Eagle's Destiny (29 page)

While we danced, I was not sure if what I felt was from him holding me so close or the alcohol in my system.  My head started to swim and I definitely needed some air.  We finished the dance and I was glad to be able to go back to the table.  This time when we sat however, he did not release my hand.

I tried to pull my hand back discreetly, but he did not take the hint and just held on to my hand.  The spinning in my head did not clear and I started to feel ill.  I was definitely going to need some air.

I leaned over to Luc and whispered, “Luc, I need some air.  I’m not feeling well.”

He looked at me intently and nodded.  He stood up finally releasing my hand and announced to our little group, “Elizabeth is not feeling well.  I will escort her back to the hotel and send the limousine back to the club.”

“Elizabeth, why don’t you let me take you back to the hotel?”  Nancy flashed a look at me.

“Nonsense,” Luc answered immediately.  “Elizabeth wouldn’t want to ruin your fun.  It is no problem for me to take her.”

“No, I don’t mind at all.”  Nancy moved to get up.  Luc put his hand on her should and pressed her back into her chair.

I didn’t care who was going to take me back to the hotel.  “Nancy, I’ll be okay once I get some fresh air.  I’m going right to my room.  I probably just need some sleep.  You enjoy yourself.”

Martha patted me on the shoulder.  “I’m sure you’re tired from the traveling today.  I hope you feel better.”

Sam reached over and squeezed my hand.  “Get some sleep Elizabeth.  We have a big night tomorrow night.  Have a massage tomorrow or spend some time on the beach it will make you feel better.  We’ll make sure Nancy gets back to the hotel safely.”  Sam looked at Luc and Luc just smiled.  “Take care of our little lady here.”

While we waited outside for the limousine, I started to feel better.  The fresh air even though it was still warm and humid was welcome.  I smiled up at Luc, “Thank you.  I’m sorry to end your evening so early.”

“It is my pleasure to have even spent part of the evening with you.”  He smiled a smile that I am sure would have knocked many women off their feet. 

Luc was definitely flirting with me.  I am sure that three months ago his smiled would have thrilled me, and I would be drooling over him.  Now I
just wondered if he was married, which he probably was because most executives didn’t get to their positions without a dutiful wife at home.

When we arrived at the hotel, Luc suggested a drink in the lounge.  I shook my head and replied that I was tired and needed to rest.  He insisted on taking me up to my room and I let him not sure on how to stop him anyway.  As we reached the door to my room, I turned around to thank him for his kindness one more time.  Luc leaned down and kissed me before my brain had a chance to process his movements.  I pulled back as soon as I registered what had happened.  I could see in Luc’s eyes that he expected me to let him into my room.  I put my hand on his chest to put some space between us. 

“Luc, that shouldn’t have happened.”  I said with finality.

He replied in his charming French accent, “I can feel the connection between us.”

I smiled thinking of Michael, “I have someone in my life.”  What a wonderful sentence.  It made my heart sing.

Luc smiled lazily, “I understand Elizabeth.  I am married.  However, it should not be so complicated.”

Bingo!
  I thought to myself.  I was tired of trying to be nice.  “Luc, your kiss did not arouse anything in me,” I smiled, “nothing.  No flip-flops.”

“What are these flip-flops?” he asked.

I laughed, “It doesn’t matter.  Thank you for bringing me back to my room.  Goodnight Luc, it was interesting meeting you.”  I opened the door and closed it behind me.

Michael’s flowers
were the first thing I saw after walking into the room
.  All I wanted was to hear his voice.  His cell phone went to voice mail and I asked him to call me no matter how late he received the message.

I changed into my nightgown and sat out on the terrace watching the ocean.  The temperature was still very mild and it was so peaceful I almost didn’t hear the phone ringing. 

I leapt out of the chair and ran to answer it breathlessly, “Hello?”

“Hey, Babe.”  Even though he was three hours behind me and it was only nine o’clock in California
,
Michael’s voice sounded tired.  “How was your dinner?”

“Oh as dinners go I guess it was the norm for me.  I drank too much, became too silly, then I got sick.”  I laughed.

“Are you feeling okay now?”  He asked the concern sounding in his voice.

“Yeah, I didn’t lose anything this time.”  I giggled.  “Then, the new vice-president of the division made a pass at me.”

Michael paused and then asked, “Should I be worried?”

I giggled again, “Don’t be a silly boy.  It was really quite funny.  I think I may have insulted him.”

“Better him than you.”  Michael said dryly.  “Do I have to fly there and defend your virtue?”

“You know my virtue only needs defending against you.”

