“Hello.” Sam listened for an answer or any telltale noise.
“I’m in the back.” Lisa’s voice was muffled by the distance it had to travel through the solid walls of the house.
Sam glanced at the period furniture in the wide hallway. The carving of the newel post and banisters of the stairway was intricately handcrafted. The parlor was to her left and dining room to her right. Both rooms were the size of small exhibition halls. Sam paused at the swinging door that separated front and back halves of the house and prepared herself not to react like a two-month-old puppy upon seeing Lisa.
Sam caught her breath as she stepped into the glittering twenty-first century kitchen. Lisa stood at the island in the center of the room that was directly from a designer’s portfolio. No trace of Civil War times had survived the renovation into a commercial kitchen with all the latest gadgets. Black granite countertops set off the room dotted with stainless steel appliances and hanging racks of pots and pans. There was a walk-in freezer, a wine cooler as tall as a refrigerator, and a Viking range as big as Sam’s car.
“Good heavens. This must have cost more than my entire house.” Sam was dazzled by the pimped-out kitchen.
“Isn’t it a hoot? I feel more like a scientist than a chef,” Lisa said. She wore an apron over her clothes. She walked over to Sam and gave her a quick hug and peck on the cheek. “Sit down. I have mixed drinks ready.”
Sam pulled out a stool on the opposite side of the island from Lisa’s prep area.
Lisa placed a cocktail glass in front of Sam. “Lemon drop martini?”
“I haven’t had one of those in years.” Sam tasted the mix. “Delicious. What’s the deal here?” Sam gestured at their surroundings.
“I’m house-sitting. The owners have gone to the beach for two weeks before college graduation and wedding season begins. My boys are coming over Sunday to ride horses and play golf. I cook for the owners on the crazy weekends when both are too busy working the guests to be in the kitchen. They told me to make myself at home, so I called you.” Lisa checked the oven, looking through the glass panel rather than opening the door. “How about a tour? We have time.”
“Absolutely.” Sam drained the glass. “Yum.”
“Another to take with you?” Lisa started toward the refrigerator.
“I’ll wait. I don’t want to take a chance on spilling anything.”
Lisa led the way, pointing out the half bath open to guests off the wide hallway and the residential quarters in the back corner of the house. “This is where I’m staying. It’s easier to be near the alarm panel and security monitors.” The room’s second television panned the cameras mounted throughout the compound.
Lisa explained the best of the antiques in the parlor and dining rooms. She gestured to the stairs when they returned to the main hall. “There are four suites above us. Come see.”
Sam almost fell over her own feet as her eyes were on level with Lisa’s butt as she followed her up the stairs. A central hall led to four wide doors, each leading to spacious bedrooms with private baths. “You have to see this one.”
Lisa opened the door on a bedroom with king-size four-poster bed, fireplace with gas logs, matching paisley overstuffed chairs, and a window seat overlooking the wooded pond. She opened the door so that Sam could appreciate the sunken tub and multi-jet shower. The tub was half full. Lisa turned on the jets and pointed to a fluffy robe hanging on the back of the door. “Why don’t you get undressed?”
Sam gulped. Her senses were about to explode as it was. “What?” Her voice squeaked like a teenage boy’s.
Lisa laughed and led Sam by the arm into the bathroom. “I’m going to check on dinner. Enjoy a nice relaxing soak.” She rubbed her hand across Sam’s shoulders. “Just as I thought. You’re tense and knotty.”
Sam fought the urge to say that she did indeed feel naughty.
Lisa sprinkled bath salts in the water and left the room, closing the door behind her. Beth Nielsen Chapman began to sing from the bedroom stereo.
Sam looked around. “What the hell.” She undressed and eased her body into the tub. “Heaven.” She leaned back and closed her eyes. It was seldom that a tub was long enough that she could stretch out without her knees sticking up.
Sam lost track of time until she heard the sound of someone clearing her throat.
Lisa stood in the doorway, holding a towel. “Ready to come out?”
