Make Me Yours (2 page)

“Okay. Fine. I guess it could have been worse though, so you should probably count your blessings.” David looked at her for a long time. “People don’t often get second chances. There’s no way I’m going be lucky enough to go down to Five Points tonight and just happen to meet up with the blonde I had a huge crush on in biology. Or that sexy goth girl I could swear used to eye me in linguistics.”

She laughed. “They might both still live here. We should all go out tonight. I’ll have my date, and you two can work the room.”

“Look, he’s right, you know,” Jeremiah said. “It is too good to pass up.”

“I’m not passing it up. We’re going out tonight.” She was getting just annoyed enough she imagined telling them what she’d done in the shower so they’d quit with the annoying and overbearing encouragement. They’d probably stop prying altogether if she did, but of course they’d probably also not be able to look her in the eye for a month. She decided against it. “I’m very excited to see him.”

“As you should be. You two will have a great time,” Jeremiah said.

She smiled and nodded, wondering what the night would actually hold for them.

* * * *

Susan looked out the window at the street below while David counted the bookshelves lining the room. The upper floor had been the office for the previous business, so the walls were lined with built-in bookshelves. A skylight let the warmth and light of the sun flow in while two ceiling fans kept the air circulating. The walls would need a fresh coat of paint, but the hardwood floors had been redone by the previous tenant and showed no scuffs at all. The stairs between the two floors were wide enough to let people going up and down pass each other easily. The ground floor had been repainted three months before, and it still looked fresh, so that would be one less thing they had to do.

“It seems perfect,” she said. “We just need some paint up here and some bookshelves for the lower level. The bathroom only needs a little work. We could be up and running in a couple of months.”

They turned when they heard footsteps and saw Jeremiah coming up the stairs.

“So, what do you guys think? It looks great inside. The shops on each side seem busy, so it’s a good location.”

David nodded. “I think we should go for it. The rent is reasonable, and we won’t need to spend much to make the changes we need. Susan?”

“I agree. This looks like the place for us.”

“Perfect. I’ll go let the agents know. They said they can draw everything up by tomorrow and bring it around to us.” He went back downstairs.

Susan looked at David. “Well, this has been pretty easy.”

He gazed around the room and nodded again. “This is gonna be fun.” He walked over to the window and looked up and down the street. “What should we call it?”

Susan thought for a minute, and then she laughed. “You know, I think that’s the one thing we haven’t considered.”

“Hmmm. Something literary. Or something cutesy? Are we going to bring the cats in?”

David had a black cat named Socrates, and Susan had a black and white tuxedo cat named Shadow. “We might have to bring them in for a few hours and just see how it goes. I don’t think they’d run outside, but they might knock books off the shelves.” She shrugged. “They don’t bother them at home, but a new environment might lead to new mischief.”

David glanced at the stairs before asking, “So is there going to be mischief tonight? You know you always liked him.”

“We’re going to see how it goes. Okay? Why are you so interested?”

“I want to see you happy.” He paused. “I know what it’s like. I know how lonely I’ve been.” He sighed and reached out to take her hand. “I couldn’t imagine dating a stranger. I know I’m not ready for that, and maybe you wouldn’t be either. Erik will be different. You’ll feel safer because he’s your friend. He cares about you and wouldn’t rush you.”

She squeezed his hand. “I know he won’t. To be honest, I’d much rather hear a guy say that he wants me than that he loves me. Does that make any sense?”

He held her gaze and nodded slowly. “It makes perfect sense. I’ll bet he knows better than to rush anything. He’s been waiting for his chance for so long I doubt he’ll risk spoiling it. Second chances are hard to come by. He’s probably going to make a big effort to get everything just right.”

She let his hand slip from hers and gave him an affectionate punch on the arm. “Well, I’m so glad I have someone who knows exactly what’s going on in my date’s mind.”

“I’m serious. I think he knows what he missed out on by not showing you he was serious all those years ago. This is a bona fide second chance.”

“You keep saying that, and I agree, but you’re going to make me nervous!”

“Oh, don’t be! Now call him. You two need to make plans.”

“I’ll call him when we get back to the house.”

“He said to call him when we were done.”

“And we’ll be ‘done’ when we get back home.” She headed for the stairs, but David was right behind her.

“You just don’t want to talk to him with us around.”

He was right, but she wanted to prove him wrong. “Fine. I’ll call him now.” She got out her cell phone as they met up with Jeremiah and the leasing agents. They all shook hands and left, and she dialed Erik’s number once she was seated in the car.

“What’s going on?” Jeremiah asked. He started the engine and turned to look at the traffic on the street.

“She’s calling Erik. I was just pushing her to get on with it.”

Jeremiah grinned at her in the rearview mirror, but he didn’t comment. She looked out the window as she waited for Erik to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Erik? It’s Susan. We got done pretty early, so I thought I’d give you a call back.” She continued to look out the window because she suspected one or both of her friends would be staring at her or maybe even making faces at her.

