Designed for Love

by Roseanne Dowell

  * * *

  I opened my eyes for a glimpse of Bill. Thank goodness he leaned back and closed his eyes. I didn't think I could pretend to sleep all the way to Florida. I watched the flight attendant collect the trash from the passengers. It never ceased to amaze me how little time they had. I remembered my desire to become a flight attendant when I was a little girl. Something about the uniform fascinated me. It always seemed like such a glamorous career, flying off to exotic place, seeing the world. From what I'd observed in my small amount of flying, I was glad I changed my mind. Nothing about this looked glamorous.

  Nope, definitely not for me. Too much responsibility and not enough room for advancement. Interior design offered a much more lucrative career and the opportunity to own my own business some day.

  I sneaked another peek at Bill. Still dozing. I wanted to get up and stretch a bit, but was afraid of waking him. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and stared at me. Shoot, now he knew I was awake.

  "Nice nap?" he asked.

  "Actually, it was," I lied. Little did he know I hadn't been asleep, and I wasn't about to tell him otherwise. I looked at my watch. Only a half hour and we'd be landing. I guessed I could handle him for half an hour. Then we'd go our separate ways, and I wouldn't have to worry about him.

  "Good. You look better."

  He lowered his hand on top of mine, but moved it quickly away, almost as if he touched me accidentally. He closed his eyes again.

  A shimmer of disappointment went through me and a slight feeling of relief. What was the matter with me? I really didn't want to talk to him, so why this empty feeling inside? It wasn't like he meant anything to me. Heck, I couldn't even consider him a friend. Didn't want to. Something inside me flared to a burning heat. No, I didn't want him as a friend. I wanted more than that. Much more.

  Before I knew it the Captain announced our landing. "Fort Myers is sunny and 82 degrees."

  Sounded like heaven after the cold we just left. Too bad we had to haul our winter coats to the airport. Another thing I hated about flying.

  My stomach lurched as the plane began its decent. I gripped the armrests, closed my eyes and swallowed hard. Damn, this part was worse than any other.

  Finally the plane's wheels touched the ground. Nice landing, even if I had to say so myself. No bouncing, thank God. Smooth. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and looked at Bill.

  "You okay?" He ran his finger along the edge of my hand.

  "I'm fine." Damn it, the burning that went through my body wasn't from the landing. I pulled my hand away. Almost too quickly, but I didn't like the sensation he caused. Didn't like the way he stroked my hand with his finger. I tried to stand, but my legs collapsed from under me. I had to get a grip. What was the matter with me? Okay, so he did something to me that I hadn't experienced before. That didn't mean I had to act like a silly teenager. Right now I wanted to get off the plane and as far away from Bill Johnson as possible.

  "So is someone meeting you?"

  I shrugged. "My boss was supposed to meet my flight yesterday. Since I haven't been able to get a hold of him today, he has no way of knowing I'm even here." I stood and my legs felt less wobbly.

  Bill stood and reached in the overhead compartment for our bags. He set my carry-on down and extended the handle for me. "So how about a bite to eat or a cup of coffee?"

  I stood looking at him for a minute. The smart thing to do would be to bid him goodbye and take off. Something inside me didn't want to let him go.

  "Sure, why not?" Why didn't I just leave, find a cab and check into a hotel? Why prolong this? I had no idea what the answer was. All I knew was I didn't want to part company just yet. Besides, I was starving. Neither of us had eaten breakfast. I turned and walked toward the exit.

  * * *

  Bill let her go in front of him. The view from behind was almost as good as the front. For a minute he thought she was going to refuse the offer of lunch. The look of indecision that flashed through her eyes and the way she stiffened when he put his hand over hers surprised him.

  Fickle women. One minute they act like they can't get enough of you, the next like they can't wait to get away from you. Okay, so she didn't look like she couldn't get enough of him, but after last night he thought they'd at least formed a friendship. Now, today, she pulls the cold, touch me not act.

  Chapter Eight

  "Okay, let's check out my car at the rental office and we'll find some place to eat," Bill said.

