Meggie's Secret

by Felisha Goulding

  Neither of them acted on impulse. They both wanted to say to hell with the business deal, let’s devour one another and figure out the rest later, but they didn’t. Silence was thick around them, and Meg slowly turned back to the bananas and continued slicing. Drake approached the counter but this time he didn’t stand directly behind her. Instead, he picked up the bowl of batter and got started on the second crepe. Once everything was prepared, they both stood back to admire the delightful display sitting in front of them. Drake dipped his hand in to the dry icing powder, grabbed a handful and sprinkled the powdered sugar lightly and perfectly over the masterpiece they just created. “Wow, we did well, huh?” Meg’s smile must have taken up her entire face, the crepes looked spectacular, like they were professionally made and she was extremely pleased with the outcome.

  “That we did,” he responded, trying his hardest to not pull her to his chest and kiss her fiercely.

  They both removed their aprons at the same time and Drake picked up both desserts and led them back to their table. They ate in silence while savoring the taste. It was clear that both of them wanted more than just dessert. They took turns watching one another eat, teasing with their mouth, their tongues, even the act of removing their forks from their mouth was tantalizing. Something changed in the air between them. With their gazes locked on one another at the exact same moment, time stood still. They both stopped chewing and lowered their forks.

  “Meggie,” her name came out breathlessly. He stood up and leaned over the table to cup her chin in his hand and gently he caressed her cheek with his thumb. The moment was ruined by the vibration of his phone. He reached inside his pants pocket, retrieved his cell but he didn’t move away from her, nor did he remove his hand from her face. He swiped the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip and with regret he let go. Their eyes remained connected before he dropped his gaze to her mouth and he bought the phone up to his ear. “Drake Noble,” he said impatiently. He was annoyed that their moment was ruined and he stood straight. He pointed his index finger at Meg. “Hold that thought, Meggie,” he said, “I have to take this call, but I’ll be right back.” He turned his back and Meg could see the tension coil up in his shoulders.

  She didn’t listen to the one-sided conversation. She simply sat there and let her mind wander to where this moment could have taken them. “What horrible timing,” she muttered under her breath. If that phone didn’t go off at that exact moment, she knew with absolute certainty that he was about to kiss her. She closed her eyes for a moment, amazed at how fast this was happening. How was it possible that she could feel this way about someone she just met?

  Oddly enough, the ringer went off on Meg’s phone while Drake was still engaged in his conversation. She pulled out her cell, the caller ID indicated Sarah Evans. Meg pressed the green button right away. “Hey, Sarah. Did you forget to let me in on a little secret before you left town?” Her tone was clipped and she knew she sounded pissed.

  “No, I didn’t forget. I was dying to tell you, but I wanted it to be a surprise,” she said eagerly. “I didn’t tell him you were coming either. Oh, I wish I was there, Meg, to see the expression on both your faces. I bet it was priceless. And guess what, Meg? He’s still single. Can you believe it? What are the chances of that?”

  “I can’t believe you didn’t give me a heads up, but listen, I’m in the middle of a business meeting right now. When you get back, you and I are definitely going to have a chat.”

  Meg was clearly upset and Sarah had no idea why. “Geez, Meg, you sound pissed. I thought you’d be happy, it’s John-freaking-Lake, I thought you would be over the moon seeing him again.”

  “Let’s just say, I don’t like surprises. And that was a long, long time ago, Sarah. We were teenagers, for God sake. The least you could have done was warn me. I’m not some naïve eighteen-year-old girl anymore that’s hung up on some ridiculous crush.” Meg pressed the red button and ended the call. She was distracted from her conversation with Sarah, and when she looked up, she realized Drake was standing next to her and it was obvious he’d overheard the conversation. Great, just when things were getting off to a good start with him. She lowered her head, no longer able to look him in the eye and stared intently at her half-eaten dessert.

  His long fingers wrapped around Meg’s upper arm and he pulled her up to her feet so that she was standing directly in front of him. He reached over and tucked a loose curl that fell along the side of her face behind her ear. He pulled her against him. His chest was solid as a rock and Meg’s body was screaming for more. With one long finger, he pulled her chin upward to face him. She was unable to read his expression and she looked at him intently.

  With a sincere expression on his handsome face, he spoke in a serious tone. “Meggie, do you want to talk about this now? Who is he? I mean, clearly this is someone you once cared about? Talk to me, Meggie, please. I am so overwhelmed with the need to kiss you right now. I can’t think of anything else I want more than to touch those soft lips and lose myself in those big blue eyes.” He sucked in a deep breath and then slowly released the air from his lungs before continuing. His thumb stroked over her lower lip just like before. His other hand gripped her waist and he pulled her into him. His erection strained against her lower region. “But I won’t do that when you’re this upset. I need you here with me, focused on us, not thinking about this other guy that’s obviously upsetting you and taking you a million miles away. Look, I know this seems fast. We’re supposed to be doing business. I had no idea I would be attracted to you. Hell, if you were any other woman, I would walk away. It’s not like me to be this impulsive, particularly when it’s supposed to be a business relationship. But hell, Meggie, I can’t stop myself. There’s something about you. I want to spend time with you, get to know you, see where this leads. To hell with business, we can deal with that as a separate issue. But this thing between us is definitely worth spending some time together, don’t you agree?”