“Wonderful. I’d love to take you out to dinner. Where would you like to go?”

“Oh, I’d be up for anything. What did you have in mind?”

He paused. “I haven’t been out much since I moved back. Any new places you’ve tried? Any you want to check out?”

“Someplace quiet and laid back maybe? We haven’t seen each other in so long and we have a lot of catching up to do.”

“I could come get you and make dinner for you at my house. We wouldn’t be rushed by other people, and we’d have the privacy to really catch up.”

She blushed. She couldn’t help it. He wasn’t being suggestive or flirtatious, but the thought of being alone with him excited her. She cleared her throat and ignored the sound of David trying to hold back a laugh.

“That sounds nice. Can I bring anything? We’re heading back to the cabin now and could stop for something. You remember where it is, right?”

“Yes, I dropped you off over there once. That’s where you’re living?”

“Yeah. Jeremiah inherited it a while back. It’s very peaceful out by the lake.”

“I bet it is. The ideal setting for starting over.”

“Yes, I think so.”

“I have everything I need. Do you have a drink preference?”

“Well, depends on the meal, but I’m fond of gin. Red wine is another favorite.”

“I’ll make sure I’m well stocked then. I’ll come pick you up around five?”

“Perfect. See you then.”

“Good-bye, Susan. Until then.”

“Bye.”

She turned toward the front of the car and jumped when she saw David turned around in his seat staring at her. She raised her phone in a threatening manner.

“Don’t drink anything you didn’t mix yourself. Who knows? Erik might have gone crazy up in the snow and ice in Michigan. He might want to perform bizarre experiments on you.”

She laughed, as much as she wanted to hit him. “I don’t think I need to worry about that too much. He might need to worry about me. I haven’t had sex in a year. It might be dangerous for him once I get a drink or two in me.”

David raised his eyebrows, and Jeremiah laughed. “Maybe. I think you have more control than that,” Jeremiah said. “Just call one of us if you need a ride back.” He turned off the main road and looked at her in the rearview mirror. “Or if you’re both drunk you just stay put and make a full night of it.”

“Okay, you two, let’s tone it down.” She hesitated. “No, wait, get it out of your system now. I don’t want you two acting like high school dweebs when he arrives.”

“Dweebs? Really?” Jeremiah asked.

“It’s not her fault. Her vocabulary is suffering because very little blood is making it to her brain.” David pointed at the drugstore on the corner. “Need any condoms? Or do you like something else? Bethany used like five different kinds of birth control, and I didn’t know what half of it actually was.”

“Oh good grief, I’m fine on that end, and I really don’t think that’s going to happen tonight, but thanks for the concern.”

David heaved a fake sigh. “You are no fun.”

“I promise I will keep you both apprised of developments.”

“Details?” Jeremiah asked.

“Hell no,” she said with no hesitation.

They both laughed, but they finally did let up with the teasing and questions. Would she and Erik have sex tonight? She knew him well enough, and she had plenty of confidence it would be amazing, but would he be that forward? She hadn’t seen him for years. Would he still find her attractive? She hadn’t changed much, so she pushed that thought away. He was her friend first and foremost, and she knew nothing would change that. What would he look like? Would he have grown even handsomer the way some men did? Would he look the same? Or had he gained thirty pounds and lost three inches off his hairline? She would simply have to wait and see. If he was still as handsome as ever, she might have a hard time saying no to any of his advances. Part of her hoped for just such a dilemma.

Chapter Two

Susan came down the stairs in her favorite black dress. It was simple but flattering, not too long but not too short, and it hugged her breasts without being too low-cut. She hoped it would send the right signals, even though she had to admit she wasn’t sure which signals she wanted to send. She twirled around playfully.

“How do I look?” she asked.

“Perfect,” Jeremiah said.

“Enchanting,” David added.

She put her hands on her hips. “More realistic answers, please.”

“Your tits look great,” David said.

“The peep-toe shoes are sexy,” Jeremiah said.

She laughed. “Thank you. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

“Really?” Jeremiah asked. “Should we be concerned about how long Erik will be able to fend off your advances?”

“I’m not going to make any advances. I am going to have a good time and do whatever I please.”

David started to say something, but they all stopped when they heard the gravel outside crunching under the wheels of a car.

Susan looked at her watch. “Ten minutes early. Hmmm.”

“Maybe he wants to have a drink with your big brothers and let you make a grand entrance.”

“If you two were my big brothers, I’d probably never have had a single date.”

“We’d have let you go out with any guy who was sufficiently afraid of us,” David said as he headed for the door. He put his hand on the knob. “You want to sneak back upstairs?”

She rushed over to him. “Get away from the door! He’ll see you through the window.”

