13

 

Lily still wore Ian’s clothes when he drove her home later in the afternoon, and it took several attempts before he could pull himself away to leave. “Without a doubt, this was the best birthday I’ve ever had,” he said, holding her tight against him. When he finally made it to the parking lot Lily blew him kisses from her bedroom window and he staggered comically as he pretended to catch them.

After he left, Lily checked her voice mail. “Where are you?” Beth railed. “I’ve worried myself into anemia. Okay, not really–I know you’re out with Prince Charming. You better call the minute you get this or…” She switched on the Rom accent ”…I get out zee ancient Gypsy curse book.”

Lily laughed out loud at the plaintive message and stretched out on her bed to call her friend back. “Whatcha doing…” Beth asked, answering on the second ring.

“Oh, nothing much…” Lily said airily.

Beth giggled. “Cut the shit and get to the details, dear.”

With a self conscious laugh, Lily admitted she had just had the most wonderful night of her life, but felt she was not as well informed as she might be. “Do you have any…books or things I could read that could give me…uh…tips on what I’m supposed to do?”

Hysterical with laughter, Beth promised to scour her apartment for all the magazines with articles about sex she could find and they continued to talk until Lily could no longer keep her eyes open. Although still early, she stripped and folded Ian’s shirt and shorts, laying them at the foot of the bed. She pulled a nightgown out of the drawer, then missing his wonderful sandalwood scent reconsidered. When she turned around to put the shirt back on, she found Bella sprawled across the clothes. She tugged at the shirt, but the cat gave her a withering glare and refused to budge. “We’ll share him,” Lily said, jerking the shirt out from under the cat. “You can have the shorts.” She crawled into bed exhausted and surrounded by his scent, fell into a deep, restful sleep.

* * * *

The office was very busy the next morning–even for a Monday–and everyone but Lily was in a rotten mood. Irena snapped at her several times over insignificant things. Lucas stalked by her desk repeatedly but didn’t speak. Janice wasn’t saying much at all, mostly out of a good sense of self preservation, Lily thought. Around ten her cell phone went off with a text message from Beth.

Got bag o magazines for you, will bring by work this afternoon

Lily typed an immediate response.

Excellent–thanks!

She looked up to see Irena eyeing her suspiciously and at once turned her attention to her waiting customer. When her phone went off again a few minutes later, she stole a glance over at Irena before surreptitiously checking it. This time, however, it was Ian.

meet for lunch? craving hot and spicy–you and chinese

She laughed out loud then clapped her hand over her mouth to disguise the sound as a cough. “Excuse me just a moment,” she said. She forced herself to walk casually to the restroom, wanting to hug herself with excitement all the way there. Once inside with the stall door safely locked, she responded.

Yes! Where?

He fired back an answer.

meet you 1pm Chinese restaurant on hwy 60 at west corner of mall?

Flushing the toilet with her foot, she grinned and typed.

Can’t wait–see you at 1PM

His response made her toes curl in anticipation.

counting the minutes til then, beautiful lady

She smiled and went back to attend to her customer, hoping no one would notice she was walking on air.

When she arrived at the restaurant, her heart fluttered at the sight of him leaning against his car waiting for her, his sun streaked hair loose from its usual tight plait and curling around his face like a windswept halo. He walked swiftly to open her door and gave her a quick kiss. She reached for him, but he pulled away from her with an embarrassed grin. “Oh no, darlin’, I’ve been working outside all morning. I’ll get your pretty dress all dirty.”

Hand in hand, they went inside the restaurant and took a quiet booth in the back. “Would you like a drink?” Ian asked, handing the menus back to the waiter.

“Just water, thanks.” On the way over, she had firmly decided that she was going to be cool, calm and collected during their lunch date. She realized at once the temptation was insurmountable. I can’t do it. There’s no way I can sit this close to the man and breathe normally.

“Make it two.” He directed a regretful glance at the bar and sighed as the waiter darted off to fill their orders. “A cold pint would be nice but I’m on the ropes this afternoon, so I’d best not.”

“What do you mean, on the ropes?” Lily asked.

“I’m working on a high piece of wall, so rather than rig a scaffold I harness up and lower myself down. Not nearly as dangerous as it sounds, though,” he said in answer to her frown. “There are plenty of safety precautions. I believe it’s more secure than scaffolding on the higher levels.” He grinned. “Fell only the once, but it’s not an experience I’d like to repeat so I’m extra careful.”

“You’d better not get hurt,” Lily admonished. “We have unfinished business, you and I.” With a coy smile, she slipped off one of her low-heeled pumps and ran her bare foot up the inside of his calf.

His eyes darkened with desire. Reaching under the table he pulled her foot onto his knee and massaged it between his hands. “That hasn’t left my mind for one waking moment, my love.”

After lunch, the waiter cleared their plates and left the plastic tray bearing the check. “This one is mine,” she insisted, reaching for it. “It’s not fair that you always pay for everything.” 

“Not to worry, darlin’. First, I invited you, and second, chivalry won’t permit it and third…well, there is no third. Mine,” he said, neatly plucking it out from under her hand.

Her mouth curved in a pout of disapproval when he put the check and cash on the tray and motioned to the waiter. “Ian, you’ve got to let me at least help,” she said in exasperation.

“What time do you have to be back?” he interrupted, disrupting her thought.

Lily glanced at her watch. “Ooh, I’ve only got ten minutes left,” she said, sliding from the booth. Outside, Lily threw both arms around him and held him tight, drenching her senses in his masculine smell of sweat and sunlight. A flash of silver at his throat caught her eye, and she warmed with pleasure to see he wore her gift.

