The next morning, Victoria was awakened by a knock on her hotel door. She reached over and looked at the clock sitting beside the bed on the night table - 7:30 am. Wondering who it could be at this hour, she reached for her silk wrap and shuffled for her slippers. Not finding them, she took one last look under the bed and hurried to the door barefoot as another impatient knock resounded through the sitting room. Hastily brushing her hair out of her eyes, she crossed over to the door. “Who is it?” she called, looking out of the peephole. Victoria was surprised to see Colin’s impish grin looking back at her.
“Guess?” came the call. A sudden rush of nervousness and giddiness swept over her like a wave of cold water. She suddenly realized she could not possibly let him see her this way but he must have read her mind, for he called out, “Don’t worry about how you look. I’m interested to see how you look after a night in bed!” Knowing she didn’t look half bad without make-up or her hair fixed, Victoria smiled at his words. She still wanted to make a good impression on him at all times.
“Just a minute,” she called. Quickly assessing her situation, she untied her robe, exposing her short matching nightie that was under it. She quickly combed through her hair with her right hand as her left reached out to unlock the door. Her tongue reached out to wet her now dry lips as the door swung open. “Hi!”
His eyes told of his appreciation even though he joked, “What? You’re not ready to conquer the world at this late hour? The day is already half gone!” Victoria reached around to tie her robe, faking her timidity. “I liked it better the other way,” he said as he followed her into the sitting room. “Have you eaten breakfast yet?”
Victoria peered over her shoulder at him as she went over to the coffee maker. “I just woke up, as you very well know!” Coffee, she had to have some and luckily this suite had a coffee maker all set up. As she made a fresh pot, Colin called down for room service.
“I’ll get us something to eat,” he said, waiting for room service to pick up. Eyeing her, he added, “You have to get a move on.”
“What for?” she asked, turning to face him.
“You’ll see soon enough, but dress casual.” He was full of surprises, another thing she loved about him.
Victoria grabbed a cup of coffee and went into the bath to do as he asked. By the time breakfast came, she was dressed comfortably but appealing at the same time. “It’s amazing at how quickly you can transform yourself.”
“Why? Did I look that bad to begin with?” she asked, giving him the best evil look she could muster.
He grinned back at her. “No, not too bad.” He had a way of putting her into a good mood, no matter what time of day.
“So, where are you taking me so early in the morning?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Colin . . .” Victoria sipped on her second cup of coffee, trying to tease it out of him. But that’s all the information she could muster out of him.
They spent the day at the park and sight-seeing in Los Angeles. Victoria had more fun at the park just playing Frisbee and watching the people. They spent a great deal of time just sitting on the ground, talking and getting to know one another. Victoria felt their attraction towards each other intensifying and she felt closer to him than anyone she had ever known before. By the time the day was over and they sat on his car on a ridge overlooking the lights of Los Angeles, she was resolved that she couldn’t leave him. Three days together and she felt like they had known each other for a lifetime. Victoria sat close to him, his arm around her waist and her head resting on his shoulder. The only obstacle she saw was tying up the loose ends in Texas and explaining it all to Madelyn. They had been roommates for five years and friends since college. It would be hard to leave her. Victoria’s ex-husband crossed her mind vaguely but then she dismissed him totally as she snuggled closer to Colin. “Happy?” he asked, his arms tightening around her.
“Mmm,” she murmured, her eyes closing. They sat there for a long moment before she got off the car and walked to the edge of the cliff, looking into the now setting sun. The time that she and Colin had together was quickly coming to an end and he must have sensed her thoughts because he followed her, held her close to him, and then turned her with a kiss.
“How am I going to get along without you?” he murmured into her hair. “Isn’t there anything I can do to influence you to stay?”
Victoria stepped back from his embrace, looking up into his face. “My publisher wants me to stay. He’s offered to make up the difference in the cost of living with a pay raise.” She watched him for a reaction. Funny, how he didn’t sense that she had already made that decision based on the fact that she couldn’t leave him. “I’m seriously considering staying.” When one of Colin’s eyebrows shot up and he watched her closely, she continued, “It’s a real opportunity for my career to take the turn I’ve been waiting for.”
“And what about us?” he wanted to know. “Did we have anything to do with that decision?”
“You’re not making my decision easy for me.” Before she had met him, the answer would have been a resounding NO, but now he had her all confused. What was she supposed to do?
“I want it to be easy, Vicky. It is easy. The only answer is for you to move here where you belong.”
She wanted to agree with him, but was afraid she was just following an empty dream. Why would he want her? She turned again, facing the setting sun, trying desperately to find comfort to the doubts in the arms of the man she was quickly falling in love with. He turned her around slowly to face him and there were tears in her eyes. Victoria didn’t want him to see them, but she couldn’t resist the magnetic pull of his hands as he had turned her slowly by the waist. “Tears? Why are you crying?” he asked, one hand reaching up to wipe a lone tear from her cheek.
“Oh, Colin. It’s stupid. I . . . can’t . . .,” Victoria trailed off, looking down at the ground beneath their feet. He gently cupped her chin and lifted her face to look into the deep pools. He slowly kissed both her eyes, and then pressed his mouth down on hers for so hard and so long that, at the least, she had to fight for breath. “Colin . . . don’t . . . no . . .” She was resisting, but weakly, and he only pulled her closer to him again.
“Why not?” He put a finger under her chin and made her look at him. “Victoria?” She said nothing, and he kissed her again. His voice was gentle in her ear when he spoke to her, and she could feel her heart pounding against her chest. “Victoria, I want you, more than I’ve ever wanted any woman before.”
She spoke softly, but with feeling, as her eyes gazed into his. “That isn’t enough.”
He nodded slowly. “I understand.” And then after a long moment, “But I don’t know that I can offer anything more than that anymore.”
Now it was her turn. She smiled gently and asked the same question, “Why not?”
“Because ...” He hesitated and then looked at her with laughter in his eyes. “Because I don’t have all of that left to give.”
“How do you know? Have you tried lately?”
“Not since Marisa.” His answer was quick and honest.
