Caramel Eyes

"I can hang out longer," Mark said, surprising himself. Somehow, talking with Denise felt easier today than it had a few nights ago at the restaurant, maybe because he was in his element at the gym. He helped her with her workout and tried to keep his eyes on her face instead of her skintight exercise shorts and sports bra.

"What was going on that you had to work so late?" he asked as he spotted her on the bench press.

"I was in court representing my boss," she grunted while pushing the barbell up. "We do criminal law and sometimes paralegals speak for the lawyer in court on small matters. We were trying to get the case against our client dropped but we just kept going back and forth. I was minutes away from losing it when the Crown agreed to withdraw the charges."

"You did that by yourself without a lawyer?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been at it for a few years, and the Crown's office knows me," Denise replied. "You get to learn which cases might get a conviction and which won't. The tough part is convincing the Crown attorneys of that." She smiled up at Mark as he helped her return the barbell back to its stand.

"Tell me about school today," she said as they went over to the resistance weights. Mark's face lit up and Denise was glad she'd asked him the right question.

"Well, it's mostly basketball and volleyball in the winters until we can go outside, but sometimes we take a vote in the older grades and they pick what they want to do," he started. "So my eighth-graders pick ball hockey today. And of course the boys are dominating and won't give any of the girls a chance. This one girl who comes to school every day in two braids and is very quiet, suddenly insists on being put in net.

"And she doesn't like gym class very much so of course if she's interested in something, I'm going to do what I can to help her. I tell the guys I don't care if they lose their game, it's just a class scrimmage and she's going to be their goalie." Denise reveled in how animatedly Mark spoke about the politics between a bunch of 13-year-olds, and she couldn't help but smile along with him.

"To the surprise of everyone," Mark went on, "this little girl is a freaking wall in net and she doesn't let a single shot get past her in 40 minutes. After class, she quietly says she plays goal in houseleagues with the city, and then all the boys are fighting over who gets to pick her for their team in tomorrow's class."

Mark didn't even realize while he was telling the story that he was adjusting Denise's posture as she lifted, casually touching her back and arms. Close to an hour flew by with the two of them talking about their families and telling stories about their jobs while Denise worked out.

It was when Mark found himself noticing the sheen of sweat across the top of her breasts that he darted his eyes upward and caught sight of Cole stretching in their usual spot. Cole grinned and exaggeratedly waved at him, fully knowing Denise wouldn't see him while she was doing crunches on the mat.

Mark looked back at his friend, alarmed, then down at Denise, who now lay flat on the mat, trying to catch her breath.

"Hey, are you busy now?" she asked Mark, not noticing the panic on his face that Cole would come along and interrupt them.

"Uhhh, now?" he distractedly replied.

"Yeah, I'm done," she said, slowly sitting up but still facing away from Cole, who was now swinging both arms in the air as though he was trying to get the attention of a plane in flight. "I have to close the restaurant tonight as well and I wouldn't mind the company."

"Ahhhh, sure, yes," Mark said quickly. "I'll meet you in the front after showering?"

"Sounds good," Denise smiled, thankfully not turning around to see Cole leaping into the air in disorganized jumping jacks. She left toward the women's lockers and Mark stomped over to his friend who was practically in stitches.

"I will fuck you up, asshole," he hissed.

"Oh man, you should have seen your face," Cole hooted. "Look, the only reason she would have turned around would have been to follow where you were looking. All you had to do was ignore me." He kept giggling but calmed down a bit as Mark glared at him.

"Serves you right for ditching me for a girl," Cole said.

"I thought you were grading assignments tonight, then seeing Janice."

"I texted you but you didn't answer. I finished marking early, then Janice had to cancel on me."

"What else is new?" Mark rolled his eyes.

"This, apparently," Cole said, ignoring the dig and pointing toward the women's lockers where Denise had disappeared. "I want details, man."

"She came in at the end of my workout and then I helped with hers," Mark explained. "I didn't plan it. And... I didn't ask her out," he added sheepishly. "She kind of asked me just now." Cole sighed.

"You know what, it's cool either way," he conceded. "It doesn't matter which one of you has the balls as long as one of you does." Mark playfully punched his friend.

