8
REI STOOD in the bathroom in her bra and panties, running Chris’s comb through her hair to untangle the long strands. Their quick shower had actually turned into a half hour of wonderful wet sex. She was looking forward to her daily yoga routine tomorrow to loosen her sore muscles.
Chris had already dried off and tugged on a pair of briefs. He leaned against the bathroom door, watching her. “So, you won’t stay. But will you come back?”
“What do you mean? Tomorrow?” She looked over at him while she worked out a particularly stubborn knot.
“Yes, I want to see you again.”
The timbre of his voice alerted her to what he was really asking, but she deliberately misunderstood in hopes of avoiding the issue. “Sure. I’m not going to turn down an offer of incredible sex.”
“How about doing something outside of the bedroom?”
Rei wriggled her eyebrows at him. “Ooh, that sounds like fun. Maybe on the dining table or in that rocking chair in the living room?”
He startled, then laughed despite himself. “Well, I was thinking of using the dinner table but I’d plan to cook you a meal.”
“Thanks, but no.” When he stiffened at her sharp response, she made an effort to soften her tone. “We had a great time. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”
Chris stared at her, an odd expression in his eyes, one that she couldn’t decipher. But it made her feel guilty and wrong nonetheless. She focused her gaze on the tile floor and began to braid her hair so it wouldn’t be a bird’s nest in the morning.
“Why do you keep pushing me away?”
His voice sounded tight, as if he were barely holding his temper, causing her to glance over. Now she recognized the look. Like she’d disappointed him…That was it. It was the same kind of look her father had given her. And she resented it as much from Chris as from Gordon.
Deciding to forget about braiding her hair, she pushed past him into the bedroom to get dressed. “I’ve got to go.”
He sighed heavily and turned in the doorway. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, a slight frown tugging at his mouth. “When—?”
“I don’t know. I’ll call you.”
Chris straightened and came toward her as she hastily buttoned her shirt. “This isn’t fair, Jade. We agreed to explore our desires and have some fun together, but you’re treating me like some hired stud. What, I’m good enough to screw but not good enough to talk to?”
Rei flinched at his coarse accusation. Knowing it was true added to her guilt, but damn it, having to negotiate these sensitive waters was exactly why she wanted to keep it physical.
“You said you weren’t looking to get involved or start a relationship. You agreed that this, whatever it is, wouldn’t affect our real lives, that there would be no complications.”
God, she absolutely did not need any complications, not now when everything was so uncertain.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
His voice was a harsh whisper, hinting at things she didn’t want to deal with. Rei shoved her feet into her shoes and reached for her purse. “I’m sorry, Chris. I haven’t changed mine. This is not going anywhere except toward a bad ending.”
He forcibly pushed away from the wall and came at her. “Of course it’s not going anywhere. You’ve already resolved not to let it.” He stopped beside her, close enough for her to smell his freshly showered skin, but didn’t touch her. “All I’m asking you for is a real date, not a June wedding. Come on, Jade, take a risk. Meet me for lunch tomorrow.”
She looked over at him finally and felt the emotional punch right in her gut. His face, already handsome, was all the more appealing for the stubborn expression of hope. The firelight turned Chris’s green eyes to a warm gold, adding shadows and depth to his gaze, promising things she didn’t dare accept….
CHECKING IN
I was thinking about you so I thought I’d say hi. Hi.
DCL3
RE: CHECKING IN
Hi. It’s after midnight. What are you doing online?
RLD49
RE: UP LATE
Same as you, I guess. Not sleeping.
I had a date tonight, but it didn’t go exactly as I’d hoped. This getting-to-know-you stage is hard, isn’t it?
DCL3
RE: NOT SLEEPING
Oh, you’ve gone out with someone already? Me, too, and my night didn’t end well either.
Actually, my day didn’t start well. It’s been one of those emotionally confrontational days that keeps replaying in my mind. With everything else that’s going on, this is probably the worst time to get involved in a new relationship.
RLD49
RE: OPEN COMMUNICATION
Want to talk about it?
One thing I’ve noticed is that with a company like Lunch Meetings, where you log in on a secure server, the Internet provides a unique type of privacy. No one can see you or find out anything about you that you don’t tell them. That means you can remain anonymous while being as open and honest as you want.
Sometimes that’s the best way to get something off your chest, like striking up a conversation with a stranger on a plane during a long flight.
