Cathy Spencer's Blog, page 7

"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 13

First, get caught up.
Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to:  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12


Chapter 13With Sabrina and Rick out of town for the weekend, Viv decided to get over her shame from the night before by doing her laundry and cleaning the condo. The place was sparkling by noon, and she left to take the streetcar to the house her father was renovating. It had poured rain all morning, but there was a break in the weather when she reached her stop, and she jogged the block to the house. It was spitting rain when she let herself in with the spare set of keys. She was pleased to see that Tom had covered the living room floor with a drop cloth. Rolling up the sleeves of the old shirt she was wearing, Viv got to work. She was bouncing her head in time to the music on her iPhone when a hand fell on her shoulder.  “Aagh!” She jumped back, flailing her roller at her attacker. Tom held up his hands.“Easy,” he shouted above the music in her ears. He gestured at the wall she was painting a lovely shade of Valley Mist.“What are you doing here?” she demanded. Her heart was pounding in her chest. He mouthed something she couldn’t hear.“Wait a minute.” Viv dropped the roller onto her paint tray and removed the ear buds.“I said, horseback riding was a washout with all this rain, so I came to see how you were making out. What the hell are you doing?”“I’m painting. What’s wrong? I taped the trim before I started, just like Daddy told me.”“But you have to prime the walls first. You can’t just paint on top of drywall. And what are you doing with green paint?” Viv turned to study the wall. The green was a little darker than it had looked on the colour card, but the lady at the paint counter had told her to expect that. It did look kind of blotchy, though.She looked back at Tom. “How do you prime a wall? Daddy didn’t tell me to do that.”“With primer. I left it here with the paint the store delivered. Didn’t you see it?”She squatted down to study the labels on the tubs. She had just assumed that it was all paint. Spotting the primer, she sighed and straightened.“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had to prime first. Have I ruined the wall? Should I put the primer on top of the paint?”“No, too late for that.” Tom sighed and stepped up to the wall to study her work. “Just put another coat on top and hope it looks all right.” He turned to look at her with those piercing, pale blue eyes. “You ever painted before?”Viv frowned. What was he implying, that she wasn’t doing it right? “Actually, no.”He nodded. “Let me show you.” He picked up one of the two poles from the floor beside the tubs and handed it to her. “Screw that onto your roller. How were you going to reach the upper part of the wall?”“I was going to use a ladder.”“Put some paint on your roller,” he said, nodding at her paint tray. She dipped her roller into the puddle of paint and spun it back and forth on the tray to distribute it.“Show me how you paint.” Feeling foolish, Viv approached the wall. The extra length of pole felt awkward as she painted up and down, and painted over the strip again just to make sure.Tom unfolded his arms from his chest and reached for the pole. “Not enough paint, Viv. Watch.” He rolled the brush back and forth in the green liquid, rolled it on the tray once, and lifted it. Stepping forward, he painted a “v” on a part of the wall that she hadn’t covered. “You don’t have to paint in straight lines. Branch out a bit, like this.” He swiftly covered a large patch, stopping his roller a couple of inches from the top of the wall. “I’ll finish that with a brush. Don’t want to get paint on the ceiling. You keep working on this wall while I prime the others.”Viv dipped her roller as Tom had shown her and tried to duplicate his work. They painted in silence, Viv finishing the rest of the wall in half the time it had taken her before. Even so, Tom had already finished priming the second wall and was onto the third by the time she looked up.He must have sensed her eyes on his back. “How’d you get Gabe to go for green?”She shrugged. “He wasn’t keen on anything but white at first, so I showed him some of the brochures with rooms decorated in themes. You know, ‘Traditional,’ ‘Modern,’ ‘Country.’ Valley Mist came from the ‘Casual’ style. I liked a different shade that was even brighter, so we compromised on this.”Tom nodded and continued priming the wall. “I haven’t been able to talk him into anything but white before.” He turned to look at her. “I like it.” Viv smiled and painted the second wall. When Tom had finished priming and repainted the wall she hadn’t primed, he painted the area where the walls met and took out a ladder to do the brush work next to the ceiling. By the time Viv finished with her roller, he was painting the last strip.He climbed down the ladder to stand beside her. “What’d you get for the dining room?”“White.” She grinned. “And white for the hallway and the bathroom. Although I did talk Daddy into using green again in the mudroom.”“Let’s get at ’er.”By six thirty, Viv was paint-spattered, sweaty, and stiff, but the first floor walls were painted. Tom showed her how to clean her roller in the sink, and they tidied up together before calling it a night. She noticed that he looked a lot cleaner than she did and didn’t seem half as tired. He must be in great shape, to do the hard labour that he did.Tom waited for her at the front door. When they stepped out onto the porch, Viv saw that it had stopped raining and the sun was peeking through the yellow-grey clouds. She stretched and rotated her shoulders to ease their stiffness as Tom locked up.“Come on, I’ll drive you home,” he said. His truck was parked out front on the street.“Thanks. I’d hate to be seen on the streetcar like this.”She followed him to the truck and waited for him to toss old receipts, a sawed-off piece of wood, the saw, and some crumpled food containers into the back seat. “The truck gets a little messy during a project. Hop in.” He headed around the truck and climbed behind the steering wheel. “Where do you live?” She gave him directions, and they pulled away with the windows rolled all the way down to let the wind blow through. Viv took her damp hair from its holder and shook it out to let the breeze dry it.“You hungry?” Tom asked. “There’s a burger place in the next block with a drive-through. You don’t even have to get out of the truck.”“I’m starving, and I don’t want to cook when I get home. Thanks.”Ten minutes later, they were parked behind the restaurant with cheeseburgers, fries, and icy-cold colas. Viv tore open two pouches of ketchup for dipping her fries. Tom opened a couple of mustard pouches, poured his fries into his hamburger container, and dribbled mustard over them.“That’s unusual.” She pointed at his food. “I’ve never seen anyone put mustard on fries before.”“You ever try it?” She liked his slow drawl.“No.”He held out the container, and she sampled a fry. It was tangy with the mustard.“Not bad,” she admitted. Tom nodded and shoved three fries into his mouth at once. “But I still prefer ketchup.” She dipped a single potato daintily into her mound of sauce.Tom finished eating much sooner than Viv. He leaned his head back on the head rest and closed his eyes. Viv studied his profile. It was a strong face with a straight nose and a square jaw. There was a little grey mixed among the black next to his sideburns, but none in the rest of his long hair. “This was your day off, wasn’t it?” she asked.“Yup.” His eyes were still closed.“That’s pretty devoted of you.”“I saw to some things around the farm first. I wanted to see how you were doing.”“Checking up on me, you mean?”One side of his mouth tilted up, and he looked at her without lifting his head. “You don’t seem like the kind of woman who’s had a lot of experience with house renos.”She met his eyes for a second before taking a bite of her burger. “You’re right.” After chewing and swallowing, she added, “I’m curious. What kind of woman do I seem to you?” His answer was immediate. “The kind who likes to help out her daddy so he won’t worry as much.”She nodded, pleased. “And I did a good job with the painting, once you showed me how?”“Not bad. You stuck with it longer than I thought you would.”She tossed her napkin into the food container and squeezed it shut. “I’m not a quitter, Tom.”He grunted.“Plus, I’d like Daddy to see that he can renovate houses without doing as much of the work himself. So, any way that I can help out during this job, I’d like to. I can come over after school most days, and on the weekends. Just not Tuesday night. I’m having dinner with my mother then.”Tom sat up and turned the key in the ignition before glancing at her. “You can help with some things, Viv, but on others, you’d only slow me down. The most important thing with a reno is to stay on schedule. If you can keep your dad on track with the decisions, I’ll take care of the rest, even if it means hiring extra help. Still, if you want to come over now and then, I guess there’s stuff I can find for you to do.” Viv frowned. “You make me sound like one of my six-year-olds. Come on, I’m a quick learner, and, like I said, I’m no quitter. Give me a chance, Tom.”He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “If you think you’re up to it, Viv, I can teach you a few things.” He held out his right hand, and she smiled and shook it.“Done.”
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Check back for Chapter 14 on Wednesday, May 6.
The Dating Do-Over is available as an e-book for one-third off the price at $2.99.  But hurry - the sales price will be over when the preview chapters end on May 13. 
To buy the book, click on the "Contact Cathy" app at the top right of this post and leave your name, e-mail address, and a message saying you'd like to purchase The Dating Do-Over. I will e-mail back information on how to purchase the book with a coupon from Smashwords, where you can easily download it in the format of your choice.
If you would like to receive an e-mail when a new Cathy Spencer novel is released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the "Contact Cathy" app to the right of this post.

"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 12

First, get caught up.
Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to:  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11



Chapter 12
Viv was out early the next morning at the building supply store. The first item on Daddy’s list was paint colours. She stopped in front of the samples to study the selection. There were three brands; she hadn’t asked if he had a preference. She’d better pick up samples from all of them.Daddy said he wanted a light colour for the living room and the basement rec room. Normally he went for white or off-white to keep it neutral. Let’s see, there was a “White Jasmine” that looked a little denser than a pure white. Not bad, but what was that below? “Home Song” was nice, and had a touch of green. Hmm. Green was calm and serene, a pleasant feeling for a living room. This brand of paint had colours divided by room and style. Under “Casual” they had “Celery Bunch.” That was nice. A little more impact than the other green, and fresh-looking. Nothing wrong with a little colour. Looking at another brand, she spotted “Posh Celery.” That made her laugh.With a dozen likely colours, Viv decided she had enough selection and moved on to carpets. Daddy wanted a nice grey for the basement rec room and bedroom, something cozy. Let’s see, there were different textures of carpet: frieze (looked like shag), loop (for high-traffic areas), texture (also for high-traffic areas), and pattern (the fibres looked like a combination of loop and texture). Maybe she’d better draw a diagram of the different textures so that she and Daddy would be on the same page. She scribbled the information into her notebook.Now, what about colour?  “Comet Grey” was patterned. Ooh, she liked the “Midnight Grey” even better with its grey, white, and blue fibres. It all depended on how dark Daddy wanted to go. “Excuse me,” she said to a passing employee. “Is it possible to get samples of these carpets?”“Yes, if you leave your information and a small deposit.”“Great. Could I arrange for samples of these two, please?”With the samples in her bag, there was only one more item left on her list ‒ floor tile. Fortunately, the kitchen was already done, but tile was also required for the front entrance, the bathrooms, and the laundry/mudroom. Three very different areas of the house. Daddy would want something stylish for the entrance, something nice but easy to clean for the bathrooms (she hated those little tiles with the grouting between them that trapped lint), and something utilitarian for the mudroom. Hmm, the tile section of the store was more challenging. Porcelain, ceramic, peel and stick, premium mosaic, glass, stone, Belgian foil, and combinations. Obviously, some of these tiles weren’t meant for floors. They also came in a bewildering assortment of sizes and finishes. There didn’t appear to be any samples to take home, either. She’d better take some pictures with her cell, and make notes.Forty-five minutes later and with the beginnings of a headache, she drove back to her father’s house, stopping at a grocery store on the way to pick up the ingredients she needed for dinner. Gabe was dressed in sweats and sitting in his reclining chair in the bedroom. She pulled the bench from the end of the bed and placed it beside him before unearthing the samples and notes from her bag. They went through her findings, Viv discovering that her father was very logical when it came to finishings.“Nothing cheap, Viv ‒ I don’t want to get a reputation for doing shoddy work ‒ but nothing too expensive unless it’s going in a high impact area. I always spend less money on the basement carpet, for instance. If you buy a good underpad, it still feels luxurious.”“Yes, I agree with you that this tile is prettier, but who’s going to be buying the house, a man or a woman? You’ve got to choose something less distinctive. The buyer will add his or her own decorative touches.”“Green? We’ve never used green on the walls before, unless it was in a bathroom. Off-white is a safer bet.” But Viv stood her ground.“White is boring, Daddy. I’m not asking you to paint the living room fire-engine red, but “Nature Mist” is a lot more modern than white. You can paint the dining room white. It’s got that dark wainscoting.”“I don’t know.” Gabe frowned at the colour sample. “It’s kind of bright.”“How about ‘Valley Mist’ then? It’s more neutral and very soothing. I’d like to come home to a living room painted that colour.”“Well . . .” he said, pursing his lips. “You’re twisting the arm of a sick man, you know.”Viv batted her eyelashes at him.“All right. Let’s live a little. ‘Valley Mist’ it is.”Viv hugged her father and shouted, “Yay! Tell me how much paint to order, and I’ll get it delivered this afternoon. Then I can paint the living room tomorrow.”“Thanks, Peaches. You’ve been a big help.” “You’re welcome. I’d be happy to help some more. It’s been fun. Just let me know what you need.” She knelt down on the floor and gathered the samples back into her bag. “I’ll just drop off these carpet samples and order the stuff you want before I head home to get cleaned up.”“Right. You’re cooking for the head hunter tonight.”Viv stood up, brushing off her knees. “I wish you wouldn’t call Drew that. It makes him sound like a cannibal.”Gabe snorted. “Let’s hope not. Still, I’m glad your friends are helping you to date again, although I don’t know about this scoring system thing they’re using. I always just followed my gut when it came to finding a woman.”“Ahem,” Viv said pointedly, sitting down on the arm of his chair.“Yeah, I know. You think your mother and I were a mistake. But we got you out of it, so how wrong could we have been?” Viv bent to kiss the top of his head. “And she’s not the only woman I ever dated, I’ll have you know.”“That’s okay, Daddy. I don’t need to know about your love life. Unless,” she said, bending down so that her face was level with his, “you want to tell me if there’s anything going on between you and Magda?”He pantomimed locking his lips and throwing away the key. “A gentleman never tells.”“Fine, Casanova.” She shrugged. “I just want to know if the two of you are ever going to get married.”“I’m still a married man.”“Hah. Speaking of which, I’m going to see Mother for dinner on Tuesday.”“Hey, that’s the best news I’ve heard all week!”Viv stood up. “Well, don’t get too excited. I’m finally going to get a few things off my chest with her.” “Just listen to what she has to say first.”“Do you know why she wants to meet with me?”Gabe squirmed in his chair. “I admit, Véronique ran it past me first. But I prefer she tells you what’s on her mind.”Viv sighed. “Whatever. It doesn’t really matter.” She kissed her father’s cheek. “Take it easy, and I’ll see you soon. Bye, Daddy.”As she walked out of the room, Gabe called, “Give my regards to the head hunter. Tell him that after three dates, he gets to meet the father!”“Sure, sure,” she said, waving her hand.

