by Carla Fredd
"Hello." His voice was smooth and deep.
"It's Holly. What are you doing at work on Sunday?"
"Getting ready for work on Monday. What have you been up to?"
"I went to see Carmen at the hospital. You've got a fan for life with her."
"She sounds like a nice kid. How's she doing?"
"Okay, from what I could tell. It was really sweet of you to tell her that you'd come to see her."
"I'm going to go by after I finish here . . . hold on a second."
Holly heard the sound of another man's voice over the phone. Then Mike came back to the phone.
"I've got to take care of this, Holly. I'll call you later tonight, okay?"
"Okay."
Holly put down the phone. She had plenty to do around her house to occupy her time, but she had a feeling that she would be watching the clock until Mike called her tonight. Instead of staying in the house, she decided to visit her grandmother. Grandma Nola always complained that her grandchildren didn't visit her enough.
Mike hung up the phone, unaware of the smile on his face. Thoughts of Holly stayed on his mind while he should have been working on his show. At the sound of someone knocking at his door, he pushed aside thoughts of Holly.
Diane walked into his office. He listened as Andy and Diane discussed the character of what was supposed to be one of his guests on Monday's show.
"I can't believe she canceled because her astrologer said the planets weren't in sync for her tomorrow night," Diane said in disgust.
"This isn't the first time that flake has canceled at the last minute," Andy said, flipping through the pages of his datebook. "Last year she canceled because she went to her renaming ceremony in Las Vegas."
"What?" Diane asked.
"The lady is really strange. She joined this new religious group and everybody had to change his name. They couldn't just say, 'My name is now so and so.' Their leader had to perform the ceremony and he picked out their new names."
Mike shook his head in puzzlement and asked, "Who do we have as a backup for the show?"
"Well, I called the new quarterback of the Falcons when our other guest called to cancel. He's pretty popular since he scored the winning touchdown for the Falcons in the Superbowl, and he wants to be on the show."
"Good, invite him." Mike shifted his gaze to Diane. "Make sure that the crew knows that he's to be treated like a king when he's here. If it's not illegal, immoral, or outrageously expensive, get it for him."
"Consider it done."
"As of now, Sherylynn is not to be invited on the show again. She's too unreliable," he said, and then asked his assistant, "Is there anything else on the schedule that we need to handle?"
"Should I try to get Holly Aimes as a guest?" Andy asked.
"No!" Diane and Andy looked at him in surprise at his tone. "No," Mike said again in a quieter voice. "She's not to be asked to be on the show."
He missed the look that Diane and Andy shared. Mike had never ruled anyone out as a guest— until now.
Later that night, Mike walked out on the stage. When the band played the last note of his theme song, he began his monologue.
"How many people are into astrology?" A few members of the audience clapped. "My first guest, well, she was supposed to be my first guest, is also into astrology. But she couldn't be here tonight. Her astrologer said her planets were out of alignment and tonight wouldn't be a good night for her to work. Now," Mike waited for the laughter from the audience to die down.
"Now, I can see me going to the owner of TTN, saying: 'Mr. Thomas, my astrologer said my planets are out of sync and I can't work today.' I wouldn't be working at this network for long. But anyway, Sherylynn couldn't be with us in body, but she can be with us in spirit."
Mike walked to the edge of the stage, where one of his crew members unrolled a life-sized poster of the absent entertainer. "Those of you who clapped earlier when I asked if you were into astrology can verify what I'm about to say. How many of you out there are Geminis?" A few people in the audience clapped.
He reached behind the poster and picked up a book. "According to a noted astrologer, Geminis are detached and inconsiderate. Inconsiderate, hmm. We know that applies to Sherylynn. It says here that they make far more promises than they ever keep and repeatedly prove themselves to be totally undependable, self-centered, and insensitive. Folks, all that's in the first paragraph of the chapter on Gemini. I wish I'd read this book before I asked her to appear on the show."
Mike closed the book and put it behind the poster again. "Now, all you fans of Sherylynn, don't get mad with me because I'm being mean to your girl. This isn't the first time she's canceled on us. Diane," he looked up at the control booth. "Why did she cancel the last time?"
"Because her new spiritual leader, Abdul, was performing a renaming ceremony. She had to go to find out what her new name was going to be."
"That's right. She wanted to be called Moonwave for about three months. Let's give Sherylynn or Moonwave her own special seat in the house." He pointed to the very back of the studio. "Put her back there, guys."
The audience applauded as a member of his crew moved the poster. When the applause died down, Mike finished his dialogue.
"As most of you know, proceeds for tonight's show go to one of my favorite charities, Egelston Children's Hospital. Some of the people in the audience are doctors, nurses, and former patients at the hospital. Stand up, guys."
Holly sat glued to her television screen. She watched as his guests donated their time and money to the hospital. She was especially touched when he showed a film clip of his visit to the hospital with members of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team.
He really is a nice man, she thought. When she went to bed that night, she dreamed of him.
As Monday mornings went, this one was the pits, Holly thought. She was late for work because she'd spent thirty minutes trying to decide what to wear. She'd ended up wearing a royal purple suit that her grandmother had given her as a birthday present last year. She had never worn the suit until today. She told herself that she wasn't dressing up for Mike, but she had thought that if he did call her, she would be dressed for just about anything.
