Read Online Anyone but You by Jennifer Crusie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Crusie
Ads: Link
dropped her hand and gazed down at Fred with disgust "—this is Fred."
"Hello, Fred," Norma said, and Fred got to his feet and walked the four steps he needed to be within smelling reach of Norma's Nikes.
"I've been neglecting him," Nina told Norma. "This is a guilt walk."
"It's not good to neglect males," Norma agreed. "They're such babies about it, and they sulk. It's why I'm never living with another one of them. No offense, Fred."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Nina said. "Except for Fred. All he needs is his ears scratched and some Oreos and he's happy." She looked at the morose-as-usual Fred. "Well, he's content."
"You could keep a lot of men content with that," Norma said. "Although it may take you more than that to keep Alex cheerful. Very physical young man, Alex."
Nina blushed and then kicked herself for blushing. "Alex and I are just friends."
Norma shook her head. "Too bad. He seemed very taken with you when he told me about you yesterday." She looked at Nina sharply. "An excellent young man, Alex. No bluster and a very good sense of humor. You could do a lot worse."
"He's ten years younger than I am," Nina blurted before she remembered that Norma had thirteen years on her Rich.
"Yes," Norma said. "Isn't that nice? He won't die and leave you a widow or run out of steam in bed while you're hitting your stride." She smiled at Nina, serene and lovely. "Don't let foolish assumptions about what's appropriate keep you from a good man. There are too few good men around to ignore one just because he's the perfect age for you." She patted Nina's arm. "But of course, it's your choice.
I'm so glad we've met. You must come out running with me someday. Bring Fred."
At the sound of his name, Fred stood up again and whined a little.
"There, see?" Norma smiled down at Fred. "He wants to run."
"I've never seen Fred run," Nina said.
"Then that will be something else new for you." Norma turned to the stairs. "Broaden your horizons.
They're the only ones you'll ever have, so make the suckers as wide as possible." And then, while Nina watched, Norma ran up the stairs, her quadriceps straining against her cashmere sweats. They were damn good quadriceps.
"Maybe if I had quadriceps like that," Nina told Fred. "And maybe if he was ten years older, maybe then I'd jump Alex. But with this body, no."
Fred sat down again.
"Come on, Fred," Nina said and dragged him toward the stairs. "We'll both run a couple of blocks.
Then we'll have an Oreo. One Oreo."
At the magic word, Fred rose to his feet and clambered down the stairs under the delusion that he was heading toward cookies. Nina didn't care; at least they were moving toward a new experience.
After meeting Norma, she was pretty sure she was going to feel guilty if she didn't turn up with a new experience on a regular basis from now on.
* * *
Later that evening, Alex had an old experience.
"It's time you made a decision, son," his father blustered at him over the phone, and Alex tried to listen while he put on his socks with one hand and checked his watch. He was due to pick up Tricia for dinner in fifteen minutes, and he still didn't have a tie on, not to mention a jacket or shoes. He hated ties and jackets. He wasn't too crazy about shoes, either.
"Alex?"
"I'm listening," Alex said, "but it's pretty much too late now." He stood up and rifled through his drawer looking for a tie. "All the slots are filled. I couldn't—"
"That's what I called about," his father broke in. "We have an opening in cardiology. Young Lutin dropped out of the program. Went to Tahiti to paint. Tahiti! What kind of fool would give up an important career to paint in Tahiti?"
"Gauguin." Alex stared sightlessly into his top drawer, envying Lutin who would never have to discuss cardiology with his father again.
"What?" his father said, and Alex said, "Nothing."
"It's yours, son," his father went on. "All you have to do is take it."
Oh, hell. "Dad, it's not a good idea to give your son
"Hello, Fred," Norma said, and Fred got to his feet and walked the four steps he needed to be within smelling reach of Norma's Nikes.
"I've been neglecting him," Nina told Norma. "This is a guilt walk."
"It's not good to neglect males," Norma agreed. "They're such babies about it, and they sulk. It's why I'm never living with another one of them. No offense, Fred."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Nina said. "Except for Fred. All he needs is his ears scratched and some Oreos and he's happy." She looked at the morose-as-usual Fred. "Well, he's content."
"You could keep a lot of men content with that," Norma said. "Although it may take you more than that to keep Alex cheerful. Very physical young man, Alex."
Nina blushed and then kicked herself for blushing. "Alex and I are just friends."
Norma shook her head. "Too bad. He seemed very taken with you when he told me about you yesterday." She looked at Nina sharply. "An excellent young man, Alex. No bluster and a very good sense of humor. You could do a lot worse."
"He's ten years younger than I am," Nina blurted before she remembered that Norma had thirteen years on her Rich.
"Yes," Norma said. "Isn't that nice? He won't die and leave you a widow or run out of steam in bed while you're hitting your stride." She smiled at Nina, serene and lovely. "Don't let foolish assumptions about what's appropriate keep you from a good man. There are too few good men around to ignore one just because he's the perfect age for you." She patted Nina's arm. "But of course, it's your choice.
I'm so glad we've met. You must come out running with me someday. Bring Fred."
At the sound of his name, Fred stood up again and whined a little.
"There, see?" Norma smiled down at Fred. "He wants to run."
"I've never seen Fred run," Nina said.
"Then that will be something else new for you." Norma turned to the stairs. "Broaden your horizons.
They're the only ones you'll ever have, so make the suckers as wide as possible." And then, while Nina watched, Norma ran up the stairs, her quadriceps straining against her cashmere sweats. They were damn good quadriceps.
"Maybe if I had quadriceps like that," Nina told Fred. "And maybe if he was ten years older, maybe then I'd jump Alex. But with this body, no."
Fred sat down again.
"Come on, Fred," Nina said and dragged him toward the stairs. "We'll both run a couple of blocks.
Then we'll have an Oreo. One Oreo."
At the magic word, Fred rose to his feet and clambered down the stairs under the delusion that he was heading toward cookies. Nina didn't care; at least they were moving toward a new experience.
After meeting Norma, she was pretty sure she was going to feel guilty if she didn't turn up with a new experience on a regular basis from now on.
* * *
Later that evening, Alex had an old experience.
"It's time you made a decision, son," his father blustered at him over the phone, and Alex tried to listen while he put on his socks with one hand and checked his watch. He was due to pick up Tricia for dinner in fifteen minutes, and he still didn't have a tie on, not to mention a jacket or shoes. He hated ties and jackets. He wasn't too crazy about shoes, either.
"Alex?"
"I'm listening," Alex said, "but it's pretty much too late now." He stood up and rifled through his drawer looking for a tie. "All the slots are filled. I couldn't—"
"That's what I called about," his father broke in. "We have an opening in cardiology. Young Lutin dropped out of the program. Went to Tahiti to paint. Tahiti! What kind of fool would give up an important career to paint in Tahiti?"
"Gauguin." Alex stared sightlessly into his top drawer, envying Lutin who would never have to discuss cardiology with his father again.
"What?" his father said, and Alex said, "Nothing."
"It's yours, son," his father went on. "All you have to do is take it."
Oh, hell. "Dad, it's not a good idea to give your son
Similar Books
