Chapter 23: Ricky’s Day

“You must be the only woman in North America who doesn’t like shopping,” said a surprised Ricky. He had planned an afternoon shopping with Laura on a school holiday. He gave her his platinum card and told her to go crazy and buy whatever she wanted. She could pick the spot and he would be happy to come with her and carry her bags.

“This is also the first time I’ve ever dated a woman with so much baggage,” he joked.

“Ha, ha,” Laura responded, “The king of the puns. Did you meet my friend Caitlin? That’s her style of humor.”

“Not really, no,” he said growing serious in tone, “I only have eyes for you, Laura.”

She wanted to hug him right there in front of everyone at the outlet mall. He read her heart where Caitlin, who was becoming more and more of Laura’s frenemy, was concerned.

Caitlin was classically beautiful. So, she had always been the one that would easily attract the attention of most men. Caitlin knew the power of her beauty and used it to her advantage and often flirted with men to get whatever she wanted.

“Oh Ricky.” She kissed him lightly on his lips.

“If that’s what it takes to get a kiss around here, I’ll scream it from the rooftops. I only have eyes for Laura. I’ll get a jet to write it in the sky.”

“Okay, okay,” laughed Laura. They walked together around the outlet mall arm in arm.

“Why did you choose an outlet mall, anyway? I told you money is no object. Really, buy whatever you like.”

“I am happy here. I know, but it’s hard to do if you are used to bargain hunting and seldom come to an outlet mall let alone one of those chic boutiques downtown. Believe me, going to the department store in a pinch is enough to give me a severe case of sticker shock and a jolt of reality.”

“Ricky,” she continued, “I ‘m just glad that you came. Between your law practice and pro bono work, I feel honored that you could squeeze me in.”

“I make time for priorities and as it stands, you are number two.”

“Number two?” she said lifting an eyebrow and raising her voice just slightly.

“Ooooh, I wouldn’t want to get on your bad side.”

“Why number two? Who’s number one?”

“Tate and Tate is number one. I am a new law partner and the expectations are high and the work is demanding.”

“Oh. Wow. A sobering thought. Thanks.”

“You mean a lot to me and so soon. We get along great inside and outside of the kitchen. We just have to work on our special event and concert decorum. Now spend.”

They kept walking arm in arm and hit every store, pretzel, smoothie, and cupcake shop in between.
# # #

“You can’t be hungry, Laura. You really put it away at the outlet mall.”

“Yeah Ricky, but those were snacks and this is dinner,” she said.

“Not just dinner but the chance to dine at the most exclusive restaurant in the city. It is good for the partners to see me out here and with a lady. It shows stability. It shows wealth. It shows...”

“Hunger, Ricky; it shows hunger. Let’s look at the menu.”

# # #

After dinner, their conversation topic turned towards their love of all music, not just classical. In the car headed to his home outside of the city, Ricky dazzled her with some of his car’s old school CD collection.

This was to be a hot topic because it made them forget about the miles they had to travel while listening to Miles play jazz.

Laura was relaxed and easily finding her groove with Ricky. They could shop, eat, travel, and talk together. They were foodies and music nerds. What else was there to do and continue to show their compatibility?

# # #

Ricky’s firm’s musical requests were in a folder that he had forgotten by mistake at home. Laura did not mind riding with him to get the folder instead of waiting a day or two for Ricky to give it to her. Waiting would have meant delaying practicing the musical pieces with the string quartet too close to the night of the next event.

“It’s sitting on the corner of the desk in my home office. Do you want to come inside or just wait in the car? It should only take a couple of minutes.”

“I’d like to go inside to take a peek at your home.”

“Okay. Laura,I’m an eligible bachelor, just not a tidy one. Remember that. You have been warned,” he said with a nervous grin.

“I’ve seen worse,” she said encouragingly once they were both inside of his home.

“I’ve seen better,” he said to her, hoping she was not judging him.

“Ricky, you could always take some of that ‘money is no object’ outlet mall money and hire someone to come in and clean a couple of times a week. You’re a partner now.”

What she said was true, he mused as he left her in the entryway and he headed for his office. Recalling his manners, he called back, “Just make yourself at home.”
# # #

The folder was right where he left it. He grabbed the folder with the music and returned to his guest. Laura was in the living room looking at his collection of books, compact discs, DVDs, and records. She had put a record on the turntable. The Beatles: Hey Jude. She had also poured herself a glass of Merlot and had her head back and eyes closed taking it all in from a cozy spot on the living room sofa.

She heard him coming walking in across the hardwood floors and his sound of motion stopping at the Persian rug. This was exactly the kind of place that she expected a man like Ricky to live. It was nothing less than a modest McMansion. The music and the wine did take the edge off and if her body language betrayed her in any way, it would announce that she was up for anything that evening. She did not have orchestra rehearsal in the morning and she did not have to be at the prep school until school let out late in the afternoon.

He sat down beside her on the sofa and gently removed the wine glass from her hand, placing it on the coffee table.

“So...,” he started, not sure how he should proceed, but certain about what he wanted.

“So...?” she repeated.

She moved so that she was sitting on his lap, facing him, and had started to undress him: tie and Oxford shirt then a bold move to undo the belt, pants button and zipper. Within two minutes they were making out as though they had known each other from a different life and been together for years, many times before, and throughout the common limits of time.

They ignited each others’ passion and let the music in the background serve as kindling to keep the fire of foreplay burning bright into the night.