Chapter 99
Alyssa
There was a knock on the door facing of my office, and I about jumped out of my skin. "Got a minute?" Frank asked as he peeked his head in the door.
"Man! You just scared the tar out of me!" I said as I placed a hand on my chest. "What are you doing here?"
"That's what I was just going to ask you," he replied as he walked into my office. "It's the day after Thanksgiving! You should be home right now and not in the office, hammering away at who knows what!"
I walked around my desk and gave him a quick hug and an air kiss over his cheek, and then perched on the edge of my desk. "I took off Wednesday while Curt was here so I thought I'd come in and catch up."
"Is Mrs. Farrow off?" he asked as he absentmindedly picked up a paperweight that was setting on my desk.
I nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't expect her to work today."
Frank burst out laughing as he placed the paperweight back onto my desk. "And yet, here you are! Working away "
"That's different."
"Yeah, yeah." Frank sat down in one of the club chairs. "That's what they all say."
I looked up at him. "So, besides telling me that I work too much, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
His eyebrows pulled together in a serious look that I recognized. "Would you like to go get a drink?"
"Will I need one?"
He thought for a moment as he studied me, and then nodded. "Yes. I think you'll need a few."
From the tone of his voice, I knew something was up. "We can go to the club downstairs, if you like." It was a yuppie club for professionals. Although it was right downstairs, I seldom stopped in for a drink, but I was willing to make an exception. "Let me grab my purse and lock up."
"And that's another thing "
"Oh, here we go!" I cut him off as I reached into the bottom drawer of my desk for my purse. "Another lecture."
"Yes. That's right. And don't you forget it."
"Yes, Dad."
He laughed. "You should never be in here working alone with the door unlocked. Anyone could come waltzing in here and do God knows what to you."
I laughed. "For one thing, how would clients get in? And for another thing, I don't think that people up to no good are going to actually waltz in here. The dance studio is down the street."
"Smartass."
"I try," I said, laughing. I walked out of the office as Frank followed and locked it up. "What's going on?"
Frank shook his head. "Not until you have a drink in you."
I stopped in front of the elevator. "That good, huh?"
"Better."
"Oh, dear."
Frank laughed as he stepped into the elevator. "I've missed you."
I burst out laughing. "You just saw me yesterday!"
"No. I mean this you the old you."
I smirked as I shook my head in disbelief. "I didn't realize I was that old yet."
He laughed as he shook his head. The elevator doors opened on the first floor and we walked down the hallway toward the lounge. "You aren't."
"Aren't what?"
"Old."
I chuckled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Hey!" Frank said, laughing. "That was supposed to be a compliment!"
I laughed. "And I took it as such!"
In the lounge, Frank pulled out a chair for me at the bar and then sat down beside me. "You're something else. You know that?"
I shook my head. "Well, I'm not an alien."
"Sometimes I wonder," Frank said under his breath.
"Hey, now!"
The bartender laid a napkin down on the counter in front of us. "Hello, Ms. Collins. What can I get you?"
I smiled, amazed that he remembered my name with as few times as I had stopped in. "I'll have a Seven and Seven."
"Beer for me," Frank said. "Whatever you have on tap."
"You got it!" he said, and then gave me a wink. "Be right back." He walked away to mix our drinks.
"I think he likes you," Frank said under his breath, nudging his shoulder against mine.
I shook my head as I smirked. "Oh. I'm sure he flirts with all of the women."
"Only the good-looking ones," the bartender said, overhearing our conversation as he placed my drink in front of me.
Frank burst out laughing. "Bingo!"
I laughed and pointed to Frank. "The drinks are on him." I picked up my drink and walked to a table to the right of the door as the bartender laughed in back of me.
"Hey!" Frank pretended to complain, but he would never let me pay for a drink or any lady he was with, for that matter. He was too much of a gentleman.
I slid into a booth with my back to the door, and Frank slid in across from me. The bar was dimly lit with hidden lights in boxes hanging discreetly from the ceiling with metal in shades of bronze, silver, and gray. Well done and in good taste. "So, what's up?"
"You need to finish your drink first." Frank took a long swig of his beer. "Hungry?"
I let out a deep breath as I took another sip of my drink, wondering if I really wanted to know what Frank was hem-hawing around about telling me. "No. But you can get something if you're hungry."
"Think I will," he said as he jumped up from his seat.
I shook my head. "Where do you put it all?" Despite his ferocious appetite, he was still as muscular, fit, and trim as he had always been.
He raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know."
I burst out laughing, almost spitting out my drink as he walked back to the bar. "I'm going to tell Roxanne you said that!" I yelled after him as a few heads turned.
"Good. She'd just laugh. She's used to me."
"Poor girl."
"I heard that!"
"You were meant to!"
I laughed as I watched the patrons in the bar. There were people from all walks of life here, but mainly men and women in power suits, professionals. I took another sip of my drink and was nearly finished with it when Frank came back.
