Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories (The Flirts! Collection) (12 page)

But every trace of him was gone.

Her mother called with an invitation to Wayne’s birthday party the following Saturday night. Wayne had sold his condo and moved into her childhood home with Mom. It was their first big shindig as a married couple.

“I can’t. I have plans with Clark.”

“Oh, honey. Your step-father will be so disappointed. Please? Bring Clark. This is our first family event together. We want both our children there.”

Carly was quiet and finally gave in. It’s not like she’d be able to avoid Rob for the rest of her life. “I’ll see what I can do.”

She was tempted to dress up, but what was the point? She settled on jeans and a sweater, and fussed just a little with her hair and makeup. If she were lucky, Rob had met someone new.

She walked into her mother’s house and spotted him right away. Their eyes locked, and she ran her fingers over her lips. The person he was talking to turned around to see who had captured Rob’s attention, so Carly scooted to the kitchen, away from his view.

“Darling!” Mom rushed over and gave her a hug. “Where’s Clark?”

“He couldn’t come.”

“That’s too bad,” Rob said behind her.

She jumped. “Oh, hello.”

“Rob’s solo, too. Guess it’s a good brother-sister bonding night,” her mother said.

“Maybe we’ll play Twister,” Rob said.

“Good idea,” said her mother. “I’m off to mingle. Have fun you two!” She left them alone in the kitchen.

“How have you been?” He reached for her hand.

She stepped back and tried to force a smile, but she felt tears coming instead, so she turned around. “Not so great.”

He ran his fingers down her hair and rested them on her shoulder. “Me neither. I really miss you.”

She nodded. They heard someone coming and stepped apart.

It was her mother. “Honey, I forgot to suggest you should give him a tour of the house. He’s never been here before.” She shooed them out of the room.

Carly gulped and led the way. “Well, you’ve seen the kitchen. The family room’s packed with people, as you can see.” She led him through the crowded room into the empty dining room and then the living room. “Exciting stuff,” she said, as they stopped in front of the fireplace.

He pointed to the stairs. “I suppose the bedrooms are up there.”

She nodded, hoping she could control herself around him once they were up there alone.

He followed her up and she showed him her mother’s and Wayne’s room, the guest room, and the bathroom, and then her old bedroom. “And this is where I lived for eighteen years.” She pushed the door open and led him inside. The same flowered, pink wallpaper covered the room, and her white canopy bed sat in the same place. Her pictures and posters from high school still hung on the walls.

“’N Sync. Really?” he teased, pointing to one of her posters. He looked around, smiling. “It’s like a Carly shrine.” He closed the door behind them. “I’ve missed you. So much.” He held out his hand. “Come here.”

Stepping back and pressing her back against the wall, she tried to protest. He came to her, twining his fingers through her hair.

Her insides tumbled as he touched her. She sucked in a deep breath. “I’ve been miserable without you. Let’s tell them. Whatever happens, happens.”

His hands moved down to her shoulders and he pulled her into a hug. “Thank God.” He kissed her.

Tears stung her eyes as she squeezed his arms. “We’ll tell them after the party. It’ll be easier after a few drinks.”

“I’ll follow your lead.”

His tongue was skating a swirling path across her lips when the door opened. “Kids, it’s time for cake…” Her mother’s voice trailed off, and they pushed off the wall, rearranging their clothing and hair.

She dropped her wine glass. “What are you two doing?” she asked in a whisper.

Rob stood up. “Delilah…”

Wayne walked in the room behind her. “Did you find them?” He did a double-take. “What’s going on up here?”

Her mother’s mouth flapped open and closed, but nothing came out.

“She caught us kissing,” Carly said.

“It was more than that,” he mother shot back. “What about Clark? You told me you loved him and you’re cheating on him? You said he could be the one! And you’re with your…your…” She couldn’t get the words out and she pressed her eyes shut.

Rob looked at Carly. “You love Clark?”

She nodded and leaned into his chest. Rob kissed her head. “And I love Samantha.”

