Maddie Cochere - Susan Hunter 02 - Big Apple Hunter Read online

  “I can’t tell you how I felt today watching you. It was hard to believe I could call you mine.” He paused as though weighing his words. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

  The soft sounds of The Temptations singing Night and Day were now floating from the radio. I didn’t know if Mick asked me anything or not as intense fatigue won the day, and I slept the entire way home.

  Chapter Three

  The end-of-summer party, two weekends later, was at Larry and Samantha’s home, a small lake house set partially into the side of a hill.

  We had overtaken most of the large living area upstairs with tables for playing cards, and there was an entertainment center with plenty of music. Larry was busy grilling on two grills on the patio. The two-car garage was set up with massive amounts of food and ample amounts of beer and wine, courtesy of Larry’s employer, Barney’s Beverage. We were having no problems making a huge dent in both food and booze.

  Darby had come over to my apartment around noon to help me make a couple of Mexican dishes to take to the party. We had been neighbors for almost two years now, and we spent a lot of time together, but I was the last person on the face of the earth to find out four months ago he was gay. It explained a lot, but I was frustrated at my lack of gaydar. We both liked to cook and try out new recipes, and we were often in my kitchen coming up with delicious successes or stunning failures. Today we made black bean dip, fresh salsa, and cheese enchiladas with green sauce. Everything turned out perfectly.

  It was a beautiful fall day. Mid-October in Ohio is gorgeous, and the trees were stunning with their vibrant red, orange, and brown colors. The group of about thirty people was a mix of Barney’s Beverage employees, Carbide Racquet & Fitness employees, and friends of both.

  No one had ever complained about the annual party, but there was a new neighbor next door this year, and he and his wife were parked on their patio and had been glaring our way all day. Larry went over as soon as they came out and invited them to join in, but they icily and stonily declined.

  I came downstairs from a euchre marathon with seven guys from Barney’s. I grabbed a plastic cup and looked around for ice and a soft drink but wasn’t surprised to find the only beverages left were beer and wine. I poured my wine over ice.

  I stood off to the side of the garage, giving myself a view of the patio, the backyard, and the lake. Darby was deep in conversation with Mr. Barney. Darby is a work-from-home freelance writer specializing in web and marketing writing, so I assumed they were talking business. Connie, one of the day-shift workers at the racquetball club, was chatting with Stan and Louise, the club owners. Husky was sitting on the tree swing with his new girlfriend, Sherry. He was taking a huge risk exposing her to this bunch from Never Never Land. It was pretty obvious when we were all together we were never going to grow up. She would either get the friendship and camaraderie we all shared, or it would scare her away. But Husky seemed especially happy today, and that made me smile.

  Party Rock Anthem was blaring out the open windows again, and I could hear Samantha yelling behind me, “Stop! Stop! Larry, don’t you dare!”

  I turned around to look, and Ron and Larry came running around from behind the garage. They were stark naked, running with their arms up in the air, and screaming as they ran down the yard toward the lake. Samantha came next, fully clothed, with a camera in hand. Everyone in our group broke out into gales of laughter, but the neighbors next door stood up and stared with their eyes bulging and their mouths hanging open.

  Following suit, Lou and Jeff, a couple of the Barney’s guys who had been sitting on the patio with their wives, started throwing off their clothes and ran naked down the lawn, except Lou still had his socks on. Their wives were holding onto each other, jumping up and down, and laughing so hard, tears were streaming down their faces. The lady next door nearly fell over trying to get inside her house, and her husband gave me the evil eye. I was standing closest to their property, and I was the only one he could make direct eye contact with. He stormed into his house and slammed the door. Samantha was snapping pictures of the naked guys as fast as she could.

  A pair of hands encircled my waist from behind. I leaned back into a solid chest, tipped my head back, and drawled happily, “Yeesss?”

  Mick nuzzled the back of my neck and said, “Want to slip out now? I’m pretty sure the police will be here soon, and we can miss them altogether if we hurry.”

