Authors: A N Busch
They sat on the couch talking and laughing for some time. The two of them exchanged stories about their children and funny things that had happened over the years. She told him about Rachel and what she was up to these days and about talking to her on the phone earlier. “She said that you probably think she is the devil.”
Westly’s laughter filled the room. “No, I am so happy to see you again I couldn’t be mad about anything. As I said earlier today, I know why she said it. Do you still talk to Paul, Melanie or Jamal?”
Abby told him about seeing Paul from time to time over the years occasionally at family functions. And that he had started his own accounting firm in Tennessee a few years back.
“Mel and Jamal are married now. She is a lawyer in New Mexico and Jamal is a very highly paid personal trainer to some high profile athletes. I think some are Olympic runners or something like that.” Abby took a gulp of the wine left in her glass and did not protest as Westly poured more for her. “They are going to have their second child in just about five more months.”
“Melanie has not changed one bit it sounds like.”
“Oh, she has not changed one bit trust me. I’m just surprised that Jamal has been able to keep up with her for all these years.”
Westly placed a second arm around her and hugged her; she stayed in his arms feeling warm and safe. The two of them sat in pure silence for a long time watching the fire burn brightly. The second bottle of wine was empty before Abby said what was on her mind. “Westly how is it we are so perfect together, like two halves of a whole, but we can’t be together? I mean I know we can’t now, but why would the ‘Fates’ not let us be together in the first place?” She looked up and was confused by the look on his face.
He took his last sip of wine and kept his eyes on the glass as he spoke, “I don’t know; no one knows why things happen the way they happen. Maybe it is so in the next life we are stronger and better together. The only thing that matters to me right now, is that you are alive.” He placed their glasses on the table and looked at her again placing a hand on her cheek. “We are here together now ‘if only for one more night’ remember? The thought of you being away from me, alive and with another man is awful for me. On the other hand, if you could only know how I feel right now knowing that you are alive. Seeing you again and knowing that you are out there in the world makes me feel like I’m whole. I have lived like a shell of a person for so long. I know that even though we will not be together and I may never see you again, I am whole now.”
Westly’s soft touch on the side of her face made her heart skip a beat. She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into his arms, staying like that for a long time. The two of them talked here and there about the past but mostly just enjoyed the company of the other and the sounds of a crackling fire. Abby only left his wonderful arms when he got up and opened another bottle of wine. When he sat back down, she curled right back up to him. He kissed the top of her head and touched her hair and she held his other hand in hers, tracing the lines in his palm. Even quiet, it was perfection just to be there with him.
Chapter 25
When Abby opened her eyes, the sun was coming in the window and Westly was right beside her in the bed. She smiled at him and rolled into his willing arms. She snuggled her face into his chest as she said good morning to him.
He lifted her face and she watched as he slowly kissed her gently and sweetly on the lips. It was no more than a peck, but it set her lips on fire and got her heart racing. She waited with her eyes closed to see if he would kiss her again, but he never did. When she opened her eyes he was smiling at her.
“How did you sleep?”
“Good I guess, you tell me? I’m sure you were awake most of the night.”
“I was, how I used to dream of watching you sleep again. It was just like I remembered, some things don’t change - you still talk in your sleep I see.”
“Oh no, what did I say? Do I even want to know?”
“That will be for me to know and hold onto forever. Don’t worry about it love.”
Abby rolled away slowly grunting, pulling a pillow over her head to hide from him. It wasn’t there long before he was pulling it off her.
“Well why would you think that? I do have things to do you know. I have to start making plans for this company’s owner. He just loved my design, but I’m sure I will need to get the ball rolling on a few things. He might be a tyrant; you know I heard that I was the fourth or fifth person to present to his company?”
Westly laughed heartily. “A tyrant huh? Well I have some pull with him, and trust me, business can wait till tomorrow. You have nothing to do today but be with me. I am keeping you to myself and not sharing, sorry.” He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “And just between you and me, you were the sixth person to do a presentation. Crazy ideas for new age or futuristic buildings were not what I was looking for.”
Abby sat up quickly thinking of her husband. The romantic fog of being with Westly again was lifted and she had the urge to go right then. As she stood up, Westly asked her what was wrong, and she looked at him like he was an idiot for even asking her that.
“‘What’s wrong?’ Really do you even need to ask me that? I am a married woman that just slept with another man. Well I mean I didn’t sleep with you, but I slept with you. This is nuts, and now you want to spend the day with me.”
“Abby stop! You did not sleep with me. I carried you upstairs, put you in this bed, covered you up, and spent the whole night in that chair. I did not want to go far incase you woke up and didn’t know where you were. I was only on the bed for five minutes before you woke up, and I was not even that close to you.”
Westly stood and grabbed her hands to stop her from pacing back and forth. “Listen to me. Everything is fine, you didn’t do anything wrong. I have been downstairs for the last hour and a half. I was canceling my day and making plans for us.” Abby’s mind centered on his lips, the wonderful way they wrapped around the words he was saying. How could something as simple as that melt her and fog her brain to the point she could not even think about the words being said?
He slowly moved the hair back from her ear and leaned in to whisper. She could barely feel his warm breath across her ear and neck and her eyes closed. “Nothing happened, I promise. Please my Abs, spend the day with me, let me show you New York City in a way no one else would.” He put his arms around her waist slowly and her arms slid up and around his neck.