"It's nothing; I'm just going to keep her company while she closes the restaurant tonight," he shrugged. "Maybe I'll work up the courage to ask her on a proper date after that." He looked at the digital clock on the wall. "But I have to get cleaned up, man. Meet me here the night after tomorrow at five. I promise I'll only have eyes for you."

Cole laughed again and they waved to each other as Mark was already turning around and heading toward the men's lockers.

A half-hour later, Mark found himself following Denise through the restaurant's kitchen doors, then through the back to a small office. She took off her winter coat and then hung it up behind the door along with Mark's, then gestured to Mark to take a seat on the couch adjacent to the desk.

"Now what?" Mark asked. Denise pulled out a top hat and a deck of cards from the bottom desk drawer. After placing the hat on the floor almost two metres away, she plopped down next to Mark on the couch.

"Now you try to beat me at tossing these cards into that hat," she grinned.

"I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"I'm the champion at this, and I'm assuming as a gym teacher you'd have some aim and dexterity going for you, no?" Mark caught a whiff of her orange blossom perfume and wasn't sure he could concentrate with her sitting so close to him. "I'll tell you what," Denise continued. "You go first so there's no pressure in having to follow me."

"It can't be that hard," Mark smiled, taking the deck of cards from her and moving down the couch so there was enough space for another person between them. They sat in silence as Mark leaned forward and flicked each of the 54 cards toward the hat, landing about 25 of them.

"Not bad for a beginner," Denise approved, kneeling down to gather the cards on the floor. "My turn." Mark leaned back in the corner of the couch with a skeptical look on his face.

"A lot of that is just luck and not skill, you realize," he told her.

"Just watch, hon," she murmured, narrowing her eyes toward the hat.

Deftly, and much more quickly than he'd tossed the cards, Denise began shooting them out of her palm, one by one. She's not even holding them in one hand and using the other to throw, Mark thought in awe. She's just flicking them out with her thumb.

"Forty-one, forty-two... oops," Denise said as she missed one. "Forty-three, and--"

The office door swung open and Denise's mother stood in the threshold.

"When the kitchen boys told me you were in here with a man who looked like a wrestler, I definitely thought I would be walking in on something more interesting," she said disapprovingly.

"Mother," Denise said flatly as she missed her final card.

"Are you still playing this silly game when you could be in Mark's lap right now, honey?"

"Mother!" Denise recoiled in horror while Mark bit the inside of his cheek and tried not to laugh.

"Fine, fine," Leela backed off. "The real reason I came in here was to ask you to do next week's scheduling. Also, I need you to order the alcohol for the birthday party next Wednesday night." Denise nodded and looked wistfully at Mark.

"You'll be bored if you stay," she gave him a small smile. "Not that this--" she gestured to the top hat on the floor, "--was much of a wild night."

"Are you kidding?" Mark said. "If this was an Olympic sport you would probably medal."

"She'd better because that's what she does half the time she's in here," Leela said dryly. "Mark, dear, are you hungry?" Leela then asked. "It's too early for our family meal with the staff but it's probably your dinner time." Denise suddenly felt mortified she'd forgotten to offer him any food, but Mark shook his head.

"Mrs. Ramdas, I can't eat here again," he said to a surprised Leela. "Your food is so incredible there's no point in my hitting the gym if I'm going to come here and pig out." Leela sighed and turned to her daughter.

"I told you, you should have been in his lap," she said before swinging the office door shut.

"I apologise for all of that," Denise told Mark, her eyes partially covered by her fingers.

"Your mom is hilarious and sweet," he said. "You're very lucky. I lost my mom when I was 15." Denise gasped.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Mark," she said, her eyes wide.

"Me too," he replied with a sad smile as he went over to the coat rack and started to put on his jacket. "But I've also been lucky to catch glimpses of her in other moms now and then. She was really funny, just like your mother is."

Denise walked Mark to the front doors a few minutes later and waved goodbye to him through the glass, watching him until he disappeared around the corner of the plaza toward the gym parking lot.

What are you doing? she shook her head at herself, abruptly feeling queasy. In what seemed like a response from the universe, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket.

