�Holly, line 1.�
Holly grumbled to herself as she walked across the work room. The one time she didn�t answer the blasted phone, it would have to be for her. The whole week had been nothing but hectic and Friday was in full swing as the previous four days had been. It had started off with Lynn pouncing on her as soon as she walked in the door, letting her know a parent was throwing a fit about a student making a �D� on a math test. Holly calmly listened as Lynn ranted and raved, then told her boss she would see what she could do. No where, in any of the advertisements, did Holly remember seeing a promise they were miracle workers. And yet, parents expected it.
Picking up the receiver, she glanced at the clock, realizing it was getting close to her lunch break. Would she actually have time to leave today or would it be another quick snack on the go? Judging from general tone of the moment, she was banking on a quick snack.
�This is Holly,� she answered, forcing her best perky voice.
�Hey, Holly. How are you?�
�Fine,� she responded, wondering who would be so friendly with her. �And you?�
�Great. I hope you don�t mind me calling you at work. I really hope you don�t get in trouble for this, either.�
�Umm�No. I shouldn�t.�
�OK. Wonderful. I know this is short notice, but I was wondering if you�re still interested in doing what we agreed on last time we talked.�
Holly held the phone away and looked strangely at it. What the hell was this guy talking about?
�What?�
�You don�t remember, do you?� He asked, sounding a bit disappointed.
�I don�t mean to sound rude, but I don�t even know to whom I�m speaking.�
A familiar chuckle tickled her ears.
�So you have no idea who this is?� He teased.
�No�� she began.
�That means, then, that you could have agreed to anything I asked and you don�t have a clue,� he interrupted with amusement lacing his voice.
�Listen, buddy��Holly stated, growing angry.
�Easy, Holly. It�s me. Lance.�
�Lance?�
�Yeah.�
�Lance wh�Oh! Lance!� She exclaimed, finally recognizing his voice.
His laughter rang through the line.
�That�s not amusing,� Holly admonished, giggling.
�I know,� he agreed. �But it was too perfect to pass up.�
�And I thought you said you weren�t the funny one.�
�Touch�.�
�And he knows big words, too,� she teased, smiling and twisting the phone cord, feeling a little guilty as her boss walked by.
She nodded as Lynn pointed to her watch, reminding her it was getting later in the day. And since it was getting late, she knew Lynn would be ready to leave in half an hour.
�What time do you get off work?�
�Umm�� Holly said, trying to decide if she was going to stay after Lynn left for the weekend. �Probably around 4:00.�
�OK�It�s what? 2:30 now? Great. Listen, I was thinking. If you want to, why don�t you come over to my place tonight and help me with some of that decorating you agreed to.�
�Oh, I�uh�� Holly stammered.
�Damn. You�ve got a date. I should have thought of that. I�m sorry I asked. I should have made sure you didn�t already have plans.�
�No, that�s far from the problem,� Holly said, hoping she didn�t respond too quickly. �I was just surprised that you remembered. Or that you were actually serious.�
Lance barely heard her as she mumbled the last words. Was she serious? Of course he remembered. How could he forget her and that beautiful golden hair that flowed around her shoulders the first moment he laid eyes on her? Or the way she humored him twice when he called the wrong place of business. One of these days, he was going to have to tell her he fell in love with her the moment he heard her laugh on the phone. One of these days, he was going to have to get laid, too. He wondered if it were possible to actually fall in love with someone without meeting them? He also wondered where these crazy thoughts were coming from.
�I was�am very serious, Holly. You don�t have to, if you don�t want to. My feelings won�t be hurt.�
Holly smiled shyly, listening to him. She liked this one. He seemed to be all right. And one hell of a looker, too.
�Are you sure?� She asked, testing to make sure.
�Positive,� he confirmed.
�Then I will be glad to come over. I need to warn you, though. I don�t really have that great of a decorating sense.�
�Nonsense,� he told her, a pleased smile sounding in his voice. �I saw your place. It looked incredible. I trust you completely. And you can trust me, too.�
Holly had to laugh at that. She already felt that she could.
�I know. But if I don�t get off the phone and get back to work, then it won�t happen today. I�ll be over about seven, then?�
�Seven it is. See you then.�
�See you then. Bye,� Holly said, hanging up the phone. She turned to go back to her desk and found herself face to face with her boss.
