Her Dream Lover

Angela’s ex-husband has “seen the errors of his ways” and wants her back. She wants nothing to do with the philandering, verbally abusive man. While her sister and brother-in-law are visiting, he tries to ramp up his pursuit of her but is thwarted by the “male” answering her phone. Seeking a way to protect her when they leave, her brother-in-law suggests that his best friend Luke temporarily move into her guest-room.

Will having a man around at all hours help discourage the persistent ex? Will Luke be able to convince Angela that age is just a number?

Excerpt: For a time, the new, unlisted phone number had apparently baffled Brandon. However, one evening, just after eleven, the phone rang.
Luke, who had been sitting with Angela, went to check, and said, “The Hilton.” When he saw the fury in her eyes, he decided to do something drastic quickly to get Brandon to leave her alone. “Come here a moment, lie beside me on the carpet.”
Astonished, she nevertheless did instantly as he asked. Putting his arm around her and tucking her head against his shoulder, he picked up the receiver and said, in a sleepy voice, “Who’s… this...?”
It was evident that the caller was Brandon, intimidated and upset at hearing a man’s voice, a sleepy man’s voice, answering Angela’s phone this late. He quickly reverted to his usual, blustering tone. ~I want to speak to my wife,~ he thundered.
Still sounding sleepy, Luke said, “Then don’t disturb us. Your wife doesn’t live here.”
~I mean Mrs. Burke-Livesey, my wife.~
“Oh, you mean the bimbo you married after my lady divorced you, and not nearly soon enough. Well, your bimbo isn’t here.”
Angela thought she would help Luke a little, saying, in an equally sleepy voice, “Darling, do hang up on that idiot who’s disturbing us. I have plans for you.”
“Angela, my love, I’m delighted to hear it,” Luke said in a caressing tone. Then, his voice cold and hard, “Get lost, you creep,” and cut the connection.
With Angela still lying beside him, Luke said, “I asked you to lie down here, because a voice sounds different, lying down, than when the person is sitting or standing.” Angela nodded, smiling. Luke went on, a little wistfully, “I could wish you had meant what you said, honey…”
Angela blushed and, to his intense surprise, he felt her hand slip around his waist, her thumb caressing his skin. Very softly, she whispered, “Are you flirting with me again, Luke?”
He said, just as softly, “No Angela, my darling, I’m not flirting with you. With you lying beside me, your head on my shoulder, I suddenly wished this was for real, and not merely something we did to get rid of that creep.”