by Mary Whitney
His brow furrowed, and he touched her hair. “I wish you could spend the night, but I’m guessing that’s out of the question.”
She nodded furiously. And not just because I work here.
The lines on his forehead deepened, and his lips turned down into a slight grimace. “Too bad.” He leaned in for kiss.
“Yes. Too bad,” she said and kissed her congressman for what she figured would be the last time.
After breaking the passionate kiss, he brushed her cheek. “Until tomorrow, then.”
“Yes, tomorrow,” she said. It was the whitest of all the lies she could’ve told him, because she didn’t plan on seeing the man again.
* * *
The following day, Abby did something she rarely did. She skipped seeing her mother. Even though she was free with no classes or work on Thursdays, she decided she wouldn’t make the journey over the Pali. Honolulu was the last place she wanted to be.
She expected a call or at least a text from Will by the afternoon when he saw she wasn’t coming into work, but when the first text arrived at eight in the morning, she was surprised.
Morning. Can’t wait to see you today.
Her heart crumpled, but she kept her feelings in check. She wanted to see him as well, yet she couldn’t because they wanted to see each other for different reasons. She wanted to feed off his warmth and charm, while he most likely wanted to have a laugh or two and get laid. She deleted the text.
The next message popped on her phone’s screen two hours later.
When are you getting to work today? I want to be around.
“Humpf,” she said. That one was easy to delete.
Another one appeared on the dot at noon.
Where are you? I miss you.
Staring at the screen, she whispered aloud, “I miss you, too” and closed her eyes to stop the tears which demanded to be released. He might truly miss her, but seeing him would only hurt her more in the long run. She shouldn’t deepen her self-inflicted wound. She turned off her phone, thinking she didn’t really need it on anyway. If she was going to stay at home, the nursing home would call that number if they needed her.
Later that evening, she looked up from working on her laptop at the kitchen table when she heard a car pull into the drive. She quickly found her calendar on her computer—had she forgotten an appointment with the realtor? She really wasn’t presentable. When she saw her night was clear of commitments, she exhaled in relief. Guessing it was probably a neighbor checking in on her, she started for the door.
She peeked out the living room’s sheer curtains and saw what looked to be a rental car. Rental cars were distinct on the island because locals avoided buying any car that might mistake them for a tourist. She frowned, not knowing who it might be.
The doorbell chimed, and she went over to the peephole. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she stepped back from the door to assess the situation. Her car was out front, so it was obvious she was at home. She looked down at her cut-offs and tank top. No bra. Shit. Her hair needed brushing, her face needed washing, and a quick sniff of her armpit said her whole body needed scrubbing. She was a disaster, but she had to get through this, and she knew she could.
The bell rang again. Swallowing hard, she reached for the doorknob and opened it to see Will, his hands in the pockets of his shorts and his face full of concern.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi,” she said in a squeaky voice.
“I’m sorry to intrude, but are you okay? I got worried about you.”
After years of self-protection when asked about her feelings, Abby had become an unusually good liar. She sighed and said flippantly, “Just busy. Sorry about not getting back to you.”
He twisted his mouth as his expression became more troubled. “It’s okay. Do you want to get dinner?”
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “I’m kinda’ swamped. Not tonight.”
Will nodded, but it was with a slow motion that signaled suspicion rather than understanding. “What about tomorrow?”
As she raised her hands, she came close to telling him the truth. “I don’t know. You’re leaving on Saturday morning. Shouldn’t we just leave it with last night?” She smiled at the end, hoping that would stop the conversation.
He scowled and shook his head incredulously. “No. At least not for me.” He looked around the portico as if he was trying to contain his anger. “What the fuck is going on? Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No,” she said, feeling a chink in her armor.
“Then what is it? You’re not acting normal.”
She grasped for a defense. “You don’t know me.”
“You’re right, but I know you well enough.” With each word, he became angrier. “And I know people. I’m a fucking politician. I can tell when something is up.”
The fierce look in his eyes made her sputter. “It’s just … just … you’re leaving. I’m staying. That’s it.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
“Why does that have to be it?”
Her voiced saddened. “Because anything more isn’t a good idea.”
“That’s what you think?”
She nodded, desperate not to say anything else.
“And you didn’t want to hear my opinion?”
She shrugged. The conversation had turned torturous. Even if he really cared, he didn’t know what was best for her.
He exhaled and shook his head. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a softer tone. “For the record, I disagree. I like you—a lot, and considering how little time we’ve spent together, it’s scary.”
She looked into his eyes, and once again felt the connection between them. She responded with a nod and whispered, “It is.”
“It is.” He smiled and grazed his hand over her arm. “And I’ve been a fucking stalker this afternoon because of it. Texts and voicemails and finding your address, and now driving out here.”
She melted under his warmth and cracked a joke. “Not very congressional.”
“Not at all.” He took her hand. “May I come inside?”
“Sure,” she said, though she was only confident that she might swoon at any moment. Remembering her appearance, she opened up the door for him and said, “Sorry I’m kind of mess, and the house is a wreck.”
