“Hey, this is gonna be fun!” Cassie giggled as she got into the passenger seat.
Ella smiled, “Yes, I’ve really been looking forward to it.”
“So, what’s new?” Cassie inquired. “With Bob, I mean. He’s home, right?”
“There have been some new developments.” Ella replied.
At that moment she pulled up to Paige’s apartment. Always prepared, Paige was waiting on the front porch with her canvas bag and bounced to the car tossing her sack into the backseat.
“Hi ladies. Ready for some fun?” Paige laughed. Paige was always laughing and full of mischief. Tall, blonde, shapely and downright beautiful, she had few problems with men. In fact, her biggest problem was sorting them all out and deciding which ones to torture. Ella turned around and smiled at her. “Hey Paige.”
“Yes, we are ready for some fun – and shopping – and one other thing.” Ella stated seriously. “I’m meeting my attorney at the motel tonight. He’s got paperwork that needs my signature, regarding my father’s estate. I’ll need one of you to sign as witness.”
“Ah, the attorney!” Cassie exclaimed, “The one you spent last weekend with. He’s joining us?”
“Well, not exactly joining us. He’s meeting me tonight. He will be staying at the same hotel.” Ella explained. “It’s strictly business. It’s easier for him to drive up to Kittery from New York. He didn’t want to take the train again. It’s a long ride.”
“How convenient,” Cassie was now curious and Ella knew she’d start probing.
“So, this guy who you spent the weekend with is coming back for more…hmmm…I think he’s interested in more than just your signature, Ella.”
Ella felt herself blush and turned down the heater in the car. “He’s a nice guy, a perfect gentleman. You know, accommodating.”
“I’ll say!” Cassie exclaimed. “When should we expect Mr. Accommodating to knock on our door?”
“Probably around 6:00 PM, he wants to have dinner.” Ella said trying to sound like this was routine, but she knew she wasn’t pulling it off.
Cassie and Paige were now giggling and teasing her. They peppered her with questions about the weekend at the fishing camp.
“Aw, come on, Ella, we know he must have made some sort of move on you.” Cassie was getting brazen. “He kissed you, didn’t he?”
Ella’s momentary silence betrayed her. It said all the girls needed to know. But she tried to ignore the question and focus on driving. “Damn, this rush hour traffic.” Ella moved into the passing lane. As she continued driving south the traffic became thick and she felt her face turning red. She realized she was totally embarrassed and could not tell her two best friends about the kiss.
“No. You’ve got it all wrong. He’s not like that. Honestly, Cassie, you have the wildest imagination!” Ella laughed, hoping that would put her off the subject.
“This guy must have incredible self-control.” Cassie joked. “So, you just talked business?”
“Yes, it was necessary for him to see all of the properties.” Ella said in a serious tone. “Ray has an appraisal license in all of the New England states, so he needed to actually see each property. It was really no big deal.”
“What about Bob?” Cassie asked solemnly. “Does he know you took this guy to the fishing camp?”
“Not exactly.” Ella said, “But, Bob knows I was with the attorney all weekend getting the properties appraised. He didn’t say much about it, actually.”
“Well, Bob’s not exactly the jealous type anyhow, is he?” Cassie inquired.
Oh, if they only knew. Bob was very possessive when it came to her relationships with other men. There were many instances where he threatened men who weren’t even slightly romantically inclined toward her. These were things her friends didn’t witness and Ella kept private. But she decided to share Bob’s proposal at the club with them, hoping for their feedback.
“Here’s a news flash for you: Bob asked me to marry him last night at the club. He slipped a ring onto my finger that was almost the size of the Hope diamond!”
“Oh my God! Where is it?” Cassie screamed. Paige was now leaning into the front seat. “Why don’t you have it on?”
Ella filled them in on the details during the rest of the drive and there wasn’t a sound out of Cassie or Paige. It was as if they were watching a soap opera as Ella explained the scene at The Club with Bob. “I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. It was a beautiful ring, but just huge. I don’t even think I could wear it on a daily basis. I left it in the Tiffany’s box in the closet. It’s just too big to wear every day.”
“Are you out of your ever-lovin’ mind?” Cassie blurted. “Girl, you need to have your head examined. I know you’re sad about your father, but think about how Bob feels. You just left a huge diamond ring sitting in your closet. He’s probably heartbroken.”
“No, he doesn’t even know it’s there. In fact, later on when we got home and settled in, he watched television and fell asleep.” Ella recounted. “We’ll see what happens. I’m just not ready to think about all of that right now. One big thing at a time, please. I’m still dealing with my father’s death.” She hated even saying that word.
Ella pulled her vehicle in front of the office at the Low Tide Inn. “I’ll get the key. Be right back.” She heard Cassie and Paige turn up the radio in the car. They were singing some crazy song. Ella put her credit card on the counter and a middle-aged woman with short gray hair gave her a key. As Ella walked back towards her car she smiled for a moment. Cassie and Paige were oblivious, uncensored, and up for a good time. Ella decided to make a concerted effort to adjust her attitude. She needed to paste a smile on her face and make the best of the shopping trip, even though she had thought about cancelling it. But when Ray suggested meeting her, she decided to make the trip because she wanted to see him. Even though she tried to convince herself it was going to be fun spending time with Cassie and Paige alone, deep down she knew it was the thought of seeing Ray again that really made the decision for her.
