“I’m glad your weekend was amazing. You deserve happiness, and I hope this works out for you both. I think he’s perfect for you. I don’t know him well enough, but he seemed to be an honest man and has integrity. I like him, and I’m usually a pretty good judge a character. But most importantly, he’s freaking hot.”
Meg laughed at that one. “Thank you, Sarah. Listen, I have to go. My mom called earlier and I haven’t talked to her in over a week. She’s probably worried sick about me by now.”
They said their good-byes and Meg quickly checked to see if there was a text message from Drake. To her disappointment, there were none.
A few rings later, her mom’s voice soothed and warmed her heart. All Meg’s worries seemingly disappeared for the moment. “Hello?” she heard on the other end.
“Mom, it’s me, Meggie. How are you?”
“Oh, Meggie, it’s so nice to hear your voice.”
“I know. I’m a terrible daughter. I haven’t called you in over a week.”
“It’s quite alright. I understand how busy you are, but I can’t help but wait for your call. It feels like yesterday that Sarah was in the driveway beeping her horn for you to come out. I miss those days. You’re so far away now, and I can’t help but worry.”
“Mom, you sound so down. What’s wrong, has something happened?”
“It’s your aunt. I’m afraid she isn’t doing very well.”
“But I thought she was getting better?”
“It’s the cancer. It’s back and it’s aggressive, I’m afraid. It’s progressed to stage 4 and the doctors are not giving her much time. They said it’s spread too far and she’s far too weak for chemo treatments. She’s tired, Meggie. This has been hard on all of us.”
Hearing how this affected her mother, how sad she sounded and how far away she was, Meg wiped away the few tears that fell over her cheek and tried to hide her emotions. No matter how much she hurt for her favorite aunt, she knew she had to be strong for her mom.
“How are things with you, Meggie?” she asked. She sounded tired, and Meg knew she was most likely at her sister’s every day helping out with the house work and cooking dinner for the family as well as maintaining a clean house of her own and preparing dinner and lunches for her dad. For the first time since Meg left home, she actually felt like she needed to be there.
“Things are good.” Meg shared the details of the sale and the fact that she would be out of a job in three months from now. But she reassured her mom that she was thrilled about taking this opportunity to finally write a novel of her own. Meg decided it would be best to leave Drake out of their conversation for now. She was hopeful that one day soon she could tell her mom all about him. She didn’t feel right about getting her hopes up right now, when she was unsure herself where she stood with him.
Meg changed the subject. “So what else is new, Mom? How’s Dad?”
“He’s good, still working hard. He’s actually working here in town right now. They got a paving contract for Door County, and he’s working on fixing the roads here in town.”
“Well, that’s great. At least he’s close to home,” she responded thinking this would be good for him not to have to travel an hour back and forth to work each day.
Her mother’s tone turned soft, “Meggie, when are you coming home for a visit? Your dad wants you home and so do I. Your father has some time off this winter, three months starting at the beginning of December. We would love to see you come home. It’s been eight years since you left here. You have never come back for a visit. People are starting to ask why, and don’t you think it’s time, sweetheart?”
Here we go again. I swear, this comes up in every conversation we have, especially lately.
“Don’t you want to see Aunt Milvie? This may be her last Christmas, you know. Meggie, your father and I miss you. Once a year is not enough to see our only daughter.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do. I really would love to see Aunt Milvie again, and I miss you both too, Mom. I’m actually considering moving to New York. It’s close to home and Sarah is there.”
“Really! Oh my goodness, Meggie, that would be wonderful.” Meg could sense her excitement through the phone, and she smiled at the fact that her mom sounded much happier than she did earlier in the conversation.
“I think New York may be just what I need, a fresh new start. I can start my writing there and see how it goes. I agreed to stay at Griffin Publishing for the next three months.”
“That’s wonderful news, Meggie. I know you love to write and your father will be so excited. We are so proud of you, you know.”
“Thank you, Mom. I know you are. As for NY, I haven’t decided yet, but I’m starting to like the idea of it. You and Dad will be the first to know once I’ve made my decision.”
“It will be so nice to have you come home for a change. Your father hates flying, and the only time I can seem to get that man on a plane is to see you.”
“Well, I appreciated each and every visit Mom, you know that, right?”
“I know you did, sweetie.”
“Okay, I have to go. I’ll talk to you in a few days. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, Meggie.”
“Give Dad a big kiss and hug for me.”
* * * *
After working all night on her book, burning the midnight oil until two in the morning, typing away, reliving every moment with Drake from the first time she had met him, Meg finally threw in the towel and went to bed. Despite the fact that she left both lamps on, she tossed and turned all night long.
She couldn’t stop thinking about going home. It would be a complete disaster, opening up old memories that she had tried so hard to suppress. How will I make it through a visit after what I left behind? What if he’s still there, waiting for me to show up? I know in my mind I have to do this. I have to go back there at some point. It’s been eight years and maybe it’s time I face my fears. Maybe then I can get past it all and be able to sleep in the dark without being scared shitless. I can’t live like this forever, maybe it’s time. Drake hadn’t called or texted Meg at all that day and that was weighing heavily on her mind.
