Authors: Roseanne Dowell
Bill ran his hands through his hair,
turned in a circle and tried to face her. She kept turning away.
"Can we sit down?"
"Say what you have to say and
leave." Wendy walked to the door. "On second thought, just
leave." She pulled the door open and gasped.
*
* *
My
friend, Alex, stood– hand in air ready to knock.
"Wow, that was fast." Alex
pulled open the storm door and walked in. "Hey, what's wrong?"
I turned away. Leave it to Alex to notice
something. Talk about poor timing. Or maybe not. At least now I wouldn't have
to listen to Bill's lame excuse.
Alex looked in Bill's direction and back
at me. "Who's the hunk?" she whispered. "Oh, what a sweet dog.
Greyhound, right?"
I motioned for Bill to leave, but he
ignored me.
"Thanks. Yeah, greyhound."
"Retired?"
"Yep." Bill patted Leo's head.
"My uncle has a couple. Great
dogs." I'm Alex Hunter." Alex extended her hand.
"Bill Johnson." Bill shook
Alex's hand.
"Bill was just leaving." I held
the door and threw him a look that said get out now. But he ignored it and
continued talking to Alex.
A pang of something went through me.
Jealousy? Maybe. Not quite as bad as seeing him kiss that girl this afternoon,
but still. I didn't like these feelings.
Talking about dogs of all things. Maybe
Bill was one of those guys that couldn't settle on one girl. Maybe that's why
he wasn't married. Made sense to me. Better I found out now before it was too
late.
Too late for what? It was already too
late. I'd already given him my virginity. Given it? More like threw it at him.
He had no way of knowing I was a virgin. We'd never discussed it. If I hadn't
come back for my keys. My keys, they were still at his house. At some point I
was going to have to get them.
"Uh, excuse me." Neither of
them was paying any attention to me. Alex was too busy making googly eyes, and
Bill couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. Maybe Kathy didn't mean anything
to him. Obviously, neither did I. I coughed to get their attention, but that
didn't work either. Finally, I slammed the door.
Alex jumped, Bill looked up and poor Leo
hid behind him.
"Sorry guys, but as I said, Bill was
just leaving. If you find my keys take them to Gladys's house and leave them in
the pantry. There's a hook there. I'll pick them up."
"The keys, right." Bill snapped
his fingers. "Nice to meet you. Maybe I'll see you again sometime."
He winked at Alex. "I'll call you if I find the keys."
"Just leave them. I'll get them from
there. No need to call." No need to do anything but leave. God, why didn't
he go already? I couldn't stand the look on his face. His gray eyes looked so
sad. How did he do that?
A minute ago, they sparkled as he chatted
with Alex. Now he looked like he'd burst into tears any minute. I started to
close the door, forcing him to the porch. Leo nudged my leg and I reached down
and patted his head. "Bye, Leo." Tears sprang to my eyes, and I
shoved the door closed just as Leo went out. Damn, I was going to miss him.
"What was all that about? More to
the point who was that? Why didn't you tell me about him?" Alex babbled.
"Just someone I work with." I
flipped off the hall light. "Hot chocolate?"
"Sure. What do you mean work with?
You never mentioned him before."
I sighed. My friend wasn't going to quit
until I explained the whole sorry mess. "Actually, he's the architect on
the job I'm working on. We met on the plane to Florida. Of course, I didn't know that at
the time. I only found out later at dinner with Nick."
"So why does he have your car
keys?"
I poured some milk into a pan and took
out the cocoa. "Because I gave him a ride home from the airport and there
was an emergency at the house we're working on. Someone stole the copper
plumbing." I measured out the cocoa and sugar.
"We couldn't find my keys, so we
went in his car."
"If you took him home from the
airport, why couldn't you find your keys? There's more here you're not telling
me."
I avoided Alex's eyes. I didn't want to
tell her what a fool I was. How I gave in and went to bed with him and then
found out he had a girlfriend.
"Because I went in for a cup of
coffee. I threw my keys on the table, and they disappeared. Quit reading
something into it."
"Whoa, testy. So what was all that
about when I came in? And I noticed your car in the drive."
I took a deep breath. Friend or not,
sometimes Alex drove me up the wall. "Because I had another set of keys. I
picked up my car."
"And Bill was here why?"
I poured two cups of hot cocoa. One more
word, and I swore I'd dump it on her head. "He came to tell me something.
Drop it already. Okay?"
"Okay, okay."
"So why are you here?" I
wondered that ever since I opened the door. Alex never just dropped by without
calling. Neither of us did.
"I'm going to see Jenn and Julie in Pittsburgh tomorrow and
thought maybe you'd like to tag along. I know you just came back from Florida, but it's only
for the weekend. Maybe until Monday."
What the heck, why not? If nothing else I
could avoid Bill for a few days. Maybe if I wasn't available he'd leave me
alone. Something told me he wasn't going to give up easily.
It wasn't like we made a commitment to
each other or anything. Hell, after the way he made over Alex it was pretty
obvious he wasn't going to make a commitment to anyone.
Maybe he didn't like being rejected.
Typical male. Had to be the one doing the rejecting. Unless he liked to string
several women along at the same time. How could I be so wrong about him?
"Sure. What time are you leaving?" Early, I hoped. The earlier the
better.
"How about I pick you up at
nine?"
"Nine it is." I finished my hot
chocolate and carried my cup to the sink. "So, you came all the way over
here just to ask me to go to Pittsburgh?"
Something didn't feel right. This wasn't like Alex.
"Actually, no. I came
because..." Alex caught her breath. "Because Scott and I broke
up."
