Campaign for Love

by Annabelle Stevens

  "Thanks, Suzanna. Incidentally, he speaks highly of your work and says he thinks Quentin has more than just a business-like interest in you."

  "How did you answer that?"

  "I said it was possible. After all, you're brilliant and attractive. He agreed. Only one thing worries me. I hope he won't try to get into my bed on the first date. The way I feel about him now, I might even let him. But it would spoil everything."

  "I think Barry is too mature for that. He wouldn't be that crass. The second date, maybe. You know what men are like."

  "Oh, Suzanna, you're incorrigible."

  They soon rang off after Suzy exacted a promise from Elsa to call after her date with Barry and tell her how it went.

  The following day, Suzanna and Quentin happened to arrive at the same time. They met at the elevator and rode up together.

  Quentin gave her a warm smile as he said good morning, clearly admiring her in her elegant new sable brown suit with her hair down around her shoulders.

  On the way up to their floor he said, "You know, Suzanna, I thought about us all the way home last night, and I think I know what my problem is. I know a lot about you, your personal life, and yet I've never really gotten to know you the way most people get to know each other. We've never had a real date. I've never asked you out."

  "Hmm, I guess you could be right."

  "So let me correct the oversight right now. Will you go to dinner with me tonight?"

  "That sounds wonderful. I have to admit it occurred to me last night that I was being completely unreasonable. I spout off about myself, and my family, you've been to my apartment, and yet I know nothing about you. There are quite a few questions I'd like to ask myself before we go forward. If we go forward."

  "Why does that have an ominous ring?" he asked with a grin.

  She gave a pert grin. "Hey, a girl can't be too careful nowadays."

  "For sure. And it's what I've been telling you all along."

  "Thanks for looking out for me, and not letting my feelings allow us to both act too impetuously."

  "Any time, friend. So, that said, I can't wait to get to know you better. Is seven okay? I'll pick you up from your office if that's all right."

  "Fine." They had reached their floor, and walked to their adjoining offices together.

  Sharon said good morning, but otherwise showed no interest in their arriving together, just exclaimed over how much she already looked like a model, and turned back to her computer.

  Suzanna was clad that the other woman wasn't jealous, and made a point to go to lunch with Sharon that day. They sat at a table with the same group of young Elder and Rubin employees, which included Brad Sherman.

  One result that had come from his earlier theft of Suzy's ideas was that he had become almost slavishly devoted to her. She did not think her new appearance affected his attitude at all. His gratitude to her for neither reporting him, nor asking to have him dismissed had earned her his undying loyalty, or so it seemed.

  "Hi, Suzanna, hi, Sharon," he greeted them. "I've just about finished. Sit here," he invited as he moved over. "You'll have plenty of room as soon as I get up. Can I get you anything?"

  Suzy tried to be polite. "Thanks, Brad, but I think we have all we need."

  He sat with them for a while talking shop, especially new developments in the Imperial Foods and Femme Fatale Cosmetics.

  Suzy found that her original dislike of Brad had disappeared along with her other male-inspired animosities. But when he scurried off, she was relieved he was gone. His admiration for her was just too intense.

  The lunch hour passed quickly and soon Suzy was back in her office counting the hours until her dinner with Quentin. At last it was five o'clock, but Suzanna kept on working. She had heaps to do, and plenty of time to get ready.

  She congratulated herself on her foresight in always keeping a good outfit in her closet in case she ever needed to go out with clients.

  At six-thirty she rose from her desk and went into her private bathroom. First she brushed her hair, and then she applied more makeup to her lids and cheeks. She put on a more dramatic shade of lipstick than usual, and looked every inch the Femme Fatale.

  Her dress was a toasted almond colored silk jersey which caressed her curves, and had a deep vee neck which revealed more of her truly magnificent body than Quentin had ever seen. Normally she would have put a jacket and scarf over it to cover her curves, but in this case, she saw no need.

  With it she wore a jade choker and matching earrings. Sheer hose and brown suede high-heeled pumps pointed up her long, slim but shapely legs.

  "Eat your heart out, Quentin Pierce," she said to herself as she took a last look in the mirror.

  When she emerged from the bathroom, Quentin was already seated in his chair waiting for her. He jumped to his feet and let his eyes roam up and down her body. His in-drawn breath, dilated pupils and the naked desire in his eyes told her all she wanted to know even before he said, "You are beautiful beyond belief."

  "Thank you," she replied. "Let's leave before you forget your fine resolve."

  "I thought steaks at The Grille would be nice if that's okay with you. We'll be able to talk there."

  "That sounds good to me," she agreed.

  They put on their coats and were soon on the way to Park Avenue. In the cab, Quentin sat close to her and took her hand in his.

  Suzy didn't pull away, but neither did she respond as enthusiastically as usual. Quentin was getting the message.

