Free THE CRITIC by Dyanne Davis

roll over in her grave at the actions of her wayward granddaughter.
    The phone rang before she had finished pouring the cup of coffee.  She glanced at the clock, then continued with putting cream and sugar in her cup.
    She knew it was Liz.  And she knew she would continue calling until she answered.
    “Hi Liz.” She answered the phone without even checking to see if the caller could be someone else.
    “Okay, tell me what’s going on?”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “You and Jared Stone. I mean, what’s with the two of you?  I saw the way he was looking at you last night and I saw you blushing. What is it? Do you have a thing for the man?  Is that why you got us involved in this in the first place?”
    “My God no.  I hate the man.”  How in the world had Liz been able to tell that she was blushing?  Was nothing sacred?
    “So what that you hate him?” Liz continued. “That means nothing. I hated Mike when I first met him. It took me awhile to discover he’s my soul mate.”
    “Forget it.  Jared Stone is not my soul mate.”
    “How do you know if you don’t give yourself a chance to find out?”
    Toreas sighed and took a big gulp of her coffee.  She could have this conversation only with Liz. Anyone else and she would have turned stone cold, refusing to answer. But Liz was different. For one thing, she would never let it go.
    “Liz, listen to me. First, I’m not interested in the man.  Second, if I were, he belittles what I do, what you do.  Think about it.  How could I ever want a relationship with him?”
    Liz laughed.  “Did you see his butt?  And did you see…”
    “Stop.”  Toreas refused to have this conversation.  “I wasn’t looking at his butt or any other part of his anatomy.”  She crossed her fingers for the lie she’d told.
    She’d be darned if she’d admit to Liz that not only had she noticed Jared’s butt but she’d wanted to reach out and grab it when he plopped it in front of her face.
    “I don’t believe you.”
    “I don’t care,” Toreas laughed.  “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  Now can’t we please talk about something else?  We’ve talked about nothing but Jared Stone for over a month.  I’m feeling so depressed I can’t even write.”
    “Are you serious?  I haven’t been able to stop writing and neither has Elysa, Kelle or Lauren.  Wendy called me to say she’s finished a whole chapter already.”
    “So what are you guys doing?  Finding a way to bring Jared and me together?”  Toreas closed her eyes.  Wouldn’t it be something if her friends could write into existence all her dreams? She sighed again.  Since when had Jared Stone become a part of her dreams?
    “I don’t know about the others,” Liz laughed loudly this time, “but as for myself, honey, you are nowhere in my plans with Jared. He’s my fantasy. If you want to be with him, I suggest you either write it or go for it.”
    “Go for what?  Never mind.  Liz, you’re impossible.”  Toreas was blushing from her thoughts.  “I think I need to stop talking to you and get some work done.”  With that said, she muttered goodbye.
    Toreas poured her second cup of coffee.  Liz had gotten too near the truth.  Okay, the man was gorgeous. He had the most beautiful eyes and the softest lips and the gentlest hands. She stopped, catching her breath and fanning herself with hands that wanted to be doing something else. The very idea was dumb, about as dumb as a lot of the stories she herself had read. No wonder Jared was trashing them.
    Oh my God, she thought with a start. I want him and I want a bodice that he can rip off.
     
    ***
     
    Jared awoke with something he hadn’t expected. He had dreamt of making love to a short golden brown woman with dark brown eyes that shot fire when she was angry. So what he had wasn’t a total surprise.  What he didn’t expect was to be turned on so completely by the woman.
    She wasn’t his type at all. He liked his