Page 33 of Torn
“I’m glad you came tonight,” she says when I get behind the wheel. “I know I’ve been a little… harsh on you.”
“I wouldn’t say harsh, Lisa. You’re just speaking your mind. Nothing wrong with that.”
She lets out a laugh. “I’m kinda known for doing that a little too much.”
I throw her a grin. “Trust me, you could be a lot worse.”
She tucks her long black hair behind her ear and smiles across the truck at me. “I’ll try not to be worse.”
“Just be yourself. That’s all any of us should be.”
I hate when women try to change to be what they think a guy wants. Eventually, they slip and the real them will come crashing through, and it’s usually not as good as the person they were pretending to be. I have no time or tolerance for fake people or trying to figure out who they really are.
We talk casually on the drive across town and then sit in silence for a few awkward moments when I pull into her driveway. I’m not good at starting or ending dates. At all.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” I finally say, and jump out to open her door for her.
“You really have the best manners, Toren,” she remarks as she steps out of the truck and takes the arm I’m holding out to her. “Opening doors seems to be a lost art.”
“My father taught us how to treat a woman right.”
“Well, it shows. I can’t remember the last time a man opened a door for me.”
“That’s pretty sad.”
“You have no idea,” she agrees.
At her door, she looks up at me expectedly and lays her handon my shoulder, her finger moving back and forth at the edge of my collar.
“You want to come inside? Have a glass of wine? Or a beer?”
I waver between wanting to fuck out my frustration and wanting tonotbe that kind of guy anymore. She’s been giving me the green light all night, so there’s no question she wants me. One touch, and I’m pretty sure I can have her melting right through this door and dragging me to her bedroom. And it’s tempting, especially after six months and counting of no sex.
“Hmm?” she coaxes, running her hand up to the back of my neck and pulling my lips down to hers.
I let her press my lips to hers for a moment and then slowly pull away. “Not tonight.”
Disappointment curves her mouth into a frown and her cheeks redden. She’s embarrassed, being turned down, and I feel bad for her.
She takes a deep breath to recover. “Tor, we’ve dated a bunch of times, and I really like you.”
“I like you, too.” I chew the inside of my cheek.
“Then I don’t understand why you’ve never done anything more than kiss me. Is there something wrong with me?”
“Fuck no, you’re beautiful.”
“Then what’s the problem?” she asks, glancing down toward my dick. “Is there something wrong withyou?”
“Fuck no, again.”
She leans her back against her front door and makes a face at me like I just landed here from Mars. “Then what the hell is going on? I’m confused.”
“Lisa, I was in a relationship for twelve years—”
“You’re still in love with her?” she interrupts. “Is that it?”
I shake my head. “No, that’s not it at all. I’m just not into casual fucking.”