Not His Type

by Canton, Chamein

  “I think you’d look great in any of those,” a male voice said.

  “You don’t think they’re a little too young for me?”

  “Not at all. You have a nice figure, you should show it off.”

  She thought for a moment. “Maybe I’ll go in and try one on.”

  “You should.”

  “I need an objective opinion, Paul. Are you busy?” She turned around to see the look of astonishment on his face.

  “I have some time.”

  “Good. I’m going away for the weekend and I need something fun like this to wear.”

  “A weekend getaway sounds like fun. Where are you going?”

  “Florida. Let’s go in, shall we?”

  They were met by a salesperson/greeter.

  “Hi, my name is Missy. Can I help you?”

  “Hi, Missy. I would like to see that third ensemble in the window. It’s the jeans and a halter top.”

  “The jeans are by Baby Phat. You’ll like them.”

  “I’m sure I will.”

  “What size do you need?” Missy asked.

  “I need a size 16 or 18, depending on the cut.”

  She looked at her. “I think you’re more of a size 16.” She took a pair from the rack.

  “Okay.”

  “What about the tops?”

  “Well, I wear a 40DD, if that helps.”

  Paul looked uncomfortable. Cathy knew she was going to have fun with him.

  “It does. You will probably need a 2X.”

  “I know. I’ve had big boobs for a long time.” She laughed. “Can I try that hanky hem shirt, too?”

  “Sure.” The clerk handed her both tops. “The fitting room is over there.” She pointed to the rear of the store.

  Cathy handed Paul her Victoria’s Secret bag and pocketbook as if he were her personal valet. “Hold these please. Thank you.”

  Cathy secretly enjoyed that fish out of water expression on Paul’s face. Once in the dressing room she got out of her clothes and changed into the jeans, which fit nicely. She put the halter top on.

  “How are you doing in there?” Missy asked.

  “I think it’s good.” She stepped out of the fitting room and did a little twirl. “So what do you think?”

  “That looks hot,” Missy said.

  “What do you have to say, Paul?”

  His face was red, which said it all. “You look good.”

  “Then I’m taking this outfit and the other top.”

  “You’re not going to try the other top on?”

  “No, Missy. I think I’ve tortured my former boyfriend long enough.”

  Missy smirked. “Gotcha.”

  Cathy went back into the fitting room.

  Fifteen minutes later she was sitting in the food court with Paul.

  “I think you picked the right outfits for the weekend. It’s a shame that I’m not the one who’s going to enjoy looking at you in them.”

  “Thank you for your help and for holding my stuff for me.”

  “That wasn’t too uncomfortable.”

  She snickered. “Not too much.”

  A knowing look came over Paul’s face. “Before I saw you I was on the fence but now I’m sure.”

  “Sure about what?”

  “I wasn’t sure if you were in love with him but now I can see it. Your whole attitude has changed. You seem happier, lighter and more at peace. Not to mention you didn’t rip me a new one.”

  Cathy shrugged her shoulders. “What would that have accomplished? It’s over and done with.”

  “That might be true for you but I will always regret how I took you for granted time and time again. I’m surprised you put up with me for as long as you did.”

  “I’m surprised about that too. God knows I should have dumped your ass much sooner.”

  “Why didn’t you?” He genuinely wanted to know.

  Cathy contemplated a moment. “In a way I was scared to let you go, which makes it as much my fault as yours since I let you get away with hurting me time after time. I was afraid I’d never find anyone else. It took finding you in bed with another woman to knock some sense into me.”

  “It took you catching me to get me to finally realize I blew the best thing I ever had.”

  He got up to hold her chair as she started to stand. “I guess we both learned a lesson,” Cathy said.

  He put the chair back. “You’re never too old to learn.”

  Cathy turned to Paul. “Are you sure I won’t look stupid in these outfits?”

  “You looked great in them. Don’t worry about it. You don’t look 40 at all.”

  She smiled. “You think not?”

  “I know not.” He grinned.

  Paul walked Cathy to her car. She was glad that they’d reached a truce. She gave him a hug and headed home, having done one of the most grown-up things she’d ever done.

  v

  When Cathy got home she put her outfits to the side to pack up. Just as she got settled in with a cup of decaf and a fashion magazine, the phone rang.

  She looked at the caller ID. It was Andrew.

  “Hello, Andrew.”

  “Hi, mom.”

  “This is a pleasant surprise. What’s going on?”

  “Not much, Mom. I wanted to see how you were doing.”

  “I’m good. I did tell you I was going to Florida this weekend, right?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I’m going to Tampa for the Yankees’ weekend series with the Devil Rays.”

  “That’s cool, Mom.”

  “I thought so, too. Be sure to tell your brother.”

  “Okay.”

  “What about you? Do you have any plans or a date this weekend?” Cathy knew she’d stepped into foreign territory. She normally preferred a don’t ask, don’t tell policy when it came to her sons’ dating life, but today she made an exception.

  “No.”

  “You don’t like anyone up there in particular?”

  “Well, there is one girl but she’s in the Jane Austen Club.”

