by Marilyn Turk
“Perfect. Please take this glass and give me one with that instead.”
The waiter obliged, and Lexie savored the cool drink. As she lifted her eyes, she caught Russell’s gaze at her from the opposite side of the room. So he did come. Lexie breathed a sigh of relief as she scanned the area around him for a sign of his date. No one stood beside him, but there were many single girls there who might have come with him. She attempted a timid smile, hoping he’d return one. He nodded his head in her direction. Was that a glimmer of a smile?
“Hey, Lexie! Spence said he didn’t mind if I took you for a few turns around the floor. What’cha say?” The young man with slicked down black hair and a hint of a mustache grinned from ear to ear as he took her arm. As the Andrews Sisters sang the familiar words of “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” she was back on the dance floor. She glanced over his shoulder and glared at Spencer, who didn’t even look in her direction. Good thing she liked to dance.
As she began dancing with her new partner, she tried to find Russell again. But he no longer stood in the same spot, and her partner spun her around before she could find Russell. Her energetic new partner insisted they dance the next song as well. Since Spencer seemed to have lost interest in dancing, she saw no reason to refuse. But when she recognized the next song as a slow one, she begged a chance to rest. She was as close to the guy as she cared to get.
She thanked him, searching the room for a quiet spot where she could get away from the crowd. She found one at the back of the room and retreated there, leaning against the wall to watch from a distance. Loud laughter told her where Spencer was—standing in the middle of a group of guys and entertaining them as was his custom. A cluster of girls including Betty and Tina positioned themselves not far from the men, eyeing them and giggling as they vied for attention. No doubt they hoped the guys would ask them to dance, yearning to be held close as they danced to the romantic croon of Bing Crosby’s voice.
She would, too, but not with any of those guys. Lexie scanned the couples on the dance floor, watching how they moved in rhythm with each other. Some of the couples appeared to be very much in love, their warm smiles and tender gazes declaring it. She sighed. Would she ever know that feeling?
Then she saw him. And her. Russell danced with the girl Lexie had seen him talking to the night of the movie. Her heart dropped like a rock. So they were a couple.
Why was she surprised? She’d thought he had been seeing someone before she arrived. Why wouldn’t he?
Lexie looked away, her eyes growing moist. What did she expect from him anyway? The song finally ended, and Lexie decided to refill her ginger ale. As she made her way back to the refreshment table, Spencer turned around and waved to her before trotting over.
“Say, Lex, where’d you go? I lost you.”
As if he’d been looking for her. His eyes sparkled, but Lexie suspected it was the liquor’s effect on him and not her.
“Ready to dance some more?”
The strains of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” blasted out, and all the guys hooted. Each one grabbed a partner and headed to the dance floor. Everybody loved the Andrews Sisters’ song, its jazzy rhythm compelling a person to move his feet. Lexie and Spencer boogied along with the rest of the crowd, remaining on the dance floor when Duke Ellington’s band played the next few songs. When the tempo slowed again with the next song, someone tapped Lexie on the shoulder.
She turned and her breath caught.
“May I have this dance?” Russell gazed down at her, his eyes searching her face. He glanced over at Spencer, who nodded and shrugged.
“Sure, Russ. I need a new drink anyway. Take care of my girl.” Spencer strode away and Russell took Lexie’s right hand in his before slipping his left arm around her waist.
Warmth radiated from his touch throughout her body.
“Are you having a good time, Lexie?” His words spoken so close to her ear fluttered her stomach. “I hope Spencer is taking good care of you.”
She leaned back to look up into his face to see if his expression was serious or teasing. It was obvious Spencer took care of no one but himself. And he’d called her “his girl”! She started to protest, but the soft glimmer in Russell’s eyes told her it wasn’t necessary. Then she remembered the other woman she’d seen Russell with. She turned her head to scan the dance floor and spotted her with another man. Glancing back to Russell, she found his eyes still on her and not on the other woman. Was the other woman his date or his girlfriend?
