On Monday morning, Talise was near ballistic level when her gynecologist’s office called and rescheduled her Thursday appointment to Friday. She had barely been hanging on by a split end.
Plus, she had ruined a recent manicure after a mental meltdown without the comfort of Ace’s arms. It was the first time since officially becoming a couple that they hadn’t been together during a weekend.
Whether he delivered her lunch at the salon on Saturday afternoons or treated her to entertainment at the House of Blues on Saturday nights, they enjoyed each other’s company. It wasn’t unusual on Sunday mornings to brunch at Liberty Hotel, the renovated former Charles Street Jail.
Sometimes, for the remainder of their Sundays, they were hole-up in a suite. She sighed, realizing that was how she got into her possible condition in the first place.
When Lois returned on Sunday night, Talise was in the bed where she had pretty much resided since Friday. Her roommate chatted nonstop about her shopping excursion and showed Talise some great bargains she’d snagged. Lois went on endlessly, telling her about the great price she and two other friends were able to get for a Broadway play. Smiling, Talise went through the motions.
“So what did you and Mr. Jamieson do while I was gone?”
This time, Talise followed Sinclaire’s advice and didn’t say a word about her suspicions. “Oh, Ace and I had dinner on Friday.”
“What exotic restaurant did he take you to?” Her roommate’s eyes twinkled with mischief.
Talise scrunched up her nose and forced herself to play along. “I cooked a romantic meal here.”
“Did you two have a sleepover?”
Picking up her pillow, Talise aimed it at her roommate’s head. “You know better. I wasn’t about to break our number one rule: no overnight guests.”
Lois shrugged and replied, “Just asking.” She grinned happily and took her purchases to her bedroom.
Four more days, and then Talise would know whether she had something to tell Lois. Of course, since Thursday was her regular off day, and her appointment was moved to Friday, she would have to make up the missed hours at work.
On Monday, her concentration was at a premium she couldn’t buy. Mustering a smile, Talise acknowledged two customers standing at her counter. “Hi, may I help you?” Again, she attempted to banish her personal drama to the wayside.
“I missed my plane to New York. Is there any room on the next flight, and how much extra will I have to pay?” A petite woman with silver hair asked. Talise noticed her generous smile and candy red lipstick.
She tapped into the terminal and waited for the information. A line quickly began to form. It was going to be a busy Monday.
“Good news. There are seats available. Let’s see if I can do something about the cost.” Manipulating fees, Talise was able to limit the up-charge to twenty-five dollars. The woman and her companion walked away pleased.
On autopilot, she moved to the next traveler. One by one, they kept coming. Whenever there was a lull in passengers, Ace’s handsome pretty boy looks came back into her mental view.
He had all weekend to digest the possibilities. Why hadn’t he called? Although Talise was attracted to Ace, Marilyn Rogers didn’t rear two foolish girls. She didn’t chase after men. Never having been a desperate woman, she wouldn’t allow the outcome of her current situation to change that.
On the surface, Talise wore the smile and uniform. Mentally, she struggled to focus. The more she tried to take control, the more her mind disobeyed, drifting back and forth with thoughts about Ace. Nevertheless, she was a professional and continued to do her best while working alongside her fellow ticket agents.
Momentarily immersed in her musings, she found herself reliving the memories from the previous month’s hour-and-a-half drive to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. In eager anticipation, she had rescheduled some regular Saturday clients to free up her time for the weekend getaway with Ace.
Although the man didn’t seem to be an addicted gambler, he knew how to play and win. Whether it was Black Jack, Poker, or the slot machines, Ace always seemed to hit the jackpot. Even more interesting, Talise was bewildered by his generosity. During the entire time, he made a surprising, endearing gesture with his winnings. He turned every dime over to her. It had been hers to play or keep.
“This is a lot of money,” she had said in amazement. Placing it securely inside the zipper pocket of her purse, her last count was at three thousand dollars. When she couldn’t close her mouth, Ace kissed her.
“It’s just Benjamins, baby. You canceled your Saturday clients for me. It’s the least I can do to make it up to you.” The light of excitement in his eyes had shined brightly. Her heart had melted.
Clearly it would be obvious to any casual observer that Ace was completely at home in the casino environment. The next day they feasted on the hotel’s international buffet and danced for hours in the Sunset Ballroom. In Talise’s estimation, they had partied like rock stars. As their weekend drew to a close, Ace wouldn’t leave before stocking up on junk food for the road trip back home from his namesake Aces Up Snacks.
With a sudden flash of remembering where she was, Talise caught herself and straightened her posture. It was a good thing the Southwest ticket line wasn’t busy at the moment. Only a few travelers had interrupted her thoughts. That was fine with Talise because she was quite preoccupied with her reverie.
Smiling to herself, she reminisced snuggling up to Ace on the drive back to Boston. Their words were few as Gerald Albright and Paul Hardcastle serenaded them all the way to her apartment on Durham Street.
That next morning, instead of hopping on the Silver Line bus to Logan Airport, she had driven to the bank on Mass Ave and deposited her balance of twenty-eight hundred dollars.
Yes, altogether, Talise was smitten. She had begun falling for him not long after they started dating—and she was still falling. Not just because of the things he did or said, but the intense way he looked at her, following her every move. He wanted to spend all of his free time with her and she had no problem with it.
Abruptly, her daydreaming ended when Talise’s coworker nudged her. She blinked. Evidently, she had once again drifted off.
“Are you feeling okay?” Kendall McCray asked with a curious frown.
“Yep,” Talise lied, as she struggled to suppress a bout of nausea.