Like the First Time

by Francis Ray

  The slim well-dressed woman who appeared to be in her late-sixties saw Brooke’s expression. “If the claim is true, I’ll be back to buy it in the fifty-gallon drum. George would rather watch TV than me.”

  “Maybe you haven’t given George enough incentive,” Brooke whispered as she leaned over to hand the woman the bag. “The moisturizing cream is for all over the body. I’m sure there are some places you can’t reach. He might be interested in helping.”

  The woman chuckled. “It’s worth a try.”

  The next woman moved up. “Start ringing that up. I think I want some of that cream.”

  “Certainly,” Brooke said. “It’s on the third counter with the rose and gardenia petals.”

  Business was good, and the women were certainly getting into testing the BTS products. It wasn’t likely she’d have an occasion to test the products. This time it was much harder to keep the smile on her face when the woman came back.

  * * *

  Gray recognized Elaine Forest, a reporter from The Post and Courier, the South’s oldest daily newspaper, as soon as she entered Bliss. He was pleased to see she had accepted his invitation and had a photographer with her. She was dressed casually in khakis and a white blouse. Spotting him, she waved and started in his direction.

  “Hello, Elaine,” he greeted, shaking the slender woman’s hand. “Glad you could make it.”

  “Hi, Gray. So am I. You know Harold, my photographer,” she said, glancing around at the busy shop. “If this crowd is any indication, Bliss is going to be as successful as you predicted.”

  “And you’ll have reported it first,” Gray put in smoothly. Elaine was fair, tenacious and her competitive spirit almost equaled his own. “Let me introduce you to the owners.”

  When Gray introduced Elaine to Claire her beautiful brown eyes widened in astonishment, but she quickly recovered. Smiling warmly, she introduced Brooke and Lorraine, all the while relating how Bliss had begun … out of despair and a dream to become a wonderful opportunity and the strong bond of friendship that had developed between them.

  “What’s your interest in Bliss, Gray?” Elaine asked, looking up from scribbling on her small memo pad.

  He didn’t shy away from the speculation in Elaine’s face or her shrewd eyes. “Claire is an old friend of the family. She came to me for some business advice.”

  “We couldn’t have done this without Gray,” Claire admitted quietly.

  Brooke and Lorraine quickly agreed.

  “Let’s get a picture and I’ll get out of your way,” Elaine said, and motioned the photographer forward.

  Gray started to move aside. Elaine shook her head. “You’ll give the picture and the piece more power.”

  It would also give rise to talk about his possible romantic interest with one of the two single owners. Gray accepted it and curved his arms around Claire’s slim waist, the other went around Brooke’s. “It seems I need another arm.” Everyone around them laughed as Lorraine took her place beside Claire.

  “Thank you for coming,” Claire said when they’d finished. “Before you leave, please accept an assortment of Bliss products with our compliments.”

  Elaine grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  * * *

  This should be one of the proudest occasions of her life—the turnout was fantastic, the event would be in the newspaper, the cash register had been busy all night—but Lorraine couldn’t enjoy it; Hamilton’s attitude wouldn’t let her.

  He had greeted the mutual friends she’d invited, but it was obvious he wasn’t happy. Several people had already asked why he didn’t appear to be enjoying himself. She’d lied and said he was tired from all of his out-of-town business trips.

  Thomas wasn’t buying it. “I’m sorry, Lorraine. I thought he’d come around by now.”

  His comforting words made her feel worse. “So did I.”

  “He should be proud of you,” Thomas told her tightly, then his voice softened. “I noticed Margaret’s favorite flowers on the counter. With all you’ve been going through, you didn’t forget her.”

  “No, and I never will,” Lorraine said softly. “She helped me to believe my dream was possible.” She smiled sadly. “You’ve done the same.”

  Thomas shook his dark head. “I did very little.”

  “That’s not true. You’ve been there every step of the way.” Unlike Hamilton, she silently added.

