Gray hair and bad toupees filled the tables. He wanted to go with something mellow and that was usually a “geezer crowd pleaser.”
When he was done, there were applause from everyone and Dusty tried to get up. He hadn’t seen Dean walk over.
“Nice try, now sing for the lady.”
“Bite me.”
Katie gave him a kiss on the cheek. He let out a heavy sigh as he patted the space next to him so she’d scoot closer. Once again, or for the first time—depending how you looked at it—he played Neil Diamond’s “Love on the Rocks.”
When he was done, Katie gave him a long, lingering kiss. “You are going to take me to bed now, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter Ten
Dusty drove to the girls’ dorm first. “I’m going back to Dusty’s for a bit, Court,” Katie said. “You mind?”
“I’m not your mother,” she said as she leaned forward and gave Katie a kiss on the cheek. Next she gave Dusty one. “Thanks for the great night.” She turned to Dean. “Walk me to the door?”
“Absolutely.”
“Should I wait?” Dusty asked. Dean turned to Courtney, who shook her head. “As much as it pains me to say goodnight, I have a six o’clock lab.”
“Gimme ten, buddy.”
As Dean walked Courtney to her room, Dusty worried he had been wrong about them and voiced as much to Katie.
“Don’t think that way, Dusty. It’s a good thing she isn’t sleeping with him.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Maybe she likes him and wants to not hop in bed right away.”
“And make him fight for it? You women think men are deeper than we are. We don’t think on those kinds of levels. The fewer games the better.”
“Well, I for one I enjoy seeing that she’s showing some restraint. It’s a new territory for her.”
“Or maybe she is really worried about that lab tomorrow.”
“Court is damn near straight A’s. I bet she didn’t do as bad as she said in high school Spanish. I’m telling you, I think she likes him.”
Dean had taken Courtney’s hand on the way to her dorm room, but they were silent for the s
hort walk. She leaned against it, rather than opening it up. “I really had a great time, Dean. I’m glad we did this.”
“Me too.” He had to bend down slightly to give her an ever so gentle kiss on the cheek. “Maybe we can do this again sometime.”
She gave him a genuine smile. “I’d like that.” He turned slightly to walk away, but she reached for his hand. “Please don’t get me wrong. I really did have a great time. It’s just that damn lab tomorrow.”
“I understand completely.” He dared leaning in for another kiss, this one on her lips.
She reached up, held onto the back of his neck, keeping him there for a few seconds longer than he’d intended. “I’m really sorry.”
“For the kiss?” he asked.
“No,” she grinned. “Not for the kiss. I’m sorry we need to call this a night. I can’t screw up this lab tomorrow.”
“I get it. Really. I’ll talk to Dusty. We’ll do this again in a few days.”
Courtney but her bottom lip. “Damn school.”
Dean smiled at her. “No worries. Soon, okay?” Once again he kissed her goodbye. This time, she pulled his entire body into hers. Her hands held onto his ass as she let out a deep groan. “Screw the lab.”
Dusty’s cell phone went off.
Scram.
He closed it and smiled.
“What?” Katie asked.
“We’ve been ordered to leave.”
“Really?” He showed her the text.
“I really do think they hit it off.”
“Apparently.”
“No, I mean really. She at least tried to tell him no when they left the car. That’s something.”
Dusty shook his head and headed to his place. “You know, I think I’m not going to put out tonight.”
“What? Why?”
“Maybe I don’t want you thinking I’m so easy.”
“Oh right, Andrews. Because you’re so hard to figure out and deep.”
“I’m serious. You wanted to go slow and we’ve been anything but that. Maybe we should back off.”
Katie crossed her arms. “If I knew you were going to do this, I would have gone in with Court.”
“Can’t spend time with me and keep your hands to yourself?”
“I never said that. I thought you were all about not playing games.”
“I’m not. I was teasing you to make a point. It’s no fun when you’re not true to your feelings. Is it?”
“Point taken. But you didn’t need to make that point to me. My mind told me to stay away from you and I did everything but that.”
“So you’re following your sex drive?” He chuckled that she was getting her feathers ruffled over this, but he knew he’d better back off before she really became upset. Katie never liked to be jabbed at. “I know what you’re sayin’, babe. I appreciate that you let your defenses down with me. I was a blubbering idiot and I’m lucky to have you.”
“That little stunt is going to cost you, you know.”
“Foot rub?”
“For starters.”
“Bring it on.”
Dusty dropped Katie off at seven the next morning. Courtney was gone but Dean was sound asleep in her bed. Katie shook him gently. “Dean. Wake up.”
He rolled over on his back and let out a moan. “Hey, Katie. Excuse my nakedness.” He pulled the sheet up higher on his chest.
“Dusty is waiting for you downstairs. He thought you’d need a ride. I need to get to class, but you’re welcome to stay and sleep if you want.”
“No. I shouldn’t skip either. What time is it?”
“Seven.”
“Crap.” He swung his legs off the side of the bed, but kept his mid- section covered. His clothes were spread out everywhere.
“I’ll step outside and tell Dusty you’re on your way.”
“Thanks.”