“Sure. It’s a nice party, and I’ve enjoyed dancing.” No need to discuss Spencer. “And you? Your date’s a pretty girl.” Lexie looked sidelong at the other woman.
Russell’s eyebrows rose as he followed her gaze and laughed. “Jean? We didn’t come together, if that’s what you mean. We’re just friends.”
Relief lifted the weight in her heart, and she resisted the urge to grin. They danced without talking as Lexie fought the desire to lean into him and melt into his arms, a place that offered safety. She closed her eyes and soaked in Bing Crosby singing “It’s Always You.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone felt that way about her? Someone like…
The song ended, and she came out of her trance. She lifted her gaze to Russell’s green eyes while he still held her close.
Breathless, she began, “Russell, I’m sorry…”
But Russell began speaking at the same time.
“Lexie, I’m sorry…”
They stopped and stared at each other, then smiles crept across their faces before they broke into laughter.
“You first,” Russell said.
“I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you and acted so childishly.”
“Hey.” He squeezed her right hand as his other arm fell from her waist, leaving a cold vacancy where it had been. “We’re friends, right? No need to let a silly spat get in the way of our friendship. Truce?”
Friends. Of course, that’s what they were. And he was one friend she didn’t want to lose.
She exhaled a deep breath. “Truce.”
Spencer reappeared beside them and slapped Russell on the back. “All right, old chap. I’m back to take over.” He stepped between Lexie and Russell. “Ready for a foxtrot?”
Russell gave Lexie a wink as he stepped away, leaving her with her date. A sense of abandonment swept over her as she watched him go. As Count Basie’s orchestra began to play, Spencer dragged her to the center of the dance floor, looking disheveled with his tie hanging loosely around his neck and his collar open. The first time he stepped on her foot, she winced.
“Sorry, babe,” he said with a laugh.
But he stumbled a few more times, bumping into another couple, showing the liquor’s effect on his balance. She glanced at the people around them. Had they noticed? Heat flooded her face, revealing her embarrassment. She had to stop him before he fell down or made a complete spectacle of himself.
“Spencer, I’d like to sit this one out if you don’t mind. I’m kind of tired.”
“Sure.” He tugged at his collar. “It’s getting hot in here, isn’t it? Let’s go outside for some air.”
She welcomed the chance to get him away from the alcohol. Maybe the cold air would sober him up some. But on the way out the door, he grabbed another glass off the table and carried it with him. A gust of cold air hit them as they stepped outside onto the porch facing the ocean. Lexie shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, focusing on the incoming waves. The temperature had dropped significantly since the balmy afternoon. Now, dark clouds rolled across the sky, concealing the moon and preventing its light from illuminating the deserted beach.
Russell retreated to the other side of the dance floor, no longer needed as Lexie’s partner.
Those few moments with Lexie in his arms were like a dream. His first glimpse of her that night had stolen his breath away. Waiting for an opportunity to speak to her, he’d started toward her when Spencer walked away. But that other guy jumped in and stole her back to the danc
e floor.
It had felt so right to have her close to him, so natural, but not long enough. He’d tried to keep from staring at her all night, dancing with Jean just to get close to Lexie. She didn’t know how pretty she was, dressed in a simple white chiffon blouse and gray skirt. Her customary pearls reminded him of the club’s traditions, but that red ribbon around her golden curls was Lexie being herself.
He could still smell the scent of her, like she was his very breath. “Thank you, God, for giving me those moments with Lexie,” he prayed silently, closing his eyes in gratitude. He hadn’t wanted the song to finish, the experience to end, but knew it had to. But he needed to apologize first. What a relief to know she, too, wanted to restore their friendship.
