Dreams of Reality (10 page)

Separating the colored clothes from the whites, she began to imagine her next book, and then a scent assailed her.

She reached down in the clothes again and picked up a red nightgown. She remembered buying it in Davenport loving the feel of the fabric against her skin.

Pulling the gown to her nose, she closed her eyes. Masculine was the first word that came to her mind. So familiar . . .

‘How...?’ This question terrified her. Her heart began to race as she dropped the gown and raced upstairs to her bedroom.

Smelling her pillow and blanket there was no trace of masculinity on the sheets. No trace of him. Should she feel so disappointed?

Yet how had his scent gotten on her robe? She wanted to call Dr. Carter really bad. He probably didn’t make house calls. This idea made her giggle to herself. Was she losing touch with reality? Was this her imagination?

She wouldn’t think about it. It was probably just some weird problem she had with her senses. It could be the drugs.

Going back online she emailed to several medical companies about the birth control she had received. She even went into several medical chat rooms, but no one was able to give her the quick response she needed. It was four in the morning before she laid down to go to sleep, but her body could only relax. Her mind was too uptight to actually sleep.

At seven, she went into the kitchen to fix her some coffee. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

Chapter 8

Thaddeus went on as if nothing happened. If he worked harder he didn’t think about it. Trisha was oddly quiet about everything too, but he wasn’t concerned.

With her wedding coming up, he deducted her quietness as a woman’s worry about the impeding future and all that it entailed.

About five in the afternoon, he received a note from Craig to meet him at a restaurant about a forty-five minute drive from Detroit. Thaddeus sent the courier back with a note to cancel. He really was not in the mood to see anyone.

“I’m getting ready to go, Mr. Newman,” Trisha said at the door, peeking her head in.

He nodded. “Have a good night.”

She stepped in not liking his attitude. “I’ve rescheduled your eight am to three, because of your doctor’s appointment. Dr. Hoffman called me personally and told me not to let you reschedule again. You are overdue for an annual by three months and he wants to check your blood pressure.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there something wrong sir?”

“Nothing I can’t fix, you know that.” He was trying to make light of the situation, but decided that wasn’t the route to take. Instead he changed the subject. “How are your wedding plans coming along?”

“Fine.” She forced a smile, but Thaddeus didn’t try to focus on this. Continuing, she said, “The big day is almost here. I’ve already scheduled you to be there and I’ve trained Lyn on my duties that it shouldn’t be a problem while I’m on my honeymoon. With Ms Patterson handling your clerk needs, you should be fine when I’m gone.”

At first he thought it was Skye, but disappointment set in quickly as Nicole Anderson peeked in. Stepping in the office closing the door, Nicole looked well. Being a fashion model, she was downright gorgeous and with a flair for life unlike Thaddeus.

She knew what she wanted in life when it came to the personal side, but Thaddeus thought it had been too much for him. After six months of going steady, Nicole was ready for marriage and had begun to make plans behind his back. Matter of fact, he discovered their intentions one month away from the date by an invitation shown to him by a business associate. He couldn’t believe her audacity, and it infuriated him to know she went so far in planning for a marriage he had never asked for. He broke off the relationship and decided he needed a rest.

“How’s it going, Thad?” she asked.

He tried to look happy to see her, but conquering a smile for her sake was too difficult. His lips gave a grim look. “Fine. How have you been?”

“Perfect. I just thought to stop by because of your birthday.”

“It’s not until this Saturday.”

“I know, but unfortunately I will be in Paris and I don’t think I will be back in the states on time.” She stealthily moved to the desk and slid on a corner near him making sure he saw plenty of thighs as she purposely pulled up her skirt. “I thought we could celebrate early.”

‘“I don’t think that’s possible. I’m busy,” he lied.

Nicole looked around the dimly lit office seeing there was nothing in front of him such as paperwork or even a file folder. His desk was clean and she could have sworn when she peeked in before saying something he had been daydreaming. Her tone became annoyed. “Busy doing what Thad? Working? All work and no play makes you a very dull boy.”

“I like dull. I like simple. That’s too much for you.”

“It’s not. Come on Thad.” She pouted seductively wrapping her arms around his neck. “One night for good old times. We can celebrate all night for no reason at all. You’ll enjoy every moment of it, I promise.”

He moved her arms from around his neck. “I don’t think that will be possible, Nicole. I am honored by the thought that you would consider me.” Thaddeus stood to make his presence known that he was not pleased with her behavior. “I think it is time for me to go home.”

Gathering his briefcase and laptop brief, he headed for the door. Even if his bedroom brought back too many memories, he would rather sit there and mope about Skye and the “Case” than to be in Nicole’s presence any longer than he had too.

Nicole disappointedly followed him out the offices to the elevator. When they stepped on the elevator together, she whirled around to him with her hands on her slim hips. “So I guess that means no?” There was a lot of hurt and pain her voice, which she had tried not to show on her face.

