East of the Sun, West of the Moon

by Carole Bellacera

  Chapter 8

  "You're awfully quiet tonight, Leigh. Have a rough day?"

  Leigh's eyes darted up from her untouched plate. Bob stared at her, a disquietingly curious look on his face. Her cheeks grew warm. “No. I'm just kind of tired.” She felt Erik's eyes upon her, but didn't dare look in his direction.

  It had been almost two weeks since she'd spent the afternoon in his arms. Every nerve in her body screamed with tension. Since Bob's return from Ohio, she found it hard to look at Erik because she knew her desire was written upon her face. She could see it on his, too. How was it be possible no one else saw it?

  At night, as Leigh lay next to Bob's prone body, she had to fight the impulse to get up and make her way to Erik's room. She knew she was flirting with catastrophe. Carrying on an affair right here in her home under the nose of her husband. It was insane! Even so, she was consumed with when she could be with Erik again. And she knew he felt the same way. She could see it in his eyes when she dared look at him.

  "I thought maybe Deanna Harper was giving you a hard time,” Bob said, popping a slice of chicken breast in his mouth.

  "Oh. She's coming by tomorrow. Maybe I'm just a bit nervous about her looking at my work. What if she doesn't like it?"

  Bob shrugged. “Then you'll do it over."

  Another long silence fell at the table. Finally, Mark looked up from his food and said, “Mom, Vicki's brother gave me a couple of tickets for the concert at the Kennedy Center tomorrow night, but we already have plans to see the Capitals game. He said to give them to you and Dad."

  "Really? What's the program?” Leigh asked.

  "Just a minute. I've got the tickets here in my pocket.” Mark rummaged in his jeans and pulled out two tickets. “Oh, you'll like it, Mom. Hugh Wolff is conducting and Rostropovich is the guest cellist. Let's see, they're doing Schumann's ‘Cello Concerto,’ Bloch's ‘Schelomo’ and Dvorak's ‘Cello Concerto.’”

  "Sounds wonderful,” Leigh said.

  Bob shook his head. “I can't go. I have a late meeting tomorrow. And even if I didn't, I can think of more exciting things to do than sit at the Kennedy Center and fall asleep to that depressing music."

  Leigh shrugged. Maybe she could get Deanna to go.

  "I would love to go to the Kennedy Center,” Erik said.

  Aghast, Leigh stared at him; he gazed back calmly.

  "Good idea,” Bob said. “Why don't you take that little hottie that was over here studying with you a while back?"

  Mel's face pinkened, although with embarrassment or jealousy, Leigh couldn't guess. Aaron snickered. Leigh sat still in her seat, wondering how Erik would respond.

  "I would prefer to take Kayleigh."

  Everyone stared at him. Leigh felt the blood rush to her face. A knot of panic curled in her stomach. Erik had lost his mind! Why else would he risk arousing suspicion like this? He shrugged, his face bland. “Dawn doesn't like classical music. And I like to share it with someone who appreciates it as well as I do. So, why not?” Pointedly, he looked at Bob. Only Leigh caught the ice in his eyes. “You don't mind, do you, Bob?"

  Bob eyed Erik morosely. “I don't tell Leigh what she can or cannot do.” His tone was mildly sarcastic. “She's a grown woman. Ask her if she wants to go."

  "I will.” With a smile that was almost a smirk, his eyes went to Leigh. “Kayleigh, would you care to go to the Kennedy Center with me tomorrow night?"

  Leigh couldn't believe his audacity. Obviously, there was a streak of defiance in him that made him enjoy flirting with disaster. Still, she couldn't help but admire his nerve. Deep down, she felt like laughing. It was Erik's polite way of showing his contempt for Bob.

  It was on the tip of her tongue to decline his invitation, but a warning light in Erik's eyes made her stop and think. If their relationship had been innocent, what would be wrong with her going out to the Kennedy Center with him? In fact, wouldn't it look rather odd if she refused to go with him after only a moment ago expressing a desire to hear the program? And what excuse could she give for not going? Besides, wouldn't it be wonderful to have a legitimate night out with her lover? She imagined sitting in the dark concert hall with him, holding hands, giving themselves up to the caressing, vibrant sound of the cello.

