Who Gets the Friends? Read online

  “What answers did you come up with?”

  “None, because there wasn’t a damn thing I could’ve done that would’ve changed anything.”

  She laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have any trouble.”

  They both looked toward the stairs at the sound of footsteps. Peggy appeared, carrying a plate loaded with various foods from the buffet.

  “Doug said I’d find you two here,” she said. She set the plate on the table along with some napkins. “You’re not getting away without trying my sweet and sour meatballs.”

  “Peggy, I was hoping you’d fix these,” Tom said.

  She smiled at the compliment, then looked at Jessica. “How did you happen to hook up with this fine specimen?”

  “He saved me from a case of terminal boredom,” Jessica answered.

  “Better watch yourself,” Peggy cautioned. “He’s been alone too much lately.”

  Tom laughed. “Thanks a lot.”

  Peggy giggled. “You know I’m kidding.” She went downstairs.

  Tom speared a meatball with a toothpick and ate it. “You mentioned that you like to cook. What’s your specialty?”

  Jessica crunched on a celery stick before answering. “A little bit of everything. I’ve experimented with all kinds of cuisine, but my latest kick is Thai.”

  “I’ve heard that’s very difficult to prepare.”

  “The tough part is finding authentic ingredients. Sometimes I have to hit several different stores. So what’s the first item on your list?”

  “What list?”

  “Your now-that-I’m-single-again-here-are-the-things-I-want-to-do list.”

  “I haven’t made a list.”

  “Oh, come on,” she chided. “Everyone has a list. What’s on yours?”

  He took a drink while composing a good response. I’m not going to tell her the first item is Get laid quickly! “I suppose getting my place in order, then deciding what I’d really like to do with all the time I’ll have on my hands.”

  Jessica picked up a cheese cube, then ate it. “If you really enjoyed photography, maybe you should get back into that.”

  “I’m going to. If you don’t my asking, why are you on the market?”

  She glanced down. “I broke up with my last boyfriend a few months ago.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  She flashed a coy smile. “Sure you are.”

  Tom laughed. “Okay, I’m transparent.”

  Jessica cast a dreamy-eyed gaze in his direction. “I’m curious as to why you’re back in the game. I mean, you seem like a nice guy and you’re not hard on the eyes.”

  “Thanks, I think. It’s a long dreary story that I’m not going to bore you with.”

  “Hmm, that’s refreshing.”

  “What is?”

  “A man who isn’t eager to trash his ex. It’s a nice change.”

  “What would be the point?”

  Jessica looked at him for a few moments. “I like you, Tom.”

  He grinned. “Thanks. I’m getting a good vibe about you, too.” He took another sip. Do I or don’t I? “Would you like to go out sometime, maybe for coffee or dinner?”

  “I wondered when you’d get around to asking. I’d love to.”

  “Even though I’ve been alone too much lately?”

  Jessica laughed. “I’ll take the chance.”

  Chapter Two

  Tom entered Boston Stoker a little before 3:30 the following afternoon and looked around. Jessica wasn’t there yet so he eased himself into a booth to wait for her. I didn’t think to get her phone number last night. I hope she shows.

  A few minutes later the door opened and Jessica stepped in. She spied Tom and approached. He stood and smiled, looking her over. She had on a pair of cream-colored slacks and a lime green shirt with the hospital logo embroidered on the left side. She surprised Tom by giving him a hug before she sat.

  Tom resumed his seat. “How was work?”

  Jessica groaned and rolled her eyes. “Not worth talking about. I had to work the geriatric ward today and those old folks were cranky.”

  A server came by to take their orders. When she departed, Jessica continued. “What have you been doing today?”

  “Not much. I found an old movie on TV I hadn’t seen in a long time.”

  “Which one?”

  “The Big Sleep. Ever seen that one?”

  “Is that the one with Bogart and Bacall?”

  “Yeah, that’s right.”

  “Surprised you weren’t watching football.”

  “I’d rather watch a movie. I’m not a real big sports fan.”

  Their coffee and biscotti arrived. Jessica took a sip, then picked up one of the biscuits.

  “I don’t meet many men who aren’t into sports.”

  Tom took a drink. “Disappointed?”

  “No, not really. I’m not much into it, either, except for NASCAR.”

  Tom raised his eyebrows. “That’s interesting. What about NASCAR fascinates you?”

  “The skill of the drivers. What really hooked me was the first time they flashed a close-up of Dale Earnhardt.”

  Tom laughed. “Is that the type you go for, the bad boy?”

  She giggled. “Not necessarily.” She sipped her coffee. “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “What type do you go for?”

  “You’ve got me stumped. I’ve never really thought about it.”

  “Then let’s make it easy. How do you feel about busty bleached blondes?”

  “I could take ‘em or leave ‘em.”

  Her eyebrows arched. “That’s a first. What about tall women who could look you in the eye?”

  “As long as they aren’t looking into my soul, they’re okay.”

  “You’re turning into more of a puzzle than I figured.” She paused. “What about redheads?”

  Tom grinned. “At the risk of getting slapped, I’ve always heard that red hair is indicative of intense passion. Is that true?”

