television. This is art.”
“It’s that stupid romantic stuff.” They were nearing the cottages now and they could see the lights they left burning. He looked up at his and then over toward hers.
“You think romance is stupid?” she questioned incredibly. “Oh, well, maybe it is,” she shrugged, “but there’s a lot of adventure in the films, too.”
“Don’t need adventure. I need sleep and vodka. And quiet.”
“All right. Maybe tomorrow night. We could go to that place for dinner again. I really loved it, Mr. MacDaniels. Thank you.”
He was standing close. She could feel the very maleness of him. Sterling wanted to reach out and stroke his hair and promise him everything would be
www.samhainpublishing.com
29
Joey Light
okay, but she knew he would shake off her touch and she wasn’t at all sure it would be.
“The name’s Joe.” Sometimes it took less energy to give up or in or whatever.
Anything to stop this senseless chatter. “I suppose it’s going to be a lot easier on me if I just say, fine, dinner tomorrow night…but I pay, we make it only long enough to fill our stomachs and be done with it.”
She clapped her hands together happily. “Okay, we can switch off nights.
But I can cook when I want to. One night I’ll fix something for us here. We can sit on the deck and watch the sea gulls fly and the sun go down. I like to play poker.
Surely you do that.”
He still had that maddening, sulky look on his face.She wanted to see the smile again. “You really think you can come in here and alter my life? You’re trying to tell me my solitude has just been sabotaged. I don’t think so.”
“Oh, no. I like my alone times, too. I just hope they coincide with yours. For lunch tomorrow I could fix a tuna casserole and we could go swimming afterward.”
“Why do I feel like a kid at camp being given directions by the counselor? I still don’t buy your flimsy story. But it’s enough for tonight.” When she turned to go, he caught her hand. “Don’t trust me. Don’t drop that innocent look on me and don’t push me too far.”
She returned his direct stare. She pretended to think a minute and then touched her finger to his cheek for a quick second. “Thanks for the warning.” She ran toward her cabin and up the stairs.
He was plucking at her heartstrings and he wasn’t even trying. Oh, she hoped she wasn’t going to start liking this guy too much. Sometimes she got very attached to the people she worked with and it made it so hard to go back to New York.
30
www.samhainpublishing.com
Sterling’s Reasons
Inside the cottage she changed to a nightgown and took one doughnut on a paper plate to the couch. A flip of the switch and she was into Key Largo. Glad for the diversion, she stretched out and got lost in the plot.
When she woke up, the picture on the TV was lines and fuzz. Glancing at the clock, she found that it was midnight. Groaning because she had missed the last part of the movie, Sterling tramped over and clicked off the TV and VCR.
Turning out the last of the lights, she went to the deck and leaned on the railing, breathing deeply of the sweet sea air. The breeze had picked up and it was cooler now, but it felt good. She stood and watched the moonbeams dance off the ocean crest.
Ten minutes later she saw movement on the beach. She heard the faint click of the lighter and saw the glow at the end of the cigarette. In the flash of light, she could make out his face. Lord, what was he doing walking around this late at night? He had been exhausted when she left him.
Fear struck her heart. Could he be thinking of doing something harmful to himself? She was sure a man in his position would think of it and in the short time she had spent with him she figured him to be the type of man who could follow through with anything he decided on. Without thinking about how she was dressed, she hailed him.
“Joe. Hey, Joe. A midnight stroll is just the thing. Wait.”
She
“It’s that stupid romantic stuff.” They were nearing the cottages now and they could see the lights they left burning. He looked up at his and then over toward hers.
“You think romance is stupid?” she questioned incredibly. “Oh, well, maybe it is,” she shrugged, “but there’s a lot of adventure in the films, too.”
“Don’t need adventure. I need sleep and vodka. And quiet.”
“All right. Maybe tomorrow night. We could go to that place for dinner again. I really loved it, Mr. MacDaniels. Thank you.”
He was standing close. She could feel the very maleness of him. Sterling wanted to reach out and stroke his hair and promise him everything would be
www.samhainpublishing.com
29
Joey Light
okay, but she knew he would shake off her touch and she wasn’t at all sure it would be.
“The name’s Joe.” Sometimes it took less energy to give up or in or whatever.
Anything to stop this senseless chatter. “I suppose it’s going to be a lot easier on me if I just say, fine, dinner tomorrow night…but I pay, we make it only long enough to fill our stomachs and be done with it.”
She clapped her hands together happily. “Okay, we can switch off nights.
But I can cook when I want to. One night I’ll fix something for us here. We can sit on the deck and watch the sea gulls fly and the sun go down. I like to play poker.
Surely you do that.”
He still had that maddening, sulky look on his face.She wanted to see the smile again. “You really think you can come in here and alter my life? You’re trying to tell me my solitude has just been sabotaged. I don’t think so.”
“Oh, no. I like my alone times, too. I just hope they coincide with yours. For lunch tomorrow I could fix a tuna casserole and we could go swimming afterward.”
“Why do I feel like a kid at camp being given directions by the counselor? I still don’t buy your flimsy story. But it’s enough for tonight.” When she turned to go, he caught her hand. “Don’t trust me. Don’t drop that innocent look on me and don’t push me too far.”
She returned his direct stare. She pretended to think a minute and then touched her finger to his cheek for a quick second. “Thanks for the warning.” She ran toward her cabin and up the stairs.
He was plucking at her heartstrings and he wasn’t even trying. Oh, she hoped she wasn’t going to start liking this guy too much. Sometimes she got very attached to the people she worked with and it made it so hard to go back to New York.
30
www.samhainpublishing.com
Sterling’s Reasons
Inside the cottage she changed to a nightgown and took one doughnut on a paper plate to the couch. A flip of the switch and she was into Key Largo. Glad for the diversion, she stretched out and got lost in the plot.
When she woke up, the picture on the TV was lines and fuzz. Glancing at the clock, she found that it was midnight. Groaning because she had missed the last part of the movie, Sterling tramped over and clicked off the TV and VCR.
Turning out the last of the lights, she went to the deck and leaned on the railing, breathing deeply of the sweet sea air. The breeze had picked up and it was cooler now, but it felt good. She stood and watched the moonbeams dance off the ocean crest.
Ten minutes later she saw movement on the beach. She heard the faint click of the lighter and saw the glow at the end of the cigarette. In the flash of light, she could make out his face. Lord, what was he doing walking around this late at night? He had been exhausted when she left him.
Fear struck her heart. Could he be thinking of doing something harmful to himself? She was sure a man in his position would think of it and in the short time she had spent with him she figured him to be the type of man who could follow through with anything he decided on. Without thinking about how she was dressed, she hailed him.
“Joe. Hey, Joe. A midnight stroll is just the thing. Wait.”
She
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