  Thomas stared deep into her eyes. “Anytime you need me for Bliss or just want to talk, call.”

  “Thank you. It means a great deal to know you understand.” Lorraine glanced at Hamilton, his mouth set in a disapproving frown. “I better go see if I can make Hamilton smile.” Excusing herself, she went to her husband. “Things are going well.”

  “Looks that way. What were you and Thomas talking about?”

  “We were both remembering Margaret, and he was complimenting me on the success of Bliss.”

  Hamilton’s mouth grew sterner. Lorraine took a deep breath and tried again. “Did you see the basket of roses the children sent? Of course, Melissa and Stacy want me to send them a sample of everything.”

  “How much longer before we can go home?”

  His curtness hurt as much as his refusal to share in her success. “It’s my turn to take over the cash register,” she told him, unwilling to bend any further. “You can go home if you’d like, and I’ll get a ride.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “Suit yourself. Excuse me.” Hamilton, what is happening to us?

  * * *

  John had told himself over and over that he wasn’t going to attend tonight. Claire had called the other day and left the decision up to him. He’d fully planned to stay away. But somehow he’d asked his parents to come over and stay with the kids and here he was.

  Now what?

  He looked through the window at the milling, jovial crowd. The women seemed to have gone all out, but thank goodness a few of the men simply wore dark suits. He realized he was looking for more than what people were wearing when he saw Brooke laughing up into some guy’s face. The dress she wore showed off every luscious curve of her body.

  Of course, the guy she was with wore a tuxedo like he’d been born in one. Why that point irritated him, John couldn’t tell. Opening the door, he started toward Brooke.

  “The Man of Bliss!”

  “It’s him!”

  A buzz ran through the shop and his steps slowed. He took a step back as several women surged toward him.

  “Ladies,” Brooke said, seeming to come out of nowhere to stand by him. “I present to you the Man of Bliss. I bet with enough encouragement we can get him to sign the bag your merchandise is in, to commemorate this occasion.”

  Gleeful shouts of approval filled the room. The murderous scowl John threw at Brooke didn’t seem to faze her.

  “Gray, will you get the ladies in some type of order?” she instructed. “Claire, please get a pen and we can set up here.” She gestured toward the counter.

  “Wouldn’t you ladies like to have the Woman of Bliss’s signature as well?” John asked. That would teach her.

  “I know I would,” replied the man she had been talking with earlier.

  John’s expression darkened. He’d like to toss the grinning hyena out on his ear.

  Brooke winked at the suave-looking man, then went behind the counter and reached for the pen Claire held out to her. “John, we’re waiting.”

  John went to stand beside Brooke. His arm brushed against her bare arm. She quickly moved away. Her response annoyed him. She hadn’t been that adverse to that other guy touching her. “I don’t have a pen.”

  “Use mine,” Gray offered with a half smile. “I can probably sell it on eBay tomorrow for a small fortune.”

  John hesitated, then saw the teasing glint in Gray’s eyes. “Thanks, man.”

  John held his pen ready, and when Brooke slid the red bag over to him and he had to sign his name next to Brooke’s, it strangely reminded h
im of the afternoon he’d signed his marriage license. He’d been so nervous, so happy, his signature had been barely legible next to Linda’s neat cursive.

  Brooke was nothing like his first wife, but he wasn’t looking for a wife. He was simply trying to figure out why this one woman had gotten under his skin. He quickly scrawled his name and reached for the next bag.

  The impromptu autographing seemed endless. John felt foolish and a bit embarrassed by the hoopla, but he was enough of a friend and businessman to realized that he was helping Claire cement good relations with the customers. It was time life gave her more than a hard knock. Satisfied word of mouth was the best advertisement in his opinion.

  “Let’s give the Bliss Man and Woman a big hand for being so gracious,” Claire said thirty minutes later. There was enthusiastic applause. “Thank you, John. Why don’t you take your mother a few items? On the house, of course.”

  “She’d like that, but I’ll buy them as soon as I figure out what she might like,” he told her, placing his pen on the counter.

