Page 39 of Earl

Moving over to make space when he came over, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “I keep asking myself why he never called me back. I almost swallowed my pride and calledhim. I want to know what I said or did to turn him off.” Tears leaked from her eyes.

“What’s wrong with me, Jus?” She whispered. “Even when the guy has never met me, the relationship ends up turning sour. Is it something to do with the way I speak? My manner? Did he find out that I am not a size two? What? Not knowing is driving me crazy. Why did he stop calling?”

“It’s his loss.” Taking her hand in his, he turned to face her. “Byron likes you, don’t you think you owe it to him, to yourself to give him a chance?”

She nodded.

Lifting a hand, he wiped the tears from her cheek. “And for the record, there is nothing wrong with you. I get a boner just looking at you in that skimpy…,” he squinted at her. “What the hell is that?”

Looking down at herself, she burst out laughing and felt the tension easing from around her heart. “It’s my Christmas apparel.”

“Darling, you are practically naked.”

“It’s translucent.”

“It’s transparent,” he corrected. “What the hell kind of material is it?”

“It’s a mixture of nylon and silk.” Letting go of his hand, she smoothed down the shimmery gold material that molded itself to her body. “It’s designed to drive a man crazy and have him imagining all sorts of erotic thoughts. And you don’t fool me. This outfit does nothing for you.”

He shook his head. “It is not the outfit darling. It is you.” Cupping her face between his hands, he stroked her cheek. “Maybe we should try and see if it will work between us.”

Laughing again, she pushed him away. “You are very good for my ego.”

“And you are hell on mine.” He muttered, but inside he was jubilant that he had managed to lift her spirit.

“Okay, let’s finish the decorations and you go and get ready.”

“I haven’t said I am going.”

“You are. Now scoot.”

*****

“I cannot believe you are seeing her again. What are you thinking?”

Earl looked over at his sister and smiled faintly.

“It’s not what you think. We decided that we should put the past behind us and be friends.” His sister scoffed at that as she unfolded her napkin and placed it carefully over her lap.

“That is her latest ploy, to get you to be friends with her so that she can worm herself back into your life. Darling, are you blind?”

He summoned the waiter and placed their order, taking his time doing so and waited until the man had bowed himself from their table before responding.

“I am not blind, neither am I a fool.” His gray eyes had hardened instantly at her implied insult. “I happen to know what I am doing.”

“I apologize,” she told him quietly. “It’s just that ever since you came back from Italy, you haven’t been yourself. What happened over there?”

“Nothing.” He told her tersely, wondering if agreeing to have lunch with her had been such a good idea. He had been avoiding her since he got back, but she had insisted on seeing him today.

“Earl…”

“I am not in the mood to discuss it.”

His tone brooked no argument and normally she would comply, but not today. Something was bothering him, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

“It’s the holidays.”

“What?” He sent her a frowning glance as he picked up his glass of water.