by Té Russ
Still looking at her, he chuckled. “Well, I must admit, that certainly was not the greeting I expected.”
She blushed and looked down. “I don't know what came over me.”
He gave the tip of her nose a tug and winked at her. “You missed me more than you thought.”
She stood on tiptoe to give him another quick kiss on the lips. “I suppose I did. Now, come help me with my bags.”
They got to the car and he loaded her bags in the trunk. Once they were out of the airport, she turned to face him. “How have things been at the restaurant?” she asked him.
He gave her a sidelong glance before returning his attention back to maneuvering the car around traffic. He shrugged and said, “The same.”
She sat back and looked out the window.
“How was your flight?” he asked her.
“It was alright I suppose. I was eager to get home.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, really.”
“You must have been really eager, considering your display back there at the airport.”
“I'm sure you enjoyed that quite a bit.”
“I enjoyed it immensely.”
She looked over and noticed how his chest poked out. She clicked her teeth and rolled her eyes. “Don't get full of yourself, Parker.”
He laughed a hearty laugh. “Don't get so bent out of shape Peaches. There's nothing wrong with you showing me how much you truly missed me.”
She folded her arms across her ample chest. “I didn't miss you that much.”
“You've never greeted me like that before when you've returned from an out of town trip.”
She had no comeback, so she just sat back looking out the window.
After they arrived at her apartment, he put her bags down then turned to her, pulling her towards him, wrapping his hands around her waist.
He dipped his head towards hers and grazed her mouth with a tender kiss. Leaning his mouth towards her ear, he whispered, “You have no idea, how much I really missed you.”
She shivered at the warmth of his breath near her ear. “I can imagine.”
He shook his head. “I don't think so Peaches.”
She took a step back and looked up at him.
“I want to ask you something Lizzie.”
“Ask away.”
“Have dinner with me?”
She turned her head to the side and looked at him confused. “Sure, sweetie, we can have dinner at one of your restaurants.”
“No, have dinner with me.”
A smile slowly spread across her face as she realized what he was asking. “Johnny,” she purred as she walked back into the circle of his arms, placing her hands on his chest. “Are you asking me out on a date?”
“Yes, Elizabeth, a date. A real date.”
This was it. She was about to take that step she'd been so terrified to take. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“When?”
“Tomorrow, I'll pick you up at 7.”
“I'll be waiting.”
“Great.”
He gave her another quick kiss on the lips. “I've got to head over to the restaurant before the dinner rush hits. I left you some food in the fridge. Just reheat it.”
She nodded as he took a step back towards the door. He stared at her for several more moments. It took Herculean strength not to take her in his arms again and kiss her senseless. But part of his plan included taking things slowly. When she'd surprised him with that kiss in the airport, he'd almost thrown that plan out the window. But he didn't want to move too fast with her.
“I'll see you tomorrow,” he said grabbing the door handle.
“Tomorrow,” she repeated as he opened the door and walked out.
Liz was having an exceptionally good day. She'd reported all of the new things she'd learned at the conference to Mr. Randall, and she even got to try some of them out. She was amazed how much more efficient the techniques she'd learned helped her with the restoration of a portrait.
She'd met Anjelah during lunch and they'd set a date for the opening of her show at the gallery. It would be in two months. She would make three new paintings, as well as three new sculptures; then she would have some of her more popular work she'd already done reproduced.
She felt like she was floating on air as she danced down the steps of the museum and headed for her car. On top of all of the good that had happened during the day, she was having her first official date with John that night.
The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She knew by the assigned ring tone that it was her mother calling. She smiled as she answered the phone. “Hello, Ma' Dear!”
She heard the soft laughter of her mother's voice in the phone. “Well, well aren't we in a good mood.”
“Yes we are!” she responded. “How are you mother?”
“I'm well, but the better question is how are you?”
“The same.”
“How was your trip?”
“It was great Mama, I learned so much!”
“That's wonderful.” She paused for a beat, and then asked. “How is Johnathon?”
“He is good, as usual.”
“Mmm hmm,” Elaine Foster was no fool. She could tell something was up with her daughter, and by the dreamy sound of her voice she had a sneaking suspicion that Liz's best friend John had something to do with it. “When are you coming out for a visit?”
“Perhaps sometime this week or over the weekend. How is Neil?”
She heard her mother sigh. She was amazed at how her mother still seemed like a teenage girl when talking about her husband. “Neil is good. He's been asking about you and John.”
“Send him my love.”
“Give him your love yourself.” And then she heard her mother give the phone to her stepfather. “Hiya Lizzie!”
“Hiya Pop!” she responded with the sweet term of endearment she'd began calling him.
“You sound different.”
She stopped walking and stared at the phone. Was it that obvious already? “What do you mean Pop?”
“Don't play dumb with me Lizzie,” he said, the amusement clear in his voice. “What's going on with you?”
