The Science of Loving (10 page)

I pulled another victim from the dispenser and began compulsively whittling it down, adding to the growing pile of napkin-confetti in front of me; praying Danny wouldn’t want a report on my date with her brother. The events of yesterday and last night seemed almost surreal this morning. If it weren’t for the red—soon to be a pile ash—dress lying across the foot of my bed this morning, I could almost convince myself yesterday had never happened, that all of it had been a feverish delusion created by a sex-starved mind; apparently, even in my delusions, I couldn't get lucky. And poor Mat, Danny kept hooking him up with psychos and neurotics. I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t been snatched up all ready. He was hot, successful, nice, hot.

“Hey, Angie.” Carla slid into the booth across from me. She was covered in metal and ink; with so many lip piercings, it was a wonder she could drink anything without it dribbling down her chin, but somehow she managed. She worked with Danny at the tattoo parlor, but when intimate piercings were mentioned, I was too uncomfortable to question it further.

She absently clicked the barbell in her tongue against her teeth looking around. “Have you ordered yet?”

“No, I was waiting for Danny.”

“Yeah, that’s cool.” We sat in awkward silence, her clicking, me tearing. We really had nothing in common. Somehow, I didn't think fruit flies were her thing and I wasn’t ready for the dark side.

Carla smiled and waved right before Danny slid in next to her. “Morning my bitches.”

A large body suddenly blocked the sunlight streaming in the windows then slid in next in next to me. The scent of his after-shave hit me first, followed by a wave of heat that echoed up my neck as I focused on making more confetti.

“Hey Carla, long time,” he rumbled. I felt his eyes before his nudge. “What, not talking to me this morning? I’m gonna start thinking you don’t like me.”

“Good Morning Mathew”

“Mathew, huh.”

“Mat.”

“It’s all good,
Angelina
. You can call me anything you like, just so long as you call.”

He stretched an arm over the backrest, casually trapping me against the wall while his other hand toyed with my phone. I’d forgotten he’d taken it. He wore battered jeans well and his wife-beater left his tanned arms gloriously bare except for the inked sleeves swimming up over his shoulders. He smiled lethally when he caught me peeking up at him. There should be a law against smiles like his this early.

“I thought you might want this back.” He set the phone on the table in front of me, his hand closing over mine when I went to picked it up.

“So tell me, my brother, what were you doing with her phone?”

“Ensuring I’d get a second date,” he said, brushing a light kiss across my knuckles before releasing me.

“Right on.” She reached out to bump fists only to leave him hanging. “When will you ever learn.”

“You guys ready to order?” The waitress might’ve been addressing all of us, but she only had eyes for Mat. Not that I blamed her, I’d have been staring too if I thought he wouldn’t notice.

“Yeah, I’ll have a hot cup of quit-eye-fucking-my-brother. Please.” Danny did not just say that.

Mat rested his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands, shaking with suppressed laughter. “I can’t take you anywhere.”

The waitress blinked at Danny. “What?”

“Yes, I’ll have a cup of coffee and a chocolate chip cookie,” she said saccharinely.

“Diet Coke?” Carla choked out.

“Just coffee please,” I muttered.

“What was that hon?” The waitress asked, her eyes never making it past Mat’s arms.

Mat lifted his face from his hands. “She’ll have a coffee. We both will. And a piece of chocolate pie with two forks.”

“Oh, my God. Mat, does that happen often?” Carla laughed as the waitress scurried off.

“Welcome to my hell.”

“Yeah, it must be rough, being one of the beautiful people.”

Mat smiled, flipping her off as he lounged next to me, his thumb absently stroking my shoulder, sending goosebumps skittering down my arm.

I pulled my arm from behind Angie when the waitress brought our pie and coffee. Her zippered top gaped open as she leaned in more than necessary with Angie’s coffee, ensuring I got an eyeful, and Carla was dying by the time she left. Ignoring her choked snickers, I nudged the pie closer to Angie, handing her a fork. “Eat up, sweetness.” I sipped my black coffee watching her pour a healthy dose of cream and… one… two… three… four… sugars into hers.
My girl likes it sweet
.

“So, like, when are you gonna let Carla pierce your cock.” I spewed coffee all over the table as Danny grinned evilly.

“So like, never.” I reached to get a handful of napkins and frowned; there was only one left in the dispenser. I glanced at the pile of torn paper shoved against the wall, then at Angie staring guiltily at her cup before snagging the full dispenser from the table next to us. “My cock, pierced or otherwise, is another forbidden subject on that list we discussed earlier… Christ.” I said mopping up the table.

Odd snorting sounds were coming from Angie as she spoke behind the hands covering mouth. “Oh my God, Mat, I’m so sorry… I’m truly mortified on your behalf… Truly. But I was just thinking… you know… like a Letterman bit… ten words a guy never wants to hear his sister say… ‘So when are you gonna let Carla pierce your cock.’” She dissolved into gales of laughter. “Oh, God, I can’t breathe… Of all the random stuff that comes out of Danny’s mouth, never in my wildest imaginings would I have ever expected that.”

The joyful noise coming from Angie had me smiling. This was the first time I’d heard her well, and truly laugh. And laugh—
okay, it’s not that funny— Shit, who am I kidding; it’s fucking hilarious
—I played it cool though, as Angie’s laughter wound down to little giggles and breathy gasps. Pausing the cup at my lips, I waited to see if Danny had any other smart-ass remarks to deliver. I froze when she took a breath, but she just smirked. Brat.

