suffering through a rather boring Saturday evening date, Julie had woken up Sunday morning with Matt on her mind. Actually, he'd been on her mind since the first moment they'd met, since he'd impulsively kissed her in the parking lot and then charmed her the next evening with stories about his family.
There was certainly more to him than she'd first thought, and she was excited and a little nervous to see him again, even though she was absolutely certain that going out with him was a bad idea. She pulled a lightweight jacket over her tank top and leggings and checked her front window for his car. There was no sign of the bright red Ferrari. She let the curtain fall and paced around her living room, trying to burn off some restless energy.
She needed to figure out how to handle Matt—or more importantly how to handle herself.
She'd wanted to feel sparks for Eric, the very nice guy she'd gone out with the night before. But their second date hadn't gone as well as their first, and that was Matt's fault. Matt, with his bigger-than-life personality, his wicked green eyes and sexy smile had made Eric pale in comparison. Eric was attractive, but he wasn't in Matt's league. And why would he be? He sat behind a desk most days and his pale skin probably burned if he got into the sun. But Eric was responsible, committed to his cause of protecting the environment. He cared about making the world a better place, and he was exactly the kind of man she should like.
She obviously had too much of her mother in her. Instead of making the sensible choice, she was being tempted by a man who could easily break her heart.
Her phone rang, interrupting her worrisome thoughts. Was it Matt calling to bail out of class? She grabbed the phone out of her bag and saw her mother's name.
"Hi Mom," she said. "I was just thinking about you."
"I was thinking about you, too," Alicia Michaels replied. "How are you, honey? It's been a few weeks since we've spoken."
"I hadn't realized." That wasn't completely true. Since her mom had gotten remarried, they hadn't talked as often as they used to.
"Are you free for dinner tonight?" her mom asked. "I thought that Kent and I might drive up to the city and take you out. I know it's last minute, but I wasn't sure of Kent's plans until now."
Her mother's words made Julie frown. Why did her mom always let a man's plans take precedent over her own? Or was she once again painting men with her dad's old brush?
"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just about to go to a hip-hop class with some friends. I can't cancel this late."
"Oh, of course. I understand. Maybe next weekend."
"I don't know, Mom. It's crazy busy right now at work. We have a couple of big events coming up over the next few weekends."
"Well, let's try to make time somewhere. I miss you, Julie. It was just you and me for so many years. It's strange not to talk to you every day."
"I know, Mom. I feel the same way. But you're happy with Kent, right?"
"I am, more than I ever imagined I would be. He's a really wonderful man. I never thought I could fall in love after your father did what he did, but Kent is so different, so attentive. Even when we sleep, he has his hand on me. It's like he can't bear to be too far from me at any moment."
Julie's heart turned over. She really was happy for her mother, maybe a little jealous, too. "I'm so glad, Mom. You deserve to have a man like that."
"I want you to have one, too."
"I'm not worried about that. I have lots of time."
"I feel like I may have poisoned you a little when it comes to men. I've been feeling guilty about all the ranting and raving I did about your father when you were younger."
"You didn't tell me anything I didn't see with my own eyes. So don't worry about it." Her apartment buzzer rang. "I have to go Mom. We'll talk soon."
"Call me back tomorrow. There's something else I want to discuss with you. It concerns your father."
Her gut tightened. "What about him?" She pressed a button to let Matt
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