Read Online Wait for Me by Mary Kay McComas - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mary Kay McComas
Ads: Link
herself—except Phil Rosenthal’s painting.
“That does it,” she exclaimed, when she was outbid once again. “I’m scratching Mrs. Vochec off the guest list.”
“The same woman from last year bought Phil’s painting?”
“No. She brought her sister-in-law along this year, and she got it.”
With the main event over, waiters were beginning to clean up the debris, and they were preparing to leave.
“Why didn’t you let me raise the bid? I would have been happy to buy—”
“I don’t want you to buy me things, Oliver. It isn’t necessary.”
“I know, but I want to.”
“I’d rather you didn’t. I’d rather have...” she hesitated.
“What?” He waited with eager anticipation.
“I’d rather have a walk in the park, Sunday afternoon,” she said. She wanted him to give her things that money couldn’t buy. A hug. A kiss. And when she was tired, a shoulder to lean on.
“You got it.” He stopped. “Which park?”
“Uh, the one at Lake Merritt. We’ll feed the ducks. I work, so it’ll have to be about four o’clock. Is that okay?”
“Sure. What if it rains?”
“All the better.”
Oliver drove her back to her apartment. She was full of excitement over the success of St. Augustine’s Annual Costume Party and Amateur Art Auction—but she wasn’t full of herself.
“I’m so pleased for them. They all worked so hard on it,” she said, and while he was still musing on her humility, she added, “I can make it from here, Oliver. You don’t need to walk up all those stairs. I’ll be fine. I’m really glad you came tonight.”
“So am I, and I’m walking you up to your door.” He was acutely conscious of her all-but-naked state of attire under her coat and could imagine that every pervert within a hundred miles had their antennae up and were aware of it as well. Letting her out at the curb would be analogous to throwing her to the wolves. He opened the car door, and the overhead light came on.
“Oliver, we fought and made up tonight. We laughed and shared stories and talked about our lives. We’ve covered a lot of territory. But if you come up, I’m going to want you to come in and spend more time with me. You’ll want to kiss me and I’ll want to let you, and then one thing will lead to another and you’ll end up spending the night, and then we’ll wake up in the morning wondering if we might not have rushed it a bit and then we’ll both feel awkward, and then you might change your mind about the park on Sunday and it’ll rain and no one else will be there, and then the ducks’ll have to go hungry that day.”
“How about just to the front door?” he asked straight-faced, his hand still on the door handle. “I won’t go in the building.”
“You can watch me from here.”
He ripped his head to one side and gauged the distance to the door.
“It won’t be easy to kiss you from here.”
“Then do it now,” she said with an eager smile, her eyes bright and beckoning.
He closed the car door and all but rolled up his sleeves getting ready to kiss her. While she waited patiently, the strangest thing happened. He developed temporary amnesia or something. He couldn’t remember which way to tilt his head or where to put his hands.
He adjusted his weight to free the tail of his jacket, put one arm over the back of the seat, and looped the other loosely around her waist.
Yes. Yes. It was coming back to him, he thought in a wash of relief as he moved in for the kill. He felt her breath on his lips, they parted. His eyes began to close. He brushed her lips, she turned her head. He planted a big one on her cheek.
Playful and quick, she came around to return his peck and sat back grinning.
“Good night, Oliver.”
“Good night, Holly,” he said, working hard not to smile back. This wasn’t the sort of behavior he wanted to encourage.
She wouldn’t have gotten out of the car if she hadn’t heard the amusement in his voice. As it was, she walked to her door
“That does it,” she exclaimed, when she was outbid once again. “I’m scratching Mrs. Vochec off the guest list.”
“The same woman from last year bought Phil’s painting?”
“No. She brought her sister-in-law along this year, and she got it.”
With the main event over, waiters were beginning to clean up the debris, and they were preparing to leave.
“Why didn’t you let me raise the bid? I would have been happy to buy—”
“I don’t want you to buy me things, Oliver. It isn’t necessary.”
“I know, but I want to.”
“I’d rather you didn’t. I’d rather have...” she hesitated.
“What?” He waited with eager anticipation.
“I’d rather have a walk in the park, Sunday afternoon,” she said. She wanted him to give her things that money couldn’t buy. A hug. A kiss. And when she was tired, a shoulder to lean on.
“You got it.” He stopped. “Which park?”
“Uh, the one at Lake Merritt. We’ll feed the ducks. I work, so it’ll have to be about four o’clock. Is that okay?”
“Sure. What if it rains?”
“All the better.”
Oliver drove her back to her apartment. She was full of excitement over the success of St. Augustine’s Annual Costume Party and Amateur Art Auction—but she wasn’t full of herself.
“I’m so pleased for them. They all worked so hard on it,” she said, and while he was still musing on her humility, she added, “I can make it from here, Oliver. You don’t need to walk up all those stairs. I’ll be fine. I’m really glad you came tonight.”
“So am I, and I’m walking you up to your door.” He was acutely conscious of her all-but-naked state of attire under her coat and could imagine that every pervert within a hundred miles had their antennae up and were aware of it as well. Letting her out at the curb would be analogous to throwing her to the wolves. He opened the car door, and the overhead light came on.
“Oliver, we fought and made up tonight. We laughed and shared stories and talked about our lives. We’ve covered a lot of territory. But if you come up, I’m going to want you to come in and spend more time with me. You’ll want to kiss me and I’ll want to let you, and then one thing will lead to another and you’ll end up spending the night, and then we’ll wake up in the morning wondering if we might not have rushed it a bit and then we’ll both feel awkward, and then you might change your mind about the park on Sunday and it’ll rain and no one else will be there, and then the ducks’ll have to go hungry that day.”
“How about just to the front door?” he asked straight-faced, his hand still on the door handle. “I won’t go in the building.”
“You can watch me from here.”
He ripped his head to one side and gauged the distance to the door.
“It won’t be easy to kiss you from here.”
“Then do it now,” she said with an eager smile, her eyes bright and beckoning.
He closed the car door and all but rolled up his sleeves getting ready to kiss her. While she waited patiently, the strangest thing happened. He developed temporary amnesia or something. He couldn’t remember which way to tilt his head or where to put his hands.
He adjusted his weight to free the tail of his jacket, put one arm over the back of the seat, and looped the other loosely around her waist.
Yes. Yes. It was coming back to him, he thought in a wash of relief as he moved in for the kill. He felt her breath on his lips, they parted. His eyes began to close. He brushed her lips, she turned her head. He planted a big one on her cheek.
Playful and quick, she came around to return his peck and sat back grinning.
“Good night, Oliver.”
“Good night, Holly,” he said, working hard not to smile back. This wasn’t the sort of behavior he wanted to encourage.
She wouldn’t have gotten out of the car if she hadn’t heard the amusement in his voice. As it was, she walked to her door
Similar Books
