When You Least Expect It

by Sandra Leiper

  Grand Central Station was something right out of the movies. They went outside and Ray hailed a cab. It was all surreal to Amanda. There were more cabs than she’d ever seen in one place, and the traffic was unbelievable. Even more so, the amount of people walking was also wall-to-wall, yet no one looked at each other even though it seemed their shoulders were touching. It was like nothing else Amanda had ever seen. It was a good thing Ray had a hold of her hand; otherwise, she would just be standing there with her mouth open. She felt like a country bumpkin.

  They arrived at the hotel Ray had picked out; The Belvedere Hotel. It wasn’t big, but as Amanda peeked out the taxi window at it, it looked impressive. It had a door attendant, dressed in the proper uniform, a concierge, and bellhops galore. One carried their luggage up to their room, which was beautiful.

  “Ray, this is great! I love it!”

  Ray was pleased. He wanted to make Amanda happy, to make the weekend one she would not soon forget. “I’m glad you like it. So, shall we make the most of NYC, or shall we rest?”

  “No, let’s go see Manhattan. I’m too excited to rest!”

  Ray chuckled. “I’m starved, so let’s go get something to eat. How does Planet Hollywood sound?”

  Amanda’s eyes widened. “The one Bruce Willis owns?”

  Ray rolled his eyes. “Yes little country bumpkin, but he won’t be there. Let’s go.”

  ~~~

  After seeing all the great exhibits at Planet Hollywood, and wolfing down a burger, they set off to see the Empire State Building. Amanda was overwhelmed at the sheer size of it, and could not wait to get to the 110 floor. Unfortunately, the line was long, and it was a two-hour wait.

  Ray hated lines. “Shall we forget it?”

  “No! Who knows when I’ll ever get back here, Ray? Can we stay?”

  “Okay, Mandy, if you want. We could see a lot of Manhattan in two hours though.”

  “But I want to go up. This is what I want to see most.”

  “I’ll go buy the tickets, you go get in line.”

  “Woohoo!” Amanda ran to the end of the line, feeling nothing but pure exhilaration.

  ~~~

  After an excruciating wait, they finally made it to the top. They explored the gift shops and looked through the telescopes they had for a quarter. Amanda saw the Statue of Liberty, the Chrysler building, Central Park; she could see all of New York in one stop. She loved it and spent most of her time taking pictures.

  “I wish my kids were here.” Amanda got teary eyed for a moment. As much as she was enjoying this, enjoying being with Ray, she wished with all of her heart that she were sharing this with her kids. They’d have loved this, and she hoped someday she could experience this with them. She would have to make sure of it.

  They finally headed back towards the elevator to ride back down to the ground floor.

  “I noticed a Houlihan’s Bar at the bottom. Feel like a beer?” Ray was tired and wanted to rest, but didn’t want Amanda to notice.

  “That sounds good.”

  They headed in, ordered beer and appetizers, and had the server take pictures of them. It was very relaxing.

  “Ok then, what next?” Amanda was getting fidgety just sitting, as she wanted to explore!

  “Time Square?”

  Off they went. Again, Amanda felt overwhelmed by how busy everything was; the size of the advertisements, and just how many buildings, lights and people there were! It was awesome! After hours and hours of walking, Amanda’s feet could take no more, although she wished they could keep going. She loved New York! However, once in the room, the weariness overtook her, and she was more than happy to get off her feet. She was very surprised when she realized it was eleven p.m.!

  “Wow, Ray, we’ve been out for a long time. No wonder I’m exhausted.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I was pretty tired after the Empire State Building. So tell me little lady, did you enjoy your day?”

  “More than anything,” she looked at him demurely, “and it’s not over yet. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take a quick shower.” She grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom.

