by L A Morgan
The man, on the other hand, was taken aback by her friendly enthusiasm and wondered if he had made a mistake in approaching her. He was more interested in the song than the woman who had sung it.
After this pause, Laurel asked, “Are you staying here alone?”
“Yes.”
Undaunted by his terse response, she said, “Well, that makes two of us. Since we’re going to be neighbors, I might as well introduce myself. I’m Laurel Nelson.”
She put down her guitar so she could lean forward and extend her hand between the bars of the railing. The man took it briefly and then stood back.
“I’m Michael North.”
Laurel sat back in her chair and wondered at his apparent shyness.
“Where are you from, Michael?”
“Connecticut. If I’m not mistaken, you’re a New Yorker.”
“I guess there’s no hiding my accent,” Laurel replied with a smile. “It certainly is a small world. We come from neighboring states, but we end up meeting in South Carolina. Are you here on vacation or business?”
The man shifted his feet uncomfortably, disturbed by all of this questioning. Laurel noticed this.
“I’m on vacation,” he replied.
“Have you been here before?”
“No.”
“Neither have I. Have you gotten around to seeing all the sights yet?”
“No.”
“Maybe we can do a little exploring together.”
“I don’t think--”
“You look uncomfortable standing down there,” Laurel interrupted his obvious reply. “I have another chair up here. Why don’t you join me?”
“Maybe some other time.”
“I have some wine in the refrigerator,” Laurel persisted.
The man was forced to smile at her determination.
“You surprise me, Laurel. I was under the impression that New Yorkers are wary of strangers.”
The woman was suddenly abashed by her own forwardness. If she had been at home, she never would have been so bold. Her enthusiasm to have a companion had reduced her normal sense of caution.
“You’re absolutely right,” she replied. “I’m not used to spending my free time alone. In fact, this is the first time I’ve taken a vacation without my family or friends. I guess I got carried away by this South Carolina sea air.”
“A woman should always be careful when she’s alone,” the man stated grimly.
Laurel smiled and replied, “If you have evil intentions, I don’t imagine you would be saying this to me . . . or are you a felon with a guilty conscience?”
Michael North liked this woman’s light spirit, but her lack of caution worried him. She reminded him of someone else, but he would not let that thought fully intrude here and now.
He said, “I’m just a concerned citizen.”
Laurel leaned forward, attempting to discern his features. She knew that he must be older than she was. It was too dark to see the expression in his eyes. From that, she might have been better able to judge the man’s character; however, the light from the pool was behind him, leaving him in silhouette. She wished that she had not closed her drapes. The light from her bedroom would have been just enough to allow her to see him better.
“Why did you come over to talk with me?” she asked.
“I like the song you were singing. I heard you playing it last night. What is it called?”
“Crashing Waves.”
“You said it was on the radio?”
“Yes. You must be a great lover of music.”
“Not really,” the man replied. “I haven’t listened to the radio or listened to any of my CDs for the past three years.”
“Would it be gauche if I asked you why not?”
“That’s something I don’t want to talk about.”
Laurel frowned at this answer. She wondered what had happened in this man’s past to disturb him so deeply. Tactfully, she changed the subject.
“Have you noticed how clearly you can see the stars down here?” she asked.
The man looked up into the heavens and softly replied, “I always look at the stars. This may sound strange, but to me, they sort of send out a message . . . of hope, maybe.”
The woman could sense the pain that dominated the man’s spirit. She, herself, was greatly filled with a love of life, but she had tremendous sympathy for those that despaired.
“Would you like me to sing Crashing Waves for you again?”
“I would.”
“All right, but there’s a catch to this proposition,” Laurel declared.
“What’s that?”
“You have to sit here beside me as I play or I’ll feel too nervous. From this angle, it might look as though I was serenading you in reverse.”
Michael grinned solemnly, realizing that he had been caught. After a moment of hesitation, he decided that it would do him no harm to join this woman on her balcony for a short while.
“You win,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’ll go around to your door.”
Saying this, he left. Laurel jumped up and ran inside. She quickly walked to the kitchen and took two wine glasses out of the cabinet. They appeared to be clean, but she blew into each of them to remove any traces of dust that might exist. Placing them on the counter, she opened her refrigerator to take out a bottle of white wine.
“What he needs is some alcohol to loosen him up!” Laurel said to herself, as she made her preparations.
Just as she found a corkscrew in a kitchen drawer, she heard the man knocking at the door. She closed the drawer and walked over to open the door.
“Hello,” said Michael, seeing Laurel’s face clearly for the first time.
Laurel was pleased to note his ruggedly good-looking features.
“Room service?” she asked blithely.
“I believe that’s what you’ve offered me.”
Laurel mocked an inwardly sweeping bow and Michael walked inside.
“I have to warn you about something,” she warned him teasingly. “This singer can only perform for others if she has had a little wine to loosen her vocal chords.”
