A Kiss of a Different Color

by Bettye Griffin

  Miranda squirmed uncomfortably. Yeah, like I don’t use my—

  “Besides, I have a guest, and I’ve got better things to do than wash dishes,” he concluded with a grin.

  He finished loading the machine, then lifted out the built-in griddle from his stove and washed it in hot, soapy water while Miranda wiped down the stove. Then Jon mixed a second round of drinks, another mimosa for her and a Bloody Mary for himself. The kitchen restored to order, they moved into the bright living room. Jon lit a fire, and they sat together on the sofa and talked, for hours, about everything…their childhoods and college years, their likes and dislikes, sports, to a backdrop of a muted television turned to the NFL game and the audible sound of CDs Jon had downloaded and burned himself.

  His taste in music was varied and eclectic, heavy on classic rock but with a mix of R&B, light jazz, plus a few selections from the current charts.

  This was the first time they had listened to music without dancing, and their conversation flowed free and easy and was often punctuated by laughter. Before Miranda knew it, it was nearly three p.m.

  “Look at me, you invite me for brunch and I’m still here at nearly dinnertime,” she said as she reached for her handbag. “I’d better get going. But I had a wonderful time, Jon.” She meant it. She felt at home from the moment she entered his house. After spending such a nice few hours, she didn’t even mind that he’d failed to make any advances…well, at least not much. She placed a hand on Stormy’s back and traced her spine. “And I enjoyed meeting you, too, Stormy.”

  “I’m glad you like dogs. She’s really taken with you,” Jon observed. “She’s usually not good with strangers. Of course, I did tell her to be on her best behavior because you’re an important guest and I want you to come back again.”

  Miranda smiled. “Is she jealous?”

  “Usually…but I don’t think she would so much as whimper if you were to share my bed with me.”

  Their eyes met and locked. After a few seconds Miranda cleared her throat. “Can you get my coat, please?”

  “It doesn’t seem like you’ve been here that long,” Jon remarked as they walked toward the coat closet. “I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.” He removed her coat from the hanger and held it up for her. “You know, Legs, there’s no rule that says you have to go. I’d love it if you stayed longer. Stormy would, too.”

  “That’s very sweet of you, but I’ve got things to do around the house, and I’m sure you do, too. Plus, I usually talk to my family and friends on Sundays, and it takes a while to get caught up.”

  “And what will you be telling them about the weekend?” he asked as he helped her into her coat.

  She turned to face him. “I’ll be telling them what a wonderful weekend I had, and what nice people I’ve met here in Bismarck.” She smiled with all the happiness in her heart. “You know, Jon, it really is important to make friends when you move to a strange place. I’ve been very fortunate. Chelsea, Jae, Brian, and especially you, have all filled what would otherwise be a void in my life.”

  He reached out to straighten her collar. “You’re still thinking of the other night with that bozo at the stop sign, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, but about this afternoon as well. I can’t tell you what a nice time I had, Jon. And I appreciate—” she broke off, realizing that this particular thought was better kept to herself.

  “What’s that?” he prompted.

  Embarrassed, she cast her eyes downward for a few seconds before raising them to meet his. “You were right when you said I was probably a little skittish about coming over today. I appreciate your not doing anything that would make me regret having accepted your invitation.”

  “In other words, I’ve been a good boy,” he said with that tantalizing grin of his.

  She chuckled. “That’s one way of putting it, yes.”

  “I admit I’m proud of myself, being here with you for hours, just the two of us, and not grabbing you and kissing you senseless, but Legs, don’t think for a minute that that means I haven’t been thinking about it.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded silently. It would be fruitless to deny her feelings, not after those excited squeals that escaped from her throat when he kissed her Thursday night. Sometimes as they talked this afternoon her eyes wandered to the full lips of his mustached mouth, part of her aching to kiss him the way they had on salsa night outside the studio, now that his sore throat had healed.

  “And I’ll tell you something else,” Jon added. “It’s true I’ve behaved myself all afternoon, but now that you’re leaving, well, nobody’s that good.”

  Before she could ask what he meant he embraced her, and she eagerly raised her face, anticipating what would happen next.

  Once more she felt as if she were floating. His tongue slipped into her mouth, tasting faintly of bacon and pancake syrup. Miranda playfully traced his lips with her tongue, the silky textured hair of his mustache tickling the sensitive tip of it. His hands slipped inside her coat and grasped at her back through her sweater, and she melded the front of her body into his.

  It went on for a blissful eternity, and when it ended he held her close, his palms pressing insistently against her shoulder blades inside her coat, his lips close to her ear. “Don’t go, Miranda,” he whispered. “Stay with me. Stay the night. Stay the winter. I want you so much, and I know you want me, too.”

  She opened her mouth to deny it, then closed it. He wouldn’t believe her; she wasn’t that good an actress. Besides, her body had already betrayed her, reacting so hungrily to his kiss. But what could she do? Even if starting a relationship with Jon wouldn’t put her job at risk, how could she possibly agree to his terms of an affair with a predetermined end date? It was cold, callous, and it went against everything she believed in.

