Almost in Love (5 page)

He blew out a breath.
Don’t think about that
. He didn’t want to go through their first date sporting a woody. He’d already taken care of business in the shower to avoid such an event.

He pulled on jeans that were tight enough to show off the rear view. Yes, things would be different with Amber. She was already very different from the computer geeks he normally hooked up with, both in looks and profession, and he’d made a big effort to look more like the kind of guy she’d want.

He wouldn’t screw this one up. He slipped into his sneakers. He’d be smooth, moving them from friends to lovers with a future. He liked the sound of that—lovers with a future.

He huffed into his hand, popped the third breath mint of the morning, and headed out the door.

~ ~ ~

Amber dressed in one of her favorite pink halter tops with a white skirt and pink leather sandals with high heels that made her feel sexy and less like a shrimp (she was five foot two). She had no idea how to dress for a morning date, but she thought the outfit was perfect for a beautiful spring May day in Connecticut. She brushed out her long hair, musing over the fact that she was actually going on a date with Bare. She usually went for hot, edgy guys. Guys who knew how to have a good time, for however long that lasted. Usually not long once they’d slept together. Whatever. She never really expected anyone to stick around for the long haul. She’d had a few relationships that lasted a while—six months was the longest—but the thing about hot, edgy guys was they sucked at relationships. Most of them cheated on her. Hell, probably all of them.

She applied a little mascara and thought of Bare with his rumpled dirty blond hair and loud Hawaiian shirts. He was…sweet, a little geeky, a nice guy. And a good friend.

The only reason she’d agreed to a date was that mind-blowing kiss they’d shared in the laundry room while she sat on top of the washing machine during the spin cycle. Bare had shocked the hell out of her with that move. They’d been role-playing how to pick up a woman in a bar when he grabbed her head and went for it.
Bold move, Bare
.

So, here she was about to go on a date with her good friend. She felt oddly calm, no first date jitters at all, on account of she already knew Bare very well. They’d hung out plenty since he’d moved in across the hall a month ago. And she’d cuddled up with him on the sofa many nights while they watched their favorite TV show
Zombie Bonanza
. She felt safe with him.

This could be a very boring date.

She hoped if things didn’t work out, they could still be friends. She’d really miss hanging out with him.

~ ~ ~

Barry knocked on Amber’s door. It swung open, and his jaw dropped. Amber wore a pink half top with a short white skirt and high heels. He took in the golden skin of her midriff, where a sexy, tiny diamond belly-button stud glinted at him. Her slender legs were shown off to perfection in the heels. His erection pushed painfully against his tight jeans, reminding him it had been sixteen months, three weeks, and three days since he’d last had a girlfriend. These jeans were a hazard when Amber was around.

“I have to change,” he said, forcing his voice to a deeper register to hide the fact that the jeans were squeezing him into soprano range.

She cocked her head. “Yeah? I think you look nice.”

“And you look incredible,” he said. “Come in. It’ll only take a minute.” He walked back to his apartment, careful to keep a step ahead of her so at least she could appreciate his two-pack rear view before it disappeared in jeans with some room for his Amber problem.

He quickly changed, made an attempt to tame his unruly hair, gave up, and they were on their way. He offered his arm when they got outside, she took it, and he walked her to his Honda Accord.

“So I’ve never been on a morning date,” she said. “What’s the plan? Breakfast?”

He shook his head. “Something much better than that. It’s a surprise.”

“Ooh, I love surprises.”

He unlocked the car and opened the door for her. She stared at the loudspeaker mounted on the roof.

“What is
that
for?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about that. It moos, but I only press the button when families are around who might want some fro-yo.”

“It…moos.” She cringed and slid into the car.

He shut the door gently, whistling “Summer Nights” from the musical
Grease
. It was spring, the same time of year he’d played Danny Zuko in his high school’s production of
Grease
. The girls had been all over him then.

He got in and smiled at her. It was so hard not to tell her where they were going. He couldn’t wait to share one of his favorite hobbies with Amber. He just knew she’d love it.

She regarded him somberly. “Bare, promise me you won’t make it moo when I’m in the car.”

