Love's Last Chance by Jean C. Joachim Page A

his face. He
does care for me. But there’s something there. Something I don’t
know. Another woman? She sat back against the vinyl seat and
thought for a moment, while maintaining eye contact with him.
    “I’m going to be tied up for the next two
weeks until I leave. Why don’t you think about it, about us? Give
me two more weeks when I get back to L.A., to catch up and breathe,
then call me. We can discuss possible plans to be together then.
How’s that?” Gives him time to make a choice, me or the other
woman he’s seeing.
    “That seems more than fair, darling.” He
took her hand and kissed it. “Must you rush off?”
    “Early rehearsal tomorrow for a few hours,
then off to a ferry for Fire Island.”
    “Oh? Got a hot date?” His expression
clouded.
    “Just a reunion of the crowd I shared a
house with for a few summers. Jealous?” She cocked an eyebrow at
him.
    “Perhaps.” His face became unreadable again.
“Not that I’ve any right.”
    No, you don’t. She checked her phone.
A missed call from Rick.
    “I’ve got to go. Let’s talk in a couple of
weeks.”
    “You won’t forget, will you?” His brow
furrowed.
    “Not a chance,” she said, flashing him a
warm smile. “You’re special to me, Arch. Always have been.” He rose
when she got up, pulled her close for a kiss goodbye, and then she
was gone. Sitting back in a taxi on the way to the Cunningham’s she
wondered what Rick wanted. Arch’s so wonderful. Still. Won’t
make up my mind until I talk to Rick.
    Sitting on her bed, hugging her knees, she
dialed Rick.
    “Hey, gorgeous, what’s cookin?”
    “I might ask you the same thing.”
    “Wondered if you might be available on
Monday night. Dinner and…whatever,” he snickered.
    “I haven’t heard from you in a week.”
    “Didn’t you get my flowers?”
    “Oh, yes. Thank you.”
    “That night was the greatest. Can we do it
again?”
    She hesitated. “I’ve got two rough weeks.
Rehearsals then shooting. I don’t expect to be done any night
before nine or even later.”
    “I can wait.”
    “Can we play it by ear?”
    “Sure, babe. Call me whenever you’re
free.”
    “And this weekend?”
    “I’m off to my house in the Hamptons
again.”
    “Thought it was every other weekend?”
    “Someone can’t make it, so the group invited
me.”
    “Are you seeing someone out there?” She bit
her nail.
    “You don’t think I’ve been waiting around
for five years for you to show up? Of course, I’ve been dating.
Sometimes a girl out there, some in the city. Whatever. Come on,
Dorrie. You can’t do the jealous, former girlfriend when you’ve
been gone forever.”
    “I suppose not.” He’s right. Still, I
don’t like sharing.
    “Have a great weekend. I hope you can make
some time for me next week. I’ll call you.”
    Sure you will. “Right. Goodnight,
Rick.” She fell back onto her mattress and stared accusingly at the
moon. “I know you have it in for me, but I’m not giving up. One
more to meet again before I decide what to do.”
     
    * * * *
     
    There he is. God, his shoulders are
broader than I remember. Hugging the railing of the Fire Island
Ferry, Dorrie stood twenty feet behind him. She moistened her dry
lips while watching Johnny, who she hadn’t seen in five years.
    Her heart pounded, and she hugged the
railing tighter to steady herself. Then, the man turned around. Shit! The stranger responded to her open-mouthed stare with
a warm smile. Too warm. She glanced away from him to her friend,
Drake, standing at her side, his dark hair ruffled by the wind.
    “That isn’t John, if that’s what you’re all
heated up about.”
    “I’m not heated up about anything. It’s
August.” She turned away from Drake toward the water, hoping the
cool salty, spray would douse the fire in her face.
    “Yeah, sure, Dorrie. Admit it, why don’t ya?
You’ve still got the hots for John.”
    “Those hots became icebergs that summer, and
you know it.”
    “Keep telling