Lawfully Yours (16 page)

CHAPTER 25

I had never flown anywhere before. Let alone first class. But my excitement for the plane ride is eclipsed by excitement to see Jordan.

I get to the hotel, check in, and give my suitcase to a bellhop. “You are in room 1412, Ms. Linkovitch,” says the pleasant, portly bellman. “Please take this electronic key card, along with this envelope that was left for you.” I take both. On the outside of the envelope is my name written in microscopic letters. I walk away from the bellhop to read the note inside. If it’s going to be bad news, I want to read it in private.

Sue,

You’re finally here, thank God! We’re excited to see you. Marty’s had enough of roller coasters and cartoon characters and so have I, so we are spending today by the pool. We’ll be in the kids’ section. Get changed and come find us.

Jordan

P.S. Please be kind when selecting your swimwear. Since we’ll be in the kids’ area, I’ll need to show restraint.

Jordan is right, I am a pessimist. I feel silly for my misplaced apprehension. Folding the note and stuffing it in my purse, I look up to see the bellman still standing there waiting for me. I apologize and hurry along.

The room is set up like a small apartment. Closing the door, I look around. The space is comprised of a small kitchen and living area with an open pullout couch. There’s a small pink nightgown lying on the side of the bed. A purple suitcase is on the nightstand next to it. I can’t figure out where Jordan sleeps. Or where I’m going to sleep. If I’m to stay in a different room, why did the front desk give me a key to this room?

After a few seconds, I notice a door. Opening it, I walk into a large bedroom with a king size bed. Jordan’s luggage is neatly placed in the open closet, his clothes hanging above. I open the drawers to the large chest. All of his shirts, underwear, and socks are laid out in straight rows. Half of each drawer is empty—he obviously took great pains to equally divide the space. I appreciate his effort.

Well, Jordan apparently thinks it’s okay if he and I share a bedroom when Marty’s over. I decide to unpack his way rather than do what I want, which is dump my suitcase on top of the dresser and rummage around every time I need something.

I put on a one-piece black Speedo with a V-neck and wrap a sheer black beach sarong around my waist. My flip-flops are from an on-line catalog, ordered for their feminine wedge heel, low enough to be practical for walking to a pool. My new sunglasses don a style not typical of my taste. They’re a throwback to the 1950’s. Black, cat shaped, with rhinestones clustered at the outer edges. Everything else is thrown into a small beach bag. Time to find the kids’ section of the hotel’s pool.

The lobby is large and the grounds are even larger. It takes me ten whole minutes to walk to the pool area. Past the hot tubs for the adults. Past the main pool with its built-in waterfalls. Finally, I see the colorful gate denoting the kids’ section. Peeking through, I see zillions of children screaming with delight. They run through sprinkler sculptures and ride down twisty waterslides. I lift the gate handle and walk through.

How I’m ever going to find Jordan in this chaos, I don’t know. My cell phone is up in the hotel room, left there so it wouldn’t get doused with pool water. I scan the scene for another ten minutes. It’s no use. Maybe they’ll find me.

I sit down on one of the adult sized lounge chairs. I put my head back, feet up and pop on my new sunglasses. I slather on sunscreen. Totally relaxed, I gaze passively at the kids playing.

“Finally! You took so long we tried finding you back at the hotel room.”

“Am I late? I’m sorry to you both. Hello again, Marty.” I extend my hand out to her.

“Hi, Sue.”

“How’s everything been with Barbie?” I inquire.

“Daddy let me buy her a bathing suit for the trip. You call it a bikini, right, Daddy?”

“Right, pumpkin.” He shoots me a wink. “I had Marty leave bikini Barbie back at the hotel room. I didn’t want you to think I was hanging out poolside with scantily clad blondes.”

Somehow I manage to stifle my laughter. “Marty, Barbie shouldn’t get all the vacation gifts. I got one for you.”

“You did? What is it? Can I keep it?”

I give her a box she quickly rips open. In it she finds pink cat-shaped sunglasses with rhinestones decorating the sides. It was the closest I could find to the ones I’m wearing.

“Cool,” she squeals, shoving them onto her face. “Daddy, don’t I look cool?”

“Yes, very cool. Now all the five year old boys will be awestruck.”

“Do you really think so? Let’s go back to the sprinklers to find out.” She grabs Jordan’s hand and drags him over there. He looks over his shoulder at me apologetically.

I wave him off. “Have fun you two. Let me know how it goes, Marty.” Smiling to myself, I zone.

The day, though over too fast, was fun. Marty was already half asleep by the time dinner ended. I help Jordan get her ready for bed but let him tuck her in alone. I want them to have their private time, too. I get ready for bed myself, putting on my floor-length floral nightgown, the one he saw during the only night we’d spent together. I knew he’d appreciate the choice since we had Marty tonight. I slip under the lightweight blankets and turn on the television. I have the TV volume low and the room dark so Marty can sleep.

“She’s down for the count,” he whispers a few minutes later. He starts to close the bedroom door.

“I think you should leave it open. I have the television on very low so it doesn’t wake her.”

“Leave the door open? Why on Earth would we do that?”

