Chapter 11

The days seemed to pass slowly for Raegan.  Every time the phone rang, she wondered if it would be Oded.  Even at home, when she knew he didn’t have her home phone number, whenever the phone rang she would wonder if it might be Oded.  He was filling her thoughts and driving her crazy.  And although she hadn’t been posting or answering any of the group emails, she was very aware that the girls knew about Odie being Oded.  She had read Oded’s apology email and had thought that that had been very good of him to do that.  He could have very easily just blown the group off, but he hadn’t.  One more point in his favor.

Now it was Monday night and Raegan lay stretched out on her bed on her back.  Oded still hadn’t called and she was beginning to think that maybe he wasn’t going to now.  He had said ‘soon’.  How soon exactly is soon?  Maybe she had blown it and he decided she wasn’t worth the trouble. But then again it had only been four days since he had called and he didn’t exactly have her home phone number to have been able to call over the weekend.  She was still hurt by his deception, but the embarrassment was fading and she was beginning to feel that she could face him now.

“Hey, you gonna be okay tonight?” she heard Nancy call from the doorway.

Raegan sat up and looked at Nancy.  “Who-weeeee, girl!  Damn, you look good!”

Nancy grinned as she turned in a circle with on hand on her hip and the other up positioned behind her head.  She was dressed in a deep burgundy wine evening dress that hugged her curves, the hem stopping right above her knees, showing off her long legs.  She was wearing black nylons with black 3-inch heels.  With her already 5’9” height, her heels would put her perfect with Rick’s 6’4” frame, which was a good thing, since he was taking her dancing.  Her blonde hair was pulled into a chignon and held with a fancy black comb.  “Thanks.”

“And yes, I’ll be fine.  I’m not an invalid you know,” Raegan chided.

“I know.”  Nancy smiled as she leaned against the doorframe.  “I just don’t want you to sit here and brood all night long about Oded.”

“I’m not brooding,” Raegan answered, sticking her tongue out.

“Yeah, right.”  Nancy pushed off when she heard the doorbell ring.  “Well that’s loverboy, so I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Alright, be careful and be home by midnight!”  Raegan called after her.  She heard Nancy’s answering snort and laughed.

After eating dinner, Raegan decided to lock up the house and take a bubble bath.  Sinking into the steamy hot water, she sighed.  She had a tub pillow and positioned it behind her head.  She loved taking bubble baths; they were a good way for her to relax and let go of the tension.  Raegan closed her eyes and relaxed.  She had sunk down far enough into the water that it came up to her neck.  The bubbles danced around in front of her every time she breathed out.  An image of Oded flashed before her mind.  She finally allowed herself to think of the meeting at the Santa Monica pier.  She had been so shocked at first to see Oded there.  She could hardly believe her luck.  He had been so friendly and kind.  Then she had realized that he knew her and she didn’t understand how, until it dawned on her that he was Odie.  Then the embarrassment started and that quickly turned into anger.  The whole meeting had been a disaster.  Raegan thought of how Oded had been upset too.  He had wanted to explain, but she hadn’t let him.  She was too embarrassed, too angry to hear what he had to say.  She remembered seeing the confusion and the guilt in his eyes.  The guilt of knowing that he had hurt her.  And then she remembered him holding her, his heavy sigh as his hand stroked her back, holding her close.  She remembered the feel of his muscled chest beneath the palms of her hands and the steady beat of his heart . . .

She felt his lips on hers, light and tentative at first, but then pressing more firmly as she responded to his kiss.  He lifted his head to look at her, his dark eyes boring into hers.  They were so intense, so expressive that she could tell what he was thinking before he said it.

“Yes,” she answered his unspoken question, her eyes locked with his.  He smiled; it lit up his whole face.  The dimples in his cheeks deepened as his smile turned into a grin.

Oded stood and began removing his clothes.  Raegan could only stare in breathless fascination as he shrugged off his shirt, the rise and fall of his shoulders causing the muscles in his chest to flex and ripple.  He was so beautiful. He grinned down at her, seeing the effect he was having on her as she watched him undress.  His fingers moved down to the buttons of his jeans and he unbuttoned each one slowly, taking his time, watching her eyes widen as each button came undone.  She could see the silky blue of his boxers peaking through as his thumbs hooked in the waistband of his jeans and boxers and pushed them both down over his narrow hips.  He kicked his jeans and boxers off and straightened up.  Raegan gasped softly at the size of his fully erect manhood.  He was bigger than she had imagined and she wondered briefly if it would fit.  Oded stepped into the tub of hot water and sank down into its warmth.  Raegan moved forward so that Oded could sit behind her.  His long legs stretched out on either side of her, encasing her between his muscled thighs as he sank deeper into the water and leaned back against the tub pillow.  His long arms reached out to pull Raegan back against him, his soapy hands gliding across her hips, circling her stomach.  Raegan leaned her back against the full length of his chest. The back of her head came to rest against his left shoulder as he settled her comfortably against him, his erection pressing against her lower back.