�What was that about, Miss Holly?� Lynn asked, blocking Holly�s escape.
�What was what about?�
�Don�t play that with me, Holls. I know you too well for that. I also know I haven�t ever seen a look on your face like that. Spill it.�
�Nothing to spill,� Holly responded, hoping she sounded nonchalant.
�What a load of bull. You get calls from your parents and I know that guy was not your daddy. Who was it?� Lynn demanded, following Holly to her desk.
Holly busied herself with the notebooks for the next day, choosing the math students first. Picking them up, she carried them to the math table, not saying anything.
�Holly Beckett, you better tell me now who that was. I intend to go home in a little while and if you don�t tell me what that phone call was about, I�m going to drag your ass home with me and make you sit with my kids until you�re tortured enough to confess.�
�Honestly, Lynn,� Holly said, brushing the errant twig out of her face and smiling at her friend and boss. �You make it sound like it�s some big federal secret or something. It�s no big deal. I have a new neighbor in Williamsburg and was invited over this evening.�
Lynn stood there with her mouth open.
�No. Uh-uh, Holly. That is not a �just come over and be neighborly� sounding person on the phone. What do you know about him?�
�Lynn,� Holly rolled her eyes, shaking her head. �There�s nothing to know. He�s new in town. He came to my place last Saturday. No big deal. Just being friendly, that�s all.�
�He was in your house? Are you turning all freaky on me?� Lynn wanted to know, following Holly around as she pulled books.
�Oh, come on, Lynn. You know me better than that. I barely even know him.�
�All the better. Besides, you�re too quiet. It�s the quiet ones you�ve got to watch out for,� Lynn surmised, raising an eyebrow.
Holly snickered and returned to pulling the books for Saturday�s classes. She hoped Lynn would leave her alone. There really was nothing to tell and they both knew it. But she and Lynn liked to cut up with each other and apparently Lynn had found something to use against Holly.
�Well, whatever you do, Holly, be careful,� Lynn told her. �I think I�m going to book it on out of here. I�ll see you on Monday.�
�All right. Have a good weekend,� Holly called after her.
�You, too. And don�t do anything I wouldn�t do.�
�Isn�t that kind of like letting a fox into the henhouse? There isn�t much you haven�t done.�
Holly was answered with the universal one finger salute as her boss left for the weekend. Laughing at their silliness, she finished getting everything read for the next day.
~*~
Taking a deep breath, Holly tried to calm her nerves. There is no need to be nervous about anything, she reasoned with herself. It�s not like it�s a date or anything. She chuckled at that thought. Like he�d want a date with her. She pressed a finger against the doorbell, hoping the nail polish wasn�t too obvious. She would usually forgo things like that, preferring to go natural. But something made her paint a pale pink color on her nails after her shower. Wishful thinking, she thought, waiting for the door to open. No answer. Perfect. He�s not here. As Holly was turning to go, the door opened.
�Hey,� he drawled, leaning sexily against the frame, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. �I thought you weren�t going to show up. You�re late.�
�Huh?� She asked, looking at her watch. �It�s only five after.�
�Gotcha,� he winked, opening the door wider for her to enter. �I think I�ve got my clocks fast so I won�t be the one late for everything.�
�Oh,� she said, waiting for him to lead her in. �Makes sense.�
�Yeah, but then it�s easy to be disappointed when other people are late when they�re actually on time. I just think I have to make things complicated. Come on in.�
Holly smiled as he waved a hand for her to follow. She walked through the foyer, looking around. Within the week since she had first met him, he seemed to have unpacked a lot more than she did in her first year living there. As she made her way into the living room, she nodded approvingly.
�What?� Lance asked, seeing her head moving.
�I was just thinking how impressive it was that you had unpacked so much. Then, I come in here and find all these boxes. Slick.�
�I thought so,� he laughed, motioning for her to take a seat on the suede sofa. �Yeah, you�d think after all these years of being out on the road and all that I�d know how to unpack. But I think that�s part of the problem. I�m used to having a lot of the stuff done for me. I�m trying something different here.�
�I see,� Holly stated, looking around the room. Very nice, warm, earthy colors. Nothing quite like she had expected.
