by Petrova, Em
He’d never been the type to sit and wait on any woman, yet Christine remained different. He’d wait as long as she needed. He wanted more than just a few nights of sex. He wanted her in his life, cooking meals with him, watching television, jogging, or just reading together. He wanted her face to be the last thing he saw before they slept and first when they woke. He hadn’t wanted anything close to that in a long time. What made Christine so different?
He felt like a bloody horny teenager whenever he saw laughter in her deep brown gaze and heard her voice. The mere sound of her reading figures over the phone gave him a raging hard on. She had one of the sexiest voices ever. Lightly accented with a ‘southern belle’ tone she didn’t even realize she possessed. He smiled as he stared at the dark videoconference screen. She’d been shocked the first time he pointed out how many times she’d said ‘y’all’ during one of their first ordering sessions. He could hear her voice, calling out to him as he suckled her breasts and licked along her creamy smooth skin. He groaned and leaned back in his chair. Was she a screamer? Or would she just sigh when their bodies joined and she climaxed around him?
He tossed a pencil across the room. What the hell? It hadn’t been that damn long since he last had sex. He shouldn’t be this worked up over simple flirting. They worked together for God’s sake. They talked online every night as friends. He hated the word friends. A nonsense word that couldn’t begin to describe what they had. He ran a hand through his hair. His own fault really, since he’d given her no reason beyond the flirting to think he needed more. Why hadn’t he made some move? Being with her, even just talking, would beat the hell out of berating himself for not taking their relationship beyond friendship. He grinned and booted up his laptop. “Take a chance, Christine, and so will I.” He began to type and hoped he didn’t appear a fool.
Your Journey begins
And takes you Far from Me
Yet closer than we have been in so Long
Be safe on your travels.
The Path we started Long ago
And the Light which will stay burning
In the window only for You
Until you come safely back Home.
Charlie sighed and read over the lines three times before he took a deep breath and hit ‘send’. He leaned back and let his breath out in a long slow stream. He’d either just made a complete ass of himself or set something wonderful in motion. All he could do now was wait and see. He closed his laptop and walked away.
The next day Charlie snarled into the intercom. “I told you to find the figures twenty minutes ago. What the hell is the hold up?”
“You’ll have them in five minutes, sir.” His administrative assistant switched off her com.
He slammed his fist on the desk. What the hell had got into him? He’d snapped her head off when she didn’t deserve it. The figures weren’t even needed for another hour or so. He sighed. He’d been in a foul mood ever since Christine departed for her dream trip and hadn’t responded to his poem. He understood why. She’d been through hell and back. Taking a chance might still be too much to ask.
He stalked to his window and watched the ocean. Waves met the shore, retreated, and surged forward once more. He felt this way. Each time he made progress with Christine, she retreated. Maybe this time apart would be good for them both. She and her friend Maddy needed the fun of a girls’ vacation. But when he dared to suggest she stop by and see him, she’d laughed as if it were the greatest joke in the world.
He leaned his head against the cool glass. His desire to take them from friendship to the next step seemed completely logical to him. He’d not once in all the years since his divorce been tempted to take this leap into another commitment. He wanted Christine, plain as the sunshine outside. He’d seen her glances at him, her pretty little blushes when they flirted and the almost wishful hope in her expression at times. Why wouldn’t she take a chance?
He watched as a hand holding couple strolled along the beach. A typical sunny day, warm and pleasant, every bit the paradise travel brochures called this bit of the world. He wanted to share this view, these islands, and their people with his best friend.
“God, Christine,” he whispered. “I miss you. I miss your face, your smile, your voice. I miss flirting with you just to see the lovely shade of pink in your cheeks. I miss seeing your ID on my cell and your name on my email or Skype. Couldn’t you send even one message? Are you so busy you can’t even think of me? Or do you just not think of me at all?”
He had it bad. So bad he talked to himself. A knock thundered on his door. He turned and prepared to apologize to the best administrative assistant any man could ever have.
Chapter Two
You seem so Far
I wish You were Near
I wait upon the Path for You
So we may Continue to Find
The Gems buried along the Way.
Come back to Me Soon.
“Well, shoot, woman, it’s plain to me. You can’t be so dense.” Maddy shook her head. Christine squinted in the bright Sydney sunlight as she glanced at her friend. “I asked what you thought he meant by these poems not for a commentary on my mental state.”
“Oh for bloody lord’s sake, you asked and I’m telling.” As Maddy lifted her hand, the huge square cut diamond on her finger caught the sunshine and sparkled. “He’s wooing you, as in flirting, setting the stage, making the moves.” Maddy threw both hands in the air now. “Whatever you Yanks want to call it, he’s doing it.”
Christine frowned. “You were born a ‘Yank’ too. And just because he emails me sometimes doesn’t mean it’s wooing.”
“He emails you every day. Not just greetings but poems and other lovely surprises. He’s sent something every day you’ve been here.” Maddy reached for her coffee cup on the bench beside her. “Bloody hell, I’ve been married twenty-five years and don’t rate one email a week, yet alone one a day. You and this sex god poet have been together what, five years?”
