Chapter and Verse (8 page)

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Of course not.  Don’t be stupid.  I’m just getting to know my friend here.  What does she do that you allow?”

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Nothing major.  She adjusts my tie sometimes or touches my arm when she’s making a point.  Harmless stuff that seems to make her happy.  If she tried to kiss me or if she made suggestive comments, I’d shut her down in a heartbeat.  But she won’t and I know she won’t.  We’re on solid ground.”

I sat back deflated.

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Uh-huh.  Whatever you say.”

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What does that mean?”

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Deacon, you’re a manwhore.  You’d tap that in a second and you know it.  Don’t come off all prim and proper with me, you forget I’ve seen you in action.”

He sat up and moved closer to me on the sofa.  I didn’t move, but I could feel the blinking thing start.

“
Let’s get something straight from the get-go.  I am not a manwhore.  Do I date?  Yes.  Do I sleep with my dates?  Sometimes, but I am selective.  You seem to think there’s a different woman in my bed every night and that is simply not the case.  I love sex Dorothy and I’m not ashamed to admit it, but I won’t sleep with just anybody.  I sleep alone more often than not.”

Well shut the door.  He put me in my place and he did it with typical Deacon Sloan finesse.  Was I shocked?  Shocked doesn’t even begin to describe it.

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I’m not trying to insult you, I’m merely making a point.  There’s not much out there about your personal life and I hope to clear some of that up.  Let me ask you something since we’re hanging it out there and it’s just you and me.”

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Go on...”

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If I were your actual date Friday night, would you have left with someone else?”

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration and sighed.  I felt the need to say something, so I did.  I leaned over and put my hand on his shoulder and he looked up, nailing me with his silver stare.

“
I’m not beating a dead horse Deke.  I said I forgave you and I did.  That’s all water under the bridge, I promise.  I’m asking out of curiosity and the need to know what makes you tick.  Don’t get upset.  Okay?”

He relaxed and I sat back in my chair.

“
Okay.  Friday night was an anomaly.  Several things came into play that I’m ashamed of.  First, you WERE my date.  I never thought of you otherwise.  There was a reason I put my arm around you and kept my arm around you.”

Before I could take that statement further, he continued.

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Second, Sylvia is well... Sylvia.  She tends to be aggressive.”

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Tell me about it.  She swept you right off your feet...”

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She’s also...talented.  And before you ask, no, I will not expound on that.  Suffice it to say that I’ve been in a dry spell and she zeroed in on that.”

Okay, I had to say something in response to that.  There was no way I could let that lie.

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A dry spell?  What kind of a dry spell?”

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I hadn’t had sex in three weeks.”

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Three weeks?  Are you kidding me?  Try three years!  You wanna talk about dry spells?  Give me a break Deacon.”

He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes.

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Wait a minute.  Back it up.  Are you trying to tell me that you haven’t had sex in three years?  Sorry Dor’.  I’m finding that a little hard to believe.”

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Why?  You think I’m easy?”

He held his hands out as if to ward off an attack.

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No, nuh-uh, no way.  I don’t think anything of the sort.  It’s just that... well... you’re beautiful and funny and you’re easy to be around.  I cannot imagine a guy not making a move on you.  Do you have some kind of kinky fetish or something?”

Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes.

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Are you out of your fucking mind?  Was that meant to be funny?”

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Not in the least.  Are you against experimentation in the bedroom?”

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Deacon, who’s interviewing who here?”

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I thought we were off that track and talking as friends.  Answer the question, friend.”

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No I’m not against anything.  Are you?”

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Nope.  I’ll try anything once and probably have.  I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around that three year thing though.  Damn woman.  You need to get laid.”

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Now you sound like my sister.”

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Just making an observation as your friend.  Tell me something Dor’.  How many men have you slept with?”

The answer popped out of my mouth before I could think about it.

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Three.”

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Three?  Are you shittin’ me?”

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No I’m not.  How many women have you slept with?”

Having the spotlight directed on him didn’t suit him.  He blushed and broke eye contact.

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Deacon?  How many?”

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I don’t know... maybe a hundred or so...”

I dropped my pad on the floor in my hurry to lean forward.

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A hundred?  And you say you’re not a manwhore?”

His eyes shot to mine and they darkened, but I didn’t lean back.  Many people would have, but for some reason, I didn’t find Deacon intimidating anymore.

“
I am NOT a manwhore Dorothy.  For your information, I lost my virginity when I was fifteen.  That was thirteen years ago.  Some women find me attractive and yes, they throw themselves at me.  I can’t help that.  My college years were...active and my wealth doesn’t hurt either.  That’s the main reason I’m a confirmed bachelor.”

Okay, didn’t see that one coming but I’d be damned if I was gonna let it lie.

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Do tell.  Bad experience?”

He hesitated and I could see the debate raging behind his eyes.  I had a feeling this wasn’t a story that many people knew and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to share it with me.  I wanted to make it easier.

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Deacon, whatever you tell me is between us unless you say otherwise.  You have my word.”

He closed his eyes and I knew I was about to enter his inner circle.  I would say I felt privileged, but it was more than that.  I felt honored and yes, humbled in a strange way.