�Did you think it was going to be some kind of swinging bachelor�s pad or something? Don�t look so surprised.�
Holly felt herself blushing again. She never blushed.
�No, I�Well, I didn�t know what to expect. It looks nice so far. What are you planning on doing with it?�
�I was thinking about hanging a few trapeze swings from the ceiling in here. And maybe a few cages suspended in the bedroom. What do you think?�
Holly�s eyes widened slightly. He was so serious and matter of fact when he said that.
�If�If that�s what you want, then I guess it�s ok.�
�You really think so? Then I guess you wouldn�t mind being one of the first to try them out?�
She found herself actually speechless. Apparently she was way wrong when she thought he was safe and harmless.
�Holly?� Lance said, reaching a hand out and softly touching hers across the couch.
She pulled her hand away from him, suddenly very worried.
�I�m joking. You do know that, right?�
Holly narrowed her eyes at him, watching the mischievous smirk broaden change into an apologetic smile. Raising a sardonic eyebrow at him, she nodded.
�You�re right. You�re not the funny one. A flirt, but not the funny one.�
Lance laughed, laying his head against the back of the couch.
�I�m sorry. You were just so serious about this. You do cut loose and have fun every once in a while, don�t you?�
�On occasion. I�m generally a quiet person. That was just not nice,� she reprimanded again, feeling her face betray her with a wide smile.
�I like your smile,� he said, tilting his head to one side. �It�s very attractive on you.�
�Thanks,� she said, shifting in her seat.
�I�m making you uncomfortable, aren�t I? I�m sorry. I really don�t mean to. Tell you what, why don�t I order a pizza and then you can help me hang some pictures? How about that? I promise you, I am completely harmless.�
Holly mulled over the proposition, wanting more than anything to say yes. He looked at her with puppy dog eyes, giving her no choice but to say yes. Lance smiled, then went in search of his phone and the number to the local pizza delivery place. Soon, the two were laughing like old friends, the moments before forgotten, as they attempted to hang pictures.
�You�re hanging too much to the left,� Holly said, stepping back to survey the placement of one of the most beautiful paintings she had ever seen.
Lance bit his tongue to keep from coming back with a smart-ass answer. He lowered his head and tried to keep from laughing out loud. She was the master at unintentional innuendos. Wondering why he wasn�t moving the painting, she suddenly realized what she had said.
�Oh, you!� She laughed, lightly swatting at his back. �You have a dirty mind.�
�I do not,� he countered. �You just say things to make me think like that.�
�I do not!� She replied indignantly. �Just for that, I�m not going to help you with that picture. You�ll have to do it on your own.�
�Holly, wait,� Lance called after her. �I need your help here. This damn thing�s getting heavy. Don�t leave me holding this. It�s too big for one person.�
Now it was Holly�s turn to laugh. �Now you�re bragging.�
�Ugh,� he grunted, trying not to drop the rather expensive painting. �I didn�t mean it like that. Okay�okay. You win. I�ll be good. Just help me before I dro��
Holly hurried to his side, sliding under his outstretched arms to help steady the canvas as it began to slip down the wall. It was heavier than she thought. Together, they eased it to a safe spot on the floor. Turning around, she found herself still inside Lance�s arms, his palms flat on either side of her on the wall. He smelled good, she decided. Manly�with a woodsy type of cologne. And just a hint of spice from the sent tickled her nose. He smiled down at her, his face just inches from hers. She had such smooth skin. It was obvious she had been lucky to avoid the problems of adolescence as far as her face was concerned. He noticed her lips were a soft pink, not too full, not too thin. Just right for her, and slightly curved in at the top to a cupid�s bow. Her cheeks were full, not sunk in like most women her age. But they were right for her. No, she was far from his usual fare of girls. But there was something about her� Seeing her looking back at him, probably analyzing his face just as he was hers, he wordlessly lowered his mouth to hers. Just as his lips brushed softly against hers, the doorbell rang.
Lance uttered a rather strong oath, eliciting a nervous giggle from Holly. He breathed deeply, backing away from her, wanting more than anything to demand she remain there until he returned. Oh, that would work, he told himself. You almost scared her off with the swings and cages comment. There�s no way in hell she�d stay there for you to return and ravish her. Ravish her? Good thing I�m not going to be around JC to read more of his romance books.
