Masquerading

Part 6

Chapter 7

He looked at the blonde-haired woman on the other side of the counter as she slid into her seat with a smile.  “How long has it been?”

“Three days,” he mumbled while grabbing a cup, ready to make her drink.

She shook her head at him in frustration.  “Just call her, Lance.  This is getting ridiculous.”

He looked at the woman who had attempted to flirt with him the first time they met.  It had been after he saw Abby, and he didn’t even consider her advances.  He simply denied her, and after that, they became close friends.  Now, standing here, he had to think about what she said.  “Do you think she would answer?”

“Yes,” Cece replied while rolling her eyes.  “Don’t be an idiot.  You waited two years, and now you’re going to chicken out?”

“She could have called me,” he said in defense.  If he was being truthful to himself, he would admit that he was afraid.  Finally, he had met her and found out that she truly was the woman he thought her to be.  Before, she had been an impossible, something he could not have, but wanted.  Now, she was in his reach, and he didn’t know what to do.  Did she pity him?  Did she wish he looked normal like everyone else?  Questions flew through his head, but none of them would be answered if he sat idle the way he was.

“She’s old fashioned, and you know it,” Cece told him with a tiny glare.  “She may act like a modern woman in many ways, but she does wait on the man to call, not the other way.”

He plopped her coffee down on the bar.  “I know, but what if she doesn’t really like me?”

“If she didn’t like you, would she mope around her house all day?”

“No,” he mumbled.  “I just don’t know if I’m ready.”

She reached out and smacked him.  Blinking, he looked at her with shock.  “Did you just smack me?”

“Yes, I just did.  I was attempting to knock some sense into you.  What the hell are you doing?  Seriously, you waited two years, two, and now you’re not ready? Grow a spine.”

“I have one,” he snapped, “but I don’t want to screw this up.”

“How can you screw it up when you haven’t even gotten it started?  Didn’t you leave it on a good note  last time?”

He could feel the red rising to his cheeks.  It was something that he hated.  It seems every time someone spoke of Abby in that way, he couldn’t control his reactions.  “We kissed.”

She looked at him in disbelief.  “You just kissed?  She was smiling like that because you just kissed?  Impossible.”

A smile of his own formed.  “How was she smiling?”

“You’re going to have to ask her yourself,” Cece said with a large smile as she hopped out of her seat.  “Call me after you call her, better yet, tell her to call me.”

“She doesn’t know that you set us up,” he called out, as she got closer to the café doors.

Cece looked back at him.  “That girl is smarter than she seems, I wouldn’t be surprised if she knew I tried to get into your pants either.”

Letting out a chuckle, Lance just shook his head.  He didn’t think he would be able to handle Cece even if he wanted too.  She was a flighty and wild, not something he would want for himself.  But whomever she set her sights on, Lance wished the man luck.

He looked over at his co-worker.  “I’m heading into the office; tell me if anything important happens.”

The worker nodded, but didn’t say a word.  Shrugging, Lance began walking down the hall that led to his office.  As soon as he got to the door, he pushed it open and made his way to his desk.  Too nervous to sit down, he stood as he picked the phone up.  He had the number memorized.  Was it sad?  Yes.  Did he care?  No.

It rang one, and then twice before a voice answered.  “Hello?”

Lance froze.  That was a man’s voice.  “Is Abby there?”

“Who is this?” the man asked in suspicion.

“Lance,” he mumbled, hoping the man wasn’t a new boyfriend.

The man chuckled as noises echoed in the background. “Oh, I’m just her friend; I’ll give her the phone now.”

“Hello,” a breathless voice said.  He knew immediately who it was.

“Hey, Abby.”

“Hi,” she said in a happy voice, “how’s it going?”

“Good, you?”

She hesitated.  “Good.”

“That’s good,” he mumbled before smacking the heel of his hand to his forehead.  What was he supposed to say now?  Silence echoed on both ends, as no words came from either side.  

Finally, a sigh sounded as she said, “Look, I usually don’t do this, but would you like to go on a date with me?”

“Yes!” he answered a little too enthusiastically.

She chuckled.  “Okay, meet me at my favorite coffee shop in ten minutes.”

The dial tone sounded in his ear.  Looking down on the phone, he repeated her words in his mind.  She wanted to have a date at his coffee shop.  His shirt was stained, his hair was a mess, and nothing covered his face.  Was she doing this to catch him off guard, or did she just want to see him in his element.  Shrugging, he decided that it didn’t matter either way.  The only thing that mattered was that she wanted to meet him, and in ten minutes, he would see her face again.