Drew was bang on time when he rang Viv from the condo lobby.“I’ll be right down,” she said, ending the call and retrieving the grocery bags from the kitchen counter and the homemade strawberry cheesecake from the fridge. When she reached the lobby, Drew was waiting for her next to the elevators.“Here, let me carry those for you,” he said, taking the shopping bags.“I’ll hold onto the dessert. I don’t want it to slide on the plate.”“What is it?”“Strawberry cheesecake. I made it myself.”“You can make strawberry cheesecake?”“Uh huh.”“Will you marry me?”Viv giggled as they left the complex and walked around the corner to Drew’s beautiful car. He tucked her inside, and she balanced the cheesecake on her lap all the way to his downtown apartment.“I like to be in the centre of the city,” he said as he drove down the ramp to the underground parking. “Everything I need is here at my fingertips. And the view of the city skyline is the best. I can even see the CN Tower.”He unlocked the door to his twenty-second floor apartment and led Viv inside. The six hundred square foot space was divided into three rooms, with a galley kitchen just inside the door, an L-shaped living/dining room, and the bedroom. The living area was furnished with black leather and chrome, plus a state-of-the-art sound system. The apartment definitely needed a woman’s touch.Drew set Viv’s supplies on the kitchen counter and took her hand. “Let me show you the view from the living room.” He guided her past a gas fireplace with a huge flat screen TV hanging over the mantle, and pulled back the blinds on a floor-to-ceiling window.“Wow, that’s spectacular,” she said, looking out at the glass and steel skyscrapers.“There’s another great view from my bedroom.”Drew opened the door, and Viv peeked inside. She saw a king-sized bed with a black leather headboard (more black leather), a side table with a chunky glass lamp, and a tallboy dresser. There wasn’t room for anything else, except for another floor-to-ceiling window.“I like to lie in bed at night with the lights out and look out over the city.”“That sounds wonderful.”“Well, that’s the apartment. Do you approve of it, milady?”“It’s very handsome.”“Thanks. Can I get you a drink? Some white wine or sparkling water?”“I’d love a sparkling water. Do you have any lime?”“I certainly do. Coming right up.”Viv watched Drew pour a couple of club sodas over ice and chop a lime into quarters. Squeezing the juice from one section into each glass, he tossed the rind into the garbage. The other sections went into a storage container in the fridge.He’s neat, Viv thought. We won’t get into arguments about leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor. They leaned against the counter sipping their drinks.“Now, why don’t you take a seat at the dining room table and tell me more about yourself while I start dinner,” Viv said.“Okay.” Drew sat down at the glass-topped table with his drink. “There’s not a lot to tell. My father is an architect and my mother is a retired nurse. I’ve got a younger sister who’s working on a master’s degree in civil engineering. I’m the only one in the family who went into business.”“What brought you to York University?” Viv asked, rummaging through the cupboards for a pot to boil the potatoes in.“My grandmother lived in Toronto, and we used to visit her from time to time. Plus, the MBA program at York has an excellent reputation. I did my undergraduate degree at home in Chicago, but I wanted to go someplace else for grad school. Toronto didn’t seem like a foreign place, plus I had Gran here in case I got lonely.”“That’s pretty perceptive for a young man. But I thought you said you didn’t have any family here in Toronto?”“She passed away during my second year.”“Oh, I’m sorry. That must have been rough, losing your grandmother while you were still in school.”Drew nodded. “It was. I still miss her.”“Sorry, but do you have a vegetable peeler?”“No. I don’t eat many meals at home, so my utensils are pretty basic. I’ve got an electric can opener, a toaster, and a coffee maker.” He pointed to the appliances on the counter.Viv smiled. “Doesn’t matter. I can use a knife. So, what happened after graduate school?”“One of my profs helped me land a marketing job with an information technology company, so I was able to get a work visa to stay in Canada. I moved from marketing to sales, and left the company after five years to work for Royal Recruitment. I’ve been with them for six years, recruiting managers in the information technology and energy sectors. I love it. It’s an exciting field to be in.”“It sounds exciting. You must be a real people-person.”“That’s right. Being around people gives me a charge.”Viv nodded while she chopped the potatoes.“How about you, Viv? What was your childhood like?”“Well, I’ve lived in Toronto all my life. Daddy was in investment banking, and he met my mother while he was at a conference in New York. She was a fashion designer. They fell in love at first sight, and she moved to Toronto to marry him. Mother went back to work five weeks after I was born, so I didn’t see very much of her when I was young. But Daddy made up for it by being home for dinner and tucking me into bed every night. When I was ten, Mother had an opportunity to start her own shoe design house back in New York, so she left. She’s very successful, but I’ve only seen her twice since then.” “Wow, that sounds rough.” Viv shrugged. “I haven’t missed her at all. Daddy retired from banking last year to flip houses. He loves it, but he just had a health scare yesterday.” Drew’s eyes widened. “Everything turned out fine. The doctor caught it before it became a problem, but Daddy needs to slow down a little.”“That must have been scary.”“It was. And to make my life more stressful, my mother is flying into Toronto on business next week. We’re having dinner together on Tuesday night.”“How’s that going to go?”“I’m going to let her have it. It’s about time.” Viv poured water over the potatoes and set them on the stove to cook. “Good for you, Viv. I bet you’ll feel good after you’ve confronted her.”Viv nodded. “That’s how I feel, although Daddy thinks I ought to mend fences. He says there’s something she wants to talk to me about.”“What?”“He wouldn’t tell me, so I’ll just have to wait and see. Not that I’m dying of curiosity or anything.” She was cutting the ends off the asparagus, and stopped to look at Drew. “I guess I sound pretty callous.”“Not at all. It seems like you have every right to be angry with your mother. I can’t imagine any business being more important than a ten-year-old daughter, and I’m a businessman. If my mother needed me, I’d be there in a flash.”“Exactly,” Viv said, pointing her knife at Drew. “I teach Grade 1, so I know how crucial those early years are to a child’s formation and sense of well-being.”“It’s amazing how well-developed you are, given the circumstances.”“I owe it all to Daddy. If it hadn’t been for him, I’d be a mess.”“Which you certainly are not.” Drew smiled approvingly.“Thanks.” Viv smiled back. It was nice to have someone on her side, someone who thought she was well-developed.Dinner went very well. The pork schnitzel was crispy and tender, the potato salad and asparagus were tasty, and Drew ate two servings of strawberry cheesecake. He insisted that she put her feet up and listen to music while he cleaned up the kitchen and put the leftover food away. Afterward, he joined her on the couch with a bottle of port and two cut-crystal glasses.“They’re lovely,” she said, holding up a glass to admire it in the sunlight. He poured some of the ruby-coloured drink into their glasses and held his up for a toast. “Here’s to the beautiful blue eyes of milady. I am lost within them.”“That’s lovely, Drew,” Viv said. He was such a romantic. They sipped the wine with their feet propped on the coffee table and blues music playing in the background. Drew flicked on the gas fire with a click of the remote, and laid his arm around her shoulders. Viv snuggled against him with her head resting cozily in the crook of his arm. Finishing the last of his port, Drew took Viv’s glass and set it on the table. Viv smiled up at him, and he stroked the side of her face.“I could get used to this,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss her eyes, her forehead, and her mouth.“You don’t think we’re moving too fast, do you?” Viv whispered between kisses as her pulse quickened.“No. Do you?” His finger traced a lazy line from her ear to her collar bone, and then to the top button of her blouse. “I don’t know. I’ve got such mixed feelings. I’m still hurt by the way my boyfriend treated me, but it feels nice to be appreciated by another man.” Drew nodded as he undid the first button. “I’ve been there myself, Viv. Having someone disappoint you can be hard on the ego. You start to worry if it was something you did, but I know you weren’t to blame. It was your boyfriend who didn’t see what a good thing he had.” His fingers caressed the skin between her breasts as they slid down to undo the second button. ”Still we’re neither of us kids, Viv. We know what we want.” She felt his fingers undo the third button as his tongue teased her lips open for short, silky kisses.Viv pulled her head back. “That’s true, but Sabrina was just saying that I ought to be careful of having a rebound romance.” She glanced down as Drew pulled her blouse open to expose her lacy pink bra. His velvety lips trailed down her throat to the upper swell of her breast, and she sank back against the couch.“Love is dangerous, there’s no denying it. But you have to gamble big to win big.” He slipped her top off one shoulder, nipping her white skin with his teeth. Viv groaned, and the phone rang. Drew reached over top of her to pick it up from the side table. “Sorry, I just have to take this call.” He sat up. “Hello?”Viv’s eyes opened.“What did you say? No that’s not right. His plane’s not arriving until tomorrow.” Drew listened for a moment. “No, I could have sworn. Hang on a minute.” He fished his cell from his pocket and flicked past screens.“That’s right, I booked the eleven twenty flight for tomorrow morning. What do you mean, he changed the flight?”Viv pulled her bra strap back up on her shoulder.“The meeting’s tomorrow?” Drew stood up and started pacing the floor. “Who authorized the change? No one told me. Did someone change the hotel reservation? What the hell! No, no, I can fix it, but this is going to cost money. Look, his plane is landing in” ‒ he checked his watch ‒ “fifty-five minutes. If I drive like a maniac, I can make it. Get on the phone to the Hyatt and change the reservation. Right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”He slammed the phone back onto its base and stared at Viv, seeming to see her for the first time in minutes.“Baby, I’m really sorry. Someone screwed up the dates on this business meeting, and I’ve got to run to the airport to pick up the client.”“That’s all right. I don’t mind,” Viv said. She sprang to her feet and began searching for her shoes.“I’m really, really sorry. I don’t even have time to drive you home.” He snatched up her purse from the kitchen counter as she slipped into her sandals.“No problem. I can catch the streetcar home.” He clicked off the fireplace and walked her to the apartment door.“I’ll be leaving right behind you. But listen, thanks so much for tonight. You let me know how the dinner with your mother works out, will you?”“Sure. I’ll call you.” He opened the door and kissed her quickly. “You’re an angel. I’ll see you later, baby.” The door shut behind her, and Viv paused to pull the purse strap onto her shoulder and smooth her hair. Wow, that had been a close one. If the phone hadn’t interrupted them, she might have made love with Drew. She didn’t know if she was ready to trust him that much, but her body had certainly reacted as if it did.The elevator bell dinged, and an elderly woman with coiffed silver hair stepped out, supporting herself with a cane. She smiled at Viv as she thumped down the hallway, and as they passed, gave Viv a large wink. Startled, Viv hurried into the elevator and caught her reflection in the mirror. The front of her blouse was still hanging open, revealing her pink push-up bra. Flushing as bright as her underwear, Viv fumbled to close the buttons, and rode the streetcar home in a flood of embarrassment.
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Did you enjoy Chapter 12? You can purchase the e-book for half-price at $1.99.  But hurry - the price will go up to $2.99 when the next chapter is posted on Sunday, May 3rd. 
To buy the book, click on the "Contact Cathy" app at the top right of this post and leave your name, e-mail address, and a message saying you'd like to purchase The Dating Do-Over. I will e-mail back information on how to purchase the book with a coupon from Smashwords, where you can easily download it in the format of your choice.
If you would like to receive an e-mail when a new Cathy Spencer novel is released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the "Contact Cathy" app to the right of this post.

"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 11

First, get caught up.
Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to:  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10