“This is much better,” he whispered into her ear, his wet, soapy hands gliding up across her stomach to cup her breasts.  Raegan moaned softly as she arched her back, pushing her breasts more fully into his seeking hands.  She felt a warm puff of air against her neck as he chuckled in her ear.

He nuzzled her ear, then her neck, his lips leaving a trail of fire that burned her skin wherever they touched.  His thumbs brushed across the peaks of her nipples sending electricity ripping through her body.  “Oded!” she breathed as she turned her face toward his.

“You are so beautiful, Raegan!” he whispered just as his mouth claimed hers in a searing kiss, his tongue sweeping in to taste her everywhere.  Raegan moaned as her right hand came up to cup his cheek, her fingers seeking his dark curls.  One of Oded’s hands released her breast and slid back down across her stomach to tangle in the dark patch of tight curls that lay nestled between her legs.  Raegan parted her legs to allow him access to her and she inhaled sharply when she felt one of his long fingers part her and enter her damp chamber.  “My god, you feel good,” he groaned against her lips as he broke the kiss.  His finger continued to stroke her as his thumb locating the sensitive bud of her desire.  He nibbled along her jaw to her ear as his finger and thumb worked her southern region.

Raegan felt her body tensing, readying for its release.  He was stroking her, sending electrical currents coursing through her body.  Her breathing was fast and harsh as the water in the tub began to lap at the sides of the tub from the motion of Oded’s hand and Raegan’s thrusting hips.  Her breath hitched and she whimpered as her release approached.  “That’s it, babe, let it go,” he whispered roughly in her ear.  Raegan cried out as her climax ripped through her, her body convulsing as Oded’s finger continued to stroke her until her climax released her.

Raegan jerked awake in the tub, the water sloshing over the side onto the floor as she sat up abruptly.  Her heart was pounding, her breathing erratic as she felt the climax that had shook her awake begin to fade.  “Oh my god!” she whispered as she raised her hands to rub them roughly over her face.  She looked around the bathroom as if she expected to see Oded there, but he wasn’t. She was quite alone.  Raegan pulled the plug to drain the water and got out of the tub.  Grabbing a towel, she dried herself off and put on her nightshirt.  She didn’t allow herself to think of the dream again until after she had climbed into bed.

It had been the most erotic, most real dream she’d ever experienced.  She had felt every touch of his hands, every kiss from his lips, and it had scared the hell out of her.  Her body still tingled from the experience.  Was she going mad?  Raegan curled up in a ball under the covers and closed her eyes.  She could see Oded in her dream clearly.  She wondered if he was as well proportioned in real life as he was in her dream.  If she was lucky, maybe she would find out soon.  She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.


Oded jerked awake, falling off the sofa and landing hard on his side with a muffled “Oomph!”  He pushed himself up to a sitting position and glanced over at the clock on the mantel above the fireplace.  It was after 9:00 p.m.  “Holy shit!”  Oded murmured as he rubbed his face.  “That was one hell of a dream you had there, Ded!”  A hell of a lot better than the ones he had been having, but this one had left him quite unsatisfied.  Oded stood up and winced uncomfortably as he adjusted himself.  He moved awkwardly into the kitchen and opened the fridge.  Grabbing a bottle of water, he opened it and took several swallows before closing the lid and putting it back in.  He sighed as he leaned back against the kitchen counter and thought about the dream he’d just had.

He’d been in an unfamiliar bathroom, but Raegan had been there and she was taking a bubble bath.  Oded smiled at the memory of the dream.  He had taken his clothes off and joined her.  Closing his eyes, he pictured her in his arms. He could actually feel her smooth wet skin beneath his hands.  She had been leaning back against him, turning her face toward him. He could still feel her warm lips beneath his, and he could still taste her sweet mouth.  Oded groaned as he shifted on his feet.  God, this was nuts! What the hell was he doing?  If he had had her home phone number he would have called her right then.  He had planned to wait until the end of the week before calling her again at work, but now he thought he would call her tomorrow.  He pushed away from the counter, agitated, and headed up stairs to take a shower - a cold one.

It was after 2 o’clock the next afternoon before Oded got the chance to call Raegan.  He had had errands to run and had to meet Trish about appearing on a show called The List on VH1.  He sat in his office waiting while the receptionist put his call through.