Michael looked around and saw the bottle and glasses. For reasons that had nothing to do with Laurel, he felt reticent about this sudden intimacy. He was inclined to leave, but a glance at her openly friendly expression took away this negative urge.
Instead, he asked, “Would you like me to open the bottle?”
“I’d appreciate that. I always have a problem with the corks.”
The man walked over to the counter, and after a few seconds he opened the bottle. He poured the wine into only one of the glasses.
“No, no!” Laurel quickly corrected this oversight. “I must also have the impression that my audience has been loosened up enough to properly appreciate my performance.”
Michael could not resist her smile. He poured some wine for himself and handed the other glass to Laurel. As he was about to bring the glass to his lips, Laurel stopped him.
“Shall we make a toast?” she asked exuberantly.
“I’ll leave that up to you.”
Laurel thought for a few seconds and then said, “Here’s to new friends! May their vacations be happy!”
As they drank, the man glanced at Laurel over the rim of his glass. She seemed so unaffected and trustful. He wondered what sort of person she really was.
After taking a sip of her wine, Laurel suggested that they should move out onto the balcony. As she led the way, she took care not to look at her bed, not wanting him to believe this encounter was anything other than a friendly visit. This man had seemed to be uninterested in her as a woman, and she felt content to keep their relationship platonic. She had noticed the wedding ring on his hand.
When Michael took his seat on the balcony, Laurel drew the bedroom drapes and shut the door behind them. The sound of the surf was reflected and augmented by the encompassing walls.
Michael took a sip of his drink and said, “Are you r
eady to sing for me now?”
“Let’s finish the wine first.”
“Do you mean the glass or the bottle?” the man said with a smile.
“Why should we plan all of the fine details?” Laurel replied in a mischievous tone. “I think there’s a great deal to be said for spontaneity. Don’t you agree?”
“Ah, yes, spontaneity. It certainly has its place in life, and we must always remember to include it when we make our plans.”
Laurel laughed in amusement.
“I bet you’re a very organized person, Michael,” she said lightly.
“Absolutely. I even arrange my socks in color order,” he replied. “Seriously, I do find it easier to keep my affairs organized. What about you?”
“Me? I’m completely hopeless. Every time I manage to get my apartment in order, something happens, and when I look at it again, it’s a mess. If I actually remember to write things down in my date book, I lose the book. My mother always tells me I need a keeper.”
The man joined in her laughter.
“I never would have guessed,” he said. “Your apartment here looks neat enough.”
“I only arrived yesterday. Give me time.”
“Do you live with your parents, Laurel?”
“No, but we enjoy frequent visitation rights.”
Remembering the wedding ring that she had noticed on Michael’s finger, Laurel could not restrain herself from asking, “Do you live alone?”
The humor left the man’s face. He looked sadly off into the distance of time.
After a moment, he softly said, “Yes. I’m all alone.”
Laurel wanted to question him about this, but she would not presume to cross the delicate line of good taste.
“I hate being alone,” she replied cheerily.
Michael looked at her in surprised disbelief.
“That’s rather difficult to believe. You left your parents’ home and now you’re on vacation by yourself. Excuse me for asking, but do you share your apartment with someone?”
“No. I know it must sound strange to you, but it just happens to be the way things worked out. I love my parents dearly, but they’re very strict and domineering, and I had to make some move to assert my independence. From all the stories I’ve heard about roommates, it seems that they’re more trouble than they’re worth.
“Since I can afford to rent my own apartment, there’s no reason why I should compromise my privacy. And as for this vacation, some of my friends from work came down here in August and had a fantastic time. I would have gone with them, but it would have interfered with plans I had to be in a bridal party. The wedding was on Saturday and here I am now!”
“Whew! Slow down, Laurel, or you’ll be giving yourself hypertension! I never heard anyone talk as fast as you do.”
“I should probably take offense at that, but I know you’re right. Everybody tells me that. I love to talk with people, especially if I’ve been cooped up by myself for awhile. Once I get going, there’s no shutting me up.”
Michael simply smiled and shook his head during this explanation. Seeing his reaction, Laurel slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand.
“There I go again. Well, at least I admit my faults. I’ll try to speak more slowly.”
“Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t bother me. In fact, it’s rather nice to hear you talk about simple, everyday things.”
“Are your parents alive, Michael?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“You sound like you need a friend.”
“Do I? I’m sorry if I gave you the impression I was looking for pity.”
“That’s not true at all!” Laurel corrected him. “It’s just that I can sense you’re deep, sensitive person who has known pain. I don’t want to intrude on your feelings, but if you need someone to talk with, I’d be glad to spend some time with you. I may be a big talker, but I can also be a good listener.”
Michael looked at his fingers, which were steepled before him.
“Am I that obvious?” he asked earnestly.
“If you really want to know what I think about you, I’ll tell you. I may be completely wrong, but I believe that something has happened in your life that has made you withdraw from others. I think you’re probably a nice man, a gentle man. I can’t pity you without knowing what has hurt you so much, but I feel sad that you suffer, and I’d try to change that if you’d give me the chance.”
