by Alison Tyler
She didn't care. For one thing, she never could muster up any romantic interest in Ben. He was like so many of the men in the business—freewheeling and egotistical. At least Ben had some charm and was basically good-natured. It softened the self-centeredness enough for Cat to like him. If she wasn't feeling so low, she would probably be enjoying herself right now. Ben was certainly trying his best.
"Have you decided about the Logan film yet? Dave Norman is doing the special effects and asked if I wanted to do some work on it. He mentioned that he asked you, too."
Cat took a fortune cookie from the plate the waitress had brought over with the bill.
"Let's see what Confucius thinks." Cat smiled. The smile faded as she read the slip of paper. She tossed it on the table.
Ben picked it up and read out loud. " 'Love is like a rose—prickly thorns and sweetly scented petals.' " He looked across at Cat. "Something tells me we should avoid the Botanical Gardens this afternoon."
Cat's smile returned. "How about renting a car and taking a drive to Muir Woods? We can climb Mt. Tamalpais."
A long, exhausting hike up a mountain hadn't been exactly part of Ben's plan, but the idea seemed to perk up Cat's spirits, and that was foremost on his mind. Once they were on top of the mountain, she might have burned off enough nervous energy to be more receptive to other ideas.
They stopped back at the hotel where Cat, already in blue jeans and cowboy shirt, changed out of her sandals into a comfortable pair of sneakers. She had climbed Mt. Tamalpais a couple of years ago with Dodger when they were out here filming Playing It Safe.
She knew Mt. Tamalpais was not a particularly difficult hike, but climbing 2,600 feet toward the sky had to be tiring. Even though last night had provided little sleep, she was too keyed-up to be exhausted. A good climb in the fresh, cool air might calm her down. And it would keep Ben busy for a while. She was well aware that he was angling for an opportunity to make his moves. For a fleeting moment she considered the possibility of allowing him to succeed. It was one way to forget about last night.
Cat insisted on sharing the cost of the car rental. Stunt people earned respectable livings—when they had work—but they were far from rich.
The drive to Muir Woods took less than half an hour, especially as Ben was heavy-footed on the accelerator pedal. Car and cycle trick work was Bens specialty. He could throw a motorbike at fifty miles an hour and walk away, as though he'd just stepped off a trolley car. He was a well-liked stunter, but Cat felt that Ben's need to show off created too many close calls. He and Dodger often locked horns working together on films. For all Dodgers daring and expertise, he put in as much time going through exacting calculations of the odds as he did doing stunts. Ben was a lot more casual and overly confident.
"Ben, take it easy tomorrow morning when you do that chase gag."
"You sound like Dodger. But from you, it's comforting. So you do care a little?" Ben put his arm around her shoulder as they started down a nature trail carpeted in pine needles.
"Don't push it," she warned. "I don't like being crowded." To emphasize her point she lifted Ben's arm away. Craning her neck up, she stared at the huge redwoods, "Did you ever see anything more beautiful?" She gave Ben a wide grin. "And don't you dare say me. I'm immune to old lines."
"Will I make any headway if I come up with some new ones? If the answer is yes, I'll do my damnedest to put my imagination to work."
"Ben, you're a sweet guy…"
"I know. You want to be friends. What does that stuffy, uptight doctor have that I don't?"
Cat didn't answer.
"Hey, listen, if we're going to be friends, maybe it would help to talk about it. You've really fallen for this dude, haven't you?"
"Don't call him a dude!" she snapped. There was no one in the world more unlike a dude than Luke Eliot. "And I haven't fallen for him. This isn't the movies. In real life you don't fall in love with someone at first sight. That's crazy."
Crazy. That was a word that had come up in Cat's vocabulary in the last three days more than it had the rest of her life. Everything about her relationship with Luke was crazy.
"Maybe not love," Ben continued, in spite of Cat's flare-up, "but people can experience an immediate attraction for one another that can pack quite a wallop. Believe me, I know."
