Playing House--Chapter Seven
After work on Wednesday, Ginny took fifty dollars out of her account. She’d been thinking about it all day. She wanted to pay Pierce back the poker money he’d loaned her and let him know that she'd changed her mind. She didn’t need his help to get over her fear of sex. Ginny drove to Vaughn Brother's Bikes. It took her forty-five minutes, twice as long as usual, due to traffic being atrocious.
Steele was out front, talking to a young guy with a lot of tattoos. He smiled at her. “Pierce is in the break room. It’s the door to the left of the front desk.”
“Thanks.”
The door to the break room stood open. When Ginny saw that Pierce wasn’t alone, she came to an abrupt halt in the doorway. He was talking to an attractive woman, the kind of woman who puts a lot of effort into being attractive. She wore tight jeans, and a low-cut blouse that emphasized her curvy figure. In her arms was a tiny dog with white-orange fur. She didn’t look like someone who would ride a motorcycle.
“Ginny, hi. This is Charmaine.”
Was it her imagination or did Pierce look uncomfortable?
Charmaine nodded at Ginny and spoke to the trembling dog in soothing tones as if it were a frightened infant.
“I um, if you’re busy I can come back later.”
“No busier than usual. My stepmom just stopped by for a minute.”
His stepmom? She looked too young to be his stepmother. “Cute dog. What breed is she?”
“Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix,” Charmaine said. To Pierce she said, “You'll be there on Sunday, right? It would mean a lot to David to have both you boys there to celebrate his birthday.”
“I guess.” Pierce moved, and the dog started yipping.
“Princess doesn't like him,” Charmaine said, continuing to soothe her dog.
“That rat doesn't like anyone,” Pierce said.
“Not true. She has good instincts, and she knows when someone doesn't like her. That's why she's been upset since we got here, and you calling her a rat doesn't help.”
“You can’t tell me she knows what a rat is.”
“It’s your tone of voice that tells her how you feel.” Charmaine stepped closer to Pierce, putting the dog up to his chest. Princess yapped like mad. Pierce took a step back.
“Now watch this.” Charmaine thrust the dog into Ginny’s arms.
Ginny stroked the trembling creature. It stopped yapping and settled into her arms. Charmaine smiled in approval. “She likes you.”
“She is cute.”
Pierce rolled his eyes. “That wasn't fair. She hates men.”
“With good reason.” Charmaine put her hands over the dog's ears and lowered her voice. “Princess was abused as a puppy, and she's never gotten over it.”
“How sad.” Ginny wondered if Charmaine believed it would upset the dog to hear her talking about it.
“We brought in a pet psychologist a few years ago,” Charmaine went on, “He said it was already too late for Princess to change. She’s not young anymore.”
Yes, Ginny decided, she must believe that. “How old is she?”
“Fourteen.”
“How long do those dogs live anyway?” Pierce asked.
Charmaine shot him a dirty look as she took the dog back from Ginny.
“What? I was just asking.”
“The reservation is at five, don't be late.” Charmaine gave Ginny a little wave as she went out the door.
“Wow.” Ginny realized a second too late that she shouldn’t have said this out loud.
“That’s an appropriate response to meeting Charmaine,” Pierce said.
“She looks too young to be your stepmother.”
“She is. She was nineteen when my dad married her. He was in his thirties. So what’s up?”
Ginny remembered why she was here, and shifted from one foot to the other, lowering her gaze. It landed on Pierce’s chest. There was a picture of Chuck Norris on his T-shirt. She proceeded to tell him all about her mom’s dream, the one where her dad was in a terrible motorcycle accident that involved Chuck Norris and a pond full of croaking frogs.
“Weird,” Pierce said.
“Yes.” Ginny took the money from her pants pocket. “So uh, I just came to pay you back for the poker game.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“I hate feeling like I owe you.”
“You don't owe me anything, but if it makes you feel better, I'll let you cook me dinner instead.”
“What makes you so sure I can cook? Having ovaries doesn’t necessarily make a person a good cook.”
“Testy today aren’t you? Was it something I said?”
“I don’t like it when people make assumptions based on gender.”
“Does that mean you can’t cook?”
“How would you feel if I assumed that you’re great at barbecuing just because you’re male?”
“Barbecuing, that’s an idea. If you bring the steaks over around seven, I’ll get the barbecue going.”
Ginny sighed. “If I use this money to buy dinner, will that make us even?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll be over at seven.”
