The world outside the car window looked so cold.  There was an inherent greyness to everything as the car muddled through the Chicago traffic.  The skies were the same color as the pavement, with occasional sprinkles of grey and white snow.  She sat next to me, on the opposite side of the wide comfortable car.  Her gaze lost somewhere far outside the warmth of the car.  There hadn’t been a word spoken since we started this drive, the last word I can remember was the greeting of the driver as he opened the door for her.  She held her cellphone in her hand as she seemed to drift away.  It seemed to be her lifeline, she checked it, woke it up, then frustrated, turned off the screen again.  I didn’t want it to seem creepy that I was staring at her so much, so fighting my instincts I turned my gaze to the stopped cars next to us.  When our eyes did meet, there was sadness in hers, and a strange awkward smile that was uncomfortable for me to see.  Her dark brown eyes, glossy, with an emotion that she didn’t to want to talk about.   Her hair was brought up into a messy bun, and while her make-up was perfect, and the coat matched her outfit, her face still seemed unusual, distraught, sick, concerned.  “You ok?”  I felt I had to break the silence.  She nodded but still didn’t say a word.  Her eyes glossy, she was barely holding herself together.  “So…”  I tried again, “…it’s cold outside isn’t it?” 

“Yep.”  She answered coldly without even looking over.

“You Ok Babs?”  Her look was making me sad.

“Please don’t call me that, I know Bill likes to call me that, but I hate it.”  Her voice was stern.

“What should I call you?”

“Barbara, its what my parents called me on the day I was born, so…”  She seemed so distant. “...it only seems proper. Bill is the boss man, and I have told him a bunch of times not to call me that, but Bill is Bill.”  She seemed so serious, I didn’t want to answer, it might just make her hate me more.  Despite all that was going on, she was a beautiful woman.  Dark hair, perfect skin, expressive eyes.  When she let her hair down, it cascaded to her shoulders effortlessly, but perfectly.  From underneath her skirt, a pair of well-formed legs flowed until her shoes.  She fumbled around with her phone again.

“You waiting for a call?”  I tried once again.  I felt like that soldier that was probing for mines, never knowing when one was going to blow up.

“Would you please, mind your own business.”  A single tear fell from her eyes leaving behind a trail of watered make up.  I reached into my briefcase and pulled out a Kleenex.

“Here…”  All I could think of to say.  Something happened inside her, as she took the soft piece of paper, tears began to flow.  She stared into the phone as the tears gathered on the screen.  “Come on, Barbara, what going on?”  It was uncharted territory.  We had just met, we had been given out first assignment, we were about to fly home, and meet up in a week for our first presentation together.  It was all so awkward.

“I don’t want to talk about it…”  She started in between sobs.

“OK then have it your way.”  I said as I searched my briefcase for my earphones.

  The privacy window that separated the driver from us rolled down. “Sorry folks…”  The driver started never looking back, “…there must be an accident up ahead on the highway, but this traffic isn’t moving at all.  I called the office to let them know you may miss your flight.  They said they’re gonna to see how they can reschedule you guys for the next flight.”  Great, that was the worst news I could get right now.  I finally found my earbuds and was listening to music when I looked over at her and saw her lips moving.

“… for the presentation next week?” I missed the first part.

“Excuse me.”  I pulled an earbud out, I needed to hear what she was saying.

“Never mind.”  She never looked at me, but the tears on her phone made it obvious.  I felt that I needed to say something, I thought carefully, I needed to pick my words carefully.  What could make her feel this way, a memory struck me suddenly.  It was a time, not too long ago, I felt like how I think she feels now.

“You know…” I handed her another Kleenex. “…what we do if a very hard job.” 

She looked at me, her eyes reddened with the tears. “What?”

“Yeah, this job we do may seem really glamorous to a lot of people, but it’s a really hard job.  Takes a toll on you.  How long have you been doing this?”

“Just over a year.”

“Aww, you’re still a new-hire, you’ll get used to it.” She smiled at the new-hire crack.  “There you go, that’s a little better.”  I said trying to smile, trying to break her out of it, see her smile.

“Get used to what?”  Her eyes fixed again on the phone.

“How hard things are for us, the relationships, family, routines. Let’s face it, we’re on the road two or three weeks out of a month, that makes things hard for everyone, and everybody doesn’t understand what that’s like.”  I looked over and she her teared eyes looked into mine.  “You’ll eventually run into that guy that says: ‘you’re always on the road, we never spend time together’, blah blah blah, you don’t love me, blah blah blah, family blah blah blah.”  If my shot in the dark didn’t hit the target it got close. 

“Yeah well…”  She wanted to say something, I could see her searching for the words.  “…never mind.”  She cut herself off.  She drew a breath, “How long have you been doing this?”

“About four years…”  I answered, wanted to make it sound better than I knew it was.  “Right out of college.  This gave me the travel I have always wanted, adventure, get to meet interesting people, you know the spiel.”  She nodded.  “Well they tell you about all the good parts, but don’t stress the damage.”  She nodded again.  I reached into my bag again and pulled out a bottle of water, “here…”  I handed it to her, “…don’t worry, I have never opened it, it’s all yours.”  She listened for the crack of the seal and sipped.

“You know I googled this job after I got hired…”  She was trying hard to hide it. “… and they said that the average career span is about seven years, after than its usually, move-up or move-out.”  She dried her eyes, and it seemed that tears weren’t flowing like they did before.

“I can understand that...”  It wasn’t what I wanted to say, but it seemed the most logical step in this conversation.  Her expression was starting to change, “… What time is your flight?” 

“I don’t know, I don’t think it matters anymore, we’ve been in this traffic for at least an hour now, we can call in and get the info when we get to the airport.”  I was trying hard to be discrete, but I enjoyed looking at her.  The words started flowing from her now, slowly at first, but shortly the conversation flowed like a river.  She put the cellphone in her purse, and we even laughed a little.  Eventually we did make it to the airport.

The driver finally stopped at the terminal in O’Hare, and quickly got out to open Barbara’s door.  I hoped he wouldn’t open mine, that always made me uncomfortable.  “Sorry for the delay…”  he started, “…But here you are.”

“Do you realize it took two hours for a thirty-minute trip?”  She said.  The wind on the sidewalk effortlessly cut though the heavy coat that I had on.  Slapped my exposed face with it’s icy baseball bat, I shivered.  

“Who do we have to call for the flight…” I asked her.  She interrupted me with her index finger, in her other hand she was dialing on the cell phone. “Hold on…”  I yelled at the driver.  I stuck my head into the car, I always checked one last time before the car leaves.  In the rear seat, there was something.  It was brown rectangle, I recognize that logo, Coach.  “Thanks.” I yelled back at the driver.

“Come on Marjorie, you know I need your help.”  She was talking loudly on her phone. “Ok that’ll work for me, now Robert is here with me, can you help him?”  She paused waiting for an answer.  “Oh really…”, “…yeah I can tell him that, wow.” Her eyes had a strange expression as she looked at me.  “Ok then.”  She tapped the phone and put it down.

“You left this in the car, must have slipped out of your purse.”  I said handing her the wallet.

“Oh my God, really…” Her face lit up with surprise. “Thank you so much.”  She shoved in into her purse, “All I needed today was to lose this, let’s get inside, its freezing out here, by the way, Marge says she’s gonna call you directly for your flight info, so keep your cell handy.”  She looked so different now, she changed.  I felt the vibrations coming from my coat pocket, pulling out my cell I heard the rigning.

“Hello…”  I knew who it was.

“Hi handsome…”  The woman’s voice on the other side started. “How’s my handsome stud-muffin doing??”

“Marjorie…”  I felt embarrassed.

“Don’t worry my love, that’s why I’m calling from my personal, it’s just you and me, besides, I know you love me.”  She giggled.