Lance chortled at the thought of his friend�s secret�one that no one would ever suspect. He might have to use that against him one day. After paying for the pizza, he used his foot to shut the door behind him. He knew he was doing an extremely un-Lance-like thing by bringing the pizzas into the living room, but he figured what the hell. This was about not being himself right now.
�Holly, I�m back,� he called, entering the room. She was no where to be found. I don�t have a back door on this place, do I? He wondered, momentarily pondering the possibility she had escaped through another other door. �Holly? Come out, come out, wherever you are.�
Still no answer.
�Well, this is just great,� he muttered, setting the box in the floor and flopping into a chair.
Holly stood quietly in the doorway, grinning at him. She should make him think she did leave, after the way he almost kissed her when he had promised to be good. But after the way he almost kissed her when he had promised to be good, there was no way she was going now. What�s come over me? She wondered, stepping into the room more. Thank goodness she had enough sense to wear her quiet sneakers over.
�Lance, I�m sorry. Were you talking to me?�
Startled at the sound of her voice, he turned around to see her standing almost behind him.
�No. Yes,� he answered, not sure what he was doing.
�Well, which is it?� She pressed, walking towards him. �I had to go to the little girl�s room, I hope you didn�t mind. Needed to wash my hands after touching things.�
Lance raised an eyebrow at her without realizing it.
�You know, those pictures and boxes,� she continued, choosing to ignore it this time. �I hope you didn�t mind. The houses are all basically laid out the same way. I promise I didn�t go snooping into any other rooms.�
�You wouldn�t have found anything,� he told her, standing up. �Since you mentioned it, I�ll be right back.�
�Oh, and Lance,� she called over the back of the couch.
�Yeah?�
�Be honest with me. Are you always in the habit of talking to yourself? I mean really, I wouldn�t sneak out the back door. It�s just uncouth.�
He stood in the doorway, looking quizzically at her. Finally, his face registered his understanding, causing Holly to laugh good-naturedly at him.
�You know what?� He retorted, exiting the room. �You�re not the funny one either.�
Later, as they were sitting in the floor, enjoying the pizza and each other�s company, they began to talk.
�So, Lance, what on earth brings you to this little hole in the wall?� Holly asked, taking a drink of her soda.
�It�s not a hole in the wall,� he told her. �I was just looking for a place to get away for a while.�
�Really?�
�Yeah,� he confessed. �I know it�s going to sound stupid, but I felt I was losing myself. Does that make any sense?�
Holly nodded. �Most definitely. But you�ve got everything-why would you want to come here when you could go anywhere in the world?�
�I�ve been nearly everywhere in the world,� he said, his voice melancholy. �I miss just being me. That night I called the wrong number��
�Twice,� Holly couldn�t resist teasing.
�Right, twice,� he said, smiling sadly. �I was at the end of my rope. Clich�d, I know, but it�s the truth. It seemed as if everybody wanted more of me than I had to give. I don�t think I have any of me left to give. In fact, I don�t even know if I have any of me left at all.�
�Aww,� she said, unconsciously reaching a hand out and placing it on his arm. She was always concerned about other people�s feelings and wanted them to not be sad.
�Listen to me,� he shook head. �I hardly know you and I�m spilling all my troubles on you.�
�I�m a great listener,� she said, blinking her eyes and nodding. �I can�t give advice worth a rat�s tail, but I can listen. And I can be a friend.�
Lance smiled at her. This was not how he envisioned the evening going. But there was something about her that made him feel at ease. And incredibly turned on. Thank God we�re in the floor, he thought, mentally patting himself on the back for wearing the jeans that bunched when he sat down. No tell-tale signs for her tonight.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Lance noticed she was picking something off her pizza.
�What are you doing?�
�I don�t like olives or onions,� she answered sheepishly, embarrassed at being caught.
�Why didn�t you say so to begin with?�
�It�s rude to do that, especially after you bought it. Oh, I tell you what. Let me pay for half of it.�
Lance laughed at her. He couldn�t remember when he had just laughed at everyday things.
�What?� She asked.