  She took a sip of her iced tea and smiled at Erik. “Sure, Erik. That sounds like fun. I always enjoy a night out at the Kennedy Center, but it's like pulling teeth to get Bob to go with me."

  "How can anybody stand that old people's music?” Mel pouted. “Erik, I'm surprised at you. I thought you liked rock."

  "I do.” He smiled at her. “But I've told you before, a well-rounded person can enjoy many different things. I was brought up on classical music.” His eyes returned to Leigh. “My favorite is Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. Especially the Winter section. It's so ... passionate."

  Leigh felt the blood drain from her face as she remembered the significance of that piece. It had been playing the first time they made love. She swallowed a piece of chicken that suddenly tasted like rubber. What had gotten into Erik? He was going too far with his taunting. She stood up. “I'll get dessert."

  When she returned to the dining room with the cake, Mel and Mark were arguing about classical music. Finally, Bob exploded. “Shut up! Can't we have some goddamn peace while we eat?"

  An uncomfortable silence fell as Leigh cut the cake. In an attempt to lighten the mood, she said, “Why don't we get out the ‘Trivial Pursuit’ game tonight? Or do you guys have too much studying to do?"

  "I suppose I could take time out from studying for a while tonight,” Mark said. “It shouldn't take me too long to beat everyone."

  "No, thanks,” Mel said. “I don't feel up to competing with Mr. Genius there ... unless Erik will agree to be my partner,” she added hopefully.

  "I'm afraid I can't make it tonight.” Erik looked straight at Leigh. “I have a date with Dawn."

  Leigh placed her iced tea glass down on the table and made an effort to relax the tightened muscles in her face. So stupid of her to believe he'd actually given up the prom queen! Had he also lied to her about not sleeping with her? Avoiding his eyes, she pushed away the remainder of her uneaten cake, got to her feet and began clearing the table.

  In the kitchen, she vented her rage upon the cabinet doors and the dishwasher. What a fool she was! Of course Erik hadn't given up that southern tart. After all, he was a virile young man and his gorgeous classmate had the hots for him. The thought of Erik with that little bitch made her crazy.

  "The sonuvabitch!” she muttered as she gave the dishwasher door a final slam.

  * * * *

  On the pretense of an insomnia attack, Leigh waited up for Erik. She sat in the family room, her eyes glued to The Tonight Show, but her mind was elsewhere. Her anger had cooled since her earlier abuse of the pots and pans, but insecurity had taken its place. Erik had been gone for over three hours. It drove her nuts to think that he was spending those hours with Dawn—maybe in her arms. How could she, a forty-year-old woman of average good looks, compete with a nubile coed who could model for Cosmopolitan?

  She heard the sound of the back door opening. A moment later, Erik appeared at the entrance to the study, as if he knew she'd be waiting. He paused a moment, then walked over to the love-seat and sat down.

  "Hi,” he said with a slight smile.

  Leigh glared at him, the anger bubbling up all over again. “How's Dawn?” she asked caustically.

  "She's fine. She said to tell you hello."

  "Tell her I said to go to hell!” She jumped to her feet. Erik rose and grabbed her arm as she started for the door. She tried to wrench away. “Leave me alone!"

  Erik tightened his hold, pulling her to him, his lips very close to her ear. “I told you once before you had no reason to be jealous of Dawn."

  "Then why are you still seeing her?"

  Erik's mouth quirked in amusement. “Think about it. Didn't you tell me we were supposed to carry on as usual, so we aroused no suspici
on? Wouldn't it look rather odd if I suddenly quit seeing Dawn? She's our cover, kjaereste.” His lips brushed hers. “But I must tell you I am very flattered.” His face suddenly sobered. “Kayleigh, you know, sometimes I have doubts about you, too. I wonder if you're using me to make up for the neglect you feel from your husband. I sometimes think you still love him, that I am just a diversion. But then I remember how we are together, and I realize I'm wrong to have such doubts. And I feel ashamed for thinking like that."

  "I know,” Leigh whispered, on the verge of tears. “I do feel ashamed. It's just that I get crazy when I think of you with that little mealy-mouthed Scarlet O'Hara."

  Erik drew her close. She rested her head against his warm chest. “What do you think it's like for me? I lie awake at night and think of you sharing a bed with him. That's when I get crazy, love. I want to go in there and snatch you away from him."

