opposite around Roz. He felt younger, and vibrant, and bursting at
the seams with life and all of its possibilities. It was a strange feeling for Mick, and he was
going to savor it.
Roz, too,
felt alive and vibrant as they drove to Barry’s house. Although Mick spent a good deal of the ride
fielding phone call after phone call, Roz spent that same time observing
him. He looked drained to her, as if he
was working too hard but had to keep working anyway and nothing or nobody was
going to stand in his way. Some women
would be offended by his lack of attention, but Roz wasn’t one of them. It was a good sign to her. It was the sign of a man who had his
priorities straight. Business and then
pleasure. Later, if their association
led to something serious, and they actually did become a couple, it would have
to flip. Roz would insist upon it. But expecting him to change his style for her
now, when he barely knew her, would be ludicrous. Let him handle his business. She was fine with that.
She still didn’t
know the true nature of his business, just that he was a businessman, but from
the bits and pieces of conversation she couldn’t help but hear, it seemed as if
he oversaw a vast empire. She heard him
fire somebody, promote somebody, cuss somebody out. He didn’t give a nickel and didn’t take
one. Roz was impressed. He could be the most consequential man she’d
ever met.
He could also be the most dangerous. She couldn’t say why she felt that way, but
she felt that way. He was a bad boy. He’d already made that clear to her. But the fact that he had another side, and
she was getting through to that side of him, was exciting. Bad boys didn’t get turned down sexually by
some random woman and then show up at her doorstep three weeks later if they didn’t
have another side. Mick showed up. He came back.
That meant
the world to Roz.
CHAPTER SIX
By the time
the limo pulled up at Barry’s big suburban house, Mick was ending his last
call. And he waited for the nag. Every woman in his past complained whenever
he had to handle business while transporting them to dinner, and he always had
to cuss their asses out and remind them that they didn’t mean shit to him and
he could put them out right here and right now if they didn’t like it. He was that kind of man.
But Roz
proved her mettle again. Because she
didn’t complain at all. She seemed
perfectly content to sit back and enjoy the ride. Being with him seemed to be enough. Mick wasn’t used to that. And he loved it. She proved her differentness again.
“What are
you writing?” Mick asked.
Roz had
pulled a slip of paper out of her purse and was writing something on it. “My cell phone number,” she said. “Give me yours.”
Mick smiled
at the way she commanded him that way, and then reached into his pocket, pulled
out a business card, and wrote his cell phone number on the back. He handed the card to her.
“Thanks,”
she said, as she handed her number to Mick. “I like to keep the cell phone number of the person I’m out with in case
we get separated.”
Mick smiled
again. It would be some trick to get
separated like that at a house party, but he didn’t quarrel with her. He liked her efficiency.
Barry Acker
and his wife Agnes met them at the door. What surprised Roz was that Barry, a man in his sixties, had a wife who
looked younger than Roz. And movie star
beautiful too, like a clone of Nicole Kidman, down to the flowing red
hair. She wondered if his wife had been
one of those brownnosers in one of his plays who had a talent, not for acting,
but for wooing directors and producers as if they were born seductresses. But Roz wasn’t going to judge. Maybe it was love.
But when
they entered the foyer of the home, and Mrs. Acker made it a point of hugging
Mick and then kissing him on
the seams with life and all of its possibilities. It was a strange feeling for Mick, and he was
going to savor it.
Roz, too,
felt alive and vibrant as they drove to Barry’s house. Although Mick spent a good deal of the ride
fielding phone call after phone call, Roz spent that same time observing
him. He looked drained to her, as if he
was working too hard but had to keep working anyway and nothing or nobody was
going to stand in his way. Some women
would be offended by his lack of attention, but Roz wasn’t one of them. It was a good sign to her. It was the sign of a man who had his
priorities straight. Business and then
pleasure. Later, if their association
led to something serious, and they actually did become a couple, it would have
to flip. Roz would insist upon it. But expecting him to change his style for her
now, when he barely knew her, would be ludicrous. Let him handle his business. She was fine with that.
She still didn’t
know the true nature of his business, just that he was a businessman, but from
the bits and pieces of conversation she couldn’t help but hear, it seemed as if
he oversaw a vast empire. She heard him
fire somebody, promote somebody, cuss somebody out. He didn’t give a nickel and didn’t take
one. Roz was impressed. He could be the most consequential man she’d
ever met.
He could also be the most dangerous. She couldn’t say why she felt that way, but
she felt that way. He was a bad boy. He’d already made that clear to her. But the fact that he had another side, and
she was getting through to that side of him, was exciting. Bad boys didn’t get turned down sexually by
some random woman and then show up at her doorstep three weeks later if they didn’t
have another side. Mick showed up. He came back.
That meant
the world to Roz.
CHAPTER SIX
By the time
the limo pulled up at Barry’s big suburban house, Mick was ending his last
call. And he waited for the nag. Every woman in his past complained whenever
he had to handle business while transporting them to dinner, and he always had
to cuss their asses out and remind them that they didn’t mean shit to him and
he could put them out right here and right now if they didn’t like it. He was that kind of man.
But Roz
proved her mettle again. Because she
didn’t complain at all. She seemed
perfectly content to sit back and enjoy the ride. Being with him seemed to be enough. Mick wasn’t used to that. And he loved it. She proved her differentness again.
“What are
you writing?” Mick asked.
Roz had
pulled a slip of paper out of her purse and was writing something on it. “My cell phone number,” she said. “Give me yours.”
Mick smiled
at the way she commanded him that way, and then reached into his pocket, pulled
out a business card, and wrote his cell phone number on the back. He handed the card to her.
“Thanks,”
she said, as she handed her number to Mick. “I like to keep the cell phone number of the person I’m out with in case
we get separated.”
Mick smiled
again. It would be some trick to get
separated like that at a house party, but he didn’t quarrel with her. He liked her efficiency.
Barry Acker
and his wife Agnes met them at the door. What surprised Roz was that Barry, a man in his sixties, had a wife who
looked younger than Roz. And movie star
beautiful too, like a clone of Nicole Kidman, down to the flowing red
hair. She wondered if his wife had been
one of those brownnosers in one of his plays who had a talent, not for acting,
but for wooing directors and producers as if they were born seductresses. But Roz wasn’t going to judge. Maybe it was love.
But when
they entered the foyer of the home, and Mrs. Acker made it a point of hugging
Mick and then kissing him on
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