“You know I do…”

“Well, I got you all set, but good news and bad news.  Bad news is that next flight I can get you on doesn’t leave for another five hours, yeah it’s the red-eye, but not only did I get you a flight, but I got you upgraded to first, and…”  She paused for dramatic effect, “…I was able to fenagle a President’s club pass for my handsome secret love.”

“Oh sweetheart, you are the best…”  Barbara stared at me.

“I know, that’s what you told me the other morning…”  She giggled, “…this is our secret right?” She whispered into the phone, “…if that woman with you finds out, well, it doesn’t matter anyways, I know I’m your only one.”  I could hear her smiling over the phone.  “Ok Mr. Handsome, I will let you go so you can get your drink on at the club, can’t wait till you come back to base, you know how I get when you’re around.”

“Yes, I do, I love it.”  We both laughed as the click announced that the call was over.  “Barbara, when is your flight leaving?”

“I have about two hours before my flight leaves.”

“Let’s get through security and I’ll buy you a drink.”

Sitting at the bar with her, seemed so strange now.  I ordered the first round.  It wasn’t long before all the sadness that distorted her beauty was washed away by the alcohol.  We started talking, we spoke about so many things.  Her eyes teared up a couple of times, she’d rant, she got upset; but then she smiled.  She told a joke, admitted it wasn’t funny, but her eyes sparkled, her lips smiled, and it all made me laugh.  In the car, she was leaning against the window, with the never-ending coldness on the other side.  Now, she smiled, it all seemed so different.  Her cell reminded her that she needed to head to her gate, I walked with her.

The flight was boarding when we got to the gate, “I have to go…”  She started.  “I got seat 25B, yay…”  She was sarcastic.  Suddenly silence and that sadness seemed to flow over her again.  “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Just thanks.”  Without any more words, she turned and got in line and boarded the airplane.  She never looked back.  I could still remember her, clutching the phone for dear life, sitting, and staring out the car window, as Chicago whizzed by outside.

“Sir, you meant terminal C right?”  His voice broke through the haze.  His voice was clear and the accent was almost undetectable.

“What?”  I shot back, instinctively.

“You said you were flying United right?”  He started, I looked up and saw his eyes in the rear-view mirror.  “…on the app you put terminal A. United doesn’t fly from terminal A.”

“You’re right…”  Crap, I was so distracted I couldn’t even focus on the simple things. “Thanks, I appreciate it, I just can’t get my shit together today.”  He slowed down and stopped in front of the terminal. It wasn’t long before my small suitcase was out of the trunk and I was on my way through the lobby. 

She should be landing any moment.

The loud beep brought reality back into view.  “Sir…”  The large bearded man was speaking at me, “… are you wearing a belt, and you need to take your shoes off.”  Crap. There I go again; at this rate I’ll never make it to the flight.  I stepped out of the scanner and got a tray for my belt, shoes and cellphone.

“Can you please put them in separate trays so we can get this line moving…”  The large man repeated. The people behind me at the check point seemed so annoyed. “Anything in your pockets?” I wanted to apologize, but I thought it would just made things worse at this point. 

“Not anymore.” I checked again to make sure.

“Okay sir, please pass through.”

I heard it ring, it was the distinct sound of my cell phone as it disappeared into the x-ray machine.  I had five trays, a briefcase, and a bag, now, my life displayed across five trays as I struggled get my shoes and belt on, and just generally get it all together.  My bag, where was it, “Sir…”  It was a lady’s voice this time “…Sir is this your bag?”  Crap.

“Yes.”  I returned to the machine shoes still in hand.

“We need to take a look inside, please stand here.  Do you have any liquids in there?”  She asked firmly yet politely.

“Shit, I forgot my toiletries, ma’am, sorry.”

“There’s no need to use that kind of language.  Are we having a rough day today?”  She asked gently lips molded into a frown.

“Not really, just have a lot on my mind.”  Unzipping the bag, she found the suspicious bag of liquids and rubbed a little piece of fabric against it.

“There you go sir, all good, have a blessed day.”  As I walked away, I think I saw her smile.

“My cellphone…”  I reminded myself.  I felt around my waist, there in my back pocket.  There it was my missed call. I looked at the United app, my boarding pass said gate C6.  It all felt so far away.  “Bathroom!” I hurried and dove into the first one I could see. My cellphone rang again as I began to wash my hands, Shit. It stopped ringing before I could answer.   Gathering my things again, I started towards the gate.  I had taken a few steps down the long passageway when I jolted myself again, “You need to call back.”  I pressed the buttons, and I saw four missed calls.  Gees, I only heard it ring twice.

“Hello…”  her voice was soft, gentle, puzzled.

“Hey, Barbara, it’s me, how are you.”

“Hey there, you had me worried, I thought you weren’t going to show up.”

“Why wouldn’t I show up?”  I tried to control my breathing, speed walking through the airport, was taking its toll on me.

“I know how Bill is, he’s a strange person, maybe he reassigned you at the last minute.”

“I’m here, just got through security, I am on my way, be there in a minute.”

“I am at this bar, I think it’s called Ember, meet me here and I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Great Idea, I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

I knew which bar she was talking about; I had flown out of Houston so many times that I pretty much knew where everything in this airport was.  I like Ember, the lights were low, the dark wood décor made things a little romantic.  It wasn’t too far now, I needed to catch my breath.  I saw the large brown wooden structure that had the bar, I knew she was waiting for me.  As I got closer, I saw her.  Great, she has her back to me. I stole a moment and stared.  Her long brown hair glistened even in the dim lights of the bar.  She looked around, and I caught a glimpse of her face, I hoped she hadn’t seen me.  Her skin looked soft; her cheeks kissed with sunlight.  The pale greyness of her jacket in such contrast to the warmth of her hair, her skin.  My eyes feasted on her beauty. 

“Okay…”  I muttered to myself, drew in that breath for courage and walked up to her. “Hey Barbara…”  She smiled.

“Hey Robert…”  She stood and stretched out her hand to me.  I took it and gently embraced it with mine.  Her skin was as soft as I remembered it, her hand was warm.  It was so formal, but I could feel her warmth, her tenderness.  Her smile was stunning, her dark red lips moved molding her melodic voice into words.  Her voice in the expanse was the song of angels.  “What do you want?”  I heard her say, she sounded so far away, she sang to me from heaven.  That was an odd question, I knew what I wanted, what did you want?  “Robert, you’re blushing…”  She said, smiling.

“Huh, oh sorry, whiskey sour.”  I felt the flush in my face, I was sweating again.

“What were you thinking?”  She leaned forward, dangerously close.  Her breath smelled like strawberry and tequila; it was warm, gentle.  Her smile suddenly looked devious.

“Well, nothing really this whole project has me distracted, and I’m not really sure why.”  I took a sip of my drink, then another sip, and another.  “Can I have another?”  I asked her, looking around for the server. “What are you drinking?”

“Cass…”  She said loudly, “Can I have another?”  the nod from the server meant the message was clear. 

She rarely wore makeup, she never had to, her skin was flawless.  Her deep brown eyes glistened, shone with an indescribable light. Around her she had an aura of Chanel, a scent gently lingering barely within perception, but enough to be intoxicating.  When she spoke, her words were clear, her voice melodic, gentle. The rest of her was framed in her grey business suit, the pastel greys playing off the contrast of the deep red blouse that she wore underneath.  She leaned forward again, closer this time.  “What’s up Robert, that’s your third drink already.”  The alcohol was a thicker on her breath this time. “You know, you don’t have anything to be nervous about.”

“Yeah but this whole project…”  I started, she interrupted me.

