Just One Look

by Joan Reeves

  She felt his thundering heartbeat and shuddered for real. He smelled warm and musky and desirable. Maybe this last move hadn't been so smart, she thought, beginning to withdraw from his arms.

  Then his arms closed around her. He stroked her hair and whispered, "There, there. It's all right, Jennifer. I'll help you. Don't cry now." For long heavenly minutes, she lay in his arms and absorbed his warmth. He seemed so sincere in his effort to shush her and comfort her that for a moment she felt extremely guilty at her deception.

  "Well, well, well, it sure didn't take you long to get to first base." A slurring, drunken voice hiccoughed then spoke again. "You work fast, buddy. When you finish, it's my turn. I'm gonna get her or die trying." Drunken laughter punctuated his statement. "But what a way to go."

  Matt tensed, ready to knock Wyman to Oklahoma and back, but Jennifer acted first. She pushed away from Matt's arms. Turning a cold eye on Lucas Wyman, she said, "Go crawl back under your rock, Lucas. Even money can't buy what you want."

  "Oh, come on, Dr. Jenny," he taunted. "Why don't you meet me in the hot tub later? I'll show you what you've been missing all this time."

  She smiled frostily. "Why certainly, Lucas, as soon as they open a ski resort in Hell."

  Wyman laughed loudly and belched before stumbling away.

  Jennifer's resolve hardened. "It's men like that who have made me the kind of woman I am."

  "I can see where that would make you reticent to get involved with men, but all men aren't like him."

  "Oh, I know they aren't. Why, you aren't a bit like that old lecher. You'd never do something to embarrass a woman the way he does." Jennifer remembered clearly how he'd humiliated her, but she suppressed those thoughts. "I'm so glad you're going to help me overcome my inhibitions. You have no idea what this means to me."

  "Yes, well, we'll see what can be done. I have some books that I think might help you out. I'll call you Monday and make arrangements to bring them to your office."

  Jennifer frowned. "Oh, dear. Couldn't we get started sooner than Monday?"

  Matt shifted again. "Well, what did you have in mind."

  Jennifer's eyes glittered. The curtain was getting ready to rise on act two. "I wondered if maybe we could meet tomorrow. Both of us will have the day to ourselves. Since you aren't well-established here yet, I bet you don't have any pregnant patients ready to deliver, do you?"

  Matt wished he could lie and say yes, but he shook his head in answer to her question. He felt the noose tightening around his neck.

  "I thought so. Perhaps you could show me those books in the afternoon? I'll be free around four o'clock if that's all right with you?"

  "I guess that will be fine. If you're sure you want to proceed, that is?"

  "Oh, yes. Now that I've got your agreement, I wouldn't think of turning back." She pulled one of her cards and a pen from the tiny handbag she carried, scribbled her address on the card, and handed it to him.

  "Right." He tried to be as brisk and business-like as possible. "Well, I'll bring the books over, and we can get started."

  "Jennifer! So, this is where you've been hiding," Alva called, pushing through the heavy door leading from the ball room.

  Jennifer looked up and smiled uncomfortably. Lord, she loved Alva like a sister, but the woman drew every masculine eye. Matt would be slavering over Alva from this moment on. Even her cleavage wouldn't keep him from falling for Alva.

  Matt stood as Alva approached. Jennifer slowly rose and stood beside him. She watched him with a jaundiced eye. "Matt, this is my friend Alva Hernandez."

  "I'm not just a friend. I'm her best friend." Alva smiled and offered her hand to Matt.

  "I'm pleased to meet you, best friend Alva," he said with a grin, relieved that someone had interrupted their intimate conversation. "That's an interesting name you have."

  "My mother named me after Thomas Alva Edison. She wanted me to be a scientist and thought a name like that would inspire me to greatness."

  "And did it?"

  Alva laughed. "Well, I started out in physics but got sidetracked. I'm in computers now. A kind of glorified hacker."

  "Sounds interesting," he said.

  "Where's Bill?" Jennifer asked, annoyed at their easy rapport.

  Alva wrinkled her pretty nose. "He's embroiled in a debate over the best wiggly, crawly thing to put on a fish hook."

