Amy glanced at her in astonishment. “Too simple! You don’t know how to cook, remember.”
She waved her off with her hand. “Maybe I’ll pick something up and bring it home.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. I know the perfect place.”
“Where?”
“My freezer. I have a dish of veal parmigiana just screaming for romance, and it’s fresh. I just made it this weekend. You’re welcome to it.”
“Are you sure? Did you make it for something special?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I cooked all weekend. I have several dinners in the freezer. I really enjoy cooking, and I had nothing better to do.”
Jessica scowled at her. “You cooked just because you like to?”
Amy laughed. “Yes, just because I like to,” she mimicked. “Now please feel free to take it. It’s just enough for two.”
“Okay, thanks. I will.”
She had told Brandon to be there at seven o’clock, so she hurried home to prepare the meal. The afternoon was busy, but she managed to get enough done that she could leave early.
After phoning Phillip Stewart’s office to cancel lunch the next day, she hurried home. She knew he would be angry, but she would deal with that later. If things went well tonight, she would be spending tomorrow with Brandon.
After stopping at Amy’s apartment to pick up her main course, she headed to the grocery store for the accompaniments.
When she arrived home, there were a dozen roses waiting for her on the table. Her neighbor, Karen, followed her in.
“You must have done something pretty special to deserve those.”
Jessica turned around to greet her. “Oh, hi, Karen. I guess this must be my lucky day. It’s my second floral delivery.”
“I wish I could get so lucky. The only time I was ever a recipient of such a lovely gift was ten years ago—after I had spent twelve long, agonizing hours giving birth,” she stated with disgust.
Karen was a divorced mother with two boys. Her primary goal in life was to make her ex-husband’s life as miserable as possible. He had walked out on her four years ago, while she was still pregnant with her youngest son, Zachary. He was an engineer for one of the largest worldwide engineering firms, so the judge had awarded her quite a large sum in child support and alimony. He didn’t appeal the award, most likely out of guilt for having left her for another woman. She had no need to work and spent her days playing watchdog for all the building’s tenants. Jessica didn’t really mind. Karen was usually home, which made Jessica feel safer about going out of town.
In return, Jessica watched the boys occasionally, so Karen could go out. She really didn’t mind; they were good boys, basically, with just the ordinary brotherly squabbles. Caring for the boys gave her the opportunity to sharpen up her Monopoly skills, and keep on top of the latest Barney tunes. Karen was doing a good job raising them.
Jessica smiled, remembering the day that they, Karen and Daniel, had moved in. Karen was expecting Zachary and was round as a house. Her husband had just left her, and their house had sold in record speed. Her husband had agreed to allow her to remain in the house during her pregnancy, but Karen just wanted out. Karen’s doctor had advised against the move so late in her pregnancy. Karen, however, had been insistent. She was determined to start her new life as soon as possible. She had waddled off the elevator with six-year-old Daniel dancing at her heels. She had a worn out look on her face and an armful of groceries.
Jessica had just returned home from a trip and was putting her key in the door when she spied the struggle. She had run to assist her, playfully scolding Daniel for allowing his mother to carry the groceries herself. They hurried into Karen’s new apartment and she almost cried when she saw the sorry state the movers had left everything in. Boxes were scattered everywhere, and most of the furniture was haphazardly arranged.
Karen had collapsed on the couch in a weary state. “I can’t do it anymore,” she had wailed. Jessica had walked to the couch and placed her arm around her shoulders. Karen had collapsed against her and sobbed hysterically.
They had worked together through the night, trying their best to put some order to the place. By eleven o’clock, Daniel had fallen asleep, fully dressed, on top of his recently made bed that had a Buzz Lightyear bedspread proudly proclaiming he was coming to the rescue. The two women, standing back and surveying all they had done, exchanged satisfied smiles. Karen had exclaimed that she felt as if this had been her home forever.
The two women were instant friends, and had even exchanged keys to each other’s apartments in the event of an emergency. Now, more than ever, Jessica was glad they had done so.
Jessica smiled, inhaling deeply the aromatic fragrance of the roses, remembering their quiet intimate lunch. She took the card from its holder to read it.
“It says ‘to set the mood for tonight’.” Karen said before Jessica had a chance to read it.
Jessica frowned as she looked at her. “Sometimes you push the boundaries of friendship.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist the temptation. They looked so beautiful sitting there; I had to sneak a peek. Anyway, who is the lucky fellow?”
“He’s just a business acquaintance.” She relaxed her shoulders and smiled coyly. “I met him when I was at my mother’s a few weeks ago. And if you don’t watch yourself, you’re going to get into trouble snooping in other peoples’ business. You really need to get a life going. Zachary is almost old enough to start school. Why don’t you go and get a job; do something fun.”
She ignored the advice. “I hope if I ever get into business, it’s with someone like that,” she teased as she walked toward the door. She sighed. “I guess I had better let you get ready for your big ‘business’ date. Besides, Daniel is probably killing Zachary by now. Ten-year-olds have absolutely no patience for four-year-olds. Let me know if you need help with your dinner,” she added as she gestured toward the bag of groceries Jessica had deposited on the counter.