  Ray’s eyes followed her, eyebrows raised. What did she mean by that? He could only hope he knew what she meant, and turned on the television, impatiently waiting to find out.

  ~~~

  Amanda had decided that tonight was the night. Ray had been right, they’d talked about being intimate forever, and although he kept insisting that sex wasn’t the important part, she felt it was part of the “clicking” test. So far, things were going well, so why not take it to the next level. Their time together was short; they didn’t have the luxury of waiting it out.

  She took a shower, than covered herself with vanilla scents. She had brought a tiger print silk nightgown to wear and slipped it on as the final touch. This was it. She took a deep breath, and opened the bathroom door. His eyes literally popped out of his head.

  “Damn!”

  Just the reaction she had wanted.

  “Mandy, you look stunning.”

  Amanda blushed. “Thank you, Ray. I thought I’d surprise you.”

  Ray couldn’t help stuttering. “I’m s-s-surprised.”

  She walked over to her side of the bed. She slipped in. “So, don’t you want to change into something more comfortable?” She turned down his side of the bed.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was beautiful. She was sexy. She was here with him! “I’ll be right back, Mandy.” He tripped his way to the bathroom and took a thirty-second shower, and that included toweling off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went back to join Amanda.

  She looked at him appreciatively. She noticed his broad shoulders and tight stomach. She wanted to see more. “Are you going to keep the towel on in bed?”

  Ray walked over to his side of the bed. Although he felt slightly self-conscious, he took the towel off and slid into bed. “No, Mandy; I’ve waited a long time for this. It’s going to take me a moment for all of this to sink in.” He took her in his arms. They kissed tenderly at first, and then with all the passion they’d kept inside for the year they’d known each other; had longed for each other. Their passion startled them both, but nothing would stop them now. Ray kissed every part of Amanda’s body, every part that he had imagined in his mind so many nights in the past. He softly touched her, taking her in with his eyes, memorizing every part of her with his fingertips. He did not want to miss one inch of her.

  Amanda looked up at Ray with love and longing. She loved how tender he was being, how loved he made her feel. She touched him in return in places that he hadn’t been touched in a long time.

  Afterwards, they desperately clung together without saying anything, basking in the afterglow of finally being able to be together. They looked in each other’s eyes, both seeing the same thing, and knowing that everything they’d felt for a year, was finally a reality. They didn’t have to say anything to each other, they just knew. Their love was real.

  ~~~

  The next morning, Ray had quietly slipped out of bed and ordered room service. He put on his pants, hoping that he wouldn’t wake Amanda. He watched her sleep until there was a knock on the door. “Room service.” He opened the door and tipped the man, thanking him for the extra touches they’d provided. A vase with a single rose, mimosas and freshly made mushroom omelets, plus a carafe of coffee, orange juice, bacon and toast. It smelled delicious.

  Amanda slowly opened her eyes. “That smells heavenly. What did you order?”

  “Breakfast fit for a queen.” He went down the list.

  “I’m ravenous.” She went into the bathroom to do a few morning rituals, returning wrapped up in a hotel robe. “This was so nice Ray, thank you. Can I please start with some coffee?”

  He poured her a cup, and they sat down to eat their feast. They seemed to be more relaxed with each other, each still basking in the memory of the night before.

  “What time will we be leaving today?” Amanda didn’t
want this to end and was already dreading it.

  “Let’s walk around some, grab some lunch, and then head back to Grand Central. Anything special you want to see today?”

  “Can we go to Central Park?”

  Ray hesitated only for a second. “Let’s hail a cab and get over there before it gets any later.” He easily ran one down, and they happily went over to that section of New York, where they checked out Park Plaza Hotel and Trump Towers. Then they rented a horse and carriage to take them on a ride through Central Park, which to Amanda, was the most romantic thing she’d ever experienced. Overall, it was the perfect day.

  They headed back via taxi to the hotel, both quiet, lost in their own thoughts. They silently went upstairs and got together their things. They looked around the room one last time, neither of them wanting to leave. Nevertheless, they had to. Both were dreading the seven-hour train ride home. Once it started, they both relaxed and enjoyed it, and each other, neither wanting to think about the fact that their time together was quickly dwindling down.

  By the time they reached Ray’s apartment, they were exhausted. Diego was coming early in the morning to meet Amanda, so they had no choice but to go straight to bed.

