Part 2 (1/2)
Matt Murphy sat at his favorite open-air bar and nursed a gin and tonic while he watched the waves roll in on Waikiki Beach. With the moon s.h.i.+ning on the water and a couple of sailboats rocking at anchor, it was a postcard view, and he was tired of having n.o.body to share it with.
”Last call, Mr. Murphy,” said the c.o.c.ktail waitress, a pretty redhead who was too young for him.
”Then hit me again. I feel sobriety creeping up on me.” One advantage of giving Theresa the big house on the hill as part of the divorce decree was that his new apartment was within walking distance of this bar, so he could come down here every night, drink himself silly, and not worry about getting a DUI while he made his way home.
It wasn't a particularly good habit to get into and he knew it. Yet he hadn't come up with any healthier ways to spend his evenings, so this filled the gap for the time being.
Tonight he was feeling particularly gloomy. He'd never liked the way Nick ran through the company secretaries, and he'd had several arguments with his partner about it. But Nick had rightly pointed out that he hadn't twisted anybody's arm. A woman was free to turn him down with no fear of reprisal.
True as that was, Matt still didn't like Nick's behavior. A few years ago his partner's love life had amused him, but the joke had worn thin. Nick had worn thin, unfortunately. When they'd met in an economics cla.s.s at Hawaii Pacific, Matt had really liked the guy. But during that period, Mart's judgment of people had been suspect. Witness his marriage to Theresa.
Matt had finally caught on to the self-centeredness of both his wife and his partner, but not until he was very married to Theresa and locked tightly into a partners.h.i.+p with Nick. That aside, Nick had turned into a d.a.m.n good salesman, and the increasing value of Rainbow Systems was due in large part to his efforts. The company was now worth so much that Matt couldn't afford to buy out his partner even if he wanted to.
During one of their arguments Nick had said they should sell the whole shooting match, retire early, and loaf for the rest of their lives. Matt couldn't imagine such a thing. The fact that Nick could showed how much of a narcissist he'd become. Matt had learned that term during a counseling session prior to the end of his marriage to the other narcissist in his life, Theresa. Matt would have been hard-pressed to hand Nick his share of the company's net worth even before the divorce stripped him bare. Now it would be impossible.
So he was forced to keep his mouth shut as Nick continued his Don Juan activities. Each time Matt prayed that the chosen secretary would tell Nick where he could put his little trip to Maui. But Nick apparently knew how to pick 'em, because no one had turned him down yet. Not even Genevieve.
Matt had thought for sure Genevieve wouldn't fall for Nick's routine, but apparently she had. Having Farley go with them probably wouldn't make much of an impact, but Matt was glad he'd sent the programmer along, for several reasons. Farley would definitely handle the Aloha Pineapple situation, and it was always good for the software creators to see how the actual customers used the product so the programmers weren't working in a vacuum.
Besides, the trip might jolt Farley out of his rut. The guy needed to get a life, and this little trip might help him realize that. There was also the slightest chance that he'd louse up Nick's planned seduction, and no one would be happier to see that happen than Matt.
The waitress came over with his G and T, a lime slice hooked over the rim of the gla.s.s instead of a wedge of lime in the gla.s.s. A few nights ago Matt had made a comment about liking the look of a lime slice on the gla.s.s, and she'd been doing it that way ever since.
”Here you go,” she said. ”We don't have any other customers. Mind if I sit down a minute?”
”I'd be honored ... uh ...” Cindy? Sherry? For the life of him, he couldn't remember her name.
”Celeste.” She said it with a smile, as if she wasn't the least insulted that he'd forgotten.
”Celeste. Thank you. I'd buy you a drink, except I don't think you could have one while you're working, and you're probably sick of looking at gla.s.ses of booze, anyhow.”
”I don't drink,” she said.
”Smart girl.” He polished off the last of his old drink and reached for the new one she'd brought. ”I'm thinking of giving it up for Lent.”
She laughed, showing off teeth that probably set her parents back several grand at the orthodontist's.
”But this is July. Lent isn't for a long time. Months.”
”I know.” He squeezed the lime juice into his drink and dropped the slice in with a satisfying plop.
”I don't want to be hasty about a big decision like that.”
”You're so funny.'' She gazed at him. ”I a.s.sume since you come down here so many nights and you don't wear a ring that you're not married.”
”Not anymore. We split.”
”I sort of thought so. Dating anyone?”
”I think I've forgotten how to date.”
”That's too bad.”
Any idiot could see where this conversation was going. Might as well nip it in the bud. ”Celeste, I'm forty-three years old, and if I'd stayed married I would have celebrated my twenty-first wedding anniversary this year. I don't happen to have any kids, but if I did, I could conceivably have a daughter your age.”
”So?” She seemed totally unfazed by his statistical review.
He leaned back in his chair and studied her. Smooth, unlined face, red hair in little ringlets down to her shoulders, perky b.r.e.a.s.t.s, small waist, nice legs. ”The thing is, I can't imagine what a beautiful young woman like you finds interesting about an old fart like me.”
She braced her chin on her hand. ”Then I'll tell you. For one thing, you have a very compa.s.sionate face.”
”Oh, G.o.d. You really know how to hurt a guy, don't you?”
She laughed again. ”I guess you'd rather hear that you look a little bit like George Clooney.”
”Yeah, right. Me and George. like twins. We both have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.”
”More than that! There's something about the way you grin, and your eyes are that same warm brown.”
He sat forward as he realized that, unbelievably, she was edging them toward decision time. ”You're really serious about this, aren't you? You're hitting on me.”
”Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
He considered what it would be like to make love to this young sprite, and the concept had definite appeal. He'd been a long time without, and here she was, bypa.s.sing all that awkward dating business, something he'd been dreading, thus postponing. But he couldn't imagine what would be in it for her.
Maybe she thought he was rich. ”Do you know what I do for a living?” he asked.
”Haven't a clue.”
”Well, that's good, because my t.i.tle sounds very important, but after the divorce I have zero liquidity.”
”Mr. Murphy, I'm not interested in your money.”
He should turn her down, but d.a.m.n, this was balm for his bruised ego. ”Under the circ.u.mstances you might want to start calling me Matt.”
”Matt.” She gave him a slow, a.s.sessing smile. ”Matt is perfect for you.”
”My name used to be George, but I had to change it because people kept getting me mixed up with that Clooney joker, and that was so annoying.”
”See, that's one of the things I find so attractive about you. So many guys my age take themselves too seriously.”
”They have to. n.o.body else does.” He paused, still wondering if flirting with her was such a good idea. ”This isn't about you getting ignored by your father when you were a little tyke, is it?”
”Nope.” She grinned. ”My father dotes on me. So does my mother. Look, Matt, I'm not hoping to get engaged or anything. I don't even see this as the beginning of a long-term relations.h.i.+p. In two weeks I'm moving back to California. I just happen to be hot for you. I'm available, you're available. I say let's take advantage of the moment.”
Amazing. How times had changed since he'd played the dating game. Maybe Nick had the right idea and Matt was the one out of step.