Love is in the Air

by Devon Vaughn Archer

  “When did your mother die?” Holly wondered, wishing they didn’t have that in common.

  “A long time ago,” Anderson muttered. “I was nine.”

  Holly couldn’t imagine having lost her mother at such a young age. She was sure it was difficult for him, especially since his father wasn’t in the picture.

  “Have you ever had any interest in seeing if you could track down your father?” she asked.

  “Not really,” he said thoughtfully. “What would be the point? I’m not even sure he knows I’m alive. If he does, there’s been no attempt to contact me.”

  “I can’t blame you for being put out at the thought. But with your mother no longer here, maybe your dad could somehow compensate for her loss.”

  Anderson’s nostrils flared. Why was she pushing this? “As I said, not interested. Just because you have a father in your life doesn’t mean that I need one—especially at this stage.”

  “I’m sorry.” She resented that it seemed to irk him that she had a relationship with her father and he did not, none of which was her doing. Maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut. But then again, why should she? Weren’t they here to get to know each other? “Yes, I have a dad who’s always there for me. And maybe as a result, I believe that having a connection with a living parent is important—even if it means reaching out to someone who wasn’t there for you, perhaps for reasons you were never told. I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds.”

  Anderson sucked in a deep breath, knowing he had overreacted. It certainly wasn’t the way he had envisioned them bonding. He knew only what his mother had told him about his father, which was virtually next to nothing. She’d only mentioned a one-night stand that left her pregnant and that his father had been out of the picture.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said to Holly. “I didn’t mean to get upset. Who knows, someday I may track down my father, if he’s still around, and get his take on things.”

  She smiled softly. “There’s always hope that something good could come out of having an open mind,” she said.

  “Something already has.” Anderson met her eyes. “I’m on a date with a beautiful woman.”

  She blushed. “Other than that, silly.”

  “Well, let’s just say you’ve opened my eyes to endless possibilities.”

  Holly felt the power of his gaze, making it impossible to deny their sexual attraction. “I’m all about opening one’s eyes,” she said.

  Anderson lifted his glass to that.

  After the food had been served, Anderson found himself enjoying watching Holly eat. He wondered what it would be like to feed each other. And much more than just food—kisses and other affectionate gestures, too.

  “So, do you always wine and dine gorgeous clients?” Holly asked, seeking a reaction as she nibbled on some lettuce.

  “Not always,” Anderson promised. “And none of them could hold a candle to you.”

  “Oh really? I’m supposed to believe that?”

  He smiled. “Maybe you don’t realize just how hot you are.”

  She colored, finding it hard not to simply accept his compliments. “Maybe I don’t.”

  “I’ll try my best to help you recognize that,” he said. “And, just for the record, my client that you saw this afternoon is happily married.”

  “That’s nice to know,” Holly admitted. Though she knew some men had no qualms about having an affair with a married woman, she didn’t believe Anderson was one of them.

  Anderson took that as his cue to move on. “So what are your interests in life?”

  “I have lots of them,” she said, dabbing a cloth napkin to the corners of her lips. “I love to travel when I have the time, bicycle, attend sports events, dance, go to the theater, listen to classical, jazz and soul music and read fiction. I also enjoy my volunteer work, where I read to children to help increase literacy.”

  “That all sounds great,” he said, impressed. “Certainly seems like your plate is full right now.” He wondered if that meant that she wouldn’t have time for a serious relationship with anyone.

  “Whose isn’t full these days?” Holly bit into a slice of bread. “I’m sure you have a fair amount on your plate, too.”

  “I suppose I do,” Anderson conceded. “I also enjoy traveling, fishing, working out at the gym, multiple sports, movies from the forties and fifties and just hanging out with friends.”

  “That sounds nice, and well-rounded,” she told him.

  “I’m a well-rounded guy,” he said with a chuckle.

  She smiled. “What type of music do you like?”

  “Classic R&B, urban and a little jazz vocal.”

  “I knew it,” she said. “At least, the first two.”

  He put a hand to his chin. “So you think you have me all figured out, huh?”

  “I don’t know about that, but at least the music.”

  “A good start,” he said. “I’ll be happy to fill in the blanks whenever you like.”

  “Good. I plan to hold you to that,” she promised.

  At the moment, he would have just settled for holding her. The thought of their bodies touching had a rippling effect through Anderson, causing his temperature to rise. Was she feeling the vibe, too?

  After the meal, Anderson walked Holly to her car. He wanted more than anything to kiss her. Something told him she felt the same.

  He leaned in slowly and grazed her lips.

  Holly felt his lips on hers and was quick to reciprocate. She had been hoping Anderson would kiss her, as it seemed the perfect way to end what had been a pleasant date. The kiss, which lasted for several scintillating seconds, wasn’t a disappointment in the slightest. She liked that he wasn’t pushing for too much, too soon, and was respectful in giving them both something to look forward to the next time.

