Page 5 of Unscripted Love
A smile spread slowly across my face when I realized that Chaz wasn’t immune to me after all. “Good morning,” I said cheerfully to Josh and Meredith, who wore matching looks of mortification. “I just stopped by to grab some hair wax. I’m almost out.” I felt like I was in a daze when I walked over to the display case and grabbed the product off the shelf.
“Honey, that’s the wrong kind of wax,” Meredith said, then walked over to save me from myself. “The ladies use that for other things.”
“Some men too,” Josh reminded her.
“True,” Meredith agreed.
“Ouch,” I said with a shiver. “I’ll stick with hair wax, thank you.” Then I recalled Chaz’s comment about how he preferred to suck smooth testicles over hairy ones. Luckily for me, there was more than one way to get smooth balls.
Out of the blue, Josh invited me to share Easter dinner with them. I knew he was still playing his hand at matchmaking and I didn’t see the need to stop him. If he thought I was a good match for Chaz, then I thought I should give it serious consideration. The attraction was obviously there between us, and we both liked playing video games. I didn’t commit to the invitation, but it was the best offer I’d had in a long time. Still, I didn’t feel comfortable showing up at Josh’s house if Chaz didn’t know I was coming or didn’t want me there.
I decided to look up his phone number in our computer system once I arrived at the animal hospital. It felt a little sketchy looking up Chaz’s contact information, but I couldn’t exactly ask Josh for it because that would only encourage him. It wouldn’t be right to contact Chaz at the salon either, so I felt like I had no other choice but to take matters into my own hand. I had snickered at the thought because that was all that I had been doing lately.
I was battling my conscience in my small office as I stared at the information in front of me. “It’s not like I’m going to jot down his address and stand outside his window while he undresses or…”
“Why the hell not?” Alyssa had asked, scaring the daylights out of me.
“Damn it, Alyssa,” I said once I dislodged my heart from my throat. “I thought I told you to stop sneaking up on me like that.”
“Sneaking up?” she asked incredulously. “Love, a woman my size doesn’t sneak anywhere.”
“You mean perfect-the-way-you-are size?” I asked. Alyssa, like so many people, had a skewed idea of what beauty was and felt like failures when their reality didn’t live up to that image. I had been there before and even still battled body issues decades later.
“I love you, Kyle,” Alyssa said affectionately. “That’s why I want you to quit moping around here and meet a guy who makes you happy.”
“I’m trying,” I said.
“Not hard enough. It’s clear that you and Chaz are attracted to one another. He practically trips over his tongue when you walk into the room, and it’s equally as obvious that you’re drawn to him.” I would’ve argued with her the day before, but I’d overheard what Chaz said at the salon. Well, unless he used the nickname Dr. Dimples on more than one person. The thought made me jealous, and I knew that I would regret it if I didn’t call him.
“Okay,” I said, holding up my hands in surrender. “I’ll call Chaz tonight. I’m expecting you to keep quiet about this.” I gave her a pointed look that said I meant business. Alyssa had been the town’s biggest gossip until it backfired on her and she found herself as the subject on everyone’s tongues when she and her husband separated.
“I would never discuss your business with anyone,” she said then added, “not your personal business either,” when I didn’t look convinced.
I weighed the pros and cons of calling him for the rest of the day and the one that followed. It was nearly ten o’clock at night by the time I worked up the nerve to call him. I almost hung up the phone like an immature teenager when Chaz answered.
“Hello?”
I said nothing at first. Hell, what the hell was I supposed to say to him? I didn’t want to rat Josh out, but I couldn’t just show up at Easter dinner either.
“I can hear you breathing through the line,” Chaz said irritably into the phone. “Either talk dirty to me or hang up.” I opened my mouth but nothing came out. “Never mind.” I could tell he was about to hang up and knew I had to act fast.
“It’s Dr. Dimples,” I blurted out. “I mean Kyle.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t tell by Chaz’s tone if his surprise was good or bad. “Uh, what’s going on?” he asked hesitantly.
“Well, I’m calling because I was invited to Easter dinner and…”
“Who invited you?” he asked, almost accusingly.
“Does it matter?” I replied. The last thing I wanted to do was start a fight between friends.
“Actually, it matters a lot. Let me guess; he’s about five foot nine, has platinum blond hair, and is shacking up with your ex.” Chaz paused for a second then said, “Scratch the last part because that was just catty and mean.”
His discomfort made me chuckle. I thought his habit of blurting out whatever came to mind was cute and endearing. “It’s okay; you didn’t hurt my feelings. I’m happy for Josh and Gabe.”
“You know what?” Chaz asked. “I already know the answer. I’m curious why you’re calling me. It seems like you’re asking my permission to come to dinner.”
“In a way, I guess that I am. I don’t feel right showing up if it’s going to make you uncomfortable,” I told him.