“What about it?” Her voice was gentle, but scolding, “This isn’t the first project we work together, it’s what, our fifth presentation already.  Besides, it’s almost over, pretty soon we can sit at the beach with a drink and celebrate.”  I wished it were so easy.  The general droning sounds of the airport were cut suddenly by an announcement, it was our flight.

“I think they’re gonna start boarding soon, we better go.”  I started, trying to hide the nerves in my voice. I needed an excuse to change the subject.  She paid the bill; we gathered our stuff.  As she stood up, she stumbled, I managed to keep her from falling.  She fell into my arms, dangerously close, again.  “You Okay?”  I asked as her cheek landed on my shoulder.

“Ouch!”  She screamed, “I think I’m gonna need a little extra support.”  There was that devious smile again.  She snaked her arm under mine.  It felt wonderful. “Did you get your seat already?”  she asked as we strolled towards our gate.

“Yep, I got my favorite seat.”  I said proudly, “What did you get?”

“Let me see, she got her cellphone and after tapping the screen a few times, I got 28C, a little bit in the back, but it’s an aisle seat.”  She grabbed my arm again, it felt so right. “Sorry Robert, I think I may have hurt my ankle back there.”  She wasn’t limping, she didn’t seem to be in pain, but her words were slower than normal.  I felt her weight as she leaned on me.

“No worries.”  We walked, I enjoyed the feel of her on my arm.

When we arrived at the gate, they were already boarding the flight, we were in the boarding group they were calling so we went on board.  I helped her put her bag in the overhead and headed to my seat.  I looked back, and I saw her, her eyes met mine, she smiled.  This smile was different, it was comforting, warm.  I sat, buckled in, as the plane filled up, and all the announcements started.  It wasn’t long before we felt to door close, and we began to move. 

The engines on the plane revved up and thrusted us into the morning.  The roughness of the ground was gently replaced by a cushion of softness.  As gravity let us go; the solid ground fell away from us.  Trees, roads, buildings faded away into the distance as we pierced the winds and headed into the clouds. 

We were on our way.

There was a melancholic wave that rushed over me as the plane cut through the clouds, the magic of stepping on the clouds gently as we slip the surly bonds of gravity.  Through a window I could see the clear skies, with tall puffy clouds out in a distance, so far away, but they seemed so close.  I looked back again; her eyes still closed.  She was so close, but she seemed so far away.  The people started closing their window shades, and a relaxing greyness fell over the cabin as the clouds fell beneath us, and the aircraft shot itself into the clear skies.

I looked back once again, her eyes were closed, she leaned back.  She looked asleep, even though she looked uncomfortable, she looked tender, vulnerable, tired.  It reminded me of something, I wanted to walk over there and drape a blanket on her, make her comfortable.

My cellphone started ringing.  I looked at the screen and it told me that it was Ben calling. “Yello…”  I started.

“Robert, we have a problem...”  Ben’s voice sounded out of breath, frustrated.  There was panic and urgency all mixed together. “…I’m still in Cleveland, and all the airports in New York are closed because of the storm, how the hell do you close all the airports in New York?  Who does that?”

“Ben, take a breath, breathe man…”  He was transferring his panic to me now.

“You don’t get it, Rob.  If I can’t get in there tonight, the equipment doesn’t get in tonight, and if the equipment doesn’t get in tonight, the venue won’t be ready for tomorrow, and even if by some miracle I do get it ready, it’s gonna be a rushed job, Rob you know how I feel about rushed jobs, shit always happens on rushed jobs, Robert.”  The panic was evident in his voice.  “Look out your window, is it really that bad?  It’s a beautiful day here.”

I walked to the window, drew back the shades, and saw the greyness that had filled the world.  A constant sheet of rain fell, and the window flexed as it was battered with the wind.  “Yeah Ben, it’s looking really ugly here.  Well good part is, that if you can’t make it in, no one else can either, they may delay the whole thing.”

“Rob…”  His voice hinged on anger, “… there is ninety seven point three percent local, only two point seven percent are flying in, those are not good numbers for this, for us I mean, not good Rob.”  He rattled, he kept saying words, they sped out of his mouth fazing with static, even the phone couldn’t handle how fast he was speaking. 

“Ben, is there anything we can do at this end?”  The seriousness of the matter was starting to sink in.  It was a conference, and we may not have any of the equipment or presentation materials to start it.

“I don’t think so, I’ll call Bill to let him know.”  The phone suddenly went dead.  My next call was obvious.  I touched the screen and her picture came up, I called her.

“Hey there partner, what up?”  She answered tenderly.

“We have a problem…”  I started, the anxiety was noticeable.

“Nah, we don’t have problems, just challenges.  You wrote that yourself, it’s in your presentation.”  She was always calm, she handled stress much better than I did.

“Barbara, this is serious.”

“I know, Ben called me already.”  He did? He called me second?  “You hungry?”   A minute ago, I was starving, but the adrenaline washed the hunger away.

“Kinda, but we can’t go to a restaurant, it’s coming down outside.”

“You have a kitchenette in your room, right?  Mr. Upgrade?” She was sarcastic again.  I looked around and I did have a kitchenette, a stove top, a fridge, and even some plates.

“Yeah, but…”  She shushed me.

“Give me about twenty minutes, and I’ll be down to see you.”

“In my room?”  It was surprising.

“Of course, I am starving, the snack bar by the front desk just won’t do it for me.”

“But…”  I wanted to say something, but the words just weren’t there.

“Twenty minutes.  After we eat, with a little more clarity, we can talk about this, and come up with a good plan how’s that?  You getting all nervous isn’t gonna get anything done.”  She paused, “See you then, don’t worry, twenty minutes.”  I had to scramble to pick up my room, it was a mess.  I rushed, took a shower and was dressed by the time she knocked on my door.  “I come bearing gifts.”  She started as I opened the door, holding a brown paper bag.

“What that?”  I said staring at the bag in her hand.

“Groceries.” She must have seen the surprise in my eyes. “Robert, you should know better than that, this is Manhattan, you can get anything delivered, and as a matter of fact, there’s a little market a block away, got all this yummy stuff.”  She put the bag on the counter and began unpacking.  She rifled through the many cabinets until she found what looked like a frying pan and smiled when she found a small pot.  She moved gracefully through the tiny kitchen.  Even though she was dressed in an old hoodie, and her jeans were torn, there was something so elegant about her.  I knew she was talking, because I could see her lips as they formed melodic breaks in the silence, but her song seemed so far away.  I sat on a chair and watched her as she moved, how she took the things that she bought and cut, chopped and put them all together.  The scent of hotel room was easily replaced by the scent of cooking food.  “Robert, are you listening to me.”  She was looking at me.

“Um, of course…”  I heard what she said, but not really listening.

“What do you think?”  She turned to face me from the kitchen.  I didn’t know what to say, I stuttered.  “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said have you?”

“Sorry, my mind was on this disaster, trying to figure out what to do.”

“Ah for a second there, I thought you were admiring my jeans.”  I felt my skin warm up.  She lifted the sweatshirt to show her rear, and the jeans molded perfectly to the curves of her body.  “But, as you say all the time, that would be inappropriate.”  She giggled. 

“Well…”  The skin on my face, felt hotter. She laughed as she served the food she was cooking.  She had to glasses of wine in her hand she sat on the couch next to me. “How’d you get wine? They deliver that too?”  I said as I sipped.

“Well, a girl can’t give away all her secrets, can she?”  She looked coy as she sipped.  Somehow, she managed to cook chicken breast and pasta with a delicious tomato sauce and melted cheese.  Did she read my mind, I love this dish.

“Cheers…”   I said toasting. She held up her glass and we tapped them together.

“Did you like it?”  She asked as she put the dishes in the dishwasher.

“I loved it.  But, what are we going to do about this disaster?”  She refilled both of our glasses and sat comfortably on the couch.

