His Perfect Woman (Urban Hearts Series Book 1)

by Towne, L. E.

  “She likes Ross to drive her to the appointments. He makes her laugh.”

  “I’m a funny guy.” Ross smirked.

  “Sorry, did you say funny looking?” Az smiled at him, “Cause yeah, you are one goofy looking guy.”

  “I’m not goofy looking.” Ross pushed his bottom lip out.

  “Come on, that deer in the headlights look you get.” Az widened her eyes outrageously and blinked in slow motion.

  Ben laughed and shot a glance at Ross.

  “I like her.”

  “Knew you would,” Ross murmured, he fiddled with a plastic straw on the table. When he looked up, Azure was watching him and they smiled in a silent communication.

  Ben watched the emcee set up the machine and mic on the tiny stage in a corner of the bar. “It looks like Karaoke night.” As if on cue, Az scraped her chair back, and Ross felt her absence before it happened.

  “Don’t go.” He didn’t exactly plead, but the want in his voice was evident. Ben looked at him sharply, so he covered it by adding. “Stay, we’ll watch Ben make an ass of himself at Karaoke.” Ben seconded the invite, adding one for dinner and bought another round.

  -------

  The 80’s rock guitar soared in the background and Ross held the microphone in his sweaty palm. He shouldn’t have been nervous. He’d been up there twice already. But somehow, he wasn’t sure how, Azure was on stage with him and she held the second microphone. He launched into the first verse of The Romantics, What I Like About You. It was a fun rock song, nothing sappy or too romantic, nothing personal. He couldn’t help but watch her, joining him on a background vocal, not looking at the lyrics. She sang the second verse and he managed some moves on the stage as the lyric demanded.

  The crowd—especially his impromptu fan club at the first table—cheered louder than they had all night. He was comfortably tipsy, a necessary prerequisite to being on stage at all, and by the end of the song, they were both dancing. The audience was on their feet and clapping in time. They finished with a flourishing hey!, on the up-beat. They soaked in the applause, arms around each other like they’d done this a million times. Ross beamed all the way back to his chair.

  “You have a good voice,” he said, leaning over to be heard above the noise.

  “Maybe it was my singing partner.” She smiled at him and he leaned in close. He wanted to kiss her again. It simply felt like a natural thing to do. Her eyes grew wide as she backed away and looked toward Ben, who was studying them. Ross shook himself out of it.

  “Well, I’ve got an early morning tomorrow,” Ben said. “I gotta go. But thanks for a great night. Azure, it was a pleasure meeting you.”

  “Likewise,”Az said as she grabbed her purse. They settled the bill. Outside, Ben scooped her up in a bear hug, saying something in her ear. She laughed, standing to one side as he hugged Ross quickly and got into a waiting cab.

  Ross and Azure turned away from the street and walked back into the hotel. He knew it wouldn’t be a repeat of last time. It was too close a call, but he could at least walk her to her room. He wanted just a tiny bit more time with her.

  That notion died a miserable death when a woman spoke from behind them. They stopped in front of the elevators. Az made introductions and Ross knew the woman wasn’t going anywhere as long as there was a chance for something juicy to happen. Ross hugged Azure as casually as possible and left.

  He was on his way home, just walking out of the L station when his phone buzzed.

  “Sorry about that,” she spoke without preamble. “Carol Lawford is CTC’s biggest gossip, she spent five floors trying to get some sort of goods about you.”

  “Well, you could have given her my number, I’d have fielded questions.”

  “She said you were very attractive.”

  “Really. You sure she didn’t say goofy looking?” He grinned into the phone and his teeth hurt with the cold.

  “Ben liked it.”

  “Ben liked you.”

  “I like him, he’s a cool guy.”

  He heard her rustle something over the phone.

  “What are you doing? You back in your room?”

  “Yes, getting ready for bed. You’re part in this convention might be finished, but I have another busy day. ”

  “Seemed like you and Ben were deep in conversation about something when I came back from the bathroom, what was that about?”

  “Why don’t you ask him?”

  “I’d rather talk to you.”

