Thank you Gaius Petronius for editing for me. There are 13 chapters in this series and they will post daily. Vote, comments, and emails sincerely appreciated.
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John watched Amy and Tracy exit the cab, and after greetings and introductions, the two couples were led to a table. John paused momentarily, giving himself an opportunity to fall behind and get a good look at Amy's backside, from her toned pale shoulders down to her nicely rounded bottom. Once seated, Amy and Tracy began talking about the writers group where they met. John listened as Amy encouraged Tracy to submit her writing, and he couldn't help but notice the way Amy's top lip curled up when she spoke. He found her even more attractive in person than her photo, so he told her so, but her perfunctory "Thank you" lacked luster.
She must be shy
, he concluded. As she continued chatting with Tracy, her passion for writing and teaching became apparent and she didn't seem to lack confidence or social skills. John realized that he mistakenly confused reserve for shyness, then something novel occurred to him; s
he isn't trying to impress me.
Although cordial, John couldn't shake the feeling of Amy being distracted, like she'd rather be somewhere else. He wasn't insulted, just curious.
Where would Amy rather be
? She had a voracious appetite and laughed about it good-naturedly, explaining that she had run eight miles that morning. He tried to ask her about her run, but she shrugged it off. Apparently this was a typical Saturday for her?
More conversation revealed that they were all transplants to Manhattan, with Amy hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina. Of course John and William were longtime friends from Chicago, and Tracy came from upstate. Later in the conversation she admitted that she hadn't been out at night for a very long time.
Ah, an introvert
, John pondered.
A redhead, a southerner, and an introvert.
He never really met introverts - they were so inaccessible - and there was no way he would cross paths with someone like Amy if it weren't for their mutual friend. But he realized that this would never go anywhere: they were too different. Not only could he sense that she was not interested in him, she seemed slightly annoyed. This awareness brought out a playful, almost obnoxiousness in him. The same feeling that caused him to relentlessly tease his sisters all through their teenage years.
As he relaxed into his playful side, he decided to make the most of the evening and not even consider a second date. The fact that he wasn't trying to impress her allowed him to let his guard down, as well as giving her a sort of exotic but short-lived appeal. "Would you like to go for a walk?" He blurted out spontaneously and surprised himself.
Amy looked at him thoughtfully and paused before speaking, "Well normally I would consider that a fantastic idea, but not in these shoes," she extended her leg to show the stiletto heels that he was already very much aware of. "But I do love being outdoors, especially while the weather is still mild," Amy added. John noticed a very slight twang to her speech.
"What about a rooftop bar?" William suggested, "The Press Room?"
"Oh, I love that idea," Tracy answered, and Amy nodded in agreement.
The four crammed into a cab to cross the four city blocks and John felt her leg pressed firmly against his during the ride, but there wasn't any sexual energy coming from either of them. He merely felt his own one-sided curiosity about this exotic animal in his presence.
The rooftop bar was crowded, but John slipped the host a big enough bill to obtain a table with a fantastic view. "Wow, we sure got lucky! Look at the skyline," Amy gushed. They ordered drinks, and Amy asked if anyone would like to share another appetizer. The woman sure had a healthy attitude and a lack of self-consciousness, which John found refreshing. But of course it further confirmed that she was not concerned with impressing him.
It was a crisp night with visible stars, as much as one could hope to see in a city of bright lights. Amy gazed up at the sky, then closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose. Her shoulders relaxed, her nostrils flared, and John used the opportunity to study her. She wasn't the type of woman he was usually drawn to. She had a natural beauty, the type he imagined artists wanted to catch in a particular light, and he felt a sudden urge to take her photograph.
"What?" Amy asked when she noticed him staring, "Do I have food on my face?" she joked. She was eating long cut cucumbers dipped in hummus.
"No, but you do have some on your hand." He took her wrist, licked the dip off her fingers, and watched her eyes widen. A look of surprise passed over her, then a shift, something darker. He released her wrist and a smile curled up on one side of her mouth. She looked like she might say something, but the words never came. She just stared back at him with her lips slightly parted. Her expression was slightly amused and if she spoke, he expected to hear a playful, "How dare you!" in mock offense, so he grinned the way he always did when about to get in trouble for misbehaving. But she didn't speak. She continued to stare with a look that he hoped implied amusement.
John glanced over and saw William and Tracy were also staring at him, and he knew William was going to give him crap later. Sure enough, as soon as they dropped Amy off at her apartment, William laid into him, "Good God, John. What the hell was that?"
"She had hummus on her finger. I was just helping her out," John joked, and then added, "Seriously, William, I was just having a little fun. It's not like I'm going to ever see her again."
"What? You don't like her?" Tracy sat up straight in the cab, obviously surprised and disappointed.
"Oh, I didn't say that. She was really ... nice I guess. But maybe 'nice' isn't my thing?"
"Well isn't that the point?" William asked, "You said you were willing to be open-minded?"
"Of course I am, but the attraction wasn't there. She could hardly wait to get away from me."
"She's just out of practice," Tracy said, "If you like her, you should get to know her a little more. I really think she is worth getting to know. Besides, don't you think she's cute?" Tracy asked.
"No," John answered, "I think she's beautiful."
"Ah, thank God," William sighed, "I thought you'd lost your mind, but instead you're just lazy."
"Lazy? Ha! Do you realize I sold four properties in the last seven days? Do you call that lazy?"
