Attraction (3 page)

“A little over two months, actually.”
“How do you know this?”
“I don’t know. The way he looks at me lately, as if he’s…I don’t know, sort of satisfied
with what he sees. He sometimes talks about us as in the future. –What do you think about that
church at Bodega Bay for the wedding, you know, where Mom and Dad got married?”
Riley laughed. “Then you are serious, aren’t you? Mom will love it. She’s always wanted
to see one of us married there. But, won’t it be too small?”
“It will hold about a hundred guests. I want to have a small wedding, with only our close
friends and family. And I was thinking about having the wedding in September. It’s just right to
have a wedding out at the beach during September or October. That’s when it is Indian summer,
and when we can be sure that it’s clear and warm out at the beach, instead of windy or foggy.
How do you think Mom will feel if I wore her wedding her dress?”
“She’ll start crying, and probably won’t stop until you and Heron drive off to your
honeymoon.”
Later that night, while Heron was driving Roberta back to her place in the city, he
brought up Riley.
“This club that your sister owns, have you gone there when you went out at nights?” His
voice was casual, almost friendly, as a very skilled lawyer’s voice would be while crossing a
potentially hostile witness.
“Sure. I’ve gone there a few times. It’s a fun place.”
“Have you gone upstairs?”
Roberta gave a laugh. “No. I’m too chicken to.”
“But, you don’t see anything wrong with it?”
“The sex club and the rooms? No. Why should I ?”
When Heron did not answer, Roberta looked over at him. “Is it something I should be
concerned about, Heron?”
“It’s not exactly your everyday choice of career.”
“Riley makes most of her money from the bar. The upstairs rooms and the sex club are
side businesses that kind of grew out of a joke. She had all this real estate in the building and she
didn’t quite know what to do with it. One of her friends suggested that she throw a pleasure
party, and have the rooms be like areas where the women can try out the merchandise in private.
The parties became popular, and then turned into where couples could try out stuff. And she
formed a club, because all these people, couples mostly, were coming up to her, saying that they
needed an environment where they could explore their sexual fantasies.”
“Does she take part in her business?”
“Strangely, enough, I don’t think so. She keeps it strictly business.” Roberta looked at
him more closely. “Why? Are you uncomfortable with what my sister does?”
He didn’t answer for a moment. “Would it matter if I were?”
“No. I think it’s kind of neat what my sister does. It’s safe and legal, and it seems to make
a lot of people happy. I hope you get used to the idea. My sister is one of the most important
person in my life. It’s important that you like her.”
Heron reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’m sorry, darling. Of course, I’ll
like her, once I get to know her better.”
Later that night, Riley arrived at her club around ten o’clock, not in a particularly good
mood. Being Sunday night, the crowd was light.
“Hi, boss,” Joe Monterey waved at her from behind the bar.
She stopped and tossed him a glowering look. “Why do you men have to exist, at all?”
Joe stopped wiping down the bar top. “Whoa. What brought that on? You’ve not been in
a hating-men jag since you went out with that stockbroker.”
“I just met my sister’s new beau. What a pompous, self-righteous windbag. He’s the type
of man who thinks woman should do nothing but stay at home, waiting for them to come home,
and when they do, the woman should spend all evening adoring him.”
“Well, at the risk of ruining your sour mood tonight, I have to tell you that there’s
someone here who’s been waiting for you. It’s that developer guy who’s been calling you
lately.”
“Oh, god, him. Couldn’t you have told me that I wasn’t going to be in tonight, or
something.”
“I tried, but he insisted that he hang around. He’s over there.” Joe gestured to the far end
of the bar, where a tall, large man sat, drinking a beer and watching a baseball game on the
television.
“Thanks, Joe,” Riley said with little enthusiasm. “Can you pour me a glass of white? The
Sauvignon Blank from Meridian would be great.”
While she waited for Joe to open the bottle and pour it in a glass, Riley watched the man
at the end of the bar. His name was Danny Moore, a successful developer, fresh from a divorce
with two children who had just gone away to college. He was about forty who had married his
high school sweetheart, and suddenly felt that life was passing him by. For the past four weeks,
Danny had been vigorously pursuing Riley. She knew he was caught up in the idea of her
running an occasional private sex club upstairs. She guessed that he thought she would show him
some kinky sex.