****
Ginny was at the grocery store when Hank called. While she debated over which steak to buy, Hank asked her out. Ginny accepted. Dinner and a movie on Friday. It was a nice ordinary sounding date with a nice ordinary seeming guy. There wouldn't be any pretend sex. She would not get nervous and break out in hives or faint. There might be a kiss goodnight, and that would be nice, as long as there was no tongue involved.
Ginny arrived at Pierce’s place with a full grocery bag. Along with the steaks, she’d bought potato salad, chips and dip, and her favorite natural soda.
“What’s all this?” Pierce asked, taking the groceries from her. “You were supposed to bring steak, not a week’s worth of food.”
“It’s only forty-eight dollars worth. This will make us even, money-wise.”
“Are you always so exact?”
“Yes.” Ginny started up the stairs in front of him.
In the kitchen, Steele was taking a boxed pizza out of the freezer. His eyes widened when he saw the steaks.
“There’s plenty for you, too.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
He grinned and put the pizza back in the freezer. “Thanks.”
Ginny and Pierce went out to the patio. There was a picnic table, a fire pit, and a grill. A tall wooden fence made the small yard private and quiet. It had been a warm day, but now the sun was too far down to reach the patio. A cool breeze swept in, carrying the scent of chlorine from the hot tub.
Pierce started the grill. Ginny glanced at his backside, admiring the shape of his butt in the faded jeans. He looked domestic in front of the barbecue. She picked up her phone and took his picture. He turned around, and she took another one.
“What was that for?” he asked.
Ginny shrugged, embarrassed at her impulsiveness. “I don’t know, just because.”
Steele came outside holding three beers. He offered one to Ginny. She shook her head.
“That's right. You don't drink.”
“Not much, and never beer.”
Steele sat down and reached for a chip. Ginny glanced at the hot tub and then back at Steele. She wondered if Pierce had ever sat in the hot tub with a naked woman on either side of him. “Do you have many parties here?”
“No, Pierce gets grumpy when people are having fun.”
“I get grumpy when people pass out on the lawn, and I have to carry them inside. Or when they get so drunk they piss in the hot tub.”
“Gross.” Ginny eyed the hot tub with disgust.
“That only happened once,” Steele said.
“That we know of,” Pierce said.
“I've never understood why people need alcohol to have fun,” Ginny said. “If I have more than one drink, my brain gets fuzzy, and I can't think straight.”
“That’s part of the fun,” Steele said. “Alcohol lowers inhibitions, lets you do things you wouldn’t normally do.”
“Which is why I don't drink. I don't want to do something I'll regret later.”
“You know…” Steele seemed to think better of whatever he was about to say, and reached for a chip.
“What?” Ginny asked, suspecting it had something to do with her offer.
“Nothing. I don’t know about this salsa. Salsa isn’t supposed to have fruit in it.”
“Tomatoes are fruit,” Ginny said.
“If you want to get technical about it, they are, but we think of tomatoes as a vegetable.”
“I don’t.”
“Well, most people do.”
“How do you know most people do?” Ginny said. “Have you done a survey?”
“I suppose that would make about as much sense as some of the other useless surveys out there.”
They continued their conversation about the time and money wasted on surveys until Pierce served up the steaks. When they'd finished eating Steele thanked them for feeding him and went inside. Pierce asked Ginny if she had any plans for the weekend. She told him about the bridal shower on Saturday.
“What are you doing on Friday?”
Twisting her hands in her lap, she focused on the hot tub rather than meet his eyes. “I, um, have a date.”
“Oh.” He sounded disappointed or maybe just surprised. “Someone on the dating site?”
“No. Hank.”
“Is that the guy your friend wants you to meet?”
“Yes. I met him. He's an engineer. He plays chess. So, we have something in common. I should probably tell you now that I'm not comfortable with the idea of dating two people at the same time.”
“You haven’t even gone out with him yet.”
“No, but I’ve been thinking that I should be seeing someone who is interested in dating me for real and doesn't just want to take my virginity.” Why had she used that word? She hated that word.
“You’re the one who offered.”
“I never should have sent that text. You’ll never see me the same way you would have if we’d simply started dating.”
“So you’d rather start fresh with a guy who doesn't know how frustrated you are with dating, and how confused you are about wanting sex and being afraid of it at the same time?”
“Yes, that’s it exactly.”
“Okay then.” Pierce picked up their dishes and carried them inside.
