Slender Bridge

by Katrina Clemons

  “You flatter me, Mr. Dawson.”

  I waved my hand dismissively. “I don’t see my father anywhere around. Call me Scott.”

  She looked up at me from beneath the sweep of her lashes, and my mouth went dry. Her eyes were like golden honey and matched the glints of gold that ran through her hair. I could later blame it on the drinks I had consumed, or the energy and vibe in the club, but the quiet little woman in the elevator this afternoon had transformed into a knockout. I glanced at Clare and Michael, who were deep in conversation with their heads close. I leaned in towards Helen.

  “Would you like to dance?”

  She looked over at Clare.

  “Michael will take care of her. I’ll take care of you.”

  She seemed hesitant.

  “I promise not to step on your pretty toes.”

  She laughed then, and my stomach turned somersaults at the full, rich sound. She nodded, and her curls bounced around her shoulders. She touched Clare on the shoulder and tossed her head in the direction of the dance floor, as she took my hand.

  The song was a popular up-tempo rhythm, and we blended with the crowd immediately. I enjoyed watching her move and bounce along to the rhythm. I liked a woman who didn’t mind working up a bit of sweat outside the bedroom.

  Half an hour later, I took her by the elbow and steered her towards the stairs leading back to the VIP lounge.

  “Whew! Worked up quite a sweat there, didn’t we.”

  “I haven’t danced like that in ages! It felt good!” She leaned back and crossed one shapely leg over the other. She pulled her curls back and used her purse to fan at her temple. “I enjoyed that a lot! Thank you!”

  She smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. I raised my hand, and a waitress arrived in short order. I looked over at Helen.

  “Ummm. A virgin daiquiri, please.”

  I raised my eyebrows and narrowed my eyes dreamily. “Virgin? Come on, sweetheart, live a little. You’re not driving.” I looked up at the waitress. “Make that a straight daiquiri and another gin.”

  I watched as Helen scanned the room below. I saw her shoulders relax when she spotted Michael and Clare dancing.

  “She’s in good hands with Michael.”

  She gave a tiny smile. The waitress arrived with our drinks. I watched as she pulled a face and coughed slightly at the first sip.

  “Slowly. It may take some getting used to.”

  She nodded. “That’s something else I haven’t done in a while. In my line of work, sobriety is key.”

  I leaned forward and examined her intently. “You wouldn’t happen to be a police officer, would you.”

  She laughed and took a slower sip of her drink. The tip of her tongue slipped out to lick at her lips. “Two more guesses.”

  I got into the game and made a pointed effort to scan her carefully from head to toe. Sitting there as she was in that hot little red dress, all sorts of naughty professions came to mind. I held my tongue. I watched as she swung her foot back and forth. The tiny gold stiletto dangled from her foot as she held my gaze. I wondered if she would hold my gaze like that as I slid deep into …

  I cleared my throat. “Teacher.”

  She giggled and shook her head. “Nuh-uh. One more.”

  “Do I get a prize if I guess correctly?”

  “I can’t promise that.” She tilted her head as she took another sip. “Well?”

  I leaned back and crossed an ankle over one knee.

  “Nurse.”

  She made a buzzing sound. “Three strikes, you’re out.”

  “So, what do you do?”

  “I’m a chef.”

  “A chef.” I looked at her incredulously.

  “A chef.”

  “Forgive me. It’s just that I’ve always pictured chefs to be rather tall and fat men, not petite and pretty women like yourself.”

  She laughed. “We come in all shapes and sizes and genders. The kitchen has evolved.”

  “You look rather young to be a chef.”

  “Is that your barely subtle way of asking my age, Scott?”

  “Did it work?”

  She rolled her eyes and gave a small smile. “I’m twenty-six. And I own a cafe.”

  My mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack.”

  “So don’t you need to be at the cafe all day every day?”

  “I usually am. But Clare insisted that I needed a break so…”

  “We all need time off to relax. All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl.” I slid my eyes over her body once more. “And you, my dear Helen, are far from dull.”