Cat turned to Ben. She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Ben. You're right. People can feel… something strong from that first moment. Unfortunately, those kinds of feelings don't always mesh with reality." She paused briefly. "Believe me, I know."
Ben took her hand. "Let's go climb a mountain."
The conference broke at three for coffee and doughnuts. Luke was just biting into a sugary cruller, his first taste of food that day, when Teri tapped him on the shoulder.
"Oh, Teri. Hi. I—uh…" He swallowed the bite of doughnut whole, coughing as he covered his mouth to prevent the crumbs from escaping.
Teri took a step away. "You must have gotten your cold back. You certainly don't look well, Luke."
"Yes—well, urn, that's why I was late. I had a restless night."
"Really. That's too bad." She paused to select a glazed doughnut, taking a demure bite. "You must have been sleeping soundly around seven this morning. I called you several times. No answer." Her smile was tight, accentuating the tiny creases at the sides of her mouth.
He could have told her about Cat. It was certainly not like he'd cheated on Teri. They did not have that kind of relationship. And he certainly had nothing to be embarrassed about. He was a healthy red-blooded male who had a natural attraction to a gorgeous, sensuous, blue-eyed female. On the other hand, he didn't owe Teri any explanations.
The most important reason he kept silent was because he did not want to ruin the fantasy. Standing in the middle of a medical conference with all of his colleagues and friends, Luke could almost believe that Cat really was an exquisite figment of his imagination. Maybe it was better that way. He made a silent promise to get himself back on an even keel.
He started by apologizing to Teri.
"Forget it, Luke. I don't know why I've been so touchy lately. Must be the strain of the extra hospital work I've taken on." She smiled brightly and asked Luke if he wanted to join her for the rest of the conference.
Todd Archer looked a bit out of joint when he moved over to give Luke a seat next to Teri. Luke wondered if Archer was more interested in Teri than he'd assumed. He found himself wishing he could feel a spark of jealousy at the thought, but like he'd told Cat, that was a feeling only she seemed to be able to provoke. It hadn't taken him long—only a couple of minutes—for his mind to drift back to Cat.
Straightening in his seat, he focused all the attention he could muster on the rest of the speakers. Every so often a fleeting thought of Cat would crop up, set off by an odd word or expression, but he quickly doused the image, reminding himself how adept he was, when having to listen attentively to patients all day, at blocking out his own personal thoughts. But this afternoon was a real challenge to his skill.
At five o'clock the last paper was presented. It had been the one on over-the-counter medications that Teri had been so interested in hearing. Todd Archer, an internist like Teri, chatted away with her after the question-and-answer period. Luke was feeling bored and was looking around for Max when Teri turned her attentions to him.
"Terrific presentation, don't you think?"
"Yes. Yes. It was excellent."
Harvey Rothman, a psychiatrist who had gone to medical school with Luke, edged his way over to the threesome. After shaking hands with Archer and greeting Teri with an affectionate pat on the back, he began talking with Luke about the conference.
"I saw you walk in at the end of Matheson's paper. Too bad. He made some interesting points about the dynamics underlying the need for tranquilizers as an unconscious ploy to avoid sexual involvement."
Teri leaned closer. "Sneakier than the old headache ploy."
Todd Archer laughed the loudest. Luke
spotted Max and waved him over. Tonight he wasn't up for long-winded analytical conversations and deep psychological diatribes. He could always count on Max to provide some needed levity. Max had spent years encouraging Luke not to be so intense. He had succeeded at least in teaching Luke not to take himself too seriously. Unlike many of his erudite colleagues, when Luke behaved pompously, he was aware of it. His natural, relaxed, unaffected style was actually what made him so popular among those in his profession.
Max put his arm around Luke as he joined the group.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but all that talking and having to think made me thirsty. How about you?" He addressed them all but looked at Luke.
"They're just setting up for the cocktail party, Max. Why not wait a little while?" Teri suggested, still wanting to discuss some points with Todd. On the other hand, she was determined not to let Luke slip through her fingers tonight.
