He smiled, but only a little.
Samantha found Mona on the phone, so she plopped onto the futon in the waiting area and was instantly drenched in Rick’s scent—the strawberry-kiwi shampoo she’d recognized in the grocery store and his lime-spice shaving cream. Odd.
Was her obsession playing tricks on her senses? She sniffed the decorative pillow under her elbow and the smell was even stronger. Rick had been here for his massage and checked on Mona once or twice since, but he certainly hadn’t hung around long enough to soak into the upholstery.
She glanced down and noticed a tiny can poking out from under the futon. Travel-size shaving cream. A picture of lime on the front. What the hell? Then she noticed a pale footprint in the futon arm that could easily match Rick’s boots. Omigod.
Mona hung up and said, “What’s the matter? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“I might have. I think Rick slept on your couch.”
“You’re kidding.” Mona came closer.
“I can smell him. Here.” She handed up the aromatic pillow.
“Yeah, I guess, but…”
Then she extended the can. “And this was on the floor.”
“Okay, that’s weird.”
“And look at this.” She pointed at the footprint.
“Why would Rick sleep on my couch?”
“I have no idea. If he needed a place to sleep, Bedroom Eyes at least has a real bed.” What was going on?
“He didn’t sleep here last night,” Mona said, her face pinking up like a summer sunrise. “I know that.”
“How?”
“Because I was here. Late. With Chuck.”
“No! You’re kidding! With Chuck?”
“That’s what I said.” She deepened to sunset’s glow. “He had a back spasm, so I met him here for an emergency massage.”
“Mona, please.”
“I know, I know. I guess I was kidding myself. Which is not like me. None of this is like me.”
“Sit down and tell all.” Samantha patted the futon, sending more of Rick’s delicious scent up to her nose. “What happened?”
Mona sat, her body angled toward Samantha. “Well, once we got here, I could tell he wasn’t really in spasm. He was nervous and he’d been drinking, and he told me he wanted more than a massage from me.”
“Really?”
“Then, and this is the best part, he noticed my neck was knotted and rubbed it out.”
“Wait. He gave you a massage?”
“He has such a wonderful touch.”
“You didn’t just settle for a massage, I hope.”
“No. He kissed me and I melted and we went to my place…and the rest…Well, I’m not describing the rest.” Mona gave the most girlish sigh Samantha had ever heard from her down-to-earth friend.
“I’m so happy for you.” She hugged her, but Mona’s embrace didn’t have her usual relaxed lushness. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know what to think now.”
“Don’t think. Just feel. Be in love.”
“It’s not that simple. I broke my rule and now I feel like I’m falling through space. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“You’re falling in love. You’re not supposed to know what you’re doing. Just enjoy it, go wild.”
“Like you, you mean?” Mona teased.
“That’s just it. I did go wild. I went for it with Rick. He didn’t have a girlfriend—you were right about that—but it’s worse. He has principles. He wants sex to mean something.”
Mona laughed. “It does, hon. That’s why I’m freaked out and why your shoulders are up around your ears. It means something to you, too. Turn around and let me do some trigger-point work while you tell me what happened.”
Samantha turned and Mona dug into her shoulders, while she told her sad tale of the one man on the planet who wasn’t happy just to have a good time in bed.
“Ooh, he’s deep,” Mona mused as she pressed out knots and relieved twists.
“And mysterious. That’s why he seems so perfect. I can imagine him as anyone I want him to be.”
“Have you considered forgetting your fantasies and just getting involved with him? Let it mean something.”
“I’m not ready for that. Relationships confuse me. I forget who I am, slip into the guy’s world, see myself through his eyes.”
“You mean like with Barry?”
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t know what you wanted then. Now you do. And maybe what you want is Rick.”
“I have the hots for the guy. I hardly know him.”
“So get to know him.”