She thought for a moment and smiled. “It is exciting. I’ve done things with you that I would never have done before, and it all seems so natural with you. I mean, the things I do with you don’t even seem weird, but I know they are. How do you explain that?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Just remember that I will always keep you safe.”
She grinned at me and cocked her head. “If it’s so safe here, do you want to do it again?” she grinned.
I laughed and shook my head. “I don’t think that you would enjoy it nearly as much this time knowing that there really isn’t anyone on the other side of the window. Let’s go home, princess. Maybe we can find something exciting to do there like watch the evening news or have sex on the front porch and hope no one comes up to the front door.”
She smiled. “I think I understand what you are getting at. You’re not saying that we are going to have sex in public. You’re saying that we might sometimes have sex where we’re hidden, but there is still always a slight chance that someone might catch us in the act.”
“There you go. That’s pretty much what I’m talking about. It’s not something that we are going to do all the time, but when the opportunity comes up, we can take advantage of it, if we want to.”
We stopped at the guard gate on our way out to say goodnight. “Good evening, Mr. Thompson. Are you done for the evening?” he asked with a large smile.
I returned his smile. “Yes, we’re finished. Thank you.
“You didn’t hear a woman scream a little while ago, did you?”
I chuckled, trying to think of something to say. “Not only did I hear her, I was standing right behind her when she screamed. She was bent over my desk when she saw a mouse. Why don’t you make a note to have maintenance take a look in there tomorrow?”
“I’ll do that, Mr. Thompson. When I heard that scream, I almost came running, but I remembered you saying that you wanted to be left alone. So I figured that, if you needed some help, you would have called me.”
We both laughed nervously as I pulled away from the guard gate. “We could have gotten caught back there if you hadn’t told him that you didn’t want to be disturbed or if he had decided to come anyway because of my scream.”
I got a bit of a cold chill thinking about it. “Yeah, that was a little too close for my comfort level,” I chuckled. “That scream of yours was fairly loud, you know. Hell, I thought that you were going to shatter all of the windows in the building.”
“Oh, come on now. It wasn’t that bad, was it?
I gave her a look.
“Okay, if we ever do anything like that again, I mean, you know, have sex in public, sort of, I will try to be a little quieter, okay?”
I gave her another look but didn’t say anything.
She frowned at me. “Maybe we just shouldn’t do anything like that again. It is dangerous, you know.”
I didn’t say anything at first. I just stared at her. “I think that you might be right. It is dangerous.”
She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, giving me a half-slutty look. “Unless, of course, you think that it might be alright. I trust you, handsome. The problem is, if there is an opportunity like that again, I’ll probably be horny and beg you anyway,” she laughed.
She was quiet for the remainder of the drive home. When we arrived, we took a quick shower and went to bed to watch the evening news. Apparently, her mind had been off somewhere else, and she hadn’t been thinking about the news. About halfway through it, she turned toward me, placed her hand on my stomach, and laid her head against the side of my chest.
“Alex, I’ve been thinking about sex.
I grinned and drew her up closer to me. “Okay, what are you thinking about sex?”
“The time we had sex on the beach against that warm rock was incredible. Just now, when we had sex in your office it was over the top, but it was scary because we could have been caught.”
“Not if you wouldn’t have screamed.”
“Okay, I’ll work on that. So I was wondering what kind of places you think we might look for so we could do something like that again, you know, and be safe.”
“Are you really intrigued that much by it?”
“Yes, it excites me. I’ve never done anything like that before, and I can’t get my mind off it now. I’ve never even had sex in a car, and I think everyone has done that. I don’t know, perhaps it’s because we had such wonderful sex that evening at the beach, but the thought of being fucked outside really turns me on.”
I grinned and ran my hand affectionately up and down her back while I thought about what she had just said. “I think that there are a lot of places we could have sex that would be exciting. Why don’t we both think about it and see what we can come up with that might excite you.”
She cooed with a deep, satisfying sigh and whispered, “I like having sex with you.”
Chapter Ten
We had been back in Seattle for a few weeks and had settled into a comfortable routine, not dull or boring, but comfortable. I don’t think anything about her could ever be dull or boring. I purchased a four-wheel drive SUV so we could take some nice long drives in the mountains and not have to worry about the roads or the weather, if we wanted to go off somewhere and explore.
We became incredibly close, The “L” word had never been mentioned, but it had been hinted at quite often. There was little doubt that Charlie loved me.
She didn’t spend nearly as much time in the office as she had before we met. In fact, occasionally, she would take a few days off and not even go into the office, so she could spend more time with me. I knew that she didn’t need to work, not by a long shot, but I began to worry about her being fired. Go figure.
“Hey, beautiful, aren’t you worried about getting into trouble for not going to work today?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No, not really. I actually resigned a month ago and have not taken a salary since then. I knew that my job was going to interfere with our time together, so I decided to quit. I woke up early one morning and looked over at you. I didn’t want to leave you that particular morning, so I had to make a decision whether I would go to work or stay with you. You won,” she giggled. “I did promise them that I would train someone to take my place so the transition would be easy, and that’s what I have been doing.”
