Accidentally Yours (26 page)

“
I think I can live with it. You do get an occasional weekend off, don’t you?”

“
Yes, but it won’t be next weekend. Not only that, but I’ll be on the worst shift of all, three to eleven.”

“
Three to eleven! That
is
bad news. Which days are you off?”

“
I’m off this Wednesday, and then again on Sunday and Monday, so maybe we can see each other Sunday, in the late afternoon. Earlier in the day I’ll need to spend a few hours with the kid I’m mentoring through the Big Brother program.”

“
I think that’s a wonderful thing for you to do.”

“
Kareem’s a great kid. Eleven years old and smart as a whip. He wants to be a vet. So,” he said briskly, changing the subject, “can I plan to see you then?”

“
I’m sure we can work something out. Did you check into the reservations for Denver?”

“
Yes. I got a good rate on the Internet, nonstop both ways, leaving from LaGuardia.” He told her the dates and the fare, and she agreed it was perfect. “Ozzie recommended a bed-and-breakfast near downtown for us to stay in. I thought it might be easier if I made the reservations for both of us.”

“
All right. I hope you don’t mind using your credit card to hold my room. I’ll give them mine when I get there.”

“
No problem. But the car rental is on me.”

“
That’s sweet of you to offer, but I see no reason why you should pick up that tab. I’ll split it with you. Oh, that reminds me.” She reached into her purse and handed him an envelope. “This is for you.”

He frowned as he looked at the envelope.
“Wait a minute. This is the envelope I left for you when I went back home. He peered inside. “I don’t get it. The money is still in here.”

“
I know that.”

He studied her impassive expression, which she knew gave no clues.
“This was a gift, Vivian. I gave it to you to show you that I appreciated your taking care of me that week. Why are you returning it?”

“
I felt you showed adequate appreciation. You cooked dinner every night, plus you filled up my cupboards and refrigerator with all that stuff you bought at the supermarket. This was overkill.”

His eyes were all over her face; he was still trying to read her. Her shoulders stiffened.
“There’s something more to this, isn’t there?”

She hedged, then decided she should tell him exac
tly how she felt. Maybe then he’d stop studying her like an architect analyzing a blueprint. “All right. There’s something that makes me uncomfortable about your leaving me an envelope with a couple of fifties in it. I thought we were friends, but you can’t put a price tag on friendship, Zack. I felt like I was being dismissed, like a patient you’d released at the hospital.”
And when you didn’t contact me,
I
knew
I’d been dismissed.

He nodded thoughtfully.
“I see. You thought I was trying to avoid feeling like I owed you anything, ease any guilt I might be feeling for accepting your hospitality and then disappearing.”

“
Can you blame me?”

“
No, I guess I can’t. I knew my intentions, but you didn’t, at least not then.” He stuffed the envelope in his pants pocket “I guess I botched it again, huh?”

“
It’s not an unpardonable sin, Zack,” she said quietly.

“
Maybe not, but it’s important for you to know there wasn’t anything dismissive behind it. I was only thinking about your inconvenience.”

“
I understand that, but I can’t accept your money. You were a guest in my home. I don’t allow anyone to sleep on my couch if I don’t want them to, and I certainly don’t expect them to pay me for it, like I’m running a Marriott or something.”

“
Point taken. Now, just let me pay for the car rental in Denver. Not because I don’t want to feel like I’m in your debt, but just because I want to. I’d have to get a rental if you weren’t coming, so why should I soak you for half the cost?”

She laughed at his phrasing.
“All right, I guess that’s not unreasonable.”

“
Good. And you were right, Vivling.”

She rolled her eyes, not wanting to let on that she thought his name for her was kind of cute.
“Right about what?”

“
About us being friends. We are. But I don’t want it to stop there.” He reached for her hand across the table, raised it and pressed the back of it to his lips, his eyes not leaving hers the whole time. “So tell me, am I forgiven for my latest blunder?”

“
Yes,” she said without hesitation. He continued to hold her hand with one of his, and with the other he was tracing the length of her fingers, up one side and down the other, with the pad of his index finger. It was a simple movement that was off the sensuality scale, especially when he made contact with the sensitive webbing between her digits. It was comfortably warm in the busy restaurant, but she found herself struggling to keep from shivering from the erotic sensation.

