AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wait.” She pretended outrage. “It’s not?”
“It should be, but…”
Candy paused, organizing her thoughts. “The midwest fits me. Milwaukee is a good-size city, not too big, not too small.
There’s a lot going on.”
“Here you are.” The waitress put down their plates, a steaming mole negro over turkey for Justin and three duck tacos on soft blue-corn tortillas served with a bowl of tropical fruit salsa for her.
“I think you’d like Southern California.”
She thanked the waitress and folded a tortilla over the moist filling. “Why do you say that?”
“There’s a sunny, laid-back energy there that you’d fit into.
And sun. And it’s sunny. Because the sun shines there. Which it doesn’t here. Ever.”
She could hardly swallow from the giggles. “Okay, okay, Wisconsin is sun-challenged in the winter.”
“Ya think? How are your tacos?”
“Mmm.” She rolled her eyes orgasmically. “Perfect. How’s yours?”
“Here. Pass your plate. Or hell, just eat this.” He cut a bite and held it out to her. She didn’t hesitate, leaned over and closed her mouth over the tines of his fork. Rich, complicated flavors burst over her tongue.
“Oh, my goodness. I will never be able to eat Tex-Mex again.”
He grinned triumphantly. “You would definitely like Southern California.”
“No, not me.” She put her hand to her chest, forgetting about the push-up bra and for a horrified second she had no idea what she was touching.
“Why
not?”
“Because we midwesterners don’t adapt well to paradise.
Don’t you listen to Garrison Keillor?”
He laughed, loud and free, and she felt herself going giddy, and not just because the margaritas were killer-strong. By the time they finished the excellent meal he insisted on paying for and made their way back to his car, Candy was floating even higher. She’d had a great time. Justin was an amazing guy—
handsome, funny, sexy. Maybe he even believed in Valentine’s Day, roses and chocolate, restaurant dinners and proposals on bended knee.
No. There must be something wrong with him. There had to be something. He was thoughtless, that was it. Self-absorbed.
He wanted a woman who would worship him. Or no, he was charming as hell during courtship, but after commitment, he’d say okay, that’s all the effort I’m putting out for you, then he’d sit back and wait to be served. Or no, as soon as he was 74
out of sight he’d be exactly this charming and flirtatious with whatever other women came along. After all, he’d signed up on Marie’s site. Who knew how many other dates he had lined up?
Hmm. She could call Marie and ask, but Marie would probably cite client confidentiality and not tell her. Candy was left to find out about him on her own.
The night was clear, a rare event in January, and when Justin’s man-car turned back onto Prospect, the moon was shining brilliantly over the tree line, not quite full but on its way. A beautiful accent to a wonderful evening, which Candy didn’t want to end yet, but she couldn’t think of a way to ask him to her house for coffee and cookies without making it sound like, “Hey, let’s get naked!”
The drawback of dressing like someone who did that at the drop of her skirt.
Justin pulled into his own driveway. “I’ll walk you home.”
She shook her head, as if it were the silliest thing she’d ever heard, while her brain was thinking an involuntary Oh, how sweet! “All fifty yards?”
“Lots could happen in those fifty yards. Mugging, dog attack, frostbite…”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say, “no, no, it’s fifty yards, I’ll be fine,” which she’d always done when Chuck offered his mostly symbolic gallantries, but this time she stopped herself. She’d let Justin walk her home. Maybe she’d even find some platonic way to ask him in.
Fifty yards turned out to be long. Neither of them seemed to be able to think of anything to say beyond an artificially extended conversation about the moon. The farther they got along her driveway, the more of Candy’s bubbles burst. How many times had she walked this path to the back door, chatting easily with Chuck after an evening out? Knowing that within seconds they’d be inside together, comfortably at home.