* * * *
The following morning after an eight kilometer run, Meg showered, got ready for work, and before she knew it, she had settled in to her cubicle at work. Perusing through numerous e-mails, she got to it right away. An hour later, her cell phone buzzed! Please let it be him.
My beautiful MM,
I miss you. I’ve gotten very little sleep since the night before last and wrapped up in business meetings all day yesterday. I have to admit, it’s difficult to focus on business when my mind is a million miles away and all I can think about is “you”.
I leave for Japan tonight and will be in touch once I land there. I have a lot of paperwork in preparation for the meetings I have scheduled, but I promise to call Thursday night.
Looks like I will be in Japan for at least two, maybe even three weeks. I was hoping that one week would do the job, no such luck!
Miss you,
DN
xo
p.s. What are you wearing? So many delicious thoughts are swimming through my head right now.
Meg’s heart literally skipped a beat at his words and she was so very relieved to hear from him.
DN,
I miss you, I miss your smell, your touch, and I miss everything about you.
I finally decided to go home for Christmas this year! I know right! It’s been eight years, it’s time. My mom will be ecstatic when I tell her. I mentioned it to her last night but I wasn’t sure until now. Once I wrap up here, which I suspect will be mid-December, I can take a few weeks off at Christmas and possibly start the New Year off in NYC! So many possibilities lay ahead…
p.s. I’m not wearing any panties today.
MM
XO
MM,
You are a very adventurous and might I add “naughty woman.” Don’t think I didn’t catch that las
t sentence, we’ll talk. You should wear panties when I’m not around, that access is only for me. ;-( urgh
DN
XO
Breathe, Meggie. It really was him! Meg’s heart skipped a beat and a warm feeling came over her as she sat there for a moment, thinking about Drake. How in the hell will I get through the next two, maybe three, weeks without you?
Chapter 9
Lying back on the couch in her lonely little condo with a coffee in hand, Meg tried hard to stay awake. It had been a long week at work and four weeks had already gone by since she’d seen Drake. What was supposed to have been two weeks slowly dragged into four! Shortly after the Japan trip, Drake flew off to Seattle for another business trip with tight deadlines and meetings. They talked on the phone every night, seducing one another into a dreamy state of sleep. When are you coming back to me Drake? I’m so lonely without you, baby.
Meg kept herself busy, but it was hard not to think about how much she missed him. She desperately needed to feel him, smell him, listen to him whispering naughty things in her ear, holding her down while she gave herself over to him completely. God, I miss him like crazy. She was beginning to worry where they were headed. She began to question if she could live a life with a man whose business took him away for such long periods of time. It was far more difficult than she thought to build a relationship with so much distance between them.
Her cell phone rang and the caller ID showed it was Drake. “Drake?” Guilt took over her emotions the moment she heard his voice. Why am I questioning where I stand with him? The moment she heard his voice, she knew what she wanted. She would wait for him for the rest of her life if she had to. There was no one else for her and she knew it.
“Yes, it’s me,” he replied followed by a big yawn.
“It’s so good to hear your voice. Are you still in Seattle?” Meg asked hopeful that he had finished and was on his way back to her.
“I am,” he said softly, “these meetings are taking a lot longer than I anticipated. There have been a few setbacks and unforeseen circumstances that have developed, and I’ve been forced to stay here a little longer. I can’t let this one slip through my fingers, Meggie. I’ve put in too many long hours to make this happen. If these two deals go through, it’ll free up a lot of my time and I won’t have to travel nearly as much as I do right now.” In a worried voice, he continued. “I’ll make it up to you, Meggie, I swear.”
“I am definitely holding you to that, Mr. Noble.”
“I miss you, baby.”
Meg sighed into the receiver, “Me too, I miss you so much Drake.”
“I have some good news, or at least I hope you’ll think it’s good,” she said eagerly.
“Hmm, if you tell me you’re here in Seattle and standing outside my hotel door with a long black trench coat and nothing underneath, I would say that’s very good news.”
Meg laughed lightly into the receiver. “Why, Mr. Noble, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you have it bad for me.”
His tone changed from sexual play to serious, “You have no fucking idea.”
“Oh, but I do,” she teased.
Meg grew emotional. It seemed to come out of left field and hit her like a ton of bricks. She blamed Mother Nature. Stupid period. Every month at this time Meg found herself crying at the drop of a hat. Her voice trembled. “Drake,” she whispered softly. Tears streamed down her face, and she realized how deep her feelings have grown for him. She also felt his longing for her, and she could hear it in his voice that he cared strongly about her too. Being so far apart for so long was taking its toll on both of them.
“Meggie, are you okay?”
Meg swallowed back her tears. “No, actually, I’m not. I wake up every day wondering where the hell you are or when you’ll come back for me.” Her words escaped in a sob, and she knew she was hitting him hard with this.
“Stop, don’t cry, Meggie. Please, baby, don’t do this. I know it’s hard to be away for so long, but if you give up on me, my world will be meaningless without you. I need you to hang in there for a little while longer, do you hear me?” Concern was clear in his voice, and Meg felt awful for breaking down and causing him to worry.
