“Lib…we’ve been dating for over two months now and…”
His voice trailed off as Libitz continued arranging her clothes in the suitcase. She knew what he was getting at, and she’d been dreading this conversation. They’d been dating for two months, but they really weren’t moving forward. Though they saw each other twice a week and Neil was a regular at her parents’ house for dinner, he’d never met any of her friends. Nor had he ever spent the night at her place or had her overnight at his. He’d invited her to stay over, his eyes suggesting how much he’d like to be more intimate with her, but Libitz had explained to Neil that she wanted to take things slowly between them. Except by now, eight weeks after their first date, “slowly” had turned into “glacial” somewhere along the way. Aside from some kissing, they hadn’t done much of anything else, and Neil’s patience was waning.
It wasn’t that Neil wasn’t attractive—he was. At five foot five, he was wiry but fit from morning jogs around his Brooklyn neighborhood. He had a thick head of reddish-blond hair, a sprinkling of charming freckles across his nose, and eyes so big and blue, they made his whole face appear angelic behind stylish glasses.
Libitz sighed. Tall, dark, and stunning had always been more her taste, but that wasn’t Neil’s problem. She wanted to be attracted to him. She hoped that a little more time together would do the trick.
“And what?” she asked, hoping to truncate the conversation by appearing annoyed.
Sure enough, Neil dropped her eyes, shrugging apologetically. “I just wish…”
“Neil,” she started—
His voice returned with more confidence and resolution when he interrupted her. “I just wish I felt like you liked me as much as I like you.”
“I do like you,” she said, the words coming naturally.
“I don’t just like you. I want you, Lib.” He searched her eyes with frustration, his voice dropping when he continued. “I want you to want me too.”
Her eyes widened at his unexpected boldness.
“Be patient,” she whispered, guilt making her breath catch and hold, because honestly, she wasn’t sure that patience would help.
“I am,” he said simply, sitting back in the chair and sighing. “I don’t mean to put pressure on you, but I’m thirty-four and I want a family, Libitz. I want a wife and a couple of kids. I can’t afford to waste time in a relationship that’s not going anywhere.”
Terribly uncomfortable with his words, Libitz opened her mouth to say something but couldn’t think of a single thing to say. She couldn’t reassure him because she didn’t know where their relationship was headed. She couldn’t promise him anything because, as yet, she didn’t feel the sort of attraction for him that would move them forward. And yet she cared for Neil. She really and truly liked him, saw the goodness in him, recognized how good he could be for her.
“Say something,” he begged her. “Say anything.”
She released the breath she’d been holding and tried smiling at him.
“Don’t cut me lose yet,” she said, repeating words he’d said to her a few weeks ago. “Give me a little more time?”
Recognizing her plea, he laughed softly, nodding his head, a sweet smile slowly spreading across his face. “Fair enough.” Taking a deep breath, he sighed as he stood up, crossing the room to stand beside her. “I think I’ll head out.”
She turned to him. “You’re a good man, Neil Leibowitz.”
“So you tell me.”
Putting her arms around his neck, she pulled him close, closing her eyes as she pressed her lips to the warm skin of his neck, leaning into him as he gathered her close.
“You are,” she whispered, wishing that the ridge of his erection pushing against her didn’t make her feel like backing away.
He leaned back to look at her, then drew forward, pressing his lips to hers. But just as his tongue swiped along the seam of their mouths, Libitz pulled away.
“Got to finish packing. See you soon?”
Disappointment clouded his eyes, but he nodded at her. “Sure. Call me when you get home.”
“I will,” she said, stepping out of his embrace and smiling. “Have a good weekend, okay?”
He nodded, backing out of her bedroom. “You too, Lib.”
***
J.C.’s car idled at the Haverford train station.
He was fifteen minutes early, but it was a beautiful evening, and with the top down on his vintage red Citroen DS convertible, he figured he’d soak up some rays while he waited.
When he’d arrived at Kate and étienne’s new place, an estate they’d named Toujours, Kate had opened the front door and looked at him in surprise before leaning forward to kiss his cheeks.
“J.C.! You weren’t supposed to be here until five.”
He had glanced at his watch. “It’s five fifteen.”
“What? No! It can’t be!”
“I promise it is.”