All Wrapped Up. Jennifer Drew

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      “I was using it to repot a plant. Anyway, there was a story by Nick Matheson, the guy you brought home for Christmas once. He was so cute, and I felt so bad because his parents had just gotten a divorce. I actually envied you—but, of course, Sean suits me perfectly now.”

      “What are you talking about?”

      Even control freaks had a breaking point.

      “Nick’s back in Chicago working for the Post. I sent him an invitation to Mom and Dad’s party. That’s his number. You’ll have to uninvite him.”

      “Why me?” Liv protested. “You invited him. You should be the one to tell him the party’s canceled.”

      Being dumped by Jerry had stung her ego for about ten seconds, but Nick had really wounded her. She didn’t want to dredge up the old heartache by talking to him.

      “I don’t know him that well. I’m sorry, Liv. I shouldn’t have meddled with the guest list.”

      “You call him!”

      “No, really. You should be the one to do it. Oh, I have a call waiting. It’s Sean. Love you!”

      The phone went dead. Liv realized she was holding her breath.

      Nick Matheson.

      She’d never completely stopped thinking about him, but she was surprised by the pang of regret she’d felt hearing his name.

      Her sister, who floated through life blissfully unaware of subtle nuances in human behavior, had appointed herself matchmaker. Now, typically, she’d dumped the problem on Liv. If she didn’t love her sister, she could cheerfully strangle her.

      Liv put item number three, call Nick Matheson, on her list. But she wasn’t sure she could make herself do it. He might misunderstand and think she was trying to get together with him again. How humiliating would that be?

      Once she’d really wanted the kind of relationship her parents had, but she’d made the bad mistake of falling in love with Nick who had no intention of making a long-term commitment. She couldn’t believe Amy had stuck her with the job of telling him the party was off. It had been five years since he’d left her, and she dreaded having to speak to him.

      They’d met when she was a senior at Northwestern. He’d been a graduate student in journalism, and they’d met in a seminar she’d gotten special permission to take. The first time he walked into the room, she’d wanted him. He was tall, lean and good-looking, with sandy-blond hair and deep blue eyes that made her tingle whenever he looked at her. But he was a lot more than a handsome face. His sharp wit and warmth had overwhelmed her.

      Now Nick was ancient history, but they had one new thing in common.

      Ironically, it was his parents’ divorce that had brought them together. He’d needed sympathy and understanding, and she’d been more than willing to give it.

      She’d needed to believe that he’d loved her, at least a little, even though he’d repeatedly warned her from the beginning he wasn’t into commitment. At first she’d blamed his attitude on the shock of his parents’ breakup.

      She’d been so naive, thinking she could change his mind over time. Well, she’d been dead wrong, and had paid a big price in heartache for dreaming she could make Nick into something he wasn’t. Pushing hard for commitment, she’d ended up with him moving on and out of her life.

      The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was mooning over him.

      At least having a lot to do would help her cope with her parents’ divorce. Doing things efficiently was second nature, probably a genetic gift from her father who ran his insurance business like a military operation. Amy took after Mom, who could charm people into buying real estate but struggled with the details of finalizing a sale.

      Liv went to her kitchen with its pale yellow cupboards and uncluttered green marbleized counter-tops. While she boiled water for tea, she vowed not to feel sorry for herself. The divorce wasn’t about her. The important thing was whether her parents would be happier apart, but she was having trouble believing they would be. They’d always seemed so right together, so close they could complete each other’s sentences.

      She carried the mug of tea back to her office to begin making calls. She couldn’t spare a minute at work for personal business. Her job was difficult enough without trying to impress a new boss with how hip, with-it and on top of things she was, his latest additions to her job description. She found the party list and punched in the first number on her phone.

      A few minutes later she’d talked to one person and left three messages on answering machines. She was calling Nick next. It was ridiculous to stew over talking to a man she hadn’t seen in five years. The sooner she did it, the quicker she could forget him again.

      Liv still vividly remembered her anger and hurt when she’d caught him at a party with a frizzy-haired blonde on his lap. He’d ditched the girl and taken Liv home to the little apartment she shared with two friends, but it had been the beginning of the end. They never slept together again, never spent long hours in companionable silence in the library, never took long walks or drove in his car to watch Lake Michigan lapping at the shoreline of Chicago.

      He’d left a void in her life and in her heart. Maybe that was why no man since had measured up to her expectations.

      She punched in Nick’s number. What if he thought the invitation had been her idea? Would he think she was chasing him? Did he think she’d hop into bed with him for old time’s sake, as if he was so irresistible she still got hot and bothered just thinking about him? The possibilities made her cringe. How could Amy have put her in this position?

      His phone rang three times. She took a deep breath and hoped her nerve wouldn’t fail her. He most likely hadn’t given her a thought in years before Amy called him. Liv didn’t know where he’d been or what he’d been doing for five years, but she’d bet he hadn’t been lonely for female companionship. He attracted women like no man she’d ever dated, maybe because he genuinely liked to spend time with them. He had a gift for listening and making people feel better about themselves.

      “This is Nick Matheson. I’m not available now but leave your name and number. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

      His answering machine. What a relief, even though hearing his recorded message made her quiver. He had a deep, mellow voice that matched his drop-dead good looks. She could see him in her mind, tall at six-two with blond hair and bedroom-blue eyes lively with intelligence and passion.

      The machine beeped, and she had to leave a message. Now that she’d heard his voice, she’d never work up enough nerve to call back.

      “This is Olivia Kearns. Don’t bother coming to my parents’ party.”

      She’d meant to explain that Amy had sent the invitation and the party had been canceled.

      “Don’t bother coming,” she repeated, not at all pleased with herself. She’d gotten rattled and left a terribly abrupt message.

      Should she call back and leave another, more tactful message? What if he answered himself on the second try? What if he…? He loved afternoon sex—he’d been pretty fond of it anytime, but stealing a little time out of a busy day had once been great for both of them. СКАЧАТЬ