“Things are just going really good right now Pop. I've got my own show coming up in a couple of months.”
“That's great! We will be there for sure in our best duds!”
“I will look forward to seeing you there.”
“When are you coming to visit?”
“I told Mom sometime this week or this weekend.”
“You should bring John, he can help me with some projects around here Lainie's been bugging me about.”
“Oh so now I'm bugging you?” she heard her mother shout in the background.
“Uh oh, I better go and sweet talk your mother, before I end up in the dog house.”
Liz laughed out loud. “Yes you go do that.”
“We'll see you soon.”
“Ok Pop.”
She was at her car by the time she ended the call. She thought about Neil's suggestion to bring John with her to see her family. It had been no secret before to either one of their families that they had been best friends. But she wondered how things would be now that their friendship was turning into something more. Would they notice? When would she tell them? Did she even want to tell anyone about what was going on between them?
As she started the car and began to drive towards her apartment, she smiled thinking of their date tonight. She had no idea what he had planned for them, but she was looking forward to it.
Suddenly, she decided she wanted to let him know just how much she was looking forward to their date. When she came to a particular intersection, she decided to turn around and headed to Caliente, his third restaurant that, of course, had a Mexican cuisine inspiration. He only worked there a couple of times a week, spending most of his time at Johnny's.
As she got closer to the restaurant, her eagerness to see him rose. She blushed when s
he admitted to herself what she really wanted to do was kiss him. She was quickly becoming addicted to his mouth. The man knew how to make her thoughts scatter with a mere caress on the cheek. Once their lips touched, she was a goner.
She pulled into the employee parking in the back and hopped out of the car. He'd given her an employee sticker to park at any of the restaurants, although she mostly walked to Johnny's. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw his car, confirming he was there. She hadn't called because she wanted to surprise him.
She found herself to be the one surprised when she saw his sister Randi in the restaurant. Her eyes lit up when she saw Liz and she quickly walked over to her and embraced her.
“Lizzie!” she said excited. “I haven't seen you since you were sick! How are you?”
“I'm great!”
Randi gave her a knowing glance. “I'm sure you are. Here to see Johnny?”
She nodded looking around. “Is he in the kitchen?”
“I was told he's in a meeting. I just came by for something to eat before my next class. I was just about to go back there and peek in real quick to tell him hi. Want to come with me?”
“Sure,” she said and they headed for his office.
Chapter 12
John was sitting on the edge of his desk in utter shock. When his day began, he never would have imagined he would see Susan. But here she was. He'd been sitting at his desk going over inventory when there was frantic knock at the door. Before he had a chance to speak it flew open and in burst Susan, looking wide-eyed and terrified.
Trish, the hostess at Caliente, looked frantic. “I'm sorry John, I tried to ask her if she had an appointment, but she just stormed right past me!”
“It's ok Trish,” he said standing and coming to the front of his desk, “She's a client.”
Susan looked at him incredulously. “That's all I am to you now? Just a client?”
He didn't know where this fit of hysteria had suddenly come from, but he wanted to get this over with quickly. He wanted to leave early to surprise Liz before their date. He planned on going all out for their date, but he couldn't wait so long to see her. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her.
Trish quickly closed the door.
He looked at her and said, “If you are having an issue with the catering, I'm sure Marnee can handle whatever requests you have.”
She shook her head, causing her short bobbed hair cut to fly around her face. “That's not it. I'm leaving Dwayne,” she choked out.
“You're what?”
“I realized he wasn't right for me. He was never right for me. It was you. It was always you.”
He leaned back on his desk, staring at her as if she'd grown another head. “What are you talking about Susan?”
“It took me a while to figure it out. But,” she leaned in to him, “I realized that I never should have ran out on you on our wedding day.”
Liz and Randi stood outside the door of John's office. They hadn't intended on eavesdropping, but the raised voice of the woman peaked their interest. When they found out it was Susan, they leaned in a little closer. Hearing her declare that she'd been wrong in leaving John five years ago had surprised them both. Randi, now had a look of anger on her face, while Liz's expression revealed nothing.
Randi was about to knock the door down and give the woman a piece of her mind when Liz grabbed her and stilled her from moving. She wanted to hear his response to the woman who'd just said she should have never ran out on him on their wedding day.
They heard him chuckle softly. “Susan, you don't know how long I waited for you to come to me and say those words.”
Liz took a step back. She felt all of the air rush out of her lungs. So that was it? He'd still had feelings for Susan and the moment she came back into his life anything they might have had was forgotten. Not being able to stand to hear any more she turned to leave, before Randi saw the tears that were stinging her eyes fall.
“Liz wait!” Randi whispered. But it was too late. Randi turned back to the door just in time to hear John continue. “But you're five years too late Susan. I've moved on and I'm starting a relationship a wonderful woman. A woman I should have been with a very long time ago, but I wasted too much time pining over you to see that the best thing for me was right there in front of me for years.”
