Who's Taming Who?

by Susan Kohler

  “I’m glad.” Frank grinned at her. “I liked her when I met her, she seems very sweet.”

  “Like her mom?” Lanie asked mischievously.

  “Don’t push your luck,” Frank teased. “Her mom is many things, and has many wonderful qualities, but sweet isn’t one of them.”

  “Gee, thanks a lot,” Lanie muttered, then laughed as Frank gave her a quick, searing kiss.

  That quick peck when the winners were announced had been just enough to grab his interest. The second kiss added to it. He decided to act, moving to kiss her again. This time he intended to make it a real kiss, long and passionate, but the opportunity was lost as Lanie turned her attention to the couple who had finished in second place.

  That couple and Lanie congratulated each other. Frank made the appropriate friendly noises, but he was impatient for the other couple to leave them alone. Finally the other couple left. Frank could barely contain a sigh of relief; he still wanted to give Lanie a real kiss, not just a congratulatory peck! Real kisses had been few and far between in this romance!

  Just then the waiter came over and asked for their lunch orders. Frustrated, Frank put the kiss on hold until the waiter left. It seemed like it took the waiter forever. He poured coffee and ice water for both of them while they made their choices from a simple selection. They both decided quickly and ordered tossed salads, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and country-style biscuits. The waiter finally left and Frank took advantage of the peace and quiet to return his attention to Lanie.

  He reached out and gently stroked one hand over the softness of her cheek, turning her to face him. He leaned across the table and kissed her gently but with real passion. The kiss lingered for just a moment on her lips before the familiar and unsettling jolt hit them both and her mouth opened with a soft moan granting him access.

  “Let’s spend the money together then, on the two of us having fun.” Frank pulled back, remembering that they were in a public place. He suggested, “With four hundred dollars we could”

  “No way, Buster. Half of this is my money. I get to spend it however I want. I owe you the money to fix your car and that’s what I want to do with it,” Lanie insisted. “It’s only a start to what I owe you.”

  “Okay, if you want to be stubborn about it. I’ll take the money less the cost of the two dresses I ruined,” Frank conceded.

  “But you replaced the white dress,” Lanie protested. “You can’t pay me for a dress that you’ve already replaced.”

  “The emerald dress then, the one you wore to Kate’s surprise wedding,” Frank countered. “I haven’t replaced that one.”

  “No way! That wasn’t your fault, you are not paying for it.” Lanie’s chin was raised stubbornly. “One of the kids bumped into you, remember?”

  Frank saw a spark of combat in her eyes, a flush on her cheeks, and noticed her breathing was rapid. He couldn’t resist. Like a man who tries to pet a caged tiger, he reached out and verbally stroked her temper.

  “I’ll pay for the dress if I want to pay for the dress and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it!” he said sternly. “I’m not letting you pay for the damage to my car. There’s something you should know: part of the accident was my fault because I was the one who broke your mirror.”

  “You what?” Lanie was astonished.

  “I bumped into a car at the party. I didn’t know if I broke anything because I didn’t see any damage. I really did look,” Frank admitted.

  “So you just ignored it?” Lanie was suspiciously quiet.

  “I’m afraid so. I was pretty sure I broke your mirror but like I said, I couldn’t find any damage. It was dark and the cars were all jumbled together. Let’s face it neither one of us was really to blame, that parking was an accident waiting to happen,” he said. “I’m not even sure if I broke a mirror or just bumped one fairly hard. I just don’t want you to pay me for any damages.”

  “You never told me this before?” Lanie’s voice rose as she continued, “I was trying to figure out how to pay for the damage and you never mentioned breaking my mirror? I’m still responsible for the damage to your car.”

  “And I’m still not letting your pay for it.” Frank stated positively before adding, “Also, I’ll buy you any gifts I want to, when I want to, and you’ll accept them and like it!”

  “You just can’t go around buying me things and force me to accept them,” Lanie raised her voice, “especially expensive things like the pearl necklace and expensive evening dresses.”

  “I can if I want to.” Frank met her head on, leaning forward so that he was almost nose to nose with her across the small table. “Just try to stop me!”

