"I can’t wait to meet him."
"Oh, he’s a character—equal parts honey and vinegar.He'll charm you one minute and jump your case the next.He never backs down from a challenge and thinks he's an expert in most everything he does.He drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney, and has a heart of gold."
Claire pushed her chair back and reached for his empty plate.With the table cleared, they moved to her sofa.Jay reached for the gift bag and placed it in her lap.
"The apple was great,” Claire said.“A nice little snack before my meeting."
"I'm telling you, you should give that apple pie thing another go.I’ll pitch in, too.Cooking is really just science."
"I'll think about it," she said.
She reached in the bag and pulled out a brand new DVD—An Affair to Remember.
"You thought you'd stumped me, didn't you?”he said with a smirk.
"I honestly didn't think you'd guess."
"Well, I have to be honest.I had no idea when I first read your quote."
"So, how'd you figure it out?"she asked.
"Simple.I consulted the internet."
"Jay Avery!That's cheating!”She popped him lightly on the shoulder with the case.“We said no internet."
“I’m kidding,” he said.“Of course I knew it.It’s my all time favorite Cary Grant movie.”
With the movie queued in the player, she solicited his help to locate the missing remote.He found it, hiding between the cushions along with a tortoise shell hair clip and a familiar matchbook.
"What's this?"He flipped the matchbook open.
"Just some guy's number," she said with a playful eyeroll.
"Some guy?Should I be worried?"
"Of course you should be worried.A little competition is good for the soul."
He tossed it on the coffee table.“I must say, he has nice penmanship."
"Nice penmanship?"She laughed."Oh, he's so much more than his penmanship."
"Really?"He moved a little closer to her.“Like what?”
She placed her hand on his chest, halting his advance."I'm not one to kiss and tell.Let’s just watch the movie."
They sat side-by-side, watching as the sexual on-screen tension created a sexual tension right there in her flat.She slipped her feet from her sexy boots, revealing an unexpected pair of socks featuring pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio’s face.
"You've got to be kidding me."Jay shook his head.
"What?"She looked down at her feet.“I can’t claim to be Kate Winslet’s twin without them.”
"Gimme those."He lifted her feet into his lap and promptly removed them, tossing each one over the back of the sofa with dramatic flair.He ran his hands across the tops of her bare feet, sliding his fingers between her toes.
"Um, what are you doing?"she asked.
"Shhh,” he said.“Relax and watch the movie.”
Claire wiggled and squirmed for another half-hour, trying to keep her mind focused on the movie and not on his hands massaging her feet.She tried to sneak a couple of peeks at him from the corner of her eye, but he'd caught her in the act both times.By the time they hit the midpoint of the movie, they'd removed the back cushions, opting for greater reclining comfort.Their bodies lay spooned together, his arm draped casually over her waist.Her heart pounded for the rest of the movie, and she suddenly felt less like a woman and more like a nervous teenage girl.She hardly dared to move or even breathe, afraid he might shift away from her or leave the sofa altogether.The flutter returned—one of complete and total happiness.
