The Prince Charming Hoax (13 page)

Leah was surprised and disappointed by his lack of expertise. Either he didn
’
t have much experience, or no woman had taken the time to show him that lovemaking included many variations other than the missionary position—and that there was something called foreplay.

Doug, on the other hand, seemed to be thrilled. His eyes shone, and he kissed her again and again, telling her how happy she made him. She decided to be his mentor.

She rolled over on top of him, kissing him first on the mouth and then let her tongue move down his chin to his chest, past his abdomen and took him in her mouth, licking him until he was hard again. She looked up at him and caught his look that could only be described as ecstasy. Then she swiveled around and kneeled over him, putting her crotch directly over his face, and lowered herself down.

An eager pupil, Doug began caressing between her legs and tentatively kissing the parts she exposed to him. Seemingly encouraged by her moans of delight, he threw himself into the activity with gusto and didn
’
t stop until she lifted herself off and swung back around and over his hips. She slid him inside her, gliding up and down on his hardness. After she came, she abruptly pulled up and positioned herself next to him, in a crouched position on her elbows and knees.

“
Come up here,
”
Leah invited, patting her behind. She guided him to kneel over her and enter her from behind.
“
Yes! Like that!
”
Doug pumped away as he cupped her breasts and kissed her neck until they both crested and together fell back onto the pillows, panting.

Leah looked over at Doug and in the dim light, couldn
’
t decide if his eyes were glassy from drink, adoration, or a little of both. He was beaming.

By Sunday, they had made love in every position she had ever known and come up with a few new ones. Doug took her in his arms as she prepared to leave on Sunday.
“
This place will seem so empty without you. Thank you for the most wonderful weekend of my life.
”

Leah leaned her head on his chest.
“
I really don
’
t want to leave.
”
She kissed him and then pulled away.
“
But, I have to go.
”

Doug would not release her. He drew her back and lifted her face toward his, gazing deep in her eyes. Leah smiled. He had that puppy dog look, all warm and mushy. She half expected him to wag his tail.
“
Really, I have to go now.
”
She pulled away again.

Doug tightened his embrace, but his look was tender.
“
Leah, I love you.
”

“
I…I love you, too,
”
Leah said, surprising herself. What she felt was a huge sense of surrender, as if she could finally relax. She was uplifted by Doug
’
s unshakeable belief in her. He made her feel bright, pretty, and talented. He gave her the emotional support and acceptance Richard denied her for so many years. Could it be that Prince Charming had finally arrived?

For the next six months, it seemed like the universe was smiling on them. Everything was going right for them personally and professionally. So Leah was unprepared for an unexpected visit from a somber-looking Doug one Monday night.

“
Leah,
”
he said after kissing her hello.
“
I have something important to talk to you about. Is Ali home?
”

Leah
’
s felt her chest constrict and her stomach flutter with fear.
“
No, she
’
s sleeping at a friend
’
s house. Is this about Ali?
”

“
No, I wanted to know if we were alone. Let
’
s sit on the couch.
”

Leah nodded and followed him into the living room. She sat in the corner of the couch opposite Doug and wrapped herself in a big, knit throw blanket her mother made her years before. She had a sinking feeling that she was going to need a safety net.
“
What
’
s this about, Doug?
”

“
The president of the Chicago bank had a heart attack several weeks ago. His recovery is not going well, and he
’
s taking early retirement. The position needs to be filled immediately. I was asked today to take the job. I
’
m flying out tomorrow morning to get acquainted with the staff and interview with the Midwest divisional president. But, the interview is only a formality.
”

“
Would this job begin right away?
”
Leah said, avoiding the question she wanted to ask most:
What about us?

“
Yes. But while I
’
m out there on this visit, I
’
m going to spend some time checking out the neighborhoods and school districts, because when I come back in about two weeks, I want you and Ali to come with me to Chicago.
”
Doug leaned over and took her hand.
“
Marry me, Leah.
”

“
Doug, I…I…
”
Her surprise left her almost speechless.
“
I don
’
t know. This is happening way too fast, and I need time to absorb all that you
’
re saying. There
’
s so much to consider—Ali, my job.
”

A million questions ran through her mind, but she blurted out her first thought.
“
Would you have asked me to marry you if this job offer hadn
’
t come along? We
’
ve never talked about getting married before.
”

“
The important thing is that we
’
re talking about it now. I want you to know how much I love you. Leah, I
’
ve wanted to marry you from the first day I laid eyes on you. Believe me, I think about you, about us, all the time. But, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, Leah. You can understand that, can
’
t you?
”

“
I don
’
t know, Doug. You
’
ve never mentioned relocating. Maybe you don
’
t mind having your life turned upside down for some corporation, but I do.
”

“
Leah, I know this is a lot to digest right now. Give yourself some time to think it over. I
’
ll call you from Chicago.
”

Leah nodded. Doug kissed her forehead.
“
I
’
ll call you tomorrow, Leah. Remember that I love you.
”

Leah heard the front door close. She sat curled up in the blanket on the couch staring into space, trying to comprehend what had just taken place. Suddenly she felt very hot and threw off the blanket.