Ginny waited a minute, thinking that he might come back out, might want to talk about it more, might tell her that he wanted to go out with her for real and not just have sex with her. When none of these things happened, she felt silly sitting there by herself and went inside.
Pierce handed Ginny her purse. “If you change your mind…”
Ginny waited for him to finish the sentence, but he didn’t.
“Oh, um okay.” As she started down the stairs to the front door, she heard Pierce mutter the word “chicken.” She stopped, started to turn around, changed her mind and kept going.
****
Steele walked into the kitchen. “What happened to Ginny?”
“She changed her mind about the deal.”
“Well, that’s a bummer. For you, not for me.” Steele held out his hand.
“If my plan works, Ginny will be back at least one more time, so there's still a chance of me winning.” Pierce took a fifty dollar bill from his wallet.
“What plan?” Steele plucked the bill from Pierce’s hand.
Pierce shook his head, rather than explain.
“Does this mean you’re free this weekend?” Steele asked.
“Looks that way, why?”
“Tiffany, the girl I met last weekend, says she’ll meet up with me on Friday, but wants to know if I have a friend for her friend. You interested?”
“That depends. What’s the friend look like?”
Steele brought up a photo on his phone. It was of two women, a blonde, and a brunette, both wearing bikinis and wearing them very well.
“Which one is the friend?”
“Does it matter?”
“No.” Pierce handed the phone back. “I’m in.”
“Good. I think this is what you need.”
“To get laid?”
“It will cheer you up, help you break out of this pattern you’re in.”
“What pattern?”
“You keep falling for women who want something from you. You need to turn things around.”
“And use someone else for a change?”
“Use is such an ugly word. I’m talking about sex for the mutual enjoyment of both parties. It does work best though if you keep emotions out of it. You’re no good at that.”
“And you’re too good at it.”
Steele smiled. “Touché.”
****
Ginny was determined to have a good time with Hank, but determination wasn’t enough. Sitting across from him in a semi-nice restaurant, listening to him go on about a problem at work, including details that no non-tech person could understand—or would want to understand—she decided that Peter had been right. Hank was a bit of a bore, especially when he went on to explain, in far too much detail, how he alone had solved the work problem. Ginny nodded a lot, her thoughts on Pierce, as they had been since Wednesday night. Why hadn’t she told him she had plans for Friday and left it at that? She shouldn't have told him the deal was off. What was he doing tonight? Did he have a date? If she were with Pierce right now what would they be doing?
The server arrived with the check. Ginny reached into her purse for her wallet and felt a bill. She pulled it out. It was a fifty. For a moment, she stared at it in confusion. She never left loose bills in her purse. She remembered Pierce handing her her purse the other night. This must be his way of refusing to take back the poker money she’d lost. It was sneaky, downright devious of him.
“What’s funny?” Hank asked.
“Nothing,” Ginny said, embarrassed to realize she was smiling.
Hank eyed the money. “I have this.”
Ginny was so busy planning how she'd give the money back to Pierce that she forgot to argue with Hank. She did insist on paying for the movie. She didn't pay much attention to it though. When it ended, it was only ten-thirty. Hank yawned several times on the drive to her house, apologized, and then started in again on what a rough week he'd had.
When they reached her apartment, Hank parked on the street and turned off the engine. Did he expect her to invite him in, or did he want to continue the conversation in the car?
His hand came to rest on her leg, right above her knee. “I had a nice time tonight.”
Ginny’s pulse began to race for the first time all evening. She didn’t want to be rude, but also didn’t want to lie, and say she’d had a great time because that might encourage him to ask her out again, or worse, kiss her.
“Thanks for dinner.” Ginny opened the door so fast that the edge of it stuck in the grass. She tugged on it. “Oh shoot, it's stuck.”
Ginny jumped out of the car and tried pushing the door closed but only succeeded in digging it in deeper.
Hank came around to her side of the car. “This isn’t good for the paint.”
“Sorry.” Ginny felt like an idiot.
Hank got the door unstuck, brushed the dirt from it, and closed it. “It’s fine.”
He didn’t sound sincere.
“I’m really sorry.”
“You must have been pretty anxious to get out of the car, to have thrown the door open so hard.”
How embarrassing, to be so transparent. “You seem tired, so I thought…”
“I talked too much didn’t I?”
“No.”
“People used to tell me that I didn't talk enough. So now, when I meet someone new, I get nervous and do the opposite. You were bored out of your mind listening to me go on about work, weren't you?”
