Maybe its better that he did stop. I mean, how would you have felt this morning if youd slept with him last night?
If wed had sex, it probably would have been in credible. Then when he dumped me, I would have been left a lot angrier than I am now.
So what are you going to do if he calls you? What are you going to say?
He wont call, Angela said. He cant. I gave him a bad number.
Ceci stopped short with a little gasp. You what?
I gave him the number for the Thai place down the block from our office. See, this way, its kind of like I dumped him. Its finally over. Ive put my obsession with Max Morgan in the past and I can go on with my life.
Well, you had one night, Ceci said in a bright tone. Thats better than nothing.
Angelas cell phone rang and her heart skipped a beat. But when she flipped it open, she noticed her mothers number. She glanced up at Ceci. My mother. She wants me to come to Evanston for a barbecue next weekend. One of her tennis ladies is throwing it and I guess she has a son she wants me to meet. Wed be perfect for each other, she says.
Angela turned the phone on. Hi, Mom. Youre up early. She listened patiently as her mother laid out a very logical case for meeting this man, reminding Angela that the prospects for marriage were diminishing with each year that passed. It had always been a point of conflict between the two of them. Her two sisters were already married, but Angela didnt see anything in their marriages that she envied.
Both of her brothers-in-law were dull, unromantic men who didnt know half of what Max Morgan did about seducing a woman. If Angela was going to have a man in her life, he was going to be sexy and exciting and fabulous in bed. Otherwise, what was the point?
Angela held her hand over the phone. Now, were moving into the guilt phase. My mother knows exactly how to pull my strings.
When Kathleen Weatherby set her mind on some thing, there was no changing it. Just meet him, Angie. Hes a very successful fellow. Hes actually a bit of a celebrity, at least your father thinks so.
He plays baseball. Now I know, you might think hes some kind of arrested adolescent, but from what his mother tells me, hes made some very wise investments.
Angela stopped, grabbing Cecis arm. He plays baseball?
Yes. On some team in Florida. What was the name of that team, Jack? The DeviledEggs?
Devil Rays? Angela asked. He plays for the Devil Rays?
You know the team? Yes, thats it. Your dad says its the Devil Rays. His name is Max. His mother and I have become such good friends and we just got to talking. Hes single and youre single and it would be perfect for both of you. Its a week from this Saturday.
Surely, you can fit it into your schedule.
Mom, I really cant. I have to-
You cannot continue to avoid social situations like this. She paused. Your sisters are both happily married. Dont you want that for yourself?
Mom, Im not going to marry a guy just so I can say Im married. Im happy. I have my work and-
That silly Web site of yours is not a career. You spend your whole day with all those nasty men and when a good one comes along, you wont even try.
Angelas expression must have looked worrisome, because Ceci grabbed her arm. Just hang up, she whispered.
Ill have to call you back, Mom, Angela said. The reception here is really bad. Ceci and I are on our way to the office. Ill talk to you later.
Angela hung up the phone, then bent over at her waist, desperately trying to draw her next breath. You wont believe this. This is so, so weird. I mean, its like, spooky weird. She looked up at Ceci. My mother is trying to set me up with Max Morgan.
Ceci dragged her over to a nearby bench and pulled her down. Oh, my God. Angie, this is like all the karmic forces in the universe have finally converged. I was reading about this at that New Age bookstore on Damen. You cant mess with this. No matter what happens, you and Max are destined to be together.
Angela stood up. Dont be ridiculous, she said, starting back down the street. Its a coincidence. Dont forget, we grew up in the same town, went to the same high school. Our parents live ten blocks away from each other. They belong to the same tennis club. Theyd have met sooner or later. It just happened later.
She picked up her pace. The quicker she got to the office the better. She needed to get back into her routine, work hard and put all thoughts of Max out of her head. As they approached the office, Ceci grabbed her arm again, but this time, she pulled her behind a bus shelter.
What are you doing? Angela asked, twisting out of her grasp.
Look! Isnt that him?
Angela peered through the Plexiglas wall of the shelter, then quickly turned around. What is he doing?
Ceci looked over her shoulder. Hes sitting on the steps, reading the paper and drinking a latte, I think. Hes really cute, Angie. I mean, I thought he was cute at the bar last night. But hes cute in actual daylight. See, I told you. Karmic forces. They cannot be denied.
Stop it. He didnt come here for me. Hes probably just taking a run and stopped to rest for a bit. He doesnt know where I work.
