Summer Swing (48 page)

“How about this one?” Dawn asked, holding up another piece of lingerie.

I looked it over to give my honest opinion. “I don’t like the color for you. You need something…rose-colored. Like mauve or dark pink.”

“Really? Doesn’t that make me look more…mommy-ish?”

I laughed. “Yeah, maybe so. It just seems cute on you because you’re pregnant.”

“Well I want Wyatt to think I’m sexy, not pregnant. He already knows I’m pregnant.” She pulled another piece of lingerie from a different rack. It was a black and
red
lacey thing. “What about this?”

“
Mm
m
, really slutty. I’m sure he’d love it.”

She laughed. “You’re no help at all.”

“What do you expect?” I took a moment to really form an opinion about what she had in her hand. “Would you feel comfortable in that?” I finally asked.

She looked it over. “Mm, if I looked good in it.”

“Of course you’ll look good in it.”

“At least for now. I doubt I’d wear it once my stomach starts sticking out more.”

“Why wouldn’t that be cute?” I shrugged. “You’re gonna be pregnant until June, so you might as well get used to it.”

We browsed around the lingerie store a little longer. W
yatt’s birthday was in two days
and Dawn was set on surprising him with something new. We were also just in the mall to do
some general Christmas shopping
and so far we’d barely begun.

“This would be cute on you, Ellie,” Dawn said, holding up
a
satin
chemise
.

“Yeah, it’s cute. But I already have about four just like it.”

“Mm, it’s a little different. And I’ve never seen you have one this color. I think it would compliment your eyes.”

She looked eager for me to consider it, so I took a closer look.

“It’s really short,” I noticed.

“It’s cute that way,” she smiled. “You know, it’s not the kind you sleep in or wear around the house when just the girls are home,” she added, shrugging her eyebrows.

I had to chuckle. “I rarely sleep in those. I prefer boxers and
cami’s
.”

“I know, but have a little fun, Ellie.
”

She put the nightie in my hand and walked away. I looked it over once again and decided it was kind of cute. I didn’t think I’d actually wear it anytime soon, but I did buy it. Just for fun.

Later in the day, after we’d hit nearly half the stores in the mall, Dawn and I sat down for a while to have smoothies at the food court. We were talking about how serious David and Mallory were getting when Dawn suddenly stopped in mid-sentence and said, “Hi, Harlan!”

I followed her gaze behind
me and spotted Harlan
and his brother. They were stopped, trying to find where the greeting had come from.

Dawn didn’t hesitate when she waved to gain his attention. “Oh, he’s coming over. Ma
n, Ellie, y
our date for the Christmas party couldn’t have timed it any better…”

I rolled my eyes just as Harlan and Felix approached our table.

“Hello,” Harlan smiled. “Small world seeing the two of you here.”

“Hey guys,” I greeted. “What’re you up to?”

“Have a seat,” Dawn offered, and while they sat, Harlan introduced her to his brother.

“Well, we’re shopping for mum at the moment,” he smiled.
“Any ideas?”

“Mum,” Dawn giggled. “How cute. Ellie’s better at ‘mum’ gifts than I am. Ask her.”

Harlan smiled and turned his a
ttention to me. “Well
?”

“Well I hardly know your mom, Harlan.”

Suddenly Felix partially stood as he looked across the mall. “Uh, it w
as nice to see you, Ellie. Dawn,
nice to meet you… I gotta go,” he smiled.

We all watched him walk speedily toward a group of girls that were walking by.

Harlan chuckled and very slightly pointed. “That one right there,” he told us, “in the red
with the long blonde hair…”

We watched until Felix met up with the girls and casually began talking to them. I noticed their body language right away, and all four of them seemed pleased by his presence. But the one girl, the blonde in the red sweater, seemed to be the one that Felix focused on right away.

“So he likes the blonde one, huh?” I asked. “What’s her name?”

“Eh, Madeline I believe. She attends university with Felix.”

“
Hm
, she’s cute. What do you think?” I asked my sister.

“Mmm, I think he has a chance.”

“Yeah, me too. She likes him.”

“Really?” Harlan chuckled. “My brother seems to think she’s only interested in being friends with him.”

I looked at the group again. Two of the girls were talking to each other, and the other two were conversing with Felix. Howeve
r, Madeline was closer to Felix
and I could just tell by the way she was hanging on every word.

“Nope, she likes him more than just a friend. If he were to ask her out, she would say yes.”

“Ah, now that’s where you’re
wrong,” Harlan smiled, shaking his head. “He did ask her out.”

“She turned him down?”

“Mm, pretty much.”

“Wait, what does ‘pretty much’ mean?”

“Well she told him she could only be friends with him.”

“Then s
he has a boyfriend already.”

“Felix didn’t think so.”

I looked at my sister and she nodded her head.
I turned to Harlan and said, “She’s either interested in someone else and she’s just waiting for something to happen with that person, or she’s just playing hard to get.”

“Or both,” added Dawn.

“Or both,” I agreed.

“So wait,” Harlan chuckled. “A girl would really turn a guy down because she wants him to pursue her harder?”

I shrugged. “Mm, or to prove to herself that she’s more spec
ial than just any girl, and if a
guy made
the
extra effort to show her that…”

“So let me get this straight
… You turned me down about three times, so does that mean I should have tried a fourth and fifth?”

