by Pamela Yaye
“It’s at least a two-hour drive to Bentonburgh and my mother had another suggestion.”
Teddy set the coffee cup down and bit her bottom lip. “What is it?”
“Joint families. She’d like to invite you and your family, sisters, brothers, spouses, significant others—everyone—to Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Does she know how many people she’s talking about?”
“I told her you had a brother and two sisters and they may have dates. She’s okay with that.”
Teddy sighed.
“Are you all right?” Adam asked.
Teddy ignored his question. “I suppose she’s already contacted my mother?”
“She didn’t say that, but I had the feeling the deal was already done. We’re the only two wild cards in the mix.”
Teddy laughed. “I guess we’ll be having dinner with your parents.” Even though they were on the phone, Teddy thought she heard relief in his voice.
“I’ll let her know.”
“One more thing,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“My father’s lecture today. My mother asked me if you would come with me. I told her you had duties at work.”
“What time’s the lecture?”
“Three o’clock.”
“I’ll pick you up at two.”
“Are you sure? I mean, you—”
“Will you be ready?” he cut her off.
“Sure.” This deception hadn’t set well with her in the beginning. Now they were acting as if it was real. Combined families for Thanksgiving, joint invitations. Complications were setting in. These were minor. She couldn’t imagine what was in store for them as the holidays approached.
“Teddy?” Adam said.
“I’m still here.”
“I agree with you.”
“About what?” she asked.
“You aren’t just good in bed. You’re great.”
* * *
Plans were made and often they changed. Teddy knew this from her business. Working with brides, she knew that the beginning plan was not the final plan.
So when Adam called and asked if she could meet him at his condo instead of him picking her up, Teddy agreed. She wanted to see where he lived and going to his condo would give her the chance. He’d been to her house more than once, had eaten breakfast in her kitchen and spent the night in her bed. This would be her first visit to his house.
Adam lived in one of the new condo units built on the outskirts of the township. The buildings resembled town houses, but they were sold as condos. His was near the back of the complex, close to the trees that lined the property and gave the area a parklike setting.
The weather yesterday had been mild, but had turned much colder overnight. Today it was windy and bone-chilling. She thought it was ushering in November and reminding them that winter was on its way. Teddy pulled into a parking space near the front door. Shutting down the car’s engine, she got out. Her booted heels clicked on the concrete. She still wore the gray slacks and sweater, but had added the pant boots, earrings and took care with her makeup.
Adam opened the door as soon as she rang the bell. He smiled when he saw her, and took her hand to draw her inside.
“Oops,” she said, facing him. “I forgot to get you a gift.”
“Gift?”
“My mother says the first time you go to visit someone, you should bring them a gift. I don’t have one.” She spread her hands, showing their emptiness.
“I’ll take this instead.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. It was short and only intended to be a friendly kiss. But when he pulled away, the two looked at each other and in the next moment, she was in his arms for a full never-let-me-go lip-lock. It went on for several seconds, before he raised his head.
“That will take the chill off the weather outside,” Teddy said to cover the fact that if they didn’t have to go to her father’s lecture, she’d push him to the floor and make love to him right here. She needed to control herself around him. This was a deception for their parents, but she was having trouble separating fact from fiction.
Adam laughed. “I’m almost ready. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
“Isn’t that a woman’s line?”
“It’s interchangeable. You can use it next time I come to pick you up.”
He disappeared up the stairs and Teddy turned around. The prickles on her arms were receding. Removing her coat, she laid it on a chair inside the living room. There was a fireplace and a fire burned in the hearth. Teddy spread her hands, taking in the warmth while she looked about. The room had that decorated-by-a-decorator look. Everything coordinated: the walls were a soft blue-gray, blond hardwood floors that glowed warm in almost any light. The furniture was black leather, soft as butter with gray and white pillows. Fresh flowers were set strategically about the room, giving unexpected pops of color and a fragrance that had her thinking of romance. Spying a vase of roses, she went to it, bending down and smelling their fragrance. Now she knew where he got the rose he’d left her. He’d driven all the way home and come back to leave her a rose. Emotion welled up in her throat and she had to blink away the tears that filled her eyes. The simple act of kindness was unexpected.
There were pictures on the walls, not anything personal. These were oil paintings. Teddy didn’t know art, but she knew these weren’t the kind of paintings you find in local department stores. Looking in the corner of one, she checked for a signature. It was hard to read and meant nothing to her. Despite the room’s perfection, it was cold. There was nothing here that said Adam. None of the personality she was coming to know was reflected in the blacks and grays of the room.
He was a warm man, sensitive and loving. Of course, his humor could use some work, but that was one of the things that made him different from all other men.
“Ready?” Adam asked, running down the stairs.