This time it was Michael’s turn to laugh, “Or mine against you.”

“Oh you stop it.”  I giggled.  “So, not to change the subject, but anyway, you sound very tired.”

Michael let out a long sigh.  I could hear him rustling around and wondered where he was.  “I just got home.  I’ve been at the eagle stand all afternoon and tonight.  We found more shotgun shells and the eagles have been acting very agitated.”

“I don’t understand Michael, why would someone shoot at an eagle?”

“It’s a challenge to a hunter or they’re just ignorant.  Death by gunshot is one of the top reasons for
an
eagle’s premature death.  There is also a black market for eagle feathers.”  He explained. 

“What are you going to do?”

Michael sighed once more, “I don’t know Babe, but we’ve got an idiot out there trying to shoot the eagles.  The park rangers don’t have enough staff to keep guards out there all the time so some of us are taking turns.  The climate here is steady so this pair probably won’t migrate.  I’m just hoping that we catch them soon.”

“I can help when I get home.  I’ll stay at the eagle stand.  I can work on my book anywhere you know,” I offered.

“Over my dead body Elizabeth,” Michael almost growled.  “This guy is armed.”

“You forget Michael, my dad was a cop.  He taught both Lisa and I how to shoot.”  I said.

“You don’t have a gun now do you?”  Michael asked.

“Well, no.”  I said.

“And, it is going to stay that way.”  He said firmly.  “Guns are dangerous.”

“Now you just sound like my dad.”  I protested.  Michael was being very chauvinistic, but I would not argue with him now about the subject, it was far from over though.

Michael stayed quiet on the other end of the phone. 

After a few seconds ticked by the silence got to me, “What?  So are we fighting now?”

He said quietly, “Elizabeth, I’m tired.  I’m not going to quarrel with you.  You need to go to bed and so do I.  You have to be exhausted too.”

I rolled my eyes mainly because he was right.  I was tired too.  I had not slept well the night before because of the altercation with Kevin.  “You’re right.  I am tired.”

“Call me tomorrow after the party okay?  I look forward to talking with you about it.”  He said.

“Okay.  You go take your bubble bath.”  I chuckled.

He answered, “I will and I’ll be thinking of you.”

“
I hope so
.”  I hung up the phone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

I awoke late the next morning.  The sun was streaming through the window.  I had forgotten to close the drapes and with all the white in the bedroom, it was very bright.  I was still on California time and that meant it was really 5:30.  I moaned, rolled out of bed, and shut the drapes.  Flopping myself back into the bed I wondered if I would be able to go back to sleep.  Just the barest of efforts brought the headache I was trying to ignore to the forefront.

My head started pounding.  I hated champagne hangovers.  I should have known better.  I stumbled into the bathroom to find my aspirin.  I collapsed back onto the bed.  No drinking for me tonight I promised myself.

I laid there for fifteen minutes to wait for the headache to subside.  I began to think about breakfast.  Yes, only I could have a headache one moment and then think of breakfast in the next.  My very favorite thing to do when I travelled was to order room service breakfast.  I always ate breakfast and to have someone bring it to me, that was the height of decadence as far as I was concerned.

The clock finally read nine, and I could call Nancy now.  Her rule was never to call before nine.  She answered the phone in her bright and chipper nine o’clock voice.  I invited her to join me on the terrace for breakfast.  She thought breakfast was a grand idea and let me know she would be right over.

While we ate breakfast, I shared my Luc experience with Nancy.  She made the appropriate disgusted noises and then we both laughed about it.

“Should I mention it to Sam?  Sam would fry his butt.”

I grimaced, “While I think he probably deserves it, I’m sure he does it all the time.  I think the insult I paid him was punishment enough.”

Nancy looked at me while she waved her coffee cup at me, “What?”

“I told him I felt nothing from his kiss.”

“Really?  He was damn attractive.”

“I thought about Michael when Luc kissed me and how much better I liked Michael’s kisses.”

Nancy laughed, “Oh girlfriend, you are so gone.  It is too funny.  The two of you are in love even though neither of you said the words yet.”  She took the last gulp from her cup, “You know I have never seen you like this.  When we met, you were a torn up woman.  Michael has thrown you for a loop, you didn’t expect it, but it happened anyway.  He has swept you off your feet, and I’m sure by the look of the flowers he’s feeling the same way.”

I leaned over for the coffee pot and refilled both of our cups.  “Oh stop it.”

She laughed again, “Just because I stop talking about it doesn’t make it go away.”

“Enough.”  I said.