She pulled the Honda around to the back of the building and entered unit #112. It was a homey little place with a lighthouse atmosphere. Everything inside was painted white, including the furniture, and the ceiling was a faint sky blue. Little bath soaps shaped like sea shells were placed in a glass jar in the bathroom. Cassie and Paige were chattering away as they tossed their items into the room. Then the girls set up their curling irons, hair dryers, and make-up. Ella laughed to herself. Some things never changed, but it felt good to think that way for a moment.
Ray had mentioned he’d be in the room next to theirs. She wondered if it was #111 or #113…and took a little stroll out to her vehicle to peek at those units. #113 was occupied. It already had a vehicle parked in its space. But #111 was still empty. She imagined that was probably the one Ray reserved.
~ Ray ~
It was a thrill to turn the key in the 1959 Cadillac and listen to the engine purr. Ray carefully drove it out of the city limits and once he got over the Tappan Zee Bridge, he breathed a sigh of relief. The traffic thinned out a bit and he turned on the radio. He hadn’t driven a car for a few years and was glad he kept his driver’s license renewed. Often he was the only one who could drive when out with his friends at the sports bar. Although in his younger days he was the one who needed a ride home. Those were his hockey years in college when he spent some serious time worshiping the porcelain throne on his knees, but not any longer. From his experience as a bartender, he witnessed firsthand the damage alcohol could do, not only to a person’s health, but to loved ones who cared. Nowadays Ray wasn’t a big drinker. He had a three beer limit and, lately, that usually took all night to accomplish. He didn’t like the feeling of being out of control. But his friends sure appreciated his sobriety and responsibility. Unknown to them, he had just as much fun only having one beer.
The closer he got to Kittery Maine, the more his eager he was to see Ella again. The last message from her indicated she wa
nted to talk with him about something. He was hoping it was a pre-nuptial agreement and had a generic one in his briefcase just in case. He had never met Bob, but the impression he had formed of him was not positive. A few days ago he did a little research on Bob Albertson and discovered the man was successful, powerful and wealthy, beyond what he had imagined. Bob was the executive sales manager of a multi-billion dollar tech company. The articles he read indicated this guy didn’t like losing – anything. In fact, Ray doubted he rarely heard the word no.
For the first time he let his mind wander so far as to Ella possibly saying no to Bob. He got the distinct impression she wasn’t happy with this guy. Just a hunch. But, if that was the case, he wanted to help her as much as he could. Ella was a sweet, kind-hearted person and he genuinely worried she might need someone in her corner if it came to that.
Pulling off the exit to Kittery Maine, he took Route 103 which snaked along the coastline. Within a few minutes he was in the parking lot of the Low Tide Inn, an old-fashioned single story resort. He walked into the office and paid for his room and pocketed the key. Driving around to the back of the motel, he noticed Ella’s Honda parked in front of her room. He pulled the Cadillac into the spot for Room #111. The restaurant he researched was intimate and romantic; he had made the reservation to dine there with Ella for 7:00 PM. The Black Pearl had the perfect atmosphere for the quiet private conversation he wanted to have with her.
Feeling like a teenager about to ask a girl out for the first time, Ray knocked softly on the door to Ella’s motel room. She opened it and his heart raced. The moment her eyes met his, he became mute momentarily. But, finally the laughter of the other two girls brought him out of his reverie with Ella.
“Hi, how are you?” He imagined he sounded so proper, so lame.
Two girls pushed Ella aside, “Hi, I’m Cassie.” She had multi-colored hair. Then the other one wiggled through, “Hi, I’m Paige.” An attractive blonde, Paige smiled welcoming him. They were a bit on the boisterous side and much more forward than Ella. He could tell just by their body language.
Ella invited him in and he noticed clothing unpacked on the beds and snacks on the table. The room looked like a slumber party in progress.
“How have you been, Ray?” Ella asked politely.
“Great. Hey, can I steal you away for dinner? I have some paperwork in the car. Would one of you girls witness Ella’s signature for me?” Ray asked nervously.
“Sure,” Cassie announced. “Get the paperwork, I’ll sign it.”
Ray disappeared, retrieved the documents and brought them inside Ella’s motel room. The girls gathered around the small laminate table. He reviewed everything with Ella and Cassie signed in the appropriate spaces. The whole procedure took about thirty minutes and the girls were getting bored. That much he knew. They were fidgeting with their hair and drinking too much caffeine for one thing. And, they talked loudly and laughed a lot.
“That’s it, we’re done with that. Now, how about dinner?” Ray looked into Ella’s lovely green eyes.
“Can you give me a few minutes to freshen up? Where are we going?” Ella asked.
“I made a reservation at The Black Pearl,” Ray answered.
“Oh, gosh, I love that place!” Ella exclaimed, “How did you know?”
