See Jane Love

by Debby Conrad

  “Gertie!”

  Gabe caught the look Jane gave her, but the woman either didn’t understand, or chose to ignore her.

  “So, how did it go?” Gertie asked, her gray eyes filled with amusement.

  Jane squeezed her eyes tightly shut, and Gabe took over. “How did what go?” he asked tentatively.

  “Last night. I assume you two did the dirty deed.”

  Gabe winced. “The dirty deed?” he mumbled under his breath. The woman had to be eighty, possibly ninety, and here she was talking about sex like it was no different than discussing her varicose veins.

  Jane gave him an apologetic look, then turned to her friend. “Uh, Gertie, Gabe and I . . . nothing happened.”

  “Why not? What in heaven are you waiting for? The sooner you launch that rocket, the sooner you can write a--”

  “Gertie,” Jane said, cutting her off. “Would you like some coffee? Gabe makes terrific coffee.”

  “I’ll bet. What else does he do?” the woman asked, running her gaze down the front of him, like he was a piece of meat.

  Gabe suddenly thought of the Chippendale dancers. He used to think those guys were the luckiest bastards in the world, but now he wasn’t so sure. Raising his brows at Jane, he waited for her to answer.

  “I’m not sure, Gertie. Although I have to admit Gabe’s a great kisser, but that’s as far as it went. He isn’t interested in helping me.”

  “Why not?” The woman scowled at him with narrowed eyes. “You’re not gay, are you?”

  “No,” Gabe said, punctuating each word, “I’m not gay.”

  She sized him up and down as if she were trying to decide whether or not to believe him. “Well, if he’s not interested, he’s not interested,” she said, turning toward Jane and brushing her hands together. “That means you’re free to go out with my gynecologist tonight. Dr. Hubert Epstein. I told him all about your problem and he’s eager to help.”

  “I’ll bet,” Gabe mumbled, clenching his fists.

  Jane shot him a look. “See, there are decent men left in this world.”

  Decent? Gabe rolled his eyes. He had no idea why, but thinking about Jane with Gertie’s gynecologist had him seething inside.

  “He’s picking you up at seven,” Gertie said. “Wear something sexy.” And then she headed for the door.

  As soon as the woman left, Gabe started in on her. “You can’t be serious! Please tell me you’re not planning on going out with that pervert!”

  “Pervert? You don’t know that he’s a pervert. You don’t know anything about him. And please don’t shout,” she said, touching her forehead.

  “And neither do you.”

  “Well, I trust Gertie,” she said with a shrug. “Besides, he’s a doctor.”

  “He’s not a doctor, he’s a gynecologist!”

  “So, that makes him a pervert?”

  “Yes! And if that’s not enough to convince you, remember his name is Hubert.”

  Placing her hands on her hips, she stared at him wide-eyed. “You should hear yourself. You’re making absolutely no sense. The man probably has women beating down his door for dates, and yet he’s willing to put his life on hold to help me.”

  He snorted. “You can’t be that naive, Jane.”

  She slapped her hands to her sides. “I’m not naive! And why do you care who I go out with anyway?”

  “I don’t,” he said, leaning his hip against the kitchen counter. “It’s just that . . . you’re Sara’s little sister. And I don’t want to see you get hurt. There are a lot of guys out there who would love to take advantage of someone like you.”

  “Trust me, I know what I’m doing. And if anyone is going to be taken advantage of, it’s not going to be me.”

  “Uh, huh.”

  “Besides, if you really cared, you’d help me.”

  “Don’t try to make me out to be the bad guy here.”

  “Fine. It’s not like I can’t find somebody else. You’re not the only man on the face of the earth, you know.”

  “Yeah, there’s always Hubert.”

  “You’re just jealous because the man’s done something with his life and you--” She stopped suddenly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that--”

  “Yes, you did. Look, Jane, if it’s any consolation, I want you as badly as you want me. But it’s not going to happen. Not in this lifetime. Christ, you’re Sara’s little sister. I don’t know what the hell got into me, kissing you the way I did. But I want you to know I’m sorry.”

  “I’m a grown woman who makes her own choices. I stopped asking Sara’s permission a long time ago.”

