“These walls are very thin, you know,” she said, smirking like the devil incarnate.
I didn't even know that it was possible to blush in all of the places that I was currently blushing, but there I was. “It's not going to lead to anything,” I said primly, resuming the massage where I'd left off.
“All the same,” Mrs. Harris said, settling back against my ministrations. “You might as well enjoy it, while you can. You know that he isn't going to be here forever, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the time that you have. It's like that with a marriage too, you know.”
“That's basically what Mina said,” I admitted. “She told me to just have fun with it.”
“Wise words,” Mrs. Harris said. She laughed a little. “Don't get me wrong, I love my husband very much, but sometimes I wish that I'd had a bit more fun when I was younger, and I think he does too!”
I laughed a little at that, but even still, I couldn't help feeling a bit shaken by it all.
Chapter Thirteen
Christian
Mark laughed a little as he watched me fuss over which shirt to wear. “What are you, a girl?” he taunted.
I held the gray shirt up to myself, watching carefully in the mirror. Then, I held the blue shirt up to myself. “Not a woman,” I said, a bit distractedly. “But I like to look good.”
“Man, you are going to look good no matter which shirt you choose, and you know it,” Mark said, shaking his head. He paused and then offered, “The blue one is better.”
I grinned a little and then tugged it over my head, doing up the remaining buttons. “What are you, a girl?” I quipped.
Mark laughed again. “You think you're finally going to seal the deal tonight?” he asked. “Get some of that sexy Hawaiian ass?”
“I wish,” I groaned, already half-hard at just the thought of it. “She says we need to go on five dates before she'll sleep with me, and unfortunately, I kind of believe that she might stick to that.” I shook my head. “Fucking crazy.”
“Definitely crazy,” Mark agreed, shaking his head in sympathy. “But that's women for you, right? Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.”
“Exactly.” I paused. “You think this barbecue place is the place to go?” I asked.
“Oh yeah,” Mark said. “And I asked Jonie, she's one of my good girlfriends, and Jonie said that she'd love to go there on a date, so I can't imagine a girl not liking it. Totally chill, but great food, and a bit romantic as well. You're going to have a great time.”
“Awesome,” I said, again, not sure why I cared so much to impress her. “One more favor.”
“Shoot,” Mark said.
I sighed, running a hand back through my hair, even though I had just styled it perfectly. Fortunately, the style was a bit messy, casual beach hair. “Look, after the whole thing about money and everything last time, I was just wondering if it would be okay for me to borrow the car tonight, rather than having you as my driver. I'd still pay you like you were driving me, just I wouldn't want Gretchen to know. And you could stay here while I was out on my date until I brought the car back. Hell, order room service, watch something on pay-per-view. This is a nice place, right?”
“Aw, man, you're smitten, aren't you?” Mark asked, a knowing look in his gaze. He glanced around. “Maybe I could have my girl over here, yeah?”
I laughed. “Yeah, sure, just do it on the balcony, or in the bathtub. I don't want you fucking in my bed.”
“Totally fair,” Mark said, looking pleased with my response. “Yeah, no, totally fine.” He dug into his pocket and came out with the keys, which he tossed over at me.
A little while later, I felt like I was learning to drive all over again. I shook my head. It had been a while since I'd driven myself anywhere. But it wasn't a totally unpleasant feeling; in fact, it was kind of nice to be there behind the wheel, with good music on the radio and a warm evening breeze in my face.
I had asked Gretchen her address, so this time, instead of the impersonal task of meeting her at the restaurant, I could meet her at her home. I smiled a little to myself as I looked at the cute little place. Then, I parked the car and got out. Sure, I could just honk the horn and wait for her, but something told me she would appreciate the extra effort of my walking up to the door to meet her. And maybe, just maybe, I'd get myself invited inside. She had said that we wouldn't have sex until the fifth date, but that didn't mean we weren't going to fool around at all, surely.
“Hey,” Gretchen said when she answered the door, sounding a bit breathless, and I wondered if she had run to answer the door. I hid my smile and pulled her into a hug.
“Hey,” I said against her hair.
Gretchen looked nervously around. “I'm not quite ready,” she admitted. “Or rather, one of my clients just emailed me regarding an appointment for tomorrow, and I meant to get back to them first. Do you want to come in? Would you mind waiting for a minute or two?”
“No problem,” I said, entering the house feeling smug.
Gretchen laughed. “I'd give you the tour, but you're standing in most of the place already,” she said, gesturing around the open-plan home. It was small, but it was obvious from the colorful cushions on the sofa to the driftwood hung on the wall that every piece had been carefully selected by her.