Affair of the Heart

I fastened my seat belt and started the car, sighing with relief to be leaving work early for once. As I drove to the first stop light my car started sputtering. It was then that I noticed the fuel gauge was on empty. I had forgotten to fill the gas tank.

Luckily, I spotted a gas station right across the street and began to pray that I would make it there. Just as I turned the steering wheel my car stalled, leaving me without power steering and brakes. I fought to keep control of the car but couldn’t. My vehicle ended up plowing into a car parked next to the gas pumps.

I began to freak out as I heard the crunching metal sound of the two cars. “Oh my God!”, I yelled. I lifted my head and saw a man approaching quickly from the other car. I tried to calmly unbuckle my seat belt but had trouble when I noticed how furious he looked. I bravely stepped out of my car, as my face grew red in embarrassment when I saw the minor damages to both vehicles. I started shaking, which I found strange at the time. Because I had been in several accidents before and didn’t experience that.

I cringed when he opened his mouth and in an accented voice said, “For heavens sake, you stupid little tart! What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you drive properly?” I stared at him in stunned silence for a few moments then said, “Excuse me? Were you speaking to me? For a moment I thought you were talking to a dog. I am a woman and will not tolerate any man talking to me like that!” My nostrils flared in defiance as I stomped my foot and returned to my car, shutting and locking the door behind me. I folded my arms across my chest and ignored the man.

I tried not to look at him but couldn’t help but glance occasionally in his direction. He was talking rapidly to someone on his cellular phone. The police, I presumed. It was then that I noticed his features. I guessed he was in his mid-thirties. He was very well built and handsome as could be. His blue eyes and blond hair were the perfect contrast to his face. I noticed he had some European features and recalled his accent. I decided he must be Scottish and found myself glancing downward to see if he was wearing a kilt. I snickered to myself and said, “Jackie, old girl, you are such a pervert!”

I was lost in thought, or maybe lust in this case, when he startled me by tapping on the window of my car. I jumped and hesitated before rolling the glass down and inch. “What do you want, Mr... um?”, I said in a hateful tone. He replied, “It’s Stewart, Gordon Stewart to be exact, ma’am. I would like to apologize for speaking to you in such a manner earlier.”

I nodded my head and opened the car door. The wind whipped my hair, as I stood up, offering my hand to him. “Nice to meet you, Mr Stewart. I’m Jackie.”, I said. He shook my hand as his eyes traveled downward, lingering longer than necessary on my bosom. “By the way, thank you very much for fucking up my plans today. Now I am going to miss my flight back to Scotland. I was supposed to return the BMW rental car and catch a flight in one hour.”

Feeling very short fused by that time, I yanked my hand back and said, “Men! You’re all alike. Always thinking of yourselves. Did it occur to you to ask if I was okay? After all I just crashed my car!” He opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by the police car that pulled up adjacent to mine. I was grateful for the police presence because I knew that the hostility wouldn’t go any further for the moment.

After writing my home and work numbers on the police report, we were both given a copy and sent on our way. While fueling up my car, I walked over to Mr. Stewart and said, “You’ve got my phone number on the police report if you need anything else.”

Before I turned to walk away, I noticed his eyes roaming up and down my body, again. I could see the lust in them, which only made me madder. At least that’s what I thought at the time, anyway. I whipped around and stomped off toward my car, glancing back just before I sat down. Just as I had suspected, his eyes were glued to my ass!

I arrived home thirty minutes later, telling myself that I was very glad to be away from that atrocious man. I filled the bath tub with hot soothing water and bubbles. I slipped into the water, and tried to clear my mind so I could relax. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get that infernal man out of my head. I had given up on men long before that and had no use for any of them. I had been lied to and cheated on countless times.

Mr. Stewart was just the type of man that I wanted to avoid. I gave up on relaxing after a bit and decided to go to bed early. I hoped my girlfriends, Linda and Jayna, wouldn’t call that evening, nagging me to go out on the town. They were very persuasive and didn’t easily take no for an answer.

