Love/Forty

by Bette McNicholas

  “Really? That’s fantastic, provided I’m going to get to see you.”

  “Yes, you’re the main reason I’m coming, but don’t let on to my family that they’re second best.”

  “Promise, cross my heart…”

  “That’s not necessary,” she said, “especially the ‘and hope to die’ part. I think we need to tell Max we were together in France, Dante. We’ve been fortunate that I’m referred to as the mystery mermaid in the papers, but I’m uneasy and concerned someone will identify me for the right price. The guy at the car rental had my name written on a placard, and the staff at the mansion knew my name. I’d feel that Max would be able to handle the crisis if that happens and more importantly, keep my parents from knowing. He handles the press all the time. Fortunately, my parents have a different last name and I doubt they read tabloids.”

  “Are you going to tell him then that you were with me in Colorado?”

  “Not certain. After France, he may figure that out on his own, but he may not be happy about our seeing one another if he believes the mermaid was someone else. He won’t appreciate the fact that you flew me to Paris, then turned around a week later and were caught on camera disrobing another main squeeze, if he believes the newspapers.”

  “Are you my main squeeze?”

  “I’ve been called a lot of things, I suppose, but main squeeze never popped up. I guess I should be honored,” she answered, blushing and grinning at the same time.

  “Perhaps we should simply come out with the truth. That will give Max time to plan a cover-up retort in case you’re identified. I’m not sure he’ll be happy I was caught seducing you on the front page of the papers, but I’m a big boy and I can handle whatever he has to say. You don’t think he’d drop me as a client, do you?”

  “No. To be perfectly honest, he’ll think I finally came to my senses. He thinks you’re perfect. Are you all right with this?”

  “I’m fine. I don’t think the photos will hurt my reputation; they usually draw more fans for the man. Do any of your friends know about your trip to Colorado?”

  “There’s the chauffeur you hired,” she said, “and my friend Faith. I had to tell her because if there had been an emergency, my family would have called her if they were unable to reach me. And, I believe both of them are trustworthy. Faith’s all right with what happened. She was concerned though when she saw the photos, but vowed she wouldn’t have been able to identify me as the mermaid. Actually, I believe she called me lucky.”

  “I can tell Faith and I are going to get along well. The bad news is that my parents know I had plans to meet you in Colorado.”

  “Oh, Dante,” she sighed.

  “They’re fine knowing we were together, sorry that we were caught, especially for your sake. Can I meet you at the airport?”

  “I’m dying to see you. Max will call you and the two of you can pick us up and once you’re there decide if it will be safe for you to come inside or better to wait out in the car. I’m attempting to get Max and Faith together. We’re going to make plans to go out to dinner and dancing on Saturday night.”

  “Wonderful. You can come over during the day and swim or we can go out on my boat and stop for lunch at a restaurant on the Intercostal. I live in a private gated community, and we won’t be bothered or harassed. I want to talk to you about our future plans.”

  What future plans, she thought?

  There was a moment of silence that felt like an eternity to him.

  “Mercedes?”

  “I don’t know, Dante. The plans for our secret trysts fell apart and I really, deep down, am not happy about what happened. You planned such a wonderful surprise get-together, and I”—she hesitated—“don’t think there’s much of a chance for us to have a private love affair.”

  “You’re categorizing our relationship as a private love affair?” he asked accusingly. “This isn’t a secret liaison or cheap occurrence for sex, Mercedes. I consider this an affair of the heart. A true romance with plans for a future together. I love you beyond words.”

  “Let’s see what happens when I visit. We have to find out-of-the- way places and hope no one puts two-and-two together and names me as the partially nude woman.”

  “How about this? I belong to an exclusive, private club where we can go for dinner. The food is outstanding and they have a great band, a dance floor—we’d have an evening without being hounded. I’ll talk to Max when he calls and make reservations if he agrees. Will that be all right?”

  “Yes. That sounds like a good alternative to hitting the nightclubs in Miami.”

