Cafe Romance (6 page)

In a gallant effort to win his wife back he knew he was going to have to invest a lot more than words. He would have to pour time and money into this effort. For the best results he knew his noble quest would have to begin on familiar grounds. If this were going to work, he’d have to find a way to rekindle her love for him. That’s when the vacation capital of the world came into play
…
Orlando, Florida. There was just something about Orlando that fascinated the two from the very beginning of their marriage. Orlando had that mystical
Emerald City
mystique about it. It also helped that this was where the two had spent their honeymoon. It sounded like a sure fire plan. He would call her that evening.

To his surprise, she agreed to come down for a one-week visit. His persuasion was the sale of their home. Her co-signature was required and other financial information. He would bring the forms along and she would bring the financial information he needed. Not one for letting a good opportunity slip through his hands, he made hotel reservations at Hawthorne Suites in Orlando. It was a classy hotel they had patronized before. And the resort offered a two hour courtesy
happy hour
in the evenings.

It was a week later when Kurt’s flight arrived in Orlando. From the terminal he picked up his rental. It was a late model Cadillac Deville. He loved luxury cars as much as sports cars. That afternoon he returned to the airport to pick up Leslie, who flew in on a later flight.

Talk about natural beauty. There she stood, as he remembered her, lovely and radiant as ever, her four-piece luggage encircling her feet.

Pulling the sedan over to where she stood, he watched as she reached up and pushed her sunglasses atop her head. Putting the car in park, he sprung out into the open where she met his gaze with a warm smile.

He responded with a warmer smile.

Taking her loosely into his arms, he planted a kiss on her lips, a kiss she appeared not to derive pleasure from. But Kurt was not fazed by her feint indifference. He had plenty of time to warm her up. And boy did he plan on doing just that. He would be patient, though. The situation required it.

Loading her belongings in the truck of the car, he drove over to Kissimmee for five days and four nights of fun and relaxation. Kissimmee was a vacation resort haven just outside of Orlando and only minutes away from Disney World. Kurt’s hope was to create an environment that was conducive for romancing. Sure, she had physically separated herself from him, but he was deeply in love with his wife and made no bones about wanting to reunite with her. And deep down inside, he believed she was still in love with him. Besides, he had grown tired of retreating to an empty bed at night.

Parking the Cadillac near the entrance of the hotel, the two checked in. Once inside of their luxury suite, he produced the paperwork for her to sign on as agreeing to the sale of their home and both gave the required signatures. After settling in and freshening up, it was almost time for dinner.

“Notice anything different about me?” he asked, as he walked forward, stopping in front of her with a wide grin.

Leslie took a moment to ponder his question.

“You seem to have managed to find a way to be on time since I’ve been away,” she answered. “I did not have to wait for you at the airport.”

“Yes, I have improved a lot in that department,” he replied, the animation faded from his face. “But that’s not the answer. I’ve lost weight…eight pounds.”

Leslie gave him the going over. “I thought there was something different when I saw you. You look like you’ve been taking care of yourself.”

“You can say that,” he lied, knowing that worrying about his failed relationship was the culprit behind the weight loss.

“Well, keep it up. I’m going to get ready,” Leslie said, walking into the bedroom looking sultry. Just the way he liked her. She was wearing a white blouse and smoke colored pantyhose. Though she had no intention of returning to him on a permanent basis, she wasn’t adverse to the notion of relieving a little sexual tension with her estranged husband when the opportunity availed itself. Besides, she was feeling horny as hell, right now. Perhaps sometime after dinner she would offer him desert, she mused.

“My God, you look stunning,” he said, almost breathlessly as he followed her.

“Thank you,” she replied with a toothy smile. “You’re pretty hot looking yourself.”

“Not as hot as you,” he said, still sizing her up.

“My, you’re certainly full of compliments tonight.”

“I am just calling it as I see it,” he chuckled, as his eyes swept over her approvingly for the third time.