“Wow!”
“What do you mean ‘wow’?”
“Wow, because you gave up a prestigious job to be with me. I think that’s pretty special, and it means a lot to me.”
She smiled. “You’re so sweet; you’re always thinking of me. I don’t think it’s such a big deal when you consider that you turned your life’s work over to your son and moved clear across the country just to be with me.”
I chuckled. “And that move was worth every joyous mile of it. Being here with you has made me incredibly happy.”
She poured us a cup of coffee and sat with me at the kitchen table. “Yes, and since you made that move, I have measured my joy in inches, not miles,” she giggled.
We had been planning a trip to the old, historic gold mining country that surrounded Seattle and the mountains to the north and east. We wanted to do some exploring and look for historical landmarks and old, abandoned mining towns.
“That sounds like so much fun, honey. I will have Henrietta stay here with Charlie so we won’t have to worry about him. We can stay at nice places with room service, have sex in the morning before we head out, and then make love at night when we get back,” she teased.
“Hey, I’m not complaining, not by a long shot. You are every man’s dream come true, but don’t you think that you will eventually get your fill of sex with me?”
“Oh, God, I hope not. It just feels too good, and it’s free. Just think about it. One of the most joyous things in the world is sex, and it’s free,” she smiled happily, and then her smile turned into a frown as she gave me a look. “Well, it’s free most of the time,” s
he giggled again.
The weather had been wonderful the entire day, so we spent a good portion of it lying out by the pool. By three in the afternoon, it began to get a little cool, so we went inside. We decided to cook fish that night, so I took a quick shower and drove to the fish market to see what they had that looked good. She stayed behind to freshen up and start a book that she had wanted to read. I was gone about an hour and a half because it took a little longer at the fish market than usual. Anyway, I picked up some great-looking, red snapper filets and a loaf of fresh, crusty French bread. Oh, yes, I also picked up a bouquet of freshly-cut flowers for my lady.
Once I had everything, I headed back to the house, looking forward to another wonderful evening with someone that seemed to be turning into what could be the love of my life. “I am one lucky bastard,” I said aloud with a chuckle.
She was seated at the kitchen table when I walked in the room. I had the groceries in one hand, and the flowers were hidden behind my back. She looked up at me, and it was immediately obvious that she had been crying and crying hard. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her mascara had created streaks down her face. I immediately rushed by her to set the groceries and flowers on the counter.
“My God, honey, what is the matter?” I asked as I turned toward her, and before she could answer, I could see what the problem was. It was the worst thing that could have happened to her, and I felt a deep-angry burn in the pit of my stomach.
My eagerness to help her quickly turned into solemn depression. “My God, Shannen, where in the world did these come from?”
She handed me the Priority Mail package they came in. It was addressed to her, but it didn’t have a return address. I could see several photographs of Nancy and me spread out all over the table. They had been taken by someone with a keen interest in the two of us and what we had been doing. I quickly shuffled through the pictures to see if any of them were at all compromising. I breathed a lot easier when none of them showed anything more risqué that the two of us kissing in public. The problem was that they were passionate kisses.
I came up behind her and hugged her shoulders to comfort her. She stiffened, and I couldn’t figure out why. “What’s the matter, honey? These are old photographs that someone took of us long before you and I met. How can that possibly have any effect on us?”
She looked at me and began to tear up again. She reached for one of the photographs and handed it to me. “What about it?” I asked.
She pointed to the date on the menu outside the restaurant that displayed their specials for the evening. I looked closely at the photo and frowned, thinking that could not be. I grabbed my phone and scrolled back through my calendar. “Aw, fuck,” I grumbled. “Do you remember what the date was that I met her for dinner to tell her that I wasn’t going to see her any longer?”
“Yes,” she choked, “that was the date. Alex, you told me that you didn’t kiss her that night. You lied to me. I know you didn’t fuck her, but none-the-less, you lied to me.”
“No,” I argued, “I did not kiss her.”
“I think that I could have handled it back then if you had just told me that you gave her a goodbye kiss or simply just kissed her good night. But you didn’t. You chose to lie to me instead.”
“No, I did not kiss her. Shannen, I swear to God that I didn’t,” I said angrily. I picked up the photo again and closely looked at it. “This fucking picture has been photoshopped by someone.”
She took the picture from my hands and looked at it again. “It looks pretty authentic to me, Alex.”
“Honey, I’m not saying that I can see anything wrong with the photo. What I’m saying is that I know I didn’t kiss her, not on that date. That’s why I know that it has been photoshopped, and it was done by someone good.”
She didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “I think it is a real photograph and that your ex-girlfriend is either trying to get you back, or she is trying to punish you and in the process destroy me,” she whimpered.
I went from pissed to sorrowful in a nanosecond. “Oh, honey, don’t cry. We’ll figure this out somehow. I don’t know what the fuck’s going on.”
