It's All a Matter of Choice Page 16

  “No,” Anita hissed at him, ducking her head and looking around. That’s all she needed, the entire workforce seeing Emmet hand her a fistful of bills.

  “Then keep the credit card. I’ll get it back from you Friday,” he said, giving her a grin.

  Jennifer sat at her desk, scowling to herself as she listened to their conversation. Emmet had picked Anita over her without even giving her a chance, not realizing she was only reaping what she sowed. She never gave Emmet a chance either.

  “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later, Anita,” Emmet said, giving her another smile, then walking toward the elevator.

  “Bye Emmet! Good luck!” she called after him. The other girls also wished the associate good luck and he waved at them.

  “Thanks!” he called back, pressing the button on the wall. The elevator slid open, Emmet entered and was gone.

  Melissa and the other girls walked over to Anita’s desk, looking at the card in her hand. Anita hadn’t had a chance to put it away.

  “Did Emmet just give you his credit card?” Melissa asked in a low voice.

  Anita looked at the girls.

  “Yes, but only to buy lunch this week,” she said self-consciously, hastily putting Emmet’s card into her blazer’s inside pocket.

  “You’re not going to do even a little shopping? Emmet’s loaded now,” another girl asked her. “It’s obvious he likes you. He probably wouldn’t mind if you bought yourself a few things.’

  Anita frowned at her.

  “Lunch. Just lunch,” she said pointedly.

  She’d never take advantage of Emmet’s kindness like that.

  “I tell you. Why don’t I ever get opportunities like that?” the girl complained, walking back to her desk along with the other girls

  “Because guys instinctively know you’d ruin their credit,” Melissa said with a laugh. The girl shrugged.

  “Maybe,” she replied, sitting down and pulling paperwork toward her.

  Anita sat at the desk for a few moments, thinking about Emmet. He really was a very thoughtful and kind man. Giving her his credit card?

  Anita added “trusting to a fault” to the list. Emmet was lucky she wasn’t a gold-digger.

  Anita’s eyes went just a bit unfocused. She wasn’t a gold-digger, but she was certainly digging Emmet.

  She couldn’t wait for Friday night.

  Chapter 18 ~ The Second Date Approaches

  Out of the nine interviews Emmet had that week, he closed a respectable six of them, not bad for a first week. He failed to get one account because the business was actually folding after four years, and the next because another business services company landed them first, and the last company decided to continue handling its own services for the time being. But six closings out of nine interviews was not too shabby at all, and Emmet felt pretty good about his first week out.

  June Barrows was also feeling pretty good about her Escalade, and more than once Emmet came home to an empty house, having to put his mother’s Reuben sandwich and coke in the fridge as she drove about with friends in tow. He took advantage of the peace and quiet to tackle his Business Administration coursework on the net. He could always tell when his mother returned. Barry Manilow or some other artist would be blaring as she pulled into the driveway. You could hear it half a block away.

  Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl

  With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there

  She would meringue and do the cha-cha

  Emmet couldn’t help smiling as he peeked out the living room window and saw his mother sitting in the Escalade, the interior lights on, the music blasting as she bobbed all about in time to whatever song she was listening to. When June finally came in, Emmet would warn her she was going to go deaf.

  “What do you mean?” June would ask him, “It’s like I have my own personal concert hall in there. I’ll be fine.”

  Then she would regal him about her driving adventures with the girls, where they went, what they did and how much fun she was having rubbing Agnes’ nose in the fact that she had such a beautiful SUV.

  “Agnes nearly died when I told her you paid cash for it. Now it’s official. I have the best son in the group,” June said, kissing Emmet on the cheek and heading for the fridge.

  She took out her sandwich and heated it up in the microwave without complaint. Normally, she sat on the couch and had Emmet wait on her hand and foot, but June Barrows was becoming more active and therefore more self-sufficient without even noticing. But Emmet noticed. He was very pleased his mom was getting out and doing things.

  “You don’t have to bring me a sandwich Friday, Emmet. We’re driving down to the casino this weekend. Going to spin my spinners on the road,” June said, sitting down at the kitchen table with her food and cherry coke.