“What disaster? Oh you mean this conference…”  She smiled. “…Don’t worry it will all be fine.”  She paused enjoying her glass of wine. “Look, I hope you don’t mind, but when Ben called me I made some phone calls.”  Oh, that was the twenty minutes, huh. “And I don’t want you to think that I didn’t want to consult with you, but I had a small window of opportunity, and I had to take advantage of it.”  She sipped.  “Is it me or is it getting warm in here?”   She got up and headed towards the bathroom, “It must be the wine.”  She closed the door behind her.  When she emerged, the hoodie was in her hand, and she wore a tee shirt. 

“That’s cute.”  Seemed the best thing I could say.

“What?”  She asked.

“You have a unicorn on your tee shirt, that’s cute.”  And her black bra underneath was apparent too. The unicorn iron on was across her chest, highlighting the contrast between the bra and the whiteness of the shirt.  The room was quiet as we both took small sips from our glasses of wine.  A deep rhythmic buzzing started that tore through the silence of the room.  She jumped up and got her phone from the desk.

“Yeah…”  she started. “Gio, behave…”, she turned her back to me, “Well?”, her eyes looked flirty, “Just a regular tee shirt, nothing fancy.” Giggling, “Mi amore, can you help me out?” she listened.  “I’m only gonna be in town until tomorrow night.”  “Well, you do know it’s not going to be for free right.” “Getting your guys out there is the favor.” She looked suddenly serious.  “Yeah, I know this weather sucks, but if we don’t set up tonight, we’re gonna have to delay in the morning, and that would really make me sad.”  “Oh, you’re such a sweetheart. Have I ever told you, you’re the best?”  She laughed again. “Ok, I’ll tell Ben to give you a call with the details, and I know that it’ll all work out.” “Si amore mio?…  Behave Gio.”  She was stern with a smile, incredible. “Dai un bacio a Frenchy e ai bambini per me.” Was that Italian, she spoke Italian? “Ciao mio amore.”  She tapped the phone and the call was over.  “Nothing to worry about.”  She started.

“What was that all about?”

“Giovanni is an old friend…”  she sipped her wine nervously, “…he runs a TV production company, and has all the equipment that we need to start up tomorrow.  He can get his guys down there tonight and set up the stuff we need to get started.  It’ll keep us going until Ben gets in with all the materials.  We’ll just have to improvise until then.  I know there’s a photocopier downstairs, and I think there’s one at the venue too.  How was the food?”

“Wow, you did all that?”

“It was really easy, the pasta…”  I interrupted her.

“No silly, you got all that moving?  You made all that happen?”  It was impressive, and I was excited.

“Robert, we’re not out of the woods yet, we still need to get down to the venue and get our paperwork ready, and pretty much do whatever Ben normally does.”  She pulled another bottle of wine from a paper bag.  “This is for tomorrow night.”  She put in the small refrigerator.

Her focus on the task was incredible. She was stern when she had to be, flirty when she dealt with Gio, and despite all the chaos around us, she always managed to smile warmly at me when our eyes met.

It was close to midnight when we finally got back to my room.  I walked into the kitchen to see if she had bought some water, juice or soda.  There were a couple bottles of water which was perfect.  “Well, that was a hell of a night…”  I started, from inside the fridge.  “…got everything set up, the first round of pamphlets…” I looked over to her, sitting on the couch.  Her eyes were closed, her knees against her chest, she was asleep.  I didn’t want to wake her, she looked so restful.  I tried gently to stretch her out on the couch, she didn’t resist.  I took the blanket from the bed and gently draped it on her and turned off the light.

Something jolted me; I felt myself jump.  My eyes were dazed as I looked around.  “Sir…”  The flight attendant leaned over, gently tapping my shoulder.  “Sir…”  She repeated, “…we’re about to land can you bring your seatback up please.”

“Oh sure…” I shot back not thinking.  I looked back again, and her eyes were still closed.  

The aircraft around us was slowing down now, and I could feel as it started getting closer to the ground.  The smoothness of flight faded into the rough buffeting of the wind fighting against our wings as the earth beneath us slowly came into focus.  Blue of the ocean turned to the green of swamps, and that abruptly became a carpet decorated with grids of grey and black interrupted by buildings and random spots of green.  The ground was getting closer with every heartbeat.  I couldn’t see it, but I knew it was there, the wheels came out, the aircraft became angry with wind against its hull, I could feel how the aircraft was slowing, and getting lower.  The green horizon appeared just beyond the wingtips.  The wheels gently embraced the ground, and the plane came to a stop. 

The bright white lights exploded through the hazy penumbra.  She stretched, her lips distorted into yawns, and delicate limbs contorting into stretches.

Everyone was in a rush to get off the plane, it’s amazing that people feel they have to be the first ones off the airplane.  It wasn’t long before Barbara stopped by my seat and blocked the aisle, “Come on sweetheart, let’s go.” I hustled to get my bags and we walked off the plane.

“Are we both staying at the same hotel?”  I asked as we walked through Miami International Airport.

“I hope so…” She seemed so different now, her words were short.  “…Baby, give me a chance to go to the restroom.”  The sign for the restroom came into view.

“Sure, I need to go too, meet you right out here.”  Did she just call me Baby?  I felt my skin warm.  I did what I had to do, fixed myself up a little and rushed outside to wait for her.  She called me Baby.

She came out of the restroom, hair back into place, lipstick was once again perfect, her clothes straight.  However, there was a certain greyness to her being.  “You Okay?”

“Why do you ask?  Do I look that bad?”  There was a cloud of seriousness in her eyes as she looked deep into mine. I wanted to dive into hers, but what if she found out?  My feelings tended to be obvious, if she looked too deep, she’d see it.  I looked away.

“No, its not that, just you look like something is bothering you.”  We started walking.  I looked for the signs; we needed to get out of this airport.  She grabbed my arm again, there was a tenderness to her touch.

“It’s just that my flight from L.A was rough, and I had a couple on that one.  Then in Houston had another few, it just all added up and hit me suddenly.”  She rested her head on my shoulder.  The sweat was beading under my shirt.  “Twisting my ankle didn’t help either. I’m just so tired, that’s all.”

“You wanna take the shuttle to the hotel or come with me to get the car?”  I asked nervously.

“You got a car?”  She stopped, “Why did you get a car?  Were supposed to have a service pick us up tomorrow morning for the presentation.”

“Yeah, well, there are a few places I’d like to go to while I’m here, maybe even a trip to the beach.”

“Well, that makes sense.  I’d love to go with you, if you don’t mind?”  Of course, I wouldn’t mind.

“Did you bring a bathing suit?”  I asked jokingly.

“No…”  she smiled, “…Do I really need one?”  Her smile made me chuckle.

 “We gotta take the train to the car rental, then we’ll drive to the hotel”  Nah, you don’t need a bathing suit. It was so obvious that I was nervous.

“Sounds like a plan.”  She finished.  She wasn’t struggling with her suitcase, but I took them anyways, she seemed so weak, tired.  We walked, we took the shuttle train, and eventually reached the counter for the Advantage Car Rental.

The process was quick, and efficient.  Before either of us realized it, we loaded our bags into the Volkswagen Passat and we shot off toward the hotel.

“You hungry?”  I asked as we drove off into the sunshine.

“Yes, I am starving, what did you have in mind?”  She let herself sink into the comfortable seat of the car.

“Well, there’s a really good place for some Cuban food nearby, but just snack, how-bout it?”

“I don’t know much about Cuban food, but I’d love a snack right now, something light.”

“We can have some croquetas and pastelitos, with some coffee, that’ll keep you going until dinner.”  She nodded tiredly.  El Rincon Criollo was not far from the car rental area, their food is tasty, and never too expensive.  The servers there, all young ladies, are very attentive, and treat customers with that innate Latin charm that is so common in Miami.  We didn’t even bother trying to get a table, we sat at the counter and ordered our food. 

