“
Uh hunh,” he replied.
“
Yeah, well, maybe next time I stop in and he’s there,” Carlee replied, seemingly unimpressed.
“
He said you were ‘hot’,” Andy laughed.
Carlee
put her fork down and looked at him seriously, “Well, of course he did,” she said, and busted out laughing.
She stopped in a few days later. Zane was there, and Andy introduced them. They talked a while and exchanged phone numbers. Zane called her the next day.
The following Friday Carlee
agreed to meet him at the theatre for a movie. “I’ll just drive myself,” she told Andy. “That way if he’s a butthead, I’m gone…”
Andy laughed, but he knew Carlee was serious. That
first date night Zane was a great companion, polite, sweet, and she decided that she would see him again. He ended the night walking her to her car and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
They went out several more times, but Carlee was getting bored, and aggravated, because each time they did, Zane got a little more ‘familiar’ with her. He took her places where they could be alone. The movies and a bench on the beach by his hotel were his favorite places.
“
Can’t we go bowling or something, fun?” she asked as they sat, once more, on the bench. “We’ve seen every movie that’s out and this is just not my thing. I want to have fun, Zane.”
“
I can show you a fun time, Carlee,” he laughed, but she knew what he was insinuating. “I choose these dates because people recognize me when we’re out in public, and when I’m with you I want it to just be you and me, uninterrupted,” he told her.
Right
, you love the attention, making sure they do recognize you,
she thought.
“
We could go to my…”
“
Room?” she asked and saw the excitement in his eyes. “No, that’s worse than being at a movie theatre, we’ve only been seeing each other a few weeks. I’m definitely not ready to take that step.”
“
But…”
“
Zane, I said ‘no.’ I’m not ready.”
She saw him a few more times, and each time he pushed a little harder, Carlee pushed back. Andy noticed that the more time she spent with him the less excited she seemed about it. It was more like
oh geez, I’m seeing Zane tonight
.
Finally
, after one more evening sitting on a bench at the beach she decided it was time to let it go. He had his arm around her and leaned to kiss her neck. “I like this Carlee,” his free hand made its way under the blouse she wore, caressing - no, groping her breasts. She tried to squirm away.
“
Zane, please stop.” He did, but he wasn’t happy about it. “I told you, I’m not ready for this.”
“
Come on, Carlee,” he said and pulled her closer for a kiss. But it wasn’t a sweet, tender kiss, it was rough and then he shoved his tongue halfway down her throat. “How much longer can you hold out?”
She
didn’t hear it as a question, he was taunting her and that only pissed her off.
“
Go to my room with me,” he said and rubbed his hand up her leg to the place where her legs met.
“
Zane, I said stop.” As she pulled away from him, she rose from the bench. “You’re pushing me, and I don’t like it.”
Finally
, he rose and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I just want to have sex with you so bad.”
She pulled away and said,
“I don’t want to have sex. Zane, when I finally do this it’ll be because I’m in love, not because I feel pressured.” She stood quietly a moment, fighting back tears, but they weren’t tears over Zane, they were tears because she was just
mad
. Finally, she said, “This wasn’t a good idea. I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”
“
Are you sure?” he asked her, moving close to touch her hair as though he was in disbelief that she was breaking it off with him.
Carlee stepped back.
Another ‘date’ that consisted of groping and grabbing and she knew. “Yep, pretty sure,” she responded.
“
What can I do to change your…” he started to step closer, but she held her arm out to keep him back.
“
Not a thing, thanks,” she interrupted him and smiled to herself. She turned, and left him where he stood, knowing, because of his work relationship with Andy, he wouldn’t do anything retaliatory.
Driving home, she played the music loud, and yelled over it to get her pissed-off out before she walked in the door. “Cocky, conceited, egotistical, vain, prick!” She took a deep breath, looked in the mirror and smiled thinking fun thoughts so that Andy wouldn’t notice.
But he was too perceptive, and he knew her too well.
He met her at the kitchen door. “I heard you pull in. You’re home early this evening,” he said when she entered, “everything OK?”
“
Yep. I’ve got a lot of homework,” she said, dropping her things on the counter to get a drink.
B
ut Andy suspected it was more. He crossed his arms over his chest, looked at her, and waited.
“
Papa, I’m not going to see Zane anymore,” she told him, finally.
“
Why is that?”
“
Well,” she pondered her reply a minute. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for me to see someone you work so closely with.”
H
e thought a minute before he responded, “That
sounds really good
Carlee, now why don’t you tell me the real reason,” he smiled and hugged her.
She didn
’t want to tell him the details. Her time with Zane was separate from Andy’s working relationship with him. “He’s cute and all, Papa,” she paused, still thinking. “I’ll be nice and just say that he likes himself way better than I do. I think his ego is bigger than his…” she giggled, and blurted out, “whole body!”
Andy
laughed out loud at her comment.
That was a year and a half ago, and knew then that she’d be waiting for the right guy. She wouldn’t be one to compromise.
~ ~ ~
Andy looked across the table at Carlee as she drank coffee and nibbled on the brown sugar scones that Matthew suggested. She would be nineteen in December, almost a woman. Andy thought about Beth. Carlee was an older spirit than Beth was.
