by Jessie Cooke
Bella felt herself struggling to swallow; it must have been a big chunk of her pride she was trying to get down. She knew the answer, and she promised herself that tomorrow, her time with Reece would be spent getting out of her own way . . . and out of Reece’s way too.
57
Bella awoke the next morning and stretched her body horizontally across the king-sized bed. She inhaled the scent of the fresh Egyptian cotton sheets and smiled at the faint hint of Reece’s sandalwood. She’d broken down and slept in his bed, a signal to herself of her new commitment to just let things happen and be happy, even if it meant being with Reece.
Reece.
The thought of him, the faintest of his scents, the simply being in his space thrilled her. Bella felt a twitch and tingle of excitement along with a calming sense of carefree buoyancy that some may call happiness.
Maybe this will work, she told herself. Maybe I just have to get out of my own way to happiness and stop attending my own pity party.
She spent the early part of the day reading a book in the bathtub, a pleasure she hadn’t allowed herself in what felt like years. The customized bath caddy with book holder was more evidence of Reece’s level of commitment to learning all about her. She remembered mentioning perhaps once that her Saturday nights used to be filled with a relaxing read in the tub before Christo convinced her to help him out with the body painting. She decided to indulge herself and grabbed the latest Nora Roberts and a pint of Cherry Garcia and enjoyed both while she soaked for an hour in the bubbles and salts Reece had provided.
Wrapping herself in the pink monogrammed robe, she headed out to the patio and the chaise lounge facing the skyline. She missed Dallas. She missed living in the city. Fort Worth was good, but there was just something about Dallas that called to her, that felt like home to her. She stretched in the warm early afternoon sun, a fleeting stab of guilt about Luke entered her head. She hadn’t told him she was coming to Dallas. Their daily conversations had dwindled into twice a week, and she found herself thinking of him less and less. And something inside told her it was probably the same for him.
Still, she felt bad for not telling him that she was there for a week and staying mere minutes away from him. Yet, the feeling that he was hiding something from her had dampened her fervor, and she couldn’t seem to get past this feeling that she wasn’t enough for him. She realized that she’d recently felt something she hadn’t felt for a while: freedom. She certainly hadn’t felt it while Luke was living with her. She trudged through her memory, digging deeply to put her finger on the last time she felt the sense of freedom she was feeling at the moment. Her eyes brightened when she found it: Haiti. The first time she parasailed. The time she’d gone with Reece. That’s when she had felt freedom. With Luke, she’d felt the tether and pull. Why hadn’t she realized this before now? Even then, those two very different experiences were telling her something: she felt a freedom with Reece that she couldn’t find with Luke.
She thought back through the times she’d shared with both, and realized that her happiness, her confidence, her sense of self were stronger, more memorable with Reece than she could remember with Luke.
“Can I trust myself to recall all of this correctly?” she whispered to herself. “After all, I’m staying at Reece’s apartment where he is spoiling me even from afar right now.”
The back-to-back mountain bike rides crept into her brain, and while she had enjoyed herself with Luke, she felt wild, free, and pampered while she was with Reece. She’d allowed herself less restraint, more abandonment while she was with Reece.
But why? I’ve been guarding myself against him for so long? That doesn’t make sense that I would be less inhibited with him, she thought.
The rational voice within her head broke through with an answer. “It’s because you trust him more, no matter what you’d like to tell yourself. You trust Reece more than Luke, and you connect with him on a level you never will with Luke. He makes you happy, Bella. And when are you going to start allowing Bella to be happy? When are you going to be okay with being happy with Reece?”
“Now!” she said aloud to the voice inside her. “Starting now, damnit! Bella Ryan is going to do what is best for herself for a change. No worries; no holds barred.”
Almost as final punctuation to her declaration, the doorbell rang, and Bella glanced at the clock as she walked back into the apartment. Where had the day gone?
A young guy in a brown uniform greeted her when she opened the door. He handed her a long box which Bella assumed to be flowers and a garment bag.
“Will you sign for these?” he asked Bella as she took them. She hung the garment bag on the coat rack and placed the box on the entryway bench so that she could sign the electronic pad he held out to her. Thanking him, she closed the door and turned to the long box on the bench. She opened it to find a pair of classic, tall, boots with a rounded toe and low heel in smooth black leather.
“Not flowers,” she chuckled to herself. A note was attached.
Hope you are enjoying yourself. Get ready for an unforgettable evening.
Love, Reece
She held the boots in one hand and the garment bag in the other as she padded back into the guest bedroom where her suitcase still sat. She hung the bag in the walk-in closet, and then slid her feet out of her slippers to tug on the boots. They fit perfectly. She went to the bag hanging in the closet and unzipped it. Inside she found a vibrant blue shirt-dress with ¾-length sleeves. The collar and cuffs were black leather as was the thin belt around the waist of the dress. A small familiar pink-striped box sat in the bottom of the garment bag, and she pulled it out, sat down on the bed, and took the cover off. Inside, wrapped in the signature pink tissue paper, was matching black lace bra, g-string, and garter with black lace-fringed pantyhose.
