A Holiday Romance (3 page)

“One of my favorite quotes is from a guy named Benaccio. He said “it is better to do and repent, then forbore and repent.” That is how I live my life. I usually “do,” and then deal with the consequences.” He took a second and stared at her beautiful face. “This time, I think I should wait, and with any luck, any luck at all, I won’t have anything to repent in the end.”

“We’re both tired, and full, and have had enough to drink. We need rest. When I do make love to you, my beautiful Ms. Charles, I want to have all the energy, all time, and all the future to make it incredibly unforgettable. And if our paths don’t cross again, I don’t want to repent giving you a part of me I can never take back.”

She didn’t know what to say. It was possible that was the most awesome thing a man had ever said to her. And she believed him. But she also wanted him, of this much she was sure. All she could do was smile in amazement.

“Can you do me a favor?” He asked of her. “Can you postpone changing your flight tomorrow until after I come for you, say about nineish?” We can have breakfast together and make a plan, does that sound all right?”

If it was a brush off, it was the sweetest brush off in history. “Of course,” Latisse answered. “Of course. But just in case,” she hesitated and shyly looked down “one more kiss?”

He took her off the barstool and folded her into his arms. He brushed a small lock of hair from her forehead and held her closely, starring at her face and neck. He started at her neck with a light brush of his pink lips against her caramel brown throat. A few little licks of his tongue sent shivers of anticipation throughout her entire body. He kissed her chin and then her cheeks on both sides. He kissed her nose before enveloping her mouth in hungry abandon, his tongue exploring her tongue, kissing her over and over until she fell limply against him breathless.

That kiss was different than the first, every bit as intense and as sensual, but different. He told her in that kiss how desirable she was to him and left her with the sweet anticipation for more, for tomorrow, for forever.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come up?” she whispered breathlessly.

“I do want to come up” he grunted, releasing her and backing away from his obvious physical excitement that had grown in between them. “But I will see you in the morning.”

When Latisse got to her room, she flung herself onto the massive double bed alone, but she was asleep before she could feel alone. She slept soundly, without dreams, without anxiety, in perfect contentment. She slept until the sound of the phone ringing brought her back to consciousness, back to reality.

“Ms. Charles, it’s the airlines guest counter. We just wanted to notify you that per request, your luggage has been located and transported to your hotel. It should be arriving,” there was a knock on the hotel room door, “any minute.” Latisse threw on a hotel robe and answered the door, it was her luggage. She didn’t even remember asking for it. She hauled in the heavy suitcase and sat on the bed, trying to clear her mind.

As she surveyed her room, she saw the green dress she had worn last night crumpled on the floor. The events of the last 24 hours began to filter back into her yet not awake mind and she started to smile. Had it been a dream, could it have been real? All the evidence suggested it was real, but really? Things like last night only happened in fairy tales and romance stories, not to real people like her. Just then the phone rang again.

“Good morning beautiful, ready for breakfast?” It was him. Maybe it had been real after all. “I’m downstairs.” “Oh my God,” she thought. Maybe one day he would see first thing in the morning, but not this morning. “Um, okay,” she hesitated, “give me a minute.” She looked at the clock, it was seven thirty. “Give me 30 minutes” she sheepishly told the man on the phone.

“I will wait for you forever” the voice said making her smile. Well, at least until noon” he laughed. “Unless you have a better offer for breakfast.” “No” she said, “I’ll be right down.”

She sat in front of the big mirror facing the bed and asked herself “Now what?” How are you supposed to act after something like last night? Could it really only have been one day she’d known him?

Getting carried away by travel fatigue and a lot of wine and good food was one thing, but this was stark daylight reality, and early morning no less. “What do I say? How do I act?”  She mused. “Hell, what should I wear?”

Thirty minutes later she stepped off the elevator into the hotel lobby where he was waiting. She wore blue jeans and a cardigan sweater with a Christmas design. Her hair was mouse back with a tiny curl to the front, it laid nicely on her neck. She looked like Halle Berry in Boomerang.  She wore a freshly scrubbed face but had managed to put on a little makeup. Delicate Cloisonné
Christmas bell earrings hung from her earlobes. It was Christmas Eve after all. She didn’t have any idea what to expect. Was he just being polite? It was still only eight freakin o’clock in the morning.

He walked up to her as soon as he saw her get off the lift and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her sweetly on the lips and without letting her loose said, “I hope you missed me as much I did you.” She was speechless. And she was never speechless. He put an arm around her shoulders and propelled her towards the breakfast buffet in the Hyatt dining room. “Let’s eat” he said, “I’m starving.”

Once settled at a table, her with black coffee and a croissant, he with a plate full of scrambled eggs, bacon, two pancakes, orange juice and coffee he started talking with his mouth full between bites. “So I have an idea.”