“No. Okay a little, but it's alright. I mean, don't feel bad. I'm lousy at dates too. When I get nervous, I pee a lot.”
“I thought you were going into the ladies room to text or something.”
“No, I really had to go.”
“All four times?”
“It was only three.”
“Before dinner, after dinner, during the movie, and then again after the movie.”
“Okay, four. That must be a record, even for me.”
They both laughed. After an awkward pause, Hank held out his hand. It took her a second to realize what he wanted. She shook it.
“Friends?”
“Yes.”
As soon as she was inside, Ginny called Pierce. He didn’t answer. It was Friday night. Did he have a date? She went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and squirted face wash into her palms. Her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, saw that it was Pierce, quickly rinsed off the soap, dried her hands, and answered. “Hello?”
“You called.”
“I found the money. You know I’m going to give it back.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Nothing.”
“I thought you were out with Hank.”
“I was. Now I’m home. What’s that noise?”
“A hand dryer. I’m in the john. Let’s play for it.”
“What?”
“The money. We’ll play poker for it.”
“When?”
“Now. I’m at a club downtown. I need to get out of here. Pick me up?”
“Uh, okay, I can do that.”
He gave her the address and said he’d be waiting outside.
Instead of washing her face, Ginny touched up her makeup. She wondered who Pierce had gone to a club with and why he was so anxious to leave. She’d find out soon enough.
It was busy downtown. Ginny thought she might have to drive around the block a time or two, but she found Pierce right away. She stopped in the middle of the road, while he got in.
“Thanks. I swear this is the last time I let Steele fix me up with someone.”
“That bad?”
“She turned twenty-one two weeks ago, and kept bragging about how many drinks she can down and still walk. Within ten minutes, she was telling me about the Asian woman who does her bikini wax.”
“You’re not interested in bikini waxes?”
“Not particularly, no.”
“So you ditched her?”
“I don't think she minded. She'd already found someone else to grind on. So what's wrong with Hank?”
“What makes you think there’s something wrong with him?”
“Your date ended before eleven, and now you’re with me.”
He had a point. “There’s nothing wrong with Hank. He’s a nice guy.”
“But not what you’re looking for?”
“No.”
When they got to Pierce's house, he made them each a screwdriver. Ginny sat on the sofa. Pierce sat on a footstool on the opposite side of the coffee table.
“Winner gets the fifty bucks,” Pierce said as he passed out the cards.
Ginny looked at her hand. Her highest card was a ten. She watched Pierce discard two cards. This was going to be easy.
“How many?”
“None. I’ll keep what I have.”
Pierce took his new cards. They both showed their hand. Pierce won with a pair of threes.
“It’s all yours.” Ginny smiled.
“You cheated.”
“I didn’t cheat.”
“You purposely kept a bad hand and didn’t even try to win. That’s worse than cheating.”
“Winning isn’t everything.” Ginny gave him the money. “It’s done. We’re even. No giving it back.”
Pierce sighed. He put the bill in his wallet. “Fine. You win.”
Ginny scooped up the cards, shuffled, and passed out five. “Five card stud, deuces are wild.”
“Now what are we playing for?” Pierce asked.
“Truth,” Ginny said, as the idea came to her. “The winner gets to ask the loser a question. He has to answer honestly.”
Pierce looked at her over the top of his cards. “Truth?”
“Yes,” Ginny said, with more confidence than she suddenly felt.
“Let’s make it even more interesting and play for truths and dares.”
Ginny felt a twinge of something. She wasn’t sure if it was anxiety or excitement. Both, she decided. “Okay.”
She held on to the king of hearts and discarded the rest. Pierce kept two cards. She watched his face, found it impossible to read. He gave her four new cards. One was the king of clubs. Ginny kept her expression neutral. A pair of kings was good, but would it beat whatever he held?
“How about it Ginny? Are you betting?”
She nodded. “I bet one truth and one dare.”
“I’ll raise you a truth.”
“Okay. I’ll call it.”
Ginny revealed her kings.
“You got me.” Pierce turned over his hand.
A pair of tens.
Ginny smiled. “So that’s two truths and one dare, right?”
Pierce nodded. Did he look uncomfortable, or was she imagining it? She finished off her drink. The vodka was making her bold. “How old were you the first time you had sex and what was her name?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Fourteen. Desiree.”