She grabbed his hand, and they both turned to see Erik grinning at them through the small window in the door. He knocked softly and grinned wider.

Susan tried not to blush, but she did not succeed. She opened the door. “Hi, Erik. Come in.”

He looked amazing. He actually was handsomer, as she’d expected. His hairstyle was almost the same, conservatively short, but he had a little gray just at his temples, which contrasted nicely with the rich brown of his hair. He had a line or two around his mouth and eyes but they did not detract at all. His smile and the look in his eyes made her heart thud loudly. He was dressed in all black as well and looked incredibly sexy. His shoulders seemed broader and his stomach flatter. His pants hugged his muscular legs very well.

“Dude, you’ve been working out,” David said as he extended his hand. He gave Susan a quick wink.

Susan blushed a deeper red, but she managed to smile.

He shook hands with David. “Yes, I have. Blood pressure runs in my family, and I started working out more a few years back. I feel ten years younger.” He turned to Jeremiah. “Jeremiah. How are you?”

They shook hands. “I’m good. Where are you working now?”

“At the university hospital, actually. I’m taking a sabbatical from practice to do some research. I’ll be on call for emergencies when no one else is available, but I won’t be working much.” He turned to Susan. “I’ll have much more free time now.” He took her right hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “You look perfectly enchanting.”

David and Jeremiah looked at each other, but thankfully they controlled their laughter.

“We tried to tell her that,” Jeremiah said.

“But it didn’t work because we don’t count as men in her eyes,” David said.

Erik ran his thumb over the top of her hand before releasing it. “Yes, she has always had a problem taking compliments.”

“I have improved. A lot.” She picked up her purse. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll all have dinner another night so these two can tease me all they like.”

Erik held out his arm, and she took it. “And I’m quite sure they’ll do just that. But yes, we do need to head off. I’ve got everything ready. Just needs heating up.”

“Have a good night, boys,” Susan said. She rushed Erik out the door as he said a hurried good-bye.

He chuckled as they walked to his car. “Anxious to be away from them, aren’t you?”

She shrugged as he opened her door. “They’ll only make me nervous.”

He looked into her eyes. “Do you think you need to be nervous?”

She touched his arm and shook her head. “Not at all.”

“Damn! You’ve grown into a beautiful, sophisticated woman, and now I’ve lost all of my worldly, forbidden appeal. I don’t impress you at all anymore.”

“That’s not true.” She got into the car, and he closed her door. When he slid in on his side, she smiled at him. “You’re still just as appealing as ever, only now I’m not worried that a beautiful, sophisticated woman is going to saunter up to you and tell me to run along and play.”

“No, that certainly isn’t going to happen.” He took her hand and kissed her wrist. “You really do look beautiful. I’m glad I took the chance and contacted you.”

“I am too.”

She had a very hard time keeping a jubilant grin off her face as they drove to his apartment.

* * * *

Erik handed Susan a glass of wine before going back into the kitchen to check the lasagna. He wasn’t nervous. That simply wasn’t the feeling that had his stomach in knots. What was it? He planned on taking it slow with Susan. In all the years they’d been apart he had never stopped thinking about her. Since nothing had ever happened between them, they’d really been friends. Now? He didn’t know what she was expecting. He couldn’t deny how much he wanted her, and he had no intention of reining his flirting in, but how was he going to balance everything? He wanted her to take him seriously. If they had sex too soon, would she think that was all he wanted? His reputation was mostly just that, as he had told her. It was a reputation. He had done some things to deserve one, but he felt certain she wouldn’t be shocked by anything.

The lasagna was just beginning to bubble around the edges, so he moved it to the bottom rack of the oven and slid the garlic bread in. He turned the oven down and picked up his own glass of wine. He took a long sip and then a deep breath.

“You know, it’s odd Italian food is considered romantic. It tends to have garlic in it, and by the end you’re so full you hardly feel like moving,” he said. He sat down beside her. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

She laughed. “Yes, I would. I do tend to wind up curled in a ball on the couch after too much pasta.”

He hesitated. “I’m not trying to break the mood, or on the contrary try to get anything out of the way, but I just wanted to say in person that I’m so sorry about what happened to Mark. I’m sorry I didn’t make the funeral.”

She touched his hand. “That’s fine. It was a small service. He didn’t like big, hectic affairs. I got your note. It was very sweet. You got my letter?”

“Yes. I thought it was very kind of you to take the time to write back. I know you were busy and distracted. I was thinking about you every day. I knew you’d need time.”

She put her wine down and folded her hands in her lap. “I’m just glad we had the time we did together. I’m glad the last two years of his life were good.”

“I’m sure he was amazingly happy. I don’t mean to make you sad, but I had to say something. I’m sorry I never met him.”

She laughed, which surprised him.

“What?”

