me.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
He nodded and walked away.
Stephanie stood on the outside of Samantha’s door. More money? Since she’d left her job at the PR firm, she’d been using her savings to cover the cost of Samantha’s care. Her private business had yet to take off fully and it was too soon for the spa to show any profits. She had no clue how she was going to be able to pull any more green rabbits out of the hat.
Sighing, she put on her best face and went in to be with her sister.
He sensed her the way you can feel an impending rain shower after a long drought; from the ache that settles deep in your bones to the parched dryness in the back of your throat. You long for the rain to replenish you, wash away the misery of living without it. But at the same time are aware that it has the power to drown you.
Slowly he turned around. For an instant time moved backward. They were young and in love with the whole world ahead of them. Barbara and Wil against the world. That’s what they’d said, but it wasn’t what they’d meant. At least that’s not how it turned out.
Recognition, memories danced in the reflection of their eyes. Then like the final curtain, their eyes shuttered the past and it was gone.
Barbara gripped the water bottle in one hand, her mouth in a tight line, and forced one foot in front of the other.
“There you are,” Elizabeth chirped. She extended her hand toward Wil and his son then Barbara, unfazed by the tension that bounced between them like a rapidly fired tennis ball. “This is Mr. Hutchinson and his son, Chauncey.”
His son. My God . Her knees felt weak.
“This is Barbara Allen, our resident specialist.” She smiled at Barbara but it faded like bleach splashed on color. She turned halfway to Barbara. “Are you all right?” she asked under her breath.
“Yes. Fine. You can go cover the front.” She forced a smile.
Elizabeth’s gaze darted back and forth between the two, ready to jump in and defend her friend if need be, before she finally walked away.
“Well,” Barbara said on a breath, “we can’t have our new clients standing around. I’ll take you over to the sauna room and then the massage rooms.”
“Sounds great.”
It was the first time she’d heard the low rumble of his voice in almost thirty years and it still had the power to send shivers running through her belly.
Lawd don’t let me faint and make a fool of myself.
“Would your son like to come as well?” she asked, focusing on the top button of Wil’s shirt instead of his eyes.
“Naw, I’m cool. You go ahead, Dad. I’m gonna hang out at the café.”
“I’ll meet you there when I’m done.” He turned his attention back to Barbara. “Lead the way.”
Barbara bit down on her bottom lip then headed toward the basement. She could feel the heat of his body behind her.
“We, uh, had to put the sauna down here because of all the water and the heat factor,” she rambled. “But it doesn’t look anything like a basement.” She laughed nervously.
“How long are we going to pretend that we don’t know each other?”
The question grabbed her by the arm and tugged, but she didn’t slow her step.
“I thought maybe that’s the way you wanted it.” She kept walking passed the sauna stalls.
Steam seeped from beneath the doors giving the illusion that they were walking on clouds or in some kind of MTV video, making the entire encounter even more surreal.
“We have eight enclosed saunas and a steam room,” she said in a practiced tour guide voice.
“Barbara.” This time it was Wil’s hand that grabbed her. “Wait. Look at me.” She stood still. “Please.”
With great reluctance she turned around. Her eyes started at his feet, timidly making their way up the length of his body—taking him all in—remembering. They rose until they rested on his face—the one she vowed to forget but hadn’t.
“You’re still as pretty as I remember.” His dark eyes traveled
“Thank you, Doctor.”
He nodded and walked away.
Stephanie stood on the outside of Samantha’s door. More money? Since she’d left her job at the PR firm, she’d been using her savings to cover the cost of Samantha’s care. Her private business had yet to take off fully and it was too soon for the spa to show any profits. She had no clue how she was going to be able to pull any more green rabbits out of the hat.
Sighing, she put on her best face and went in to be with her sister.
He sensed her the way you can feel an impending rain shower after a long drought; from the ache that settles deep in your bones to the parched dryness in the back of your throat. You long for the rain to replenish you, wash away the misery of living without it. But at the same time are aware that it has the power to drown you.
Slowly he turned around. For an instant time moved backward. They were young and in love with the whole world ahead of them. Barbara and Wil against the world. That’s what they’d said, but it wasn’t what they’d meant. At least that’s not how it turned out.
Recognition, memories danced in the reflection of their eyes. Then like the final curtain, their eyes shuttered the past and it was gone.
Barbara gripped the water bottle in one hand, her mouth in a tight line, and forced one foot in front of the other.
“There you are,” Elizabeth chirped. She extended her hand toward Wil and his son then Barbara, unfazed by the tension that bounced between them like a rapidly fired tennis ball. “This is Mr. Hutchinson and his son, Chauncey.”
His son. My God . Her knees felt weak.
“This is Barbara Allen, our resident specialist.” She smiled at Barbara but it faded like bleach splashed on color. She turned halfway to Barbara. “Are you all right?” she asked under her breath.
“Yes. Fine. You can go cover the front.” She forced a smile.
Elizabeth’s gaze darted back and forth between the two, ready to jump in and defend her friend if need be, before she finally walked away.
“Well,” Barbara said on a breath, “we can’t have our new clients standing around. I’ll take you over to the sauna room and then the massage rooms.”
“Sounds great.”
It was the first time she’d heard the low rumble of his voice in almost thirty years and it still had the power to send shivers running through her belly.
Lawd don’t let me faint and make a fool of myself.
“Would your son like to come as well?” she asked, focusing on the top button of Wil’s shirt instead of his eyes.
“Naw, I’m cool. You go ahead, Dad. I’m gonna hang out at the café.”
“I’ll meet you there when I’m done.” He turned his attention back to Barbara. “Lead the way.”
Barbara bit down on her bottom lip then headed toward the basement. She could feel the heat of his body behind her.
“We, uh, had to put the sauna down here because of all the water and the heat factor,” she rambled. “But it doesn’t look anything like a basement.” She laughed nervously.
“How long are we going to pretend that we don’t know each other?”
The question grabbed her by the arm and tugged, but she didn’t slow her step.
“I thought maybe that’s the way you wanted it.” She kept walking passed the sauna stalls.
Steam seeped from beneath the doors giving the illusion that they were walking on clouds or in some kind of MTV video, making the entire encounter even more surreal.
“We have eight enclosed saunas and a steam room,” she said in a practiced tour guide voice.
“Barbara.” This time it was Wil’s hand that grabbed her. “Wait. Look at me.” She stood still. “Please.”
With great reluctance she turned around. Her eyes started at his feet, timidly making their way up the length of his body—taking him all in—remembering. They rose until they rested on his face—the one she vowed to forget but hadn’t.
“You’re still as pretty as I remember.” His dark eyes traveled
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