  “I’ll help you,” Claire responded.

  “Grandmother and my aunt are leaving and wanted to say goodbye,” Gray said joining them. “Brooke, would you mind helping John?”

  “Gray, we really will have to have a talk one day,” Brooke told him through clenched teeth.

  “I can’t wait.” Gray smiled and ushered an obviously concerned Claire away.

  John stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You don’t have to help me.”

  “How brilliant of you to come to that conclusion,” Brooke said crisply. “What kind of bath and beauty products does your mother enjoy?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. The usual, I guess.”

  Brooke rolled her eyes and went to a grouping of honey bath products. “These are nice. It comes in a soap, bath gel, lotion and moisturizing body cream.” Opening a jar, she held it out for him to sniff.

  He started to shrug his shoulders again and noted the impatient look on Brooke’s face. “I guess I’ll take them.”

  Gathering the merchandise, Brooke placed them in a basket and handed it to John. “You mother will enjoy these.”

  She was certainly in a hurry to get rid of him. He shouldn’t care. But he did. And there didn’t appear to be anything he could do about it.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “We did it,” Claire said as the locked the front door after the last customer had left. Many of the shelves and display areas were bare. “We did it! And we’re going to be in the newspaper thanks to Gray.”

  The women squealed and joined hands. “Looks like we’ll be over tomorrow to make more products,” Lorraine said, still smiling.

  “Especially BTS. Although my uncles scoffed at the idea, two of them purchased a jar. I think there’s going to be more test-marketing,” Brooke concluded with a giggle.

  “Just because tonight’s sales were good doesn’t mean they’ll continue.”

  Hamilton’s prediction put a pall on the celebration. They all turned to look at Hamilton, Brooke and Claire’s expressions showing their baffled surprise.

  “Hamilton, not tonight, please,” Lorraine said, her voice a bit shaky.

  “I just don’t want you disappointed when the store fails,” he said defensively.

  “It’s not the store I’m disappointed in.” She turned away from him to Claire. “I’ll be over around nine in the morning and we can start restocking the inventory.”

  Claire was well aware of Hamilton standing nearby, vibrating with anger. “If you can’t make it, I’ll understand.”

  “I’ll be there. Good night.” Without a word to her husband, she turned and left. Hamilton hurried after her.

  “Claire, I’ll follow you to the bank to make the deposit and then to your house,” Gray said.

  Claire smiled. She couldn’t think of a more perfect way to end the night than in Gray’s arms. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll see that Brooke gets home all right,” John offered.

  “I can take care of myself better than you can,” she said, giving him a hostile glare.

  “Then if there is a problem, you can protect me.”

  Her lips twitched as she tried to keep from smiling. He could give as good as he got. “Don’t count on it.”

  “I’d feel better if John followed you home,” Claire said.

  Brooke’s first instinct was to disregard Claire’s attempt to help her accept John’s offer without appearing anxious for him to do so. She quickly changed her mind. She wasn’t afraid of him or any other man. “I’ll probably leave him in the dust.”

  “Won’t be the first time,” he said with a wry twist of his mouth.

  Brooke was unsure if he meant that sexually or physically. “Just remember that and keep your distance.” Spinning on her heel she went to get her purse.

  “Give it a chance,” Claire said to Brooke as she unlocked the file cabinet and removed the bank deposit and their evening bags. “He’s a wonderful man.”

  “He makes me so angry.” Brooke removed her key from a bag no bigger than her palm.

  “Because he also makes you want to jump him.”

  Brooke’s head snapped around. Laughter bubbled from her lips. “Girl, you are getting to be something else. Do you plan to do a little jumping of your own?”

  “Of course.” Laughing, the women returned to the front of the store.

  Gray immediately went to Claire. John stayed where he was. He was keeping his distance … at least until they were alone.

