Him Her Them Boxed Set (8 page)

I look around the brightly colored blue, red and yellow room with dolls, figurines and various kitschy knick knacks plastered to the wall. Finally my eyes fall on Corbin and Jacob sitting around a metal table. Corbin looks cool and relaxed as always, while Jacob is talking about something as his hands are flying animated into the air. I walk up and grab a seat.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. It's been a long night." I try to look apologetic but feel so down that I don't even care.

"No worries man, we've only been here five minutes ourselves." Corbin looks up from his menu and gives me a slight smile.

"Couldn't get her to leave?" Jacob asks while giving a slight laugh, playing with his menu like a child.

"No. That wasn't the problem." I open my menu and glance at the choices, not really seeing the words nor interested.

"Hey, Pierce, something wrong?" Corbin puts down the menu and leans in while tilting his head. I think my knee is breaking the sound barrier as fast as it's bouncing beneath the table.

"Yeah, she left. Never said goodbye. No phone number, nothing."

"Congratulations man! Exactly what you always wanted." Jacob is holding his hand up for a high five but I just glare at him.

"No Jacob, not her. I want to see her again. I mean, I really want to see her again. I don't like this at all. It's awful. I talked to her last night about seeing each other again. She promised in the morning we would talk about it, but all she left me was this cryptic note."

I take the paper out of my pocket and throw it on the table. Jacob snatches it up. His eyes go wide and he laughs as he starts to read. After a few moments he shakes his head in confusio
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.

"I don't know man. It sounds weird. Why do you have to go to your mom's and why would she say that? It started off sexy but then just went strange. Sorry, dude can't help you."

Corbin grabs the note away from Jacob and carefully examines it, then leans in to start to ask me questions about each line of the note. Just then the waiter shows up and we place our orders and give him our menus as he walks off.

"First off there is something Pierce. She says right here on the second line how she hopes to see you again."

I nod and lean into him to get more information.

"Okay, well that's good. I kept reading that part, but the rest of the note got me confused." I try to explain to Corbin.

"Yeah, well you don't have a lot of experience dating women so I would be surprised if you figured this out yourself."

"Hey, I have experience with women."

"I am not saying you don't have experience in the bedroom with woman. I'm saying you don't have experience dating them. Women like the man to figure out their needs and wants without ever having to say a word."

"Well, that's stupid." Jacob chimed in.

"Anyway, Pierce, this woman here." He points to the note in his hand. "This woman is like the queen bee of all women. Most don't expect much from a man, maybe some sweet words, a door held open for them and a pretty flower here and there. But, this woman, she expects you to find her. In this city of well over half a million people, she expects you to hunt her down."

"What? But that's impossible." I panic and my eyes dart around as my mind races to figure out how I can possibly accomplish this.

"What's her name again?"

"Josephine."

His eyes flare in surprise and just a quickly lower before resuming their gaze at me. There is something odd in his expression, but I am so focused on figuring out this note I let it pass.

"Well, Josephine thinks you are smart enough to figure it out. Which you aren't, but she doesn't know that. She also doesn't know you have me here to help you."

"Do you think I can find her Corbin?"

He gives me a devilish grin and nods his head before pulling forward to lean onto the table.

"I know you can. But, if she makes you work this hard just to find her, she will make you work just as hard to woo her and keep her. Are you prepared to do that Pierce?"

I contemplate what Corbin has asked me. He's right, she is so high above all other women, Josephine will have me crawling for her. The memories of last night saturate my head. Not just the sex and her body, but her laugh, her amazing smile and her words. I can't get the image of her drinking the beer in my kitchen out of my mind. When she laughed at me because she realized I was making an exception for her, by not wanting her to leave. How she knew that, it still amazes me. Her intelligence and beauty, am I even worthy of her?

I realize at that moment I would be such a fool for not trying. That she's worth all this work and so much more so I nod my head at Corbin.

"I am more than prepared Corbin. You don't know this woman, she's captivating. That's as close as I can get to putting into words how unbelievably amazing she is. If she wants me to walk through the pits of hell I wouldn't even blink before I started my journey."

Corbin gives me a stern look, unsure I fully understood what I am to embark on. While Jacob sits there with his mouth wide open.

"Oh shit dude! Was the sex that good? Does she have a friend?" Jacob, always the romantic (hint: I am rolling my eyes as I say that), tries his best at subtlety but just comes across sophomoric.

"Actually she does Jacob, her name is Luna. I think that's what Josephine called her. But, I have a feeling she won't be interested in you."

Jacob looks surprised and throws his hands up.

"Why? What's wrong with me?"

"Really Jacob, do you really want me to say? If Luna is even half as smart and funny as Josephine, she will stay clear of you."

"Fine. But at least put in a good word for me. She may meet me and feel differently."

I am about to respond when Corbin pipes in.

"No she won't." Corbin seems a little pissed and I furrow my brow trying to understand what's wrong.

"How would you know that Corbin? If anyone would know it would be Pierce. What makes you the expert of her feelings?" Jacob is getting a little irritated by the cock blocking.

Corbin squints down at his fork, twirling it with his fingers on the table.

"Because, we talked last night. I met her and we talked. And I am going to call her tonight to ask her on a date."

Both Jacob and my mouth drop as we stare at Corbin who refuses to look up from his cutlery.

"So you let me go on and on about Josephine, wondering how on earth I would find her and you have her best friend's phone number?"