He laughed. “Are you sure? The kids love it.”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay, but you’re missing out.”

He started the car. She put a hand on his arm, and he warmed on the spot. “Any chance the giant Dancing Cow stickers on the doors come off?”

“Be right back.”

He peeled off the two giant magnets that were advertisements for his shop, slid them into the trunk, and got back in the car.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“I’m good.”

“Okay, then.” He pulled out of the lot and headed for the beach.

“What’re these for?” Amber asked, holding up his binoculars.

“The better to see you with,” he said wolfishly.

“No, really.”

“It’s part of the surprise.”

“Are all of your dates surprises?”

“Well, there haven’t been that many dates per se. I used to just meet someone at work and, you know, hang out for a bit.” He glanced over. “I’m a little rusty, but if you’ll bear with me, I think you’ll like it.”

“I’m entirely in your hands.”

He grinned. “I like the sound of that.”

A short while later, he pulled into the state park he loved to visit along the Long Island Sound. “Here we are.”

“Ooh, the beach! How romantic! Are we going to walk barefoot on the beach and have a picnic?”

He grabbed the binoculars. “Much better than that. Come on!”

He led her to the nature trails along the saltwater marsh. He stopped at the base of the trail. “You’ll need to move quietly, and don’t make any loud noises—”

“Like this? Ooh, Bare, yeah, right there!”

He went rock hard. All coherent thought left him as he pictured Amber riding him, his name on her lips.

She smacked his arm. “Kidding! I won’t make a sound.”

“Good,” he croaked.

Binoculars in hand, he led her to where he’d spotted the nest of black-capped chickadees the last time he was there. He peered at them through the high-resolution lenses and handed the binoculars to her.

She held them up to her eyes, one eye squinted closed. “What am I looking at?”

“Don’t squint. Just look normally. It’s a nest of black-capped chickadees. A little early this year. An amazing find, really.”

She peered again. “Oh. Yeah, there they are.” She handed back the binoculars. “Got it.”

“That’s it? Don’t you think it’s special?”

“Well…aren’t they supposed to make a nest?”

“Yes, but it’s rare to see one this early and so close to the trail. It’s a fantastic view.”

She nodded, lips drawn in. Barry tamped down his irritation. He thought someone like Amber with an artist’s soul would appreciate the beauty of nature.

“Let’s keep going.” He led her further down the trail. The sunbeams peeked through the tree branches. Birdsong was in the air. A light, salty breeze rustled through the leaves. It was breathtaking, amazing, the best kind of morning for birding.

He stopped suddenly and put a finger to his lips. He peered through the binoculars and smiled. “Look, a red-tailed hawk,” he whispered, handing her the binoculars.

She looked. “Cool.” Only she sounded really bored.

“Do you not like birding?” he asked.

“Birding?” She laughed. “That’s what we’re doing? I didn’t know there was a name for it.”

“It’s a very popular hobby,” he said defensively. “I thought you liked birds.”

She’d said she liked birds. He’d asked her that when he’d first met her.

“I like them okay, just not like…as a hobby.”

“Should we go?”

“No, no. I accepted your date. Bring it on.”

“All right,” he said gamely.

They spent the next hour birding, and while Barry was thrilled with some of the birds returning to the area, and especially excited over the rare sighting of a bay-breasted warbler, he sensed Amber wasn’t having any fun. He really thought Amber would be inspired by the beauty of birds. He gave up when he caught her texting just when he turned to her, excited about a bobolink.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

“If you are,” she said.

He nodded, putting the binoculars back on the clip on his belt loop. “I’m ready.”

She took his hand, and his hopes soared. Maybe the date wasn’t going so badly.

“Let’s walk along the beach for a bit,” she said.

“Sure.”

When they reached the sand, she slipped off her heels. She lost four inches without the shoes, reaching the middle of his chest. He was six foot, so most women were shorter than him, but Amber was so petite he just wanted to scoop her up and spin her around for the hell of it. He forced himself to keep his hands in his pockets. He knew he could get carried away sometimes.

