One Night With You

by Gwynne Forster

  “But, as your hostess, I have the responsibility to protect your arteries, and that’s what I intend to do.”

  He filled his plate and headed for the dining room. “I don’t suppose I can argue with that. What did you do with the wine?”

  It dawned on her that he behaved almost as if they had known each other for a long time, and save for the minutes she’d spent in his arms, she felt about the same. Or maybe he didn’t put on airs. After she said grace, he opened the wine, tasted it and poured half a glass for her. “I hope you like it. Say, why don’t we drink to…” He got up and walked over to her, hooked his right arm through hers and said, “Let’s drink to us. What will be, will be.” He sipped the wine as he gazed into her eyes. “You like it?”

  “What?” she asked him, thoroughly discombobulated. “Oh, you mean the wine. Stop knocking me off balance. I never did that before. I love this wine.”

  He returned to his seat and his meal. “This is the first wine I’ve purchased in almost seven years. Philip always provided wine for the help on weekends, but not during the week. He didn’t allow any alcohol on the estate except in his house, and I soon got out of the habit of washing my dinner down with the best wine I could find.”

  “I’m learning that you were very wealthy.”

  “I was, and if I ever get back there, I’m going to live differently. I’m going to keep the friends I’ve made during the last six years, people who care about me, not people who loved what I could do for them.”

  “Did any of them stick with you?”

  “Naah. It’s like Billie Holiday said in that song. ‘Money, you got lots of friends hanging ’round your door, but when the spending ends, they don’t come ’round no more.’”

  “I’ve never had a lot of it,” she said, “so I don’t know, but I’m not surprised.”

  “This is the best burger I ever ate, and I love burgers. Kendra, this is a wonderful meal right down to my butterless potato.” Her head went up sharply. “Just kidding.”

  “The dessert is simple,” she said when she brought the sliced strawberries that had been marinating in a mixture of raspberry jam and cognac. “If I’d made this last night, it would be better, but I did it after we talked this afternoon.”

  He tasted it. “It’s delicious. Sit down and eat yours.” He was good at giving commands, a habit that he would have to unlearn if they were to be friends.

  “I told you about my first day on the job, Reid. How was yours?”

  “Thank you for asking. It went smoothly, without a wrinkle. I got my supplies, a company credit card, a key to one of the company station wagons and, most of all, a key to an office one place removed from the senior partner. I know that last part doesn’t mean much, but eventually it will. I’m satisfied, so far.”

  “Does the management know your story?”

  “Yeah. They know about the trial and who I was before that, and I’m glad they do. It’s all in the open.”

  She reached over, patted his hand and immediately wished she hadn’t done it, for the static electricity shot through her again. With a grudging smile, he trans formed his face into the picture of sweetness. “Wondering what it would be like if we really touch has begun to boggle my mind,” he said.

  She wasn’t about to comment on that. “I wonder if I can get away with walking down to the water,” she asked him, as if he hadn’t alluded to the possibility of their making love. “I haven’t done that yet, and I love the water.”

  He seemed pensive for a moment. “Ordinarily, I’d say, why not? But all things considered…Look. I’ll walk down there with you Saturday morning. It’s very lonely, and you hardly ever meet anyone, so…”

  “Okay. Will we go before or after I do my marketing?”

  “After. It’s cold out there early mornings. Let’s say…about eleven.”

  She looked at him while he savored the dessert with obvious relish, and her gaze focused on his long and tapered fingers, smooth hands that seemed so strong when they held her. “Do you play the piano or any other string instrument, Reid?”

  “Piano and guitar. How’d you happen to ask?”

  “Your hands are perfect for both. Nice hands.”

  “Thanks.”

  He stopped eating and gazed at her until she said, “Would you like some more?”

  “I don’t have any more space, or I’d love more. It was delightful.” He still looked at her as if he wanted to find something in her, something that he hoped was hidden there.

