Chapter 2 #6
The phone rang. The flashing light of the alarm clock said nine-thirty. Sunday morning. The shrill sound was loud to Brian’s half asleep ears. He stretched his long arm out over Roxanne to answer it, still in a groggy state of awareness. Dave McCall’s voice boomed from the other end of the line.
“Hey Brian, what are you doing at home? You’re not still in bed are you? Geez, this is one for the books!” Dave’s laughter caused Brian to sit up with a start, jerking the phone from its spot on the nightstand and waking Roxanne.
“What are you talking about?” Brian’s attention was diverted from the phone call while he smiled at Roxanne’s lazy yawn as she prepared to command his full attention.
“Brian? Are you there? You didn’t forget about the golf tournament…”
“Oh no. That’s right! The charity tourney for the Hospital is today—What time is it?”
“It’s tee-off time. That’s why I called you—hey what’s going on? You okay? You get hit on the head or something? This is a big charity event—the management made it crystal clear this is a command performance. You can’t back out.”
“I’ll be there within an hour. Make some excuse for me.” Brian threw the phone down on the bedside table and bounded out of bed, this time barely giving Roxanne a cursory glance.
She sat up. She’d heard his conversation. He figured he didn’t need to explain the situation to her.
He was fully dressed by the time she got out of bed to begin dressing. He wondered what she was thinking as he stood in the door to the bathroom, calculating whether or not he had enough time to shave. He decided he didn’t.
“I haven’t done anything like this since I was in college,” he said “If you’re supposed to be running this show, how come you didn’t remind me about it this morning? You forget too?” He shook his head. “I can’t believe it.” He grabbed his wallet and shoved it in his pants and headed for the door.
“I can’t believe I forgot. But in my defense I wasn’t planning on going. Laura’s in charge of this event.” She followed him to the door, fully dressed. He was glad he decided not to shave.
“You always dress so fast?” he asked as he pounded down the stairs and to the front door with her following.
“No. But I didn’t have much choice of what to wear today.” She gave him a big smile as they walked out the door. “Since I made you late, the least I could do is get ready quick.”
“Then you won’t be going with me to the tournament?” He stopped to face her as they reached his car.
“No. I can’t. I have a business lunch with someone from out of town. I have to pick him up from the airport soon.” She looked at her watch.
The idea of a man from out of town triggered an automatic gut clench. What was wrong with him?
They stood and looked at each other. The sudden end of their time together hit him.
He wrapped one arm around her waist and caressed her cheek with his other hand.
Her eyes looked sad for an instant before she closed them.
He kissed her. Her mouth was hot and the kiss deep.
He pulled her closer so that her hips molded to his.
His pulse picked up pace. He didn’t want the kiss to end.
He didn’t want to let her go. But he did.
He gently pushed her back from him, all too aware of time now. Her face glowed. Roxanne smiled up at him now, carefree as ever. The sun glistened on her dark hair giving her an almost surreal glow. His stomach tightened and he took a deep breath.
“We’ll have to pick up where we left off next time we meet,” he said. He chided himself for making this promise, but he felt the need to.
“I’ll call your agent about the interview,” she said.
He’d almost forgotten about that. He opened the car door to let her in. He’d need to give her a ride since they had never gone back to the country club to retrieve her car.
“You can just drop me at the train station. I’ll get my car later. I don’t want to make you any later than you already are.”
“Are you sure? I hate to let you go so soon,” he admitted. He started the car.
She laughed and slunk back in her seat. “C’est la vie,” she declared in a sexy French accent.
She sounded as if there was a giggle harbored just beneath the surface. Her carefree attitude was refreshing and too contagious for him to do anything but laugh.
They arrived at the station before he had time to think anymore about it. There was a train ready to pull out so Roxanne had to hurry. She leaned over and kissed him one last time as she opened her door to leave.
“Au revoir—as you French say,” he said.
“Yes. Until we meet again.” She flung the words over her shoulder as she ran toward the train, dressed in her silver heels and slinky black evening dress with the mink-trimmed hemline.
He smiled at that picture of her and concentrated to make it stay permanently in his memory. He was reluctant to turn away from her and only did so when she disappeared onto the train. Then he drove off—fast.
It was like changing gears in a rusty old car, trying to get his mind off Roxanne and onto the day that lay ahead of him. This was one weekend Brian knew he’d never forget, but he had to put the memory on a back burner. It was time to get serious.
Time to face the crowd waiting at the golf tournament.