  “You know what I mean. I can’t get involved with you. Okay?”

  “Fine,” she said, lifting her chin a notch. “So, are you going to take me to get my car?”

  “Sure.” He stood staring at her for a moment before speaking again. “Look, Jane--”

  “It’s Janie,” she said, interrupting him. “Only my mother calls me Jane.”

  “Okay, Janie, then--”

  “If you don’t mind, I’d just assume not talk about any of this with you anymore. Could you just pretend that last night and this morning never happened?”

  “Sure,” he said again, knowing that that was totally impossible.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  Travis ran across the lawn to greet them as Gabe cut the engine on the Camaro. “Uncle Gabe! Aunt Janie!” Livvy trailed along behind her brother, trying to keep up. Both were dressed in bathing suits, flip-flops and huge smiles.

  Gabe got out of the car and lifted his sunglasses from his nose. “Hi, guys! Looks like you’re all ready to go.”

  Livvy nodded excitedly. “Can Aunt Janie come, too?”

  “Uh, sure . . . if she wants to. But I’ll bet she already has other plans.” He hitched a brow, looking her way.

  Opening the car door, Janie stepped out. All signs of her hangover had finally disappeared. “I’d love to come with you guys,” she told her niece. “Let me see if your mommy has a suit I can borrow.” She glanced at Gabe, flashed him a pretty smile and shrugged. “They want me to come. Isn’t that sweet?”

  “Sweet,” he mumbled, realizing Janie had no idea she’d used a double entendre. Standing by the car, Gabe shook his head and stared after her as she headed toward the house. Great, he thought. How was he supposed to spend the afternoon with Janie half naked and keep his hands to himself, and his thoughts elsewhere? Let’s see . . . I can’t think about kissing Janie, touching Janie, orgasms, or anything else remotely related to sex. He blew out his breath in a huff and looked down at his niece and nephew. “Do you guys have any sand shovels?”

  Travis spoke up. “Yeah! Want us to go get ‘em?”

  “I sure do. I thought we could bury your aunt at the beach.”

  The kids both giggled and ran off.

  He had no idea how all of this had happened. But ever since Janie had mentioned her ‘little problem’, Gabe hadn’t been able to think about anything else. Satisfying her seemed to be the consumption of his thoughts, not that he had any intention of acting on them. He’d been honest with her when he told her nothing was going to happen between them. Well, other than those kisses, is what he’d meant. And what about those kisses? After last night, he hadn’t been able to fall asleep for hours. She’d tasted so sweet, so tempting. It was all he could do to break it off--not only last night’s kiss, but this morning’s, as well.

  Now, a part of him wished he’d never volunteered to drive her home last night. She should have just spent the night with Alex and Sara. Next time he considered playing the hero, he’d certainly know better. Swearing, he started for the house.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  “I can’t wear this,” Janie complained, staring at herself in the full-length mirror in Sara’s bedroom. She was wearing a one-piece, black, Lycra suit of her sister’s.

  “It looks fine. Except for the top,” Sara admitted.

  Janie grabbed a handful of fabric and shook i
t. “What does God have against me? Why couldn’t He have given me less freckles and bigger breasts?”

  “I don’t know. Just put your shirt on over it, and no one will ever know.”

  Spying a box of tissues on the dresser, Janie helped herself to several and wadded them in a ball. Then she pressed the wad into one of the bra cups and repeated the procedure with the other side. “There. That looks better.” Instead of her traditional A’s, she now sported a C cup. Without the cleavage, of course.

  Sara looked at her skeptically. “What happens if they get wet?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll only go in as far as my waist.”

  “I’m surprised that you want to go along with Gabe and the kids. I thought you didn’t like him.”

  “I never said I didn’t like him. I barely know the man.” She tried one of Sara’s straw hats, tossed it aside, and then chose another. “What do you think?” she asked, cocking her head.

  “Perfect. That hat always looked better on you than it did on me, anyway. My head’s too small.” She paused, then added, “Not that you have a big head or anything.”

  Janie laughed. “It’s all right. I know what you meant.”

  “So, why are you going along with Gabe today?”

  “The kids asked me to, and I didn’t want to disappoint them. Do you have a cover-up or a cute little skirt I can drape over the suit?”