“You have good insight, Laurel. A person would be lucky to call you his friend.”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t. It would be too painful for me, and I’m sure that a carefree woman like you wouldn’t want to waste her vacation listening to my problems.”
“You don’t have to say another word about it. Whatever it is that’s troubling you must be in the past. Why should you waste your vacation thinking about it?”
“Thanks for trying to help, but you don’t understand.”
“I don’t have to understand. That’s the beauty of our meeting here like this. When our two weeks are over, we’ll return to our respective homes, and we’ll most likely never see each other again. Whatever we say will just be between you and me.
“Listen, Michael. I think I might have a good idea for both of us. I’m a talkative person without a companion, and you seem to be a lonely man, who perhaps misses what you feel compelled to avoid in life. The perfect solution would be that we get together and share our vacation experiences, no strings attached and none asked for. If either of us should happen to meet someone more interesting, it’s goodbye and no questions asked. What could be more perfect? Fate wouldn’t have made us next-door neighbors if this wasn’t supposed to happen.’”
“You make a convincing argument, Laurel. You wouldn’t happen to be a lawyer, would you?”
The woman giggled and blushed.
She replied, “I’m just a humble secretary with Castellano Enterprises.”
“That’s weird. My company holds some of their policies.”
“What kind of policies?”
“Insurance, Laurel. I’m an insurance agent. I’ve met Joseph Castellano several times at business functions.”
“This is unbelievable! I was just the maid-of-honor for his daughter when she married his son on Saturday.”
“His daughter married his son?”
“Lindy is Joe, Sr.’s adopted daughter. Maybe I should have clarified that right away.”
Michael nodded in agreement.
“What a small world,” Laurel continued. “It only goes to prove that we were meant to meet. Can’t you see that?”
“Maybe you’re right. This is the first vacation I’ve taken in four years, and I only did it because my boss ordered me to go. I didn’t expect to meet anyone, but I must say that it looks like destiny had a hand in this.”
“That’s great! You should never fight destiny. Everything that comes around goes around. My grandmother always used to say that. So, what do you want to do tomorrow?”
“You can really take a man’s breath away, Laurel. I imagine you have quite a number of boyfriends back in New York.”
“No flattery, please. I’ve had my number of male friends, but I’ve yet to meet anyone that truly intrigues me, and I am not seeing anyone now. No hearts will be broken anywhere if we give this a try, so what do you say?”
“I’d be a fool to turn down your offer. No strings attached and no broken hearts, right?”
“Right. There’s one thing you should know first. Just because I pushed you into this . . . relationship, I don’t want you to think I’m easy. You know what I mean. Don’t take anything for granted that I don’t openly offer. Would there be a problem with that?”
“None. This may sound corny, but I’m not that kind of guy.”
“I didn’t think you were, but there’s no harm in making sure.”
“I may be out of line, Laurel, but I’m curious. How old are you?”
“Ho
w old do you think I am?”
“I don’t know. Maybe twenty-one or twenty-two.”
“You certainly know how to make a woman happy. I’m twenty-five. How about you?”
“I’m thirty-four. Does the age difference bother you?”
“I had no idea you were such a young man!” Laurel teased. “Why, I thought that you were at least fifty!”
“Gee, thanks. You’ve made my day.”
“Oh, come on! I was only joking.”
At this point, Michael could not resist smiling.
“I know,” he replied.
“I’m going to have to get used to that dry sense of humor of yours,” Laurel replied with a smile.
“Are you a morning person?” he asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, when you get out of bed in the morning, are you happy or do you have to have your coffee before you’re able to talk?”
“I prefer tea in the morning, but I believe you might find me to be a mild-mannered individual. Why do you ask?”
“I thought we might get up early tomorrow morning and go for a walk on the beach.”
“That sounds like fun,” Laurel agreeably replied.
“Afterwards, I’d be happy to buy you breakfast at a restaurant of your choice.”
“Fantastic! I’ve already found this great place to eat! It’s so inexpensive and the food there is fantastic!”
“Whoa! If you wake up at that pace, you’re going to be running circles around me on the beach. We’ll eat wherever you like. Is 6:30 too early to meet?”
Laurel purposely kept down the speed of her reply.
“That would be fine. Just knock on my door.”
The man grinned at her warmly and said, “You’re an interesting person, Laurel Nelson, and I’m glad that I met you.”
“I always have this devastating effect on men,” Laurel shrugged, half embarrassed.
After a moment, she added, “Would you like me to play that song for you now?”
Michael shook his head.
“Not now, Laurel. I’m enjoying our conversation too much. You were right about spontaneity.”
All of a sudden, Laurel realized that she had never before met a man like this. He was so much more mature than the men she was accustomed to dating. She would not be able to handle him as easily as she had the others, but she had scored her victory for tonight.
