Perfect Match (12 page)

The hinges squeaked and popped as he opened the door. He
folded his tall frame into the front bucket seat, knees bumping the dash. He
looked around the tired interior of the car, as if searching for an escape
hatch. “I…I don’t understand why you’re driving this junker.”

“This junker happens to be my car.”

 “But…but you’re a CEO?”

Madison got the car started on the third try, backed up, and
put the stick shift into first gear, and hit the accelerator. “Put your seat
belt on.”

Hollis laughed. “What for? I wouldn’t be any safer in this
bucket of bolts if I had ten seat belts on.”

Madison slammed on the brakes, just as he clicked his seat
belt. He lurched forward, but the seat belt didn’t restrain him. His head
brushed the dangling sun visor. “Christ almighty, woman!”

She glared at him. “One more wise crack about the car and
you walk. Got that?”

Hollis chuckled. “Okay, sorry. Not nice of me.” Madison’s
legs and feet had been busy with the clutch, brake, and gas pedal. Her skirt
had ridden half way up her thighs. Hollis ogled them thinking there’ll be some
rough sex tonight. I’m liking this feisty little bitch better and better. D.R.
didn’t know what he’d missed out on. He twitched in his groin.

The tires squealed as Madison pulled from the parking garage
and headed across town, trying to avoid some of the more congested
intersections. As they went up and down the hilly streets of Asheville, Madison
shifted the gears like a NASCAR pro. Hollis thought, I hope she shifts positions
in bed this smoothly. He was anxious to be done with dinner and— He interrupted
his fantasizing. “What was that errand you mentioned that we had to run?”

“My daughter. I need to stop by to see her before we go to
dinner.”

He grimaced. “I didn’t know you had children. How many?” He
dreaded the answer.

“One very special daughter.”

Hollis grunted and stared at women with shapely behinds,
hurrying along the sidewalks, streaming from their places of work. “How about
some air; the car’s stuffy.”

“The AC never has worked. You want air, roll the window
down.” She gave him a sideways smile.

He thought, when I go down on you tonight, I won’t come up
for air for a lo-o-n-n-g time. He grinned at her, staring.

She ignored him.

Madison made a turn into the parking lot, getting Hollis’s
immediate attention. “Why…why are we stopping at the hospital?”

“To visit my daughter.” Madison whipped into a parking spot.
“Would you like to come in to meet her?”

“Uh…I’d better not. Hospitals stink, freaks me out. Never
been in one; don’t plan on it. He looked across the parking lot. “I’ll wait up
there around those benches.” He fumbled opening the groaning door.

“Suit yourself. I’ll be back in a little.” Madison pulled
her pocket book and business portfolio from the back seat, and headed down the
sidewalk toward the entrance. Janice was right. Bad idea to think I could
cultivate that critical, self-centered creep. And he leers. He’s probably
staring at my ass, as I walk.

And he was.

Selena heard her mom’s heels clicking as she came down the
fourth floor hall, and walked into her room and to her bedside.

Her arms were open. “Mom, I’m so glad to see you. I’ve
missed you all week.”

Madison surrounded her with a warm hug that lasted with
intensity. When she pulled back, she smiled and said, “I’ve missed you too,
sweetheart. How’re you feeling?”

Both their eyes were misting as they blinked back years of
emotions.

“I’m fine. I’ve had some good days.”

Madison nodded, but noticed her daughter’s color wasn’t that
healthy, and she knew that meant another treatment would be needed soon. She
gave thanks that she had a better job. If I can just keep it, she thought. She
pulled a chair closer to the bed, and squeezed her daughter’s left hand. The
spiral notebook and pen rested on Selena’s lap. “How’s the writing going?”

“Oh, great!” Selena’s eyes widened. “I’ve written quite a
bit this week.”

Madison beamed. “Tell me where the story is.”

“Now Mom, you know the rules; I’ll decide when you can read
what I’ve written. I want to add a few more scenes first.”

“You know you’re keeping me in suspense, when you make me
wait.”

The nurse breezed into the room, gave a greeting, and began
tinkering with the bedside monitor, afterwards making her routine notations.
Madison and Selena continued their back and forth chatting and laughing. The
nurse left them and they were alone again.

“Mom, are you happy?”