“U.S. Attorney’s Office, Raegan Lacy’s desk,” answered an unfamiliar female voice.

Oded frowned. “May I speak to Raegan please?” he asked politely.

There was a pause, then a soft gasp.  “Is this Oded?”

“Yes,” he answered, slightly confused.

“Oh my god!  This is so cool!” the voice responded excitedly.  “This is Nancy, from the message board.”

“Nancy!”  Only with Oded saying it, it came out “Nahncee.”  “How are you?”  Oded asked as he fidgeted with the phone cord nervously.  He hadn’t expected to talk to anyone other than Raegan, especially not someone he knew from the message board.  He wondered if Nancy was pissed at him too.

Nancy laughed. “I’m just fuckin’ great now!”  Then she got real quiet.  Oded started to think that maybe she had hung up on him when she spoke again.  “Excuse the language.  I tend to cuss when I get excited.”

Oded chucked. “It’s alright.  I tend to cuss in Hebrew when I get excited, too.”

“Really?  Maybe you can teach me a few words sometime.  Give me a little variety,” Nancy quipped.

Oded laughed, figuring that maybe Nancy wasn’t so pissed at him after all.  “We shall see.  Is Raegan there?”

“No, she isn’t, Oded.  She is over at the courthouse.  One of her attorneys had a big filing that had to be hand-delivered to the judge after being filed with the clerk.  She won’t be back for a while.  She just left about ten minutes ago,” Nancy answered.

Oded could her clicking in the background.  “What is that noise?” he asked curiously.

“Noise?”  Nancy asked listening closely for any strange sounds.

“It’s stopped now.  It sounded like a clicking noise.”

Nancy thought a moment, then began to laugh.  “Oh, that was me working on Rae’s computer.  It froze up on her earlier and I’m trying to fix it.”

“Oh,” Oded answered, a bit embarrassed.  “You work with computers?”

“Yes.  They break, I fix.”

Oded decided to take a chance and ask Nancy about Raegan.  “Is she still angry with me?” he asked softly.

“She is beginning to let it go,” Nancy answered as she continued working on Raegan’s computer.

“So there is hope for me?”

Nancy paused a moment to give Oded her full attention.  “Well that all depends, big guy, on what you are hoping for?”

Oded smiled.  He knew what Nancy was getting at and he envied Raegan for having such a good friend to watch out for her.  “I assure you, Nancy, that my intentions are honorable.”

“Well in that case, then yes, there is hope for you.”

Oded sighed in relief.  “Any words of wisdom you can pass on that might help me in my quest to obtain a date from the elusive one?”  Oded asked with a chuckle.

Nancy laughed.  “Well those yellow roses you sent last week were a good start.  How did you know yellow roses were her favorite?”

“They are?  I had no clue.  I picked them because they were the prettiest roses in the shop,” Oded answered, but made a mental note of that bit of information.

“Well, however you picked them, they are her favorite and they made great brownie points.  It also went in your favor that you only sent three.  Rae is not big on extravagance,” Nancy replied.  “She likes to be romanced, but not bought.  Do you catch my drift?”

Oded nodded, then realized that Nancy couldn’t see him.  “Uh yes, I understand.  In other words, the three roses I sent made a bigger impression than if I’d sent a dozen.”

“Bingo!”  Nancy answered.  “Rae is basically an old-fashioned kind of girl.  She likes simple things.  She’s also not into that liberation crap either.  She likes doors opened for her and chairs pulled out.  A real pain in the ass for today’s men.”

Oded laughed.  “Well my mama raised me to open doors and pull out chairs.  She’d tan my hide if I didn’t, so no hardship there.  Anything else?”

“Ummm, just be honest with her from now on.”

Oded winced. “Ouch!  I guess I deserved that.”

Nancy laughed. “Yes, you did. Oh and if you get her to accept a date, take her to the Laserium show up at Griffith Park Planetarium.  Guaranteed brownie points!”

“Thanks, I’ll remember that,” Oded answered, looking for a pen to jot down some of the information Nancy had passed on to him.

“Well listen, as much as I would love to sit here and gab with you all afternoon, I have got to get this computer fixed.  Do you want me to tell Rae you called?”  Nancy asked.

“Yes, please.  Tell her I am going to be tied up for the next few days, but I’ll call her again soon,” Oded answered.

“Will do.”

“Nancy?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you . . . for everything,” Oded said softly.  “I owe you one.”

“Hmmm, yes you do and believe me, I will think of a way for you to repay me, too,” Nancy answered mischievously.

Oded laughed. “I think I will say goodbye now while I still can.”

