Love in the City, an erotic romance novel

by Hall, Heather

  She looked down at the coffees sitting on the floor. She felt so silly for thinking she could just pop over and he’d be available and happy to see her. Life wasn’t like the movies. It was less clear, more confusing, and could deliver plenty of lasting hurts. She knew she should’ve avoided this situation, but he had made it pretty difficult to do. She knew he’d be well aware of how irresistible he was to women.

  She glanced over at them again, trying not to appear to be staring. Giorgio shook his head and looked down at the table. The blonde woman reached out with a delicate and manicured hand and touched his arm. She tilted her head to the side as she spoke to him. She rubbed her fingers on his forearm. He didn’t pull away. Anabelle’s mind raced with all kinds of possibilities. She felt the unwelcome grip of jealousy. It made her feel awful.

  Someone they knew came up to the table. The woman quickly pulled her arm away, placing her hands in her lap, and sat back. She looked nervous, self-conscious, as she glanced up at the older man who was now talking to Giorgio. The man gave the woman a nod. She said something back to him and then he resumed speaking with Giorgio. The conversation was brief. The man seemed to become agitated. He pointed a finger at Giorgio. Giorgio seemed to be trying to explain something, but the man shook his head and left.

  Giorgio put his head in his hands. The woman leaned forward, saying something to him. She touched his shoulder, then took one of his hands in hers. He sat there looking at it while she spoke. The waiter came by and she again pulled her hand away. The waiter started to clear their plates and it looked like they were asking for the check.

  Anabelle panicked. She couldn’t get caught there. He’d know she’d been watching him. She grabbed her purse and left at a brisk pace, but not so fast that she’d catch any unwanted attention. It wasn’t until she was heading back out the revolving doors that she remembered the coffees. Too late. She made haste back to her office.

  Once there, she sat back down at her desk. Her heart was pounding and her head was spinning. It was New York, she told herself, and he was a single guy. Dating more than one woman at a time was probably commonplace, expected. Only that’s not the way he had made her feel. She guessed that was how it worked. She didn’t like these games, whatever it was he was playing at, but her heart sank as she realized they hadn’t had any kind of conversation about exclusivity. Why would we at this early stage? she asked herself. Nothing really had happened between them. But it wasn’t nothing to her. Maybe it was to him, but to her it was huge.

  She made it through the workday. Raquel had spoken hardly a word to her, which suited her just fine. She wanted to call Sarah, but she realized she wouldn’t have much time left by the time she made the long commute home and got ready for the movie. She’d call her later. That way she’d have even more information to share about how their second date went. She planned to carefully observe Giorgio, see if he was different with her now, ask him about his day, and see what he would share with her.

  After a long, unhappy commute home, she walked in. Jasper was excited to see her. She took her coat off, dropped her bags on the floor and got him his dinner. She was heading to the bedroom to change when she noticed the light blinking on her phone. She punched her code in to listen to the voicemail.

  “Hi, Anabelle, it’s me, Giorgio.” His voice sounded flat, distant. “Listen, I hate to do this to you on such short notice, but some more problems have come up with the business. It’s rather urgent. I’m not going to be able to see a movie with you tonight. I’m really sorry. I hope you won’t be too mad at me. I’ll call you later this week. I’ll make it up to you. Bye for now.”

  She hung up the phone and sat down in a chair. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She thought back to the restaurant in his building. The blonde. She knew this was because of her. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.

  Jasper came over and rubbed against her legs, purring and licking his chops after a satisfying meal. She picked him up and hugged him. Feeling his body vibrating against her as he purred happily. “At least you’re still my guy,” she said, as she nuzzled him. He jumped back down and sat there cleaning his face. She was grateful for his presence.

  It was still early, but she changed right into her pj’s. She made herself a bowl of cereal for dinner. She didn’t have much of an appetite. She was lost in thought. She thought about last night, how close she had felt to Giorgio. She knew she was feeling too much, too fast. That was dangerous. Especially with a guy like that. All kinds of resources and opportunities at his disposal. Anything he wanted for whatever whim he had. Lately, he’d been amused by her, someone who was obviously many stations below him on the financial and social ladders. Maybe she was something new to him, a mere curiosity and deviation from his norm. All she knew was that she’d have to be guarded, really guarded, from here on in. Things were not as they had seemed.

  Chapter 13

  Anabelle didn’t sleep well that night. She tossed and turned, her mind playing over the brief voicemail message that Giorgio had left her canceling their second date, seeing him with the blonde woman at lunch, wondering what was really going on and feeling like she was a small bit player in a bigger, far more interesting play.

  The alarm finally went off at 6:30 a.m. She was exhausted. This was going to be a long day.

  She made it in to work. She hesitated about stopping in at Coffee Haven, but she figured that since Giorgio had canceled their date, he wouldn’t be showing up there. She was right.

  Sullenly, she sat down at her desk, staring at her coffee cup. That’s where it had all started, an innocent little cup of coffee. Then, she was knee-deep in something unfamiliar and confusing. She thought about the highs of the initial spark of interest and attraction, then the lows of potential rejection and humiliation for putting one’s heart at risk. She didn’t like the feeling this rollercoaster gave her.