  I spun around to face him and squealed, “Oh my gosh! Yes! That’s such a good idea. Let me grab my purse.”

  We were out the driveway and two blocks down the street when the first police car turned onto Hemlock Drive. Two more cars followed. The naked guys were surely spending the night in jail. I almost felt guilty for not saying good-bye to Samantha, but not really. She had been pretty busy taking souvenir pictures.

  I looked at Mick with relief in my eyes and said, “Thank you for suggesting the getaway. I’m glad we didn’t get caught up in that mess.” He laughed. “Well,” I told him, “you’re really great to put up with all of us like you do. I know we can be a pretty rowdy, immature bunch at times.”

  “Don’t forget,” he said, “Husky’s worked for Raines Construction for a long time. I knew him when I was in college, and we have a few war stories of our own.” He reached over to grasp my hand, kissed it, and said, “As long as you don’t get naked in public, and as long as you stay out of jail, I don’t mind at all.”

  I only smiled. He didn’t need to know that all of us in the women’s racquetball league had gone over to Connie’s house late one night last month and skinny-dipped in her pool. The guys at the club had a cow later when they found out they had missed it, but we weren’t quite the exhibitionists they were.

  We were quiet for a few minutes with our own thoughts. Mick finally spoke, “Listen Susan, I have to go out of town on Thursday, and I’ll probably be gone for a week. We’re bidding on a big job over in Celina, and I have several meetings and some preliminary work before starting the bid process.” Mick worked for his uncle as a foreman before becoming part owner of the company, and he was still a hands-on worker.

  “Are you going to be right at the lake?” I asked. “I love it over there. The town’s so quaint, and it will be gorgeous this time of year.” Grand Lake Saint Marys is a large lake at the western edge of the state, and I had been water skiing there with friends several years ago.

  He smiled, gave me a hopeful look, and said, “You could come with me.”

  I sighed. “I can’t,” I said. “I really shouldn’t take off any more work, and we have a big membership push in the center for the next two weeks, so I need to be there.” I gazed at him with a sadness I truly felt and said, “I would love to go and be with you though.”

  I could tell by the look in his eyes he wished I could go, too. I was pretty sure he was trying to find a way to see if I was ready to move our relationship forward. There was a lot of passion between us, and the sexual tension was always present. The guy simply made me weak in the knees and sent fire through my body, but I didn’t want to ruin this. I wasn’t ready to be more intimate yet, and I was grateful for his patience so far.

  He tried to lighten the melancholy mood. “Let’s have dinner Wednesday night before I go. When I get back, there are some things we should talk about, but in the meantime, do you think you can stay out of trouble while I’m gone?” His eyes were twinkling.

  “Me? Trouble? I don’t get into trouble,” I said innocently, but I almost burst into laughter.

  “Well,” he said. “I’m going to ask Darby to keep an eye on you just the same.”

  “Ok by me.” I said. “We’ll find something to do.” …

  A honking horn brought me back to reality. I had been sitting in Martin’s parking lot for nearly fifteen minutes, listening to The Monkees on the 8-track player, while the tournament and party memories flitted through my mind. I would have been happy and content if I hadn’t just heard the news about Mrs. Blakely and her lies. I was disconcerted as I pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.

  Ten minutes later, I pulled into the carport behind my apartment building, a twelve-unit, three-story structure with a faux Tudor facade. I ran up the three flights of stairs to my apartment. It was the first door to the right at the top of the stairs.

  Darby’s apartment was directly across the wide hallway from mine, and he must have been waiting for me to come home, because he stuck his head out as soon as I hit the landing. “Hey, Susan. You workin’ at the club tonight?” he asked.

  “I am, but not until 9:00,” I told him. “What’s up?”

  He hurried back into his apartment. I unlocked my door and waited for him. He appeared a minute later with a large, covered platter and a bottle of white wine tucked under his arm. “I made dinner,” he said. I stepped aside so he could enter my apartment with something that smelled oceanic and wonderful.