Nancy laughed too.  “Chicken!  Talk to you later, Oded.”

                                                             ********************

                                                                        Chapter 12

“Oded called this afternoon while you were at the courthouse,” Nancy announced as they sat on the couch in front of the TV later that evening.

Raegan’s head whipped around. “What?” she asked, surprised.

“You heard me.”

“Oded called and you didn’t tell me?”  Raegan asked, glaring at her friend.

“I just did.”  Nancy smiled.

“You could have told me when I got back to the office this afternoon.  I could have called him back,” Raegan answered, slightly angry.  “You know I’ve been waiting for him to call!”

“No you couldn’t have.  He didn’t leave a number.  He said to tell you that he was going to be busy over the next several days, but will call you again soon,” Nancy quoted from memory.

“Oh,” Raegan answered, the anger gone as quickly as it had come.

“Don’t worry so much, Rae!  He’s going to call back,” Nancy encouraged.  “You guys will go out, fall in love, get married and have a shitload of kids.”

Raegan frowned at Nancy.  “That is highly unlikely and you know it.  More than likely, he only wishes to take me out to explain why he was posting under a fake name and to apologize for embarrassing me.  Once that is done, he’ll go his way and I’ll go mine.”

Nancy just stared at her in completed amazement.  “You have got to be kidding me!  You really think he would go to all the trouble that he has just to apologize and go his merry way?”

Raegan looked over at Nancy with a look that said she wasn’t any more convinced of her own statement as Nancy was.  She sighed heavily. “The fact is, I just can’t imagine what in the world he could possible see that interests him.”

Nancy rolled her eyes. “What?  Are you fishing for compliments or something?”

Raegan gave Nancy a dirty look.  “No!  I just don’t see Oded interested in someone like me is all.  I picture him dating some damn tall, model that looks anorexic, not a plain jane nobody like me.”

Nancy nodded. “Yeah, you’re fishing for compliments alright.”

“Oh bite me!”  Raegan growled and turned back to the movie they were watching.

“Lucky bitch,” Nancy grumbled half-heartedly.

Raegan suddenly grinned.  “Yeah, I know.”



It was just after 11:00 a.m. Wednesday morning and Oded was finishing up another meeting with Trish.  He would be leaving early Friday morning to fly out to New York for the taping of The List, then returning Saturday or Sunday.

“So where are you taking me to lunch?”  Trish asked as she straightened up the papers on her desk.

Oded frowned.  He hated it when she did that.  “I’ve already got lunch plans, Trish.”  He answered, hoping it was the truth.  He had decided he was going to just show up over at Raegan’s work and see if she’d have lunch with him today.

“Oh really?  Lunch with one of the boys?”  Trish laughed.  She knew Oded wasn’t seeing anyone, so it was beyond her why he would have lunch with one of his male friends when he could be with her.  She would even be willing to take an extended lunch if he wanted to go back to her place afterwards.

“No, as a matter of fact, I have a lunch date with a very nice young lady.”  Oded regretted telling Trish about it the moment it left his lips.

Trish’s head snapped up as she eyed him curiously.  “Oh really?”  Trish purred.  “Tell me about her.  Who is this ‘nice young lady’ who has captured your attention?”

Oded glared at Trish.  It was no secret that Oded hadn’t been seeing anyone particular since he moved to Santa Monica.  He’d heard some of the quiet rumors about his sexual preferences due to that fact, but had ignored them.  He’d be damned if he went out with women he had no interest in just to please Hollywood.  He wasn’t promiscuous, and just because he was usually seen in public alone or with a guy friend didn’t mean he was gay.  “None of your business,” Oded nearly snapped at her.  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  He grabbed his plane ticket off of Trish’s desk and turned to leave.  “I’ll call you when I get back next week.”  He left her office before she could respond.

Oded had gone home and changed before he had gone to Raegan’s office in downtown Los Angeles.  So it was nearly 1:00 p.m. by the time the elevator doors opened on the floor her office was located on.  Oded stepped out of the elevator and looked around, confused.  He had no clue where he was suppose to go.  The security guard down on the main floor and only told him the U.S. Attorney’s Office was located on the 7th floor, room 7516.  Several men in suits rounded the corner and approached the elevators.  They looked like lawyers, so Oded decided to ask for help.  “Excuse me gentlemen.  Could you tell me where the U.S. Attorney’s Office is located?”

They looked at him curiously, and one in particular eyed him like he knew Oded.  “You make a left right there and then a right.  It will be the first door you come to on the left.”

Oded smiled.  “Thank you.”  He started off in the direction the gentleman had told him.