“Mark doesn’t need to email you when he comes home every night.” Christine pointed out. “I’ve known Charlie six years, but we’ve only physically met twice. And he’s not a sex god poet.”
Maddy puckered her full, ruby red lips. “The hell he isn’t. If you don’t want his wooing, pass him over to me.”
“Stop it.” Christine sipped her coffee. She loved Australian brew, the full, rich flavor and explosion of caffeine on her tongue. “He’s a co-worker. Period.”
Maddy gave an undignified snort and a teenage girl walking past did a double take. “Yeah, right, I get poems from co-workers all the time too.”
“He’s just being friendly.” Christine insisted and held her cup in both hands.
“Hmmm. My favorite line from one of his poems, besides the ‘light burning in the window for you’ one, is the one about the gem.”
“On Life’s Path there are many hidden Gems; May you Seek, Look, and Find; the Gem which is, as always; Right before Your Eyes,” Christine quoted.
Maddy laughed. “Yep, you have them memorized. Sure, he’s just a bloody co-worker, and I’m the bloody queen.”
“So I like his poems.” Christine sipped her coffee again. “Maybe I have some memorized.”
“They’re sweet and touching. They make you smile.”
And go all fluttery inside. And feel so very special. Christine waved her hand, breathing deep of the tangy harbor air. “He got them out of some book. He’s not writing them for me.”
Maddy tilted her head. “I don’t think so. He’s a sex god poet who is wooing you.”
Christine shook her head. “He’s a friend.”
“Keep telling yourself that, mate.” Maddy tipped her cup to drink the last of her coffee.
“Well he is.” She looked out across Sydney Harbor. “I love it here. It’s a whole different world, so peaceful and calm. The no worries’ attitude of the Aussie people isn’t a saying; it’s a way of life. I wish I could have the same attitude all the time too.”
/> “Nice change of subject.” Maddy pushed hair back from her forehead. “You could have the same attitude if you tried hard enough. Or if you moved here.”
Christine laughed. “A great place to visit.”
“But you’d miss your sex god poet too much to move here.” Maddy pointed in the direction of the single opening of the harbor to the open sea. “He’s just across those waves.”
“I don’t miss him.” But she did with a desperation that almost scared her.
“Give it up, Christie. This is me, your best mate, you’re talking to.” Maddy sighed. “You stood on the steps of our awesome Sydney Opera House and right before I took your photo you said you wished Charlie could be here.”
Christine shrugged. “He’d love to see the building, the way it soars above you and makes you feel so small and insignificant yet powerful at the same time.”
“You stood at the rails of the ferry and wished for him.”
Christine couldn’t deny it either. She’d felt the rush of wind as the ferry glided through the water, smelled the salt of the sea, and looked to the rocky opening of the Pacific. Across the water lay Hawaii and Charlie, but she wanted him at the rail with her.
“Every shot you took of the Fort you said, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to show these to Charlie’.” Maddy mimicked her voice almost to perfection.
“He loves history.” Christine tossed her hair back. “Fort Denison and its infamous convict first settlers is a story he’d dive into with both feet.”
“I guess you think he’d say the same about all the street performers?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve walked these brick sidewalks end to end.” Maddy rubbed her foot as it rested on her lap and grinned. “Every time you tipped the performers and said how much you wish Charlie could hear their music.”
“He loves music. We’ve heard every sort here. It’s beautiful.” She breathed deep of the scent of the water again, now mingled with the rich scent of coffee. “Plus, since he’s in a big tourist state and likes to meet new people, he’d love seeing the dozens of different nationalities here.”
“We do indeed have plenty of those.” Maddy gazed out at the people passing them. They both listened for a few moments and heard Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, and Dutch spoken. “When we climbed the Tower of Harbor Bridge you said what?”
“Oh my dear God, I must have been crazy to come up this high. Get me the hell down from here.”
Maddy chuckled. “After, you said, ‘look at the water, how it glistens’.”
“It does from that height.” Christine gave a shudder as she recalled the terror and then joy at the height letting her see the whole harbor at once. “The Sydney skyline shines in it as do the reflections of those crazy people climbing the massive curved supports up to the top of the bridge.”
“We could have climbed too if you wanted.” Maddy grinned.
Christine narrowed her eyes and almost smacked her. “The tower was quite enough.”
“You wanted him with you on Manly beach too,” Maddy said it as casually as if they were still talking about the Harbor Bridge.
She’d looked out at the ocean and wondered what he might be doing hundreds of miles away. “I did. The town of Darling with all those expensive mansions is quite a sight.”
“We called them divisions here, mate.” Maddy corrected. “We almost saw Nicole K. gardening in her yard.”
“More likely we’d have seen her in the shops at The Rocks.” Christine mentioned the oldest part of the Harbor, filled with exclusive small shops and restaurants.
“What did you buy Charlie from there?” Maddy twisted her gold wedding band around and around.
“The bright yellow jacket emblazed with Australia on it and the driver’s cap.” Christine almost bit her tongue when Maddy raised her brows.