DCL3
Chris stared at the computer screen, watching for the little envelope icon to appear. But after checking twice, he still had no new messages. Maybe he’d pushed too hard. Just when he figured she wouldn’t answer, though, the computer chimed.
RE: STRANGERS ON A PLANE
I only signed up for Lunch Meetings because my best friend talked me into it. There have been too many disappointments in the past, too many times when the man in my life let me down. So now it’s hard for me to trust.
I can’t believe I’m telling you all this. And now that I’ve bared my soul, I guess this is the last time I’ll hear from you.
RLD49
RE: MEN AREN’T CREATED EQUAL
You’re assuming your past experiences are the norm instead of the exception and painting every man with the same brush. But the funny thing about trust is you’ve got to give it to get it.
The key is to be truthful about who you are and what you want. Instead of anticipating the worst, why not take a chance and be open to the possibilities?
DCL3
RE: TAKING CHANCES
Thanks for listening. I’ll think about what you’ve said. I have a couple of things to do before I go to sleep, so I’ll say good night.
RLD49
RE: LISTENING
That’s what air travel friends are for. Talk to you later.
DCL3
Chris leaned back in his desk chair, staring out the picture window into the night. The cell phone he’d laid on the desk began to ring. He looked at the clock on his laptop screen then took a deep breath and answered the call.
“Hello?”
“It’s me.”
He silently exhaled, closing his eyes in relief at the sound of Rei’s soft voice.
“Am I disturbing you?”
Chris rubbed his temples. “If by ‘disturb’ you mean unsettle, fascinate and arouse, then, yes. You disturb the hell out of me.”
He could hear her breath against the receiver. Then she suddenly spoke in a rush. “My cell phone number is 555-8921 and my text pager is 555-7949. I’ll see you at lunch.”
He listened to the dial tone for a second after she’d hung up and then set the phone on its cradle.
It’s a date.
Wednesday, April 16th
Accomplishments: Get in touch with old friends; Try some new types of food
REI STARTLED when she felt the vibrations. The humming sensation sent little tingles of pleasure over her skin.
She hoped no one had noticed the quiet electronic buzz under her bench. Reaching beneath her robe, she pulled her pager off its clip. While the petitioner’s attorney presented his case, she glanced down at the tiny LCD screen. Chris was text messaging her again.
SO HOT 4 U :-P
Rei hid a smile and touched the button to store the message. The little panting face was definitely mutual, but she couldn’t think about that right now. She was adjudicating a case.
Robert Cote settled his features in what he must have assumed was a sympathetic expression. “Your Honor, my client loves her children and wants only the best for them. But she is a hard working woman with numerous responsibilities…”
He rambled on, extolling his client’s virtues. When Rei felt another vibration against her thigh. She lifted the pager slightly off her lap to read the message.
WHATCHA WEARING? ;-)
She had to rotate the pager to realize the little face was winking this time. After storing that message as well, she made a mental note to call him during her next break. If she ever got one. Why did people insist on coming to court instead of just talking things out?
“Okay here’s the deal. Mrs. O’Neal the second can adjust her work hours so that she can feed Amy and Brian in the morning and see them off to school.”
“But—”
Rei kept speaking right over the beginnings of a protest. “Mrs. O’Neal the first can pick the kids up from school, make sure they do their homework and feed them dinner if necessary while they wait for their mother.”
“But—”
Rei talked over the second protest. “That’s it. That’s my decision.” She banged her gavel and nodded to Mary Alice. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”
She stepped out of the courtroom and into her chambers, flipped open her cell phone and dialed Chris’s number. “What’s on your mind, as if I have to ask?”
“You. Naked. With me. Also naked. I put the giraffe print sheets on the bed for you.”
“Oh, I can just picture them.” Rei laughed at the mental image. “I’ll bet they’re just as awful as the rest of the room.”
“I’ll ignore that. What else can you picture?”
Responding to the playfulness in his voice, she said, “You. Naked.”
“With you?”
She closed her eyes, picturing his big, lean-muscled body lounging on his bed. “No, you’re alone.”
Chris growled into the phone. “You’re mean.”
“And you’re hard, incredibly hard.”
He breathed heavily. “Yeah, I really am. And you’re not here.”
“Sure, I am.” Rei opened her eyes long enough to glance over and make sure her chamber door was shut, then put herself back into the fantasy. “I’m sitting in the leopard chair, watching you.”
“Voyeurism? Really? I think I’d be shocked if I wasn’t so turned on.” There was laughter in his voice but also a hint of fascination.
