 |
ÀâòîÀâòîìàòèçàöèÿÀðõèòåêòóðàÀñòðîíîìèÿÀóäèòÁèîëîãèÿÁóõãàëòåðèÿÂîåííîå äåëîÃåíåòèêàÃåîãðàôèÿÃåîëîãèÿÃîñóäàðñòâîÄîìÄðóãîåÆóðíàëèñòèêà è ÑÌÈÈçîáðåòàòåëüñòâîÈíîñòðàííûå ÿçûêèÈíôîðìàòèêàÈñêóññòâîÈñòîðèÿÊîìïüþòåðûÊóëèíàðèÿÊóëüòóðàËåêñèêîëîãèÿËèòåðàòóðàËîãèêàÌàðêåòèíãÌàòåìàòèêàÌàøèíîñòðîåíèåÌåäèöèíàÌåíåäæìåíòÌåòàëëû è ÑâàðêàÌåõàíèêàÌóçûêàÍàñåëåíèåÎáðàçîâàíèåÎõðàíà áåçîïàñíîñòè æèçíèÎõðàíà ÒðóäàÏåäàãîãèêàÏîëèòèêàÏðàâîÏðèáîðîñòðîåíèåÏðîãðàììèðîâàíèåÏðîèçâîäñòâîÏðîìûøëåííîñòüÏñèõîëîãèÿÐàäèîÐåãèëèÿÑâÿçüÑîöèîëîãèÿÑïîðòÑòàíäàðòèçàöèÿÑòðîèòåëüñòâîÒåõíîëîãèèÒîðãîâëÿÒóðèçìÔèçèêàÔèçèîëîãèÿÔèëîñîôèÿÔèíàíñûÕèìèÿÕîçÿéñòâîÖåííîîáðàçîâàíèå×åð÷åíèåÝêîëîãèÿÝêîíîìåòðèêàÝêîíîìèêàÝëåêòðîíèêàÞðèñïóíäåíêöèÿ
KIM BALDWIN. disappointed when Erin appeared a short while later with another large bag, ready to go
|
×èòàéòå òàêæå: |
disappointed when Erin appeared a short while later with another large bag, ready to go.
“Furniture next. Let’s head to Art Van,” she announced as they departed the store for Gable’s Jeep.
Oh good. This part won’t be so bad.
She was wrong.
It was in the bedroom display area at Art Van’s that Gable realized her libido was now controlling her life. There was Erin, stretched out on a queen-sized mattress, looking tantalizingly kissable, beckoning and smiling, wanting an opinion on the F rmness.
“Come on, Gable, help me out here. Get on this bed!”
v
That night, she called her brother Stewart. Just thirteen months older, he had looked out for her since they were in grade school, and he was the one person in the world she conF ded in. He knew her whole pathetic dating history and had seen her through more than a couple of crushes. And through it all, he was always a sound and reassuring voice of reason.
“How’s the roof doing? Any leaks?” she asked after their hellos.
“Works like a charm. We had a downpour last week. Oh, Steven wants to say hi.”
Her six-year-old nephew got on the phone. “I miss you, Aunt Gable. I play with the F re truck you gave me all the time.”
“Are you saving lots of people?”
“Yes, today I saved the Lego people in Pirateland.”
“I see. Well, that sounds very brave of you.”
“Daddy wants to talk now. Bye, Aunt Gable.”
“Bye, Steven.”
“Can’t thank you enough again for all you did,” Stewart said. “I owe you. So…what’s up? It’s not like you to call without a reason.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gable asked indignantly. “I call you just to say hello.”
“No, you never do.”
“I do too.”
“Name the last time.”
“I called you right after I got home,” she reminded him.
“To ask whether we’d seen your sunglasses.”
• 62 •
FORCE OF NATURE
“Oh, yeah. Well, I…I called you a couple weeks before the tornado, didn’t I? You told me about Steven’s karate classes.”
“After you asked me what you should get Tracy for his birthday.”
“Oh.” There was a pause. “I really never call you unless I want something?” Gable asked. She felt awful if that was true.
“No. But that’s okay. Because you want something often enough that I get to keep up with what you’re doing.”
“Well, jeez, then I should apologize, Stewart. That’s kind of lame, to only call you when I want something.”
“Not a problem, sis. Your heart’s in the right place, I know. So spill. What is it this time?”
“Well, I…I need some brotherly advice. Or maybe I just need to tell someone, I don’t know. I seem to have developed this…” She stammered and bit at her lip. It had been a while since she’d talked to Stewart about her love life, and even with her brother it wasn’t exactly easy to pour out all her innermost feelings.
“Gable, are you all right?” Her brother’s voice was suddenly serious. “Are you ill?”
“No, no,” she hastened to reassure him. “I just…well, I seem to have developed this rather maddening crush on this woman…”
“Crush?” The mirth was back in his voice. “Crush?” he repeated.
“You’ve got the hots for someone? Oh this is news! This is why you called me?” He started to chuckle, and Gable’s embarrassment turned to irritation.
“Well, you’re a big help. I’m so glad I called and conF ded in you.”
“Oh, honey, don’t be pissed. I’m just teasing. You gave me a scare, there. So, for real? You’ve got the hots for somebody? It’s been a long time. Who is it?”
“You remember that woman I told you about? Erin?”
“Trapped-all-night so-much-in-common Erin?”
“That’s the one.”
“Didn’t you say she was straight?”
“She is. She’s also drop-dead gorgeous and my new best friend.
We went shopping together today, and she bought lingerie and a bed.”
“Oh, I see. Very tough.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you said you two really hit it off. Any chance she might be open-minded enough to consider some new possibilities?”
• 63 •
Ïîèñê ïî ñàéòó: