Laying a Foundation: Bonus volume: Includes series prequel, The Groundbreaking (The Love Under Construction Series) (19 page)

Tony went to his truck, got his clothes, and changed. It was five forty-five, and he didn’t want to be late. He’d decided to park in the lot across the street from the shop like he’d done before. That would mean he’d have a chance to spend more time with Nikki when he walked her back to her SUV. He’d thought out everything very carefully; he’d always been that way. Leaving things to chance just wasn’t his style.

Cheryl was gathering her things when Tony walked out into her work area, and she looked up in astonishment. “Wow, nice! Going somewhere?” she asked cheerily.

“Yeah” He didn’t volunteer anything else.

“Well?” Cheryl demanded, hands on hips. “Planning on telling me where? Or maybe I should ask with whom?”

“Well, I wasn’t planning to . . .”

“Out with it!” she barked, pointing a finger at him.

Tony cringed. “Okay. I have a date.”

“OH MY GOD!” Cheryl screamed and ran across the room to hug him. “That’s GREAT! Who is she? Where are you going? Oh, Tony, I’m so happy!” He looked up at her and realized she was starting to cry.

“Whoa there! It’s one date! Shit, I don’t have a ring in my pocket or anything!” He looked at her, tears running down her face. Apparently his efforts at hiding his loneliness and misery had been more of an epic failure than he’d even imagined.

“I know, I know, but do you know how much we’ve all wanted you to find someone? To be happy, not be alone?” Cheryl sniffed. “This is a huge first step for you. Is she nice? I hope she’s nice. She’d better not hurt you. If she hurts you, I’ll . . .”

“She’s very nice,” he said, trying to calm her. “She goes to my gym, and Annabeth met her elsewhere and tried to hook us up.”

“I trust that girl’s judgment; good head on her shoulders. Sure didn’t get that from her mother,” Cheryl snorted.

“No kidding. Anyway, I asked her out yesterday and I’m meeting her for dinner.”

“Oh, I’m so happy!” Cheryl screeched again, clapping her hands. “You’ll tell me all about it on Monday, right?”

“Maaaaybeeeee . . .” So much for privacy.

“Okay, well, have a good time,” Cheryl called out as she left for the day.

Tony walked back into his office and looked in the full-length mirror on the bathroom door. Dark gray blazer, darker gray shirt. Black jeans, really black, brand new; perfect fit. The black biker’s boots he’d bought a couple of weeks earlier were a nice touch. Perfect. He looked in the mirror again. Something wasn’t right.

He looked again, then reached up and pulled the band from his hair, and it fell free. He shook his head, and it loosened, just brushing his shoulders. Instead of reaching for his brush, he ran his fingers through it and took another look in the mirror. What he saw there startled him.

The man looking back at him was confident, elegant, and very, very virile. He’d never seen that man before. Was that what women saw when they looked at him? He reached into his bag, brought out the new watch he’d bought, a carbon black Tag Heuer, and strapped it onto his wrist. Then he pulled out his dad’s large onyx signet ring with the Walters “W” on it and slipped it on his right ring finger.
There – polished and well-dressed,
he thought.
I need to make a good impression.

He picked up his work clothes and slipped them into the bag. One last look around the office and he strode out the door, locking it behind him. He wished he’d driven the Camaro that morning, but the truck would have to do, and he climbed in and headed downtown.

Nikki felt herself getting more and more nervous as the afternoon went on. Finally, at four thirty, she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Marla, would you mind if I worked in back for the rest of the afternoon? I can’t cope with another customer right now.”

Marla looked at her with pity on her face. “Nerves getting to you, hon?”

“Yeah, is it that obvious?” Nikki tried to smile, but only succeeded in making herself look more strained.

“No. And you’re bound to be terrified, but it’ll be fine.”

“I know. It feels right, but I feel so, I don’t know, guilty.” Nikki pushed a dust bunny around with her toe.

