Talking Sex

by Maxine Sullivan

  “Because I can afford it and I want to help out.”

  She blinked. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Yes, would do fine,” he teased gently.

  “Yes.” She broke into a smile even as her eyes welled with moisture. “Yes! Thank you so much. It’s such a relief.” Then as if she still couldn’t believe it, “Are you sure? I mean, this isn’t some sort of on-air trick or anything, is it?” She winced. “Forget I said that.”

  He gave her a gentle smile. “I understand, but it’s all aboveboard. No strings. I just want to help you and Jamie, that’s all.”

  “Thank you.” She peeked at the check again for a few moments before taking a deep breath. “Zac, you’ve done so much already but… do you think you can wait with me until Jamie comes out of his surgery? I don’t have any family and --”

  He squeezed her hand in a comforting fashion. Her fingers were ice-cold. “Of course I’ll stay.” Nothing would drag him away now, not even Cassie’s radio show, which was due to start in a couple of hours. This was more important and Cassie would understand that.

  “Thank you so much,” Vicki said, blinking back tears, her hands trembling as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

  He led her over to a seat. “Sit here and rest while I go make a phone call.” Even after the operation he wouldn’t leave straight away. No doubt he needed to stay around until Jamie woke up.

  She nodded and he left, taking the elevator down and stepping outside to turn his cell phone back on and call Cassie. Hers was now turned off so she was probably in a meeting. He tried Adam’s apartment and Erin answered after a couple of rings.

  “Erin, good, you’re still there.”

  “What’s up?”

  He explained about Jamie’s mother wanting him to stay.

  Erin made a soft noise. “Zac, that’s so nice of you.”

  He appreciated the comment but this wasn’t about him. “Listen, would you mind phoning Cassie at the station and telling her what’s happened? Her cell phone is off so she’s probably in a meeting with Leon, but she needs to know why I may not make the show tonight. And I don’t have time to call the station myself and wait to talk to her. I need to get back to be with Vicki.” His battery on the cell phone was beginning to run low too.

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks. Tell her I’ll get there as soon as I can but it might be after the show. And that I’m sorry but it can’t be helped.”

  “Okay, I can do that. Hey, would you like me to come down there and wait with you both? I could help support the mother. I don’t mind. Adam and Kirsten can still go to dinner.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to accept her offer – Vicki might appreciate another woman’s presence - but he couldn’t allow Erin to do this. “Thanks, sweetheart, but you’ve been through enough yourself these past six months. You need to stay away from hospitals for a while.”

  “Zac, I’m fine. Really.”

  “No, you go to dinner with Kirsten and Adam. But make sure Cassie gets my message first, okay? Have a good time tonight.” He rang off.

  On the way back to the waiting room, he was walking along the corridor when a nurse came toward him. He realized it was Cassie’s friend. They both stopped at the same time. “It’s Maggie, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. And you’re Zac.” The nurse reddened a little and he realized it was because of his Aussie accent again. She looked past his shoulder. “Is Cassie here?”

  “No, I came by myself.”

  Her slim eyebrows drew together. “Are you visiting someone?”

  “Cassie told me about Jamie’s mother, so I thought I’d come down to see if I could help in some way.”

  She looked pleased. “Oh, that’s really nice of you, Zac.”He brushed that aside. People were making too much of it. “Thanks. I’m going to stay with Vicki until the operation is finished. She asked me to,” he added, in case Maggie thought he was getting involved more than he should. He didn’t mention the money. No doubt Vicki would tell her soon enough.

  Maggie nodded. “Vicki will appreciate the company. And Cassie will appreciate you coming here. I’m sure she would have rushed down here if she could, but she knows it might not be a good idea right now.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe one of the parents sent in a letter of complaint.”

  Shock rolled through Zac but he tried not to show it. Maggie obviously thought he knew about it. “Yeah, that really stinks,” he said, thinking quickly.

  “It’s not like Cassie isn’t the model of virtue all the time, and especially when she’s visiting the kids.” She sighed. “It’s only because of all the sex talk between you two on the show.”

  Now it was getting clearer.“It’s going to kill her if she has to give up coming here on her weekly visits,” Maggie said, a catch in her voice. “But it might come down to that or her show. I don’t see why she should give up either.”

  Zac nodded. “I agree.”

  Maggie looked at her watch. “I’d better be off. Thanks for coming to see Vicki and Jamie. It’s really very nice of you.”

  “I was happy to,” he said distractedly, and made his way back to the waiting room but his mind was on Cassie. What bastard of a person had done this to her? She was only being nice to the kids and nothing more. Her radio show didn’t even come into it. Or shouldn’t. Dammit, it was because of him that the sex talk had really taken off on the show. So it was because of him that Cassie may well lose the privilege of doing something she loved to do. If necessary he’d do all he could to make sure she didn’t lose her good standing with the hospital, but perhaps it was as well he was going back to Australia soon.

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes before the show was to start, Cassie knew for sure that Zac wasn’t turning up tonight. What did that mean? Had he just lost track of the time? Broken down in traffic? God forbid, had an accident?

  Run off with the love of his life?