Dawn coughed as she took a sip of her smoothie. “You asked her out?” my sister wanted to know.

“I did,” he admitted.

“When?” she wanted to know. She was intent on an answer, and I could tell she was dying to know the details. I had to groan to myself because if she didn’t find out right then, she was never going to stop pestering me about it.

“Well,” Harlan began, seeming to think back. “The first time was in the ER…”

“Wait, which time in the ER?” Dawn asked, trying to remember.

“The very first time I met her,” Harlan clarified.

“With
Gage
?” Dawn chuckled.

Harlan nodded. “I was rejected. Well, I was pretty much shut down entirely. And the second time was at the first game I saw you at?” he asked me.

“Well technically you didn’t ask me out…”

“Well I think the implication was very strong, and I said some very forward things to you.”

“Yes,” I agreed.

“But she did take her knickers off for me,” he told Dawn.

“What?” Dawn laughed with astonishment.

Harlan was very amused with this, and I had to roll my eyes.

“You still say ‘knickers,’
” I had to
say
.

“ ‘Pants’ just can’t come out of my mouth naturally. You know what we consider pants to be?”

“Panties,” Dawn laughed out loud
, and the lady at the table next to us stared for a moment
.

“Right, underwear,” Harlan replied quieter.
“
So you can see why it seems inappropriate for me to tell people you’ve taken your pants off for me.”

Dawn was still laughing when she said, “Oh, please tell me the story.”

I was the one that quickly explained the story, just so Harlan couldn’t draw out the amusement any longer.

“And when was the third time?” Dawn wanted to know.

“Ah, my final plea…”

Dawn was about to go into preterm labor just waiting for the details.

Finally Harlan said, “The last time I saw Ellie.” He looked at me
for dramatic effect and slowly smiled. “And…she broke my heart.”

“Awww, Ellie,” Dawn frowned.

I rolled my eyes again. “I think you’re totally missing the point here,” I told her.

“And what’s the point?”

“I was with Gage.”

She acknowledged that and then to Harlan said, “You’re bold.”

Harlan shrugged nonchalantly as if to say, “What can I say?”

“But she’s not with Gage anymore, so maybe you should go for that fourth try,” she added.

I looked at my sister’s smug smile with disbelief
,
and all she did was shrug and take a final drink of her smoothie as she stood.

“I’m heading to Macy’s… Find me there or call.”

And then she left us alone.

We were both silent for a few seconds, and just looking at Harlan’s smile made me want to laugh. But I asked, “Are you happy now? She’s already planning our wedding.”

He nodded very casually. “Yes, that’s what I was hoping for. So
I might as well get on with plea number four…”

I really had missed my run-ins with Harlan, and I was glad to see him again. But I wasn’t so sure
about going out with him.

“Before you turn me down again,” he began, “let me remind you that you once said you’d consider a date with me if you and Gage weren’t together. Do you not remember that?”

“Yes,” I slowly nodded. “I do recall saying something like that.”

“And it was all just to let me down easy?”

“No, I really did mean it,” I told him honestly. “I do like you, Harlan, I just…”

“So you really are going to turn me
down?” he asked solemnly. “D
o I
really
need to pursue you harder?”

“No, it’s… It’s the other reason. I’m…kind of interested in someone right now, and I just… I don’t know where I stand with this person.”

He slowly nodded his head. “Is it
Gage
? Are you sort of off and on—”

“No, it’s not Gage,” I replied quickly.

He studied me carefully and
said
, “I’m sorry if that was uncalled for. Apparently things didn’t end well?”

I realized that my eyebrows were creased and I’m sure I did look annoyed. With a sigh I said, “Not really. We became off and on because he wanted to see other people, then he wanted to be together, then he wanted to see other people… I just couldn’t handle it anymore. He changed after his dad died, and I don’t know if there was anything I could do about it, but I guess we just weren’t meant to be anymore.”

“Hmm. I’m sorry about that.”

I nodded. “Thanks. But are you really?” I added with a smile.

He chuckled
good-naturedly
. “Well, yes I am sorry that you’ve been hurt by it. I truly am. But no I’m not sorry that you’re no longer together. Because now I can take you up on your earlier promise.”

“Promise, huh?”

“Yes, you did say it out loud, so a guy has to have hope.”

That made me think of Tyse, and my heart kind of sank. I took a moment to gather my thoughts, and after I took a drink I said, “There really is someone else, though.”

He nodded. “I realize that. And I’m even okay with that, Ellie. All I ask is that you be honest about everything, and I can be
understanding
.”

I carefully considered that, believing that I really would like to spend time with Harlan again.
Maybe I needed something to help pass the wait until Christmas.

“Okay,” I replied. “I would like to go out with you sometime.”

“Tonight?”

I
studied him carefully
. “Um… Yeah, I guess that would be all right.”

His smile was pretty cute
when
he said, “Excellent.”

“Something simple,” I
insisted
.

“Sure,” he nodded.
“If you give me your address I’ll pick you up.”

I grabbed a notepad from my purse as I said, “Actually I live in my sister’s old house now. I’ll give you the address in case—”

“I remember where that is,” he smiled, standing up from the table. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek and said, “I’ll pick you up at five.”