CHAPTER THREE

 

One week to the day, wearing her loveliest frock under her taupe fall coat, Macy, with Cal seated beside her, landed safely at LaGuardia Airport. Macey had to admit how spiffy Cal looked in the black western styled overcoat. The coat's length accented his tall stature, and the stitched yoke at the shoulders, outlined their width. She had never considered Cal bad looking. It-it was just that he lacked that certain Grecian quality of face, body and mind that made all the difference to her. The black ten-gallon hat he habitually wore didn't help. She'd always thought it old-fashioned and out of date.

This was her first time visiting New York, and it showed in her barely able to sit still through the entire flight and the cab ride to the Nelsons' uptown apartment. Cal endured her excitement with quiet aplomb. He answered her question after question as she turned her head from side to side to view the streets of Manhattan through the cab's windows. She didn't wonder about his lack of excitement. Cal had visited New York on several occasions, especially the Catskills where his wealthy grandparents lived on their large estate. He often spoke of them highly and with much love.

"We're here," Cal said, as the cabbie slowed to a stop in front of a luxury hi-rise apartment building. "Don't forget your bag."

Macey slipped her arm into the shoulder strap of her carry-on bag and jumped out of the cab unto the sidewalk, her feet literally prancing like those of an excited child on her way to a toy store. She gazed wide-eyed at the double glass doors and up at the tall building, forgetful of the rows of people traversing up and down the sidewalk. She stood gazing up, one second too long, and right into the path of a quick moving gent in a business suit. Down she went with a yelp. A couple of buttons on her coat popped and the frilly skirt of her dress showed from under her coat.

Cal had just finished paying the cab driver, and thanked him for taking the scenic route as requested. He heard her annoyed yelp, grabbed his own boarding bag and black ten-gallon hat, and quickly hurried from the cab. The man in the business suit was already helping her up. "You really should watch where you're going, Miss."

He had a beautiful smile, Macey thought. And he was tall and sleek in his dark business suit. "I'm so sorry, it was my fault," she quickly admitted. "I'm new to the city. It's my first time."

The gent eyed her inquiringly. "Refreshing," he said. "Instead of bawling me out, you're apologizing. May I ask your name? Are you here on your own?"

Cal came up behind her. "No, my wife is here with me. We're visiting friends."

Macey opened her mouth to vehemently deny she was Cal's wife. but a firmly placed hand at the back of her waist pushed her forward so she had all she could do to keep her balance.

"Thank you for your help," Cal threw over his shoulder as he propelled Macey through the entrance into the building's lobby.

Straightening herself to her full petite stature, Macey glared up at Cal. "How dare you!" she yelled.

"Didn't you see the way he was looking at you?" Cal replied.

Not sure if she was angry at his calm self-assertiveness, or at the fact that he'd just interfered with her free will, she answered heatedly, "He was only being polite. Nothing like the lying ruffian behind me!"

"Yes, of course he was," Cal replied impatiently. "Especially after you told him you just arrived in town and were completely on your own."

“I never told him I was on my own.”

“Not in so many words,” he said.

“Besides, what's that got to do with it!" she insisted.

“Macey, don't you ever watch the news? This is a big city. There's lots of good folks in it, but there's also lots of the opposite. Haven't you ever heard of the sex trade, to put it delicately?"

Macey sent him a disbelieving glare. "How stupid do you think I am? He was a gentleman. Just trying to be polite."

"And he had a pretty face, and a nice smile," Cal told her. "Just the kind you enjoy falling for."

Unexpectedly, Macey felt her face color red. He'd hit a nerve. She'd heard similar derogatory remarks, usually said with laughter behind her back. Her mouth trembled, and unwanted tears threatened to fill her eyes. She turned away, afraid to hear more, and noticed the uniformed door guard at the inside entrance to the luxury apartment house proper and the elevators. The guard stood calmly watching them, waiting, his cellphone in one hand, no doubt, Macey thought, readying to call in a disturbance in the lobby.

The guard placed the tip of his free hand on the visor of his peaked cap. "Can I be of service," he asked politely.

Trying to reassert herself, Macey asked, "We're here to see the Nelsons. They're expecting us."

"Who may I say is here to see them?" the guard asked.

"Tell them it's Macey."

Cal added, "And Calvin Driscoll. We're Lexie's friends."

Macey turned and scowled at Cal.

He whispered in a placating tone, "They're more familiar with the Driscolls."

Well, she thought, salving her pride, he has a point. She turned back to the guard. "Yeah ... what he said."