  “Now there’s a girl after my own heart. Is she in one of your classes?”

  “She’s in my English class. We’re reading novels by English authors this semester.”

  Cathy’s inner nerd was very intrigued. “That sounds interesting. What authors are you reading?”

  “Bronte and Austen are two I can think of now.”

  “Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, I love those books. I even re-read them every now and then. They are classics.”

  “You’re a literary agent. You’re supposed to read books. It just seems like we’re reading the book versions of chick flicks.”

  Cathy tried to sway her son. “Well, the male characters are timeless and appealing to women of all ages.”

  “So what is it about those guys? They don’t seem like nice men.” He was perplexed.

  Cathy couldn’t help chuckling. “It’s called brooding. Women find it intriguing.”

  “I don’t get it. A guy snarls around all day making backhanded comments and girls go all gooey.”

  “In their defense the English countryside is beautiful but it does have its share of gloomy, overcast days, particularly in late fall and winter. They could be suffering from seasonal affective disorder. You know, not enough light.”

  “We’ve been to England, Mom. I think their disposition has more to do with the lack of dentists. I bet you they had some mean toothaches back then. They probably wandered around the moors until they got tired enough to sleep,” Andrew said matter of factly.

  Cathy laughed in spite of herself. “You have a point, Andrew, but give Austen and Bronte a chance. You may get to like them.”

  “I’ll try, Mom.”

  “You’ll have to do better than that; you have a GPA to consider. Who knows? Maybe you can ask that young lady to study with you one day.”

  “I didn’t think of that. Boy, Mom, going out again has really changed y
ou.”

  “Really? How?”

  “I would never expect you to give me advice about meeting a girl. Any other time you don’t want to hear about it.”

  “I realize you and your brother are growing up. I can’t stop you from being interested in girls or dating and I don’t want to. However the minimum age for grandparenthood age is over 52. Remember that.”

  He laughed. “I won’t forget.”

  “Make sure you don’t. I didn’t have choices growing up, but I made damn sure you did.”

  “I know, Mom. Well, I’m getting a little hungry so I’m going to head over to the dining hall.”

  “All right, go ahead, I’ll talk to you later. Don’t forget I’ll have my cell phone with me in Florida so I won’t be out of reach.”

  “I got it, Mom. Have a good time and don’t worry.”

  “Okay. Love you, beautiful child of mine.”

  He groaned. “Mom.”

  “I know. You’re not a baby, but you two will always be my beautiful boys.”

  “Love you too, Mom.”

  Cathy looked at her sons’ graduation photos on the dresser. As they grew up she’d allowed them the freedom to take part in many of the activities she hadn’t been allowed to do when she was a teenager. They’d participated in school sports programs, belonged to clubs and gone on marching band trips all around New York state. They even went to the prom with dates. Why? Cathy didn’t want Andrew and Alexander get such a late start in life doing normal things. In addition to talking about sex, she’d demonstrated how to use a condom. Cathy knew she could have asked her father or Madison to do that, but there was a method to her madness. Although she would prefer abstinence, she had to be realistic. There was a lot more at risk than unwanted pregnancies What’s more, she figured the mental picture of their mother demonstrating the proper use of a condom would singe their minds just enough to buy her a little more abstinence time.

  CHAPTER 22

  The next morning Cathy tried to calm her nerves while waiting in the exam room for Dr. Adams. The last thing she needed was a high blood pressure reading to complicate her life and ruin her plans for the weekend. The Yankees had won 19-2 the previous night and she couldn’t wait to get to Tampa. Her heart raced when Barbara came in to take her blood pressure.

  “How are you, Cathy?”

  “Good.”

  “Let’s see what we have.”

  Stethoscope on, she put the cuff around her arm and

  began pumping. Cathy prayed for a decent reading. She took the cuff off. “Have you been on vacation?” “No, but I’m going away tomorrow. Why?” “Your numbers look great. It’s 110 over 70.” “Good.”

  “It really is.” She noted it in her file and Dr. Adams

  walked in a few minutes later.

  “Good morning, Cathy.”

  “Morning, Doc.”

  He sat on the stool. “So how are you feeling?” “Overall, not too bad.”

  “How’s your back?”

  “I haven’t been all that bothered in the last couple of

  days.” “Good.” He made a few notations on her chart. “Okay, then. I’d say you were good to go for your trip.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “So I don’t have to get undressed or get poked and prodded?”

  “Not unless you were looking forward to that.” His dry humor surfaced.

  “Doctor Adams has jokes this morning,” Cathy laughed.

  He stood up. “I’m here all week. Don’t forget to tip your waitress on the way out.”

  “You are too funny.”

  “Seriously, Cathy, just keep the meds up as needed, take frequent breaks and be sure to pace yourself in the warmer weather.”

  “I will.” She slid off the table.

  “Good. Be sure to make an appointment for two weeks from now.”

  “Will do.”

  “Have a good weekend, Cathy.”

  “Thanks, Doc.”

  Anna was reading Ladies Home Journal in the waiting room when Cathy walked out.

  She stood up. “Are you all cleared and ready for takeoff?”