“Thanks, but I hope I don’t need it. Amy left detailed instructions. And even I can’t screw up French bread and tossed green salad, but I’ll yell if I do.”
“Okay then, I’m off. By the way, Daniel’s karate championship is next week. You promised him you would be there.”
“I have it on the calendar. I wouldn’t miss it.”
She pushed the door shut after Karen and hurried off to the kitchen to put the veal in the oven.
With these tasks completed, she went off to the bedroom to dress. She pondered what kind of mood she was interested in setting as she poured through her wardrobe. She selected a black chiffon jumpsuit cut low in the back but high in the front. She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. To go with the jumpsuit, she chose a pair of black stockings and her new black heels she had felt so compelled to buy. At the time, she had thought she would never have an occasion to wear them. Now she was glad she had indulged. She pulled her hair back and twisted it into a loose twist, securing it with a rhinestone hair clip.
After dressing, she went into the dining room to set the table. Red candles adorned either end. She completed the setting by adding the roses Brandon had sent. She lovingly fingered the crystal candleholders that her mother had given her for Christmas two years back.
After proclaiming the table perfect, she went into the kitchen, opened the oven, and peered in at the delicious smelling dish simmering there. She knew Amy wouldn’t let her down. She closed the oven door and turned down the temperature so it would not warm too quickly. Satisfied that all was perfect, she went into the bedroom to take one last look at herself.
The doorbell rang and her stomach tightened in knots. She glanced at the clock on the stand beside her bed. Seven o’clock right on the button. Well, at least he was punctual.
Brandon’s pleasure was visible as Jessica opened the door and greeted him. A smile spread across his entire face.
“You look radiant,” he whispered as he bent to kiss her on the cheek.
He handed her a bottle of red wine as he crossed the threshold. She looked at it. “Merlot; perfect, this will go great with dinner,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind veal parmigiana. I know we just had Italian for lunch, but I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.”
“Veal sounds great.”
“So, tell me what you did to entertain yourself all afternoon, while I slaved away.”
He laughed. “Well, while you were ‘slaving away’ I first finished up some business I had to attend to, and then I took advantage of being here on pleasure this time, and I spent some time walking around. I thought maybe I could talk you into showing me some sights while I’m here.”
“Business huh, I thought you said you came here just to see me,” she said, pretending to pout. He laughed heartily, and she returned it with a chuckle. His laugh was a good sound and it made her smile.
“I’m ashamed to admit I don’t know too many sights. I don’t get out sightseeing often. In fact, the most sightseeing I do is in the stores.” She winced. “I’m afraid I have to admit that I’m a compulsive shopper. My first disclosed fault; do you want to leave now, while you still can?”
“I think I can forgive that one small fault. There aren’t many are there?”
“You’ll have to stick around to find out the answer to that question.”
“Well, in that case, I think we’d better do a little exploring together and learn all about this wonderful city.”
She brightened. “I would like that very much. Thank you.”
She went into the kitchen to check on dinner. He wandered around the apartment, admiring her possessions. “You have splendid taste,” he said. “I think you should have gone into interior design, instead of photography,” he shouted to her in the kitchen.
She emerged from the kitchen laden with food. “Thanks for the compliments, but I don’t think it’s something I would care to do all the time. Photography gives me pride. I like that feeling. It’s one of the few talents I can claim. Besides, if I wasn’t a photographer we might not be here tonight.”
“There you are wrong. We still would have met. That had nothing to do with your work. And instead of lending my home to you, I simply would have had you redecorate it.”
She blushed. “Would you care to eat?”
He crossed to her quickly, taking the heavy tray from her hands and setting it gently on the table. “Here, let me pour the wine. This smells delicious.”
“There’s my second fault. I’m a cheat. I can’t take credit for this meal. Amy cooked it. I just warmed it in the oven and tossed together a salad.”
“Well, then, you toss beautifully. And the table looks wonderful. I have never seen a table set more splendidly than this, and I will not believe that Amy came all the way over here, just to set it. You are the one with a colorful eye, remember.”
“Okay, I’ll accept that one gracefully. Tell me about your ranch.”
“Our ranch is quite large. We raise mostly crops and livestock. We also have a hand in horse racing and breeding. Although this is a fairly new endeavor, and I don’t have as much time to dedicate to it as I would like.”
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Horse racing! How fascinating that is. Do you race them yourself?”
He laughed heartily and Jessica blushed. She felt foolish. Of course, he doesn’t race them. He’s much too large. A sudden image of a racehorse jockey she had seen on television flashed through her brain.
“Eventually, I’d like to become more involved with the horses,” he continued, his laughter having softened to a low chuckle, “but for now I am much too busy with the rest of the ranch.”
She was fascinated hearing about his life. They were on their second glass of wine by then, the food lay devoured before them, and Jessica felt light-headed from the mixture of the wine and fragrant roses.
