Queenie's Cafe

by SUE FINEMAN

  “Did your mother know?”

  “I told her, but she didn’t believe me. Honey, you just do what comes natural. The first time will seem kinda strange, and it may be a little uncomfortable, but it’ll get better the next time.”

  “I don’t want to get pregnant.”

  “Tell him to wear a condom. They’re not foolproof, but it’s better than nothin’. I assume he’s been with other women. Ask him if he’s been tested. He could give you somethin’ without even knowin’ it. I don’t care how nice a boy he is, you gotta protect yourself. You don’t know who else he’s been with or who they been with.”

  “I can’t ask him that.”

  Florence put her hand on Laura’s cheek and gazed into her eyes. “Honey, if you can’t ask, you shouldn’t have sex with him. You got your whole life ahead of you, Laura. Some of those diseases cause deformed babies and some can kill you. Don’t take any chances. Ask.”

  “Is that why you never had more children?”

  “No, I’ve always been real careful. I wanted more kids, but I couldn’t watch another baby grow up like you did, honey. I just couldn’t.”

  “It must have been hard for you to see me all the time.”

  “It was awful hard. I wanted to hug you and tell you how much I loved you, but Queenie wouldn’t let me.”

  “You can hug me now.” Laura held out her arms. They both needed this. It wouldn’t make up for all the years they’d spent apart, wouldn’t wipe out all Queenie’s caustic remarks, and wouldn’t give her back the childhood she’d lost working in the café, but it didn’t matter at that moment.

  It was the beginning of a warm friendship. For now, that was enough.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A few days later, Laura put a sign in the window of the café. They’d be closed for at least a week while the roofers worked on the apartments and café. They were also having the old asphalt torn out and the parking lot repaved.

  Luke took her to his beach house while the work was being done. The house was bigger than she expected, anchored by huge round pillars, and perched high on the dune overlooking the ocean. She couldn’t wait to see the inside.

  She stepped out of the car and the ocean breeze ruffled her hair. Although she couldn’t see the ocean yet, she smelled it and heard the waves crashing on the beach.

  Luke carried their bags up the steps and unlocked the front door. Laura stepped inside, her eyes drawn through the windows to the big deck on the back and the pool sparkling in the morning sunshine. Too bad she didn’t have a bathing suit. The deck had a privacy screen along both sides. It was tall by the house and tapered down toward the outside edge of the deck, allowing a good view of the beach.

  She looked beyond the deck to the surf, where the blue-gray water glittered in the bright sunshine. Waves crested and crashed against the beach, swooshing softly as the foamy water receded. So big and open, the water seemed endless. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air smelled different here, fresher and cooler than inland.

  Laura listened to the sensual rhythm of the waves, the sea birds calling, and the rustle of the wind through the sea grapes covering the dunes. It was a sensual, heady experience. “If I lived here, I’d never want to leave.”

  The house was wonderful. The living, dining and kitchen areas were designed as an informal great room, with the kitchen on the street side and the living area on the ocean side. White wicker furniture with thick flowered cushions filled the living room. The wall across the back was mostly windows overlooking the beach and deck. The other walls were painted white and the tile floor was light tan, with a few colorful throw rugs here and there. Several white paddle fans hung from the high slat ceiling.

  There were two large bedroom suites, one on either side of the great room, both with king-size beds and flowered bedspreads that matched the living room furniture. It was the perfect place to relax. “Did you and your mother design this place?”

  “No, we bought it and added the pool. Mom bought most of the furniture from a friend who was getting divorced. She thought it would be perfect in here. Then she bought the rocking chairs and had new cushions made.”

  “No carpet on the floor?”

  “It’s too hard to keep clean with all the sand. Throw rugs are easy to shake out.”

  Laura gazed longingly at the pool. “I wish I had a bathing suit.”

  Luke grinned. “I never wear one in the pool.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “What about people walking on the beach?”