  “I think so,” Sara said, disappearing into her walk-in closet. From inside, she yelled, “Please tell me Gabe didn’t try to take advantage of you last night. Knowing him, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  No such luck. “He was a perfect gentleman.” Too perfect, Janie thought. “I was the one who tried to take advantage of him.”

  Sara flew around the corner, holding a bright, floral sarong. “You did what?”

  Janie smiled sheepishly and shrugged as she tied the sarong around her waist. “I asked Gabe if he wanted to have an affair with me. But he turned me down flat. Twice.”

  With her mouth hanging open, Sara dropped onto the bed and continued to gape at her sister.

  “Close your mouth. You look like a baby bird, waiting to be fed.” Opening the top dresser drawer, Janie dug through Sara’s make-up bag and pulled out a tube of lipstick. “Stop staring at me like I’m from another planet. I told you yesterday that I was serious about this, and I am. If Gabe doesn’t want to help me, then I’ll find someone who will. Maybe I’ll pick up one of those cute lifeguards at the beach today. I love those little red Speedos they wear. Oh, I almost forgot. I have a date with Gertie’s gynecologist tonight.”

  “A stranger?”

  “Well, not exactly. Gertie knows him.”

  “She didn’t tell him about why you--”

  “Of course, she told him. What’s the big deal?”

  Sara covered her face with her hands and mumbled something that sounded to Janie like a prayer. Turning to face the mirror, Janie gave her mouth a quick coat of ‘Dazzling Coral’ and pressed her lips together. “Ta, da! I feel like a new woman.” She eyed her big, bountiful breasts in the mirror one more time. “Maybe I should think about implants.”

  Sara lifted her head. “I don’t believe you.”

  “I didn’t say I was going to, I said maybe I should think about it.”

  “I’m not talking about your breasts, Janie! I can handle your getting a boob-job. What I can’t handle is the way you’ve been behaving lately. Accepting dates with strangers? And propositioning my brother-in-law? What in the world were you thinking?”

  Janie spun around to face her. “I don’t know what you’re so upset about. I’m the one who was rejected and humiliated. Not to mention that I’m even more frustrated than I was before he kissed me.”

  “He kissed you?” Sara stood up, placing her hands on her hips and thrusting her stomach forward.

  “Well, yes. But only because I asked him to. Last night, anyway. But this morning, that was all his idea. Not that I didn’t want him to.”

  “I don’t think I want to hear anymore.”

  Janie grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. “Want to know what else he did?”

  “No,” Sara said, holding her ears.

  “He cleaned my apartment and cooked breakfast for me,” she said loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.

  Sara dropped her hands to her sides. “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope.”

  “I can’t believe he cleaned that pig sty of yours. You’re my baby sister, and I love you, but I wouldn’t wade through that mess for all the money in the world.” She paused, a curious expression crossing her face. “Wait a minute. Why would he do that? You don’t think he expects something in return, do you?” Her lips puckered. “Of all the shady, low-down--”

  “Get your mind out of the gutter. Besides, I already told you he turned me down flat. If he’d wanted sex in exchange for cleaning up my messes, all he had to do was say so.” Janie caught the mortified look on her sister’s face, and added, “Sara, he just did it to be nice.”

  “Gabe doesn’t know what the word nice means.”

  “Sure he does. He may be . . . irritating at times. But he’s got his good points. He’s good with Travis and Livvy, as much as it pains me to admit it.”

  Sara nodded. “Yes, I suppose he is. But--”

  “Sara, I think you and Alex are too hard on him. He’s not so bad, once you get to know him. Give him a chance. Oh, I’d better run, before they decide to leave without me. There’s no way I’m letting ‘Uncle Gabe’ win the kids over. If anyone’s going to spoil them rotten, it’s going to be me.”

  “But, wait!”

  “Whatever it is, make it fast. I’m kind of anxious to see Gabe in his bathing trunks. I hope they’re skimpy and show off his . . . profile, if you get my drift.”

  “That’s it! I’m disowning you as my sister.”

