Chapter 29 #2
Louise grabbed it. “As if that matters.”
“Money always matters,” Gilda said.
“I’m sure he’s got enough. Anyway, so do I.” She may not have been rich, but she would never have to worry about being a bag lady, either.
“Well, then? What are you waiting for? He’s been hanging around like a loyal old hound dog ever since I came to work for you.”
“Long before that,” said Louise.
“So maybe you quit dragging your feet and give him a little whoopsie-doopsy.”
“Whoopsie-doopsy?”
“Boink, boink.”
Louise laughed.
“At least kiss the poor slob and give him some hope,” said Gilda.
Kissing Martin. Hmm. “He’s still not what I had in mind,” Louise said, thinking of the Texan stud from the cruise. What was his name, anyway?
“What, you want Kevin Costner?”
“My husband was a Kevin Costner,” said Louise. “Martin’s more of a . . . teddy bear.”
“Teddy bears are cuddly. Myself, I’ve always liked a big man. Had the hots for John Goodman until he lost all that weight. Anyway, I think Martin’s got potential.”
“Well, he definitely impressed me yesterday,” said Louise.
“So, get him in a lip lock and see how he impresses you,” Gilda advised.
“Maybe I will,” said Louise. She’d always rather liked John Goodman, too.
Louise wasn’t getting much opportunity to see if she would like kissing a teddy bear.
Martin was popping in regularly, as always, but by day Louise had Gilda, her faithful companion, hanging around and Bree dropping in on her to bug her about the book she’d lost all interest in writing, and Zona underfoot in the evenings, looking morose.
Finally, on Friday, with Gilda egging her on, she called Martin. “I’d like to get out of the house tonight and Gilda’s busy,” she said.
Gilda sat next to her, smirking.
“Do you fancy going out for a drive?”
“Sure. Where would you like to go?”
“Oh, I thought we could grab a bite to eat at Luca Bella and then maybe drive up to the city, Mulholland Drive.”
“Mulholland Drive,” he repeated slowly.
“It’s historic,” said Louise, and Gilda rolled her eyes. “And offers beautiful views of LA.” More eye rolling. “I’m sure we can find a place to park and enjoy the view.”
“Oh, brother,” said Gilda in disgust.
“Louise, whatever you want,” he said, sounding like a teen who’d just found a date for the prom.
“Not that I want to jump into anything,” Louise added. “But, well, we should talk.”
“And other things,” Gilda whispered.
“I’ll see if I can get us in at the restaurant,” Martin said, and ended the call.
“Enjoy the view,” Gilda repeated with a snort. “Honestly, Louise, looking at the view? Talking? When were you born, the eighteen hundreds?”
“I’m hedging my bets,” Louise said primly.
“Then you should have just had him come over here. At least that way you could have sent him home. If things don’t work out, you’ll be stuck riding back with him.”
“I didn’t consider that,” Louise said. It would be a long ride if things didn’t go according to plan.
“Oh, well. At least you’ll get dinner out of the deal,” Gilda said blithely.
LOUISE DID, INDEED, get dinner out of the deal. But she found herself too nervous to eat. What had she been thinking? Martin was her friend. Kissing him would feel like kissing her brother.
“Louise, I’m wondering why all of a sudden you’re proposing dinners out and parking on Mulholland Drive.”
“Well, why not?” she said.
He leaned on the table and considered her. “What’s this about? Really?”
She squirmed in her seat, fiddled with her wineglass. “I don’t know, Martin. Maybe I’m coming to see you in a new light.”
“All because I jumped into a pool like an idiot?”
She smiled at the memory of him helping Alec separate Zona from Alec’s demented stepsister. “All because you were willing to do something. I never realized what a man of action you are.”
“I’m not, really. I’m a peaceable man, a logical man.
I’m not Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone, and I have no intention of becoming an old gym rat, trying to look like them.
” She started to pout and he held up a hand to stop her from saying anything.
“That’s not to say that if you asked me to go on a diet and do some push-ups that I won’t do it to please you.
But in the end, I’m not . . . exciting or glamorous. I am who I am.”
“And I’m coming to realize how much I appreciate who you are,” she said. “I’m not suggesting we jump into bed.”
“Although I wouldn’t object to that,” he said, a sly smile on his face.
He reached across the table and ran his fingers up her hand.
“You’re a smart woman, Louise. I know I don’t have to tell you how crazy I am about you, but let me.
You’re the first thing I think of when I get up in the morning and the last thing I think of before I go to sleep.
I lived most of my life not knowing you, but I don’t think I could live the rest of it without you.
Even if this night doesn’t work out the way I hope it will, I want you to know I’ll always be there for you.
As long as I have breath in my body, I’ll be yours to command. ”
Louise blinked back sudden tears. Her own husband, whom she’d loved dearly, had never offered her such a speech. Martin, her kindhearted buddy, not only had a heart of gold, he had the soul of a poet.
“Oh, Martin, you amaze me,” she said.
He smiled. “Let’s take a drive and see if I can amaze you some more.”
They did and he did.
It was funny, how much stronger Martin’s arms were when they were around her than she’d realized. And good heavens, he knew just what to do with that smiley mouth of his.
“Martin,” she said breathlessly, “you are . . .”
“Something?” he supplied. “My wife always said I was a good kisser.”
“Your wife was right,” she said, and went back for more.
ZONA GOT HOME from her shift as a HopIn driver before Louise. It looked like the date her mother had planned for Martin and herself had gone well. Either that or they’d gone off the road somewhere and were lying in a ditch.
Lovely thought, Zona, she scolded herself. She was now an Eeyore, determined to see the worst possible scenario for everything and anything.
Hardly surprising because life was just one big bundle of worst possible scenarios.
Darling was delighted to see her, and although he remembered his manners and didn’t jump on her, there was much tail-wagging and excited barking.
“I know. You need to go for a walk,” she said. “Let’s get your leash.”
The night was beautiful, the sky filled with glittering stars.
A night for lovers. She looked wistfully at the house next door.
Alec’s truck sat in the driveway, but the porch light was off and no glimmer of light shined out from behind the living room curtains.
What was he doing in there? Was he in bed?
Was he thinking about her as much as she’d been thinking about him?
Didn’t matter. Darling was ready to trot on over and say hi. She gave his leash a little tug. “No, Darling. We’re not going that way,” she said, and started them in the opposite direction.