Addicted to Love

by Deborah Cooke

“She might not be able to fit you in. It is Friday.”

  Florence smiled. “I can be persuasive.”

  “Tell her it’s my treat.”

  “Kyle!”

  Kyle was spared from his mom’s display of affection because Dave emerged from the elevator. He could smell his brother’s satisfaction from fifty feet away, which reminded him that the previous night had been a celibate one for him.

  Florence went into the street for better reception on her cell phone.

  “Sorry,” Dave said when he’d managed to cross the crowded lobby. There was a lot of people trying to check in and a mound of baggage was building at the bellhop station. “The elevators were really backed up.” Dave ruffled Noah’s hair. “Good time?”

  “The best,” that sprout agreed.

  “Uncle Kyle is going to take me to F5 today,” Jason said proudly.

  Kyle nodded at his brother’s enquiring glance. “Yeah, Mr. Lee is in this morning, and I thought Jason could learn some new moves. I started judo when I was about his age. He might like martial arts. Can’t hurt to have a free trial.” Jason gave him a look of gratitude for not revealing the truth about Reyna.

  “Nothing’s free,” Dave said with a smile.

  “Well, this one’s on me. What plans do you have today?”

  “We were going to the Empire State Building,” Dave said. “But now, if Jason is going with you...”

  Lauren was right. Nothing drove him more crazy than people coming to the city he loved then seeing only the tourist traps.

  He decided in that moment that he was going to take her dare and make their visit incredible.

  “Do you care about the Empire State Building,” he asked Jason who shrugged.

  “Mom wants to do some Sleepless in Seattle thing.”

  “You can probably miss that.”

  Jason nodded.

  Kyle turned to Dave. “Meet your new tour director. I have some ideas to show you the real city, but I’ll have to pull in some favors to make it work. It’s summer and things have booked out early. Come to the club at noon and we’ll finalize the plan.”

  “You’re on,” Dave agreed. “Thanks. I hate all this tourist stuff and it costs a bomb.”

  “Let me see what I can do.” Kyle leaned over to whisper to his brother. “Keep your fingers crossed. There might be another sleepover tonight.”

  “I owe you so big,” Dave muttered.

  “No, you don’t,” Kyle responded in kind. “Mom might not be moving east. I’m building up credits while I can.”

  Dave’s face fell. “Oh no.”

  “Oh yes. Kenneth said she looked matronly.”

  Dave shook his head. “He’s a dead man.”

  “Oh, she’ll make him suffer first.”

  “Wait a minute,” Dave said. “Wasn’t Mom with you and the boys last night?”

  Kyle shook his head. “She went out with Kenneth instead.” Without waiting for his brother’s response, Kyle checked the time, saw they had fifteen minutes to get to the club and called Jason. “Move it! We’re going to be late.”

  “He’s so bossy,” Jason complained, but he kept up with Kyle, his anticipation clear. When they were in the subway again, he peered into the darkened tunnel. “Have you ever gone into the subway tunnels?”

  “You mean, illegally?”

  “Well, yeah. On an adventure.”

  “I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me.”

  “You have! I knew it! Can we go?”

  Kyle crouched down to look Jason in the eye. “I find it extremely unlikely that either your mom or Dave will sign a parental consent form for you to do something illegal, and I’m not going to take you anywhere without that form.”

  Jason’s face fell.

  “Tell you what,” Kyle said. “Come back and visit me when you’re eighteen.” He paused for a moment. “Actually, I have a better idea.”

  Jason let out a hoot just as the train came into the station.

  * * *

  It appeared that friends sent their mothers to the hair salons of friends.

  Lauren would have had no doubt of Florence’s identity when that woman swept into the shop, even if Florence hadn’t called first. Lauren could see Kyle in the older woman’s striking blue eyes and direct gaze. Kyle had evidently come by his verve and confidence on his mother’s side, because Florence looked Lauren in the eye and closed the distance between them with her hand outstretched. “You must be Lauren, Kyle’s friend. I’m Florence.”

