“So, when do we get to meet her? Why don’t you bring her over for dinner? If Shelly knows there is a real woman, maybe she’ll ease back on trying to find someone for you.”
I shrugged. What was it with these women in my life like my sister-in-law and Karen? The ones in healthy stable relationships that wanted to set me up. Even Mrs. Cranbrook, one of my patients that I only see once a year, kept trying to set me up with one of her daughters.
I was doing fine all by myself. I didn’t need anyone setting me up. Maybe they couldn’t stand the thought of an eligible straight man not being in some kind of hurry to get married. And frankly, I wasn’t interested in being anyone’s second husband. Most of the women Shelly and Karen tried to introduce me to were always freshly divorced.
I had dated a few of them. The ones that were in their rebound phase and out to have a good time, they were fun. They didn’t want anything serious. The ones who were looking for their next husband to take care of them, I wasn’t into that. I didn’t really care either way if they came with kids or not. I wasn’t dating their kids, and I never intended on being around long enough to meet them.
I shook my head. “Yeah, I don’t know about that.”
Now, Brooke was all the fun and no interest in a commitment. And she was younger.
No, I wouldn’t be introducing her to my brother anytime soon, if ever.
“Why not?”
“To quote a cliché, it’s complicated,” I said with a little chuckle.
It was very complicated. I was banging the sexy daughter of my friend and colleague. A move that was stunningly moronic, in that I could very well be jeopardizing a long-term friendship. But Brooke was worth the risk.
Warm air rushed over us as we stepped into the showroom.
“Did you find anything you liked?”
“I’d like to take a few out for a test drive.”
I laughed to myself. Shopping for a car seemed a lot like dating. You tried to get to know each other before you decided if you wanted to commit. I had longer relationships with my cars than I did with women, and I upgraded and traded in my cars every four to five years. I also didn’t buy used. I knew what I wanted, and I was willing to pay for it.
I shook my head. Women were nothing like cars. Cars were easier.
14
BROOKE
Ibounced back and forth between my feet, anxiously awaiting Mark. Secretly dating him made me nervous every time, until we were together. As soon as he was around, I calmed down and felt safe. At some point in the past few weeks, we had actually done more than end up at his place having great sex. We actually were dating, going out, and doing things.
And much to my disappointment, we didn’t always end up in his bed. Sometimes it just wasn’t possible.
The cold rain wasn’t helping my anxiety much. I wrapped my arms around myself in the portico of the museum. I really should step inside. It’s not like I was going to miss Mark. We had agreed to meet here, and he would understand if I moved to wait inside out of the unseasonably cool weather.
My heart beat faster when I saw him hurrying toward the doors.
“Have you been waiting long?” He reached out and pulled me tight against his side.
“Anytime I have to wait is too long,” I teased.
He gave me a light kiss on the lips, and I was instantly hungry for more, but this wasn’t the place or the time for that.
He pulled the doors open, and the warmth of the museum greeted us with a puff of air. Once inside Mark purchased our entry passes and took my coat, putting it with his, in the coat check.
I never considered myself the museum type. I liked my culture with a tub of buttery popcorn, and I liked my books with bare-chested men and damsels in long flowy dresses on the front. Museums always seemed so high-brow, and that wasn’t me. But if that was Mark, then I would learn.
“What’s the exhibit you wanted to see?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Nothing really. It’s too cold to go for a stroll in the park, and I’m not a fan of malls. We can’t talk at the movies. I thought this would give us a chance to talk, no pressure.”
We strolled through large rooms with white walls and paintings. Mark linked his arm through mine as we looked and walked.
“When it’s warmer, maybe we can go to some games?” I suggested. “I like baseball.” I didn’t want him to think that we needed to do things like shopping and museums because I was a woman.