Where Dreams Begin (17 page)

“I came here with my parents when I was a little girl. I loved the food, but tossing dimes to the organ grinder’s monkey and dropping pennies into the wishing well were what really made the evening fun for me.”

“We used to come here too. So much is new now, but I think you’ll like this place.” He grabbed for the dragon door handle and ushered her inside. Dimly lit, the elegantly appointed restaurant was scented with sandalwood incense and boughs of fragrant jasmine.

“Everything smells delicious. If the food tastes half as good, I may not want to leave.”

As they approached the hostess, Luke slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Don’t worry, I’ll offer an irresistible incentive to return home.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” she responded softly.

He gave his name, and they were shown to a red leather booth in a secluded corner. Catherine slid in first, and Luke followed. He reached under the table and laced his fingers in hers. “This is the most romantic restaurant I know. I hope you’ll like the food.”

“I’m sure I will.” She left her hand in his as she perused the menu with an eager gaze. “I love wonton soup, and walnut shrimp, beef and broccoli, spareribs, and oh, I’ll bet their green beans are perfectly crisp and delicious.”

Luke closed his menu. “Why don’t we just order one of everything?”

“That would be way too much food,” she cautioned. She loved seeing him in a lighthearted mood and decided right then to do her best not to mention Lost Angel all evening.

“Then we’ll just take home the leftovers in those cute little cartons,” Luke promised, “and you’ll have enough food for a week. Although you don’t look as though you eat more than a few spoonfuls a day.”

“I’m blessed with a fast metabolism, but even with that advantage, I haven’t really been hungry in a long while.”

“Well, you certainly sound hungry tonight, but be sure to save room for your fortune cookie.”

Catherine responded with a knowing smile, but he was all she wanted for dessert. “Thank you for bringing me to such a special place.” Their waiter arrived before Luke could respond, and he ordered all her favorites plus spring rolls and fried rice.

She poured their tea from the warm ceramic pot into the matching cups. She raised hers in an affectionate toast. “To good evenings with good friends.”

Luke took a small sip, then set his cup aside. “I hope I’m more than a good friend.”

“You’re on your way, but I’m trying not to be presumptuous again. Besides, I believe lovers should also be friends. Are you worried that we’re not?”

He looked away for a moment. “Let’s not worry about anything tonight.”

“That sounds ominous. Do you recommend taking life one night at a time?” Catherine feared she knew where his thoughts were leading and held her breath.

“No, but it’s a practical approach,” Luke insisted. “It’s an effective way to beat an addiction, and it might not be such a bad way to look at life in general.”

She saw their waiter coming toward them with their soup balanced on his tray and hurried to respond before they were interrupted. “I happen to believe the whole point of life is growth, and that requires an openness to the future beyond what a single day, or night, might bring.”

Luke sat back while their waiter placed steaming bowls of wonton soup in front of them. “There’s a great deal to be said for living in the moment, especially when confronted with something as delicious as this.”

Disappointed he was again sidestepping an important issue, she released his hand to pick up her spoon. “I can’t wait for the fortune cookies,” she exclaimed, but while she could understand his desire to avoid contemplating the future, it didn’t make it any easier for her.

Love was widely believed to conquer all, but it had not been enough to preserve Luke’s family, and Catherine preferred silence to a debate on the subject. Either a person was open to love or he wasn’t, and in her view, it was plain were Luke stood. He was an extremely attractive man, even with his emotional scars, but she wasn’t so foolish as to believe she could ever change him. He would have to want to change on his own.

The wonton pillows were stuffed with shrimp, and Catherine savored every bite. “I can’t even remember the last time I was hungry, but then I eat so many meals alone, that one blurs into the next. I used to plan our meals for the week, but now, more often than not, I just open a can of soup.”

“You need to take better care of yourself,” Luke scolded gently.

“If one lives in the moment, there’s no reason to worry about health. After all, I’m perfectly fine tonight, and that’s all that really matters.”

He sipped the last drop of his soup and set his spoon aside. “You’ve made a good point, if we don’t look after our health today, we may have no marvelous moments to enjoy tomorrow.”