“Hey, wait a sec.”

Oded stopped and turned back to the men.  “You look familiar, do I know you?”

Oded eyed the man carefully, trying to remember if he’d met him somewhere before.  He wasn’t very tall, had brown hair and brown eyes.  He shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”

Suddenly the man’s eyes grew big in recognition.  “Oh, wait.  I know who you are now.  You’re Oded Fehr.”

Oded smiled.  It wasn’t often he got recognized by men; usually it was women.  “Yes, I’m Oded Fehr.”

The man frowned.  “What are you doing here?”

Oded paused, his smile fading somewhat.  “I’m here to see a friend. Maybe you know her?  Raegan Lacy?”

The mans jaw dropped.  “You are here to see Rae?”

Oded was starting to get annoyed.  He didn’t like this man for some reason.  “Yes.  Now if you don’t mind, I really should be going,” he said as politely as he could and turned to leave.

Nancy approached Raegan's desk as Raegan was bending over to grab her purse. “Ready Freddy?” Nancy quipped.

“Let's go, Joe,” Raegan answered with a smile as she turned to her friend. Just then her intercom buzzed. Raegan sighed as she reached over and grabbed it. “Raegan.”

“You got a gorgeous hunk out here waiting for you,” Tina stated into the phone.

“Excuse me?” Raegan asked, confused.

“Gorgeous hunk!” Tina said slowly and articulately. “Long, dark, curly hair and a goatee and dark brown eyes that make me think of licking chocolate.”

“Oded?” Raegan squeaked. “He's here?”

“Ummm, yep, that's the name he gave alright,” Tina answered.

“Oded is here?” Nancy nearly yelled. “Hot damn, the day just got better!” Nancy turned and ran off toward the front of the office where the main entrance was.

“ Nancy!” Raegan yelled after her to no avail. “Um, okay, T. Just tell him I'll be right there.” She hung up, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Oded was here. Here at her office. “Oh my god!” she whispered. “Okay, I'm okay. I can do this and not act like an idiot.” Raegan left her desk and headed in the direction that Nancy had run off.

Nancy jerked the door that led into their offices open and stepped into the waiting area. Oded stood off to one side, looking at an ugly painting that the government had deemed “necessary” to decorate the walls with. He turned when he heard the door open. A tall blonde stepped into view and he smiled. Even though he had only seen Nancy once at the Chinese restaurant a few weeks back, he recognized her immediately. “Hi Nancy ,” he greeted her.

“Holy shit, you're even better looking in person!” Nancy blurted out, then blushed to the roots of her hair as she clapped a hand over her mouth.

Oded threw his head back and laughed. He stepped forward and took her hand in his and raised it to his lips as Nancy watched in wide-eyed fascination. “It's nice to meet you too, Nancy .” He grinned, his dark eyes dancing merrily. He released Nancy 's hand and looked passed her beyond the open door and saw Raegan approaching slowly. His eyes softened and got an almost dreamy look in them.

Nancy glanced behind her and saw Raegan standing there staring back at Oded with much the same expression. “Oh brother!” Nancy groaned. “You two are sick.”

Raegan blushed and Oded laughed. “Shut up, Nance.” Raegan glared at her. She looked back at Oded and smiled shyly, unsure of what to say. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Oded answered, unsure himself.

“Ooooo, intelligence abounds,” Nancy teased unmercifully. Just then Tina's lunch relief showed up to let her go to lunch. “Well, listen. I would love to stick around and continue with this interesting dialog, but Tina and I were just ready to go have lunch. Right, Tina?”

Tina glanced up from getting her purse and frowned confused. “Huh?” she asked.

“Don't you remember, T? I'm buying,” Nancy bribed.

“Oh yeah. Well, let's go,” Tina answered with a smile.

Nancy grinned over at Oded and then at Raegan. “Well, you two enjoy your, um. . . interesting conversation here and I'll catch ya later.” She grabbed Tina's arm and dragged her off.

Raegan approached Oded and smiled. “You'll have to excuse Nancy . She can be a real smart ass sometimes.”

Oded returned her smile with a dimpled one of his own. “Yes, I've noticed that.” Oded paused a moment, just looking at her. His eyes roamed over her face, memorizing every detail. “So, you want to have lunch with me?” he asked.

Raegan swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Yes, I'd like that.”

He flashed her his megawatt smile and Raegan's knees nearly gave out. Good god, she thought, they should outlaw that smile. “Great,” he answered. “Let's go.”

Raegan started forward, then paused in thought. “Oh wait. I'll be right back,” she stated, turned, and rushed off. She came back a few minutes later and smiled at Oded. “Okay. I'm ready.”

