morning. He wasn’t the man she’d wanted so badly even though she should have been physically replete. Rob wasn’t the man she could imagine waking up beside on a regular basis.
That man was standing on the other side of her bed, picking his shirt off the floor and dragging it on. Like he couldn’t wait to leave.
The thought stung. When Rob had left in a hurry, she’d wondered if he was leaving because he’d heard her and Steve going at it and felt like a third wheel. Like she’d told Steve, she felt bad about that. But that didn’t compare to the burn of rejection she experienced now, watching Steve dress and knowing he was about to hightail it out of her house. Watching Rob leave hadn’t made her stomach roil like it did when Steve told her she should date another man.
Because he obviously didn’t want to date her himself. Pam couldn’t believe she’d ever been so stupid as to believe he might. But that last time they were together, just the two of them, it had been more explosive than it had been last night while she’d had Rob pleasuring her as well. Her powerful multiple orgasm must have fried her brain, because for a few moments there, she’d forgotten that Steve didn’t want a relationship. He didn’t have girlfriends—only one-night stands.
And her one night was over.
“Sure.” Her voice was threadbare and she could hardly get the lie out. “I guess I’ll call Rob.”
Steve didn’t look at her as he checked the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet and then collected his car keys from the bedside table. “Good. Great. One thing though—you might want to tell him the truth.”
“Which is?”
“You’re not twenty-eight.”
At last he looked at her, and Pam wished he hadn’t. His eyes penetrated hers like twin blue lasers turning a glaring light on what had seemed at the time a harmless fib. Now, Steve’s knowledge of it made her flush with embarrassment “It was just a little white lie. I don’t know why I said that.”
“Because you like him. And you wanted him to like you. But you have to tell him the truth, Pam.” His voice and his gaze gentled when he said her name, in a way that made Pam’s heart clutch. She realized his voice had always softened like that when he spoke directly to her, even when he called her the dreaded Pammy. How had she not noticed that before?
“Because you deserve to be with someone who likes the real you, not someone you have to lie about who you are for.”
Pam’s throat completely closed over. She knew if she tried to speak her voice would falter and Steve would know she was on the verge of tears. Why, oh why did he choose now of all times to start being so eloquent and nice? Why now when he was about to walk out the door? When he was telling her she should date his friend?
Why now when she’d just realized how good the man could make her feel?
“I gotta go. Things to do.”
Still unable to speak, Pam simply nodded. She didn’t look at Steve as he exited the bedroom. He didn’t stop to kiss her goodbye.
When the front door clicked shut, Pam lay on the bed and curled her body around the pillow Steve had used last night. She stared at the wall for a long time, refusing to cry.
Pam was still dry-eyed the following Friday when the fire alarm at Ashton Heights High went off.
False alarms weren’t unheard of at the school—some teenage genius always thought it would get them out of biology—but that never stopped the Fire and Rescue Service sending a truck from Ashton Heights station as a precaution. Pam’s heart performed a sickening flip at the prospect. She had no idea who was on shift, but there was always a slim chance she’d see Steve climbing out of the big red truck.
So what if you do? He’ll be too busy to notice you.
Both calmed and saddened by the thought, Pam followed fire-drill procedure and led her year-nine English students down the corridor, out of the building and onto the soccer field. It was only when she’d
That man was standing on the other side of her bed, picking his shirt off the floor and dragging it on. Like he couldn’t wait to leave.
The thought stung. When Rob had left in a hurry, she’d wondered if he was leaving because he’d heard her and Steve going at it and felt like a third wheel. Like she’d told Steve, she felt bad about that. But that didn’t compare to the burn of rejection she experienced now, watching Steve dress and knowing he was about to hightail it out of her house. Watching Rob leave hadn’t made her stomach roil like it did when Steve told her she should date another man.
Because he obviously didn’t want to date her himself. Pam couldn’t believe she’d ever been so stupid as to believe he might. But that last time they were together, just the two of them, it had been more explosive than it had been last night while she’d had Rob pleasuring her as well. Her powerful multiple orgasm must have fried her brain, because for a few moments there, she’d forgotten that Steve didn’t want a relationship. He didn’t have girlfriends—only one-night stands.
And her one night was over.
“Sure.” Her voice was threadbare and she could hardly get the lie out. “I guess I’ll call Rob.”
Steve didn’t look at her as he checked the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet and then collected his car keys from the bedside table. “Good. Great. One thing though—you might want to tell him the truth.”
“Which is?”
“You’re not twenty-eight.”
At last he looked at her, and Pam wished he hadn’t. His eyes penetrated hers like twin blue lasers turning a glaring light on what had seemed at the time a harmless fib. Now, Steve’s knowledge of it made her flush with embarrassment “It was just a little white lie. I don’t know why I said that.”
“Because you like him. And you wanted him to like you. But you have to tell him the truth, Pam.” His voice and his gaze gentled when he said her name, in a way that made Pam’s heart clutch. She realized his voice had always softened like that when he spoke directly to her, even when he called her the dreaded Pammy. How had she not noticed that before?
“Because you deserve to be with someone who likes the real you, not someone you have to lie about who you are for.”
Pam’s throat completely closed over. She knew if she tried to speak her voice would falter and Steve would know she was on the verge of tears. Why, oh why did he choose now of all times to start being so eloquent and nice? Why now when he was about to walk out the door? When he was telling her she should date his friend?
Why now when she’d just realized how good the man could make her feel?
“I gotta go. Things to do.”
Still unable to speak, Pam simply nodded. She didn’t look at Steve as he exited the bedroom. He didn’t stop to kiss her goodbye.
When the front door clicked shut, Pam lay on the bed and curled her body around the pillow Steve had used last night. She stared at the wall for a long time, refusing to cry.
Pam was still dry-eyed the following Friday when the fire alarm at Ashton Heights High went off.
False alarms weren’t unheard of at the school—some teenage genius always thought it would get them out of biology—but that never stopped the Fire and Rescue Service sending a truck from Ashton Heights station as a precaution. Pam’s heart performed a sickening flip at the prospect. She had no idea who was on shift, but there was always a slim chance she’d see Steve climbing out of the big red truck.
So what if you do? He’ll be too busy to notice you.
Both calmed and saddened by the thought, Pam followed fire-drill procedure and led her year-nine English students down the corridor, out of the building and onto the soccer field. It was only when she’d
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