Chapter 11
Viv was awakened by a creaking sound, as if someone were opening a door. She lifted her head to glance at her clock radio; it was six thirty. Peering out of the office into the hallway, she saw Rick tiptoeing toward the door. He was buttoning his shirt as he walked. She laid her head back down and pretended to be asleep in case he glanced in at her. She really needed to find a place with a bedroom door. She heard him fumbling with something ‒ probably his shoes ‒ and then the door opened quietly and shut again.Viv jumped out of bed. She padded to Sabrina’s room, where the door was open, and crossed to the ensuite bathroom. She could hear the shower running and knocked on the door.“Sabrina?”“Huh?”“It’s Viv. Can I come in?”“Sure.” She opened the door and stepped into the steamy room, fragrant with soap and floral shampoo.“What are you doing up so early? I hope that Rick didn’t wake you,” Sabrina said.“No,” Viv lied. She sat down on the toilet lid. “So, I guess you had a good night.”“The best. Rick is fabulous. Need I say more? How did things go with Drew? I hope you aren’t mad at me for deserting you.”“I was at first, but not anymore. I’m going to his place Saturday night to make dinner, plus we’re going to a wedding together in a few weeks.” Something clattered to the shower floor. “Drew says I’m the kind of woman he can get serious about.” The shower stopped, and Sabrina’s head popped out from behind the curtain. “You’re kidding.” Sabrina’s face was anxious as she pushed her dripping hair back. Viv shook her head. Sabrina reached for her Egyptian cotton bath sheet and disappeared behind the curtain. “Aren’t you moving too fast? You two just met.”“Drew’s the one doing the pushing, but I don’t mind. I really like him.” Sabrina muttered something under her breath, and the curtain flashed open. She stepped onto the bath mat wrapped in the towel, her mouth set in a grim line.“Does the word ‘rebound’ mean anything to you?”Viv frowned. “You think this is a rebound relationship?”“Oh, Vivvie.” Sabrina walked to the cabinet, opened the top drawer, and pulled out a moisturizer. “I’m going to make a few calls after my meeting this morning. I wanted to know what you thought about Drew before I did a full diagnostic on him. No point in wasting time unless you liked him.” Sabrina massaged the lotion into her face. “I’m going to find out who he’s dated and how long the relationships lasted.” She pointed at Viv in the mirror. “I know that you’re hopeless when it comes to new relationships, but Drew should have had more sense. Maybe he’s just as loose a cannon as you are.” Sabrina shrugged. “Not that you wouldn’t be happy with him.” She squeezed some foundation onto a sponge and dabbed it across her forehead. “Of course, if you two have children, they’re going to be pygmies.” “I get my height from Grandma Nowak. I think the tallness gene skipped my generation.”“Well, maybe you’ll get lucky and it’ll land on your kids. Anyway, I’m going to do some checking up on Drew before you get in any deeper. Your break-up with Kyle really sucked. I’m not going through that again.”Viv walked up behind Sabrina and hugged her. “I know. I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain.”“Not a problem, but we don’t want it to happen again.” They stared at their reflections in the mirror, the statuesque redhead with the unwavering green eyes, and the pretty blond with the sweet face.“Love you, Sabrina,” Viv said.“Love you, too, Vivvie.”  Viv was in the middle of a math lesson right after lunch the next day when there was a knock on the classroom door. The children stared as Vice-Principal Daya Chopra stuck her head into the room.“Good afternoon, boys and girls. I have to talk to Miss Nowak for a minute.” She nodded at the board, where Viv had written down a simple sum. “I see you’re working on addition today. Work it out in your lesson books while Miss Nowak and I talk in the hallway.” She looked at Viv pointedly and withdrew.Viv had never been called from a classroom by a vice-principal before, and felt uneasy as she followed Daya into the hallway.“Viv, we have your father’s housekeeper on the office phone,” Daya said in a low voice. “I’m afraid there’s a medical emergency. I’ll watch your class until one of the teacher’s aids can cover for you.”“Thanks,” Viv called over her shoulder as she trotted down the hallway for the main office. Once she was there, the receptionist handed her the phone.“Magda,” Viv said, “what’s wrong?”“Now, don’t panic, Viv,” the housekeeper said in a reassuring voice. “Your father went in for his physical this morning, and they’ve checked him into the hospital. His EKG showed that the blood flow to his heart isn’t so good, so they’re going to do an angiogram to see what the problem is. That’s when they inject dye into his arteries and take an x-ray. I’m at the hospital right now ‒ the Toronto General ‒ in the Cardiovascular Investigations Unit. That’s on the second floor of the Eaton building.”“I’ll be right there,” Viv said. As she hung up the phone, her chest constricted with panic, but she had to hold it together for her father’s sake. She dialed the number of a taxi company and asked for a cab right away.Traffic was with them that afternoon; fifteen minutes later Viv was running up the stairs to the cardiovascular unit. She found the waiting room and spotted Magda flipping through a magazine. Magda stood up to give Viv a hug as the young woman hurried into the room.“He’s having the procedure done now. He had to wait three hours until they could fit him in and prep him.” Magda pointed at the chairs, and they sat.“When did he have the EKG?”“At seven thirty this morning. He went early because he had to do one of those fasting blood tests, too. He was really ticked when they told him he had to come here for the angiogram. He had planned to work this morning.” Viv half-smiled. “I bet. Has he been having any chest pains that he didn’t tell me about?”Magda shook her head. “He did seem kind of short of breath climbing stairs lately, but I thought it was because it was hot, and he’s been working so hard.”Viv sighed. “Thank goodness he had heatstroke on Wednesday and I talked him into the physical. Otherwise, we may not have found out about his heart until things got worse.” She looked thoughtful. “If it was heatstroke.” Viv glanced at Magda. “What happens after the test?”“The doctor looks at the result while Gabe stays flat on his back for three hours. They’re putting a tube up his groin, so the wound needs time to seal. If everything is okay, I can take him home. If not . . .” The housekeeper’s face fell, and she looked teary. “Sorry,” she said, waving her hand.“Now, Magda,” Viv said, embracing her, “don’t go borrowing trouble, eh? That’s what you always tell me.”“I know,” she whispered, but a fat tear rolled down her cheek. She nodded and thumped Viv’s back before releasing her.“Have you had any lunch?” Viv asked.Magda swiped at her nose. “No. First I was sitting with Gabe, and then I was waiting for you. I didn’t want to miss you.”“You should have called me sooner. I could have sat with Daddy.”“What’s the use of that? I didn’t want to call you too soon cause I knew you’d drop everything and come.”“Well, go get something to eat. I’ll be here if anything happens. I’ll call you on your cell.”“Okay,” Magda said. She picked her purse up off the floor and stood. “Don’t drink the coffee from the machine. It’s terrible. I’ll bring you some.”Forty minutes later, a tall, middle-aged man wearing scrubs came into the waiting room. His face was solemn, and Viv felt a flash of anxiety.“Miss Nowak?” he said in a deep voice.“Yes.” She jumped up.“I’m Dr. Magoro. I did the angiogram on your father this afternoon. Please sit.” Viv reseated herself, and the doctor sat beside her. “We got the result from your father’s test, and I’m afraid that I’m not happy with it.”“No?” Viv shrank back in her chair, her stomach doing flip flops.“No. There is definitely some blockage in the right coronary artery. I’ve discussed it with your father, and he’s agreed to an angioplasty to correct the situation. That involves putting the catheter back up his groin, just as we did with the angiogram, and inflating a balloon in the artery to press the plaque back against the wall. A mesh tube called a stent is left in the artery to prevent it from narrowing again. It’s a standard procedure, one I’ve performed hundreds of times.”Viv relaxed a little. “Has my father had a heart attack, Doctor?”“No, not yet. Looks like we caught it just in time.”“That’s wonderful news,” Viv said, brightening. “When will the procedure be done?”“Right away. He’ll be taken back in shortly.”“Can I see him first?”“No, there isn’t time.”“How long will he have to stay in the hospital afterward?”  “Just overnight. He’ll be awake for the procedure, just as he was for the angiogram. He’ll need to take it easy for a week afterward because we want the incision in his groin to heal properly. It’s also possible he might experience some heart spasms, but that’s normal. We’ll give him some nitro glycerin for that. Now, about that home renovation work he’s been doing ‒ he’ll have to stay away from that for two weeks. I don’t want him ripping out toilets while he’s recovering. We’ll schedule some blood work and a stress test for two weeks from today, and if everything looks good, he should be able to go back to work after that. He’ll need to be more careful with his diet in future, but we’ll send him home with information.”Viv smiled. “That’s great news, Dr. Magoro. I guess I was expecting worse.”The doctor stood up. “Overall, your father’s health is fine, but he’s not a young man anymore. He should consider hiring help to do the more strenuous work.”Viv rose beside him. “Please make sure to tell him that, Doctor. He won’t listen to me, or to anyone else. He tries to save money wherever he can.”“Well, health scares remind us that we’re not invincible.” He smiled, and his brown eyes were kindly. “I’ll certainly have a talk with your father about slowing down a little.” He held out his hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Nowak.”“Thank you, Doctor. You as well.”  She shook his hand. “Take good care of my father.” “I surely will,” he said, before walking away.
 It was seven o’clock at night. Viv was sitting by her father’s bedside while he shovelled chicken, rice, and green beans into his mouth. He had had nothing but liquids all day in preparation for the procedures, and he was starving. Magda had stayed until Gabe was settled into his room, and then Viv had sent her home to rest. It had been a nerve-wracking day for the housekeeper, and she looked exhausted. There was a knock on the hospital room door, and Tom Lockhart looked in.“Gabe, how’re you doing? Are you up for a visitor?”Gabe waved his fork, gesturing for him to enter. “I’m doing okay, now that I can finally eat. How’s it going at the house? Did you finish the kitchen backsplash?”“Yup. We just need the appliances now. So, what’s been happening with you?” Tom pulled up a chair, and Gabe explained about the angioplasty while finishing the food on his tray. The contractor looked like he had come straight from work, wearing dusty, paint-spattered jeans and a t-shirt. He settled back comfortably in his chair with one foot propped on the bed rail.“Sounds like you’ll be out of commission for a couple of weeks. Might put us behind schedule.”“No it won’t. I can still come to the house and help with the easy stuff, like the painting.”Viv’s eyes flashed with anger. “No you won’t, Daddy. Didn’t you listen to the doctor? You’re going to stay away from the house for two weeks. I know you ‒ as soon as you’re back, you’ll be ripping out tiles and overdoing it.”“Will not. Besides, Dr. Magoro told me to try to keep my stress levels down. Do you know how stressed out I’d be, sitting at home watching another mortgage payment fly by before the house even goes on the market?”“Tom can take care of things, can’t he?” Viv turned to the contractor, who paused before answering.“I can do most of it and bring in help when I need it, but your dad has to make some decisions first.” He looked at Gabe. “You said you wanted the paint lighter on this one. What colours do you want? And what about the tile for the bathroom floors and the showers? Then there’s the basement fireplace and the kitchen appliances.” He peered at Viv from under bushy black eyebrows. “Your dad makes the decisions, not me.” “Don’t you work with an interior designer anymore?” Viv asked her father.“Nah, just for the first two houses. After that, you get a feel for things, depending on how you want to price the house. It’s no big deal. I’ll drop by the building supply centre and order some stuff. I’ll do it tomorrow.”“Oh, Daddy.” Viv sighed. “Look, I’ll help. How about if you tell me what you’re looking for, and I’ll visit the building centre to pick up some samples. Then you can choose the stuff you like, and Tom can buy it.” Her father looked uncertain. “I don’t mind. The term is winding down, and my reports on the kids are almost finished, so I’m not that busy. Besides, you always said I had good taste. This could be fun for me.”“Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind,” Gabe said.“Not at all. We can start tomorrow. If it’ll make you feel any better, I can help with the painting, too. How hard can it be?”Gabe and Tom exchanged a glance. “That would be a big help, Peaches. Thanks. If you’ve got some paper on you, we’ll make a list of things you can look for tomorrow. You can stay for dinner afterward.”“Sorry, I can’t stay for dinner tomorrow. I almost forgot. I’ve got a date.”“Really?” Her father’s face perked up. “Who’s the guy?”“A friend of Sabrina’s boyfriend. His name is Drew Collins.”“What does he do?”“He’s an executive recruiter.”“Head hunter,” Gabe said with a frown. “I lost a lot of good people to guys like him over the years.”“Maybe so, but Drew’s a nice man, and a real go-getter. Sort of like you. He drives a beautiful Maserati Quattroporte,” she added, hoping to impress him.Tom nodded. “Nice ride.” “Kind of flashy,” Gabe said. “Well, make sure he treats you well.”“I will.” She kissed her father’s cheek. “Now, let’s get started on that list.”  Viv got home about an hour later, tired, but relieved that things had worked out so well for her father. The condo was empty; Sabrina was probably out with Rick. She microwaved a low-cal entrée for herself, and pulled out her laptop to check her e-mail. There was one from her mother. Viv sighed. Did she really have to deal with it tonight, or could it wait until tomorrow? Deciding that she’d worry all night if she didn’t read it, Viv clicked on the message.
Dear Viviane,
As your father may have told you, I am flying to Toronto on Monday to meet with my Canadian distributor about the winter collection. I’ll be staying at the Castle Crest until Thursday, and would like to have dinner with you on Tuesday evening. I think it’s time we talked, don’t you? I’ll make the dinner reservation. Let me know if you will come, please.
I look forward to seeing you.
Mother   Viv frowned. So like her mother. No apology, no “how are you doing,” no information about what she wanted to talk about. Just a cold summons. Viv shut down the computer. She needed some time to think before deciding how she would respond. Maybe she should finally face her mother, woman to woman. Tell her that there was nothing left between them, and that she never wanted to see her again. That would be satisfying, wouldn’t it? To give the ice queen some of her own back? Or maybe it would be better to let loose and tell her mother what she really thought of her. Ask her how she could leave her husband and daughter behind ‒ her ten-year-old child ‒ for a career in New York. In shoe design, for heaven’s sake. It wasn’t as if Véronique had left her for something worthwhile, like doctoring babies in third world countries. Who the hell cared about wearing flats instead of three inch stilettos?And not to bother coming home for Christmas or birthdays ‒ to send cards with cheques that were never cashed instead, not that Mother ever took the hint. And to show up for only two hours for her sweet sixteenth birthday party. They hadn’t had even a minute to talk alone before the airporter had whisked Mother away again. Viv refused to even think about her university graduation; that always made her furious. The woman was a self-centred, selfish bitch who didn’t deserve three minutes of her time, let alone a whole dinner.Viv breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. She needed to calm down. She mustn’t let Véronique get to her like this. It only hurt her, not her mother. She took another deep breath and held it before exhaling. Right. She obviously had some deep-seated emotions about her mother’s desertion, and she needed to deal with them. Just like the grieving process she had read about in magazine articles, she needed some closure. Maybe it would be best to see Mother one last time. Get some things off her chest. Close the chapter on her childhood and never think about it again. She must live in the present and envision a happy future.She opened the computer and rebooted it. When her e-mail came up, she began typing.   Mother,
I will meet you in the lobby of the Castle Crest Hotel at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Yes, I agree it’s time we talked.
Viv
(She had never liked the name, “Viviane.” Why had Mother named her that? Mother was only half-French, after all. She’d been born in Buffalo, for pity’s sake.) After a moment, Viv added a postscript.
P.S.FYI, Daddy had an angioplasty today. The procedure appears to be successful.
There. Let her stew, if she had any compassion left in her cold, narcissistic heart for the man who was technically still her husband.Viv shut down her computer and turned to a more pleasurable pursuit. She was going to make dinner for Drew tomorrow, and needed to consider some recipes. Was he more of a steak and potatoes kind of guy, or a salmon with raspberry coulis and couscous? Or how about spaghetti and meatballs ‒ she made a killer sauce, if she said so herself. But maybe spaghetti was the kind of thing a bachelor made all the time for himself? Better scrap the spaghetti.She lay on her stomach on the futon, flipping through a cookbook. It was supposed to be cooler tomorrow with a chance of rain. How about pork schnitzel and potato salad? Who didn’t like that? She could team it with fresh asparagus. Done!
Glad to have made a decision, she made a list of ingredients to pick up tomorrow. Daddy was going to loan her his car to visit the building supply store, so she could pop into the grocery store on the way back. With that done, she padded barefoot into the kitchen to start the strawberry cheesecake she was bringing for dessert. She was going to impress the heck out of Drew Collins, or die trying!
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Why does Viv's mother want to see her all of a sudden? Check back on Wednesday, April 29, for Chapter 12.

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"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 10

First, get caught up.
Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to:  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9



