A Flower for Angela

by Sandra Leesmith

  He grinned. "This revenge is turning into a reward."

  "You said I was clever." She shifted so he could adjust the temperature of the water. The cascade turned warm to match the heat she was feeling.

  "I don't know if you deserve this."

  "Oh? We could leave then." She turned toward the door but his arms wrapped around her and kept her against him. Exactly where she wanted to be.

  "You're not escaping now."

  "If this is how you exact your revenge, I'm going to have to come up with all kinds of ways to torment you in return."

  "Brazen hussy." He traced his hand along her wet robe. "I suppose you're one of those women who’s impossible to satisfy."

  "Could be. I guess we'll have to find out."

  "Like your kids do in school?"

  "By all means, let's be scientific."

  "We need to explore." He ran his fingers down her back and curved lower to tease the sensitive skin.

  "Don't do that!" she gasped.

  "Do what? This?" He inched further. "Or this?"

  "Science was never so good." She arched and tightened her arms around him.

  Water splashed crazily over them, but Angela barely noticed.

  "Are you ready to get out?"

  "It's too soon. I want this to last forever."

  Carefully he eased away from her. The shower stall seemed to spin and she clung to him for support. He held her around the waist with one arm and adjusted the water temperature with his other hand.

  "Haven’t you had enough revenge? This is torture." She slid her arms from his shoulders and leaned against the wall, letting the ceramic tiles cool her down.

  He smiled. "Revenge is so sweet."

  Ricardo continued to brace her, giving her time to regain her balance.

  "Did I deserve an ‘A’ on that one, Maestra?"

  She nodded, enjoying the joke for a minute. But then she grew serious. "You can have all the revenge you want."

  "That good, huh?" he quipped, though his smile disappeared at the intensity of her gaze.

  "Yes, that good." She reached up and framed his face in her hands. She wanted to say, I love you.

  "You're pretty special yourself."His expression assured her that he meant it. She couldn't ask for more. Not yet.

  Not sure she could handle any more without telling him of her love, Angela backed away from his body and let the water wash over her. Her skin was beginning to wrinkle.

  "I'm special, all right. It's not every day you can kiss a prune."

  "Not a prune. More like a wet noodle."

  "Wet noodle? Are you looking for more trouble?"

  They continued to banter while they left the shower and toweled themselves dry. Their good spirits held throughout the afternoon. Angela forgot about school and being a teacher as Ricardo fulfilled his promise and proceeded to give her a relaxing weekend.

  The trip to her apartment and his errand didn't take long. After taking a leisurely tour through the nearby Heard Museum, they spent the rest of the afternoon walking along the paths of Encanto Park.

  A small art fair was set up along the sidewalk that edged the park, and Angela persuaded Ricardo to stop for a few minutes to watch an artist make flowers out of blown glass.

  "Isn't it just fascinating to watch how easily they form such delicate shapes?"

  When he didn't answer, she glanced at him and caught his contemplative stare. "There are other things more fascinating to watch."

  Angela grinned and noticed the artist was smiling, too. They left the fair and stopped to feed the ducks before they continued along the twisting paths of the park. Ricardo let her set the pace for the day and Angela kept it easy.

  He'd planned to take her to dinner at a nearby restaurant, but she didn't really care to be in a crowd. She wanted Ricardo all to herself—at his home where she could reach out and touch him or steal a kiss.

  They barbecued on the patio and sat by the side of the pool late into the evening, delving into each other’s private lives. The more Angela talked with Ricardo, the stronger her love grew. She was glad he would be meeting her family. This was turning out to be very serious, indeed.

  CHAPTER 10

  RICARDO DOWNSHIFTED as he approached the curve. The Ferrari cornered easily on the road that wound through Papago Park toward Scottsdale. It was a beautiful day. Just right for a Sunday drive. But he couldn't shake his growing uneasiness.

  They'd left much later than the hour they'd decided on, but he was sure Angela didn't mind that. She seemed to thrive on the extra time alone together as much as he did. He glanced over at her. The breeze tossed her hair.

