“Do you have a place out there?”
“Uh, sort of.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s kind of complicated, I guess.”
Complicated? Lucy pursed her lips. Now he was deliberately not answering questions.
They continued in silence for a moment. “Hey, I talked to my friend Sara. She said you were writing a piece for the paper. How’s it going?”
He avoided her gaze, his mouth pinched tight. “Yeah, it’s an article for the, uh...the Shepherd Express.”
He said it like he forgot who would be paying him for his work. That was odd. “So how is it going?”
He shrugged, still not answering her question.
“There’s one right here.” She motioned to an old entertainment paper sitting on the end table. “How soon will it be published?”
“Not sure. Say, I forgot to pick up softener at the grocery store, do you have some?” He leaned against the dryer, a playful look in his eyes.
This is what got her in trouble last time. The warm comfort of the laundry, his easy sex appeal, that look in his eyes that said he knew she was interested, despite herself. She shoved the box of softener at him and kept loading.
He seemed to get the message. He dropped in his coins and returned to the video game, with the music binging in the background.
Lucy exhaled and finished her dryer load. Putting in the quarters, she glanced at her watch. If only he could be a jerk. If only she didn’t know how nutty Becca was about guys. She could fall for him so easily. Even doing laundry was interesting when he was around.
If only he didn’t have so many checkmarks against him. No job, lives with his mom, and Becca. How could being with him feel so right, yet he was so clearly wrong? She paced a few steps behind the couch, not sure what to do with the nervous energy that bubbled up like socks in the washer.
“Hey, wanna sit? You’re making me nervous, lurking around back there.” He didn’t turn from the game but she could hear the smile in his voice. She dropped into the safety of the chair and pulled her cellphone out to check for messages, eager for a distraction. Dell had called. Excellent. She dialed his number.
“Hey, Dell, sorry I missed your call.”
Andy flubbed an easy coin jump in the game.
“Are you free on Saturday? Whitefish Bay is having a Fall Apple Festival, and I’d love if you’d join me.”
“Saturday.” She watched as Andy directed the character. Muting the music so she could chat, that was thoughtful. “Whitefish Bay Apple Festival? I’ve never heard of it, but sure, I’m game.”
Andy stared at the screen, but Mario stood still as an evil mushroom marched steadily toward him.
“They do a three-on-three basketball tournament, so I have to coach some of the kids for a bit, but that should finish up fast, and we can just do appley stuff. Can I pick you up at eight in the morning? The tournament kicks off early.”
“Yeah, you bet. Thanks for the invite, that sounds like fun.” She hung up feeling virtuous and positive, like scheduling a date with Dell was the right thing to do.
“It’s your turn.” Andy held out the remote without turning to look at her. She moved to the far end of the love seat, trying not to brush against him. “Hey, I have a Twix, would you like the second half?”
He pulled out the single chocolate bar and dropped the other half into her lap as she focused on the game. Refusing to look at him might make the gesture less thoughtful.
He was sharing a candy bar with her over a stupid Nintendo game, for God’s sake. This wasn’t high school. Far from it. Yet his leg brushed against hers in the most distracting way. His shoulder bumped hers gently and she jumped, sending her character directly into a pit.
“My turn.” He reached for the controller and Lucy froze. He was close enough, if she just turned her head like so, she could easily kiss him.
Oh, how she wanted to.
Would his lips feel like they did last time? Would they send tingles down her body again?
He leaned in, his lips inches from hers, his hand captured her wrist, and caught the remote by the cord as her fingers went slack.
“Lucy,” he sighed, his eyes heavy lidded. She could feel his gaze on her lips, feel the anticipation of his kiss warming her like a caress before he even touched her.
God, she wanted him. So much. Just one little taste. She could lean up into his chest again, and remind herself how good his body felt next to hers.
His fingers traced up her neck, coasted over her jaw in a featherlight touch. His thumb brushed her lower lip and her mouth parted by instinct. She wanted to touch her tongue to his thumb and taste his skin. Lean in and indulge in his warmth, his scent, his everything.