  She swallowed a lump in her throat the size of Texas as the last hit home. Is that what had happened? After spending the day with Erin, and she could understand him wanting to do that, had he discovered he loved the other woman after all? Dear God, she didn’t want to think it. They’d made love again last night and it had been wonderful, but she’d sensed a withdrawal in him that told her part of him was still involved with Erin, no matter what he’d said to the contrary.

  But was it only because he sensed Adam’s interest in Erin and wanted to protect her, or was it more about guilt? Or had it been more about jealousy than anything else, and he’d realized that when he’d seen Erin again today? Had she been right after all?

  “This isn’t like Zac,” Leon said, walking up and down the booth.

  She tried not to show how agitated she felt inside. “How do you know what Zac’s like, Leon? You’ve barely known him a week.”

  “You don’t need to know someone any length of time to know what sort of person they are.” He shot her a direct stare. “Hell, I thought you’d figured that one out when you and Zac became an item.”

  She tried to sound casual. “Leon, Zac and I may be an item but don’t go thinking something that isn’t going to happen. He’ll be going back to Australia soon.”

  “Then go with him.”

  “What!”

  “Go with him. Go live with the kangaroos and be happy.”

  The thought made her heart bounce in her chest like one of those kangaroos he was talking about. She wasn’t sure whether it was with joy or fear. “Oh yeah, like I can’t even depend on him to turn up for a show.”

  He stopped pacing, his eyes shrewd. “You don’t think Zac is doing this deliberately, do you?”

  She shrugged, trying to appear like she didn’t care. “Perhaps he’s got something better to do.”

  “Or someone? Isn’t that what you mean? Someone like Erin. Hon, I’d bet my life that Zac’s not the type to cheat on you. Unlike that ex of yours. And you know it too.” He glared at her. “Don’t you?”

  She hesitate
d.

  “Think about it, Cassie. Deep down this is just your fear talking. Zac would no more cheat on you than your ex could remain faithful.”

  Leon’s words hit home. She didn’t need to think about it. If Zac was going back to Erin he would at least tell her. “You’re right, Leon.”

  “Of course I am.” He looked relieved. “But now we’ve got to figure out where he is and why he’s not here.”

  Panic swelled in her throat again. Was he hurt somewhere? She hadn’t seriously let herself think about that before. God, how could she do the show when Zac may be lying somewhere hurt?

  Just then their intern came to the door with a note for Leon. Cassie’s heart leapt in her throat as she watched him read it. “What is it, Leon?”

  He looked up, his eyes concerned. “It’s a message from Zac. He says he’s at the hospital and isn’t sure if he can make the show, but he’ll be here as soon as possible.”

  “He’s hurt!”

  Leon held up a hand. “Now it doesn’t say that. It says he’s at the hospital, not in hospital. And if he is hurt he still plans on coming here, so he can’t be too bad, right?”

  That made sense. She nodded, then a thought occurred to her. “I hope something hasn’t happened to Erin. She had an accident some months ago.”

  Leon squeezed her shoulder. “Try not to worry, hon. We’ll know soon enough.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Now, you have to start the show in five minutes.”

  She swallowed with difficulty. “I don’t know if I can. Zac --”

  “Will be fine. I’ll phone the hospital and find out what I can, but in the meantime, you need to get ready.” His eyes watched her. “Can you do that, Cassie?”

  She swallowed her panic, then cleared her throat. “Yes, but promise me you’ll let me know as soon as you find out anything.”

  “I will.”

  * * *

  Doing the show without Zac wasn’t the same. After telling everyone he wouldn’t be here tonight, the phone lines lit up with people begging to have him back. She tried her best to change the subject but the conversation always kept returning to Zac. And that reminded her Zac could be hurt at the moment. Oh God!

  But after she’d taken another call, she looked up to see Leon giving her the thumbs-up sign from the booth opposite. Zac was okay. Powerful relief filled her and she was thankful she was sitting down. Thank you, God!

  And then halfway through the show…

  Zac walked in.

  “And so you think it’s better to --” She stopped mid-sentence, her jaw dropping, her heart thumping. “Zac!” Her gaze sped over him, checking to see if he’d sustained any type of injury.

  He looked fine.

  Perfect, in fact.

  “Cassie,” he murmured, his eyes soft and filled with concern, and she knew that Leon would have told him how worried she’d been.

  He kissed her cheek then slid onto the seat opposite. “G’day, Chicago,” he said into the microphone.

  Cassie was so glad to see him, her pulse began racing like a racehorse. “Zac, what a surprise to see you here.”

  He grinned at her. “Miss me?”

  “Of course.” She wanted to reach out and touch him, just to make sure he was real. “Seems like most of the city has been asking for you, though it was of some comfort to know that I wasn’t totally redundant. Some of the callers actually wanted to talk to me.”

  “I can relate to that,” he teased.

  She tutted. “Always fooling around.”

  “Who’s fooling?”

  Flustered, she said the first thing that came to mind. “You realize you’re late, don’t you?”

  “Yes, and I had a very good reason.” He took a moment. “Something happened that makes a person realize they’ve only got one life and to live it to the full.”

  She was startled. “That’s very profound.”

