Timing Is Everything

by Steinsiek, Sabra Brown;

  Dropping his bag by the stairs, he hit the message button on the machine. A message from his agent asking him to call after the holiday, a message from Annie reminding him of the time for tonight, and a message from the employment agency that they had lined up some interviews for him for Christine’s replacement. He still had to face that task.

  As he turned away from the machine, he saw the computer silently waiting in the corner. Did he even want to check? Reluctantly, he turned it on.

  He’d forgotten to unsubscribe from the list, and his mail was full of nonsense from his fans… something about pickles, this time! Skimming down the list, he deleted all of them until he came to the one he’d been looking for, a message from Laura. He looked at the screen for a long time before he finally selected and opened it.

  Hi Taylor,

  I hope your trip back was not too tiring. You’ll probably need all your energy for Meg this evening.

  I’m glad you enjoyed your visit. Mom and Dad really liked you, which doesn’t surprise me. You also have Beth’s seal of approval. All of this is to say you’re welcome back anytime.

  Thank you for the earrings. They’re really lovely. I’ll wear them to church tonight.

  Merry Christmas, Taylor.

  Laura

  She’d agonized over the note for an hour. No matter what she wrote, it sounded wrong. The blessing of email, she thought, was that there was no paper to get tear-stained.

  She’d pulled the sheets off the bed and taken them and his towels to the laundry room. Then she’d made up the bed with fresh sheets and returned the clutter she’d hidden to the bathroom counter. After a long shower and a longer nap, she was now ready to leave to meet her parents.

  As she picked up her coat and a few last-minute packages, she stopped, looking at the computer sitting silently on the desk. She should go, but she found herself putting things down to turn it on. Logging on, she scanned the list of messages until she found Taylor’s reply.

  Laura,

  The trip was no problem. Just long. The lack of sleep caught up with me, and I slept most of the way.

  I’m leaving in a few minutes for Annie’s, and I’ll be staying there tonight so we can all be together for Christmas morning. I’m looking forward to giving Annie and Meg the gifts you helped me pick out.

  I’m glad you like the earrings. It seemed like you should have them.

  Feliz Navidad—(thank heavens email doesn’t have an accent!)

  Taylor

  Driving to Annie’s, he wondered what to tell Annie about Laura and the weekend. When they’d talked about her, he’d tried not to let Annie know the depth of his feelings, but considering her past performances, she undoubtedly already knew. He just hoped she’d realize that he didn’t want to—couldn’t talk about it yet.

  Chapter 23

  Somehow, they both made it through the holiday.

  For Laura, it had been almost as awful as the first one after Tomás’ death. She and her parents tried to ignore the one topic they all wanted to discuss, and she was relieved when the day was over and she could return to her apartment. She was even more relieved that they would be leaving on January 2nd for an extended trip to Ireland and Europe. They’d be gone a month, and, by the time they came back, she hoped she would have herself back together again.

  Taylor had felt like there was something missing all day. He’d tried to be as normal as possible. He knew Annie would have noticed if she’d been feeling all right, but she’d finally given in to a headache on Christmas afternoon, going to bed, leaving Taylor and Meg to keep each other entertained. She’d emerged late in the evening, saying she felt better. She certainly didn’t look better, but she assured Taylor she’d be fine. The studio was closed for the holiday week, so she would have time to rest.

  Now, finally, he was home and had some time alone. Pouring a glass of wine, he went out onto the deck. He could hear the music from somewhere in the complex and an occasional burst of laughter. The sounds seemed to intensify his loneliness, so he went back inside, shutting them out. More from habit than anything else, he turned on the computer and logged on. As he’d expected, there was very little traffic; everyone was celebrating with family or friends. He began to compose a message to Laura.

  Darling Laura,

  My visit went so terribly wrong. That wasn’t at all the way I had wanted it to be.

  By the middle of the morning on the first day, I realized I was in love with you. I was so terribly disappointed when your father sent me home with Beth! And, like an awkward teenager, I couldn’t even get up enough courage to kiss you goodnight.

  But our kiss the second day more than made up for it. If we’d been alone, not at your parents’, I would have taken you to bed and made love to you right then. I can still feel the softness of your mouth, the silk of your hair.

  It was what I heard later that made it all change. You and Beth talking about the man you’re dating. Then two of the neighbors gossiping in the kitchen about how you’d brought him home for Thanksgiving… how much your parents like him… how the two of you are practically engaged.

  I didn’t tell you you’d had a phone call the night before—a male voice seemed very surprised to find me there. I hadn’t thought about it much, but I realized later that it had to have been him—the guy you’re probably going to marry.

  I felt like I would ruin your life if I pursued you. With me you’d be leading a gypsy life or waiting around for me to return from a tour or appearance. You’re much too good a journalist to be dragged away from what you love and do so well. Sounds like this guy is a better match for you.

  I wish it were different, Laura. I wish you were in love with me instead of him. I wish I had let you know how I felt while I was there. I wish so many things…

  Most of all, I wish you were mine to love.