Surprised, Madison said, “Where did that question come
from?” She paused thoughtfully. “I’m happy when I think of you, my wonderful
daughter.”

Selena cut her mom a sobering look. “You know what I mean.
You’re avoiding my question. I hate it when you do that. When are you going to
find yourself a boyfriend? There, I’ve said it. Now answer the question.”

Madison gave her low laugh. “I didn’t know I was going to be
interrogated this evening.” She paused to form a real answer. “I’ve really been
busy with the changes in my work, but I’m sure I’ll get around to the boyfriend
thing in plenty of time. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted. You’ll be the first
to know.” Madison felt relieved that Hollis had stayed outside; he isn’t fit to
meet my innocent daughter, she thought.

Selena pondered her mom’s answer. “Describe the boyfriend
you’re looking for.”

She took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, watching
Selena’s eyes. “You really want to know, don’t you?”

Selena nodded.

“Well, you know number one, he must be tall, dark, and
handsome. A full head of hair, well defined facial features, a smile that will
melt my heart, fun-loving, understanding, loyal, forgiving, compassionate, rich,
smart, oh, and did I mention perfect?”

They both laughed.

“Oh, honey, I would like to meet a good man, but the number
one requirement is…he must love my daughter, equally, otherwise he needn’t even
apply.”

They watched each other’s eyes misting, while memories from
their past bonded the moment.

Selena inhaled deeply, and then released the breath softly,
saying, “Mom, I know that will happen one day…for you. I love thinking about
that for you.”

“Now, wait a minute, we’re in this together. This is for
both of us, remember?”

“I know mom…well…” Her voice cracked and drifted to another
place.

Madison sat on the edge of her daughter’s bed holding her
with all of her love. Selena rested her face against her mom’s neck, as she
said, “Your love keeps me going, Mom. I couldn’t make it without you.” Her chin
quivered against her mom’s soft skin. She inhaled her fresh warmth, and felt
safe again.

Madison squelched a sob of her own. “Selena, you are my
strength. I need you to be strong for me as well. Will you do that for me?” She
felt Selena nod her head.

Both women held each other, mother and daughter, knowing
they would school their emotions, and step forward in faith hoping for another
sunrise. Selena, seventeen, mature in every way, far beyond any sunset.
Madison, thirty-four, young enough and tough enough to shoulder whatever lay
between one sunrise and the next.

After Madison left Selena, she walked down the hall, bracing
herself for the rest of the evening, thinking she’d rather spend the time with
Selena. The patient in room 405 listened to the clicking of her heels,
searching the cadence and the intensity. Searching. He couldn’t see, since his
door was almost closed. Searching the sounds as they faded down the long hall.

“What took so damn long?” Hollis puffed his cheeks, still
sitting on the bench.

Madison kept her cool, pointing at the sign beyond the
parking lot. “You could’ve caught the bus.”

Once in the car, he said, “How far is the restaurant?” Still
ticked because he’d been kept waiting while she visited her sick brat.

“Ten minutes. You need a toy to play with to keep you happy
‘til we get there?”

Yeah, he thought, your tits will keep me happy. “No, I’m
fine, just a little edgy.”

“I would’ve never figured.” Madison stared ahead at the
traffic.

He opened his mouth to respond. Shut his mouth. I’d better
calm down before I ruin getting a piece of ass tonight.

The restaurant was busy with spring tourists, but the
service was efficient, and the food delicious. Madison realized she needed to
relax, have some fun, enjoy the company of another person, but underneath she
had feelings of guilt thinking of her daughter not being able to enjoy an
outing like this…any more.

She had battled those feelings of whether she should enjoy
life, while Selena tried to hold on to life. She hadn’t won the battle.

“Ready ma’am?” The waiter stood attentive.

“Yes, I’ll have the special of the day. Baked salmon with
everything that comes with it, as is.”

“Good choice.” He turned to Hollis. “And you sir?”

“Um…New York Strip, extremely rare, baked potato loaded,
salad with three, mind you, three scoops of garlic dressing, and add to that
two servings of garlic toast.”

Madison’s stomach roiled.

“Have you decided on the wine?”

Madison said, “I’ll have water with the meal, wine after.”