Too soon, Spencer had returned and taken her away from him. Again. The fool was drunk and looked ridiculous as he tried to dance. Poor Lexie, she must be so embarrassed. Russell held himself back from rushing over to rescue her and send the show-off packing. But that wasn’t his place or responsibility. Lexie seemed okay. She was a strong woman, stronger than even she realized. Surely, she was strong enough to hold Spencer at bay. At least she didn’t throw herself at him like the other girls did. She didn’t need to.
“Hi, Russell.” Dorothy, one of the maids, appeared at his side, beaming up at him. “What’cha doin,’ standin’ here all alone? Don’cha wanna dance?”
“Sure, Dot. Would you like to?” Not that he wanted to dance, but he needed to get his mind off Lexie. Besides, Dot wanted to dance, and he was available. Why not?
As they made their way onto the dance floor, he saw Lexie and Spencer go out the back door. She hadn’t put on her coat, despite the falling temperature. Why didn’t Spencer get it for her—that selfish buffoon. She’d be freezing, and … he stopped. No doubt Spencer could warm her up if he tried. The thought burned in his mind, and he was unable to put the fire out.
“So what do you think about that?” Dot was talking, but he hadn’t heard a word.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“A penny for your thoughts. Your mind was a million miles away.”
Actually, it was only a few feet. He struggled to focus on his dance partner without counting the minutes since he’d seen Lexie and Spencer leave.
“Please forgive me. I’m afraid I was thinking about business. Now, what were we talking about?”
As Dorothy began talking again, his mind went back to Lexie. What if they left? Dear God, please don’t let her get into a car with him. Russell knew about Spencer’s reckless driving history, but did she? The song ended, and Russell thanked Dot for the dance, not asking her for another. He excused himself and drifted toward the back door, hoping to get a glimpse out the window nearby. Not that he was nosy, just concerned. But what if he saw them in an embrace? His stomach churned at the thought. He should just stay out of her business. That’s what he had promised himself after the argument.
He took a glass offered by the server and sipped it. What was this stuff anyway? Someone had spiked it, and he was pretty sure who it was. The club would never serve anything so vile-tasting and strong. So this was what Spencer had been drinking. And everyone else, apparently. There would be some hangovers tomorrow.
Russell checked his watch. How long had they been out there? The roar of the wind off the ocean whistled through the window pane behind him. No moonlight shone through the black skies. Uneasiness hovered over him. On nights as dark as this, many things could go unseen. The guards would only have their flashlights to get around the island, which would not only aid them but highlight their position to anyone else. He felt pangs of guilt being at a party while others were on duty. Maybe he shouldn’t have come.
Yet the opportunity to share those moments with Lexie made the effort worthwhile for him. Did it mean anything to her as well? He cast an anxious glance out the window. Where was she?
Chapter 33
Lexie shivered and moved back against the building, trying to stay out of the wind.
She should have grabbed her coat. Maybe she could go back in to get it, but Spencer might follow. No, if she could hold out a while, the cold air might help clear his head. He walked to the edge of the porch, guzzled the contents of his glass, and plunked it down on the railing. Turning his back to her, he leaned on the porch rail facing the dark ocean. She shuddered as waves splashed onto the shore amid the roar of wind gusts. How long could she stand it out here?
Spencer spun around and looked at her. “Hey, Lex. How about a walk on the beach?” He waved his arms toward the shore.
Her teeth rattled when she answered. “No, it’s too dark. And cold.”
She wished she hadn’t mentioned being cold since he hadn’t noticed before, oblivious to the chill himself. Now, he strode toward her with his arms outstretched.
“You’re cold? Why didn’t you say so? I can warm you up.”
She pressed her back against the wall to avoid his embrace. He stood before her, waiting, she assumed, for her to accept his offer. When she didn’t respond, he leaned forward, placing a hand on either side of her and trapping her where she stood. His breath reeked of alcohol as he drew close, causing her stomach to roil, and she turned her face away.
“Come on, Lexie. What’s the matter? It’s Valentine’s Day, for crying out loud.”