The delivery of their food interrupted his erotic exploration of her fingers. It had been an unusual date—most of her dates were Friday or Saturday evenings, not Sunday afternoons—but one she thoroughly enjoyed. They
’d walked through the Studio Museum of Harlem, enjoying the historic photographs of James Van Der Zee and the paintings of Jacob Lawrence, among others; and Zack showed her where he had gone to school. She pictured him as a child, zooming along the street of his block on roller skates. She felt pleased that he had wanted to show her his old stomping ground, and that he’d brought her for dinner to a place that had been the site of some of his happiest childhood memories.

“
Are you sure you won’t be too tired for work tonight, going out in the middle of the day like this?” she asked when they arrived back at her apartment building.

“
I’ll be fine. There’s still plenty of time for me to sleep. I’m glad you consented to go out with me on a Sunday afternoon.” Zack knew from experience that a lot of women wouldn’t. He didn’t understand how anyone could take an entire day, one that didn’t involve going to work, to prepare for work the next day. That struck him as a tremendous waste of free time.

“
Actually, I found it refreshing.” She unlocked her door and stepped inside. “Aren’t you coming in?”

“
Just for a minute. There was something I wanted to give you.”

“
What’s that?”

He draped a casual arm around her shoulder.
“The last time we said good night we were in a hallway. This time I wanted a little privacy.”

A ripple of awareness traveled through her body as his strong hands rested on her shoulders and pulled her close. His lips came down coaxingly on hers, his tongue gen
tly probed her mouth. The kiss was brief, and when it ended he gazed at her with the same foolishly happy grin she suspected was on her own face.

Chapter 1
8

Rocky Mountain High

D
enver was beautiful. As their plane landed Vivian could see the majestic Rocky Mountain chain just to the west, snow-capped peaks that shone in the sun. Suddenly, she was glad that Zack had suggested coming out on Wednesday. This, their day of arrival, was already half over—it was already two in the afternoon—and if it was Thursday they would have less than one full day to see the area before they were due at the rehearsal and subsequent dinner.

It would also give them more time to spend together, something that had become as rare as an undercooked hamburger. When she
’d returned to work on Monday she had been delighted to learn that she was being promoted from administrator to manager. Lisa had insisted that she attend a week-long seminar on human resources management, which would not be held in New York for another five months, so arrangements had been made for her to go to Boston. She had had to cancel her Sunday date with Zack; in order to be in Boston at nine
a.m.
Monday morning she had had to get a train out on Sunday afternoon.

Zack
’s days off the week after that coincided with Independence Day. She had promised her parents she would spend it with them, since at the time she had no plans. She thought about asking Zack to join her, but decided it was too early to bring him home. Her mother would be so excited at her dating a doctor that she probably would have tried to arrange a private fireworks display in the backyard.

Last weekend she was busy with the hairdresser, the manicurist, and other preparations for Colorado, while Zack worked double shifts to make up for his upcoming time off. While they had talked regularly on the phone, neither of them expected that lone Sunday afternoon over two weeks before would be the last time they would see each other until it was time to leave for Denver.

She turned to him as he hung up the courtesy phone to the car rental agency. “I’m glad we came out a day early.”

“
Good.” He took her arm and guided her toward the exit. “We have to go this way to catch the car rental van. In just a few minutes we’ll be in the car and on our way.”

Vivian was pleased to find that he’d rented a PT Cruiser convertible. He put the top down, and the
surrounding mountains seemed to cradle them from all sides as he drove. They found their B&B easily, with Vivian serving as navigator while Zack drove. The homey atmosphere of the antique-filled Victorian home came as a pleasant surprise. The century-old structure had been completely modernized, with whirlpool tubs and cable television. “This is lovely. I’ll never stay in a cookie-cutter hotel again,” she said as they climbed the curved staircase to their second-floor rooms.

“
Better not let the happy couple hear you say that.” Zack alluded to Austin’s partnership in a travel consulting business and Desireé’s employment there.

“
I doubt that all the big hotels will go out of business just because I’ve decided I’d rather stay somewhere with more personality. Desireé and Austin will have plenty of clients in need of their services. Besides, when they go to Taos for their honeymoon I’m sure they’ll be staying someplace along these lines.”