  "Your friend fishes?" Matt asked, his eyes lighting up.

  "Unfortunately, yes. And I see by the glow in your eyes that you do too. Is that how you met Jen?"

  Matt's gaze swung to Jennifer. "Why, no, we met in a professional capacity." To Jennifer he said, "I didn't know you fished."

  "Yes. My dad, actually, he's my step dad was responsible for getting me interested in fishing when I was in high school."

  "Fresh water or salt?"

  "Fresh water. I've never been salt water fishing though I've wanted to try it." Darn it. She didn't want to have another reason to like him. She sure as heck didn't want to have anything in common with him. Reluctantly she asked, "How about you?"

  "Both. I grew up fishing in the lakes in Michigan. Then when I moved close to Houston, I picked up on salt water fishing since I was so close to Galveston Bay. It's a totally different kind of fishing. You've really got to try it. You'd love it."

  "You're from Michigan?" Alva asked. "Why isn't that –."

  "Alva," Jennifer interrupted. "Can you come with me to the powder room?" Jennifer gripped her friend's arm.

  "Ouch, Jen." Alva rubbed her arm.

  "Please, Alva. Now," Jennifer demanded.

  "Right now?" Alva asked, looking puzzled.

  "Yes, right now. I think I split a seam."

  Matt tried not to look. Lord knows, he tried his best, but his eyes wouldn't obey his command. Feverishly, he looked Jennifer over. When he saw no flesh revealed by an open seam, he didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

  "Dr. Penrose," Jennifer said. "Talking to you has been enlightening. Please excuse me for now."

  "Certainly. I'll be going anyway," Matt said, feeling that with her departure there was no point in staying any longer. Besides, he didn't think his blood pressure, or the seams in his trousers, could take much more of Jennifer Monroe.

  He watched the two women walk away and couldn't help but admire Jennifer's beautiful posture. She stood proud and tall. The skin above her strapless gown seemed luminescent in the soft lighting. He wanted to touch her silky hair again. Shove his hands through the thick blond strands. What was wrong with him? In a professional setting, he never connected with women on the male-female level.

  What had he got himself into? He turned to leave. Maybe, it wouldn't be so difficult to get her to come to terms with her problems. She was an intelligent woman. She was used to talking to her patients about sexual problems. So if he approached it as one professional to another, everything would work out fine, he told himself.

  * * *

  "Okay, we're in the ladies room so come clean," Alva stated, crossing her arms and fixing Jennifer with a stern look. "And don't give me that nonsense about a split seam."

  "Gee, sure can't put one over on you, can I?" Jennifer said lightly, trying to do just that.

  "No, you can't. So what gives?"

  "Nothing. I was stuck talking with Dr. Penrose for the longest time," she said, turning to look in the mirror. She wasted several minutes fluffing her hair. With any luck, Alva would check her own hair style and put some lipstick on and go back to the party.

  "Jennifer, I've known you for almost ten years. So tell me. What gives with that gorgeous hunk?"

  "Who are you talking about?" Jennifer asked, searching through the tiny handbag she carried for her lipstick and hoping Alva didn't notice the blush on her cheeks.

  "Now I know I'm on the right track. You know who I'm talking about. Dr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome that you were being so chummy with."

  "We were discussing a case," Jennifer said.

  "A case?" Alva
threw her hands up. "That does it. Now I know you are completely hopeless. There you were with the most gorgeous man I've seen in a while. Not just good looking, but a guy who positively oozes sex appeal. And you were talking shop? Jennifer Monroe, you need help."

  Jennifer's eyes gleamed. "Maybe you're right."

  "Of course I'm right. Now I want you to follow up on Dr. Hunk. Call him, ask him to lunch, something." Alva removed her lipstick from her bag.

  "As a matter of fact, we're going to get together tomorrow afternoon."

  Alva's mouth turned down at the corners. "Let me guess. To discuss a case." She snorted in disgust. "I expect that from you, but I'd think a guy that looks like Matt Penrose would want to do more than discuss a case on his day off."

  Alva removed the cap from her lipstick and started to apply the frosted bronze color then stopped as if struck by a thought. "Oh, no. He's married, isn't he, Jen? Great. You finally meet a guy and he's married!"