Leah paced restlessly between the living room and kitchen, reviewing their conversation in her mind. She had many good reasons to say no. Her success at the magazine was peaking. Ali was finally adjusting to the changes from the divorce. And, she much preferred Florida
’
s warm climate to Chicago
’
s harsh winters. But Leah knew her answer would have been yes, if only Doug had said the one thing she wanted to hear:
“
If you don
’
t go with me, I won
’
t go.
”

But he didn
’
t. And that meant his career would always come first.

Chapter
12

Leah was brought back to the present moment by a wet lick on her ear.
“
Mitzi! Oh no, look at you!
”
Leah groaned. The usually perfectly groomed terrier had been soaked to the skin by the waves. Her long hair was all matted down and hung in sand-covered clumps. The pink bow was gone and the tuft of hair on her forehead drooped over her eyes.
“
You look as bad as I feel! Come on, we
’
ll sneak in, and I
’
ll bathe you before anyone sees you in this condition.
”

Leah carried Mitzi back up to the penthouse and bathed her in the tub, using her own shampoo and conditioner. She set her hair dryer on low to blow out Mitzi
’
s hair and stood back to evaluate the competence of her grooming.
“
The Pampered Pooch probably won
’
t hire me, but I think it
’
s an improvement to lose the bow.
”

Leah carried the dog into the kitchen and gave her a dog treat.
“
Here you go, Mitzi. Now go take a doggie nap, or whatever it is you usually do during the day, while I get some writing done.
”

* * *

Just at that moment, across town, Roxie pulled up to the Rhineman construction site. She had no legitimate business reason to be there. She had a feeling she might run into D.J. if she showed up.
Love that woman
’
s intuition,
she thought as she turned into the drive and saw his pick-up parked under the Royal Palms flanking the entrance.

Roxie pulled her Boxster next to his truck, spread some paperwork on the passenger seat with her appointment book, and took out her cell phone to give her the appearance of making calls. Then she peered over the top of her sunglasses to scan the area for his approach. Seconds later, D.J. appeared from the side of the house that led to the lap pool. He was scowling and replacing his cell phone to its belt holster as he turned the corner, but brightened when he saw her and headed for her car.

“
Hey, Beautiful,
”
he said, as she pressed the phone
’
s screen, pretending to end her call, and rolled down her window.

“
Hi, D.J.
”

“
I was just getting ready to call you. I
’
ve been missing you, girl.
”
He leaned into the car to kiss her and she turned her head slightly so his lips could barely glaze her cheek.

“
Really?
”
Roxie casually gathered her paperwork, and D.J. held the car door open for her. She swung her legs out first and slid out of the seat, giving him a clear shot of her cleavage as she leaned forward.

D.J. gazed at her appreciatively.
“
You are looking even better than I remembered.
”

“
Really, D.J. It hasn
’
t been that long.
”
Roxie didn
’
t want him to think she had been counting the days.
“
What
’
s up?
”

He stared at her blankly, like he
’
d lost his train of thought.

“
You said you were getting ready to call me, but you looked like you were just getting off the phone. Is everything all right? You seemed rather annoyed.
”

D.J.
’
s
expression darkened, but he quickly shook it off.
“
Oh that. I was talking to one of my guys about some foul up at another site. But, I don
’
t want to talk to you about business, honey. I was going to call you to see if we could get together tonight.
”

“
Tonight?
”
Roxie
’
s attention turned away from what was bothering D.J. as she glanced at her watch. It was almost 4 p.m. If she said
“
yes,
”
would she seem too desperate?
Stop playing high school games,
she silently admonished herself.

“
Hey, I know I should have called earlier. I
’
ve been meaning to all day. Then I got caught up with one thing and another, and —
”

“
You aren
’
t just saying that because you ran into me, are you?
”
Roxie wanted to make him squirm a bit in penance for not calling and, in truth, she wasn
’
t sure if he really was going to call her or not.

“
No! My partner, Nicky, and his wife are coming over to my place tonight for drinks. I
’
d like you to meet them. You know, very casual. I can have some food delivered for dinner.
”

Roxie
’
s heart raced. Meeting D.J.
’
s partner was akin to meeting family. He and Nicky had been boyhood friends, and she knew they considered themselves brothers. It wasn
’
t only seeing her that sparked his interest in getting together, or he would have suggested something much less personal. Roxie smiled warmly.
“
I have to stop at my office after this, but I guess I have time to go home, shower, and change. What time should I come over?
”

“
I
’
m heading home after this to clean up. I
’
ve been working outside all day and I smell like a goat, otherwise I would
’
ve grabbed you and ravished you right on the spot. So come over as soon as you can. Nicky and Belle will be there about 7:30, but you and I have some catching up to do.
”

Roxie adored the way D.J.
’
s eyes sparkled when he was feeling amorous, and she could tell he missed her as much as she missed him, even if neither one of them would admit it. She stopped trying to mask her feelings.
“
I
’
ll get there as soon as I can,
”
she said with a grin. She glanced toward the house and saw the construction foreman and some of the workers watching them, so instead of leaning over to kiss D.J. good-bye, she instinctively straightened up to a more businesslike pose.
“
Later,
”
she said, waved toward their spectators, and got back in her car.