Chapter 10
It took Viv almost two hours to drive her father’s car to his house and make her way home again on the streetcar. When she walked into the condo’s blessed air conditioning, she was hot and tired. Sabrina was sitting at the kitchen island eating curried chicken salad and drinking an iced tea. Viv plunked down on the stool beside her and kicked off her pumps from her aching feet.Sabrina turned to look at her. “Tough day?”“Yes. I went to see Daddy at the new house, and he got heat stroke. I just finished helping to take him home.”“Is he okay?”“I think so. Magda’s there to look after him. I’m making him go to the doctor for a complete physical, though.”Sabrina nodded and ate her last forkful of food. “Good idea. There’s some more chicken salad in the fridge if you want some.”“Thanks. Maybe later.”“Maybe you should eat now. Rick’s coming over in half an hour.” Rick Wilson was the new man in Sabrina’s life; they had been dating for three weeks.“Okay. I’ll take a shower and make myself scarce. Are the two of you staying in tonight?”“No.” Sabrina climbed down from her stool and picked up her dirty dishes. “And he’s not coming alone. He’s bringing a friend for you. We’re making it a foursome.”“What?” Sabrina walked into the kitchen and opened the dishwasher. “I thought we were done with blind dates after Julie tried to fix me up with Josh.”“No, we agreed that Julie wasn’t going to set you up with any more blind dates. You and I are just getting started.” She placed her dishes in the machine and looked at Viv, who was staring at her in dismay. “Rick got tickets for the opening of the ‘Five Ages of Man’ art show you wanted to see at the Freedom Gallery. So, even if you don’t like the guy Rick’s bringing, you’ll still get to see the show.”“That’s true,” Viv said, perking up a little. “Gwendolyn Seer is one of my favourite photographers. I’ve really been looking forward to this.”“And I think you’re going to like Rick’s friend. I haven’t met him yet, but Rick’s told me all about him and shown me pictures. I’ve checked him out on the internet, too. He scores 40 out of 50 on the dating do-over scale. He scored a bit low on attractiveness ‒ he’s short and pudgy ‒ but a 10 for earning potential.”Viv shrugged. “Short and pudgy sounds cuddly to me. What’s his name?” “Drew Collins.”“Good name.”“Get going, then.” Sabrina checked her watch. “The guys are supposed to be here in twenty-seven minutes.” Forty minutes later, Viv was just putting on her earrings in front of the bathroom mirror when the telephone rang. She heard Sabrina answer it, and her friend’s heels click across the floor as she went to the door. Their guests arrived a minute later. Viv applied a quick swish of lipstick, took a last look in the mirror, and scurried out of the bathroom, right into the foyer where Sabrina was kissing Rick.“Hi, Viv. You look gorgeous,” he said. Sabrina turned to see what Viv was wearing, and smiled approvingly. Since they were going to a gallery opening, Viv had dressed up in a sleeveless, cream-and-gold dress with inset shoulders and an above-the-knee hemline. Elegant, but alluring. Rick, who was tall and dark with a shaved head and a gold earring, looked fabulous in anything. Today he had opted for a white shirt and slim, tan dress slacks. “Viv, Sabrina, this is my friend, Drew Collins.” “Pleased to meet you, ladies,” Drew said, stepping in from the hallway. The first thing Viv noticed about him was his perfect, gleaming white teeth. The second was his build. Sabrina had been right; his stomach swelled visibly above his belt, and he stood only an inch taller than Viv in her heels. Still, with a full head of curly black hair and dark stubble on his face, he was definitely the teddy-bear type. She liked his firm handshake and noticed that his nails were manicured. Definitely someone who cared about personal hygiene, which was a point in his favour.“Pleased to meet you, Drew,” she said. “Have you and Rick known each other long?”“Not long.” Drew glanced at Rick. “About six months, isn’t it?” Rick nodded. “We have season’s tickets side-by-side at the Leafs’ games. Although I hear that you and Sabrina have been friends a long time.”“About ten years. We were in residence together for our first year of university, and then we shared an apartment for three years until I moved out.”“And now you’re back together again.”“Temporarily. Sabrina’s letting me crash here until I find a place of my own. The competition for an affordable, one-bedroom apartment is pretty fierce, and it’s been taking me a while.”Sabrina embraced Viv with one arm. “I’m not in a hurry to lose you,” she said. “So, would you gentlemen like to come in for a drink, or go to the gallery first?”“The gallery first,” Drew said. “We can get a drink afterward. I left my car around the corner, if we want to drive.”“Aren’t we going to walk?” Viv asked. “It’s only three blocks.”Drew nodded at Sabrina’s shoes with their four-inch heels. “In those shoes?” “Don’t worry about me.”Rick smiled. “I have to carry her when it’s more than three blocks.”“Why do you think I wear them, handsome?” Sabrina wrapped her hand around his muscular forearm and grinned. Turning back to Drew, she added, “If you like, you can leave your car in the underground parking. We have visitor spaces.”“Perfect. Shall we?” Drew smiled and offered Viv his arm.They took the elevator down to the lobby, where they stepped out onto Parliament Street and strolled around the corner. Next to the sidewalk was a gleaming, Mediterranean-blue sports car that looked like testosterone on wheels. Drew steered Viv toward it.“Like it? It’s a Maserati Quattroporte.”“It’s beautiful,” she said with a smile. Boys and their toys. “Let’s all go down to the parking garage so that you can see how she rides.”“She’s a sweet ride,” Rick added. Drew unlocked the car and held the front passenger door open for Viv while Rick helped Sabrina into the back. Viv felt like royalty sliding onto the butter-soft black leather. After the men had climbed inside, Drew started the engine with a roar and checked over his shoulder before slipping into the traffic.“I wish I could take you out for a run and really open her up,” Drew said. “It’s a sin to drive her in Toronto traffic.” He paused at a stop sign, revving the engine a couple of times to demonstrate its power.Sabrina gave Drew the combination to key into the entry pad when they reached the door to the underground parking. Drew parked as far away from the other cars as possible and patted the hood before they left, as if the car were a faithful pet. Once they were back on Parliament again, the couples walked in two pairs with Viv and Drew in front. It was a treat for Viv to walk beside a man whose stride matched her own; she had always been hurrying to keep up with Kyle. She was sure there must be other advantages to dating a shorter man, too.“Nice evening,” she said.“Looks like it’s going to be a hot summer.”“Do you have any special vacation plans this year?”“As a matter of fact, I’m flying to Chicago in a week and a half to surprise my parents for Father’s Day.”“That’s nice. I bet they’ll be excited to see you. Do you visit them often?”“Two or three times a year. I don’t have any family here in Toronto.”“You’re originally from Chicago?”“I grew up there, but I’ve lived here ever since attending York University.”They made other small talk as they walked down Mill Street and passed through the Distillery gate. Even though it was a Wednesday evening and the stores were closing, there were still lots of people milling about the red brick streets.  Viv and her friends strolled past the rustic, brick-and-stone buildings where whiskey had been produced during the Victorian era. A sign on the sidewalk outside of the Freedom Gallery advertised the art show opening. Drew held the door open as the friends walked inside.The interior retained its original industrial style with concrete floors, brick and plaster walls, and an open ceiling revealing duct work and wooden beams. The space was L-shaped, divided into a rabbit’s warren of rooms with two open spaces in the middle. Rick handed their tickets to an attendant at the door, and a waiter offered them a glass of white wine from a tray. The couples mingled with the other well-heeled guests, perusing a collection of plastic and paper maché sculptures until they reached a sign announcing the “Five Ages of Man” exhibit.Viv read aloud from her pamphlet. “Gwendolyn Seer took photographs of her subjects for fifty years to record the transition from youth to old age. Gwendolyn revisited the participants every ten years to capture the changes. The eldest subject is now ninety-eight.” She looked up. “What a broad artistic vision. She must have come up with the idea while she was in her twenties.”The foursome stopped to study the first collection of sepia-tinted photos. In the first picture, a young woman wore a simple white wedding dress with a circlet of daisies atop her tangled long, blond hair. Her feet were bare, and she was grinning as she waved a peace sign at the photographer. In the second picture, the same woman, wearing a pair of knee-high black boots, hot pants, and an orange turtle neck sweater, was being chased across a lawn by two children and a dog. In the third, the subject was stretched out on a lawn chair under a tree, her hair short and wavy where it peeked out from under the brim of a straw hat. Her head was tipped back and her eyes were closed, as if she were sleeping. The fourth picture was singular. The woman was standing at a podium dressed in a dark suit. She was captured with her mouth open and her eyes blazing, one hand gripping the podium while she gestured with the other. The wrinkles around her eyes and mouth were more evident now. In the fifth and last photo, the woman wore glasses, had silver-coloured hair, and a saggy jawline, but there was the same grin and twinkle in her eyes as she cuddled a baby in her lap.Viv shook her head as she studied the pictures. “Beautiful.” “Wait’ll you see the soldier over there,” Sabrina said, touching Viv’s shoulder and pointing at the wall ahead of them. The friends browsed through the portraits together, weaving past the other admirers until they reached the entrance to a small room. Standing inside was a diminutive, white-haired woman dressed in a navy pant suit, a strand of pearls dangling from her neck. Her hands were clasped over her rounded stomach as she chatted with a gaunt, middle-aged woman in a red cocktail dress and a silver-haired man in a black suit. “That’s her,” Viv whispered. Her friends paused to stare, Viv’s eyes shining with admiration. “That’s Gwendolyn Seer.”  Drew took her arm. “Would you like to meet her?” Viv’s eyes widened. “Do you know her?”“No, but that doesn’t matter. Come on, I’ll introduce you.” He led her forward with Sabrina and Rick trailing behind them. They waited until the elderly woman looked up and smiled.“Mrs. Seer?” Drew asked. The photographer’s companions turned to stare at him.“Yes?” she said, tilting her head to one side.“I’m Drew Collins, and this young woman is your biggest fan, Viv Nowak.” “Mrs. Seer will be addressing her audience in twenty minutes,” the gentleman said. He stepped forward as if to shoo them away, but the artist offered Viv her hand.“Are you a photographer, dear?” Viv took the wrinkled hand carefully, but the older woman had a surprisingly strong grip.“Yes, but I’m just an amateur.” Mrs. Seer nodded, studying Viv with lively, intelligent eyes.“I thought as much. I noticed how you were looking at my portraits. What kind of pictures do you take?” “I’m a grade-school teacher. I photograph my students.”“Children are wonderful subjects. They’re so transparent.”“Yes,” Viv said. “They want to share their dreams with you, and they still believe in magic.”“Some people never grow out of that. Perhaps you will share your photographs with the world someday? In an exhibit like this.” Mrs. Seer gestured around the room.“Oh no, my pictures are just for fun.”“Sometimes those are the best.” The elderly woman patted Viv’s hand. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think my publicist and the gallery owner are about to tell me where to stand and what to say about my photographs. But it was lovely meeting you, dear.”“Thank you. It was entirely my pleasure,” Viv said. She backed away, bowing. Stopping in the middle of the next room, forcing people to swerve to avoid her, she took Drew’s hand. “That was awesome! Thank you for introducing me to Mrs. Seer. I would never have had the nerve to do that on my own.”“It was easy,” Drew said with a smile. “Celebrities like to be fawned over. Did I ever tell you about how I met George Clooney at the Toronto International Film Festival?”Viv’s eyes widened. “No!” They stayed at the gallery until Gwendolyn Seer had spoken, and then left in search of a drink. Drew took Viv’s arm, and Rick and Sabrina followed, exchanging a smile. They turned down a side street on their way to an outdoor café. There were lemon-yellow tables with white wooden chairs. Circular, black metal lampshades with candelabra bulbs were suspended from a web of wooden beams overhead. The foursome sat down beneath a sky of wispy pink and purple clouds and ordered their drinks. Viv smelled barbecuing meat and suddenly remembered that she hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch.The young waitress returned with the glasses of Lagavulin Drew had insisted on ordering. “I’m not much of a scotch drinker,” Viv had protested, but Drew had laid his hand over hers and said, “Trust me. There’s nothing like it.”“Can I bring you menus?” the waitress asked.“Is anyone hungry?” Drew asked. Viv nodded. “I’m famished.”Rick turned to Sabrina. “I could eat. How about you, honey?”“I wouldn’t mind an appetizer,” she said.“What is that delicious smell?” Viv asked the waitress.“That’s our Guinness-smoked ribs. Specialty of the house.”“We’ll all have that,” Drew said with a dismissive nod at the waitress. Viv saw Sabrina raise her eyebrows at Rick, but she didn’t care. With such a simple order, the food might come faster.“So, Drew, what do you do?” Viv asked. She took a cautious sip of scotch and averted her face with a wrinkled nose. Sixteen years old or not, she still didn’t like it.“I’m an executive recruiter.”“A what?” “A head hunter,” Sabrina said.Drew shrugged. “Call it what you like. I help people make the most lucrative use of their talents. You have to be a pretty good judge of character to do my job, and I’m the best. I make a very good living at it, too.” He rested a hand on Viv’s shoulder. “For example, I would say that Viv is brimming with potential. How do you earn your living?”“I’m an elementary school teacher, so I’m not really the kind of person you’d be interested in. Sabrina’s more up your alley. She’s a real estate banker.”“Really,” Drew said, eying Sabrina. “Rick didn’t tell me. Interesting.” “Sorry, Drew. I’m happy where I am.”He drew a card from his pocket and passed it to Sabrina anyway. “You never know.”She shrugged and rose to her feet. “Just need to wash up before dinner. Coming, Viv?”“Sure,” Viv said, standing. She followed Sabrina to the washroom, where they fixed their hair.“So, what do you think?” Sabrina asked in a low voice.Viv frowned. “It’s hard to say. There are things I like about him, but other things make him seem a bit conceited.”“Like what?”“Oh, trying to impress us with his car and his Lagavulin.”Sabrina shrugged. “Some guys try a little too hard at first. I think it was really sweet of him to introduce you to Gwendolyn Seer.” “So did I, but he did force himself into her conversation.”“It took guts to do that, and he wasn’t rude about it.”“It didn’t look as though you were happy with the way he ordered food for everyone,” Viv added.“Well, I have to admit that did rub me the wrong way.”“I didn’t mind. I like it when a man takes care of me.”Sabrina snorted. “Where were you during the sexual revolution?”Viv shrugged. “Just because I like a man to take care of me doesn’t mean that I can’t look after him, too. We all have our different strengths.” Sabrina stared at her without saying a word, and Viv began to feel doubtful. “Do you think I’m too dependent on men?”“Are you kidding?” Sabrina sighed and squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “Just make sure that a man has your best interests at heart before you let him look after you, okay?”Viv nodded. “I’ll be careful. I’ve learned my lesson.”“I know, hon,” Sabrina said with a rueful smile. “C’mon, let’s get back to the boys.”Drew picked up the dinner tab, and when they arrived back at the condo, Sabrina invited them in for an after-dinner drink. She and Rick sat on one of the couches, Rick with his arm around her, while Drew and Viv sat on the other. They became immersed in a long discussion about the future of public education, but Rick was preoccupied with drawing lazy circles up and down Sabrina’s arm. Sabrina watched him through half-closed eyes, practically purring. At last his hand rested on her shoulder, and he leaned in for a kiss that went on for several seconds. Viv and Drew’s conversation petered to a stop as they watched. When the kiss ended, Sabrina stretched self-indulgently, yawned, and glanced at her watch.“It’s almost midnight. I’ve got an appointment tomorrow morning at nine. Time for bed, eh, hon?” Rick smiled into her eyes. “No, don’t leave,” Sabrina said as Drew started to his feet. “You and Viv take all the time you want. Viv can let you out later.”The amorous couple rose, and Sabrina pulled Rick from the living room. “You remember the code for the underground parking pad, don’t you?” she called to Drew.“1236.”“What a terrific memory. Night.”“See you,” was all Rick had time to say before the bedroom door shut.Viv stared after them. What kind of stunt was that to pull? It might give Drew the wrong idea. She glanced at him as he sat down beside her, so close that their knees touched.“Well, this is cozy.” His arm glided around her shoulders, and he snuggled Viv against his side. She could smell the brandy on his breath.“It certainly is.” Viv laughed nervously. She felt Drew’s other hand on her knee. “You have the most beautiful blue eyes,” he murmured.“Thanks.” “And your lips,” he added, “have a pretty little pout” ‒ he touched her bottom lip ‒ “right here.” His mouth hovered near, about to follow. Viv averted her face, and Drew nuzzled her neck instead.“You smell so good.” “So do you,” Viv said shakily. “What scent are you wearing?”“Mmm?” He was distracted because his hand was on her thigh. Viv pushed him away and jumped to her feet. “Drew, you’re going too fast!” Her sudden movement made him tumble forward, but he caught himself with one hand on the couch. Looking up at her, his bangs fell into his eyes. They were mischievous eyes, like a little boy’s caught with his hand in the cookie jar.“Sorry, Viv. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Why don’t you sit down again,” ‒ he patted the couch ‒ “and I promise to be good.” Drew grinned, and Viv spotted a dimple she had never seen before. “Well, if you promise.” She sat down with her hands clasped in her lap, but Drew reached over to take one.“I could tell you were one of those women the minute I laid eyes on you, but you can’t blame a guy for trying.”“Oh? What kind of woman is that?”“The kind with standards. The kind of woman a man could get serious about.”Viv started. “I beg your pardon?” Drew crossed his legs and leaned back on the couch. “I told you I’m a good judge of character. I think we’re going to be great together. As a matter of fact, I’ve got a wedding coming up in a few weeks. He’s a business associate, and it’s going to be pretty dull unless I have the right kind of woman with me. How about coming as my date?” Viv pulled her hand away and began twisting her ring. “We just met, Drew. We hardly know each other.”Drew laughed. “I always move fast when I’m onto a good thing. That’s why I’m so successful. Look at the two of us. I’m smart, I make good money, and I don’t have any bad habits. You’re beautiful, educated, easy to get along with, and you like children. And I’m sure we won’t have any problems in the bedroom.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Trust me, baby, we’d be nuclear together.” He leaned in for a kiss. Viv stared at him like a rabbit hypnotized by a cobra. Her eyes closed as he came nearer, and then their lips touched. His mouth was soft at first, but grew firm and demanding. His tongue slipped between her lips as his hands caressed her back. When he finally released her, Viv’s heart was pounding and her eyes were glazed.“Wow,” she said in a small, breathy voice. He looked smug and tapped her nose lightly.“Told you so. How about dinner on Saturday night? You can come over to my place and cook. I bet you’re a wonderful cook.”Viv nodded. That was three days from now. She was sure she could come up with a terrific menu in three days.“Great.” He rose to his feet and pulled her up with him. “I’ll pick you up at five so that you’ve got lots of preparation time. I’m not fussy, so whatever you make will be fine.” He guided her to the condo door and pressed her against the wall beside it. Viv’s insides melted as he wrapped his arms around her and his mouth took control of her brain again. When they broke apart, she felt light-headed.“See you in three days, baby,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “Night.”“Night, Drew.”
He shut the door noiselessly behind him, and Viv leaned her forehead against it and sighed. She knew she shouldn’t fall for a man so quickly, but she felt helpless with Drew. He was so persuasive ‒ and manly. Viv tottered shakily to bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check back on Sunday, April 26, for Chapter 11.

Wonder what Viv is going to cook up for Drew? You can purchase the e-book for half-price at $1.99.  But hurry - the price will go up as more chapters are posted!
To buy the book, click on the "Contact Cathy" app at the top right of this post and leave your name, e-mail address, and a message saying you'd like to purchase The Dating Do-Over. I will e-mail back information on how to purchase the book with a coupon from Smashwords, where you can easily download it in the format of your choice.
If you would like to receive an e-mail when a new Cathy Spencer novel is released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the "Contact Cathy" app to the right of this post.

"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 9

First, get caught up.
Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to:  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8



Too bad this guy doesn't have long hair, like Tom. You'll be meeting him in just a minute.
Chapter 9
Even though Viv had made a resolution at Easter to visit her father more often, she had only seen him once since then. Deciding to surprise him after school the following week, she dropped by the two-storey he was renovating. It was the first week of June, hot and sticky. Warm air blew through the streetcar on the ride over. Getting off at her stop, Viv peeled her blouse away from her skin before checking the address Magda had provided. The house was only a block away. It turned out to be a Victorian semi with a pick-up truck parked out front on the lawn. A man was perched on the tailgate, flipping through a pile of papers attached to a clipboard. He was middle-aged and brawny; clean shaven, but with shoulder-length dark hair pulled back into a pony-tail. He tossed the clip board into the truck, stood up, and was about to go into the house when Viv called to him from the sidewalk.“Hi! I’m looking for Gabe Nowak. Is this the right place?” He turned in the sunlight to squint at her. “Yeah,” he said in a rich baritone. “You’ve got the right place. Come on in.” He quickly disappeared inside the front door, and Viv scrambled after him. It was dark inside the house after the brilliance of outdoors. A drill whined close by. As she waited for her eyes to adjust, Viv heard the same deep voice drawl, “Gabe, someone’s looking for you.”The drill ceased and her father said, “Who?”Viv strode through the house, following the voices to a kitchen at the back. Her father was holding a drill in one hand and a white cabinet door in the other. His face was shiny with sweat and there was sawdust in his hair.“Viv! Nice surprise. Did you come to check up on your old man?” he hollered, handing the drill and the cupboard door to the other man. Her father was 5’11”, but the dark-haired man had him by a couple of inches. She clattered across the floor and reached out to hug Gabe, but he pulled back. “Better not. I’m a mess. Did you just come from school?” “Uh huh. I thought I’d see how the house was doing. Looks like it’s going to be wonderful.”“Thanks. All three floors are drywalled and the hardwood’s refinished. Tom and I are installing the cupboards today.” He nodded at the other man, who was using a level. “Tom, this is my daughter, Viv.” Tom drew a pencil line on the wall before setting the level on the floor. “Nice to meet you, Viv,” he said, assessing her with his pale blue eyes. “You’re a lot better-looking than Gabe.”“Course she is. All she got from me was my blond hair,” her father said, running his hand over his receding hairline. “Come on, Peaches. I’ll give you the tour. He turned to Tom. “Take a break, why don’t you? We’ve been going at it pretty hard since lunch.”Tom wiped his face with the hem of his t-shirt. “You go ahead. The lower cabinets are almost done. I want to get going on the uppers.” “Well, don’t kill yourself. I know the guys are coming with the counter top tomorrow, but we’ll get ’er done.”Viv and Gabe strolled through the first floor, her dad pointing out where they had knocked down the wall separating the dining room and kitchen, and the newly-tiled living room fireplace. When they reached the front hallway, Gabe smacked the staircase bannister leading up to the second floor. The wood was painted a muddy brown, and it looked like someone had put a foot through two of the carved balusters.“Tom’s going to strip and restore it. It should be a real selling-feature when it’s done.” Viv ran her hand over the wood. “So, how old is Tom?”“Eh?” Gabe paused to peer at her. “He’s fifty. But don’t worry.  Tom works harder than a lot of guys half his age.”Fifty? Too bad. Viv found him very attractive, but Tom was old enough to be her father. She’d never date a guy that mature.“Can we check out the second floor now?” she asked.“Sure.” Viv trotted ahead with her father following more slowly. Once upstairs, Gabe explained how they had stripped the house back to its studs to rewire and replumb, as well as to insulate to modern, energy-saving standards. “There were four bedrooms, but only one bathroom, and the closets were puny. We lost one of the bedrooms to add a walk-in closet and an ensuite to the master. Here it is,” he said, showing her into the bedroom.It was spacious, large enough to accommodate a king-sized bed with room for a night table on either side. Viv walked to the window and saw that it overlooked the back garden. A handsome horse chestnut tree was in bloom with clusters of white flowers. She turned back, noticing the refinished floor and baseboards.“I see that you managed to save the original wood trim.” “Yeah. I think we’re going to leave it as is instead of painting over it. Come on, I can’t wait for you see the ensuite. There’s a nice surprise in there.”Viv walked through the closet and into the bathroom, where she saw a grand old claw-foot tub resting on the sub-floor. “Oh, Daddy, it’s beautiful. When can I move in?”Gabe snorted and sat down on the edge of the tub. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face. “When you can come up with a million, five.”“Will you take a cheque?” Her father grunted, and Viv’s smile disappeared as she observed his flushed face. “Are you feeling okay? Your colour doesn’t look good. It’s awfully hot in here. Have you been overdoing it?”“Nah, I’m fine. I’m just not getting any younger. Listen, I’m glad you stopped by. There’s something I’ve been meaning to call you about.”“What’s that?” Viv was careful to lean against a patch of wall that wasn’t gritty with drywall dust.“Your mother’s planning a business trip to Toronto, and she asked me to give her your e-mail. She wants to see you.”Viv’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. “You’re kidding,” she finally said. “She hasn’t contacted me for six years, and, all of a sudden, she wants my e-mail?” Gabe shrugged. “You didn’t tell me that you’ve been in touch with her.”“She contacted me a year ago to congratulate me on my early retirement. She asked about you, so I told her what was going on in your life. We haven’t been e-mailing regularly ‒ just every few months or so.”“Why didn’t you tell me you were talking with her?”“I know your mother isn’t your favourite person.”“I didn’t think she was yours, either.” Gabe sighed. “That’s a lot of water under the bridge, Peaches. You gain some perspective with age. I’m not angry with your mother anymore.”“Well, I am.” Viv straightened and left the bathroom, talking to her father over her shoulder. “And I don’t want to see her. I’ve got enough on my plate right now without having to deal with her.” She stomped through the bedroom and into the hallway with her father on her heels.“You’re a grown woman. You haven’t talked with your mother since that big blow-up at your graduation. You’re going to have to deal with her sooner or later.”“No, I don’t.” Viv hurried down the staircase and passed through the first floor to the kitchen, where she had left her purse. She stopped; Tom was leaning against the wall with a can of pop in his hand. She had forgotten about him. He eyed her curiously, and she frowned and turned as her father caught up with her.“What are you going to do, ignore your mother for the rest of your life?” he asked angrily. Viv closed the distance between them in two quick steps. “Why not? We didn’t leave her ‒ she left us. Why should I see her when she hasn’t bothered to see me more than twice in twenty-one years?” Gabe put his hand over his face and said nothing. Viv glared at him, waiting for his answer. After a moment, she noticed that he was breathing too quickly.“Daddy, are you feeling all right?”The men were using a white plastic pail in the corner of the room for garbage. Gabe staggered over to it and retched. Tom put down his can as Viv rushed over to her father. He straightened up with his hands braced upon his knees.“I’m really dizzy all of a sudden,” Gabe mumbled before sitting down abruptly on the floor.Daddy!” Viv knelt beside him. He started to sag, and she caught him by the shoulders and lowered him to the floor. Gabe’s skin felt hot and dry. Tom knelt beside them and placed two fingers at the base of the older man’s throat.“Your pulse feels fast,” Tom said. “Are you in pain?”“My stomach hurt before I puked. I’ve got a lousy headache.”Tom looked at Viv. “Sounds like heatstroke.” “Should we call an ambulance?” “Nah, just let me lie here till my head settles,” Gabe said.Viv glanced at Tom, who shrugged. He fetched a folded drop cloth and slid it under Gabe’s head while Viv dampened a cloth with water from a jug and cleaned his face.“That feels good.”“You shouldn’t be working so hard in this heat.”“Do you think you could drink some pop?” Tom asked. “I’ll get you one from the cooler.”“In a minute. After the nausea passes.”Tom fetched a cold can of ginger ale for Viv, and set another one on the floor beside Gabe.“It’s there when you want it.”They rested for a quarter of an hour until Gabe had recovered enough to sit up and sip his soft drink.“Feeling any better, old man?” Tom asked.“Don’t ‘old man’ me. I’m only eleven years older than you,” Gabe growled.“Well, young man, are you going to be able to haul your ass up off the floor, or am I going to have to carry you to the truck?”“What?”“I’m taking you home. You’re done for the day.”“Wait a minute. What about the cabinets?”“I’ll finish them when I get back. Next time it’s so hot, we’ll hire a crew to do it.” He took Gabe’s arm. “Come on, time to get up.” Viv took her father’s other arm and they pulled him to his feet, where he hovered unsteadily.“You’re not going to be sick again, are you?” Viv asked.“I don’t think so.”Viv glanced at Tom. “I’ll drive Daddy home in his car if you can help me get him into it,” she said.Tom looked her up and down. “How do you think you’re going to get him out of the car once you get him home? You’re ‒ what ‒ five foot three?”Viv’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s exactly right. How did you know?”“I used to have a wife your size. Sorry, darling, but you’re kind of small to handle a man the size of your father.”Viv bristled. She had looked after her dad since she was a little girl, and she could look after him now. “Magda can help me with him, if I need her.”But Gabe put an arm around her shoulders and said, “Better let Tom take me home, Peaches.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key ring. “If you’ll drive my car, Tom can take me in his truck.”“Just give me a minute to clear out the passenger seat,” Tom said. He hurried out of the kitchen while Viv fumed beside her father.“Sorry about this,” Gabe said. “I guess I’m a little out of shape.”Viv’s face softened. “Not a problem, Daddy. But tell me, when was the last time you had a complete physical?”Gabe thought for a moment. “Not that long ago. A couple of years, I think.”“I worry about you, you know. Promise me you’ll go see your doctor and get checked out. Blood work, EKG ‒ the works. If you’re going to start doing manual labour at sixty, I want to make sure you’re up for it.”Gabe snorted. “You’re not even living with me anymore, and you’re still bossing me around.”“Someone’s got to do it. Magda gives in to you too often.”“Look, I promise I’ll make an appointment tomorrow. Just get me home for today.”“Good. Let me know what the doctor says.” Tom’s work boots echoed through the house.“Viv, what about your mother?” Gabe asked. “Can I give her your e-mail address?” She gazed at him with unconcealed exasperation, but with her father looking so exhausted, she caved. She didn’t want to upset him when he wasn’t feeling well.“All right. Go ahead and give her my e-mail address, if it means so much to you. But tell her that I’m not keen on seeing her again.”“Good girl,” her father said as Tom returned to the kitchen. Tom jerked his thumb toward the front door. “Let’s get moving. I’ve got a lot of work to get done today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check back on Wednesday, April 22, for Chapter 10.

