soft, pink silk blouse. Over it she could
wear her short lightweight jacket as the weather had suddenly warmed. It
was typical for Texas and despite it being January, Anna had used the air
conditioner in her car that very afternoon.
She had just slipped into a pair of
flat, half boots when the doorbell rang. Taking a deep breath to steady
her nerves, Anna moved across the room and opened the door.
It happened again. Every time
their eyes met, time seemed to stand still. Anna stood awkwardly by the
door and drank in the sight of him. Something inside her relaxed.
She had missed him. He looked wonderful. Dressed neatly in blue
jeans and a button-down shirt the exact color of his eyes, he exuded
masculinity. She caught just a whiff of cologne and had to steady her
heart. He gave her his slow, gentle smile and Anna discovered it was more
than simple physical attraction. She knew, in that moment, that she was
in love with him.
Quickly, she grabbed her purse,
pushed him out of the doorway and pulled the door closed behind her.
Frightened by the intensity of her feeling, she was unable to face him so she
raced down the stairs and waited at the bottom, her heart pounding.
“Hey,” he said when he reached
her. “What’s the hurry? I wanted to see your apartment.”
“I’ll show it to you later,” she
said breathlessly. “We don’t want to be late to Julie’s.”
He gave her an odd look but to
Anna’s relief he didn’t question her. He took her by the arm and led her
over to his car. Once inside, Anna took several deep breaths. She
couldn’t be in love with Steven, could she? Anna knew what loving a man
could do to a woman. She had sworn that would never happen to her.
It had to be simple physical attraction.
When Steven climbed into the car,
she gave him another quick look and knew she was only trying to fool
herself. There was nothing simple about her feelings for Steven.
Miserable, she looked out the window and said nothing. Steven started the
car and drove slowly out of the parking lot. Steven was silent for
several minutes and Anna could feel the tension mounting but she didn’t know
how to stop it.
“You want to tell me what’s going
on?” he finally asked.
Anna shook her head and said
nothing. She heard Steven sigh and waited for his response. It
never came. They rode in continued silence and Anna was grateful when he
pulled the car to stop in front of a cozy, two-story house. She reached
for the door handle but Steven grabbed her arm.
“Wait a minute,” he said. “We
can’t go in there like this. Everyone will know something is wrong and it
will spoil Julie’s evening.”
Anna nodded. Steven was
right. Julie didn’t get to entertain very often. With two children,
it was difficult for her to arrange evenings such as this one and Anna knew she
had been looking forward to this dinner all week. Her mother had offered
to take the children for the night and Julie intended to make the most of her
free time.
“I’m sorry,” Anna said softly.
For a moment, Steven did not say
anything. He simply watched her but she could not meet his eyes.
He sighed again. “You don’t
have to be sorry, Anna. Just tell me what is wrong. Are you still
angry with me about Monday? If so, I apologize again.
“No,” Anna shook her head, “of
course not. I’m just tired. It has been a rough week and I haven’t
been sleeping well. New place and all. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil
the evening.”
She gave him a bright smile aimed
somewhere near his ear. She still couldn’t look him in eye. Again,
she reached for the door handle. This time Steven did not stop her but
got out of the car and walked around to join her. They walked quickly
toward the house. Right before they reached the door, he took her arm and
pulled her around to face him.
“I think it’s more than that but I
won’t push you. You do look
wear her short lightweight jacket as the weather had suddenly warmed. It
was typical for Texas and despite it being January, Anna had used the air
conditioner in her car that very afternoon.
She had just slipped into a pair of
flat, half boots when the doorbell rang. Taking a deep breath to steady
her nerves, Anna moved across the room and opened the door.
It happened again. Every time
their eyes met, time seemed to stand still. Anna stood awkwardly by the
door and drank in the sight of him. Something inside her relaxed.
She had missed him. He looked wonderful. Dressed neatly in blue
jeans and a button-down shirt the exact color of his eyes, he exuded
masculinity. She caught just a whiff of cologne and had to steady her
heart. He gave her his slow, gentle smile and Anna discovered it was more
than simple physical attraction. She knew, in that moment, that she was
in love with him.
Quickly, she grabbed her purse,
pushed him out of the doorway and pulled the door closed behind her.
Frightened by the intensity of her feeling, she was unable to face him so she
raced down the stairs and waited at the bottom, her heart pounding.
“Hey,” he said when he reached
her. “What’s the hurry? I wanted to see your apartment.”
“I’ll show it to you later,” she
said breathlessly. “We don’t want to be late to Julie’s.”
He gave her an odd look but to
Anna’s relief he didn’t question her. He took her by the arm and led her
over to his car. Once inside, Anna took several deep breaths. She
couldn’t be in love with Steven, could she? Anna knew what loving a man
could do to a woman. She had sworn that would never happen to her.
It had to be simple physical attraction.
When Steven climbed into the car,
she gave him another quick look and knew she was only trying to fool
herself. There was nothing simple about her feelings for Steven.
Miserable, she looked out the window and said nothing. Steven started the
car and drove slowly out of the parking lot. Steven was silent for
several minutes and Anna could feel the tension mounting but she didn’t know
how to stop it.
“You want to tell me what’s going
on?” he finally asked.
Anna shook her head and said
nothing. She heard Steven sigh and waited for his response. It
never came. They rode in continued silence and Anna was grateful when he
pulled the car to stop in front of a cozy, two-story house. She reached
for the door handle but Steven grabbed her arm.
“Wait a minute,” he said. “We
can’t go in there like this. Everyone will know something is wrong and it
will spoil Julie’s evening.”
Anna nodded. Steven was
right. Julie didn’t get to entertain very often. With two children,
it was difficult for her to arrange evenings such as this one and Anna knew she
had been looking forward to this dinner all week. Her mother had offered
to take the children for the night and Julie intended to make the most of her
free time.
“I’m sorry,” Anna said softly.
For a moment, Steven did not say
anything. He simply watched her but she could not meet his eyes.
He sighed again. “You don’t
have to be sorry, Anna. Just tell me what is wrong. Are you still
angry with me about Monday? If so, I apologize again.
“No,” Anna shook her head, “of
course not. I’m just tired. It has been a rough week and I haven’t
been sleeping well. New place and all. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil
the evening.”
She gave him a bright smile aimed
somewhere near his ear. She still couldn’t look him in eye. Again,
she reached for the door handle. This time Steven did not stop her but
got out of the car and walked around to join her. They walked quickly
toward the house. Right before they reached the door, he took her arm and
pulled her around to face him.
“I think it’s more than that but I
won’t push you. You do look
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