The Parking Space (18 page)

“Sorry.” With as much sincerity as a criminal had remorse, she shrugged her shoulders, popping her gum in between her teeth as she sauntered over to Jeff. “I got it, babe. Isn’t that cool?”

By the frown on his lips, it didn’t appear as though he shared her delight.

“Are you okay, Helen?”

Reaching me just before Rick, she grabbed my hands in hers. Our eyes locked and within seconds, laughter burst from both of our lips.

“Oh my stars that woman is crazy,” she whispered. “I knew she would grab for it, but to do that? Talk about desperate.”

“Well, of course she is, look who she’s dating, Mr. I’ll-never-ever-ever-ever-get-married. Eh, she can have it.”

In an effort to diffuse the drama, Nancy scurried over to the stereo, cranking the music louder than it had been before. She grabbed a couple more bottles of champagne and handed them to her husband, Allen, to open.

“So, you want to dance some more?” Lisa asked, glancing from Rick to me.

“I’m actually getting tired. I think we’ll head back to my villa. If you don’t mind.”

“No, not at all. I’m kind of hoping more people get the idea of not staying too late anyway. I’d like some time alone with my husband before I get insanely exhausted.” A smirk spread across her lips with her hint.

My cheeks flushed hot, but as I tried to push her away before she could embarrass me further, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around my neck for a tight hug before kissing me on the cheek.

“Thank you again for being here. It meant the world to me.” After she released me, she threw her arms around Rick. His eyes widened for a moment and then they softened, easing the tension of his returned embrace. “Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“Are you guys doing anything tomorrow?”

“Actually, I was planning on taking Helen over to the vet clinic on the other side of the island, but we should be back by dinner time.”

“Great. The four of us will have dinner, okay?”

“Sounds good.”

After several more good-byes and good nights, Rick and I strolled along the dock path toward my villa. Moonlight shone down on the water below us as a gentle breeze blew through the air. Faint sounds from Lisa and Ben’s music faded the farther we sauntered, leaving only the rhythmic lullaby of the waves washing along the sandy beach in the distance.

“Did you get enough to eat or do you want to order some room service?” Rick’s fingers reached for my own. He clasped my hand and his touch left me breathless.

“I ate enough at the reception, but if you want to order something, you can.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe later. Do you have the key?”

I opened my purse and handed him the piece of silver. He unlocked and opened the door, pausing for a moment before he crossed the threshold. “Oh, wow.”

“Oh, wow, what?”

“You’re not going to believe this.”

I stepped through the door and froze. Candlelight flickered from every inch of space by dozens and dozens of candles. A few trays of island fruit and chocolate covered strawberries sat on the table while a bottle of champagne chilled in an ice bucket.

“What is all this?” I spun around in a couple of circles.

“I have no idea.”

“Did you order all of this?”

“No. Did you?”

“No.” Stunned, our wide eyes locked on one another as we ambled around the room. “Should we call the front desk?”

“Good idea.”

As he strode over to the phone, I caught sight of a white envelope sitting innocently on the table. Flipping it over in my hand, I lifted the flap and removed the card.

“It’s from Lisa and Ben,” I called out.

“It is?” He set the receiver down and strode over to me, fetching the card from my grasp to read it aloud. “
‘Thank you for everything. Enjoy the treats on us. Love, Lisa and Ben.’
Well, I’ll be damned. That was nice of them.”

“Yeah, it was.”

He scooped up a chocolate covered strawberry and handed it to me. “For you.”

“Aww, thank you. I love these.”

“I think every woman does. Do you want a glass of champagne?”

I nodded and slipped my sandals off. After he handed me the glass, his finger brushed against my bottom lip. “You have some chocolate on you.”

Before I could utter a word of thanks, he stepped closer to me; his body inches from mine. I held my breath for a moment, trying to collect the swirling thoughts reeling through my mind.

His hands slid up my neck, cradling my cheeks as he kissed me. Soft and slow, his passion began to build. His hands slid down my body, gripping my waist tight. He pressed against me, his soft kisses hardened with a seductive fierceness that stole my breath.

“Give me a moment.” I peeled his fingers from my waist.

A seductive smile spread across his lips. “Don’t take too long.”

“I won’t.”

I tiptoed into the bathroom, shutting the door softly. As soon as the lock clicked, a wave of panic washed over me. Heat flushed through my skin and my hands trembled as my fingers ran through my hair.

I can do this. I’ve done it before. It’s not like this is my first time. I can do this.

I glanced up, meeting my own eyes in the mirror.

I can do this.