  As he drove, he reflected on the experience of the weekend so far. He'd known Angela was going to be special. He just hadn't realized how special.

  Every hour together it seemed she took another brick out of that wall he’d built around his inner self. He would've guessed that the exposure would be threatening. Instead of apprehension, he felt amazing trust and openness.

  At least, he’d felt secure until now. With each mile that brought them closer to her parents' home, he grew more tense and guarded. Angela's own anxiety only heightened his. He cast another glance at her. Now she was clenching her fists tightly in her lap.

  "Okay. Out with it," he said. "You're getting more uptight with each passing minute. Do you want to turn around and go back?" The idea seemed more and more appealing.

  "I am nervous. What I said yesterday about not wanting you to meet my family—it’s true. But it's not what you think."

  "I'm listening."

  "It's my brothers. They're extremely protective. They're going to put you through an interrogation when I bring you home."

  "Your brothers?" He gripped the leather-covered steering wheel to steer around the last corner before the downhill stretch into Scottsdale. "What exactly are they going to be concerned about?"

  "Me. They’ll want to know everything about you—whether your intentions toward me are honest…"

  "You mean as in marriage?" His throat constricted. He wasn't ready for that yet. Or was he?

  "No. Not that bad. But you see, I was burned once. Badly. It was actually due to my own poor judgment. But they're going to make sure you know they won't allow me to be hurt like that again."

  "They're intimidating? Is that what you're warning me about?" What he really wanted to ask was who had hurt her. But perhaps it was just as well he didn't know. Could be he had something in common with her brothers, given his growing feelings for her.

  “‘Intimidating’ is expressing their attitude mildly. They're big guys and they play rough. As I mentioned earlier, I don't usually bring dates home."

  "Is this how you're getting revenge, by throwing me to the lions?"

  The smile she flashed him chased away his doubts. "I think you can handle them. It'll serve them right to meet someone who won’t back down."

  "Sounds like a challenge." He grinned. "You know I love challenges."

  Angela laughed. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She waved her hand.

  Ricardo grasped her hand and pulled it into his lap. "Look, I've been in a lot of tough spots before. I always land on my feet." This kind of trouble he could handle. He knew exactly where her brothers were coming from. "Remember. I have sisters. My brothers and I had quite a few tricks of our own to deter unwanted suitors."

  "Are your sisters younger than you?"

  "One is. They're both married now, so we've been able to relax."

  "That's encouraging. I'd hate to think I’d have to put up with this forever."

  IT DIDN'T TAKE MORE than a few minutes at her parents' home for Ricardo to realize Angela's anxiety had been well-founded. Her brothers were determined to size him up.

  Outwardly, they were polite, but the subtle probing never ended. Ricardo was comfortable with that. After all, interrogation was what he did on the job. Fielding verbal fast balls was a piece of cake for him.

  Since they were making no progress in intimidating h
im verbally, Howard and Dave challenged him to join a family volleyball game, obviously planning to show him up in a so-called “sporting” match.

  Physically, they were well matched. Ricardo was as tall, lean and fit as Angela’s brothers. But there were two of them. This posed a real problem, as he was now discovering.

  "Your serve, Angela." Her older brother Howard tossed her the wet volleyball.

  Ricardo crouched in four feet of water where the net stretched across the game-style swimming pool. The depth didn't vary as in most pools. It was built for swimming laps and playing volleyball, so he wouldn't have to worry about getting into deep water. Literally, anyway. Figuratively, he just might be in over his head.

  Howard and Dave grinned at him from the opposite side of the net, not friendly smiles but feral. They were clearly athletes primed for attack. Beside them, their wives appeared to play the game but mainly tried to stay out of the way.

  On his side, Angela did what she could. So did her mother and father. But the real game was between Howard, Dave and Ricardo.

  Angela served the ball. Dave's wife sent it to Howard. Ricardo tensed, knowing the ball would go to Dave next for a front-net spike. Ricardo moved to the net, jumped up at the same time Dave did, and blocked the ball.

