Joan Pickart - Just My Joe

Dandy, she thought dryly, getting to her feet. Now she was talking to the man as though he were actually there in her kitchen. She was off to work to spend the day with lovely animals who wouldn’t do, or say, anything that would further boggle her mind.

And she wasn’t going anywhere near gabby Jazzy.

The morning at the office was busy, the appointment book fully scheduled.

Just before noon, a frantic man came rushing in the door with his yowling cat wrapped in a fluffy pink towel. The feline proceeded to calmly deliver three kittens on one of the examining tables. Polly had to wave an ammonia stick beneath the man’s nose to keep him from passing out cold on his face.

Becky went to lunch and Polly settled onto the receptionist’s chair to answer the telephone for the next hour.

Nancy and Robert came up behind Polly to take a look at the appointment book that would tell them what was on the agenda for the afternoon.

The bell over the door chimed as someone entered the office.

“Oh, Robert,” Nancy said, “are those for me? What’s the occasion? Did I forget something important? Aren’t those flowers beautiful?”

“Well, I...um...” Robert said.

The delivery boy placed a vase of a variety of brightly colored flowers on the counter, then looked at the paper on the clipboard he carried.

“Polly Chapman?” he said.

Polly’s head snapped around and her eyes widened as she stared at the gorgeous bouquet. She got to her feet slowly and moved to the counter.

“Those are for me?” she said.

“Yep,” the boy said, “if you’re Polly Chapman.”

“No one has ever sent me flowers before,” Polly said, frowning.

“Well, someone has sent you flowers now,” Nancy said, beaming. In the next instant she poked Robert on the arm. “Hey, buster, why aren’t they for me from you?”

“I knew I was going to be in trouble,” Robert muttered, rolling his eyes heavenward. “I just knew it.”

Polly signed the paper on the line the boy pointed to, then the messenger left the office, whistling off-key.

Polly buried her nose in the pretty blossoms and inhaled deeply.

“Heavenly,” she said. “They smell so good. It’s springtime in November.”

“Polly, if you don’t open the card,” Nancy said, “I’m going to blow a fuse in my brain. A woman can take just so much curiosity before something breaks.”

“Did it ever occur to you, dear wife,” Robert said, “that the identity of Polly’s admirer is none of your business?”

“Don’t be silly,” Nancy said, with a sniff. “Polly is part of our family. Therefore, it’s most definitely my business. Polly, the card.”

Robert chuckled and shook his head.

Polly pulled the little white envelope free of the plastic, pronged stick and withdrew the card.

“Oh, my,” she whispered, feeling a warm flush stain her cheeks.

“Gracious, you’re blushing.” Nancy peered over Polly’s shoulder and read the message on the card aloud. “‘I’m sorry. Dinner? I’ll call you. Joe.’ Joe? Who’s Joe? What’s he sorry about?”

“Joe Dillon?” Robert said. “From Abraham Lincoln High School?”

“Well, I... well. yes, I...” Polly stammered.

“What’s he sorry about?” Nancy said, frowning. “What did that man do to you that you didn’t tell us about?”

“Nothing,” Polly said quickly. “We had an argument of sorts over my speech. You know, my telling the students that Jazzy cost thousands of dollars, and his owners were in Europe and...Joe Dillon has some very strong opinions about...some things, that’s all.”

Like her working for the Dogwoods, Polly thought, and catering to the rich, and on and on and on.

“Oh,” Nancy said. “Well, your Joe obviously feels badly about your spat.”

“He’s not mine,” Polly said, the flush on her cheeks deepening.

“Figure of speech,” Nancy said. “Is this Joe Dillon good-looking?”

“Scrumptious,” Polly said. “What I mean is, he’s...he’s attractive, in a rugged, earthy, masculine way that... Oh, never mind.”

“Interesting,” Nancy said. “Very interesting. Joe. Now, there’s a strong, no-nonsense name. Yes, very good. I hope he takes you to a snazzy restaurant as part of his apology. What are you going to wear?”

“Nancy,” Polly said, “I didn’t say that I was going to accept Joe’s invitation to dinner.”

“Well, why wouldn’t you?” Nancy said, raising her eyebrows.

“Because we have such opposite views about certain things that all we would do is argue,” she said, slipping the florist card back into the envelope.

And because, she mentally tacked on, she could still remember the startling heat that had swirled within her, then lingered for so long, after Joe’s hand had brushed hers.

Because when she looked into those incredible eyes of his, she felt as though she were drowning in their depths.

Because Joe Dillon did tricky little things to her sense of self, made her so acutely aware of her own femininity compared to his blatant masculinity, it was disconcerting, to say the least.

“Then just avoid addressing those issues,” Nancy was saying.

“Pardon me?” Polly said, pulling her attention from her jumbled thoughts.

“Goodness, you’re spacey,” Nancy said. “Joe Dillon has you in a tizzy.”

“Oh, he does not,” Polly said, frowning. “I don’t even like him.”

“That’s because you got off on the wrong foot with him,” Nancy said. “You know, your saying how much Jazzy cost and what have you, during your speech. That’s what I was saying. Avoid the topics that you two don’t see eye to eye on and enjoy a lovely evening out with a scrumptious...to quote...man.”

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Polly said slowly.

“Sure it is,” Nancy said. “You’re dating a med student and a law student, both of whom are dead broke and exhausted when they surface long enough to take you for pizza, or to a free concert in a park. They’re duds.”

They’re safe! Polly’s mind screamed. They were focused on achieving their career goals, had no long-range plans regarding her, simply enjoyed her company when they managed to wiggle a few hours free from their busy schedules.

But Joe Dillon? He was dangerous.

He was the type of man who could render a woman speechless and unable to think clearly.

It wasn’t hard to fathom waking up in Joe’s bed after a wondrous night of lovemaking and wondering how on earth she had gotten there.

Joe could cause daydreams to become dreams of heartfelt yearning of a home and beautiful baby boys with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes.

Oh, yes, Joe was very, very dangerous.

“Polly? Hello?” Nancy said. “You’re gone again.”

“What? Oh. I was just thinking.”

“Well, let’s think about what you’re going to wear for your dinner date with Joe.”

“Nancy,” Robert said, smiling, “leave the poor girl alone. Why would Polly want to spend the evening with a man she doesn’t even like?”

“Well, in all fairness,” Polly said, “that’s a rather harsh statement, I guess. I certainly didn’t like his attitude about...certain things, and he was very grumpy and borderline rude, but I did create a disaster at the assembly, and I suppose that would get on anyone’s nerves, because you would not believe how noisy and wild those students got in a blink of an eye. Of course, it wasn’t my fault, because no one told me what to say, let alone what not to say. Then again—am I babbling?”

Nancy and Robert nodded in unison.

Polly sighed. “I thought I was. Look, I need to mull this over. Joe said on the card that he’d call about the dinner date. I’ll use the time until then to sift and sort, pro and con, yes and no, and...”

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