(10)
— Originally publshed in The MacGuffin, Spring 2004
Continued from page (9)
She swung her feet to the floor and stretched as she stood. “Enough
whining for one day.” Her smile was bittersweet.
He tried to swallow the lump in his throat and stood at her side. He put
his arm around her.
She raised her hand slowly and carefully, as if he might pull away. Her
fingertips grazed his neck. “May I—” She brushed his cheek, pressed the
whiskers on his chin. Her eyes moistened. “I’ve wanted to do that since I
saw you at Point Lobos.”
He stroked her hair. “Roxie.” She looked up at him, her eyes wet. He
kissed her. Her mouth was sweet and trembling.
The reflection of the morning sun on the sea woke him. He smelled
coffee. The satin sheets were tangled. One pillow was on the floor. They’d
left the balcony door open, and the chill of the morning breeze prickled his
skin. He rolled onto his side. No Roxie. He wanted to feel her next to him
again. “Roxie?”
He climbed from the bed and peered into the living room. The balcony
curtains were parted, the fire was lit, and on the sideboard coffee stood
ready next to pastries and stemmed glasses filled with juice. The room key
was still on the coffee table.
“Where are you, love?”
Maybe she was having coffee in the Jacuzzi. The bathroom door was
open. Empty.
She was gone.
“Cut it out,” he said aloud. “She’s out for a walk or something.” He
laughed. His heartbeat slowed. A few minutes past eight. She’d know he’d
wake up looking for her. She wouldn’t be long.
Wrapped in a terry cloth robe he found by the Jacuzzi, he drank coffee
and orange juice, ate a muffin. She still wasn’t back. His chest registered
panic again. Off with the robe and into yesterday’s clothes. He dashed down
the stairs. The hot tub was empty. No one in the lobby. Scattered couples
sat hand in hand in the lounge and on the deck. No one in the parking lot or
the gardens. Out of breath, he stopped at the concierge desk.
“I’m looking for a red-haired lady who was here earlier.”
“Freckles?” the bell captain said. “Blue-green dress?”
Jamey’s heart pumped. “That’s her.”
“She asked me to call her a cab at—” The captain checked his log
“—6:37 this morning.”
“Where was she going?”
“Into town.”
What was happening? Last night they’d loved each other.
TOM'S TALES