“What are these? They’re delicious?”  She said mouth full, enjoying the meal. 

“Those are croquetas…”  I started, “…  I’m not really sure how to describe them, they’re pork breaded and fried up, and you can see how delicious they are.  You can get those pretty much anywhere in Miami, it’s a very Cuban snack.  The other stuff is pastelitos, a Cuban version of turnovers with guava filling…”  As I was explaining, the waitress arrived with the cups of cafe con leche. “And that Barbara, is café con leche, the best you can get, can’t even get that at Starbucks.”

“My God Robert, this is delicious.”  She looked like she was enjoying the food.

“You ever been to Miami before?”  I was eating too, it was good.

“Yeah, but it’s always been for business, you know, shuttle to the hotel, service to work, shuttle to the airport. You know how that is, just eat at the hotel.  Don’t usually get around too much.  Only when you’re around do I get a chance to go out.”  She sipped her coffee.  “You apparently get around huh.”

“Kinda, I know a couple of places around here.  I like to explore.”

“Then I guess I’m in good hands, you’re gonna take care of me right.”  She said.  “You’re gonna show me a good time right?”  Of course I will. I smiled and hoped my feelings weren’t too obvious.  “One thing though, as soon as we check in, I need to take a nap, give me a couple of hours, then we can go over the job, is that OK?”  She looked so tired.

“Sure, its still early, I can call Ben, and we can meet later over dinner and go over the presentation one more time.” We pulled into the hotel’s parking lot. 

I always liked staying at the Sheraton Four Points in Miami, the one in a neighborhood called Doral.  It was close to the airport, close to everything that I needed.  The drive to the beach may be a little long, but it was close to everything else.  I always knew I could expect attentive service.  “Good afternoon.” The young man behind the desk greeted us.

“We have reservations.”  I started.  The check in process was easy, and before I knew it, we were done.  “What room did you get?”  I asked Barbara.

“I got room 532, I guess it’s on the fifth floor.  What did you get Mr. Upgrade?”

“I am in 655…”  I got an upgrade to a suite, I didn’t want to be smug.

“Ok, baby, I’ll set my alarm for six, and well get together then how’s that?”  Sounded good to me.  She called me baby again.

My room was expansive for a hotel, in the back was my bed, large and comfortable, in the front, a seating area, with the sofa, and a desk.  This would be perfect.  The bathroom had all the cleanliness that I had come to expect from this hotel.  After a shower to wash off the miles of dirt on me, I laid on the bed.  There was peace in the room framed by the music that played from my laptop.  The hazy darkness felt cool, and the sheets of the bed were soft and inviting.  It all felt so perfect, it’s been a long day. I’ve been up for so long. 

Barbara.

It took me a few seconds to figure out where that horrible noise was coming from.  That sound that tore through the darkness, and the peace.  My music still played in the background, there was that noise again, a sharp high-pitched warbling.  I searched around the room to see what creature could produce that horrible sound.  As I listened, the world around me fell into focus, the sound became clear.  “Shit” I said aloud.  I reached over for my cell phone, and there it was, three missed calls.  The noise started again, I tapped the green button and brought it to life.  “Yes?”

“Sweetheart, where are you?”  Barbara’s voice was soft, inquisitive.

“Huh?”  It all came slowly into focus.

“Hey, do you realize what time it is?”  She continued.

“Huh?”  Did I fall asleep?  Never set an alarm.  “Shit… What time is it?”

“Hey young man, what kind of language is that?  It’s almost seven, come on, get it together, we gotta meet with Ben.”

“OK, be down in ten minutes.” I needed to hurry.

Even with her hair pulled back, it still fell down the middle of her back in luscious waves.  Her grey business suit was replaced by a delicate black silk blouse.  Her shoulders exposed under the straps of the blouse.  When she stood up, the rest of her body was embraced inside black pants that hugged her curves.  “Wow…”  I said accidentally.

“You like?”  She said smiling, she spun modeling.

“Wow, never seen you wear that before.”  My eyes were going to give me away, I couldn’t stop exploring her, the way the cloth kissed her thighs, and how the shine of the blouse showed her off.

“You don’t mind, do you?  You know I got this outfit specially for this trip.” Wow.

“Never seen you in something like that before, you look…”  I searched for the word, the first few words that came to mind may not have been appropriate for my coworker.  “...amazing.”

“This?  You should see the other stuff I bought, hope I get a chance to try them on before we leave.”  The way she moved was different, I had never seen her like this before, there was something different.  Her voice was different, the melody in her words sounded different. “Hey!”  She said as she slapped my shoulder.

“Oh Sorry…”  she pulled me out of my daze.

“I said, where are you taking me for dinner?”  I knew the perfect place.

“I have to call Ben first, see where he is.”  I dialed his number. “Ben, what up…”

“What did he say?”  She started curious.

“He’s at the office now making the preps, we can pick him up and talk over dinner, is that OK?” 

“Yeah sure.”  She didn’t seem too excited as we walked to the car.

It was the perfect restaurant.  No trip to Miami is complete until I make it to Versailles.  The restaurant has been a major meeting place for years.  Politicians, Movie stars, Presidents and President wanna-be always make this place a stop while they’re in Miami.   Best Cuban food.  Ben said he loved it, but then again he was born in Miami.  Versailles has quite a reputation, it’s always full.  I started with a chicken soup, followed by Vaca Frita with rice and maduros.  Ben had a bistec de Palomilla, and we both talked Barbara into an arroz con pollo, good for the beginner.  We all talked about the presentation; Ben went first to set everything up.  He was responsible for making sure that all the equipment was there, and of course that everything worked.

“Well, you beautiful couple, I have to go now, its been a long day for me.”  He yawned as he finished his flan.  “I’d love to hang around, but…”  He pulled out his cellphone.

“Ok then, I’ll get the check…”  I started but ben interrupted.

“Why? You haven’t even gotten your coffee yet.”  His voice was strong, unapologetic.

“Yeah, but we have to get you home.”

“Dumbass, you ever heard of Uber?”  He could be pretty rough sometimes.

“Yeah, well…”

“Nah, you two go have some fun, the presentation starts at nine thirty a.m. I have to be up by five a.m., so you guys don’t have to.  Go have some fun.”  He got up and started walking away, “…besides, that way you pick up the check.  He’s two minutes away.”  He shot out the door into the street.

There was an awkward silence that fell over the table.  She suddenly looked uncomfortable. We were alone in the crowded restaurant.  “Robert…”  She started.  She stared at the table. “… how long have we been working together?”

“It seems like forever…”  At least that got a smile from her.

“Seriously Robert…”  She never raised her eyes to me.

“I think its been about five months, on and off.” 

“We had our first assignment together six months ago.  Since then we’ve seen ten cities, two countries, and so many hotel rooms.  We’ve shared alot meals, and our fair share of drinks, and goodness, we’ve had so much time to get to know each other.”  Where was she going with this?  “Remember that job in New York?”  She chuckled.

“Yeah, the nightmare.”  I smiled at that also.  Our cafés con leche came to the table, and silence fell again as we sipped.  “You did a hell of a job with that one, you were great, saved my ass.”

“Yes I did.”  She loved rubbing that one in.  “You know I love travelling with you, you always take me to the coolest places.  And you watch out for me, take care of me. I was just remembering all the adventures that we’ve had. All the places where we’ve been to.”  She looked suddenly sad, melancholic.

“You Ok Barbara?”  She reached out her hand and touched mine on the table.  I looked up and was caught in her gaze.  “What’s the matter?”  Her skin was moist as her hand rested on mine.  She looked nervous.

“Can we leave please, I need a drink.  Take me somewhere.  I want to dance.”