Her mother’s chest was heaving. “So then why are you kissing…your sister?

“Step-sister, mother. We’re not related, and Rob is Clark.”

Her mother straightened up and cocked her head. “What?”

Carly nodded. “I met Rob the night before your wedding and we…” she bit her lip. “Let’s just say I was very surprised to find out he was my new brother the next day.”

Rob wrapped his arms around her from behind. “And Carly is Samantha.”

Carly shrugged. “He was my lover before he was my brother.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Wayne asked.

“We weren’t sure it was more than a fling. We didn’t want to cause a rift between you two if things didn’t work out.”

Rob nodded. “But it’s definitely working out.”

Her mother stood there in a daze. “I never imagined…” She shook her head and shrugged. “I guess…I guess it’s fine. No, it’s great.”

Carly ran to her and grabbed her arms. “Are you sure? I don’t want this causing problems with you and Wayne.”

“Hey, if you keep Rob from moping around like he’s been the past few weeks, I’m all for it,” Wayne said.

“It’ll make for an interesting family photo,” her mother said quietly, reaching to hold the door for support.

“What are you going to tell people?” Carly asked.

“That our kids fell in love?” She threw up her hands.

“And we might as well go tell everyone now, since most of the family’s here,” Wayne said.

Carly’s eyes went wide. “Now?”

They walked into the dining room, where everyone was gathered to watch Wayne blow out the candles on his cake. The room hushed and he looked at the crowd and smiled. “Want to know my birthday wish?”

“Yeah, sure!” called out a few people.

He pulled Carly and Rob over to stand next to them. “I wish nothing but happiness for our children, Rob and Carly.”

The crowd interrupted with a chorus of ‘awwws’ before he could continue. “Because apparently, these two have fallen in love.”

No one said anything. Then Rob kissed Carly’s cheek and someone whistled. Then other people joined in, hooting and hollering, and clapping—and there was some whispering, too, of course.

He dipped her for a dramatic kiss and the cheering continued.

Then Wayne blew out his candles.

“Hope that wish comes true,” Rob whispered to Carly.

“It already has,” she said.

They excused themselves to leave early. “It’ll give everyone a chance to gossip,” she told her mother.

Her eyes twinkled. “Yes, I’m sure that’s why you’re leaving early. Want me to get that book I was telling you about?”

Carly looked at the floor. “Good night, Mother!”

The following spring, they lined up to walk down the aisle outside the Blossom Reception Grove on a warm, May night.

“You here alone?” he asked her.

She grinned. “Not for long.” She rubbed her damp hands together and looked up at Rob. “But I’m nervous. I’ve never done this before.”

He kissed her head. “I can tell. Total newbie.”

She whacked him with her bouquet and her mother turned around with a glare. “You two kids knock it off.”

They giggled and kissed. “Mom loves me better,” Carly teased.

“But no one loves you more than me.” He kissed her, and she blessed the bad karma that had sent nothing but losers her way until she’d found the most unlikely match.

“I told you that you’d make some guy very happy some day.”

She grinned and walked down the aisle with the last person she ever expected. Only a responsible girl like her would turn a one-night stand into the romance of her life.

* * *

Does she have the formula for finding love?

“Desperately Seeking Cupid”

By Lisa Scott

Scanning the room one more time at the Blossom Reception Grove, I lowered my expectations from meeting a hot guy, to scoring an extra slice of wedding cake—with a big honking flower on top. Every good-looking man I’d spotted had a date or a wife. It was clear that the one hundred and fifty dollars I’d shelled out for my new dress would’ve been better spent on a month’s worth of gourmet chocolate. Or buckets of coffee. At least I’d gotten it on sale.

I scowled at my seating card: Brianna Keller and guest; guest had been crossed off. With no one to bring and not a prospect in sight, I was stuck at the single girls’ table. Only, all of the “girls” around me were more like the Golden Girls than the Gilmore Girls. I loved my grandma, but I didn’t want to hang out with her peeps when I was supposed to be meeting men—preferably born in the same decade as me. They seemed to be lovely ladies, but not exactly the wingman material needed for scoping out dates.