  I stopped for a minute, let him go in front of me and followed a half a step behind. What was I doing? This wasn't a good idea, but how could I get out of it now? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

  Bill stopped and waited for me. "Sure hope they have the car I reserved."

  "Did you call and tell them about the delay?" Why couldn't I think of something to get out of this? And why hadn't I thought to reserve my own car? That's it! "You know, I didn't think to reserve a car, maybe I should see about renting one now."

  "If you can get one. I'll wait and if you do, we'll meet someplace. If not I'll drop you wherever you want after lunch."

  Didn't think he'd let me out of it that easy. Shoot. I walked up to the desk ahead of him. "I'd like to rent a car."

  "Okay, you don't have one reserved?" The young man behind the counter asked.

  "Uh, no, I don't. Is that a problem?"

  "No, not a problem. It'll just take a little longer. Name?" He held his fingers above the computer keyboard.

  After I finished giving the man my information, he checked my driver's license and punched a lot of stuff into the computer. He handed me a set of keys and told me where to find the car. I moved away from the counter to make room for Bill.

  "Look I'm just going to check into my hotel. I'll catch you later." Yeah, like that was going to happen. No way was I even going to let him know where I was staying. Before he had a chance to answer, I hurried away.

  Shoot, I needed to go clothes shopping too. I pulled my phone out of my bag and tried Nick again.

  "Hello." Nick's deep voice came over the line.

  "Nick, it's me, Wendy. I just landed."

  "Why didn't you let me know what time your flight got in? I'd have been there to pick you up. Wait there. I'll be there as soon as possible. Which gate?"

  "No need. I rented a car. I did call you. Your phone was turned off." I looked back to make sure Bill wasn't following me. Darn it, he heard where my car was. Since his was reserved, he wouldn't take as long as I did. I didn't want to run into him again.

  "My phone? You know I never turn it off. Maybe you dialed wrong."

  "Yeah, maybe I did." Not in this lifetime, his number was keyed into my phone. "Look I'm going to check into a hotel, and then I need to go shopping for clothes. My luggage is still in Cleveland."

  "Okay, listen, how about dinner? Say sixish. I have a room reserved for you. The Days Inn on Route 41. Can you find it?"

  "I'm sure I can. If not I'll ask someone for directions. Do you want to pick me up or meet me some place?" I bit my tongue. Damn it, why had I asked that? I didn't want to him to come to my hotel. Too late now.

  "I'll pick you up. I'm at the same hotel. See you later."

  I clicked my phone closed and hurried toward the aisle of rental cars. Aisle B – ah, there it is. I almost ran down to the third slot and clicked the trunk open with the remote. I started to lift my bag in and stopped dead in my tracks.

  "Wendy, why'd you rush off that way?" Bill's voice came from two aisles away.

  Even the sound of his voice did something to my insides. I set the bag in the trunk, not trusting myself to speak. I let out a deep breath. This wasn't looking too good. I really thought I was rid of him. He walked toward me. The grin on his face turned my stomach to mush. My legs trembled when he came up next to me, and I grasped the door handle, if for nothing more than support.

  "Sorry, but I'm really tired. Can we take a rain check on lunch? I just want to get settled into a hotel and call it a day." N
ot that that was going to happen. I had to shop for clothes and meet Nick later. I wished I could put off dinner with Nick until tomorrow. Besides, we already wasted one day.

  "You still have to eat. Come on, I'll meet you at Hurricane Harry's say in..." he looked at his watch, "about an hour?"

  I sighed. What the heck. He was right, I did have to eat and right now my stomach made no dark secret of it– it growled loudly. "Okay, I'll get settled and meet you there. Where is it anyway?"

  "I should have asked where you were staying first. It's in North Fort Myers just over the Edison Bridge off Route 41. Is that a problem?"