  "I once asked you about your friend Jerry. I had no right then, and I have perhaps less right now. But I have to know. Did you want Jerry to make love to you?"

  "Not make love, no. I don't love him. I know now that I never can. But I've heard that sex for pure physical fun can be pretty good. But the subject never came up."

  "Oh?" he said tightly.

  "When I not only intercepted his kiss but responded to it, I took Jerry by surprise, and he was in a state of shock. He sensed, even before that, that I had changed, but didn't know exactly how or why. He may have suspected.

  "After a pleasant second kiss, he left me at my door before he did something that would turn me off again. I really don't know what I'd have done if he had tried to make love to me. But it felt nothing like I feel when you touch or kiss me. That has to mean something."

  His face was grim. "I'm glad you didn't have to make the decision. I'm afraid that I left you vulnerable."

  "You can't blame yourself for the way I feel, my hang ups and insecurities."

  "All the same...."

  They arrived at The Grille, and after being shown to a table, ordered martinis. They continued exploring their relationship as candidly as they could considering how confusing it all was for them.

  "This is difficult to say, Suzanna, but I'm not going to lie to you, not even to save your feelings. You've said you think you're falling in love me. I'm not at all sure that you are.

  "And so far, I don't know what I feel about you. I'm enormously attracted to you, that goes without saying. Unlike you, I've had sex many times, but I've never felt that I loved anyone. Never told a woman that I loved her, so I guess I've never really made love."

  "Oh?"

  He nodded. "They were all short-term relationships. I've never even come close to being engaged, let alone married. And yes, sex without love is pretty good, but I've always felt that with it, it would be heaven on earth.

  "So while I'm confused and cautious, I also know that what we have together isn't like anything I've ever experienced before. So I am not saying no, I just think we just have to take this slowly." He reached for her hand across the table. "I would hate for us to ruin what we do have, our friendship and our working relationship, because we can't help giving in to physical temptation."

  She nodded and smiled. "I appreciate your honesty. I don't think I want to be on the wrong side of a one-way love affair. If it turned out that the love was all on my side and for you it was just sex game, I don't think I coul
d bear it.

  "As long as you don't touch me, I can maintain perfect control. If you ever do make love to me, I know I'll be hooked forever. One kiss from you, and I want it all."

  He blew out a shaky breath and gave a tight smile. "I promise you, Suzanna, if the time comes when I can no longer hold out against you, it'll be because I know I've fallen in love with you. If that happens, we'll both know it."

  She returned the pressure of his fingers, then reached for her water glass. "And as part of our total honesty drive, I am going to tell Jerry it is all over between us. I know he likes me more than he should, though he's never tried to show it. It isn't fair keeping him around as a handy male friend. I used to think he and Elsa would make a good team, but she seems to have eyes only for Barry Jarvis."

  Quentin stared. "Elsa and Barry Jarvis? When did all this happen?"

  "At the dinner party at my apartment. You may remember he saw her home afterwards, and they're having their first date this weekend."

  "I'm delighted to hear it. I was afraid he might have his eye on you, especially after he took you to lunch that day, then invited himself to your apartment for dinner."

  She laughed. "According to Elsa, Barry seems to think you have designs on me."

  Quentin looked thoughtful. "Wouldn't it be funny if he turns out to be right? He doesn't even know me very well."

  "This is none of my business, but since we seem to be ignoring the obvious, have you ever lived with anyone?"

  "No, never. That would mean a commitment of sorts, and I was never ready to commit. I've had offers, but always said no. I've never even had a woman in my apartment because I didn't want to give up my privacy. I've gone to their apartments or I've gone to hotels.

  "Mostly, that was when I was in my twenties. For the last few years, I've been very selective. Believe it or not, easy sex without love palls after a while, unless a man is a permanent adolescent. I'm not on the prowl night and day, believe me."

  "I'm glad you asked me out tonight. I think I understand you better now. I don't think you use people. You've kept your integrity as intact as I've kept my body, but for a different reason."

  She met his gaze head on, and said, "Much as I hate to admit it, you've been right all along. What I've felt for you has been physical attraction. Since I've never felt it before, I naturally mistook it for love. Up until now, I haven't really known you well enough to be in love with you. I'm sorry I've given you such a hard time, but I think now we can start to be real friends. "

  "It took a lot of intestinal fortitude to say that, Suzanna. One thing you never lacked, though, is guts. Tonight we've begun a normal relationship. If what we feel for one another is real, when the time comes, we'll both know it. "

  "I think Jerry thought he fell in love with me, but it was really the idea of me, and the fact that I was inaccessible made me more desirable. The old forbidden fruit syndrome. If he had really been interested in me, his body would have betrayed him. It didn't," said Suzanna as she felt herself redden. "But yours does. And did even before you saw the real me."