“I said, Carly was my next-door neighbor growing up,” I told the white-haired woman wearing a big, peacock-brooch who was sitting next to me. She’d already asked me three times how I knew the bride.

“She looks younger than you,” said another lady, draped in rhinestones and squinting at the bride.

I faked a big smile. “She is.” And getting married first, the nerve of her. How many times had I slipped her contraband makeup on the bus ride to school? I showed her how to put on false eyelashes, for crying out loud. And this is how she repays me?

“Now, why don’t you have a date, dear?” one of the other women asked me. Her water glass had a big, red lip-print on it. This was like my weekly phone conversation with my mother. Only, I’d lied to her about my date for the wedding and said the “new guy” I was seeing couldn’t make it.

“Well…um…that’s a good question.” I stammered, unwrapping one of the personalized Hershey’s kisses the couple left as favors. This was going to be a long summer if I didn’t find decent date-material—I was invited to six more weddings over the next three months. My fake boyfriend couldn’t miss them all, and my mother would be at a few of them.

“You’re so pretty. I just don’t understand why you don’t have a boyfriend,” peacock-brooch woman said. Her eyes widened. “Wait, you’re not a Libertarian, are you?”

“Mildred!” Her friend in the rhinestones smacked her with her purse.

I chased the chocolate with the rest of my wine. “No, I’m actually Independent in more ways than one, and I like men. A lot.” My last real relationship had been three years ago. Nick and the co-worker he cheated on me with were now married. So much for karma being a bitch. “I just can’t find the right one.” At this point, I’d even settle for Mr. Could-Be-Should-Be-Might-Be-Right.

“What about those dating websites I see on TV all the time?” asked another woman wearing a ruffled, lavender crepe dress.

“Tried three of them. No luck. I’ve agreed to set-ups. Blind dates.” I counted the lame attempts on my fingers. “I’ve even done speed dating.”

Lavender-dress-lady’s eyes popped open. “Oh dear, you shouldn’t turn to barbiturates. Drugs aren’t the answer. Just say no.” She nodded emphatically.

Pressing my eyes closed, I smiled. “Speed-dating is a really quick date with a bunch of men.”

Their eyes went wide, and Red Lips whispered, “We had a name for that kind of girl in my day…”

“You were that kind of girl,” Lavender said to Red Lips. That earned another purse whack from Rhinestones.

I gulped another mouthful of Chardonnay. “I’d probably have a date if I
was
that kind of girl.” I dropped my head in my hands. “I’ve tried everything. I swear, Cupid’s given up on me.” The wine was making me whiney. I needed to stop and remember all the good things in my life: great friends and family, a speedy metabolism, my job in sales for an educational software company that allowed leisurely lunches I could then write off. Seriously—all good stuff.

“Maybe you need to make some changes in your life,” Rhinestones kindly suggested.

“Like your hair. Are you a real redhead? I’ve never seen that shade before,” another lady asked, putting on the glasses that hung around her neck, then examining me.

I rubbed my temples. “I spend a lot of time at the hairdresser.” I changed my hair color more often than I swapped out new lipstick shades.

“Me, too,” said another lady. Her short, bobbed hair had a strange blue tint to it. Sitting between her and the white-haired woman, we must have looked like the American flag.

“Maybe something more natural would be appealing to the gentlemen?” Peacock suggested, nodding encouragingly.

“Ettie, Patsy—leave her alone. She’s beautiful just the way she is.” An older blond-haired woman waved the idea away with a sweep of her hand. “Women today don’t need a man to be happy. Wish I’d known that back in the day.”

The ladies laughed, but I pouted. “Actually, I really do want a man,” I said quietly.

The gals each let out little sounds of pity. And really, that didn’t help at all.

The blond woman shook her head. “I’ll bet your feng shui is all off.”

The other ladies murmured. “Oh, of course. You’re probably right, Virginia,” said Red Lips. “It must be bad feng shui. You’ll never land a man if you’re feng shui isn’t right.” She shook her head and tsk-tsk’d. “You need to get that adjusted.”

