Free When Angels Fall (Fallen Angels) by Jo Cattell Page A

teased.
    “Yeah, whatever,” Nick agreed.
    Suddenly, Chloe got up and went over to the juke box.
    “Kev, let me out,” he asked, wanting to get over to her before she went back to him.
    “Whoa, Nick, she’s here with him. Not a good idea,” Mark pleaded.
    “I’m not going to mess up their date,” Nick said and pushed him out. He could feel his palms sweating as he walked up to her. He had to make this right. “So, I’m a really big jerk for saying what I said the other day. I just have a problem with my mock wife, who is expecting our mock baby, having an affair with the captain of the football team,” he joked as he stood next to Chloe, hoping that would make her want to talk to him again.
    “It’s all good. I mean, I can see your point. With the baby on the way, I should really be home knitting booties or something,” she replied and laughed.
    She smelled so good. The way she had shifted just a little sent her perfume up to his senses. “How’s the date going?”
    “It’s going. I—I really missed talking to you this week. And I hate to admit it, but you’re right. This was a mistake. Unfortunately, it’s happening, so I can’t get out of it now.”
    “I could call you and say a pipe broke at our mock house and you need to come home,” he suggested. Really, all he wanted to do was to take her out of this place, go somewhere and talk.
    “Oh, yeah, I would need to come home to that. We can’t have the baby’s room flooding. Not after all the money we put out on it,” she agreed.
    “For the record, I missed talking to you, too. Go finish your date, then call me tomorrow, and let me know how it went,” he said and touched her hand.
    “Really?”
    “No, not really, but yeah. Have a good time,” he said and went back to his table.
    Kevin had been watching the whole thing. “This is killing you, isn’t it?” he asked, putting his arm around his shoulder.
    “Yeah, but she’s happy. Let’s just go to the movies,” Nick said and went to the car.

     
    *     *     *     *
     

     
    The dark theater was not really where she wanted to be with Josh, but this was what he’d wanted. All she could think about was seeing Nick at the restaurant. She was glad they’d talked. She had missed him. He’d been the one bright spot on this date. He’d smelled so good tonight, better than Josh, who smelled like he bathed in the aftershave he wore. And Nick had looked so cute in the blue flannel shirt and dark-blue jeans he was wearing.
    “I hate chick flicks, but for you, I’ll sit through it.” His husky voice brought her back to the bitter reality of who she‘d been on a date with.
    Josh reached over and took her hand.
    “Great,” she said and wished she could pull her hand away. His hands were sweaty and chapped from working out. She pushed the thoughts of Josh, which repulsed her, out of her mind. She wanted to let Nick closer to her, but with the way her life had been and was, he would never really understand. She knew that once he found out the whole story, he would be like the rest and not want anything to do with her.
      She only wished Josh got that hint. As the movie played out, Josh put his arm around her, and instead of feeling secure, his arm felt like a huge heavy tree limb and she felt trapped.
    Then, he leaned over and kissed her ear.
    “Josh, stop,” She jumped, hoping he would think she was interested in the movie. But it only seemed to put him off a little.
    Once they were done at the movies, Chloe hoped that this miserable date was at its end. She’d not spoken much, but that didn’t seem to bother Josh. It gave him more time to talk about himself. When he pulled up at the park, she wanted to groan.
    “What are we doing here?” she asked softly, trying to sound tired but knowing he wouldn’t care.
    The way he looked her over, and then grinned was a little frightening. “I thought we could go for a walk and talk.”
    She just nodded, got out of the car, and