Stripped(9)

Chris watched her from across the table, and Abby wondered what he was thinking.

“Have you lived in Chicago your whole life?” he asked.

“In the area, yes. We bounced around a lot of different neighborhoods growing up. How about you?”

“I was born in Germany because my Dad was working there then. We lived in several countries while I was growing up, and I got assigned to Benedict for my residency when I finished med school. I liked it, so I took a job in the ER when they offered it.”

“And you’re single?” Abby asked, her words more of a surprised statement than a question.

“Uh, newly single. Just went through sort of a breakup last month,” Chris said.

“Ah,” Abby said knowingly.

“What’s that for?” Chris’ eyes twinkled with amusement.

“You’re on the rebound. Asking out anything that moves.”

“Quite the opposite,” he said, laughing. “I’m on a long break from all that. It took me a while to get disentangled from the last woman I went out with, and I plan to enjoy being single again.”

“I have to admit, that’s a relief,” Abby said, smiling. “I never, ever date men I meet at the club.”

“But you said yes to me.”

“It’s just lunch. And we’ve both established we don’t want anything to come of it.”

“We didn’t really meet at the club, anyway,” Chris said. “We officially met at the hospital. So what’s your stance on being friends with men you meet at hospitals?”

“I suppose I’m open to it.”

“What do you like to do for fun?”

Abby’s brows furrowed as she considered.

“I work a lot, so there’s not a whole lot of time for fun. I take my sisters to do things on the weekends. They like to go bowling and roller skating. Last year I took them to Disneyworld. That was the most fun any of us have ever had.”

“Do you like to go to the movies?”

“Sure,” she said. “It’s been years since I’ve been to anything but the newest animated movie, but I do like it.”

Brianna delivered the food to their table and Abby was again hit with a wave of nervousness. She didn’t have friends outside of the club, and she only saw the other dancers when they worked together. Lunch out with anyone other than Marla was unusual for her.

“What do you do for fun?” she asked.

“I’m like you, I guess. Work kind of dominates my time. I work 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and by the time I sleep, eat, work out and do the laundry and housework, it’s time to go back to work. Why are you smiling like that?” he asked, smiling back at her.

A flush crept across her cheeks.

“I was…picturing you doing housework,” she admitted, still smiling. Chris laughed.

“How did I look?” he asked. Abby was flustered as she tried to think of an answer.

“Cute,” she admitted shyly.

“The soup’s great, do you want a taste?” he asked. Abby wanted to decline, but she was intrigued by the intimacy of sharing his spoon, so she took it. The creamy soup tasted of ham and potatoes.

“It’s good,” she agreed.

“You want some more?”

“No, thanks. I have to be pretty careful about what I eat.”

They ate in silence for a bit, and Abby wondered whether she should be making conversation.

“Can we have lunch again when you’re free?” Chris asked.

“Sure. I have a work lunch tomorrow, but I’m free after that.”

“Friday? We can meet here again if you want to.”

“Okay.”

When they finished lunch, Abby reached into her purse for her wallet.

“I’m paying,” Chris said, laying bills on the table.

“I’d rather pay for my own. This isn’t a date,” Abby said pointedly.

“You can pay another time,” he offered.

“Friday.”

“We’ll see.”

As he held the door open for her, Abby admired the line of his jaw and his chocolate brown eyes. She remembered seeing him and his friends at the club and wishing she could date someone like them. Ironic, she thought, that she’d gone out of her way to tell Chris she didn’t want to.





Chapter 3



“You’ll never guess who I had lunch with yesterday,” Abby told Sam as they sat together at a vanity backstage at Mickey’s.

“A guy?” Sam squealed. “You haven’t been out with anyone in such a long time!”

“I know. And it wasn’t just a guy – it was the Greek God.”

“Shut up!” Sam said, swiveling toward her. “How?”

“When I took my Mom to the hospital Monday night, he was the doctor. He called the next day and asked me to lunch.”