  Florence’s hair was beautifully cut, a thousand shades of silver, in a style that was both elegant and practical. Already Lauren thought it suited the older woman’s nature, just as her clothes did. Florence wore black and white, even her black capris managing to look business-casual. There were no frills or extra details. She wore a minimum of make-up, just pale pink lipstick that made her eyes look more blue. She was slender and tall, though not quite as tall as Kyle.

  “Crisp” would have been the word Lauren chose to describe her style. Florence looked like a woman who could be relied upon to make decisions quickly.

  Lauren was a little surprised, having expected more romantic flair from what she’d heard of Kyle’s mom. Maybe she was crazy to think that a woman who had married so many times must have done it for love.

  Maybe Florence had married for advantage.

  “Hello and welcome.” Lauren spun her chair around in invitation. “Have a seat and tell me more about your hair emergency.”

  “I don’t think it is an emergency,” Florence said. “You might not have to do anything, actually. I just wanted another opinion.”

  “On what?”

  “I had a blind date last night. It should have gone well.” Florence shook her head. “I came from California for this date, and I had expectations.”

  Lauren thought of Florence’s blithe confession at one in the morning that she and Kenneth were going dancing and wondered what exactly the older woman had expected.

  “And you were disappointed?” she asked tactfully.

  “Oh, we had a good time, but there was no spark, at least not on his part. He was the perfect gentleman, which is, as I’m sure you know, a little dull.”

  “Well, sometimes people don’t click...”

  “No.” Florence’s gaze in the mirror became steely. “He said I looked matronly.”

  “Oh.” Lauren had learned long ago that there were certain adjectives that drove her clients to incoherent rage, and matronly was on the list for the over-fifty demographic. “Well, words don’t mean the same thing to everyone.”

  Florence’s question was sharp. “Do you think I look matronly?” She lifted a brow. “Be honest with me, Lauren. It’s one trait I value.”

  Lauren pursed her lips. Her inclination was to say something soothing that was mostly true, but if Florence wanted honesty, she’d get it. “You have a very elegant style. It’s traditional and no-nonsense. There are certainly people who would associate such a controlled appearance with an older woman.”

  “I’ve worked for forty years in real estate,” Florence replied. “If a woman doesn’t look businesslike, she will be ground under the heels of her male coworkers.”

  “I appreciate that,” Lauren said. “But you were on a date, with a man who was probably your contemporary.”

  “Eight years older.”

  “So, he might have interpreted your business-casual attire as a hint that you are more practical than romantic. Your first encounter might have felt more like an interview than a date to him.”

  Florence considered this.

  Lauren was fully expecting the other woman to tell her that she was wrong, but that’s not what Florence did.

  She nodded. “I gather that he is comfortably off, if not wealthy. He might have thought I looked mercenary.”

  “First impressions can be powerful if they connect with expectations.”

  Florence nodded and eyed her reflection. “What would you suggest?”


  Lauren smiled. “Well, was it an interview?”

  Florence laughed. “It was a first date, which is a kind of an interview, but I’m not looking for his money. I have my own. I’m looking for someone to share some good times.”

  Lauren noted that Florence didn’t make any romantic claims about looking for love or her soul mate, or even a partner. “Then maybe you should look a little more fun.”

  “Fun?”

  “Fun. Whimsical. Romantic, even. You could signal your expectations with your look. Do you still work?”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay, this is how you look for work, but what about for play? We want this business look to remain an option, but also to give you the choice of softening your appearance when you’re off-duty.”

  Florence looked intrigued. “How on earth would you do that?”

  Lauren ran her fingers through Florence’s hair. “You have a great cut. But your hair is a little wavy. Do you have to fight the curl to make this cut work?”

  “Every day,” Florence said grimly. “Especially when it’s humid.”

  “What if you don’t fight it on the weekend? What if we take a little bit of the weight out of it and encourage it to curl? You might not want to add color, but that’s something else to think about.”