“Years ago,” Sam said.
Lisa let her eyes linger on Sam’s body as she wrapped the towel around her. She gently patted Sam down, then led her into the bedroom. “Lay down.”
Sam sat on the bed and swung her legs up.
“Across the bed, on your stomach,” Lisa said.
Sam had given up thinking and did as she was told.
“Have I told you that I’m a licensed massage therapist? That’s what I did before nursing.” Lisa leaned over the bed and eased the towel to Sam’s waist, exposing her back. She worked lotion into her hands, warming it, then began kneading Sam’s neck and back, working out the knots and releasing spasms.
Lisa manipulated Sam and the towel as she spent an hour on a full body massage.
“I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Sam said. “What did I do to deserve this?”
Lisa sat on the edge of the bed, working the last of the lotion into her hands.
Sam rolled onto her hip.
“I know helping Ava leave her home has been difficult for you, mentally and physically. I also know you well enough to guess that you have thrown yourself into the office and Ava’s house, working at both more than you should to keep your mind off of everything else.” Lisa enjoyed the way Sam’s eyes followed her hand motion. “Plus, I wanted to soften you up for what I need to say to you.”
Sam blinked. “I don’t want to ruin what I’m feeling for you.”
Lisa nodded. “That’s why we’re going to take this very slowly and know each other before we know each other. I need to make sure you understand how important my sons are to me. I lost my rights to them when I walked out of my marriage. I was going crazy because I knew I was living a huge lie. My husband hated me, but thankfully, he didn’t turn the boys against me. He just wouldn’t allow me to see my youngest unsupervised until Alex became a teenager. Alex and I are cool. Rick and I are still struggling. They come first when I have a chance to spend time with them. Anyone I date has to understand my priorities. You’re my first girlfriend since they actually both spend entire weekends with me.” Lisa’s preplanned speech ran down. “Sorry for the filibuster. Well?”
Sam smiled. “I’m your girlfriend? What’s for dinner?”
“It’ll be on the table by the time you dress,” Lisa said, “unless you want to wear just the robe.”
“Tease,” Sam said.
“More like promise,” Lisa whispered in Sam’s ear as she walked past her.
Sam shivered and decided it best to put all her clothes back on.
They talked and laughed and learned about each other until the early hours of the morning.
Lisa looked at Sam as they finished packing the leftovers and cleaning the kitchen. “You’re welcome to stay the rest of the night in one of the rooms upstairs.”
Sam shook her head. She had never had the second martini and only sipped the wine with their meal. She hadn’t needed alcohol for the high she was on and wanted to clearly enjoy and remember the evening. “I’ll see myself out. Thank you for a wonderful time.” She kissed Lisa on each cheek. “I learned that in France.”
Lisa took Sam’s face in her hands and kissed her on the lips. “I learned that in high school.”
Sam felt as though everything in her life had been building to bring her to this moment.
“Drive carefully,” Lisa said. “This is the first of many nights together.”
Sam drove home slowly, mindful of deer and opossums that wandered the neighborhoods at night. She had never spent a better evening with anyone. Oddly enough, she wasn’t put off by tak
ing a backseat to Lisa’s boys as long as she occasionally lured Lisa into the backseat with her. Sam smiled at the prospect.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Sunday morning—Sam’s favorite time of the weekend—was made especially sweet by the thoughts of Friday evening with Lisa. Sam didn’t feel the least tired from sleeping only four hours the past two nights. It was how she knew she was pumped for doing right by Lisa, work, and home in that order. She was truly savoring the feel of the relationship building with Lisa. A part of her was racing for consummation through sex while the rest of her wanted to wait as long as possible to make the act of love that much better. There was so much to look forward to. Sam wished everyone felt such anticipation about their future.
Fortified with her second cup of coffee, Sam stopped at her computer for a quick check of e-mail. The food that she prepared just didn’t have much appeal to her. “I must be falling in love.”