She laughed. “Look, I’m going to get dressed. Go into the living room until I’m through. I want to surprise you with my new outfit. I’ll be ready in about twenty minutes.”

“Take your sweet time,” he murmured, all the while thinking how wonderful it was to be in the company of his beautiful wife, especially with those exceptionally pretty legs of hers. Obliging her, he reluctantly left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

She reappeared forty-five minutes later.

Wide-eyed, he gazed approvingly at the form fitting red dress that draped her body. It accentuated her form to a degree that enthralled him. He also took pleasure in gazing at her sensuous looking mouth. Her lips were painted in red. Wet looking, her lips were moist and inviting. The seductive form fitting dress, her long dark brown hair, which draped low over one eye, her moist succulent lips, the gold ankle bracelet; the high heeled shoes, her spicy perfume…the whole damn package seemed far too much for one man to absorb and at one time.

It had been two months since he last saw his wife and longer than that since they were intimate with one another. It was going to take a lot of effort and will power on his part to pry his eyes off of Leslie. Her low cut dress, which accentuated her generously rounded breasts, was enough by itself to raise the dead.

“Are you all right, Kurt?” she asked, as her eyes searched his face in an effort to reach into his thoughts
…
thoughts she was aware she was manipulating.

“I’m fine,” he lied, coming out of his self-induced trance. “I was just thinking how much I missed you.”

“Well, don’t think too hard or we’ll miss dinner,” she said. “You forget I know that look in your eyes and what it means.”

“And what exactly does it mean?”

“It means you are hungry but not for food.”

“Is that so?”

“Quite so.”

Kurt gave her a sheepish grin before giving her a hug. It did not escape his attention that she was still wearing her wedding ring. For a man looking for any signs from her that would give him hope or point to a possible reunion, this was as good a sign as any. Yes indeed. This woman was worth fighting to get back, he told himself.

Still, it continued to bother him not knowing what it was he had supposedly done to make her want to leave him in the first place. One day he hoped to get to the bottom of it all. Right now, he had a dinner date with an exceptional and appealing woman.

The couple exited the hotel holding hands. Just like old times. Walking over to the rental they paused briefly to inhale the night air. Orlando was known to permeate with mouth-watering aromas from various restaurants, especially this time of day. And tonight was no exception. They entered the car and drove over to International Drive, a few miles away. They parked the car and walked along, again hand-in-hand, pausing occasionally to take in the sights and sounds of the numerous businesses and restaurants and tourists they passed by.

Two blocks down, they came upon an upscale grilled steak and seafood restaurant. The aroma of charbroiled steak was more than enticing. They decided to dine there.

First to arrive from the menu was a fresh bowl of Neptune salad, served in a chilled bowl shaped like a seashell. New England clam chowder was served next. Later the diminutive waitress brought out the main course on a large round serving tray.

With forks and knives at the ready, and a healthy appetite, the couple indulged their ambitious and delicious combination charbroiled steak and seafood platter, which included two broiled lobster tails, six jumbo shrimp and scallops, in a seasoned butter sauce, and  side orders of Hawaiian grilled vegetables. Their meal was capped with chilled wine. The soft background music and soft lighting set a romantic mood.

Throughout the evening, the couple traded glances and smiles. He found her presence warm and comforting. It was as if she had never left. She enjoyed his company and good time. After dessert, chocolate marble cheesecake, they took a romantic stroll under a moonlit sky.

Later they drove back to the hotel. Not ready to turn in, they lounged around the swimming pool area on lawn chairs for a short while. Live music from the club inside could be heard where they sat. The music accentuated what had been up to this point, a very romantic evening. Stealing another glance, he was convinced more than ever that she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. Capping off the evening with two
Sex on the Beach
cocktails, the couple retreated to their posh suite where they delighted in kissing and touching and making wild passionate love this side of and beyond the twilight hours. Just like they used to do.