  Slowly, Leigh pulled away from him. She'd never told him that Bob hadn't touched her in months. In fact, she'd told him nothing about her relationship with him. “I'm sorry.” She walked over to turn off the television. “We really shouldn't be in here like this. Sometimes the kids come down for a glass of milk or something."

  He gazed at her solemnly. “So many restrictions. If you would come to Norway with me, we would never have to hide our love from anyone. Europeans are more open-minded."

  "Oh, Erik, don't talk fantasies to me. You know that's impossible!"

  "I will go home in June. That's only four months away.” His eyes were very dark. “What then? Will that be the end of us?"

  Leigh's hand massaged her temples where a headache had begun to throb. “What else can it be? I can't deal with this now. I'm going to bed."

  Erik moved toward her. “Kiss me good-night ... properly."

  She didn't protest when he took her into his arms. His mouth closed over hers, warm, searching. As she returned his kiss, she felt a heavy sadness settle over her. How empty her life would be once he was gone. But she'd known when she got herself into this situation it couldn't last forever. Still, she hadn't counted on falling in love with him.

  * * * *

  The rich sound of the cello swelled out into the dark concert hall and faded away. A moment of silence lingered in the auditorium before giving way to enthusiastic applause from the Kennedy Center patrons. As the lights brightened, Erik turned to Leigh and smiled, his hand tightening on hers.

  "Ah, Kayleigh ... this night is going too fast. Intermission, already?"

  "It's too good to be true, isn't it? You and me together here.” She gave him a sad smile. “It can't last forever."

  A shadow flickered in his blue eyes, and for a moment, Leigh knew her words carried a heavier meaning. She stood up. “Why don't we go out on the terrace? The Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial are gorgeous at night."

  "But you'll freeze in that thin dress!” he protested.

  "Only for a moment,” Leigh pulled him to his feet. “Come on, it won't kill us. I promise."

  The terrace was almost empty; very few others had braved the cold February night. As they walked over to the wall facing the Jefferson Memorial, Erik grabbed Leigh's hand and gave her a smile that made her heart skip a beat. She knew she should pull her hand away. After all, she wasn't a celebrity congressman's wife, but there could well be someone here at the Kennedy Center who could recognize her. But her hand felt so good in his, she just couldn't make herself do it. Besides, there was no one out here. The last couple had already gone back inside. They leaned on the wall and gazed at the lighted Jefferson Memorial. To their left, headlights from Maine Avenue beamed brightly as heavy traffic passed under the terrace below them, yet the noise from the passing vehicles was so muffled they could talk easily.

  "You're right,” Erik said. “It is beautiful. Washington D.C. is such an impressive city. I wish we could go up in the Washington Monument at night. But I guess it would be too late when we leave here, wouldn't it?"

  "Probably. I'm not even sure if they take tourists up after dark this time of the year.” She sipped her wine, beginning to wish she had her coat.

  With his uncanny intuition, Erik shrugged out of his tweed jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

  "Oh, no, Erik! We can go back in now."

  "No, I'm used to the cold. It doesn't bother me.” Erik smiled. “Besides, you look so lovely out here with the Jefferson Memorial as a backdrop.” His long fingers slid beneath her hairline at the back of her neck as he leaned down to kiss her. His mouth was warm. She clung to him greedily, her nails gripping his firm biceps through his sweater. Then she remembered where she was and pulled away from him, her body trembling.

  "God, you make me stop thinking...” she said shakily. After a deep breath, she remembered what she wanted to discuss with him. “I wanted to talk to you about Mel. You do realize she has a crush on you, don't you? I'm really beginning to worry about it."

  Erik looked puzzled. “I'm sure I haven't done anything to encourage her."

  "Oh, I'm not saying that,” Leigh said. “But I just wish you could think of a way to discourage her. She wanted you to take her to a valentine's dance at school. When I told her it was out of the question, she refused to go at all."

  "Do you think it would help if I had a talk with her?” He hesitated a second, then added, “I could tell her I'm seriously involved with Dawn."

  Leigh shrugged, trying to control the familiar rush of jealousy she felt at Dawn's name. “Yeah, maybe you should. It may be the only way to discourage Mel. But I don't have to like it,” she added, half-mockingly.