She was a little shocked herself, but figured she could blame it on her hormones. “Not half as turned on as I am seeing you touch yourself like that.”
“Like what?” Chris’s voice deepened and he cleared a rasp from his throat. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
In her mind she saw his large hand grasp his shaft, saw the lust in his green eyes and the invitation in his smile. “A light touch to begin with, I think. Long, lazy caresses up and down.”
“Uh huh. What are you doing?”
She easily pictured him stroking himself, an incredibly erotic image, so her voice was breathless when she answered. “I can’t take my eyes off of you and I’m soo wet.”
“Watching you watching me is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen. Are you touching yourself?”
“Um, yes. I’ve draped my legs over the arms of the chair. My thighs are spread wide and I’m using my fingers. If possible, you get even harder so a firmer grip is necessary, faster with more friction.”
She heard him groan softly into the phone, his breathing rapid. “Good thing my office door is closed,” Chris murmured.
Rei’s eyes widened. She had initiated this little game of phone sex, but she never thought he’d actually follow her instructions. “Are you really—?”
Chris sighed, sounding frustrated in the best way. “I’m fully dressed, if that’s what you mean. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish my hand was yours.”
“Mmm, I wish it was, too.” She looked up at a knock on her door. Mary Alice poked her head in and made a “two minutes” signal. “But I have to go back to work now.”
“I can’t. Not yet anyway.”
She gave a completely smug and unsympathetic laugh. “Well, at least I know you’ll be thinking about me for a while.”
“What makes you think I ever stop?” His voice was rich with desire and humor. “I’ll meet you at Zuni Café at noon. I’ll be the guy with the big smile on his face.”
AT ELEVEN FORTY-FIVE, Chris stood in the triangular two-story entryway admiring the richly colored Indian blankets hanging along the white adobe walls. Zuni Café, with its Southwestern ambiance and French-Italian cuisine, was one of his favorite restaurants in San Francisco. Hearing his name, he turned to see Rei walk through the front door.
He smiled at the sight of her long hair flowing down the back of her bright blue overcoat. When she reached his side, Chris leaned down and kissed her wind-chilled cheek.
“You’re early, too, I see.”
“I’m right on time, actually. Like a wizard, I arrive exactly when I mean to.” Her gaze was as warm as the welcoming smile she sent over her shoulder as she hung up her coat on the rack.
He recognized the reference to the classic J.R.R. Tolkien story instantly and grinned. “You’re a Lord of the Rings fan. I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
“Only one?”
As she turned, he finally noticed her outfit. The colors were conservative, the patterns plain, but something about the way she wore them seemed frankly sensual. The white blouse was draped low enough for him to detect a hint of camisole lace. The hem of her caramel brown skirt ended well above her knees, showing off shapely legs down to her dark chocolate high heels.
“Well, maybe more than one.”
A hostess led them past the copper-topped bar and semi-open kitchen with its roaring brick ovens to a table near the floor-to-ceiling windows. They debated the merits of the Jackson Lord of the Rings films in comparison with the original Tolkien books while perusing the menu and waiting for their drinks.
When their waitress appeared with tall glasses of iced tea, Chris ordered his usual. “I’ll have the hamburger on toasted focaccia bread, medium-rare.”
“I’d like to try the deep-fried mixed fruit, the house-cured anchovies with Parmesan, the foie gras and the yaquina oysters on the half shell, please.” Rei lowered the menu to find both Chris and the waitress staring at her. But she just smiled brightly and shrugged. “I’m trying new things this week.”
He laughed as the waitress left to fill their orders. “I hope you like those appetizers more than you did the tequila.”
As they waited for their lunch, Chris engaged her in a conversation about their favorite books and movies, keeping everything light and impersonal while he prepared himself. Finally he inhaled deeply, having realized he’d been anxiously holding his breath.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” Reaching for Rei’s hand, he rubbed his thumb over the back of it. “The sex has been incredible, you know. It’s never been as good with anyone else as it is with you.” He paused, holding her gaze as firmly as her fingers. “But I want more.”
“You want more sex?”
She laughed but he felt her hand tense beneath his.
“Chris, I don’t think that will be a problem. I’ve made no secret about how much you turn me on.”
“You have other secrets, though. We both do.”
She looked away, taking a long sip of her iced tea. “It’s more interesting that way, don’t you think?”
“It’s easier to control, you mean. I know you didn’t want any complications, but I think the rules need to change.”