The next two days and nights that followed were spent visiting downtown Orlando, Sea World, and Disney’s nightclub scene, known as Pleasure Island. They also hit a host of restaurants, shopping centers, and outlet malls. On their last full day in Orlando the two took in a surprisingly entertaining romantic comedy. It was just what the doctor ordered, he thought. Most of all, Leslie appeared to be enjoying herself.
Wonderful!
He thought. But were his efforts enough to convince her to return to him? After all, the sole purpose behind this romantic getaway was to reconnect with Leslie.

As always, all good things must come to an end.
But
w
hy?
He pondered.

“I’m ready to start loading the car whenever you are,” she said from her seat on the edge of the bed, her shapely legs available for his eyes to feast on.

“What time does your plane leave, again?” he asked

Standing up, she shrugged. “Two o’clock this afternoon, I believe.”

“Well, it’s just a little after nine thirty. Considering they want you there at the terminal at least an hour and half before flight departure, I’d say that leaves us about a good two and a half hours to kill. Besides, we’re only fifteen minutes from the airport.”

“What do you have in mind?” Leslie asked, as she zipped up her travel bag.

“We can drive over to Wal-Mart first and get some things. I’m talking vacation t-shirts. Hey, remember that dainty little Korean restaurant in downtown Orlando, the one on Colonial Drive? The one we frequented so much during our two-week honeymoon. Well, how about having lunch there. That is, if they are still in business.”

“Sounds fine with me,” Leslie replied.

“I’ll start loading up the car, okay?”

“That’s a good idea,” she answered. “I’m going to blow-dry my hair real quick. Then I’ll be ready to check out.”

Kurt made several trips out to the car to load their luggage when he returned to the suite for the last time. Leslie was standing in front of the wide bathroom mirror patting her hair into shape. She was wearing a short black slip and matching bra.

He decided to ease up behind her shapely form and embrace her gently. When he did he pressed against her soft bottom and began to sway their bodies side to side. Within seconds he had grown quite aroused. Checking out was not on his mind. Not now. But checking in was.

Looking into the mirror Leslie could see that his handsome gaze was as soft as a caress. At the same time, she could feel his rising nature. It was anything but soft. More than anything, she found it quite stimulating. With closed eyes, his chiseled face appeared serene to her. For a second she gave in to the moment and the passion stirring inside her, as she leaned back and closed her own eyes. But the moment was brief.

Moved by her proximity and scented skin, he sighed. He then left a trail of hot kisses along her warm neck. But the moment he whispered, “God, I love you so much, Leslie,” into her ear, she pulled away from him.

What in hell!
He thought, with both hands resting on his hip. He followed her until he stood inches away from her averted eyes. When she finally looked at him, it was brief. His eyes chased hers but she avoided direct contact with them. When he finally caught up to her, he saw a pensive look that a moment before was more sensuous in tone. “What’s wrong Leslie?” he asked, feeling emotionally pricked.

“Kurt, I’m sorry but I just don’t feel that way about you anymore,” she said as she turned and walked into the bedroom area. Storing her comb and other hair products away nervously, she murmured, as though an afterthought, “You know, I wondered whether or not coming here was a good idea.”

“But you did come and you had a great time. Did you or did you not?”

“Kurt, I had a wonderful time. I truly did,” she almost sighed. “Like I said, I know that look. But I’m not in that frame of mind anymore.”

Kurt lowered his head. The pain had returned, and in buckets full.

“I don’t mean to hurt you but I don’t see us getting back together again. I thought you understood this.”

Inside he was both furious and hurt. Conflicted was a better term. But he could not allow himself to jeopardize any chance of getting back with her by losing his composure. He wanted to build upon the goodwill he had already established with her until he could slowly change the emotional tide in his favor.
Damn
, the things we do for love, he thought.

In a calm tone he said, “Look, I apologize if I upset you. That was not my intention. But I cannot apologize for the way I feel about you. I’m still in love with you, Leslie. That’s just the way it is. Perhaps one day I will be able to tune you out, as you have done with me. But right now, I just don’t know how to do that. So, if we have to part ways, I want us to part on a positive note. And I hope we can.”