When she arrived at her office, she began reading the Atlanta Journal. It was then that she saw the picture. The grainy black-and-white photograph of her and Mike was only an eighth of a page in size, but fear and dread wrapped around her like kudzu in an open field. She placed her cup of tea on her desk and read the print.
At least the caption under it wasn't negative. There were a short blurb about Mike's talk show and a brief mention of her engagement to Trey, and her father's bid for reelection was also mentioned. At least they didn't write a sensational article bringing up the details of her engagement to Trey and his quick marriage, she thought, as she studied the picture. It was not a bad picture of them. The photographer had caught them as they'd watched the children playing soccer in the park. Mike's arms were wrapped around her, and she had a content expression on her face. The embrace suggested that they were sharing a special moment together.
With a quick flip of her wrist, she folded the paper and placed it in the already-read pile on her desk. She could imagine the crowd of reporters firing questions at her, crowding her as she walked to her car. She should have known that going out with Mike would be bad for her, like the death-by-chocolate dessert she indulged in occasionally. Mike had given her pleasure and a high that lasted longer than sugar.
"I don't believe it." Pam walked into Holly's office, staring at Holly with amazement. "Robyn was right— you are wearing something other than black, brown, gray, or navy blue."
"Very funny," Holly muttered.
Pam stood beside her desk. "Stand up so that I can see you."
"Go away."
"Not a chance. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I want to make sure that I get the full effect."
"I was wearing pink Friday."
"True," Pam folded her arms. "But I
picked out that dress. You chose this by yourself ... or did you?"
"What kind of question is that?" Holly frowned at her partner.
Pam shrugged her shoulders. "Just asking. Don't get all huffy." She walked around the desk and stood beside Holly's chair. "Anything interesting in the paper?"
Holly tensed and waited for Pam to spot the picture.
"Hmm, nice picture. I take it you had a good time Friday night?"
"Yes, I had a nice time."
"From that picture, it looks like you had more than just a 'nice' time. You don't usually show affection in public because of pictures like this."
Holly remained silent. What Pam said was true. She had an unwritten rule that displays of affection were always done in private. With Mike, she hadn't just bent the rule, she had broken it into tiny pieces.
"For what it's worth, Holly, I'm glad you're going out with Mike. You deserve some happiness after these last few months." The sincere expression on Pam's face warmed her heart. For all the wisecracks and teasing Pam subjected her to, Pam truly cared.
"Thanks." Holly blinked rapidly. She wasn't going to cry. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the newspaper, then folded it neatly. "Was there something you wanted, or are you just here to give me a hard time?"
Before Pam could answer, the telephone rang.
"Hello. Holly Aimes speaking."
"Good morning, Holly Aimes."
"Hi, Mike." She wasn't able to keep the warmth out of her voice. Pam raised her eyebrows at the tone. Holly felt heat rush to her face and tried to ignore her.
"Have you seen the paper this morning?"
"Yes, I saw it." Holly stared pointedly at Pam. Pam looked at her innocently and made no move to leave.
"What did you think about it?"
"Uhmm ..." She struggled to think of something that wouldn't give away the conversation. Frowning at Pam, she pointed to her door.
"Holly." Mike's voice sounded smooth and rich, like melted chocolate.
"Hold on a second. I need to get Pam out of my office."
"If you're busy, I can call back later."
"No, Pam is just being nosy."
"I resent that," Pam huffed.
Mike laughed and said, "Tell Pam I said hello."
"Here, you can tell her." Holly punched the button for the speakerphone and put down the handset. "I just put you on the speakerphone."
"Hello, Pam," Mike said, with laughter in his voice.
"Hi there. What did you do to Holly?"
"Pam," Holly said, and gave Pam an I'll-kill-you-if-you-say-anything-to-embarrass-me look.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"She's wearing new clothes and has a different hairstyle."
"Pam, don't you have work to do?" Holly said, hoping to distract the conversation from its current course.
"Oh yeah. What's she got on?"
"She's got on this sexy purple suit. The skirt ends just above her knees, showing off her legs."
"Pam, get out of my office," Holly snapped.
She continued as if Holly hadn't spoken. ". . . And she's wearing her hair down." Mike's laughter flowed from the telephone. "Ya'll must have a date or something tonight," Pam asked in a teasing tone.
"No," he said in amusement. "Now that you mention it, that's why I called. Are you busy tonight, Holly?"
"She's not doing a thing," Pam blurted.
"Excuse me a second, Mike. I have to kill someone." Holly glared at her partner.
"I'm going, I'm going. Bye, Mike." Pam walked out of her office and closed the door behind her.
"Sorry about that. Pam can be bossy at times."
"That's okay. Are you doing anything tonight? I really would like to see you."
How could she resist him when he said things like that? She didn't want to resist. "I'm not doing anything tonight." Or any other night that you ask, she thought.
"Why don't you come to my house for dinner? I think that after the picture in the paper today, we wouldn't be able to go anywhere and have a quiet dinner."
"That's fine. Should I bring anything?"