“Barbara it’s getting late, you sure?”

“Baby, please, make me happy.  You always take care of me, regardless, take me out for a drink.”

“Okay.”  I signaled for the check, quickly paid and left the restaurant.  We drove down the famous Calle Ocho looking for somewhere to get a drink.

We stopped by an open bar called Cuba Ocho.  The lights were low, and the bar looked busy.  The walls were papered with paintings from old Cuban artists and spread out were clippings from newspapers with stories about the Cuba Ocho bar and Cuban Heritage Museum.  I walked towards the bar and asked for two Mojitos.  The Mojitos were perfect, they mixed traditional style, with natural ingredients including the sugar cane and hierba buena.  Before I got halfway through mine, she had finished hers.  “I want another one, this is delicious.”  Naturally, I got her another one.  They had live music that night, and the slow salsa music started. “Let’s dance.”  She stood up and dragged me to the open dance floor.  “Those drinks are strong aren’t they.”  She said as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

We swayed gently to the beat of the music.  As the drinks took hold, she began dancing closer to me, until her head rested on my shoulder, and our bodies pressed together.  She began stroking the back of my neck gently with her manicured fingernails.  The bar faded away; all I could feel was her arms around me.  That discrete aroma of Chanel lingered close to her, as her breath carried a scent of mint.  We floated in a void, she was in my arms, and I was in hers.  The weight of her resting against my shoulder grounded me, reminded me that this was real, the swaying of her body, led mine.  I didn’t even notice when the music stopped.  She looked up at me, her eyes met mine and they seemed to wonder over my face.  She caressed my cheek, cupping my face in her hand, I felt her warm lips touch mine.  Everything faded, we floated in space, weightless as I embraced her, I didn’t want to fall.  Her breath mixed with mine, her heartbeat in sync with mine, we were alone.  When her lips left mine, our eyes were caught in an embrace of their own.  I could see the universe in the twinkle of her eyes.  Then, the universe came crashing back into place.  The bar fell into place, the sounds, gravity.

“We can’t do this…”  I said as I tried to push her away.  She resisted.

“What do you mean?”  She was startled.

“I mean we work together; we can get into so much trouble for this.”  I walked back to the bar. “Another mojito please.”  I yelled at the bartender.

“You do realize you’re not my boss right…”  She said, as she embraced me again.  It was all starting to melt away again, fading into the haze again. 

“So…”  I had to break her spell.  Without notice, her lips met mine again. “This is so inappropriate.”  I needed to get away, but nothing worked, not my legs, or arms.

“Inappropriate is gonna come later, I hope…”  there was that devious smile again.  I was fading out again, her hands stroked my cheek, as her lips met mine again.  “What are you so worried about?  You don’t like me?”  She stepped back from me.  “That’s it isn’t it…”  she blushed, hid her face in her hands.

“No, its not that at all.  I am crazy for you, I’ve loved you for months, it’s just that all this now…”  I walked towards her.

“You what?”  It took a moment for both of us to realize what I had just said.

“Ok, yeah, you’ve been driving me crazy for months, every time I see you, I get nervous, my heart beats, I sweat. Can’t you tell?”  I needed to find a way out of here, it was getting hot.

“Really?”  She started again, close this time.

“Barbara, we work together, there are policies, problems, lawsuits.”  Even as I said it, the gravity of the situation was becoming apparent.

“Sweetheart, Baby…”  Her soft fingers on my chin, “…we are coworkers, besides, if no one knows, no one gets hurt.”  I leaned forward, I kissed her. 

“That never works…”  I whispered.  “…someone always knows or finds out.”

Something happened as the music started again, she pulled me to the dance floor again, but it was so different this time.  I wrapped my hands around her waist, I kissed her, I wanted to drown in her lips, to have her breath keep me alive.  I wanted to hold her all night.  To run my fingers through her hair, to feel her heartbeat, to enjoy her skin, her warmth.

The band was done, and the bartender let us know that they were closing early tonight, it was as school night.  Either way we needed to get up early for work.  As we sat in the car, she leaned her seat back, and reaching out for my hand, her eyes closed as we sped into the night.  The streetlights kept me company as I drove through the streets of Miami.  She was asleep.

When we got to the hotel, she woke up, and we kissed inside the elevator.  “I’ll see you in the morning.”  She said sleepily as she stepped out of the elevator on her floor.  “And one last kiss.”  The doors closed. I went to my floor.

“Ok folks, its time for our first break, right now its ten thirty, what do you say we get back in here at ten forty-five?”  I announced to the group. “Fifteen minutes should be enough, you agree?”  They all seemed to agree by standing up, grabbing their phones and heading out of the room.

“Barbara, you okay?”  I told her in a hushed tone.

“I’m fine, why do you ask?”  She avoided my gaze.

“You’ve been acting weird all morning, I’m sorry if I did something wrong last night.”  The guilt was pooling inside me.

“Baby, it’s definitely not you.  I just have a few things on my mind right now.”  She nervously arranged things on our desk.

“Like what?”  I needed to know, I think I did something wrong last night.

“Robert, I am fine.”  She suddenly seemed irritated, “Lets get through this, we’re almost done.”  This was the last stop on this trip.  After three months, this would be the last class for this client.  Usually the last class was always the easiest, but Barbara seemed perturbed. “Seriously, Robert, I am fine, we’ll talk later.”

“But…”  I started, she interrupted me.

“Let’s finish this.”  There was a sense absoluteness about her, in her eyes, her body language, her demeanor.

“Okay.”  It was all I could say.

When all the well-dressed professionals filed back into the room, it was almost time to start again.  It was Barbara’s turn to address the group.  She started.  She stood in front of the screen in her perfect black suit, her knee length skirt allowed her perfectly turned legs to peer from underneath.  She gave off the air of power, perfection, professionalism. Her manicured voice rang through the room with a clarity and sweetness that captured all the audience, and kept them wanting, waiting to hear the next word. Ring…  Ring… What was that?  Instinctively everyone looked around.  Ring… Ring… We always tell them to silence their cell phones before we start, someone always forgets. Barbara suddenly fell silent and walked over to the table where her cellphone was. “Robert, can you please take over for a moment?  I have to take this.”  Her face was suddenly pale, she took the phone and walked out of the room.

“Sure, as Barbara was saying…”  I started with a smile, she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.  She was gone for a long time.

By the time she came back into the room, the group was almost ready for lunch.  She was different, the pallor that she had was walked out with was gone, and her frown was replaced with a smile.  “Okay ladies and gentlemen…”  I decided to say, “…how ‘bout we break for lunch, look at your watches now, and please be back in thirty minutes.”  I got an agreement from the group and they all filed out.  As soon as the room was empty, I looked at Barbara, she was glowing.  “Everything okay?”  I started.

“Oh baby, everything is wonderful…”  She said smiling.  “Come here I need to show you something.”  She took my hand and led me out of the office.  As we left the room, she led me through another door.  It was a small room, a closet?  “I saw this when I was walking around.” She pushed me against a wall and taking my face into her hands kissed me.  It all faded away, we were floating again.

“Barbara, are you crazy?”  I didn’t want her to stop, I craved her lips, her touch.  “We can’t do this, not here.”

“I don’t care, I want you to understand that you didn’t do anything wrong last night.”  Her eyes glistened even in the dim light of the closet.  “Robert, I wouldn’t change last night for the world, please don’t ever stop kissing me.”  I wanted to scream to the world that I would never stop kissing her, I wanted to swear to her my undying love.  I wanted to keep kissing her.  I did. 