She stared at her e-mail inbox. “Oh, crap.” There were eight notifications from Match of messages sent during the past week. Sam tried to think back to the last time she had checked her personal e-mail—maybe two weeks. She stayed busy at work and didn’t have time to waste on Hotmail. She either talked or texted daily with Lisa or Paul. Ava relied on pencil and paper. It hadn’t dawned on Sam that there would be anything but glorified spam waiting for her.
Sam debated hitting the delete tab with each notification and not venturing into the Match information. Then she thought back to what a rocky road TLCplease walked as a survivalist and hermit, withdrawing more and more from any adult interaction.
Sam began reading the messages. In a nutshell—and Sam didn’t mean to be unkind, but the woman was a nut—TLCplease was finally over the edge and determined to meet Sam. She was not being offered a contract to teach the next year with the economy and the county’s budget taking the blame. Her cat had been diagnosed with kidney failure and hated being forced fluids by injection. A logging company was clearing the land beside her home, emphasizing that she hadn’t bought enough acreage. “Bless her heart,” Sam said. The last message was a blazing accusation of Sam being the woman meant for her only to be ignoring all her messages now that she really needed a friend.
“She’ll turn up at school with an automatic weapon,” Sam said, meaning the words and not making a joke at the woman’s expense.
Sam opened a blank message and typed. “I’ve been terribly busy at work. Apologies for not reading your messages until now. Please meet me for coffee at the new shopping center just before Midlothian this afternoon.” Sam hesitated before hitting the send button. She didn’t know anyone else to call on the woman’s behalf. Chances were that TLCplease would not venture away from home anyway. “At least I’ll know that I tried,” she said to herself as she sent the message.
Sam returned to her bedroom and dressed. The telephone rang.
“Hey!” Haley said.
“Hey, yourself.” Sam leaned over to tie her shoes.
“You were out late the other night.” Haley sang the words as though skipping rope to them.
“And you have a lovely voice,” Sam said. She heard Kelly laughing in the background. “Tell the hyena that her directions saved my ass.”
Haley waited for Kelly to stop howling. “We’re just checking on you. How about going to lunch with us? We want details.”
“Mind your own damn business.”
Kelly’s voice was heard in the background. “It’s serious if she doesn’t want to talk trash.”
“Love you both and mean it.” Sam disconnected. She didn’t want to tell funny stories at Lisa’s expense—this time was different.
Sam glanced at the calendar. This was Paul’s weekend to be in New Orleans for the Saints and Sinners festival. He was hoping to meet some of the other guys who wrote for his publisher. It also never hurt sales to be available for book signings.
Sam returned to the computer. She opened a message written in all caps.
“I’ll be there at 2:00. Don’t disappoint me. Dawn.”
Sam raised her eyebrows. This woman who looked as though a founding member of the Goth movement was named Dawn? She finished her chores—sorting through mail and recycling, throwing laundry in the machine, and paying her bills online—then headed out.
Sam was constantly amazed at the automobile dealerships that had moved to new showrooms on Route 60 west of Richmond proper. No shabby cars here—Land Rover, Audi, Saab, Mercedes Benz, and BMW. Sam shuddered at the value of their combined inventories and wondered how anyone justified driving a sixty thousand-dollar vehicle anymore. She patted the steering wheel of her Nissan. “I’ll drive you for 100K at least.”
Sam carefully negotiated the shopping center that had recently opened. The stores were dotted along a sprawling campus of annoying traffic circles and reverse curves. She parked in front of the doors of the coffee shop. Evidently, few others were enamored of the urban shopping experience, either. “Good, this should have made it easier on Dawn.” She had to work on becoming used to the name.
Sam pushed her sunglasses on top of her head as she entered the building. Seated at the corner table was the embodiment of a furtive woman. “Yikes,” Sam said to herself.
Crossing the room, Sam summoned a smile. “We finally meet.” She slid onto the chair opposite the woman.
“You didn’t think I’d show up, did you?”