  Taylor

  Shaking his head, Taylor got up from the chair, leaving the blank computer screen patiently waiting for him to actually put his thoughts into tangible form. He took his wineglass into the kitchen, rinsed it, then came back and turned off the computer before he wearily climbed the stairs to his lonely bed.

  Chapter 24

  Laura was back at work the day after Christmas. The leftover holiday decorations looked out of place, and she removed as many as she could from around her desk. They were running on a skeleton crew; the staffers who could were taking the time off to spend the holiday week with their families. Robert had been pleased when she volunteered to work this week in exchange for the time off while Taylor was visiting.

  Beth came by about mid-morning to see if Laura wanted to take a break. The two women walked downstairs to the coffee shop where Laura played with a piece of pastry.

  “Why’d you even bother to order that?” Beth asked.

  “What?” Laura came back from whatever place she’d been. “Oh, I guess I’m just not hungry.”

  Beth reached out and covered her friend’s hand with her own. “Laura, it’s not the end of the world. Who knows what was going through his head? Something scared him off, but that doesn’t mean you have to quit living.”

  “I know that, Beth,” Laura snapped. Immediately contrite, she continued, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I just wish I knew what happened.”

  “Have you thought about asking him?”

  “Oh, sure, Beth. Hey, Taylor, why’d you kiss me and make me think you were interested when you obviously weren’t? I didn’t even get far enough with him to qualify as a one-night stand!”

  “That would have been better?”

  “Yes…no…I don’t know, Beth. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I need to get back to work.”

  Laura would have to get over this in her own good time, Beth thought. But she wished Taylor were close enough that she could tell him off for what he’d done to Laura. What a jerk he’d turned out to b
e, almost as bad as Cary!

  * * *

  Taylor spent the day in his agent’s office interviewing candidates for his assistant. They’d narrowed the pool down to five likely candidates, but they were all unsuitable as far as Taylor was concerned. He felt no connection with any of them.

  His agent, a man Taylor liked and trusted, tried to remind him that he needed to find someone soon. Taylor had snapped at him, “Maybe I should find a new agent while I’m at it,” before he’d slammed out of the office and roared off in the Jag. Before he was halfway home, he’d cooled down enough to know he’d been way out of line. All of this with Laura was eating at him. He had to find a way to come to terms with what had happened.

  Arriving home, he called his agent and apologized. “Let’s leave this for a little while, Tom. I’m just not ready to deal with it yet, and we don’t have anything coming up right away. We’ll find someone before we pick up the tour again.” His agent agreed—not that he had any real choice about it—and told Taylor to get some rest, they’d try again after the New Year.

  That taken care of, Taylor changed into shorts and tee shirt and took his blades for a long session along Bayshore. If he did it right, he’d be too tired to lay awake tonight, brooding about what might have been.

  Chapter 25

  Laura struggled to open the door of the apartment, a take-out bag in one hand, her briefcase falling over at her feet. She dropped her keys, then the bag, and, muttering a string of curses under her breath, gave up the battle. She picked up the keys, inserted them in the lock, then, pushing her briefcase through the open door with her foot, she retrieved the take-out bag and slammed the door behind her.

  It had been one hell of a day. Already tired from celebrating New Year’s, she had been up early this morning to take her parents to the airport. And to make the day just about perfect, she’d been assigned to cover the opening of the new high school and had ended up, instead, covering the gang fight that had erupted at the ceremonies. Two teenage boys had pulled knives on each other, and it had quickly escalated into a full-scale riot. Ten kids, including the two boys, had been arrested. Six more were taken to the hospital, and the pristine campus had been left in shambles. It would be a week, at least, before it could reopen. If Robert thought she was going to cover the re-opening, he was sadly mistaken.

  Kicking off her shoes, Laura hit the button on the answering machine. Two hang-ups, then Taylor’s voice. “Hi, Laura, it’s Taylor. Sorry I missed you. It’s nothing important. Call me if you have time.”

  His call was a surprise. They’d been barely speaking to each other since his visit. You couldn’t have found notes more polite if you’d checked Martha Stewart’s e-mail. She’d figured his messages would taper off and then stop coming at all before long.

  “Taylor?”

  Laura whirled around at the sound of a voice in her supposedly empty apartment. “Cary! What the hell are you doing here?” she gasped. “You scared me to death! And how’d you get in here, anyway?”

  “Hello to you, too, Laura,” Cary said as he walked over to her. He reached out to put his hands on her shoulders and give her a kiss, but she twisted away.

  “Cary, you didn’t answer me. What are you doing here, and how did you get in?”

  “I heard about what happened at the school. I thought you could use some TLC after that, so I sweet-talked Mrs. Nieto into letting me in. Dinner’s cooking, so you won’t need this,” he said as he picked up the takeout bag. “How do you eat this stuff, anyway?”

  Laura was torn between being furious and pleased. She’d have to talk to Mrs. Nieto, but she decided that, for now, pleased was the better reaction. “Cary, couldn’t you at least have said something as I came in instead of sneaking up on me?”

  He saw the anger fading from her eyes and stepped close enough to give her a kiss. “I’m sorry, Laura. I didn’t hear you at first. I would have called you, but I was afraid you’d hang up on me after the last time we were together.” He looked into her eyes and said softly, “I missed you, Laura. Go sit down, and I’ll bring you a glass of wine.”

