a little before six. See you soon.”
“Julie,” Anna called but it was too
late. She had already hung up.
Now what? Anna thought to
herself. She could not very well call Julie back and demand to drive
herself. It would be petty and childish. Besides, how could she
explain to her new friend that she didn’t want to be alone with Steven?
Julie adored Steven. She considered him a second brother.
Although they were two separate
families, the Carsons and the Moores acted as one. If Julie or Andrew
needed someone to look after their children and Phyllis Moore wasn’t available,
they called Dan and Patricia. When Andrew had needed help building a
storage room behind his house, Dan and Steven had pitched into help. Anna
knew that both Andrew and Julie were as involved with planning the Carsons
anniversary party as Steven and Victoria. They were a close-knit group
and Anna should have realized any dinner party Julie gave would include
Steven. She just hadn’t been thinking very clearly lately.
It had been a busy week. She
had finally gotten her office all organized but then most of her customers had
stopped by during the week to meet her. Anna knew most of them were
simply being friendly but she also realized they wanted to check her out. She
was new to town and a stranger who was handling their money. She could
understand their curiosity and their fears. She tried her best to
reassure them but it had made for a nerve-racking week. She knew she
would probably lose a few. Some people would think she was too
young. Others might hold the color of her skin against her and still
others might just not like her personally. It was all just part of doing
business.
To add to her troubles, Anna had
been also trying to settle into her apartment. The last of her things had
finally arrived from Mayville earlier in the week and she had spent every night
unpacking and putting everything away. She had unloaded the last box the
night before and had spent today hanging her pictures. As it was Saturday,
she also had to do her laundry and shopping. She had just finished
unloading her groceries and was taking a well-deserved break when Julie called.
Now she had to face Steven.
Although, she had seen Julie every day, Anna had not seen or heard from Steven
since his sudden and rather abrupt departure from her office. She knew he
had been upset when he left her on Monday but she had expected to hear from him
again. Even though he had been angry, Anna had not believed that it would
be the end of their relationship. Steven wasn’t the type of man to give
up so easily. It wasn’t until Julie mentioned that he was out of town for
most of the week that Anna realized she had been waiting for him. The
thought so angered her that she had immediately tried to put all thoughts of
him from her mind. She had only partially succeeded.
During the day when she was busy,
Anna was able to keep from thinking about Steven but late at night when she was
all alone her mind had a will of its own. She would replay their kiss in
her mind over and over again. Anna was having trouble sleeping and it
worried her. The nightmare had not reoccurred but Anna still dreamed
about Steven or she would lie awake thinking about him. She had never
lost sleep over a man and didn’t know quite how to handle the situation.
She had worked hard at trying to
discover what it was about Steven that made him so hard to forget. As she
was unable to come up with a satisfactory answer, Anna decided it was simple
physical attraction. If she didn’t allow her emotions to become involved,
she knew she would be able to resist him.
Anna glanced at the clock again and
realized that she had wasted yet another ten minutes thinking about him.
She quickly jumped into the shower to get ready. Afterwards, she dressed
carefully for the evening. Julie had told her to dress casual so she wore
black tailored jeans with a
“Julie,” Anna called but it was too
late. She had already hung up.
Now what? Anna thought to
herself. She could not very well call Julie back and demand to drive
herself. It would be petty and childish. Besides, how could she
explain to her new friend that she didn’t want to be alone with Steven?
Julie adored Steven. She considered him a second brother.
Although they were two separate
families, the Carsons and the Moores acted as one. If Julie or Andrew
needed someone to look after their children and Phyllis Moore wasn’t available,
they called Dan and Patricia. When Andrew had needed help building a
storage room behind his house, Dan and Steven had pitched into help. Anna
knew that both Andrew and Julie were as involved with planning the Carsons
anniversary party as Steven and Victoria. They were a close-knit group
and Anna should have realized any dinner party Julie gave would include
Steven. She just hadn’t been thinking very clearly lately.
It had been a busy week. She
had finally gotten her office all organized but then most of her customers had
stopped by during the week to meet her. Anna knew most of them were
simply being friendly but she also realized they wanted to check her out. She
was new to town and a stranger who was handling their money. She could
understand their curiosity and their fears. She tried her best to
reassure them but it had made for a nerve-racking week. She knew she
would probably lose a few. Some people would think she was too
young. Others might hold the color of her skin against her and still
others might just not like her personally. It was all just part of doing
business.
To add to her troubles, Anna had
been also trying to settle into her apartment. The last of her things had
finally arrived from Mayville earlier in the week and she had spent every night
unpacking and putting everything away. She had unloaded the last box the
night before and had spent today hanging her pictures. As it was Saturday,
she also had to do her laundry and shopping. She had just finished
unloading her groceries and was taking a well-deserved break when Julie called.
Now she had to face Steven.
Although, she had seen Julie every day, Anna had not seen or heard from Steven
since his sudden and rather abrupt departure from her office. She knew he
had been upset when he left her on Monday but she had expected to hear from him
again. Even though he had been angry, Anna had not believed that it would
be the end of their relationship. Steven wasn’t the type of man to give
up so easily. It wasn’t until Julie mentioned that he was out of town for
most of the week that Anna realized she had been waiting for him. The
thought so angered her that she had immediately tried to put all thoughts of
him from her mind. She had only partially succeeded.
During the day when she was busy,
Anna was able to keep from thinking about Steven but late at night when she was
all alone her mind had a will of its own. She would replay their kiss in
her mind over and over again. Anna was having trouble sleeping and it
worried her. The nightmare had not reoccurred but Anna still dreamed
about Steven or she would lie awake thinking about him. She had never
lost sleep over a man and didn’t know quite how to handle the situation.
She had worked hard at trying to
discover what it was about Steven that made him so hard to forget. As she
was unable to come up with a satisfactory answer, Anna decided it was simple
physical attraction. If she didn’t allow her emotions to become involved,
she knew she would be able to resist him.
Anna glanced at the clock again and
realized that she had wasted yet another ten minutes thinking about him.
She quickly jumped into the shower to get ready. Afterwards, she dressed
carefully for the evening. Julie had told her to dress casual so she wore
black tailored jeans with a
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