Teddy faced him. Wearing pants that hugged his thighs and a blue shirt open at the collar, he looked both casual and good enough to eat. Teddy curled her fingers in her hands to keep them from reaching out and touching him. She knew that body, knew the hardness of his chest, the strength of the muscles in his arms and the tenderness they could enfold. She knew his mouth, the way it fit perfectly over hers. The way his tongue felt sweeping into her mouth and removing everything from her mind except him.
“You brought me a rose,” she said, placing her hand on one of the buds in the vase.
“Sleeping so soundly, you reminded me of a delicate flower.”
“So you drove home, picked a flower and drove back.”
“It was on the way to work.”
She knew he was making light of his actions, but she appreciated it. Teddy went to him and kissed him on the cheek. “I liked the rose.”
“You’re easy to satisfy.”
“Am I?” she questioned, knowing the innuendo in her voice.
Adam darkened, but recovered almost immediately. “I’m not sure. I’ll have to try it again just to make sure.”
She kissed him again, this time on the mouth. “Now?”
He let out a long breath. “I would sure like to, but we’ll miss your father’s lecture and your mother will never let us live it down.”
“True.” She pouted.
“We’d better go before I change my mind. And if we don’t leave now, we’re bound to get caught in traffic.”
“Right,” Teddy said.
“Would you hand me the phone in that drawer?” He indicated an end table. Teddy hadn’t seen the drawer when she looked around the room. She heard Adam exhale a long breath when she was no longer looking at him. The thought that she affected him made her feel good.
Pulling the drawer open, she saw a phone lying in the
bottom. The only other thing in the drawer was a charger the phone was connected to. She didn’t see how it fed out the back or bottom of the drawer and connected to an outlet. Reaching inside she disconnected the phone. The password screen came up as she handed it to him.
Adam slipped it into the pocket of the leather jacket he’d added to his wardrobe.
Lifting Teddy’s coat from the chair, he held it as she slipped her arms inside. For a brief moment he squeezed her shoulders. She wanted to step back into his embrace, feel the warmth of him, but she knew where that would lead. Where she wanted it to lead. But they didn’t have time for that now.
“We’ve been invited to a Christmas party,” Adam said.
“Really?”
“One of my VPs holds a holiday party every year. Since we’ll still be together then, would you like to go?”
“I haven’t been to a party just for pleasure in a long time,” she said. “I’d love to.”
“Good. I’ll let him know we’re coming.”
“Now, we’d better get to this party.”
With his hand on the small of her back, the two went through the front door. Teddy opened her car door and slipped inside. The decision of who would drive had been solved without discussion.
As an honored guest, Teddy had a pass to park on campus. They entered the lecture hall several minutes later and took seats near the middle of the auditorium.
“What’s your father speaking about?” Adam asked. “I know it has something to do with journalism, but I didn’t get the specific topic.”
“I’m fuzzy on that,” Teddy said. “He told me, but I wasn’t paying close attention. My mother was trying to get into the discussion and I was blocking her. It has something to do with the future in the digital arena of journalism.”
Teddy turned her attention to the program, looking for the topic. She didn’t get to read it due to the interruption.
“There you two are,” her mother said, coming to where they sat. Her voice sounded like a proud parent on the night of her daughter’s first date. “I thought you’d like to sit closer to the front.”
Teddy shook her head. “If we sit up there, Father will embarrass me. This is fine.” They were sitting in the subdued light halfway up the hall. Teddy wasn’t sure they could be seen from the front.
The room got quiet. “They’re about to start,” her mother whispered. “I’ll see you when the lecture is over.” She got up and rushed back to her seat near the front, hunching down as if she didn’t want to be seen.
When the president of the symposium introduced her father, he said the speech was on the coexistence of the internet and the small newspaper. Adam took her hand as her father walked to the podium and began his speech. Neither she nor Adam had anything to do with newspapers. The subject sounded boring, but her father had a knack for entertainment and he had the audience laughing as he delivered anecdotes on his experiences as a newsman from the big papers to the one he managed now. His lecture was followed by an active question and answer period.
The crowd thinned until only Adam, Teddy and her mother remained in the audience. Several organizers of the event cornered her father and congratulated him.
“Are you going back to work after this?” Teddy asked Adam.
“I thought we might have an early dinner with your parents.”
“You’re ready to endure my mother again so soon?” Teddy’s eyebrows went up while her voice went down.
“I can take it.” He smiled, glancing at the woman sitting in the first row.
“They’re not staying,” Teddy told him. “They decided to return home right away. My father can’t be away from his paper too long. He gets withdrawal symptoms.”
“So, it’s just you and me?”
“If you can endure me so soon after the last time,” she teased.