Want to see more of Tom, Gabe's sexy contractor? Wondering why Viv dislikes her mother so much? You can purchase the e-book now for half-price at $1.99.  But hurry - the price will go up as more chapters are posted!
To buy the book, click on the "Contact Cathy" app at the top right of this post and leave your name, e-mail address, and a message saying you'd like to purchase The Dating Do-Over. I will e-mail back information on how to purchase the book with a coupon from Smashwords, where you can easily download it in the format of your choice.
If you would like to receive an e-mail when a new Cathy Spencer novel is released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the "Contact Cathy" app to the right of this post.

Arthur Ellis Shortlist Events April 23, 2015

The annual Arthur Ellis Awards annual,created by the Crime Writers of Canada, of which I am a member, celebrates excellence in Canadian crime writing. "Crime writing" encompasses crime, detective, espionage, mystery, suspense, and thriller writing, as well as fictional or factual accounts of criminal doings and crime-themed literary works. I submitted my latest Anna Nolan mystery, Tidings of Murder and Woe, for the Best Crime Novel award. Competition will be fierce in that category, as there are 74 submissions! If you would like more information about the competition, click on this link.




This Thursday, April 23, the shortlist for the award categories will be announced at celebrations in some major Canadian cities. I will be attending the Toronto event at the Indigo bookstore in the Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St. West, from 7-9 PM. A number of authors will be assembling there to read excerpts from their books, so if you're in the neighbourhood, or near any of the other cities where events are planned, consider coming out to support Canadian crime writing. It promises to be an entertaining evening.

Arthur Ellis Awards Shortlist Events: 

OttawaA panel featuring local Crime Writers of Canada members will be featured along with book signings and the official announcement of the Arthur Ellis shortlist. Thursday, April 23, 7 -9pm Chapters, 47 Rideau Street, main floor 

TorontoJoin MC Nate Hendley and the following CWC authors for a lively unveiling of the Arthur Ellis Award Finalists: Rosemary Aubert, Rick Blechta, Janet Bolin, Gina Buonaguro, Steve Burrows, Rob Brunet, Madeleine Harris Callway, Melodie Campbell, Sharon Crawford, Lisa de Nikolits, Jill Downie, N.J. Lindquist, Angela Misri, Cathy Spencer. Thursday, April 23, 7-9 p.m. Indigo, Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St. W. 

CalgaryJoin us for a night of the best in Western Canadian crime, as we announce the official finalists for the 2015 Arthur Ellis Awards. Featuring readings by David A. Poulsen (Serpents Rising) and Garry Ryan (Glycerine) as well as 2014 Finalist for Best First Novel, Axel Howerton (Hot Sinatra), and 2013 Unhanged Arthur finalist Jayne Barnard (When The Bow Breaks). Thursday, April 23, 7pm Owl's Nest Books, 815A - 49 Avenue SW 

VancouverJoin BC crime authors Cathy Ace, Don Hauka, Owen Laukkanen, Kay Stewart and Sam Wiebe for a murderously good panel discussion, and be on the spot when the finalists are revealed. Dead Write Books will be on hand too! Free, but space is limited. Register online at www.bpl.bc.ca/events, in person at the Metrotown First Floor Information Desk, or phone 604-436-5410 Thursday, April 23, 7 -8:30pm Metrotown Branch, Burnaby Public Library, 6100 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby


If you would like to receive an e-mail when a new Cathy Spencer novel is released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the "Contact Cathy" app to the right of this post.

"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 8

First, get caught up.
Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7




Chapter 8

The next morning, Julie and Viv were on recess patrol. A group of young boys chased a soccer ball past them as the two friends strolled across the yard. It was their first opportunity to chat since the night before.“So, did you have fun last night?” Julie asked.“Yes, I really enjoyed the show. It was better than I thought it would be.”“I meant with Josh. What happened after I left?”“Miss Nowak,” a little girl said, trotting up to them, “Aidan Brooks stole my doll, and he won’t give it back.” She pointed across the yard at the doll thief. “No!” she screamed, her face contorting with tears. Viv looked to where the child was pointing and saw Aidan smashing the doll into the side of the building.“Aidan, stop that,” Viv shouted, running across the pavement to him. He looked up and froze, the doll suspended from his hand in mid-whack. Fortunately no damage had been done ‒ yet.“Why are you trying to break Mia’s doll?” Viv asked in a calmer voice. She knew these two; they had been in her class last year and had bickered all the time. Aiden stared at her with sullen eyes. She could hear Mia’s wails, and looked over her shoulder to see Julie comforting the little girl.“Mia laughed when Connor got the soccer ball away from me. I fell and hurt my knee, and she laughed at me,” Aiden muttered. Viv squatted to check for injuries. The knees of his jeans were torn, but there were no bloodstains.“Does your knee still hurt? Do you want to go inside and put some ice on it?” she asked.“No.”Viv rose and put her hand on his shoulder. “It wasn’t kind of Mia to laugh at you, but you shouldn’t hurt her doll. It doesn’t make your knee feel any better. Come on, let’s take the doll back.” She held his hand, and they walked side by side to Julie and Mia.The girl had stopped crying and was wiping her nose with the tissue Julie had provided. Viv prodded Aiden’s shoulder, and he held the doll out to Mia.“Sorry.” Mia snatched it back and clutched the doll to her chest.“I think you owe Aiden an apology, too,” Viv said.Mia stared at the ground. “Sorry I laughed at you,” she murmured. Aiden shrugged.“Good,” Viv said. “Now, you two go play until the bell rings.” Aiden nodded and ran to join the soccer game while Mia trotted to the jungle gym.“Another crisis averted,” Julie said.“So, what were we talking about?”“Did you and Josh play nice after I left?” Julie asked with a grin. “We got along fine. He’s sweet, if a little shy. He did invite me to watch you two play ball on Wednesday, though.”“What did you say?”“I said yes.”“Great. I was going to ask you anyway.”“Only, I’m taking it slow, Julie. I’m pretty rusty at dating, and I’m not sure if he’s my type. I’m not even sure what my type is anymore.”“That’s fine.” But as Viv turned away to resume patrolling, Julie chanted, “Josh and Vivvie sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” under her breath.“Oh, act your age,” Viv said, rolling her eyes.