He walked into the well-kept, spacious home and looked around at the stacks of boxes. “You’re moving?”
“Eventually. Some of the boxes are for storage, some are for my grandma and aunt, and some I’ll take with me.” She touched an end table. “There’s too much furniture for a one-bedroom apartment, so I’m going to have a garage sale.”
“When?”
“Soon. There are some people interested in the house.”
His mouth set into a hard grimace, and he again took her hand. “This must be really hard, packing up all your family’s stuff.”
“It is what it is.” She took her usual deep breath of acceptance. Wanting a diversion, she pulled her hair up absentmindedly and spun it around into a bun as she looked for a positive. “The only bright side is this is a nice house, and it’s going to go for a good price. Most people my age don’t run into that kind of money.”
“So you don’t have to use money from the house to cover your mom’s health care?”
“No. We’re really lucky. My stepfather was always a little worried about the age difference between him and my mom. He took out a ton of private insurance. He wanted her taken care of even if he wasn’t around to do it.”
“It sounds like he really loved her.”
“He did.”
“And you,” he said. “You’re the real beneficiary in the end.”
Chuck’s love for her mother was a constant that stabilized her life. She’d never thought there might have been collateral love for her. She shrugged. “Yeah. I guess so.”
Will stared at her until he must’ve sensed she was uncomfortable. He poked his head around the corner into the formal dining room. “How about a
tour?”
“Okay. It’s kind of boring, though. A four-bedroom, three bath ranch.”
“Sounds nice to me. I grew up in a three-bedroom, two bath ranch with seven people in it.”
“Let me take you around then.” She laughed.
As they went from room to room, Will nodded in approval and cracked some jokes. She was happy for the humor not only because she felt guilty for how she’d treated him, but she was still anxious about their inevitable separation. When they got to her room, she tried to quickly move on.
“My room. Mostly packed away. Not much to see,” she said with a wave of her hand before she stepped out again.
“Oh, no. I need to see this.” He laughed and walked in.
She followed him in and glanced at the bare walls and boxes. “I told you there’s not much.”
Will walked over to her desk covered in books. “What do we have here?”
“Stuff for my thesis. It’s on the WTO.” She smirked. “I bet it’s a favorite of yours.”
His mouth turned down with distaste. “Yeah, right. How about a WFTO?”
“What’s that?”
“A World Fair Trade Organization.”
“Oh God.” Abby rolled her eyes. “It’s not that bad.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Of course something called the World Trade Organization’s number one interest is the promotion of free trade. You labor guys think it’s the devil simply because of that, but from what I’ve read, it’s never done anything close to what you complain about.”
He lifted up a hand as if to stop her speech. “Heresy. You’re in a union.” He smirked. “I hope by the time you finish with this thesis, you come to a different conclusion. Maybe I should loan you some books.”
“What are you going to do? Ship them to me?”
Maintaining his smile, he took her in his arms. “No. I’d bring them to you.”
“That’s a long way to travel just to win an argument.”
“Not so long.” He kissed her forehead. “And the real benefit would be seeing you.”
“I’d like that,” she said as she raised her head.
When she looked into his eyes, she could see the pleading in them. Once again she felt as if she were at a decision point with him—only this time she wasn’t at a precipice that led to an exhilarating plunge before pain. This time she faced a river dividing her path with slick rocks that could result in unknown damage to her, both big and small. The path promised a great, new adventure, but could she navigate the trials to get to the other side? Was the risk worth it?
Stroking her hair, he said, “Beautiful Abby, give me a chance. I know it doesn’t make any sense in the world.”
“It doesn’t.” She chuckled.
“You have every reason to think I’m no good for you. You know so little about me, and I can’t predict the future, but honestly, I don’t make decisions lightly, and I don’t fuck around.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Literally or figuratively?”
“Well, I meant literally.” He chuckled and tightened his hold on her. “But I’d say it applies figuratively as well. It’s not a fluke that I’m in Congress at such a young age. I’m a pretty dedicated guy when I want something, and I want you.”
“You do?”
He sighed. “Yes. Why do you think I left you like I did after our first dinner?”
“I don’t know.”
“I could’ve stood there kissing you all night, but after our conversation, I didn’t want to scare you off.”
She arched a brow. “What about last night?”
“Are you crazy?” He laughed. “How could I stop myself in that situation? I’m a man. It was too perfect. You were too perfect.”
“You’re just saying that,” she said bashfully.
“No. I’m not.” His expression hardened. “That’s why as soon as I got out of the car, I worried I’d hurt you when I said I wasn’t dating anyone special. I didn’t mean it that way at all. I meant no one I’ve dated is special like you. Do you understand?”
She had no answer for such a declaration, only action. She gave him a kiss which tried to say everything she couldn’t. She lost herself in the kiss, and she thought he had as well, but he soon broke away.
“I could do this all night long, but I don’t want you thinking I just came here for that,” he said and nodded toward her bed.
“Oh. That.” She giggled at the bed and then turned to him again. “Actually, I’m a mess. I could really use a shower before any of that.”