�You. Holly, you can pick the olives, onions, cheese, whatever you want, off the pizza. And don�t even think about paying for half of it. I can afford it.�
It was Holly�s turn to laugh now. She felt so silly.
�But you know what?� He asked, taking another bite of pizza. �Thanks for offering. No one�s done that in a while.�
Holly grinned, looking down. �You never answered my question.�
�Hmm?� He mumbled, mouth full of food.
�You never said why you chose here as the place to escape,� she said, making it sound secretive.
�You�re not going to believe it when I tell you,� he commented.
�Oh, like I was going to believe you were serious about being my neighbor and I would be sitting in your living room floor sharing pizza with you nearly two weeks later? Come on, Lance.�
�You�ve got a point,� he agreed. �One of the last times we came through Birmingham, I saw an ad in a paper, advertising this town. The name just struck me as a happy name. Like you can find all of your dreams here.�
�Rainbow City?� Holly snickered. �I�m sorry, but all it reminds me of is an old Merle Hagard song.�
�Rainbow Stew?�
�Yes!� She answered. �I didn�t think anyone knew about that song.�
�I do. And in a way, you�re right. Rainbows are about happiness and the song was about finding the perfect life and dreams coming true.�
�All of your dreams haven�t come true yet?� She inquired, intrigued.
�The one that really matters, no,� he admitted, studying her.
�Then, I hope you find the end of your rainbow here.�
�Me, too, Holly. Me, too.�
Chapter 4
Lance sat on his balcony overlooking the courtyard in the center of the townhouses, drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying the quiet of the morning. He never realized how much he missed the quiet until now. The past few weeks had been incredible. Not once had he missed the touring, the fighting, seeing the faces of his four bandmates nearly every single minute of the day. He blew on the steam rising from the cup. There was one face he realized he missed, though-Holly. And she definitely had a face worth looking at.
He hadn�t spoken to her since that Friday night when she helped him with his decorating. Lance couldn�t help but snicker at the memory of that near disaster. Dammit, he thought, why did I have to go and kiss her? I probably scared her off with that-moving too fast. This isn�t like it is on the road. I need to slow down. Then again, it�s not like she�s trying to get into my bed. Lance stopped the internal monologue after that thought. Who said they had to sleep together, anyway? He barely knew her. Yeah, but you practically spilled your guts to her the other night. That�s why she hasn�t been around since then. Geez.
Closing his eyes in frustration with himself, he laid his head back against the chair. An absolute nitwit, that�s what you are, Bass. Way to go. Squinting behind the shades, he slowly opened his eyes when caught the glare of something in his eyes. What the hell, he wondered.
Looking down from the balcony, he saw Holly smiling and waving, trying to hide her keys. She had been glaring the sun off them at her. Funny. He smiled, leaning forward and returning the wave. He watched as she walked to the back of her townhouse, the long summer dress she was wearing swinging around her legs. He grinned, imagining the rustling sound it must be making as she moved. Is this stalking, he absently wondered, admiring the way the sunlight reflected off her hair. She looked so professional, her hair pulled back into that braid. With the exception of the first time he laid eyes on her, her hair was always pulled back. If only he had been closer that morning when she was on her balcony with her long hair falling gently around her shoulders. He thought of how soft it must feel and how it would fall across him as she was on top of his�
�Oooookay. That�s enough of that,� he said aloud, shaking himself out of the reverie. The stirring he felt in his groin didn�t help. He growled in aggravation.
Standing up, he saw her truck pull into the road in front of the townhouses. He thought he heard a country song blasting from her radio. Listening closely, he grinned as he recognized the strains of a rollicking country song. So Miss Holly had few surprised in her. He decided right then what he needed to do.
~*~
Holly bustled in the door at work in her usual fluster of activity, making more noise than was humanly possible for one woman. She caught the look Lynn gave her over the top of her desk and grinned sheepishly. Holly always entered the place like that-smiling and busy. It amazed her boss to no end why this bundle of energy didn�t have a job in a �real school�, as Holly liked to put it. For whatever the reason, Holly was grateful for the job she had and Lynn was very glad to have her there.
�So, what�s new on the boyfriend front?� Lynn asked as Holly walked past her door.
�Huh?� Holly asked, tilting her head back to keep her sunglasses from falling off her face and to get that damn twig out of her eyes.