  In her mind, it was a given that there would be a next time. But were they on the same wavelength?

  * * *

  The following Wednesday, Holly rode her bicycle to the nearby park, taking advantage of its bicycle-friendly paths. She meant to ask Anderson if he bicycled. Somehow she couldn’t imagine that he didn’t or wouldn’t want to if she invited him to ride with her sometime.

  In the afternoon, she went to the McCawlin Elementary School, where she spent over an hour reading to children at different grade levels. The kids always loved her visits. Her volunteer work was special to her because as a child she had benefited from volunteer readers to improve her own reading skills.

  By the time Holly got home, she was ready for a nice hot bath. While running the water, she allowed herself to fantasize about what it would be like to make love to Anderson. She pictured him as a gentle but thorough lover and one who probably couldn’t get enough of whatever woman he set his sights on.

  Calm down, girl, she told herself, feeling the heat on her skin as she allowed her mind to wander to uncharted but desirable territory. It had clearly been too long since she had been wined, dined and kissed by a man, and she enjoyed it.

  But that didn’t mean she had to get too carried away with the early stages of a romance. They had a long way to go before it was the real deal for both of them.

  On the other hand, it did no harm to let her imagination have a little fun, even if it had yet to mesh with reality.

  Something told her, though, that if things continued between them it was only a matter of time before things progressed to the next level.

  She climbed into the bathtub and let the bubbly warm water do its work.

  * * *

  On Friday, Anderson dropped by the lakefront home of his close friend and fellow lawyer, Lester Powell. The two had attended law school together. Anderson had been Lester’s best man at his first wedding, but was out of town when he’d walked down the aisle the second time.


  They sat on the patio, talking and drinking beer.

  “You’ve got that look,” Lester said. He had long black Rastafarian locks that bordered a thin face with a goatee.

  “What look might that be?” Anderson asked, dumbfounded.

  “The look that tells me you’re getting some, or you’re about to.”

  Anderson laughed and gulped down beer from the bottle. “Since when did you become so insightful?”

  “Since our college days, when I watched your ass coming and going with one chick after another.”

  That got another laugh out of Anderson. “I think you’re talking about yourself.” He had always been a one-woman man for all of college. The fact that he hadn’t been able to keep the relationships going was another matter, and he blamed it on a combination of immaturity and a sometimes misguided sense of direction.

  But times had changed. Or at least he had.

  “So tell me who’s got you all hot and bothered these days?” Lester pressed.

  Anderson sat back and took another drink. “Her name is Holly. She’s an anchor at KOEN.”

  “Anchorwoman, huh? Where did you meet her?”

  “At the airport in Portland, believe it or not.”

  Lester grinned. “I can believe it, though every lady I’ve ever met at the airport was either old enough to be my mother or had a man who kept her on a short leash.”

  “I think you’ve done all right for yourself in the romance department,” Anderson said. Lester’s latest marriage to a sweet professor seemed to be working.

  “Yeah, I guess I have.” Lester lifted his bottle. “Just how serious are things with this Holly?”

  “Not too serious at the moment,” Anderson said honestly. “We’re just beginning to feel our way. I think I might have found someone I can really relate to.”

  “More power to you. Can’t wait to meet her.”

  “You can check her out weekend mornings on KOEN and let me know what you think,” Anderson said.

  “You bet.” Lester studied him. “So have you totally gotten you-know-who out of your system?”

  Anderson looked away thoughtfully. “Yeah, she was out of my system a long time ago.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “I’m very sure. We both moved on and there’s no looking back. I’m happy about where I am today.”

  “Glad to hear that,” Lester said. “You know I’ve got your back and want you to be as happy with someone as I am.”

  “I know.” Anderson smiled while tasting the beer. “I’m working on that.”

  He thought about Holly and couldn’t help but feel that she was his future if he had any say in the matter. And he did. He just had to see how things would play out and then Holly would be his.

  Chapter 5

  On Sunday morning, Holly did the newscast, reporting the local and national news of interest. When she was done, she left the set and was met by the station manager, Felix Yasmin, who was fiftysomething and thickset.

  “Good going,” he said.

  She was used to receiving a positive review of her anchoring, but always tried to read between the lines to see if there was anything she could do better.

  “Thanks,” she said. “That story on the missing newlywed was scary. I hope he shows up alive and well.”

  “Yeah, we all do.” Felix paused. “Do you have a moment?”

  “Sure.”

  She followed him into his office, feeling tense. What was this about?

  “Have a seat,” he said.

  She sat down in a chair in front of his desk and he sat beside her.

  Felix ran a hand through his thinning gray hair. “Look, I know you’ve settled into the morning slot and we’re happy with you there. But I was wondering how you’d feel about moving to the evening spot on weekends?”