“Now, honey, if Randy could talk to you, he’d tell you to get on with your life. I’m sure all he ever wanted was for you to be happy. And you haven’t been, not alone. It’s time to explore, see if there’s someone out there for you.” She put an arm around Nikki’s shoulder. “Want to go on home? I can manage.”

“Oh, god, no! At least here I have things to keep me busy. And he’s meeting me here.”

“Really? Hope he gets here early. I’d like to at least catch a glimpse of this guy. Carol says he’s like a Greek god.” He really had that effect on women, she’d noticed.

“Well, I don’t know about that, but he is ridiculously good-looking.” Nikki wore a wistful smile as she talked about him. “I have no idea why he’d be interested in me.”

“Because you’re such a cutie! Now have a good time. Do you have some, you know, protection?”

“Oh my god! I can’t believe you just asked me that!” Nikki cried, slapping Marla playfully on the shoulder.

“Well, now, honey, one can’t be too careful these days!”

“I have absolutely no intention of sleeping with him tonight. Or anytime soon.” Nikki thought for a minute and realized that might not be accurate. Her nightly fantasies told her she did want him. Just maybe not tonight. Definitely not tonight.

“Just checking,” Marla laughed. “Get on back to the stockroom. I’ll work out here. There’s plenty back there to keep you busy.”

Nikki worked through the afternoon until about five fifty. She ran to her SUV and got her dressy clothes before Marla left.

“I thought I’d hang around, but I’m getting hungry. I’ll see you Monday, okay? You’ll fill us in!” Marla hugged her before leaving.

Nikki went to the back and changed. She’d picked out a pair of skinny jeans with jewels on the back pockets and kitten heeled thong sandals. The top she’d chosen had a sweetheart neckline to accentuate what little she had in the boob department. She changed from her regular bra into a more substantial one with a little bit more lift and light padding – something to hide those pesky nipples and give her a tiny bit of cleavage. The jewelry she’d picked out sparkled even through her hair, which she took down and left free. It was her greatest asset, and she wanted it to be front and center tonight.

When she’d dressed, Nikki did a once-over. She’d done her toes the night before, and they looked cute with their bright pink polish. She checked her nails – perfect. Looking into the mirror, she was disappointed. No one special, just a woman pushing the far edge of middle age, breasts no longer perky, and a tiny little bit of a bulge at the waist. Why had she agreed to do this? He wouldn’t want her. Tears threatened, and she sniffed hard. Oh, well, she’d said yes. Even if he never asked her out again, she’d have a date under her belt. She hoped she could be something a little better than boring during dinner.

When she walked out into the shop, she noticed that a card had fallen off the counter, and she stooped down to pick it up. At that moment, she heard the door open and turned. When she saw the man standing in the doorway, she almost gasped out loud. He was so beautiful, so unbelievably, incredibly, heartbreakingly stunning, that she shook to her core. And he was looking straight at her! “Hi!” she managed to stammer.

Tony looked her up and down. “Wow – you’re the most gorgeous thing I’ve seen in a long, long time! Ready to go?” he asked, holding out his arm.

In that moment, she knew what the right answer was. “Yes. I’m ready.” And she knew she really was.

“I
don’t think there’s anything you can put on a pizza that I won’t eat,” Tony announced, looking at the menu.

“Except maybe liver?” Nikki grinned but didn’t look up.

Tony frowned. “Oh, my god, did somebody give you that awful magazine article to read? I swear, that horrible thing will follow me to my grave.” He feigned horror.

Nikki laughed. “Yes, someone did. It was enlightening.”

“Oh, I bet. By the way, major airbrushing there,” he grumbled.

“I don’t think so. Looked pretty real to me. And it was Kelly who gave it to me, by the way.” She snickered as she looked over the menu.

“Great. I’ll have to remember to thank her for that. It kinda creeps me out that she’s been holding onto it for this long. She must be a literary stalker.” He picked up a breadstick and bit into it.

“I’m surprised you asked me out. Kelly has a ‘thing’ for you, if you know what I mean.”

Tony snorted. “Not my type. At all. She’s so, well, I don’t know, fake?”

