Laura waited a minute before knocking on the door, trying to think of the
right thing to say. Hi, Mac, how's it going? She cringed. He was filing
for divorce, living in a hotel room, and she was going to ask him how it
was going? She thought again. Sucks, huh? She rolled her eyes. That one
wasn't much better.
Okay, enough, she thought to herself. She tapped on the door and waited. It took a few moments before it opened, but she knew he was there. All words got lost in her mouth as she saw the sadness in his green eyes, the sense of defeat in the way he stood. She knew that kind of pain.
"Hi, Mac," she said softly.
Mac tried to force a smile, but failed miserably. "Hi, Laura."
"Listen, I can do this by myself, if you--" Laura began, but Mac shook his head adamantly.
"I'm still a part of Georgie and Maxie's life, even if I'm not living with them anymore," he said, his voice sounding harsher than he intended. He paused, and took a deep breath, rubbing his temples. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Laura said. "I understand."
"Why don't you come in? I still have a few manners left," Mac tried to joke.
Laura smiled, "Thanks."
"Have a seat. Do you want something to drink? I'm afraid I can't offer much in terms of food."
Laura shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks." She waited for Mac to sit on the couch next to her.
"So how's work?" he asked.
"You don't have to make small talk if you don't feel like it."
Mac sighed. "Actually, it helps. I don't know, it somehow…"
"Makes it seem like things are normal?"
"Yeah."
She handed him the files she'd been given by the PTA president of Georgie and Lulu's school. "If you want to talk normal, aren't we both sorry we signed up to do this fundraiser months ago?"
"That's how they get you," Mac nodded, thumbing through the papers distractedly. His thoughts drifted away as they always did these days, recalling happier times, and the not-so-happy ones. It was almost a minute later before he realized what he was doing, and he shook himself out of the memories. "We should get started, there's a lot of information here."
Laura placed her hand gently over his. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'll listen," she offered.
Mac covered her hand in turn, squeezing it gratefully "Thanks. It's just…" He couldn't find the right words for it.
"I know."
Mac nodded, realizing it was true. "Yeah, I guess you do. Better than anyone else could."
"It will get easier, I promise. You're a great guy, Mac. Any woman wou--" Laura stopped herself as she noticed Mac's grimace. "You're probably sick of hearing that. But it's true."
"Any woman, huh? Are you saying you want me?" Mac teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yes," Laura smiled. She had meant to tease him back, but the tone in her voice came out rather sincere.
Mac was quiet for a moment. He remembered their near kiss at Jake's bar. He'd wanted her then, but the circumstances hadn't been right. She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that, but… "If we slept together, it would be…"
"Comfort sex," Laura said bluntly. "But that's not necessarily a bad thing between friends, is it?"
A spark lit up in Mac's eyes, and he chuckled. "It's nice to hear the plain truth for once," he said appreciatively.
"It's nice to tell the truth."
"So it wouldn't be out of revenge or spite?"
"Oh, I'm sure that'd be part of it, too. But a smaller part." She looked at him expectantly, not really sure if either of them was serious about this or not. "Are you going to turn me down again?"
"You're not drunk this time," Mac pointed out.
"No, I'm not." Laura's heart started to beat a little faster. "But you're…"
"Vulnerable?" Mac finished for her. "I'm also a man."
Laura laughed. "That's true." Hard to overlook, she thought to herself.
Not for the first time, Mac noticed her stunning smile. And he realized he felt a whole lot better than he had before she'd gotten there.
The silence stretched between them, heightening their awareness of each other.
Mac lifted his hand to cup her face. The feel of her incredibly soft skin was both alluring and unsettling in its unfamiliarity. He trailed his index finger slowly down the side of her neck, feeling the pulse under her warm skin.
He hadn't touched another woman but Felicia in this way for a long time. He found himself wondering how Laura would react to his more intimate caresses, his kisses. How would she taste? His mouth suddenly became dry, the stirring of desire beginning to grow.
He looked up to catch Laura's gaze, and thought he saw the blush of desire on her face, and in her swirling irises. But her eyes were different, too. They were a deeper, softer blue.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Laura said nothing. She leaned over to taste his inviting lips, her hands settling on his chest. Mac intuitively deepened the kiss, his hands curving around her hips, pulling their bodies closer together. The kiss became more intense until they finally broke apart to breathe.