  “Ah, that’s nice.” She made a soft huffing sound, like she was settling on the bed. He envisioned her in striped pajamas, her bare feet crossed out in front of her. The picture in his head brought desire back from all the stuffed away places in his psyche.

  “Are you gonna tell me what he said?”

  “We talked about you, of course. Is that what you want to hear?”

  “Why are you being stubborn?” he asked.

  “Oh because you react so predictably when I do. It’s kinda cute.”

  “Oh.” He stomped his feet against the cold. He’d been walking and talking and had arrived in front of his building. If he went in, he’d lose cell service. He walked around in circles in front of the steps. Dani was home tonight, upstairs waiting for him. He had no desire to be there.

  “He was just being the protective older brother, I think.” Azure continued. “So he had to mention that you had a girlfriend.”

  “Damn it, he should—”

  “Ross, don’t get mad at him. It wasn’t a harsh conversation. Besides, he has a point. We can’t continue this, whatever it is. As much as I—”

  “Look, I’ll talk to him.”

  “It’s not about Ben, or what he said. It’s us. Last time was...strange. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry. Look, I’m trying to figure out my life here.” There was a deadly pause on the phone. A pause laden with bad news and he wanted to fill the space with hope and promises of how things would work out. “I might need some space, okay?”

  Space? They had a thousand miles between them.

  Except for the urban noise he was immune to—traffic noise, people shouting in the distance, the faraway siren—he heard nothing. Arguments and protests formed themselves in his head, but he knew she was right, and it was one more reason he loved her. After a soft good bye, Ross hung up his phone and stood on the cold sidewalk. He watched his breath disappear on the wind.

  -10-

  Dani had planned a getaway weekend. They were on their way to a cozy cabin in the woods, which was infinitely romantic. At least according to the brochure. The road was treacherous and beautiful. Snow covered hills were luminous with light from a low hanging moon. A few warm days and a fair amount of traffic caused muddy ruts in the road—now frozen in the evening chill. Ross couldn’t remember a more bone jarring trip. Why they had to drive three hours to be romantic he couldn’t fathom. But they traveled to some remote area of Illinois he’d never heard of. So remote they might as well be in Wisconsin during mud season. He’d agreed the time away would do them both good. Now, every curve and steep valley wanted to throw them off course.

  Their finances couldn’t afford some beach resort, and their relationship couldn’t afford not to do something. So here they were, mostly at Dani’s insistence. He’d been ready to call it quits. Ross had been in a perpetual state of confusion since Az’s phone call. He knew what he wanted. But also knew that for all intents and purposes, that she was unattainable. Strangely enough, his main plan had now become his back-up plan, his contingency for a happy life.

  “How much further?” he gripped the wheel as Dani peered at the brochure map. GPS was useless this far out of nowhere. No cell service either, and while he supposed that was the whole point, he couldn’t help but feel like kids in a horror movie, about to be slaughtered by some guy in a hockey mask.

  “It shouldn’t be much further, it says it’s only eight miles off the–oh!” Dani cringed as the jeep wrangler bottomed out yet again. “The main
road,” she continued.

  “That was the main road? It’s twenty miles off any kind of highway.” He tried to keep the impatience out of his voice. She heard it anyway.

  “You wanted to do this.” She muttered into the side window, avoiding his look, “Oh, look, there’s a light.” She pointed toward her side of the car. “Through the trees, I think we’re here.”

  Ross avoided a thank-God as they rounded the curve and came upon a smallish, longish sort of building with a friendly warm porch light. They parked and he unloaded suitcases as Dani rang the bell. The man who answered was older, not overly friendly but very apologetic about the eight miles of bad road he called the driveway. Apparently, his son did the plowing and grading and their heavy equipment grader wasn’t working. He took a flashlight and showed them to the private luxury cabin, about 200 yards away from the main office. 200 yards is not far, unless you’re dragging two week’s worth of luggage uphill along a gravel path lit only by dim flashlight.

