Debbi Rawlins - What She Really Wants for Christmas

“This is the twenty-first century, in case you’ve just woken up.”

“A gentleman supersedes any period in time.”

“Oh, brother.”

“You ready?”

“You can stay.”

He snorted. “Right.”

“So now you’re insisting on walking me to my car?”

“You bet.”

She shook her head as they both got to their feet. “You’re something else.”

Winking at her, he took her arm with a flourish, the way his grandfather might have escorted his wife.

Liza laughed. “What am I going to do with you?”

His smile was far from patronizing when he asked, “Open to suggestions?”

A S THEY LEFT THE BAR, Evan placed his hand at the small of her back. She was pretty thin, which revived his earlier suspicion regarding her health. Yet her coloring was good and her energy level didn’t seem to be lacking.

“You’ve lost some weight,” he said once they got on the sidewalk and he’d positioned himself on the outside. Rush-hour traffic hadn’t subsided, and it wouldn’t for another couple of hours.

She frowned slightly. “Have I?”

“Must be the stress of the lawsuit.”

She moved away, self-consciously wrapping her arms around herself. “I guess.”

“You want my jacket?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Thanks.”

“By the way, I haven’t heard anything about the lawsuit.”

She turned back to him, lowering her arms, suddenly interested again. “Nothing?”

“Nada.” He shook his head. “But I’m not in the loop around the station. When I’m done for the day, I’m out of there.”

She turned away again, clearly disappointed.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Was it? Now that she knew he couldn’t be of use to her, would she still go out with him again? “I wish you luck, though.”

She slowed. “Do you? Why?”

“Because you apparently believe you have a claim. I don’t know the particulars, but—”

“Don’t give me that. The story’s been splashed across the damn newspaper.”

“Do you believe everything you read?” he shot back and enjoyed the bewilderment on her face.

She stared at him for a long moment and then picked up the pace again, her eyebrows pinched together in a fierce frown. “I don’t understand you,” she muttered.

“I believe you’ve already pointed that out.” He tried not to smile and show just how much he enjoyed puzzling her. She was a bit of a wild one, and he absolutely wasn’t. But that didn’t mean he didn’t like a taste of the exotic once in a while.

“Yes, well, things haven’t changed.”

Evan finally smiled. “How about tomorrow night?”

“What about it?”

“Dinner, and a chance to figure me out.”

Her lips started to turn up, and then she sighed and shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Okay, how about Thursday night?”

“I can’t.”

“In other words, I should quit asking.” He watched her closely, hoping he was wrong. Hoping that she hadn’t merely been using him tonight.

She looked down at her hands and pressed her lips together. “I surprisingly had fun tonight….”

“Thanks,” he said dryly.

“I’m awful. I know. But that’s the truth. I expected you to be different,” she said, reminding him how much he found her frankness refreshing.

“Somehow I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

“I can’t see you again.”

“Okay,” he said slowly, realizing he deserved the mental slap. “Seeing someone else?”

“No,” she said quickly.

Annoyed with himself, he kept walking beside her, facing straight ahead. He shouldn’t have asked if there was another guy in the picture. The lady said no. That was enough. He was raised better than that.

They continued in silence to the station’s parking lot. Along the street, Christmas decorations were everywhere. Lights were strung around telephone poles and animated Santas and reindeers blinked from merchants’ windows. It was enough to sour his sudden precarious mood.

Damn, but he wished his parents would go to Florida for the holidays. But, no, they insisted on staying so the family could have a festive dinner together. They probably only maintained the tradition to keep Evan’s spirits up.

Ironically, getting together or even acknowledging the holidays was the last thing he wanted to do. Better to hide out at home, play some tunes, read a good book. And try not to think about Angela. About how this Christmas Eve would’ve been their seventh anniversary.

“Well, we’re here.”

He snapped out of his reverie. They’d already gotten to his brand-new Camry, and Liza was staring at him with open wonder.

“Thank you, Evan. I had a great time. Really.”

He motioned for her to keep walking. She started to protest and then closed her lush, pink mouth when she must have realized that he was going to walk her to her car whether she liked it or not.

Most of the lot was unusually empty for this time of day. Then he remembered hearing that one of the departments was having a Christmas party tonight. Otherwise, no one left until the director had his or her perfect shot. He saw Liza’s compact about a half dozen stalls away. The car was an older model and didn’t come with the convenience of a remote so he waited until she manually unlocked her door.

She got it open and then stood back. “I wish you would’ve let me pay the check.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

She made a face. “I’m getting in now so you can leave knowing you’ve done your gentlemanly duty.”

He held the door for her until she was sitting behind the wheel. It took a good deal of willpower not to lean over and kiss her. Just a brief touching of lips. Nothing threatening. But she probably wouldn’t welcome the overture and he wasn’t one to push. “Drive safely,” he said, and closed the door.

Before he could walk away, she promptly rolled down the window. A floodlight from the building shined on her face, making her hazel eyes glitter. “I really did have a nice time, Evan.”

“Who are you trying to convince?”

She smiled. “Okay, I deserved that.”

“For the record, me, too,” he said and headed for his car before he gave in to his impulse and did something foolish. The woman wasn’t interested. He was a mature adult. He could accept that he wasn’t her type. Didn’t have to like it, but he could certainly accept the fact.

He got out his keys and used the remote to unlock the car doors. He was too busy to be dating, anyway. As it was, his receptionist constantly begged him to expand his office hours. She was tired of turning away patients. In about three years he figured he could quit consulting on the television show and start looking toward the future. Build a nice solid practice, work hard, retire early if he chose. Although he doubted it, because he really did like practicing medicine. The consulting job was a necessity for now.

He took off his jacket and laid it across the backseat before slipping in behind the wheel. It was cool for a moment, but then he turned the key in the ignition and both the promise of warmth and soft rock filled the air. The radio was too loud, but the volume always was deafening when he first started the car. Funny how it never seemed loud when he parked. Maybe that’s why he never remembered to adjust it.

The sun had recently set, leaving a pink tinge along the horizon, but it was dark enough that he glanced in his rearview mirror to make sure Liza had safely left the parking lot. Her car was still there. He squinted but he couldn’t see her behind the wheel. What the hell…

He grabbed the handle and jerked open the car door. He got out, and she was right there, so close, he nearly knocked her over.

“Liza, what’s wrong?” He gripped her upper arms.