Page 18 of Earl
“He promised to wait.”
“For how long? The guy obviously likes you and you talk to him practically every night and some days. Unless he is gay and just need a friend, then he is going to want to know what you look like and see you face to face. Eventually he is going to want to take a sample.”
She glared at him. “You are disgusting.”
“I am being straight, which is something I am not.” He sat up and faced her. “Darling, what you went through with those guys was horrible and frustrating. Some of the blame falls on you of course because whenever you are working you become absorbed.
Which should have been overlooked and understood if the guy really loves you. And if you had one smidgen of feelings for them, it would have prompted you to set aside your design and give them your attention.
I have been here when you received phone calls from this Earl person and the look on your face is one, I have never seen before. The last time I was here, you put away work and left the room to get some privacy. My point is you really like this guy.”
“And that scares the crap out of me,” she admitted. “I like him a lot and the conversations we have, are the highlight of my day. I anticipate his calls, and it doesn’t matter if we are talking nonsense, I look forward to hearing his voice.” She closed her eyes briefly. “I keep asking myself what if he sees me for the first time and is turned off?
What if he is accustomed to slender girls? What if I don’t like the way he looks? All these questions are plaguing me. I mean, what kind of man would resort to online dating? Did he have some sort of ugliness that prompted him to take that route? I don’t know what to think.”
“First of all,” Justin began patiently. “Looks or the lack thereof has nothing to do with going online for a date. Look at me, I am gorgeous, and I have taken to meeting people online.
You know better than that. It is designed for people who are too busy to go the normal route and prefer to pay someone to pave the way. Secondly, no one can ever be turned off by your looks.
You are all woman, exquisitely beautiful and I cursed the heavens that I was born gay, or I would be all over you. We went to that party the other night and men were staring at you…” He shrugged. “At least, the ones who were not staring at me.” He got her to laugh and that lifted his spirits considerably.
He hated that she was so down on herself and couldn’t see what he and every other red-blooded man saw.
Even sitting cross legged on the floor and wearing a slinky blue and gold shirt, she epitomized sexy and alluring. Her hair was piled haphazardly on top of her head with tendrils hanging around her neck and shoulders and she was not wearing a stitch of makeup.
He had worked with beautiful women for most of his life and had seen them before foundation was slathered all over their skin and had been turned off. Cathy did not need any enhancements, and he knew that this guy would be thrilled to come face to face with her.
“You like him?”
“Yes.”
“Then agree to meet him.”
“I am not ready.”
“You are not a coward.”
She glared at him, and he merely stared back at her. “You are brave and outspoken and damned sexy. Get your fine ass out there and meet the guy. You really need to get laid.”
“Bite me.” She squealed when he reached out and grabbed her hand, doing just that.
“You bit me.”
“You asked for it.” He grinned and rubbed the meaty part of her arm where he had sunk his teeth. “And it’s just a nip. Go for it darling and tell me all about it.”
“I am not sure.”
“Cathy, don’t make me hurt you.”
“You already did.” She pointed out. “Now…,” dragging her hand away, she picked up the designs she had been working on. “What do you think?”
*****
“I have to go out of town for a few days, possibly a week.”
“Oh.”
Earl pushed away from his desk and started pacing. The emergency could not have come at a more inopportune time and all of his efforts to try and solve the problem via phone calls had been in vain.