Hey, babe, are you closing tonight or do you want to meet me at the pub? the text read.

I'm closing tonight, Caleb, she typed back.

Aw man, Caleb texted a minute later. We've been going together for what, a month now? And you've probably had to close half that time.

And my mom had to close the other half, Denise replied, feeling slightly irritated. There's only two of us to do it. The math checks out.

Sorry, Caleb responded just when Denise thought she'd put him off. It's just that I miss you.

You could always come here and hang out with me in the office, she offered.

And play that stupid card game with the hat? he answered with a laughing emoji. No thanks. I'll try you tomorrow. Goodnight, babe.

***********

"You did what with the cards?" Cole grunted two nights later at the gym as he pushed up a 50 lb barbell while lying flat on his back.

"We tossed them into a hat," Mark said.

"And you were both sober?" Cole asked. Mark laughed in spite of himself. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to figure out how this was remotely fun."

"You should have seen her," Mark said. "It was like her hand was one of those machines at a casino that shoots out cards."

"Damn, you really have it bad for her, don't you?" Cole sat up and dragged a towel over his face. "It sounds like she could make you read the phone book and you'd think it was a wild ride."

"Hey here's an idea," he continued as he got off the bench. "Why don't I call Janice and we can do a double date?" Mark made a face as though he'd just eaten a lemon. "Okay, what about this," Cole counter-offered. "Ask Denise out already and take her some place alone, or else I'll call Janice and make you do a double date."

"That's... that's actually more incentive," Mark grinned. "I thought maybe I'll just drop by and see if she's at the restaurant tonight. Sometimes if she's at the office late she skips her workout and goes straight there," he said, scanning the gym to make sure he hadn't missed seeing her.

"Okay, let me know how it goes," Cole said, as they both made their way to the showers. "And remember, if you keep dragging your feet I will pop up out of nowhere and suggest that double date right in front of Denise."

"Man, if you introduce those two, all that's going to make Denise wonder is why a guy as great as you--" Mark stopped himself just as his eyes met Cole's. "You know what, nevermind. I'm sorry. If you're sure about Janice, I got your back." Cole patted his friend on the shoulder.

"That means a lot, Mark," he said. "Thanks."

Soon after, Mark pushed through the doors of Leela's Doubles, his eyes immediately landing on Denise behind the cash register. She looked up and grinned, then came around the counter.

"I thought you said you wouldn't be eating here anymore," she teased.

"Who was I kidding, I can't stay away from your mom's food," he replied. "I know you can't hang out tonight, though, and it's fine."

"No, if you want a card-tossing rematch in the office, I will totally set aside time for that," she winked, seating him near the window. "I have to mind the till now but we have someone coming in soon and I'll be free. Eat in the meantime."

Mark ordered some doubles and dhalpuri, which Denise brought to him soon enough. Now and then, one of them would catch the other glancing over, but then quickly look away. Just as Mark was finishing up his meal, he was on his way to wash his hands when he saw Denise grabbing her jacket and going out the door.

He came back to his seat and saw through the front glass that she was right outside, speaking to a man with sandy brown hair. After a minute, the man put his hands on either of her shoulders, kissed her, and left. Mark's stomach lurched.

Denise didn't immediately come back inside, instead staying in the cold for a few more seconds looking like she was lost in thought. Finally, she pulled the door open and stepped in, her eyes instantly falling on Mark's dejected face as he was zipping up his coat.

Without a word, he went to the cash and paid his bill, then walked out the door past Denise without even acknowledging her.

"Mark!" she called after him on the outside sidewalk, quickly trotting to catch up with him. She grabbed his arm. "Mark, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I just feel like a complete fool right now," he told her, trying not to stop. Denise jumped right in front of him in the parking lot, blocking his way. "I thought--"

"You saw me with..." Denise understood. "Mark, when you saved me from Brad in the gym, I thought you heard me tell him I have a boyfriend," she tried.

"Right, which is what women usually say when they want a guy to stop hassling them," Mark countered. "But I thought you'd be clear with me that you actually were seeing someone else. It wasn't just my imagination; even Cole noticed you seemed interested in me. Why did you lead me on?" The hurt in his voice wasn't lost on Denise. She looked crestfallen but went with the truth.