They headed off down the hall to the elevators. “What was that all about, may I ask?” Oded asked once they reached the elevators and pressed the down button.

“Oh, I made sure it was okay with my supervisor if I took an extended lunch.” Raegan answered. Oded raised an eyebrow curiously. He was surprised, yet pleased that she would do that. “I figured with all the crap I've put you through the last few weeks, refusing to let you explain and all, that the least I could do was make sure I don't have to cut you short because of time constraints.”

Oded smiled. The elevator doors opened and he placed his hand on the small of her back as she stepped forward into the elevator. He stepped in behind her and they both turned to face forward. Raegan reached out to hit the 1 st floor button. There were several other people on the elevator and Oded stepped closely to Raegan and leaned down to whisper in her ear, his hand slipping around her waist to pull her closer. “It's not like I didn't deserve your anger, but I appreciate the extra time to make it up to you.” He felt her shiver and smiled.

After several stops, the elevator finally made it to the first floor and they left the building. “So where shall we go?” Oded asked.

“Are you parked nearby?” Raegan asked.

“Yeah, I'm in the garage across the street there. Why?” he asked curiously. He thought that they would probably walk somewhere close by.

“Well, I was thinking that maybe we could go somewhere away from here. I'm afraid that if we have lunch here, we will run into people I know and be interrupted.” Raegan didn't want to admit that she was really afraid that they would run into Billy if they stayed in the area.

“Oh, okay. I never thought of that, but that is fine with me.” Oded took her arm and led her over to the crosswalk. “I know a nice little place close by, but far away enough that we should be safe.” He smiled down at her as they waited for the light to change for them to cross the one-way street.

They entered the parking structure and Oded led Raegan over to a blue BMW convertible. Oded punched the button for the alarm system and the door locks popped up as the alarm made a loud kind of squealing beep. Oded opened the passenger door and waited for Raegan to get in. She was looking the car over and noticed he was waiting for her. “Oh, sorry,” she laughed, embarrassed, as she stepped forward and slid into the black leather seat.

“It's alright, Raegan. Look all you want.” He smiled. He closed the car door after she was securely inside and walked around to the driver's side. As he slid into the seat, he looked over at her. “Would you like the top up or down?” he asked.

“Would you mind if we leave it up? If I didn't have to go back to work I'd say down, but I'm afraid of the tangled mess I would have to deal with afterwards,” she explained.

Oded laughed. “No problem, up it is.” He inserted the key into the ignition and started up the Beemer.

Fifteen minutes later, Oded escorted Raegan into a small, crowded restaurant and waited to be seated. Oded spoke quietly with the waitress and she nodded as she grabbed two menus and led them through the crowded restaurant. She stopped before a U-shaped booth and handed them their menus after they were seated. Another waitress came by a minute later with two glasses of water.

“Hi, I'm Stephanie. I'll be your waitress while you're here. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders.” She smiled, her eyes lingering on Oded a bit longer than was necessary. At least Raegan thought so.

“Thank you, Stephanie.” Oded smiled back and she walked away. Oded glanced over at Raegan. “Order whatever you would like.”

“Are you attempting to win my heart with food, sir?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him playfully.

Oded grinned. “Will it work?” he asked, picking up on her playfulness.

“Not a bit,” Raegan answered as seriously as she could manage.

“Damn!” Oded put on a crestfallen look, but his eyes twinkled at her. Raegan grinned, unable to help herself. Suddenly Oded turned his intense gaze on her, all playfulness gone from their dark depths. “Then what must I do to win your heart, Raegan?”

Raegan's breath froze in her lungs, her heart stuck in her throat. She didn't know how to answer that, didn't even know where to begin. “Are you two ready to order yet?” Stephanie, their waitress asked as she approached their table. Raegan sighed in relief. She could kiss Stephanie for her timing!

Oded leaned back, frowning. He could kill Stephanie for her timing! He sighed and listened as Raegan ordered a Caesar Salad and iced tea. He ordered the shrimp salad and iced tea, then Stephanie left. There was an uncomfortable silence between them, then Oded finally spoke. “I'm sorry, Raegan. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that,” he apologized.

Raegan blushed, but smiled up at him. “It's alright,” she answered. “I basically started it.”

“Yeah, but you were jesting and I turned it too serious,” Oded replied. He hesitated a moment, then decided to plunge forward. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Raegan knew immediately that he wasn't referring to his little comment about winning her heart. He was speaking of his posing as Odie. Her eyes met his and she could see the regret in his expressive eyes. “So why did you begin posting on the message board under a false name?” she asked softly.