  “I think we’ll be fine and I can’t wait to hold you in my arms and dance with you. I miss you. I need to see you as much as I can while you’re here. I leave for Europe the following week.”

  “Dante, you have to concentrate on your tennis, not me. I want you to win Wimbledon, and maybe between that and the U.S. Open we can plan to get together.”

  “I love you, McFadden, more than you can imagine.”

  “I have a pretty good imagination, and I love you, too, Edwards,” she teased.

  “Two more days and you’re all mine.” He hung up and Mercedes waited a moment to see if he’d call back.

  She called Faith and they discussed her phone conversation with Dante and plans for their trip on Friday.

  ****

  The days between Wednesday and Friday kept Mercedes on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop when someone would identify her as the mermaid in all the newspapers, on the sports pages and TV programs, and she feared TMZ the most. But, when she and Faith arrived at the airport in New Jersey she felt relieved they didn’t find hers or Dante’s name or faces on any of the tabloids.

  Then it seemed like no time at all when the pilot came on the intercom and announced they had begun their descent into the Miami airport and seats were up-righted, trash collected and trays returned to the back of the seat in front of them.

  The last fifteen minutes however, seemed longer to Mercedes. She couldn’t ever remember experiencing such anxiety about seeing anyone.

  When she and Faith finally entered the airport and she saw Max waiting alone, Mercedes’ heart sank with disappointment because Dante wasn’t there to greet her.

  “He’s waiting in the car, Mercedes,” Max whispered before she even had a chance to introduce him to Faith. “He was concerned someone from the media might see him. For the rest of the time you’re here, if you’re seen together, I’ll be with you and that should be all right.”

  Mercedes nodded, relieved, but her heart still pumped wildly. “Max, I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Faith Townsend.”

  Max extended his hand and gave her a hug. “I’ve heard so much about you, I feel like we already know one another. We’re happy you came to visit and our parents are looking forward to seeing you again.”

  “Thank you. I haven’t seen them since Mercedes and I graduated from college and I look forward to meeting Mr. Suave.”

  Max burst out laughing. “How did you come up with that nickname?”

  Faith nodded toward Mercedes. “Your sister, but that was before she had a change of heart.”

  Mercedes gave Faith a jab in the arm, laughing, as they headed out of the airport. Idling in a black Mercedes sports car, sat Dante. He popped open the trunk and Max put their luggage inside, and got in the back seat with Faith and watched the impassioned kiss he and his sister shared. He smiled and mouthed, “Definitely, love,” to Faith. She nodded in agreement.

  “Our parents are waiting for us for dinner,” Max said, but the lovebirds didn’t hear a word, as Dante reached and held the steering wheel with one hand and Mercedes’ with the other.

  “You changed your perfume,” he said, sniffing the air. “Smells like Wind Song.”

  Mercedes smiled as her cheeks flushed. “An anonymous person sent me one of those bottles you usually see in display cases or department store windows—a lifetime supply of the perfume. I always thought they were filled
with colored water. I had no idea anyone could buy such a huge bottle, or afford to…”

  Dante snickered and nudged her with his elbow—relieved Max and Faith were busy gabbing in the back seat. “I have the gifts from France in the trunk, if you’re prepared to reveal our secret tryst,” he whispered.

  “Yes, I want to do that while I’m here with you. If I were alone, I doubt I’d know what to say.”

  When they arrived at her parents’ home, Mercedes enjoyed an added excitement, besides being with Dante, when her parents appeared in the driveway before they had even parked, and the six of them spent time chatting and becoming acquainted standing in the driveway before entering the house.

  Mercedes and Faith got settled in their rooms and went to join the family on the patio by the pool. Dante had brought in the tote bag, and Mercedes passed out the gifts she had bought in France.

  She watched the expressions on their faces, especially Max’s, since she decided on the plane that she planned to reveal she and Dante were involved in a relationship, as if he didn’t already know after seeing the kiss they shared.