“Abby I want you for the rest of my life, but I can’t have you and I know it. You can spend the day with me. That isn’t too much to ask for is it?” He kissed below her ear and sent sparks to every inch of her body. “I just can’t give you up yet Abs. I know I have to let you go, but not yet.”
His warm breath ran from her ear down her neck again, speeding up her pulse and making her knees weak. His lips were so close to her ear. She felt him move a hand slowly up her back and into her hair. There was no way she could say no to him when he was holding her close like this. She had to get away before the romantic fog she had been stuck in settled back around her.
Abby gathered all her strength and tried to pull away from him, but his hold only tightened around her waist. The hand behind her head moved to her neck and his thumb caressed her skin softly. While his lips grazed over the surface of her neck over and over, with such a light touch it could have all been in her head and not real at all, Abby’s breath caught in her throat as she tried to speak. There was nothing she could do now, her skin was on fire and she was his.
“Please Abs, tell me you will spend the day with me. Tell me our time is not over yet, one more day for us.”
Abby could only move her head slowly in the motion of yes as she wrapped her arms tighter around him. Time stood still to her as he kissed her neck tenderly. When he pulled away, she was left wanting the moment never to end. Slowly the sound of a phone ringing came into her ears, and she opened her eyes. Her knees gave way as his arms let her go and she was thankful for the chair two feet behind her.
She hit it hard and leaned back into it as her head spun around in a way that was beyond anything he had ever made her felt before. The life of being, “Abigail - wife and mother of three” seemed a million miles away now and she was thinking of only being Abby and being in his arms again. He was across the room talking on the phone but she couldn’t make out what he was saying in his deep but soft whispered tone.
Abby forced herself to gather her composure as best she could. She stood and walked slowly to the hall to find the bathroom, then shut the door behind herself. One more day was all that kept ringing in her ears, yes, just one more day. Tonight she would have the strength to leave; she would find it within her. If not tonight then in the morning, she would go straight home and never look back.
When she came out into the hall, he was waiting for her there with a smile on his face. Abby took his hand as he led her to the first floor in silence. She grabbed her purse and walked out the door holding his hand.
Outside there was a truck parked right in front of them and as he opened the passenger door, she stared at the truck awestruck. “Where? How? I can’t even believe this, are you serious?”
“Of everything you have seen and had happen in the last twenty-four hours, this you can’t believe?” His laugh was fast and hard, making Abby smile and shake her head. “I would never get rid of this truck; it has so many memories in it.”
“This is the same truck! I guess I am just shocked that it still runs after all these years. We had some really good times in this thing.”
“Well it did get a new engine and some other parts about five years ago. So it’s not totally the same truck, but it is still something that makes me think of you often.”
He opened the door and Abby got in. Just like old times, she leaned over and opened his door. They drove back to the hotel in silence holding hands like they had done years ago.
They acted like kids goofing off and playing in a big hotel all the way to her room. Westly sat on the chair at the desk as she gathered her things and went into the bathroom. She put her stuff on the counter and came back out to him. She squeezed his hand as she got her brush off the desk.
The water was so hot Abby was tempted to stay in the shower forever, but she was too excited to start her day with Westly. When she stepped out, the bathroom was full of steam so she cracked the door slightly for a moment and wiped off the mirror. When she was done getting ready, she came out to find that Westly was asleep on the bed. Abby watched him as she dabbed some perfume on her neck.
She sat beside him on the bed and placed her hand on his cheek; he looked so peaceful she almost did not want to wake him. Abby traced one eyebrow slowly with her thumb and then his ear. It was amazing to her that so many of his features had not changed over the years. Yes, he was older and time had given him a crease here or there, but the little things were still the same. She ran her hand through his hair and called his name, but he didn’t stir in the slightest. Abby leaned in to whisper into his ear, and when she got close, he moved his face and his lips met hers. It was only for a second but it made her heart drop to her knees.
Her hand was still in his hair so she gripped and pulled a little, that would teach him to try and be sneaky with her. Westly started to laugh and she pulled a little harder at his hair.
The day flew by quickly; he took her everywhere she could have imagined. They went around town like a couple of teenagers playing games. Abby had not felt this young in years and it was nice. He took her to the top of the Empire State building; they drove over the Brooklyn Bridge and back again. They had lunch at Gray’s Papaya and walked around to a few churches that were beyond beautiful, the kind of buildings that every architect dreams of creating.
He took her to Rockefeller Center and past the New York Stock Exchange. They visited Ground Zero and Coney Island. It was a very full day, and when they got back to his townhouse, Abby was practically exhausted. They had Chinese for dinner that they had picked up and talked and laughed the whole time. It was a perfect day together.
Abby did not want to admit that their time together was coming to an end; it had been a wonderful day. She was going to enjoy every second they had left, let go, and just do what felt right in that moment. He was her everything right now, she was going to make sure the memory of this day lasted in her mind forever. He pulled her closer to him as they walked to the park and she placed her head against his perfectly defined chest. His arms were strong around her and she was happy holding tight to him.
They walked in the park talking for a long time before stopping at a fountain. Westly pulled a couple coins out of his pocket and handed her one. She rubbed it between her fingers as she closed her eyes tightly and made her wish. She tossed it in the fountain and didn’t open her eyes till she heard it hit the water. He was smiling at her with the coin still in his hand.