Forbidden (16 page)

She wiped her face, noticing a smear of blood on her fingertips, but kept going. When she got outside she ran towards the house, hoping she could find a hotel room for the night and that the cab driver would speak English.

As she packed her bags she could hear both Jon’s and Julie’s voices getting louder.

She closed her eyes. She hadn’t planned on such a scene between mother and son. She was heartbroken. Those two really loved one another and her irresponsible behaviour had caused a rift between them. She should have checked into a hotel the day after she’d arrived like she’d planned to, and none of this would have happened. But how could she really regret the last week of her life? Jon was gorgeous, the sex had been off the charts and yes, she’d slowly fallen for him, despite her resistance.

* * * *

Using the Internet, she found a vacant room at a hotel just a mile away. Once she got there she’d try to rebook her flight and hopefully there would be a bus she could get to Palma airport. She was about to phone a cab company to take her to the hotel when Jon entered her room. “At least let me drive you wherever you’re going.”

“Jon, no. Please don’t make this any harder on both of us.”

“I’ve told my mother that I’m moving out at the end of the week. There’s an apartment building right next to the clinic. I’ll be living there until I buy a place of my own.”

“Jon, don’t blame your mother for her attitude. I’m a parent, I know how she feels.”

“She had no right to hit you like she did. In fact, let me look at that cut and clean it up.” He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He washed it, put antiseptic on it and then applied a Band-Aid. “Where are you heading?”

“Dos Playas Hotel.”

“And after that?”

“Home.”

“Maggie, I—”

She put her hand over his mouth. “Let me do this my way, please.”

“But I’m driving you to the hotel and then to the airport tomorrow, okay?”

* * * *

Jon had taken Maggie’s bags up to her hotel room and wanted to spend the night there with her, but she’d sent him away. Back in his apartment, he threw several pillows across the room. Why couldn’t his mother understand how he felt about Maggie and that it was his choice?

He should wait until his temper had cooled down, but he wanted to have this out with her right now. She was sitting in the kitchen with Miguel, and both of them were eating a salad.

“Did you really have to do that to Maggie—hit her, insult her and send her away? The two of you have been friends for years.”

Miguel stood, about to leave, but Jon signalled for him to stay put. He needed to hear what his wife had done.

“I can’t trust her anymore,” said his mother.

“I’m the one who made the first move. I’m the one who suggested we enter into a sexual relationship.”

“She could have said no.”

“She did, several times. If you must know, she was worried about what you’d think.”

“Obviously her sexual needs overtook her concern pretty quickly.”

“I want you to know that this doesn’t end when Maggie goes home. Our relationship will continue and I’ll be spending Christmas in the US. After I’ve spent some time with Aunt Ruth, I’ll be flying to Maine to see Maggie.”

His mother threw down her fork, sending it spinning off the table and onto the floor. “Have you lost all your good sense? She’s fifteen years your senior. I want you to get married and have children.”

“Did you just hear yourself? It’s always about what you want. I hate kids and never want any of my own so you can get all thoughts of ever being Granny Julie out of your mind.”

With that his mother burst into tears. Miguel rushed to her side and put his arm around her.

“I want to be with Maggie and you’ve got to accept it or you’ll lose me forever.”

* * * *

Maggie had managed to get her flight rescheduled. She’d paid an extra three hundred dollars for the change but she’d have given double that just to get off the island and back home. Another drawback to the quick change of plan was that she had a four-hour layover in London, but at least she’d be on her way home. She’d managed to email Annie to tell her to pick her up at the airport. Maggie had mentioned that she’d changed her plans and nothing else. Although she usually shared everything with her three daughters, she would never let them know about her and Jon, and how her friendship with Julie was now a thing of the past.

The hotel concierge had told her that a bus to the Palma airport left at nine in the morning, so she’d be on time for her flight to London, but Jon had asked her to call and let him know what time to pick her up.

Maggie burst into tears. How stupid of her. She’d intended just to have some great sex with him. Wasn’t that what being a cougar was all about, a good fuck with a young guy, no strings attached? However, she wasn’t much of a cougar because, for her, the great sex came with falling for the guy who provided it.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and fell face down on the bed.

This was supposed to have been the best vacation of her life. Time spent with her dear friend, and now that relationship had turned toxic. On top of all that Maggie’s heart ached for Jon.

* * * *

Jon stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. For the first time in five days, he’d awakened alone, without Maggie’s lovely face on the pillow beside him. He checked his cell phone. Nope, she hadn’t called while he’d been showering, though it was already after nine. Maybe she hadn’t been able to reschedule her flight, which meant she was still at the hotel.

He’d drive there and see if she’d have breakfast with him. Over food they could talk about what had happened and their future.

