Misty Nights: A Short Romance (3 page)

When it was time to leave, Thomas got up to go, a sad
look in his eyes.

“It was nice seeing you again, Sandra.” Thomas said,
holding out his hand.

Sandra took his hand and smiled, at him, a warm smile.
“Aren’t you forgetting something, Thomas?” She said, enjoying the quizzical
look that appeared on his face.

Thomas looked at her, “Hmmm, no, not that I know of. Or
…?”

“Look in your hand.” Sandra said, removing her hand from
his.

Thomas opened his hand and saw that Sandra had put her
phone number on a small piece of paper for him. “You’re going to need that,
Thomas.” Sandra said, winking at him playfully. “Call me, okay?”

Thomas smiled broadly, pleased that she finally trusted
him enough to give him her phone number.

“I will, and very soon.”

“You better!” Sandra threatened him playfully.

Thomas nodded, smiled and then turned and walked out of
the coffee shop, leaving Sandra sitting alone, pleased with how their mini-date
had turned out. Thomas was like a new man. She couldn’t believe the
transformation he had gone through in just several weeks. He had gone from
being a cocky, arrogant nightclub owner to being a polite, gentle nightclub
owner who liked the simple things in life, just like her. She hoped it would
last and wasn’t just some trick to get her into bed. Time would tell.

Over the next few days, Thomas didn’t call her and she
began to grow worried. Had she done something wrong? Had she put too much
pressure on him, driven him away? In reality, Thomas wanted to call her but
didn’t. He was following Roxi’s advice about not smothering her, but
unbeknownst to him he was driving Sandra insane with worry, it also made her
realize that perhaps she ‘was’ already in love with Thomas…

Chapter
Seven

Over the next few weeks, Thomas and Sandra grew ever
closer the more they saw each other and love began to blossom in the air. A
night out to the cinema arranged by Thomas saw them almost share their first
kiss but Thomas held back, unwilling to go too far and lose everything he had
worked so hard to gain with Sandra. In the meantime, Sandra found herself more
attracted to Thomas than ever and became confused as to why Thomas hadn’t tried
to kiss her or make a move in any sense other than to simply hold her hand. One
night after dinner at his place, Sandra leant in and kissed Thomas, initiating
a steamy encounter that led them to the edge of sex but Sandra held back this time,
and Thomas confused, began to have worries of his own.

“What’s wrong?” Thomas asked, breathlessly. His face
clouded with concern.

Sandra allowed her head drop back onto the cushion, and
let out a long sigh, “Thomas, I love you but there is one thing I don’t like
about you.”

What’s that?” Thomas asked, and lifted her head so he
could look deep into her brown eyes, searching for answers.

Sandra shifted and sat up underneath Thomas, pulling her
dress down over her body and legs once more before continuing, “You own a
nightclub, and I won’t be the wife of a nightclub owner, I just won’t. I told
you before; I don’t want that kind of life. You may be taking a break now but
what happens when you go back?” Sandra said her face creasing in worry, little
lines forming on her forehead and Thomas kissed her gently and laughed.

“Is that it?” Thomas smiled and continued, “If that’s how
you feel I’ll no longer have anything to do with the place okay?”

“Really, you can just do that?” Sandra searched his eyes,
looking for sincerity and she found it.

Thomas nodded, “Yes, why not. I’m the owner, I do what I
want. I’ll sell the place, give it away, whatever. I’m done with that life now
Sandra.” Thomas said, kissing her once more, this time more passionately and
Sandra kissed him back, their urgings returning once more as passion returned
with a vengeance.

“I love you, Thomas.” Sandra gasped as Thomas slid her
dress up over her head.

As he made his way down her shuddering body, Thomas told
her that he loved her too before making love to her for the first time. They
made love again and again, their pent up desire finally released after weeks of
being withheld from one another and together they both cried out in throes of
ecstasy, as close to euphoria as they would ever get.

In the morning, Sandra awoke to find Thomas gone; the
space where he had lain the previous night, cold and empty and Sandra wondered
where he could have gone. Perhaps he was making breakfast? Slipping into one of
Thomas’ dressing gowns, Sandra made her way into the kitchen but there was no
sign of Thomas. He was nowhere to be found in the apartment, so Sandra assumed
he had gone out to get something and would be back shortly.

She explored his home, attempting to get a better idea of
this man she had fallen in love with. His place was pristine, and everything
was in its place, neat and tidy which Sandra liked, it was a good sign. When
they finally moved in together, she knew he wouldn’t be the type of man to
lounge around expecting her to do all the work. In the corner by his phone
there were weights and a running machine.
That’s why he is so buff.

As she passed the answering machine she saw that Thomas
had one new message. Curiosity got the better of her and she pushed the button
to listen to it.

“Hey Tom, this is Rob. I’m just calling to
make sure you remembered our meeting at the club tomorrow at noon. Everything
has been set up as you asked and the girls are meeting us here. Alright, I’ll
see you tomorrow. Bye.”

The message was from the day before.