  “There’s a solid rail out there. When we pull it up and fasten it in place, nobody on the beach can see you unless you’re standing on that side of the deck.”

  A man walked around the house with a bucket and squeegee on a long pole. Luke said, “That’s the window washer.”

  “How often does he come?”

  “Every Monday. The salt spray coats everything. After a few days, you can’t see through the windows.”

  She stared at him. “I suppose you have a maid to clean and someone to take care of the pool.”

  He nodded. “Someone has to take care of things when I’m not here.”

  Laura had never known rich people before, people who could afford two houses and beautiful cars and trucks. People who could afford to hire other people to work for them. “Which bedroom do you want me to use?”

  Luke turned to face Laura, his smile gone. “Would you like to sleep in my room, with me?”

  Suddenly shy, Laura didn’t know what to say. She knew this was what he wanted when he invited her to this magical place, but she didn’t expect him to come right out and say it.

  “You don’t have to, but I thought if you’re ready we could... you know.”

  Yes, she knew. He wanted to make love, but he wouldn’t attack her like Earl had. If she wanted to wait, Luke would back off, but she didn’t want to wait any longer. “Florence said I should ask you about tests.”

  “I had a test the day after you told me you were a virgin, and I brought condoms with me. I don’t know if you thought about birth control.”

  “Luke, I’d never even seen a naked man until Earl took his clothes off that night. You’re the expert, not me.”

  He smiled a little. “I’ve had some experience. Laura, if you’re not ready, if you want to wait, it’s all right.”

  “No, we’ve waited long enough.”

  The window washer finished up and drove away, leaving Luke and Laura standing alone by the window. Laura couldn’t take her eyes off Luke’s. He hadn’t touched her since they came here, but she wanted him to.

  He brushed the hair off her cheek. “You’re so pretty.”

  “You’re the only man who’s ever said that to me.”

  He slowly bent down and kissed her cheek, moving his lips to her eyes, then her other cheek. “Kiss me,” he whispered. She turned slightly and touched her lips to his. He brushed her lips gently with his, slowly teasing her. She could scarcely breathe for what it was doing to her. She felt a tightening heat invade her body, a need she didn’t know existed until she met Luke, and she wanted more than a kiss. His eyes were dark, his breathing uneven, like hers.

  Luke unbuttoned her blouse and slid her bra straps off her shoulders. His hand grazed her breasts before he reached behind her and unhooked her bra. A myriad of sensations spread through her body and an aching sensation settled below her belly. She still couldn’t believe a handsome, confident, wealthy man like Luke Windsor would want to be with her when he could have any woman he wanted, yet here she was, and they were going to make love.

  He’d seen her naked before, when she was hurt, but this time was different. He gazed at her body as though he could eat her for lunch and come back for dessert. She wasn’t too embarrassed until he stripped off his own clothes and she saw him standing before her in all his naked glory. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Earl had the same equipment, but it didn’t look like this, so big and thick, pointing up and out from his body. She wasn’t afraid before,
but that was before she saw him like this. “Is it always so big?”

  He smiled with his eyes. “Only when I want you.”

  She didn’t remember getting in the bed or what she did, but she remembered Luke’s every kiss and caress. His lips scorched her skin in the most intimate places, and his hands were gentle yet demanding. She put all her trust in Luke and let the feelings take her to a place she’d never been before.

  Paradise.

  Luke grabbed a condom out of the nightstand, and seconds later, he pushed inside her. It felt so big. Too big. He slipped his hands under her hips and pushed in deeper. She loved the closeness, the intimacy, the kisses, the warmth, everything but the soreness down there.

  Finally, he pulled out and went into the bathroom. When he came back, he lay on the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. “You’re wonderful, Laura.”

  “I didn’t disappoint you?”

  “How could you disappoint me? You just gave me the most precious gift you had.”

  Luke didn’t say he loved her, yet he must feel something or he wouldn’t be this tender and caring. He wouldn’t have waited this long if he didn’t care about her, and he wouldn’t have bothered with testing.