"Oh, yeah," Laura nodded. "I'm sure."
Okay, enough, she thought to herself. She tapped on the door and waited. It took a few moments before it opened, but she knew he was there. All words got lost in her mouth as she saw the sadness in his green eyes, the sense of defeat in the way he stood. She knew that kind of pain.
"Hi, Mac," she said softly.
Mac tried to force a smile, but failed miserably. "Hi, Laura."
"Listen, I can do this by myself, if you--" Laura began, but Mac shook his head adamantly.
"I'm still a part of Georgie and Maxie's life, even if I'm not living with them anymore," he said, his voice sounding harsher than he intended. He paused, and took a deep breath, rubbing his temples. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Laura said. "I understand."
"Why don't you come in? I still have a few manners left," Mac tried to joke.
Laura smiled, "Thanks."
"Have a seat. Do you want something to drink? I'm afraid I can't offer much in terms of food."
Laura shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks." She waited for Mac to sit on the couch next to her.
"So how's work?" he asked.
"You don't have to make small talk if you don't feel like it."
Mac sighed. "Actually, it helps. I don't know, it somehow…"
"Makes it seem like things are normal?"
"Yeah."
She handed him the files she'd been given by the PTA president of Georgie and Lulu's school. "If you want to talk normal, aren't we both sorry we signed up to do this fundraiser months ago?"
"That's how they get you," Mac nodded, thumbing through the papers distractedly. His thoughts drifted away as they always did these days, recalling happier times, and the not-so-happy ones. It was almost a minute later before he realized what he was doing, and he shook himself out of the memories. "We should get started, there's a lot of information here."
Laura placed her hand gently over his. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'll listen," she offered.
Mac covered her hand in turn, squeezing it gratefully "Thanks. It's just…" He couldn't find the right words for it.
"I know."
Mac nodded, realizing it was true. "Yeah, I guess you do. Better than anyone else could."
"It will get easier, I promise. You're a great guy, Mac. Any woman wou--" Laura stopped herself as she noticed Mac's grimace. "You're probably sick of hearing that. But it's true."
"Any woman, huh? Are you saying you want me?" Mac teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yes," Laura smiled. She had meant to tease him back, but the tone in her voice came out rather sincere.
Mac was quiet for a moment. He remembered their near kiss at Jake's bar. He'd wanted her then, but the circumstances hadn't been right. She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that, but… "If we slept together, it would be…"
"Comfort sex," Laura said bluntly. "But that's not necessarily a bad thing between friends, is it?"
A spark lit up in Mac's eyes, and he chuckled. "It's nice to hear the plain truth for once," he said appreciatively.
"It's nice to tell the truth."
"So it wouldn't be out of revenge or spite?"
"Oh, I'm sure that'd be part of it, too. But a smaller part." She looked at him expectantly, not really sure if either of them was serious about this or not. "Are you going to turn me down again?"
"You're not drunk this time," Mac pointed out.
"No, I'm not." Laura's heart started to beat a little faster. "But you're…"
"Vulnerable?" Mac finished for her. "I'm also a man."
Laura laughed. "That's true." Hard to overlook, she thought to herself.
Not for the first time, Mac noticed her stunning smile. And he realized he felt a whole lot better than he had before she'd gotten there.
The silence stretched between them, heightening their awareness of each other.
Mac lifted his hand to cup her face. The feel of her incredibly soft skin was both alluring and unsettling in its unfamiliarity. He trailed his index finger slowly down the side of her neck, feeling the pulse under her warm skin.
He hadn't touched another woman but Felicia in this way for a long time. He found himself wondering how Laura would react to his more intimate caresses, his kisses. How would she taste? His mouth suddenly became dry, the stirring of desire beginning to grow.
He looked up to catch Laura's gaze, and thought he saw the blush of desire on her face, and in her swirling irises. But her eyes were different, too. They were a deeper, softer blue.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Laura said nothing. She leaned over to taste his inviting lips, her hands settling on his chest. Mac intuitively deepened the kiss, his hands curving around her hips, pulling their bodies closer together. The kiss became more intense until they finally broke apart to breathe.
"Oh, yeah," Laura nodded. "I'm sure."