After dinner, Jessica cleared the table, while Brandon went into the living room to start a fire. They settled down to enjoy the warmth of the flames. Jessica could feel the heat searing through her body. A sensual tension hung in the air that could not be missed. She settled back into the sofa and watched the flames dance.
They talked about their lives, covering most of the basics. Jessica told him all about her life growing up with her mother, and about her and Amy’s college days. They laughed easily about some of the antics that she and Amy had gotten into. He in turn told her all about his life on the ranch.
He had lived there all his life and loved the feeling of being his own boss. “Our business is quite profitable,” he admitted. “I confess that I felt somewhat guilty at first for having had the ranch handed to me. However, I soon learned that my father had amassed considerable debts before his death, and I’ve had to work hard to keep the ranch going. I got lucky with a few good ideas that came my way, and before I knew it, the debts were paid and the business was well on its way to becoming one of the top ten most productive ranches in the country.”
“That’s impressive.”
He shrugged. “My mother took my father’s death hard. She has shut herself away in her room most of the time since. She’s quite fragile; the doctors don’t expect her to live much longer.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t know what I would do without my mother.” Sadness touched her heart, and they sat in respectful silence for a moment. She wondered what it would have been like for her if her father would have left later in life, instead of when he did. Would she have been a different person if her father had stuck around? Her mother was a serious person. Jessica had inherited her mother’s sense of responsibility. However, if her father had helped raise her, would some of his fun-loving recklessness have rubbed off on her?
Brandon also told her about his two brothers. He talked with love about the one named Matthew. He helped Brandon on the ranch. They got along quite well. Matthew had three children who lived with him on the ranch. The other brother, Jeffrey, was a drifter and only showed up at home when he ran out of money. Brandon wanted to cut him out of the estate, but his father had refused. His instructions in his will made it clear that Jeffrey was to receive his share.
“I feel that if I were to cut him off, he would be forced to return home for good, and share in some of the responsibilities of running the ranch.” He said this with a dark rage in his eye, like pools of black ice. Jessica imagined that if she were to look straight into his eyes, lions would leap out at her. A chill went through her. Just as quickly, the look was gone and he was offering her some more wine. She pondered the situation as he poured the wine.
“How sad,” she whispered. “I’ve always wanted a sibling. I can’t imagine not being overjoyed at having one.”
He looked deep into her eyes. “It bothers me, too, but you would have to know Jeffrey. He sets himself apart.”
They talked until there seemed nothing left to say. Jessica’s body was raging with heat from both the wine, and Brandon’s closeness. They sat in silence, watching the flickering flames reach high up into the fireplace, disappearing like magic into the black sky outside.
Their closeness caused a tremendous aching inside Brandon. Unable to endure it, he turned slowly toward her. As if in-sync, she also turned toward him. Cupping her chin, he raised her head to look directly into her eyes. She was so beautiful and graceful. He lacked the poetics to tell her how he felt, so he settled instead on body language. His mouth came down on hers, gentle at first, and then more demanding. She felt the welcome sensation of passion rising within her body. It seared with heat and she longed for him to release her from her inferno. He kissed her with a passion equal to her own. She knew she must stop now or be sorry later.
“Brandon.” She called his name softly, reluctant to break the mood but knowing she must.
“What,” he whispered in her ear.
“It’s too soon. I’m not ready for this.” She thought he would be angry, but as he pulled away from her, she saw relief in hi
s eyes. “I’m sorry, Brandon. Please don’t be angry.”
To her surprise, he settled back beside her, pulling her close into his arms. “You’ve nothing to be sorry about. I don’t want to ruin a good thing by rushing too fast. We’ll take our time.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, as she snuggled farther into his arms. She could hear his heart beating rapidly. He was breathing hard.
“I’d better go,” he said throatily. “It’s getting late.”
“Please stay. I mean, it’s late and you drank a lot of wine. I have a spare room. We can start our day early tomorrow.”
He started to protest, but changed his mind. He really didn’t feel up to driving back to the hotel. He would have to call a cab. “Okay, I’ll stay.”
They sat in silence a while longer. He stroked her hair. She caressed his arm. When the fire died down, they got up and walked to the bedrooms. She stood in the doorway as he looked around the room. The temptation to lead him to her room was great, but she stood firm. She wasn’t ready for an intimate relationship. That was an important step. It had to be right.
She whispered good night and kissed him once again before slipping off to her own bed. Neither of them fell asleep for a long time. Jessica wondered what it would be like to be lying next to him, and Brandon wondered what it would be like lying next to her. Finally, they both drifted off to sleep, but dreams filled their sleep.
When Jessica woke, it was because of the gentle fingers tracing the outline of her face. Turning to face him, she smiled at the tenderness she saw in Brandon’s face.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, not at all disturbed.
“I woke early and have been lying here admiring how absolutely beautiful you look when you sleep,” he replied, drawing her close to him and wrapping his arms around her.
She moaned softly and snuggled into his warmth. She closed her eyes to savor the closeness. Her mind registered his smell. She wanted to remember his scent, to have this moment to look back on. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, and he kissed them away.
Coveting Love (Jessica Crawford) Page 9