“Oh, he would not have liked you. I don’t mean that as an insult. He would have known you were attracted to me, and he would never have let us hang out alone. He wasn’t jealous, and he trusted me, but he didn’t trust other men. He was convinced most men wanted to steal me from him.”

“Most men probably did.”

“Not that I recall.”

He waited a few seconds, and then he asked, “So how is David? He lost his wife around the same time, right?”

“Yes. Only two weeks later.”

“That’s terrible.”

“It was. He took it very badly. I can’t imagine him dating. His sense of humor has returned, but something inside him is different.”

Did he dare introduce the subject? “Some people would have expected you two to end up together. I was a little worried when I heard you lived in the same house.”

“That would be like dating my cousin or something. He’s very handsome, and I adore him, but I couldn’t imagine us even kissing, let alone being together.”

Relief washed over him. He believed her, but she didn’t speak for David. He had always suspected David had liked her but never had the courage to risk their friendship, which he could relate to very well. The teasing that to Susan apparently was brotherly and innocent seemed like an outlet of sexual frustration to Erik. He might only be paranoid though. He could understand why her husband had suspected most men of wanting her. He found it hard to believe most men didn’t. Jeremiah, for some reason, had never worried him. Erik knew he was going to have to get used to David being around. As long as she wasn’t interested in David, then he felt he could do it.

“Well, I’m pleased to hear that. I apologize for my paranoia.”

She rolled her eyes and giggled. “Oh please. I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“Good.” He got up and headed for the kitchen. “I’ll check on the food. I believe it’s just about ready.”

He collected his thoughts as he pulled the food from the oven. He wasn’t going to let any negative thoughts influence the evening. They had a lot of catching up to do, and he was anxious to hear about everything that had been going on in her life since the last time they sat down to a meal together.

* * * *

Susan handed Erik a cup of coffee, and then poured her own. He moved to the back door, which led out onto the porch that extended off the back of the house, and held it open for her. She stirred her coffee and tried to sneak another glance at the stairs. All the lights had been off when Erik brought her home, but she knew David and Jeremiah were still awake. She’d put her purse upstairs and briefly stopped outside each of their bedroom doors. She’d heard the low sounds of a television show in Jeremiah’s room, but David’s room had been silent. She guessed he was either reading or doing something online because a dim light shone from under the door. After Erik closed the door and joined her at the patio table, she looked up at their bedroom windows. They both had the curtains drawn. Could she actually hope they were going to behave and leave her alone?

Erik laughed, startling her as she was setting her coffee cup on the table.

“What?”

“You seem so concerned about what your roommates are planning. I think we’re safe.” He glanced up at the windows. “Unless you think they’ll hurl water balloons at us.”

“No, I can’t say I think that. But those two are hard to predict some days.”

“Not to keep harping on them, but I was curious about one thing. Didn’t David end up going to law school?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

“So why is he opening a bookstore with you two? Didn’t he like practicing?”

“He liked it, but not enough. He works for a legal website now. It’s pretty laid back. He can take individual assignments. He also provides live help via a chat system a couple of days a week.”

“So it’s one of those sites where you can do a will or something like that without having to actually go to a lawyer?”

“Yeah. He likes it, and I think the money is pretty good.”

“And Jeremiah is teaching?”

“Just part-time.”

“Why did you stop teaching?”

“The job with the library was too good to pass up. I could have taught in the evenings, but I figured I would be so tired I wouldn’t be very effective.”

“Do you miss it?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes. I might try to teach a class part-time or something. I don’t know. I’m excited about the bookstore, so I think that will keep me occupied for a while. We all like the idea of working for ourselves.”

“I definitely think you’ll enjoy it.”

“I hope so. It’s the kind of thing I saw myself doing after retirement. I got pretty excited when the idea came up. I felt like I couldn’t pass up the chance.”

Erik looked out over the edge of the porch to the woods behind the house. “It’s really peaceful out here.”

Susan sighed with contentment. “It is. I love it. I sleep so much better here.” She sipped her coffee, then got up to stand at the railing. He followed her and stood close beside her. “It’s easier to quiet my mind, you know? I can put something out of my mind easily. I’ve always had trouble sleeping.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “Even when Mark and I were married. I expected to sleep better with him there. Like a comforting presence, you know?”

Erik nodded. “Yes, I would think so. It’s easy to dwell on things when you’re alone.”

“Well, it didn’t help. I don’t have insomnia, and I don’t have nightmares, but I just have trouble winding down. I’ll take a sleeping pill when I really need to make sure I get enough sleep, but then I’m groggy the next day, so I just deal with it as best I can.”

“Your body will tell you when you need sleep. Your emotions and thoughts can affect that, but when you really need to sleep your body lets you know.”

“Is that an official medical opinion?”

He smiled. “In a way. Sleep is a mysterious thing. Dreams are too. I won’t presume to be an expert. I am glad you’re sleeping better.”