  "Way to go!" Angela cheered.

  He turned to give her a smile of triumph, but not before seeing the look Howard and Dave exchanged. Good. He had them worried.

  "I'll cover you here," Angela's father assured him.

  It was a small victory. Her father wasn't offering full support yet. He played, but he didn't interfere with his sons' challenge. Ricardo knew the man was holding back, taking his measure. That was cool. At least he wasn't blocking progress.

  Angela scored two more points before she lost her serve. It was Dave's turn now. Ricardo groaned. Angela's brother had a fast, mean serve. The ball came right at him. He tipped it but Angela missed.

  "Sorry."

  "Next time."

  The ball whizzed at him again. He hit it over the net but it sailed high, a perfect setup for Howard, who took advantage and spiked the ball right back at Ricardo. Having barely recovered from the first hit, he missed.

  "Tough break," Angela's father sympathized.

  Ricardo knew better. Chance played no part in this game. Howard and Dave were out to kill. From the way Angela's father observed his reaction, Ricardo knew this was the final showdown.

  Angela must also have sensed the face-off. "Stop picking on Ricardo!" she yelled across the net. "We're in this game, too. You can hit the ball to us."

  Howard and Dave held up their hands in innocence, but Ricardo was no fool. He bunched his muscles for the next attack. The women moved to the side of the pool. The ball came fast and hard. He jumped higher than the net, water splashing from his body, and smashed the ball directly between Howard and Dave.

  A loud guffaw greeted him as he broke through the water on his recovery. Angela's father came toward him and slapped him on the back.

  "Good show, son. My boys deserve this."

  Ricardo glanced through the net, expecting to see a pair of disgruntled players. But the two men were laughing. Ricardo let out a breath. He'd made it, passed the mark.

  The game continued, but at a relaxed pace. Everyone had a chance to join in, now that he'd been tested. Howard and Dave's team wound up winning the game, but Ricardo didn't mind. He'd won acceptance.

  LATER THAT EVENING, after he'd parked his car in the visitor's lot at Angela's apartment complex, Angela mentioned the game.

  "You didn't get upset when my brothers ganged up on you."

  "That's what they wanted me to do."

  "I know. You men play such ridiculous games. What did it prove, anyway? I mean, what if you couldn't play volleyball? Was I supposed to lose interest in you?"

  "The issue wasn’t how I performed, but how I participated. I didn't let them intimidate me and I played fair."

  "You were a good sport. I was ready to bash their heads in."

  Ricardo laughed. He wouldn't treat Angela with dishonesty or unfairness. Her brothers would bash in his head if he did. They'd also established his integrity. Her father had understood, as well.

  "I enjoyed your family. They were a lot of fun." Once the game had ended, they all had treated him as if he belonged. Ricardo appreciated that. "I miss my family. They're a lot like yours. Lots of teasing. Lots of laughs."

  "And what about the food? I'm stuffed." She shifted as if in pain.

  He empathized. "I haven't eaten like that since the last time I visited mi mama. Your mom's a good cook. Do you take after her that way?"

  "Don't get your hopes up. If a meal doesn't cook in five minutes, I don't eat it."

  Ricardo began gathering her things before he got out of the car. "How do you manage that?"

  "The meat goes on the gas grill. The potato in the microwave and then I make a vegetable or salad. Simple and quick. I promise it's nutritious and delicious." She stepped out as he opened the door for her. "Are you coming in?"

  Ricardo hesitated, wanting to follow her inside. But he felt the need for breathing room, and he suspected Angela did, too, especially when she didn't argue his decision to go home.

  "You're probably right." She stopped at her door and looked at him. "It is Sunday night. Tomorrow's work and I have a million things to do."

  "I don't want the weekend to end." And he didn't. In some ways it seemed as if they'd been together forever. Their relationship felt right, natural. Maybe that feeling made him a little nervous.