Chris paused while the waitress placed the foie gras and anchovies in front of Rei. As he watched, her expression became anxious. She lifted one of the thin fish, sniffed it then took a small bite. After a wince and a long sip of tea, she scooped up a forkful of the paté.
“You’re trying new things, right? Are you willing to be something more than lovers and strangers?”
“We’re not exactly strangers.” Rei stalled for time by shoving the foie gras into her mouth. He wasn’t sure if the face she made was in response to the topic or the food.
“No, we aren’t.” He drew another deep breath and braced himself for her reaction. “You wouldn’t know this, but I’m named after my father and grandfather. David Christopher London III.”
She stared at him, a frozen expression on her face. Her eyes were turbulent, though, when she jerked her hand away. He could see the wheels turning, saw her making the connections, and suddenly he wondered if he’d just made a huge mistake. But, no, he didn’t stand a chance in hell if he didn’t come clean with her about who he was and what he wanted.
“You’re DCL3. You son of a bitch.”
“I’m sorry. But I had to tell you before we go any further. I had to be honest—”
“Honest?” She glanced around the restaurant then lowered her voice. “You’ve been playing me from the very start. All that nonsense about remaining anonymous while being open and honest. When I think about the things I e-mailed you…”
“Things you wouldn’t have told me in person, things you didn’t trust me enough to share.”
Rei scowled at him. “Well, obviously I was right not to trust you.”
The waitress chose that moment to deliver the rest of their food. The burger smelled delicious but Chris’s stomach was too twisted in knots to even think about eating it. He was a risk taker in sports and in business but not in his personal life. He’d never met a woman he considered worth it before.
Rei waited until they were alone again before she leaned forward, pointing her index finger at him. “You agreed to the terms that first night at the hotel and then went and violated my privacy.”
He stepped around that landmine and chose to address what he thought was the more important issue. “Yeah, I agreed at first, but I also told you last night I’d changed my mind. When you gave me your number, I figured you had, too.”
This time she was the one avoiding a trap. “How did you even get my Lunch Meetings e-mail?”
He forced himself to meet her gaze. “I own the service.”
She fell back against her seat. “Damn it, I don’t believe you. Is this how you operate? You steal information and manipulate the results?”
“Hey, I know you’re angry but believe one thing. I’ve never done this before. I wouldn’t jeopardize the reputation of my company or expose my clients. But you—I don’t know—you blew me away.” Chris leaned forward, willing her to see his sincerity. “I wasn’t looking to meet anybody and there you were. Then you were gone. When fate brought you into Lunch Meetings, I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
“Why should I believe anything you say? Don’t you see how you’ve betrayed my trust? I thought I was talking to a friend.”
“I’ll apologize again, because I know I misled you, but I didn’t feel like I had a choice, Rei. You wouldn’t let me in any other way. Every time we’ve been together, you’ve shut me out. This still doesn’t have to be complicated, Rei. We’ll see each other in and out of bed, and you’ll have to learn to say the things you told me online in person. The relationship doesn’t have to end, it just changes.”
She slumped in her chair and wouldn’t look at him. “You lied to me.”
Her voice sounded more petulant than irate and he didn’t want to fight with her, but Chris felt his own anger was also justified. “When did you plan to tell me your real name, ‘Jade’? How long were you going to keep lying to me?”
She blinked several times but didn’t answer. Knowing his point was made and not wanting to push her any harder, Chris backed off and concentrated on his own lunch. Rei would definitely walk away now and he had no intention of begging her to see him again. If it was over, let it be a clean break with some of his self-respect intact.
Rei picked up her fork and toyed with hot Concord grapes and peach slices as the last of her anger evaporated into embarrassment. She was so pissed off with Chris…. However she couldn’t avoid the truth. She was just as guilty as he and, thinking back to their e-mails, he’d offered her several chances to reveal herself.
Rei tipped the oyster and brine into her mouth, then tossed the empty shell back onto the plate and reached for one of the rolls in the breadbasket to cleanse her palate. The slimy feel of the oyster sliding down her throat was not an experience she cared to repeat, despite the supposed aphrodisiac effects.
That was another truth she had to face. What kind of person was she really, to use him just for sex, never wanting to know more about him, treating him like he was nothing more than a sex toy? She’d wanted to get swept up into a passionate affair, but while sex without any personal connection might be passionate, it wasn’t satisfying and it wasn’t right.