She took off in the Boxster without checking the rearview mirror to see if he was still watching. She knew he was. By the time she reached the end of driveway, she
’
d called The Alley to confirm that Celeste, her favorite saleswoman at the Las Olas location, was working and would have the dressing room full of possible outfits for the evening when Roxie arrived. Then she called Leah to update her on the events of the day while she drove to the store. The paperwork at the office could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Leah hung up the phone, frustrated by Roxie
’
s call. She would have felt better if D.J. had called Roxie, explained why he hadn
’
t had a chance to call, and then asked her out. Leah gazed out the window at the ocean and shook her head. Would Roxie have to anticipate D.J.
’
s schedule from now on to get a date? Leah grabbed her gel pen and journal and sat at the small granite table in the breakfast nook to write.

After all these years and all the introspections and conversations with other women—Roxie and I still define ourselves in terms of others—men in particular. For all our independence and self-reliance—what is our happiness based on? Our relationships with men. When they
’
re good—we
’
re happy and when they
’
re not, we
’
re not. What is the matter with us, anyway? Why are we so willing to subordinate our own desires and dreams for others?

I understand all too well how Roxie feels because I
’
ve been there, done that. We all have. I
’
m at the point, though, where I
’
ve been hurt too many times and I can
’
t take it anymore. I am finding myself these days a little like the woman in the movie I saw last week, who makes a potion that banishes her love to the bottom of the ocean. I, too, have numbed myself to pain—and like her, also to love.

Leah closed the journal and thought about her past relationships with men. Why had none of them worked out?

* * *

In the months after Doug
’
s departure to Chicago, Leah threw all her attention into Ali and building her client base at the magazine. Her efforts continued to pay off after the magazine went under, leaving her jobless. She had good relationships with her clients, and many of them retained her to continue their marketing efforts. She set up an office in her home, which gave her more flexibility to chauffeur Ali around to her ever-increasing activities in middle school.

Leah was seated in the school bleachers one late afternoon, working on a press release for a client while waiting for Ali
’
s cheerleading practice to end.
“
Is this seat taken?
”
a deep male voice asked.

Leah was absorbed in her copy and jumped, dropping her pen. She leaned down to retrieve it, then looked over to the spot next to her on the bleachers. She raised her eyebrow as she looked up at him and said,
“
This seat?
”

“
Yes, is anyone sitting there?
”

Leah had to grin. The bleachers were practically empty. He could have sat anywhere. She looked more carefully at him. She guessed he was about fifty years old and not quite six feet tall. He had thinning hair and wore jeans, sneakers, and a University of Florida sweatshirt.

“
No, no one is sitting there now. I guess you
’
d better hurry and grab the seat before they
’
re all taken.
”

He smiled.
“
Do you mind if I sit next to you? I
’
m here to pick my daughter up from practice, but I see they
’
re not done yet.
”

“
You can sit down. Is your daughter a cheerleader?
”

“
No, she
’
s in the band.
”

Leah motioned to her papers.
“
Please excuse me, but I
’
m on deadline.
”

“
Sorry. I
’
ll try not to disturb you.
”

Leah tried hard to concentrate, but it was difficult knowing that he was watching her, not the band. He caught her looking sideways at him.

“
Am I disturbing you?
”

“
Yes and no. Yes, I can
’
t write with you here, and no, I was struggling with this sentence before you came.
”

They exchanged names and small talk for the next fifteen minutes, until cheerleading practice broke. Leah got up to leave.

“
Leah, I have a computer business and could use a new brochure. Do you have a business card with you?
”

“
Sure.
”
Leah pulled one from her attaché.
“
It was nice meeting you, Larry. I guess I
’
ll probably see you again at one of the games.
”

“
You will if the games fall on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. Those are my days with Melissa.
”

Leah nodded that she understood. He was divorced.

Larry called the next day and requested an estimate for a sales brochure for his computer sales and repair service. Leah shot half a dozen questions at him, trying to determine how serious he was about the brochure. She did not have time to waste on games.

Larry was persistent, and Leah agreed to meet him at his store. After their meeting, she had a sale, and he paid for the brochure in advance.

“
I
’
ll send you a draft by the end of the week, Larry. Is that good?
”

“
That
’
s fine. Can I take you to dinner on Friday night, Leah?
”

“
I don
’
t think so. I
’
ve learned not to mix business and pleasure.
”