I almost dropped my cup.
"What?" Scott and Alex had been together since forever. Neither of
them cared about making it permanent. Living together worked for them.
"He left. Just like that. Up and
walked out."
"Why?" I went back to the table
and sat down next to my friend. "I don't believe it. What happened?"
"Said he found someone else."
Alex wiped a tear. "Said he didn't mean for it to happen but..." She
slammed her fist on the table. "Do you believe that? Didn't mean for it to
happen. No wonder he's been working late these last couple of months. Sneaking
around is more like it."
"Who is she? Did he say?"
"No, and I didn't ask. Threw his ass
out is what I did." Alex took out a tissue and blew her nose. "I did,
I swear. I emptied his drawers and threw all his clothes out the window. Stuff
from the closet too."
I stifled a laugh. I could just picture
my friend throwing stuff out the window. "What did he do?"
"Told me I was crazy and left. He
had to go out and pick everything up."
"At least you weren't on the fifth
floor like before." I laughed, I couldn't help it. All I could picture was
men's briefs and socks flying everywhere. "Too bad it wasn't raining."
"That's what I thought. Or at least
snowing. Course, there was enough snow on the ground, and he had to scrounge
through it. I almost didn't throw out his suits, but I was so mad. The hell
with him. Let him get them cleaned. So out they went too."
"Can't say I blame you. Men!"
"Yeah, can't live with them and
can't live without them."
"Oh, you can live without them. As
long as you don't become involved. Works perfectly."
"You're involved with Bill, aren't
you?" Alex stood up and came around the table. "I knew it. I knew the
minute I saw you two there was something."
Crap. I should have known Alex would
figure it out eventually. I held back my own tears. Stupid, that's what I was.
Downright stupid.
"You are, aren't you? Don't try to
deny it I can see it written all over your face. You did it. You slept with
him. I can tell. Holy crap. You really did."
"Okay. I did. Are you happy now?
Yes, I slept with Bill. And I wish I hadn't"
"Not good, huh?"
"Oh, it was good. You have no idea
how good."
"Then what's wrong?"
I leaned back and looked at Alex.
"Sit down." She deserved the whole sordid story. "We had the
most incredible sex I could ever have imagined. Several times even."
"So what's the problem?"
My mind went back to this morning when I
saw him in the arms of another woman. Even now, the pain twisted my stomach.
"He already has a girlfriend."
"What? That hunk I just saw here a
minute ago? No way. I saw the way he looked at you."
"Yeah, and I saw the way he looked
at you. Apparently he likes to play the field."
"You're nuts. He didn't look at me
any special way. Believe me, I'd have noticed. Uh uh, he wasn't making a play
for me."
"Well, no matter. I saw him with his
girlfriend this morning. And trust me, the hold they had on each other and the
way their lips locked was more than just friendly. Besides, I heard her tell
him how much she missed him."
"Awe, honey, I'm sorry. I can't
believe you finally let go and this happened."
"I should have known better. It
wasn't his fault. I virtually threw myself at him." Memory of the way I
seduced him came to mind. The shock on his face. The way he gave me a chance to
change my mind. Even up to the last minute, before we went into his room, he
gave me an out.
And what did I do? I physically pushed
him into the room. Hell, I couldn't blame him for any of it. Nope, it was all
my fault. Never had I been so impulsive. And I'd darn well never would be
again. I learned my lesson. Once was enough.
"You threw yourself at him. Shut
up!"
"I think this calls for something
stronger than cocoa." I stood and walked to the refrigerator. "How
would you like a Millionaire's Coffee?"
"I'd like a millionaire's
anything."
"Good!" I took a bottle of
Irish Cream and whipped cream out of the refrigerator, then started a fresh pot
of coffee.
"Yum, Irish Cream and whipped cream.
Never thought to put it in coffee."
"Oh, that's not all that goes in
it." I opened the cupboard and pulled out two more bottles.
"What's that?"
"Frangelico and Grand Marnier."
"Who-eee, am I spending the
night?" Alex leaned back and looked at me.
"If you want to. In fact, it might
not be a bad idea. Because this stuff has a kick."
"Where'd you learn to make
this?"
"A long time ago. I was with a
friend at a restaurant in Fort Myers.
We topped off the night with this. To be honest, I have no idea how we got
home."
"That good, huh? I can hardly
wait."
I took two Irish coffee cups from the
cupboard. "Coming right up." I poured the right amounts of liqueurs
into the cups and filled the rest with coffee.
"Here you go." I set one of the
cups in front of Alex and took the chair opposite. "To life without
men." I raised my cup.
Alex looked at me. "You really think
life is better without men?"
"You'll see." I put the cup to
my lips and sipped. "Good stuff."
"I don't know. Truthfully, I can't
imagine life without Scott."
"Trust me, honey. You'll get used to
it." Although right now, I couldn't imagine never making love to Bill
again.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I woke the next morning before the clock
went off, leaned over, and hit the button to turn off the alarm. Time to shower
and make coffee before I woke Alex.
At least a half hour to myself. Funny how
you got used to a routine. Got used to living alone. I liked my quiet mornings
with coffee and the newspaper. Yet something was missing. Only one day, and
already I was used to waking up next to Bill. That was one routine I definitely
could have grown to love. I liked lying there next to him, watching him sleep.
I pushed the covers off and swung my feet
to the floor. It was time to put Bill out of my mind. Life with him wasn't
going to happen. I never was one to share my most personal possessions.
Granted, Bill wasn't a possession, but no way was I going to share him either.
I couldn't do it.