Things Made Right (3 page)

Well, her mom had insisted on that more than her father.

And out of earshot of her father.

Loren knew her mom regretted never completing her degree when she dropped out after getting pregnant with Loren in her junior year of college.

Loren didn’t want that, either.

But she’d also not told her mom she wasn’t a virgin anymore. Loren kept condoms in her purse, just in case. She’d only slept with two guys, one in high school, and a guy she briefly dated her first semester before she realized he didn’t want her for much else besides sex and helping him do his homework. She was also on the pill now, something she’d taken care of her first semester via the student health center.

The condoms were for extra protection against the kinds of things the pill wouldn’t protect her against.

As Loren prepared for bed, she wondered if maybe she should make some sort of move Saturday night. She really liked Ross. He was a great guy. He was handsome, with his sandy-brown hair and deep brown eyes. Just a hair over six feet, he wasn’t a hulk, but he wasn’t some skinny twig, either. He always had a calm demeanor, but a quick wit and easy laugh. Just being around him always seemed to leave her in a better mood.

Hmm.

* * * *

Mark had a way of stating the obvious in the most roundabout way possible. “Saturday evening, huh?”

“What?” Ross had driven them tonight and had to drop Mark off on his way home.

Mark grinned at him. “You fixed her typewriter. She was definitely grateful.”

“She needed help. I like being helpful.”

“You’re single, and she’s single.”

There were things Mark didn’t know about him. Things any woman he was interested in would have to know if he pursued a serious relationship with her.

Difficult things to talk about and share unless he knew the woman already leaned that way.

Yes, Ross did like Loren.

A lot.

But he had to take his time and go slow and see if she was the kind of woman who’d take an interest in his…interests. His last girlfriend hadn’t, but it had taken him several months to finally figure that out without being overt. He didn’t want to ruin his reputation, or anyone else’s.

Once he’d realized his ex was only interested in vanilla sex and nothing else, he’d engineered an amicable breakup by fibbing and intimating he really wasn’t interested in sex for anything but procreation, and only within the confines of marriage.

She’d quickly started finding excuses not to get together, and when he offered her the option of breaking up and being friends, she’d accepted.

It had saved face all around.

But Loren…there was something about her. Maybe she would prove to be the one.

Only time would tell.

* * * *

Saturday evening, Loren had opted for easy, something she couldn’t possibly screw up unless she set fire to the stove in the process. Spaghetti with meat sauce, including mushrooms. Not just out of a jar, either, but homemade sauce. With a salad and garlic bread, it was easy on the budget and on her nerves.

Emily and Mark had gone home for the weekend for some family stuff, leaving Loren alone with Ross for the night. Loren had time to grab a shower, and she changed clothes three different times before Ross rang the bell downstairs at 7:29.

Dammit.

She stared at her outfit. She was trying for a flirty but casual vibe with a sundress she hadn’t worn in a few months. She rarely wore skirts or dresses anyway. It was shorts or jeans, depending on what she was doing. Even at work, where their dress code was casual, all the employees wore T-shirts with the coffeeshop’s logo on them.

Too late to change again now, she buzzed Ross in and fought the urge to be standing there in the open doorway when he reached her apartment.

Although she was standing at the door and looking through the viewfinder when he knocked.

After a deep breath that did jack shit to calm her nerves, she opened the door for him.

He carried a cheesecake in his hands. “I decided to bring dessert. I hope that’s okay.”

D’oh!
She’d forgotten about a dessert. “It’s perfect,” she said. “Come on in.”

They exchanged an awkward, laughter-filled half hug around the cheesecake before he walked in.

“Smells great, whatever it is,” he said.

“Spaghetti.” She took the cheesecake from him and went to put it in their fridge. “Hope that’s all right.”

“Perfect. Can I do anything to help?”

“Nope. It’s ready. Just have to finish browning the garlic bread.”

She turned and found herself toe-to-toe with him. The gulp was a nervous reaction to the way her stomach dropped in a good way as she stared up into his eyes.

