Read NOT What I Was Expecting for Free Online

set myself up for failure.  He had soft-looking
brown hair, tanned skin, and unbelievable bone structure.  All of his flaws
must be internal.
    “Luke moved away
for a while, but now he’s back to look after his Uncle Barney,” Fry went on,
since I still had no response.  “Can you believe this is the same guy?” 
    Even though Fry
had just said his name more than once, and I had been thinking about his name,
along with his voice in my mind, the only thing I could think to call him at
that moment was Great Voice Guy.  Since that obviously was not his name, I decided
to respond without addressing him at all.
    “Seeing you is –
it’s good you – the seeing you is good,” I stammered.
    Okay, now I wished
I hadn’t located any verbal skills if they were going to operate so lame.  To
make matters worse, he had mastered an easy, comfortable smile.
    “Of course I
remember Maggie from high school,” Luke said, all charming and acting like
talking was easy.  “It’s so good to see you.  It’s been what, over 10 years,
and you look even better than you did in school.  What have you been up to
besides aging well?”
    Oh no, a
question!  I tried to control my breathing, stop sweating, and look relaxed. 
Able to accomplish none of those, CeCe suddenly flashed into my mind, and I
knew God was hoping I’d learn a lesson for all the times I told her she was
ridiculous for being tongue-tied around Deputy Ben.  I should have been more
understanding.  I should have been more supportive.  We should have practiced
speaking normally when faced with an over-abundance of testosterone.  Why
didn’t I, even once, try to feel her pain and help her through the mind numbing
influx of hormones that plagued her (and now me)?  I was a little afraid to
open my mouth and experience a repeat performance of my earlier brain/tongue
attempt at cooperation.
    “I’m a terrible
friend!” I blurted.
    There, I did it. 
I opened my mouth, and a coherent sentence came out.  True, it made no sense in
the present circumstance or to the people to whom it was spoken.  However, I
considered it a personal triumph that I formed an actual sentence and not
gibberish.  Baby steps.
    Luke looked at me
the way you would look at a baby who just gurgled sounds, thought they made
words and was waiting for someone to respond.  He gave me a slight smile that indicated
he was thinking I wish I understood you, but it’s okay .  He nodded his
head in an encouraging way.
    “I hope I didn’t –
uh, hurt you when I ran into you,” Luke said carefully.
    Abort!  Abort!  I
instructed myself to smile, say I was fine, and get out of there before I did
more conversing and managed to convince him I was mentally disabled.  Fry had
been on the floor gathering the contents of my purse that had flown wild and
free on impact. 
    As he stood and
handed me my purse, I said very slowly (to keep the words in their proper
place), “I’m fine.  I have to go.”  I headed for the light fixtures to find my
mother as fast as my wobbly legs would carry me.
    Before I made it
out of earshot, I heard Fry tell Luke, “I don’t know what to tell you, man.  A
woman of few words is not how anyone would ever describe Maggie.”
    As I put some
distance between myself and the new improved Luke, I felt my breathing return
to normal.  Unfortunately, as my mind cleared and thought processes returned, I
became aware of the impression I had just made on him.  I also realized how
much that fact bothered me.
    I, like CeCe, had
nobody in my life starring as the love interest.  I hadn’t even been attracted
to anyone for a while – until now.  After my pitiful display as a
conversationalist, I decided to convince myself that Luke probably wouldn’t be
as impressive as he looked once I got to know him.  Sure, he cleans up nice on
the outside, but that doesn’t mean there is anything going on inside.
    When I located my
mother, I was relieved to see she had her light