At noon the next day, Tim called to invite me to brunch. “I woke up hungry for a kiss,” he said. “How about if I swing by in thirty minutes?”
I dressed in jeans and a striped knit top, then searched the hall closet for my black jacket, without success. I glanced out the window and saw Tim’s BMW cruising to a stop in front of the house. Charlie growled, then barked. Deciding I couldn’t deal with the dog today, I grabbed a sweater and hustled outside.
Tim was opening his car door when he noticed me. I hopped into the passenger seat.
“You look nice, as always,” he said, then gave me a quick kiss. “Is there a good place to eat near here?”
“Several.”
We chose a casual restaurant located one block from Green Lake and only a few minutes’ drive from my house. An hour later, as I nibbled the remains of my coffee cake, I felt Tim’s leg resting against mine under the table. I watched him swallow the last bite of his omelet, leaving his plate spotless.
He asked for the bill—and I’ve got to say it was nice dating a man who didn’t expect me to foot half of it—then he suggested we walk around the lake. “I’d better work off those calories.” He patted his tummy. “All I’ve done is eat all weekend, and tomorrow it’s back to my size thirty-four slacks.”
I agreed I could use the exercise too. My parents were expecting me for an early dinner later and I needed to show up with an appetite.
He grasped my hand as we made our way toward the water and stepped onto the busy path. I’d say there were twice as many people at the lake’s perimeter than on weekday mornings. When my girlfriends and I walked, we prided ourselves on making the loop in fifty minutes or less. But Tim strolled leisurely, even stopping a few times as he explained a transaction at work that might further his career. I took a deep breath and tried to follow his lead.
Almost around the lake a woman from work jogged by, gave Tim the once-over, and called hello to me. Knowing how people loved to gossip, I figured the whole office would soon know I was dating someone cute, which pleased me. I imagined Tim would look smashing at the company party. It couldn’t hurt to plan ahead.
When we got back to my house, we went into the kitchen for a glass of ice water. As I ran the tap, Tim came up behind me, his arms lassoing my waist.
I snapped off the water. “I thought you were thirsty.”
“That can wait.” His lips found mine. His kiss didn’t seem as foreign anymore. Not what I would have wished for, certainly not like I’d seen at the movies, but not bad. I tried to relax and return his affection.
The telephone rang, but Tim trapped me against the counter and said, “Leave it. You’re busy.”
“But it might be Rob.” I wriggled free and reached for the receiver. “Hello.”
“Marguerite? It’s Henry Marsh. You left your jacket last night. Luckily a receipt in the pocket had your name on it.”
Of course, I thought, that’s where it was. “Shall I come by the studio to get it?”
“No, I brought it home with me. You could stop by my house. I’m not planning to go anywhere today.”
“All right, thanks.” I stood for a moment after the line went dead, wishing I’d asked him to lay it outside his door.
“Now, where were we?” Tim asked. He snaked his arms around my waist, then kissed me. But his lips had lost any potential magic, and his hands felt groping.
I gave him a little shove and glanced at my watch. “I hate to kick you out, but I’m having dinner at my parents’ tonight and need to run an errand first.” I contemplated taking Tim along. He was the kind of guy Dad would like: a businessman and a sports enthusiast. And Mom would like his outgoing personality. Tim used excellent table manners and was well spoken, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask him to dinner. It was too soon—or something.
“Sorry, I’d better get going.” Tim offered to come with me, but I said family matters needed to be discussed. Although I almost dreaded another tête-à-tête with my mother, I wanted to be available for her, as she’d always been for me.
With a forlorn expression on his face, Tim said, “You and I need to spend more time together, pretty lady. I can come back later, when you get home.”
As I neared Henry’s house, I eased up on the accelerator.
I didn’t really need my jacket today, even if it was one of my favorites. I should have asked him to bring it to class. But I was already here, and retrieving it would take only a couple of minutes. I mounted the stairs and tried the bell twice. Finally, Henry opened the door. His mussed hair and sleepy eyes told me he’d been napping.
“Hello, come in,” he said through a yawn.
“I apologize if I woke you.”
“That’s okay. I needed to get up anyway. I don’t want to sleep the whole afternoon away.” He smoothed back his hair and stretched. “Your jacket’s around here someplace. Have a seat.” He yawned again. “You want something to drink?”
“No, I’m in a hurry to get to my parents’ for dinner.” I scanned the room, but didn’t see the jacket. “Mom’s preparing her famous pot roast. She’s an excellent cook, always makes enough to feed an army.”
“Sounds delicious. Do you think there’d be enough to feed another hungry soul?”
“Uh, what do you mean?”
His words came out deliberately. “May I join you?”
“Go to my parents? Right now?” I must have heard him wrong.
“If you don’t mind. My fridge is empty, and I’m starving. And it’ll give us a chance to talk about your work. Unless of course, I’d