“My love…”  The words flowed from my lips effortlessly, “…we really have to get out of here before we get in trouble.”  I wasn’t worried about getting caught, but as we kissed she pressed her body against me.  My hands stroked her back, caressing the curve where her back ends.  Under her jacket, the silk of her blouse gave way to the thickness of her skirt.  Her rear was round, perfect.  I wanted to touch her, kiss her all over.  Her blouse had become unbuttoned and I could see the lace of the bra that she wore underneath.  “Barbara, we gotta go…”  Her hand shot down the front of my shirt to land on top of my zipper.  I felt her hand as she caressed me, she enjoyed touching me, it excited her.  It excited me.

“Oh baby…”  she said, whispering into my ear, “…we’re definitely gonna get in trouble.”

We were both in the room before any of the professionals returned. We looked at each other, the secret made us giggle to ourselves.  “You ready?”  She started.

“It’s your turn.”  I shot back.

“But…” She tried to look sad.

“No buts baby, I did the last segment for you, you do this one.”  As the last of the group walked into the room, I walked to the back of the room, and Barbara started.

“Welcome back...”  She started confidently, “Please remember cellphone etiquette while were in this meeting…”  Laughter tore through the room. She continued, “Hope you all had a good lunch.  Who can tell me what we were talking about before the break?” Her voice melted away; she didn’t speak anymore; it was all a strange melody that escaped from her lips.

It was almost time for that last break when Ben showed up.  “How’s it going?”  He asked.

“We’re almost done here; she’s getting ready for the last break.”  I said softly.

“Wow, is she in a hurry?”  He seemed impressed.

“Why you say that?”  Did I lose track of the meeting?

“Well, she’s only got 5 slides to go, and still about an hour and a half on the schedule.”  He was right, the class was almost over.

“Ladies and gentlemen…”  she looked intently at the group, “…we have to make a decision, right now.”  Her eyes locked on me. “…Its time for a fifteen-minute break.  Now, you can leave for fifteen minutes, and return for another twenty, or pay attention for another twenty minutes, and we are done.  I need a vote.”  The hands were unanimous to continue.  “Don’t worry Robert, I can finish this off.”  There was that devious smile again, I had a pretty good idea what was on her mind.

True to her word, thirty minutes later, while Ben was picking up all the room, Barbara and I were sitting in the office of one of the leaders.  It was protocol, when we finished a meeting check in with the client, close the books and get ready to go home.  The meeting was short, painless.  By the time we were done, Ben was loading the crates of electronics in the van. 

“That was quick.”  I remarked.

“Yeah, if can get this to FedEx by five, be at the airport by six, and catch an earlier flight tonight.”  He never stopped loading the van while we talked.

“But…”  I had to move to get out of his way, “…Ben I was hoping you’d come to dinner with us, were done with this client.”

“Thanks for the invitation, but, um, how can I say this…”  He was being sarcastic, “…wifey’s waiting for me, I am exhausted, and I want to…’’ He paused himself, searching for words.  He looked at Barbara. “…well you can imagine, to do the things married couples do.”

“Get laid…”  Barbara answered.

“Well yeah, see Robert that isn’t offensive to everyone...”  He closed the doors of the van.  “…Robert keeps telling me to watch my language around others, but if you put it that way.”   He stepped towards Barbara and wrapped his arms around her in a deep caring hug.  “Good luck.”  She looked surprised.  “Yeah, I am a tech, I know more than you think.  Besides, you guys’ll have more fun without me.”  He shook my hand, “Robert, just watch for those janitors.”  She blushed.   Ben jumped in his van and shot off down the street.

As we watched Ben drive off, I reached over discretely and held her hand, fingers intertwined.  “You think he knows?”  I asked Barbara softly.

“Nah, there’s no way he could.”  Her face didn’t seem confident, “Maybe?”

“That’s embarrassing.”  I covered my face.

“Don’t worry, Ben is very loyal, he won’t say anything.”  She said kissing my cheek.

“I hope so.”  We walked into the building to get our briefcases.

Her face was painted with a wonderful smile.  As we drove to the hotel, she laughed, she smiled.  We spoke about random things, we didn’t speak about what happened in the closet.  When we arrived back at the hotel, we walked close, it suddenly felt like a scene out of a movie, the romantic couple, in love.  “Wanna come back to my room?”  I asked nervously.

“Oh yes baby…”  She seemed excited, “…but, if I do we’ll never make it to dinner, and I am starving.  Let’s get changed, I want to get into something more…”  She paused thinking, “…fun. We’ll get something to eat and then, we’ll see what happens.”  I was hoping for a different answer, but I’ll take what I can get.

The entire bathroom was full of steamy fog.  The towels were thick as I dried myself off.  I wasn’t sure how long it had taken me to shower, but I knew I needed to hurry before Barbara called me that we had to go.  My clothes were laid out already on the couch, just needed to finish, getting dressed and we could go and have fun tonight.  There was a knock at the door.  “I must be imagining things.”  I said to myself. Knock…knock, there it was again.  I peeped through the small hole in the door, and it was Barbara.  “Who’s there?”  I yelled, searching for my underwear.

“It’s me, silly.  Open up, I bring presents.” I was too wet still to get any clothes on, gees.  “Baby, come on, people are starting to look at me weird.”  I wrapped a towel around me and opened the door.  She had a bottle of wine in her hand, and a predator’s smile.  “I guess my timing was perfect.”  She confidently walked in and sat on the couch.

“You’re early, besides I thought you said that you wanted dinner before coming to my room?” I grabbed my clothes and walked back into the bathroom.

“What are you doing that for?”  She yelled from her seat.

“What?”  I had to yell from the bathroom.

“Getting dressed all the way over there.”

“Again, I thought you wanted to eat first before, you know, before...” Why is it always so difficult to button a shirt when you’re in a hurry.

“Well, that was almost two hours ago, a girl can change her mind right.”  I was tightening my belt as I walked out of the bathroom, just my shoes were missing.  “That’s such a shame.” She tried to look disappointed.

“What were you expecting?”

“Oh I don’t know, accidentally drop your towel, or maybe something would pop out, wasn’t sure.”

“Well, I am dressed now, and you’re hungry, lets go.”  I walked towards the door.

“Oh well…”  She didn’t have the smile anymore, she seemed frustrated.

“It was your idea, you know.”  I started as we waited for the elevator.  She was quiet.

We were already in the car, there was a sudden strange look on her.  She was quiet, looked nervous.  “You okay?”  I asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine, there’s just something I’d like to talk to you about, and I’m not really sure how you’re gonna take it.”  She retreated into herself.  Her eyes focused on her feet, and she was strangely quiet.

“What’s up?  You’re worrying me.”  She took in a deep breath, I could see her searching for courage, there was something heavy on her mind.

“Baby…” She started; I could feel her eyes on me.  “We’ve known each other for six months.  We work together, we’ve been to so many places, and all that time, you took it upon yourself to watch out for me.  When I fly with you, it’s always an adventure, we go to different places. When I’m alone, it’s just the buffet at the lobby.  We get along together, and honestly, you know so more about me that I care to admit.”  I couldn’t describe the tone of her voice, it was different to anything I’d ever heard.  “I needed this trip with you, you know.  I wanted to be close to you.  Thing is I am not sure how you feel about me.”  Her eyes were locked on her feet again.  “Yesterday…”  she paused, searching for words, “…yesterday, was a long time coming, you know.  I needed that.  Yeah I know you’re worried about the whole work thing, and you and me, and a relationship, blah blah blah.”  She tried to be funny, but it didn’t work out too well.

“Barbara…”  I started, but again, she interrupted me. 

“Please, if I don’t do this now, not really sure if I ever will.”  She seemed to be in turmoil, her eyes looked troubled.  We pulled into the parking lot of Versailles again. Without a word she got out of the car.  My hand was on the small of her back as we crossed the street, the soft silk of her dress falling easily into the curves of her body.

We had been sitting at the table for a few moments when she started again.  “Robert, how do you feel about me?”