  I shook my head. "I'll find it. I haven't decided where I'm staying. I'm sure someone will give me directions." I opened the car door and slid inside. I wasn't about to tell him where I was staying. Having Nick in the same hotel was enough of a problem. I couldn't deal with both of them. I slammed my car door, buckled the seat belt and pulled away.

  * * *

  Bill liked the way her skirt slid up, exposing her long leg when she got into the car. He couldn't help but grin, she was so sexy. She drove away, and he went back to his car. He hit the remote and whistled. Somehow, some way he was going to break down that wall she built around herself.

  He had sensed her hesitation. He had to put her at ease, make her quit thinking. How? Damn, he felt like such a jerk. Why was it when he needed something clever to say his mind went blank? He had wanted to take her hand but thought better of it. She'd only pull away. He wondered if she'd show up for their lunch date.

  He pulled out of the parking lot and followed her to the exit. Yep, she was going to let her hair down and learn to have fun if it killed him. Right now, he needed to find his hotel and freshen up. He wished he had a clean shirt to change into. Maybe he'd stop and pick up a few things before he went to his room. He rubbed his chin. A shave wouldn't hurt either. He allowed two cars to get between him and Wendy. Couldn't have her think he was following her.

  Chapter Nine

  I looked in my rearview mirror and saw Bill get into the car that sat two spots away from mine. Just great. All these coincidences were starting to bother me. I knew my sisters would say it was fate. That Bill and I were destined to meet, but I didn't believe in that stuff. No such thing as fate. The fact that all these things threw us together was purely coincidental. Nothing else.

  I noticed his car two cars behind mine. Lord, I hoped he wasn't following me. I turned off and headed towards Route 41. Good, the traffic light changed and he had to stop. Maybe, just maybe I could lose him in traffic. I swore if he showed up at the same hotel as mine, I'd die.

  At the next exit was a shopping mall and I pulled in. May as well pick up the clothes I needed now. A hot shower sounded terrific. Didn't matter that the temperature was 80 degrees, after spending two days in the same clothes I just wanted to get out of them and a hot shower sounded heavenly. Besides, I could crank up the air conditioner.

  I parked in front of a department store and hurried inside. Darn it, I needed everything right down to my underwear. May as well start there. I made my way to the lingerie department and picked up several pair of panties and bras along with a couple night gowns. I had no idea how long I'd be here or if my luggage would show up. Still, I refused to buy that many clothes. If I had to, I'd shop again or do laundry. Nick promised I'd be home for New Years, and I planned to do my darnedest to hold him to it.

  Yeah, right, like I had the guts to do that. After I picked out several blouses and two skirts, I realized I needed at least one more pair of heels and maybe a pair of sandals. I pulled a pair of white Capri pants off the rack and two pair of shorts. May as well be comfortable too.

  This shopping spree was going to set me back a pretty penny. Not that I didn't need the clothes, I could always use them this summer. My wardrobe was getting pretty shabby. I found a comfortable pair of heels and two pair of sandals and bought them both. I didn't splurge on clothes often and after the last two days, I deserved it.

  I paid for my purchases and headed toward my car. A familiar looking man came out the other door. I stopped and stared. This couldn't be happening. Had he followed me after all? No way could this be a coincidence.

  Bill kept walking. Good, he hadn't noticed me. I waited until he got into his car at the other end of the parking lot. Once he drove away, I hurried to my own car and put my packages in the trunk. Maybe he hadn't followed me– he certainly didn't appear to see me. His car disappeared out of the lot onto the highway, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  Okay, looked like he hadn't followed me. I knew darn well if he had seen me he would have said something. He wasn't the type to ignore me. Somehow I had evaded him. Now to find the hotel. I pulled out of the parking lot and joined the flow of traffic.

  I always loved Florida. The fresh smell, the palm trees. Right now, even the traffic, which wasn't in short supply today, didn't bother me like it usually did. I swore every time I came here it got worse. Not like I was a seasoned traveler, I'd actually only been here three times over the course of five years. But still, I loved it. Although, I much preferred driving to flying.