Adam’s eyes turned dark and hot. She meant to be flippant, get a laugh out of him, but the impact of her words after the night they’d spent together came to her in a rush of heat. By the look on Adam’s face, he was obviously remembering that night, too.
“Teddy?”
She didn’t even hear her mother until she’d called her name twice. Turning, she looked at her, hoping it was too dim in the room for her mom to see her clearly.
“We’re going to head for home as soon as your father finishes up.” She glanced at the three men still talking at the front of the room.
“We want to get there before dark,” her father was saying.
It was only a couple of hours to Bentonburgh. They should make it with time to spare. But it was rush hour and that would slow them down a bit.
Teddy and Adam stood up and went to the end of the aisle. Adam followed. Teddy hugged her mother. And then her mom hugged Adam. It appeared as if she was welcoming him to the family.
“Adam, it was good seeing you again. And I spoke with Ann this morning. We agreed to spend Thanksgiving as a family.”
“Mom,” Teddy warned again.
“What?” She looked at Teddy. “It’ll be good to spend the day with friends and family.”
“Thanksgiving is a month away.”
“But these things must be planned, the same as weddings.”
“Mrs. Granville, I’m looking forward to it,” Adam cajoled, slipping his arm around Teddy’s waist. She let go of her rising anger.
Her mom stepped back. “You two do make a lovely couple. And I can see how much you love each other.”
Teddy grabbed Adam’s hand and squeezed. Neither of them agreed or disagreed with Gemma Granville’s comment.
Finally her father joined the group. The four of them left the auditorium and walked to his SUV.
“I wish we could stay longer, but I have to get back to the paper,” Merle Sullivan said. He reached around her to Adam and shook his hand. The two men nodded mutually. Both knew it wasn’t necessary. Then her dad kissed her on the forehead and climbed into the driver’s seat. Her mom got in the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt. With a honk of the horn, they pulled out of the parking lot and headed south toward Maryland. Teddy stood with Adam’s arm around her until the SUV was out of sight.
“What do you think they’re planning for Thanksgiving?” Teddy asked.
“I have no idea. But I realize this was just a warm-up. The main event is being planned as we speak.”
“I can only hope we’ll be ready for it,” Teddy said.
“We’ll surprise them.”
Chapter 6
Both Teddy and Diana were early risers. This was something that made them compatible. They had time to spend a few minutes being friends and then get a jump on the day. The calm before the storm, before the other associates came in and before the phones started to ring.
“You’re here early,” Diana said. “You’re always early, but today you’re really early.”
“After spending two days with my parents and the weekend, I have a thousand things to do. Why are you here at—” she looked at her watch “—six o’clock?”
“Scott had an early flight. I dropped him at the airfield.”
Scott usually drove himself to the airport, but he and Diana were still technically newlyweds. She made no excuses about wanting to be with him as much as possible. And Scott had told her he loved finding her at the airport waiting for him when he returned from his flights.
Diana took a seat and handed Teddy the cup of coffee she often brought in with her. “When I spoke with Renee on Friday, she seemed to have everything under control.”
“She did. I told you she’s ready to go out on her own. I’m going to hate losing her as an assistant.”
“I’m sure you two will work something out.” Diana leaned forward, putting her arm on the edge of the desk. “Tell me about your weekend. Did you have a good time?”
Teddy leaned back. “Picture this—two mothers, both wanting their children to find someone and get married. Send them all out to dinner and miraculously discover they are all at the same restaurant and in the same room.”
Diana was holding her mouth closed. “You met Adam’s parents.”
“And his two brothers and their dates.”
Diana was laughing. “What an ambush.”
“That’s exactly the word Adam used.”
Teddy explained that her mother led her to believe they were going to dinner as guests of the university, but it was really to join the Sullivans for their anniversary, and for them to push Adam and her toward each other.
“Stop laughing,” Teddy said, trying to keep from joining her. “It’s not funny.”
“It’s hilarious, and to think they aren’t even trying to hide their strategy.” She took a drink of her coffee. “How’s Adam taking it?”
The mention of his name had Teddy’s body reacting as if she could touch him from this distance. She hoped Diana didn’t notice the change.
“He’s better than I expected he’d be. This was his idea, but I thought he hadn’t thought it through. Yet, he falls into the act as if it was natural.”
Teddy looked up and saw Diana staring at her. “Are you falling for him?” The scrutiny in her eyes was serious.
“Of course not.” She wanted to stop there but knew she needed to reinforce her statement. “He is easy to look at.”
“And he’s got a great body.”
Teddy nearly choked.
“And he loves to touch you,” Diana went on.
“What?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”
“He’s only doing that for show,” Teddy explained.
“Yeah,” Diana said. “It isn’t only that he touches you, but the way he touches you.”
“The way?” Teddy frowned.