I settled into bed and tried to read. My mind kept wondering back to the sexy Scotsman so I turned off the light and closed my eyes. Within moments I had dozed off into a deep sleep. It was morning so fast that it only seemed an instant before my alarm clock began to beep. I drug myself out of bed and dressed while eating a quick breakfast. I didn’t want to be late to work. My job as an accountant at a small bank, in Greenville, South Carolina was the best job I had ever held. I didn’t want to lose it.

I got to work right on time and settled into a busy day of work. The morning went by in a flash. I didn’t take a break until lunchtime. I was just about to step out of my office when the phone rang. I answered it, “This is Ms. Ferrell speaking, accounting office, how may I help you?” The accented voice on the other end of the phone, sent chills down my spine, “Hello, this is Mr. Stewart, from yesterday. Remember me?”, He said. I sighed impatiently and snobbishly said, “Yes, what is it?”

He continued by saying, “I haven’t got a clue about how to handle this accident report. I am not used to the American system and don’t know how things likes this go over here. Will you meet me for lunch, so we can discuss this matter?” When I didn’t respond, he said, “Please, Ms. Ferrell. I will treat you with respect. I promise.”

Alarm bells went off in my head, telling me to say, Hell No! But I didn’t listen to my better judgement and agreed to go to lunch. He said, “Can you meet me at Frankie’s Restaurant in fifteen minutes?” “Yes, see you there.”, I said before quickly hanging up. What the hell, I decided. I had always wanted to try that restaurant anyway. At least I would get a free meal out of it, even if I had to put up with that annoying man for an hour or so. I didn’t really think he had any hidden motives since I was about fifteen years older than him.

Lunch went a little better than I expected it to. When I arrived at the restaurant, Mr. Stewart was standing outside waiting for me. He graciously held the door open for me, letting me go inside before him. After the hostess seated us and took our drink orders, I began to scan the menu. I pretended to be indecisive about what to order. I glanced over at the Scottish man to find him staring intently at me. I slowly lowered the menu and said, “Why are you staring at me like that Mr. Stewart?”

He said, “Please call me Gordon. No reason to be so formal in a friendly setting is there, Jackie?” I gave him a cold stare, showing no emotion on my face until he shifted uneasily in his seat. I smirked in smug satisfaction that I had made him feel uncomfortable. I knew he could see the amusement in my eyes as I toyed with him.

I waited another moment before replying, “Okay Gordon. Why are you looking at me like that?” He leaned closer to me, staring deep into my eyes and in a low voice said, “Jackie, I was just admiring your beautiful blue eyes. They remind me of the bright blue skies of the Carribean which is the most stunning color I have ever seen.”

I have to admit that statement caught me totally off guard. I felt like melting into his arms at that very moment but I stopped myself in the nick of time. “He is just using pick up lines on me. Don’t fall for that line of shit!”, I told myself. I guess he expected me to get all gushy eyed and sweeten up to him at that point because when I slid my chair back and stood up I could see momentary panic in his eyes. He thought I was leaving. I merely said, “Excuse me, I’m going to the ladies room.”

I could feel his eyes following me as I crossed the room. I made a point to exaggerate each step I took, causing my ass to sway seductively. I stayed in the restroom for fifteen minutes before returning to the table. I figured that was enough time to make him sweat. After I sat down, he said, “I hope you don’t mind but I went ahead and ordered for us.” “Depends on what you ordered.”, I replied. Turns out he ordered one of my favorite foods.

He told me all about Scotland and how beautiful it is there. I listened with great interest because I had always wanted to travel all over Europe. When I was a teenager, I used to day dream of marrying prince charming and honey mooning in some exotic location. At that moment, Scotland sounded very exotic.

Time went quickly during that lunch as we talked and laughed like old friends. Before I realized it, lunchtime had passed without the auto accident being discussed. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was almost 2 p.m. “Oh no. I’ve got to get back to work.”, I said as I grabbed my purse and stood up. He nodded his head and said, “Thank you for having lunch with me. I have enjoyed your company.” Then he gently lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it ever so lightly. Shivers ran through my body causing me to gasp. I pulled my hand away and hurried out of the restaurant.

During the drive back to the bank, I kept telling myself how stupid I was to be so afraid. Tears poured down my face to the point that I had to pull over because I couldn’t see the road. “Why am I so afraid to let a man get close to me?”, I screamed. By the time my tears dried up, my make-up had smeared all over my face. I looked in the mirror and laughed because I looked like a raccoon. Then I used my cell phone to call the bank. I told my secretary that I had gone home because I was feeling ill.