  She snuggled in his arms, her naked body pressed against the length of his, savoring his tender touch and the sensuous feeling of his hands gliding over her bare skin. Now she knew what it felt like to be a woman. A smile of love and satisfaction pulled at her lips. She never wanted to do this with anyone else. Only with Luke.

  Her lover.

  While Laura was in the bathroom, Luke wrapped a towel around his waist and went out to the other room. Any other woman would be fishing for compliments about now, but not Laura. She wasn’t beautiful, yet beauty emanated from her. Her unassuming, friendly nature made everyone love her. In business, that kind of personality combined with perseverance spelled success, but his mind wasn’t on business now. His spirits soared, because he knew she loved him. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be here, and she wouldn’t have let him touch her.

  He sat on the deck by the pool and waited until she came out wearing her robe. He flashed a smile and pulled her onto his lap.

  Leaning into him, Laura asked, “Can we do that again sometime?”

  “Whenever you want, honey.” He slipped his hand inside her robe and touched her nipple. She put her hand over his and held it there.

  “You like that?”

  She nodded and kissed him. He felt himself thicken and grow harder, but she must be sore. “How about a swim? I’ll put the rail up.”

  “Are you sure no one can see us?”

  “Absolutely sure. Just don’t stand on the other side of the pool.”

  He raised the rail and hooked it in place, then dropped his towel and jumped into the pool. “Come on, get in here,” he called.

  She slipped off the robe and quickly stepped into the pool. “Oh, this is heaven.”

  They laughed and played in the pool as if they didn’t have a care in the world. All Luke could think about was how much he adored this woman. Depending on her mood, her hazel eyes changed from blue-gray to dark smoke, and dark, wavy hair framed her pretty face. Laura’s sweet smile warmed him all the way through.

  He was falling in love. It had been building since the day Laura had thrown Frank out of the motel, the first time he’d set eyes on her. Today she’d put her heart in his hands and given him something precious, a gift that could only be given once.

  After their swim, they dressed and made lunch. While Luke was making the crab salad, someone knocked on the door. He answered and returned with a florist box, which he handed to Laura. “For you.”

  She beamed and opened the box of pink roses. “Thank you, Luke. I love them.” She found a vase and arranged the flowers while he finished slicing the melon and making the crab salad. “I feel like Cinderella.”

  They ate outside on the deck, in the shade. Luke put the rail down so they could see the ocean while they ate. Laura drank in the sensuous atmosphere, the smell of the salt air, and the sound of the constant movement of the water. Luke had not only chosen the perfect place to seduce her, he’d fed her crab and given her roses. Today, she felt like the luckiest, most pampered woman alive.

  After they finished their salads, she said, “I wonder how they’re coming on the parking lot.”

  “You’re thinking about Queenie’s?”

  “I hate that name, Queenie’s Café. I wish we could call it something different.”

  “We can call it whatever we want, Laura. What about Laura’s or the Princess and the Pea or the Duchess Diner?

  She didn’t want to name it Laura’s, and the Princess and the Pea sounded too much like a children’s clothing store. “The Duchess Diner sounds nice. That goes with your corporation name.”

  “I like it, too. What about a new name for the apartments?”

  “How about the Duke’s Digs?”

  He chuckled. “Maybe we should put a big crown on top of the sign.”

  “No, not on top. That’s too dignified.” Laura motioned with her hands. “Put the crown over the corner, like it was sliding off.”

  Luke smiled at the image. They could turn the crown into a logo for the corporation and for the new Duchess Décor stores. Mom would love it.

  He’d made dinner reservations at a nice restaurant down the beach, and Mom had asked him to take Laura shopping for a new dress. He stood and picked up the dishes. “Come on, Cinderella, we’re going shopping.”

  “For what?”

  “A new dress. Mom’s orders.”