  A teasing smile played across her lips. “Maybe.”

  “You aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you?”

  She patted his hand on the table. “Down, boy.”

  Tom sipped his coffee. I’m thoroughly enjoying her company. She’s so easy to talk with. “What made you decide to go into nursing?”

  “I helped take care of my grandmother before she died and when I saw how the nurses took such good care of her, I decided it was what I wanted to do.”

  “That’s interesting.”

  “Why did you choose the finance industry?”

  “I’ve always been good at math and thought a business degree would ensure me a solid career. Nothing glamorous about it.”

  “At least you’re honest. A lot of people wouldn’t admit that they only got into something for the money.” She took a drink. “So what’s the story behind your newfound bachelorhood?”

  Tom looked at her for a moment. “Do you really want to talk about that?”

  “Mm-hmm. I’d just like to know what pitfalls to watch out for.”

  He laughed. “Okay, I’ll give you the Cliffnotes version. Things were going okay until one day I did the unthinkable.”

  Jessica held up her hand. “Don’t tell me—you forgot your wedding anniversary or your ex-wife’s birthday.”

  “Close. I remembered her birthday, I just forgot to take out a second mortgage to get the gift she expected.”

  “You said expected.”

  “That’s right. Why?”

  “You didn’t say wanted. That tells a lot about a person’s character.”

  Tom thought for a moment. “Guess I never looked at it that way.”

  “And she wanted to divorce you because of that?”

  “No, but it led to the final battle. She started blowing up at me whenever she didn’t get her way, I said some things a gentleman isn’t supposed to say to a lady and that was it. Your turn.”

  Jessica chew
ed a biscotti before responding. “Mine was more direct. He was a physical therapist. I noticed that he had a lot of late afternoon appointments at a nursing home where he was under contract, but I didn’t think much about it. One day I paged him, he didn’t answer, I called the facility and they said he hadn’t been there.”

  “Fooling around?”

  “You got it. He found himself a cute little nurses aide to practice his stretching techniques with.”

  “At the risk of moving too fast, I don’t know why a guy would want to step out on someone as attractive as you.”

  Jessica smiled. “Thank you, Tom. And you’re moving at just the right speed.”

  He laughed, then sipped his coffee. Quick with the wit. I like that.

  They finished their coffee and left. Tom walked Jessica to her car.

  “Thank you for the coffee,” she said.

  “You’re welcome.” Tom hesitated. Still don’t know if I’m ready for this but here goes. “Would you like to have dinner one night this week?”

  Her face blossomed into a smile. “Thought you’d never ask. Does Friday work for you?”

  “Definitely.”

  She dug a business card from her purse, wrote her address and phone number on the back, then handed it to him. “Mind if I ask you something?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Are you going to kiss me or not?”

  Tom’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Damn, she doesn’t waste any time. He recovered from his momentary shock and took Jessica in his arms. Their lips pressed gently together and Tom felt her hand on the back of his neck. He tentatively slipped his tongue into her mouth and didn’t meet any resistance. He got a whiff of her perfume. Don’t know what it is, but it suits her.

  She pulled back slightly and gave him a dreamy gaze. “That was nice.”

  “Thank you. See you Friday.”

  “You can call before then if you’d like.”

  “I may do that.”

  Chapter Three

  Jessica stood at the medication cart in the nurses’ station the following morning, checking the inventory. She was approached by Peggy.

  “How was your date with Tom yesterday?”

  Jessica smiled at the memory. “Nice. He seems like a great guy.”

  “You really like him?”

  “Yeah, I do. He’s easy to talk to, funny, nice looking.” She paused. “And he has a cute butt.”

  Peggy giggled. “You didn’t just say that.”

  “You never noticed?”

  “Yeah, I noticed. I’m glad you two hit it off. I wanted to tell you that when I invited you to the party the other night, it wasn’t with the intention of fixing you up with anyone.”

  “I know.”

  “I mean, I think it’s great the way things worked out, but it wasn’t planned.”

  Jessica looked at her. “Peg, I know you weren’t trying to fix me up with anyone, and I appreciate it.” She paused. “How long have you known him?”

  Peggy thought for a moment. “About six years. He and Doug have been friends since college. One night we double dated with Tom and his ex.”

  Jessica tapped her pen on the clipboard for a moment. “So you knew his ex-wife?”

  Peggy nodded. “Dreadful person. Very needy and self-centered.”

  “That’s interesting.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I picked up on that yesterday when we talked.”

  Peggy gave her a startled look. “You actually asked him about his ex?”

  “Yeah. Something wrong with that?”

  Peggy rolled her eyes and groaned. “Girlfriend, when you’re getting to know a guy, the last thing you do is ask about his previous relationships. That sends them running at full gallop in the opposite direction.”

  Jessica set down the clipboard and looked at her. “What’s wrong with getting a clear picture? Maybe I wanted to know about it in case any red flags went up.”

  “Did they?”

  “No, but it’s still nice to know she didn’t dump his ass because he was a skirt chaser or had a bad temper.”

  “Yeah, I suppose.” She hesitated. “Did you tell him about…”

  Jessica glanced down. “No. I just told him I’d broken up with my last boyfriend a few months ago.”

