person to head straight to the refrigerator and stick her head inside. The past month had been a seesaw of emotions – all centered around Bubba.
It’s a good thing all our dates were so energetic, otherwise he’d be going to bed with Moby Dick tonight.
She dressed quickly, then put on her heels. So what if she looked ridiculous. This was a big night. Maybe the big night. Alicia had an astrologer friend who wanted to do a birth chart based on the time the baby was conceived. Mel didn’t know much about astrology but it was important to her friend, so she'd agreed.
As she studied herself in the full-length mirror, sudden panic assailed her. What are you doing? A silk dress and heels for pizza with Bubba? Tearing off her clothing, she reached for a pair of jeans and another of her hand-knit sweaters, this time pink cotton. She applied her makeup quickly, then grabbed her leather shoulder bag and raced down the stairs.
Keep moving before you have time to think.
* * *
Bubba stood looking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Too casual. This is a big night for Mel. Jeans and a sweater just didn’t cut it.
He strode into his bedroom and began rummaging through his closet. If he’d had his way it would've been a pair of cutoffs but he couldn’t have Mel thinking this was anything but a serious matter to him, too. So he’d put on a decent pair of jeans and a sweater.
You still look like you’re on vacation.
He grimaced.
You might as well wear that hideous Hawaiian shirt Mom brought you back from Maui. Then at least Mel would laugh when she looked at you – break the ice.
He knew she was scared – hell, upset – about tonight. The funny thing was, he’d thought he’d be able to pull this evening off with a minimum of fuss.
Boy, did you guess wrong.
He glanced at the bedside clock – twenty minutes until zero hour.
Completely unnerved, he began to rummage through his closet again.
* * *
She had to wipe her damp palms against her jeans before she rang the bell. Mel could hear Bubba inside, walking swiftly toward the door. She bit her lip, controlled a purely impulsive instinct to turn and run, and suddenly the door was open.
She stared. Bubba was wearing a suit. A beautiful suit, dark gray and expensively cut. He smelled delicious – some sort of citrusy cologne – and his hair was damp and curly, as if he’d just gotten out of the shower.
He stared at her and she noticed the corners of his eyes starting to crinkle. Then a smile twitched one side of his mouth.
“I don’t suppose you’ll believe me if I tell you I just got home from the office?” he asked, motioning for her to come inside.
“I know what you wear to work.” Seeing him, she felt that everything was all right again. Just for an instant. At least she had a little time before they had to get down to business.
“My mother asked me to lunch?” he said as they walked down the short hallway to his living room.
“Your mother is out of town.”
“I just bought this the other day and I wanted your opinion of it?”
“I’ve seen that suit before.”
He sat down on the couch closest to the fireplace and motioned for her to do the same. “I can’t fool you, Mel. I have the fashion sense of a toad.”
“That’s okay. I only tried on fifteen different outfits this morning.”
They stared at each other for a minute. Then Mel looked away.
“Why are we acting this way, Bubba? I knew this would ruin our friendship. Why don’t we just – ”
“Nope. You only have a few months left and sometimes these things take time. I’m sacrificing myself for a higher cause. I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.”
He was trying to relax her with humor. It worked. Laughter bubbled out of her and she leaned back and let the couch support her, feeing much less tense than when she’d rung his doorbell.
“I’m going to run upstairs and slip into something more comfortable. The pizza should be here any
It’s a good thing all our dates were so energetic, otherwise he’d be going to bed with Moby Dick tonight.
She dressed quickly, then put on her heels. So what if she looked ridiculous. This was a big night. Maybe the big night. Alicia had an astrologer friend who wanted to do a birth chart based on the time the baby was conceived. Mel didn’t know much about astrology but it was important to her friend, so she'd agreed.
As she studied herself in the full-length mirror, sudden panic assailed her. What are you doing? A silk dress and heels for pizza with Bubba? Tearing off her clothing, she reached for a pair of jeans and another of her hand-knit sweaters, this time pink cotton. She applied her makeup quickly, then grabbed her leather shoulder bag and raced down the stairs.
Keep moving before you have time to think.
* * *
Bubba stood looking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Too casual. This is a big night for Mel. Jeans and a sweater just didn’t cut it.
He strode into his bedroom and began rummaging through his closet. If he’d had his way it would've been a pair of cutoffs but he couldn’t have Mel thinking this was anything but a serious matter to him, too. So he’d put on a decent pair of jeans and a sweater.
You still look like you’re on vacation.
He grimaced.
You might as well wear that hideous Hawaiian shirt Mom brought you back from Maui. Then at least Mel would laugh when she looked at you – break the ice.
He knew she was scared – hell, upset – about tonight. The funny thing was, he’d thought he’d be able to pull this evening off with a minimum of fuss.
Boy, did you guess wrong.
He glanced at the bedside clock – twenty minutes until zero hour.
Completely unnerved, he began to rummage through his closet again.
* * *
She had to wipe her damp palms against her jeans before she rang the bell. Mel could hear Bubba inside, walking swiftly toward the door. She bit her lip, controlled a purely impulsive instinct to turn and run, and suddenly the door was open.
She stared. Bubba was wearing a suit. A beautiful suit, dark gray and expensively cut. He smelled delicious – some sort of citrusy cologne – and his hair was damp and curly, as if he’d just gotten out of the shower.
He stared at her and she noticed the corners of his eyes starting to crinkle. Then a smile twitched one side of his mouth.
“I don’t suppose you’ll believe me if I tell you I just got home from the office?” he asked, motioning for her to come inside.
“I know what you wear to work.” Seeing him, she felt that everything was all right again. Just for an instant. At least she had a little time before they had to get down to business.
“My mother asked me to lunch?” he said as they walked down the short hallway to his living room.
“Your mother is out of town.”
“I just bought this the other day and I wanted your opinion of it?”
“I’ve seen that suit before.”
He sat down on the couch closest to the fireplace and motioned for her to do the same. “I can’t fool you, Mel. I have the fashion sense of a toad.”
“That’s okay. I only tried on fifteen different outfits this morning.”
They stared at each other for a minute. Then Mel looked away.
“Why are we acting this way, Bubba? I knew this would ruin our friendship. Why don’t we just – ”
“Nope. You only have a few months left and sometimes these things take time. I’m sacrificing myself for a higher cause. I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.”
He was trying to relax her with humor. It worked. Laughter bubbled out of her and she leaned back and let the couch support her, feeing much less tense than when she’d rung his doorbell.
“I’m going to run upstairs and slip into something more comfortable. The pizza should be here any
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