“
A few years ago I met someone.  Someone special.  She was fun and easy to be with.  We talked easily and I enjoyed her company more than anyone else’s.  Over time, I believed we were in love.  I was anyway and I assumed she was as well.  We were almost a year into the relationship and we were still going strong.  That’s when I found her in Anton’s office one day, asking him strange questions.  He’d grown fond of her as well, accepting her as the sister he never had.  She must’ve felt comfortable with him, because she was questioning him about my monetary worth and if I actually owned the company outright.  All the questions centered around money and she didn’t realize I was standing outside his open office door, listening.  It didn’t take a genius to figure out her angle.  I confronted her about it and of course there were tears and the obligatory apologies on her part, but she didn’t deny anything.  We broke up that day and I never looked back.  I also never forgot the lesson I learned that day.”

My heart broke for him.  I couldn’t stop myself and I did what I think any friend would do in the same situation.  I moved to the sofa and wrapped my arms around him.  He melted into the hug and wrapped his arms around my waist.  Sometimes, you need a hug.  I spoke softly into the top of his head, the side of his face was tucked up under my chin.  I knew he could hear me.

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Deacon, she was an idiot.  Surely you realize that you’re worth more than the sum of your bank account, right?”

He didn’t move when he answered.

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I wonder sometimes.  I’m not an easy man to love Dor’.  And don’t get me wrong.  Women say they ‘love’ me, but they don’t even know me.  How can you say that about someone you don’t know unless there’s an underlying motive?”

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You’ve got me there and I understand.  Everyone I’ve ever dated wants an in with my dad.  So in a lot of ways, you and are are paddling the same canoe.  But you know what?”

He raised his head to look at me, but we remained in our embrace.

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What?”

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I refuse to give up hope.  Even after Hamm, I still believe that somewhere out there, there has to be someone that will see me for me and not my last name.  Granted, I’m not actively searching for that someone, but if he’s out there, he’ll find me.”

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Who’s Hamm?”

I turned him loose and leaned back into the sofa.  How did we circle our way into this mess?  I never told that story and I had no intentions of spilling my guts to Deacon Sloan of all people.  Yet here we were, “sharing”, and he’d just told me a major secret so who was I to deny him a secret in exchange?

I blew out a deep breath and proceeded to slice that vein wide open, bleeding my most embarrassing story to a stranger I’d met not even a week ago.

He listened with rapt attention, never interrupting, as I gave all the details of our two-year relationship and how it ended.  He laughed at how I ended it, but I wasn’t offended in the least.  It sounded hilarious to my ears as well.  When I was done, he leaned back next to me and casually took my hand in his.

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We’re quite the pair, eh?”

I had to smile at that observation.

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We sure are Deke.  Think there’s any hope for us?”

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I don’t know.  You seem to think there’s always hope.  Can I say something purely from a male point of view?”

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You know my deepest secret now.  Say whatever you want.”

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You do have a mighty fine pair Dor’.  I can’t blame Hamm for staring, but he could’ve been more subtle about it.”

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I’ll take that as a compliment coming from a manwhore and all.”

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Damn it.  I am NOT a...”

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Relax Deke.  I’m only yankin’ your chain.  Are you hungry?”

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I could eat.  What are you thinkin’?”

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I could whip up some fried chicken and potato salad if you’re interested.”

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Isn’t that a lot of bother?”

I stood and started for the kitchen.

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Nope.  I like to cook if I’m not the only one eating.  Too many leftovers if I am.  You should stop by more often.  I could feed you and we’ll get to know one another better.  The more I know, the faster I’ll get the book done.”

He followed me as far as the breakfast bar and sat down on a stool while he watched me work.

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When the book’s done, will you still be my friend?”

I stopped cutting up the fryer at the sad tone of his voice.

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You need to know something about me Deacon Sloan.  If you’re my friend, you have to do something to undo that.  Betray me, lie to me, something catastrophic that I can’t recover from.  I don’t have many friends, so I cherish the ones I do have.  You won’t get rid of me just because our business relationship is over.  Capiche?”

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You’re sexy when you speak a foreign language.  Know any other words?”

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I can say fuck off in six different ones.  Want to tempt me?”

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Nope.  I want chicken.”

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Good answer.”

We ate chicken and potato salad and laughed ourselves stupid.  He told me how he started the company and what motivated him to do it.  Then he talked about his brothers and I learned a lot.  Anton is the shit stirrer and outgoing one, Pierce is shy and the open book.  He loves his brothers like I love my sister.  I got the impression his family was close and he spoke vaguely about his parents.  I didn’t push it, but I knew I would have to.  I didn’t think there were any dark secrets there, it was more like he was protecting them.  I get that in a way.  My folks were notable and open for public scrutiny.  His weren’t and I respected that.

In the end, we spent all day and most of the evening together.  We ended up watching a movie and it turns out we’re both couch critics.  That’s a plus.  We made a lunch date for the next day and he left around nine o’clock.  I hadn’t spent that much time with a man in ages and it struck me that very little of it was uncomfortably spent.  The rehashing of the Hamm tale was a bitch, but even that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

I cleaned the kitchen, turned off the lights and brushed my teeth.  When I climbed into bed, I thought about how much I’d learned and how few notes I’d taken.  It’s a good thing total recall was my strong point.  When my alarm rang at six, I didn’t even remember falling asleep.