Exhaling a deep breath, I clutched the doorknob, turning it slowly. I cracked the door open, peeking through the inch space between the wood slab and the frame.

Rick sat on the edge of the bed. His shoulders hunched as he rested his elbows on his knees and his hands fidgeted with one another.

I crept toward him, grazing my fingertips along his shoulders as I walked around him.

“Are you okay?”

He looked up at me. His eyes burned into mine. “I am now.” He grabbed my hand, slipping on my clammy skin. “Are you okay?”

“I guess I’m just nervous.”

He patted the bed next to him, motioning for me to take a seat. My rump bounced on the fluffy bed covers, so soft and thick, they hugged my hips and legs. Before I could utter a single word, he rose to his feet and knelt in front of me, pulling me into him as I opened my legs to allow him closer.

As I cocked my head to the side, a lock of hair fell into my face, sticking to my eyelashes. He reached up, brushing the curl away then traced my cheek down to my chin with his finger.

“You are so beautiful.” He exhaled a deep breath. “Ben was wrong on one thing tonight.”

“Wrong about what?”

“That he is the luckiest man in the world tonight. He’s not, though. He can’t be.”

“Why?”

“Because I am.”

I rose to my feet and reached around my back to the zipper of the dress. Slowly, I unzipped the dress, letting it fall to the floor.

With one swift movement, his shirt landed on the floor next my dress. He grabbed my butt, picking me up. My legs wrapped around his hips for a moment before he set me back down on the foot of the bed and knelt in front of my opened legs.

He kissed down my neck and along my collarbone while his hands grasped my hips, squeezing them as his passion ignited. I arched my back. His touch felt like lightning on my skin. He unclasped the hooks on my strapless bra, releasing the warmth wrapped around me. Flinging the lace and cotton brassiere across the room, he grabbed my breasts in his hands for a moment before kissing every inch of them.

Overwhelmed, I laid back. He picked me up, scooting me back until my head fell in my pillows. His lips continued down my stomach, kissing every inch while his fingers slipped my panties down my legs. A slow building of heat began pulsing through my veins. My faint moans turned to gasps that built into soft screams. The sound spurred his movements.

His tongue licked up along my torso, circling my breasts, and then continuing up my neck until they found my lips. His kiss shocked through my body. He grabbed my hands, holding them above my head.

I never wanted him to stop. I loved every touch, every kiss, he molded into my uttermost desires like no one had before him. For a brief moment, I didn’t think it could get any better.

And, then, it did.

AFTER A QUICK boat ride over to another part of the island, we jumped into an old Jeep that had seen better days. Its body was patched with pieces that looked like they were once on a different car and it had huge circles of rust. Combined with a couple of ripped leather seats, it wasn’t a surprise when Rick had to turn the key over a three times to get it to start.

“Where in the world did you find this thing?” I laughed. “Please tell me this isn’t one of the local rentals.”

“Nah, it’s just a clunker that Natalie had on hand. It used to be her old car, but she has since upgraded.”

“I should say that I hope so. She wouldn’t save many animals if she had to drive around for emergencies in this thing.”

“Probably not.” He glanced at me and winked. “But it’s fine for today.”

As he turned out of the marina parking lot, he grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight. Thoughts of last night replayed in my mind. His tender touch, his soft kisses, and yet, the passion behind his every movement had a depth that drove me nearly out of control. I never knew being with another could be
that
amazing.

The Jeep’s wheels continued spinning down a long, winding dirt road. Mile after mile, we drove up the coastline, passing through a couple of tiny villages of houses clustered together.

People walked in both directions along the highway and beach, enjoying the day of their island lives. Souvenir shops peeked through rows of flowered trees that stood high above the rooflines. Their bright red and pink flowers fluttered as the car passed by them. Smoke from a couple of restaurants billowed in the air with scents of peppered meat drenched in different island herbs.

“If you’re hungry, we can stay here for lunch instead of going back to the resort. You might find the cuisine a little more authentic over here.”

“That sounds good. Where exactly are we?”

“The town of Vaitape.”

“I had no idea there were places like this here. I thought it was all resorts.”

“Bora Bora has about eighty-eight hundred permanent residents.”

“Really? I had no idea.”

We continued to drive down a long driveway and I peered out of the Jeep’s window onto a quaint building set amongst several trees. Its white painted siding glistened against all the green.

“It’s cute,” I said.

“It’s little.” Rick shut off the motor and unbuckled his seat belt. “If this was all we had in San Francisco, we’d be screwed.”