Angie kept peeking up at me between dainty bites of pie and sips of coffee. She tensed when I slipped my hand under the table and squeezed her thigh. Clearing her throat, she slid a bite of pie in her mouth as her blush totally disarmed me. Her eyes closed when I nonchalantly scraped my nails along the inseam of her jeans. I smiled, sipping my coffee—
that’s right sweetness; I’m putting my hands on you. I’m gonna warm you right the hell up.

“Oh, before I forget, Mom wanted me to remind you about camping this coming weekend.”

“How could I forget? She’s sent me at least twenty emails.”

“That’s because you never call her.”

“The last time I called her, she wanted to talk about the retreat they took for their anniversary… Now, I know a disturbing amount about Tantric sex practices.”

“Transcendent, I believe was the word she used.” Danny grinned.

My palm crept further up, my fingers stroking her inner thigh, and her breath hitched when my pinky occasionally grazed the warm denim covering her crotch.
Oops.
I struggled not to grin as she squirmed—
if she clutches that cup any tighter, that handle just might snap.

“Yeah, yuck it up,
chica
. There’s not enough therapy in the world to get those images out of my brain.” I grumbled.

“Are your Chakras out of whack? Perhaps you should get a colonic.”

“Yeah, I got your colonic.” Angie clenched her legs together and lucky me, my hand ended up trapped between them.

“Where does your family normally go camping?” Angie sounded panicked, but in a good way. I let Danny answer because I couldn’t open my mouth right now without laughing.

“Green Valley usually. It’s in the Cuyamaca National Forest. Hey, you should come with us.” I could kiss Danny right now.

“Yeah Ange,” I gently clenched my hand, looking down at her. “I’d love for you to come.”

She had roses in her cheeks when she looked up at me with slightly parted lips. She dropped her hand onto mine, gripping it firmly to stop my petting. “I really don’t want to impose.”

I grinned, kissing the top of her head, not letting go. “You won’t be imposing. You can save me from my mother’s well intentioned, but grossly—emphasis on gross—intrusive and highly inappropriate lectures.”

“I really can’t. I don’t have any gear or a tent.”

“No worries, I’ll take care of you.” I squeezed again.

“You’re coming and I won’t take no for an answer.” Danny to the rescue—this was why I put up with her shit.

Angie never stood a chance once Danny and I ganged up on her. When the desperation in her eyes told me she knew she'd lost, I took pity on her; sliding my hand from between her legs to lace our fingers together.

CHAPTER FIVE

A Camping We Will Go

The phone had been ringing off the hook all morning. I’d just ticked off the last item on my to-do list, and I was ready for an early weekend. The prospect of spending uninterrupted time with Mat made me both giddy—
What if he wants to continue what he’d started under the table?
—and somewhat fearful—
oh my God, what if he wants to continue what he’d started under the table!

I almost dropped my phone in my rush to sneak out before any new chores could present themselves, frantically swiping it as I juggled my briefcase and keys.

“Good morning dear.” Shit. I should’ve checked the caller I.D.

“Hey Mom, now’s not a good time; you just caught me leaving.”

I hadn’t heard from Mom since that night, and I'd been walking on eggs all week. No one got away with speaking to my mom the way Mat had, not without payback. She’d make a phone call and next thing you knew, your grants had been pulled, thought you were up for tenure? Not any more.

“That’s all right. I just called to see if we could get together this afternoon.”

“I’m sorry Mom, I can’t.”

“Oh, a hot date?”

“Something like that.”

“Not with that horrible man you brought to the mixer?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Angelina, why are you wasting your time with someone like that? He’s not your type.”

“I have a type? I don’t go on enough dates to have a type.”

“That’s my point darling, you’re too naive. You need someone that fits in, has connections, not some tattooed bad boy who draws a crowd wherever he goes. In fact, I was quite taken aback when you brought him to the mixer.”

Shifting the phone to my other ear, I hit the panic bar on the stairwell door. “I like him. He’s interesting, and I’m friends with his sister so it’s not like I can ignore him.” I didn't think it was possible to ignore him.

“Just be careful, I know his type. They don’t do polite, they don’t want smart and nice, they want variety, lots of variety: The hotter and wilder, the better.”
At least he didn’t try whipping his dick out on the first date like the guys you find.

“Look Mom, I really appreciate your concern. I do. But I’m already running late and I can’t drive and talk on the phone. I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when he dumps you for the first easy piece of ass that comes along, and the way he looks, I’m sure it comes along everywhere he goes,” she snarled, ending the call.

Her warning twisted like poison in the back of my mind.
What if she’s right? Of course she’s right, she’s always right.
Women—beautiful women—threw themselves at him everywhere he went. Heck, the mere mention of his name caused feminine salivation—shit, I should never have agreed to go camping. This could only end badly.

I chewed the inside of my cheek, stewing in my car, trying to decide what to do. I thought about calling Daddy, but what if Mom answered? At least now I knew she wasn’t planning to go all evil Queen on my Snow White. Maybe I could do a quick drive by on my way home; there was a good chance she’d be out since she normally reserved Friday mornings for nails and hair so she’d look good for the weekend.

Yes!
Mom’s car wasn’t in the drive. I parked, making a beeline for Daddy’s man cave, aka the garage, and walked into the comforting scents of grease, orange oil and paint. Daddy was sitting on an old sofa he refused to part with—no matter how much Mom complained—reading a newspaper. He looked up, a big grin splitting his face as he stood, opening his arms wide.