“To meet you,” he answered, looking her right in the eye.

Raegan didn't answer at first. She was too stunned by his answer, but finally she spoke. “Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

Oded began to explain what had prompted him to look at the different websites about him. He told her that Oded's Dream was one of the last sites he came across and the he started reading the message board posts and became intrigued with her. “I wasn't going to do anything at first,” Oded continued. “But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know more about you. I was curious, so I came up with the fake name and joined the group. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially you. I hadn't intended it to go so far, Raegan. But the more I found out about you, the more I wanted to meet you. You fascinated me and I after we chatted that last Wednesday night chat and I discovered you had the same passion for photography that I had, I knew I had to stop. I was planning to email you and ask you to meet with me so that I could reveal who I was, but then you emailed me that Friday night and, well, things changed.” Oded took a deep breath and studied Raegan a few moments before he continued. He wondered what she was thinking about all this. “I never expected you to confide in me like that. I guess I was expecting more of ‘what a bad day you had at work' type thing. I'm not even sure what I would have done if I had of known before hand. I just know I never meant to hurt you and I regret not being up front with you when I realized that you were going to tell me more than ‘I had a bad day at work.'”

Raegan nodded slowly, taking in everything he'd just said. Just then Stephanie showed up with their salads and iced tea. After she left, Raegan looked at Oded and smiled. “Well, I guess we all do things we regret at some point in our lives. I appreciate your honesty now, though I find it a bit hard to believe that you could be interested in me.”

“Why is that?” Oded asked, a bit surprised.

Raegan blushed and hesitated. “Well, I guess I had a preconceived notion of what kind of woman would interest you and I wasn't it.” She laughed, embarrassed.

Oded smiled. “I take it you had me paired up with some tall, slender blonde model type, huh?”

Raegan laughed. “Yeah, that's about it.”

Oded shook his head chuckling. “I'll never understand why people do that. My taste in women are much simpler, though I tend to be picky.” Their eyes met over the table and something passed between them, an understanding, a connection of some kind, and they both felt it. “Eat,” Oded commanded, picking up his fork suddenly. Raegan automatically picked up her fork and stabbed at the Romaine lettuce in the large bowl before her.

They ate in an almost comfortable silence. When they did speak, it was about general mundane things. Stephanie came by to check on them occasionally, refilling their ice tea glasses. But it wasn't until they were finished eating that Oded decided to take another plunge. “I'd like to see you again,” he stated, then added, “That is if you've forgiven me.”

Raegan smiled shyly, still unable to get over the fact that Oded Fehr was interested in her. “I forgive you, Oded,” she answered. “But please understand that it may be a while before I fully trust you.” She seemed to struggle with what she wanted to say.

Oded reached over and placed his warm large hand over her smaller one. “It's alright, Rae. I understand. I really do. And to be honest, I really don't blame you. You are being much more forgiving than I might have been if I was in your position.”

Raegan looked down at his hand covering hers. She suddenly found it hard to breath as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She wondered if Oded could hear it too. “Well.” She swallowed nervously and looked up to meet his gaze. “As for your other question, I would like to see you again too.”

His megawatt smile lit up his whole face. “That's great! When?” Raegan couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. He was acting like a small child who had just received a favorite toy at Christmas.

“Well, um . . .what about this weekend?” Raegan suggested, getting quite excited herself about the prospect of spending a weekend with Oded.

“This weekend? That would be . . .” Oded paused, his smile fading. Then he frowned. “Damn it,” he muttered softly.

“What, what's wrong?” Raegan asked, concerned.

Oded had a pained look on his face as his eyes dropped down to their joined hands. He turned his hand over, palm up and slipped it underneath hers so that their palms met and his long fingers grazed against her wrist. “I'm afraid I can't this weekend.” He looked up at her with a frustrated smile. “I have to be in New York . I leave Friday morning and won't be back until Saturday night, maybe Sunday morning.”

“Oh,” Raegan answered. “What's going on in New York ?” she asked, truly interested in what was going on in his life.

“I'm going to be a guest on a show called ‘The List' that's on VH1. Have you heard of it?” Oded asked as his thumb brushed across the soft skin on the back of her hand.

“Yes, I have. That's great, Oded. So you leave Friday?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he answered. He didn't want to go now. He wanted to stay right here where she was.

“But you'll be back on Saturday night?” she asked again.

“Maybe. Most likely I'll return on Sunday, catch a flight out that morning,” he answered.

“I see. Well. . .” She seemed to be thinking.

“What about tonight?” Oded asked.

