by H. B. Stumbo
I smiled, “Twenty five.”
We finished the dance in silence and a booming voice directed us towards the far side of the tent. Vance leaned down as we walked and whispered, “They’re getting ready for the fireworks.”
I nodded as we walked along the dimly yard to the back of the tent. I could see the bodies of people setting up in the field as they hurriedly worked alongside a trailer. I wondered if one of them was Kim and I shook my head at the realization that she was probably going home with Alex tonight.
Vance pulled me close to his body and I felt the goose bumps rise along my arms. Being in the dark with him yet being so close to him caused my insides to convulse. I couldn’t get a grip on my emotions and I couldn’t understand them either. I went from being absolutely disgusted with him earlier tonight to now wanting him more than I have ever wanted any man. It wasn’t normal, maybe I wasn’t normal. There was something seriously off about the both of us. We both could be downright sarcastic and rude to the other and then fall all over each other five seconds later.
This wasn’t normal, we weren’t normal, I didn’t care.
As though he could tell what he was doing to me he began running his hand along my forearm and smiled at me when I gazed up at his face. No, I definitely didn’t care.
The first round of fireworks shot up in the air and everyone began to cheer. Bursts of red, white, and blue soared through the sky and crackled into a million busts of light and sound. The light emanating from the display cast hues of red and blue onto the faces of the people around me and I caught sight of Rita’s eyes on me like a hawk. I glanced away quickly and turned my gaze back to the display. I could feel Vance pull me in closer to him and I relaxed a little in his arms. The colors continued to shoot across the sky and the feeling that I was being watching settled over me like a dark cloud and I shivered.
“Cold?” Vance leaned down and spoke into my ear over the roar of the display.
I shook my head and glanced around quickly, Rita was no longer looking my way nor could I even see her at all but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Vance tightened his grip on me again which helped a little. I caught a glimpse of Kim in the field, her arms wrapped around what appeared to be Alex and I giggled.
The display ended and after a large applause and most of the guests began to gather their things and head towards the front of the house. I was unaware how much time had passed and I noticed Vance’s watch was nearing twelve thirty. I yawned and smiled up at him.
“I think I should see what Kim is planning on doing and then head home.”
Vance pulled me close to him as a few men approached us, “Not yet.” I looked up at him oddly but he spoke to the men and ignored my expression.
“Wait, one hell of a party you threw. Can we expect more of these this summer?”
Vance smiled a very bold and businesslike smile, “I hope so, we will see how things go.”
I didn’t recognize either man, they must be from a nearby town. Locke’s Point was small enough in the off season that you knew who the businessmen were without question. The men looked at me oddly as I was tucked firmly beneath Vance’s arm.
“Carl, David, this is Charlotte Lyons, she is the reason the landscaping looks the way it does. She’s one of the top designers at Rine’s.”
Their smiles flooded their faces and the shook my hand fiercely. I flushed against Vance’s compliment and felt him clasp my shoulder reassuringly.
“Ms. Lyons, you did an excellent job,” Carl exclaimed and waved around the yard.
I nodded and flushed again, “Thank you but really I have to give credit to the workers as well. They brought the designs to life.” Vance’s grip on my shoulder tightened and I remembered his question from early one when he asked why I couldn’t take a compliment.
Carl pointed out the flowers and the fountain and continued to praise me for the designs, I was aware that David had leaned in towards Vance and was speaking quietly.
“The deal in Richmond, is it a go or no?”
Vance leaned away from me and shook his head towards David. “Don’t waste your time with it; the market isn’t exactly the best for that type of investment right now. We can talk more about things next week; maybe it will change by then.”
David clasped his shoulder and shook his hand, “I appreciate your honesty, Wait.”
I realized then exactly how little I really did know about Vance. Other than the fact that he was a part owner of the company I worked for and he was twenty seven, I knew very little about his life. I wondered what types of business he had his hands in, what type of investments he dabbled in. How did he have as much money as he did? Certainly it couldn’t have just been from inheritance. My mind shifted to Riley who seemed too carefree to be involved with business the way Vance was.
“A pleasure to meet you Ms. Lyons,” David broke my train of thought and shook my hand. I nodded and smiled and thanked him.
A few more people walked past us and shook Vance’s hand, thanked him and nodded towards me. I noticed a few women pass by and giggle when they looked at Vance, apparently his dazzling ability to turn me inside out wasn’t reserved just to me.
As the crowd waned I noticed the people left were all huddled by Riley and nearly all of them were his age. They talked loudly and finished up what was left at the bar, Vance shook his head.
“Riley will be out here all night. Come on, let’s find Kim.”
He led me through the field still gripping my hand and we found Alex and Kim and three other men who had helped with the display all tossing empty boxes of fireworks back onto the trailer. Vance made his way over to Alex when Kim stumbled up to me and hugged me tightly.
“Where have you been? Have you been with Vance?” Her eyes grew wide as she sized me up.
I shook my head yes and she squealed. “What have you two been doing?”
I shook my head and laughed at her, “Not as much as it looks like you and Alex were doing.”