Fortunately, the spell of rain enveloping the city cleared, and the day of the baseball game dawned dry and balmy. Viv sat in the bleachers watching the competition along with a few other supporters belonging to the two teams.It was a close game, and by the bottom of the ninth, the other team was up and trailing by only a run. There was one out, and one man on second base. The batter had two strikes against her when she suddenly bunted. The pitcher lunged for the ball and fired it to first. The first baseman caught it, and the batter was out. Without missing a beat, the first baseman hurled the ball to Julie on third, but it went wild, and she had to charge after it. The player who had been on second careened past third and was headed for home when Julie snapped up the ball, pivoted, and drove it to Josh at home plate. Josh caught it with a flick of his glove, and the runner was trapped, His only hope was that Julie or Josh would drop the ball as he ran between them. He was as agile as a jackrabbit, but it was no use; they squeezed him closer and closer until Julie tagged him out.Viv jumped to her feet, screaming and cheering with the rest of the supporters. Josh and Julie high-fived, and then the players congregated on the infield to shake hands. Julie and Josh’s team was in a celebratory mood when Viv joined them for beer and pizza afterward. There were a dozen of them squeezed around the two tables the waitress had pushed together. Julie sat beside Kim, one of her teammates, with Josh on the other side. Viv sat next to him. The waitress brought pitchers of beer while the team rehashed the game inning by inning. Josh poured some beer for Viv while she laughed at the ribbing Julie was getting for being called “Princess” by the other team’s pitcher.“That’s because she’s special,” Kim said, hugging Julie. Kim was a pretty, fresh-faced blond a few years younger than Julie. “I’m glad that someone appreciates me,” Julie said, laying her head on the young woman’s shoulder. “Wow, your hair smells good,” she added.“You’re probably smelling my lemon and sage shampoo,” Kim replied.“Nice.” Their eyes met, and they smiled.Josh picked up one of Julie’s short curls and rolled it between his fingers.“Your hair smells good, too,” he said. “What kind of shampoo did you say you use?”“Um, whatever’s on sale.”“Your hair’s so soft and shiny. Is that your real colour?”“Well, yeah,” Julie said, nodding her head and jerking her hair from his grasp. She rubbed her sore scalp and deliberately turned her back on Josh. Kim whispered something in Julie’s ear, and she laughed and shoved Kim playfully.The waitress brought two pedestalled trays loaded with pizza, and everyone started grabbing for a slice. Viv was waiting for her turn when Josh handed her a plate with a large wedge.“Bacon, olive, and mushroom, right?”“Right. Thanks Josh.”“No problem.”Viv was taking a bite when Kim said, “So, you and Julie teach at the same school?” Viv chewed and swallowed. “That’s right. We met four years ago when I was subbing at Withrow. Julie put in a good word for me when the school board was hiring permanent staff, and I got the job.”Kim smiled at Julie. “That was nice of you.”“I’m a terrific person. Haven’t you noticed?” Kim laughed and turned back to Viv. “But you don’t play baseball?”It was Julie’s turn to laugh. “Viv isn’t what you’d call ‘athletic.’”“Not true. I’m just not into team sports.”“Unlike me,” Julie said. “My parents put me into every sports camp there was: baseball, soccer, and swimming. Not to mention the ballet lessons.”“Whatever you’re doing, it’s working,” Josh said with a leer. Julie scowled at him while Viv did a double take. What was going on with him? “I’m going to the bathroom,” Viv said. She sprang to her feet. “Julie, why don’t you come with me?” “Be right back,” Julie said to Kim.“Don’t be long,” the pretty young woman said.Julie rose, and Josh slapped her on the bottom. The rest of the table were laughing so hard that they missed it, but Viv noticed. She watched Julie glare at Josh. “I’ll miss you, beautiful,” he said with a grin, but the smile dissolved when he saw the expression on her face. Viv was afraid that Julie would slap him, and lunged to take her friend’s arm.“Now, Julie,” Viv said, dragging her off to the bathroom.There were two women waiting by the stalls, so Viv pulled Julie to the sinks.“Did you see what that jerk just did to me?” Julie whispered.“What’s wrong with him?” Viv asked. “One moment he’s polite and attentive, the next he’s acting like a Neanderthal. What’s going on?”Julie frowned. “Josh has been acting kind of weird over the last few games. I think it’s because of Kim. We’ve been getting to know each other better, and it seems to bother him. I think he may be jealous.”“Jealous? I thought he was just your sperm donor?”“He is. He knows that I would never be attracted to him.” “It doesn’t make sense. Wait a minute,” Viv said, grabbing Julie’s arm, “is that why you introduced him to me? Were you using me as bait to distract Josh so that you could start dating Kim?”Julie had the good grace to look away. “Look, Viv, Josh is a really sweet guy, when he’s not acting like an idiot.” Viv sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “No, he really is!” Julie protested. “He’s kind, reliable, handsome, he’s got a good job, and he really likes kids. You two are perfect for each other. It’s not like I’m asking you to take one for the team here.” Viv frowned. “But he’s not interested in me. Obviously, he likes you.”“Well, nothing’s going to happen between us.”Viv sighed.“Please? You don’t know how hard it is for a single mom to find a girlfriend. Just give Josh time. I’m sure he’ll come to his senses once he gets to know you better.”“But what am I supposed to do with him tonight?”Julie put an arm around Viv’s shoulder. “Tell him you’ve got a headache and ask him to drive you home. Talk to him about his behaviour, and make sure he understands that I’m off limits. Be sympathetic and flutter those baby blues of yours. Once he realizes I’m never going to fall for him, I’m sure he’ll be all over you just like that.” She snapped her fingers before pushing Viv through the bathroom door.“What if I’m not interested in him?” Viv grumbled, but Julie ignored her as she led the way to their table.Josh jumped to his feet when he saw them. “I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong,” he said.“Viv isn’t feeling well,” Julie said, resuming her seat.Josh looked at Viv. “What’s the matter?”“I’ve got a headache. Do you think you could drive me home?”“Sure. No problem. When do you want to go?”“Now, if you don’t mind.” Viv retrieved her purse from the floor and reached inside for her wallet. But Josh waved her money away. “I’ll take care of this.” He slid some bills from his pocket and dropped them onto the table.Nodding to the rest of the group, Viv said, “Good night, everyone. It’s been fun.”“Feel better soon,” Julie said as her friends bid Viv goodnight. “Give me a call later and let me know how you’re feeling,” she added pointedly.“I will.” Josh escorted Viv from the restaurant. They walked to the car in silence, the daylight ebbing from the sky and a warm breeze ruffling their hair. Viv climbed into the passenger seat and waited for Josh to settle behind the wheel.“Can we go somewhere private to talk?” she asked. “I’d invite you to my place, but my roommate might be home.”“Sure.” His expression was wary. “We can go to my place, if you like. What’s it about?”“Let’s just wait until we get there, okay?”Josh lived ten blocks from Viv in a neighbourhood of bungalows and duplexes. He shoehorned his car into a spot on the street, and they walked past the well-tended front gardens to his home, a grey bungalow with white trim. Josh unlocked the door and stood aside to allow Viv to enter first. The front room was a living room/dining room combination with a narrow hallway leading into the kitchen. Josh slipped past Viv to turn on the lamps on either side of the couch.“Can I get you something to drink?” he asked.“I wouldn’t mind a soft drink.”“Cola okay?”“Yes, please.”Viv had a look around while Josh disappeared into the kitchen. He had done a nice job of making the place look homey. The chocolate-brown couch sat on an area carpet on a honey-stained hardwood floor. A worn leather chair with an ottoman was angled next to the couch, and a bookcase stuffed with books and family photographs delineated the dining area. Josh returned carrying two full glasses tinkling with ice. He set Viv’s on the coffee table and sat down on the other end of the couch. “I can guess what you want to talk about,” he said.“Your behaviour was kind of odd tonight. You acted as if you were Julie’s boyfriend ‒ a really insensitive boyfriend ‒ so Julie asked me to talk to you. Did it bother you when Kim and Julie were flirting?”When Josh didn’t respond, Viv asked, “Are you in love with Julie?”His face was incredulous. “What? No, that would be ridiculous.”“You know she’s gay, right?”“Of course. It’s pretty hard to miss.”“She isn’t bisexual, Josh. You don’t stand a chance with her.”“I know.”Viv shook her head in exasperation. “Then what were you doing? You were lucky she didn’t kill you when you slapped her bottom.”Josh’s face reddened. “I didn’t mean to offend her. I guess I was feeling a bit desperate.” “What do you mean?” Viv slid across the couch to sit closer to him.“It’s hard for me to explain. I knew that Julie was only looking for a sperm donor when she asked for my help. We discussed it a lot, and she made it clear that she didn’t want me to be a father to her baby. I thought it was a good idea at the time, having someone who was part of me to live on after I was gone. I just didn’t realize how hard it would be after Olivia was born.” He paused, and Viv waited for him to continue.“The first time I saw her was through the glass window at the maternity ward. I snuck in ‒ Julie didn’t want me at the hospital. When I spotted Olivia, she was waving a tiny hand in front of her face. She seemed to be watching it with those big eyes of hers. I ‒ I don’t know. I just . . .” His voice faltered to a stop. Julie laid her hand on his arm. “You fell in love with her?” Josh nodded. “She’s part of me. Hell, she looks just look my mom. Julie didn’t invite me to see her until the first Christmas, when Olivia was five months old. Julie let me hold her, and Olivia held onto my finger and blew bubbles. I didn’t know I would feel this way,” he said, tension in his voice. “How often have you seen Olivia?”“Just three times. The first Christmas, last Christmas, and at the barbecue.”“That’s it?”Josh nodded. “Sometimes I drive by the house before I go to bed at night just to make sure they’re okay.” He sighed. “I don’t blame Julie. She’s just sticking to her side of the bargain. But when I see her with Kim, it’s like one more person’s getting between Olivia and me. If Julie lets someone into her life permanently, she’s never going to need any help from me. Maybe she won’t let me see Olivia anymore. I thought that if I acted like Julie and I were involved, Kim might back off.” He finally looked at Viv. “Please tell Julie I’m sorry. I know I have no right to interfere with her love life.”“Look Josh, I know how hard it is to love someone who doesn’t love you back. And I know it’s not the same as being Olivia’s father, but you could have a wonderful family of your own. A caring man like you would make a great husband and daddy.” “That’s not going to happen.” “Why not?” Josh stared at the carpet. “Are you gay?”“No.”“Then what’s the problem?”“I’m not interested in men or women.”Viv hesitated. “I don’t understand.”He glanced at her sideways. “I’m asexual.”“Oh.” She struggled to think of something helpful to say. “Have you ever . . ?”“Tried? Yes. A couple of times with women. Nothing happened. I tried to have a sexual relationship with a man once, but I couldn’t get into that, either. I don’t know why. I just don’t get aroused.”“Have you seen a doctor about it?”“Yeah. He tested my hormone levels. Said that there was nothing wrong with me, that it had to be psychological.”“What about counselling?”Josh shook his head. “How’s counselling going to change me, Viv? Has it ever made a gay man straight, or a straight man gay? I’ve been reading about this on the web, and there are people like me who just don’t care about having sex with others. It doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with us.”“No, of course not,” Viv hastened to say.“Look, I haven’t talked to anyone about this besides my doctor. Not to my family, not to Julie. I told you because I wanted to explain why I acted so dumb tonight, and because I wanted you to understand why I’m not going to be your boyfriend.”Viv nodded. “But I’m okay with the way I am. I don’t feel incomplete or anything. I’m even a bit of a romantic.” He smiled weakly. “That’s why the situation with Olivia is so painful. She’s likely to be the only child I’ll ever have who’s a part of me.”He got up to pace around the room while Viv watched.“Josh, I don’t know what to say, other than I’m sorry that Julie won’t let you get closer to Olivia.”He paused to look down at her. “I know there’s nothing you can do. And please don’t say anything about this to Julie. She’ll only think I’m trying to pull a fast one. Just tell her I’ll stop acting like an idiot around her and Kim.” “I won’t say anything about you being asexual,” Viv said, rising. They stood face-to-face in front of the couch.“Thanks. You know, it’s been kind of therapeutic talking to you. You’ve been awfully sympathetic. I hope that we can stay friends.”“Sure. I’d love to see you in your next show, for one thing.”“I’d like that, too.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. Let me give you a lift home.”“That’s kind of you. Thanks.”On the drive home, Viv considered Josh’s situation. It wasn’t fair that Julie kept him at an arm’s length, but Viv understood why. Julie came from a big, boisterous, Italian/Irish family that was really close. But although her mother and father loved her, they were very conservative, and got upset when Julie broke the news that she was gay. Their relationship deteriorated even more when both parents objected to her plan to give birth by artificial insemination. Angry that her parents didn’t approve of her, Julie cut them out of her life. Even Viv and Sabrina, who had been supportive throughout the pregnancy and Olivia’s birth, had to be careful not to say anything that could be interpreted as judgmental. Not that they would, because Julie was a great mom, but she was stubborn and sometimes carried a grudge. It was good that Julie was finally ready to share her life with someone; just not for Josh, if it meant that he would be cut out of Olivia’s life.After Josh dropped her at the lobby door, Viv sighed. What was she going to say to Julie? She couldn’t tell the truth about Josh’s behaviour, or the real reason she wasn’t going to date him. That wasn’t her secret to share. It was too bad, though. Josh had looked so good on paper. Julie had shared his score, a healthy 44 out of 50 on the dating do-over scale. Well, Sabrina was going to have to come up with someone better. Viv had given it a lot of thought, and realized that she was either attracted to a man who needed mothering, or to someone who swept her off her feet and dominated her. Which wasn’t a huge problem unless the guy was taking advantage of her, as Kyle had.Come on, Sabrina, it’s up to you! Viv thought as she reached the condominium door and steeled herself to phone Julie.
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Check back on Sunday, April 19, to see what happens in Chapter 9.

Are you enjoying the story? Since I will only be posting the first half in this serialization, would you like to purchase the e-book? If you buy it now, you only have to pay $1.99, which is half-price. All you have to do is click on the "Contact Cathy" app at the top right of this post and leave me your name, e-mail address, and a message saying you'd like to purchase The Dating Do-Over. I will e-mail back information on how to purchase the book with a coupon from Smashwords, where you can download it in the format that works with your reading device. But hurry - the price will be going up as more chapters are posted!

If you would like to receive an e-mail when a new Cathy Spencer novel is released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the "Contact Cathy" app to the right of this post.

"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 7

First, get caught up.
Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

Wow, I can't believe that we're into the 4th week of the serialization. Are you ready for Chapter 7, because here it is!



Chapter 7
 Julie and Viv sat in the darkened theatre watching the play unfold before them. They were in a converted church that held an audience of two hundred. The set was decorated and lit to represent a garden at dusk, with a pool and flowers in the foreground and a short bridge in behind. The actress playing Tuptim darted out from the wings, looking frightened. A man emerged from the shadows to meet her.“There’s Josh again,” Julie said, elbowing Viv. He had appeared fully dressed in an earlier scene when Tuptim was presented to the king. This time he wore only breeches with a sash tied round his waist.“Wow,” Viv whispered, her eyes widening. Josh’s muscular upper body was impressive. His calves were shapely, too, not like the sinewy legs of some runners she knew. He wore make-up to darken his skin, and a black wig flowed over his shoulders. He looked exotic and sexy, a look that Viv appreciated.Tuptim was breaking the news to Lun Tha that Mrs. Anna could not help them to meet anymore, and he looked crestfallen. The downcast couple sang “We Kiss in the Shadows,” and Viv was pleasantly surprised by Josh’s voice. It was light and flexible on top and rich at the bottom. When the duet finished, Viv clapped enthusiastically with the rest of the audience.The couple appeared again when Lun Tha told Tuptim of his plan for them to run away together. They sang “I Have Dreamed” clasped in each other’s arms, making Viv wonder what it would feel like to be pressed against Josh’s chest. Pretty fine, she imagined, with a little thrill she hadn’t felt for a long time. Not since she and Kyle had begun dating, in fact. Thoughts of Kyle brought back the familiar pain, but soon she got caught up in the story again and forgot all about him.When the show ended and Josh stepped forward for his bow, Julie sprang to her feet and whistled. Josh seemed to hear her and grinned, somehow looking both boyish and sexy. Viv felt another flutter and leapt to her feet, applauding just as loudly as Julie. After the show, Julie and Viv waited in the auditorium to meet Josh for a celebratory drink while the rest of the audience filed out. The stage crew were cleaning up the set when Josh bounded down the spiral staircase connecting the upper level to the auditorium and loped over to greet them. His hair was wet and the make-up was gone, but the glamour still clung to him, or so Viv thought.“You were great,” Julie said, sweeping him into a hug. “Thanks,” he said, his eyes closing, and then Julie was out of his arms and pushing Viv toward him. They hesitated, and Josh hugged her. With her face pressed against his shirt, Viv could feel the muscle beneath the fabric and smell the clean, soapy scent of his skin.“The show was terrific. You were really impressive,” she mumbled into his chest.“Yeah?” Josh pulled back to gaze into her face.“I almost cried when you sang ‘I Have Dreamed.’” She stared back at him, mesmerized by his eyes. “Are you hungry?” Viv nodded.“Great. They ordered pizza between the shows, but I didn’t get enough. There’s a pub two blocks from here that makes great fish and chips, if that sounds good?” He turned to include Julie in his invitation.“Lead the way,” Julie said, smiling at Josh and Viv.

The threesome spent the next hour chatting about the show and Josh’s cast mates before the conversation turned to family life. Josh came from a family of six with two older brothers and a sister four years younger. After three sons, his mother had almost given up on having a daughter, but Josh’s father had persuaded her to try once more, and the couple had finally succeeded.“I bet your mom was thrilled to have a girl after all you boys,” Julie said. She dipped a french fry into her puddle of ketchup and took a bite.“Yeah.  I had to bunk in with my brothers after Mary was born so that she could have her own room. I still remember my mom painting my old bedroom walls pink with little white clouds and a rainbow. She even bought Mary a princess bed when she was big enough to move out of her crib. Mom and Mary are still really close ‒ they quilt and scrapbook together.” Josh speared his last bite of fish into his mouth and chewed.“It must have been hard on you when your sister was born,” Viv said. “You weren’t the baby anymore. Suddenly, your sister was getting all the attention.”“It was hard,” Josh said with a nod. “My brothers didn’t like having me around much. There was five years between us, and both of them were jocks. I couldn’t keep up with them, at first, and I was a real pain, always trying to compete.” He smiled ruefully. “But later, when I was in high school, I grew, like, five inches one summer. It got to the point where my brothers couldn’t keep up with me. Now they’re married and have children. They keep asking when I’m going to get married.” He looked at Viv. “Do your parents do that to you?”Viv shook her head. “My mom and dad are separated. She lives in New York, so I don’t see much of her. My dad used to ask me about getting married and having a baby, but my boyfriend and I broke up just a few months ago, so that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”“Sorry to hear that,” Josh said. “Yeah, Viv’s boyfriend was a real jerk. He broke it off after they’d lived together for six years,” Julie said.“That’s rough,” Josh said with a frown. “I’d never live with someone that long without getting married. After a couple of years, you’d know if you were compatible or not, so why wait? Either it works, or it doesn’t.” He glanced at Viv. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that your way of doing things is wrong. That’s just the way I see it.”Viv nodded while drawing patterns on the dewy table top where her iced soft drink had sat. “No, you’re right. I shouldn’t have let it go on so long without getting a commitment from Kyle.” She glanced at Julie, who made a show of checking her watch.“Gee, look at the time,” Julie said. “It’s almost midnight. I’ve got to get home before the babysitter starts charging double. Josh, can I ask you a favour? Viv lives fairly close to you. Would you mind giving her a lift home?”“Sure, no problem.” “That’s all right with you, isn’t it, Viv?” Viv wondered if Julie had planned to ask Josh to drive her home all along, but she didn’t mind. Julie was right; Josh was a nice guy, and she liked the idea of spending some time alone with him. “If you’re sure I’m not putting you out? I can always take the streetcar home,” Viv said.“Nah, I’d be happy to give you a lift.”“That’s great,” Julie said, taking some cash out of her wallet and handing it to Viv. “That should cover my part.” She kissed Viv’s cheek and gave Josh a quick hug.“You were great tonight. I’ll see you at the ball game next Wednesday. Bye.” A moment later she was gone, and Viv and Josh were alone.“Do you want anything else?” he asked.“No, I’m good.”It was drizzling, and they jogged the three blocks to the public lot where Josh had left his car. He unlocked the vehicle and waited for Viv to slide in before closing her door and running around to the other side. Viv was shivering when he climbed in next to her. Now that her clothes were damp, she was chilly.“You cold? I’ve got a jacket in the back seat, if you want it,” Josh said, reaching behind her.“You sure you don’t want it? Your shirt is damp.” And sticking to your chest, she thought, trying not to stare.“No, I’m fine.” He drew the jacket over her shoulders. You sure are. “Thanks,” she said, snuggling into it. She could smell the light, spicy scent of his aftershave.Josh was a good driver, taking his time and leaving plenty of room for the drivers who cut in front of them as the rain pattered down. The air smelt fresh and clean, and the wet pavement reflected the reds and greens of the traffic lights.“So, you’ve only got one performance left,” Viv said.“Yeah.”“You going to miss the show when it’s over?”“I always do, although it takes a few days to come down from the performance high. Mostly I miss the camaraderie of the rest of the company. We get together for a barbecue during the summer, but I won’t really see them again until the fall.” “Why don’t you invite some of them over?”Josh shook his head. “I’m not the outgoing type. I would feel kind of weird doing that.” Viv didn’t realize just how shy Josh was until that moment, and wondered if he were lonely. It seemed bizarre that such a nice, good-looking guy could be so insecure.“Did you ever think of acting professionally?” she asked after a pause.He nodded. “I took a theatre class in high school, but my brothers razzed me about it all the time, so I didn’t take another. Not that I thought I was good enough to become a professional actor or anything, but I knew that I wasn’t going to be happy with a desk job when I got out of school. That’s why I went to teacher’s college and became a Phys. Ed. teacher.”“I’m sure you’re a good teacher, but it’s too bad about not pursuing theatre. You seem to love it, and I think you’re talented.”“Thanks,” he said, looking at her. “That means a lot.” He pulled up to the curb beside her building and said, “Say, would you like to come to our game next Wednesday? Julie will be there, of course, and we go out for food afterward. It’s usually fun, if you’re not busy.” “I’d like that,” Viv said, looking back at him across the darkened interior. “Great.”They were silent as the wipers chased the rain drops across the window. “Oh,” she said, recollecting the jacket, “you’ll want this back.” She wiggled out of it and handed it to him.“Thanks.” Their hands brushed as he took it from her, and Viv felt a little thrill. Knowing that Josh wouldn’t make the first move, Viv leaned over and kissed his cheek. His skin was warm and a bit bristly. Viv liked the masculine feel of it.“Night,” she said, taking hold of the door handle and letting herself out. She scurried across the wet sidewalk and into the lobby, pausing to glance over her shoulder.  Josh was waiting for her to get safely inside. He tapped the horn softly and pulled away.And he’s a gentleman, too, she thought, heading for the elevators.