  With a trembling voice, Meg responded. “I can’t talk about this right now. I’m so sorry.” Tears threatened to fall and everything inside her wanted to scream. She felt overjoyed from the fact that this perfect man standing patiently in front of her was interested in getting to know her better. At the same time, she felt vulnerable and worried about what she was about to face once she got back to Sarah’s.

  She stepped away from his embrace. “Drake, maybe it would be best that you take me home. You’re right, I am upset, but not at you. You’ve made this evening very special for me, and I am so thankful for that. I’m afraid I have some unfinished business from my past that I need to contend with. But I would really, like to see you again, unless, of course, you don’t want to.”

  He stepped closer to her, their faces only mere inches apart. “Oh no, you’re not getting away from me that easily. I’m very much attracted to you, Meggie Malone. It doesn’t get to stop here, and I am definitely going to see you again. Come on, I’ll take you home. Listen, if you’re not comfortable going back to your friend’s place, you’re welcome to use my condo while you’re in town.”

  “Thank you, you’re very kind, and I really appreciate the offer, but I’m fine, really. Besides, Sarah would be hurt, not to mention upset if I didn’t stay with her.”

  Drake’s eyebrows knitted together in concern. “I don’t think she would care if you weren’t comfortable staying there. I would hope she’s a little more understanding than that.”

  “Sarah gets me. Without a doubt, she cares about me, but there are some things I’ve never shared with her. If she knew how I truly felt, she would never have arranged for this to happen. But I still intend to lash out at her, she can take it.”

  Drake studied her for a moment, wanting to pry further. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her. But he sensed her issues were deeper than she was willing to share at the moment. And he wasn’t sure if he could handle hearing about a past relationship. He was pissed at Sarah for putting Meggie in such an awkward pos
ition. She was clearly affected by this guy, and everything in him screamed to take her home with him and protect her.

  “I didn’t mean to imply she isn’t a good friend, Meggie. I hope I didn’t give you that impression. I see how upset and distracted you are. I thought that maybe you would be uncomfortable going back there tonight.”

  Now that Drake confided to Meggie that he was attracted to her, she felt a little more confident in his presence. She smiled up at him and linked her arm through his. “You know, we haven’t discussed business at all this evening. I feel bad. I have to get in touch with Frank and let him know how things are going. I’m sure he’ll want an update before the weekend is out.”

  He touched Meg’s arm and squeezed lightly, “I wasn’t planning to talk business tonight. I was kind of hoping that tonight would be about us, but we’ll put that on hold, at least for this evening. As for business, I’m very much interested in making an offer. I’m still working on some numbers, but I suspect to have this wrapped up by sometime early next week.”

  Chapter 11

  Within half an hour, Meg found herself standing outside the door of Sarah’s condo. She collected her thoughts and worked up the courage to turn the key and go inside. She felt completely plagued by numbness. She knew it was time now to restrain her emotions so that John Lake, the one guy she was completely lost to as a teenager, wouldn’t see past the façade. Slowly, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside. He stood up from the couch he was sitting on and walked over to greet her. Without saying a word, he hugged Meg closely to his chest. She let him, recalling what it was like to be held like this, by him, so long ago. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him.

  Finally, he let go and stood back a little, “How was your meeting, Meggie?”

  “It went well, thanks for asking.” She looked up at him nervously, with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and then turned toward the kitchen while John followed closely behind.

  Although memories of that night resurfaced and continued to haunt her, she fought to keep them as distant as possible. She focused on what she would say to him, now that they were alone. No matter how she tried, she had to admit that she still had feelings for him. But something changed for her lately. Someone had unexpectedly walked in to her life, making her feel alive again. She held on to that thought. It had taken her years to try and get over John. Meg spent the first few years after that horrible night blaming him for what happened. He should have stayed with her that night. Despite what he said about losing her virginity and how that moment should be with someone special and long lasting, she initially thought it was a load of crap. But as the years went by, she knew he was doing the right thing and that he was doing it for her more so than for himself. But still, she couldn’t help but blame him for not taking the one thing that was stolen from her that she desperately wanted to give to him. She had wanted him to be her first, and now her first sexual experience was one she intended to work hard to put behind her for good.

  “Would you like a coffee, John?” Meg anticipated a long night and figured coffee would be her best friend for the next few hours.

  “Here, you sit,” he directed her toward the bar stool, and she took a seat while John maneuvered around the kitchen with ease and fixed them a pot of coffee.

  “So, Meggie, aren’t you happy to see me? It’s been over eight years,” he looked her over appreciatively.

  “Of course I am, but I have to admit I was a little shocked to see you. I had no idea you were here. You mentioned earlier you were at work. I assume you’re living here, with Sarah?”