Jerking away, she leaped off the couch. Not again. It was ridiculous to get swept away, when she should be focusing on someone like Dell, with whom she could have a future.
“We can’t keep doing this. I just made a date with Dell.”
“I didn’t realize you two were exclusive.”
“We’re not. I mean, it hasn’t been discussed.”
He caught her hand and she stepped closer instinctively to him on the couch. “If you were my girl, Lucy, I’d make sure you’d never want to look at another man.”
She shivered at the hot words. He pressed his advantage. “Lucy, give me a chance. What does he have that I don’t?”
Her mouth watered. It was true, Dell didn’t affect her body or invade her mind one-third the way Andy did.
“Does he keep you up at night, tossing and turning? Does he kiss you like I do, and make you whimper? Do you scratch at him to get closer?”
“No,” she whispered as he tugged her closer.
“So what does he have that I don’t have?”
She closed her eyes, wanting so badly to not say the words. “A job.” She forced a hard tone into her voice as she pulled her hand loose. “He has a job, and he has an apartment, and he isn’t dating my cousin.”
Andy froze. “And a job and an apartment are more important to you than this? Exploring whatever you and I have here?”
“Yes. I wish it wasn’t. But you’re, what? Thirty-something? And you’re between jobs, living with your mom. And you play video games all the time. I mean, if I was ten years younger, I wouldn’t hesitate. Not for a second. But I’m past that. I need more.” She searched his eyes, hoping he understood.
“Some guy in your past really worked you over, huh?”
“You don’t reach your thirties without being bruised,” she snapped, moving to get more space between them. “But I can’t take another hurt. I’m not looking to screw around until you take off for where ever else you’re going. I’m not that girl. I have to protect myself.”
He leaned his elbows on his knees and his hands fell limply between his legs. Not meeting her gaze, he nodded.
“I’m not who you want,” she said. “You want someone who’s able to just go along for the ride, to enjoy it until you move on.”
He stood, winding up the controller.
“Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that I have it wrong.”
“You’re not wrong. Not at all. I just wish this was different. I don’t want to hurt you. And I don’t want to be hurt.” He turned, a sad smile on his lips. “And I think you could hurt me quite badly, my lovely Lucy.”
The dryers buzzed. She stared at him. How rehearsed were those words? How much was sincere? How many other gals fell for that line?
She watched as he briskly dumped his dry clothes into his basket.
“See you around.” He nodded, not quite meeting her gaze
“Yeah. You too.”
Somehow watching him walk out hurt more than she expected.
* * *
Sitting on the bleachers, she reminded herself that one of the things she liked about Dell was his passion for his kids. She watched him, his nose pink in the cool breeze while his kids raced up and down the court. His brown hair ruffled lightly. He was a really attrac
tive guy. Really.
With a tug on her scarf to tighten it against the brisk breeze, she refocused on the really nice guy she was here with, Dell.
But she was bored out of her skull.
From her perch on the top bleacher she could see the entire fair. Colorful vendor tents lined both sides of the street with crafts, clothes, apples and apple-type products. Strains of music reached her ears, teasing her with bluegrass beats.
The aroma from the food booths wafted her way, making her mouth water. They had a nice selection, from deep-fried cheese curds to gyros.
A little something for everyone, from jewelry, to snacks, to a petting zoo with goats, to caramel apples and popcorn to basketball and the computer gaming. A large music tent took up the entire parking lot of a tavern halfway down the street. A small Ferris wheel rotated slowly, and a spinning carnival ride sent the echo of joyful screams down the streets.
About two blocks down at the other side of the fair a large tent stood with a gaming station inside. At least, that’s what she gathered from the kids around her chatting. Apparently there was a big tournament going on in there too.
Which of course made her think of Andy. She tried to keep her eyes from searching him out in the crowd.
