Love Lessons

As for Jessica, it wasn’t as if he had done any more than nod at her. And even if he had done more, he and Catherine didn’t have any sort of exclusive arrangement. They were both free to see other people—though the thought of her doing so made his knuckles go white around the steering wheel.

This was getting way more difficult than he had anticipated. If he had any sense at all, he would get out before it became even more complicated.

Catherine was still fuming some time after she had abruptly hung up on Mike.

“It isn’t as if I care if he’s out drinking and flirting,” she assured Norman as she paced restlessly through her apartment with her pet following curiously at her heels. “I certainly don’t tell him where he can go or what he can do when he isn’t with me.”

Norman meowed.

“Exactly,” she agreed emphatically. “I wasn’t trying to check up on him. I didn’t particularly care if he was home or not. I was actually too tired to talk on the phone, anyway. But he asked me to call him when I got home.”

Not to mention that he had told her flat-out that he would be studying for two tests tomorrow. Maybe he had fully intended to follow that itinerary and had joined his friends on an impulse. He certainly had the right to do so.

“It’s no skin off my nose if he fails one or both of his tests,” she told Norman loftily.

He made a sound that might have expressed skepticism of her claim of disinterest.

“And I don’t care how many people are sitting in his lap right now trying to get his attention,” she added, growing indignant all over again.

She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, and the sight brought her up short. What was she doing, pacing around and ranting like a mad woman? Her eyes were glinting, her cheeks were flushed, her teeth were all but bared in anger.

Shoulders sagging, she pushed her hands through her hair and ordered herself to calm down. This was ridiculous. It really wasn’t any of her business where Mike was or what he was doing right now. They certainly had no exclusive arrangement, nor did either of them want that sort of commitment.

They had just been having fun. A no-strings fling. Weren’t those the exact words she had used to reassure Julia that she wasn’t getting too involved with Mike? That she wasn’t going to end up hurting and emotionally bruised when it ended?

Her doorbell rang, and she stiffened again. She was pretty certain she knew who was at her door at this late hour. What she didn’t know was why he was here.

Mike’s expression was grim when Catherine opened the door. Almost angry, for some reason.

“It’s late,” she said, “and I’m tired.”

“This won’t take long.”

He waited implacably on the doorstep until she sighed and moved back to allow him to enter. She could smell the faint scents of smoke and beer as he passed, reminding her that he had been at a club only a short time earlier. Closing the door behind him, she asked, “Why are you here?”

“You said you couldn’t hear me on the phone earlier,” he replied, turning to face her. “Can you hear me now?”

Lifting her chin, she decided not to answer that rather testy question.

“I was trying to tell you that nothing was going on,” he continued. “I had some food and a couple of drinks with Bob and Brandon. Ther

e was a girl at the club I’d met once at a party, but I hadn’t even spoken to her when you called.”

“You don’t owe me explanations,” she told him, pushing her hands into the pockets of her khaki slacks.

“You know, that’s what I told myself all the way home. And then I reminded myself that I’d told you I would be studying all evening.”

“Plans change,” she said with a shrug intended to look nonchalant. “Your friends called, and you joined them. I understand.”

“I told them I had to leave early to study, but every time I tried to get away, they made me feel all guilty and defensive.”

Remembering the way Julia had done pretty much the same thing to her that afternoon, Catherine softened just a little. “I understand. But really, Mike, you didn’t have to come here tonight.”

“I didn’t like the way our phone call ended,” he said, searching her face. “I didn’t like the way I felt after you hung up.”

She wished now that she had never called in the first place. She had hesitated before doing so, but she had thought he might have a question about his biology studies. And besides, she reminded herself yet again, he had asked her to call. “I didn’t mean to ruin your evening.”

“You didn’t ruin my evening. I was ready to leave, anyway.”