She might just be ready for a real boyfriend now,
he thought,
but the distance thing could pose an issue.
“
Are you going to call him?” he asked her, referring to the note Matthew left her.
“
No.”
“
Why?” he asked and reached for the piece of paper, but she pulled it back.
“
Oh, I see,” he laughed.
“
See what?” She was laughing now, and he loved it.
“
You
want
to call him,” Andy said, giving her a sly grin.
“
Papa!” she exclaimed, and then he was laughing. She unfolded the paper again.
“
Well…”
She dialed.
“Voicemail,” she said.
“
So, leave a message,” he laughed.
“
Hey there, it’s Carlee. Gimme a call when you’re done with class, maybe we can meet somewhere.”
“
Very non-committal,” Andy said with a laugh as she hung up.
“
Nice, Papa!” she laughed.
After breakfast, their tour of London began. They started at Buckingham Gate and the Guard Museum, and walked to Westminster Abbey. Andy suggested Harrods as their next stop, and found a caf
é
to have coffee and wait while Carlee shopped.
“
Seven floors of stuff!” Carlee laughed as she dropped bags back where he was waiting and took off again. When she finally returned, and informed him she was ‘starving’, her phone rang.
“
Hello? Matthew, it’s nice to hear from you, we’re at Harrods. Papa and I were just talking about lunch. There is a restaurant on the top floor here, if you’d like to join us.”
Andy made a call to the hotel to the have the bags of goods Carlee purchased picked up. They made their way to the restaurant just as Matthew arrived.
After they ordered lunch, they chatted.
Later, Andy looked at his watch. “Carlee, Matthew, I’m sorry to break this up, time got away from us and I have a surprise for Carlee this evening. We’ll see you for dinner tomorrow.”
“
I don’t have class in the morning if you still need a tour guide,” he smiled at Carlee. “Thank you for lunch, sir.”
“
Andy, please call me Andy.” He kicked Carlee lightly under the table and made the finger, thumb phone gesture when only she was looking.
“
Why don’t you give us a call in the morning?” she said sweetly.
“
OK,” he said with a smile as they parted ways.
The limousine from the hotel was there to pick them up. In the car he watched Carlee out of the corner of his eye. The other love of his life… “Dinner tonight is special,” he told her.
“
Fancy?” she asked.
“
Yep,” he replied.
“
Yay! Wait ‘til you see the a-dor-able dress I got today!” she said emphasizing the word, and laughed.
“
Can I tell you something?” he whispered in her ear.
“
Sure, Papa,” she looked up.
“
I think I’m gonna have a headache in the morning.”
“
Hunh?”
“
A headache,” he repeated, “you may have to go tour without me.”
She scrunched her nose up and looked at him. Then realized what he meant.
“Oh! You’re so funny!”
They rested a bit, and then prepared for the evening ahead. When he was ready, Andy poured them each a glass of wine and waited on his date. A few minutes passed and she opened the door to her room. Nothing about her looks reminded him of Beth, but when she opened the door and he saw her, a flood of emotions washed over him. She was beautiful. The red dress she wore was perfect. She wore her hair down, a section pulled up with a rhinestone barrette. She sat down on the sofa beside him, and he handed her the glass of wine he’d poured for her.
“
Wow, Carlee,” he paused. “All of a sudden I see your mama in you.”
“
I’ll take that as a compliment!”
“
You look beautiful. Where’s my little girl?” he asked, placing his hand tenderly on her cheek.
“
Grown up, Papa,” she replied trying not to cry, because all of a sudden she didn’t know if she could hold back.
“
Yes, she has.”
“
You are lookin’ mighty fine yourself, handsome,” she said rubbing her hand gently down his arm. They sat and enjoyed the wine a little longer, talking about the day. Finally, Andy rose, took her hand and brought it through the crook of his arm. “Shall we?”
“
Where are we going?” she whispered as they went out the door, “I’m starving.”
“
You’re always starving!” he said with a laugh. “I told you, it’s a surprise.”
They got into the limo he’d reserved for the evening. A short time later the driver pulled up to a pier. Andy stepped out, taking Carlee’s hand. They walked down the pier hand in hand. Boarding a cruise boat, they were handed a flute of champagne, and walked around to see all the sights. He’d reserved their best table, and they took the seats facing the view. Carlee looked around, everything was beautiful. Their table had crisp white linens, fine china, and a beautiful flower arrangement with calla lilies in the middle. She looked up and saw him looking at her and smiled, “Papa, thank you.”
“
No, love, thank you for joining me,” he said, and kissed her hand.
The three
-hour dinner cruise took them past London’s famous sights; the Houses of Parliament, London Eye, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Tower Bridge.
After dinner
, a jazz ensemble began to play. The interior lights dimmed and tiny white lights lit up across the ceiling like starlight. The lights of London were beautiful, and the views were amazing as they made their way along the Thames. Carlee knew she would remember this special night forever. The band began to play the song, “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole, one of Andy’s favorites. He took her hand. “May I have this dance?”
“
Yes, Papa,” she rose, and he folded her into his embrace, so full of love for her.