Riley had tried to explain to Danny that she herself did not participate in any of the role
plays and fantasies that were acted out in the private rooms, that she was merely the facilitator of
such events.
She had not decided yet whether or not she wanted to be caught by him. He was quite
tall, largely built, and was attractive in a rugged sort of way. He was a man’s man, more
comfortable in the company of males, handy with tools, and closely followed most of the
professional sports. Riley had allowed him to kiss her one evening, and found his fumbling
hands and heavy lips unimaginative.
Still, Riley wondered if she should not give him a try. Perhaps he was better in bed than
what his foreplay indicated. And she was bored and in need of some diversion. It had been over a
year since she had a man.
CHAPTER TWO
In the following three months, Roberta did not bring Heron over to the house. She,
herself, missed a few of the family’s Sunday dinners, because she was traveling to New York
and London on business.
One very early morning, Riley was awaken by the phone ringing. Struggling to surface
from her slumber, she stretched an arm out to the phone.
“Hello?”
“Riley! Riley! It’s me, Robbie!” Roberta’s voice was high and excited. She almost
sounded hysterical
“Huh? What are you doing calling at this hour. Are you alright?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. I know it’s an awful time to call, but I just had to call you. I couldn’t
wait until tomorrow. Guess what?”
“You called me at two o’clock in the morning to play guessing games with me? You
know I can hurt you next time I see you.”
“Riley, Riley, I’m getting married! Heron asked me tonight to marry him. Oh, my God,
Riley. I’m going to be the wife of Heron Wait! Me, Roberta Calderon from suburbia Santa Rosa,
marrying a man like him. How exciting is that?”
Riley managed to push herself into a sitting position, trying to take in what Roberta was
telling her. “Are you sure,” was all she could say.
Roberta laughed. “I know. It seems unreal to me, too. Yes, I’m sure. I’m wearing the
ring that he put on my finger earlier tonight. And, Riley, the rock can buy you a small island.”
“So, you said yes.” For some reason, Riley felt as if she couldn’t quite mentally get
around this latest development.
“Yes, I said yes. What else was I going to say?”
“You could have said no.”
“Oh, right. Say no to Heron Wait.”
“Then you love him.?”
“Of course I love him. He’s everything a girl would want in a man. Everything! He’s
good looking, smart, rich, works hard, stable, a perfect gentleman, cultured, sophisticated, and so
much more. I’d be crazy not to love him.”
“Wow! Have you set a date?”
“No, silly. He only asked me tonight. That’ll come later. Listen, don’t tell Mom and Dad
until I tell them tomorrow. Okay?”
“Okay. Congratulations, darling. I’m happy for you.”
“Oh, God, I still can’t believe. I won’t sleep for rest of the night. Of course, you’re going
to my maid of honor.”
“Ugh,” Riley groaned. “Does that mean you’re going to make me wear one of those
horrid pastel contraptions?”
“If it’s going to be a spring wedding, yes.”
“Well, it’s too early to talk about pukey green, anemic pink, or jaundice yellow. So, I’m
going to say goodbye and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Congratulations, darling. I’m happy for
you.”
“Riley.”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Robbie.”
It was another three weeks before Roberta and Heron could make it up to Santa Rosa for
the family’s Sunday dinner. Again, Caroline hired her chef friend, Marge, requesting even a
more elaborate dinner menu in celebration of the recent engagement.
When Riley arrived at her parents’ house, she found the house empty, except for Marge,
who was in the kitchen, wearing her black and white catering uniform. This time, she brought
along a hired help, a young woman who was in college, to do the waiting. At the moment, the
waitress was fixing a few appetizer plates of miniature pumpernickel with lox and dill mustard
sauce, spicy tuna sushi, foi gras squares with truffles on cocktail sticks, and red and black caviar
on crackers. In a large silver bucket filled with ice were a few bottles of champagne and white
wine.
“Wow! Mother’s going all out tonight, isn’t she? What’s for dinner, Aunt Marge?” she
asked, as she began to sniff at the various pots and pans.
Marge slapped at her hand. “Keep your grimy hands out of there. It’s an important
evening. Tonight, it’s a five course meal, starting with the appetizers, then shrimp curry bisque,
then walnut, endive, and blue cheese salad, and then main dinner which is starring the veal chops
with herbed butter, then dessert.” She turned and stopped when she caught sight of Riley. “Well,
don’t we look quite the society butterfly, tonight?”