Zack unlocked the door to their accommodations and followed her inside.
“Pretty nice, huh?”

“
I’ll say.” Zack had gotten a special rate on a two-bedroom suite that gave them a connecting sitting room for a rate only slightly higher than paying for two single rooms. The fireplace in the sitting room looked so inviting she found herself wishing it was October instead of July so she could light it. The colorful small floral bouquet in a vase on the coffee table consisted of real flowers, not silk, and the large plant by the window was also authentic. Both bedrooms were furnished with four-poster beds. It was, Vivian thought wistfully as she eyed the mini-pillow door handle crocheted with the words
Do Not Disturb,
a setting made for romance.

It was too late in the day to do any sightseeing after they unpacked, so they relaxed for a bit and then drove downtown, where they parked and walked along the pedestrian mall on Sixteenth Street, window-shopping and keeping an eye out for a place to have dinner. They set
tled on a popular-looking bistro with a patio and enjoyed a leisurely meal, sipping wine while they people-watched in the warm summer night.

After dinner they drove out to Elitch Gardens, an amusement park that reminded Vivian of Coney
Island. She buried her face in Zack’s shoulder when their car of the Ferris wheel stopped to load passengers with them at the top, a hundred feet up.

His arm immediately went around her shoulder in a protective action.
“What’s wrong, Vivling?”

She felt embarrassed to admit the truth.
“I’m scared of heights.”

“
Now
you tell me.”

“
Don’t make jokes, Zack!”

He pulled her close.
“It’s all right. We’re going down now. Just stay like you are and keep your eyes closed.”

That certainly wasn
’t a tall order. It was rather nice where she was now, and even nicer now that he was holding her so tightly. Still, she would feel a lot better once they were at a lower height.

Once the ride was fully loaded and moving at a steady pace without stops, it wasn
’t too bad. Vivian kept her eyes open until the surrounding landscape came into view, when she promptly closed them and hid her face in Zack’s chest until they were descending.

“
If you don’t mind my asking, why did you agree to get on a Ferris wheel if you’re afraid of heights?” Zack asked.

“
It didn’t look so high up from the ground,” she said softly.

“
It never does. I guess you won’t want to go on that ride where we free-fall two hundred feet at sixty miles an hour.”

She leaned back sligh
tly and narrowly opened one eye, staring at him skeptically. But even with her limited range of vision, she realized how high up they were, and her eyes opened in panic as she looked to the ground so far below. Zack quickly slapped a hand over her eyes.

She couldn
’t even look at the free-fall ride when he was on it, but she did agree to ride the roller coaster with him. The constant movement of this type of amusement park attraction didn’t interfere with her height phobia. It was her favorite kind, a wooden coaster that creaked and rattled as it climbed to its pinnacle, and they both enjoyed it so much they rode it twice.

They were very tired after what had been a full day, and when they
returned to their suite they retired to their respective bedrooms for a good night’s sleep. After enjoying the hearty breakfast that was served to guests the next morning, they embarked on a tour of the area, beginning with a trip to see Austin, who lived nestled in the mountains in the suburb of Evergreen. Vivian hoped to see Desireé, whom she knew spent most of her time there, but Austin informed her she had been staying at her mother’s home in Denver because it was closer to the services she needed.

“
So, how are your accommodations?” Austin asked casually.

Vivian studied Zack, curious to see how he would respond. Instinct told her the two friends had discussed her recen
tly. Perhaps Zack had mentioned the rooms he reserved connected to either side of a sitting room, which would have given away the platonic nature of their relationship. Was Austin hoping to help them move along to the next level?

“
It’s very nice. It’s got character instead of being antiseptic, like so many of the hotels are.”

“
I like it, too,” Vivian said. “But I love your house, Austin.” She waved a hand at the tastefully furnished room. “Tell me, did Desireé help you decorate?”

“
She sure did. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I didn’t even make an offer on the house until I knew she approved of it.” He grinned sheepishly. “I had a feeling she was going to be living in it with me eventually.”

“
What was it like out here last winter?” Zack asked.

“
Let’s put it this way. We make it a point to never run out of food. On the bad days it might be two or three days before we venture out”

“
Just a few days? I’d imagine it would take at least a week,” Vivian said.