  * * *

  “Lorraine, please talk to me.” Hamilton hated to plead, but he didn’t have much choice. Lorraine had refused to speak to him after they left Bliss. She wouldn’t even look at him. “We have to talk if we’re going to work this out.”

  Continuing to ignore him, she rubbed the fragrant peach moisturizer on her arms and legs. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out she was doing it to torture him. They hadn’t made love in weeks. He’d approached her once and she’d claimed she was tired. It had been the first time she had ever refused him. At first he’d been concerned, then once he’d realized her little performance had been to punish him, he’d become angry. His mother had used the same methods to bring his father to heel.

  At least tonight she hadn’t left the bathroom door partially open so he’d see her as she bathed, dried herself and smoothed lotion all over her body—in places he wanted to touch. However her closing the door made him more concerned, just as the sight of her in a heavy silk nightgown instead of one in a lighter fabric that clung to her nipples and slid sensuously over her hips. “Lorraine, is that shop more important than our marriage?”

  Her hand paused. He swallowed. He hadn’t meant to say that. He didn’t want to make her choose. He didn’t know anymore what her answer would be.

  She turned in the chair that had replaced the vanity stool he’d seen tonight at Bliss and he tried to prepare himself for the worst. Seeing the sadness in her eyes almost made him tell her she could do what she wanted, just don’t leave him. He might have if he couldn’t hear in his head, over and over again, his father begging his mother and her laughter as she walked out on them and into the night without looking back.

  “How could you embarrass me in front of my friends?”

  “I’m sorry about that.” And he was. Putting his business in the street had been his parents’ way. Never his.

  “I wish I could believe that.” She came to her feet and looked straight at him, seemingly to struggle with a decision. “I—”

  “No, wait,” he said, going to her, taking her hands in his, holding them when she tried to pull away. “I’ve been thinking. Perhaps I was a little abrupt in my judgment. You and the others obviously have a product women are willing to buy.”

  Seeing the hope in her eyes, Hamilton knew he was on the right track. He should have seen it before. All he had to do was bide his time. It would also be better if she didn’t remember that he had predicted Bliss’s failure when it went belly-
up. “I won’t say another word against it.”

  “You mean that, Hamilton? You aren’t saying that just because you want to make love?” she asked with her usual directness.

  Since his arousal was jabbing her, he could hardly deny the obvious. His hand lifted to her face, dear and beautiful. He’d lie if he had to, but this time there was no need. He spoke from his heart. “You’re the love of my life.”

  He expected that to be enough, but when he tried to pull her into his arms she resisted. “I’ve always trusted you, Hamilton, believed in you. If you take that trust away I’m not sure where that will leave us.”

  He felt chilled. Unflinchingly, her dark eyes bore into him. She was warning him: Lie to her and it might be the end of their marriage.

  “You can trust me,” he told her, then kissed her on the edge of her mouth, letting his tongue stroke the corner the way she liked. He felt her shiver, felt his own arousal grow harder.

  “Hamilton,” she sighed.

  “Yes.” Tonight he wouldn’t go to sleep hard and aching. He pulled the strap of her gown down to reveal her beautiful, firm breast. Her nipple was already hard.

  “Hamilton.”

  Aware that once his lips closed over her pouting nipple conversation would be over for both of them, he lifted his head. “Yes?”

  “Just remember what I said.”

  Stunned, he stared at her. She slipped the strap of the gown over her other shoulder and let the gown fall to the floor. She stood there before him in all her naked splendor. He licked his lips, then looked up into her sultry eyes.

  “Remember. Because I won’t forget.”

  “I’ll remember,” he said, reaching for her, forgetting the coolness of the porcelain tile. It had been too long, the constant fear of losing her too strong. He wanted her to remember this, their love, their passion, what they had always shared.

  His hungry mouth moved from one breast to the other. His hand swept up the smoothness of her thigh. His probing fingers found her wet and hot. She cried out, arching against his hand.

  Not yet. He moved down her body, his mouth kissing and taking tiny nips, lower and lower to the most intimate part of her. She cried out his name.