Wanting Something More. Kathy Love

if on cue, the shop door jingled open, and a large man, balding on top but with a long, scraggy ponytail, stepped inside. He walked past them to the counter.

      “So, you like his hair too,” Nate asked offhandedly.

      She shrugged. “It’s fine.”

      “You aren’t going to give me an inch, are you?”

      She took a sip of her coffee, then said quietly, “I guess I like yours a bit better.”

      Nate leaned back in his seat, a slightly smug look on his face. “Damn, I think that was a compliment.”

      “Don’t let it go to your head.”

      “I’m sure you won’t let it.”

      Marty started to assure him that was true when a teenage girl approached their table. From the apron covering her pink sweater and low-rise jeans, Marty could tell she was an employee here. The girl colored slightly and brushed a wisp of hair from her cheek that had escaped its ponytail.

      “Ms. Stepp?” she asked nervously.

      “Yes,” Marty said, offering the girl a polite smile.

      “Hi, I was wondering if I could get your autograph?” the girl asked, her voice a little breathy and nervous. Again she pushed back the stray hair. It fluttered right back into place against her cheek.

      Marty’s smiled broadened and she set down her coffee cup. “Sure. Do you have a pen?”

      The girl nodded, reaching into one of the deep pockets on the front of her apron. She pulled out a red marker and a small square of card stock, which listed the coffee specials for the week.

      “What’s your name?” Marty asked.

      “Megan.”

      Marty signed the paper. The marker bled slightly on each letter like lipstick in the wrinkles of an older woman.

      Marty frowned at that analogy. Why would she think of that?

      “I have one of the Calvin Klein ads you did with Arturo hanging in my locker,” the girl said sheepishly as Marty handed the paper back to her.

      “Wow.” Marty nodded with a sincere grin. “Do you like Calvin Klein’s stuff?”

      Megan looked down the autograph, then glanced back at Marty. The girl’s cheeks were nearly fuchsia, she was blushing so much. “I like Arturo,” she admitted, then blurted out, “Did you really date him?”

      A wave of disappointment lessened Marty’s smile just slightly, but then she laughed. She should have guessed that the girl was interested in Arturo. Girls loved him. Of course, she’d loved Arturo once too. “Yeah, I dated him—for a while.”

      “What’s he like?”

      “Very nice. And funny. And he happens to love Calvin Klein.”

      The girl giggled and blushed even more. “He’s so cute. I always watch him on Day After Day After Day.”

      “He is cute,” Marty agreed. “And I think he makes quite a believable neurosurgeon.” Okay, there might have been a hint of sarcasm in that last statement.

      Megan didn’t seem to notice. “Me too. He’s the best.” She then glanced back at the man behind the counter who was presumably her boss. “Thank you so much.” She held up the paper.

      Marty smiled back. “You are very welcome.”

      After Megan left the table, Marty glanced over at Nate. He was watching her, his arms folded over his chest, a slight smile curving his lips.

      “What?” she asked.

      “You dated a soap star named Arturo?”

      Marty bristled. “He wasn’t a soap star when we were dating.”

      “Arturo…What is his last name?”

      “He doesn’t use a last name,” Marty admitted dully.

      Nate bit back a laugh. “Oh, like Madonna or Cher.”

      Really more like Liberace, she thought, although she didn’t say so.

      “So how long did you two date?”

      “Quite a while.”

      “Arturo,” he said again with a slight smile.

      She straightened in her seat. “Like you can give me a hard time. After all, you dated Lynette Prue.”

      “Well, you do have me there. Definitely a poor choice.”

      She couldn’t help but nod her agreement.

      “So why did you and Arturo break up?”

      “None of your business. Why are you so interested in this, anyway?”

      “Just curious,” he said, offering her a benign smile. “After all, if I should ever get the chance to date you, I wouldn’t want to make the same mistakes he did.”

      A wry laughed escaped her. “Oh, I don’t think you’d make the same mistakes. But don’t worry, we won’t be dating anytime soon. I’m not interested in a relationship with anyone.”

      Instead of looking disheartened, as she had expected he would, he looked almost encouraged. “So it isn’t me in particular.”

      She almost laughed again, this time genuinely amused, but instead she managed to say, deadpan. “Well, I have to admit, you’d be fairly low on my list.”

      This time he did look hurt.

      They both sipped their coffee in silence for a few moments.

      “What if I became a soap star?”

      The sudden question startled her, then she smiled. “Nope, that wouldn’t do it either.”

      He sighed, but then offered her a quick smile that made his eyes twinkle. He took a sip of his coffee.

      It really was too bad she’d sworn off men and that she disliked this one so much in particular. He really was quite cute. Of course, it had always been the cute factor that had gotten her into trouble before.