She nodded thoughtfully, and having scored a point for her side, she wisely smiled and waited silently for the rest of their meal to be served. When their waiter placed all the delicious dishes on their table, she blotted her mouth with her napkin rather than drool.

“I don’t know where to begin,” she murmured.

“What about alphabetical order?” Luke teased. “We could begin with the beans and work our way across the plates to the walnut shrimp.”

“A logical plan, but I love the walnut shrimp and don’t want to postpone it another minute.”

“Then you’ve answered your own question. I’ll begin with the spareribs.”

The walnut shrimp was so incredibly good, she took two servings before moving on to the bright green string beans. She picked up one in her fingers and bit off the tip. “Crisp perfection, just as I predicted.”

Luke waited until she’d finished that bean, and then before she could wipe her hand on her napkin, he licked off her fingers. “I don’t know. These spareribs are awfully good, but you taste even better.”

Catherine leaned over to kiss him. “I wonder if they have apartments available for rent upstairs.”

“They might. Are you thinking of moving in and ordering take-out every night?”

“Well, it would certainly beat a can of soup.”

“Maybe it’s the company,” he replied.

They teased each other throughout the meal, licked each other’s fingers, and sat for a long time just sipping tea rather than open their fortune cookies. Finally Luke broke his with a loud snap. He read his fortune but refused to share it until Catherine had read hers.

She broke open her cookie and then smiled. “Your fondest hopes will soon be realized.”

Luke tossed her his. “That’s inspiring. Mine claims recognition comes through hard work.”

“What?” Catherine read it for herself. “That’s almost snotty.”

“Yeah, but it happens to be true. Are you ready to go? I thought we might walk around a while and soak up the atmosphere.”

“I’d like that.” She took his hand again, and in the other he carried the bag containing the cartons of leftovers neither had expected to have. They peered in shop windows and admired the ornate architecture that gave China Town its magical flair. The night was clear, and the stars sparkled brightly overhead, while an occasional firecracker popped in the distance.

“Thank you again. This really has been a perfect evening,” Catherine exclaimed. “But didn’t you promise an incentive to leave?”

“How could I have forgotten?” Luke leaned close and kissed her ear, then the smoothness of her cheek before his mouth found hers. Oblivious to the others out enjoying the evening, he kissed her until she was so unsteady, she had to cling to him for support.

As they broke apart, Luke spoke to the middle-aged couple strolling past. “Sorry, I can’t take her anywhere.”

“Me? You started it.”

“I’d swear you requested an incentive all on your own.”

“A minor point,” she conceded. “Come on, let’s find the car.”

“Yes, ma’am, whatever you say.”

Catherine stopped while she was ahead, but once they reached her house and had stowed the leftovers in the refrigerator, she had another request. “Let’s dance. Do you mind?” She walked ahead of him into the living room, opened the cabinet containing the sound system and turned on the radio.

“I haven’t danced in years,” Luke responded.

“I’m not expecting Dimitri from
Dancing with the Stars
. Just dance with me.”

He sloughed off his coat and loosened his tie. “As long as you don’t have high expectations, find something nice and slow, and I’ll do my best not to trip over my own feet or yours.”

Catherine kicked off her new pumps and slowly turned the dial. When she found a Spanish language station playing a sweet, romantic ballad, she glanced toward him. “Will this do?”

“
Sí, gracias
,” Luke replied, and he drew her into his arms. She snuggled against him, swaying in time with the music, and he sighed softly against her hair. “This is indeed the perfect LA evening—Chinese food and mariachi music.”

“Sounds like paradise to me,” Catherine cooed softly. Despite his protest, he danced as gracefully as he moved, and she was having a marvelous time.

At that song’s end, the announcer broke in with a long string of dedications but they kept right on slow dancing into the next song and the next. Catherine’s hair slipped through Luke’s fingers in a silken shower, but she was almost too pliant.

“You falling asleep on me?” he asked.

She smiled up at him. “No, I was just enjoying the moment.”

“I’m glad, but I’d like to go on upstairs before they play
La Bamba
and I make a complete fool of myself.”

“Oh, Luke, I doubt that’s even possible.”