  He had a big grin on his face and said, “I had a cooking show on this morning while I was working. My mouth was watering just listening to it, and when I saw the finished product, I had to run to the market and get everything to give it a try. I’ve been waiting for you to get home to try it.”

  I took a deep breath toward the covered dish. “Hmmm,” I noised appreciatively, the smell sending my taste buds into overdrive. “I’m sorry I was late. I stayed at the center until closing, and then I stopped by the deli for a few things.” I started putting my groceries away while Darby set the table. “What is it?” I asked him. “It smells fantastic.”

  “Lobster Newburg. It was easier to make than I thought, and I think it turned out just right.” He opened the bottle of Riesling and poured two glasses. He uncovered the dish, and it looked amazing.

  “It looks like something from a five-s
tar restaurant!” I exclaimed with delight. He had plated the creamed lobster over buttery puff pastry shells and then garnished with chopped chives. My mouth was aching with anticipation.

  We sat down and took big bites at the same time. “Hmmmm … yum,” I mumbled. “This is delicious,” I said with my mouth still mostly full. “Nutmeg, brandy, sherry?” I asked.

  “All three,” he said with his own mouth full. “And plenty of cream and butter, too.” He took another big bite. “Wow! This really is good, isn’t it?” He was grinning with a proud look of culinary satisfaction on his face.

  “Don’t forget to put this recipe in the keeper box,” I told him between bites. “We don’t want to lose this one. Did you buy fresh lobster and cook it yourself? Or frozen?”

  “Fresh,” he replied. I was impressed. “By the way,” he said looking at me with a playful smile, “I overheard some women at the market today. It seems your name is being bandied about as one who participated in some sort of a naked orgy this weekend.”

  I kicked him under the table and said, “That horrible Mrs. Blakely was the woman next door glaring at us all day yesterday. I didn’t even recognize her, and I can’t understand why she would spread such terrible rumors.”

  “I don’t know,” Darby said shaking his head, “but how did you get away before the police showed up?”

  I couldn’t hold back a big grin. “It was Mick’s idea. Once Lou and Jeff ditched their clothes, and the neighbors went indoors, he figured they were calling the police and suggested the getaway. What happened after we left?”

  “The officers let the four guys put on clothes and then took them downtown,” he said. “I think they were cited for public indecency. Samantha picked them up a couple of hours later, and the party moved indoors. When I left at midnight, they were still playing cards upstairs.”

  I smiled again thinking of those knuckleheads running naked down the yard. I’d have to call Samantha tomorrow to find out what was going to happen to them.

  I glanced at my watch. “I have to get ready for work,” I said as I stood from the table and moved toward the bathroom. “I’ll only be a few minutes. Stick around, and I’ll have another glass of wine with you before I go.”

  “Ok,” he said. “I’ll clean up the kitchen. You want any leftovers in the fridge?”

  “Of course,” I called to him. “They’ll make a great midnight snack later.”

  “Hey,” he yelled from the kitchen, “Mick called me today. Said he’s going out of town on Thursday and asked me to keep an eye on you. What was that all about?”

  “Wait a minute,” I yelled back from the bathroom. I had washed my face and was now brushing my hair. I applied fresh mascara and swiped my lips with a shiny gloss. I dashed into the bedroom to change into a club shirt and jeans. It all took less than five minutes. Darby was waiting for me in his usual spot on the sofa. He handed a glass of the Riesling to me, and I plopped down beside him.

  “I’m not sure what’s up with Mick,” I told him. “Maybe it’s because of all the crazy things we do at the club, or maybe he’s a little insecure because of the way other guys talk about me around him, but there’s definitely something that’s the teeniest bit different about him. Like he’s thinking about something and doesn’t really want to bring it up. He said we needed to talk next week when he gets home.”

  Darby’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s never a good thing,” he said with alarm. “You just got the we need to talk speech.”

  I punched him on the arm and laughed a little. “I did not. Mick isn’t going anywhere. He’s not going to leave me.”