  “You make it very comfortable for a man, and you do it without trying. Thanks for the dinner.” He leaned back in his chair and focused upon her so intently that she squirmed. And he realized it because he said, “I’m sorry. I’d better go. See you Saturday morning at eleven.” He wrote something on the label of the wine bottle and said, “Call if I can be of help.”

  He stood, patted his pockets for his keys and, as if he suddenly remembered, took the dessert dishes to the kitchen, and was soon heard moving around there and whistling as if he were at home. He didn’t ask for help or information, and she didn’t offer any. It appeared that an architect followed some logic in the kitchen and the arrangement of its contents, and well that was, because she didn’t dare go in there. Both of them were sitting on kegs of sexual dynamite, starved for affection.

  He came back in about twenty minutes. “It’s good as new. See you Saturday.” As usual, he left without saying goodbye, and one day she would ask him why.

  Talking about quicksand, Reid said to himself as he raced across Albemarle Heights. He knew himself and he knew that if he touched her, he’d want it all. She thought she was dressing down when she put on those jeans, but in them, she was sex personified. She hadn’t wanted to give him the wrong impression, but he couldn’t change what happened to him when he first saw her.

  She’s between me and what Brown and Worley owe me. If their attorney learns that she and I are friends or even close acquaintances, I’ll lose that case before it starts. I think I’d better make myself useful around here and get the people of Queenstown on my side. Kendra’s right, because this is the jury pool.

  Who would call him at nine o’clock at night? Certainly it couldn’t be Kendra. He didn’t know what he would do if she even hinted that she wanted him to go back there. He shrugged and rushed to the phone. She wouldn’t do it. The woman had strength as well as guts.

  “Maguire speaking. Good evening.”

  “Hey, Reid. This is Philip. How’s it going?”

  “Philip!” He sat down in the nearest chair. “It’s great to hear from you. How’s your dad?”

  “Dad’s fine. We’re anxious to know how it’s going with Marks and Connerly.”

  “So far, so good.” He gave Philip the same information that he had given Kendra a little earlier. “It’s a chance. I’ll see the location for the airport terminal tomorrow and adjust my sketches accordingly. I like what I’ve seen of Jack, and I think we’ll get along.”

  “You don’t know how much it pleases me to hear that. Do you think you can come down to the barbecue Easter Sunday? If so, we’ll be glad to see you. I’ll let them all know I’ve spoken with you.”

  Reid hung up, gathered his laundry and put it in his laundry bag. He would drop it off at Royal Laundry—half the establishments in Queenstown had either royal or crown as a part of their name. He’d wash his socks, but he would gladly pay someone else to do the rest of it.

  He got up early the next morning, made a cup of instant coffee, showered, shaved and dressed in an Oxford-gray business suit. How good it felt to be going to work as an architect again. If he wasn’t careful, he’d feel tears sliding down his face. He got into the station wagon, adjusted the seat to fit his height and headed for Caution Point. He’d driven twenty miles before the pangs in his belly reminded him that he hadn’t ingested anything that morning but instant coffee.

  He pulled into a roadside restaurant, had a breakfast of melon, waffles, country sausage and perked coffee, and continued
his journey. Remembering that he’d promised Marcus Hickson to get in touch with him when he went to Caution Point, he took out the cellular phone that he had bought the previous weekend and telephoned his old friend.

  “Hello, Marcus, this is Reid. I’ll be in town today. Could we meet for lunch?”

  “Yes, indeed. You don’t know Caution Point, so why don’t I pick you up at twelve-thirty? Where will you be?”

  “At the corner of Bowder and Checkers.”

  “Great. I’m driving a silver-gray Mercedes.”

  “And I’ll be in a brown Cadillac station wagon. See you then.”

  A gray Mercedes, eh? He hoped his friend hadn’t turned into a “rich man,” because he’d sworn to keep his feet on the ground and to associate only with people like himself. He remembered that women loved Marcus, but that Marcus had his eye on a tall lanky one who, in his opinion, was the epitome of frivolity. Well,we both had lousy taste in women. I sure hope he got over that one.