“Let’s not take the risk.”

He’d just given her the perfect opening to discuss the real risk of the evening, but when they’d had such a good time together, to voice her fears on a condom’s effectiveness struck her as absurd. It wasn’t deceitful, she swiftly convinced herself, it was simply too soon for “what if” discussions when they might cause Luke needless pain. She also knew the best time to discuss sex was when it wasn’t the immediate option.

Her decision reached easily, she made a mental note to call her doctor first thing Monday morning and request a new prescription for birth control pills. Then any child they might conceive would have been planned by them both. Relieved to have found such a sensible solution, she laced her fingers in Luke’s, shut off the radio and turned toward the stairs.

“The cat,” she recalled suddenly. “I need to put the cat to bed.” Smoky appeared the instant she opened the back door, but he stopped there and eyed Luke suspiciously. “Do you like cats?” she inquired.

Smoky’s whiskers were twitching and Luke swore the little beast was sneering at him. “Yeah, I like them fine, but yours doesn’t appear to think much of me.”

“I once owned a marvelously affectionate tomcat who would climb into a stranger’s lap and make himself at home, but Smoky is a bit more reserved. He’ll get used to you soon enough.”

She took a can of cat food from the refrigerator and spooned out Smoky’s dinner onto a paper plate. With Smoky dancing around her feet, she carried it out onto the back porch and then closed the door to shut Smoky in for the night. She washed her hands and winked at Luke as she dried them.

“Now I’m ready for dessert,” she nearly purred, and he followed most willingly. As they moved up the stairs, she peeled off her jacket, tossed it over her shoulder, and he caught it.

She was ecstatic they’d been able to converse the whole evening without once mentioning Lost Angel. She’d hoped Luke would relax and enjoy himself, and it certainly appeared he had. She was the first one to disrobe that night, and he stopped so often to kiss her that it took him a very long time to remove the last of his clothes.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her close. “I’d forgotten how warm and soft a woman feels.”

She bit her tongue rather than ask if he were recalling a variety of women, or only Marsha’s petite figure. “As long as you remember me, I’ll be content.”

“Good, now let’s make love for hours, and then get up and eat Chinese food, and then take a bath together.”

“A bath? That sounds wonderful. Do you like bubbles?”

“Of course, gobs of them.” He tightened his hold to lift her off her feet. “Do you need a nap first?”

She licked his shoulder. He wore only a subtle trace of cologne, but it was an incredibly seductive scent. “No. Do you?”

Luke answered with a playful growl and pulled her up onto the bed. They stretched out, their arms and legs tangling as he kissed her with a passion that deepened with each hastily drawn breath. When the telephone on the nightstand rang, it was a jarring reminder of the real world, and Luke pulled back slightly.

“Do you want to answer?” he asked.

“No, you’re here, and there’s no one else I’m even remotely interested in speaking with. I’ll let the machine answer, but could it be for you?”

“No, I’m not on, on the weekends.”

“Then come back here.” She laced her fingers in his hair to lure him back into another lengthy kiss.

The answering machine gave a soft click and whir, and then Joyce began to speak in a frantic whisper. “It’s late, and there’s a strange car in your driveway. I don’t know what to do, call the police or send over a bottle of champagne.”

Highly amused, Catherine reached over to pick up the telephone. “Thank you for the Neighborhood Watch alert, but I’m fine and need neither the police nor champagne. I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night.”

Catherine hung up before Joyce could reply and ran her fingertips down Luke’s side. “It’s nice to know the neighbors are watching out for me.”

He slid over her. “Yes, but what about your reputation, Mrs. Brooks? Should you be entertaining gentlemen callers overnight?”

She spread her thighs to welcome him. “Only one gentleman,” she stressed. He began to tease her with his fingertips and lips, and she was lost in a grateful surrender.

Chapter Nine

Joyce scooted her chair closer to the patio table. “Tell me more, tell me more,” she begged, singing the tune from “Grease”.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Catherine was comfortably seated with Smoky napping in her lap. She tickled his ears, and he stretched to encourage more lavish attention. “It was a memorable evening from beginning to end.”