father cleared his throat.
“How the heck would he have time for a family? Does he think I’ll give up my career and move to wherever he lives and be a charming wife, entertaining all his business guests and ironing his ties?”
“Damn ties,” her father muttered.
Megan rolled her eyes and was about to continue her rant when her mother cut her off. “Have you asked him? How should I know what the man thinks? Honey, you’ve been off sleeping with him for almost two weeks, against my advice, and now you’re afraid you’re about to get your heart stepped on. Well, you made the physical and emotional commitment to this relationship, now you go and sort out where it’s going.”
Megan watched in shock as her mother cleared the plates from the table. “I wasn’t finished.”
“Go figure out what he wants. And if it’s what you want, then why can’t you fall in love with him?” Deborah called from the kitchen.
“You’re kicking me out?”
“Only for a few hours. Now go.”
Megan pushed back from the table, retrieved her purse and sandals, and stormed out of the house. She drove to the rose garden because it was open all day and because she had no intention of going to the hotel to talk to Tyler.
She settled on the bench across from the fountain and glared at everything while her thoughts bubbled around in her head.
“I didn’t ask for this,” she told the evening air. “All I wanted was a quick fling, a few nights of decent sex to take the edge off before going on tour and being on my best behavior.” She hmphed and crossed her arms over her stomach. “I don’t want love, especially not from some big city workaholic. I don’t even know his last name, or where he works, or where he lives! This is not how you fall in love with someone.”
With a sigh she got up and walked around the garden. She loved roses, though any plants she bought for her apartment withered and died in a matter of months. She was content just to look at other people’s gardens and admire from the safety of a walkway or patio, where she couldn’t kill the beautiful flowers.
Checking the time she saw it was still early evening and decided to take a chance. She called Alicia’s number and continued to walk about the garden as she counted rings. At ‘five’ the phone picked up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Alicia, it’s Megan.”
“Hi! I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. But then I guess your vacation is almost over.”
“Yeah, any chance you’re free tonight?”
“I’m just finishing up a painting but you can come over if you want.”
“I’ve never minded watching you work. I’ll be right over.”
Alicia’s house was a little one bedroom with barely enough grass to call a yard. She had painted it aquamarine with navy trim, it was attractive but it stood out against the white washed houses on either side. Megan let herself in the back and found Alicia in the living room which had been converted into a studio. The canvas on the easel was mostly complete and the King’s Bridge, complete with stony creek and scrubby pasture, was captured there.
“Hey Megan! I’m just working on the sky, it’s giving me some trouble. Did you want a drink or anything?”
“If there’s wine in the fridge I’ll get us both a glass.”
“Grab me a sandwich while you’re there! They’re ready made. Grab one for yourself too!”
“No thanks,” Megan called from the kitchen. “I just ate, sort of.”
“What do you mean, sort of? You’re not on a diet again are you? I told you being a celebrity would ruin your self-image.”
“I’m not dieting. My mom stole my plate before I was done and kicked me out for the evening.”
Alicia’s eyebrows shot up. “Why did she do that?”
Megan took a deep breath and poured out the entire story, in a lot more detail than she could ever tell her mother. When she was finished
“How the heck would he have time for a family? Does he think I’ll give up my career and move to wherever he lives and be a charming wife, entertaining all his business guests and ironing his ties?”
“Damn ties,” her father muttered.
Megan rolled her eyes and was about to continue her rant when her mother cut her off. “Have you asked him? How should I know what the man thinks? Honey, you’ve been off sleeping with him for almost two weeks, against my advice, and now you’re afraid you’re about to get your heart stepped on. Well, you made the physical and emotional commitment to this relationship, now you go and sort out where it’s going.”
Megan watched in shock as her mother cleared the plates from the table. “I wasn’t finished.”
“Go figure out what he wants. And if it’s what you want, then why can’t you fall in love with him?” Deborah called from the kitchen.
“You’re kicking me out?”
“Only for a few hours. Now go.”
Megan pushed back from the table, retrieved her purse and sandals, and stormed out of the house. She drove to the rose garden because it was open all day and because she had no intention of going to the hotel to talk to Tyler.
She settled on the bench across from the fountain and glared at everything while her thoughts bubbled around in her head.
“I didn’t ask for this,” she told the evening air. “All I wanted was a quick fling, a few nights of decent sex to take the edge off before going on tour and being on my best behavior.” She hmphed and crossed her arms over her stomach. “I don’t want love, especially not from some big city workaholic. I don’t even know his last name, or where he works, or where he lives! This is not how you fall in love with someone.”
With a sigh she got up and walked around the garden. She loved roses, though any plants she bought for her apartment withered and died in a matter of months. She was content just to look at other people’s gardens and admire from the safety of a walkway or patio, where she couldn’t kill the beautiful flowers.
Checking the time she saw it was still early evening and decided to take a chance. She called Alicia’s number and continued to walk about the garden as she counted rings. At ‘five’ the phone picked up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Alicia, it’s Megan.”
“Hi! I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. But then I guess your vacation is almost over.”
“Yeah, any chance you’re free tonight?”
“I’m just finishing up a painting but you can come over if you want.”
“I’ve never minded watching you work. I’ll be right over.”
Alicia’s house was a little one bedroom with barely enough grass to call a yard. She had painted it aquamarine with navy trim, it was attractive but it stood out against the white washed houses on either side. Megan let herself in the back and found Alicia in the living room which had been converted into a studio. The canvas on the easel was mostly complete and the King’s Bridge, complete with stony creek and scrubby pasture, was captured there.
“Hey Megan! I’m just working on the sky, it’s giving me some trouble. Did you want a drink or anything?”
“If there’s wine in the fridge I’ll get us both a glass.”
“Grab me a sandwich while you’re there! They’re ready made. Grab one for yourself too!”
“No thanks,” Megan called from the kitchen. “I just ate, sort of.”
“What do you mean, sort of? You’re not on a diet again are you? I told you being a celebrity would ruin your self-image.”
“I’m not dieting. My mom stole my plate before I was done and kicked me out for the evening.”
Alicia’s eyebrows shot up. “Why did she do that?”
Megan took a deep breath and poured out the entire story, in a lot more detail than she could ever tell her mother. When she was finished
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