  Angela unlocked her door and took her bag from him. After setting her belongings on the floor she turned and smiled. "Thanks for everything."

  He curved his hand around the back of her neck, his thumb stroking the soft skin. Her windblown hair curled around his fingers. Suntan lotion mingled with her scent and tantalized his senses. Maybe he would stay.

  "Are you relaxed now? All the workaday stress forgotten?"

  "Definitely." She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips across his. "Will I see you this week?"

  He frowned, not liking to think about his schedule. "I'm going to the board meeting on Tuesday. Are you?"

  She nodded.

  "By then, I'll know what's lined up for work." He brushed her lips this time. "Keep the weekend open. We'll figure something out."

  He rarely committed so far in advance, especially in a relationship as new as this one. But suddenly he wanted the assurance that Angela would be there.

  When she smiled, he pulled her against him and kissed her. His arms wrapped around her as if they belonged there. She felt so good. Too good. He pulled away.

  "If we keep this up, I'm going to change my mind."

  The blue in her eyes had deepened in color, and her lids looked heavy, as if hiding a flare of desire. He groaned and kissed her again, trying to ignore the invitation in her glance.

  Reluctantly, he let her go. "Sweet dreams, querida."

  She looked about to say something but quickly stepped away. Ricardo hesitated, and then, with a wave headed down the path to the parking lot.

  As he approached the black sports car he stretched his aching muscles. ¡Caramba! It had been some day. What he needed was a soak in the Jacuzzi. But he had a feeling the hot tub wouldn't help him. There were too many memories in it now of Angela. Those memories were going to occupy his mind for many hours to come.

  ANGELA SHUT THE DOOR after Ricardo disappeared from sight around the corner. In a daze, she put away her things. She hated to see him leave but she also felt relieved to have time to herself.

  She couldn't believe she'd almost told him she loved him. When he'd kissed her goodbye, the words had seemed so right, they hovered on the tip of her tongue. How could she feel so strongly after just one weekend together?

  He couldn't possibly feel the same way. If she'd actually said the words, he probably would've turned tail and ran as far away as he could get.

  You didn't say them, so relax, she chided her
self. But while she switched on the stereo and began to tackle her chores, images floated in and out of her head. The picture of her in Ricardo's arms was too vivid and it was too easy to imagine saying, “I love you.”

  A couple of hours later, Angela sat on her couch, droopy-eyed and tired. Her laundry was done, her hair washed and the apartment vacuumed. The idyllic hours spent with Ricardo seemed eons away.

  Able to relax at last, she allowed herself the pleasure of relishing her memories of the weekend. Ricardo had made a hit with her family. She'd suspected he would. But more important than that were her feelings.

  They weren't hard to define. All she had to do was think about the way he held her when they danced. How his fingers felt massaging her body. The firm nip of his lips as he kissed her. Hmmm. Wonderful. Heavenly. Divine.

  The phone rang, jarring her out of her reverie. Her muscles, stiff from all the unusual activity this weekend, protested when she struggled to rise.

  "Hello." She hoped it was Ricardo, missing her already.

  Mrs. Edwards’ voice came over the line instead.

  Angela groaned and slumped onto the couch. Reality had returned too soon.

  "Sorry to bother you so late on a Sunday night," her principal apologized. "But I tried to get through to you all weekend."

  "I was still up. What can I do for you?"

  "I need to see you first thing in the morning. Looks like the board is considering a staff reduction. You might be on the list to be laid off."

  CHAPTER 11

  WHEN ANGELA ARRIVED at school the next morning she was a nervous wreck. The strain of the sleepless night showed in the dark shadows under her eyes. Irritable before the workday had even started, Angela entered Mrs. Edwards' office.

  "Sit here, Angela." The principal gestured toward a chair. "Before you get all upset, keep in mind the decision hasn't been made yet to enforce the R.I.F."

  A reduction in force. "When will they know?"

  "They're waiting for confirmation of government funds. If they come through, we can keep our staff. If not…"