Chapter 92
The rest of the night flew by quickly, but we had a wonderful time. In fact, it was the best time that I had in years. When he took me home, he walked me to my door and said goodnight, but made no effort to kiss me. The next day, I cancelled my appointments, took off from work, and spent the day with Curt, showing him Nashville. He had never been here before and he really seemed to enjoy the city. That night, he took me to Moto, an upscale Italian restaurant in Nashville.
I woke the next morning, greeting Thanksgiving like an old friend. I showered and dressed in jeans and a silk shirt with a sweater, and my black boots. When I walked into the kitchen, Alanna was making herself a cup of coffee. "Morning," I said as I pulled a cup from the shelf.
"What's so good about it?" Alanna teased, as she took a sip.
I laughed. "Late night, huh?"
She laughed, and then cringed as she placed a hand to her head. "You have no idea."
I smiled as I sat down at the table kitty-corner from her. "You want to go to Frank's with me for Thanksgiving?"
"I think it would take me too long to get myself together." She ran a hand through her tangled reddish-brown hair.
I laughed. "Partying down like this is going to catch up with you one day."
"So I've been told." She took a sip of her coffee.
"What are you doing today?" I asked, concerned.
She motioned over her body. "You're looking at it."
I shook my head. "Alanna, you can't spend Thanksgiving alone." I took her hand and looked into her eyes. "Come with Curt and me to Frank's. It'll be fun."
Alanna looked up with interest. "Are you sure that Frank's wife wouldn't mind?"
I shook my head. "Roxanne would love it if you came. The more the merrier."
She smiled. "Are you sure about that?"
I laughed. "Roxanne is a sweetheart. I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all."
She nodded as she downed the last bit of her coffee. "Give me the address and I'll meet you there." She set her glass in the sink and headed toward her bedroom. "It's going to take me a while to make this look sensational." She motioned over her body again.
I laughed. "You're already sensational. But don't go overboard. It's going to be casual."
She blew me a kiss, and then disappeared into her bedroom.
A moment later, the doorbell rang. I checked myself in the mirror and smoothed my hand over my sun-streaked soft waves and checked my makeup. Satisfied, I opened the door.
Curt was standing on the other side, wearing jeans and a white shirt, open at the neck, with a brown suede jacket and matching brown boots. "Ready to go?"
"Would you like to come in for a minute?" I asked as I stepped aside.
He stepped inside and looked around.
"Would you like some coffee?" I asked.
He turned around and pulled me into his arms. "I'm going to miss you," he said, smoothing back the hair away from my face as he looked in to my eyes. "I've had a really great time with you over the past few days."
My heart beat wildly within my chest as I looked up into his eyes. "Are you sure you have to leave so soon?"
He smiled, satisfied with my reaction. "Yes; I have an important meeting with someone tomorrow."
"Could you postpone it?"
He shook his head. "No. I can't," he said as he looked deeply into my eyes. His lips descended upon mine, taking my breath away, as his hands slid down my back, over my hair. He pulled me to his chest as he pressed his lips to mine and emotion overtook us both.
"Ahem," Alanna said, loudly clearing her throat behind us. I turned around, and she was in a robe, her hair wet. "Don't let me interrupt." Then, she disappeared into her bedroom.
I smiled, and then looked back at Curt. "Well, I think we'd better go."
"Sorry," he said. "I thought we were alone."
I chuckled, suddenly glad that we weren't. "Come on," I said as I grabbed my coat. "We'll see you at Frank's, Alanna!" I yelled into the hallway and then we walked out the door, locking it behind us.
Curt held his keys as we walked outside toward the red Porche parked in front of the condo.
"You didn't have to rent a car," I said as he held the door open for me. "I could have picked you up."
He smiled as he slid into the driver's seat. "I need to drive to the airport later."
"I can drive you."
He shook his head. "No, I don't want you to have to leave the party. I'll drive myself," he said as he slid the car into gear and headed toward downtown Nashville. "But you're going to have to tell me where to go."
I smiled. "Keep going toward the city and I'll tell you where to turn."
He nodded. When he looked at me, his eyebrows suddenly pulled together in concern. "Have you given any thought to my offer?"
I nodded. "I have, but I still need to think about it. It's a big move."
He turned his attention back to the road. "Take all the time you need." Then, a sly smile suddenly spread across his lips. "Next time, it's your turn to come to me."
I swallowed. "To New York?"
He nodded. "It's difficult for me to get away often."
I looked out the window, watching the scenery pass by.
"Would you mind much?" he asked, reclaiming my attention.
I shook my head. "No. Not at all." I was going to tell him that maybe we could look for an office for me, but I wasn't there yet. I knew that I needed a bit more time. Somehow, moving to New York now would be as if we were taking the next step in our relationship, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to do that. Not just yet, anyway. "Turn left up here," I said, changing the subject. Not another word was said about it when we pulled into Frank and Roxanne's driveway.
