by Katie Dowe
“What else?” Her voice was hoarse.
Virginia’s eyes flew open and she looked at Candace. “The orgasm that hit me blew me away and I knew right from that moment that I wanted him more than I wanted to breathe.”
“You fell in love.”
“I don’t know if it was love or pure animal desire.” She blinked as she clasped her hands together. “He knew how I felt and how I needed him and he used that to string me along and heightened what I felt for him. I had started to rebel against him when he wanted me to dress up and play the dutiful wife whenever he wanted to impress potential business men. He would promise me sex if I went along and I did. I could not resist him. I would spend the entire night thinking of him inside me and as soon as we got home I would be heated and melting at his slightest touch.”
“He was a bastard,” Candace said softly.
Virginia looked at her startled and then laughed. “He was.” She moved to pour the rest of the tea. “My son is cut from the same cloth.”
Chapter 4
Leah felt the anger building up but did her best to tamp it down. She told herself that it was the way the woman was treating her as if she was her personal maid and not the fact that she kept touching Peter in that intimate way as if to make her know that he was her property as if she cared. As far as she was concerned they were welcome to each other! She had gritted her teeth and bore it when they had come in and he told her in that cool emotionless voice of his. “Ms. Grant, this is Ms. Candace Lovelace, she will be traveling with us today.”
She had put on her best smile, but the woman had walked past her and took her seat. Leah had noticed that Peter had chosen his usual position, a comfortable deep cushioned chair with a table attached, but somehow Candace had managed to be near him. She had ordered Campari on ice and had told Leah that the drink was too flat and she should take it back. Leah had seen the swift look Peter had given her but had ignored it and went to refresh the drink. Then the woman had ordered a pillow for her neck even though one was already there. The four-hour flight to New York felt like eight hours and Leah could not wait for it to be over. Never once did the woman tell her thanks!
Leah handed her the drink she had asked for the third time and went to take her seat. She had a method she applied whenever she was nettled by a passenger. She would take a deep breath and count upwards to ten and then think of something pleasant. Today, she thought about the last time she had spent with her dad. It was last week Thursday and he had invited her over for dinner.
“Dad, this is too much food!” she had protested as he placed the bowl of chunky beef and vegetable soup in front of her.
“You never have time to eat,” he had told her firmly as he ladled the delicious soup in the dish and placed it in front of her. “The carrots and potatoes came from the garden around the back. I am branching out into vegetable farming as well, but it’s just for home purposes and of course I share with the neighbors.”
“This is good!” She had tasted the rich soup and looked at her dad in surprise. “I remember when I was little and we mostly had takeout for dinner.”
“That’s because I was mostly working. Now I have all the time in the world and I don’t get you over enough. When I do, I have to show off my culinary skills. Next time you are coming over, bring Naomi. I have not seen that girl in months.”
“She is all over the place, but next time when we are both off, we will come and visit.”
Leah smiled as she leaned back and closed her eyes.
Her eyes snapped open as she heard the tinkling laughter coming from where they were sitting. She leaned forward in spite of herself and saw when Candace touched him on the cheek, her fingers lingering. She bristled as she saw the woman lean over and whisper something in his ear which caused him to smile slightly. For once, he did not have his head buried in some report or on the screen of his laptop but seemed to be enjoying the blonde woman’s company. Leah had never envied another woman or wished that she was in that woman’s shoes because she knew that no matter how a person looks or how wealthy they were, there were always issues there. Besides she knew what she looked like, but right now she felt a twinge of something that she did not dare identify. She felt an acute sense of relief when the announcement was made that they were landing and she fastened her seatbelt immediately.
She made her way to the entrance as soon as they landed and planted a brilliant smile on her face as they made their way past her and Reginald. Peter gave her a cool nod, but Candace, who had tucked her hand through his arm possessively, barely glanced in their direction and left without a word.
“Quite a sweetheart, isn’t she?” Reginald said dryly.
Leah laughed softly, feeling the anger dissipating. “That’s one of putting it. I am going to find somewhere to get rid of the tension of having to smile through my anger!”
*******
She went to take in a movie. They had three hours before boarding the plane and she decided to lose herself in a comedy that was playing. Reginald had gone to his usual haunt and she supposed that ‘Queen Bitch’ had gone shopping or gone to torment some other hapless soul! Leah dug into her bucket of popcorn as she glued her eyes on the large screen, trying to ignore the sounds of kissing coming from behind her. She had noticed the couple the minute she had entered the darkened room. When she could not take the moans anymore, she got up from there and went over to a far corner where an elderly gentleman was seated with a sweater clutched in his lap.
“They are going at it like rabbits,” he said in a wispy voice, as she sat in front of him.
“I am sorry?” She turned to look at him.
“I noticed that you had to change seats.” He indicated the couple. The woman was on top of the man’s lap and their lips were locked together, oblivious to the rest of the world. “In my days, things like open show of affection was not allowed.” He smiled at her revealing surprisingly white teeth. “Hi. My name is Edward Buckle the Third.”