  “Well, thank you for your stamp of approval, kind sir.” She tossed back the rest of her drink and stood. “I think I’m a bit rested and refreshed. Thanks for the drink.”

  “Where are you going?”

  She laughed. “I didn't come here to sit and look at the crowd. I came to kick my heels up. I don’t know when I’ll be this carefree again, so I’ve got to live it up while I have the chance.”

  “Wait.” I finished off my drink and stood likewise. I took her hand and led her back down to the dance floor.

  Now that we had gotten a second wind, we danced the night away – literally. It was nearly four a.m. before the DJ slowed the selections down. I drew her into my arms and placed her arms around my neck. As I pulled her close, I reveled in the feel of her soft curls against my face and her arms around me. We moved along with the slow steps of one love song after another. The DJ announced the last song, and I raised my head to look into her eyes.

  “Did you have a good time tonight?”

  “The best.”

  “It doesn’t have to end here, you know. You could come back to my suite and hang out for a bit. I’m sure Michael and Clare wouldn’t mind. Would you like to?”

  She closed her eyes and appeared to give it some thought. Then slowly, she shook her head. “I think I’ll pass. It’s been a long night, and I have had a lot of fun. But I’m feeling a bit tired.”

  “I understand. But if you change your mind, ask Clare for my room number. I’m sure by now she knows everything, including the color of my underwear tonight. She and Michael have not stopped yapping.”

  “I know, right! I never thought there was a man that could match her with her gift for gab. I stand corrected.”

  “He’s a lawyer. He makes his living by talking all day.” I checked the time. “I think it’s time we got you ladies back to the hotel.”

  Reluctantly we separated and found Clare and Michael on the balcony. We made our way to the parking garage where the chauffeur Michael and I had retained for our time there waited. We handed the ladies in then entered on either side. Casually, I draped my hand across Helen’s shoulders. I loved the feel of her firm thigh against mine.

  All too soon we were at the hotel. I placed my hand lightly on Helen’s waist as we waited for the elevator. As it ascended to our floor, I dropped a chaste kiss on her cheek.

  “Thanks for a wonderful night, Helen. You should make more time to let your hair down. It suits you.”

  She pressed her cheek against mine and smiled. “Thank you, Scott. I enjoyed the night immensely. And my toes are still intact.”

  We laughed. I ignored the pointed looks we received from our companions as we continued the journey in silence. As the doors opened on our floor, I squeezed her hand gently. I leaned in and whispered.

  “The offer is still good, you know.”

  She smiled wanly and shook her head.

  “Ok.” I extended my hand to Clare. “It was nice running into you ladies again. Take care.” I stepped out of the box and watched as the doors slid close. Helen gave a tiny wave, and I waved back. I stood looking at the closed doors as the numbers started to change.

  “Someone had a good night. You should have invited her over. It is a suite, you know.”

  “I did invite her twice. She passed.”

  “Whoa! Can someone tell you no? And
you accepted it?”

  “I’m respecting the lady’s wishes, okay.”

  Michael shrugged. “If you say so. They don’t leave until Monday morning, so you still have two days to change her mind.”

  “You and Clare chatted up a storm tonight, didn’t you.”

  “She’s an interesting girl, and I’m an interesting guy, and we both had a lot to talk about since we met in San Fran. Sue me!” Michael spread his hands dramatically.

  “Just tell me that you didn’t tell her what color boxers I’m wearing.”

  “I didn’t.” He swiped the key card, and our door swung open. “But that only was because she didn’t ask.”

  Chapter 6 – Helen

  “What a night!” Clare threw herself across the bed. “I’m beat!”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. “You’re so melodramatic! All you did was talk. I’m the one who was on her feet all night.” I sat on the edge of the bed and slipped my shoes off. I wiggled my toes and massaged my ankles.

  “I saw you! Girl! You and Scott were tearing up that dance floor.”

  I grinned. “He is a pretty good dancer. It was fun.”