  Erik's arm tightened about her shoulders. “Come on, let's go in. You're turning as blue as your dress."

  They'd just walked back in through the doors when Leigh heard her name.

  "Leigh Fallon! You didn't tell me you were coming here tonight."

  Standing directly in front of them, dressed in leather pants and a knee-length satin tunic, was Deanna Harper. A burly, black-haired young man with arresting brown eyes stood next to her, sipping a glass of champagne.

  "Hello, Dee.” Leigh tried to put warmth in her voice, but she was so startled, it came out brittle. Her cheeks grew hot. “Wonderful concert, isn't it?"

  Deanna scanned Leigh and Erik, her eyes frankly assessing. She smiled warmly. “I'd like you to meet a special friend of mine.” One hand slid sensuously up the arm of the man beside her. “This is Dominic Boccelliano. And who might this be?"

  "Erik Haukeland.” Leigh had regained her composure. “He's our boarder from Norway. Bob couldn't make it to the concert tonight, so Erik got elected."

  With a dazzling smile, Erik returned Deanna's handshake. She began telling him about a trip she took to Sweden the year before, asking him about the similarities to his country. With his usual good humor, Erik joked about the general Norwegian superiority over their Swedish neighbors. Leigh and Dominic stood listening, he, indifferent, she with a plastic smile glued to her face. She knows, Leigh thought. She could tell by the speculative look in Deanna's eyes. God, was it so apparent?

  The lights in the sumptuous lobby flickered, signaling the end of intermission. Gradually the crowd moved back toward the concert hall.

  "Well, we'd better get going,” Leigh said. “I'll talk to you soon, Dee."

  Deanna smiled and waited a second until Erik turned away, then tapped Leigh on the shoulder. “You damn well better talk to me soon,” she whispered, eyes dancing.

  Back in the concert hall, Leigh tried to recapture the tranquil mood she'd enjoyed before the intermission. It was impossible. She kept seeing Deanna's knowing expression. And if, as she suspected, Deanna had guessed their true relationship, what would it mean to their future?

  Chapter 9

  The next morning, Leigh found she'd been right to be worried. Deanna called at nine o'clock sharp.

  "Hey, girl. Now, that's what I'd call a hunk. How come you didn't tell me he was so gorgeous? And level with me, how long has it been going on between you two?"


  Speechless, Leigh stared down at the drawing she was working on.

  "Man,” Deanna went on. “I wish I could find a guy who'd look at me the way he looked at you. How did you do it, Leigh? It's always lust with my men. Not that I want more, you understand. But how the hell did you make him fall in love with you?"

  Leigh finally found her voice. “Deanna, I don't know what you're talking about."

  There was a short silence on the other end of the line, then Deanna laughed. “You can't bull-shit a bull-shitter, Leigh, but hey, if you don't want to talk about it, that's cool. Anyway, I forgot to tell you something last night. You know that conference coming up next month? The one for writers and illustrators of children's books?"

  "Yeah, I haven't decided if I'm going or not."

  "Well, you damn well better. I'm going to be in the Caribbean that week, and I want you to stay in my penthouse. That way, you won't be stuck in some mid-town hotel being bored to death. And...” she paused, and Leigh could almost see the wicked smile on her lips. “You can bring Erik. Just think ... you'll be away from prying eyes ... all alone in my apartment. I have a waterbed ... and a sauna. Can you imagine it, Leigh?"

  Leigh was already imagining it. Her face flamed hot. “He won't be able to get away from school.” Immediately, she realized her mistake.

  Deanna laughed triumphantly. “Hon, I've been out of college for more years than I care to remember, but I'm damn sure there's still such a thing as spring break. And isn't it usually around the end of March?"

  Leigh didn't answer. She was too busy wondering whether to confide in Deanna or not. Finally she plunged in, “I don't know if we could manage it, Dee. What will everyone think if we both disappear at the same time?"

  "Talk to Erik. I'm sure he'll come up with something. Look, I'll have a key to the apartment made and drop it off with you before I go home. Oh, man, this is so juicy. And to think, I thought you were such a wholesome little thing."

  "I am wholesome,” Leigh said. “But Erik makes me forget that. I've never met anyone like him, Dee."

  "Sounds like love,” Deanna said. “Gotta go. I'll stop by tomorrow."