�You know, the boyfriend,� Lynn repeated, following her.
Holly looked at her boss in confusion as she dropped her pocketbook and bags on her table. She took her sunglasses off and slipped them in the side pocket on a bag, knowing that she wouldn�t remember where they were an hour later.
�Lynn, I honestly have no idea what you�re talking about. There is no boyfriend.�
�What about that one from Willamsburg? Isn�t he like a neighbor or something?�
Holly sighed. Lynn was in one of her moods again. �There is no boyfriend from the townhouses. There is a new guy...�
�Yeah, that one. You spent the night with him, didn�t you?� Lynn interrupted.
�No! I did not,� Holly responded indignantly.
�You went to his place.�
�There is a big difference in going to someone�s place and spending the night. I can�t believe you said that.�
�Didja do it?�
�And I really can�t believe you just asked that.�
�Eh, you didn�t,� Lynn surmised, somewhat disappointed. �I knew you wouldn�t.�
�Lynn,� Holly said, trying to keep from laughing. �I think you know I don�t discuss such things as that.�
Lynn raised a skeptical eyebrow at her younger friend, grinning to soften her accusations.
�Probably just as well,� she continued, walking back to her office. �He might not have been worth the effort.�
Holly bit the inside of her cheek, her mind going back to the way she felt when Lance had almost kissed her. If that was an indication to anything else, then maybe it would have been worth the effort. Realizing what she was thinking, Holly closed her eyes tight and scrunched her face, attempting to push such thoughts out of her mind. She couldn�t help but wonder though� Shrugging apathetically, she began taking the notebooks down for the students who would be there on Saturday. Sitting down, she turned on the radio behind her and began updating the lessons. She groaned, putting her head on the desk when an Nsync song began playing on the local station. So much for getting him out of her mind.
~*~
Later that evening, Holly was sock-skating through her kitchen, playing chase with her cat, Harold. He had just executed a well-planned surprise attack on her, sending her into fits of uproarious giggles as he arched his back and hopped sideways. The ringing of the doorbell startled them both, causing Holly to almost slide down. She caught the back of a chair to keep from falling.
�Did you invite someone?� She asked the smoky gray cat as she glided down the hall to the front door.
Opening the huge wooden door, the playful smile she wore widened into one of pleasure at seeing Lance on the other side.
�Hi. I brought a peace offering,� he said, almost shyly as he held up a bottle of wine and a take-out bag from the local Chinese restaurant.
�Don�t know what you�re offering peace about, but come on in,� she told him, opening the door wider.
�You don�t have company, do you?�
�Me? No. Why?�
�I heard you talking and laughing with someone before I opened the door. Sounded like you were having a good time.�
�Oh, yeah,� Holly answered, a mischievous glint in her eyes. �I was playing with the fellow who lives here.�
�What?� Lance asked, turning to face her as he stepped into the kitchen.
�I didn�t tell you about him?� She teased, watching the look on his face.
�No. Damn,� he muttered, his face turning red. �I�m sorry. I�ve made a huge mistake. Here, enjoy the wine and Chinese anyway. I�ll leave you alone.�
�Lance,� Holly laughed, grabbing his sleeve. �I live with a cat. He and I were playing chase when you arrived.�
�A cat? Playing chase?� Lance was totally bewildered.
�I know. It�s kind of stupid, but we get like that sometimes. Look, I�ll go put Harold up and then you and I can enjoy the food. How does that sound?�
Before he had a chance to answer, she had bent over to pick up the cat. Lance couldn�t help but notice that her sweats rode down a bit on her hips as she bent over. Purple panties, he mused, grinning.
�Harold, this is Lance. He interrupted our game,� Holly introduced, righting herself and nuzzling the cat. �Lance, this is Harold.�
�Nice to meet you,� Lance said without thinking.
Holly laughed, sticking the cat�s paw out for a shake. Lance grinned lopsidedly, taking the tiny foot in his hand. He shook his head, unable to keep from laughing. When he released Harold�s foot, she held the cat up to her face, turning her head as if listening to him. Smirking, she looked at Lance, a twinkle in her eyes.
�Harold says he might like you, but he�s got to know you a bit better.�
�Oh, is that so?� Lance chuckled, looking at the cat.