  My parents planned to retire here in a few years. Get out of the cold winters, at least according to my mother. I just hoped they didn't decide to live here all year. Six months was long enough in my opinion. I doubted my mother would agree to live down here. Too attached to her grandkids.

  I remembered when they decided to take a month's vacation– my mother couldn't wait to get home. Six months was probably longer than she'd want to stay. I smiled, thinking about my mom with the kids. Typical grandmother, always baking cookies and letting them stay overnight. Not to mention spoiling them rotten, then sent them home to their parents. My mother loved being a grandmother. Hell, she loved being a mother. No wonder she couldn't understand why I don't want to get married.

  It wasn't that I didn't want kids. I loved kids. Even wanted them someday. I eased my car into another lane and started to look for the motel. According to the salesgirl in the store I should be coming up on it pretty soon. Ah, there it is. I flipped on the turn signal and turned into the lot, parked my car in front of the lobby doorway and got out. No more than I opened my car door and a familiar figure came out of the office, stopped and stared at me.

  How could this be happening? I didn't believe in fate, kismet, or even luck– if you wanted to call it that. What were the chances out of all the hotels in Florida we'd be staying at the same one?

  A silly grin spread across Bill's face when he saw me. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole.

  "Hey," Bill walked toward me. "Are you staying here too?"

  "No, I just thought I'd drop by to say hello. Of course I'm staying here, why else would I be here." I knew it sounded sarcastic, but I couldn't help it. I really thought I was rid of him.

  "Great, get settled and we'll go to lunch."

  I shook my head. He seemed oblivious to my sarcasm. The guy needed to get hit by a lightning bolt to tell him I wasn't interested.

  Did he really not get it at the airport? I rushed out of there to avoid him. Not that it helped, he found me anyway. Looked like I was doomed. No way was I going to get out of lunch. I shrugged. At least I'd have a free meal. What the heck, after what I just spent on clothes, I deserved it. And it wasn't that I didn't enjoy his company. Problem was I enjoyed it way too much.

  "Fine, I'll meet you back here in, say fifteen minutes."

  "Works for me." Bill sauntered off towards his car.

  God, he looked sexy. His shirt almost clung to his muscles. Shaking myself back to awareness, I went inside and registered.

  A few minutes later, I came out and headed toward my room. I only hoped it was far away from Bill's. With a hundred plus rooms, I couldn't believe we'd be too close together. I found my room, parked in a space nearby, popped my trunk and grabbed the shopping bags and my carryon. Fine looking luggage. I hoped no one saw me. Although what difference it made was beyond me. So, I had shopping bags,
so what? Other tourists shopped. No one knew I didn't already have luggage in my room.

  Once in my room, I started to hang up my purchases. Darn, I wanted a shower before lunch. I picked up the phone and called the front desk.

  "Can you connect me to Bill Johnson's room, please?"

  "Sure, but you can dial that yourself. He's in room 110." The operator said.

  Before I had a chance to reply the operator connected me. A voice that sent shivers up my spine answered.

  "Bill, uh, it's me, Wendy."

  "Hi, what's up? Don't tell me you're canceling lunch."

  "No, just want to delay it a bit. I really want to take a shower. How about I meet you in an hour?"

  "Sure, sounds great. See you then." I hung up and started to undress.

  * * *

  Bill hung up the phone. A shower didn't sound like a bad idea. He could use one too. He thought for sure she was canceling lunch. That'd be just like something she'd pull. Nope, she wasn't going to get away from him that easy. He couldn't believe his luck when he came out of the lobby and saw her standing there. This fate thing just might be for real.

  Bill breathed a sigh of relief, took his fresh clothes and headed for the shower. Somehow, he'd get her to have dinner with him, or a walk on the beach. Bet she looked terrific in a bathing suit. If she even owned one. Since their luggage was God only knew where, he'd doubt if she had one with her. He laughed out loud. Even if she had her luggage, she wouldn't have brought a bathing suit. She'd made it very clear, she wasn't here to play. Still, a walk on the beach sounded relaxing. He'd figure a way to convince her.