He grinned. “You’re not a mess, but if you want to take a shower, go right ahead. I’ll watch T.V. Maybe we can go to dinner afterward?”
“Okay,” she said. “The only television left in the house is in the den. I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”
A little over two hours and a Thai dinner later, they were again on her doorstep. His dark eyes held a sexy plea this time, but she was the one who asked the question. She pursed her lips in determination and said, “Will you stay?”
“Hell, yes.” With one fell swoop, he picked her up, and as she caught her breath from the surprise, he said, “Good. I’m not going to let you change your mind.”
Abby laughed and handed him the keys. He clumsily opened the door, and once they were inside, he shut it with a soft kick. As soon as he flipped the deadbolt, she kissed him, and the kiss didn’t stop until he lay her on her bed. Not liking the ending, she tugged at his shirt. “Come here.”
“Coming.” He grinned as he lowered his body over her.
The sight of him above her was too enticing. After she wrapped her arms around him, her legs followed. He responded with a moan and a crushing kiss. They became a moving tangle of limbs as they quickly rejected clothing, piece-by-piece. When she was naked, he smiled and traced his finger between her breasts.
“Hey, beautiful. We’re not outside in the dark. Now I get to really see you.”
She brushed her hand against the hair under his bellybutton. “And I get to see you.”
He groaned and moving his lips to her breast, he murmured, “Me first.”
* * *
The morning light streamed through Abby’s window at the far end of her room. She squinted into the sun as she remembered closing the shades hadn’t been a priority the previous night. A glimpse of sandy hair caught her eye, and she looked down at her chest. Flung across her waist was Will’s arm, and one of his legs was wrapped over hers. She turned to her right where he lay sleeping, nuzzled into his pillow.
After she saw the time, she grazed her hand over his hair. “Will, honey. It’s seven.”
An annoyed grunt escaped him, and he stretched but only to pull her closer to him. She snuggled into his warmth. “This is nice, but I think we both have to work today.”
“But I don’t want to. I want to stay with you,” he muttered before seeking a kiss.
After she complied, she said, “I’d like to stay in bed all day, too, but I can’t.”
“Tell me your schedule,” he said as he propped up on the pillow.
“I need to see my mom, check in with my thesis advisor, and work a half-shift. I’m done at three.”
“Do I get to see you then?”
“I think you’ll see me when I clean your room.”
“I told you I don’t want you cleaning my room.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she said before giving him a kiss.
When she pulled away, he looked her in the eye. “How would you feel if I checked out today and spent my last night here with you instead?”
Her smile became devilish. “I don’t know…What’s your rate at the hotel? I should probably charge.”
“Ha!” he said and rolled her onto her back. Hovering over her, he planted kisses from her neck to her shoulders. “Name your price. I’ll pay in whatever currency you want.”
“Really? You think the place is that nice?”
He alternated between speaking and kissing down to her cleavage. “The bed is comf
ortable, the accommodations are fine, but it’s the service that’s spectacular.”
“Spectacular?” Her eyes brightened with pride.
“Spectacular.” He emphasized his point by moving up and placing a kiss on her lips.
She laughed. “Then I’ll think about my price. I should charge more.”
“Go right ahead.”
She glanced at the clock again and was irritated it was ticking away without her permission. “We should get going, though. How about I cook you breakfast?”
“Awesome,” he said as his kisses again traveled down her body.
“What are you doing?”
Without looking up from her belly, he said, “Think of it as a deposit.”
An hour later, they sat at her kitchen table eating a full breakfast. As he asked her more questions about her mother, she felt uneasy because she wanted to include him more in her life, but was it too early? Eventually she said with some hesitation, “You know, I’d ask you to come with me just so you could see her, but it seems a little too soon, if you know what I mean.”
He nodded. “I thought about asking to tag along, but I agree. It probably is a little too soon.”
Even though they’d both come to a more cautious conclusion, she beamed hearing they were thinking alike. She laughed off any awkwardness. “Besides, it could be a total disaster. She might think you’re my dad or her boyfriend from high school or the guy who used to mow our lawn.”
“Your mom got it on with the guy who mowed your lawn?” He smirked.
“No!” She swatted his arm. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” He took her hand. “Maybe next time.”
“Next time?” she asked slowly.
“Yeah, when I’m here next. It’ll be soon.”
“Really? When?”
“I need to check a few things and of course, see if it works for you, but I’ll be in L.A. for a fundraiser in three weeks. I think I can come out here for a few days afterward.”
She was touched but also wary. “Is that really good for you? I mean, what if it gets out in your district that their congressman is traveling to Hawaii to hook up with a hotel maid?”
“Well, if you spin it like that, it does sound sort of bad, but I prefer to think of it differently.” He eased back in his chair. “What if I’m seriously dating a woman in Hawaii, whose struggling to finish school and take care of her ailing mother? What if we’re both traveling back and forth between Ohio, Hawaii, and D.C. to see one another? What if they see you with me in my district?”