Her plan had been to break it off as soon as they went too far and Chris had gone as far as he could to make something more of their liaison. But a personal connection was exactly what she wanted to avoid. Despite what Chris had said about being receptive and taking chances, there were too many negative possibilities once she rescheduled the tests for Dr. Solís.
In the meantime though, he hadn’t asked for a lifetime or any other type of commitment. There was no reason they couldn’t be friends…with benefits. They could continue to be lovers while getting to know each other better. Rei drew a deep breath and apologized.
“I don’t know when I would have confessed who I really am. ‘Jade’ made for such a great shield, you see. With an alter ego I was free to be anybody I wanted, except myself.”
Chris wiped a smear of ketchup from the corner of his mouth. “You’re an attractive and intriguing woman, Rei. Why would you want to be anyone else?”
She heard the interest and concern in his voice and a part of her wanted to respond. However, she still chose to keep some secrets to herself and so told him only part of the truth.
“I wanted to let my hair down, get a little wild and crazy. It’s easier to do that when you’re hiding behind a different persona. I didn’t need or want to know anything about you, except in bed, because that’s the only place Jade existed. That was unfair to you and I’m sorry.”
“I accept your apology, Rei, if you’ll accept mine.”
She looked up to see hope and understanding in his light green eyes. Smiling, she held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Rei Davis. I’m a commissioner in the Unified Family Court. My interests include travel, romance novels and NFL football.”
He gently gripped her fingers. “Hi, Rei. My name is Chris London. I own a dating service, I like to swim and play golf and go to jazz concerts.”
“This is weird, isn’t it? On the one hand, I shouldn’t trust you because you deceived me. But if you hadn’t, I never would have made a new friend.”
“Now that we’ve been introduced, where do we go from here?” Chris must have seen her hesitation because he reached for her hand this time.
“I’ll have to think about—”
“Yeah, yeah, you’ll call me.” He dropped her hand in frustration, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve heard it before—every other time you’ve backed away.”
“That’s not—”
“Maybe if you’d stop running long enough, you’d see—”
“Hey!” Rei smacked her fingers on the tabletop. “If you’d stop interrupting me, I could finish what I was going to say.”
He kept his arms folded and still wore a disgruntled expression, but he was listening.
“I’ll have to think about whether I want to go out with my lover or have sex with my friend. But either way, I’m not only willing but looking forward to spending more time with you.”
His frown lifted to a smirk and the smirk quickly turned into the charmingly boyish smile she adored. Chris uncrossed his arms and pulled her toward him for a quick kiss. His appetite apparently restored, he dug into his hamburger with gusto.
Rei wished she were half as enthusiastic about her lunch. Pushing the salted fish, duck liver, fried fruit and bivalves aside, she caught the attention of their server. “Could you please take this away and bring me a garden salad with vinaigrette dressing? Thanks.”
PajamaPartyGirl is now online
PajamaPartyGirl is instant messaging you
PajamaPartyGirl: How’s it going with the Lunch guy?
JadeBlossom: Good. I mean, we’ve struck up this weird kind of friendship.
PajamaPartyGirl: I can’t invest in the company based on weird friendships. How about the other guys who e-mailed you?
JadeBlossom: Several of them seemed really nice, but I didn’t want to lead them on. I think I’ve found a match and you’ll never guess who it is.
PajamaPartyGirl: The guy who kept asking about your shoes. He sounded hot.
JadeBlossom: Ew. Not him. It’s the guy I’ve been seeing.
PajamaPartyGirl: You mean the boy toy is the one you’ve been e-mailing? How the hell did that happen? I’m confused.
JadeBlossom: So was I. Do you believe in fate?
PajamaPartyGirl: No, and I’m not big on coincidence either. Who is this guy?
JadeBlossom: Chris London. It turns out he owns Lunch Meetings.
PajamaPartyGirl: Oh really. And this doesn’t set off any alarms for you?!? By any chance was he there the day we signed up?
JadeBlossom: Yeah, he recognized me, but he was with a client and couldn’t break away.
PajamaPartyGirl: I’ll bet you’re not the only one he recognized. Think about it, Rei. He’s trying to get money to expand and you walk in with the heir to Hollinger/Hansen, the folks he’s been pitching for funds. I’ll admit it could have been a fluke that you met him at Divas, but how do you know the rest of this wasn’t a setup from the very beginning?
JadeBlossom: I don’t think so, Peej. I’m a good judge of character.