  Laura watched him as he moved around her apartment. In the time they’d been dating, he’d made himself a big part of her life. She hadn’t realized just how much until now. She admired the way he looked in his perfectly fitted jeans and neatly pressed shirt and firmly suppressed the image of Taylor that appeared in her head.

  As he poured the wine, Cary made the connection between the voice on the phone last week and the voice on the answering machine. Taylor Morgan had been here in Laura’s apartment and, undoubtedly, her bed. With amazing self-control, he covered up his anger until it could be put to good use.

  “Here, darling.” Cary handed her a glass of her favorite white Zinfandel. “I’m making green chile fettuccine for dinner.”

  “Thanks—for all of this. I’m sorry I snapped at you. But you did scare me half to death.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he sat next to her, casually draping his arm around her shoulders. “We have about half an hour before dinner. Why don’t you put your head down and close your eyes?” He gently pulled her closer in his embrace and she gratefully did as he suggested. It was nice to have someone care.

  * * *

  Taylor had spent another day interviewing candidates to take Christine’s place. Most of them could walk and chew gum at the same time, but that was about as far as their talents went. He’d made arrangements with the agency to try again next week, even though he knew the problem wasn’t with the applicants, it was with him.

  Driving home, he was aware he was depressed—and lonely. Annie and Meg had gone up to Santa Rosa Beach to visit her parents before school started next week. He really felt like talking to someone, and Laura came to mind. Maybe it was time to try to build a new, more realistic relationship with her.

  Letting himself into the silent condo, he picked up the phone and dialed her number. When the machine picked up, he glanced at his watch and realized she was probably still at work. He left his message, then tried to figure out something to do with the rest of the empty evening that loomed ahead.

  * * *

  Laura woke when Cary tried to retrieve his arm. “Oh, God, Cary, I’m sorry! I was just so tired.”

  He smiled at her and said, “No harm, Laura. I wouldn’t have wakened you if I didn’t have to go rescue dinner. Why don’t you go splash some cold water on your face while I get dinner on the table?”

  Laura was appalled when she saw herself in the mirror. She looked a million times worse than she’d imagined. Quickly, she washed her face and re-applied her make-up. She slipped into the bedroom and changed into her favorite oversized shirt and leggings before returning to the living room.

  From the doorway, she watched him and wondered why she didn’t feel more for him. He was great looking, kind, considerate—probably brave, loyal, and trustworthy, too! Other than pressuring her to sleep with him, he was perfect. But he wasn’t Taylor.

  He saw her standing there. “Dinner’s ready,” he said as he pulled out her chair for her. The table was set with her good dishes—the ones that weren’t paper—and he’d added candles and the champagne flutes he’d given her for Christmas.

  Over dinner, he asked, “The man on the answering machine? That was Taylor Morgan, wasn’t it? I thought he was just an interview subject for you.”

  Laura was cautious. She knew Cary disliked Taylor intensely. “We’ve been corresponding for a while now. I’m working on a freelance article about him, and we seem to have a lot in common.”

  “Pretty fancy company for a small-town reporter.”

  Laura bristled at his implied criticism. “I know you don’t like him, Cary, but it has been a long time. I think he’s probably changed. He’s just a regular person, a little lonely inside all that fame.”

  “Lonely? I doubt it. He must have a girl in every city he visits, probably
a whole harem full wherever he lives. He still seems to be plenty attractive to women from what I’ve read.”

  “Cary, drop it, please. We’re friends—and even that may be too strong a word. Right now, he’s an interesting subject for an article, that’s all!”

  Thankfully, he did drop it, and they moved on to dessert; chocolate-dipped strawberries that he knew were her favorites. He insisted she put her feet up while he cleaned up the kitchen. She thought, “What is wrong with me? The man is gorgeous, considerate, cooks, and does dishes! What more could I want?”

  In the kitchen, Cary was thinking that there was obviously much more to Laura’s relationship with Morgan. She was trying much too hard to convince him there was nothing there. He knew Morgan had been here and she’d never mentioned it. He couldn’t believe he’d been so patient when she was obviously involved with his old nemesis. His anger grew as he thought about it, and he snapped the stem of the glass he was holding.

  He joined her on the couch a little later and drew her into his arms and gently kissed her. “Better now?” he whispered.

  “Mmmm, much better,” she murmured before he kissed her again.

  His kisses began to grow in intensity. Uncomfortably remembering the last time, Laura tried to move away. “No, Laura, not tonight,” he said as he moved his hands up and tangled them in her thick, copper colored hair. “Not tonight,” he said again as he pulled her face to his.

  Laura was startled by his aggressive behavior. She’d made it clear the last time, and she didn’t want to play that scene again. As she brought her hands up and placed them against his chest to push him away, he removed his hands from her hair and roughly imprisoned her wrists. “No more games, Laura,” he said, his dark eyes glittering in the dim light. Holding both her wrists in one hand, he pushed her back against the cushions and brought his other hand to her breast. His mouth descended to her throat as she struggled to free herself.