Curvaceous by Marilyn Lee

again?" 
    Recalling how my heart raced when he'd attempted to kiss me, I sighed. I was lonely. I wanted a man in my life. However, I wanted one who wanted to be there because he found me attractive, not because Lea had somehow corralled him into it. If Darren was still interested, I was prepared to consider a long-distance relationship.
    "I'm not."
    "So when he calls and asks you out again, you're going to say no?"
    "Yes."
    "Oh."
    Why did she sound so pleased? Why had she arranged our blind date? Even if she had felt sorry for me, Jake clearly didn't require help getting a date. She clearly hadn't expected him to want to see me again. Sometimes she was less than cordial. As my grandmother used to say, still waters ran deep. Taking Lea at face value was probably a mistake.
    "Well, it's getting late and I still have tons of things to get done today. I'll see you on Monday, Lea."
    "Great. Will you do me a favor?"
    "Sure, if I can."
    "Oh you can. Just let Jake down gently."
    She definitely had something up her sleeve. But what? "Sure will. Bye."
    I hung up and then jumped when the phone immediately rang. I glanced at the caller ID. I answered after a brief hesitation. "Hello?"
    "Hi Bree? This is Jake Volmer."
    I moistened my lips. "Hi. Ah...thanks for the flowers. They're lovely."
    "You're welcome."
    "They were a surprising as is this call."
    "I'm not sure why the flowers or this call would come as a surprise to you," he said.
    "Lea said you weren't the flower sending kind of guy."
    There was a brief, almost palpable silence before he spoke in a terse voice. "You've discussed me with Lea?"
    I frowned, not sure what to make of his tone or the implication of the question. I instinctively knew admitting we'd discussed' him would be unwise. "We didn't discuss you, but naturally she wanted to know how our date went."
    "I'd like to know how it went as well."
    "Not well."
    "Why not?" He asked.
    "I'm sure I'm not your type."
    My grandmother used to warn me to be careful what I wished for in case I got it. That happened when he spoke again. "No, you're not."
    His confirmation of what I already knew shouldn't hurt. Maybe hurt was too strong a word. It stung. I swallowed hard. "Well, at least you've decided to be honest. Now that we've cleared the air, I'll—"
    "You didn't let me finish."
    "I think you've said enough, Jake."
    "No. I haven't."
    He would not get another chance to sting me. "Then let me put it another way. You've said as much as I want to hear."
    "Don't misunderstand me, Bree—"
    "I haven't misunderstood a thing about you from the moment we met."
    "What the hell's that's supposed to mean?"
    "Figure it out."
    "I'd rather finish my sentence."
    "Then make it quick," I said.
    "It's true you're not my type, but—"
    I sucked in an angry breath. "There's no need to repeat yourself."
    "Before you get angry—"
    "I'm not angry."
    "Yeah. Right. Before you get angry enough to hang up on me—"
    "Hanging up on people is rude."
    "So is slamming doors in their faces," he said, sounding annoyed.
    "I didn't slam the door in your face. I said goodbye. It's not my fault if you don't understand English and can't take a damned hint."
    There was a brief, tense silence. Then he laughed.
    I was not amused. "What's so funny?"
    "It's very early in our relationship to have this lover's quarrel."
    "We're not quarreling. We're having a spirited discussion and we are not lovers."
    "So I noticed when you slammed the door in my face."
    I compressed my lips. "I'm a little busy at the moment so—"
    "So if I'm not quick, you'll hang up on me?"
    He sounded amused and that annoyed the hell out of me. "You were saying?"
    "I was saying opposites attract."
    That was another one of my grandmother's favorite sayings. "Not in our case."
    When he replied his voice no longer held that annoying, amused tone that grated on my nerves. "Do you have any reason to doubt my word?"
    "No, but—"
    "Then please don't presume to know who or what I find attractive. Now, what