  Amanda went into the bathroom and took another shower. She felt gritty from the train. She reflected back on their weekend, thinking about how great it was. She’d loved New York, the Empire State Building and as it turned out, Ray. She’d traveled twenty-five hundred miles to find out if she could really love Ray, and in that weekend she found out that she always did. It had definitely been one of the best weekends of her life.

  Chapter 32

  Diego Cutler was at the desk waiting for Ray to answer his phone to so he could go up. He’d been waiting about fifteen minutes with no luck.

  The girl at the desk hung up the phone. “I’m sorry Mr. Cutler, no answer.”

  “Can’t I just go up and bang on the door? He knows I’m coming, he’s probably still asleep.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, that’s against company policy. You can have a seat in the lounge and we can try again in a few minutes.”

  Diego was disgusted. “I’ll go grab some coffee, I’ll be right back.” He went out to his truck, hoping he’d find a doughnut shop nearby.

  ~~~

  Ray woke up slowly, turning to look at Amanda as she slept. She looked so cute! He glanced at the clock. Oh no! Could it really be that late? He jumped out of bed, waking Amanda.

  “What’s wrong?” She still had her eyes closed. She was exhausted from yesterday’s trip.

  “It’s late! Diego should have been here already.” He went to look at his caller ID, and sure enough, the front desk was on it. He hurriedly punched in the number to call them. When they picked up, he asked them why they’d called.

  “Oh, there was someone here to see you. A Mr. Cutler, but he’s gone now.”

  “What?” Did he leave a message?”

  “I think he’s coming back, he said he was getting some coffee.”

  Ray sighed with relief. “Send him up when he gets here, ok?”

  “Sure thing, Mr. Knight…oh wait, here he is now.”

  Ray could hear his friend in the background. “Is that Ray? Let me talk to him.”

  “Asshole!”

  The clicking of the phone was the next thing he heard. He laughed nervously to himself. This should be interesting. He went in to see if Amanda had gotten up, but was shocked to see her still in bed. “Mandy, Diego is on his way up.”

  Amanda sat up. “Right now? Ray for heavens sake, why didn’t you tell me. I don’t want to meet him in my pj’s.” She hurriedly picked out some clothes and was about to go to the bathroom when there was a knock on the door. Both Amanda and Ray stared at it, like a deer in the headlights.

  “Hey asshole, open the door.”

  “I’m getting in the shower Ray, I’ll be out soon.” She went in, locking the door behind her. Why wasn’t anything easy over here?

  Ray opened the door for his friend. Diego looked him over, taking in his disheveled hair, and wrinkled clothes. “Did I wake you?”

  Ray laughed. “Well as a matter of fact…”

  “I told you I would be here at 9:30; too much sex last night?”

  “Shut up, Diego. Let me go get some clothes on, then we’ll go pick up some breakfast while Amanda gets dressed and stuff.”

  “Oh, that must be her in the shower. Can I go meet her?” He went and knocked on the door. “Come on out Amanda.” He laughed out loud. “You don’t have to put clothes on to impress me; I’ll probably be more impressed if you don’t.”

  Ray was mortified. Even though he knew Diego was just fooling around, Amanda might be offended. “Knock it off!

  Diego had his ear up against the bathroom door. “She must have a sense of humor because she’s laughing.”

  Ray was relieved to hear it. Otherwise, it was going to be a long day. He ran into the bedroom and threw on some clothes. “Let’s go so she can get ready in peace.” He knocked on the door. “We’re going to go get coffee and bagels. Be right back.”

  Amanda yelled back so he would know she heard him, and then hurriedly got out of the shower. She planned to be dressed and ready when they got back.

  ~~~

  As planned, Amanda was ready and had picked up the place by the time they got back. Diego looked harmless enough, and he walked over and grabbed her hand.

  “Hello Amanda, nice to meet you. I have just one question for you…getting any?”

  Everyone laughed, Ray and Amanda both turning bright red.

  “Well, I didn’t come all this way for nothing, Diego; nice to meet you, too.”

