Page 28 of Analysing Her Assets

“Sure,” he agreed, knowing now it would be harder for her to say no.

“Oh, okay, I guess,” Tamar said. She didn’t sound very enthusiastic.

“You’ll like it, you’ll see,” he said, not at all convinced himself, but fully committed.

16. Tamar

Tamar’s nerves had almost gotten the better of her. She’d been on the verge of calling off their ‘date’. In the end, two things had kept her true—it was a deal she herself had proposed, plus the beautiful kiss he gave her.

She shaved her legs and rubbed her Neroli and Orchid body lotion all over her body. She deliberated a long time about what to wear. Her work blouses and pantsuits wouldn’t do at home. Her usual old sweatpants and loose, long T-shirt seemed too shabby. She ended up choosing an old shirt, a light-blue velvet button down, one of Tally’s earliest creations for her. She paired it with a long black comfortable skirt, a garment she wore only around the house.

Gideon Sela né Berdichevsky was punctual. He arrived at her doorway, at exactly eight pm, his hair damp and straight, his light green cotton shirt lending him a tanned look. He smelled good, as usual.

“Hi, you look lovely.” His eyes traveled down to her breasts. Tamar’s bra was not the usual squashing and obscuring structure she wore for work. It was a thin lacy one, and the tight velvet shirt did nothing to hide what his hot gaze was doing to her nipples. But he stayed put at the threshold, clutching a shopping bag.

“Come in. You have to give me the name of your laundry detergent,” she said to put him at ease. He laughed and stepped in.

“Yeah, you’re sensitive, I know. You hold your breath when Oren walks near you.”

Oren, the chemistry sector analyst, smelled as if he slept in his clothes.

“Are you stalking me?” She smiled at him. He still looked uncomfortable.

“I pay attention to you. You’ve always been my chief competitor, the girl to beat.”

It didn’t land right. He brought the constant battle she waged in the outside world into her home. She turned from him and crouched by Giddy, whose head was on the orange pillow which now firmly belonged to him. Despite dozing, Giddy, who would always be in her corner, wagged his tail companionably.

“Hey Tamar, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m a little nervous. Sorry.”

She gave Gideon a close-mouthed smile, the one she used to greet hopeful CEOs when they tried to explain their meager results.

“Of course, I know you were joking. So... it’s your turn tonight.”

Gideon put his bag on her small coffee table, removed her pink pillow from the sofa, looked for a place to put it that wasn’t the floor, didn’t find any, so he sat down, cradling it in his lap. He looked so uncomfortable and tense that it put her at ease. He was a guest, and she would treat him right. She stood up, took the pillow from his lap, scooped the other one, walked two steps to her bedroom’s door, and tossed both pillows on her bed.

“Do you want some wine? I bought all the colors: white, pink, and red.”

“Wine sounds great.” He nodded enthusiastically. “Red please, it’s almost winter.” She uncorked a bottle and poured two glasses.

“L’chaim,” Gideon said.

“May the best analyst win,” she answered, and they touched glasses. Gideon gulped down a healthy slug and another one, draining his wine. Tamar hadn’t even put a dent in hers. She refilled his glass.

“I have a favor to ask, and since this is my turn, then it sort of works...”

He was hunched forward, his long legs bent to fit in the small space between the sofa and her coffee table. His jeans hugged his muscly, well-built thighs which almost touched hers, but unfortunately, he didn’t manspread.

“I want you to read my mother’s chapters,” Gideon mumbled into his glass of wine. “The scenes she wrote embarrass me... It’s my turn, so you have to do everything I ask, and it’s to read so I don’t have to.”

He exhaled.

“You wish me to read a book instead of having sex with you?”

When she’d prepared for tonight, she was nervous, but also excited. She wanted him to kiss her again. Hold her, touch her. No one had touched her for such a long time. She thought he wanted the same.

“Don’t, Tamar.” His warm hand squeezed her knee for a moment and then it was gone. “You know that I’m attracted to you.”

“I won’t read your mother’s dirty literature while you drink wine and watch Champions League!”

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