on anywhere else. It took me so long to get things done, and then, well, it just tired me out.”
“I understand,” said Dennis, smiling. “You just relax for a while. Charles will be home soon. Tina is making something new for dinner, too. I’m going into the kitchen now to sample it.” He smiled broadly and left the room.
And it started again. The minute she was alone, visions of Caleb started flirting through her mind. She found herself reliving their tryst, there at the house. Naked in the grass. It was unthinkable. How could she have succumbed to that pure animal lust? And yet she had. And now the memory of it would not leave her. Well, she would just have to bear it. She would have to learn to compartmentalize things more efficiently.
Steeling herself, she took a gulp of her gin and tonic. It was then she heard the front door open and Dennis saying, “Good evening, Charles. Let me take that for you. You’ll be pleased to know Lauren’s in the study, waiting for you.”
Lauren heaved a sigh of relief, set her drink down, and stood up to meet her fiancé. Being with him would banish all this nonsense and make her forget her transgression. It would fade into the background of her life, like the memories of those soft summers so long ago. Yes, her guilty secret would evaporate into the foggy past. No one would be the wiser. All the plumbers, fragrant old gardens, and seductive summer nights would go the way of a momentary daydream, and she would be back in her reality, both feet on the ground, her arm through Charles’s, protected on all sides by tall skyscrapers, designer clothing, and money in the bank.
She heard the familiar footsteps coming down the hall, and Charles came into the room. Even at that hour of the evening, he was immaculate, unwrinkled, the perfect business man. He held out his arms to her as he said, “Darling! How wonderful to have you back!”
Lauren ran to him. She kissed his mouth. His lips were cool, his face smooth. Lauren wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder, feeling the crisp, cool fabric on her cheek. “Oh, Charles, I’m so glad to be home!”
He laughed, and taking her arms in his hands, held her out from him and searched her face. “I would have been home sooner, but the delegate from Singapore was here. I escorted her out to the plane. Certainly the countryside couldn’t have been that bad. Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine,” said Lauren, hugging him again. She tried to clasp him closer. A renegade thought rose up in her mind. Where was the heat? She released him. “Can I pour you a drink?”
“Yes, thanks. I’ll just sip some sherry. Dennis says we’ll sit down to dinner soon. He’ll open that new red I bought in Italy. Now, did you get everything taken care of up there?”
“I hope so. The Realtor said it shouldn’t take too long to sell the place.” Lauren did not want to talk about the house, the countryside, or what might have transpired there. She changed the subject. “I’m so happy you didn’t have to leave for Singapore today. I’m glad you’re here tonight.”
“Well, I am, too,” said Charles, looking out the window. Lauren stood beside him. The city was settling into evening. Lights were blinking on, and there was a bluish tint to everything. “I do have to leave in the next day or two, though. That’s what the meeting was about this evening. Just lining things up so I can get there, get the business done, and get home. I’ll have a stopover in London, but I shouldn’t be gone more than a week.”
“A week!” exclaimed Lauren. Then she added morosely, “We haven’t been together very much lately.”
Charles smiled patronizingly. “Do I detect a bit of whining, darling?”
“I’m not whining, Charles!” Lauren was really irritated now.
Charles laughed. “I’m sorry, really. I was just teasing you. You know my business involves a lot of travel.”
“Yes, I know,” she conceded. “I just
“I understand,” said Dennis, smiling. “You just relax for a while. Charles will be home soon. Tina is making something new for dinner, too. I’m going into the kitchen now to sample it.” He smiled broadly and left the room.
And it started again. The minute she was alone, visions of Caleb started flirting through her mind. She found herself reliving their tryst, there at the house. Naked in the grass. It was unthinkable. How could she have succumbed to that pure animal lust? And yet she had. And now the memory of it would not leave her. Well, she would just have to bear it. She would have to learn to compartmentalize things more efficiently.
Steeling herself, she took a gulp of her gin and tonic. It was then she heard the front door open and Dennis saying, “Good evening, Charles. Let me take that for you. You’ll be pleased to know Lauren’s in the study, waiting for you.”
Lauren heaved a sigh of relief, set her drink down, and stood up to meet her fiancé. Being with him would banish all this nonsense and make her forget her transgression. It would fade into the background of her life, like the memories of those soft summers so long ago. Yes, her guilty secret would evaporate into the foggy past. No one would be the wiser. All the plumbers, fragrant old gardens, and seductive summer nights would go the way of a momentary daydream, and she would be back in her reality, both feet on the ground, her arm through Charles’s, protected on all sides by tall skyscrapers, designer clothing, and money in the bank.
She heard the familiar footsteps coming down the hall, and Charles came into the room. Even at that hour of the evening, he was immaculate, unwrinkled, the perfect business man. He held out his arms to her as he said, “Darling! How wonderful to have you back!”
Lauren ran to him. She kissed his mouth. His lips were cool, his face smooth. Lauren wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder, feeling the crisp, cool fabric on her cheek. “Oh, Charles, I’m so glad to be home!”
He laughed, and taking her arms in his hands, held her out from him and searched her face. “I would have been home sooner, but the delegate from Singapore was here. I escorted her out to the plane. Certainly the countryside couldn’t have been that bad. Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine,” said Lauren, hugging him again. She tried to clasp him closer. A renegade thought rose up in her mind. Where was the heat? She released him. “Can I pour you a drink?”
“Yes, thanks. I’ll just sip some sherry. Dennis says we’ll sit down to dinner soon. He’ll open that new red I bought in Italy. Now, did you get everything taken care of up there?”
“I hope so. The Realtor said it shouldn’t take too long to sell the place.” Lauren did not want to talk about the house, the countryside, or what might have transpired there. She changed the subject. “I’m so happy you didn’t have to leave for Singapore today. I’m glad you’re here tonight.”
“Well, I am, too,” said Charles, looking out the window. Lauren stood beside him. The city was settling into evening. Lights were blinking on, and there was a bluish tint to everything. “I do have to leave in the next day or two, though. That’s what the meeting was about this evening. Just lining things up so I can get there, get the business done, and get home. I’ll have a stopover in London, but I shouldn’t be gone more than a week.”
“A week!” exclaimed Lauren. Then she added morosely, “We haven’t been together very much lately.”
Charles smiled patronizingly. “Do I detect a bit of whining, darling?”
“I’m not whining, Charles!” Lauren was really irritated now.
Charles laughed. “I’m sorry, really. I was just teasing you. You know my business involves a lot of travel.”
“Yes, I know,” she conceded. “I just
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