  “How did you acquire these, Mercedes? Did you ask Dante to go shopping for you?” he asked, trying on his hat.

  “The baseball hat is from Dante. I selected the other gifts myself.”

  “How did you pull that off?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

  Mercedes smiled. “Dante called after he won the French Open, and asked me if I’d be free to spend the next day with him. I said, yes, only he didn’t fly to New York. He sent a driver to pick me up—at three a.m., I might add, who drove me to the airport where his parents’ pilot and private plane were waiting.”

  “Oh, my, Mercedes,” her mother said. “That must have been quite an exciting surprise.”

  “To say the least. I had no idea and didn’t know what to think, especially when he wasn’t on the plane. But the pilot and his wife, who was the hostess, reassured me that Dante would be there when we landed. He waited on the tarmac for me and from there we drove to his parents’ home. A beautiful home on the Mediterranean, I might add. We had a gourmet luncheon his mother had prepared, sat on the patio enjoying the beautiful weather. Later, we went to a flea market in the small town nearby, and that evening we went on their yacht and had dinner while we traveled to Marseilles.”

  Mercedes released her breath after spilling out all that information without missing a beat, but certainly leaving out a few details about his parents having left them in the afternoon, and prayed her family didn’t quiz her for finer details.

  Max blinked hard and shook his head. “I can’t believe you pulled this off without being caught by the media.”

  “That’s why I didn’t tell anyone what I had planned, not even Mercedes. We left Marseilles that evening and flew to New York, I said goodbye to her and continued on to Florida. End of story and our first date.”

  “Well, I can only say, thank you, Mercedes, I love the asparagus plate and tote bag. I think, Dante, that Max failed to tell us you were a romantic. And, I cannot imagine our daughter having a greater first date. Thank you. She’s a lovely young woman, is she not?”

  “Mother!” Mercedes and Max yelled.

  “I couldn’t agree more, Mrs. Lockhart.”

  “Please call me Joyce,” she said, “Joyce and Jamie, will do just fine.”

  “Thank you, I’m glad we have a chance to become acquainted since I know I’ll be spending a lot of time with Max, and if all goes well, Mercedes, too”

  “Splendid,” Mercedes’ dad said.

  Faith’s eyes widened as all of Mercedes’ descriptions of her parents came to life, and she flashed her friend a knowing smile, as they watched Dante make himself a member of the family. Max simply shook his head in disbelief.

  Baked potatoes, lobster and salad, and the smell and taste of melted butter—a perfect meal on a beautiful spring night in early June. Conversation flowed and Mercedes enjoyed the chance to be with Dante and be part of a normal family evening together. If only they could have this kind of relationship everywhere, she wondered, but frowned knowing they wouldn’t have a normal romance.

  It was late when they had cleared the table and all pitched in to do the dishes before returning outside for coffee and cheesecake topped with black cherry preserves and whipped cream. Music played in the background, and after her parents excused themselves and went to bed, Dante took Mercedes’ hand. Faith and Max joined them, and the two couples danced on the pool deck, while a cascade feature added the romantic sound of flowing water.

  Mercedes shook with apprehension to be in his arms. He wasted no time finding her ear, her neck, and her mouth. The light gasp she made caused him to hold her closer and tighter, and her reaction was all he needed to satisfy his curiosity and reassure him that she loved him.

  “I want to take you home and make love to you, and I would, except you taste like butter and lobster,” he teased. “Did I tell you I love butter and lobster kisses?”

  “What are we going to do with all these desires that need to be fulfilled? I hurt from needing you to make love to me,” she whispered.

  Dante shook his head slightly. “I don’t know, but I think I need to go home before we get into trouble. Call me in the morning as soon as you are free. I’m overflowing with testosterone.”

  “I’ll work something out with Faith and Max, so we can be alone together part of the day.”