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Hmm, things seem to be going well for Josh and Viv. Check back on Wednesday, April 15, to see what happens in Chapter 8.

Are you enjoying the story? Since I will only be posting the first half in this serialization, would you like to purchase the e-book? If you buy it now, you only have to pay $1.99, which is half-price. All you have to do is click on the "Contact Cathy" app at the top right of this post and leave me your name, e-mail address, and a message saying you'd like to purchase The Dating Do-Over. I will e-mail back information on how to purchase the book with a coupon from Smashwords, where you can download it in the format that works with your reading device. But hurry - the price will be going up as more chapters are posted!

If you would like to receive an e-mail when a new Cathy Spencer novel is released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the "Contact Cathy" app to the right of this post.

"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 6

First, get caught up.
Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5




Chapter 6
Viv shifted the cooler into her left hand and knocked on Julie’s door. Seconds later, her friend opened it.“Viv! Come on in. Great weather for Victoria Day, isn’t it?” It was unexpectedly hot for May. Julie was barefoot, dressed in khaki shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. Olivia peeked out from behind her mother. The little girl wore a gold crown to accessorize her pink leotard and sparkly tutu, her plump legs and feet bare.Viv gave Julie a hug and handed her the cooler. “I’ve got potato salad with croutons and bacon in there.” “Yum,” Julie said. “Let’s hang out in the kitchen.” She trotted away down the dark, narrow hallway while Viv closed the door and bent to kiss Olivia’s cheek.“Hi, Olivia. Love your crown.”The child nodded, feeling for her head with a grubby hand. “I got it on my birthday.” “I remember. I was there,” Viv said with a smile. “You were dressed like Tinker Bell with a fairy wand.” She noticed that one of Olivia’s hands was closed into a fist. “What have you got in there?” she asked, gently tapping it. The child opened her fingers to reveal a few crushed cereal squares. She held up her palm, offering them to Viv.  “Thank you,” Viv said. She chose a piece that was relatively intact and pocketed it as soon as Olivia turned to run up the hallway. Viv followed the child into the kitchen. A revolving fan on the table pushed pockets of warm, humid air around the room. Olivia collapsed on the floor in front of the sink. She pulled off her crown and chose a stubby blue crayon to begin her colouring. Julie was stirring something in a pot on the stove that spewed steam into her face, but smelled delicious.“Boston-baked beans. To go with the burgers,” she said, putting the lid back on and hoisting the pot into the oven.“Can I help?”“Sure. See if you can find room in the fridge for your potato salad.” Viv opened the fridge door and was trying to figure out how to stuff anything else onto the overflowing shelves when there was a knock on the front door. She looked up in surprise.“You expecting someone?” Julie just smiled and left the kitchen without saying a word.Viv heard the door open and her friend say, “Josh, good to see you! Come on in, buddy.” Viv’s stomach clenched. This felt suspiciously like a blind date.

Two weeks earlier, Julie and Sabrina had arranged to meet Viv at Brewsters, a downtown coffee shop. It was a damp, chilly day, and the two women were bundled in sweaters and thin pastel scarves, trying to pretend that spring had arrived. They were placing their orders at the glass display unit in front of the register when Viv arrived five minutes late from a parent-teacher meeting. Sabrina waved and pointed to an empty table at the rear of the narrow shop. Dodging past the hungry customers lined all the way to the door, Viv claimed the miniscule table with its child-sized, folding chairs. She was looking wistfully at the occupied armchairs in front of the faux fireplace when her friends arrived bearing white china mugs and plates.“Here, we got you a blueberry ginseng tea and a chocolate pecan cookie,” Julie said.“Thanks! You two are the best. I’m starving.” Viv took the mug and sniffed the fruity fragrance before sipping. Her friends had remembered to add a dollop of honey, just the way she liked it. She sighed and said, “I’m tired of having to deal with parents.” Kayla’s mother had not been happy to hear that her daughter had been sent to the principal’s office for biting one of her classmates. “Tough meeting?” Julie asked.“I’ll say. Apparently Kayla’s baby brother is teething, and the whole family’s sleep-deprived. Her mother had to cut short a department meeting and fight rush-hour traffic to see me, and she was close to losing it. So, thanks for the treat. I really needed it.” She bit into a chunk of milk chocolate in her cookie and relaxed.Julie checked her wristwatch. “I only have an hour before my nanny leaves.” Sabrina finished checking her messages and put down her cell phone. “Okay, let’s keep this short. Viv, we called you here today for a progress report.” Viv sat up in surprise. No one had said that this meeting was to be about her.“Julie and I have been comparing notes, and we think you’re doing much better than you were after the break-up.”“You really are, sweetie,” Julie interjected.“Your wine consumption is back to normal, you’ve stopped waking me up in the wee hours with crying jags, and you’ve gone out with friends three times.” Sabrina paused to grin at Viv. “Congratulations, hon. You’ve passed step one of the Sabrina O’Sullivan two-step program to restart the human heart.”“Uh, thanks,” Viv said uneasily. She sensed that something unpleasant was coming.“So, it’s time for your first date. Don’t worry, we’re not going to abandon you,” Sabrina added, glancing at Viv’s panicked face. She turned to Julie and asked, “Did Viv ever tell you how bad she is at dating?” “It never came up.”“That’s right, she was already with Kyle when you two met. But let me tell you, the guys she dated before him were certifiable disasters.”“They weren’t so bad,” Viv mumbled, looking down at the table.Sabrina laughed. “Do you remember the engineer you went out with in your first year of university? What was his name?”“Steve.”“That’s right. He was a psychopath.”Viv glowered at Sabrina. “He was not a psychopath. He was just socially inept.” She turned to Julie. “He came from a small town. It was his first time away from home, and he was lonely.”“Do you remember eating with him?” Sabrina asked. “He wouldn’t say a word, and he clenched his knife and fork so hard that his knuckles turned white. He was really hairy, too. Not just his beard. He had this dense, black hair that grew all the way up his arms to his knuckles. And he had these really beady eyes. Cold, like a killer’s.”“He did not! Stop exaggerating. Poor Steve, he was just intense.”“Intense!” Sabrina snorted. “And then there was that pot head who picked you up in the park.”“Daniel.”“Daniel! He wanted to be in a rock band, but he was the worst guitarist I've ever heard. Remember that stupid Fedora he used to wear? He’d come out of your bedroom wearing it on the way into breakfast, the dumb ass.”“He wrote me a beautiful song, though. Remember?”“You’re right! I’d forgotten about that. What was it called?”“Diamond-Hearted Girl,” Viv said wistfully.“Why diamond-hearted?” Julie asked. “Diamonds are hard and cold.”“Because her heart sparkled and had so many facets.” Sabrina sneered. “Then he borrowed two hundred bucks from Viv to cut a music demo, and we never saw him again.”“But he was sweet and really kind to animals,” Viv said. “He tried to save an abandoned cat he found in an alley that winter.”“Only it was feral, and tore up the furniture and peed all over the carpet before escaping.”“Poor thing. It’s probably dead by now,” Viv said.“Ooh! Did you ever hear how Viv lost her virginity?” Sabrina asked. She spoke too loudly and drew the attention of the couple at the next table.“Shhh!” Viv ducked her head and covered her face with both hands.“Only that she was seventeen when it happened,” Julie said.Viv uncovered her face and glared at Sabrina. “You be quiet. If anyone’s going to tell her, it’ll be me.” The three women leaned closer as Viv whispered, “There was this boy I was seeing in Grade 11 named Justin. He was diabetic. After we had been dating for about five months, he told me that diabetics have trouble with erections, and he was getting really frustrated. I asked if he’d seen a doctor, and he said yes, his mother had taken him, but the doctor was no help at all. Viagra was just coming out back then, but there was no way his family doctor was going to prescribe it for a teenager.”“So, little Miss Fix-it decided to help him,” Sabrina said. Her eyes glinted with amusement, and Viv gave her a dirty look before continuing.“His mother and father didn't get home from work until six. We were in his bedroom, and he started crying. He said he was afraid he was impotent, and that he would never be a father. Of course, I felt sorry for him, so I started kissing him. I had never done anything more than heavy petting before, but we ended up naked. I was sort of on top of him when it happened.”“Oh, Viv,” Julie sighed.“I remember being really excited. I was so happy for him. I thought I had cured him.”“Until things heated up again, and Justin pulled a condom from a stash in his bedside table because he didn't want Viv to get pregnant,” Sabrina said. She shook her head.“Yeah. That was a real downer,” Viv said. “Not only did Justin betray me, but I was terrified that I might be pregnant until my period came.” “Enough of memory lane,” Sabrina said, checking her watch. “Julie has to go home, so let’s cut to the chase. We’re going to help you, Viv. No more deadbeats. Julie and I are going to vet your dates from now on. Call it a dating do-over.” Viv stared from one friend to the other. “That’s right,” Julie said. “We've even developed a scoring system for potential boyfriends based on health, attractiveness, earning potential, dating history, and overall character. We don’t want you ending up with a deadbeat who’s got millions but doesn't care about his environmental footprint, for example.”“With my job at the bank, I can run credit checks,” Sabrina added. “Of course, I know a lot more men than Julie does.”“Except I know this one really terrific guy who would be perfect for you,” Julie said. “I can’t wait for you to meet him. Well, what do you think? Are you excited?”“A dating do-over?” Viv asked doubtfully.“That’s right,” Sabrina said.  “Because you’re so bad at finding the right man. Look at the six years you just wasted on Kyle.” Viv winced; sometimes Sabrina could be harsh. “We’re a lot better than a dating service because we know you so well, and because we have your best interests at heart.” Viv was silent as she mulled over her friends’ plan. Sabrina was right; she had made some poor dating choices. What made her think that she could do any better now?“Come on, Vivvie,” Sabrina said. “Let us help you. You want to move on with your life, don’t you?” Viv nodded. “You want to have a husband and children, don’t you?” Viv made up her mind. “Okay,” she said, reaching for Julie and Sabrina’s hands. “Let’s try it. A dating do-over.”

Julie re-appeared in the kitchen entrance, and Viv steeled herself for whomever was behind her. God only knew what kind of specimen her gay, elementary school teacher friend had come up with. “Viv, this is Josh Lennox,” Julie said, stepping aside. Viv gaped. Josh was about 6’2” with cropped, sandy brown hair, high cheek bones, and beautiful hazel eyes. He looked wholesome, like the boy next door, only better.Josh nodded and said, “Hi, Viv,” before looking straight past her at Olivia.“Nice to meet you, Josh,” Viv said, her head veering to follow his gaze.His face split into a smile. “Hi, Olivia,” he said. The child regarded him for two seconds before returning to her colouring book. Josh sat down on the floor beside her. “What’s that you’re drawing?” Something twigged Viv’s memory, and she said, “Excuse us for a minute, won’t you?” before dragging Julie into the hallway.“Josh Lennox. That’s your sperm donor!” Viv said in an emphatic whisper. Julie smiled and nodded. “Well, I can see why you chose him,” Viv added. “He’s beautiful. And tall. I would love my children to be tall. It’s no picnic being five foot three.” She stopped dreaming to focus back on Julie. “Does Olivia know that he’s her daddy?”“No,” Julie whispered back just as emphatically. “When Josh donated his sperm, he agreed he would have no role in Olivia’s life. She barely knows him.”“What does Josh think about that?”Julie shrugged. “He’s got no choice, if he wants to see her at all.”Viv stared at Julie. This was a side of her friend that she had never seen before. Viv doubted that she could be that hard on her baby’s birth daddy if their positions were reversed. “That’s kind of rough, isn’t it? How often does he get to see Olivia?”Julie folded her arms over her chest and returned Viv’s stare. “Not often. I don’t want to encourage him.” Apparently her relationship with Josh was not open for discussion. But Viv didn't back down when her sympathies were engaged. “Aren't you tempting fate? If Josh and I started dating, he might bump into Olivia more often.”“Not necessarily. Besides, he’s still a great guy. I thought you might like him.”“I don’t know. I don’t think I want to get in the middle of this. It’s way too complicated.”Julie shrugged. “Look, no pressure, okay? He doesn't know why I invited him today. But really, Viv, Josh would make you an ideal husband. He’s low maintenance and a real cutie patootie, as you've no doubt noticed.”Viv hesitated. The way Julie put it, what did she have to lose?“Okay, but don’t expect any special effort from me. I’ll try to get to know him, but that’s all.” Julie squeezed her shoulder. “Thatta girl.”The two women returned to the kitchen, where Josh was still watching Olivia colour. Viv’s heart went out to him. The poor guy, how could he bear to stay away from sweet, solemn Olivia?“Hey, it’s a beautiful day,” Julie said in a perky voice. “Let’s not waste it cooped up inside. How about we walk over to the park?”“Fine with me,” Josh said, glancing up.“Olivia, do you want to play catch in the park?” Julie asked.“Yes, Mommy.”“Okay, clean up your crayons.”Twenty minutes later, Viv was sitting on a blanket in the shade of a maple tree with Julie’s camera dangling around her neck. Olivia sat beside her, while Julie and Josh tossed a rubber ball back and forth a short distance away.Julie called, “Do you want to play catch, Olivia?”The child nodded. “Who do you want to throw the ball to you ‒ Josh or Mommy?” Olivia pointed at Josh. “Okay, come here, sweetie.”Olivia went to stand beside Josh while Julie joined Viv on the blanket.“Are you ready, Olivia?” Josh asked. She nodded and held up her hands. “Okay, here comes the ball.” Olivia missed the ball and had to chase after it. When she threw it back to Josh, it arched into the air and landed several feet short. “Throw a little harder, sweetie,” Julie called. Viv was busy snapping pictures. “You and Josh play in the same baseball league, don’t you?” she asked. Olivia threw the ball again. This time it landed behind her. Julie nodded. “We’re on the same co-ed team. That’s how we met. He’s the catcher, and I play third base.”“He’s also a high school Phys. Ed. teacher, right?”“Yeah.”Viv put the camera down. “So, he’s a teacher, and he plays baseball. You two have a lot in common.”Julie grinned. “Right. We both like girls.”Viv shrugged. “Looks like he’s pretty patient.”“Come on, Viv. I catch your drift, but what’s the point of letting him hang around? Olivia doesn't need a daddy to have a happy childhood.”“They say it takes a village to raise a child,” Viv murmured, but Julie ignored her.Josh tossed the ball again, this time practically dropping it into Olivia’s hand, and she caught it. A huge grin erupted on her face as Viv and Julie jumped to their feet to cheer.“Yay, you did it!” Josh shouted. “Give me a high-five, Olivia.” He held up his hand, which she slapped as hard as she could. “Ow, you’re so strong!” he complained, shaking his fingers. Olivia giggled and slapped his hand again. Josh reacted by whirling around and collapsing on the ground. Olivia shrieked with laughter and jumped on his chest. Josh pretended that he couldn't get up. Throwing his arms into the air, he strained to sit up, but collapsed after every attempt. Olivia howled, and Viv snapped picture after picture. She glanced up at Julie, whose expression was wooden as she climbed to her feet and walked over to the pair. “Come on, let’s help poor Josh up,” she said. Olivia clambered to her feet and offered Josh her hand. It disappeared in his as he jumped to his feet.“Whew, I’m thirsty,” he said.“We could all use a drink,” Julie said. “Let’s go back to the house and start the burgers.” A half hour later, Viv was having a beer with Josh in Julie’s postage stamp-sized backyard. Olivia was playing on her slide, while Julie barbecued the burgers and carried out the rest of the food. Viv had offered to help, but Julie had told her to relax.“So, Josh, are you from Toronto?” Viv asked.“Lived here all my life.” “Julie tells me you’re a Phys. Ed. Teacher.” “At Riverdale Collegiate.” He swilled some beer and stared off into space.“That must keep you pretty active.”“Yeah.”“Do you find it difficult motivating kids to exercise, what with the internet and all?”“Not so much. We've got a lot of sports for the kids to choose from.”Viv nodded, starting to run out of conversation. “Do you enjoy teaching?”“Sure.”Julie came out of the house just then carrying paper plates and plastic cutlery. Viv said, “Josh has just been telling me how much he likes being a gym teacher.” She rolled her eyes at Julie, signalling for help.“But there’s more to Josh than that,” Julie said. “Tell Viv about The King and I.”Josh turned to look at Viv for the first time. “I belong to a community theatre group called Toronto Theatrical Productions. We’re all amateurs, but they hire professional actors for the bigger roles. This spring, we’re doing The King and I. Musicals are more expensive to mount, but they bring in bigger audiences, so we always finish the season with one.”“Guess which part Josh is playing,” Julie said.“The king?” “Nah, I’m not good enough to play him,” Josh said.“He’s playing one of the other male leads, though,” Julie said.Josh nodded. “Lun Tha. He’s in love with Tuptim, the king’s new concubine.”“He gets to sing two duets with her,” Julie said. “Josh has a great voice. I heard him sing at a karaoke bar after a game once.” She flipped the burgers, and flames flared. The entrancing scent of barbecuing meat trailed across the air to Viv. “I was in Oklahomalast year, but I just played one of the cowboys. This is the first time I've had more than a couple of lines to say. I’m pretty nervous,” Josh said, rubbing his knee.“Don’t worry, you’ll be terrific,” Julie said.He glanced at her with a grateful smile. “Hey, I can hook you and Viv up with tickets if you like. If you’re interested,” he added hopefully.“Sure, I’d love to come,” Julie said. “You like musicals, too, don’t you, Viv?” Viv looked from Julie’s raised eyebrows to Josh’s eager face. She hadn't been able to get two words out of him all afternoon, but he had come alive as soon as Julie had mentioned the play.“I love musicals. The King and I is one of my favourites.” Josh’s face broke into a sunny smile, reminding Viv of her pupils when it was their turn for Super-Star Friday. “Can’t wait,” she added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Does Josh sound like good boyfriend-material, or is the situation with Julie and Olivia just too complicated? Check back on Sunday, April 12 for Chapter 7! Only the first half of The Dating Do-Over will be serialized on my blog, so if you're enjoying the story and would like to purchase the e-book for just $0.99, here's what you do. Click on the "Contact Cathy" app at the top right of this page and leave your name, e-mail address, and a message saying that you want the Smashwords coupon for The Dating Do-Over, and I will e-mail it to you ASAP. This coupon will allow you to purchase the book from Smashwords for just $0.99 in the format of your choice. But hurry - the coupon price will go up to $1.99 as of Sunday!If you would like to receive an e-mail when a new Cathy Spencer novel is released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the "Contact Cathy" app to the right of this post.