It wouldnt be hard to figure it out, Ceci said. All hed have to do is put an Internet search out for your name and SmoothOperators would come up. There was that article in the Trib six months ago. And you were on that news show in January.
Oh, God. Maybe hes seen the Web site. Maybe he read his profile. What am I going to do? Does he look angry?
Go talk to him, Ceci said. Hes sitting there waiting for you. How sweet is that? Maybe he brought you a donut. Oh, that would be so romantic.
Why are you so determined to put us together? Youre going to be the one picking up the pieces when he dumps me. And you know he will. And thats when Im going to say, I told you so.
Why are you so determined to put us together? Youre going to be the one picking up the pieces when he dumps me. And you know he will. And thats when Im going to say, I told you so.
Oh, boo freaking hoo. I feel so sorry for you. You have a gorgeous man who wants to take you out on a date and youre grumbling about how miserable hes going to make you. Well, dont fall in love with him then. Go out, have a nice time and see what happens. And quit being such a beeyotch or no one is going to want to date you. She paused. Ever again.
Youre the beeyotch, Angela whispered. And Ill hate you forever if this blows up in my face.
I may be a bitch, but Im your best friend, Ceci replied in a low voice. And I love you. Now go talk to him or I will.
When Angela refused to move, Ceci stepped back out on the sidewalk and started toward the office. As she approached, Max stood up. Angela watched as they chatted for a bit, then Ceci turned back and waved at Angela. Left with no choice, Angela walked up to the pair, a smile pasted on her face.
There she is, Ceci said, with a cheery expression. What was wrong? Did you have a pebble in your shoe?
It came untied, Angela said. My shoe. She looked up at Max. Hi. What are you doing here?
He came to see you, Ceci said. You gave him the wrong phone number last night. I always have trouble remembering my own cell phone number. I mean, you never call yourself, right? Why would you remember it. She gave Max a cute little wave, then reached for the door. Ill see you in a bit, Angie. Dont hurry.
What are you doing here? Angela asked.
I thought Id bring you some breakfast. But Ive been sitting here so long, I ate the cheese Danish and drank the latte I bought you. Do you want to walk down to Starbucks with me?
Angela knew she could use work as an excuse to beg off. This had disaster written all over it. Even if he didnt know about the Web site, chances were hed find out sooner or later. And she already knew the effect he had on her. When she was with Max, she forgot all the reasons she was supposed to mistrust him. Still, she couldnt help but be a little curious as to what he was planning to say. Sure, she said.
They wont miss you at work?
Im the boss. No one will miss me, she assured him.
Good.
They strolled down the sidewalk in the direction of the coffee shop. You didnt answer my question, she said.
Which one?
Why are you here?
You gave me a bogus number last night. I was wondering if youd done it on purpose or by accident. By the way, I already know you gave me the number of your favorite Thai restaurant, so dont bother lying. Thats how I found you. I sent some chicken soup to this address last night at 1:00 a.m. I thought this was where you lived.
Chicken soup?
Its a long story. So why did you give me a bad number?
Angela knew she ought to make up some excuse, but for some reason, she wanted him to know what kind of effect his behavior had on women. I didnt want to be disappointed when you didnt call, she finally said.
But I asked you to dinner. We had a date.
In the heat of passion, you asked me to dinner. Things look different the morning after.
God, you must really think Im a jerk, he said. And you dont even know me.
His words brought her up short. True. She didnt know him. She was lumping him in with all the other misogynists she catalogued on her Web site and wrote about in her book. And she was accepting the opinions of women she didnt know. Maybe she ought to put more trust in her own observations.
Man, you must have dated some real scumbags to be so cynical, he said.
No, she said. Im sorry. Its just thatI dont understand why youre interested in me. I know about you, Max Morgan. Im not your type.
Maybe Im looking for a new type, he said. And maybe youre exactly what Im looking for.
Angela smiled and shook her head. You are smooth, Ill give you that. Im not sure whether to believe you or to run away as fast and as far as I can.
Give me a chance, Max pleaded. Just one date. And after that, maybe another five or twenty. And if you dont like the way things are going, you can dump me. I promise I wont kick up a fuss.
Ill get to dump you?
Yes.
She thought about the offer for a long moment. Every fiber in her being told her to refuse. She knew the danger of spending time with Max. But curiosity overwhelmed common sense. Okay, its a deal, Angela said, holding out her hand. Ill give you three dates to convince me of your honorable intentions. If you dont make the grade, Im going to cut you loose.