I drove home and locked myself in my bedroom the rest of the day. I lay on my bed limp as a rag doll, feeling depressed. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was going to be alone the rest of my life because I let little things like a kiss on the hand scare me to the point of panicking. I finally got out of bed around 8 p.m. when the phone rang. It was my boss calling to see if I was okay. “No, I think I have the flu.”, I lied to him. He told me to stay home the next day. I breathed a sigh of relief as I hung up the phone.

I wondered what Gordon was doing. I felt bad for rushing out of the restaurant without thanking him for lunch. I dug through my purse and pulled out the police report to see if he had written any contact information on there. He had put a local hotel number. My fingers shook as I dialed the number. I asked the desk clerk for Gordon Stewart’s room but was told that he had checked out late that afternoon.

“Damn, I’m such a fool!”, I yelled at myself after slamming the receiver down. I tried reasoning with my sub-conscious the rest of the night. “Men cause me nothing but grief. I’m better off without them.”, I kept telling myself. Then a thought popped into my head, “If they are so much trouble, why the hell am I so miserable without them?” I collapsed into bed and cried myself to sleep.

The next morning I woke up when the phone rang. “Hello.”, I mumbled. “Jackie, Are you okay?”, my friend Linda asked. “Yeah, just feeling under the weather.”, I told her. I could hear doubt in her voice when she said, “Okay hon. I hope you feel better. Call me later.” She knew me well enough to know that I was depressed over a man, again. But she also knew to give me time to chill out.

Several hours later, the phone rang again. I figured it was her calling me back. “Hello, Linda.”, I answered. Laughter sounded in my ear. It was Gordon. “Hi, I thought you left the states today.”, I said in surprise. “No, I simply changed hotels. That other one was noisy.”, he replied. “Oh.”, I said. “Can I ask you a question without upsetting you?”, He asked me cautiously. “Yes.”, I answered. “Would you join me in a late night supper at my hotel suite?” I thought about it for a few moments, wanting to yell yes in his ear. But politely declined and asked if we could do it the next night instead. I could tell he was disappointed but he agreed and told me the room number.

I decided to go to work the next morning because I was far to nervous to sit around the house all day watching the clock. The day went agonizingly slow. I didn’t think five o’clock would ever roll around. When I got out of my last meeting of the day it was almost six. I tried to hurry home but got stuck in rush hour traffic.

I began to worry that I would not have time to fix myself up before my dinner date. I giggled when I realized I was going on my first date in years. I could feel the fear inside me literally trying to crawl up my throat. I must have wiped my sweaty palms on my clothes twenty times before I got home.

The answering machine light was blinking rapidly when I stepped into my kitchen. I pushed the play button, hoping that Gordon had called. There were a couple calls from Linda and Jayna. They were worried about me. I called them back and quickly told them my plans for the night. Luckily I had three-way calling and got to tell them both at the same time. I promised to fill them in on the details the next morning.

Even though I was running late, I took the time to shave my legs while I showered. When I was finished, I slipped into my fluffy robe and began to fix my hair and make-up. Then I tried to decide what to wear. I dug through my closet three times before picking out a sexy low cut white blouse and a pair of tight black slacks. I wore my silkiest undergarments because they made me feel alluring.

After dressing, I paced nervously in front of the full length mirror. I had almost chickened out on going when the phone rang. It was Gordon, asking me if I was coming. I assured him that I would be there within thirty minutes. I didn’t have the heart to break the date. I don’t really understand what it was, but something about that man made him irresistible. It seemed that no matter how much I tried to hate him for being a man, I just couldn’t.

When I arrived at his hotel suite, he opened the door with a dozen long stem red roses in his hands. He handed them to me and said, “Good evening, my lady.” A warm heat spread through me as I fought back tears. I thought my heart was going to melt. For the first time in my life, I was speechless. He took my hand and led me into the room. I sat down on the sofa and stared in awe at the lavishly decorated suite.

