Normally, he’d call Jackson or Nick for advice. The Alexander brothers could probably give him an entire seduction plan, complete with date ideas and a list of things to talk about. Too bad he probably couldn’t pull off anything they’d suggest.
Matt pulled out his phone and looked at his recent calls. Eli’s name was at the top. He’d been in contact with him a lot lately and even though he didn’t know Elliott that well, he felt a connection with him. He was a gruff kind of guy and definitely not a smooth talker either. Yet, looking at his bedroom, he apparently didn’t have any trouble in the seduction department. Before he could talk himself out of it, he hit the number.
“Yeah.” Eli answered on the first ring.
“Hey, it’s Matt. Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could get your advice on something. The thing is… I was hoping you could tell me what there is to do in the area. You know, places you could take a date.”
There was a smile in Eli’s voice when he responded. “I see you’ve found time for something other than physical therapy. Good for you.”
“Well, actually I haven’t.”
Eli was quiet, then he broke out into chuckles. “Your therapist must be a pretty girl then.”
Matt leaned back and kicked his feet up on the bed. “Look, here’s the deal. I really like this girl. It would be nice to spend a little time with a woman that’s about more than just sex. I don’t want to take her to some club where everyone there is drunk and trying to pick up on each other. But at the same time, going out to dinner doesn’t seem all that original either.”
“All right, I can send you the names of a few local places with decent food and live music. I’ve always found them good for a casual date. If you want something fancier, you’ll probably need to drive into D.C.”
“Thanks. I’m trying to find something a little different. She’s not exactly the easiest person to impress. Normally I’d ask Jackson or Nick, but their brand of flattery won’t work on this girl. And I’m pretty sure any ideas they gave me would be stuff I couldn’t pull off anyway.”
“I understand where you’re coming from. Jackson and Nick operate on an entirely different wavelength. I’ve never had the patience for the types of games they play. My advice is to let her tell you what she likes to do.”
“Let her tell me,” Matt mused. “So I should ask her?”
“No, definitely don’t do that. Women never say what they mean anyway. Just listen to her. If she mentions something that she likes, see if you can make it happen. Even if it’s Argentinian flamenco dancing or something you really don’t want to do.”
“I really hope she doesn’t want to see me dance. I definitely won’t have any chance with her then.”
Eli’s laugh rumbled over the line. “Just trust me. No matter what it is, if you can give her an experience she’ll remember, then you have a chance.”
* * * * *
WHEN MATT ARRIVED for his therapy appointment Friday morning, Penny was wearing her strictly business face. He would have laughed if he hadn’t been so frustrated. Every step forward he made with her seemed to be followed by two steps backward.
“Good morning, Matt. Are you ready to try something new?”
Matt clapped his hands. “I’m ready for anything. What have you got for me?”
Penny motioned for him to follow her. They walked down the hall and ended up in the gym. She crossed to the equipment rack in the corner and picked up a small white ball.
“You’re progressing well with the exercises we’ve done so far. So I thought we’d start some plyometric drills today. We’ll do some wall dribbles and some overhead throws.” She handed him the ball. “Let’s take it slowly.”
Matt dropped the ball and tried to bounce it back with his left hand. He frowned when his arm wouldn’t cooperate and the ball hit his hand and rolled to the side. Penny retrieved it and handed it back.
“You can do it at your own pace. It’s going to take a while to regain the flexibility you once had.”
Matt finally got his arm in a good position and was able to dribble the ball against the wall a few times. It was a challenge to catch it and hold it at chest level. It was still hard for him to believe just how many muscle groups were used in everyday activities such as reaching overhead or picking up a grocery bag. Things most people did and took for granted until they suddenly couldn’t do them anymore. He had a new appreciation for the human body.
He thought back to the little girl he’d seen the first day he’d come to the center. He had it easy compared to someone who’d been born with a disability. Someone like that little girl would probably give anything to be able to do the things he could do. It made him ashamed of the times he wanted to slack off and galvanized him to work twice as hard. There was no excuse for complaining when you had the chance to get better.
He looked up at Penny. When their eyes met she glanced away. He sighed. If her plan was to keep them from having time to talk about the weekend, it was working. He couldn’t talk and concentrate on the ball at the same time.
He waited until the ball bounced back and then grabbed it. “It doesn’t have to be awkward, you know.”
Penny’s mouth dropped slightly. “It’s not awkward, is it?”
“Yeah, kind of.”
She looked at the floor. “Sorry. I told you I’m not good at this.”