“I’m not going anywhere. I just miss you so much. I’m here in my empty condo, sitting on the couch alone and oh God,” wiping the tears away with the back of her sleeve, she continued. “I had something important to tell you. Oh yes, that’s right, I, um, I’ve made up my mind, and I’ve decided to make the move to New York. I was hoping to tell you when I see you. I know I mentioned it in an e-mail to you before, but at the time I wasn’t one hundred percent certain. But I can’t wait any longer because I don’t know when I’ll see you again. I have a few details to work out, but I’m planning to move there in mid-December before I fly back home for the holidays.”
“Meggie, I’m so happy to hear you say that. Now, promise me you’ll stop crying. This is a good thing. We’ll be closer. I won’t be traveling as much if these deals go through, and you know me, when I want something, I get it.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. You must think I’m such a disaster.” She held back her tears.
“No, I think you miss me though, as much as I miss you. Now go to bed, it’s late. It’s a new day tomorrow, and I shouldn’t be more than another week here, two at the very most, I promise.”
“Good night, Drake.”
“Sweet dreams, Meggie.”
Once the call ended, Meg scanned through the pictures on her cell. Every night since he left, she pulled up one particular picture of him. Meg had taken quite a few pictures of Drake with her cell phone during their last weekend together in August. But this one spoke a thousand words to her. To see him sleeping so peacefully, with his dark sex-tousled hair splayed wildly around his face, he looked like a dream. God, he’s so incredibly beautiful, and he’s all mine.
After settling herself into bed for the night, she placed the phone on the pillow next to her. If it wasn’t that time of the month, she would run her hand down her tummy and touch herself, until she fell into an orgasm that would suck the life right out of her. The bathroom light remained on, casting a small amount of light into the bedroom, just enough to keep the darkness at bay. Meg lay there for what felt like hours thinking about the move to NYC, about Drake, about going home to see her parents, before she finally drifted off.
* * * *
Mid-October unfolded a world of vivid autumn colors, a mixture of deep rustic browns, reds, and orange. Leaves drifted aimlessly around and surrounded her everywhere. This was Meg’s favorite time of the year to run through the path at the lake shore and breathe in that crisp cool air. The sound of dried leaves crunched under her feet with every step she took. Her breathing grew heavy, and she slowed down her pace when she finally had enough. Meg took a seat on a bench under a large oak tree giving her a perfect view of the lake. The skies were clear today and the wind picked up, and she shivered against the chilled air. Meg stood up, shook off the tightness in her legs, and headed back home.
As much as she tried not to think about it, she couldn’t help but worry about going back home to visit in less than six weeks from now. Since she’d made that decision, the nightmares had returned. She stayed up as late as she could to avoid sleep. She worked diligently on her book most nights. The remainder of her spare time was spent on details of what needed to be accomplished between now and Christmas for her move to NY. The condo had gone up for sale two weeks earlier, and she’d managed to pack a few boxes that were now ready to be shipped to Sarah’s for storage. Sarah was ecstatic to hear that Meg finally decided to move to NY and insisted she send everything to her place in preparation for the move.
Coffee. She stopped in front of Starbucks located on the corner from where she lived and decided to grab a non-fat latte. They filled her order, and just when she was about to head out the door with her latte in hand, a familiar voice called out to her. She looked back over her shoulder and to her pleasant surprise, there wa
s Frank with his arm wrapped around the tiny frame of a woman. Her blond hair was long and hung low below the swell of her breasts. Dressed in black dress pants and a thick fall sweater, she was a strikingly beautiful woman. Meg guessed the woman was in her early forties. They looked good together and made a perfectly beautiful couple; that’s when she noticed the happiness in Frank’s eyes.
“Frank! How are you?” After Frank’s departure from Griffin Publishing, Meg never did get the opportunity to say a proper good-bye. One day he was there, and before she knew it, he disappeared. She called him from time to time for information she needed for the new COO, and they kept in touch through e-mail for the most part. They hugged closely as though they hadn’t seen one another in years, and Frank introduced her to his fiancée, Ana.
“Wow, you’re getting married? That’s wonderful. Congratulations to you both.” Ana was quite pleasant to talk to, and after hugging her, Meg felt a mutual warmness. Ana’s voice was sincere, soft and friendly. Meg decided immediately that she liked this woman. During Frank’s last days at Griffin Publishing, he couldn’t say enough about Ana. Meg quickly grew to understand why. She was beautiful, witty, and charming. And when she looked at Frank, her feelings were evident toward him.
“Meg, we came here for a reason,” Frank offered right away. “I left in a hurry and didn’t get to say a proper good-bye to you. You did so much for me, and I wanted to give you this personally.” He extended his hand toward Meg and pushed the envelope he was carrying into her grip. He held her hand securely for a brief moment. “Ana and I both agree that you deserve this. Without you, this deal may not have happened. I believe people cross paths for a reason. You worked your ass off for me. You challenged me and kept me on my toes. You also stuck around when times were tough, and I appreciate that more than you know,” he said thankfully.
Felisha Goulding's Stolen Innocence Series Page 36
