Blossom Street Bundle. Debbie Macomber
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He didn’t look in her direction.
“Thanks for the ticket.”
“My pleasure.”
She tilted her bag of popcorn in his direction and he took a handful. “As Tessa pointed out, this is like a real date.”
“Aren’t we both a bit old for that nonsense?”
“I certainly hope not,” Barbie said. “My mother has a male friend and they’re dating.”
“You make it sound like high school.”
“Does it feel like that to you? In some ways it does to me.” In good ways. She woke each morning with a sense of happy expectation. Mark was in her thoughts when she drove to the dress shop and then at noon when she dashed to the fitness center. He’d never asked for her phone number, which she would willingly, gladly, have given him. It would’ve been sheer heaven to lie in bed and talk to him on the phone, like she had with her high school boyfriend. And then with Gary…
“Yeah, it feels like high school.” Mark snorted. “In all the stupid ways.”
“Mark!”
“I’m not a romantic.”
“No!” She feigned shock. “I never would’ve guessed.”
“I’ll be honest with you,” he said, his voice clipped. “I don’t expect this to last.”
“You’re obviously an optimist, as well,” she teased.
Mark still wouldn’t look at her. “I don’t know what you expect to get out of this relationship, because I haven’t got much to give.”
“Would you stop?” This little speech of his sounded rehearsed.
“Let me finish.”
“All right, have your say and then I’ll have mine.” She tilted the popcorn in his direction again.
He stared at it. “I can’t eat very much of that.”
“Why not?” He had eaten it earlier, so it wasn’t a food allergy.
“I have a lot of limitations, Barbie. For instance, I can’t eat whatever I want.”
“Few of us can eat whatever we want. You know what? Everyone has limitations. Okay, so yours are more obvious than some people’s. But I have several of my own, which I’m doing my best to keep under control.”
“Let me guess.” He pressed his index finger to his lips. “First, you have one hell of a temper.”
She laughed outright at that. “How kind of you to remind me.”
“What I’m trying to say,” he continued, “is that this relationship is doomed. You apparently get some kind of emotional kick out of flirting with me, and that’s fine. It’s good for the ego, and mine’s been in the gutter so long that this is a refreshing change. But I’m not a fool. A woman like you can have any man she wants.”
“Mark, I—”
“I don’t mean to be rude here. However—”
“Why not? It hasn’t stopped you in the past.”
He grinned. “True. Just let me finish, okay?”
She motioned with her hand. “Be my guest.”
“This is the way I figure it. For reasons beyond my comprehension, you’re attracted to me.”
“Is it a one-way attraction?” For the sake of her own ego, she needed to find out. “Answer this one question and I promise I won’t interrupt you again.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You already know. You pretty much turn me inside out every time I see you.”
Barbie clasped her hands, still clutching the bag of popcorn. “Do I really?”
“Barbie, please, you’re making this difficult.”
“Okay, sorry.” But her heart was leaping with joy.
“Listen, for whatever reason, you feel safe with me. I’m not a threat to you. I don’t know what went on in your marriage, and frankly, I don’t want to know. Whatever happened then or since has really rattled you. So a guy in a wheelchair’s a safe bet. Fine. The truth is, I can’t seem to forget you and I’m tired of fighting my attraction to you.”
“For your information, I had a very good marriage.” Barbie wasn’t sure where all this talk was leading. “I think you’re looking for an excuse to avoid a relationship with me.”
“Listen,” he said again, exhaling slowly.
“You’re ignoring what I just said.”
For the first time he glanced in her direction. As soon as he did, his eyes softened. “Okay. For now I’m willing to do things your way.”
“For now?” She wasn’t sure what that meant either. “Could you explain that?”
He sighed loudly. “We play this by ear. When you want out, you get out. Don’t prolong it. Do me a favor and just leave, okay?”
Barbie had to think for a moment. “What about you?”
“If I want out, then I need you to respect my wishes in the same way that I intend to respect yours.”
That sounded fair. Still, she hated the idea of planning their breakup. “Can’t we just take this one day at a time?”
He didn’t respond.
“One date at a time?” she said and then leaned over and kissed his ear, running the tip of her tongue over the smooth contours and nibbling on his lobe. “One kiss at a time?”
“Yes,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “I told you earlier—you turn me inside out.”
The theater darkened, and the previews started. Barbie put her popcorn and soda on the floor at her feet. To her surprise and delight, Mark reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. She leaned closer and a few minutes into the movie, rested her head on his shoulder.
Mark snickered softly. “Like I said, it’s high school all over again.”
“I don’t care if it is or not.”
In response, he raised their clasped hands to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. A chill of pleasure slid down her spine.
At the end of the movie, she walked next to his wheelchair as they left the theater. She half expected him to ask her out for coffee. The movie might be over, but that didn’t mean their evening had to be. When he didn’t suggest it, she did.
“I can’t tonight.” He didn’t offer an excuse.
“Perhaps another night, then.” She did her best to hide her disappointment.
“Perhaps.”
“Will you call me?” she asked.
“When?” He didn’t seem pleased by the prospect.
“Tonight before you go to sleep.”
He frowned. “Barbie.”
“It’s a simple request. If you can do it, fine. If not…if not, I’ll lie awake all night wondering why you didn’t phone.”
“Just like high school.”
“Yes.” She wasn’t about to deny it.
He muttered something she couldn’t quite decipher and from the gruffness of his voice, she figured she was better off not knowing. “Give me your phone number,” he growled.
“Thank you.” Reaching inside her purse for a pen and pad, she wrote out her home number and tore off the sheet.
Mark