"The Dating Do-Over" Serialization - Ch. 5

Information about the serialization ("The Wattpad Experiment")  
Links to: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

I'm uploading Chapter 5 a day early because I'll be away from my computer on Easter Sunday. Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend! 


Chapter 5Viv was stretched out on Sabrina’s couch flipping through a Vogue magazine on a Saturday night two weeks later. Sabrina bustled into the condo, tossed her jacket into the closet in the foyer, and sat down on the bench to unzip her knee-high leather boots.Viv turned a page and called out, “How was dinner?”“Great.” Sabrina dropped her boots onto the floor and padded past the kitchen into the living room. She paused with her hands on her hips to study her friend. Viv was dressed in grey sweat pants, a nubby blue cardigan, and sweat socks. Again. Sabrina shook her head in disgust.Viv looked up. “Who did you eat with tonight?”“Trina and Barb from the office.”“I thought you were going to a club afterward?”“I am. Trina told me about a great new cocktail bar called The Shoe Horn. It’s part bar, part shoe store.  She tried it last night and loved it so much that she asked us to go back with her tonight.“Where is it?”“At College and Ossington.”“Why’d you come all the way back here? Did you forget something?”“Yeah ‒ you.”“What?” Viv was paying attention now.Sabrina stomped into the room and leaned over her. “I’m giving you just fifteen minutes to get your ass off my couch, put on something that doesn’t make you look like a bag lady, and brush your hair. I called Julie, and she’s going to meet us at the bar in an hour.”Viv sat up, her eyes narrowing and her face red. “I do not look like a bag lady!”“You do, and it’s got to stop. It’s time for the Sabrina O’Sullivan two-step program to restart the human heart. Step one is to go out with women friends. Step two is to go out with a man.” She brushed a strand of hair away from Viv’s face. “Believe me, hon, I’ve felt low on more than one occasion, but I’ve never given up the way you have.”Viv glared at Sabrina. “I have not given up. I’m just going through a grieving period. Everyone knows that you have to grieve after a major break-up.”Sabrina glared back. “For two months, every minute you haven’t been at work, you’ve been on that couch. Your butt has even left an imprint.”“Where?” Viv stood up and turned around to look. Sabrina locked her arm through Viv’s.“Look, you’ve got to start going out again, and tonight’s the night. You’ll like the Shoe Horn. It’s just a bunch of women getting together for pretty cocktails and fabulous shoes. No men. It’ll be easy.”Viv’s shoulders drooped. She felt guilty, having imposed on Sabrina for two months already. She didn’t want to be a drain on their friendship, but she still felt so vulnerable.“I know you and Julie are worried about me.”“Your dad’s worried, too. I promised him I’d get you back on your feet, and I will.”“Just not tonight, okay? I’m really not up to it.”“Nothing doing,” Sabrina said, marching her toward the guest bathroom. “We’re going to start with make-up and hair.”“I’m not going!” Viv protested.“Shut up.” Sabrina pushed her into the bathroom. “So much to do, so little time.”  An hour later, Sabrina and Viv were inside the Shoe Horn. ““What do you think? Isn’t this fabulous?” Sabrina shouted. “Oh, wait. There’s Julie. Over here!” she bellowed, waving her hand over her head. Viv stared around the room; she was suffering from sensory overload. A live jazz trio played in a corner while waiters ferried colourful cocktails from the white leather bar to the chattering women sitting on tufted couches. Shoes were displayed on the white, silk-lined shelves fastened to all four walls. Glittering mirrors slanted up from the floor, allowing the customers to check out their trendy footwear as they strutted up and down the red carpet running the length of the room. A two-tiered, circular chandelier with white and pink crystals was suspended from the ceiling, adding to the glamour. Viv searched her purse for her bottle of headache tablets, and downed two.Julie pushed through a group of women bottlenecked in the entrance to catch up with her friends. The pixie cut that emphasized her dark, liquid eyes was spiked, giving her an edgier than normal look.“Wow, you look fabulous,” Sabrina shouted into her ear.“I thought I’d dress up for a change,” Julie hollered back. She was wearing a cropped jacket, a magenta silk blouse, black jeans, and studded ankle boots. “You look pretty good yourself. Love your dress, too, Viv.”Viv nodded. Fortunately, Sabrina had forced her to wear something nice, or else she would have felt underdressed as well as overwhelmed. The trio’s set came to an end, and she relaxed as the noise level decreased enough to allow conversation.Sabrina pointed to a couch on the other side of the room. “I think we can squeeze in over there.” Viv and Julie nodded, and the three friends threaded through the crowd of chattering women. When they arrived at the couch, its two occupants smiled and shoved over to make room for them.Viv sighed as she sat down and dropped her purse on the floor. It had taken a lot of arguing and arm-twisting to convince her to come tonight. Maybe Sabrina had been right to call her a wimp. Maybe it was taking her too long to stop grieving and get on with her life. Not that she was ready to start dating again, but at least she was sitting on a different couch. And this wasn’t such a bad place. Better to be stuck in a shoe store with alcohol than endure another round in the bathroom with Sabrina.“Now that you two are settled, I’m going to say ‘hi’ to Trina and Barb,” Sabrina said. “Be back soon.” Viv was staring after her when a gorgeous young waiter suddenly materialized right before her.“Hi. What can I get you?” Viv stared at him. He was adorable with long, blond bangs falling into his eyes and an endearing smile. She couldn’t help returning it.“I’ll have Sex on the Beach.” She winced, colouring. Would he think she was coming onto him? It was a Freudian slip, but her id had better just pipe down. She peeked up at the waiter, who seemed unfazed.“Mojito for me,” Julie said. She grinned knowingly at Viv.“Great. I’ll be right back with those.” He produced a pad from his shirt pocket and tore off two sheets. “Have a browse through the shoes, and if you see anything you like, write down the tag number on these. Your shoe server, Kelly, will be happy to help you.” He nodded at a frazzled-looking young woman kneeling beside a stack of boxes on the far side of the couch. She glanced up, and Viv smiled at her. When Viv turned back to the waiter, he was gone.“What a cutie patootie!” Julie nodded at the young man’s retreating back.“Yeah.” Viv frowned as Julie wiggled her eyebrows. “Don’t be so obvious. And stop worrying. I’m depressed, not dead.”“Good to know you still have a libido. I was beginning to wonder.”“Very funny. Come on, as long as we’re here, let’s check out the shoes.” Viv grabbed Julie’s elbow and tugged her to her feet. Together they studied the display behind the couch, a brand name collection of chic summer sandals.“Check out that pale green crocodile wedge with the ankle ribbon,” Julie said.“I don’t know. I’m not convinced that I can get away with wedges. If I wear three-inch-thick soles, I end up clomping around like Frankenstein’s monster. I’d have to be as tall as you to carry them off.” Viv pointed at the shoes next to the wedges. “How about those pink-and-white striped kitten slingbacks?”“They’re nice.” Julie leaned closer to study the price tag. “Whoa, $900!”“I’m not saying that I can afford them, but they are Manolos. They’re worth it.”“Maybe, but my car needs a new battery.” Julia glanced over Viv’s shoulder. “Here comes the waiter with our drinks.”“My treat.” Viv pulled out her credit card. As a single parent with mortgage payments, Julie didn’t have much disposable income. And Toronto was the most expensive Canadian city to live in, next to Vancouver. Vancouver, she thought with pain. Kyle.Taking a gulp of her drink, Viv rejoined Julie on the couch. Kelly, their shoe server, hurried out with another armful of boxes for the two women sitting beside them. Julie glanced at the woman next to her.“Nice.”The sturdy blond frowned, her pant legs rolled halfway up for a better look at the shoes she was trying on. “You don’t think the ankle strap makes my calves look fat, do you?” Her voice was unexpectedly deep.“Hardly. You’ve got great calves. Strong and defined. I bet you’re a dancer.”The blond perked up. “I am, one of the stars at Dora’s Divas.”“Hey, didn’t I see you on their float at the Pride Parade last year?”“You did. I was Madonna.”Julie did a double-take. “I remember you. You were lip-synching to ‘Material Girl.’ You were terrific!”The blond nudged her friend, who was trying on a pair of last season’s boots. “Hey, Vanessa. We’ve got a fan here.”Julie offered her hand and introduced herself. Soon all three were talking about the shows at Dora’s Divas until Vanessa changed the topic to an upcoming gall bladder operation. Viv got bored and wandered off to see what had happened to Sabrina. A really attractive red-plaid purse distracted her, however, and, veering toward the table, she came face-to-face with a display of Rouge shoes.Of course. A designer store like this was bound to carry them. Pursing her lips, Viv took a step closer to study this season’s specimens.She had to admit, the old woman hadn’t lost her touch. The summer collection was a confection of pastels featuring floral cut-outs and charming bows. They looked so delicate that it was hard to believe they were crafted from leather, but that was part of the magic. The shoes were the height of feminine indulgence, and priced accordingly.Viv felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Sabrina gazing down at the collection. They exchanged an awed glance, and turned back to stare at the shoes.“They are beautiful,” Sabrina said, daring Viv to contradict her. Viv remained silent and sipped from her drink. Sabrina picked up a blue pump with a pearl-grey toe. “How long has it been since you’ve seen Véronique, by the way?”“Not since I graduated from teacher’s college six years ago.”“Hmm. You know, this collection is a real departure for your mother. Her shoes are usually so bold, so dynamic, but these are girly and pretty. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she designed them with you in mind. They’re perfect for someone with your looks.” “Yes, Mother has that effect on people. You think she’s doing something special just for you when, all along, it’s all for her.” Viv turned her back on the display. “Come on, let’s go find Julie and have another drink.”The music started up again as Viv linked arms with Sabrina, making civilized conversation impossible. Sabrina frowned, but allowed Viv to tow her away.  Two hours later, Viv snuggled under the futon covers while Sabrina turned off the living room lights. Viv felt pleasantly tipsy and drowsy, as if she were floating on a pink, fluffy cloud from one of her old Slumberland picture books. She giggled. It had been a long time since Daddy had read her a bedtime story.Sabrina stopped to lean against the wall outside the office. The space was just large enough to hold a computer table and the futon. Viv used the table to stack her clothes and a few books.“I heard you laugh,” Sabrina said. “I haven’t heard that in a long time. It sounded good. Did you have fun tonight?”“I did. You were right about the Shoe Horn.”“I’m glad, Vivvie. Maybe next weekend we’ll go out to dinner with a few friends. Night,” she said as she walked away.Talking about going out with friends reminded Viv of Sabrina’s plan to forget Kyle. Her pink cloud turned grey, and she felt morose. Before Sabrina could disappear, Viv called, “Why did Kyle leave me?” It was a question she had asked herself many times over the past weeks, usually with tears in her eyes. She wasn’t crying now, and maybe Sabrina could provide some insight.Sabrina hesitated before turning around. She said, “Men like him are always on the lookout for the next best thing.”Viv sat up and put her arms around her knees. “What do you mean?” she asked in a small voice.Sabrina sighed and walked back to perch on the mattress beside Viv. “I’ve got some friends in Vancouver, hon. I heard that Kyle is seeing one of the partners at his new agency.”Viv gasped. “It can’t be true.” She paused to think. “Wait a minute ‒ I thought all of the partners were men.”“There’s a Grace Chan.”“Oh.” A few more seconds passed before she asked, “When did they start dating?”“When he flew out for the second interview. My friend saw them together at a restaurant one night.”“Maybe it was just part of the interview process? Maybe they were . . .”“No, hon. They were holding hands.”“I can’t believe it. Kyle would have told me if there was someone else. He was always honest with me.”“No, Viv, he wasn’t honest. Isn’t it time you pulled off those rose-coloured glasses you’ve been wearing all these years?” Viv shrank away, and Sabrina reached for her hand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just tired of hearing how perfect Kyle was, and how lucky you were to have been with him.”“What else do you know?” Viv’s voice sounded flat.“For one thing, your father had to help Kyle get his first job.”“I knew that. Why shouldn’t Daddy have pulled a few strings for Kyle? Daddy always said he wished someone had given him a leg-up.”“Yeah, but did you know that Kyle would have been fired his first year if it hadn’t been for your father?”“No. Why?”“Because Kyle almost lost the firm one of their authors. He made a rookie mistake with a new contract that would have cost the client tens of thousands in royalties. If one of the partners hadn’t stepped in to fix it, the firm would have lost the author for sure. Your father had to do some serious wining and dining to stop them from throwing Kyle out on his ear. Gabe convinced them that everyone is entitled to a second chance. Then he sweetened the deal by making a sizable donation to the author’s pet charity. But I’m not surprised that Kyle didn’t tell you.”“No, he didn’t. Neither did Daddy. But why did Daddy tell you?”Sabrina shifted uneasily on the futon. “Because your father didn’t trust Kyle. He thought he was a wheeler-dealer, and that he was using your name to advance his career. Between your father and your mother, you have some pretty sweet contacts, you know.”“I know. If I had gotten an MBA instead of a teaching degree, I’d probably be a millionaire by now.” Viv twirled the pearl ring on her right hand. “I know Mother was disappointed when I didn’t go into the design business. Maybe Daddy is disappointed in me, too.”“Don’t say that.”“Daddy didn’t trust me enough to tell me about Kyle. Maybe he thinks I’m too gullible, too soft to deal with the truth.” Viv started to tremble, and Sabrina pulled her into her arms.“That’s not true. You are the centre of that man’s universe. He thinks you’re the sweetest, kindest, most loving person in the whole world, and he wouldn’t want you any other way. He knew how much Kyle meant to you, and he didn’t want to upset you by talking against him.” She stroked Viv’s hair. “Cynical old me, I always think someone’s trying to cheat me. Your father just wanted someone watching out for you, that’s all.”Viv pulled away and fumbled on the floor for the box of tissues. She blew her nose and moaned, “I’ve been such an idiot. I spent all that money helping Kyle pay off his student loans.”“How much?”Viv paused to calculate. “Around eighteen thousand, I’d guess.”Sabrina winced, but patted her friend’s shoulder. “It’s all water under the bridge. You’re better off without him, no matter how much it cost. The sooner you start realizing that, the better.” She kissed Viv’s cheek. “Come on.” Viv lay down while Sabrina drew the covers to her chin. “We’ll talk some more tomorrow. Have a good sleep.”Viv nodded and closed her eyes, but it took her hours to fall asleep that night.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Poor Viv, the truth hurts. But how did you like the idea of a combined bar and designer shoe store? I made that up myself, and I think it would be a terrific idea. If you think so too, please leave a comment. Check back on Wednesday, April 8 for Chapter 6! You can get The Dating Do-Over for just $0.99 this week using a Smashwords coupon to purchase the book in the format of your choice. All you have to do is click on the "Contact Cathy" app at the top right of the page and leave your name, e-mail address, and a message saying that you want the Smashwords coupon for The Dating Do-Over. I will e-mail the coupon to you ASAP. 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