  She wasn’t sure how she was going to last until he called her. Later this week sounded very distant. It was only Wednesday. She was wondering what was going on with him, but was pretty sure it had to do with him seeing someone else. She was going to have to figure out how to approach things, if and when he finally got around to calling her.

  Thursday came and still no word from Giorgio. Sarah had invited Anabelle to join her for drinks at Painter’s Cove that night to get her mind off of things. She had hounded Anabelle about sitting home alone waiting by the phone, telling her that getting out in the meantime would do her good and preserve a bit of her self-esteem. Finally, Anabelle relented.

  “There you are,” Sarah said, as she got up from the table to give her friend a hug.

  Anabelle gave her a half-smile. “You drive a hard bargain, you know.”

  They sat down.

  “That’s what friends are for,” she said. She waved at Barry.

  He nodded.

  “We’ve got lots to talk about, I think,” Sarah said as Barry came over with a glass of wine for Anabelle. “Thanks.”

  “You bet,” he said and nodded towards Anabelle. “Good to see you out and about.”

  Anabelle’s face dropped. She leaned forward after he left. “You told him?”

  “Well, sure, I mean, he’s a friend. He’s one of us.”

  “You need to ask me first,” Anabelle said, shaking her head.

  “But, it’s Barry, we can trust him,” she said, holding onto the stem of her wine glass. “Anyhow, I want to hear all of the details of your date night and the woman you saw him with the next day. I’ve only got a brief summary so far. Not nearly good enough.”

  Over the next hour, Anabelle filled her best friend in on every last detail of the events of Monday night and Tuesday.

  “Oh boy,” Sarah said, swirling the remaining wine in her glass. “I can see you’re getting into a bit of a pickle with this guy.”

  “I don’t know what to think,” Anabelle said sadly. “The guy I might be falling for is...complicated.”

  “Might be?”
<
br />   Anabelle looked at her, biting her nails.

  Sarah swatted her. “You know I can read you like a book, right?”

  Anabelle frowned and took the last sip of her wine.

  Sarah did the same and waved at Barry for refills. “I hate to say this to you, but he might be a player, hon.”

  Anabelle pointed a finger at her. “And I’ll remind you again, that you’re the one who talked me into considering him in the first place.”

  “Well, of course I did. He’s rich, handsome, and charming. You need to explore those waters.”

  “Even if they’re shark-infested?”

  “And full of piranhas. And pirates. Yup, ‘fraid so.”

  Barry brought their refills by.

  “Thanks, Barry,” Anabelle said. “You know, I understand that Sarah has been giving you updates on the sorry state of my love life. Care to sit down for a minute?”

  Sarah kicked her under the table.

  Anabelle ignored her.

  “Sure, I’d love to,” he said. “I’ve got things covered for a few minutes.” He smiled and took the chair closest to Sarah, giving her a shy smile.

  Sarah turned beet red and downed a long sip of wine.

  “So, Barry,” Anabelle said, leaning forward, “I need a man’s advice. How do we tell if a guy is sincere or if he’s just a player, toying with a woman?”

  He rubbed the stubble on his face that was a constant feature. It gave him a bit of a rough around the edges look. “Well,” he said, then glanced over at Sarah, “I can’t really speak from experience, you know.” He cleared his throat. “I’m a pretty sincere guy. I don’t mess around, I’m a one-woman kind of fellow.”

  The message was clear to both women.

  Anabelle winked at Sarah.

  Sarah blushed some more, then looked down in her lap and smiled.

  “Nice,” Anabelle said. “It’ll be a lucky lady who lands you. Right, Sarah?”

  Sarah glanced up at her. She looked like she had swallowed her tongue.

  “She says right, you’re a fantastic catch,” Anabelle continued. “But, if you had to imagine, or if you’ve overheard other guys talking, what kind of signs should I be looking for?”

  “Hmmm, I’d have to say evasiveness. Like if he comes on all hot and interested in you, then turns cold and distant without warning.”

  Anabelle felt sick.

  “And?” Sarah pressed.

  “If you catch him lying to you, even if there was no real reason for him to do that.”

  Anabelle’s face blanched.

  “What else?” Sarah asked, leaning towards him with interest.

  “Ummm, let me think,” he said as he tapped his fingers on the table. “If certain things just don’t add up in how he’s acting.”

  “What does that mean?” Anabelle asked worriedly.

  “Say if he gets defensive for no reason, or won’t call you back after you’ve had a good time together, or…” he paused, looking down at the floor.

  “Or what?” Sarah asked.

  “Or if he drops you like a hot potato after…you know…getting his way with you.”

  Anabelle flopped back in her chair, her face drawn into a deep frown.

  Barry winced. “I gather this sounds familiar to you?”

  She nodded in the affirmative and grabbed her wine, taking a long sip. “Though in my own defense, I put the brakes on sex on the first date.”

  “Good,” Barry said. “Though…”

  “What?” Anabelle asked.