“So, did you make me my cookies?” he asked.

There was something about his tone of voice, the depth, the hidden meanings that stirred things inside her in an uncomfortably good way.

It took her a minute to realize what he meant. “Oh, no. Sorry. I forgot all about the cookies.”

A sexy smirk curved his lips. “Then I guess you’re still indebted to me, aren’t you?”

More flutters deep inside her. Holy moly, he was
hot
. “I guess so.”

“I’m off work on Wednesday. How about I come over for dinner again? More vig for forgetting the cookies.”

“Deal.” The word escaped her before she’d even realized she’d said it.

Spend another evening with Ross?

Hell
yes.

They ate, he helped her clean up, and they talked as they sat and watched TV until after midnight.

Loren wasn’t sure if Ross was as into her as Mark had said, but even she couldn’t deny there was an easy attraction to him that grew stronger by the hour.

She wouldn’t rush into anything.

He was in pre-law and still trying to decide where to go to law school. His father was pushing him to go to UPenn, but he’d been accepted at several schools.

“Sounds like your dad has some opinions,” she said.

Ross let out a snort. “He sure does.” She realized Ross didn’t talk about his family a lot. She got the impression he wasn’t thrilled with them, but she didn’t feel like she should pry.

“No siblings?” she asked. The more they talked, the more she realized she didn’t know about him.

“Nope. Only child. You?”

“Ditto.”

He glanced at the clock hanging by the kitchen doorway just as a yawn escaped her. Contagious, he yawned, too.

“Time for me to think about heading home,” he said, making no move to stand.

She smiled. “I’m not rushing you out the door.”

“I know. But I don’t want tongues to wag.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully, as if worrying about others’ opinions was the last thing on his list.

“I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

He reached out and caressed her cheek. “I’m sure you can. But I’m a gentleman. And I’d like to extort a few more meals out of you before I sully your reputation.” He smiled.

An overwhelming urge to throw herself into his lap swept through her, one she barely managed to fight back.

Something about Ross seemed far older than his age. She’d heard about “old souls” and wondered if he was one. She could easily picture him as a lawyer, calmly dealing with cases and clients with a surety and finesse many never had. Like a steady, calm fog rolling in, before you knew it, he was there and his presence blanketed everything.

In a good way.

“Promises, promises,” she finally settled on as an answer.

“Besides, you don’t even know if you want to handle the real me,” he mysteriously said.

“Oh, I’m sure I can.”

He finally stood, holding out a hand to help her up off the couch. “So you say. Let’s have a few more dinners, at least, before we find out.” He pulled her in for a hug she desperately didn’t want to end. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I’m in no rush. And other than school and work, I’m all yours.”

She snuggled just a little bit closer in his arms at that statement. It sent a thrill through her, even though she knew it wasn’t anywhere close to a promise or even a hint of one.

Just a subtle reassurance.

When he finally left a few minutes later, she watched from the living room window when he emerged onto the sidewalk below. He looked up and waved before walking toward where his car was parked.

She waited until his headlights disappeared before closing the curtains.

I don’t know what it is about him, but I want to spend a lot more time with him.

Over the next couple of weeks, Loren and Ross spent more time together. Then a guy at Ross’ job got hurt, and they gave the hours to Ross temporarily. Meaning less time he had to spend with Loren.

With Ross’ hours now changed to evenings for the next few weeks, he wasn’t coming over to the apartment, alone or with Mark. Loren felt a little disappointed by that, but with her own work schedule, and classes, there wasn’t much time during the week for them to see each other for more than a few minutes here and there. They did talk on the phone some, but usually late at night and only for a few minutes before one or both of them had to head to bed.

It didn’t matter what Mark said, or what she felt, she didn’t feel right just going up to Ross and getting pushy and asking for more. Yes, she’d cooked for him a few times, and they’d gone out a couple of times. He’d taken her to the movies, too.

