Helen woke up and stared at the wall. She was still exhausted, having woken up breathless twice during the night. She’d thrown off the covers and tried to calm down but the dream had been too vivid. She’d been making love to Alec in her dreams and she was still aching, desperate for him even now.
There was no getting away from Alec. He seemed to end up anywhere she was. Earlier in the week, he’d turned up at a photo shoot and took her out to lunch. Another day he met her in the park with a picnic lunch, then asked her about the people she’d photographed. When he went out of town for two days, he called and told her when he’d be back, asking her to meet him at the airport. When she said no, he told her to write down the date and time he was scheduled to land. And since it was his plane, he could be there anytime. “Meet me at the airport, Helen” he said. And of course, silly woman that she was, she did. And was met with a huge bouquet of white roses and a mind numbing kiss, followed by a trip to a village fair where he took her on every ride available, even voting for the best pig and largest cow. Helen hated that she laughed hard at all the silly games they played but she hated even more that he was breaking down her resistance, showing her that he was really a nice guy underneath all that arrogance.
He called her house just as she was arriving home each night and told her he was taking her out to dinner. When she denied him, he resorted to telling her where he was taking her, tempting her with savory foods and amazing desserts. She wasn’t gaining weight because she was too wound up the following day to eat, having been subjected to yet another sexual onslaught at the door to her apartment when he dropped her off.
After two weeks of this pressure, she wasn’t sure if she was coming or going at times. Waking up after one of these evenings with Alec, she pushed the pillow over her face and screamed. She hoped she wasn’t disturbing her neighbor but couldn’t help it if she was. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted Alec so much but she had a promise to her father and she had to keep it.
Helen threw back the covers and showered, changing into a pair of jeans and plain white tee-shirt. In her hair, she covered the top with an old scarf, gypsy style, then added several sets of pearls and a black leather belt. Feeling more like her old self again now that she was dressed, she grabbed her camera bag and left her apartment. She had a lot to do today.
Twelve hours later, she dragged herself back home, desperate for a long soak in the tub. She hadn’t heard from Alec today and denied that she was disappointed. She wasn’t addicted to him, she told herself as she dumped her bag down beside the door.
Looking through her refrigerator, she contemplated the contents. Nothing but a bottle of milk which was probably way past its prime, a brownish head of lettuce and one egg. The freezer wasn’t any better but at least it contained some frozen meals. Accepting that she’d have to microwave something or go out, she pulled out the meal.
The phone rang.
She ignored it and slammed the door closed on the microwave.
It kept ringing. She glared at it until it stopped ringing and the answering machine picked it up. “Helen, I know you’re there. Pick up the phone,” Alec said through the machine, his deep voice challenging her, commanding her to do something she knew would be a bad idea.
She bit her lip and contemplated the idea. If she picked it up, he’d take her out to dinner. Then he’d kiss her and drive her crazy with need, then leave her on her doorstep while his eyes demanded that she invite him in.
She turned away from the phone. The microwave dinged and she grew frustrated. “Helen, pick up the phone,” he ordered.
She opened the microwave and stuck her fork into the still frozen pasta.
Alec sighed on her machine. “Okay. I’ll be out of town for three days. When I get back, we’re going to talk. Be safe, Helen,” he said and then hung up the phone.
Helen turned to stare at the phone. Alec would be gone? For three whole days? The desolation that invaded her heart was painful and she looked around at her tiny apartment, feeling like the world had just tilted on its side and she couldn’t regain her balance.
No! She would not be upset by that news! She would be fine without him. Great even. No problems, no frustration. She could get some sleep and develop some of these pictures.
Calling her mother, she scheduled a dinner with her, then two of her other friends. She was determined to not think about him at all. Or about how much she missed him. If she thought about him during the next three days, it was only to hope that he was safe and not overworking. If she dreamed about him at night, she quickly gave herself a cold shower and pretended that everything was fine.
Four days later, Helen sighed with happiness. Another picture sold! The check in her hands wasn’t much but the picture of the sunset she’d sold would show up in a prestigious travel magazine. She might not make a lot of money on that one, but she’d get lots of recognition. And it was all because of Alec. Well, his view at any rate.
She stared at the one hundred euro check the whole way up the stairs to her apartment, almost dancing with excitement as she reviewed the name over and over again. This was the first time they’d ever accepted one of her pictures although she’d submitted several before. Even as she looked at the evidence, she still couldn’t believe that she’d finally broken through and had one accepted! It was like a special birthday and Christmas all wrapped up in one.
Dumping her heavy camera bag beside the door, she danced through her tiny apartment to the kitchen. Tonight, she didn’t even notice the chipped, blue linoleum she’d asked her landlord to repair about ten times, or the chipping paint in the corner. Tonight, all she could see was the travel magazine check and her heart couldn’t calm down. This was monumental.
She pulled out the bottle of white wine she’d been savoring the previous few days. Although it had been out and exposed to oxygen which diminishes the taste, the quality of the wine was such that it didn’t matter. At least not to her. She didn’t have the money to throw away. Since she enjoyed a good bottle of wine so much but didn’t have the money to get rid of an already opened bottle if she couldn’t drink it that same night, she accepted the slightly tarnished taste. It was still immensely enjoyable.
She changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, immediately feeling relief from the heat. The air conditioner in her apartment wasn’t working very well so it never really cooled down. She plopped down onto the comfortable, but well worn, orange couch she’d found at a second hand shop and breathed a sigh of relief, taking a slow, wonderful sip of her wine. It was crisp and pungent and alerted all her senses that an explosion of flavor was about to hit. Then wham! Her tongue experienced the oak, the fruit and the touch of chocolate. Amazing! And oh, so satisfying.