A Love So Deep (9 page)

“Well, I hope you’ll catch the real act tonight, and I promise you a real treat.”

“I’ll be here. Would you like something to drink?”

“A club soda is fine.” Graham signaled for the waitress who he sensed felt a partnership in whatever was going on.

“Uhh…how long will you be here this time, Rita?” Charlie asked.

“Through Sunday, then we’ll head back to Seattle.”

Graham slightly jerked his head upward. The “through Sunday” caught him off guard. He had just met this woman who had stirred something inside of him. Surely, she didn’t mean
this
Sunday. That was four days from now. How could he possibly get to know someone in that short period of time?

“I’ll be back in a couple of months. I have to go home and take care of some business, and I have a couple of engagements in Seattle and Portland.”

“Well, don’t stay away too long. I think my friend has a craving for you.”

Rita smiled and Graham puckered his lips as if to say something but thought better of it.

“Two months isn’t that far from now.”

Things weren’t going exactly how Graham had envisioned. He wanted to be alone with Rita in hopes of getting to know her better. Charlie insisted on staying at the table, and Graham was forced to make the best of the situation.

Light jazz was piped in through the sound system. David Sanborn, Najee, Grover, and Miles kept the patrons entertained. A sudden inspiration hit Graham who now summoned enough courage to ask Rita to dance.

Without hesitation, Rita jumped from her seat into Graham’s waiting arms. They were swinging, then shuffling, finally ending up in the dance couple’s embrace—the song made only for them, lost in their own thoughts. All eyes were on Rita and Graham, and soon other couples joined in. Charlie sat in his seat and scowled.

“You’re lovely.”

“Thank you,” Rita said modestly. “I thought we’d never get away from Charlie.”

“Me neither. He seems to have eyes for you.”

“I think he’s just surprised. I’ve known him a long time, and I think he might have been sweet on me at one time. Nothing ever came of it.”

“I see.”

They danced in silence, each consumed in their own thoughts—thoughts of Charlie.

Charlie was a handsome fellow, and there was a time when Rita wanted the likes of a Charlie Ford to take her home, pamper her, make love to her, and introduce her to all of his friends. It was plainly obvious that Charlie was a good-time man—a man about town who loved the women; but Rita already had had her good-time man.

William had been trying for years to get back with Rita. She was a real woman, and unfortunately William realized that just a little too late.

“Look, don’t worry about Charlie,” Rita said, breaking the silence. “Besides, we didn’t get up to dance to talk about him. You seem like a nice guy. I’ve noticed that you’ve been by yourself.”

“Yes,” Graham hesitated. “I’m a recent widower.”

“Oh,” Rita said, allowing some air to escape from her mouth.
Rebound,
she thought.

“Believe me, I’ve grieved awhile. Didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone. It was Charlie who saved me from myself. Amanda, that was my wife’s name, released me too. We shared a wonderful life together, and I thought that there could never be anyone else. Then…I came in here, and I heard your magnificent voice.”

Rita smiled. She pulled back slightly and gave Graham the most gracious smile. “There was something about your posture and the way you looked at me the first time we met. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something inside me wanted to get to know you.”

“I have a confession to make. The Water Hole was the last place I wanted to come to. I had not graced the inside of one of these places since Amanda and I got married. That doesn’t mean that our life was boring, but our life was with our family and the church.

“Charlie and I have been friends since junior high school. I followed him here to California, and friends we will always be. In fact, we’re like brothers. This lifestyle has always been a part of his life. That first Sunday that I saw you, Charlie was helping me to get my life back on track. Imagine Charlie helping me to get my life on track.”

“He’s a good friend, that I can see.”

“He really is, and I’d do anything for him.”

“I’d like to get to know you better.”

“I’d like that very much. I’ll drive my car tonight, and maybe we can go somewhere after you’ve finished for the night and get something to eat.”

“I’d like that. Well, that song has finished, and Charlie is looking a little bit lonely.”

“He’ll survive. He always does.”

G
raham
was ecstatic. Couldn’t wait for tonight to come. Rita Long consumed all of his time, his thoughts, and every daydream. Graham thought he heard Amanda’s voice lurking in the shadows, but the reassuring calm that came over him more than confirmed that, in his mind, Amanda had given her approval. And, as if he knew what Amanda might be thinking,
No, Sister Mary Ross never stood a chance
.

Although Amanda loved the Lord and was a good Christian, she and Sister Mary Ross were never the best of friends. Amanda had known that from the moment Mary Ross set foot in the church on Market Street, she had hopes of snagging Graham for herself. But Amanda had given Graham the best years of her life, along with some good sweet loving and two beautiful daughters. And Graham had been satisfied.

Now Amanda was gone, and as fate would have it, another blessing stood before him. She was sweet, beautiful, and had a voice like a sparrow. Boy, she could sing. Graham glanced at his watch. It was almost six. He wanted to get a good seat up front so that Rita would never be out of his sight.

He looked in the bathroom mirror once more. “Looking good there, old fellow.” Graham picked up the bottle of Armani aftershave that Deborah had given him for Christmas and splashed some on both cheeks and down the front of his neck. Graham had aged, but he still looked good. He examined his gray pin-striped, double-breasted Brooks Brothers suit he had just worn on Sunday. Rita probably hadn’t even noticed.

Graham did a once around in the living room, threw a kiss at Amanda’s picture that sat on the mantel over the fireplace, gave a nod of approval to the mirror, and proceeded to do the George Jefferson walk—waddling out of the door. He looked back reassuring himself that all was well, should the night turn into more than expected. This was a move even Graham had not anticipated before this afternoon—
that is
allowing someone else other than his wife to come into his home. Just in case, he was ready.

