When Love Calls (12 page)

“So, I sent you a message earlier but I didn’t hear back. Did you get it?” His eyes were still taking in the curves of my body and his surveillance actually stopped at my breasts perched high in my bustier. Mike watched intently as my chest rose and fell in angst. I glanced down to see for myself and what I already felt was confirmed. He was affecting me and I hated it. “Yeah, you got it,” he nodded confidently as his gaze met mine. “I guess it’s safe to assume the dude you were dancing with is the reason I didn’t get a reply. Is that your man?” Mike inched in a fraction.

“First of all, who I’m with is none of your damned business! I’m not sure who the hell you think you are or why you even bothered to contact me after three months, but I’m glad I got to see you tonight to get this off my chest! Do us both a favor and lose my number the way you claim to have lost it before. I don’t need to know what happened after that night. As you can see I’ve moved on, so feel free to do the same!” I crossed my arms to hide my shaking hands and my cleavage as I tried again to push past him.

“Listen, I get it.” Mike grabbed my wrist lightly and against my better judgment, I didn’t pull away. “I know I don’t have the right to ask or tell you anything. I wanted to explain things to you because I like you. The truth is I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that night.  But it’s cool, I mean, I guess the timing is just off. It was good to see you again.” I could see genuine regret in his eyes as I tugged my arm from his grasp. Just as I slid past Mike to head up the narrow hallway, Josh came around the corner. I could tell he was taking in the scene, his face a mix of concern and suspicion.

Josh never took his eyes off Mike as he clasped my hand. “Is everything ok back here?”

“Yes, Josh. I’m not feeling too well. Would it be alright if we left a little early?” I could feel him hesitate as I attempted to round the corner.

“Sure,” he said giving a final glare down the hall at Mike. “Let’s go get our coats.”

Chapter Eight

So I guess I’ve officially become that girl.
I was laying there watching Josh sleep. His chest rose and fell in deep, slumbering breaths. I studied his handsome face. He was even more beautiful since I’d convinced him to shave off that pesky goatee. I watched the muscles in his jaw flex in response to his clenched teeth. I wanted to memorize every detail of his face to take it with me on my trip. If anyone had ever told me, I would be reluctant to leave a man behind for a girl’s trip, I would have laughed in their face. Still I couldn’t shake the looming trace of sadness I felt about going. Josh and I had talked last night about moving in together which was a huge step for both of us. It seemed like the next logical step since I had already given him a key to my place and he spent nearly every night here during the week anyway since it was closer to his job. Josh was surprised when he mentioned it and I didn’t flinch. There was no backpedaling or hesitation. I told him we would work on it when I got back so the inkling of hesitation about leaving felt like it might be a bit of my subconscious fear of what I would be coming back to. I shook off my sensitivity and went back to surveying Josh’s gorgeous face. I leaned in and kissed him gently on his lips and he reflexively reached out and pulled me into him. I snuggled into his chest and listened to his heartbeat. I began to trail kisses across his chiseled frame and his bulge awakened at my touch so I reached down to acknowledge it. Josh didn’t stir as I massaged him slowly and wriggled down beneath the covers. I carefully pulled his hardness from his shorts and placed my tongue lightly across the tip. A low moan escaped Josh’s lips as I stroked him with my tongue again. This time he jerked involuntarily and I froze. When he settled again, I wrapped my mouth around his swell and began a slow bob. Up. Down. I had developed a subtle rhythm when Josh stirred from his sleep and threw back the covers. “Erin, what the hell are you doing?!!” I sat up and read his expression. He was genuinely upset.
Is he seriously pissed at me for trying to give him oral? What man says no to that?

“Josh, I just thought we could try it. You’re always so attentive to me. I just wanted to return the favor. Plus it’s something we’ve never experienced together. Don’t be mad!” I couldn’t believe I was apologizing for wanting to be more experimental in bed but I didn’t want to leave town with us angry at each other.  “Honey let’s not fight right before I get ready to leave for a whole week!”

“I’m not mad. You just caught me off guard considering the fact that I was sleeping. It’s like you were trying to stage a ‘sneak attack’ or something!” Josh tried to feign levity, but I knew he was serious.