  “It looked like a whole lot more than just fun from where I was. Scott couldn’t keep his eyes nor his hands off you. You had that man hooked! And he’s a vast improvement over what’s his face if I must say.”

  I blushed as I rose to undress. The dress fell apart as the zipper went down. I grabbed the robe from the chair and shrugged into it. I dug into my cosmetics bag for a head wrap and make-up remover and headed to the bathroom. Quickly, I gathered my curls and secured them away from my face. I looked up as Clare came to stand in the doorway. I began applying cold cream.

  “So.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

  “So?”

  “What was all that whispering in the elevator?”

  I felt my face turn red and was glad that the cream hid my telltale blush. I continued in silence.

  “Ooooh! It must be juicy! Your ears and neck are as red as your face underneath that cream. Now spill!”

  I sighed and grabbed a few cotton balls to begin to wipe away the cream.

  “Well, if you must know, he invited me to hang out in his suite.”

  “Are you serious?” Clare’s eyes grew as round as saucers. “So why are you changing and taking off your make-up? Ooooooh! You’re going to shower first! Let me get out of your way, hun!”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Clare.”

  “What do you mean you’re not going anywhere?”

  “I mean, when I finish cleaning off my face, I’m going to brush my teeth, hop into my pajamas and see what sleep I can get out of what’s left of the night.”

  “Am I missing something here? Can you please go back to the club and find the real Helen Anderson? Do you know her? The one who was fangirling over Scott Dawson this afternoon? The woman standing here telling me she refused an offer from the Scott Dawson cannot be that same Helen.”

  “If fashion fails you at any point, I think you would have a flourishing career as an actress, you know. You’re so dramatic.”

  “Hun. I’m serious. Did you seriously tell Scott you didn’t want to come over?”

  “Yes, I did.” I washed my hands and checked my face then reached for my toothbrush and toothpaste. I squeezed a dollop on the bristles and started brushing.

  “I don’t understand. What would have been hard in going over for a drink?”

  I held my finger up as I continued brushing. I spat and rinsed and put my toothbrush down with a clatter.

  “You know, and I know it wouldn’t be only a drink, Clare. Yes, it may start with a drink, but we all know it would end with us in bed.”

  “And that's a problem?”

  I rolled my eyes and stepped past her back into the room. “Of course that’s a problem. It’s too soon for me to think about being with someone intimately like that.”

  “Do you think what’s his face is living celibately, hoping that you will forgive his indiscretions and come running back? Heck, no!” She threw her hands in the air dramatically. “I can’t believe you turned down Scott Dawson’s bed!”

  I rummaged in my suitcase for a pair of pajamas. I slipped off the robe and slipped into them.

  “Believe it. I’m not into one night stands.”

  “Who says it would have been a one night stand. After all, we’re here for three nights. It would be a three-night stand.”

  I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. “You’re incorrigible!”

  “I’m a realist. Scott Dawson is a gorgeous specimen of the masculine gender. I can’t believe you said no.”

  “Well, believe it.” I crawled between the sheets and pulled the covers tight around me. “Hit the lights when you’re through, please.” I made a big production of settling in comfortably and closing my eyes. “Good night, Clare. Sweet dreams.”

  “Yours could have been sweeter, but no, little Miss Helen has got to have morals and standards.”

  I listened to her as she moved around the room, undressing. The past twenty-four hours had been non-stop from flying, shopping, and dancing the night away. Genuine tiredness seeped into my body. My eyelids grew heavy. The last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep was Clare muttering that if she had been the one to get such an invitation, he wouldn’t have had to ask twice.

  The next two days found us doing even more shopping. Now I knew why Clare had insisted that I take an empty duffel bag along. It was into this that my purchases went. On Sunday evening, we went out for dinner and a movie afterward. It was around ten p.m. before we got back to the hotel. We stopped at the bar downstairs for a quick nightcap. Clare decided, at that point, to clear our bill and make the arrangements for a cab to the airport. I sat staring into my drink, waiting for her to return.

  “Penny for them?”