  “Just be careful, mom,” Emmet said.

  “I will. I already feel I’m being ‘profiled,’” June said frowning slightly. “I was pulled over by the police twice this week. The officers looked rather shocked to see me behind the wheel. Couldn’t even give me a decent reason why I was pulled over. I think it’s the car.”

  Emmet thought it was definitely the SUV that was getting his mother noticed by the police, particularly since she had license plate that read “BADMOMA” lit up by lavender lights on the vehicle.

  “Well, it’s not the type of vehicle most police would expect a fifty-something year old woman to be driving,” Emmet observed, giving his mother a smirk.

  “That’s fifty years young,” June snapped at him. “It’s age discrimination, that’s what it is. I have every right to drive a car like that without being hassled by ‘The Man.’”

  Emmet grinned broadly.

  “’The Man,’ mom?” he asked her, shaking his head. Emmet was wearing his contacts. He wore them around the house trying to get used to them. But he still wore his glasses to work.

  “Yes, “The Man,” June reiterated.

  Emmet laughed.

  “Mom, sooner or later they will start recognizing your car and leave you alone,” Emmet said soothingly.

  “You’d think I was selling weeds or something,” she complained.

  Weeds?

  Emmet had to lower his head and force himself not to burst out in laughter. His mother was something else. She sounded as if she thought she was being targeted for selling lawn refuse.

  “What are you doing this weekend, Emmet?” June asked him suddenly, her eyes narrowing slightly.

  “I’m going to Anita’s tomorrow. We’re going to watch some videos,” he told her.

  “To Anita’s? Where does she stay?” June asked him.

  Emmet blinked at his mother.

  “A hotel. She’s saving money to get an apartment,” he told her, purposely not telling her what hotel.

  “You are going to be alone in a hotel room with a woman, Emmet?” June asked him.

  “I guess so. That’s the only way I’ll be able to watch the videos,” he responded.

  “Oh…I see trouble ahead,” June said. “Did you get any condoms yet?”

  ”Mom! Will you please stop talking about condoms to me?” Emmet said to her in exasperation.

  “Well, I’m not ready to be a grandmother yet,” she said, frowning at Emmet.

  “Mom, I’m just going to Anita’s to watch movies…not to expand our family tree,” Emmet said to June, still sounding exasperated.

  “Things happen fast, Emmet. I imagine your motor is idling pretty high at twenty-six years old,” June said to her son. “It won’t take much to throw you into drive.”

  Emmet grimaced at his mother.

  “Mom, let me handle this, ok? You talking about my sex life really makes me uncomfortable. It’s just…creepy,” Emmet said.

  “All right,” June conceded, “But you still should get some condoms.”

  Emmet sighed and dropped his head.

  *

  Half an hour later, Emmet was at the drugstore, perusing the large variety of
condoms on display. He didn’t think he’d be having sex with Anita tomorrow, but felt he should be prepared. He looked over the selections. There were a staggering amount of name brands:

  Lifestyles, Trojan, Kimono, Sagami, Durex, MAXX, Condoms Assortments Reality, Hot Rod, Contempo, Crown, Pleasure Plus, ONE, Avanti, Latex Louies Beyond-7, Paradise, Homeboy, Premium, Trustex, Amore, Vivid, Atlas and InsPiral.

  And each brand had an alarming amount of types of condoms:

  Super Sensitive, Extra Strength, textured, studded, ribbed. There were large condoms and small condoms, non-lubricated, colored and even flavored.

  Emmet blinked at all the choices. He hadn’t known picking out condoms could be so complicated. An elderly woman strolled by him and Emmet kind of stepped away from the rubbers, coloring.

  She gave him a grandmotherly smile.

  “Don’t stop looking on my account, dearie,” the woman said, her eyes twinkling at him. “I understand Trojan is a good brand.”

  She kept walking, Emmet’s head cherry red with embarrassment…but he did walk over to the Trojan brand. After several moments, he selected a box of large, lubricated condoms and walked toward the counter. He hesitated. The cashier was a young girl of about seventeen.