That wasn’t a “relationship.” And Ross hadn’t even made a move romantically, other than his original statement that very first night she cooked dinner for him that he wasn’t going anywhere.

Maybe he’s gay?

Maybe that explained why she felt so safe with him, so secure, despite her apparently unrequited attraction to him.

Yes, there was flirty, sometimes even sexy banter between them, but Ross had not made a single romantic move on her beyond holding hands, sitting with his arm around her shoulders, or hugging.

She wasn’t about to voice her suspicions to Mark or Emily, either. Loren was smart enough to know that if Ross was gay, he probably didn’t want it blasted all over the place. It would remain their secret. It wasn’t like it bothered her beyond the fact that it meant she’d never get to be more than just friends with him.

She damn sure wasn’t going to ask Ross about it and risk hurting his feelings one way or another. First and foremost she was coming to think of him as her best friend, next to Emily.

So on a Tuesday, when one of the girls in Loren’s accounting class had asked Loren if she was interested in going to a frat party with her on a Friday night, Loren had no reason she could think of to say no. Ross had to work until eleven that night. The girl, Chelsea, hadn’t wanted to go alone. She was meeting some other girls there, who’d invited her, but Chelsea didn’t know them very well.

Loren and Chelsea had shared a class the semester before, and had been neighbors in the dorm before Loren moved in with Emily. They’d studied together plenty of times, so it wasn’t like they were strangers.

“I don’t want to outright tell them no,” Chelsea said. “That might mean no more invites. But I don’t want to go alone, either. And my roommate’s going out with her boyfriend Friday night.”

“No problem,” Loren said. “I’d like to meet some new people. Aren’t those frat parties usually closed, though?”

“Not this one. It’s an open party. Apparently a small, private one. Walter Kessling’s one of the seniors. It’s really his party, him and some friends of his, not an officially sanctioned party. Like a farewell thing.”

“He’s on the football team, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.” Chelsea sighed. He’s cute, too. And single. I had a biz ad class with him last semester.”

“He’s a senior.”

Chelsea shrugged. “He’s a football player. I guess they can take easier classes if they want.”

* * * *

Chelsea stopped by and picked Loren up a little after eight on Friday night. Emily and a guy she was interested in were going to the movies with Mark and his girlfriend that night. The siblings had an unwritten rule they hadn’t shared with their parents. Mark wouldn’t rat his little sister out—and she wouldn’t rat him out, either—but until Mark signed off on a guy, Emily would have a few safe double dates with Mark and his girlfriend first.

Loren envied them a little. The closest thing she had to a sibling was Emily, or Ross. Not that she didn’t want more from him, but the longer they spent time together, the more apparent it was that Ross didn’t seem to be in a hurry to speed things along, either.

She hadn’t even told him about the party. She’d told Emily, just as a precaution. Not that Loren had any worries. She was going with another girl, and it wasn’t like anything bad would happen. It’d be a few hours to relax and chat with people.

Maybe she’d even meet a guy.

Then again, he wouldn’t be Ross.

As they rode to the party, Loren realized any guy she might meet would be held up against Ross as the benchmark whether she meant to or not.

Face it, he’s your perfect guy and he doesn’t seem to be interested in taking it farther.

When they arrived at the party, Chelsea found the girls who’d invited her and introduced Loren to them. Everyone seemed friendly enough. When Walter Kessling, one of their hosts, asked Loren what she wanted to drink and offered to get it for her, she thought it was nice of him.

He returned with her drink, just plain cola and ice, a few minutes later. As Loren sipped it and chatted with people she’d never met before, she tried not to let her mind wander to how much she missed Ross and his contagious, quiet serenity.

* * * *

Loren winced as she turned over, shards of pain shattering her sleep. Bright sunlight hit her squarely in the face. She shivered and realized she was lying on damp grass in what looked like a park. There was a dirty sheet wrapped around her, which she struggled to get free from.

When she tried to sit up, more pain filled her. Her head felt like she had a horrible hangover, which wasn’t possible since she didn’t drink.