After climbing out of the passenger seat, Rick reached for my hand and kissed the back of it. We entered the building and dogs barked from behind a closed door. The faint smell of animals and disinfectant cleaner wafted in the air, just like any veterinary office in the states—only one-tenth of the size.

“It is little,” I muttered. My eyes fell upon the receptionist desk then grazed over a few of the old chairs for patients to sit in while they wait. Different posters adorned the walls, the muscular and bone structures for different breeds of dogs and cats.

“Unfortunately, Natalie can’t take on all the clients she would like because she doesn’t have the time. She tries to see as many animals as she can, but she’s only one person.”

“She really needs a partner, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, she does.” He turned away from me as though he wanted to hide his reaction. “Do you want to see the kittens?”

“Who wouldn’t?”

He grabbed my hand once more, leading me through a door into the back room. Medical tables and equipment adorned nearly every inch of space, and along the back wall, rows of cages were stacked on top of one another. A couple of them housed someone’s pet with IV drip bags hanging off a couple of the doors, dripping saline through the thin tubes.

“The kittens are over in the corner.”

I tiptoed toward a couple of boxes, excitement building with every step and every faint meow. Fast asleep, the mothers nursed their litters of tiny balls of fluff that wiggled around clumsily.

“Can I touch them?” I asked Rick.

“Yeah, it’s okay. They don’t mind.”

Brand new fur tickled my fingertips as I scooped up two grey and white tabby-stripped kittens, one in each hand. “Oh, my.” I drew them into my chest, letting them nuzzle against the skin of my neck. “Is there anything cuter than a kitten?”

“I don’t think there is.” He picked up a Siamese colored one and cradled it in his hand. “How old was Charlie when you got him?”

“Seven or eight weeks.” Memories of my fat cat as a rambunctious kitten stirred in my mind. Times when he’d use my furniture as trees or go running through my kitchen, his claws slipping on the linoleum so badly he actually wouldn’t move an inch no matter how hard he tried.

I couldn’t help but laugh to myself.

“What’s so funny?”

“I remember this one time I was lying in bed trying to get to sleep. Everything was dark, I mean pitch black, and I couldn’t see anything. I could hear Charlie running through the apartment. Up over the couch, through the living, through the dining room, I could hear his claws in the carpet. Finally, he ran into my bedroom and through the bathroom door. I heard him on the tile and then all of a sudden there was this huge splash.” I paused, clutching my chest, barely able to speak through my laughter. “I had forgotten to put the toilet seat lid down.”

“Oh no.” Rick slapped his hand over his mouth then jerked his head back with laughter.

“I couldn’t stop laughing and must have laid there for at least ten minutes before I went looking for him.”

“That’s hilarious.”

“It was. It really was. Gross. But so funny.”

The sound of a door slamming into the side of the wall cracked from the front office.

“Hello! Hello, is anyone here? Dr. Bouveau? I’ve got an emergency,” a man shouted, his voice boomed and echoed through the lobby. The sheer panic in his tone frightened me. “Hello!”

“Daddy, are they going to help him? Daddy, what’s wrong with him?” a little girl screamed.

Rick and I glanced at each other. My pulse shot up.

“Wait here.” Rick dashed out of the back room toward the tiny reception area.

In the seconds it took for the door to shut, I heard the man yell. “He’s choking. He’s choking. My daughter’s puppy is choking.” Heavy sobs followed the man’s words, and then the young voice of a little girl asked her father if the man would help her puppy.

I rushed through the door, coming face to face with the man and the girl, no older than seven or eight-years-old. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clung to her father’s arm.

Rick scooped up a small puppy and cleared a space on the desk.

“Was I right? Is he choking?” the man shouted.

“I think so.” Rick opened the puppy’s mouth and stuck his fingers inside. The puppy squirmed and gagged while the girl dropped to her knees and covered her face with her hands. I rushed to her side, wrapping my arms around her. She clutched on to me, her body trembled as she cried.

“I can’t seem to reach whatever is in there. It’s too far down.”

Rick adjusted his position, cradling the puppy underneath the stomach by his forearm and lifting up at the base of the hips. With several thrusts, a piece of plastic landed on the desk and bounced a couple of inches.

Once the puppy calmed down, Rick checked his eyes. The puppy still coughed and hacked, but finally took several deep breaths. The man wiped his bald forehead with a handkerchief, dabbing the sweat beads that had formed as Rick handed the puppy over to the little girl.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Thank you, sir.” Her voice cracked with every syllable.

