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Let’s face it. She wanted it all, right until the end.
And if she couldn’t get it, she wouldn’t get into bed with him. She hoped.
In the very next second, her resolve was tested. Van had stopped at home to change out of his three-piece suit and tie before they came. She had a splendid chance to ogle him in his new attire as he loped in from the parking lot to join her at the doorway. He wore jeans now. They fit lusciously. Smooth and tight over a nice, tight derriere.
Of course, the jeans had a knife-edge crease. His easy-going shirt was a soft blue with two buttons open at the neck, but the sleeves ended in quietly elegant cufflinks. She’d have to see whether she could muss him a little before the evening was over. He was under her microscope, but she could have fun while she kept him there.
The moment they crossed the threshold into the dimly lit establishment, Mary heard a squeal. Then a shriek. A streak of red hair and gold bling launched itself — herself, on second look — at Van.
“Va-a-a-a-a-n!”
Mary’s jaw dropped as Van grasped the woman by the waist and swung her in a full circle. Hmm. This spontaneous reaction was an interesting hidden depth in the man.
“Lola Rose, how the heck are you?”
“A lot better now that I wrap these arms of mine around you for the first time in too long. Where have you been?”
A bald man with wrinkles on his wrinkles appeared atMary’selbow,wipinghishandsonaworndishtowel. Mary could have sworn those hands alone were the size of the wizened female sprite she could now make out dangling from Van’s neck.
“Put my waitress down so she can go back to work, and we can shake hands,” the geriatric giant boomed.
“Too bad, Gus. This is what you get for marrying your best waitress and business manager. Admit it and live with it. Your business andyour family life will crumble when she runs away with me.”
Gus roared with laughter and pumped Van’s hand up and down with an athletic enthusiasm that would have knocked a lesser man flat on his keister.
“Siddown, boy, siddown. Your steak’ll be on your plate and in between your elbows quicker ’n your mouth can water.”
Gus turned his attention to Mary. “And the little lady … Who do we have here? Where are your manners, boy? Introduce us. You watch out for him, ma’am. You’re about to sit down to supper with Mr. Love ’Em and Leave ’Em.”
“Oh, hush up, Gus,” his wife snapped with a smile. “You’re embarrassing the boy. Besides, of course he leaves ’em, ’cause he’s slavishly devoted to me.”
“Gus, Lola Rose,” Van said, “I’d like you to meet Mary Samuel, who — uh — ”
Mary thrust both hands out to clasp and squeeze the hand of each of the restaurateurs. “Gus, Lola Rose, it’s great to meet you. And I see Van is choking on what to say about me by way of introduction. Let meseeifIcanexplainwhatI’mdoingherewithhim.”
Van looked relieved.
“I’m writing a book about him, so I’m shadowing him for a while. But that’s work, my work, and he’s not too interested in that. What he is interested in is figuring out how to make our boy-girl relationship — how should I say it? — progress, without landing himself in any commitment-type hot water.”
Van’s look of relief vanished, and horror at her truthful talk took over. Served him right for flubbing the intro.
Gus roared with laughter.
But then, Gus always roared with laughter, Mary had already realized.
“Honey,” Lola Rose said, “I’ll shut up about the boy-girl thing.” Her smile said more than words ever could have anyway. She continued, “When you’re ready to take notes on all the things this boy doesn’t want you to know about, why, you know where to come.”
“And while we’re at it,” Gus thundered, “Sugarplum here and I — ”
“ — can fill you in on all the gossip about his previous girls,” Lola Rose said. “If you want to know, that is.”
“She doesn’t want to know,” Van said through gritted teeth.
“Not that he ever brought one of his bimbos in here, you know,” Lola Rose continued. “This is kind of like home, and you don’t bring themhome. So, isn’t it interesting he brought you here?”
Mary laughed but then took pity on Van. “Nahh,” she said, “I blackmailed him into bringing me here.” Still, would she have been able to if he didn’t — dare she use the word? — trust her?
Lola Rose shrugged. “We hear just about everything about our boy here if we’ve a mind to. And we do.”