  Miranda had been taught all her life to strive for success, but Jon believed in failure, at least where his romantic relationships were concerned. ‘Romantic’ wasn’t even the right word to use, for it involved no romance, just a companionship that included sex, one that he believed was destined to unravel and end in a few months’ time. “Jon…as much as I want to, it’s best we don’t. There’s too much at stake. I can’t be so cavalier to say that all I have to lose is my job.”

  He buried his face in her hair, and as he removed his hands from inside her coat and caressed her shoulders through the outside of the wool he wished she weren’t wearing it. But she was weakening, he could tell. “Your hair. I see you’re still using the—”

  “Pomegranate shampoo,” she finished. She tried to look away, but he held her chin and forced her to meet his eyes.

  “Sweet and succulent,” he whispered. “I guess I don’t have to ask you why you chose that particular fragrance.”

  “It has nothing to do with you, Jon.”

  “It has everything to do with me. Did you use that scent on your skin as well? Are you as sweet and succulent as a pomegranate all over, Miranda?” He tried to slip her coat off her shoulders, but she held firm.

  “I have as much to lose as you do,” he said. “I’ve made a sizable investment in living here. But no one from work has to know about us, Legs.”

  His voice was so cajoling, so convincing, but his words made Miranda’s spine go ramrod straight. “And just how do you propose to accomplish that? Keeping me hidden like some…backstreet mistress? Confining our relationship to the bedroom?”

  “No. I think too much of you to ask you to do that. But it’s wintertime, Miranda. We’re going to be spending a lot of time indoors. And when we do go out we’re going to be all bundled up with hats and coats and scarves and sunglasses. When we go out to eat we’ll just keep our hats on. Our faces will be visible, but our hair won’t be. People are much more difficult to recognize without their hair showing.”

  “Yeah, and nobody recognized that Clark Kent was really Superman because he wore glasses,” she spat out. “My face is pretty damn distinctive here in Bismarck, Jon. And when people s
ee your face sitting across from my face, they’re going to take a good look at us out of just plain curiosity. Interracial couples are fairly common in Racine, and probably in Minneapolis as well, but not so much in Bismarck. We’re going to attract attention, Jon, and we’re bound to be recognized.”

  “Miranda, trust me. It’ll be all right.”

  She shook her head. “I want to say yes, Jon. You were right about that. But I can’t. I’m sorry. There’s just too much to lose. This job here in Bismarck defines the line between success and failure for me. And I don’t go into anything believing it’s going to fail.” Especially not a new relationship. Miranda wondered if he would even understand what she was trying to tell him.

  He sighed. “I guess I’ll have to go take a cold shower. I don’t think I’ve felt this damn frustrated since I was in high school.”

  “And Suzy Blue Eyes wouldn’t give you any?” she replied with an innocent smile.

  “She wouldn’t even let me cop a feel.” He laughed.

  For a moment they simply smiled at each other, then Miranda took a deep breath. “I’ve really got to get going, Jon. But I thank you for a lovely afternoon. I enjoyed it. All of it,” she added pointedly before taking the few steps to the front door.

  She walked to her car and started the engine. After she backed out of the driveway she cast one last look at the modern log cabin where she’d spent such a pleasant afternoon.

  Jon stood watching her from behind the glass-etched storm door, Stormy hovering at his feet, and he looked so forlorn that it was all she could do not to turn around and run into his arms.

  She suddenly felt grateful that she would be out of town next weekend…and that Jon had decided not to make the trip. She needed to put some distance between herself and him, and the more, the better.

  Chapter 13

  Miranda wasn’t surprised that there was nothing to look at during the long ride to the Turtle Mountains of northern North Dakota. Her home state of Wisconsin wasn’t known for being particularly hilly, but North Dakota seemed downright barren, like the prairie it was. About the most interesting sight she saw were dozens of steel windmills, their propellers blowing furiously in the wind. Even if there had been something to look at, she’d barely have time to focus. The posted speed limit in this rural area was a zippy seventy-five miles an hour, and Brian was easily driving ten miles faster than that.

  From the back seat of the Gallagher’s SUV Miranda participated in the conversation, but her thoughts kept wandering to Jon. Their dancing on Tuesday had been more sensual than ever, and she believed it was because of that slow, deep kiss they shared at his place on Sunday. He’d asked her to go for a drink afterward, and she did go, but felt tormented the whole time. She nearly lost it when he punctuated his good night at her car not with a passionate kiss, but by simply brushing his lips against hers, a surprisingly erotic action. She felt so strongly attracted to Jon, but it seemed like an impossible situation.

  That night she decided it would be best if they limited their contact. Dance classes were almost over, and then she would only see him on Thursdays at the bowling alley. Already she dreaded the day when he would begin dating someone else, someone who would probably show up at the lanes occasionally and be introduced as his girlfriend. She’d gone to bed Sunday night and every night since and laid there in the dark wishing he were beside her, whispering her name like he had that day at his cabin, craving his touch, his lips on her skin, his hand between her legs.