  Minutes later, he pulled up in front of a little boutique in a shopping center near the beach. Mom’s favorite store.

  Laura tried on nearly every dress they had in her size. Finally, she came out of the dressing room wearing a pale yellow sundress. “This is the nicest dress I’ve ever worn.”

  The clerk draped a big scarf-like thing with fringe over Laura’s shoulders. It was white, with big red and yellow flowers, and it turned a pretty daytime dress into a nice dinner dress.

  She twirled around and giggled. “I love this one.”

  Luke caught the sales clerk’s eye. “We’ll take it.”

  He drove Laura back to the beach house. “Cinderella, you have one hour to make yourself beautiful.”

  Laura ran a hot bath and poured in some bath crystals. As she sank down in the bubbles, she thought about Queenie. She’d hate it that Laura was being pampered like this. Queenie was dead and buried, but her voice still echoed in Laura’s mind.

  You’re lazy... lazy... lazy... lazy.

  She should be at the café, ordering supplies and getting ready to open, yet here she was, soaking in a bathtub and listening to the water slapping the sand and the wind stirring the sea grapes and palmetto.

  “Shut up, Queenie,” she whispered to the walls. “Just shut up and leave me alone.”

  <>

  Luke whistled. “You clean up real nice, Miss Whitfield.” She’d used a little make-up, but she didn’t need much. She had great skin and a natural, wholesome beauty. She looked pretty in the yellow sundress.

  “Why, thank you, Mr. Windsor. You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  He drove her to a big restaurant perched on the dunes overlooking the ocean. Huge gray pillars supported the high ceiling. A tall wall of windows stretched across the back, overlooking the beach. As they walked back toward the windows, each row of tables was a few steps lower than the last and offset, for maximum privacy. Every table had a crisp white tablecloth and a nice view of the ocean, but Luke had reserved a table by the window, one of the best tables in the place. He wanted tonight to be special. The lights were dim, accented by candlelight, definitely a romantic atmosphere.

  Laura looked happy tonight. Her face glowed as she looked around the restaurant and out at the beach. As they watched the moonlight play on the water, she seemed like a child seeing things for the first time. He wanted to show her the world.

  “I’ve lived in
Florida all my life, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen the moonlight at the beach. It’s wonderful,” she murmured.

  Luke smiled. He’d been doing a lot of that today. Laura’s happiness was catching.

  “I’ve never been in a restaurant this nice.” She laughed a little. “What am I saying? I haven’t been to more than five or six restaurants in my whole life, including Queenie’s and Bernie’s and Chubby’s.”

  He ordered lobster for them both, the most expensive thing on the menu. She liked crab, so she’d love lobster. He knew without asking that she’d never tasted it.

  “The only kind of shellfish I’ve ever had was those tiny frozen shrimp, until the crab salad at Bernie’s. It was wonderful. Yours was good, too. I really like crab.”

  “So this is another first. Your first lobster.”

  “It’s a good day for firsts.” She blushed slightly and gazed out the window. The moonlight kissed the water, turning it to liquid silver. Luke wanted to keep her all to himself. Forever. He’d never felt that way about another woman.

  “Maybe we should invite Jay and your mother to come for the weekend.”

  “So we can all skinny-dip together?”

  “No, silly. We’ll have to disappear and leave them alone. Jay is crazy about her, Luke.”

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about Mom with Jay. She’d been married once, but Mike was a jerk. He wouldn’t work and hated kids. Luke avoided him. Mom worked all day and came home to pick up after Mike, because he wouldn’t pick up after himself. He called it “woman’s work.” She finally threw him out and divorced him. At forty-three, she was young enough to marry again, but to Jay Fisher? Luke couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it.

  Laura pointed out the window. “Luke, there’s a ship out there.”

  “Probably one of the cruise boats out of Port Canaveral.” The ship’s lights were on, creating a puddle of light on the Atlantic. It looked pretty, but he’d rather watch Laura.