I rolled over and out of bed. “Alright, I’m gonna go and take a shower. My flight leaves in two and a half hours.”
I guess I better remember to discreetly pack my little vibrating friend.
It struck me as odd that Josh was so resistant to any unconventional ideas about sex unless they were his own. I had suggested several different additions, but he’d declined them all. I was trying to be patient in the hope that he might warm up to anything more adventurous than our usual activities, but thus far the results had been minimal.

I was standing in front of the mirror with my eyes closed, washing my face when I felt Josh come up behind me. I searched the counter for my wash cloth and wiped the cleanser from my face and eyes. I saw him peeking apologetically over my shoulder. “You know how I feel about you, right?” He kissed the nape of my neck softly.

“Yes,” I sighed.

“It’s not that I don’t want to be close to you or for us to do different things, I just don’t like being blindsided or bombarded with it. It doesn’t mean I love you any less.” He was talking into my neck as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I glanced at the wall clock. I still had thirty minutes or so until I needed to leave and I was already packed so I let him give me his apology. Josh turned me around to face him and pulled away my towel as he perched my body on the edge of the bathroom counter. The last thing I heard as he dropped to his knees was a muffled, “I’m sorry.” I gripped his sandy hair as my eyes rolled back in my head.

*****

When I opened my eyes, the Las Vegas sign greeted me through the airplane window. Even though the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated, I decided to chance it and surfed my way to the front of the plane toward the bathroom. The sign on the door read, “occupied.”
Of course.
I couldn’t resist sneaking a peek through the curtain into first class.
Who knows, I could be on the plane with a celebrity.
I eased back the curtain and as my eyes roved down the walkway a broad shoulder that leaned slightly into the aisle three rows from the front caught my attention. I panned down further and locked in on a denim shroud leg attached to a black motorcycle boot. It couldn’t be. Or could it? I snatched the curtain closed. The urge to pee left me completely as panic set in and I scurried back to my seat.
What the hell is he doing here? His ass had better not be stalking me! I cannot catch a charge for beating some fool’s ass in Nevada!!
My head was reeling as I plotted how to get off the plane and out of the airport without him spotting me. I flopped down in the seat beside Feliz, slumped down and slapped on my shades.

“Girl, what the hell are you doing” Feliz snapped with a mortified expression. “Is this some kind of weird fear of flying nonsense or what? Sit up! You are embarrassing me!”

“NO,” I whispered. “It’s Mike! He’s on the plane! I saw him in first class!”

“Erin, are you sure it was him? I mean, did you see his face? Did he see you?!”

“Well, no, I didn’t actually
see
his face, but I know it was him! I could tell from his shoulder and his boot,” I said frantically. Feliz erupted into howling laughter! She laughed until tears rolled down her face.

Feliz’s face had turned beet red and was gasping for air when she finally replied, “So, let me get this straight. You think Mike is the only man on the planet who has broad shoulders and wears boots?! You are trippin’! Thank God we’re taking a vacation because you clearly need one. Whew, I can’t wait to tell Amber and Angie this! Girl, you crack me up!!” Feliz continued to chuckle to herself as she watched me peer cautiously over the top of the seats.

When the plane landed, I didn’t budge. I sat right there and waited for everyone else to de-board the plane before I walked hesitantly toward the exit. I wanted to be sure there was plenty of distance between Mike and I. Feliz and the other girls had gone on without me so I pulled out my phone and texted her:

“PLEASE pull my bags off the belt at baggage claim! I’m coming down soon and I’ll meet you guys outside.”

As I walked down the corridor toward the terminal, I tried to figure out exactly why the possibility of seeing Mike had me so flustered. I wasn’t really afraid that he was stalking me and I had pretty much closed the chapter on our “little encounter” so what would be the big deal about seeing him in Vegas? I satisfied myself with the thought that when you see a guy you slept with on your vacation flight, it’s natural to be taken aback. Vegas was big enough for the both of us. Besides, I’d be far too busy with my girls to even think about why Mike might be in Vegas.