  “Putting things into perspective does a person good once in a while, don’t you think?”

  “Absolutely.” She smiled even as she wondered what had happened. “Did you make that up yourself?”

  “No, it’s part of my repertoire,” he quipped, falling right back in step with the show. “I like to preach, remember? Oh, and I like to do missionary work too.” He flashed his white teeth at her. “In the missionary position.”

  She laughed, but it was clear he wasn’t going to expand on-air what had happened, and she was fine with that. “You’d like any position.”

  He pretended to be surprised. “Really? Tell me more. How do you know what position I’d like?”

  She could feel herself beginning to blush. “You’re a man, so I figure any sexual position would suit you.”

  “That’s very sexist.”

  “I know, but it’s the truth.”

  “You speak from experience?”

  A blush reddened her cheeks this time for sure. “No. I’m just repeating what I hear other women say.”

  “Oh r.i.g.h.t. So that’s what they talk about at all those craft classes.”

  “Jump into the twenty-first century, Zac,” she mocked, but with affection. “Women are multi-skilled nowadays. We’re able to talk about sex anywhere - at the office, at home, and in craft class.”

  “I stand corrected.” He began to grin. “And now that I’m suitably chastised, do you think you could sew a button on a shirt for me?”

  “Only if you whip up a four-course dinner for me.”

  “You got it!”

  “Hey, that’s not fair!” she said, playing along with him.

  “What’s not fair? You made a deal.” He leaned closer to the mike. “You all heard her, didn’t you, folks? She can’t back out now. She has to let me cook her a four course meal.” He smirked at her. “Now what night are you free?”

  She snickered. “How about tonight?”

  “Okay,” he said without missing a beat.

  “What!”

  “I said okay. But you’ve got to do one thing for me, Cassie. You’ve got to eat everything I put in front of you.”

  “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”

  His grin widened. “Don’t worry. I won’t fill you up too much.”

  He was a devil. “Zac, tell me. Are you going to wear one of those frilly little aprons?”

  His eyes narrowed good-naturedly. “Do you have a frilly little apron?”

  “Yes, and it’s covered in daffodils, all bright and sunny. I think you’ll like it.”

  “I think I won’t. It’d look better on you. Better yet, I think you should try wearing the apron without any clothes on at all. Just to see how it would look ‘el natural’.”

  “Oh, I see. It’s purely for aesthetic reasons.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Her too, but she wasn’t about to say that on the air. Instead, she laughed. “Sounds like a con to me.”

  “Now Cassie, would I try and con you?”

  “Never!” Her tone said the opposite. “And on that note, folks, we need to wrap up this segment. Tune back in tomorrow night to hear all about how Zac cooks dinner and gets in touch with his feminine side at the same time.”

  He groaned. “I’ll get you for that.”

  “You’ll try.”

  “But I’ll be darned if I’ll be wearing any frilly aprons,” he said in a deep, manly voice that made her chuckle.

  “Say goodnight, Zac.”

  “Goodnight Zac,” he mimicked, changing his voice to a mock female one.

  The off-air light flashed and she sat there smiling at him like an idiot. Then she remembered how worried she’d been when he hadn’t turned up and a frown replaced her smile. “How come you were at the hospital? I thought you were spending the day with Erin.” She remembered his ambiguous note. “We thought you might be hurt.”

  “No, I was fine. After you told me about Vicki and her son…” He explained fully, then said, “So I wrote her a check to help out until she’s back on her feet.” He held up his hand. “No, I’m not aim
ing for sainthood.”

  “You should,” she murmured, her heart swelling. “How did the operation go?”

  “They’re pretty sure it was a success, but Vicki wanted me to wait with her until Jamie came out of surgery. She had no one else.”

  Her heart warmed over. “I’m glad you stayed with her,” she said softly. She could relax now that everything was okay.

  “So am I.” He waited then his brows drew together. “Leon tells me you didn’t get the full message. I asked Erin to phone you and explain why I was late. I believe she merely said I was at the hospital and nothing much else.”

  “Yes.” She could see he wasn’t pleased with Erin. “Was it deliberate, do you think?”

  “Nothing much gets past you, does it?” he said with a touch of admiration in his eyes.

  “Blame it on my show,” she said, flushing with pleasure. “My job requires me to think on my feet.”

  “Don’t underestimate yourself. You wouldn’t be able to do your job if you didn’t understand people.”

  Another flush of pleasure. “Thanks.”

  “You’re good with adults and kids,” he said, watching her, and she knew he was talking about her visits to the hospital. Then she remembered what Maggie had said about the letter of complaint, but she didn’t want him taking any of the blame on his shoulders, and she knew he would so she kept quiet about it. Zac had helped her so much already. She would handle this herself.

  He seemed to wait again, then pushed himself to his feet. “I think I’ll go get a cup of coffee while you finish up here. Then I believe I owe you a meal.”

  She blinked up at him. After spending last night with her, she expected he’d go back to Adam’s tonight, despite what they’d said on-air about the four-course dinner. “Okay, but I’m still not sure I can eat very much.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s nothing you can’t handle.”

  “Can you rephrase that?”

  He began to smirk. “Maybe I don’t want to.”