Thaddeus pushed the button to go down to the parking level where he was parked. “It’s been no since my business associate and my best friend showed me their wedding invitations. You took a perfectly good arrangement and turned it into a selfish affair. My trust in you is nil and I wouldn’t reconsider if we were the last people on Earth, you were lying naked and I was horny as a rabbit.” He stepped off the elevator to go to his car. Before the doors closed in her face, he turned to her, raised a dark brow in a wickedly amusing way, to ask, “Did I make my no clear enough?”

She didn’t have a chance to respond before the door closed on her and she was headed back upstairs to the lobby.

Getting to the apartment, he showered and then lay down with a grim look on his face. Skye had made no attempt to get in touch with him yet he wanted to contact her, without being pushy.

She wasn’t playing hard to get. She just didn’t seem like the deceptive type although he had thought the same of Nicole. It was amazing how he had the greatest sense about business, but when it came to women in his personal life, he had never chosen well.

Even though he had told himself after Nicole he would give up women, he had found the most extraordinary woman in the most ordinary place. Maybe it was fate or destiny. It didn’t matter, he wanted more than just one night from Skye Patterson. He wanted forever.

Why shouldn’t he want any less? He was almost thirty, successful and single. It shouldn’t be this way, but he didn’t want to be unhappy and he didn’t want a woman who wanted him for just his success or bank account. He wanted a woman for her mind and what she did to his. Skye was this woman.

Curiosity was also driving him to find out if she could be like his mystery woman. Would he ever know? It was killing him to know the identity of “the case”, which he had begun to call the mystery woman.

Even as he tried to imagine her face, all he could think about was that she looked like Skye. But he swore it was his mind playing tricks on him. Next time, he would have more candlelight, so that he could see well. That way he could put a real face with the “case.”

This was becoming a frustrating matter in his life; which woman he wanted. It was impossible to be in love with two women. He concluded the matter by lusting “the case” and being in love with Skye.

Chapter 9

Skye replaced the receiver thoughtfully. Dinner at Trisha’s mother eastside home would be tonight. Going down to the basement again, she picked up the red gown. She hadn’t been down there for five days. Skye had purposely kept herself busy so she wouldn’t have to think about the nightgown. Quickly she put the gown in the washing machine along with other delicate clothes.

Before going back to work, she laid out a nice red cotton dress with black shoes and a matching jacket. Rolling her hair up tightly, she mailed some reports in that she had not done earlier, and then started typing again. It was going to be another long weekend for her, but she wanted a social life and Trisha was only being nice. Trisha told Skye that there was a birthday dinner party for a friend of the family, and it was perfectly fine if she attended. More people meant a bigger party and it would give Skye a chance to get out.

At six, she finished her shower and began to dress. Getting into her Escort she wondered if she should take a birthday card. Going to the nearest Hallmark store, she found a simple, but funny card and also bought two movie passes. It wasn’t anything big, but she thought it would be nice instead of just crashing a party even if the daughter had invited her.

Meeting Trisha’s family made the time go by very quickly. She found them to be quite engaging and when it was known she was Sybil Howard, many women were intrigued and wanted to know when she’d be doing a book signing. One of Trisha’s sisters, Ella worked at a bookstore and insisted for Skye to come out and do a book reading at least. Since Skye hardly ever did appearances offline because of her shyness, she was always surprised at how many fans she really did have.

Skye gave Ella her card and told her to call her with more information. Although she wrote extensively she had only done most of her book signing in Ohio and Illinois and the majority of them online. She had also gone to several book fairs out the state and even book fairs in Canada and Europe, but she never thought of a market in Michigan.

“Detroiters read, we just don’t like to admit it,” Ella teased. “I can’t keep your recent book on the shelf. It would be so profitable for you to come in and do a book reading. Do you have one in works too?”

“I always have one in work. Usually several, but I try to concentrate on one at a time, but it’s difficult with so much running through my mind and life.”

Trisha cut in, “I must admit that I enjoy your plots as well as your love scenes. You have a way to make me rush past the love scenes to get the mystery out the way, then go back slowly and enjoy the love scenes even more.”

“I know I just cried when Jackson in Daze of Summer found his father after all those years,” Trisha’s mother said. “Trish has me reading your books like crazy.”

Trisha disappeared from the crowd of women, but returned immediately. “I must steal her away. Alan just came.” Trisha guided her through the old colonial house out to the back door on the large wooden deck.

Trisha’s dad was over the grill with a cute red apron on that read, “Kiss the Cook.” He was sweating, yet there was an ethereal look upon his face that made him look at peace with himself. Anyone could plainly see this man took some sort of pleasure out of being the cook.

A tall man about six feet tall with sharp features, turned towards them. Skye haltered a bit. His beady black eyes seemed familiar, but she couldn’t remember where.

“Thank you,” she said still a bit bewildered by the man. His shake was firm and quick as if the more she touched him the more she would find out about him. Then out of nowhere, there was an echo in her head, “Make the bad man go away.” A shiver passed through her body and the beady black eyes that stared at her squinted hard.

Backing away, she turned about. “I have to go to the bathroom,” she muttered and moved quickly in the house.