  At bowling Thursday Jon overheard Jae say that they planned to leave at three p.m. Friday.

  “Are you going up to Bottineau, Legs?” he asked, sounding mildly surprised.

  “Yes. I’ve never skied before, but I figure I’ll take a lesson or two and see if I like it.”

  “I’m glad you’re so open to trying new things,” he replied.

  Miranda recognized it as a mild rebuke for her stance against dating him. “Well, like with most new things, there’s a certain danger involved,” she replied breezily. “But even if, heaven forbid, I should break my leg, at least I’ve got good health insurance. It’s not as though I’m unemployed.” She smiled sweetly at him and even fluttered her eyelashes for effect. If he wanted to chide her about trying new things, she felt justified about pointing out that she was fine with it, as long as it didn’t put her job in jeopardy.

  Jae looked from one to the other and tried unsuccessfully to suppress a smile. “Are you sure you won’t change your mind and join us, Jon?”

  “Maybe next time.”

  Miranda let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She didn’t think she could take it if he were to change his mind and come along, but there was something she wanted to know. “Do you ski, Jon?” Miranda asked.

  He winked at her. “Doesn’t everybody?”

  She should have known. “Tell me, are there any sports you don’t participate in?”

  “It would probably be easier to list the ones I enjoy. Hockey, skiing, basketball, baseball, track, soccer, football, plus biking, fishing, hiking…”

  “A real outdoorsman, just like my Brian,” Jae said with admiration.

  Jon got up to bowl his turn, but he bent near Miranda and with his lips close to her ear, said, “I’m pretty good at indoor sports, too.”

  She crossed her arms across her chest and clutched her opposite forearms in an effort to stem the shiver that ran through her body.

  Now, in spite of the toasty warmth in the cab of the SUV, Miranda performed the same action as she recalled Jon’s moving lips brushing against her ear.

  Brian and Jae were both experienced skiers, but they deferred to Miranda’s inexperience Friday night, and after a filling, if unmemorable meal at the hotel restaurant the three of them spent two fun-filled hours tubing down the slopes. After that they went to the hotel bar, where they enjoyed a mixed appetizer platter and drinks. Brian had his usual beer, Jae a glass of house wine, but Miranda went for the unknown and tried something different called a Plantoon Punch, a sweet concoction of fruit juices and some unknown liquor. It was so good that she ordered a second one.

  “You’d better be careful,” Jae cautioned, “or you’ll end up sleeping right through your ski lesson.” Miranda was scheduled to have a lesson at nine a.m.

  “Oh, I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sorry Jon didn’t come,” Brian said. “I know he skis.”

  “Maybe he had a hot date,” Miranda said sourly without thinking. She saw Brian and Jae exchange looks and, too late, realized she sounded jealous. “But it’s none of my business,” she added. “I appreciate your inviting me, and I’m glad I came.”

  “We hope you enjoy the slopes,” Jae said. “If you like it, there’s a place just outside of Bismarck where you can continue taking lessons.”

  “Thanks. I might just do that. No point in living in Bismarck if I’m not going to get acquainted with outdoor sports. There’s a mountain in Wisconsin, too, so it’s not as if I won’t be able to continue after I go back home.”

  Jon stared at the front desk clerk in disbelief and repeated the words the man had just told him. “Sold out?”

  “Yes, sir. It’s the first weekend of the season, and there’s plenty of snow. We did have some rooms left, but they’ve all been rented.”

  He slapped his palm on the counter. “Oh, man.” That had never occurred to him, nor had he realized that there were relatively few hotel rooms up here. He’d imagined this as a big resort with a multitude of rooms, not as a relatively small establishment. “Are you sure?” he pressed. “I drove all the way up from Bismarck tonight.”

  “I’m sure, sir. I’m awfully sorry. If you’d like I can call the other place in town and see if they have a room for you.”

  “Other place? Singular?” That sounded awfully ominous, he thought.

  “Yes, sir. There aren’t many rooms to be had here in Bottineau. Apart from ski season we have few visitors.”

  “All right. If you don’t mind, can you
call?”

  It didn’t come as a surprise to Jon when the other hotel in town did not have any rooms, nor did the hotels in neighboring towns.

  “I have some friends who are staying here. Can you connect me with Miranda Rhett’s room?” he said.

  She answered at the end of the first ring. “You caught me just in time,” she said without voicing a greeting. “I was about to go to bed.”

  Jon knew she expected the caller to be Jae. “Legs, it’s Jon.”

  “Jon?” She packed the one syllable with uncertainty. “I don’t get it. Why are you calling my hotel room?”

  “Brian told me where you’d be staying.”

  “I still don’t understand why you just didn’t call me on my cell rather than going through all the trouble of looking up the hotel number.”