“Of course it sounds nice, but I don’t deserve anything else from – “
“Carson, shut the hell up.” He obeyed, wondering how the hell this 5’6” woman could strong-arm him over the phone. “You’re coming over for a wonderful meal prepared by yours truly, and then we are going to do something fun in this one-horse state. And, since this is your home and I’m still new to it, you better figure out something good to do after dessert! Got me?!”
“Well, when you put it that way, I guess I’m not in a position to argue.”
“At least you’re smart enough to know that. I’m texting my address. Friday at six?”
Carson thought to protest once more, but even as the idea passed through his brain, he was already talking. “Very good. Six o’clock Friday.”
“Wear something sexy,” Katie responded before ending the call, leaving him staring at his phone like a caveman looking at a shiny object.
What the hell just happened?
***
As the week wore on, Katie’s usual confidence waned. She knew there was a connection between them, but Carson was clearly vacillating. Even though she couldn’t determine the specifics of his issue, there was definitely something bothering him. If he really didn’t like her, he would have just turned her down flat and been on his way. There was no doubt in her mind he could project himself and his desires very clearly if he wished.
But he hadn’t done that. He’d let Katie and her little-miss-bossy attitude railroad him into yet another date. Sure, it had the potential to be fun – or even more – but he almost had to be forced into it. That meant he was thinking with two heads, and the jury was still out on which one would win. He still might cancel, but there was little she could do if he decided to take that course of action.
So what was wrong with him? Katie considered what she knew about him. Carson was a very handsome man by any reasonable standard, and clearly he had athletic talent, which most women found attractive. He was intelligent and well-spoken, so he shouldn’t be hurting for a social life. He was no longer in the military even though it obviously suited him, and now he suffered through a rather uninspiring job and showed hints of, if not depression, at least melancholy.
Had he been injured in the service? It would make sense. A serious enough injury – one that kept him from doing his job – would force him to retire and might make his current job a necessity to make ends meet. For a man who had achieved a rather prestigious rank – Katie had done a little research – and been in charge of a lot of men and valuable equipment, this would be quite a turn of events, making him less-than-thrilled with life. Maybe his injury affects him sexually, or the way he looks naked. That fit even better. He would feel desire for Katie but, embarrassed by whatever injury or deformity he currently hid, he’d be in his own private hell knowing that, sooner or later, he would disappoint her.
Katie admitted to herself the possibility presented a concern. She wasn’t so shallow as to let an injury, even a disfiguring one, lessen her interest in a man, but she was young and craved the healthy sexual relationship her first marriage lacked. Sex with Brendan had gone from pretty good at the beginning of their courtship to a semi-weekly chore she came to loathe before everything went to hell. It had excited her about as much as a good mopping of the floor. Now, Carson stirred all kinds of lascivious fantasies in her, many of them related in some way to his potential (and witnessed) physical prowess.
But he seemed tentative, like a big, powerful muscle car with a little old man at the controls, accelerating sedately and gently away from each stop sign and traffic light. She wanted him to floor it and make the engine roar until it hit the red line and made the tires smoke. But how could she approach him about this when he still seemed as timid as a 7th-grader? She couldn’t just bring it up out in broad daylight, but she didn’t want to put forth all this effort only to find out they couldn’t be together.
At least he’s a little bit mysterious. That’s worth the chase.
All she could do was wait – and hope.
***
At 5:58, she looked out the window after a frenetic 90 minutes of preparation to see an older Ford with faded silver-blue paint move slowly down her street, pausing for a second before pulling into her driveway. She smiled and raced to her bedroom for one final check of her hair, which retained most of its bouncy character, and her outfit, which was a masterpiece of elegance that had been carefully paired and structured to appear casual. It consisted of sage-colored chinos, flats, and a yellow V-neck blouse under a light, button-down white summer shirt she left open. It wasn’t quite warm enough for something so light, but it seemed to amplify the vibrancy of her red hair.
She was taking one last look at herself when he rapped on the door three times. Bounding from her bedroom, she forced herself to settle down and walk to the door like an adult. Taking a final deep breath, she opened it.
Clearly, Carson had not put much effort into selecting his wardrobe at their previous meetings. His uninspired outfit at their first meeting was dull and drab and didn’t really fit perfectly. On the boat, his sweatshirt had hidden his upper body. But tonight was different. He wore a short-sleeve button-down cotton top which appeared roomy but still managed to show off the muscles in his arms and chest. Faded jeans hugged his upper thighs and