Sandra froze. The club? A meeting? Sandra checked her
watch, it was just after noon. That’s where Thomas had gone – his nightclub.
What
an arsehole!

Sandra threw on her clothes tearfully, furious with
herself for falling for Thomas’ lies. He had been so sincere, so convincing.
She couldn’t believe she had fallen for it. He had gotten what he wanted and
now he was there …at the club.

She wouldn’t take it lying down. Oh no. She decided to go
to the club and confront him. She would pick Roxi up on the way as backup just
in case. Storming through the front door without closing it, Sandra called Roxi
and had her meet her outside her house, they had work to do…

“What the hell?” Roxi yelled down the phone.

Thomas smiled and raised his glass in toast to the two
young ladies in front of him,

“Here’s to your future, ladies!”

They all raised their glasses in a toast before partaking
of the most expensive champagne Thomas stocked in his nightclub. Thomas
finished the glass and smiled broadly at the girls, “So, shall we …”

He was cut off abruptly by a screech and turned to find
Sandra standing in the doorway, hair uncombed and bird nest-like and eyes
smudged and stained with mascara where she had been crying.

The people at the table were silent and Rob nudged
Thomas, urging him to do something quickly. Thomas, let his head hang for a
moment before standing and approaching Sandra, “Hey, baby. What are you doing
here?”

Sandra screamed at him, “You liar, I found the message on
your answer machine about the meeting here. Why?”

“Wait, you don’t understand…” Thomas spluttered
approaching her, arms outstretched but Sandra ran from him, bursting into tears
“You lied to me, Thomas. You promised me…”

Thomas followed her into the street outside but Sandra
had jumped into her car and Roxi, at the wheel flipped Thomas the bird before
putting her foot down and taking off at speed.

“Wait, you got it wrong!” Thomas yelled at the top of his
voice but they were gone.

Jumping onto his moped, he started it and pushed it as
fast as it would go, in pursuit of Sandra’s beat up old car. Luckily it wasn’t
that fast and Thomas was able to pull up alongside it for a moment, his moped
wobbling as he sought to get nearer to Sandra’s window, “Sandra … listen …to…me!”

“Get lost, a-hole!” Roxi screamed at him her voice shrill
with anger.

“Damn it!” Thomas knew it was no good, they were pulling
away.

Just as he was attempting one last time
to
get close to them, the parked car in front began to pull out into the road and
Thomas, slow to react, hit the car’s rear bumper at speed and bounced off the
back window of the car before sliding motionless to the ground.

Thomas was in and out of consciousness, and his leg was
throbbing incessantly. It may have been broken but he didn’t care. All he could
think about was Sandra.

“Thomas? Are you okay?” It was Sandra, she had come back
for him.

“My leg, I think it’s broken.” Thomas winced in pain.

By now a small crowd was gathering around them but Thomas
didn’t care about the pain or his leg. He needed to tell her.

“Sandra, what did you think I was doing back there?”

Sandra looked confused. “You lied to me, Thomas. You told
me you were done with that place but there you were with your club and your …
your women.”  She began to get up again but Thomas wouldn’t let go of her arm.

“You got it wrong, Sandra. Let me explain.” Thomas
pleaded, trying to focus through the pain but it was hard.

“No, Thomas. It’s over. We’re over.” Sandra wrenched her
arm away from him and turned to go.

Thomas yelled at her, knowing he didn’t have much time.

“Those women were the lucky new owners of my nightclub,
Sandra!” Sandra stopped but didn’t turn and Thomas saw Roxi looking surprised standing
side by side with other bystanders who had come to watch the show.

“I sold the club to them there and then at a knockdown
price. It’s over, the club is over… not us …we are only just beginning,
Sandra.” Thomas laid back his head resting against the solid tarmac that was
digging into his skull but he didn’t care.

“I’m opening an art gallery on West Boulevard just down
the block from my apartment and I’m going to need some help …”

Sandra spun around and ran to him then, and they embraced
right there in the road as the crowd watched on and Roxi snapped her gum once
more, a bemused expression on her beautiful face.

“I love you Thomas!”

“And I love you, Sandra!” Thomas said.

“Now get me to the hospital, I think I’m going to pass
out.”

Roxi and Sandra couldn’t help smiling as they helped
Thomas into the back of Sandra’s car, where Thomas collapsed on top of Sandra,
yelping in pain, but still smiling, somehow. Roxi jumped into the driver’s seat
and yelled, “Get outta the way, will ya!” at the small crowd that had grown in
size and was now blocking the road.

Roxi looked into the back seat intending to ask which
hospital they should go to but knew she wouldn’t get an answer and instead
shrugged, smiled and put her foot down on the gas.

In the back, Sandra and Thomas were locked in a
passionate kiss and as they pulled away heading for the hospital, the crowd
outside whooped and hollered loudly, causing Thomas to break into a huge grin,
and Sandra smiled up at him, “I’m sorry, Thomas.”

Thomas shrugged, “It’s okay, I understand.”  He passed
out, then.