  Damn it.

  Well, she worked here. She had rung up condoms before, Emmet was sure.

  Emmet placed the condoms on the counter. The girl picked them up, read the price, rang it up and asked him if that would be all.

  “Yes. That’s it,” Emmet replied.

  Emmet paid for the condoms and the cashier bagged them up. It had been a painless transaction all in all. Apparently practicing safe sex was acceptable.

  As Emmet was exiting the store, he noticed a book display and took a closer look at it. There was a title that interested him.

  “How to Make Love to a Woman” by Michael Morgenstern

  Emmet picked up the book, turned it over in his hands, then opened it, reading the flap.

  Michael Morgenstern asked women all over the country, from all walks of life, and discovered the answers men seek. Learn what women find sexy in a man; how to seduce with words; what is the secret all great lovers know about pleasing women; how you can tell from a woman’s kiss if she wants you take her to bed, and much more.

  “Will make life—sex life, anyway—easier for men and infinitely more pleasurable for women.” COSMOPOLITAN

  Emmet looked at the book, then opened it and read a little. It wasn’t so much about actually having sex, but seemed to be more about a woman’s feelings and needs. Emmet was rather sensitive himself and thought maybe this book might help him understand Anita better. Besides, he needed all the help he could get.

  He checked the price. It was only $9.99. He brought it to the counter. This time the girl looked up at him with a little smile as she rang it up. Emmet pretended not to notice. With condoms and book in hand, (in a plain brown bag) he headed home to do some required reading.

  *

  Anita walked up and down the aisle of the Movie Gallery, looking for a specific film entitled “Swept Away,” directed by Lina Wertmuller. It was a subtitled foreign film and rather deep and misogynistic despite being written and directed by a woman. It was also enthralling and hot. It began with a snooty woman on a yacht and a deckhand who she constantly browbeats. They end up stranded on an island together, and the deckhand knows how to survive and she doesn’t, so she has to submit to him in order to live. Of course they fall in love, and of course the dynamics change when they return to civilization.

  There were a few dominating and hot sex scenes as well. Very hot. Anita felt herself getting a bit horny thinking of watching the movie with the shy, inexperienced Emmet and his reactions to it. Most likely, he wouldn’t say anything…just turn a nice shade of red a few times, like he did at the movies last week. But the seed would be in his mind after watching the movie. It would have to be.

  Wait until Emmet witnessed the stars of the movie having sex on the beach and making a long, deep groove in the sand with their bodies.

  Anita smiled naughtily as she located the video cassette.

  Tonight was going to be stellar.

  *

  Emmet arrived at work Friday morning. He had an hour or two before going to his first interview and spent them making more cold calls, setting up two interviews for next week. That gave him a total of five.

  Brandon Luster had done only one closing this week. Without the benefit of Emmet lining up interviews for him, Brandon was making a bad showing indeed. And his attitude reflected it. Normally he was quite social, flirting with the office girls and shooting the breeze with his fellow associates by the water cooler. But he spent much of his time now in his cubicle, making call after ineffective call and getting more and more frustrated.

  It didn’t help that Emmet had closed on six interviews this week. And Herman, that loser…closed on all four of his appointments.

  The geeks were rebelling and the kingdom Brandon Luster built on the hard work of others had fallen. Poor, deposed little king.

  Jennifer ignoring Emmet for his entire tenure at B, B & B had been a rather easy situation for the associate. He didn’t exist to her then and the redhead had no reaction to him. But now, Jennifer went out of her way to look at him unpleasantly when he passed, evidencing open dislike. Emmet was used to being ignored and laughed at, but not being…well…hated. He could feel the coldness radiating off the office worker every time he passed her desk, or visited with Anita.

  Emmet didn’t understand it. He had been honest with Jennifer. He was interested in Anita. Even Herman noticed Jennifer’s coolness toward Emmet.

  “Hey, what did you do to Jennifer, Emmet? If looks could kill, you’d be cut up in pieces,” Herman said.