“How I do love you,’ Ian murmured into her hair. With a reluctant sigh she pulled away. Giving him one last tender kiss, she got back in her car and watched him in the rearview mirror as he stood by his car and waved ’bye.

Back at work, Lily was ecstatic to find a large shopping bag stuffed to overflowing with Cosmopolitan and other women’s magazines in her chair. She flipped through them quickly before sticking the bag under her desk.

“Beth stopped by,” Irena commented. “I thought maybe you were out with her…” Although the words were light, the tone insinuated she expected an answer.

“No, I…met a friend for lunch,” Lily answered.

“Anybody I–” Irena’s ringing phone interrupted her, much to Lily’s relief. She glanced up and was surprised to see Lucas watching her from the doorway. He stared for a moment then turned on his heel and went back into his office, slamming the door behind him.

* * * *

That evening, Ian desperately wanted to see Lily again but sensed she needed a little alone time. He tried to work on the portrait but finally gave up, admitting his heart just wasn’t in it. Wandering restlessly from room to room, an idea struck him. He opened the shallow drawer under his bookcase, pulled out a small package wrapped in silk and opened it with care, revealing the old Visconti-Sforza tarot deck once belonging to his grandmother. Taking a seat on the couch, he held them for a moment, deep in thought.

He rifled through the deck, pulling out the Queen of Cups for Lily, the King of Cups for himself, and after a moment of deliberation, the King of Pentacles for Lucas. Captain of industry, my arse, he thought, but it’ll do. He placed the queen at the top of the coffee table, his king to her lower right and the king representing Lucas to her lower left.

Eyes closed in concentration, he shuffled the cards with practiced ease,. When satisfied they were well mixed, he opened his eyes and placed three more cards on the table face down, one in between the queen and each king, and one between the two kings. He placed another card face down in the center of the triangle, then taking a deep breath, began to voice his questions aloud.

“What lies between these two?” He indicated the cards representing Lily and Lucas. Turning it over revealed the ten of Swords. Over and done, so far so good

“Mmm…and between these two?” Before turning over the card between Lily and himself, he hesitated for a moment. Two of Cups, love and partnership. He smiled.

Ian reached for the third card in the triangle. “And last…what lies between these two?” he asked for the last time, pointing to the two Kings. He turned over the card and saw the five of Wands. “Competition and conflict,” he snorted. “Oh, there’ll be no competition, Lucas, but if you try to worm your way back into her good graces I promise you a war.” He turned over the remaining card, the one he had placed in the center as the Outcome card. It was Justice.

There are forces at work here beyond our control. We’ll just have to trust everything to work out as it’s supposed to. He thought about that for a few moments then rewrapped the cards in their silk, offering up a silent prayer of thanks.

* * * *

With Bella entrenched on her lap, Lily sat on the couch engrossed in her stack of magazines, devouring one after another. She scanned the cover stories. What Men Really Want in Bed, Ten Secrets Men Wished Women Knew, etc. Some of what she read made her laugh, some made her whole body blush. “I don’t understand this, Bella,” she said, turning a magazine upside down and scratching her head. “How do people even get in that position?”

An idea began to form and she giggled aloud, hoping she would have the nerve to pull it off. “Here’s a thought to curl your whiskers,” she said, “what if I were to seduce him?” She was planning her strategy when her phone went off with a text message.

thinking of you

She immediately responded. thinking of you too

busy?

just reading, she replied, marked her place in the magazine then sat back to wait. Her phone rang a moment later.

“Hello, beautiful,” Ian said, his voice deep and husky. “I apologize for intruding on your evening. I just wanted to hear your sexy voice again before I went to sleep.”

“Smooth talker,” she teased, “and you are certainly not intruding.”

“I enjoyed lunch with you today. You look beautiful in business casual.”

“I looked like an insurance agent. I don’t get to wear comfortable work clothes like you do,” she said with an exaggerated sigh. “Have you always worked for yourself?”

“Pretty much,” he replied, his tone vague. “I don’t do well in an office environment. All that artistic temperament, you know.”

She laughed. “There’s a lot to be said for not having office politics. We’ve got some sort of meeting first thing in the morning. I didn’t find out about it until the last minute today.”

Bella stretched and moved to the foot of the bed to curl up on her new favorite spot, wherever Ian’s shorts were.

“I hope it’s nothing major. So what did I interrupt you from reading?”

“I was…studying,” Lily said.

Amusement was evident in his voice. “Indeed. Dare I ask what?”

“No, you may not. I have a cat of my own I’m trying to catch.”

His laughter was intoxicating and her entire body went weak with longing. “Then perhaps we could discuss your choice of reading material over dinner, maybe Wednesday?”

“I’d like that very much,” Lily said, gearing up to put her new plan in action.

Ian made a soft purring noise. “Wonderful,” he said. “Then I shall leave you to your studying and I wish you the sweetest of dreams, mo chuisle.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she said lightly, hoping he couldn’t hear the question creeping into her voice.

 “You’re the only woman I’ve ever said it to,” he confided after a long silence. “Goodnight, my sweet. I love you.”

Breathe… “I love you too, mo chuisle,” she said.

She continued to read until her eyelids grew heavy. Stacking the magazines on the coffee table, she rose and stretched, her gaze drifting over to the bookcase packed with framed pictures of her parents, her and Beth, school pictures. On the walls, in her bedroom, pictures of family and friends were everywhere. That’s what’s missing, she realized with a start. The only family type picture was the one of his grandmother. Come to think of it, Meg and Dan didn’t have any family pictures out either. “I wonder why?” she said aloud. Putting aside the memorabilia mystery, she crawled into bed and fell asleep wondering why Lucas had called a meeting on such short notice.