  “You’re just trying to buy me. Jerk!” She fumed. “Like this trip. You’re just irritated because you went to all this time and trouble to get the tickets for this trip and you didn’t even get to go to bed with me.”

  “I told you before, I didn’t buy the tickets.” Frank lost his own temper now. “Believe it or not, whichever you choose. I will admit to wanting to go to bed with you. I want to make love to you and I think you want it too. If that’s a crime, I’m guilty! Is that really such a terrible crime?”

  Before she could answer the waiter returned and served their lunch. She waited politely for the harried man to leave their table before replying to Frank.

  “It is terrible when you treat me like the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks instead of a woman.” She exploded. The fight was on for real now. “I’m a real person, damn it! I have a right to be treated with some concern for my feelings, my reactions, my plans and my dreams.”

  “I do have concern for your dreams. I care for you. I don’t want to treat you like a toy prize, I want to treat you like a real woman, a woman I treasure,” Frank stormed at her. “Admit it!

  You’re holding back from me because of some idiot that hurt you ten years ago, not because of anything I’ve done to you! You are a coward!”

  “A coward!” The altercation was getting hotter; couples who were looking to join another couple at a table passed them by. “You arrogant imbecile! I am not a coward. I am not afraid of you. I do want to be cautious because of mistakes in my past and because of Cassie, but that has nothing to do with you. I’ve held back with you because of the bet and because I’m not the kind of woman to just jump into bed with every man I meet. You chauvinistic, macho nincompoop!”

  “The bet was a joke and you know it, you bad-tempered little witch!” Frank was yelling too, then realized that people were listening and lowered his voice. “It was just a friendly push from people who care enough about me to give me a prod so that I’d notice just how wonderful you really are! No one expected me to actually get married just so Kate would have to buy me lunch once a week. How dumb do you think I am? I have my feelings and my dreams too, you know! You want me to care about your dreams and worry about your feelings but you don’t seem to give a damn about mine. Have you ever thought about me?” And so it continued.

  It was a glorious quarrel. They exchanged verbal barbs with unyielding wrath. Neither one pulled any verbal punches. The dust-up lasted all the way through a very good lunch which they devoured completely without missing a word, and for the whole journey back to the station. Neither of them gave an inch. No one conceded defeat, no winner was declared.

  They parted with Frank saying, “I’m glad to be back to civilization where women aren’t afraid to be women. Too scared to kiss a man or even to sleep with the man they’re involved with.”

  “Afraid?” Lanie shrieked, still angry. “I think not. That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? I just didn’t sleep with you. I didn’t feel ready yet. That’s all you really want. What about my feelings? I’m not a damned prize.” She lowered her voice dangerously, “And we’re not involved. It’s not like we’re in the middle of a passionate affair; we’ve shared one kiss. One. It was our first, and it will be our last if I have anything to say about it. No matter how soul shattering it was!” She stalked off, muttering to
herself as she got into her car. “Just because he thinks that kiss is going to make me toss and turn all night thinking about it! Huh!”

  She heard Frank call after her with laughter in his voice. “Liar! We’ve had several soul shattering kisses and you do want to sleep with me almost as much as I want to sleep with you. I could see it in your eyes. I could feel it in the way you held me. Hell, I could tell you weren’t indifferent just by looking down at your sweater. I could see your––”

  “Drop it Buster!” she shot back.

  Tina had dropped Lanie’s car off in the parking lot since she couldn’t be there to pick Lanie up. Lanie set her purse on the hood and dug out her keys. She tossed her suitcases into the back seat and got into the car.

  “It’s true and you know it. You were as hot as I was. In fact, we would have made love if Caroline hadn’t been murdered!” he called with a smile on his face. “You’re already falling in love with me and that’s really why you’re running scared.”

  “You conceited jackass!” She rolled down her window and yelled out at him, “I’ll fall in love with you on a cold day in hell!”