  “Wow.” The last Holly knew, Scott Turner was ensconced in the position. What had changed?

  “Scott resigned,” Felix informed her before she could ask. “Apparently he took a position with a competing station.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” Holly said, immediately thinking about the opening at KRVA that Blythe had coveted. It looked as though she had been passed over for a man.

  “I can’t think of anyone more qualified or deserving to take Scott’s place than you,” Felix said. “So what do you think?”

  Holly understood that she did not have the luxury of sitting on this for a while, not with the fast pace and quick turnover in the business. Yes, she loved working mornings, but she would be a fool to pass up the weekend evening news.

  “Yes, I’d love to do it,” she told him, smiling.

  Felix smiled back. “I was hoping you’d say that. There will be a pay raise, of course, and some other little perks that come with the job. You’ll start next weekend.”

  “I can hardly wait.” Holly wondered who would take her place on the morning slot.

  “Excellent.” He stood up. “Well, enjoy the rest of your day.”

  Once in her car, Holly phoned Blythe, confirming what she had suspected.

  “How could they stab me in the back like that?” Blythe cried.

  “I know,” Holly said. She considered Scott a friend, and knew that he had only taken an opportunity that he was given. “It’s a tough business.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “I’m sure another opening will come along,” Holly said.

  “Yeah, right, and they’ll probably pass over me again,” Blythe grumbled.

  “You don’t know that.”

  “You know something I don’t?” Blythe asked.

  Holly sighed and decided to share her own news, hoping it didn’t further depress Blythe. “I was offered the job that Scott vacated and accepted it.”

  “I wouldn’t have expected any less,” Blythe said cheerfully. “Enough pitying myself. Congratulations! And I really mean it.”

  “Thank you for saying that.”

  “Us anchor girls have to stick together.”

  “Always.”

  Holly drove to her father’s place to check on him. Using her key to get in, she found him asleep in his favorite well-worn recliner. The dishes were piled up in the kitchen, so she put them in the dishwasher, knowing that her mother had once done all the household chores that her father now had to do himself. He hadn’t made the adjustment very well thus far and maybe he never would.

  Holly wanted to do her part to help whenever she could, even if he was usually resistant to the idea, insisting he could take care of himself.

  She heard a sound and turned to see her father standing there, rubbing his eyes. “Didn’t hear you come in.”

  “Not surprised since you were sleeping pretty good there,” she said.

  “It wasn’t necessary to clean up in here,” he said, frowning.

  “I know, but I wanted to.” She smiled. “It’s fine.”

  Robert tilted his head. “When are you going to get a man of your own to clean up after?”

  “I already have one,” Holly said, half joking. “I don’t need two.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  She thought about Anderson, but didn’t want to tip her hand too soon about something that could turn out to be nothing that lasted. Somehow she did not picture him as the type who left dirty dishes around or otherwise needed a maid. But what did she really know about him at this point?

  Gazing at her father, Holly said, “I wish I had a crystal ball to predict my future with a man. Guess we’ll both just have to wait and see what happens.” She walked over to him and kissed his cheek. “Until then, you’ll just have to put up with me.”

  Robert grinned. “I guess I can manage, if that’s how you feel.”

  “It is.” She
shared her work news, which he congratulated her on, and then went home.

  * * *

  Holly was watering plants while thinking about Anderson and when they would get together again. In her mind soon was not soon enough.

  As though he had mental telepathy, Anderson called her cell phone right then.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said.

  “Hey, handsome,” she responded, not shying away from returning the compliment.

  “I was wondering if you were available for a late lunch.”

  Holly smiled. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”

  “Good. How about at my place? I make a mean chicken sandwich and great salad.”

  Holly pondered briefly what it meant to accept an invitation that was not in a neutral setting and finally decided that she was ready to move forward in their relationship.

  “I’d love to come.”

  He gave her the address and she recognized the high-priced area where he lived. The fact that Anderson was successful and could cook, too, was definitely something she could get used to. Holly could only imagine what else might be in store as she got to know even more about this interesting man.

  After changing into more comfortable clothing, Holly drove to the Galleria, an upscale development in the city’s Uptown District. She pulled into the parking garage and took the elevator up seventeen floors to the penthouse of the luxury high-rise.

  Anderson was waiting for her, looking great in a yellow polo shirt and navy khakis. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as if they were old buddies rather than potentially new lovers.

  “Hope you didn’t have any trouble finding the place,” he said.

  “None at all.”

  “Good.” Anderson smiled at her. She was a sight for sore eyes in a scoop neck multicolored top and tight jeans. It was all he could do not to take her in his arms at that moment and give her a passionate kiss. But he showed the restraint of a gentleman, not wanting to send the lady running out of there before she could get comfortable in his digs. “How about a tour of the place?” he offered.