Bella’s body responded with a lurch that began in her stomach and worked its way to area between her legs. She couldn’t help but smile; she knew he expected her to wear the entire outfit tonight, and if he continued to play his cards right and she continued to keep her promise to herself, then maybe he’d actually get to see every piece of the outfit at one time or another. Hell, maybe he’d get to take it off of her and clothe her in something even better—like himself.
Her phone rang, and she knew instinctively without even looking at it, that it would be Reece.
“Did you get my package?” Reece asked when she answered. To which she thought of several responses she could have said, like I’d like to get your package and If only I could unwrap your real package. All cheesy fourteen-year-old responses, but she couldn’t help her giddiness.
“I did. Thank you. It’s all very thoughtful.”
“I don’t want you to simply think they are thoughtful gifts. I want you to like them too.”
“I do,” Bella said. “Everything’s beautiful, Reece. From the flowers to the bath salts to the stocked freezer to your delivery today. It’s been amazing already.” She cleared her throat. “I’m assuming you want me to wear this tonight?”
“All of it,” Reece said.
“And I’m assuming you’re going to want to see what your money bought,” she said, a hint of nervousness in her voice for some reason.
“All of it,” he repeated.
She laughed, appreciating his candidness. “We’ll see.”
“So, here are your instructions: you need to be ready for me to collect you in an hour. Is that enough time?”
“I can be ready in thirty minutes,” she said. “I’ve done nothing but lounge around today and enjoy being spoiled.”
“An hour will be fine. Have a bite and a glass of wine. We’ll be eating a little later, but I have something planned before that.”
“Do I get a hint?” Bella asked.
“Not a bit,” Reece said. “I’m afraid you’ll bail on me.”
She laughed again, easily, and agreed to be ready in an hour. Just before she said good bye, Reece stopped her from disconnecting.
“
And Bella?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for giving me a shot tonight.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
“I am too. I can’t wait to see you.”
And surprisingly, she thought the same thing.
58
“I can’t believe I’m going to trust you with my life again,” she said to Reece.
They were standing in a large field watching a small crew prepare the hot air balloon they were getting ready to ride in, over the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The large basket that would be their vehicle was lying on its side, and the parachute of the balloon stretched out the length of the field as the men began to unroll it.
“This is less scary than parasailing,” Reece commented.
“I don’t know if I’m buying that,” she replied. “At least with the parasailing, we were tied to the boat.”
“And what would happen if that rope broke?” Reece asked. “Most likely we’d be at the mercy of the wind and on our own. Here, we’re with a professional. The pilot knows what he’s doing. If anything out of the ordinary happens, he’ll take care of us. He’s trained. We aren’t. See the difference?”
Bella eyed Reece skeptically.
“How’d you learn to bullshit so well?” she asked.
“Just a natural, I guess,” he answered with a smirk.
Her stomach was full of knots and butterflies, tension and excitement. The sound of a motor began as air slowly filled the nylon and the balloon began to take shape. Bella and Reece watched in amazement as the checkered rainbow colored dome rose from the ground. Once the balloon was full of air, the heating mechanism was started, and heat shot into the nylon dome, raising it from the ground and righting the basket along with it.
Reece turned to Bella. “Are you okay with this?” he asked earnestly.
She smiled and nodded. “At least the basket has a floor,” she said.
“And I’ll be here,” Reece said down to her. “Just like I was when we parasailed.”
His smile seemed to calm the nervous feeling in her stomach, but the butterflies flitted and giggled at the attention Bella was getting. She could feel herself reddening with the thrill and heat and rush of the balloon but mostly of the man beside her.
Carl, the pilot, welcomed them aboard, and they walked through a small gate and onto the platform of the basket. Up above their heads, the heating contraption roared to life as Carl periodically shot flames towards the gigantic nylon dome.
“Ready?” Carl asked, to which Reece clapped his hands together and Bella nodded silently. His crew removed the sandbags and tethers from the basket, and Carl—who had debriefed them as the balloon was filling—began shooting the flames into the dome. Slowly, they rose from the ground, and Bella smiled and waved at the crew below who seemed to grow smaller and smaller.
Suddenly, she was above the fields and could see the lines nature had made between various properties and regions. Trees looked like broccoli below, and cars seemed more like Matchbox versions being zoomed by an unseen hand along a painted highway.
“Look,” Reece said, as he pointed out towards their right, and the city skyline of Dallas spread in front of them in the near distance.
“This is amazing,” she finally said.
Carl narrated and spoke amiably as they glided through the air. They were not as high as an airplane, and so Bella was able to make out animals and people. They even flew low over a neighborhood, the children running out to wave and call up to the people in the giant balloon.
The sun was beginning to set, and the air whipped through Bella, causing her to shiver and stand closer to Reece for warmth. He bent to a bag in the corner of the basket, pulled out a thick, fluffy chenille throw, and wrapped it around Bella’s arms.
“I thought you might get a little chilly,” Reece commented.