She smirked at my disapproving tone, “Please, Charlotte. I go back on the road tomorrow night and I want to have a little fun.” She glanced at Alex and beamed, “He’s a great guy, not interested in relationships at all. I’m going back to his hotel with him tonight. You okay to drive home or are you staying here for a bit?”
I rolled me eyes, “Not everyone is as willing as you to jump on the nearest man.” Disappointment shot through me at Vance’s earlier remark about taking things slow.
Kim laughed and rolled her eyes back at me, “Look I’ll be fine, will you be okay though?” I knew what her underlying message was. She wanted to make sure I was okay without her here to watch over me or to be my crutch. It was the first time in a while I really did feel okay being alone with someone else, someone who wasn’t family or Kim. I nodded and smiled.
“I’m good. Really.”
Kim smiled and hugged me, “I’ll call you later on, I’m sure Alex will take me home tomorrow…well later today I guess. But if not can you be on standby?”
I nodded knowing that once I went home and went to bed, I wouldn’t be doing much else the rest of the day. I wasn’t used to late nights like this. Kim smiled and hugged me again before she headed off in the direction of a very handsome young man who was ready to leave with her.
I looked back toward the house; it really was a site to see especially with the twinkling lights gleaming through the now satisfactory garden that was once a shrewd unhappy place.
I felt Vance behind me and I sighed to myself, “What do you do, Vance?”
He looked down into my eyes and smiled, I could tell he was hiding something and it made me uneasy.
“Charlotte the spectrum of business I do would take too long to explain tonight. You’re tired and it’s late. Maybe I could tell you tomorrow, over dinner?” His eyes lit up at the possibility of seeing me tomorrow and I smiled warily.
“Sure,” I couldn’t lie, I wanted to see him and I wanted to know the man behind the beautiful face.
Oh I wanted to stay but I knew that would be a bad idea. The idea of being alone with Vance when everyone else left and the house was silent sent my stomach into knots. He could tell by my reaction to his words that I wanted him and he pinned me against the side of the house and sighed. His mouth was on mine again, like before it was violent and intense. God damn him, he was so good at distracting me and breaching the wall I had set in place. I kissed him back quickly and felt my body react to the kiss and I pushed myself into him. He stopped kissing me then and took a deep breath himself.
“But if you stay here I think we both know that we’d be at the mercy of the desire we have to touch each other. I don’t know if I could keep my hands off of you thus taking it ‘slow’ would be thrown out the window.” His breath was hot on my face and I gripped onto his waist as he brushed his lips lightly over mine one more time.
“Are you okay to drive or do you want a ride home?” He pulled away from me then, leaving me to sort out my breathing and the need I had to touch him.
How could he regain his confidence and demeanor so quickly? I sighed and closed my eyes briefly before steadying myself and moving away from his gaze. “I’m okay to drive.”
He smiled and led me towards the front of the house and to my car. He grabbed the keys from the board near the porch and unlocked the door for me and helped me in. I rolled down my window as he kneeled and let his hand rest on my face.
“Tomorrow,” He smiled triumphantly as he spoke. “I’ll answer any questions you have.”
I smiled back at him and sighed, “Small talk?”
He nodded and leaned in to kiss my cheek. He pulled himself away from the car then and watched me intently as I shifted it into gear and pulled away. As I drove down Water’s Road the silence filled my car and I took a deep breath and tried to sort through the events of my night. My how things changed in the course of a few hours. The pull I had to be near him was more intense than ever no doubt due to the fact that his kiss knocked the wind out of me and his touch nearly severed me.
It was the first time in over a year that I had actually wanted to be with someone, and I wanted him more than I wanted anything. The desire to get to know him matched the desire I had to touch him. I took another deep breath as I made my way home; suddenly wishing I had just stayed.
Chapter 16
When I awoke on Monday morning I felt a rush of blood to my head and it was the first time in a long time I woke up feeling this way. I walked to my bathroom and peeked at myself in the mirror. I looked different, too. My face had more color, my dark brown eyes that were normally dull and void of life seemed deeper, more alive.
All of this from a few short kisses.
I blushed at the memory of Vance’s lips on mine and I shook my head and headed downstairs to get a cup of coffee.
I was scanning through the paper and eating a piece of toast when my phone chirped. Kim. I jumped upright and grabbed my phone hoping she was okay and she wasn’t regretting her decision to go to Alex’s hotel room.
To my surprise the message was not from Kim, it was from Vance. I swallowed the lump in my throat and opened it.
Charlotte. I had a really good time last night; I can’t thank you enough for showing up. Instead of me cooking tonight, why don’t I take you out for dinner?
I smiled to myself as I realized I would get to see him in a few hours.
I had a great time, too…well after you cleared things up. That sounds lovely. What time should I be ready?
Vance: I’ll pick you up at six, wear something you’re comfortable in.
I smiled to myself again and hugged myself.
I live at the top of the Hill on Worthington Road. Tan house, deep blue shutters. It’s the last one on the left.
Vance: See you then. I look forward to answering the many questions I know you’ll have.