  He loved the location for the terminal. With a minor adjustment, the terminal he’d sketched with a round dome above a square building would best fit the space and the environment. He sat in the office that Jack Marks had rented for him, and altered the sketch. Then, in case Jack preferred the structure that resembled a large private house or mansion, he made notes as to the necessary alterations, locked the office and went to meet Marcus.

  When the big gray sedan drove up, Reid got out of his station wagon and walked across the street to meet the man he hadn’t seen since he left graduate school. He’d been in the School of Architecture and Engineering, and Marcus had been in the School of Music. They’d roomed two doors from each other in the men’s dormitory. He smiled when Marcus started toward him, and the years quickly vanished as they laid up high fives and then embraced each other, their old routine.

  “You haven’t gained a pound, man,” Marcus said, “but I’ve put on sixteen.”

  “Sixteen pounds is nothing on a six-foot-four-inch frame. If you’d lived my life—at least my life the last seven years—you wouldn’t weigh more, either. Where’ll we eat?”

  “I assume you’re going to explain that, but if I remember properly, I’ll find out what it means only after I pry and insist.”

  “Oh, I’m not that bad. Did you marry that tall, slim beauty?”

  “Yes, but she split when the going got tough. I’ve got a real gem of a woman now, and she is definitely not the willowy type.”

  They ate at a new Italian restaurant not far from the school where Marcus’s wife, Amanda, was the principal. “You learned a lesson,” Reid said when the conversation turned again to their pasts, “and I sure hope the hell I did.” He told Marcus about the loss of his company, his wealth and his reputation, how he’d made it back to where he was.

  “I feel you, man,” Marcus said. “I came within a hair of losing my business, and if it hadn’t been for my wife, I would have. Next time you’re here, I want you to meet her and my three children. The oldest one is from my first wife, but if you see her with my wife, you’d never know it. I’m a lucky man.”

  “I’m on my way back, man,” Reid said, “and it’s a great feeling.”

  “Take it slow,” Marcus advised. “Be patient. If you find a good woman, latch on. She’ll make all the difference. Say, what’s wrong with me? I’m sitting here talking with a first-rate architect. Reid, I told you that I repair fine musical instruments, string instruments, and that my factory is in Portsmouth. I’m planning to open a factory here in Caution Point, and eventually—maybe two or three years hence—I’ll close the one in Portsmouth. I repair anything from a Steinway concert grand to a Stradivarius. Would you design a building for me? The place has to be humidity proof.”

  “I work for Marks and Connerly, and I’m not sure you’d want to pay their fare. I’m also not sure they’d let me do it on the side. I’m straight, Marcus, so I’d have to ask. I can tell the boss of our relationship and see if that will make a difference.”

  “Not being able to make your own decisions must go against your grain,” Marcus said.

  “Not right now, because I know I’m lucky to be working for a company of this caliber. If I’m fortunate, I’ll be back on top and running my own company in a couple of years.” He showed Marcus his sketches for the airport terminal.

  “Either one of these would work there, but I especially like this one,” Marcus said, pointing to the one with the round dome. “It’s unique and fits the area.”

  “Thanks. That’s the one I prefer, but it’s a long road from this point to the laying of the corner stone.”

  “I’m sure. When will you let me know whether you can design that building for me?”

  “Next Monday, I hope. See you then.”

  When they separated, Reid had the feeling that he was on his way. He didn’t go back to the airport, but took the shortest route to Queenstown. He parked the station wagon in the company’s parking lot, locked it and went to his office.

  “You’re back?” Jack Marks asked him when he answered the intercom. “Are you satisfied? I’m not asking for a report, but I’m anxious to know whether you’re comfortable with what you’ve done so far.”

  “I am, indeed,” Reid said. “I need to make a couple of very minor changes. We can meet tomorrow, if you’d like.”

  “You bet I’d like. How about lunch? Is twelve-thirty good?”

  “Fine,” Reid said. “That’s my preferred lunchtime.”

  “I’ll stop by for you,” Jack told him.

