future, after all. But things have to change. You aren’t a dictator. I have thoughts and wishes, too.”
“You’re right, honey. I was an idiot. Whatever you want, we’ll do.” She glanced at him in time to see him shoot a victory smirk at Dan. God preserve her! “Dan, I think I’ve paid in full for anything you might have bought me. Goodbye.” She pushed past Ralph and walked out the door.
* * * *
She wasn’t able to get on a flight until
four o’clock
that afternoon. Sitting in the airport surrounded by hoards of people had kept her emotions in check, but when the hour hand of the clock above the boarding gate ticket counter passed two and she received her twelfth cell phone message from Dan, she was ready to burst into tears regardless of who saw.
Ralph sauntered back from a slot machine and dropped into the seat to the left of her. She tucked her unanswered phone back into her purse.
“Did you win anything?”
“Nope, lost again.”
“Maybe you should change machines.”
“That’s not how it’s supposed to work. Not with machines, not with men.” His voice held a distinct edge.
“Look, if we’re going to give this a chance, I’ll have to forgive you and you’ll have to forgive me. Part of that is forgetting, too.”
“I know, I know, and I’ll try, I promise.” He flicked a piece of lint off his jeans. “But I have to know, Mary, would you have come back to me when you left here? Or would you really have called it quits forever?”
“I don’t know, Ralph.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
God, she was so weary. She needed sleep and time and space. Deep inside, she felt she was making a mistake going home with Ralph. She needed to sort it out by spending some time alone.
If she’d married Ralph, she’d have gone through life in regular television mode instead of high definition. Of course, she wouldn’t have known what she was missing. Not like now. Or would she?
She had to believe that eventually she’d realize an empty place inside. She might not know the cause or what to do about it, but it had to happen, didn’t it? She loved Ralph, but not the way she loved Dan, with every fiber of her being. The way she’d loved him for years. Shit! Tears prickled her eyes again.
“Mary?” A deep voice rumbled through her, stirring up embers, setting emotions rocketing out of control.
Oh, no. She looked up into the gravest, deepest blue eyes she’d ever seen. Why did he have to turn up now? She was already afraid she wouldn’t make through the afternoon without breaking down.
“How did you get back to the loading gate area?” Ralph jumped up, hands curled into fists. Mary could envision a punching match breaking out right here in the Las Vegas airport. She hoped not, for Ralph’s sake. Dan had three inches and twenty pounds on him.
Dan held up a ticket folder. “I’m going back with Mary.” His penetrating gaze rested on her. “We need to talk, and since you won’t take calls from me or Pete—who was calling from the emergency room with the broken nose I gave him—or even my mother, I decided the only way to get you to listen was to follow you. If you should change flights I’ll follow you there, too, so you might as well get used to having me around.”
Part of her thrilled to hear that he was determined to be with her. The loser, pitiful part. She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“I will, thanks.” He dropped into the seat on her right. For long minutes the three sat there saying nothing.
“Pete wanted to apologize to you. Even if you don’t listen to his explanation, he wanted me to tell you how sorry he is, and how when he gets drunk he gets things mixed up.”
“Pete should stop drinking.”
“If he’s your friend I can see why he drinks,” Ralph offered.
“Why don’t you go play some slots? Here’s ten dollars. Leave us alone for just a few minutes.”
“Hey, it’s your money.” Ralph jumped up and grabbed the ten, then cast a sheepish
“You’re right, honey. I was an idiot. Whatever you want, we’ll do.” She glanced at him in time to see him shoot a victory smirk at Dan. God preserve her! “Dan, I think I’ve paid in full for anything you might have bought me. Goodbye.” She pushed past Ralph and walked out the door.
* * * *
She wasn’t able to get on a flight until
four o’clock
that afternoon. Sitting in the airport surrounded by hoards of people had kept her emotions in check, but when the hour hand of the clock above the boarding gate ticket counter passed two and she received her twelfth cell phone message from Dan, she was ready to burst into tears regardless of who saw.
Ralph sauntered back from a slot machine and dropped into the seat to the left of her. She tucked her unanswered phone back into her purse.
“Did you win anything?”
“Nope, lost again.”
“Maybe you should change machines.”
“That’s not how it’s supposed to work. Not with machines, not with men.” His voice held a distinct edge.
“Look, if we’re going to give this a chance, I’ll have to forgive you and you’ll have to forgive me. Part of that is forgetting, too.”
“I know, I know, and I’ll try, I promise.” He flicked a piece of lint off his jeans. “But I have to know, Mary, would you have come back to me when you left here? Or would you really have called it quits forever?”
“I don’t know, Ralph.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
God, she was so weary. She needed sleep and time and space. Deep inside, she felt she was making a mistake going home with Ralph. She needed to sort it out by spending some time alone.
If she’d married Ralph, she’d have gone through life in regular television mode instead of high definition. Of course, she wouldn’t have known what she was missing. Not like now. Or would she?
She had to believe that eventually she’d realize an empty place inside. She might not know the cause or what to do about it, but it had to happen, didn’t it? She loved Ralph, but not the way she loved Dan, with every fiber of her being. The way she’d loved him for years. Shit! Tears prickled her eyes again.
“Mary?” A deep voice rumbled through her, stirring up embers, setting emotions rocketing out of control.
Oh, no. She looked up into the gravest, deepest blue eyes she’d ever seen. Why did he have to turn up now? She was already afraid she wouldn’t make through the afternoon without breaking down.
“How did you get back to the loading gate area?” Ralph jumped up, hands curled into fists. Mary could envision a punching match breaking out right here in the Las Vegas airport. She hoped not, for Ralph’s sake. Dan had three inches and twenty pounds on him.
Dan held up a ticket folder. “I’m going back with Mary.” His penetrating gaze rested on her. “We need to talk, and since you won’t take calls from me or Pete—who was calling from the emergency room with the broken nose I gave him—or even my mother, I decided the only way to get you to listen was to follow you. If you should change flights I’ll follow you there, too, so you might as well get used to having me around.”
Part of her thrilled to hear that he was determined to be with her. The loser, pitiful part. She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“I will, thanks.” He dropped into the seat on her right. For long minutes the three sat there saying nothing.
“Pete wanted to apologize to you. Even if you don’t listen to his explanation, he wanted me to tell you how sorry he is, and how when he gets drunk he gets things mixed up.”
“Pete should stop drinking.”
“If he’s your friend I can see why he drinks,” Ralph offered.
“Why don’t you go play some slots? Here’s ten dollars. Leave us alone for just a few minutes.”
“Hey, it’s your money.” Ralph jumped up and grabbed the ten, then cast a sheepish
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