“That’s young. How old was she?”
His eyes darted away. He shuffled faster. “You got your two truths. You don't get another one unless you want to trade a dare for a truth?”
“No. I’ll use my dare.”
“Okay. What’s it going to be?”
“I’m thinking,” she lied, already knowing what she wanted.
“Take your time.” Pierce continued to shuffle.
It wouldn't be a big deal to a guy. So why did she feel nervous asking? “Take your shirt off.”
“That’s the best you can do? No riding my motorcycle a hundred miles an hour past the police station, or anything like that?”
“I don’t want you dead, or in jail.” I’d rather have you naked.
Pierce took off his shirt and set it on the back of the sofa. His skin was a nice shade, not too pale. His chest looked solid, his belly flat. A trail of black hair started at his navel, descended into the mystery below the waistband of his jeans. Her heart should not be pounding this hard.
Pierce passed out the cards. “Same game.”
Ginny lost. Pierce’s three sixes beat her pair of nines. She owed him a truth and a dare.
“Let’s do the truth first. Was there a specific reason why you decided it was time to lose your virginity? If yes, what was it?”
“I hate that word.”
“What word?”
“Virginity. It’s not an object to be given, or taken, or lost. It’s merely a state of being.”
Pierce smiled. “Let me rephrase it then. Why did you choose this particular time to change your state of being?”
Ginny didn’t like this one. She didn’t want to tell him about Jason, didn’t want to admit that her dream guy was marrying her sister.
“Your poker face is failing you, Ginny. Come on, tell me the truth.”
Ginny took a deep breath. “I got tired of waiting for the right guy to come along. There’s also the anxiety thing.”
“Were you anxious with Hank tonight?”
“You don’t get another question.”
“That's right. I get a dare.” Pierce smiled.
His smile did funny things to her insides.
“You started this, so I'll continue it. I dare you to strip down to bra and panties.”
It was her fault that he’d gone in this direction, so she couldn’t exactly say no, could she? Which pair of underwear did she have on? Bikinis or super comfortable granny panties? Bikinis, please be bikinis, a nice pair.
“Okay, but first I have to go to the uh…” she motioned toward the bathroom.
Ginny was relieved to discover that she was wearing bikinis, pale pink and fairly new. Her bra was lavender. It hooked in the front, exposing a bit of cleavage. Only her upper half was visible in the mirror, which was just as well. She didn’t need reminding that her tummy was a bit soft, her thighs not as slender or firm as they could be. Ginny took a deep calming breath. And then another, before returning to the sitting room.
Pierce handed her a drink, his gaze zooming in on the hook of her bra, as if he were taking note of its location for future reference. “I thought you might want another.”
“Thanks.”
Ginny sat up straighter than before, trying to keep her belly sucked in while Pierce deftly shuffled the cards.
Ginny won the next hand with a full house. Pierce now owed her a truth and a dare. He’d looked guilty when she’d asked about Desiree’s age. Did that mean that she’d been very young? “How old was Desiree the first time you had sex?”
He hesitated, let out a breath. “Twenty.”
“You’re kidding. That’s not even legal. Did your parents know?”
“They found out. My dad had her arrested when he caught us. That kind of put a damper on things.”
“I’m sure. It couldn’t have done much for your relationship with your dad, either.”
“It didn’t. I didn’t like him telling me what to do. I didn’t like anyone telling me what to do, so I moved in with my mom for a couple of years. She was too into her own life to pay much attention to what I was doing.”
“What were you doing?”
“Nothing good, partying mostly. So what’s my dare?”
She didn’t mean to drop her gaze, didn’t mean to look directly at the front of his pants, it just happened. When she looked up, his eyes met hers, his eyebrows slightly raised.
“Jeans.” She took another deep drink from her glass.
Pierce stripped off his jeans. His boxer briefs were black, snug. It looked like…but she wasn’t quite sure…
“It’s your deal.”
Ginny picked up the cards and began to shuffle. They slipped from her fingers. She leaned over and picked them up. When she straightened, she caught Pierce eyeing her chest. If he could look, so could she. Ginny had more reason to be curious than he did, after all. This was new to her. She focused on his lap. Definitely sure. “It doesn’t take much for uh, that to happen, does it?”
“I wouldn’t call you not much Ginny.”
The cards slipped again. Red-faced, she gathered them up, shuffled, and dealt.
Ginny lost to a pair of threes. She owed him a dare.