Riley looked down at herself and gave a mock curtsy. Tonight, she was wearing a skirt of
layers and layers of silk chiffon in pale, pale blue that reached just at her knees. It was very
feminine and moved gracefully and flirtatiously with every movement. She topped the skirt with
an equally pale lavender cashmere sweater that buttoned down the front. The sweater was thickly
sequined around the neckline, chest and back, and shoulders as well as trimming down the front
flap, the hemline, and the arm edges, with iridescent flat beads, purple and blue beads, and clear
crystals. On her feet were silver leather, high-heeled sandals that showed off her red-painted
toenails. She had swept back her thick, unruly hair into a loose French knot at the back, securing
it with jeweled hair sticks.
Marge shook her head with admiration as she took in Riley’s outfit again. “Hmmm,
hmmm, hmmm. You always knew how to dress, didn’t you, honey?”
Riley waved at her outfit. “This was on the orders of the general, on the threat of death.”
When Riley went out to the living room, her parents had just come down the stairs. They
were dressed for a formal occasion, her father in a dark somber suit and her mother in a pearl,
lace dress that she had bought for last Easter.
Caroline took in her daughter’s attire and was satisfied. “Oh, Riley, you do look lovely.”
Riley kissed her on the cheek. “So do you, Mom.” She kissed her Dad, who looked a
little pained. “You, too, Dad. Are we all ready to welcome this illustrious person into our humble
enclave.”
Caroline blanched a little. “God, I hope he’s not going to want a big formal wedding.
There will be so many important people, and I’ll be scared to death of them.”
Lawrence pulled at his collar. “If he’s wanting a big wedding, it’ll break the bank for us.”
Riley pointed out, “Ah, but Wait’s rich, remember? He can foot the bill if he wants ice
swans, white tents, and one hundred dollar champagne.”
Lawrence did turn sheet white. “One hundred dollars for one bottle of champagne? I’ll
have to get second, third, and fourth mortgage on my house.”
Riley slipped a reassuring hand through his arm. “Trust me, Dad, Robbie’s fiancée is
going to be footing the bill. In fact he’ll insist on it.”
“How can you be so sure? We’ve only met him once.”
“Well, Heron Wait’s rich, right? He was born and raised in wealth. The usual mentality
of rich people is that they have certain ideas on what they want, and they make sure they get
what they want by overriding objections with money. Who but the rich know that money has a
way of overriding any objections?”
The doorbell rang and Caroline and Lawrence looked at each other in panic for a
moment.
Caroline ordered, “Quick, Riley, go and tell Marge that they’re here, and start opening
the champagne.”
Riley went into the kitchen and gave her message to Marge. When she came back into the
living room, Roberta and Caroline were hugging each other, both laughing and babbling at the
same time, and their father was shaking, quite heartedly, Heron’s hand.
“Oh, darling, darling, darling Robbie. Your dad and I couldn’t be happier. This is all so
unbelievable.”
“I know. I’m still taking it all in,” Roberta said, her face flushed with excitement. When
she saw Riley, she instantly went over to her and they hugged for a good measure.
Caroline said to Heron, “And, Heron, welcome to our family.”
Heron put out his hand, but Caroline put her arms around him and hugged him. For a
moment, he looked shocked, then quite discomfited when she continued to hug him, that Riley
had to suppress a laugh. When Caroline released him, Riley went up to him and held out her
hand.
She said, trying to infuse the warmth and excitement that her family was feeling in her
tone, “Congratulations, Heron. Robbie is the most beautiful and wonderful woman a man could
ever marry.”
Heron stared at her proffered hand for a moment. He had heard the slight edge in her
voice. Then he shook it, rather perfunctorily. “Thank you, Riley. I know Roberta will make me
happy, and I think I can make her happy, as well.”
Then she saw a strange man standing behind Heron. He was quite good looking, straight,
sable brown hair that was cut short and neat, a few inches shorter than Heron, his body long and
lean, and looking as if he felt a little out of place.
Heron stepped aside. “Mr. and Mrs. Calderon, Riley, this is my younger brother, Tanner
Wait. He just arrived home two weeks ago after graduating from Harvard with his MBA.”
“Welcome, Tanner. It’s good to meet you.” Caroline gave him hug, which made his face
turn red with embarrassment but also with pleasure.