“Take Val with you. She’ll know how to dress you to impress. I’ll text her now and tell her.” His eyes danced. “She’ll be thrilled I’m asking her to spend money.”
I snorted. “Okay. I better go home and prepare. Tell her to call me when she’s ready.”
It was his turn to laugh. “Dude, she’s always ready. She’ll be disappointed it’s not for me, but almost as happy it’s for you.”
I barely paid attention as I raced out the door.
What the hell could Edward Harvey want with me?
* * *
That evening I staggered into my apartment with four shopping bags in tow. I had not one, but two suits because Macy’s had a buy-one-get-the-second-at-fifty-percent-off sale, along with three shirts and four ties. And shoes too.
“You can’t wear those old brown shoes of yours,”Val had insisted, and so I purchased two pairs of loafers and a bundle of socks. Thank God she didn’t force me to buy new underwear. I drew the line at doing that with my sister-in-law.
I dropped all the bags with the clothes on the floor, except my suits, which I hung up. Maybe the sleeves were a little long and needed some alterations, but they’d have to do. I wasn’t a millionaire like Edward and the people his magazine catered to.
After reheating some of the food Val had given me earlier for dinner, I sprawled on the couch with a beer and my plate. My phone lay on the cushion next to me, and I gazed at it for a moment, then figuring to hell with it, texted Frisco.
Hi. What’s up? How’re you?
When five minutes went by without a response, I tossed the phone aside, figuring at seven p.m. he was having dinner. Like me.
I finished the rest of my lasagna, took a shower, and turned on the television to catch the basketball game. During the commercial, I checked the phone and saw he’d texted me back twenty minutes before.
Hi.
“Well, that says a whole lot of nothing,” I muttered. Figuring he wasn’t the chatty type, I got straight to the point.
I’ll be in the city late afternoon. Maybe we can have that dinner.
He didn’t respond, and the commercial ended, so I returned to the game. The Nets were winning, and that looked like it would be the highlight of my night until the cushion vibrated. I picked up my phone to read the message.
Are you sure you have your shots? Crossing the river can be dangerous.
I bit my lower lip as I responded.
Yeah. I hear there are snakes and alligators that can bite me.
They’re not the only things.
Heat flooded through me as I recalled his mouth on mine, nipping, sucking, devouring me. I closed my eyes against the thrill that shot through me at his words.
What time? My meeting’s at 4. It shouldn’t take more than an hour.
7. No one eats dinner before then.
I mean, my family did. Six o’clock, on the dot, my mother had dinner ready for when my father got home from work.
OK. I’ll find something to do until then. Where do you want to go?
I’ll surprise you.
I smiled to myself.
Sure. Text me.
* * *