“She’s trying to hurt me, and if it’s not her, then it’s someone else.”
I shook my head. “No, she’s not that kind of person. She would never do anything to hurt either one of us. Besides, she’s too smart for that. She knows that it would never work, not with me.”
“Then maybe she just doesn’t care anymore, and she just wants to hurt both of us. I think that the picture is real, and whoever took it, is in cahoots with her.”
“First of all, the picture is a fake, period. I don’t know who took it, and I’m sure that she doesn’t know anything about it.”
“Why are you defending her?”
“I’m not. I’m defending myself or trying to. Hell,” I said angrily, “I don’t even know who to go after.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, wouldn’t it just be easier if you were to admit that you kissed her and be done with it?”
“Now I know what innocent people on death row feel like. N O! No! I didn’t kiss her.” I reached angrily for my cell phone. I thought for a second before I pushed Nancy’s number. “Shannen, I uh… uh, love you, but just shut up and listen.”
I placed the phone on the table between us and tapped the speaker icon. It rang forever, and I was afraid that it was going to go to voice mail, something I didn’t need right then.
“Oh, my God, Alex. Hi. Are you in town?”
“No, Nancy, I’m not in town. I’m in Seattle. How are you doing?”
“I’m good, Alex. Are you coming back home?”
I took a deep breath because I wasn’t sure at that moment. “No, Nancy. I don’t think so, at least, not right now.”
“Aw, baby, remember? I told you that you could come back anytime you wanted.”
That sure as hell wasn’t helping my cause, I thought. “Nancy, do you remember the last time we met at our favorite restaurant?”
“How could I forget?”
“Nancy, this is important; I’m trying to remember the last time we kissed.”
There was a short silence. “Alex, … honey, are you alright?”
“Yes, I think so. I just can’t be sure when the last time we kissed was, or the last time we, well, you know.”
“Oh, Alex, are you sure you are alright? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“Yes, Nancy, I just need to know.”
“Oh, God, I’m so worried about you. I’ve missed you so much. But honey, don’t you remember I wanted you to come to my house and make love to me that night, but you wouldn’t because of some sort of promise.”
“Nancy, I’m trying to remember our last kiss.”
“Alex, I don’t know exactly, but it had to be before you went to Seattle. Please tell me you remember.”
Shannen whimpered quietly. Soon, she began crying openly, sobbing with relief and sorrow for not believing me. She threw her arms around me convulsing, sobbing and sniffling, choking and coughing. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry,” she wailed as she sat on my lap and sunk into my arms.
“Alex, who is crying? What’s going on? I’m so worried about you.”
I picked up the phone and tapped the speaker off. “Nancy, please don’t worry about me, I’m alright. I have to go now, but I will call you in the morning. Nancy, someone is trying to hurt us, and you are involved in some way. I don’t know how or why, but you need to be cautious of everyone around you.”
“What? No, wait, Alex, don’t hang up. What is going on?”
I sighed in relief. “Nancy, please, I have to go now. I promise I will call you in the morning and tell you what is going on, at least, as much as I know.”
“Just tell me that you are alright.”
“I’m fine. I have to go now. Bye.”
She sat in my lap and cried for the longest time. Her choking sobs eventually turned to mournful whimpers as she slowly calmed down. When her painful c
ries finally stopped for a few moments, she jumped up, ran to the kitchen sink, and retched with a painful groan. I followed quickly behind her and gave her a glass of water to calm her stomach.
When she had calmed, I wiped her face with a cool, damp cloth and kissed her slightly parted lips. It was a kiss of love, a tender kiss of love. She threw her arms around my neck and returned my kiss and began to cry again as our lips remained together.
“I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone more,” I whispered.
She whimpered. “Oh, Alex, I’ve been waiting a long time to hear you say those words to me,” she sniffled loudly.
I held her in my arms while softly kissing little parts of her lips repeatedly as she slowly calmed. Finally, she took a deep breath and placed her lips to mine in a long, sweet, and tender kiss. “Me, too, Alex. I love you.”
I held her at arm’s length. “It broke my heart to see you cry.”
“The crying part was healing my heart. That was so painful. God, I’m glad you called her. I didn’t want you to at first, but I’m glad you did. It’s obvious that she still cares for you.”
“She is a good person. There is not a vindictive bone in her body. That’s why I knew that she couldn’t have had anything to do with those pictures.”
“My tummy’s upset, and I’m not at all hungry any longer.”
I held her close to me for a minute and rocked her back and forth in my arms.“Mine’s upset as well. I think that I’m going to make myself a vodka martini and see if that will settle it. Want one?”
“Yes, I think it might calm my nerves, and help me settle down.” She turned back toward the counter as I headed for the pantry to get the vodka. “You brought me some flowers?”
I nodded with a smile.
She whimpered slightly. “That’s so sweet, honey; thank you very much.”
Mistaken Identity Page 20