  “I got the thumbs up. All I have to do is make another appointment for two weeks from now and we’re out of here.”

  “Good, we can still make it to Magdalena’s for a wash, set, blow and curl.”

  Cathy looked in the mirror at her hair. “Lord knows I need it.”

  Hair was a sacred thing for Cathy and Anna. Their dad had always said the hearings for Supreme Court nominees didn’t hold a candle to choosing a hairdresser in the Chambers family. Over the years, Cathy, Anna and their mother had tried different salons with varying degrees of success. Cost was never an object but time was.

  Magdalena’s in Hempstead was their spot. Even though they had to travel and most of the beauticians spoke limited English, they did speak the international language of hair. With walk-ins accepted and enough operators to handle them, the only real problem was to sign in early. Otherwise, it was practically a roller derby without roller skates. When they arrived at the shop at 8:45 A.M. they immediately got out to wait in front of the shop for the doors to open.

  Anna looked around. “I guess we’re first.”

  Cathy peered in the window. “There’s no one at the back entrance. Hopefully it will stay that way. What time do you have?”

  Anna looked at her watch. “It’s 8:52 give or take a couple of minutes.”

  A van pulled up next to their car and a group of teenage girls got out.

  “I guess we got here just in time,” Cathy whispered.

  “We did. Antonio just walked in.”

  Magdalena’s assistant, Antonio, unlocked the doors and held the crowd of women back for a minute. Once he had the sign-in book out, he quickly got out of the way of the stampeding women. Cathy and Anna signed in. As soon as they hung their jackets, they were called to the sink. An hour or so later they were ensconced under the dryer with the CPA Journal and Publishers Weekly to keep them occupied.

  When a discussion turned louder at the front of the salon, Cathy looked up to see a teen girl sitting in the chair arguing about her style.

  “I want it like this,” the girl explained emphatically and pointed to a picture.

  “She wants the spiral curls up here like this.” Another girl pointed to her hair.

  Cathy shook her head. Thank God I have sons. I can’t imagine having two girls with hair issues.

  Anna tapped Cathy on the hand. “See that?” She pointed towards the front.

  “Yes, I see it.”

  “That’s enough to change my mind about having a daughter.”

  Cathy chuckled. “I bet it is.”

  By the time ten-thirty rolled around Cathy and Anna were done. Anna had her hair wrapped and covered by a hat, while Cathy wore hers loose. They made a quick pit stop at Dunkin Donuts before heading home. Quietly sipping coffee, Cathy looked out the car window.

  “I saw Paul when I went to the mall yesterday.”

  Anna was floored. “You saw Paul yesterday and you didn’t mention it until now?”

  “Yeah, it wasn’t a big deal. I was looking in Torrid’s display window and we started talking.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah. He even helped me pick an outfit for the weekend.”

  “Were you on medication yesterday?” Anna was being a little sarcastic.

  “No. I had to drive to the mall myself so naturally I didn’t take anything.”

  “So you were nice to Paul without any medicinal enhancements.”

  “I was. We even had a nice little chat over Cokes in the food court.”

  Anna was incredulous. “This is just too strange. So you’ve adopted this kinder, gentler attitude about Paul.”

  “I can’t stay mad forever. I need to get rid of all the baggage in my life. Lisa did tell me that Marcus had nice girlfriends in the past and apparently there’s no bad blood or anything, so I thought it was time I put Paul to rest.”

  “Wow, big si
ster, that’s a really mature way to look at things.”

  “I know. I have to spread a little good karma out there.”

  “Oh, I see. Spread good karma and get good karma. I get it.”

  “At least that’s the way I hope it works.” Cathy looked out the window.

  v

  Cathy practically emptied out the contents of her closet to pack for one three-day weekend. At her wit’s end, she tried to keep to a dressy casual theme. However, she finally gave up and chose another theme: whatever works.

  When she finally finished packing, she put all the leftovers away. Underneath it all, she found her cell phone.

  “Oh my God, I wondered what happened to that,” she said out loud. Cathy picked up her phone to see she had a text message from Marcus.

  Hey, baby. Call 555-3764 room 426 tonight for Intro to Phone Sex. There will be a quiz.

  She laughed out loud. “He is too cute,” she whispered.

  “Cathy!” Anna shouted from downstairs.

  Cathy walked to the top of the stairs. “Yeah?”

  “Roger is coming over to stay the night. It will be easier for us in the morning.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Have you called the car service for tomorrow morning?”

  “Actually I emailed E.D. to contact them. It’s the same people we use when we have to head out of town.”

  “Good. I’m heading to the drugstore. Do you need anything?”

  “I’ve got all my meds. I packed lotion, shaving gel, bobby pins, rubbing alcohol. I’m not sure what else I might need.”

  “Condoms?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. You do use them, right?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “What size?”

  Cathy went cross-eyed. “Just get large or magnum or whatever the heck they call large.”

  “Lucky you.”

  “Are you picking up condoms?”

  “No, Roger knows to have them.”

  “So does Marcus.”

  “You haven’t seen each other in a couple of days; I’m picking them up so you have extras.”