“Tonight?” Raegan repeated. “I don't know, Oded. Weekday evenings are kind of tough. I live so far away, and I have to get up so early that I usually go to bed fairly early. I'm afraid there wouldn't be much time for anything for you to make that long drive to Cucamonga,” she answered sadly.

Oded sighed as he lifted her hand suddenly. Leaning over, he brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it. She could always stay with him at his place, but it was much to soon to be suggesting that. “Then have lunch with me again tomorrow.” It was more a statement than a question, but Raegan suddenly smiled and nodded her head. Her smile lit up her whole face and it was more than Oded could stand. Without thinking, he let go of her hand, reached out and slid his fingers around the nape of her neck and drew her toward him. He leaned forward meeting, her half way and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Dear god, it was like coming home, he thought. He had never felt such a rightness before in his life. For a heartbeat neither one of them could breath, and then Oded suddenly broke the kiss and leaned back, releasing her.

Raegan felt herself sway a tiny bit as she opened her eyes. Oded was watching her closely and she blushed. He smiled as he leaned forward again slightly. “I've been wanting to do that since I saw you a few weeks back at Chin's Restaurant.”

Raegan blinked in surprise then gasped. “You saw me?”

Oded chuckled. “I was meeting my publicist for lunch over in China Town . I had noticed you in the restaurant and thought you were pretty, though I didn't know it was you at the time. But then you and Nancy were leaving and I heard Nancy call you by name and you called her by name and I couldn't help but think it had to be you. I tried to get up and follow, but I was too late. You both had already gone.” He didn't bother to mention that it was Trish that had kept him from following. Stephanie came by and asked if they wanted to order desert, but they declined and she left the check on the table, face down near Oded.

“Wow. We never saw you,” Raegan stated, picking up their conversation where it had left off a moment before.

“Well, we were pretty well hidden in a secluded spot,” Oded replied. “One of those ‘I can see you but you can't see me' kind of corners.”

“So then you saw me,” Raegan stated the obvious. She felt rather foolish for some reason.

Oded nodded slowly. “It made me realize that if I was attracted to you before I even knew it was you, that it must mean I should pursue you.” He stopped talking for a moment and frowned. “That sounded really dumb.”

Raegan laughed. “Yeah, but what's even sadder is that I understood exactly what you said.”

Oded grinned and looked down at his watch. It was almost 3:00 already. “I should get you back,” he suggested, disappointed. Raegan nodded, giving him a small smile. Oded pulled his wallet out, picked up the check, looked at the amount owed, and pulled out some money. “Ready?” he asked as he laid the money and check on the table.

“Yes,” Raegan answered, and they got up and left the restaurant. Back in the car, Oded drove back to the Federal Building . “You can just drop me off at the front there, Oded. You don't have to walk me all the way back up.”

Oded frowned, but nodded. “I'll pick you up at the same time tomorrow. I'll come up for you,” he stated as he pulled up in front of the building and came to a stop, putting the Beemer in park.

“Alright.” Raegan nodded, looking over at him. He was going to kiss her again; she could see it in his eyes.

Oded unbuckled his seat belt and leaned across the center console. “Come here,” he commanded softly, crooking his finger at her. Raegan swallowed as she met him half way. His fingers came up to tangle in her hair as his mouth covered hers. This was no simple kiss like the one in the restaurant. This one had purpose. This one told Raegan of the passion he had for her that he was keeping in check for now. His warm velvety tongue slid across her bottom lip, then thrust inside her mouth when she parted her lips for him. The grip his hand had in her hair kept her from moving as his tongue swept through to taste every inch of her mouth. She moaned softly as he broke the passionate kiss and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “I'll see you tomorrow, sweetness,” he whispered gruffly and released her.

Raegan smiled, her hands shaking. “See you tomorrow,” she managed to say without sounding breathless. She opened the passenger door and forced her legs to move.

“Raegan,” Oded called to her. Raegan turned back in the seat towards him. He was rummaging through the compartment in the center console and finally came up with a scrap of paper and a pen. “I want to give you my home phone number so you can call me if you need to.”

“Oh, okay,” Raegan answered as she watched him jot down his phone number. Then he wrote down another number and handed her the scrap of paper.

“The other is my cell phone. You can usually reach me at one or the other,” he added as Raegan took the paper from him.

There was a honk behind them and they both jumped, then laughed. “I'll give you my home number tomorrow, okay?” Raegan said. “I don't think this guy will give me time to write it down.” She smiled.

“That's fine. I'll see you tomorrow,” he replied with a smile.

Bye.” She smiled back and got out of the car, shutting the car door. Oded winked at her and waited for her to turn and walk in the building before driving off.

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                                                           What If - Chapters 13