Dell’s team made it to the next round. She’d expected him to come join her to explore a little bit. But he didn’t appear. She stood to go find him. Her hips ached from sitting so long on the cold bleachers. At the very least, she had to get some hot apple cider and warm up.
Hurrying down the bleachers, she ventured under the striped tent where all the teams waited, staying out of the stiff breeze.
“Hey, Lucy! Wasn’t that game amazing? Aren’t my guys the best? I think we have a chance to move on to the finals. Just three more rounds.” Dell’s enthusiasm was infectious. He ruffled the hair of one kid before he leaped out of a metal folding chair to give her a warm hug.
“Yeah, you guys did an awesome job out there.”
“I’m going to grab some grub with my gal here, I’ll be right back. Don’t wander off.” He waited for the kids to nod in acknowledgment before he hooked an arm over her shoulder and guided her to the hot dog, soda and popcorn stand.
Lucy looked longingly down the main street, thinking of the delicious snacks so close. “Hey, do you want to get a gyro? It smells awesome.”
“Naw, I need to stick close to the kids. Besides, ethnic food sometimes makes me sick.” He turned to the counter. “Can I get four Cokes? Um, four chips, four chili hot dogs and a bag of popcorn. Oh, and some nachos.”
“Oh.” Lucy slipped out from his arm.
“Sorry, what did you want to get?”
“Nothing for me, thanks. Dell, I was hoping we could spend some time together, check out the fair a little bit. I mean, there’s some really cool stuff happening down the street, and I just thought—”
“Yeah, hang on to that thought.” He paid and handed her the drink caddy full of sodas as he loaded his arms down with bags of greasy food.
Lucy watched the grease soak through the white bag. “Speaking of making you sick to your stomach,” she muttered as Dell hurried back to the kids.
“After our next game, I should have some time to hang out. But I really wanted to run a new coverage play with the guys and we should be in the next round drawing. We could play in half an hour, or an hour, it’s really hard to say.”
“Okay.” She tried to hide her disappointment.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how it would be set up. The kids are doing so great, we need to keep the momentum up. You know?”
“Oh, sure. Got to keep up the momentum.” They walked into the sports tent and Lucy watched as they all dived on the food like it was their last meal.
“So I’m going to go grab some cider, Dell.” She handed out the sodas and waited awkwardly. “Dell.” He didn’t hear her around his chili hot dog, apparently. “Dell.”
“What’s that? Yeah, sure, I’ll see you in a bit.” He pulled her close for a one-armed hug, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry. This probably isn’t what you expected, is it?”
“Not really, but that’s okay. I can explore by myself.”
He looked deep in her eyes.
“Really, it’s fine. I’ll be fine. I’ll catch up with you guys for the next game, hey, just buzz my cell phone and I’ll get back over here right away.”
“You’re a great girl, Lucy.” He smiled. “I’m so glad you understand. I’ll see you later.”
“Right. Buzz my cell,” she called out as she turned and made a break into the thick crowd of street fair goers, mouth watering with the thought of the hot cider already.
She wandered into the crowd, hoping to warm up. Families and groups of friends all swarmed around her, and she tried to ignore the irritation at Dell. He’d told her he would be coaching. She should be sitting on the bleachers, cheering him and those great kids on. Maybe after some apple cider...
Families with strollers packed the main street, couples, teenagers and old folks. It looked like every type of demographic had turned out. And no wonder. The day started out chilly, but now it was warming up. She pulled her hat off and tucked it into her bag, smoothing her hair down from the static. She stopped to pick up some hot apple cider and had a sip as she watched the kids’ petting zoo. A few munchkins ran around, chased by the hungry goats waiting for a handout of food.
Across the square, she spotted familiar scruffy blond hair and broad shoulders. Her breath caught and excitement zinged through her body. It was him. Of course he overheard her conversation with Dell in the laundry room and decided to show up. She frowned into her apple cider, trying to figure out the appropriate way to address it. Truth be told, she was glad to see him. So why bother pretending she wasn’t?