“It’s worth the chill—and the nervous stomach— to see this,” she said, nodding her head towards the horizon where the sun stretched its light across the plain. “I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a sunset more beautiful,” she said. “I feel like it’s right here in front of us. Like I could touch it.”
“Some beauty is hard to hold,” Reece responded as he looked deeply into her eyes. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, though,” he added. His finger ran the length of her jawline and swept under her chin. She could see in his eyes what he was thinking, but her own eyes darted over towards Carl a bit self-consciously.
“Don’t mind me,” Carl announced loudly. “If I had a nickel for every romantic moment or kiss that was shared in this here basket, I’d be a millionaire. Seize the day, kids, and if the spirit moves, then let it move.”
Reece smiled at Bella. His eyes hadn’t moved. She laughed, immediately endeared to Carl, his no-nonsense attitude, and his magic machine. And then she did as Carl and Christo had told her to do: she seized the day and let the spirit move.
She worked her hands out from under the chenille throw, grabbed Reece’s face in both of them, and pulled him towards her in a kiss that said “Thank you” and “This is amazing” and “I want you more than I can stand” all at once. When she pulled back, she could see from the light and smile in Reece’s brown eyes that he’d gotten the message.
“Plenty of evening still yet to be had,” he muttered to her, and she felt her heart and body thrill at the possibility of that promise.
They slid through the air, Bella barely remembering they were standing at times. Instead, she felt the ease of the flight in the balloon, the graceful gliding with the city just out of reach.
Before she was ready for it, Carl was softly landing the balloon in another field on the other side of Dallas. His crew was there, though it was dark enough she could only tell from their shadows against the purple sky and the headlights of the vehicles and the small area lighted with candles and tiki torches. One of the guys, Carl’s oldest son she’d learned on the flight, approached the basket with an electric lantern, offered his hand to guide her out of the basket, and the escorted them towards the candlelight. A small table had been set up and adorned with tea lights that winked and glittered against the growing darkness. A bottle of champagne sat in a chiller and four empty flutes were on the table that also held an array of cheeses, olives, and crackers.
Carl asked Reece to do the honors and pop the cork on the champagne. Then he poured the flutes, including himself and his wife, Sandy, who partnered with him and set up the evening toast after the balloon rides.
“We share the Balloonist’s Prayer with everyone after the flight,” Sandy said. “It’s our toast to a wonderful ride, a remembrance of how easy our lives can be.” She raised her glass, and the other three did likewise. In a clear voice, as if she were saying it to all of the universe, she quoted: “The winds have welcomed you with softness. The sun has blessed you with his warm hands. You have flown so high and so well, that the gods have joined you in your laughter and set you back again into the loving arms of Mother Earth.”
“Cheers,” Carl said and moved his glass towards the center of their circle.
Bella couldn’t help feeling a bit overwhelmed with emotion at the entire experience—the entire two days so far as well. She found herself fighting tears as she cleared her throat to answer Carl’s toast, then they munched on cheese and emptied the bottle of champagne, laughing at the bond the balloon had given them.
Carl presented them with certificates to commemorate their event, and Sandy hugged them good-bye before they loaded up the van so that Carl’s son could return them to the Porsche parked back at the departure field.
The evening had already been magical, Bella thought, and she would be completely satisfied if it were to end at this very moment, but she knew Reece was always one to outdo himself. And once they were back in the Boxster, Reece swept her away towards downtown Dallas and reservations at Five Sixty, the revolving restaurant atop Reunion Tower.
“The theme of tonight is obviously ‘Flying high,’” Bella said to R
eece when he told her where they were off to.
“Hadn’t really planned it that way,” Reece confessed, “but it totally works, doesn’t it?”
“The subconscious mind is a powerful thing,” Bella smiled.
“Well, I think subconsciously I was trying to tell you how you made me feel—like I’m flying high all the time.” Reece reached over the gear shift and put his hand in Bella’s lap, his palm facing upwards in invitation. She slid her hand into his and realized that, as far as she could remember, this was the first time they’d held hands like this. Just held hands. She looked at his hand in hers resting in her lap, and she thought about how easily their hands fit together, a reminder too of how easily their bodies fit together, and suddenly she was ravenous—but not for dinner.
59
Luke Berringer sat sipping a dry martini in the bar of Fifty Six, the revolving restaurant at the top of Reunion Tower. His deep-set hazel eyes lit up at the sight of the man approaching him, and he gingerly set his martini down and rose from the bar stool to welcome him.
“You look handsome,” the man whispered into Luke’s ear, and Luke felt himself heating with the sound of Andrew’s voice.
“You’re the one who’s handsome,” he said back. “Watching you walk across the room towards me makes me feel like one lucky fella.”
“I’ll show you just how lucky later on tonight,” Andrew whispered back.
They settled into their bar stools, and Andrew signaled to the bartender that he’d have a martini like Luke’s.
“This place is fabulous. I’m so glad you suggested it,” Luke said, leaning towards the other man.
“Best views in the city,” Andrew said. “Maybe when we celebrate our anniversary, I’ll even take you to the restaurant.” He smiled a dazzling white smile at Luke.