Kate Hoffmann - The Drifter

“I can do that,” Jack said.

Charlie smiled. This was a big step, finding mutual friends, socializing with other couples. It’s what normal people did when they were involved in a relationship. And wasn’t that what Charlie had been looking to experience-a normal relationship?

“I’ll bring the beer,” Charlie said.

“DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS NOW?” Eve asked. She dipped her spoon into the pint of ice cream she was eating and took a bite, savoring the creamy taste. After the sundaes that afternoon, Charlie had insisted she bring home a variety of the homemade ice creams she served in the restaurant. He’d finished the chocolate truffle after dinner and she was working on the butter pecan. “Thinking about redesigning your kitchen is too much like work.”

They’d spent the past four hours in bed and it was now nearly three in the morning. Eve sat on the counter next to the sink in Charlie’s kitchen and Charlie was sprawled in a kitchen chair dressed only in his boxer shorts, eating a bowl of cereal. “I was just thinking since you like to cook so much, I’d make this kitchen a bit nicer.”

“Oh,” she said, feigning shock. “It’s not enough that you use me for sex. Now you want me to cook for you as well?”

Though her words were meant to tease, she felt a certain sense of pride that she could satisfy both his stomach and his libido. Men were so simple. Sex and food. That’s all they really required to be happy.

“No!” Charlie said. “I just want you to be comfort able here. And I know decent appliances are what you’re used to.” He stood up and crossed to where she was perched, setting his bowl in the sink. “I have a surprise for you.” He pulled the drawer open next to her legs and withdrew a kitchen knife, still resting in its store package.

Eve stared at it for a moment. First, the hiking boots and now this. It was an odd gift, but she knew the brand and the price tag that came along with it. “You bought this for me?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of like keeping your toothbrush in my bathroom. Now you have a knife you can keep in my kitchen.”

“These knives are expensive,” she said, taking the package from his hand. Her gaze met his and she smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, dropping a kiss on her lips. Charlie stepped between her legs and slid his palms up along her thighs, letting them come to rest on her hips. She was naked beneath his t-shirt and though they’d just spent hours in bed, his touch still had the capacity to send a thrill racing through her body.

“Are you going to share that ice cream or are you going to eat it all yourself?” he asked.

She held out a spoonful of the butter pecan and then fed it to him.

“So what do you think?” he continued. “What should I do with this kitchen? Should I tear every thing out and start from scratch?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “The cabinets are gorgeous. They’re original to the house. The leaded glass in them would cost a fortune to reproduce. I’d have them stripped and refinished. And then maybe hire a cabinet maker to replicate them so that you could put a few more on that wall.” She pointed to the spot beneath her. “Take this one out and put in a dishwasher.”

“What else?” he asked.

Eve sighed. He seemed to be obsessed with his kitchen. This was the third time he’d brought it up today-once at the restaurant after Jack and his family had left, once more when they were making dinner and now again. “The sink and countertops need to be replaced. There’s probably a hardwood floor under the linoleum. If it’s in good shape, you could strip it. I’d put granite in for the countertops. Although concrete might look really cool. Then you need to upgrade the appliances.”

“After all that, would this be a kitchen you could cook in?” he asked.

She frowned. “Sure.”

“Good,” he said. “I’ll get started on it next week.”

“Why? Hire someone to do it after you leave,” she suggested. “Then you don’t have to put up with the mess.”

“I’m not planning on going anywhere, so there’s no reason not to start now,” he said.

Eve stifled a gasp. Though they hadn’t talked about the future, she’d just assumed that he’d be off on another adventure within the month. Actually, she was counting on it. Too much time with Charlie Templeton was not a good thing. “What do you mean?” she asked, the spoon frozen halfway to her mouth.

“I’m going to stick around for a while.”

“How long is ‘a while’?”

“I don’t know,” Charlie said. “Longer than a few weeks. Longer than a month. Maybe even longer than a year.”

“When did you decide this?” she asked. “And why didn’t you tell me?”

“What difference does it make?”

She slid off the counter and shoved the ice cream into his hands. “It makes a lot of difference. I thought you were going to leave like you did last time. That’s what I was prepared for.”

“You want me to leave?”

“Yes!” She cursed softly. “No. I just-” Eve drew a deep breath. “I want to be prepared.”

“For what? I don’t understand.”

“This is supposed to be a short affair and nothing more. After a week or two, it will end and we’ll both get on with our lives. That’s all I want. That’s all I can handle right now.”

He stared at her in utter confusion, his brow knit into a frown and his eyes filled with suspicion. “So you want me to leave? What if I don’t?”

Eve stiffened her spine at the challenge in his voice. “You’re free to do whatever you want. I’m just saying that what’s happening between us won’t necessarily continue.”

“Fine,” he said. “But now I feel like I’m the one being used.”

“I just think it would be better if we kept things simple between us.”

“Right.” He shrugged. “I’m cool with that. Simple is better.”

Eve could hear the anger in his voice. They’d never argued before, though she knew Charlie could be stubborn when he didn’t get his own way. Though they’d only been together for a short time, already this was beginning to feel like a real relationship. And though Eve wanted to believe that there might be a future for them, she couldn’t indulge in a fantasy that might never come true.

Charlie was a drifter, unable to settle down in one place, unable to commit to one woman. She knew it and so did he. And this silly attempt to pretend differently was a delusion that would hurt them both. He’d been spending time with his friend Jack and no doubt had developed a case of envy.

“Don’t be angry. I’m just not that anxious to get involved again. The divorce made me rethink what I wanted out of life. The only person who can make me happy is me.”

“Well, that’s a pretty cold way to look at things,” he said.

“Charlie, you’re the living, breathing epitome of that philosophy. Don’t deny it. Your life, up until now, has been all about you.”

“So you don’t think a person can change? Maybe I want to adjust my priorities.”

Eve shook her head. In all her experience with men, the one thing she knew was that they didn’t change. Either you learned to live with what they were or you moved on. “Of course,” she lied. “People change all the time.” She glanced at the clock above the sink. “I should really get home.”

“It’s three in the morning,” he said.

“I know. But if we go back in that bedroom, we’re not going to sleep. And I have a big group coming in for lunch tomorrow. I can’t afford to sleep in.”

“I thought we were going camping tomorrow?”

“That’s going to have to wait.”

He reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her body against his. Charlie nuzzled her neck. “Don’t go. I’ll let you sleep. I promise.”