  Emmet told Herman about turning down a dinner date with the office worker, then telling her he was only willing to date Anita. Herman let out a low whistle. Jennifer was quite an attractive young woman. He suspected she was a real redhead too.

  “I almost wish I had your problems of fighting off pretty women, Emmet. Almost,” Herman said, shaking his head.

  The fact was Herman’s marriage had taken a turn for the better since the night he brought his wife flowers and wine. He began to be more thoughtful and taking her out once a week without the kids and establishing a set family night. He also helped out more with the kids themselves, rather than let his wife handle all the disciplining. It was really paying off for him, and his new confidence was helping him be more successful in the workplace. He was sticking to his diet too. He lost five pounds in one week.

  Emmet left for his interview at a quarter to eleven. Anita and the other girls, with the exception of Susan and Jennifer, wished him well.

  “I don’t see why you all gush over Emmet like that,” Susan said with a sniff. “It’s easy to see that he’s gah-gah over “Miss-Here’s-Some-Paperwork-For-You” over there.”

  “We’re just being supportive, Susan,” Melissa said, “Emmet’s doing good. We want to let him know we’re on his side.”

  ”Now you are,” Susan said. “Two weeks ago you all wouldn’t even say hello to him when he walked by.”

  ”He was a geek then,” Frieda, a little blonde said.

  “He’s still a geek. Just better dressed,” Susan replied. “He’s not any different than he was. You just see him different. The only one who ever saw anything in him was Anita.”

  Anita looked up at Susan.

  She may be the office slut, but she was insightful…and honest. Too bad she was such a bitch.

  *

  At seven o’clock, Anita received a phone call from the front desk that Emmet was in the hotel lobby. She told the clerk to send him up. Nervously, she patted her hair. She just had it pulled back in a ponytail. She wasn’t dressed up either. She wanted Emmet to feel comfortable, so she put on her favorite, well-worn jeans, a t-shirt and fuzzy bedroom slippers. She would take them off later. She liked going barefoot.

  She double checked the b
owls of chips, pretzels, popcorn and dip she had arranged on the coffee table. The soda, juice and sandwiches were in the little fridge. She looked at the VCR she rented from the front desk. She was lucky they had one. All the rooms were equipped with DVD players. VCR’s were considered dinosaurs. Well, Swept Away had come out in 1975 and Movie Gallery didn’t have it on disc. Anita hooked up the VCR and checked that it worked. It did.

  A knock sounded on the door, and Anita felt her belly give a little excited lurch. Emmet was here.

  Anita checked her ponytail again, then walked over to the door and opened it. Emmet stood there in jeans, sneakers and a nice pullover sweater, v-necked. He also had a bottle of wine in his hands and a yellow rose.

  “Hi,” he said a bit awkwardly, offering Anita the rose. “I didn’t get you a red one, because…well…red seemed a bit much…”

  Anita smiled and took the rose from him, sniffing it. It smelled lovely.

  “Oh thank you, Emmet. Yellow is fine,” she said, “Come in.”

  Emmet entered and stood facing Anita. He felt so out of sorts. Then he realized he had the wine and offered that as well.

  “I didn’t know what to bring, so I brought this,” Emmet said, “I don’t know if you drink or not…I don’t…but I’ll try some if you do.”

  He handed Anita the wine.

  “I don’t have any wine glasses, Emmet. We’ll have to drink out of the plastic cups I bought for soda, if we do drink any,” she said.

  “That’s fine,” Emmet replied.

  “Sit down while I put the wine in the fridge and my rose in some water,” Anita said.

  Emmet sat down on the couch and examined the snacks. Ooh, onion dip. Emmet picked up a chip and scooped up some dip, inserting it in his mouth and chewing. Yes, that was pretty good.

  Anita walked back into the sitting area and over to the VCR and pressed the play button, then joined Emmet on the couch, sitting close enough so she touched him.

  “What movie are we watching?” Emmet asked her, very aware of Anita’s body next to his.

  “A great movie called ‘Swept Away.’ I hope you don’t mind subtitles. It’s in Italian,” Anita answered him.

  “No, I don’t mind,” Emmet replied, “Is it a romance?”