  “I can’t have blue or purple in my hair!”

  “No, I understand that. Your hair was blond before it turned gray, though, right? Like Kyle’s?” Lauren asked and Florence nodded. “I see it in your brows and still a bit here on the underside. So, I’d think about pulling some blond into the gray, marking it more of a silvery gold. That would soften the gray.” She was playing with the hair as she spoke. “We can try the cut today and you can come back if you like the idea of the color, or ask your stylist at home to do it.”

  “He always says I demand too much with this style,” Florence admitted. “He says I’m fighting my hair’s inclination.”

  “Well, I’d agree.” Lauren grabbed a magazine and flipped through it until she found the image of the color she had in mind. “Of course, this model is fourteen, but you can see all the hues of gold in the hair.”

  “Like white gold,” Florence said. “In the sun.”

  It was a comment that took Lauren by surprise. “Exactly. And you could extend that playfulness into your wardrobe, with some sheer or frilly blouses. Maybe a flowing dress. Some pieces that coordinate with what you have, but that you can use for leisure and not for work. You don’t have to go completely bohemian, just add a touch.”

  “I wouldn’t know where to start.” Florence straightened. “But I have another date with him tonight. I’d like to show him that he’s wrong.”

  “I have a friend who’s a personal shopper at one of the big department stores. If you like, I can see if Joy can take you under her wing later this afternoon. Their charges are quite reasonable, I think, especially if you consider the time you save.”

  “That’s a terrific idea. I use a shopper at home for exactly that reason.”

  “Let me take a couple of pictures of you and I’ll give her a call. Fingers crossed that she’s not booked up this afternoon.”

  “Tell her what you’re going to do to my hair, too,” Florence said. “If you have time today, I’d love for you to do the color, too.”

  It appeared that Florence was as decisive as Lauren had expected.

  Lauren checked with Ingrid and the appointment book, and confirmed that she had the time. Then she called Joy, sent the pictures of Florence and shared her idea. Joy was clearly excited. Florence, of course, had a note on her phone with all her sizes, and Lauren took a picture of that for Joy, too. Florence even gave Joy the number of her personal shopper in California, who knew her entire wardrobe.

  “These are the best challenges,” Joy said when Lauren talked to her again. “Are her eyes blue?”

  “Amazingly blue,” Lauren said, smiling at Florence.

  “I’ll have everything together by three, if that’s okay.”

  It was okay, and Lauren thanked her friend.

  Then she had an idea. “We haven’t seen each other in ages, Joy. Any chance of a coffee together after you do your magic with Florence?”

  “I’ll go you one better. I’m owed a girls’ night out. Trevor can take care of Megan. Why don’t we go for dinner and catch up?”

  “Sounds great!”

  Lauren turned back to Florence, as excited as ever to do a transformation. She decided to do the color first and began to choose the individual colors as Florence changed into a robe.

  * * *

  Kyle had a busy day. He accepted Lauren’s challenge with a vengeance.

  The surprise was that he had a great time doing it.

  He settled Jason into a personal class at F5 with Mr. Lee, who was great with kids. He went back to the office and negotiated with Cassie and Theo for the weekend off.

  “Who’s the lucky lady?” Cassie asked playfully.

  “No one,” Kyle said. “My brother and his wife are in town, along with my mom, and I want to show them the best of the city, not just the tourist traps. I haven’t taken any vacation since Christmas. I know it’s short notice, but I didn’t know they were coming.”

  “The club won’t be the same tonight,” Cassie teased.

  “I’ll take it on,” Theo said smoothly. “Damon probably has a commitment tonight...”

  “Every Friday,” Kyle said.

  “But he can take a couple of your classes tomorrow or Sunday.” Theo sat down and called up the schedule, then nodded. “I think we can manage it, Kyle. I don’t have that many obligations since I’m just back, so go and have fun.”

  “Thanks!”

  Theo smiled. “We’ll solve the mystery of Damon’s Friday nights next week.”