He grinned. “You’re a tiny thing without your heels.”

“I’m five foot two.”

“That’s below average for a woman,” he said.

“Gee, thanks. I love being below average. Would you also like to comment on my age or my weight?”

He squinted at her. “Twenty-five and one hundred pounds?”

She shook her head. “Twenty-eight and, yeah, let’s go with that weight.”

“I wasn’t supposed to answer that, was I?”

She laughed. “I forgive you because you guessed in a complimentary direction.”

He wiped his brow dramatically. “Close one. I’ve got you beat by three years and a lot of heavy muscle.” He flexed his biceps, which were nothing to write home about.

She giggled. He loved that she laughed at his jokes. So few did.

They walked along the beach in comfortable silence. Amber stopped, facing the water, and took a deep breath in and out. He watched her more than the sea because she was infinitely more beautiful.

She turned to him suddenly and smiled. “Thanks for bringing me here. It was nice.”

“I wasn’t sure…” He trailed off as she stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.

She smiled up at him. “What’s next?”

A kiss on the lips was the next natural progression, but did she want a warning before he went for it or—

“You’re thinking awfully hard,” she said with a grin. “Is there more to this date or just the beach?”

He shook his head. “Oh, I thought…yes, there’s more.” He nodded once. “Ready to go?”

“I’m ready.”

He held out his arm and led her back to where he parked, thinking he could get used to the feel of Amber on his arm. Next stop—The Dancing Cow!

~ ~ ~

Amber was nothing if not open-minded. So, okay, the birding thing was a little unusual for a date, but she could roll with it. Still, when Bare brought her to The Dancing Cow, she began to wonder why she’d agreed to this date. She was okay with the lime green melamine tables, pink cushioned chairs, and long counter with bright yellow stools, even though it was a little glaring on the neon end of the color wheel. Farm scenes of green hills with cows on the walls—also okay.

Serving herself a bowl of peach yogurt covered in Oreos for a late breakfast—cool.

Bare ditching her in the middle of his busy shop full of cheerful families with little kids—not cool.

It was near noon, and since she still hadn’t eaten, she settled at the long counter with her fro-yo and wondered what kind of guy brings a date to his fro-yo shop and then leaves her to eat alone with a quick, “I have to take care of something in the back.”

Was he ever coming back? She was halfway through her fro-yo. She waved to a family she knew from Clover Park Elementary, where she taught art. If Bare wanted to work, she could just go home. But then she found out why he’d disappeared. And it was much worse than sitting alone eating fro-yo surrounded by cheerful families.

The lights started flashing, and a disco ball spun. And then, hand to God, Bare appeared doing an Irish jig in a cow costume right there in the center of the store. She nearly fell off her stool laughing.

He handed her a pair of black-rimmed glasses with huge blue eyes on the lenses that blinked when you moved them. “Hope you’re having a moo-tastic date,” he said with a smile.

“Uh…”

He didn’t wait around for her response. This was by far the weirdest date she’d ever been on. He danced around the shop, giving out glasses to all the kids. She set the glasses on the table. Several parents looked over at her with a nod and a smile. What was he saying about her? Her cheeks heated. She had to see some of these parents at school events.

This was getting truly embarrassing, and she wasn’t even the one dancing in a cow costume.

And then suddenly he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the center of the shop, doing a fast tango with her from side to side, his giant cow udder pushing between them. She went from embarrassed to mortified at the titters and whispers from the parents she knew she’d have to see at school. She was about to pull away when he grabbed her by the waist, lifted her, and twirled her around.

She smacked his arm. “Put me down,” she hissed.

He set her down with a grin. “My lady.”

She slowly backed away and watched in horror as a large boy got overly excited and belly-bumped the dancing cow when Bare’s attention was still on her. Bare lost his balance, knocking into a table full of preschoolers. Fro-yo and candy spilled everywhere. The kids started crying. Bare kept slipping on the fro-yo.

“Little help here?” Bare called.

One of the dads helped him up. Amber rushed over. “Are you okay?” She took in his formerly white with black spots costume now covered in pink, orange, and brown. “Your costume is ruined.”