When I got to baggage claim, I found my friends waiting there impatiently next to a sign marked Airline Shuttle Corp. “Well, it’s about damned time Erin! I hope this isn’t an indication of how our trip is going to go. Feliz told me about your little ‘sighting’ and you have
got
to relax! There must be more to that whole Mike story than we know about and for all this trouble, you owe us a full and detailed explanation.” Angie winked and gave me a nudge. I knew she would give me a hard time about my behavior and truthfully, I deserved it. Still I wasn’t ready to spend our whole trip talking about Mike or any of my other relationship escapades. I wasn’t sure how much of it I was prepared to share anyway.

Thankfully, the conversation shifted on the ride to the hotel and everyone seemed to forget about being interested in my love life.
Good!
 The shuttle was filled with the sound of us clambering about places we’d been before and the new things on the strip that we wanted to see this time around. The driver stopped the van at the main entrance to Caesar’s Palace and we all hopped out, tipped the driver and lugged our bags into the lobby. “I’m glad I sprung for the VIP package.” I said as I rolled the suit cases to a significantly shorter check-in line. The girls followed my lead and we were in and out of line in no time. I had already decided to take a nap and was headed toward the elevator when Angie called out, “You know you’re wrong for not staying in a suite with us! Look at you being all antisocial on our girl’s trip!” her nose was scrunched up in a way that made her look like she smelled something bad. I knew she had an attitude, but the truth was, Amber snored like a buzz saw and I never could sleep with anyone who snored. “Don’t start Angie. I’ll see you guys in a few hours. You can feel free to fuss me out then. I’m going to take a nap!” I ignored her side-eye and continued my trek toward the elevator.

When I finally arrived at my room, I slid the key card in the door and wheeled my luggage in front of the mirrored closet door. I tossed my jacket and purse in the chair and collapsed across the bed. Before I got too comfortable, I grabbed the phone and dialed the suite number for Angie and the girls. “Hello.” Amber sang into the receiver.

 “Hey, what time do I need to be ready?” I laid there staring at the ceiling, waiting for her reply as she convened with Angie and Feliz.

“We want to do dinner at seven,” Amber said, “and maybe a late show afterwards. So meet us in the lobby at six thirty.”

“Cool.” I hung up the phone and checked the clock. Three thirty. Just then the grumbling sound that came from my stomach let me know there was no way I was going to make it until seven o’clock without eating. I figured I could find something small to tide me over at the bar downstairs so I grudgingly rolled out of bed, grabbed my purse and headed out the door.

I followed the signs until I ended up in Serendipity and planted my weary ass on a bar stool. I wanted to cuss out my stomach for overruling my mind and the rest of my body, but I knew that was pointless. Instead, I ordered some teriyaki wings, a beer and a tequila shot. I fixed my gaze on the bar television where a football game was being played. I wasn’t the biggest sports fan, but I understood the game enough to get into it if I had to. Today it was just something to hold my attention and keep my mind off the fact that if I didn’t eat soon, my small intestines would surely devour my large intestines. I chuckled at the thought as the bartender arrived with my shot and frothy brew. I took a sip of the heady beer then downed my shot before starting in on the wings he sat in front of me.  I took a few more swigs of my beer then closed my eyes and let the alcohol take effect. It felt amazing to only be responsible for myself for once. No friends, no boyfriend, no patients, just me. My peaceful moment was interrupted by a group of men who came blustering into the bar. I watched them through the mirror behind the bar and judged the group must have been having some sort of bachelor party. I figured the guy shackled in a ball and chain must have been the groom. I had returned my attention to my beer and wings when a familiar laugh caught my ear. Until that very moment I’d hoped I was imagining things on the plane but as I scanned the group through the mirror I realized my suspicions had been correct. It was Mike!!
Shiiiiiit!
I slid down slowly from the barstool and left cash on the bar to pay my bill. I took one last glance in the mirror before I made a beeline for the door. As I rounded the corner and walked toward the casino, I heard him call my name. Thankfully I viewed a ladies’ room just a few paces ahead and quickly ducked inside. I sat there on the bathroom sofa for more than five minutes before I talked myself into going back into the casino. To my relief, this time he wasn’t waiting outside for me. Once I was sure the coast was clear I headed in the direction of my hotel room.