Was this the right time to tell her?  I wanted to scream to the world that I love this woman.  I wanted my heart to open and show her what she was to me.  She needed to know that every beat of my heart was for her, that when I was around her, even if it was for a moment, I felt complete.  That when I kissed her yesterday, I felt the universe actually made sense, she made me perfect.  “Why do you ask that?”  I shot out instead.

“I need to know.  Robert, I have loved you for months, and I knew how you felt about the whole relationship and work thing, so…”  The waiter interrupted her while he served our food.  “Thanks.  So, I didn’t want to push it.  But yesterday, I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to.  I put myself out there, I exposed myself, don’t know if you feel that way too.”  She reached out and held my hand.

“Honey…”  What?  Was that the best I could do? “…yeah, this whole work thing is driving me nuts.  I like what I do, and believe me, you are definitely in my heart.  I have to ask myself if I’d be willing to give up my career for you, and the truth us that I would.  Willingly and with a smile.”

“Really?”  Her eyes became glassy with tears.

“Barbara, I’ve loved you for the longest time…”  Where did that come from? Words came from my mouth that I didn’t say. “I actually took certain projects just to be close to you, to hear your voice, to look at you.”  The waiter returned and cleared the table.

“Desert or coffee?”  He stood formally.

“Yeah two café con leche.”  I requested. “And to make things worse, I know that if it wasn’t for this job, I’d never get to even see you.  You live so far away.”   The coffees arrived.

“If it wasn’t for the job, do you think you and I would be a couple?”  She asked concerned.

“My love…” that sounded better, “…I think we’d be a wonderful couple.  It would be my dream come true.

“Well baby, then I have something to tell you.”  She knew how to use pauses for dramatic effects.  She drew in that breath for courage.  “You remember the call yesterday?

“Yeah, the one in the middle of class?”

“Yeah, that one, well.”  She paused, she seemed uncomfortable.  I could see that she was trying different ways of saying something.  “Baby, I told you that I love you, right…”  She leaned over and kissed my lips tenderly.

“You’re scaring me.”  I said nervously.

“Well, first, that was my last project.”  She said as she held my hand and looked deeply into my eyes.

“What do you mean, your last project?  You’re quitting?”  I heard the cracking in my heart. Oh no, please, not like this. “What do you mean.”  It was my turn for the tears.

“I spoke to Bill and told him this was my las project.  About a month ago when we were in Atlanta, I was approached by a ‘talent acquisition specialist’ I think is what he called himself.  Either way, we got to talking, and eventually, I got offered a position.”  She was smiling. 

“What?”  Tears welled in my eyes, I needed to fight them.

“Baby, don’t be sad, it’s not a bad thing.”  I wanted to believe it, I wanted to be happy for her.

“I guess it must be a good thing for you, more money?”  I wiped a tear.

“Not really, I gave up some pay for other conditions.”  She stroked my cheek. “Baby, why are you sad?”  She was concerned.

“Barbara, you’re leaving the company, when…  How will I ever see you, I thought we had something going.”

“You said you didn’t want to date someone in the company, right?”

“Well, yeah…”

“So now you don’t have to.”  What?

“What do you mean?”  I knew my eyes were glassy.

“Do you think I am going to let you go that easy.  I just told you that I love you, don’t you get it.”

“Yeah, but you live in L.A., when will I ever see you?’

“Well, first of all, it’s pretty much the same job, so with a little planning, we can see each other all the time.  Besides, you haven’t asked where I’m going to be based.” 

“Where are you going to be based?”

“Houston…”  She said proudly, “…I’m actually getting an apartment in mid-town, been there twice.”

“Houston? Like my Houston?  Where I live?  You’ve been to Houston and didn’t tell me?”

“Yep.”  I was surprised, I didn’t know what to say.  “They were short day trips, you know in on the first out the last flight. Baby, pay the bill I wanna get out of here already.”  It didn’t make sense, did she really mean that she left her job, and is moving to Houston?  To be close to me?

“I don’t get it, why would you do something like that?”  Confusion, happiness, I want to scream and cry.

“Baby, I have seen you at your best, and your worst.  You are so sweet to me, and you take care of me.  I have fallen for you.”  Her eyes twinkled, there was emotion building in them.  “Your handsome, and intelligent, but most of all, you make me happy, even though, we hadn’t even kissed until tonight.”

“You sure about that? I mean that’s a huge step for you.”

“Well, yes, it is.  But…”  She sipped her coffee.  “...I’m okay with the risk, nothing ventured nothing gained.”  There was silence, I wanted to say something, something romantic and smart.  Something a lover would say in a romance novel.  I needed to process.

“Wanna go dancing?”  My brain was still floating in the haze of confusion.

“Nope, I am exhausted, besides there’s a bottle of wine calling my name.”

“Ok.”  Wait a minute, we’re going back to the hotel room, now?  I felt the excitement building inside me.

She stroked my hair as we drove to the hotel, she smiled, we laughed, as all of this settled, it made more sense.  She held my hand, and kissed me when I stopped, for once I wished there were more red lights. 

She’s going to give up her job, so we can be together.  It was a deep thought, what if things don’t work out?  What if she doesn’t like her new job?  So many what ifs.  I couldn’t worry about them tonight, there would be a long future for that to happen.  Do I want to date her?  Maybe we can live together, get married?  Does she want to get married?

In the elevator, she pressed 5 and then pressed 6.  “Baby, I have to drop something off in my room.  You have the suite, my room is tiny, I’ll be there in a minute.

Walking into my suite, I started the music on the computer, turned off some of the lights, shit, we need ice.  I ran down the hall to the ice machine, I wanted to get back before she showed up.  The wine was on ice, the room was in shadows, the only thing missing now was her.  There was the knock.  She was wearing something different now, not the silky short dress from earlier. This was different, it was silk, but looser, softer.  She kissed me.  “Like what you see?”  She stood in the door.

Her kiss was deep, engulfing.  My arms embraced her.  I could feel how under the dress, her bare back curved as I touched her.  Her muscles flexing at my touch as I kissed her neck.  She began unbuttoning my shirt, until she slipped it off my shoulders.  Ring… ring… It was her phone.  I slipped a strap off her shoulder and the dress fell easily to the floor.  Ring…Ring… “Hold on…”  She said as she picked up her dress and covered herself with it.  “Hello…”  She started into the phone. “Hey Ben, thanks so much, you heard already?”  she listened, “Yeah well, it was a long time coming.  Nah now I have to move to Houston.  Her eyes were focused on mine as she tangled the hair on my chest. Stroking my chest, my belly.  We sat on the couch. “…Yeah Ben he’s right here.”  “He wants to talk to you.”  She handed me the phone.

“Hey Ben, what up?”  I started as she kissed my neck, tickling my ears. 

“Hey, I heard the news about Barbara, how do you feel about that?”  Ben sounded excited.

“I’m happy for her.”  I said. She dropped the dress.  Her body was perfect.

“Yeah well, you’re gonna lose your partner, and gonna break up a great team, your gonna have to team up with someone else.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine…”  She kissed my chest, I could stroke her bare back as her kisses went lower towards my belt. She began to loosen my belt. “Oh my…”

“What’s that?, What did you say?”  Ben asked, “Oh by the way, I heard about the janitor.  Were you guys finishing, or just getting started when he walked in?”

“Just getting started…”  Her long fingers found their way under my pants.

“Oh, so he didn’t even give you a chance, huh.”  I could feel my breath becoming irregular as she lowered my underwear.

“Ben, can I call you back later.”  My heart was beating wildly.

“Don’t worry about that, you sound like you’re busy, say bye to Barbara for me.  I’d say give her a kiss, but I am sure you already did.”  The phone went silent.

We didn’t have a chance to open the bottle.