“Leah Grant.” She held out a hand and he took it in his parchment-like hand.
“I come here almost every afternoon.” His watery blue eyes stared at her for a moment. “My wife and I used to come to the theater when she was alive and we had nothing else to do. She died a year ago, but I still come here to be close to her.”
“I am sorry to hear.” Leah turned completely in her seat feeling sorry for him. “You must have loved her very much.”
“More than life itself. She was the love of my life and the only woman for me. We did everything together. We were married for fifty years when I was thirty years old and those were the best years of my life.” He smiled slightly. “I went to war and came back and she waited for me.” His eyes wandered over Leah’s beautiful face. “You remind me of her. She was an African American with flawless skin like yours and the dimple that peeked out whenever she smiled. Interracial relationships were not popular at that time but we weathered the storm. My parents were against the union but we went ahead with it and ended up being estranged from them. But we had each other.”
“Any children?” Leah was by this time very fascinated.
“None.” He shook his head regretfully. “The good Lord did not see it fit to bless us with children but we never regretted marrying each other.” He gaze off at the screen for a moment, his expression pensive. “I just went to the doctor a few hours ago and found out that I have lung cancer. Never took a smoke in my life but there you go. I have made my peace and I am happy to be going home to be with my darling Ruth.”
Leah felt her throat clog up at that. “My dad felt the same way about my mom.” She told the elderly man that her mother had died giving birth to her and she had been raised by her father who had been a police officer at the time. “He never married anyone else even though I encouraged him to.”
“It’s hard to be with anyone else after you have found a love so magnificent and pure, my dear. I am sorry that you did not get to know your mother.”
“So am I.” Leah put he
r box of popcorn on the floor and walked to sit next to him. “Where do you live, Edward?”
“A group home. I sold the house after Ruth died and checked myself in. The company is not bad at all and the people there are very nice. It’s being so nice to talk to you, my dear. You have certainly made my day.”
“The feeling is mutual. Maybe I will see you when I come back to New York.”
“I certainly hope so.” He reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out a pen and notebook. “Write your number on this for me. We should keep in touch.”
*****
Leah was buoyed and in a better mood when she returned to the aircraft. Her smile was genuine as she welcomed back Peter and Candace. She was doing very well, in spite of the demands that the woman was making. She had noticed that she seemed upset and that Peter had his head buried in some documents while she was sitting across from him with a pout to her lips. She had changed into a lime green silk blouse and bright purple pants that somehow looked very good on her. Her ash blonde hair was combed into a neat chignon and Leah had a feeling that she had taken a trip to the hair stylist before coming back. She had handed her packages to Leah the minute she boarded.
She had just sat down after having served her three times when the woman called her again. “Miss?”
Leah looked up as she was about to take up the magazine and got to her feet.
“The name is Leah,” she told the woman coolly as she made her way over to her.
“Excuse me?” The tone was lofty and the look was disdainful.
“My name is Leah or if you prefer, Ms. Grant. Now what can I do for you?”
“Who do you think you are talking to?”
“I am talking to you, Ms. Lovelace. See how easy it is to show respect? I show you respect and you need to do that to me as well. Respect cannot be bought or sold. It is a simple courtesy shared among civilized people. Now what can I do for you?”
“Peter?” The woman swiveled her cold look at the man who was looking on with interest.
“Just tell her what you need, Candace,” he said with a touch of impatience.
“Don’t bother,” she said icily.
“Enjoy the rest of the journey.” Leah gave her a polite nod that somehow managed to look regal and went back to her seat. She was not bothered by either of them for the rest of the journey!
*****
Candace grabbed the packages from Reginald and sailed past them down the steps.
“Could you give us a minute?” Peter said, looking at Reginald. The man looked at Leah for a moment before nodding and making his way down the steps.
“I am not going to apologize,” she told him, angling her head to look up at him. “She was a pain in the neck and I am sure you know that as well.”
The silence at her words stretched before he responded. “Are you trying to get fired?” he asked her softly.
Leah felt her heart beating fast but refused to show that she was frightened by the statement. “No. But I refuse to allow people to walk on me no matter how much money they have in their bank account.”
Leah saw the glimmer of a smile before it disappeared. Then she said something that made the mask of indifference slipped from his handsome face. “She is not wife material.”
“What?”
“She is selfish and self-absorbed and would never make a good mother in case you were thinking of having children.”
Peter stared at her astounded. “Are you aware of who you are speaking to?”
“If I am going to be fired, I might as well speak my mind.”
Without warning, he pulled her into his arms! Leah braced her hands against his solid chest and then with a groan she opened her mouth as his head bent to take her lips with his. Leah had been kissed a few times before. She had even tried a relationship which never worked out. All because she had been hankering after the love that her dad had sworn by his entire life! For the first time in her life, she could not make head or tail of the emotions clamoring inside her as Peter’s lips touched hers! She curled her hands into his jacket and melted into the kiss, her heart hammering and her body trembling against his. He wrapped his hands around her and brought her closer to him as he deepened the kiss. It was the sound of his phone buzzing inside his pocket that had him lifting his head and looking down at her, his dark blue eyes almost black as he stared down at her. His eyes wandered over her swollen lips and her half-closed eyes and with a stifled groan, he pushed her away from him. He stood there staring at her for a moment and then without another word he turned and left, almost running down the steps. Leah put her fingers on her swollen lips and had to sit for a little bit to regain her strength and stop the trembling of her knees! It took several minutes before she could make her way down and thankfully by that time he was already gone.