“Just looked good to me.” Ray murmured as his eyes took her in. Her hair was messy and lipstick faded, but she looked good to him; too good.
“I’ll just go to my room. Tap on my door when you’re ready.” Ray said. “Thank you, ladies. Enjoy your shopping trip.” He exited the room. Within five minutes he was in the hot pulsing shower in his own room and could hear the girls giggling and fooling around. The walls were definitely not soundproof in this place. He toweled off and shaved. Then put on a few drops of the cologne that would supposedly drive women wild. So, he hoped. A kiss: that was what he wanted. He could care less about dinner. He wanted to devour Ella’s lips and tell her his most private thoughts. He couldn’t wait to get her into the Cadillac with him.
When he heard her knock on his door, he opened it and Ella was standing there looking like the woman of his dreams. He smiled but couldn’t seem to speak for a moment. He inhaled slowly as he felt every nerve cell in his body come alive.
“Are you ready to go?” Ella asked.
“Yes, let me grab my jacket, I’m sorry….” Ray stammered. She looked stunning in the soft green cashmere sweater and he was embarrassed to stare at her like that.
“Hey, is this the car you sent me a photo of on Facebook?” Ella turned in the doorway gesturing toward the Cadillac.
“Yes, sweet, isn’t it?” Ray stepped outside, closed the motel door and locked it. “My grandfather gave it to me.”
“You have a very nice grandfather.” Ella laughed. “It’s beautiful.” Ray watched as she lightly traced her finger along the chrome and steel. It was as if she was exploring the car with her fingertips almost unable to believe it was real. “Wow, what year is this?”
“1959.” Ray answered, noticing her response with the car was tactile. He could still remember her touching his bicep, and immediately knew she liked to explore with the sense of touch. With that thought in mind, he almost stopped breathing.
“Let’s go for a ride.” He opened the door and she slid into the bench seat and smiled at him. Yes, this was going to be a night to remember. He got behind the wheel and started driving to the restaurant. Ella was touching the interior of the car amazed at the perfection of the restoration.
“I love this, Ray. It’s unique, like you.” Ella smiled. Every time she smiled and looked at him like that he wanted to slip his arm around her and pull her closer. If only she knew what he was thinking when she locked her eyes with his, he had all he could do to remain composed.
Dinner at The Black Pearl was incredibly romantic with candlelight illuminating Ella’s lovely features. And he self-consciously hoped he looked better in candlelight. The waiter left them alone for a long while sensing they were having a private conversation or something more intimate than that. It was for Ray. He felt like a teenager on his first date. Everything about Ella entranced him, but most of all he was attracted to her sense of humor and sweet disposition.
“I miss Boomer.” Ella murmured as the plates were cleared away.
“Is he with Bob?” Ray didn’t even want to mention his name, but had to.
“No, a neighbor girl took him for me. She’s wonderful.” Ella smiled.
“Do you mind if I ask you a serious question about my father’s estate?” Ella tilted her head. Damn, she looked so cute when she did that. He’d solve the mystery of the Sphynx if that’s what she wanted.
“Sure, what do you want to know?” Ray offered.
“I know my father left something to my mother and something to his mistress. Have you met with them and disbursed those assets?” Ella queried.
“Yes, I have.” Ray stated, wondering what would come next.
“I’ve never met her, you know, my father’s mistress. This is going to sound weird, but do you think you can set up a meeting between us? Someplace neutral, like your office?” Ella asked.
“Sure. Do you want me in the room or out of it?” Ray asked.
“Oh, I’d just like to meet her privately, if you don’t mind.” Ella said.
“Let me know when and I’ll arrange it.” Ray assured her.
“Do you mind if I ask you a serious question?” Ray raised a quizzical brow. His hand reached across the table and touched hers gently.
“Go ahead,” Ella’s eyes met his and his heart raced. Here goes, Ray looked into her eyes.
“What about Bob?” Ray spoke in a low soft voice. “Are you going to marry him?”
“No.” Ella stated without hesitation. “It’s funny you asked that question. He proposed to me over dinner a couple of nights ago and gave me an enormous diamond ring. I said no to him.”
“What was his response?” Ray paid rapt attention to her facial expression, body langu
age.
Her eyes held his, “I don’t know how to break away from him, Ray. I want to end the relationship, but couldn’t embarrass him there at The Club with everyone watching. It would have been an awful thing to do to anyone. But I’m not in love with him. I can’t marry him. That much I know.”
Renewed hope filled his soul. It was the answer he was hoping for, praying for, and now he would help Ella in any way that he could.
Ray paid for the meal and looked into Ella’s eyes, “Let’s go for a ride.”
She smiled back and whispered, “Yes.”
He didn’t know the area well, but knew a short distance from the restaurant there was a working fish pier with a parking lot overlooking the ocean. The night air was a bit chilly, but Ray drove the car to the parking lot and turned off the lights. Facing the water, it looked as if they were floating on a sea of stars reflected on the smooth surface of the ocean. There were no street lights nearby. It was quiet and Ray turned on the radio. Ella noticed a shooting star.
Fallen for Her: Book 2 Page 6