That's when Randi burst into the room. John straightened when he saw his baby sister. “Randi?”
“John! It's Liz. She's leaving!” Randi managed to get out.
“What are you talking about?”
“Liz?” Susan spat out. “That little artist.” Both Randi and John turned to face her.
Randi spoke first, stepping into Susan face. “You,” she spewed through clenched teeth. “I ought to rip you apart for what you did to my brother.”
“Randi!” John said. “What about Liz?”
She turned to face John.
“Liz! She was here.” She explained what had just happened. “John she left before she heard everything! You have to go after her!”
He rushed past the women.
“Wait!” Susan shouted. “You're going to leave me for that woman?”
He turned back to her giving her a stare so cold, it made her visibly shiver.
“I love that woman. And if I can fix this, I'm going to marry her one day. And I'm positive she won't leave me at the altar.”
Susan gasped as if she'd just been slapped in the face.
John turned to leave then stopped short, turning quickly back to face her. He smiled and said, “By the way, the deposit is non-refundable.” Then he ran out the door.
John went through the kitchen to the back door because it was quicker to get to the parking lot. He exhaled an expletive when he saw her car was already gone. He'd hoped to catch her before she left.
He rushed to his car and got in. He couldn't believe that he could possibly lose the woman he loved before he even got the chance to express his love to her, all over a stupid misunderstanding. If she'd only stood there a minute longer. He knew, in the state she was in, he might have a difficult time to get her to listen. Liz tended to sometimes be quick to temper and slow to forgive.
He got to his apartment in record timing. He saw her as she was about to go into her building.
“Liz!” he called to her. She looked over at him then began to quicken her steps. “Lizzie wait!” He rushed across the street to get to her.
It was clear she'd been crying and that was his undoing. “Liz, I know you were there and what you thought you heard. You've got it all wrong.”
“Leave me alone John.”
“No, you need to hear me.”
“I heard you loud and clear at your office. You telling that woman how you had waited for her to come back to you! Well now you've got her so go!”
“You need to come with me.”
“No, I don't want to talk to you right now. The minute that snake of a woman came crawling back she stuck her fangs in you and you were a goner.” She laughed a frightful hysterical laugh. “I was a fool! I was a fool to think this could work!”
“No!” he shouted. She jumped at the sound of his voice.
“If you'd just stayed and listened a little longer, you would have heard me tell her that I was with you now.”
Liz stared at him speechless. He held out his hand. “I need to show you something Elizabeth.” She was reluctant, but she took his hand. He pulled her in the direction of his apartment. As they rode the elevator, she turned to look at him. “John,” she whispered.
“Don't say anything yet, Peaches.” He gave her a sensual smile. “You can apologize to me later.” How could she, when she was feeling so much turmoil, be feeling aroused by him merely smiling at her?
They entered his apartment and he took her to one of the guest rooms. He didn't really use the room, it was more for storage. He opened the door and flicked on the light. Liz gasped.
Taking a step back she felt herself hit his solid chest.
&nbs
p; “It's...it's my painting from the charity ball auction!”
He nodded, kissing her on the top of her head and wrapping an arm around her waist.
She turned around and glared at him. “You spent five thousand dollars on this painting? Why? Was it because you knew how important it was for my shot at my own art show? I could have done it without your help John!”
She was getting angry again.
He turned her back around to face the picture.
“Calm down. Look at that picture, Lizzie. Do you see that?”
“Of course I see it! It's a couple, John. I painted it.”
“No you need to look again. That is not just any couple.”
She walked forward and looked at the painting again.
“I knew the minute I saw this picture, I could not let anyone else have a portrait of you and me hanging on their walls.”
She turned her head to the side to look at the painting as if someone else painted it. Her eyes grew wide with realization. It wasn't exact, but the characteristics were very similar to her and John.
She shut her eyes tightly trying to recall when she painted the picture. It was before the ball. How did she not realize before? The night of their fight, after he'd almost kissed her the very first time. “I dreamed about us,” she whispered as she remembered. Her dream was so vivid, so erotic, that she woke up drenched in sweat. Afraid to go back to sleep, she got up, went to her studio and began to work on the painting for the ball. She didn't even realize she'd subconsciously painted themselves together.
He smiled at her. “I've dreamed about you for years Liz.”
She turned to look at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I use to have these dreams of a woman standing in a field of black orchids. I could never see the woman's face and I thought the woman was Susan. I would chase after her, calling out to her, but she would never answer my calls. Then she would just stop and stand there. But I could never get close to her.
“It bothered me that I would have these dreams of her when I knew I was over her. Then the morning after the ball it hit me. The black orchids. That is the scent you wear. I tried searching in my mind when I started having the dreams and I realized, they started right after you and I met.”
