Page 12 of More than a Memory
“Me thinks perhaps you like this Sam character a little more than the previous million guys you have dated,” Annie answered truthfully.
“Don’t be ridiculous! I barely know him. We spent one evening together a year ago. Yes, admittedly there was great chemistry and maybe I’m up for a wild fling but nothing more than that! FYI, I am NOT afraid of Sam Parker!” Darcy huffed.
“Whatever you say, Sis,” Annie said impishly. “Are you ready to pick out your date outfit?”
“NO!” Softening, Darcy relented and said, “Let’s wait until tomorrow. I’m too full right now. I feel like a stuffed sausage.”
“Dealio!” Annie replied. “I’m going to take a long soak in the tub and go to bed early. I have my first appointment, a cut and color, at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. I won’t be home until around 3:30. Then I’ll do your make-up and help you get dressed. You will knock his socks off!” She smiled at her sister’s wary expression.
“I was thinking of jeans and a flannel shirt,” Darcy said.
“Over my dead body! No way! We will compromise, no flannel and I won’t force you to wear a designer gown.” Laughing, Annie headed to the bathroom, throwing a last comment over her shoulder. “You’re a hopeless case, Sis! ‘Night and thanks for dinner.”
“’Night. Love you!”
Sighing, Darcy turned off the television and went to load the dishwasher. She was ready for bed herself. It had been a long day and she planned to read a little and then crash.
Crawling underneath the covers of her king-sized bed, she had to push a dog over to give herself some leg room, “Come on you guys. Do you have to crowd me out? There’s a whole bed here.” They completely ignored her and did not budge an inch.
She sighed, opened her book, and stared at the pages, not seeing one word. All she could see was a wide, dazzling white smile, with gorgeous, penetrating green-brown eyes. Her pulse picked up and she suddenly felt warm all over.
“Well kids, I may as well enjoy the ride and take advantage of this chemistry. It doesn’t come along every day.”
Why couldn’t they just enjoy each other with no strings attached, she thought. They were both consenting adults and could have fun, get certain needs met, and when it had run its course, they could move on. With that decision made, she reached over and switched off the bedside lamp and rolled onto her side for some much-needed sleep.
* * *
The following morning, since it was Saturday, Darcy decided to stay home and get things done around the house before heading to the office. She was behind on everything. She had a mountain of laundry to do, she needed to change her bedding, pay bills, and catch up on house cleaning. The dogs were in heaven, always game to laze around the house and supervise Darcy running around like a madwoman in a cleaning frenzy. She wanted the house to be presentable when Sam came to pick her up.
She was streaming country music on her Bluetooth speaker, loudly, her favorite way to get motivated. With her hair up in a bandana, wearing a tank top and men’s boxer shorts, she was in cleaning warrior mode. No one would dream of getting in her way as she moved around the house like a Tasmanian devil. It was therapeutic for Darcy. She loved to clean when she had the time. The satisfaction she got from the end result always left her feeling lighter, like she had not only cleaned the house but cleansed herself in the process.
Later, at her office, Darcy locked the filing cabinets and finished tidying her desk. She had talked with Jessica, who had received a call from Jared, telling her that her children were fine. He tried reassuring her that he had decided to take a little trip with the kids but would be in touch. She was able to talk with them on the phone, which eased her mind that they were physically OK, but they were crying for their Mommy, which completely devastated Jessica.
The police, still reluctant to get involved, referred her to the court, suggesting Jessica file a motion for contempt of court. Darcy recommended that she also get in contact with her family law attorney as soon as possible. If Jared thought he wasn’t getting enough time with his kids before, he stood to lose any visitation at all with this dumb move. However, these days, the court pushed for parental involvement of both parties, which sometimes was to the children’s detriment in Darcy’s opinion.
Glancing at her watch, she saw that it would soon be time for Annie to arrive and she wanted to be showered and ready for her, so she locked up her office and left for the day. When she got home, she let the dogs outside so she could concentrate on getting ready for her big date. Every time she thought of Sam, she got flutters in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t discern whether it was excitement, dread, or a combination of both.
As Darcy stepped out of the shower and was drying off, Annie flew into her bedroom, apologizing for being late.
“I’m so sorry I’m late, I ran over with my last client.”
“You aren’t that late, Annie, no worries.”
“I’ve been looking forward to this all day! A rare opportunity to dress my sister up!” she said gleefully. “Not that you need much. You are delicious! I’m just going to mousse up your luxurious hair and let it go au natural. Some mascara and eyebrow pencil with a red gloss and you will be good to go. No way are we concealing those adorable freckles. That would be a sin!” she said in all seriousness.
“Now sit down here in front of the mirror and let me get to work,” Annie commanded.
“Yes boss,” Darcy said, unusually compliant.
“You’re the quintessential girl next door beauty! Your hair color is divine, not orange and not copper but somewhere in between. Not to mention, people would give anything to have such a thick, luxurious mane! I can’t believe how long it has grown from your last trim. It almost reaches your breasts!”
“I’ve been so happy with the cut you gave me last time. I love the long layers, Annie. It’s easy to take care of, I don’t need to fuss with it for it to look good, and I can still pull I back when I want too, just the way I like it! You’re truly an artist,” Darcy said sincerely.
Pleased with the compliment, Annie grabbed the can of mousse and applied it liberally to Darcy’s roots. Taking out the blow dryer, she fluffed and scrunched Darcy’s hair while drying it, giving it a wild, tousled finish. She clipped Darcy’s hair away from her face so she could apply mascara and eyebrow pencil. She added a smoky eye and finished with a shiny red lip.
“I decided to use lipstick rather than gloss for the dramatic effect,” Annie said.
Walking over to Darcy’s closet, Annie shuffled through the hangers of clothing, pulling out several tops that she thought might have potential, “I’m taking you out shopping, Sis. This is pathetic!” she complained. “Hold on a sec, I’m going to go get one of my tops for you to try. I don’t want you to say a word until you put it on.”