  Diego laughed, still holding on to her hand. “She’s not bad, Ray, not bad at all.”

  She hurriedly changed the subject. “Let’s eat! I need coffee.”

  They sat at the table, eating bagels and drinking coffee, chatting about New York, meeting Ray’s mother, and El Paso. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Diego looks around the room. “Wow Ray, you took down the porn?”

  Amanda looked at Ray, eyes wide, but said nothing.

  “You are such an asshole.” The two friends laughed at each other, and she sighed with relief. After all, it could have been true.

  ~~~

  Amanda was amazed at she sat at the restaurant of choice. Who knew she had come all this way to experience the atmosphere of Hooters! This had been Diego’s idea, and even though she’d only just met him, she hadn’t been surprised one bit. Not wanting to seem like a spoilsport, she had readily agreed.

  She laughed at Diego as he ogled the servers in their tiny orange shorts and low cut t-shirts. She decided it was her turn to tease him. “Is this your favorite hang-out?” This question was for both men.

  Ray answered first. “I love hot wings.”

  She raised her eyebrows at him. “You come here for the chicken?”

  He reddened. “Yes, I’m all about the food.”

  Diego couldn’t stop laughing. “Me too.” He practically rolled off the stool, he was laughing so hard. “I couldn’t even tell you what the waitresses wear.”

  Amanda rolled her eyes at them. “Exactly, how old are you two?”

  They all bantered back and forth, eating chicken wings (which were delicious, by the way), and watching the televisions. They had a few beers, and got to know each other a little bit. Amanda was amazed at how different Ray was around Diego. He was like a big kid. But, she had to admit, they were funny, she laughed a lot, and was having a good time. At least until Ray got up to go to the bathroom, leaving her alone with his friend.

  “So Amanda, not to be a corny or anything, but I’d like to know what your intentions are.”

  She was surprised at the serious tone Diego’s voice had taken. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean with Ray. He has been through so much, not only because of his divorce, but also because his marriage was no picnic either. I don’t want to see him get hurt, and I think he is really taken by you.”

&nb
sp; She answered with no hesitation. “I came out here to see what Ray was like, Diego. That was my intention. At home, I eat, sleep and breathe Ray. It was getting to be an obsession. It was time for me to see what this ‘connection’ was that I had with him. Was it real, or just a dream? I’m forty years old, and I don’t have time to play games.”

  Ray came back from the bathroom then, much to Amanda’s relief. But, the relief didn’t last long, Diego sent him away.

  “Go look at the Hooter’s merchandise, Ray. Maybe Mandy would like an orange t-shirt.”

  Ray looked at Amanda, surprised. “You would?”

  Amanda was afraid to answer.

  Diego got to the point. “I’m talking to this young lady in private if you don’t mind. Give us a minute.”

  Ray hesitated. He knew, primarily, this was the reason Diego had really come down here. “Is this okay with you, Mandy?”

  She nodded.

  “Why wouldn’t it be? Now, go.” He turned his attention back to Amanda, as Ray walked away. “You didn’t answer my question. So, you’ve been talking to him for a year on the Internet. What does that mean? I have friends on the Internet too, and I’m sure you have other friends also. Are you going to meet all of them? What I want to know is now that you’ve met Ray, where does it go?”

  “I don’t know where it goes. What I do know is that I think Ray is great. I’m so glad that I’ve come all this way to meet him, and to know that he’s the real thing. He really is a great guy, and I really do have feelings for him, and him for me. I love him, Diego. I don’t know anything else beyond that.”

  Diego took her hand, ignoring the looks coming from Ray. “I think that I’m a pretty good judge of character. I have to admit, I thought that Ray getting involved as he had with someone on the Internet was insane. But, you too, are the real thing, a good person. I know that he has strong feelings for you. You’re right; he’s a great person. He stayed in a loveless marriage for a long time, refusing to give up. He knows how to commit, and I hope if you commit to him, that you do too. I like you, and I can become your best friend, Mandy. Just so you know though, I could also become your worst enemy. Don’t hurt my friend.”