  “Some guys may take that as a sign to move on to the next easier target. Put you as a lower priority.”

  “Houston,” Sarah said, “I think we have a problem.”

  “I’m just sayin’, not all guys, just some.” Just then, Barry heard one of the waitresses call his name. “I’d better get back,” he said as he stood up. “Let me know if I can help further.” A second later he turned back around. “I did mention that I’m not one of those guys, right?”

  Sarah smiled at him. He held her gaze for a moment.

  “Well, I think one of us might be having some luck in the man department,” Anabelle said as he left to get back to work. “And it sure isn’t me.”

  Sarah shook her head. “It’s your imagination. Barry’s friendly to everyone here.”

  Anabelle leaned forward. “He’s got eyes for you, missy. It’s as plain as day.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so,” Anabelle said. “Trust me on this. He’s got it bad for you.”

  “Hmmm,” Sarah said, staring off in his direction. “He is pretty cute. Sexy, too.”

  “Damn cute. And nice. And hardworking. And that other thing.” She pointed a finger at her friend. “Sew that baby up or I’ll flog you.”

  Sarah giggled. “One thing at a time. Listen, I’ve been working crazy hours trying to get some articles in on deadlines for the paper. One of the regular columnists just quit and jumped to another paper. No notice. I still have to do the research on Mr. Playboy’s company for you. I haven’t had a chance to start yet.”

  Anabelle waved her hand. “Forget about it. This is already too much trouble.”

  Sarah shook her head. “No, I think it’s important we know. Get some more perspective on this mysterious guy. At least then you’ll have more intel for which to make a decision.”

  Anabelle sighed.

  “What do you think you’re going to do now?” Sarah asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, if you do talk to him again, you should ask him if he’s seeing other people.”

  “I don’t know if I have the courage to do that.”

  “If you don’t, you’re basically giving him permission to play the field.”

  “I am not!”

  “Yes, you are. If a guy thinks there’s any chance he can monkey around with whomever he wishes without getting caught or there being consequences, he’ll do it.”

  Anabelle silently pouted.

  “I’m just tellin’ you like it is,” Sarah said, patting her arm. “I don’t make the rules, I just know of them. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Dating sucks.”

  “Yup.”

  Anabelle was about to down the rest of her second glass of wine when her cell phone rang. She jumped.

  “Don’t tell me,” Sarah said.

  Anabelle quickly fished it out of her pocket. “Yup.” She felt her heart start to beat faster.

  “Don’t answer it,” Sarah said, reaching her hand out to stop her from picking up the call.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’ll make you look desperate. Let him stew for awhile about where you might be, who you might be with. Plus, see what he has to say for himself first.”

  Anabelle looked at the phone. She was dying to pick it up, but what Sarah said made sense. She didn’t take the call.

  “Let’s listen to the message if he leaves one,” Sarah said.

  “He’d better.”

  They waited. Sure enough, Anabelle got the notification that she had a voicemail waiting for her. She took a deep breath and put the phone on speakerphone, turning down the volume so that only she and Sarah could hear it.

  “Hey beautiful, it’s Giorgio. Listen, I’m really sorry for bailing on you the other night and for being out of touch the last couple of days. Things have been really tense with the business, I had to fly out of town and meet with some business partners. Been putting out fires left, right, and center. Anyway, I’ll explain everything when I see you. I’ve missed you. Lots. Call me back as soon as you can. Bye.”

  Anabelle’s heart melted.

  Sarah saw her expression. “Don’t be too gullible, Anabelle.”

  “I’m not…” she said, already believing what he had told her.

  “I can see it in your face,” Sarah said, shaking her finger at her. “At least wait a day or two before calling him back and pretend like you’re hard to get.”

  “Am I really coming across th
at pathetic?”

  “Oh yeah, you’ve got it bad for this one. I don’t blame you. I’ve seen his picture. All I can say is ‘wow’. Which makes him even more capable of playing your heart like a cheap fiddle.”

  Anabelle looked down at her phone. She felt so happy and relieved he had called. “You’re right, maybe I need to slow down.”

  “Maybe? Seriously, these are the kinds of situations where girls like you get their hearts broken.”

  “Girls like me?”

  “Ones who still dream of their Prince Charming.”

  Anabelle finished her wine. Sarah was right. She was going to have to be careful.

  *****

  Anabelle finally gave in and called Giorgio back. She could only manage to wait a day, though, but at least she waited until late in the evening Friday after work, so she couldn’t go rushing into his arms. It was the best she could do at playing this game.

  He picked up the phone on the second ring, recognizing her number. “Hey there, I was hoping it would be you.”

  “Yeah, well, you called?”

  He hesitated for a moment. “I see. I get it. You’re feeling distant because I postponed our date and then didn’t call for a couple of days.”

  Silence greeted him.

  “I’d like to explain, if you’re willing to hear me out. I had hoped to do this in person, but it’s a bit late and I don’t get the sense that this should wait any longer.”

  “I’m listening,” she said, trying to keep her voice from betraying any emotions. She didn’t want him to have the satisfaction of knowing how strongly he’d affected her. She still had some pride.