�Yes. What? Something else, Harold?� Holly asked, tilting her head back down again. �Is that right?�
�Hey,� Lance interrupted. �It�s not nice to whisper about people in front of them.�
�You�re totally right, Lance,� she agreed. �Harold was just mentioning that he thought it was nice of you to bring the food over, especially since his person hasn�t had anything to eat since eleven this morning. And, he�s ready to leave the �people persons� alone. So, if you�ll excuse us for just a moment.�
�Of course,� Lance agreed wholeheartedly, nodding understandingly, an amused smirk on his face.
�Good. You can wait in the den, if you like. I�ll be right back. But just don�t sit in the red chair.�
�Why, is it Harold�s chair?�
�No. It�s broken,� Holly giggled, walking out of the kitchen.
Lance watched her walk down the hallway, enjoying the way her sweats curved around her butt. Curvy, he thought, fighting to keep his thoughts from straying too far in that direction. He found his way into the den and couldn�t resist gently shaking the red chair, thinking it was because the cat preferred that one.
�Whoops,� he muttered, quickly grabbing the back as it broke loose from the arms. �Damn thing is broken.�
He attempted to put it back together, hastily setting it back right when he heard Holly come back down the hall. That was all he needed, to have her come back in there and see him trying to fix what she told him to avoid in the first place. Stepping back to see his handiwork, he decided it would pass, as long as there wasn�t an earthquake or sudden movement in the room. And Holly never had to know any different. He eased away from the chair, catching sight of photographs on the wall and on the mantle. Nothing like pictures to find out about a person, he reasoned, walking over to frames, inspecting the people in them.
�Not much to look at, huh?� Holly said, startling him. She laughed as he jumped slightly. �I�m sorry. I�m quite stealthy at times. Comes in handy when you�re teaching.�
�I guess so,� Lance agreed, still looking at the pictures. �Who are all these people?�
�My family,� she said simply, the glasses in her hand clinking gently as she moved. �As much as I hate to admit it, they are who I am.�
�Oh, it can�t be that bad,� he said, glancing quickly at her. �Where are you in these?�
�Right there,� she said, pointing with a hand full of Chinese take-out. �See? The bad poodle perm, braces, glasses, and chipmunk cheeks? I can�t believe I still keep those pictures out. Guess it�s to remind me of where I�ve been. We really need to get some others made, but I can�t seem to talk my daddy into doing it now.�
�Why?� Lance asked, taking the food and wine from her.
�He�s just gotten set in his ways and doesn�t like to do family stuff like that anymore,� Holly told him. �Come on. Harold wasn�t kidding about me being hungry.�
Lance laughed at her sudden announcement and followed her to the couch.
�Consider yourself privileged, Lance,� she said, sitting down and tucking her legs under her.
�Why?� He asked, setting the glasses on the coffee table. �Harold usually doesn�t open up like he did with strangers?�
�No,� she giggled. �I usually don�t eat in here.�
�Some kind of rule I need to know about?�
�Not really. I�m just usually so messy, it�s just best to eat at the table.�
�We don�t have to eat in here,� he said, standing up. �I was just doing what you said.�
�I know that,� she said, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm, stopping him. �It�s just more comfortable in here. Besides, with Harold out of the room, you won�t have to fight him for noodles. He�s crazy about them.�
�OK,� he agreed, sitting beside her. �Damn. I forgot the corkscrew. Do not make anything dirty out of that,� he warned, smiling to make sure she didn�t take his words the wrong way.�
�Lance, I�ve dealt with annoying kids today, don�t worry about me taking anything the wrong way. It�s just not going to happen right now. I think I have a corkscrew in one of the kitchen drawers. Let me go check.�
Noticing how she did look a little tired, he had an idea.
�You tell me which one you think it�s in and I�ll check. If you don�t mind, that is.�
�No, I would love that,� she said gratefully. �I believe it�s in the big drawer next to my fridge. That�s where I keep all the stuff I either don�t use or have no idea what it�s for.�
�OK,� he said. �I�ll be right back.�
Holly sat back, closing her eyes and rubbing her neck. She hadn�t realized how tired she was until she sat down. From the time she arrived home from work, she had been busy tidying up and playing with Harold, stopping long enough to change clothes. And company had been the last thing on her mind, but she was glad he was here now. It was nice to have someone to talk to, other than the cat.