I gulped. “I’m pretty sure my gynecologist would have noticed that at the last checkup.”

The ladies giggled and Virginia whooped with laughter. “Feng shui isn’t a sex thing, it’s all about the energy flow in your home.”

“I live in an apartment. Not much room for anything to flow.”

She wagged a red-tipped finger at me. “Doesn’t matter if you live in a cardboard box. The types of things you have in your home and the way they’re arranged effect how energy flows through your life. There’s so much you can do to change your situation.” She fished a business card out of her purse. “I’m a feng shui consultant, among other things. Give me a call so I can see what’s going on in your apartment.” She cocked an eyebrow. “I’ll bet you’ve got big problems in your relationship bagua.”

I took the card. “I didn’t even know I had a relationship bagua,” I said meekly.

The ladies laughed again. “Virginia really knows her stuff,” Blue Hair said with a brisk nod. “When she straightened up my prosperity bagua, I found an old life insurance policy my husband had tucked away in a book.” She crossed herself. “God rest his soul.” She shrugged. “Took a cruise to Alaska with the money.”

Lavender reached over and patted my hand. “You just don’t have your things in the right place, that’s all. Since Virginia fixed my place up, I haven’t been able to keep the men away,” she said with a giggle.

And that’s when a silver-haired man approached the table and said to her, “Dance with me, or you’ll break my heart, which would be a shame considering I just got the old ticker fixed.” He patted his chest.

She gave him a coy smile. “I knew I bought a new pair of dancing shoes for a good reason.” She stood up and they shuffled off to the dance floor.

Virginia looked at me. “She’s not kidding.”

But feng shui? It sounded like something I’d avoid on the menu at my favorite Thai restaurant, not something that could turn my love life around. I looked at the couples gathering on the dance floor, and then at the few of us solo guests left alone at the tables. I snatched Lavender’s Hershey’s kisses. She was too busy whooping it up to notice.

I spent the rest of the reception chatting with the ladies, exchanging Facebook information and Twitter ID’s. I kept an eye out for any single men that I might’ve missed. There were a few—in their seventies. My new gal-pals had a stream of dance partners. I had to battle them on the dance floor as we lined up to grab the bouquet; Rhinestones caught it and waved it over her head in a victory celebration, the show-off. I waited for my two pieces of cake and went home depressed. I stood in my apartment, wondering where my relationship bagua was, and if it came with a warranty because mine was certainly broken.

“How was the wedding?” my mother asked on the phone the next day. She and my stepfather were spending the month in North Carolina visiting his new grandchild. No pressure there.

“It was nice.”

“Did you meet anyone?” Mom asked.

Here we go
. “Seven nice senior-citizen ladies. I told you, I’ve got a boyfriend. Charles just couldn’t come. I wasn’t looking to meet anyone.” If she knew how desperate I was, she’d probably fly home and start lining up blind dates for me in some pathetic bachelor draft-event.

I was only twenty-seven, but she was ready to pay someone to date me. When she was my age, she liked to remind me, she’d been married twice. It killed her that I didn’t have the same inborn mate-finding genes. Neither did my half brother. Only, he was smart enough to move to Alaska and work as a long-haul trucker where he was unreachable five days out of seven. 
Maybe I should see if they have any openings. There are tons of single guys in Alaska, right?

“Well, I just can’t wait to meet this Chuck at your cousin Emily’s wedding. I hope he won’t be busy
that
day, too.”

“He’s a bar manager. It’s tough to get weekends off.” At least I’d been born with good fibbing genes. “But he’ll try his best.”

“Wait, I thought he was a restaurant manager?”

Okay. Not that good of a liar
. “Uh, they have a bar and a restaurant. He got a promotion. They gave him a big plaque and everything.”

She was quiet for a moment. “I don’t have a good feeling about this one, honey. I just don’t hear the excitement in your voice.”