  It would be a memorable lunch. “I love this one,” Jack said referring to the one with the round dome. “It’s perfect. Maybe we can use this other one for something else. It’s very imaginative.” He snapped his fingers. “It would make a great golf clubhouse. Put it under lock and key. If I can close a deal I’m working on, you’ve got another job.”

  Reid told Jack about Marcus’s request. “I told him that I wouldn’t do it on the side without your permission and that if you didn’t like that idea, I’d ask if we could lower the price for him.”

  Jack’s thick fingers brushed back and forth across his chin. “It doesn’t seem to be a huge job, does it?”

  “The biggest problem will be to control the humidity. It’s close to the Sound.”

  “Right. There’re some materials you can install in addition to air conditioning. Tomorrow, I’ll write you a letter giving permission. I don’t have time today.”

  “Are you sure it’s all right, Jack?”

  “It isn’t something we would normally do, and I want to encourage you to tackle unusual jobs. It’s good experience. By the way, Connerly and I have decided to change your title from assistant architect to architect. It makes more sense.”

  “Does it carry more pay?”

  “Sure. A lot more. I’ll ask the accountant to send you a note, and you’ll get a personnel action sheet in a day or so.”

  Reid thanked him. He didn’t do it profusely, knew he deserved the title and pay. Nonetheless, he had a better feeling of his worth as an architect and as a man. “You’re a straight shooter, Jack, and I appreciate that.”

  “It’s only just, Reid.”

  Reid thought for a minute, then changing to a light subject he said, “If I’m going to live here, I want to be a part of the community, but I can’t seem to find a niche.”

  “We have a great theatrical group that’s extremely popular. Ever do any acting?”

  “Not since undergraduate school.”

  “They’re all amateurs. I’ll tell Iris to give you the address and telephone number. This has been a productive lunch, Reid. Let’s do it again real soon. Oh, and what we’ve discussed here is between you, me and Connerly. My architects do everything to get an assignment, except fight duels.”

  “You bet.” He pointed his right thumb to his chest. “What happens here stays here.”

  He didn’t know how he got through the remainder of the afternoon, for it seemed that he would burst with happiness. At a quarter
to four, a messenger brought him a letter from the company accountant. He tore it open and stared at its message until the words blurred before his eyes. That promotion nearly doubled his salary. After his first month’s pay, he’d have the means to retain a lawyer, and he’d soon be able to buy a car.

  All the wonderful things that happened to me today, and I don’t have anyone with whom to share it, he thought as he walked home. But he could share it with Kendra, couldn’t he? Doing so wouldn’t imply anything. After all, hadn’t she shared her news with him?

  What the heck! It was too good to keep to himself. He walked into his apartment, kicked off his shoes and pants, loosened his tie, dropped himself on his bed and used his cell phone to dial her number.

  “Hi, this is Reid. So much has happened today that I have to dump it on somebody, and I don’t know anybody here but you.”

  At the next words in her low, sultry voice, he nearly jumped off the bed. “Hi. Hang up, Reid. Then call me and say, ‘You wouldn’t believe the day I had. Can we get together so I can tell you about it?’”

  He lay back down and stretched out. “What’s wrong with the way I put it?”

  “You said it as if you’d tell somebody else, but you don’t know anyone else in town.”

  “Well, that definitely is not what I meant.”

  “So, what did you mean?”

  He sat up. “Don’t ask me a question unless you want the answer. I want to see you.”

  “Uh…where?”

  “In the middle of Albemarle Heights. I don’t give a damn, Kendra. I’ll put on a jacket and tie, and we can have dinner someplace, but that would be three whole hours from now.”

  “Well, since you haven’t bought a car, let’s ride in mine. I’ll put on a pretty dress, you put on that tie, and you be over here in an hour. How’s that?”

  “Woman, you move fast, but that suits me to a T. I’ll be there.” He’d almost added that he wanted a kiss when he got there, and it surprised him that that was what he needed from her most of all. He wanted her to rejoice with him, but what he needed was to know that she thought him worth her affection.