Teri knew damn well he had lied to her about sleeping too soundly to hear the phone this morning. For some reason, the idea that he had been off on some kind of liaison encouraged this new budding interest in Luke as a potential lover.
She had been working too hard lately, she'd concluded the third time shed tried Luke's number that morning. And the end result had been a lot of lonely nights in bed these past couple of years. Since her luncheon date yesterday with Luke, she'd decided that she wanted to make some definite changes in their relationship.
Luke agreed with Max that it would be pleasant to go off to the bar across the street as a break from all the intellectual stimulation around them. Teri reluctantly nodded agreement. Actually, she loved the quality of excitement a good conference generated. And this had been a particularly stimulating one. She cast Luke a curious glance. He really was going through some changes. Usually he seemed as enthusiastic as she was to share thoughts and current happenings with colleagues at these conferences. And once they sat down to the formal dinner that invariably concluded these conferences, they would have little chance to talk with anyone but the people at their table.
But tonight she thought it was important enough to forego the intellectual pleasures for some more emotional ones. She'd do what Luke wanted. She slipped her hand in his, weaving her fingers through his, as she Luke, and Max crossed the street.
The sunlit day had given way to a cool, windy evening, and a misty drizzle started. By the time they stepped into the small bar, the three of them felt chilled. Teri excused herself to fix her windblown hair in the ladies' room while Max and Luke slid into a small booth, bending their heads so as not to crash into the low-hung, ornate Tiffany-style lamp.
The waitress came over and Max ordered a double martini. Luke told her to make that two, and ordered a Scotch for Teri. He stared down at the table, seeing a vision of Cat, hair flying in the ocean breeze, sipping her beer from a styrofoam cup. He flushed slightly as he became aware that the image alone had aroused him.
Max was silent. In his profession, comfortable silences were a necessary skill. Luke looked across at him.
"I need a vacation, Max."
"I agree, my friend."
Luke laughed nervously. "That patient of mine— the one I told you about yesterday…" His lips curved in a sheepish grin.
"Ah, the man with the burning infatuation for a tempestuous spirit. Yes, I remember that discussion."
"Max, you're a subtle devil. No wonder you're such a successful psychiatrist."
"So, you want to give me some follow-up?"
"That was no park bench I slept on last night." Luke smiled wanly.
"The question is—where will you sleep tonight?" Max removed the two olives from his drink, set them in the ashtray, and took a hefty swallow of his martini.
Luke sighed. "In three weeks I'm off to sunny Greece. I need complications in my life right now like I need bubonic plague. The definitive answer to your question, Max, is that tonight and every night for the next three weeks I am sleeping at home—and alone."
Max nodded slightly in the direction to the left of Luke's shoulder. "I think your Dr. Caulfield has some other ideas about your residency."
As if on cue, Teri swept into the bench seat beside Luke and said, "I have a great idea."
Luke shot an amused glance at Max and then looked sideways at Teri.
Her blond hair, usually neatly pinned back in a bun, was now billowing loosely in shimmering softness around her shoulders. The even more striking change was the look of purpose and determination in her jade-green eyes.
Luke marveled at Max's insightful mind, but then wondered if maybe he wasn't being unusually dense these past few days. All the wires in his brain seemed to have come detached and reconnected with the wrong circuitry.
"Well, do you want to hear it?"
Luke nodded. Max didn't move a muscle but he knew Teri was only interested in Luke's response.
"Instead of going back to the dinner at the Drake, how about picking up some steaks and salad fixings and going back to my apartment for a quiet, relaxed evening?" Her glance invited both of them, but she was pretty confident Max would get the message and beg off.
"No, not tonight, Teri. But thanks."
"I just thought—you looked so tired and you've been so sick these past few days…" Her voice was tinged with disappointment, but she had too much class to take her arguments any further. Teri Caulfield did not beg. "Another time."
"Yeah. Good idea. It's just that I should talk with Matheson tonight, and there were a few other people I need to touch base with."
Max had remained quiet during the discussion. Now, as Teri lifted her Scotch, he picked up his half-finished martini and tapped her glass. "Here's to you, Teri. You look especially lovely tonight."