“You mean
they’re
fake, don’t you?” Nikki grinned.

“Guess so. I mean, I’d rather have small and real than big and fake any day.” He blushed a little when he said it.

“Let me tell you, mister, when it comes to me, what you see is what you get, good or bad,” she told him, still grinning.

“When I look at you, all I see is good.” He smiled at her. “Besides, I haven’t gotten the impression that anything about you is fake. You don’t seem the type. Now, I’m starving. Wanna share a pizza? Or did you have something else in mind?”

“No, pizza’s fine.” She closed her menu. “Order whatever your favorite is. I’ll eat it, I promise. I’m curious to see what you order.”

“Okay, then, my choice.” He motioned the server over. “We’ll have the Adolpho Classic. Anchovies?” he asked Nikki; she nodded. “Anchovies it is. Thanks.” The server hustled away, leaving them alone.
The Adolpho Classic – typical guy,
Nikki thought,
meat, meat, and more meat, with a little cheese for something that might pass for variety.

“So, here’s where I think we’re supposed to make conversation. I’m not very good at this, really out of practice, but I’ll start. So you’re a widow?”

“Yes.”

“And you were married for how long?” he asked.

“Almost thirty years,” she answered, looking at the tablecloth.

“If this is too painful, we can talk about something else,” he said in apology.

“No, no, it’s okay.”

“So, thirty years is a long time. What was your secret?” He smiled.

A wistful look came over her face. “Communication. In everything, diet, finances, recreation. In bed,” she added.
I can’t believe I said that.

That got Tony’s attention. “Really? You managed that? That’s pretty rare.”

“That’s what I hear. But I have a simple theory. Wanna hear it?”

“You’re talking about sex, so I’m all ears. Well, not all ears, but . . .” He grinned, resting his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands.

“Okay, funny guy! Well, I’ve always said people can do it, take off their clothes and crawl into the sack with a perfect stranger, perform the most intimate activity two people can perform, and then walk away and never talk about it. And that’s just nuts, you know? They can talk about politics, religion, the weather, finances, everything, but not sex. And if they want to have really great sex, they should talk about it, don’t you think? At least I think they should.” She stopped and noticed he was staring intently at her – sort of awkward for her – and she was rambling, mostly because she was so nervous. “Well? Say something.”

“I think,” he stated matter-of-factly as he raised his wine glass to his lips, “you are both brilliant and absolutely correct. And I can’t say I’ve ever done that with another human being. Well, with one,” he corrected.

“Your wife, um, ex-wife.” She took a sip herself.

“Actually, no. But that’s a conversation for another time.” He set his glass back on the table. “Anyway, you’re absolutely right. People should be able to talk about it.” He added, “About sex.”

“So, what happened to your marriage, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“No, I don’t mind you asking, but that’s a conversation for another time too. Way too dark and intense for tonight. I’d like to keep things a little more cheerful, if that’s okay. But I have to tell you, I know about your kids, too – Annabeth told me. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’d do without my two.”

Nikki choked back tears. “Thanks. So, I understand from the article that, besides Annabeth, you have a son?”

“Yes, Clayton.” He took another sip of his wine. “He’s got an engineering degree from UK. He works for the company too. I guess by now, because of the article, you know about the company . . .”

“You own it.”

“Actually, I own seventy-five percent. My family owns the other twenty-five. But they don’t have anything to do with the running of it. It’s mine. I’m the president; Clayton’s the general manager, and my cousin Vic is the general manager of the Lexington office. Clayton and Brittany have been married for eight years now.”

“No grandkids?” She chewed on a breadstick.

“No, unfortunately. Clayton and Brittany want one, but they’ve had problems, lots of failed attempts. Annabeth and Katie want one too, but artificial insemination is expensive and they haven’t been able to agree on which one will carry. They’re in no hurry, though; they’re kind of hoping the state will allow them to marry before too long. I think that’s more of a pipe dream – that’s not going to happen in the foreseeable future. Of course, if the Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional to deny gays the right to marry, well, then, the states will have to follow their ruling. Problem solved.”