�Here it is,� Lance announced, entering the room. He sat beside her again, taking the wine bottle in his hands. She watched as he opened the bottle with ease and poured them each half a glass.
�I never figured out how to tell which the best kind is,� she commented, swirling the liquid in the glass.
�There isn�t really a science to it,� he said, settling back against the couch. �I mean, there is, but I�m not sophisticated enough to know all the details.�
�Mmm,� Holly said, sipping the wine. �You did quite well with this. It�s good.�
�I didn�t say I didn�t know how to pick it out, I just don�t know how to be an expert wine taster.�
�Close enough. I think I�m doing good when I buy the four dollar bottles at Food World. And as far as knowing which kind goes with what kind of meat, I just drink sodas.�
Lance chuckled, setting his glass on the table. He handed her a small box of food.
�I�ve sort of learned over these past few years,� he admitted. �But you�re right, you can�t go wrong with sodas��
�Or iced tea,� they said in unison.
�You know something, Holly?� He laughed.
�Unh-uh,� she answered, trying to get the noodles in her mouth.
�I haven�t enjoyed myself as much in a long time as I have with you each time we�ve been together.�
�That�s me,� she answered, biting a long noodle in half. �A regular riot.�
�No,� he said, reaching over and catching the noodle before it fell. He promptly popped in his mouth. �I mean, you�re not� You�re just� It�s hard to explain.�
�Yep, again, that�s me,� she grinned. �Hard to explain.�
�I don�t mean anything bad by that,� he swore.
�I know,� she told him. �It�s been nice for me, too. Especially considering the men-well, man-I�ve usually been around.�
�Oh?�
�Yeah, but let�s not talk about that,� she said. �I don�t want to get indigestion from the thought of him.�
�Gotcha,� he said, nodding. �Just enjoy.�
A few hours and an empty wine bottle later, they had finished the food and talked about everything that was nothing. Holly hadn�t asked once about what it was like to be him. She listened as he told her about growing up. Then, he returned the favor as she regaled him with hilarious stories of her younger days. From what she told him, she was quite the mischievous child, making her cousins eat dog food and playing pranks all the time. And even though she didn�t mention it, he sensed the expectations her family had placed on her, being the first to graduate from college and be a professional person. He heard in her voice the doubts she had about having fulfilled those dreams they had put on her. As the clock on her mantle struck midnight, they both looked up with surprise.
�I didn�t realize it was so late,� she said. �Tomorrow�s my day to work.�
�I thought you were off on the weekends.�
�Ha. If I get one Saturday off a month, then I�m doing good. I had the weekend off a couple of weeks ago, so I�ve got a while to go before I�m off again.�
�Aw,� he said, sticking out his lower lip in a pout for her. �I�m sowwy.�
�You�re tipsy,� she laughed, wobbling as she tried to stand up.
�I think you are,� Lance said, reaching a hand out to steady her. �I�ll just show myself out.�
�Nonsense,� she told him, finding her bearings. �I would not be a good hostess if I let you leave on your own.�
�You going with me, then?� He snickered.
�As far as the front door, yes.�
Lance held on to her arm as they walked through the foyer and to the front door. He turned around and looked at her.
�Are you going to be all right if I leave you alone?�
�Yep,� she said, nodding her head. �I don�t want it to be said I got you all liquored up and then took advantage of you.�
�I think you�ve got that backwards, but it�ll be okay,� he said, shaking his head. �I�ll see you later.�
They stood there for a few moments filled with awkward silence. Lance decided it was now or never and took a step towards her, placing a finger under her chin and tilting her face up to him. He leaned down, placing a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. As he reluctantly pulled away, Holly opened her eyes to find him staring at her.
�I don�t want you to think I was being forward,� he said, voice husky.
�Just as long as you don�t think I was taking advantage of you,� she replied, her face flushing, more from his nearness and kiss than the wine.
�Bye,� he said, trailing a finger across her cheek and closing the door behind him.
�Yup,� she giggled, walking down the hall. �I�m going to have to get him snockered more often if he�s going to be that way.