“Jack!”
Any other voice surprising her like this would have sent Jacqueline jumping through the ceiling. But the greeting from the only person allowed to call her anything but her formal name only caused a really big smile. She’d know the voice anywhere; couldn’t remember a time when the woman in front of her hadn’t been her best friend.
“Kris!” She left the foyer in the home of her childhood friend, and entered the sun-filled living room. “Phillip didn’t tell me you’d be here! You didn’t either.”
They greeted each other with an enthusiastic hug.
“He didn’t know,” Kris said. “It was a last-minute decision.”
“Wow! It’s so good to see you!”
“Likewise, girl. But you know I had to come. Especially since my last phone calls went unreturned.”
“Sorry about that, chickie. I know I said I’d get back with you. But Los Angeles was a whirlwind.”
Jacqueline sat on the couch. Kris joined her. “Hmm . . . I wonder why.” There was no mistaking the sarcasm in her voice, or the concern on her face.
“You know why. The reason can be summed up in two words. Randall Atwater.”
Kris rolled her eyes. ”Obviously you didn’t take my advice on being cautious. So . . . you’ve shared bits and pieces before, but now I want to hear everything, from the beginning.”
Jacqueline lay her head back against the couch’s cushions to better relive each moment. “It started at the airport.”
“The airport?”
“More specifically, we met at the taxi stand. I walked over with him checking me out the entire way.”
“Are you sure that this meeting didn’t happen on purpose ?”
Jacqueline smiled but said nothing.
“Jack . . .”
“What?” Her voice was all innocence and light.
“Never mind. Go ahead. Tell me more.”
“It was raining like crazy; more inches than the city had seen in years.” Jacqueline sat forward, her tone conspiratorial. “I saw more inches than I’d seen in years, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.” This comment finally loosened the worry lines from Kris’s face and brought on a smile. “On top of that,” she continued, “an accident had prevented taxis from arriving at the airport, causing long lines to form at the taxi stand.”
Kris obviously wanted to quickly hear the whole story. “And?” she asked, impatience coating the word.
“After discovering that we were both headed to the same place, Randall secured a car service for us. We parted in the lobby, only to end up having dinner together that very night!”
“He didn’t waste any time, I see. And why would he? You’re gorgeous.”
“I guess he thought so. The very next night he invited me to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to see the LA Philharmonic and LA Opera. He bought me these gorgeous gowns and shoes to match. We rode in a limo. It was so romantic, Kris. And to his credit, as I’ve shared before, Randall was the perfect gentleman.”
“Much to your chagrin.”
“Girl . . . you know me too well.”
“Of course I do. So you two didn’t have sex?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Right, you talked about inches. A comment, I would imagine, that comes from personal experience.”
“After the concert was over, I didn’t want the night to end. He escorted me to my room and then turned to leave. Before he did, I gave him a key card.”
“Brazen hussy!”
“I couldn’t even believe I did it! Felt like a fool, to tell you the truth. But the next night, while I was bathing in the tub, he used it. When I heard his voice I thought I was dreaming, but when I looked up . . . there he was.”
Jacqueline continued to share their week together: his breakfast speech, her exclusive interview, attending his workshops, and, of course, their sizzling sexual trysts. “It was amazing, Kris,” she finished, her eyes shining with excitement at the memory of it all. “More than I ever could have imagined or dared to dream.”
“I can’t believe you slept with the scientist!” Kris scooted closer to Jacqueline, her eyes mischievous. “Your comment about inches takes on a whole new meaning, namely that the guy came well equipped!”
“Not only had the equipment, but knew what to do with it. He was big but gentle, able to take control while making me feel that my needs came first. Does that make sense?” When Kris nodded, Jacqueline added, “He’s everything I dreamt he’d be from the moment I saw him at the taxi stand.”
“This is Kris you’re talking to, Jack. Be honest. These feelings started way before the two of you met.”
Jacqueline pulled her legs close and wrapped her arms around her knees. “I’ll admit that reading an article on Randall and then seeing his picture motivated my keen interest in stem-cell research. But I’d been involved in the medical and science communities before knowing his name. You know this.” Kris nodded. “I’m not obsessed with him, per se,” she continued, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of the past week. “But I am terribly, incredibly infatuated.”
“He sounds like quite the catch. I can’t believe he’s not married.”
“I’m pretty sure he was married at some point. He has two kids.”
Kris frowned. “Are you sure he’s divorced?”
“Pretty much. He wasn’t wearing a ring.”
“Is that all the proof you’ve got? Are you kidding me right now?”
“It’s all I need, for now,” Jacqueline said with a shrug. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure that there isn’t a missus. He doesn’t seem like the type of guy who’d cheat.”
“The next time you talk to him, make sure that’s the first question you ask. If he’s married, Jack, you’re setting yourself up to get hurt badly.”
“I understand why you’d say that. But you weren’t there, Kris. You didn’t see how we were together, how he looked at me, how he couldn’t keep his hands off of me whenever we were together, or stay away . . . even when he knew he should and said he would.”
“It’s a rare man who turns down free sex, Jacqueline.”
“Our being together was about more than sex! We talked about his passions and mine. He knows that I’m well versed in all aspects of his research. Believe me, I took a mini-course in Dr. Randall Atwater to make sure there was nothing about the field he loves that I didn’t know.
“It paid off, Kris!” Jacqueline’s voice was part passion, part pleading for her friend to believe her. “Randall couldn’t believe how much I knew about his work and was pleased that he could speak in his language and I could understand. Obviously he’s never had a woman who could do that before.”
“That you know of. You need more information. If he’s not married, you could be one of several women warming his bed.”
“I’m not going to worry about that. I’m going to focus on him, take care of me, and study up for the next conference. One thing for sure; love is in the air. Who knows what the future might hold?”