“Think about it from Marty’s perspective. If she wakes up, she’ll see a shut door. Since she barely knows me, she may think I want her shut off from you. That won’t exactly endear her to me.”

“That’s still better than having her just walk in. Considering what I have in mind for us tonight, I’m pretty sure a child psychologist would not want her to witness it.”

“The easy solution would be leaving the door open and having no adult activity.”

“Easy for who?”

I raise my right eyebrow at him. He grumbles but opens the door as wide as it can go. We get into bed, and he puts his arm around me as we watch TV. I figure he needs a consolation prize, so I don’t object to whatever sports show he’s watching.

Dozing off . . .

Oh, I’m being shaken. My eyes spring open, trying to figure out where I am, and what’s going on. “Marty? What’s wrong?”

“I had a bad dream.”

“What happened?” Jordan asks sleepily. The clock on the nightstand behind him flashes 11:30 p.m.

“She had a bad dream, Jordan. I’ll tuck her back in.” I get her back into bed and pull the bedding over her.

“Sorry,” she says in a shaky voice.

“Don’t be, honey, I’m happy to help. Is the bad dream going to come back, do you think?”

“I don’t think so. I can’t remember what it was.”

“Then I’m sure it won’t.”

I stay with her for a few minutes until she goes back to sleep. Then I go back to the bedroom.

“I don’t mean this offensively, Sue, because you were wonderful with her just now. You’re always wonderful with her, actually. I can tell she really likes you. But I’m surprised she went to you, and not me, for her nightmare.”

“Maybe she wanted to feel she could go to me, that I’m receptive to her because I have an open-door policy. You should try it with your new associate.”

“When you were my associate, I hated it when you had a really good point. Especially one I hadn’t thought of. I still hate it.”

I just smile. “Goodnight, handsome.” I drift back to sleep.

CHAPTER 26

It’s time to bring Marty to her mother. I get up at what I think is an early hour to help get her ready and packed up, but it isn’t early enough. I’m alone in bed. I notice the bedroom door has been closed. Through the door, I hear crunching sounds of what I guess is Marty eating cereal.

Jordan’s voice drifts through. “I had so much fun with you, Marty. I’m glad we got the chance to do this.”

“It was fun, Daddy. Do I have to leave today?”

“You’re still on vacation. Only you’ll be with your mom and grandparents. They’ll do fun things with you.”

“Can’t I go to them tomorrow? Sue won’t mind if I stay here. She likes me, I can tell.”

“Of course Sue likes you. She would love for you to stay. But you have to see your grandparents, too. They’re expecting you this morning.” A pause in their conversation follows. After a minute, Jordan’s voice drifts through again. “Stop looking so sad. You’re a popular kid, Marty. We all want time with you. You’ve got to make time to see everybody.”

I get up to take care of some basic bathroom issues, rake a brush through my hair, slip on a robe, and walk into the living room.

“Well, hello there.” Jordan greets me with a smile. “You slept a long time.”

“Hi, Sue,” Marty chimes in.

“Hello everybody, good morning. Can I help with anything?”

“Nope. Marty’s already fed, dressed, and packed up.”

“I’m going to see my mom,” Marty adds. “My grandma and grandpa, too.”

“I know,” I say. “When are you leaving?”

“In a few minutes. Hurry up and get ready. The rental car is already waiting for us downstairs.”

“You guys should be alone so you can have some private time together.”

Marty pipes up, “You can come, Sue.”

“No, honey,” I answer. “I know you love car rides with your dad. You two should enjoy this time together. Call me on my cell phone, Jordan, when you’re back. I’ll be on a lounge chair by the main pool.”

“I probably won’t be back until around mid-day.”

“Take your time. Marty, I loved spending time with you, and I’d like very much to see you again.”

I walk over to give her a hug, which she returns. Jordan stands up to give me a quick kiss on my cheek. “Um, thanks,” I mumble, hurrying into the bedroom before they can see me blush a color as pink as Marty’s nightgown.

Jordan’s voice wakes me. I have no idea what time it is. Through a hazy fog, I slowly realize my sweaty skin has melded to the lounge chair’s plastic bands. Yeesh. So gross.

“Asleep again?” he teases me.

“I guess so.” I blink hard a few times, hoping it will kick-start my brain. Gazing up at the sky, I try to gauge the time. Three o’clock in the afternoon, maybe? I’ve been on the lounge chair a long time. No wonder I feel super-glued to it. “The warm air must have knocked me out.” I shake my head, hoping again to shake off the sleepiness. “How was the drop-off?”

“Not great, though Marty doesn’t know it. Her grandparents were quick to take her outside when it became clear Danielle was going to yell at me.”

Suddenly, I’m wide-awake. “Because of me?” I squeak.

“Danielle already knew you were going to spend yesterday with Marty. I told her last week because I didn’t want Marty surprising her with the information today. I wasn’t hot to have Marty subjected to an interrogation. But I wasn’t planning on telling Danielle you stayed overnight with us. But Marty told Danielle almost immediately she had a terrific time during her sleep over. Danielle was less than pleased. Not that I was the first to have an overnight guest. But Danielle argued it was okay when she did it because Marty was much younger at the time.”

