door.
***
Colin settled into the limousine excited about his dinner with Tamra. For him it was a date.
He drummed his fingers on his knee, a song forming in his head. He began to hum.
Tamra glanced at him.
“Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?”
She blinked, then dug into her laptop case. She’d insisted on bringing it, but he wanted this night for fun. No sex, just fun and getting to know Tamra. She handed him the requested items.
“Thanks.”
He leaned against his knee, scribbling the words onto the paper that were flowing out of his brain. The song was clearly about Tamra. He could hear the music in his head, but he didn’t have anything to play it on.
He wished he’d brought his iPad. He had a keyboard app on it.
When he finally looked up, they were in the Holland Tunnel. All that time had passed and he had a song with the melody all set. He glanced at Tamra who stared at him.
“You looked like you were in a trance,” she said.
“Hopefully, you didn’t try to talk to me.”
“No. You were humming, too.”
“I didn’t mean to ignore you, but when a song hits me I have to get it out.”
She shrugged. “Fine.”
“I know this was supposed to be just us, but sometimes the song comes to me at an inopportune moment.”
“Not a big deal. This whole romance thing is your idea.”
He folded the paper he’d been writing, then tucked it into his pants pocket. “Have you never had romance in your life?”
She took a deep breath and let it out noisily. That breath said so much.
“Yes and it became a nuisance.”
“Or did he become a nuisance?”
“Something like that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Not your fault.”
She looked out the window as if to end the conversation. He let her be alone with her thoughts. The melody of the song still rang in his head.
***
Tamra realized in that conversation that Colin really wanted to know about her. Her. Personally. This wasn’t a game to him. That scared her. She figured he’d get bored and leave her alone to do her job of protecting him.
Though given his schedule, she didn’t know if he’d have time to romance her. He had a meeting in the morning with the fragrance company. In the afternoon he had a radio interview. The next day he had an all afternoon photo shoot at the house.
She was tired just thinking about it all.
She pulled out her phone when it rang, Kelly again.
“Hey, Kelly.”
“I checked out the building. Security is tight. Some big names live in that building. I also called security and told them you were coming. Colin has his own elevator.”
“His own elevator?”
Yes, the top three penthouses, each a whole floor, have designated elevators with their own keys.”
“Well, that makes it easy to secure.”
“Yep.”
“Thanks.”
She disconnected.
“Did I forget to mention the elevator?” Colin said.
“Might have been important to know that. I might have felt better about this whole situation.”
“Sorry.”
“Do you want to get hurt? Do you not take this threat as real?”
“Look, I’m sorry. I forgot a detail, but I don’t think that’s what you’re mad at. I think I’m getting to you and you don’t like it. I’m scaling this giant wall you’ve erected or at least I’m trying harder than anyone else to get over it. You don’t like it at all.”
Her mouth moved, but no words came out. “You are not scaling some wall. I’m supposed to keep you safe. I don’t want to fail at my job.”
He laughed, a twinkle in his eyes. “You
***
Colin settled into the limousine excited about his dinner with Tamra. For him it was a date.
He drummed his fingers on his knee, a song forming in his head. He began to hum.
Tamra glanced at him.
“Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?”
She blinked, then dug into her laptop case. She’d insisted on bringing it, but he wanted this night for fun. No sex, just fun and getting to know Tamra. She handed him the requested items.
“Thanks.”
He leaned against his knee, scribbling the words onto the paper that were flowing out of his brain. The song was clearly about Tamra. He could hear the music in his head, but he didn’t have anything to play it on.
He wished he’d brought his iPad. He had a keyboard app on it.
When he finally looked up, they were in the Holland Tunnel. All that time had passed and he had a song with the melody all set. He glanced at Tamra who stared at him.
“You looked like you were in a trance,” she said.
“Hopefully, you didn’t try to talk to me.”
“No. You were humming, too.”
“I didn’t mean to ignore you, but when a song hits me I have to get it out.”
She shrugged. “Fine.”
“I know this was supposed to be just us, but sometimes the song comes to me at an inopportune moment.”
“Not a big deal. This whole romance thing is your idea.”
He folded the paper he’d been writing, then tucked it into his pants pocket. “Have you never had romance in your life?”
She took a deep breath and let it out noisily. That breath said so much.
“Yes and it became a nuisance.”
“Or did he become a nuisance?”
“Something like that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Not your fault.”
She looked out the window as if to end the conversation. He let her be alone with her thoughts. The melody of the song still rang in his head.
***
Tamra realized in that conversation that Colin really wanted to know about her. Her. Personally. This wasn’t a game to him. That scared her. She figured he’d get bored and leave her alone to do her job of protecting him.
Though given his schedule, she didn’t know if he’d have time to romance her. He had a meeting in the morning with the fragrance company. In the afternoon he had a radio interview. The next day he had an all afternoon photo shoot at the house.
She was tired just thinking about it all.
She pulled out her phone when it rang, Kelly again.
“Hey, Kelly.”
“I checked out the building. Security is tight. Some big names live in that building. I also called security and told them you were coming. Colin has his own elevator.”
“His own elevator?”
Yes, the top three penthouses, each a whole floor, have designated elevators with their own keys.”
“Well, that makes it easy to secure.”
“Yep.”
“Thanks.”
She disconnected.
“Did I forget to mention the elevator?” Colin said.
“Might have been important to know that. I might have felt better about this whole situation.”
“Sorry.”
“Do you want to get hurt? Do you not take this threat as real?”
“Look, I’m sorry. I forgot a detail, but I don’t think that’s what you’re mad at. I think I’m getting to you and you don’t like it. I’m scaling this giant wall you’ve erected or at least I’m trying harder than anyone else to get over it. You don’t like it at all.”
Her mouth moved, but no words came out. “You are not scaling some wall. I’m supposed to keep you safe. I don’t want to fail at my job.”
He laughed, a twinkle in his eyes. “You
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