"Just yourself. I'll see you tonight, around seven?"
"Seven's fine."
"Oh, Holly, don't change. I'd like to see that sexy purple suit." He hung up before she could answer him.
Mike smiled and leaned back in the soft leather chair in his home office. Holly hadn't refused to go out, despite the picture in the newspaper. That had been his one fear, but she had agreed to come to his house for dinner. Now all he had to do was tell the new chef to make dinner for two.
His smile melted when he looked at the note on his desk. Trey Christian had agreed to appear on his show Thursday. He didn't know how she would take the news.
He pushed aside the guilt he felt. He had never had to consider the feelings of others when he'd interviewed a guest— until Holly. She had to know that he wouldn't do anything to deliberately hurt her. There was no use in worrying about it now. He'd take one day at a time, one problem at a time.
Holly couldn't concentrate. She closed the file she had been staring at for the past thirty minutes. It was useless. She wasn't going to accomplish anything today. Mike and their date tonight dominated her thoughts. She couldn't wait to see him, to experience his kiss, to feel the warm strength of his arms wrapped around her. The memory of the kiss they'd shared Saturday caused heat to spread throughout her body. Holly looked at the clock on her desk, willing the time to pass quickly. It didn't.
She left her office at six o'clock and a reporter met her by the front entrance of the office building.
"Miss Aimes." The short, stocky man pointed a microphone in front of her face. "May I ask you some questions?"
Holly froze for a second, then walked quickly past him. "I'm not going to answer questions," she said purposefully.
The reporter continued to walk beside her. "Are you seeing Michael Williams?"
"No comment." Holly increased the stride to a brisk trot.
The reporter fell back a few steps, but ran to catch up with her. "What do you think about the separation of Trey Christian and his wife?"
That question surprised her. She hadn't heard about that, and she didn't want to know. Holly reached her car, opened the door, and started the engine. She hoped the reporter didn't know what he was talking about concerning Trey and his wife, but a part of her hoped it was true. It would serve Trey right if his wife left him. Holly smiled as she thought of Trey experiencing the pain and embarrassment he'd put her through.
She turned on the radio and sang along. Her day was suddenly a little brighter. As she moved with the early evening rush hour, she thought of the night ahead with Mike. She couldn't imagine him ever running off and marrying another woman, leaving his fiancée to face the press alone. He had too much pride and honesty to do something like that.
The sun cast a golden glow on his house. She parked her car and walked to the door. Mike was waiting there.
"Hi," he said.
"Hello."
"Now that we've got that over with." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss was hot and wet and conveyed his need for her. His fingers tangled her hair, cupping her head as if to hold her captive, but Holly had no desire whatsoever to leave his embrace. His tongue teased hers with long, slow strokes.
Abruptly he tore his lips from hers and leaned his forehead against hers. His chest moved in and out as if he couldn't get enough air.
"I've been waiting to do that all day long." His voice was husky with desire.
Holly marveled that she could affect him so much. She struggled to catch her breath and tighten her arms around his waist. It felt so good to hold him like this.
"Dinner, you came to eat dinner." He released her from his embrace and stepped aside to allow her to enter his home. "I hope you're hungry," he said, as they walked to the dining room.
The dining room table was set for two. A fresh fruit salad was artfully arranged on salad plates.
"Did y
ou get a new chef?" Holly asked, as Mike helped her to her chair.
"Yes, a young guy named Henry. Not Henri," he said in a heavy French accent, "just plain Henry. He wanted to make that point very clear when I interviewed him." Mike sat in the chair across from her. "He's good ... so far."
"Good. I don't want you to go hungry."
The look that he gave her made her mouth go dry. The heat and passion in his eyes singed her heart. "I'm always hungry when I'm with you."
She had no defenses left. The raw, primitive desire inside her burned deep and all thought of food vanished from her mind. The air in the room seemed thick and heavy. She could barely draw enough oxygen in her lungs and she fought to catch her breath. Mike's passionate gaze traveled from her eyes to her cheeks to her trembling lips. She felt as if he had touched each spot that his gaze had caressed.
He lowered his lids, releasing her from the sensual spell.
"You shouldn't say things like that," she said, her voice husky with desire.
"Why not? It's true. I am hungry when I'm with you. You're very sexy, and I'd like nothing better than to make love to you."
"I know that I'm not sexy. You don't have to say things like that to me. I've known for a long time that I'm not special to look at."
Mike looked at her. She could still see the banked passion in his eyes. "We'll agree to disagree, but for now, let's just enjoy dinner."
Holly reached for the salad fork with trembling fingers. She pierced a fresh strawberry and took a bite. There was silence in the room while they ate. Why did she have to argue with him, she thought. Why didn't she just take the compliment in stride, even if she knew it wasn't true? She pierced another piece of fruit and ate it, keeping her eyes on the salad plate.
"How did your day go today?" Mike asked. Holly mentally sighed in relief. He was dropping the subject. She told him about the mix-ups at work and how it had been a typical Monday. They kept the subject of conversation general throughout dinner. When Mike placed a slice of chocolate cheesecake in front of her, she groaned.
"I shouldn't be eating this," she said, picking up her fork.