*****
“Am I boring you?” Dan asked teasingly. He was in town for the night and was heading out in the morning to fly to Paris. He had called her up and asked her to dinner. She had almost told him no but had decided to go out and try and forget that she had exchanged a passionate and totally hot kiss with her employer!
She shook her head no. “I am just wondering what they put in this salad,” she said lightly as she poked around in her bowl. “It tastes like chicken but I am not sure.”
He looked at her closely. “Are you okay? You seem far different from the girl I met at the party. You seem to have a lot on your mind.”
“I am all yours,” she told him with a bright smile. “Tell me about your family.”
He began speaking again and her mind wandered. She should not have come. She was not the type to use anyone and she felt as if she was using Dan. He was a nice enough guy with an attractive face and seemed genuine, but she was not interested.
He stopped talking and looked at her. “I have been talking too much. I want to hear about you. Why did you decide to become an air stewardess?”
“Because of how gratifying serving the passengers are,” she said with a teasing smile.
He laughed at that. “I am sure.”
“I wanted to travel the world and at that time it was the only way I could afford to do so.”
“Do you regret your decision?”
She shrugged eloquently as she looked around the room. The restaurant was a popular one uptown and had a full complement of people. It was her second time coming here and she liked the ambience. “Sometimes the type of people I have to deal with makes me wonder.”
“You are working privately for Peter Schulz, I am sure that it is not half as bad as working commercial.”
“Not half bad,” she said lightly as she took up her glass of wine. She certainly did not want to talk about her boss! “What about you? Why a pilot?”
“I get the ladies!” he said with a grin. “Seriously, I was always fascinated by aerodynamics since I was attending high school and I always knew I wanted to be a pilot. It gets scary sometimes in the air not knowing what the day will turn out to be like. I was caught up in a hostage situation some years back.”
“What was that like?” she asked in fascination.
“Frightening,” he admitted with a shaky laugh. “Fortunately, the situation was diffused quickly and without anyone losing their lives. I almost did not want to fly again.”
“What made you decide to go back?”
“I am a pilot and flying is in my blood. I cannot stop.”
Leah found herself relaxing around him and finally started to enjoy his company. Before long, she found herself laughing at his jokes. Before they knew it, the time had flown by and it was almost eleven!
“You have work in the morning?” he asked her as he helped her with her coat.
“Thankfully no. I am on duty the day after.”
He walked her out to her car and they stood there for a moment. It was the middle of November and the fall weather was all around them, in the stiff breeze picking up and rustling the naked trees in the car park. “I would like to see you again if I may?”
She hesitated a little and then nodded. “When you are in town next, give me a call.”
He took her hands in his. “I have the feeling that you are not ready for a relationship but friends for now?”
“Friends for now.” She squeezed his hands.
He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Good night, Leah.”
“Good night Dan.” She waved at him and climbed into her car. She left him standing there as she backed out and headed out. She thrummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she drove home listening to the cool tones of an up and coming singer. She blocked out the image of Peter kissing her and concentrated on the road. She had no idea how she was going to face him!
******
“How could you sit there and allow a staff member to talk to me like that?” Candace had said furiously as they made their way to her apartment.
“She had every right to, you were very rude.”
“You should have supported me, Peter.”
“Drop it,” he had told her coldly and she had settled back in a sulky silence.
Now at his apartment, he paced the length of his elegantly sparse room. The housekeeper had left a fire burning in the hearth and dinner in the warmer but he was not in the least bit hungry! He had done the unthinkable! He had kissed her and he was not supposed to have done that! He had been thinking about it from the other day and seeing her arguing with Candace had brought out such a feeling of utter desire in him that when he had stood there he could not help but pull her into his arms. And her lips! He groaned and plunged his fingers into his dark hair, messing it up. He had felt the swell of desire, the likes he had never felt before. He had wanted to take her right there! How the hell was he supposed to work with her again? He had thought about calling Madeline to ask her to get rid of her, pay her off or something, but he could not do it and besides that was not his style. He could have her transfer to one of the commercial flights and keep her at the same salary she was currently getting. He went to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a generous measure of scotch. Holding the ice, he drank down the liquor, grimacing as it hit the walls of his stomach. She was not working tomorrow but was on for the next day. He was not going to be able to face her. He felt like a damned coward, but he was going to have to tell Madeline to let her sit out the rest of the week with pay. He had to come up with some sort of excuse because he was planning on going to Japan the day after tomorrow. Or he could just put off the trip until he was recovered and work from the office! He emptied the glass and put it away before striding into the bedroom. His body was still tingling and he knew he was in trouble!