“
Out here we can handle bit snowfalls. A lot of it melts, actually, because it often warms up after a snowfall.”

“
That road is frightening enough when it’s green. I can’t imagine driving down it with snow and ice on the ground,” she mused.

“
I can’t imagine you doing that, either,” Zack said in a teasing tone, squeezing her upper arm. “You should have seen her on the way up here, Oz. Her hand was gripping the door handle so tightly that it lost some of its color, and her foot was pressed against the floor like there was an invisible brake pedal on the passenger side.”

“
It was unnerving,” Vivian said in her own defense. “We’re in the middle of the Rockies, and me being in the passenger seat meant I was closest to the edge. Those yellow signs that tell you which way the road is about to curve don’t help, either. The only thing worse than a steep mountain road is a steep mountain road that goes like this.” She made a zigzag motion with her hand.

*****

They managed to see as much of Denver’s sights as possible, from the Red Rocks Amphitheater—Vivian got in her day’s exercise when they walked to the bottom and then back up again, she huffing and puffing in the July heat, feeling inadequate as she watched Zack glide like he was on wheels—to the Molly Brown House, where Vivian insisted on going. “Didn’t you see
Titanic?”
she prodded the disgruntled Zack. He went along, but declared that to reciprocate she had to accompany him to the renowned Denver Zoo. She protested, saying it was cruel to stare at animals who were obviously uncomfortable in the summer heat, “plus it smells bad,” but she went along and found the experience to be surprisingly pleasant.

On Friday they spent hours in the Black American West Museum, then borrowed bicycles from the
inn and rode through City Park, pigging out on hot dogs and potato chips and stopping to rest and talk under the shade of sprawling oak trees while they observed other cyclists ride by.

*****

Desireé looked radiant, and Austin seemed almost silly in his happiness. Vivian found herself feeling a little envious of them. She hadn’t spent a whole lot of time with Zack, but as Glenda pointed out, it generally didn’t take long for the heart to decide. He was the man of her dreams, the one she wanted to grow old with.

Only the bridal party had attended the rehearsal, but a larger number of guests had been invited to dinner, which was held in the private room of a casual neighborhood bar and grill. Vivian was happy to see Austin and
Desireé’s familiar faces again, as well as those of the senior Hugheses. At the rehearsal Zack introduced her to the people he knew, and she tried hard to remember all their names. Charlene Harris was Austin’s sister; she and her husband Irwin were both members of the wedding. Phil and Sandy Wallace were easy to remember; Austin’s business partner and his wife were the only non-black people in attendance. She also would not forget the dashing Mickey Spivey, who, like Phil, would serve as an usher for the ceremony. He was a large, handsome fellow who seemed quite happy to be in the company of Desireé’s attractive honor attendants. Two of the four women were single.

There were more people to meet at the rehearsal dinner. Zack
’s cousin Sydney Chambers was another easily identifiable face, since she looked enough like Zack to be his sister. She had relocated to the Detroit area after being transferred by her employer, where, in a wonderful coincidence, she had run into a former high school classmate who was also living there. Sparks had flown between them, and now he accompanied Sydney to Denver. Most of the other names that went with the faces left her as soon as she learned them.

Except for two. She was shocked when Zack presented her to his parents; he hadn
’t even mentioned they were coming.

She recovered quickly.
“I’m so happy to meet you, Mr. Warner, Mrs. Warner. What a nice surprise. Zack didn’t tell me you would be here.”

“
Oh, we wouldn’t miss it Austin’s like another son to us. And it was a nice opportunity for us to come west,” Mrs. Warner said. She was a tall, fair-skinned woman with bright blue eyes Zack had obviously inherited. She appeared to be biracial, and even at roughly sixty years old she was still a beauty. “We’ve never been before. We just got in a few hours ago.”

“
It’s my first time as well.”

“
I’m not impressed,” Mr. Warner said. He was an older, heavier version of Zack, except his eyes were brown. “It’s scenic and all that, but this altitude doesn’t particularly agree with me.”

Zack reached out and rested his hand on his father
’s shoulder. “Are you feeling dizzy, Dad?”

“
I was earlier, but not right now. Now it’s more like a nauseated feeling.”

“
It’s a common reaction, especially in smokers.”