  "Settle down, Alva. He's not married. Not even attached." Jennifer dropped her lipstick back in her purse. She'd made a point to look up his biography at the GYN clinic's website.

  Things would work out. She'd prevented Alva from disclosing to Matt that Jennifer had lived in Michigan in her youth. Not that he would have made a connection with little Jenny Thornhill. But there was no sense in taking a chance that he might suddenly realize Dr. Jennifer Monroe was the fourteen-year-old girl he'd taken to that long ago Christmas dance.

  "Well if he's not married," Alva said glumly, "then he must be gay. Damn. Seems like all the best looking men are either married or gay."

  Chapter 5

  The last time he'd perspired like this, Matt thought, had been during football drills in college. If merely looking at his reference books on sexuality had him sweating bullets, what made him think he could discuss the subject with Jennifer Monroe?

  Matt slammed closed the textbook on female sexuality. The dry reference book had almost put him to sleep when he'd read it years ago. Now, however, he felt as if it blistered his fingers. After going through the books in his personal library, books he'd have recommended to any patient who came to him with sexual problems, he'd decided that it was the only one he thought he might be able to discuss with Jennifer.

  He sighed and reached for the phone. Last night when Jennifer had asked him to see her today, he'd completely forgotten that he was supposed to go to the Dallas Cowboys game with Kevin and a couple other guys.

  Kev was really going to be ticked off about this. Matt didn't think Kev would appreciate being dumped because of a woman. Especially when Kev had finally had the guts to stand up to his own overly possessive girl friend and tell her that he was going out with the guys to a Cowboys game.

  When Kev came on the phone, Matt broke the bad news to his former college roommate. He was right. Kevin didn't understand.

  "Well, Penrose, exactly what is it you've got to do that's more important than watching the Cowboys kick some New York butt?"

  "I told you, something unexpected came up."

  "What? A baby to be delivered?"

  "No, there's a woman that I've got to see."

  "Great!" Kevin interrupted, disgust evident in his voice. "You finally decided to make room in your life for fun, and you want to waste the time with a woman?"

  Matt laughed. "Get over it, Kev. Besides, I'm not dating this woman. I just need to talk to her."

  "Couldn't it wait?"

  "Sorry, buddy. I've got to see her." Matt realized as he spoke that he did feel an incredible need to see Jennifer again. But not as a patient. He wanted their encounter to be as a man and a woman. And that was going to be a problem.

  "Geez! If you only knew the hell I went to with Wendy over this," he grumbled.

  "Sorry, pal," Matt said and meant it. Before they ended the conversation, they made arrangements to go to the next home game if they could score some tickets.

  Matt grabbed his keys and the heavy book. Feeling like a traitor to poor downtrodden men like Kevin, he left his apartment. Despite his anxiety about the afternoon ahead, he also felt anticipation humming through his bloodstream.

  As he backed his caramel-colored Jaguar out of his garage, he selected the Doobie Brothers greatest hits album and turned up the volume. Call him a throwback, but he loved classic rock from his parents' generation. All the way to Jennifer's condominium, he tried to convince himself that the excitement he felt at the prospect of an afternoon with the lovely Dr. Monroe was intellectual, not physical. All the same, he feared it was going to be a hellishly long afternoon.

  * * *

  "Alva, I'm sorry about this afternoon. I completely forgot that I had set up a, uh, session." Jennifer felt bad about lying to her friend, but she couldn't tell her the truth.

  "But, Jen, you've never seen patients at home."

  "Well, this isn't exactly a patient. It's just a thing I have to do.

  "But you promised to go to the fashion show with me."

  "I know, and I am sorry." Jennifer gnawed her bottom lip. "Alva, is everything all right?" There was a note in her friend's voice that she hadn't heard before.

  Alva laughed half-heartedly. "Oh, sure. By the way, how would you like to go to the symphony next week with Bill Dixon?"

  "I thought you liked Bill. Why are you trying to palm him off on me?"

  "Bill's a nice guy," Alva said indignantly. "I'm not trying to palm him off. But you both like fishing so I thought you'd click. He and I don't seem to have anything in common. He bores me to tears when he starts talking about millies and catawba trees."