Hollis looked puzzled. “I’ll have wine before, with, and
after.” He chuckled.

“Right away.” The waiter rushed off.

Hollis smirked. “Is that how hillbillies take their wine?”

“Don’t know, but that’s how I enjoy wine.”

He rolled his eyes.

For Madison the meal moved in slow motion, boring as a white
wall. But she was discovering how shallow Hollis was. She let him guide the
conversation, and it bounced around on frivolous topics from Hollis’s new
sports car, to Hollis’s sighting of Lindsay Lohan, to Hollis’s new whatever, ad
nausea. No wonder the L.A. office operation was failing. He’s a dunce.

Before the waiter cleared her plate, she touched her finger
to the greasy side of her knife. As the waiter poured her wine and refreshed
Hollis’s, she observed carefully the positions of the glasses, the light
passing through the wine, and the markings on the glasses. She gave Hollis a
slight smile, as her finger touched her wine glass in two places.

She broke her eye contact with him. “I need to go to the
powder room. Be right back.”

Hollis nodded. Good. Time for Hollis to get the evening
started. His right hand snaked into his right coat pocket, fingering one of
several small capsules in a plastic bag, as he looked around at the guests
seated nearby. My sleight of hand is so polished; I should’ve been a magician.
He chuckled silently.

He bumped a small capsule on the table, settling the
contents, and then deftly pulled it apart. His hand was moving smoothly toward
Madison’s glass, when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. He jerked, spilling
some of the powder in the wine and on the table cloth, saying, “Son of a bitch,
what the hell—”

The man behind him said, “Sorry, sir. May I borrow your
salt?”

Rattled, Hollis snapped, “Yes, damn it, here, happy heart
attack—”

“I said ‘sorry’, asshole.”

Hollis calmed himself, trying to control the situation.
“Hey, don’t worry, it’s okay. My cat died this morning. I’m a little jumpy.”

The man took the salt shaker and gave Hollis a hard look.

Hollis moved Madison’s wine glass about an inch, quickly
scrubbing at the spilled powder, smearing it on the red table cloth. Obvious as
hell. He took a spoon full of sugar and sprinkled over the white powdered spot.
That’ll do it. She’ll never notice, especially after a few swallows of her
wine. He quickly dumped the remaining powder in her glass, after checking to
see that surrounding guests were focused on their own tables. He sat back,
dropping the empty capsule into his coat pocket.

Madison returned to the table smiling. As she sat, she
busied herself with her pocket book while observing carefully the wine glasses.
It had been moved, and the white smears on the table cloth were obvious. She
sipped her water, smiling pleasantly. “What a nice meal.”

The waiter appeared, re-filling their water glasses. “Will there
be anything else? Dessert, more wine?”

Madison shook her head.

“I’ll get your check.” Off he went.

“Aren’t you going to finish your wine, Madison?” Said like a
parent scolding a child for not eating all the green peas on her plate.

“I was, but I just remembered that I’m driving. You be the
designated drinker tonight.”

“Well, this evening sure went downhill.” His mouth
tightened.

The waiter appeared. “Your check, sir.”

Hollis shook his head. “Give it to her; she’s paying.”

Madison shook her head. “No, you will pick up the tab. You
invited me to dinner, remember?”

“This is a business meal, for chrissakes.”

“You haven’t discussed any business, since we left the
office. This is a social meal. You put it on your personal credit card, not
business. Got it?”

The waiter’s head had played ping pong with their
conversation.

Hollis fumed inside but he knew this was foreplay for the
rough sex to come tonight. He chuckled silently, as he pulled his personal
credit card out.

Madison called the waiter back. “Add a bottle of your most
expensive Biltmore Estate sparkling wine to the bill. We’ll take that with us.”
She looked at Hollis. “For tonight.”

He flashed a big smile, “Good to see the evening isn’t
totally lost.”

“Far from it,” she said.

The clock was pushing 8 p.m. when Madison wheeled her
Cavalier through the entrance to the Sun Glow Apartment Complex, a sprawling
collection of weathered two-story, two-bedroom apartments, a one-size floor
plan fits-all.

Hollis craned his neck, as he gazed at the poorly lit narrow
streets, and older cars lining the tight parking spaces. “Why…why are we
driving in here? Another errand?”