“Okay, okay,” Nancy giggled with her hands up in surrender.  “I set up massages and facials for us today.  They come up here.  I thought it would be fun to do it together.  We can have them set up out here in the shade.”

That is why I loved Nancy so much.  Her teasing was always gentle, and when I wanted her to stop, she always did.  Our friendship had come along when I needed her most.  The fact that she was also an amazing agent was secondary, because she would always be my friend first.

We thoroughly pampered ourselves all day; it was almost a feeling of pure self-indulgence.  The book party tonight would be a beach theme.  From the terrace, we watched workers setting up for the party on the beach.  They brought in a complete dance floor and laid it directly on the beach.  Meanwhile in another corner, a catering tent was built and the barbeques were placed outside.  The workers laid another floor.  Tables and chairs were set up on the floor.  When they started setting up the lighting and the stage, I gasped. 

“Oh my Nancy, you’ve got to see this.”  I pointed to the thirty-foot billboards they were constructing.  The billboards were photos of the book cover and me.  “Don’t tell me I look like that.”  I never thought I’d see myself blown up to thirty feet.

Nancy looked over the terrace railing, “Wow, that’s cool.  I’ve got to get a picture of this.”  She took her cell phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture.  “They’re doing a nice job with this.”

I just stood at the railing not uttering a word.  I could not believe the size of the pictures. 

“Oh, come on now, you’ve had other book parties.  You can’t stand there gawking like a tourist.”  She laughed.

I turned and looked at her and said dryly, “I am a tourist.  I’d like to see
your face plastered up there.  I can imagine what my face must look like close up.”  I shuddered.

Nancy laughed again.  “Oh Elizabeth,” she patted me on the shoulder.  “Enjoy it, it means your novel is hot.  That’s a good thing in my book.”  She turned and picked up her room key and her bathing suit cover-up.  “It’s time for me to get ready for the party.  I suggest you do the same.  Are you wearing your hair down?”

I nodded.  “I hope it’s not too windy.”

Nancy smiled, “That’s what the tents are for.  I’ll come and get you at seven.  We’re meeting Sam and Martha in the lobby.”

“Luc isn’t coming?”  I asked, hoping the answer would be no.  I felt stupid after what happened last night.

“No.”  Nancy answered slowly with a sly grin crossing her face.  “It seems that he was called back to New York suddenly.”

My hand went to my mouth, “Oh Nancy you didn’t say anything did you?”

She smiled, “No I was a good girl.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It seems that you’re not the only one he tried to get friendly with.”  She walked out toward the door.  “Be ready okay?”

Nancy left me on the terrace.  I watched the party preparations with interest.  It was exciting that all of this was for me.  My family would have never believed it.  Before I turned my laptop off and went inside, I checked my email.  Both Dad and Lisa had sent congratulatory emails.  Tammy had also sent an email with a picture attachment.  The picture was of her and the four dogs.  I laughed because it appeared as if it took a lot to get all the dogs to sit still.  The email read,

Dear Elizabeth,

We
all
send many congratulations on your new book release.  Everyone is going to love it!  I know I did.  Your babies are doing great but they miss you.  They’re keeping active, and all four of them are running with Dad.  Since Topper has a hard time climbing the stairs up to my room he has been sleeping with Dad.  Dad even built him special steps so Topper can get up on the bed.  They are being old guys together.

Love and kisses to you from us all (even Dad, he’s with the eagles today.)

The email made me laugh.  I could see Michael and Topper cuddled together. 

Finally, I went inside to get ready for the evening.  My dress was hanging in the closet.  A retro-inspired strapless dress, the fitted bodice had boning and smocked back.  The sweeping skirt was full with slouchy, oversized patch pockets.  The brightly colored fabric with large flowers in magenta, blues, and greens would go with the beach theme perfectly, and my magenta t-strap sandals complimented the dress nicely.

Nancy and I met Sam and Martha in the lobby.  We all walked out to the
party entrance together.  Since both the print and television media were covering the event, it would be a busy evening for me.  Nancy squeezed my hand as we entered and I put on a bright smile.  A steel band played in one corner near the dance floor and the champagne cocktails were already flowing. 

Sam signaled the band to stop playing.  He stood on the stage to give a short introductory speech, “It is my pleasure to introduce this little lady to you.  A very smart editor who saw the potential in Elizabeth introduced her to us six years ago. 
Trouble Comes Deep
is Elizabeth’s tenth book with us and her sixth Jessica book.  Believe me when I say she does not disappoint with this outing.  Jessica is as feisty as ever and the way Elizabeth describes her, I wouldn’t mind meeting her myself.  Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to bring out our New York Times bestselling author, Elizabeth Sommars.”