“I dare you to play Half-naked house with me.”
Pierce’s voice had lowered to a sexy tone that awakened the desire deep within—oh hell, it was time to stop kidding herself. Her desire didn’t need to be awakened. It was wide awake all the time and ten-fold when Pierce was anywhere near her. “Okay, but we keep our underwear on.”
“Half- Naked.” He confirmed as he moved to the sofa. :It's been a rough week. We argued, and we haven't had sex since Monday. We need to make up for it.”
“Yes.” Ginny/Melissa trailed her fingertips across his shoulder. She pressed her lips to the side of his neck. Her husband’s skin was smooth and hot. She liked the taste and the feel of it. “I’ve missed touching you these last few days.”
The first kiss landed softly on her mouth, the next one under her left ear. More trailed down her throat to her chest. When he reached the inside curves of her breasts, her chest rose and fell at a rapid rate. His hand cupped her left breast, stroking it through the thin material of her bra. A little pleasure sound escaped her.
Pierce stood up, took her hand. Ginny let him lead her into the bedroom. On the bed, she closed her eyes and tried to relax, reminding herself that there was nothing to be nervous about. They weren’t getting naked.
It started with him on top, like before, and then Pierce rolled over, switching places.
“It’s your turn, Melissa,” he whispered. “Use me however you want.”
Straddling his hips, nothing between them but a bit of cotton, Ginny let herself pretend. He was her husband, after all. He’d given her permission to use him for her own pleasure. She didn’t hold back.
****
Ginny sat on the sofa waiting for Pierce. She’d used the bathroom first. It was his turn to clean up. They’d both “won” this round.
Pierce came out dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. He sat beside her. Ginny tried to think of something to say. Nothing came to mind.
“Can I ask you something?” Pierce said.
“Um, yeah, I guess.”
“I’m just wondering if maybe you had a bad experience with some guy, and that’s why you have so much anxiety about sex.”
Ginny thought about this for a moment. “I think maybe it’s just the way I am. I was a shy kid. It got worse in high school. I saw a therapist for a while. She taught me some strategies that helped, but I didn’t really change. The social part of high school was pure misery. I’ve always been too sensitive I guess. In college, there was an incident with this one guy. I’ve never told anyone about it.”
“You can tell me if you feel like it.”
“It’s going to sound dumb. I mean it’s not as if…he didn’t hurt me or anything.”
“But something happened.”
“Yes.” Ginny closed her eyes. Pierce had kept his word. He hadn’t tried to break the rules. Hadn't he earned a bit of trust? “Okay. I went to a party, and I had a few drinks. It didn't take much for me to get drunk. I ended up in a bedroom with this guy, and things got weird. Weird and then awful, because I laughed when I shouldn't have laughed.”
“Laughed at what?”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“I won’t laugh, I promise.”
He sounded sincere enough. “We were kissing, and he was trying to get my shirt off and then all of a sudden he stood up and dropped his pants. There it was, bobbing up and down. He stood there like he expected me to be impressed, or worse, do something with it. It struck me as funny. Once I started laughing, I couldn’t stop.”
“You laughed at a guy when his pants were down?”
“Yes. He didn’t like it too much.”
“I bet not.”
“He called me a tease, said I wasn’t even cute, I was a terrible kisser, and he was only with me because I have big boobs, only he put it more crudely than that.”
“Ass-hole.”
“What got to me is that there was some truth to it.”
“What truth?”
“The kissing part. I don't know how to do it, especially the tongue thing. I get nervous, and that makes it worse.”
“Maybe you just need practice.”
“You think I could learn?”
“Sure. We can work on it next time.”
Next time? She liked the sound of that.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“My sister’s bridal shower is at five. On Sundays, I visit my parents, but I don’t stay all day. Well, sometimes I do, but I don’t have to.”
“I work on Sundays for part of the day. We could do something in the evening.”
“Wait, isn’t that when your dad’s birthday dinner is?”
“Oh, yeah. I guess I was trying to forget about that. I have an idea. You should come with me.”
“Dinner with your family?”
“Have you ever been to Chadwick’s?”
“No.”
“The food is great, but it takes hours to eat, because there are six or seven courses. Sitting through it with my family is torture. If you're there, it would be more tolerable.”
It wasn’t exactly a romantic offer, but he sounded so excited by the idea of her going that Ginny agreed. Or maybe it was just that she hadn’t left yet, and already she wanted to see him again.