This is a story inspired by our friend and a fantasy that grew out of our friendship. Real life hugs to the real life Angela and love to my wife Jodie for supporting me in my writing madness.
Oh - and love to all my lovely readers who have been asking me to write again. I've been kind of busy getting married and all.
Anna
xxxxxxx
Monday
I had just had a pleasant dinner in the hotel restaurant and decided I should head to the bar and maybe work on some edits to my latest book.
I was in London for a writer's convention and, once again, had the evening to myself. Mostly, it has to be said, by choice. After a long day of workshops and seminars I was glad to be in a different hotel than most of the other delegates. It gave me more time to relax.
I'd dressed in my favourite grey silk wraparound, just above the knee as is my preference, with matching grey heels and silver hoop earrings. I had my red handbag, with matching lipstick and nails, the grey and the red is a contrast of colours that I always love. My long, wavy, red hair was loose. Unusually for me I had also dabbed a little of my favourite Givenchy behind my ears. My laptop was under my arm.
I walked into the bar and headed for the long, curved oak bar. There were only a handful of customers sitting around which, given the day of the week, was hardly surprising. That's when I saw her, sitting on one of the bar stools, reading on a Kindle, a tumbler half full with some dark drink in front of her. She was wearing black jeans, a dark silk top and white sneakers with no socks. Her beautiful brown skin and thick, straight black hair, tied back in a long ponytail, made me immediately name her my 'African Angel'.
She'd broken from reading for a moment and looked up and directly at me. I was only a few feet away, approaching the bar. She had beautiful, big brown eyes that made me shudder. I'd obviously been staring a little too long because she smiled quizzically and then stared uncomfortably down and back at her book.
I cleared my throat, "Um..."
She looked back up with a slightly quizzical expression. "Do you mind if I sit here?" I said, indicating the bar stool next to her.
She smiled, her beautiful face lighting up and said, in a slightly accented voice, "Please. Be my guest."
I sat down, hooked my handbag on the back of the chair and placed my laptop on the bar in front of me. A twenty something barmaid with shoulder length blond hair, who's name badge identified her as Kendra, asked me what I'd like.
"A large Chardonnay if you have it please, Kendra?" I said, and she duly went to the back of the bar, reaching into one of the many glass refrigerators, retrieving a bottle and pouring me a glass.
She placed it on a bar mat in front of me and I showed my room key, "Can you charge it to my room, please? Room twenty sixteen. Name of Gilbert."
She smiled, "Of course. I'll start you a tab."
I thanked her, opened my laptop and took a sip of my wine while it started up. I was somehow intensely aware of my African Angel next to me and I thought to myself,
'Get a grip Anna, What is wrong with you?'
I was interrupted by the beautiful tones of the Angel's voice, "Cheers," she said, and I looked at her. She was raising her glass.
I smiled back and raised mine to her. Our eyes seemed to connect as we sipped our drinks.
As we placed them back on the bar she held out a hand, "Hi. I'm Angela," she said.
Of course she was. My Angel had to be called Angela.
I took her hand in mine and gloried in the warm softness of her skin on mine.
"And I'm Anna," I said, "nice to meet you Angela."
She smiled, "Likewise."
She looked at my laptop, "I can see you want to do some work. I'll leave you alone."
There was no way I wanted to stop our conversation so I just shrugged, "Oh. Nothing important. Just doing some editing."
"Editing someone else's work, or your own?"
I smiled and could feel the slight blush in my cheeks as I said, "My own. I'm a writer."
She raised a quizzical eyebrow, a look that I was slowly coming to adore. "Oh? A writer? What sort, fact or fiction?"
I wasn't sure how much I should reveal about the sorts of writing I usually published but simply answered, "Fiction. I don't know enough facts to write about."
She laughed, "What sort of stories do you write? Are you published?"
I skirted the first question, "Yes. I'm published."
"Would I have heard of you?"
We were getting into areas that I might find uncomfortable, or at least she might and I didn't want her to feel that way.
"Possibly, but unlikely. My books sell well but don't quite make the New York Times best seller list."
She cocked her head to one side, "So, mysterious Anna, would I enjoy your stories?"
I swallowed. "That all depends, Angela. What sort of stories do you like?"
"I like a
wide
range of stories," she replied, "I like adventure, romance, science fiction sometimes. All sorts."
Her voice, with its slight husky quality and African tainted accent, was mesmerising and having distinct effects on certain parts of my body. My nipples were hardening under my dress and I felt a distinct, familiar and welcome warmth and tingle between my legs.
"Well then, I suppose you would call my stories romantic."
"I'd love to read one. It would be so exciting to know I'd met and talked to the author of a book that I'd read."
I smiled and tried to change the subject, and also perhaps find out if my books would be something she'd enjoy. I hoped so, but there was something so clearly straight about Angela that I doubted it.
"So, is there a Mr. Angela?" I asked.
She laughed back, "You are trying to avoid answering my questions aren't you Mysterious Anna? Okay. I understand. So no, There is no Mr. Angela. I have not been blessed with such a gift in my life yet. Is there a Mr. Anna anywhere?"
I saw how closely she was watching me.