  “Sara, you don’t want to do that. Because then I won’t be able to share all the intimate details between Gabe and me once I wear him down.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Gabe couldn’t stop staring at Janie’s breasts. They were not the same breasts he’d held in his palms that morning. Those breasts were small, firm, and suited her perfectly. These breasts were at least a C cup, lumpy, and two sizes too big. What the hell had she stuffed into the bra of that suit?

  Whatever it was, she seemed awfully proud of her new additions. Not to mention the curious looks she’d gotten from the men who’d passed by their blanket. One idiot had jogged by three times with his tongue hanging out. Another, a lifeguard who didn’t look old enough to shave, had dropped by to ask for her phone number. And Janie had actually given it to him. A complete stranger. Christ, the kid was still in college. What the hell could he possibly know about pleasing a woman?

  Gabe watched as Janie squeezed a generous amount of sun screen into her palm and began rubbing it over her shapely legs. Not five minutes ago, he’d offered to put sun screen on her, but she’d declined his offer. It was just as well; no telling how he would have reacted to touching her bare legs and thighs.

  “Uncle Gabe,” Travis interrupted his thoughts, “will you take us in the water now?”

  “Sure,” Gabe said, then glancing at Janie, asked, “Do you want to go for a swim?”

  “No, you guys go ahead,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I’m just going to work on my tan.” She leaned back on her elbows, struck a provocative pose and thrust her chest out, showing off her artificial mammary glands. Her auburn curls twisted in the breeze, and her freckled skin looked sun-kissed.

  A dip in the cool water was just what he needed, Gabe thought, trudging down to the lake, Travis and Livvy bouncing beside him.

  “Unca Gabe, will you holds me in the water?” Livvy asked.

  “Sure, I will.” Travis knew how to swim, but Livvy was still a little apprehensive when it came to the waves. Bending over, Gabe scooped her into his arms.

  “You won’t let the sharks eat me, will you?”

  “No, sweet
heart. I won’t.” He’d told her repeatedly this afternoon there were no sharks in Lake Erie, but she obviously didn’t believe him. “Sharks don’t like little girls anyway, they like to eat six-year-old boys,” he said, winking at Travis.

  His nephew laughed and ran toward the waves without a care, splashing two bikini-clad girls in the process. Gabe had a feeling he’d splashed them on purpose. He also knew that If Janie had come with them, he would have enjoyed splashing her. Men. Will we ever grow up? he wondered.

  After forty-five minutes, the kids had exhausted him, and they headed back to shore. But as they drew closer to their spot in the sand, Gabe realized Janie wasn’t alone. A guy who looked old enough to be her father sat beside her, ogling her breasts. Or breast, rather. Gabe noticed one was deflated, and there was a wad of tissue lying on the blanket beside her.

  Janie looked up and smiled brightly when she saw them. “Livvy, Travis, this is Rob.” Then she stood, picked up a bright colored towel, and wrapped it around Livvy’s shoulders.

  Rob said hello to the kids. “Your aunt has been telling me all about you two.”

  Livvy tugged on Gabe’s swim trunks. “We’re not supposed to talk to strangers.”

  Gabe nodded. “That sounds like a good rule we should all follow,” he said, directing his comment to Janie, who only rolled her eyes at him.

  “Rob, this is Gabe Montero.”

  Rob stood, sized up Gabe, and then stuck out his hand. “Rob Strauss. An old friend.”

  Gabe shook hands with the man, guessing him to be in his early fifties. A poor excuse for a toupee sat on the top of his head and a skimpy black Speedo barely covered his meager package.

  “Rob and I used to teach at the same school, before I left to write full time,” Janie explained.

  When Gabe only nodded, Rob flexed his scrawny muscles and puffed out his hairless chest. “Well, it was great seeing you again, Janie, but I have to get to the gym. I’ll call you about tomorrow night.”

  “Tomorrow night?” Gabe asked before Mr. Sleaze ball could run off.

  “Yes,” Janie answered for him. “Rob and I are going to see a movie and maybe stop for a drink.”

  “Uh, huh.” Gabe flung his arm around Janie and pulled her to his side. “That sounds like fun. Will your wife be joining us?” he asked, once he was sure the kids weren’t listening. Both were busy digging with their shovels, putting the finishing touches on the castle they’d been working on before going swimming.