  "Right then, we cut him loose. I am jealous, however much I pretend that I'm not."

  "I believe I may have to give another dinner party. This time I'll invite Sharon. She's beautiful, intelligent, has a fantastic personality and she doesn't sleep around. Wouldn't you agree?"

  "I guess you've learned more about her than I have. I've never noticed her except as a neat, efficient secretary."

  "If she had anyone special, I think she would have told me."

  "Quite the little matchmaker, aren't we?" he said with a grin.

  "It's nice to have someone special. Nothing worse than being alone."

  "I never thought about it before, but I guess you're right. This is lovely. I can't remember the last time I shared dinner with a friend."

  They now turned their attention to the steaming hot plates the waiter put in front of them, two New York strip steaks with baked potatoes, sour cream, French style green beans, and a Caesar salad.

  It all rapidly disappeared, and was followed by cheesecake and coffee. They sat back sipping their liqueurs and smiled in a relaxed way. Suzanna didn't even feel the need to touch him as before.

  We're friends, she thought, and it's wonderful.

  But all too soon, Quentin recalled that tomorrow was a working day. He picked up the tab and said, "Well, Suzanna, for a first date we've covered quite a lot of ground. I think perhaps I can take you home now and leave you at your door with a warm handshake, or maybe a friendly kiss, without any emotional upheavals?"

  Suzanna nodded her head in agreement. "I'm glad we cleared the air before we have to go to the Bahamas together. It would have been uncomfortable with the potentially explosive situation just simmering between us. When do we leave, by the way?"

  "Next week, the day after Thanksgiving. It's a week earlier than they'd planned, but they feel they need every bit of the weeks leading up until Christmas for promotion. So we need to have all the copy done and dusted, and then just the pictures to get slotted in before everything hits the presses. By the way, do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?"

  "I didn't have, but maybe that would be a good day to have Sharon, Jerry, Elsa, Barry and you to dinner, that is if no one has any family plans. If they're all free, would you mind meeting Sharon on a social basis?"

  "Not really. I think she probably suspects that there's something going on between us. Maybe more than there actually is, even."

  "I doubt it, but in case you're right, she'll see that it's all quite innocent."

  "For the moment," he said with a grin.

  "For the moment," she agreed, taking his arm.

  They caught a taxi after only about five minutes and were soon on the way up town. True to his word, Quentin left her at her apartment door with a warm handshake and a light kiss on the lips.

  Suzy went to bed that night with her mind more at rest than it had been for some time. As she lay getting ready to fall off to sleep, she planned her phone calls for the next day. She'd ask Sharon first, and if she was free, then she'd call Jerry, then Elsa. Elsa could call Barry.

  With that decided, she started to plan her Thanksgiving menu. She fell asleep trying to choose between plum pudding with hard sauce or pumpkin pie. In the end, she knew it would have to be both.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The minute Suzanna arrived at the office the next morning, she asked Sharon if she was doing anything for Thanksgiving. Sharon admitted that she had no plans. Suzanna said she was having a small dinner party, and asked her if she would come.

  Sharon was delighted and agreed in an instant.

  When she got into her office, she called Jerry and asked him to Thanksgiving dinner with a few friends. He was delighted, and accepted straight away.

  Her next call was to Elsa, who was equally delighted. She had made a date with Barry for that day, so they now had a place to go for a home-cooked meal. They had planned on a hotel, since neither of them had any family in town.

  "No hotels. It's much more fun with friends."

  "And your cooking is better than any hotel, Suzy."

  Everything was all set. Even if her plan to match up Sharon and Jerry didn't work out, it couldn't hurt anything, and it would give Jerry a chance to see the new man in Suzanna's life.

  When she went in to Quentin's office to pick up some layouts, she said, "The dinner party for Thanksgiving is all arranged. It will be a party of six. Everyone's accepted. You haven't changed your mind, have you?"

  "What, and miss out on your great cooking? No way. You are going to roast a turkey, aren't you?"

  "But of course! Isn't that what Thanksgiving is for?" she joked.

  "And being thankful."

  "That goes without saying."

  "I sure do have a lot to be thankful for. Have had ever since I hired you."

  "The feeling is mutual."

  "Well, except when I act like a tease," he joked.

  "Don't start. We have too
much work to do."

  "You're so right. So come on in and let's go over the plans for Imperial Foods. We need to batten everything down before we head to the Bahamas."

  "Let me just get my things."

  After a few more busy days at work, it was Thanksgiving Day. Suzanna got up early that morning, tugged on some black sweats, and started dinner. All her marketing had been done after work during the week, and she was as ready as she would ever be.

  She had a fifteen-pound turkey ready for stuffing, and a loaf or stale, unsliced bread which she crumbled into a bowl. She had chopped the onion and celery and cut up the parsley, and added poultry seasoning and egg with enough water to bind it.