  “How about on a warm day in California?” Frank leaned in her window and admitted with his voice lowered, “I’m falling in love too, Lanie, and it scares the heck out of me as well. It also excites me. Let’s be scared and excited together.” She started her car before she heard him call out again. “Be careful, my love. You know what a bad driver you are when you’re um, aroused.”

  Lanie pulled away from him and maneuvered out of her parking space and drove home very carefully, all too aware that she was mad enough to run little old ladies off the road just for the fun of it. The drive calmed her a little. Part way home some of the things he had said sank in, things she hadn’t noticed in the heat of her anger. Phrases like: “a woman I treasure” and “how wonderful you are” and even “I’m falling in love too, Lanie” suddenly came into focus. She was so shocked she pulled the car over to reflect on those phrases. Good glory! Lanie thought, could it possibly be true? Could Frank actually care for her? Genuinely care? She remembered his final phrase, “Let’s be scared and excited together.” In spite of her anger, the mind numbing thought made her smile. How could you stay mad at a man who said things like that?

  Arriving home, she unloaded her suitcases from the car and went into the house to look for Cassie and Tina. They weren’t there. On the kitchen table she found a note from Tina telling her that they had gone over to Kate’s houses for a swim. The note said to call when she got home.

  She called Kate’s house. “Hello Kate, this is Lanie. Are Tina and Cassie there?”

  “They just left. Cassie swims like she’s part fish.” Kate could hear the tension in her voice. “You sound upset. Lanie, are you all right?”

  “I was furious with Frank when I left the station, now I’m just confused,” Lanie confessed, “and I think I probably should be mad at you too now that I think of it. You made a bet on me, on my life. My future. Kate, I am not Secretariat.”

  “True enough. He was a stallion, but you are both redheads. Lanie, that bet is a joke and if you’d admit it, you know that’s all it was,” Kate told her. “If you and Frank aren’t happy together, just don’t see each other anymore. It’s that simple. Really. But first tell me one thing--was the weekend with Frank all that terrible? Did he make heavy-handed passes at you constantly? Is he stupid? Boring? Rude? A bad dinner companion?”

  “No, most of the weekend was okay.” She finally relented, “Heck, it was wonderful. Frank was perfect. He didn’t make crude passes, he’s smart and attentive, and funny. He is fun to talk to.”

  “And argue with?” Kate interrupted.

  “Yes, that too,” Lanie admitted. “He had my white dress copied for me. I was very touched by that. He dances superbly. He even has good table manners.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” Kate asked. “If I weren’t happily married, I’d be looking for a man like that. Face it, he’s even good-looking.”

  “Don’t give me that. He’s much more than good-looking, he is very handsome,” Lanie admitted, “and extremely nice, fun to be with and considerate.”

  “Does he leave you feeling cold? Unaffected?” Kate asked.

  “Hell no!” Lanie laughed, “He makes me feel like I’m in an elevator that just dropped twenty floors, or like I’m standing in the path of a hurricane.”

  “How rude and thoughtless of me to try to set you up with a man like that. I am so sorry. Not,” Kate apologized insincerely. “So, once again, what’s the problem?”

  “He’s a jerk!” Lanie exploded. “He’s really a wonderful guy but he’s a total jerk!”

  “Lanie, I know that,” Kate reminded her. “He’s a man, it’s the nature of the beast. The best of them can be wonderful, it’s true, but they’re still men and sometimes they’re also jerks. Remember that.”

  “Okay, Kate.” Lanie laughed. “I’ll try to remember that.”

  “Oh, I doubt he’ll let you forget it,” Kate said softly.

  “I told him to go away and stay away,” Lanie admitted. “What if he does?”

  “Since when does a man do what you ask him to?” Kate told her, “He’ll come up with some lame excuse for you to spend time together and then give you a hard time. All you have to do is make him work hard to get back in your good graces.”

  “But the fight was my fault,” Lanie protested.

  “It doesn’t matter whose fault it was.” Kate waved her protest aside. “First you teach him a lesson, then grab him and don’t let go. Lanie, believe me, he’s really a good man.”

  “I know he is,” Lanie laughed, “but I’ll deny it if you ever repeat it. Kate?”