A warm flush colored her cheeks as she smiled at Max. Luke smiled at him, too. He could always count on him to save the day.
Later that night, after a lukewarm dinner of dried-out chicken, pasty rice, and a nondescript salad at the conference, Luke took Teri home by taxi. She didn't ask him up for a nightcap because she perceived that Luke would probably turn her down. But she did lean over toward him, and instead of the perfunctory peck on the lips that marked their traditional good-bye, she kissed him full on the mouth, her tongue lightly skimming his own sealed lips.
Teri smiled, privately pleased with herself. Luke may not have been very responsive, but there was a definite glint in his eye as they said good night. Given time, she had complete confidence he'd be the one suggesting the nightcaps.
Luke had the taxi continue on to his apartment. He leaned back against the backseat, exhausted and totally perplexed. For months he had been so immersed in work, he'd had no time for any intimate involvements, even brief interludes. And now, in one short weekend he had seduced one woman and been seduced by another. Almost seduced, that is. Luke would have had to be a eunuch not to have felt any response to Teri's sensual kiss, but deep down, what it stirred the most was yet a fiercer desire for Cat.
Cat. Kitten. Tiger. Luke sighed, forcing himself to conjure up visions of Mediterranean breezes and salty sea air. His sabbatical could not come quickly enough. If ever there was a place to forget tempestuous spirits, he was banking on it being Greece.
CHAPTER EIGHT
On Monday morning, Cat met Dodger downstairs in the lobby of their hotel. She was dressed in her traditional jeans but had chosen a cotton-knit sweater done in soft pastel blue, green, and pink stripes instead of her usual cowboy shirt. The selection had been a deliberate attempt to perk up her appearance and add some color to her complexion.
She should have known better than to think she could hide anything from Dodger. The biggest giveaway was her makeup. Cat rarely bothered with that stuff unless she had something to hide.
"What happened to your face?"
"No good morning? Would you like some breakfast?" Cat asked, making a concerted effort to keep her tone light and easy. She knew if Dodger thought she was too wiped out he'd never let her go ahead with her stunt this afternoon.
"I didn't get that much sleep last night, but"— she hastily went on to add—"I plan to take a nice long nap before work. I'm not due till two."
"Yeah, well," he mumbled, grabbing her arm and steering her toward the coffee shop, "you haven't taken a nap since you were a baby. We'll just have to see."
A waitress tugged her order pad out of the lace-trimmed apron she wore around her ample middle. "What'll it be, folks?"
"Coffee for me," Cat said.
"Since when do you drink coffee? What about all those speeches about how caffeine—"
"Dodger, I don't think the waitress wants to wait around for a lecture about the evils of caffeine." She looked back up at the woman and smiled. "Make that two coffees, and I guess I'll have"— she bit her bottom lip studying the menu—"an English muffin with that."
"She'll have a couple of eggs over easy, too. Same for me. And a rasher of bacon. In fact, throw in a side order of sausage. Do the eggs come with home fries?"
The waitress, still busy scribbling down the order, nodded.
"Good. Bring over the coffee now, doll." Dodger gave her a seductive wink, which Cat was sure would definitely make the woman's day—maybe her week. Dodger was a man who knew how to get good service.
"You'd better watch that boyish figure of yours, Dodger. Younger women like their older men in good physical shape." Cat smiled broadly, but there was an underlying sarcasm to her words that Dodger did not miss.
"And what is that remark supposed to mean?" Dodger asked with a scowl.
"No hidden meaning," Cat insisted, concentrating on the coffee the waitress had hurried to bring over. She took a swallow of the hot, black liquid and tried not to make a face. She really did hate coffee. Her usual breakfast consisted of fresh-squeezed orange juice; natural bran cereal, a supply of which she always carried with her when she was out on location; and goat's milk, picked up in a health-food store. Hotels were usually very accommodating in storing the milk in their kitchens. Cat had run out of supplies yesterday and had too many other things on her mind to remember to pick up more at the health-food store a few blocks away.