"Because I... I am interested in you, Mark." She shuffled on her feet but continued. "Caleb and I have only been seeing each other for a couple of months, and we very recently became exclusive. But if I'm being completely honest with myself, I feel a deeper connection with you than him."

"Okay, but when you brought Cole and I to the restaurant that first night, even your mom gave us the impression you were single."

"I hadn't told her about Caleb yet because it was so new, and you saw how she teased me about you two," Denise answered. "By the time you guys left, though... I was so conflicted. I mean, it didn't seem right to break up with him and start something with you instead--"

"So you lied by omission so you could see both of us at the same time?"

"Oh my god, no!" Denise hadn't even considered this was how it would appear to Mark. "I wasn't clear with you because I thought you liked me too. And I thought if I told you I was dating someone else, you wouldn't even want to be friends with me and we wouldn't see each other anymore. I just... I was still deciding what to do." Mark slowly exhaled and shoved his hands in his coat pockets.

"Maybe I would have still wanted to be friends because I really like you, Denise," he said. "Or maybe not because I wouldn't feel right harbouring feelings for another man's girlfriend and hanging out alone with her." He shook his head. "No, you're right, that would be cutting it too close for me.

"The point is, we'll never know because I don't know that I can trust you anymore. I understand it wasn't your intention, but I kind of feel like you strung me along."

"Mark, no, I never meant--" Mark vigorously shook his head.

"I know. It's just what ended up happening anyway." He took a step backwards, then another, then gave her a little wave before turning around and disappearing around the corner of the plaza.

***********

"Fuck," Cole shook his head while he jogged alongside Mark two afternoons later, just after Mark updated him. "So that's why you said you wanted to run rather than meet at the gym. I'm really sorry, man." Mark didn't reply and they ran another minute before Cole decided to say the tough part.

"But she was right, wasn't she? You didn't want to spend time with her as a friend when you found out she was attached because you can't bring yourself to see her that way. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but she called it."

"So it was okay to not tell me the truth?" Mark glared at Cole.

"No, I'm not saying that," Cole huffed. "I'm saying it's understandable she was confused and it's understandable that when you find a good thing, you want it to last as long as possible. It's not like she threw herself at you." Cole stopped talking for a moment to catch his breath and collect his thoughts.

"I just think you gave her a connection she didn't have before and she didn't want to let that go."

"What? Card-tossing?" Mark said bitterly.

"Shit, why not?" Cole grinned. "You were probably the only one she could rope into playing her favourite game. But despite what you gave her, she found it crass to dump her boyfriend for you. It's a gray area and I'm not sure what she could have done better."

"She could have been honest," Mark said flatly.

"We're gonna go around in circles like this, man," Cole told him, exhaling hard. The two had just jogged out of the park and by a stoplight near Cole's school, where they paused at the red light and took a break. Crossing the street toward them from the opposite side was an attractive, young Indian mother pushing a baby boy in a stroller while her older boy held on to her free hand and toddled alongside her.

Mark noticed she and Cole locking eyes as they passed each other, and Cole rubbernecking for a moment before they reached the other sidewalk.

"Jesus Christ, I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're with Janice, you jackass," Mark admonished his friend, clearly irritated.

"What?" Cole asked, before he realized the source of Mark's frustration. "You know what, this is a teaching moment," he said as Mark rolled his eyes. They started up their pace again and Cole smiled at the woman from the other side of the street, who shyly smiled back at him before continuing on her way.

"Yes, I couldn't help but look at that beautiful lady, who was probably married considering she had two babies with her," Cole started after his eyes stopped lingering in her direction. "And yes, I am dating Janice. But here, and with you and Denise, there was actually no harm no foul.

"Unless you're looking at it through a lens of moral absolutism, I didn't do anything reprehensible here and neither did Denise." He tapped Mark on the arm before making his main point.

"Humans aren't infallible, man. I'm saying this because we're friends and I don't think you're going to dump me over it, but I think what you're really upset about is that she was already taken. And that's okay. It truly sucks."