“I kinda have this thing at home I have to go to this evening.” Why don’t you come with me and then go to California for your holiday. It would only be a one night delay, and I sure would like your company.” Suddenly she felt like a black “Pretty Woman” again. “What do you mean “a thing?” - And what about flights? We’d have to get a flight to Chicago, and then I’d have to find a flight out to Napa. Is that even possible on Christmas?”

He stopped chewing for a minute and said “Oh yea of little faith, what about Christmas miracles? I’d say the whole past day with you been a miracle, let’s just go with it.”

“Really?” She smiled, “the airlines will just hand us the flights we need to unfold your little plan? Even if I agree?”

He sheepishly looked at her, mouth full of eggs and pancakes and said “I kinda have a corporate jet I called down this morning. It’s on the runway waiting for us.” She was a little bit more than amazed. “YOU have corporate jet? Then what were you doing on my plane yesterday? Slumming it?”

“No,” he smirked, “I fly commercial whenever I can, and I only use the jet in emergencies.”

“Really, huh? So now I’m an emergency?” she teased.

“Please come with me” he begged. “I’m not sure where this is headed, but I don’t want to give up on it yet. Just come with me to Chicago and go to this Christmas party with me, and I will make sure you get to California, deal?”

He really hadn’t had to beg, she had already made up her mind, but he was so cute begging.

“You have a corporate jet, huh? This I gotta see.” He smiled so broadly, she could see little bits of egg and bacon stuck to his teeth. She felt so swept away, all she could do was go with the flow at this point and hope for the best. What did she have to lose, she thought. She knew he was safe, and he was kind and a damn good kisser. She could delay her Napa vacation a day to see where this might lead. A quote by Buddha came to her mind. “Have no expectations and suffer no disappointments.” Too late for that, she thought I’m already in!

 During the flight to Chicago, he had some business to attend to, leaving her with some time to herself. It was time she had to reflect on the man she had just met, was traveling with, about their relationship, and what the Hell she was doing.

She talked herself into believing that no good end could come of this. When she found out it was a family party they were to attend, she quietly inquired “Your family won’t be upset you’re bring me home?

“What are you talking about? He demanded, “Why would they be upset?”

“Well because of my, I mean because I’m,” she hesitated, “a Democrat, a liberal!”

“What are you talking about?” he eyed her.

“Well, you’re a Republican, I saw the sticker, and I’m a,” she paused “a Democrat.”

He laughed and said “I am a man with a Republican sticker on his briefcase, that doesn’t necessarily make me a Republican and my family won’t give a damn that you are a liberal or a Democrat.”

He accentuated the word “liberal.” “You are with me because you make me happy, that’s all anyone will care about.”

He knew exactly what she was trying to say. He made her feel perfectly at ease and she was starting to look forward to meeting his family. Might as well get it over with, she thought. If it was going to be an issue, better to be done with it sooner than later. He had told her his father had died some years ago and he was an only child. It was only he and his mother. The party would include some cousins, work contacts and friends. “Really just a small intimate Christmas Eve dinner party” he had said. And tomorrow, she would be on her way to the Napa valley and her long awaited vacation.

They arrived Christmas Eve day to a crisp and cold Chicago. It was clear, but the previous snow still covered everything and gave the city a Christmas card appeal.

The limo pulled into an immaculately decorated property that couldn’t be described as a “house,” but was more of a mini palace. The driveway was decorated with pine boughs with huge red bows and in front of the main entrance was a massive Douglas fir tree decorated from top to bottom in large golden ornaments and a thousand white lights.

“Do you actually live here? Latisse asked incredulously.

“No.” He replied, “I have an apartment in the city, but I did grow up here.”

As they exited the limo and walked to the front door, it was opened by a man wearing a formal service uniform.

The butler said “Merry Christmas, Mr. Blanchard, welcome home, we’ve been expecting you.”

“Thank you, Robert, Merry Christmas to you. How are Tammy and the boys? He asked.

“Perfect sir, I thank you for asking sir.”

Latisse stopped in her tracks and turned to him. “Blanchard? As in Guy Blanchard?” she demanded.

“Guilty” he sheepishly replied.

“You’re the SOB? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? She demanded further.

“Would it have changed anything? He asked.

She thought a brief second before admitting, “Yes, probably.”

“And that is why I wasn’t completely honest. I figured it might.”

Latisse pressed him by asking “what do you mean not completely honest, you weren’t honest at all.”

Guy enfolded her into his arms there in the massive foyer and whispered “I distinctly remember telling you I was a “Guy” just lucky enough to have found you.” And he kissed her passionately removing the last trace of surprise and anger.

“Let’s get you settled in and find my mother.”

The woman he introduced Latisse to as his mother was the most gorgeous, cultured, exquisite mocha skinned African-American woman she had ever met. She sat at her dressing table combing out her thick, curly salt and black pepper hair. His mother saw her staring in slight confusion.