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Part of the problem is that I am afraid to get too involved with someone. I don’t know if you know it,” her voice dropped, “but Cassie’s father was abusive, physically abusive, and he left me as soon as I got pregnant. Heck, we weren’t even married, just engaged. The creep only paused long enough to run up bills on all my credit cards and drain our joint bank accounts. Then he got out of Dodge. He’s never even seen Cassie. He wanted me to abort her. I don’t even know if he’s aware that I ever went through with the pregnancy and had her.”

  “Frank’s not like that,” Kate said gently. “He would cherish you, not abuse you, and he loves kids. He told me he wants as many as possible.”

  “I know,” Lanie admitted. “I know he’s nothing like Cal. But I knew Cal wasn’t like that either until the first punch landed.”

  “It must be hard to open yourself up to love again. It was for me. My fear, with Bob, was completely different than yours, but just as deep and real, and every bit as paralyzing,” Kate paused, remembering. “I had lost a husband. Joe was his name. I loved him dearly, and he loved me and treated me like a queen. We had it all: the passion, the humor, and the friendship. We were a team. Losing him was devastating. It was even worse because my children were so young. My fear was of loving and losing again through disease or accident. I never had the fear of being hurt by Bob. I only had the fear that I might have to face that terrible pain again.”

  “I can understand that. What helped you overcome your fear?” Lanie asked with concern.

  “I didn’t really. Not completely. I just decided I could have Bob for however long the good Lord gives us or I could go through life without him at all. I couldn’t face life without him so I decided to put my trust and our love in God’s hands and go for it,” Kate told Lanie. “And that’s what you’ll have to decide for yourself. Is Frank the one you love enough to face all the risks for? Or would your life be better without him? Don’t answer me, just think it over.”

  “Thanks Kate,” Lanie said quietly. “You’re all right. I’ll even forgive you for betting on my love life.”

  “Right now, I’d bet I’m going to lose,” Kate laughed with genuine pleasure, “and lose big time.”

  Chapter Ten

  Lanie
said good-bye to Kate and hung up the phone just as she heard a car in the driveway. Very soon after that, Tina and Cassie came in the front door. They swept into the small house with all the calm and subtlety of a minor hurricane, leaving about as much of a mess in their wake. Cassie tossed down her towels and toys, and ran over to Lanie to give her a fierce hug. The little girl smelled faintly of chlorine.

  “I’m so glad you’re home, Mommy! I missed you a whole lot!” she exclaimed. “Did you and your friend Frank have a really good time? What was it like? Did you solve the mystery? Boy! I’d really like to take a trip on a train someday.”

  “I missed you too, Sweetie, more than you can ever know.” Lanie hugged her daughter back. “Now, put your things away. Run upstairs, shower, change out of that wet swimsuit, and I’ll tell you all about it.” Cassie bounded up the stairs and Lanie called after her, “After your shower be sure rinse out that wet swimsuit, and bring it downstairs and hang it out to dry!”

  Tina hugged Lanie next. “I’d better shower, too. I’m as much of a mess as Cassie. I’ll be right down as soon as I’m dressed. You have a few minutes before the Q and A session begins, but I want all the juicy details.” Tina headed for the stairs.

  Lanie was fidgety, her nerves stretched tight by the time Tina and Cassie returned, but she calmly answered all their questions about the Mystery Train and gave them wild descriptions of the various murders, actors, and other travelers as well as she could. She told them about the comfort of the train, praised the great food, and commended the comfortable inn on the coast. She raved about the Saturday night dinner and dance. She described in glowing terms how it felt to solve the mystery correctly and win the prize.

  Of course she had gifts for both of them, a T-shirt with the mystery train logo on the front for Cassie, and some perfume from the Hotel’s gift shop for Tina. Throughout all of her descriptions and tall tales, somehow she managed to avoid any mention of Frank.

  “Thanks for the T-shirt, Mommy. You didn’t tell us about your boyfriend Frank, wasn’t he on the train with you?” Cassie asked, full of excitement. “Did you have a lot of fun with him?”