I spent the rest of the day cleaning and keeping myself busy but I noticed myself glancing at the clock far more frequently than normal and I couldn’t contain my excitement. Kim rang me in the early afternoon and let me know Alex had taken her home and she was going to get packing for her trip to Denver. She would be gone through next Sunday and it was the first time she actually sounded sad about leaving. At first I thought maybe she enjoyed spending time with Alex more than she let on, but after she continued to talk I realized she was just overtired and slightly hung over. The last thing she wanted to do was take a late night flight into Denver.
I told Kim I had plans with Vance and I could hear the approval in her voice. Kim was a good judge of character and she reminded me over and over that Vance was a catch. She wanted to know how far things went last night, I told her about the kiss but I left out his commentary. I didn’t want her to worry about me while she was gone. I didn’t want anyone to worry about me anymore. I wanted to move on and start my life again; I didn’t need the threat of a spoiled relationship and a rough year to hang over my head any longer.
I took a shower late in the afternoon and spent an extra amount of time on my hair and makeup. For some strange reason Vance made me nervous and I found myself fussing over my appearance way more than normal. I chose a mint green maxi dress and sandals, and I tossed my wavy hair to one side of my face so that it hung loosely over my shoulder.
Yep, this will have to do. I walked to the kitchen and sat down. I was nervous and I needed to calm down, after all it wasn’t the first time I’d be alone with Vance, if anything this would be way less nerve wracking than before. Although we hadn’t kissed last time. The idea of his body pressed up against mine caused me to fidget under the table. I needed to get a grip.
As if his timing wasn’t perfect enough, I heard a vehicle outside and I took a deep calming breath, grabbed my purse and headed towards the door. When I opened it he was climbing out of the black, expensive looking car from the garage. His back was to me and he was dressed in dark jeans and a tan V-neck shirt. His hair was still a little damp but was managed into some sort of a style. He seemed to also need to take a deep calming breath, and he turned around and our eyes met. He smiled at me as I walked to the car and leaned in and kissed my cheek.
“You look as lovely as always,” he smiled down at me and I blushed and smiled back up at him.
“You look pretty good yourself.”
He walked me to the passenger side and opened the door. I climbed in and smiled to myself when I realized how badly I needed this night. It had been far too long since I had gone out with a man.
“I know you said you are not picky, but do you like seafood?” Vance kept his eyes forward as we headed down the hill and west out of Locke’s Point.
I nodded and cleared my throat, “Seafood is fine.”
“Good, I know a great place a few town’s over.”
The ride was silent but it wasn’t awkward like past silences between us. He hummed along to the radio and every once in a while he would reach over and rub his thumb against the top of my hand. When he did that it sent shivers through my body, and as though he could tell he would smile to himself.
We pulled into a small parking lot along an inlet. Next to the lot were several small businesses and a deep wooden restaurant called The Woods. Fitting.
He smiled at me as he shut the car off and stared at me for a minute.
“What?” I asked suppressing a giggle.
He shook his head and reached over and pressed his hand against my cheek, “You’re very beautiful.”
I pressed my face into his hand and I heard the sharp intake of his breath. After a few seconds he removed his hand and grabbed mine and brought it to his lips. He pressed his lips against it and I giggled again, “Come on Miss Lyons, I owe you dinner.”
The inside of the restaurant matched the outside. It was a dark cherry color with twinkling Mason jar lights hanging from the ceiling and planted along the ta
bles. Fresh green floral arrangements donned the tables that were topped with white linens. I was surprised to see as many people inside as there were. Several heads turned our way when we walked in and I watched a few women gasp when they saw Vance. I hated to admit to him how hungry I was, in my attempt to keep myself busy I had not eaten today and I really didn’t want to wait for a table. Vance pulled me through the people and to the hostess whose eyes lit up when she saw him.
“Mr. Wait, we didn’t know you were coming, how are you?”
I was stunned by the young girl’s realization of him. He smiled at her, his business like smile and I immediately knew he had something to do with this place.
“Tara I’m fine. It seems a little busy tonight, is Clark around?”
She nodded and then motioned quickly for a waitress who at the realization of Vance sprinted up grabbed two menus and led us through the dining area. A few people glanced up and nodded towards Vance, he kept that businessman smile pressed on his face and kept his hand locked in mine. The waitress led us through the French doors at the back and onto a covered deck with a few tables stretched far apart from others. Clearly this area was reserved as there was only one other man seated at a table and he looked like he was in some type of meeting. He nodded towards Vance but never broke his conversation with the others.
“Clark will be out soon Mr. Wait, I’ll let him know you are here. A bottle of Pinot Noir and some bread?”
Vance nodded at her, “Bring some waters too Samantha, I have to drive tonight.”
She smiled and disappeared back inside leaving Vance and me on the deck with an impressive view of the inlet. I watched as the sky burned shades of pink and blue and several boats sailed in and out of the inlet, making their way into the harbor.
“So how do you know about this place?” I already had an idea about the answer but I wanted to hear it from Vance.
He smiled as Samantha appeared with the wine and poured it in our glasses. She sat a basket of bread on the table and disappeared again.