Of course I was beet red walking onto the stage.  Sam gave me a big hug while we waited for the applause to die down.  “Thank you all for coming tonight, though I’m not sure what all the fuss is about.”

Someone in the audience yelled out to me, “There’s page 75!”

I laughed, “Well, yeah there is always page 75.  Get a little further in the book, it gets better!”  Everyone laughed with me.  “So, enjoy all the good food, this fantastic band, and of course enjoy
Trouble Comes Deep
.”  I turned to get off the stage and then turned back around.  “Oh yeah, you better give me a good review too!  I know who you are!”

The evening went smoothly.  I gave the interviews everyone wanted, had my picture taken repeatedly, and signed copies of the book.  I never get to eat during these events, but Nancy was able to sneak a few bites to me to stave off the hunger pangs because the smell of the barbeque was driving me nuts. 

My favorite part was talking to the bookstore owners.  More than one regaled me with stories of anxious fans waiting for the book to come out.  Fans knew that most stores had their copies early although the stores had to abide by the release date.  The bribery stories were the best.  More than one fan had offered to duplicate page 75 in order to get an advance copy.  I would seriously have to rethink the erotic angle in my books.

By the end of the evening, exhaustion had overtaken me.  Nancy managed to have the caterers prepare a box of food for us and have it delivered to my room.  When we arrived back upstairs even though it was late, we laid our little picnic out on the terrace table.  Nancy opened the bottle of champagne and poured two glasses.

“Here’s to our Jessica.”  Nancy lifted her glass and we both toasted each other.

I took a sip of the champagne.  “Oh, that’s yummy.  Thanks.”  I took a bite of the chicken.  “This is yummy too.  I am starving.”

“I always tell you to eat before the party.  You know how it is.  Everyone else gets to eat except you,” she said.

We ate, talked, and giggled especially as we emptied the bottle of champagne.  Tomorrow was book signing day.  The signing would go from eleven to five, and then the flight to New York.

I checked the clock after Nancy left.  Two AM, not too late to call Michael, I was hoping he was home.  He answered the phone right away.

“Babe, what are you doing up so late?”

I giggled.  “It’s not so late where you are.”

“Yeah, but it’s late where you are.”

I could hear an engine running in the background.  “Are you in the jeep?”

“I’m on my way home from the eagles.”  He said.

“Tammy sent me an email and told me you were with the eagles this afternoon, she didn’t say you were going to stay all night.”

“It’s not all night.  I’m just pulling onto our road.  Did you like the picture?”  Michael asked.

I laughed, “You took the picture?  I wondered how she was able to keep the dogs still and take the picture.  Yeah it was cute.  Thank you.”

“We figured you were missing us.”

“It would have been better if you were in the picture too.”  I whispered.

He grew silent on the phone too and then finally spoke, “Are you missing me too?”

“Yeah,” I replied.  Both of us were quiet.  “Michael, are you still there?”

He chuckled lightly, “Yeah, sorry.  It’s been awhile since someone has missed me.”  Michael cleared his throat.  I heard the car door slam.  “Well, someone else has been missing me too.”

I heard the dogs barking in the background.  It sounded like a zoo.  I could imagine the four dogs crowding around him, jumping up for attention. 

“Who else has been missing you?”

“Topper!” he exclaimed.  “He and I are best buds now.  He gets a cookie just before bed, and then he snuggles between my legs and goes to sleep.  Of course I can’t move the rest of the night for fear of disturbing him.”

I laughed, “Oh Michael!  You don’t let him eat in bed and get crumbs all over do you?”

He laughed with me.  “Absolutely, Topper gets anything he wants.”

“Great, you’re spoiling him.  You know if you move your legs he’ll move to the bottom of the bed.”  I said.

“Now you tell me.  With me he’s like dead weight.”  He said.  “I don’t want to cut this short, but you need to go to bed and I need to eat.  I’m starving.  We’ll talk tomorrow okay?”

I almost nodded but realized he couldn’t see me.  “Yeah, sure, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” 

We disconnected and sadness swept me
immediately.  I wanted to be
at
home.  I took a deep breath and told myself to snap out of it.  He had been right.  The morning would come early for me.  Packing was on the agenda before the book signing since we were leaving for the airport immediately after the event.
 
A combination of the day’s events and the champagne brought sleep quickly. 

When the wakeup call came at eight, I growled over the phone because the voice on the other side announcing the time was far too pleasant for such an early hour.  I showered, dressed, and called for room service breakfast, as I said before, my favorite.