  He eyed me dubiously. “Have you guys, uh, you know. Have you guys, uh, …”

  I butted in. “Sex? No!” A second later my shoulders drooped, and I looked at him with a miserable look in my eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want to, I just can’t yet. After two years of thinking Louie and I were going to get married, and then finding that girl in his bed, I just don’t want to jump into anything without being one hundred percent certain.”

  “Susan,” he said. “You can never be one hundred percent certain. How long have you two been dating now?”

  “Not long enough. Maybe six months total.”

  “Do you love him?” he asked while giving me a tell the truth look.

  I hesitated. I hadn’t yet said it out loud. “Yes, I love him.” It came out with a resigned sigh. I certainly couldn’t deny it.

  “Have you told him?” he asked.

  “No!” I snapped. “And he hasn’t told me either. I’m not going to say it first.”

  Darby looked exasperated. “You guys are going to mess this up if you don’t start communicating with each other. By now, you should both be able to tell the other how you feel, and I think you guys need to put that fire out between you, too. Sometimes, when you two are together, you can see the smoke coming off of your bodies.”

  I punched him again. “I don’t know what to do,” I told him with despair. “This relationship isn’t like anything I’ve ever experienced. It feels different, really special. But Mick was married right out of high school, so I assume he didn’t date much. What if he’s simply wearing rose-colored glasses for now? I’m not putting out just because that might be the way to keep him around a while longer. I want someone who’s in it with me for the long haul.” I glanced at my watch again. “I’ve got exactly eight minutes to get to the club.” I stood up, grabbed my jacket, and moved to the door. “Will you turn off the lights and be sure the door is locked when you leave?”

  “Of course, but Susan,” he paused to be sure I was listening, “Mick’s not wearing rose-colored glasses. You’re the real deal, and he knows it. Maybe he doesn’t want to mess things up either.”

  I knew Darby cared, and I flashed him a smile as I dashed out the door.

  Chapter Four

  By Thursday, I was miserable.

  The enrollment drive in the weight loss center was still going strong. My center was leading our division with the most new members, but I had received word from Corporate that Mrs. Colter had called them with a complaint. Betsy Ann Tucker, the Human Resources Director from the corporate offices in Las Vegas, was coming in today to talk with me, and I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  To make matters worse, Mick and I had dinner together last night, and for the first time, there were some awkward silences between us. The evening was nice, dinner was good, and we enjoyed our conversation, but there were too many unspoken words. When we arrived back at my apartment, he walked up the three flights of stairs with me, but declined to come in as he had work to do before leaving for Celina in the morning. The look in his eyes was soft, almost sad. He wrapped his arms around me, pulled me close, and kissed me hard, taking my breath away and nearly causing my knees to buckle. It was almost as though he was never going to see me again.

  It wasn’t even three weeks ago that I thought my life was picture perfect. Today my life was confusing at the least. I had no idea what was going on with Mick, I was going to be disciplined in my job, and I was cranky from lack of exercise. With the center being so busy this week, I hadn’t had time to squeeze in any racquetball matches between jobs. Samantha and Larry were lying low at their house this week anyway. There were so many rumors flying around town about their party, she preferred to stay home rather than deal with the gossip. She was supposed to call on Saturday to let me know if she wanted to play a few games in the afternoon.

  I walked through the center trying to shake my blahs. Angela was conducting a weigh-in, and Grace was in a consultation. I peeked into the waiting room to be sure no one had been missed. The door opened, and one of my earlier presentations walked in. A lovely, mid-thirties woman, who really had very little weight to lose, had been in on Tuesday and was now back in the center. I walked over to greet her.

  “Sally Hagar, right?” I asked as I shook her hand and smiled. “It’s nice to see you again. Come on in. We can talk in my office.”

  We walked through the center, and I motioned for her to have a seat in front of my desk. I sat down in the chair beside her. “I’m glad you came back,” I told her. “Have you made a decision to enroll, or do you have more questions about the program?” She seemed like a nice person, and I had enjoyed talking with her on Tuesday.