Page 36 of The Virgin's Baby
“Our home?” she asked.
“Yes.” That was one thing Ransom was insistent on. “He’s told me to call that place my home. I’m to make it my home in every way. He’s really nice about that.”
She looked at me with concern. “Is he not nice about some things?”
“No. He’s very nice about everything. I just don’t understand why he’s not attracted to me.” I twisted my hands together in frustration. “He’s got to give me four shots a day. In the middle of the night, he has to come to my bedroom, and he gives me one of the shots then. He tries hard not to wake me up when he does it. But I wake up as soon as he comes in.” I leaned forward to whisper the rest, “I want him, Margo. I want him just to take me already. I’m crazy about him.”
“And you’ve told him this?” she asked me as if that was a thing I could even do.
“No. God, no.” I took a drink of the water as I suddenly felt parched. “I could never do that. I keep all that to myself.”
She wore a puzzled expression. “Why?”
The girl was so clueless. “Margo, he’s not into me. Like, not at all, I don’t think. How can I tell him that I ache for him when he’s not attracted to me?”
“I can’t see how he’s not attracted to you.” She ran her hands over my cheeks. “You’re gorgeous. You’re funny. Nice. Sweet. And you’re a saint for having his baby. What’s not to love?”
“I’ve seen some pics of him and his buddies. They call themselves the Fearsome Foursome. I know it sounds totally gay, but they aren’t that way at all.” I thought about the pack of guys Ransom liked to run with. “Each one is drop-dead gorgeous. But I think Ransom beats them all in the looks and hot body department.”
Margo laughed, then smiled dreamily. “You better ask me to come over if any of them visit, Aspen. I mean that.”
I knew she did. “Okay, I’ll try. Anyway, any of the pictures I’ve seen show all the other guys with hot girls. Any girl I’ve ever seen on Ransom’s arm is always…” I have a hard time finding the right word as I didn’t want to be catty, “…plain. Kind of frumpy.”
Confused, she asked, “Are you telling me that he likes chunky, ugly girls?”
“No, I didn’t say he likes them.” It didn’t seem like he liked them to me. “He’s never kept one around for longer than a roll in the hay. So, I don’t think he’s into them the way it might seem. To be honest, I think that he knows he won’t fall for any of them. They’re easy prey is all.”
“Easy?” Margo asked as one brow arched. “He likes them easy,” she mused.
I had to clarify, “Again, I don’t think he likes easy girls. I think he just messes with them, so he doesn’t become attached to anyone.” I thought about all the times he looked at me and told me nice things that later made no sense. “He thinks I’m gorgeous. He remarks on every physical trait I have. And each time, he ends with something like you’re not my type at all. It’s kind of mind-melting.”
“I know you’re not into playing games, Aspen. And you most likely don’t even knowhowto play games. But this guy is playing them with you. He’s attracted to you. He would have to be half blind and half gay not to. He’s keeping you at arm’s length, so he doesn’t fall head over heels for you.”
I had to admit that I was getting so sexually frustrated that I was willing to play a game or two. “Any idea what I should do to get him to come around and give me what I want? No…need. I need him, Margo. I do.” I fanned myself as heat moved through me. “I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t get him to take what I feel is his for the taking.”
“I can teach you the ways of the dark side, Aspen. But you need to understand that getting him into your bed doesn’t mean he’ll stay there and stop his philandering ways. Can you handle that?”
Can I?
Could I take it if Ransom and I had sex on the regular, and then he went out and had it with other girls too?
“I can’t handle that. You’re going to have to teach me how to get him and keep him.” I knew Margo had it in her to do that. She’d had many boyfriends in her time. It was she who never wanted to keep them, not the other way around.
I was in good hands. And when she gave me the nod, I was elated.
“This takes time, Aspen. It’s not as fast a process as just getting a guy to show he’s interested in you. That stuff is easy. Getting him to see that he’s not only interested in you but wants only you takes time and patience. Do you feel that you have that patience at this time?”
I didn’t have any. Not an ounce of patience. But what I did have was the ability to set a goal and do what it takes to achieve it. “You have no idea how much more I fall for this guy each passing day. Our plans are to spend at least the next eighteen to twenty years living under the same roof and raising our kid or kids if we have more than one. And I can’t imagine doing that with anyone else.”
“Now that’s just weird, Aspen.” Margo shook her head. “I’m serious, girl. That’s not normal. You don’t know him well at all.”
“Do you believe in love at first sight, Margo?”
“No,” she answered quickly. “No, I don’t.”
“Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s real. From the moment I first saw him, I just knew that I would fall in love with him. And I have fallen in love with him.” I tried not to have another hot flash as I thought about him, but it didn’t work, and I broke out into a sweat.
“Oh, honey,” Margo said as she fanned me. “You’re sweating. I know it’s the shots now. They’re making you crazy.”
