Life's Second Chances: The Show Me Series: Book One

by Anne Stone

  When she entered the bar, he walked towards her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. He looked into her eyes and could tell she wasn’t feeling right. He wasn’t going to push her. “Rough day?”

  “You could say that. The kids were out of control. Indoor recess, mind you, so they couldn’t get rid of their excess energy. Plus, I woke up with a killer of a headache.”

  “Still have it?”

  “You could say so… But I’m fine. A good night’s sleep will remedy it.”

  “You know what, instead of dinner here, let’s go to my place and we’ll order in and relax. Maybe that will ease your headache.”

  She smiled at him, nodded, and then followed him to his house. He’d placed a delivery order on the way from the neighborhood deli so they wouldn’t have to wait for their meal. The driver met them as they pulled into his driveway. She was thankful that they’d gone to his house—it would be much quieter. She could take her shoes off, let her hair down, and relax.

  Alejandro dimmed the lights in the dining room, and they ate their meal. He’d ordered the house special that included a salad, deli sandwich, and even dessert—chocolate chip cookies. He cleaned up, and they moved to the family room where he put on some soft music. He sat beside her on the sofa and pulled her into his arms. “Close your eyes,” he said as he started to massage her temples. Before she knew it, her headache had lessened, and then it was gone.

  “Boy, you sure have magic fingers. I feel better already.”

  They sat on the couch listening to the music. He’d told her about his week at the hospital. “Another chaotic one for the books,” he said.

  She listened intently and then turned to him, “I missed you.”

  Surprisingly, he nodded in agreement as he played with her hair. “I missed you, too. There were times when I was in my office late at night and wanted to call you.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “Did you want a phone call at three in the morning?”

  Turning in his arms, she looked him directly in the eyes. “From you, I’d say yes.”

  “Well, thanks. Maybe next time I’ll pick up the phone and make that call.”

  She smiled at him.

  “Angelina, I haven’t said a thing about us to my family.”

  “Nor I. We’re just friends hanging out having a good time. Right?”

  “Right… At least for now. As I said, I don’t know if—”

  “I know. Let’s just take it one day at a time. I’m definitely not looking for anything long-term. I just want someone to go out and have some fun with. You’re it right now.”

  “Thanks for understanding.”

  What Alejandro didn’t know was that she didn’t understand. She wanted to know what his issues were. She imagined, in time, he’d tell her. She’d be patient.

  It was nearing ten o’clock and Angelina needed to get home. “Thanks for the evening. I had a great time, especially after I got rid of my headache. I’ll call you again if I need your magic fingers.”

  “Anytime,” he said. He walked her to her car. He gave her a hug and quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  Her phone rang at five thirty the next morning. She’d already showered and dressed for the day. Alejandro couldn’t get her off his mind. He was up the entire night trying to get through his dictations when he phoned her.

  “Good morning,” he said. “I hope this is a better start to your day than yesterday.”

  “Good morning to you, too. And yes, the day is beginning so much brighter than yesterday.” She meant this only because of his call.

  “Just thought I’d check to see if your headache returned.”

  “Nope. It’s been gone since that fabulous massage. Did I mention you have the best fingers?”

  “Only about a half-dozen times. Seriously, though. How are you?”

  “Fabulous. What better way to start my day off than by taking a call from you. How come you’re calling so early?”

  “Couldn’t sleep.”

  “Alejandro, really now.”

  “How about I couldn’t get you off my mind. I tried to complete my dictations and all I could think of was you. I—”

  “Alejandro…”

  “Are you busy tonight?”

  “I have a meeting at the end of the day to discuss Career Day.”

  “Oh, thank you for reminding me. I’m supposed to attend that as well.”

  “You are?”

  “Mary asked me. How about we decide after the meeting if we want to do something?”

  “That’s fine. I’ll see you later.”

  “Angelina.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Have a good day. And if that headache returns, just think of my fingers massaging your temples.” She ended the call with a huge smile on her face. The day couldn’t pass fast enough for her.

  Angelina couldn’t wait until four o’clock when their meeting was scheduled. She went to make a call during her afternoon break and noticed she had a voicemail message. It was from Alejandro.

  “Angelina, it’s me. I’m going to have to beg out of our date this evening. Something’s come up that I have to deal with. I’m sure I won’t be done before four. I’ll call Mary and let her know. I’m sorry. I was really looking forward to seeing you. I’ll call you later, I promise.”

  Angelina was saddened by his message. She was so looking forward to seeing him. She should have never listened to his voicemail because now the rest of her day was ruined. Thankfully, Mary began the meeting on time. All of the teachers and many of the speakers were present. The meeting was about half over when they heard a noise in the hallway. The door opened and in walked Alejandro. He’d somehow made it to the meeting. As he entered, he found Angelina with his eyes. A huge smile crossed his face. Gabriella wasn’t able to ignore it, especially when he chose the vacant seat across from Angelina. She also had a humongous smile on her face—the likes of which Gabriella hadn’t seen in a very long time. Gabriella wasn’t going to let that non-verbal communication go. She couldn’t wait for Mary to end the meeting so she could confront them to see what was going on.