“I buy presents for all my friends and wish they were with me whenever I go on holiday too.” She wagged her brows. “Not.”
Christine nudged her. “You never go on holiday.”
Maddy shrugged. “We have, just not lately. Why would we need to when we have all this? Point is I’ve never bought an expensive jacket for ‘just a friend’.”
“True. All you’ve ever sent me were postcards of the ancient church on George Street.” Christine smiled as she imagined the ancient chapel in the middle of downtown. “It’s one hundred times more amazing in person. The open timbers and carved stone altar with all the gorgeous colored glass windows are breathtaking.”
“You have no argument from me there.” Maddy said nothing for a moment. “He’s more than your friend. He has more details about your personal life than I do.”
Christine focused on her friend. “No one has more info on me than you.”
“He’s aware of your kids, their ages, what they do, where they go to college, where you live, where you went to college, your extended family, what you did last Fourth of July, your birthday, your plans for the future, all the home improvement stuff you’re doing, and what you eat for dinner every night.” Maddy waved her hand. “We’ve been best friends since eighth grade, and you didn’t tell me all that.”
“You already knew most of it. Plus, you married your soul mate and moved across the world.”
“Charlie’s almost across the world from you.” Maddy pointed a red tipped nail at her. “He’s who you go to for guidance and all your questions.”
“Not with everything.” Christine shrugged. “Some things I needed his advice on. I had to fix things in the house and the people at the home improvement places were less than helpful. They acted so condescending toward me, like I was some helpless little woman. Charlie offered to assist me, and I took him up on his offer.” Christine sighed. “He’s being a good friend.”
“He told you all about his nasty divorce, something you said he never discusses with other people.” Maddy laid her arm on the back of the bench.
“He told me because I’m his friend.” Mostly because she’d shared her marriage problems with him first. “I always have an ear to listen. When I die, it’ll be printed on my head stone: ‘She was a good friend’. I’m happy with being his mate.”
“You bloody hate it and want something more.” Maddy leaned back.
“Why would he want me?” Christine dropped her voice as more and more people walked past. “He could have any woman he wanted.”
“Not me.” Maddy frowned, and then pulled at her ear a bit. “Well, probably not me. Maybe. Depends what he looks like without his shirt. Or naked.”
Christine grinned. “Please. Like you’d ever leave Mark or have an affair.”
“True.” Maddy sighed. “You’re both adults. He’s interested in you. You’re interested in him. Take the chance and see where it can go.”
“We work together,” Christine said.
“There’s no policy against office relationships.” Maddy switched her crossed legs.
“Not yet. I’ve told you about my boss and one of the other customer service reps. The whole office talks about them.”
Maddy tilted her head, her face filled with compassion. “Ah, I get it. You don’t want the gossip.”
Christine bent her head. “After everything with Randy, I just can’t take anymore rumors. I like my job. I don’t want to lose it. Plus, I don’t want to lose my friendship with Charlie.”
“Sometimes you have to take a risk in order to gain what you want most.” Maddy tapped her cup against her knee.
Christine raised her head. “Like you did in marrying Mark?”
“Exactly.” Maddy nodded. “You’re familiar with our story. We met, a week later I took off to the land Down Under with him, and married him not a month later. I’ve never looked back.”
“You never had to look back because you gained everything,” Christine pointed out. “But it’s not just me risking. It’s him too.”
“It seems to me he’s made his decision.” Maddy stretched both arms above her head.
Christine w
atched several gentlemen grin at them with Maddy’s display. “He’s never said anything about being more than friends.”
Maddy waved the men away before they could stop. “He’s saying it in poems. Don’t underestimate yourself. You’re worth the risk, mate.”
Christine watched the boats skimming across the blue water of the harbor. “See the little jet boat there?”
Maddy glanced where she pointed. “The yellow and green dare devil one? Don’t tell me you want to ride that thing.”
“Hell no.” Christine shook her head. “This is exactly my point. Charlie is all filled with life and fun, adventure and surprises. See how the boat turns and twists then flips in the air?”
“Yes.” Maddy shuddered. “I can’t imagine what sort of crazy fool would laugh like the people strapped in there. They’re bloody insane.”
“They think it’s fun and thrilling.” Christine pointed at the line of people waiting to buy tickets. “Everyone, most everyone, wants a turn.”
“Christie, if you’re trying to say what I think you are, stop it.”
Christine whispered anyway. “I feel like I’m just one in the crowd waiting for this brief, thrilling ride. And it will be over almost as soon as it starts. I’m not sure I’m ready or if I can handle it, even with Charlie.”
“For the ride or for it to be over?” Maddy whispered in return.
“Both.” Christine tapped her fingers on her leg. “He’s all excitement and adventures women line up to take. I’d easily be lost in the crowd.”
“You’re wrong.” Maddy held her hand. “There’s nothing wrong with a thrilling ride and some fun. You deserve an exciting adventure.”
Christine pointed at the big three story ferry filled with people on the decks. “I’m like the ferry: solid, dependable, following the same path over and over, doing the same thing day after day, never diverting. We’re totally different, complete opposites.”