  Dante kissed her goodnight, said goodbye to Max and Faith, and walked out to the driveway…

  Chapter Seventeen

  After Mercedes spent a couple of hours enjoying a leisurely breakfast with her parents and Faith, Max arrived and she had to answer a few, thankfully not too personal, questions about her relationship with Dante.

  Afterward, the three younger adults left for Dante’s house and a day of shopping. The plan was for Max to drop Mercedes off at Dante’s and keep Faith occupied in order to give Mercedes a chance to be alone with Dante for a few hours.

  Max seemed all right with the agenda, but Mercedes knew him well enough to know that the question about whether or not she was with Dante in Colorado remained on his mind, if not on the tip of his tongue. However, she refused to address the incident, and didn’t care if he bit his tongue or not, leaving the matter for him to settle with Dante.

  When they arrived, Dante welcomed them and on request gave the ladies a quick the tour of his residence, which Mercedes considered a mansion, with the pool, cabana, dock and a wonderful boat, sitting there invitingly outside the glass wall of the great room. As soon as Max and Faith were ready to leave, they agreed to return around one o’clock at Dante’s, and he promised to map out an Intercoastal trip with plans to stop for lunch.

  Mercedes wore a wrap-around dress over her bathing suit, with a halter-top that tied behind her neck. Dante walked up behind her and the moment his hands touched her skin she quivered. He slowly began to untie the bow. He reached down and kissed her neck, and she shrugged.

  “You have goose bumps,” he said, touching her shoulder with his fingers. Then he turned her around to face him. “Your skin is as sensuous as the feel of satin,” he said, slowly running his hands down her arms. I’m happy to have this time alone with you, here where I know we won’t be disturbed.”

  He took her hand and led her to a chaise lounge and lathered her back with sunscreen, then turned her around and put some on her nose. He smiled at her, staring at her lips, while amatory waves sent sensuous reactions through her body until she thought she’d dissolve in a puddle.

  “I know what’s on your mind,” she whispered, barely audible.

  “Oh, I doubt that,” he said, smiling, and without moving his eyes, he moved in slowly and captured her lips, held her face in his hands and then ran his fingers through her hair. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” he asked, letting his eyes glide over her.

  She straightened her back and then melted in his arms. “Do you have any idea how much I want you to make love to me?”


  “And how madly and passionately I want to fulfill your request?”

  “I never had these feelings that have taken over my body and my mind before I met you. I can’t stop thinking of you but I don’t want to be in love with you…”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “You interrupted me. I wanted to say…but I can’t help myself. I feel intense emotions I never had before and I can only think of one way to satisfy them.”

  “What would that be?” he asked, with a twinkle in his eyes.

  “To beg you to make love to me.”

  “You never have to beg.” He moved in closer and opened her mouth with his tongue, and a sound escaped her voice.

  “Was that a moan?” he asked, smiling.

  “No. I don’t moan.”

  He kissed her more amorously and demanding this time while he slowly ran his hands along her body.

  Mercedes felt herself dissolving and a deep sound escaped her throat. “That was a moan, Dante.”

  Dante stood and took her hands. “I think we need to take a swim. I will make arrangements tonight for the four of us to go out after dinner and you and Faith can find a reason to make plans to spend the night at Max’s, and I will kidnap you. I want you to spend the night with me. I want to be alone with you without any interruptions and I want to make love to you until you beg me to stop. How does that offer sound?”

  Mercedes jumped into the pool and splashed water on him. “That’s cruel. I will spend the rest of the day and evening in anticipation of the deflowering of my virginity, wearing the passions and emotions on the tip of my nose. Everyone will know what’s on my mind. But I don’t care what anyone thinks. I accept your offer…”

  Dante dove into the pool, pulled her under, and brought her up kissing her. He was tempted to untie her bikini, but he knew if he did, he could never wait until the end of the day to make love to her, but that didn’t stop him from touching her in all the places he planned to capture. She wrapped her legs around his body and he kissed her face, neck, ear, and then recaptured her lips. Waves of desire and pleasure overtook her and she became like a ragdoll in his arms.