  Throughout the remainder of the meeting, Alejandro couldn’t keep his eyes off of Angelina. All that Gabriella could think about was that something was going on between them.

  The meeting ended and Mary approached Alejandro. “I didn’t think you could make it.”

  “I was able to complete the procedure that I needed to. I knew how much this meeting meant to you, so I knew you wouldn’t mind if I was late.”

  “Not at all. Thanks for coming. I know how busy you are.”

  Alejandro felt Gabriella approach. “Hey, Gabby. How are you?”

  “Fine.” Looking over her shoulder, he could see Angelina mingling with several of the speakers.

  Gabriella could tell that Alejandro wasn’t paying attention to her. Turning, she saw who he was looking at. Angelina. “Be straight with me. What’s going on here?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Out with it Alejandro.” Turning, she pointed at Angelina. “What’s going on here?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Fine. Don’t tell me, but I’ll find out.”

  Shrugging his shoulders, he asked her what she was doing that evening. “Nothing. Why?”

  “Want to get a bite to eat?” With that Angelina walked over. She smiled sheepishly at him. Returning the smile, he said, “Hi, Angelina.” He didn’t want Gabriella to catch on to them. “I just asked Gabby to join me for dinner. Are you game?”

  She wasn’t sure what he wanted her to say. While she was pondering his invitation, Gabriella said, “Come on. Join us. It sounds like my brother’s treating.”

  “Well then I guess I can’t pass up the invitation.”

  They went to a neighborhood restaurant known for its salads and buffalo wing sauce. The sauce was used o
n anything from chicken strips on a salad to chicken sandwiches, and most of all its famous buffalo wings.

  When Gabriella excused herself to use the restroom, Alejandro said, “She’s onto us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She thinks something’s up between us.”

  “Well, isn’t there?”

  “Yes. No… You know. Anyway, I don’t want her freaking out and pushing us into something we’re not ready for. Act like you have no idea what she’s talking about. I want us to progress on our own terms and not our family’s.”

  “Most definitely. She won’t get anything out of me. Thanks for warning me.”

  When Gabriella returned, she looked at them. She thought they looked a little sheepish, but didn’t question them. She’d find out what was going on.

  They finished dinner and were talking when Alejandro’s cell rang. He needed to return to the hospital. He paid the bill and left. Gabriella and Angelina decided to walk back to school. Gabriella brought up Alejandro’s name several times, but Angelina quickly changed the subject each time. She wasn’t ready to discuss her brother.

  Once they arrived at school, Gabriella immediately left to go home while Angelina returned to her classroom to retrieve some papers that required grading. She was halfway to her classroom when her phone rang. It was Alejandro. “Where are you?”

  “Leaving the hospital. What about you?”

  “On my way to my classroom. Gabriella already left, but I needed to grab some papers that need grading tonight. Why?”

  “Want to come by my house for a while?”

  “I’d love to, but it’s getting late and I need to grade these papers. I promised my student’s that I’d have the results tomorrow. They’re anxious.”

  “How about I help you grade them, that way you’ll be able to get through it twice as fast.”

  “You really want to help me?”

  “Sure. I really want to see you.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yep, I’m more than sure. See you in fifteen minutes.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Angelina arrived at his house exactly fifteen minutes later. He was waiting for her with a glass of wine in hand.

  “Wow,” was all she said as she took the offered glass. She walked in with her backpack filled with the tests that needed grading. He’d already setup shop in the family room. Between the two of them, they graded the math tests in record time. Letting out a deep breath, she thanked him for his help. “I can’t believe we graded these tests in a half hour. I know it would have taken me at least an hour or more. Are you for hire?”

  Laughing, he put down his stack of papers and pulled her into his arms. “I’m for hire anytime as long as my payment is this.” He looked into her eyes, smiled, and kissed her.

  She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. “I think I could get used to this.”

  They spent the rest of the night sitting in one another arms, necking like high schoolers. “We’ve got to stop this. I feel like I’m back in high school, except this time I’m comfortably sitting on a couch and back then I was stuffed like a sardine in the backseat of a compact car,” she said.

  When it was nearing ten, Angelina told him that she needed to get going. “I had a fantastic evening.”

  “As did I. I’m on-call tomorrow, and I need to stay pretty close to the hospital. Would you like to come by and have dinner?”

  “Wow!” she said. “You want me to come to the hospital? Wouldn’t we stand out as a couple?”

  “Nah… Most people would think you were there for a check-up or maybe even visiting a patient. If you come around six, most everyone will be gone. I’ll call you at the end of the day and let you know if that’s a problem. I never know one minute to the next how my day is going to play out.” He walked her to her car and again pulled her into his arms for one last kiss.