  “You’ve got a deal.” Kyle claimed an empty office and made a list of his top ten things to do in Manhattan. It was August. It was the very day that he wanted to start his guest tour, which meant that he needed to call in favors. Everything excellent would have been booked out months before.

  First up was the woman at the American Museum of Natural History, because he needed a favor for that very night. He didn’t have Vicky’s number—he kept very few numbers—but he remembered the name of every person he’d ever met. It was easy to get in touch with her and she was glad to hear from him, which was a good sign.

  She was even more enthused about him treating his nephews to the sleepover at the museum held every couple of months, including this very night.

  “You should know, Kyle, that I got married in April.”

  Kyle didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t going to be responsible for tempting anyone to break their vows, but he’d thought he’d be paying in his usual currency.

  He was also a bit surprised by his reaction. He couldn’t be relieved that he didn’t need to seduce Vicky, could he? She was cute and a lot of fun in bed. He certainly felt something a lot like relief, though.

  And disappointment, too, because he knew the sprouts would love the adventure.

  “I see,” he said, thinking his idea was impossible. “I know these sleepovers sell out months in advance...”

  “They do, but I can squeeze three more in. I’ll make you a deal,” Vicki said. “My husband and I have been talking about attending one of the couple sessions at F5. Get Naughty Together.”

  “I can comp you,” Kyle said, fully intending to pay for their attendance himself.

  “Deal!” Vicky said. “It’ll be so much fun.”

  “It is fun. I usually teach it. Let me pull up the schedule and we’ll choose a date.”

  After that, it was easy. Kyle used the bait of sessions at F5 to sweeten the deal when money wasn’t enough. He actually joined the transit museum, because Kristin couldn’t get them on the tour of the closed City Hall subway station any other way. Jason was going to love visiting an abandoned station. By the time Dave and Olivia showed up at F5 with Sprout Two, he had the whole weekend planned. He sent
the family on the backstage tour at the Disney theater while he finished up his day. He had tickets to the show that night for Dave and Olivia, but he and the boys would be camping out at the museum.

  “Like the movie,” Jason said with gusto.

  “Just like the movie,” Kyle agreed. “Sleeping with the dinosaurs. If, you know, you do sleep.” He felt like Santa Claus and was enjoying it. It was good to do something for Dave and his kids, and Kyle had a feeling his island wasn’t going to be nearly so isolated in the future. He liked that he was doing something positive for his nephews and could see that this could quickly become addictive.

  He’d never have even tried it without Lauren’s challenge.

  * * *

  “Kyle said you’re a friend of his,” Florence said when Lauren was fastening the plastic robe around her neck.

  “Yes.”

  “Have you known him a long time?”

  “Yes, quite a while.”

  “So, you’re not one of his conquests?”

  Lauren smiled. “Kyle is charming. It could be said that everyone is one of his conquests.”

  “I mean sexual conquests,” Florence said and Lauren didn’t answer. “If you’ve been friends for years, that’s different.” She leaned forward. “Maybe you can tell me. Why isn’t he getting married? He must have had ample opportunity. I’d been married three times by the time I was his age, and that doesn’t even count conjugal relationships.”

  “Maybe he hasn’t met the right person yet,” Lauren said cautiously. She was thinking of Kyle’s various confessions and wondered how much of the truth his mother could bear.

  Even on brief acquaintance, she was thinking Florence could take any amount of truth.

  And there wasn’t anything at risk. Kyle had said he’d pay the bill, and Lauren didn’t imagine that Florence was a lavish tipper.

  “Nonsense!” that woman replied. “There are dozens of right people for everyone. I’m living proof of that!” She paused and, for the first time, looked uncertain. “Is he gay? You can tell me the truth.”

  Lauren was glad she didn’t have anything sharp in her hands, because she couldn’t stop her laughter. “Kyle is not gay,” she managed to say finally. “He’s the most enthusiastically heterosexual man I know.”