  Peggy rested her palm on Jessica’s shoulder. “Still tough for you to talk about?”

  “A little.”

  “Are you seeing him again?”

  “Friday night for dinner.”

  Peggy laughed softly and nudged Jessica with her elbow. “Wear something sexy but uncomplicated.”

  Jessica whacked her arm with the clipboard. “Stop it. It’s just dinner.”

  Peggy chuckled. “See you later.”

  Jessica resumed her inventory check but her mind began to drift. Wear something sexy but uncomplicated. Right. I guess she meant something without too many buttons or zippers, something you can get out of in a hurry. It’s only our first real date. I don’t usually go that far until it feels right. She formed a mental picture of Tom and smiled. Then again…

  * * * *

  Tom approached Doug at his table inside Chili’s and took a seat.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he apologized. “Couldn’t get rid of my last client.”

  “No problem,” Doug replied.

  The waitress weeded her way through the noontime crowd, took their orders, then departed.

  “So how’s it going with Jessica?” Doug asked.

  “We had a nice time Sunday afternoon. She’s very easy to talk to and she has a wicked wit I find appealing.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “Come on, give up the rest of it.”

  “I think she’s a knockout. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

  “Just wanted to make sure your libido wasn’t dead.”

  “The patient is alive and well, Doctor.”

  Their orders arrived and they began eating.

  “Do you know her very well?” Tom asked.

  “She’s been to the house a few times.” He sipped some water. “I’m gonna let you in on something, but you didn’t hear it from me.”

  “Okay.”

  “Her last relationship ended pretty badly and she might be gun-shy.”

  “Define badly.”

  Doug hesitated. “He was an Air Force Reservist who died in a plane crash.”

  Tom’s brow knitted in concern. “In the Middle East?”

  Doug shook his head. “During a training flight in Texas. Some kind of mechanical malfunction.”

  Tom set his fork down and took a long drink of iced tea. “Thanks for the heads up. Had they been together long?”

  “A year or so, I think Peg said. I know she was pretty broken up about it.”

  “I can understand. When did this happen?”

  “About six months ago. I was surprised she even came to the party the other night. Peg practically had to drag her there. She didn’t mention anything about it when you two talked?”

  “No, all she said was that she and her last boyfriend broke up.” He paused. “That was a pretty gutsy thing to do, not bringing up something so painful. Shows a lot of character strength.”

  “I only told you that so you wouldn’t get blindsided.”

  “I can keep a secret.”

  Tom’s eyes focused on two men approaching their table, escorted by the hostess. He smiled in recognition and raised his hand in a wave at one of them.

  “Hello, Fred,” he said. “How’ve you been?”

  The man gave him a passing glance and an awkward smile. “Uh…hey, Tom.” He quickly moved to a booth on the other side of the room.

  Tom watched him study the menu intently while his companion talked.

  “Who was that?” Doug asked.

  “Fred Thomas. I used to see him and his wife at the country club.”

  “Seemed pretty aloof.”

  “He didn’t use to be.” Tom shook his head. “See what I meant about
not being in the fold any longer?”

  “You mean you met him through your ex?”

  “Yeah. She and Fred’s wife work together. Guess someone’s been telling stories about me.”

  “Don’t let it get you down.”

  “I’ll try not to.”

  “How did you leave things with Jessica?”

  “I asked her to go to dinner Friday night and she said yes.” He grinned. “She also said I could call her before then if I wanted to.”

  “Trust me, Tom—you want to.”

  He laughed softly. “Yeah, I do, but I’m a little out of practice about what to say.”

  Tom dragged a large cardboard box from the bedroom closet to the living room, then sat on the couch. He eagerly opened one of the smaller boxes it contained, then dumped a pile of photographs onto the table. He smiled in remembrance as he leafed through a mix of black-and-white and color pictures dating back to high school. Many of the older ones he had developed and printed in his home darkroom.

  He took more from a large envelope and chuckled as he scanned some shots taken on a family vacation to the New England coast. I have to admit that even back then I had an eye for scenery and composition. He took out another stack of photos taken in Florida but his smile slowly faded as he realized that many of them featured his ex-wife. Guess I need to sort through these. He put his animosity on hold and concentrated on choosing his favorite shots, setting aside some taken at Disneyworld and the Everglades.

  Tom hesitated when he found a thick envelope from the one-hour photo place, knowing what it contained. These would be the ones I took on our honeymoon. Do I really want to torture myself by looking at them? He tossed the envelope aside. Maybe later.

  After a half-hour of choosing his favorite shots he sat back on the couch. His mind drifted to Jessica. I wonder what she’s doing tonight? I keep thinking of something she said Saturday when we met, when she asked if I was genuinely interested in her or just on the rebound. After the time we spent together Sunday, I don’t think it’s rebound. Or is it?

  He went to the kitchen for a bottle of water and took a long swallow. Maybe I am on the rebound and she’s just the first attractive woman who crossed my path. The last few months of my marriage were so bad I couldn’t wait to get out and back on my own again, but is what I’m feeling for Jessica real?