He sounded like a whimpering puppy, but she had no sympathy for him.
“Spencer, I don’t know what you think, but I’m not interested.”
“You’re not interested?” Anger replaced the whimper. “Not interested in what, Lexie? Me? So why have we been spending so much time together?”
She questioned that herself, especially now. But a rational conversation with him in his current condition was impossible. She should have gone back in. How was she going to get away from him now?
“We’ve had a swell time together, Spencer. I’ve really enjoyed playing tennis with you.” Perhaps she could sweet talk him back inside.
“Well, we can’t play tennis all the time you know. There are other ways to spend our time together. Even more enjoyable ways. Don’t you feel romantic?” He pressed in closer.
“Spencer, please don’t. I want to go back in now.” Like an animal caught in a snare, her heart raced with the urge to get free.
“Well, I don’t. You at least owe me a kiss.”
Her body tensed as her temper flared and she lashed out. “I don’t owe you anything, Spencer! How dare you?”
“How dare I? Like this.” He mashed his lips against hers, suffocating her breath and pinning her against the wall.
She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but he grabbed them, holding them down as he pressed his chest against her. She jerked her head to the side to avoid another painful kiss.
“Stop, Spencer! You’re hurting me!”
He tried to kiss her again as she struggled against him. Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into? Please help me.
Unexpected relief rushed through her as his weight lifted from her. She sucked in a breath of air. In the darkness, she watched two people struggle. Spencer flailed his arms, trying to wrest himself from another man. Gradually, she recognized the man who held Spencer’s arms, pinning them behind him. Russell.
“Hey, what are you doing? Can’t a guy kiss a girl without being interrupted?” Spencer thrashed around, trying to free himself from Russell’s grip.
“Sure, Spencer. But not this time.” He looked at Lexie. “Are you all right?”
When she nodded, he said, “Go on inside and get warm.”
She moved to the door but couldn’t take her eyes off the two men. When Russell released Spencer’s arms, he raised a fist, but Russell caught it.
“You don’t want to do that, Spencer. You wouldn’t want to have a black eye at the tennis tournament.”
Spencer relaxed and shrugged. “Hey, she’s not worth the trouble.” He jerked away from Russell, hopped down from the porch, and stalked off.
Lexie’s w
hole body trembled, partly from the cold, but mostly from Spencer’s assault.
Russell closed the space between them and put his arms around her, warming her inside and out. “Let’s go in.”
Lexie wanted to stay inside the snug refuge of his arms and was thankful he kept an arm around her as he opened the door. Then he guided her inside with his hand pressed on the small of her back.
The crowd had thinned out in the room. Slow music played on the record player and only a few couples remained on the dance floor. Russell strode to the punch table and told the waiter to pour the rest out.
“If anyone complains, send them to me. Or offer a non-alcoholic beverage.”
Lexie wanted to applaud but wished he’d done that sooner—before Spencer got so disgustingly drunk.
From the front of the room came the announcement of the final dance.
Russell turned to Lexie and with a gentle smile that melted her insides, gestured to the dance floor. “Would you do me the honor?”
Lexie nodded and returned to the haven of his arms. Guilt washed over her with the realization that Russell had tried to protect her from Spencer. She should have known he wasn’t trying to interfere. How could she ever doubt him? He was the most honest, responsible, stable person she knew. Not to mention a smooth dancer with not even a hint of his limp. They swayed with such synchronization, as if they’d danced together for years, moving in silence before she relaxed enough to talk.
“I hope he doesn’t try to drive. Somebody could get hurt,” Lexie said, remembering the story the Maurice sisters had told her.
Russell grinned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “That won’t be a problem, since he’s lost his keys.”
Lexie allowed a smile to cross her face as she gazed into his eyes. Russell never ceased to amaze her.
“Have you seen Destiny lately?” he asked.
“No, I’m afraid I haven’t, but I thought about going over there today. How’s the progress coming?”