She walked slowly over to his side of the square. “We seem to keep running into each other.”
“I guess we do. There’s a gaming tournament going on down the other side of the festival. Plus, my mom wanted me to stop and pick up some fancy soap.” He propped a foot up on the fencing of the goat enclosure.
She raised an eyebrow. “Soap? Really. You’re going to go with soap?” And he was back to the lying. At least this was amusing.
“Some all-natural soap vendor she loves who has a stand here.” He had the decency to blush. “I’m supposed to track her down and pick up a few bars. Just good luck, I suppose, that we’re both here. Where’s Dell?” He glanced around.
“He’s coaching the three-on-three basketball thing, he’s sort of busy.” She punched down the feeling of annoyance at being so easily shifted aside. It wasn’t Dell’s fault.
“Hmm...well, I’m hungry. Want to grab some food? If Dell’s busy, that is.”
“You bet.” They wandered slowly down the packed street. “Dell’s really dedicated to those kids, you know? It’s quite admirable.” She knew she was trying to reassure herself, but she had to say the words.
“Sure it is. I bet they just love him.”
“Yeah, they really do.” She bit her tongue and lifted her nose toward the spicy falafel stand.
“This smells amazing, want to split one?” he asked before she could even say anything.
“You bet.”
The line was long, a testament to the great chow waiting at the end. They stood awkwardly for a moment.
“There’s this awesome falafel shop in Washington, by the campus. I love sneaking out for a few hours, drinking some strong coffee and having a quick bite.”
“So, you go to school out in Washington?” She pounced on this tidbit like a cat on a mouse.
“I did.”
“What did you do there?”
“Um, it was a while ago.” He shifted and glanced to the front of the line.
Maybe he was embarrassed about his jobless situation, Lucy realized. It was a tough economy, and moving home to live with a parent was a pretty big kick in the cojones.
She tried to change the subject. “Did you grow up around here?”
“Not really, a little suburb north of Chicago. Mom moved up here when I left for the, uh, west coast.”
Getting any details out of him was like pulling teeth. They shuffled forward, and she let the topic drop.
“What about you? Did you grow up around here?”
“Yeah, sort of. Mom and I moved around a bit. She was what I’d call a serial bride. She had four ex-husbands by the time I took off.”
“After high school?”
Lucy nodded. “I was in college, but I had to drop out in my second year.”
“You had to drop out? What happened?”
“It’s a long and stupid story.” She glanced at the long line ahead of them. “But I guess we have the time. Besides, if you Google me, you’ll find it. I can sort of laugh about it now...” She trailed off, wondering why she was even explaining it. At least the bitterness didn’t choke her anymore. She could try to laugh at herself.
“You have to tell me now. That’s too big a buildup.”
She shook her head, working to tell the story without being emotional. “I was dating this guy, pretty seriously. I thought it was serious, anyway. Do you remember that first season of Island Survivor?”
“The TV reality game? Yeah, why?”
“Well, he was on it.” They shuffled slowly forward in the line and Lucy found that Andy’s big body blocked the wind a bit, if she stood just so. She took a few tiny steps closer.
“Wait a minute. This sounds familiar. I don’t watch a lot of reality TV, but I remember something happened that first season.”
Lucy nodded. Retelling the story didn’t really hurt as much anymore, nearly ten years later. “So Trevor was on the show. He won, actually. But you know the part where they bring in the loved ones, to sort of taunt and manipulate the players?”
Andy nodded.
“He asked me to come on and I was thrilled, thinking he’d propose or something amazing. So of course I went. I had to fly halfway across the world to be there. You don’t just pop on and then leave. And I had to sign a confidentiality agreement, so I couldn’t say a word until the show aired on TV. I missed almost a month of school to be there. My professors wouldn’t give me a pass, so I lost all the money for tuition and my GPA was trashed. I had to drop out and try to regroup. That’s the worst part of the whole situation, in retrospect.”
Undercover Professor Page 7
