Suddenly Sexy(52)

"I don't know, Mad, he was pretty upset. He even threatened to give up dating women altogether." There was a pause. "Not that he's going to start dating men of course, it's just—"

"PETE! Shut up and give me his Sydney number."

"Hey, don't shout. Jeez, you're more demanding than my kids. Anyway, I don't know his number. He sold his Sydney apartment and left Chewy with friends. I think he was staying with them for a few days till he got his head around everything."

"And you don't have their number?"

"No."

"What about his mobile phone?"

"Company phone. He had to give it back when he quit and hasn’t got another one yet. Why don’t you try Mrs. Hennessy. I'm sure the old busybody knows how to contact him."

Maddie winced. "But she's so...scary."

"Yeah. I wouldn't call her if I were you, especially if Sam told her about Pheramour. You're probably number one on her hit list."

"Thanks anyway."

"No problem-o. So, Mad," he said too casually, "I thought it was over between you two. Or should I say non-existent."

"Pheramour doesn't work."

She heard him blow out a breath. "That's good. I guess."

Maddie didn't like his tone. "But?"

"Well, what about the nerd thing?"

Yeah, the nerd thing. The thing where she was one and he wasn't. Nerds don't date cool men. They drool over them. They fantasize about them. Then they go back to their safe, predictable men—men who don't change jobs and homes and relationships every other week; men who don't make their stomachs mushy with one smoldering glance.

"Thanks for reminding me," she said, and hung up before he could say anything to further destroy her ego.

Women like you and guys like me shouldn't be together.

He'd said it himself when reality had returned with a crash yesterday. A woman like her couldn't possibly interest a man like him. Not enough to make him want to be with her every waking moment, or make his skin ache with longing to touch her.

She picked up the ice cream and stabbed her spoon into the tub, digging out a mouthful. She licked the spoon clean and struck the chocolate chip again. And again. She really was a loser. Her life was a mess—and she had no one else to blame.

At least she'd always have those two days when he'd forgotten what she was—a nerd.

She scooped up another spoonful of ice cream. Maybe if she'd hidden her nerdy side, he'd have continued to like her. Maybe if she'd jumped in the water with him. Maybe if she hadn't told him about her schedule, her plans for the future. Maybe. Too many maybes and not enough ice cream. She dipped her spoon in and hit the bottom. Empty. The universe was conspiring against her.





CHAPTER 18




On their morning jog, Sam told Chewy about Maddie. He told her about the cute way she rolled her eyes at him when he said something ridiculous, how hot she looked in a wet T-shirt and that she was the smartest woman he'd ever met. Chewy just looked up at him with big, brown sympathetic eyes that said "I know it hurts." Either that or "Shut up, you're driving me nuts." It was sometimes hard to tell with Chewy. He only had two expressions. The big, dopey-eyed look or the "I'm so excited I'm going to pee" look which he reserved for walks and food.

It didn't matter because Sam loved him and he knew Chewy loved him back. Now, how hard was that? Why couldn't his relationship with Maddie be that simple?

Probably because she couldn't be bought with dog biscuits and a back scratch. He wished he knew what Maddie could be bought with because he'd race out and buy it, hang the cost.

The rhythmic pounding of his Nikes on the pavement was briefly interrupted as he dodged a kid wobbling on his bicycle. He swiped at his forehead, sending drips of sweat onto the pavement and Chewy's back.

He couldn't remember how long they'd been jogging for, but he didn't care. It felt good. The solid thump thump of his shoes on concrete keeping time with the thump thump of his heart was reassuring and real.

Being in love with Maddie was not real.

Usually Sam was a pretty optimistic kind of guy. The glass was never half empty and there was always something better around the corner. But as each hour passed, it got more difficult to be positive. Things had never been like this with his other girlfriends. He could always walk away from them, a little sad, sure, but not like this. Not the aching gut kind of pain he was in now.

Mind you, his exes had never used a love potion on him either.

He should just walk away from Maddie, leave Melbourne again. Forever. It would be a hell of a lot easier than waking up every day in the same city as her and not be able to touch her. But before he made a final decision, he had to see her one more time. Hopefully when he returned, Pheramour would be out of her system and she'd be back to her usual self. Then he'd take one look at her and feel nothing. His heart wouldn't palpitate, he wouldn't get an erection and he wouldn't want to pick out china patterns with her. He'd feel nothing.