  “This is so quaint.” Dani was tired, and when she got tired, her voice took on the high-pitched squeak of a twelve year old fangirl. Ross cringed as he lowered the duffel and suitcase to the cold pinewood floor. “Definitely rustic,” Dani squealed again, her eyes unnaturally bright. The old man beamed.

  “The Missus and I decorated it ourselves.” He indicated something behind Ross. “That little beauty I shot myself, not 300 yards from here.”

  Ross looked behind him and jumped. A four foot tree branch was attached to the pinewood wall. Perched on it, was a furry creature with razor edged teeth bared in a snarl. It’s claws outstretched to snatch a piece of unsuspecting guest.

  “Nice.” Ross edged away. “What is it?”

  “Why it’s a mink. Haven’t you ever seen a mink?” The old man asked. He placed the room key with its giant carved bear key ring on the dinette table.

  “Only the kind with sleeves,” Ross quipped. He grinned. The man looked at him for a solid second. Ross turned away. The man snorted and turned back to finish his tour with Dani, whom he obviously liked better, even with her nails on a blackboard voice.

  “Okay, miss, the bathroom is in here, complete with whirlpool tub, that was the missus’s idea, and there’s a back porch with a swing.”

  “Oh Ross, a swing, isn’t that cool?”

  “Cool.” Ross looked over the tiny wood lined cabin, strewn with woodsy wreaths and boughs of raffia and silk flowers, in between the dead animals. He noted a large open-mouthed fish mounted on the wall opposite of the mink. It perched just over the quilt spread on the double brass bed.

  Except for the bathroom, everything was jammed into one room, including a black free standing wood fireplace, looking ominous and fierce. The old man pulled him over to the beastly thing and showed him how the damper worked as well as the large fan attachment. He flipped on a manual toggle switch and the fan whirred to life. The fixings for a small fire were already set inside the open door. He pulled a fire lighter off the hearth and placed it under the stack of wood. A tiny flame crackled to life.

  “You can shut the door and bank the fire, but keep the damper open or you’ll smoke up the place.” The old man handed Ross the long barreled butane lighter as though it was a family heirloom. He made his way out the door.

  “Okay,” Ross rubbed his cold hands together cheerfully after the door closed. “Now what?”

  “Drink?” Dani said, and pulled out a bottle of Wild Turkey. Ross scrounged in one of the two cabinets that served as a kitchen and came up with two tiny juice glasses. They sat on the edge of the bed and clinked glasses.

  “To us.” Dani said.

  “To us,” Ross agreed. He downed the amber liquid and held his glass out for another. She poured.

  The next morning, they woke shivering and discovered frost on the windows—on the inside of the windows. Ross hopped around on the cold floor attempting to get a fire going in the now dead fireplace. After several tries and curses and Dani making fun of him on his hands and knees blowing at tiny sparks inside a black hole, he managed to coax a somewhat cheerful flame. Turning to Dani in triumph, he found her wrapped in the quilt and unwilling to venture anywhere until the place warmed up.

  Desperate for coffee, he puttered through the two cabinets until he came up with an ancient old fashioned percolator and a tin of coffee. He set the filled pot on the two burner stove and crawled back under the quilt. She did her best to warm him up, squealing at his cold hands on her, but they were indeed quite warm by the time the coffee boiled over and sputtered on the stove.

  “Want to go for a walk?” he asked as she came out of the bathroom, dressed for the day. She wore knee high fur-trimmed boots, and leggings underneath a tiny wool plaid skirt. A black turtleneck sweater skimmed down over her hips with a matching belt at her waist. The boots were only two-inched heels, instead of the usual four, her concession to being in the wilderness.

  “Ah, maybe you ought to wear pants, it’s pretty cold out there, babe.” He looked down at his own worn jeans and hiking-boots. His flannel long sleeved shirt was warm and comfy over his black t-shirt.

  “Aren’t we just going to the main house? The brochure said they serve a light luncheon on the weekends.”

  “Yeah, okay. I’ll ask the guy where to get more firewood too.” They crunched their way through the gravel to the long house where they’d met their host the night before.