“Don’t worry, Mom.”
And next, I’ll tell the grass to stop growing
. I hung up and the phone rang five minutes later.

“How was the wedding?” my best friend, Sarah, asked.

I fell back on my bed. My friends and family seemed even more desperate for me to meet someone than I did. It just made me more panicked about the whole thing. “Eh, it was okay.”

“I bet that dress was a killer.” She’d helped me pick it out, and guaranteed it would be a success. Then, we found two more to rotate through the rest of the weddings. I swear, if I wasn’t snacking, I was shopping. I did both things very well.

I planted my feet on the wall. This all felt very junior-high, like I was recounting the dance I’d gone to the night before. I’d never had much to report back then, either. “The reception was depressing, but the cake was good. I might order one from the same bakery and eat the whole thing myself.”

“You won’t fit into your dresses; and you’ve got six more weddings to go to,” she said in an obnoxious, singsong voice.

“I could always cancel. Every wedding has its no shows.”

Her sigh was long and exasperated. “You’re coming out with me tonight.”

I closed my eyes. “I don’t want to go to another bar. Unless it’s a chocolate bar.”

“You’re right. Stay home. Someone will probably just come knocking on your door.”

I sighed. She was right. “You are not as nice as you look, you know.”

“You’ve been talking to my exes.”

“I’m not wearing thongs anymore,” I said to Sarah as we scooted off the dance floor. “Especially not if I’m going to be dancing.” I winced. “If a guy won’t love me with panty lines, he’s not worth it.” I’d spent an hour getting ready, sliding into clothes that actually hurt—for what? Accidental groping on the dance floor by guys five years younger than me? I tucked my hair behind my ears and looked around the room hopelessly. “I’m going shopping for new undies Monday. Wanna come?”

“Oh, stop,” Sarah said. “You’re a thong girl and you know it.”

We headed for the bar. “It’s kind of false advertising when you think about it, because if I do get together with someone, I’ll certainly stop wearing them. Why lead them on, right? Honesty. That’s the best policy.”

A dark-haired guy appeared next to me, grinning.

Well, this is an interesting development
. I smiled back.

“There’s another option. You could wear no underwear at all,” he said. “And maybe add your bra to the collection up there.” He pointed to the jungle of bras hanging above the bar.

Ah yes. My loser-magnet must have fired up
. I groaned. “So that’s your method? Eavesdrop and then slide in cheeky comments?”

One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Cheeky, definitely cheeky, especially without the underwear. Why not go take yours off and try it out? It’ll make things easier when I take you home later.”

I rolled my eyes and looked at Sarah. “There’s gotta be a late-night bakery around here with cupcakes, right?”

Recovering from my sugar hangover Sunday morning, I did some cleaning up. I put away my dress and shoes, and cleaned out my clutch. I pulled out Virginia’s card. “Virginia Collins: Interior Decorating and Feng Shui Consultant.” I fiddled with the card. “What the hell.” I dialed her number. What did I have to lose?

“Virginia, it’s Brianna Keller. We met at the wedding Friday night? I’d really like to hire you to check out my feng shui problems.”

“I’m so glad you called. You’ll be amazed what a few simple changes in your home will do.”

We made an appointment for the following Saturday afternoon. After meeting an engaged man at a bar Thursday night who was looking for a “special friendship” until he got married—and maybe afterwards, too—and then bumping into a businessman in town looking for company on Friday night, I decided I didn’t need to make some
little
changes in my life; I needed to make some
huge
changes—fast. I was thrilled I’d made the appointment to meet her.
It couldn’t make things worse. Right?

“Oh, dear,” she said when she walked through my door. The smell of flowery perfume followed her in.

I twisted my hands in front of me. “It’s that bad? You can tell already?” Was I like one of those women who walked around with a bad highlighting job and didn’t know it?

She walked over to the fireplace and pointed to the huge picture hanging over the mantle. “You’re sending the universe the wrong signals, dear. If you want to be part of a couple, you shouldn’t be displaying artwork featuring a sad, single woman! That’s what you’re drawing into your world.”