I put the roses on the table when he handed me a glass of Champagne and said, “May I sit next to you?” I nodded my head, feeling a bit overwhelmed. My thoughts raced wildly as I wondered why he was being so nice to me. “Why are you being so quiet?”, He asked me after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. I smiled nervously at him and said, “Sorry, Gordon. I am just shocked that a man is treating me nice.” “I know we got off to a rocky start. But I hope you will give me a chance to treat you the way a goddess should be treated.”, He told me.

In the back of my mind, I wondered if he was trying to sweet talk me. “Stop thinking like that, Jackie.”, I said to myself. I almost dropped my glass when a knock sounded at the door. Gordon went to answer it as I tried to slow down my pulse. I didn’t know why I was so jumpy.

I turned my head and saw several carts of food being wheeled into the suite. I felt numb as I watched the hotel employees set up a feast fit for a king on the table that was near the fire place. After they left the room, Gordon dimmed the lights and turned on the stereo system. Soft music filled the room as he offered his hand to me. He walked me to the table and pulled a chair out for me. I sat down and let him scoot me closer to the table. Then he sat across from me.

I felt like drooling when I saw the foods on my plate. There was chicken and steak for the main dishes. Plus several side dishes of vegetables and fruit. My eyes followed Gordon’s hands when he picked up a strawberry, dipped it in cream and slowly lifted it to his mouth. Juice trickled down his chin when he bit into it. I’m not sure I was even aware of getting up at the time, but the next thing I knew I was standing next to him, bending down and nibbling on that strawberry.

We ended up sharing a very heated berry swirl kiss that left us both feeling breathless. I thought my legs were going to buckle as our lips parted. I slowly backed toward my chair and sat down. I noticed Gordon was also breathing raggedly. He smiled and said, “Oh my lady, that was very nice.” I trembled slightly as he looked at me with his mesmerizing eyes. He reached across the table and gently lifted up my hand, kissing it with the utmost tenderness.

Sexual fire surged up my arm and throughout my body. I gasped as my desire to be devoured by his soft lips, began to grow. Wanting to keep control of the situation, I pulled my hand back and said, “May I have some ice water, please?” He nodded his head and got up to get it. “Oh my God! I’m so hot that I’m going to spontaneously combust.”, I thought. When he handed me the water, I drank it straight down with the hopes that it would put out the fire inside me.

I tried to distract myself from lusting after Gordon by eating. He followed my lead and started on his dinner. Every time I glanced up, I found him staring at me. I put my fork down and stared back. He said, “Sorry, If I am making you uncomfortable. I am just trying to burn the memory of your beauty into my mind before I return home tomorrow.”

I frowned and said, “You’re going back to Scotland?” He nodded his head and said, “Yes. Business duties call me home.” Disappointment filled my senses. He must have sensed this because he said, “Not to worry. This won’t be my last business trip to the states." His eyes twinkled mischievously when he said that.

After eating, we sat on the couch talking for hours. I felt so comfortable with him that I practically told him my life story. He shared many things about his life with me too. Before either one of us realized it the sun was coming up. When I saw the light coming through the curtains, I walked over to the window and peeked out. I saw a balcony outside and said, “Do you want to watch the sunrise?” Gordon smiled and walked over the french doors and opened them. I stepped outside with him right behind me.

I could feel his breath on my neck as he leaned close and said, “I wish I could watch the sun rise every morning with you.” I unconsciously pressed back against him, allowing him to wrap his arms around my waist. The feel of his strong arms holding me like that was wonderful. We watched the sun for at least ten minutes, before I began to shiver from the cool morning air. “Come inside and get warm.”, He whispered into my ear.

He led me back to the couch and covered me with a small afghan. Then he made some coffee and began to gather up his belongings. “What time is your flight?”, I asked. He glanced at his watch and said, “I have to be at the airport in three hours.” I nodded my head and said, “Can I drive you to the airport?” “Yes, that would be great.”, He answered.

I sat on the couch, drinking my coffee and watching him over the next hour. My rambling thoughts confused me very much. I usually had no interest in being involved with any man but I wanted Gordon to stay and be with me so bad that it hurt to think of him leaving. I wished I could ask him not to go. I even opened my mouth to say it a couple times but couldn’t find the words.