wasn’t like they had a chance in Hades of anything developing.
“I’m trying to be a good guy here.” His phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his back pocket, glanced at the screen and shoved it back into his pocket. “I don’t want to screw up your life.”
“Don’t you need to get that?”
“No.” His phone stopped. He pulled her closer. “So after we take your car home, what do you want to do?”
“It looks like you might have a plan.”
“I might.”
His phone started ringing again.
“Are you sure you don’t need to get that?”
“Positive. It’s not important.” He wrapped his arm around her waist. As soon as she was pressed against his hard chest, she forgot everything beyond him.
Until his phone rang again.
“Fuck.” Michael yanked his phone out of his pocket. “Give me just a minute.”
Maureen hung onto the counter so she wouldn’t slide to the floor as he walked down the hall. Everything moved way too fast with him. Hadn’t she said something about ethical gray areas the other day? Yesterday. That had been yesterday. Yup, things were moving way too fast with Michael.
“Vacation,” he said loud enough for her to hear from the garage. He wasn’t shouting, but he had a hefty roar. She’d never heard him get mad before. Of course the last three days had been all wine and roses. Well, pizza and museums. With nothing to lose, what did they have to fight about?
“I told you I’d do it and I will. Just fucking back off.”
Maureen peered down the hall. He was pacing between their cars, his face an alarming shade. Maybe he was concerned she was blowing off work because he was. Well, he’d have plenty of time to do whatever he was supposed to be doing while she was in school tomorrow. No way she could tell him she’d be taking Friday off. At least not until she ascertained whether she’d be spending a long weekend with him, or spending it licking her wounds.
Still on the phone, he came toward her. “Relax. Sales will pick up. Give me a couple of days and stop acting like an old woman. I’ll be back soon enough. See ya then.” He snapped the phone closed, all his annoyance disappearing. “So, what do you want to do tonight?”
4
“I’ll go get lunch.” Bear pulled open the door of the Satellite.
“You buying?” Tony grumbled.
“Sure.” He backed the car out of the garage. Lunch was a small price to pay to escape Tony’s endless foul mood. Friday’s irritation had become Saturday’s grouse, which turned into Sunday’s growl. By the end of the week he’d be spitting flames. And why? Because they wanted Maureen to be Nicky’s teacher next year. What exactly was stopping them? By the time Nicky started second grade, he’d be touring Europe and Maureen would be dating some damp sponge like Conner.
Bear glared at the light, considering the guy Maureen might be dating next fall. He wouldn’t appreciate her. How could he? Conner didn’t have any basis for comparison, while he had a great one. Between the girls he’d dated and the girls the other guys had dated and the mobs of groupies he’d met, he had an excellent basis for comparison. Maureen came out head and shoulders above them all. She had this sweet hot thing going on that threatened to cook his engine every time he got near her. And she was smart and so practical. Most women seemed to think he had at least a twenty percent stake in the moon and they expected their expense account to reflect it.
Too bad he couldn’t box her up for take out.
Passing the elementary school, he caught sight of her car. He turned around at the next intersection and went back. The three story red brick building looked like it had been popped out of a mold in the early fifties. He and Tony had gone to a school a lot like it in a different state. Switching the radio off, he cruised through the parking lot. Definitely her car.
The playground behind the building overflowed with screaming kids. They seemed to
“I’m trying to be a good guy here.” His phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his back pocket, glanced at the screen and shoved it back into his pocket. “I don’t want to screw up your life.”
“Don’t you need to get that?”
“No.” His phone stopped. He pulled her closer. “So after we take your car home, what do you want to do?”
“It looks like you might have a plan.”
“I might.”
His phone started ringing again.
“Are you sure you don’t need to get that?”
“Positive. It’s not important.” He wrapped his arm around her waist. As soon as she was pressed against his hard chest, she forgot everything beyond him.
Until his phone rang again.
“Fuck.” Michael yanked his phone out of his pocket. “Give me just a minute.”
Maureen hung onto the counter so she wouldn’t slide to the floor as he walked down the hall. Everything moved way too fast with him. Hadn’t she said something about ethical gray areas the other day? Yesterday. That had been yesterday. Yup, things were moving way too fast with Michael.
“Vacation,” he said loud enough for her to hear from the garage. He wasn’t shouting, but he had a hefty roar. She’d never heard him get mad before. Of course the last three days had been all wine and roses. Well, pizza and museums. With nothing to lose, what did they have to fight about?
“I told you I’d do it and I will. Just fucking back off.”
Maureen peered down the hall. He was pacing between their cars, his face an alarming shade. Maybe he was concerned she was blowing off work because he was. Well, he’d have plenty of time to do whatever he was supposed to be doing while she was in school tomorrow. No way she could tell him she’d be taking Friday off. At least not until she ascertained whether she’d be spending a long weekend with him, or spending it licking her wounds.
Still on the phone, he came toward her. “Relax. Sales will pick up. Give me a couple of days and stop acting like an old woman. I’ll be back soon enough. See ya then.” He snapped the phone closed, all his annoyance disappearing. “So, what do you want to do tonight?”
4
“I’ll go get lunch.” Bear pulled open the door of the Satellite.
“You buying?” Tony grumbled.
“Sure.” He backed the car out of the garage. Lunch was a small price to pay to escape Tony’s endless foul mood. Friday’s irritation had become Saturday’s grouse, which turned into Sunday’s growl. By the end of the week he’d be spitting flames. And why? Because they wanted Maureen to be Nicky’s teacher next year. What exactly was stopping them? By the time Nicky started second grade, he’d be touring Europe and Maureen would be dating some damp sponge like Conner.
Bear glared at the light, considering the guy Maureen might be dating next fall. He wouldn’t appreciate her. How could he? Conner didn’t have any basis for comparison, while he had a great one. Between the girls he’d dated and the girls the other guys had dated and the mobs of groupies he’d met, he had an excellent basis for comparison. Maureen came out head and shoulders above them all. She had this sweet hot thing going on that threatened to cook his engine every time he got near her. And she was smart and so practical. Most women seemed to think he had at least a twenty percent stake in the moon and they expected their expense account to reflect it.
Too bad he couldn’t box her up for take out.
Passing the elementary school, he caught sight of her car. He turned around at the next intersection and went back. The three story red brick building looked like it had been popped out of a mold in the early fifties. He and Tony had gone to a school a lot like it in a different state. Switching the radio off, he cruised through the parking lot. Definitely her car.
The playground behind the building overflowed with screaming kids. They seemed to
Similar Books