“What did you answer her? If you want to talk about it?”

“I told her she still wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing. Her high horse was convenient because it was a matter of her dating dry spell and not her concern for Marty’s age.”

“How did that go over?”

“Who cares? My job was to drop Marty off, not stroke my ex-wife. Want to go for a swim?”

Hearing all this, I’ve been slow to realize he’s shirtless and in swim trunks. He looks good, quite good. His skin is bronze from the few days he’s been down here. The deep color shows off his chiseled chest. All of his weight lifting at the gym does pay off, not that I’m ever going to tell him that. I stand up to walk to the pool with him.

“I see Barbie wasn’t the only one to get a new bikini,” he says, looking at me. “Yours looks a little too good on you. I’m glad you fell asleep, it kept you from being hit on. From others, anyway. But I don’t want to give away tonight’s agenda.”

I look down at my white bikini. I really don’t look too bad in it. Not as good as him, in comparison, but not bad. Diving into the pool after him, I feel the cool water surround me, refreshing my hot, sweaty skin.

The rest of the day has passed quickly. We left the pool at sunset, took turns getting showered and changed, then went to one of the hotel’s restaurants for dinner. The ease of his demeanor compared to his in-office personality is striking. When I mention this to him, he says I shouldn’t get too excited. This level of Zen, he explains, requires more than free time. It requires an all-out vacation.

We walk around the hotel’s grounds. The wind blows hard. The warm air is a swirling embrace. We wind up by the pool area again. Earlier today it was teeming with people. It’s now deserted. Crickets chirp and frogs croak musically in the background. The calm pool water reflects the black sky.

“Sue, there is something I want to say to you.”

“Oh.” My eyebrows knit together. “Is it bad?”

“No. At least I don’t think so.” He’s laughing.

Well, if he’s laughing, how bad can it be? Whispering sexily, I murmur, “Then I want to say something to you, too. I’ll go first. Kiss me.”

I feel the crush of his soft lips. A volt of electricity surges through me. The current grows hotter as I push my body against his. My breath quickens. My blood heats up.

His mouth is on my neck. The sound of his breathing is heavier now. Jagged, almost. Mmmmm.

“What did you say?” he asks suddenly, interrupting my bliss.

I look at him and can feel myself blush. My embarrassment is annoying. After all, I have nothing to hide. I take a deep breath. “I think I said, Mmmmm.”

His eyes open wide. Without another word he grabs my hand, and we make our way back to the room.

“I’ll just be a minute,” I call out, closing the bathroom door behind me.

“I’d say take your time, but that would be fake politeness. I’d really appreciate it if you could hurry.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

I make myself a mental checklist. Brushed my teeth—check. Brushed out my hair—check. I’m about to change into one of my new nightgowns. Actually, it isn’t much of a nightgown. It’s more of a low-cut baby doll sheath in red. Not a negligee, but certainly not demure, and sure to get me the results I want. Hmmmm. What else do women do before these situations? Probably use the bathroom first. I don’t want to have to stop him in the middle of doing something wonderful because I have to pee.

I look down. “Damn it!”

“What?” he calls out.

“Son of a b—”

“Are you okay in there?”

“Fine. Damn it.”

“What’s with all the language? If you want to play sailors and wenches, you only need to ask.” He’s laughing pretty hard at his stupid joke. Hilarious. Not. I wrap a towel around me and walk out, too angry to worry about my appearance. Or the fact he’s laughing at me. Reaching into my suitcase, I take out the little bag I’d left in there.

Immediately he stops laughing. “What are you getting?”

“Nothing. I need a minute.” I lock myself back in the bathroom, glad to have left yesterday’s nightgown still in there. With the floral nightgown back on, I open the door.

“Never mind telling me,” he says, laughing again. “Between the cursing, the little bag, and the reemergence of your full-length nightgown, I’ve figured it out.”

I scowl.

“You may have cursed,” he says, “but it seems I am cursed.”

“Sorry about this timing,” I mutter. “It had to happen during our vacation.” If I sound bitter, well, hey, I am. I sit down on the bed next to him, horrified to find myself getting weepy.

“My God, don’t cry, It’s no big deal. We have a world of time to be together.”

“My emotions get worse this time of the month. If I’m already sad to begin with . . .” A hard wipe at my tears with the back of my hand is futile.

“Please don’t be sad. I’m not. I’m frustrated like you can’t believe, but I’m not sad.”

“Do you want me to sleep in the other bed?”

“Your period transforms you into a leper?”

“I thought you might find it—unpleasant—to share a bed with me now.”

“I was married for five years. None of my problems with Danielle involved her menstrual cycle. Stop acting crazy and get into bed. This bed.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. Not for something like this. Every day I spend with you is a gift. I’ll take you any way I can.”

I put my hands on his face and kiss his lips. He kisses me back, surprising me by his intensity. Heat flashes through me. But I control myself and gently push him away. “I don’t think I can handle having my first time during my . . . under these, uh, conditions.”

“Sports okay with you?” he asks, turning on the television. I watch him as he tries to slow his breathing back down and focus on whatever game is on.