He didn’t bother to dry his hair. The morning was warm, and his hair would dry in the car on his way to the hotel. When he arrived there he went straight to the elevator up to Maggie’s room. The maid’s cart was outside and the door was open. He stepped inside to see the maid stripping the bed.

“Dondé se Señorita Rogers, Maggie?”

“Se ha verificado de la habitacion.”

Shit.

He didn’t bother with the elevator. He took the stairs three at a time down to the lobby. Maybe she was in the restaurant having a late breakfast. Probably calling him right now. He dug out his cell phone. Fuck, no new messages.

Jon ran to the reception desk and asked,
“Dondé se Rogers, Maggie?”

“Dejo en el autobús se dirigio a el aeropuerto de Palma.”
         

Why had she done that? He had to catch up with her before she got on that plane. He would tell her how he felt and that his mother didn’t factor into any of this.

He sprinted to the parking lot, jumped into the car and headed to Palma. Hopefully, he could get to the airport before Maggie went through to the departure lounge.

* * * *

Maggie wiped her brow. It was stifling hot—again—and the line was long. Everyone had to be heading back to London after their late summer vacation. She finally got to the check-in desk and handed over her passport and ticket.

“The flight is on time. Gate seven,” the clerk said.

Free of her luggage, Maggie tossed her carry-on bag over her shoulder and headed towards the security line.

This one seemed even longer than the check-in. She put down her bag and wiped her brow, again wondering if by now Jon had realised that she wasn’t going to call him. Hopefully, he wouldn’t go to the hotel and—

“Maggie.”

She looked over her left shoulder. It was Jon.

Sweaty, he stood on the other side of the railing from the line. “Maggie, would you please just step out here so we can talk.”

“You can see the line’s long. I’ll miss my flight to London.”

“I think we should discuss what’s been happening between us this last week before you head back to America.”

People were beginning to stop their own conversations and instead look first at her and then at Jon, obviously waiting to see what was going to happen, who was going to speak next and if Maggie would actually do as Jon asked. Maggie sensed Jon wouldn’t give up and that it would get more embarrassing if she didn’t go and chat with him.

“Okay, but just five minutes.” Maggie excused herself as she pushed through the line to get outside the sectioned-off security area.

“Why didn’t you let me drive you here?”

“Please don’t make this harder than it has to be, okay?”

He hadn’t shaved, the cleft in his chin was pronounced, his hair tousled.

Let me try and forget him, please.

“There’s nothing hard about it. My mother has nothing to do with us.”

“It would never work out between us. Like I told you, one day you’ll wake up and realise I’m not your age and that you really want a family.”

He ran his hand down her face. She wished he hadn’t.

“That’s the very reason it will work. All the women my age want marriage and babies. You don’t because you’ve already done all that. That’s one of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“You think you have but you’ll forget me as soon as I go back home. That’s what vacation romances are all about.” She turned to leave.

Jon grabbed her arm. “I think you love me, too.”

She didn’t answer him. She didn’t want to say yes, and she wouldn’t lie by saying no.

Instead, she turned and walked away. Jon didn’t stop her this time. God help her, she’d hurt him by not giving him a response.

She set her bags onto the conveyor belt and managed to walk through the metal detector before sobbing. When she glanced back, Jon had gone.

* * * *

Jon poured himself yet another glass of wine. His head was already pounding but he wanted to forget about what had happened during the last twenty-four hours. He pushed his head back so it rested on the couch, hoping that would help clear it and stop the pain.

He knew he shouldn’t but right now he hated his mother so much for what she’d done to Maggie. He’d swung by the apartments close to the clinic and signed a lease agreement on his way back from the airport. Lucky for him, they had one empty that someone had vacated earlier that month. He could move in the following day.
The sooner the better.

Hopefully Maggie would come to her senses and admit how she felt about him. He leant forward to reach for the bottle of wine, forgoing a glass this time around. He put it to his lips and swallowed. He missed her so much already. Her sudden departure had left a void in his heart and soul. He’d thought about her every minute of the day. He glanced at the clock on the wall. If he’d calculated the time difference thing correctly Maggie was probably close to arriving back home any time now.

* * * *

Maggie felt like she’d been travelling for days. She’d thought the journey to Mallorca had been rough, but the one coming home had been brutal. The four-hour stopover in London had turned into six because the plane had some sort of engine trouble. When they’d finally been allowed to board, it had been crowded, babies had screamed non-stop and she’d been seated next to an obese man who’d taken up half of her seat as well as his own. The short flight to Portland hadn’t been so bad but now, as she headed into baggage claim, it was already nine forty-five p.m., the middle of the night in Mallorca, and she was just about ready to drop to the floor.