  What am I getting myself into, he asked himself. I think she’s getting under my skin. Eventually, I’m going to have to tell her about my past.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next day Angelina wore a new dress. She greeted her mother in the kitchen. Her mother immediately complimented her on her dress. It was navy blue with long sleeves that were piped in white on the cuffs. It hung just below her knees, and was cinched at the waist with a navy colored belt. It wasn’t anything special but perfect to teach in.

  “I love that dress. Is it new? The color looks lovely on you. Are you going somewhere today?”

  Her mother could ask more questions in a matter of seconds and Angelina elected to dismiss them all except for one. “No, I’m not going anywhere. I have a meeting this evening. Why?”

  “You just look really pretty today, that’s all.”

  “Thanks, Mom. I appreciate it. By the way, I’m not sure when I’ll be home.”

  “You’re having a lot of meetings lately.”

  “We’re preparing for Career Day and I think the planning’s a little bit more intense than Mary thought.” Angelina thought the excuse sounded plausible. Hopefully, her mother would buy into it. “See you sometime this evening.” Angelina walked out the door hoping her mother didn’t see through her lie.

  During Angelina’s afternoon break, she checked her phone to see if Alejandro had left any messages. There were none, so she thought their date was still on. She’d just walked Lauren out after their tutoring session when her phone rang. Breathlessly, she answered it.

  “What’s wrong and why are you out of breath?”

  “I’m fine. I just ran in the door to catch my phone before it went to voicemail. Are we still on?”

  “Yep. Come by my office at six.”

  “See you then.”

  “Angelina?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing you. Drive safely.”

  Angelina smiled as she hung up. He was looking forward to seeing her… Before leaving for the hospital, she applied a fresh round of make-up. She, too, couldn’t wait to see him.

  “Mrs. Samuels, it’s Gabriella. How are you?”

  “Wonderful. And you?”

  “Great. Is Angelina home? I tried her cell and got her voicemail. I need to ask her a question.”

  “Gabriella, she’s at school. She told me she had a meeting to attend regarding Career Day.”

  Gabriella didn’t know what to say. There was no meeting that she was aware of. She decided to play stupid. “Oh, that’s right. She’s on a special committee. I forgot all about it.”

  “I’m sure her phone is off because of that. Why don’t you try her later?’

  “I will. Thank you.” Gabriella wasn’t sure what was going on with Angelina. Now she was lying to her mother. Something was up, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She hoped her friend wasn’t in trouble.

  Angelina pulled into the hospital garage right at six. She checked her lipstick one last time and entered the hospital. Almost immediately she heard her name being called. She turned and ran directly into Alejandro’s father. “Ah, Dr. A. It’s good to see you.”

  “How are you feeling, dear?”

  “I’m feeling really well. Thank you for asking.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  She knew she was going to get caught, so she quickly came up with an excuse. “Uh, I’m here to see a friend.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she gets better.”

  “Well, thank you. I think she’s actually going to be released tomorrow.”

  “That’s good. I’d better let you go. In fact, I’m late for dinner myself. Take care and I’ll see you soon.”

  Angelina blew out a breath as Alejandro’s father headed for his car. That was a close call, she thought. Just to be safe, she took the first available elevator up just in case Alejandro’s father returned. When she finally made her way to Alejandro’s offices, she was a nervous wreck. Her hands were shaking and she was slightly pale. She knocked on the back door and Alejandro answered it.<
br />
  “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen—”

  “Your father.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I just ran into him. I had to think quickly, so I told him a lie—I said I was visiting a friend.”

  “Come here,” he said as he pulled her into his arms. His offices were empty except for the two of them. “You’re shaking…”

  “I know, I am. I was so surprised to hear someone call out my name. And to top it off, that someone was your father.”

  He guided her down the hallway to his private office where their dinner awaited them. He sat beside her on the couch.

  “I thought I was going to get caught. I told him I was checking on a friend.”

  “Did he believe you?”

  “I think so. I took the first available elevator to a patient’s floor just to be on the safe side.”

  “Angelina, my dad didn’t think twice about it. Let’s forget about it and eat.” Alejandro had ordered take-out from the on-site Italian restaurant. They started off with a green salad. He also ordered a pasta dish, eggplant parmesan, and chicken marsala. They shared all of the dishes and, as they ate, they talked. She recounted her day and how happy her students were that she’d found the time to grade their tests. “I still can’t believe you helped me grade them.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, isn’t that beneath you?”

  “Why would you say that? Any time that I can spend with you is well worth it. As I said last night, I’ll help you anytime.”

  “I think I’ll call you when I have to calculate grades at the end of the semester.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  Just as Alejandro was ready to serve the tiramisu, they were interrupted when he was paged over the hospital intercom. “I better go. Do you want to wait around?”

  “No, I should go home. I don’t want to raise any red flags with my family.”

  “Here, take the dessert with you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks again for a lovely evening.” Pointing at the tiramisu, she said, “Thanks for this, too. It’s my favorite dessert.”