“Well, you always had good justification for canceling before.” Sam blinked. The woman was entirely too thin. Her hair was spiked and her ears, nose, and eyebrows pierced. Her fingernails were painted black. If Sam hadn’t already sworn off Internet dating, this would have done it for her. Sam felt her sympathy shifting to the principal who had no doubt tired of reassuring parents about the safety of the students. Sam fought back asking Dawn if she always dressed this way or just to meet her.
Sam’s phone rang. “Excuse me just a moment.” She went to the counter. “Hold on a second, please,” she said after answering. She ordered, then returned her attention to the phone call. “I’m back.”
“You went out for coffee without me?” Lisa asked. “I could have brewed us a pot to share as we looked at the newspaper this morning—one of my favorite weekend pastimes, by the way.”
“Trust me when I say you wouldn’t want to be here.” Sam fumbled with her change. She looked over her shoulder. If possible, Dawn’s expression had darkened. “I’ll be just a minute.”
“Are you alone?” Lisa asked, her voice dropping the teasing tone.
“Not exactly.”
“Tell me you aren’t there with one of your Match buddies.”
“Can’t do that.” Sam sipped the coffee.
“Can’t talk, either, can you?”
“But I can explain later.” Sam turned her back to the corner table.
“Much later,” Lisa said as she disconnected.
Sam faced the table.
Dawn was standing, gathering her coffee and shoulder pack. “I might have known you were dating someone. Why didn’t you just tell me that?” She started for the door.
“I was trying to be a friend,” Sam said.
“Screw you. Oh, she probably already is. Well, screw both of you!” Dawn stomped across the coffee shop on three-inch-thick platforms. “Serves me right for leaving home.” She talked to herself as she barged through the door.
“I can only hope,” Sam said. “I’m such a dumbass.” More than the strong coffee left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Sam was not motivated to move except to reach to the next table for the newspaper. She hadn’t taken time to read the headlines at home. Not that she could concentrate to read. It gave her something legitimate to stare at.
Sam didn’t look up again until she was aware of someone standing next to her table. “Angela.”
“Hi, Sam.” Angela was arm in arm with a young man. They had the sleepy look of a morning spent in bed together. “Do you mind?” He pulled out a chair for her. “This is Robbie.”
“Hel
p yourself.”
“I’ll get our coffee. Do you need a refill?” Robbie waited for Sam’s answer.
Sam shook her head. This young man was clean cut, as well as polite, and clearly in love with Angela—none of which she expected from Angela’s boyfriends.
“I’m working.” Angela glanced at Robbie. “I like my job and making money for us. Robbie’s staying in school. I’ll go back later if I really need to.”
Sam was stunned. “It sounds like a plan has come together.”
Angela hesitated. “I know I was a brat. Robbie talked me through it. He agreed with you and Dad. I’m trying to see my parents as people, not my expectations of them—just like I want them to do me.”
Sam resisted the urge to pinch herself. “I’m glad for you, Angie. They both love you and want you to be happy, as well as independent.”
Angela nodded. “For all my college classes, I’m finally learning that.” She stood. “I just wanted us to be cool. You mean so much to Dad. I’m glad he has you. I’m tired of driving people he loves away.”
Sam watched Angela and Robbie settle comfortably at a table with coffee and croissants.
“There is hope,” Sam said, “for any of us to change.” Sam knew her best strategy with Lisa—persistence.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Sam lost count of the number of phone calls, e-mails, and text messages it took to convince Lisa to listen to what she had to say about TLCplease—she refused to think of her as Dawn. Then Sam repeated the process in talking Lisa into coming to her house for dinner with her friends. Next, she turned to Paul.
“Busy?” Sam asked when Paul answered his landline.
“I’m so jacked up from the conference that I have three books I’m trying to outline. I can’t stop writing. I’m carrying a little tablet in my pocket all the time, for crying out loud. If my damn job would just stop interfering with what I really want to do.” His voice trailed off as Sam heard a flurry of keys being punched on his laptop. Paul sounded five years younger.
Just A Little Romance Page 21