The sun had set, and the random cars that passed by their occupants on their way home from a hard day’s work made Graham come alive.
Nighttime is the right time,
he had heard someone sing. Something about the night air, the night grooves, a nightclub, and listening to your favorite singer sing songs of love and tenderness—messing with your love groove, your smooth move—that did nothing but pump up Graham’s adrenaline.

The hardest part of the evening was making Charlie understand that he wanted to go to the club alone. And the sad part was that Charlie made him spell out why, as if he didn’t have a clue. Charlie had a cauldron of women that he could choose from, but why was it that he always seemed to be interested in the one Graham was interested in?

It was the same with Amanda those long years ago. Graham noticed how Charlie hung around all the time, and after the wedding, Charlie was a ghost for several months until he could no longer stay away. And then they couldn’t get rid of him—always hanging around at dinnertime and at other family gatherings—but Charlie would always have a girl with him, even if the girls were not the same from week to week. Charlie was family.

The crowd was alive. If hump day was a day set aside for celebration, there was no more room to accommodate those who were trying to get over the hump. It was definitely the Fourth of July in the place tonight. It was much more festive than earlier in the day. Graham scanned the place hoping to avoid familiar faces, especially Charlie. Though the lighting made it difficult to see, there was no evidence of Charlie or Shelly anywhere.

Graham proceeded through the dense crowd, a mix of the young and old. The younger women wore stiletto heels with skin-tight lycra skirts and halter-tops that looked like designer bras and left very little to the imagination. The older women wore Rena Rowan and Ralph Lauren pantsuits accessorized with designer costume jewelry. It was no secret that those women who were unescorted, young and old, were looking for a good time, a playmate, or a way to a better life.

Graham was sorry he had not come earlier. He hated competing with the crowd for a seat. Now surely he would not get a table, let alone a seat. Just as he was about to give up and stand by the wall, the waitress who had placed the note in his hand earlier and wore close to nothing grabbed him by the arm. She wore a sensuous smile on her face.

“Got a special place for you tonight.”

Astonishment crossed Graham’s face.

“Ms. Long reserved a special table for you and asked me to make sure you were taken care of as soon as you came in.”

Speechless was not the word. Graham couldn’t pry his lips apart. There was a gleam in his eyes that the waitress understood.

“You don’t have to say anything. I’m just as surprised as you are. I’ve been working here nearly four years, and in all that time, I’ve never seen Ms. Long make a fuss over anybody.”

“I’m sorry,” Graham stuttered. “Thank you. Your name?” Graham couldn’t control his breathing, exhaling large doses of air. He was just like a schoolboy on a first date.

“Natalie.”

“That’s a pretty name, Natalie.”

“Thank you.”

Graham followed Natalie to the middle of the room, then front and center where a small table was set for two. Adorning the table was a single candle and a bottle of champagne sitting in a bucket, chilled to perfection.

“Please thank Ms. Long for me,” Graham said, looking up at Natalie, “and tell her that I will chat with her after her sets.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her.” And Natalie moved on to the next customer.

Graham quickly sat in his seat not daring to look around, feeling more pairs of eyes than he could count. He twiddled his fingers, then caressed the neck of the champagne bottle. Graham wasn’t sure whether he should open it or wait for Rita. Waiting for Rita might take awhile, so he busied himself with opening up the corkless bottle of champagne and poured himself a glass.

Norman Brown’s “After the Storm” filled the room. Graham felt on top of the world. He felt his head nodding to the smooth jazz as he finished off his first glass of the bubbly. Graham poured another glass deciding to take it slow—sipping and nurturing the taste of the champagne, wanting it to last as long as he hoped the night would. He caressed, fingered, stroked, and smoothed the glass of bubbly, finally taking a sip only to repeat the sequence again.

“May I sit down,” a familiar voice said, startling Graham as she came from behind him. “You seem awfully lonely sitting here.”

“Not anymore, and it would be my pleasure to have such a beautiful woman as yourself share this table with me.” Graham immediately jumped to his feet, pulling out the chair for Rita. “After all, it is I who owe you gratitude. My timing was off, and if it hadn’t been for you, I would not have had a place to sit.”

“No need to thank me. The pleasure was all mine. I have fifteen minutes before I go on, so I decided to surprise you and come and say hello.”

Graham could not peel his eyes from Rita. Her hair was brushed in an upsweep with small tendrils falling about her face. Her dark cocoa complexion glistened under the candlelight, and her teeth sparkled like diamonds.

Rita wore a silver-and-black dress belted around the waist with a strapless left shoulder. The bodice was made of silver lamé with small, beaded flowers sprinkled throughout. The full skirt was made of black satin that fell three inches below her knees. It was made for swinging. Her three-inch satin T-strap heels were set off by rhinestone buttons that joined the “T” to the shoe, and the rhinestone earrings that hung down the side of her face like upside-down Christmas trees accentuated her keen facial features. She looked as if she had been chiseled from marble. She was flawless in Graham’s eyesight, and if she never sang again, gazing upon her beauty was enough for him.

“I’m glad you surprised me. I feel I can hang on until the show is over.”

“You’re too kind,” Rita said softly in her most sensuous voice.

“It’s only the truth. How about we drink to us?” Graham whispered, pouring Rita a glass of champagne.

“I’d like that.”

“To us.” And the glasses rose to their lips while their eyes locked onto each other. They sipped, and then she was gone.