  I jumped as a deep voice spoke directly into my ear.

  “Oh! Hi!”

  “Hi, yourself.” Scott slid onto the stool next to mine. “So this time tomorrow, you’re back home, huh.”

  “Yup!”

  “And did you enjoy your weekend of frolicking?”

  “I certainly did.”

  He chuckled softly. “That’s good to know.” He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. I felt the same sparks I had felt each time he touched me on Friday night, run up and down my spine.

  “It was nice meeting you, Scott.”

  “The feeling is mutual, Helen. You have a safe flight.” He leaned across, and I met him halfway. I inhaled the smell of his cologne as he brushed his lips across my cheek. Then just as suddenly as he came, he slipped away. I turned to watch him stride out of the room. I turned back to finish my drink. He was indeed a gorgeous man, and for the first time, I questioned my refusal on Friday night. Deep down, I knew I had made the right choice. Yet still, there was a niggling at the back of my mind that wondered what would have happened had I taken him up on his offer.

  I drained the last dregs as Clare returned. We made our way quietly up to our room.

  Our flight home was uneventful, and before I knew it, I was waving goodbye to Clare as she dropped me at my apartment. I wasted no time in unpacking and putting away my purchases. It was barely midday when I completed the task. I was not due back at the café until tomorrow, and so, I had the rest of the afternoon to myself. I jumped into my car and headed downtown to get some groceries. I was halfway through my list when I heard someone call my name. My face broke into a grin as I looked up to see Susan Brady barreling towards me. I braced for impact. She was a tiny little thing, only five feet two inches tall, but she packed a wallop! Many persons who walked into her flower shop were often in awe at how quickly she moved around the space to deal with customers. She was my number two best friend.

  After we exchanged hugs and kisses, I remembered why she had not been able to accompany Clare on the weekend. I made a yucky face.

  “I just remembered! You have the flu! And now you’ve
rubbed your germs all over me! Ew!”

  She waved dismissively. “Oh, stop! Is that what Clare told you? It was only a stomach bug. I was over it by Saturday. So how was Miami?”

  We pushed our carts in the same direction.

  “I don’t want it to sound as if I was happy you weren’t well. But I needed that weekend away.”

  “You certainly look rested and rejuvenated! If this is what a few days away can do for you, I’ll take a stomach bug for you any day, hun. So what did you girls do?”

  “Well, Clare had to get work out of the way. After that, it was fun, fun and more fun. We went to the spa for treatments and massages.”

  “Your hair does have a nice bounce and shine to it. Let me see the nails! Ooooh! That’s a nice color.”

  “Sadly, it has to be removed tonight. No painted nails when handling food.”

  “At least you enjoyed it for a few days.”

  “Yeah. It was nice getting all dressed up. You would not believe who I met, though. So, Clare ran into a client of hers. He’s some prominent movie lawyer. And he had one of his clients with him. Guess who. You're never going to guess, so I might as well tell you. Scott Dawson.”

  Susan’s eyes grew wide. “The Scott Dawson? Thunder Trails Scott Dawson? The Prince Files Scott Dawson? No More Lies Scott Dawson? That Scott Dawson?”

  I nodded vigorously. “The same!”

  We squealed like two teenage girls then covered our mouths self-consciously as other shoppers looked at us curiously. Susan playfully slapped my shoulder.

  “I can’t believe you met a movie star. That was supposed to be me! So tell me everything! Leave nothing out.”

  “Well, at first, I wasn’t sure it was him, and then he introduced himself. I could barely speak, Sue! We rode the elevator, and I could barely breathe! But that’s not the juicy part. Clare and I went to the club on Friday night.”

  “Don’t tell me you saw him at the club too.”

  I nodded. “I saw him at the club too.”

  Susan’s eyes grew wide. “Don’t tell me you danced with him.”

  I let go of the handle of my cart and did a little jig. “I danced with him too. All night.”

  Susan flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and fanned herself as if she was on the verge of passing out. She shook her head in disbelief.