Corbin's dark blue eyes flash up to mine as he runs his hand in frustration through his short blond hair and a cold look steals his face.

"I will not be asking Luna for her friend's phone number or tell you where she lives. Do you understand Pierce?"

"No, frankly I don't understand. You are my friend; if the roles were reversed I would do the same for you."

I am getting angry. What is his problem? Does he not want me to find Josephine?

"I know you don't understand Pierce so I will explain it to you. I like Luna a lot. We may not have had a sex fueled night like you and Josephine, but we did kiss and it was, um, something I never experienced before."

"You never experienced a kiss before? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." I snort just as the waiter gives us our food.

"That's not what I meant Pierce. Stop being an ass. It was the most intense kiss I have ever had. She's wonderful and I am not going to jeopardize that by asking her questions about her friend. It's not high school. I can't go up to her and say; hey my friend is interested in your friend. Besides you won't want me to ask questions about Josephine when I get done explaining things to you about the note."

"Fine, then explain."

I am getting a little fed up with Corbin's protective nature of Luna, a woman he's known less than a day, especially at my expense.

"As I mentioned she wants you to find her, but I suspect she had no idea that Luna and I were together when she wrote this note. So, she likely expects you to follow her directions, not take the easy way out. From what you told me, and Luna has mentioned about her, she has high expectations. Luna told me that she got into college at 16 years of age, so she's very intelligent. Based on that information and her note, she wants a man who isn't afraid of any challenge she gives."

"Wow, I knew she was smart, but college at sixteen?" I stop eating my food, realizing I am no longer hungry for my burger.

"Pierce, I think you have the brains enough for this. Besides, she is the first woman I have ever seen you act like an idiot over. That is a good sign; it shows you care about her. You need that to focus and drive you forward. A woman will rarely just come right out and say what she wants, but they will drop hints and it's up to you to put the pieces together. She mentions she likes to be wooed, even that she is 'old fashioned.' I have a feeling once you find her; you will have to jump through hoops just to get a date out of her. But if you are persistent and learn when to assert control and when to let her have her way, it will be smooth sailing."

"This is starting to sound more like a business venture than trying to date someone." I note with unease.

"It's complicated and with Josephine it seems she likes that, so you are going to have to grow a pair to reach her. Are you ready?"

I sigh and nod.

"Yes, but I might have to rely on you more than just today."

Corbin laughs and nods. "Oh hell, you will have to rely on me a lot with this one. Figures you find the most complicated one."

He studies the note again and raises an eyebrow but has a cocky smirk on his face.

"Pierce, why do you think she is mentioning your mom?"

"We were hungry and I didn't have much in the house. I explained I either eat takeout or my mom comes over to cook."

"Yes, but she doesn't state that you should have your mom come over to cook for you so you have food to feed her. She says you should visit your mom for food."

"So, I'm sure she meant the same thing."

Corbin has a huge grin on his face as if he is a lawyer who just found the evidence he needs to win the big case. Even Jacob stops eating, which never happens when food is placed in front of him, his light brown eyes watching us like a tennis match.

"As smart as this woman is and as cryptic a note as she left, do you really think she just wasn't thinking when she wrote that sentence?"

"No, I guess not."

"She obviously wants you to go to your mom's house, but why? How does she even know what your mom looks like? Did you talk about your mother last night?"

I give him an are-you-for-real look.

"Yeah, I really took an unbelievably sexy woman home to give her multiple orgasms, but in between the hot sex we talked about my mom." I roll my eyes as Jacob starts to laugh.

"I am just trying to figure out how she even knows who your mom is. The only framed photos of your mother I know you keep are in that first bathroom by your front door. This, I may add, is weird. Who wants to look at your mom while they pee?"

"I agree with Corbin, its weird dude. Move the picture." Jacob contributes.

"Fine, whatever, I'll move the frame. She might have seen that picture. When she first came to the apartment she used that bathroom. Hmm, maybe you are right Corbin; I need to go see my mom."

I smile at him and reach up to give him a pat on the back.

"Excellent deduction! Food is on me and if you need anything, especially for your date with Luna, just ask. Oh shit! I just realized my mom is on vacation to Cape Cod until Friday. How am I going to wait that long?"

I give Corbin a pleading look.

"You are just going to have to wait. Perhaps she knew that and has a reason why you should wait. Just leave it be and bide your time."

"Easy for you to say, you have your woman's phone number and can see her whenever you want."

Corbin smirks and precisely cuts into his omelet with his fork, before triumphantly bringing the food to his mouth. My knee starts to dance around a bit under the table. I realize I will have to try and remember everything she told me last night to learn as much about her as I can. I wolf the rest of my burger, so I can get home quickly and work on the ideas starting to circle my brain.

I stand up and throw a fifty down on the table.

"I gotta go you guys. Good luck with Luna, Corbin. I hope it works out and thanks for your help. I will probably be calling you again sometime over the next week about it. And Jacob, perhaps Josephine has a dimwitted sister who is just desperate enough to date you. Whenever I see her again, I'll ask."

Jacob produces a cocky smirk on his face and starts to nod as if he won a bet. Both Corbin and I exchange a look and roll our eyes. Poor Jacob, he has no clue.

They wave goodbye and I am off. I am excited to possibly see Josephine again, even if it will be a week away, and about having to work to find her. The challenge arouses primal instincts in me, and I desire her even more. Unlike this morning when I thought there was no hope in finding her, when I think of her now a smile grows and eagerness takes hol
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