  "That's mollies and catawba worms. They come from catawba trees."

  "Whatever. It's not my cup of tea. I still can't believe you like that stinky, smelly kind of thing."

  Jennifer grinned. "You ought to try it. You might like it."

  Alva snorted. "That will be the day when you catch me out in the hot sun putting some poor defenseless worm on a dirty hook. Personally, I think the animal rights people should look into this fishing thing."

  "Alva, maybe if you don't like Bill's topic of conversation, you should change the subject."

  "To what? I can't think of anything to say when I'm around him."

  "You can't think of anything to say? Well, that's a first."

  "I know. It's as if I look at him, and all I can think of is jumping his bones."

  "Alva Hernandez! Let me get my diary out so I can record this day."

  "Go ahead. Laugh, make jokes at my expense. Do you know how mortifying it is to stare dumbly at some guy while he's telling you about fish guts?"

  Jennifer laughed. "I think he's just as intimidated by you. That's why he runs off at the mouth about fishing because he doesn't know what else to say. Last night was your second date with Bill. What did you talk about on your first date?"

  "His dark blue BMW sports car that he was driving when I pulled up next to him at the stop sign. After that evening, I know everything about that damned car. Just ask me how many cubic centimeters the engine has. Or what kind of brakes and suspension system. Ask me anything. I know it all. Oh, Jen. I fell for him hard. Hook, line, and sinker." She sighed. "Listen to me. I've had two dates with the guy, and I'm talking fish talk too."

  Jennifer looked at the clock and realized she needed to get off the phone. Matt would be here any minute.

  "Well, if you won't take Bill off my hands, what do you suggest I do with him?" Alva asked.

  "Gee, I don't know. That's your problem."

  "Look, Jen, there has to be some benefit in having a psychologist for a friend. Seriously, what do I do with the guy?"

  "Tell you what," Jennifer said, playing for time. "I'll mull it over and talk to you tomorrow about it. In the meantime, I want you to do a favor for me. Okay?"

  "First tell me what it is."

  "I want you to stop by at seven o'clock for dinner. The timing is extremely important. You must ring the doorbell at seven. Don't forget, or there'll be hell to pay."

  "I won't for
get, Jen. What's this all about?"

  "I'll tell you some other time. Just be here at seven. Got to run now." Over Alva's squawking protests, she hung up. She should be able to have Matt Penrose on his knees by seven. Then with Alva's sudden appearance, she could boot Matt out the door before he decided he wanted to give her a practical demonstration of sexual freedom.

  Hastily she looked around at the stage she had set. Everything was ready. She'd set the music where Ravel's Bolero would play endlessly in the background. She was wearing as slutty an outfit as she could put together, including black thigh-high stockings banded with lace. All she needed was for her victim to make his appearance.

  Jennifer refused to listen to her conscience when it said she wasn't playing fair with Matt. She also turned a deaf ear to the little voice inside that suggested maybe she was going to such lengths because she wanted to be with Matt. Not to punish him. But to act upon the desire she felt for him. Truth be told, she found him even more appealing now than when she'd fallen in love with him in high school.

  She straightened the books she'd stacked on the coffee table. A volume of erotica written by women, for women, lay next to a copy of the Kama Sutra and and old copy of Alex Comfort's The Joy of Sex. Prominently displayed was a hardback edition of a volume on women's sexual fantasies from a historical perspective to contemporary western culture.

  Though Jennifer didn't actually do very much counseling for sexual problems, she liked to stay abreast of all the research. She couldn't wait to see what kind of books Matt brought for their little session.

  When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, Jennifer checked her appearance in the beveled mirror hanging over the console table in the small foyer. The short black dress was cut shockingly low. Actually, she'd never worn the dress for that reason. It was perfect for today's encounter.

  She sniffed appreciatively. The body lotion and perfume that she'd layered on after her shower wafted gently through the air. It was a definite presence in the room but not overpowering. She leaned over from the waist and shook her head, messing her hair. When she popped up and looked in the mirror, she nodded. Perfect. Her hair looked tousled and sexy as if she'd just gotten out of bed.