Katie’s last class of the day was cancelled. She decided to go to the coffee shop and get a few hours of studying in before she called Dusty. Caramel latte in hand, she made her way to one of the overstuffed chairs in the back. A friend jumped up in front of her.
“Katie!”
“Hello, Adam,” she said, accepting the strong hug from him. Everyone called him “Adam the hugger.” He was dating a friend of hers. They had a knack for running into each other here and there on campus. He was always in black t-shirts and sported a long beard. Katie often bugged him to trim it.
“Where have you been lately? I missed you at Saturday’s kegger,” he said.
“Been busy, I guess. I’m only here because Professor Graham had a family emergency. Class was cancelled and I was looking forward to some extra study time.”
“Word on the street is you’re dating a young hottie with a Beemer.”
“Who told you that?”
“A little bird.”
“Well, it’s nothing serious yet.”
“Using him for sex, huh?”
“Stop it,” she said as she playfully smacked his arm. “I should introduce you two sometime. He writes, too.”
“Any good?”
“Actually…” Katie looked up and saw Dusty walking through the door. She was about to haul Adam over so they could meet, but a girl stood up and flew into Dusty’s arms.
“You okay, kitten?” Adam asked.
“Um…sorry. I’m fine. I just realized I don’t have the book I need. I have to split.” She handed him her drink. “You can have this. I haven’t touched it yet.” She tried to stay hidden behind him, blocking Dusty’s view.
“You know I only drink tea. I’ll get you a to-go cup.”
He turned to walk to the counter and she shouted, “No!” She quickly turned around, hiding behind a pillar. Adam went to the front of her. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I have a big test coming up. I have to go get that book.”
She gave him a strong hug. “Great to run into you.”
Katie quickly slipped out of the back door and ran the whole way back to her dorm. When she unlocked the door, she threw her books on her bed. “You sonofabitch! How could I fall for you and your shit? Bastard.” She kicked at some clothes that were scattered on the floor. She let out another grunt before flopping onto her bed. “Dick.” She no longer had studying on her mind. After pulling a pillow over her face, struggling to fight tears, she drifted off to sleep. Anger and the late night caught up with her.
An hour later her phone woke her up. She saw it was Dusty and didn’t answer. He didn’t leave a message, but he did send a text right away.
Hey, cupcake. You wanna have dinner tonight? I’m cooking.
She didn’t reply to that, either. An hour later, Courtney came walking in. “Hey, hon. No Dusty tonight?”
“No,” she said as she quickly picked up a book and pretended to be interested in its contents.
“Why not? I thought you two were hitting it off.”
“So did I.”
Courtney sat next to her. “What happened?”
“Apparently I’m not the only one he’s hitting it off with right now.”
“You’re kidding me. He seemed so—”
“So what? Young and handsome? Yeah, what a turn off. How stupid was I? You know he’s beating women away with a stick.”
“Hon. He didn’t come off like that at all. I think he’s really into you.”
“Well, I saw it for myself.”
“Saw what?”
“Him hugging another chick.”
“So.”
“What do you mean ‘so’?”
“What about Adam the hugger?”
“What about him?” Katie asked, not seeing her point. “I saw him today.”
“And if Dusty saw you hugging him, do you think he’d react this way?”
“Don’t give me shit, Court. She was very attractive. It didn’t look just friendly to me.”
Katie’s phone went off with another text. Courtney picked it up. “It’s him.”
“I’m not answering.”
“You should give him a chance to explain.”
“He’ll only lie anyway. I knew this was stupid. I didn’t want to get involved with someone anyway. He practically forced himself on me. I should have stuck with my instincts.”
“Bullshit. You like him and you know it.”
“Maybe I did, but it’s better to cut my losses now.” She wanted to change the subject. “How are you and Dean by the way? He seemed pretty happy this morning.”
Courtney shrugged. “We have a good rhythm.”
“You seeing him again?”
“Yeah. He’ll be here in a few minutes, actually. It would have been more fun to double date again with you two. I was hoping we could.”
“Bull. You enjoy your alone time. You really do like him, don’t you?”
“I guess. I’m not pushing it, though. You know how I feel about too many repeat dates right now.”
“What about Ronald?”
“I know that’s just sex. Dean seems a little…sweet.”
“Don’t fight it, hon. Ride it out for a bit, anyway. What are you guys doing tonight?”
“He was coming over. I thought you’d be at Dusty’s again. I’ll cancel and stay with you.”
“No. Don’t do that. I’m fine. Dusty said Dean doesn’t have a roommate. Go to his place. Don’t cancel your date because of me.”
“You sure, hon?”
“Positive.”
Courtney gave her a quick kiss before climbing off her bed. There was a knock at the door. “It’s Dean.”
“I don’t want to see him. Please meet him outside.”
“All right. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Courtney didn’t explain about Katie until they were in Dean’s car and on the way to his place.
“There’s no way he’s seeing another chick.”
“Katie said she saw him with her at the coffee shop.”
“He’s into Katie like I’ve never seen him into anyone before. There’s no way this chick is someone he’s seeing.”
“She said they were hugging.”
“Hugging? I’m calling him.”
“Don’t, Dean. Katie will get pissed at me for telling you.”
“And Dusty will have my ass if I don’t tell him.”