  “I moved to New York from Boston a little over six weeks ago. Sarah and I kept in touch a few times over the years. She offered me a place to stay until I get on my feet, save some money, and get a place of my own.”

  “Do you like it here?” Meg tried her best to make the conversation light.

  “It’s not what I’m used to. Far too many people. Everything so cluttered. It’s a fast city, but I managed to get used to Boston, and eventually, I liked it there.”

  “So why did you move here to New York?” Meg asked curiously.

  I so need to stop checking him out. Meg was painfully aware of the effect he still had on her. She realized then if she hadn’t met Drake Noble less than twenty-four hours ago, she would be, without a doubt, considering the possibility of letting John Lake back into her life. But she wasn’t so sure if she had the strength to let go of the past. And that was an obstacle she knew that wouldn’t go away easily.

  “Boston was great, I liked it there, and being close to my brother was nice. But the company I work for moved here to New York. I had to make a quick decision and either get packaged out or transfer out here. I like my job. It pays well, benefits are good, and with the economy the way it is right now, I didn’t want to chance having to look for a new career all over again. I called Sarah, and she offered to put me up for a few months or as long as I needed. I took the transfer, and here I am.” John stood across the kitchen from Meg. His back to the counter and one leg crossed over the other. He hadn’t changed out of his work clothes yet, and Meg was finding it hot all of a sudden.

  “I’m surprised Sarah didn’t tell me you were here before now.” Meg was still pissed over that.

  “She called while you were out, and she mentioned you two hadn’t talked in over three months. I guess that’s why you didn’t know.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “Enough about me. Look at you, Meggie.” John walked over quickly and invaded her space. “It’s great to see you again.” His hand moved up to touch her cheek, his gentle green eyes under long dark eyelashes fixated on hers. He still had a hold on her, her skin sizzled under his touch and he still managed to take her breath away.

  “I have to work tomorrow which means I’m up at the crack of dawn, but I wanted to see you first. I’ll have a coffee with you so we can catch up a little before I head off to bed. What are your plans for tomorrow evening?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure yet. Nothing as far as I know, but I’m on call and need to make sure I’m available at a moment’s notice.”

  “I’d really like to take you out for dinner, or we can hang out here and I’ll make you dinner.”

  “Either one sounds good,” Meg smiled before continuing. “Although I have to admit, I’m always game for a free home-cooked meal.” She could feel the pent up tension slowly leave her body. She was beginning to feel a little more at ease in his presence. Meg relaxed into the conversation. They spent the next hour sipping coffee and catching up on the details of their lives. They talked about everything and anything, making up for the eight year gap between them. Meg asked about Will, and John was surprised to hear they hadn’t kept in touch over the years.

  “I’m surprised. You two used to be best friends.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s mostly my fault I guess. The only one I’ve kept in touch with is Sarah.”

  “Did you know he got married and adopted a baby boy?”

  “Actually, I do know that. My mom told me. She keeps me up to speed on most everything. He married umm...” Meg wracked her brain, trying to recall her name. “Oh, it was Gayle. Isn’t that her name?”

  “Yeah, she’s really nice from what I recall of her in high school. He seems happy enough. We still keep in touch through e-mails and Facebook.”

  “You use Facebook?”

  He looked at Meg like she had twenty heads and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, why’s that so hard to believe? Don’t you?”

  “I have to admit, I set up an account about a year ago, and I may have signed in to it all of three times. I could never find the time. I’m useless with Facebook. I can’t even navigate through it effectively, isn’t that pathetic? Even my mom uses Facebook!” They both laughed and continued on with their conversation.

  They talked about John’s sister. She ended up marrying a guy in town and now had two girls. “She’s really happy, Meggie, content and so good with my nieces.”
John clearly loved his family, and when he talked about his nieces, his entire face lit up.

  “What about Will? Does Julie still talk to him?”

  “Nah, Will’s wife is the jealous type and Julie stays away.”

  “What about your mom and dad? How are they doing?” Meg regretted asking him after the words escaped her. She knew the relationship between him and his dad was strained. Hell. It was abusive. Her heart melted for him when she thought back to the stories she’d heard and about what John shared with her that night behind the church. But she couldn’t resist; she wanted to know he was okay and, at the very least, still close with his mom.

  With a pained look on his face, John answered. “Mom’s good. She’s holding her own. I call her every week, but Julie stepped away from the family. She doesn’t bring the kids around and refuses to have anything to do with the old man. They haven’t talked for years. They live at one end of the county and Julie lives at the other end.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, John. That’s got to be hard on everyone, particularly your mom.”

  “Yeah, it is. Things could certainly be better that’s for sure, but I don’t blame her. She had no life until she moved out of that house.”

  John turned to Meg then. “So, Meggie, tell me something; why haven’t you gone back home to visit since you moved away?” Oh no. She should have been better prepared to answer that question. She stilled herself, not wanting the conversation to get too deep. She was trying to find the right words without looking haunted. She straightened up in the chair and cleared her throat. “You know, other than my parents who visit me every year, I really have no desire to go back there. I’m focused on my career and enjoying my life.”