  Served in a quaint four table dining room, the light luncheon was a spread of baked ham, au gratin potato casserole and three kinds of bread, along with a green salad. For dessert, a homemade cherry cobbler made Ross’s mouth water. He ate like a man starved. After the meal, he looked out the window contentedly.

  In the light of day, the surrounding woods were charming and pretty. Snow sparkled on the pristine ground where cars hadn’t rutted through it. In the middle distance, he could pick out thatches of birch and oak. Tall pine trees dotted the landscape behind them.

  The Missus also did all the cooking and as she came to the table to introduce herself, Ross complimented her on the food. She beamed.

  “This time of year we don’t get too many folks. It’s the season you know, too early for the bird watchers, too late for the snowmobilers. You folks and another couple are the only ones here.”

  “Snowmobiling?” Dani perked up. Her plate had contained only salad and one small piece of bread, half eaten. “That’d be fun, wouldn’t it, Ross?”

  “Oh, you can’t this time of year.” The old man came to join his plump wife. “Ground’s too soft. Not enough snow. Last month was the time to come for that.”

  “Oh.” Dani pushed lettuce leaves around on her plate.

  “There’s another couple?” Ross asked hopefully.

  “Yes, the Swanson’s, from Green Bay. They’re kind of artsy-fartsy people, nice enough, but stay to themselves.” The old man looked at Ross like he was artsy-fartsy too, and dared him to disagree.

  “Oh Harv, I’m sure they’ll like these young folks,” Missus Harv said. “They’re artists you see, he’s a poet and she’s some kind of painter. They come up here to refurbish their creative mojo.”

  “I see.” Ross smiled. The only thing he saw was a tiny corner of the cobbler left in a huge baking dish on the sideboard. “Do you mind if I have that last bit of cobbler?”

  The old man huffed off, muttering about chores.

  “Of course not, dear.” She brought the pan over, scooping the remnants onto his dessert plate. “I could get you a scoop of ice cream to go with that if you want.”

  Dani kicked Ross under the table.

  “Uh, no thanks ma’am, this will be just fine.” He glared at Dani.

  “You call me Marge, honey. It’s Marge.”

  “Thanks Marge.” Ross said and she bustled off, clearing their remaining plates.

  Ross turned to Dani. “Why’d you kick me?”

  “Really Ross? Ice cream? You’ve eaten enough to feed a plow horse and you want ice cream?”

  “Looks like
that’s all there is to do around here. Look at scenery, eat some more and try to stay warm.”

  “We’re supposed to be. . .” She trailed off.

  Ross finished the last bite of juicy flaky goodness. He licked his fork.

  “Were supposed to be what? Together? Busy? Talking up a storm?”

  “Never mind.” Dani pushed her chair back.

  Ross set his fork down and crossed his arms. He had barely slept on the lumpy mattress and he was tired. He wanted a nap. He wanted his laptop, his tablet or even a good book. None of which he’d brought with him.

  “Sorry, you’re right, babe. Hey, let’s go for a walk or something, okay?”

  They spent the next hour trudging through the snow on some barely discerned walkway around the grounds. Dani clutched at his elbow and picked her way over the muddy spots. Their conversation consisted mostly about the upcoming wedding of Sandy and Chad, and Ross’s family. He’d spent a fair amount of time driving his mom to her radiation treatments, and then always hung around for take-out or a casserole his sister would bring over. Dani had seen his family exactly once since his mom’s surgery.

  “Could you not abandon me to your sister, next time we visit?” Dani walked just ahead of him. They made their way back to the little cabin. Ross saw the welcome sight through the trees.

  “It’ not like you and Maggie don’t get along.”

  “We do, or rather, we used to, but lately it’s all been, ‘isn’t it time for you guys to settle down?’” Her voice softened. “We aren’t her and Jason. She’s the earth mother and he goes along with whatever she says. And you, you may as well be one of the kids.”

  “She gets a little over protective, I know. She’s always been that way. I’m her little brother.”

  “We’re grown-ups, Ross. Old enough to decide when to do things like get married and have kids. Kids are just not in the cards right now. I mean we. . .we have things we want to do.”