“You’re welcome.” Rick picked up the piece of plastic, examining it. “Just making sure it didn’t break and leave a piece in there. It looks like he got into some of her toys and decided to try one for lunch.”

“Marie Julianna, how many times have I told you to pick up your toys?” the man scolded his daughter.

“Yes, Daddy. I’m so sorry, Daddy.”

“Puppies love to chew on anything and everything they can get their mouth on. He should grow out of it when he gets older. Of course, some dogs don’t so . . .”

“I guess that’s something for us to find out later. Well, thank you so much, Doctor?”

“Doctor Stark.” Rick shook the man’s hand. “And you’re welcome.”

“Are you the new vet around here?”

“Um, no.” Rick glanced at me. “I’m a vet from the states just here to visit.”

“Well, thank you again. You just saved me from an extremely big fight with my wife over a dead puppy.”

“Glad I could be to some service.”

The man reached for his back pocket, but before he could pull out his wallet, Rick raised his arms. “I can’t accept money for today. I’m not a vet here and I’m not a citizen.”

“I’ve got to do something to repay you for what you did. How about dinner . . . tonight? At my café here in town?”

“Oh, no, no, I can’t let you do that. We have dinner plans at the hotel tonight with some friends. Really, you don’t have to do anything. I’m just glad I was here to help.” Rick held up his hands as the man tried to hand him a business card.

The man’s eyes misted with tears as he looked from Rick to his daughter. I could almost see another argument sitting on his lips as though he thought about trying just one more time to repay the debt he believed he owed. His lips clenched tight and he gave a slight nod.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Rick put his hand on the man’s shoulder and walked with him toward the door. The little girl followed with the puppy cradled in her arms. Her shoulders heaved as she tried to calm herself from her sobs.

I remembered the helplessness I felt when I stood in the middle of an emergency looking down upon Charlie and wondering if I was about to lose him.

I also remembered who saved him.

As Rick said his last good-byes, I retreated to the back of the hospital. My knees weakened by the sudden weight that leaned against my chest.

What if we hadn’t been here today? What if Rick hadn’t been here today?

A girl would have to bury her puppy and deal with the heartbreak.

“There you are. I wondered where you went. You about ready to leave or do you want to play with the kittens some more?” Rick’s smile faded the closer he got to me. “What’s wrong?”

“Where is Natalie today?”

“I don’t know. I suppose out making calls.”

“Why is no one here? I mean, doesn’t she have a receptionist or assistant?”

“I think she has a woman who answers phones, but it’s Sunday. I don’t think she works every day.”

I inhaled a deep breath, bracing myself for the answer to my next question. “So what happens to the animals that Natalie can’t get to? Like if she’s not here or she’s on another call.”

Rick’s eyes dropped from mine. He squeezed his lips together and they twitched into a frown.

“That puppy would have died if you hadn’t been here.”

Rick nodded. “He had minutes left.”

I closed my eyes with the imagined picture in my mind of a young, innocent child having to witness the tragedy of her friend dying. It was such a helpless feeling when there was nothing anyone could do about it.

While some would say that declining a great job and not moving halfway across the world played like a romantic notion that would make a woman swoon, it wasn’t to me. I never wanted to be the girl who forced a guy, whether directly or indirectly, to choose between me and something else important in his life.

I turned away from him, pacing back and forth for a moment before facing him again. “You’ve got to take this job.”

His head jerked. “Why?”

“Because there are people here that need you. Obviously, Natalie needs the help, too. She can’t do it all.”

“Are you seriously telling me I need to move here, away from San Francisco?” He paused. Confusion plagued his eyes. “But what about us?”

“
Us
doesn’t matter to the lives you will save.”

“Us
doesn’t
matter? How dare you say that to me. So what? I’m just supposed to pack up my whole life right now because you deem the need? What if I’d already decided? What if I already figured out what I wanted in my life?”

“Did you figure that out because of me? Was I, in any way, a contributing factor?”

“So what if you were? I thought you’d want to be.”

“No, I don’t. I don’t want to be a factor. I don’t want to be a reason you don’t do this.”

He rested his hands on his hips and closed his eyes for a moment. “So what does that mean? Are you saying you don’t want to see where this goes?”

“I’m saying that I’m not going to be a regret. If you choose not to take this job because of me, and you regret it later, we both know you’ll hold it against me.”

“So I’m just some vacation fling, then?”

“No, you’re not.” My fingertips brushed across my forehead. “But . . .” Lost for words, I couldn’t look him in the eye. I wanted nothing more than to give this relationship a chance. I wanted nothing more than to test a future with him.