2 Big Apple Hunter, page 7
I took my seat and was grateful Bernardo and his companion weren’t seated directly beside me. They were in the same row but to my right by seven seats. Directly to my right was a couple. The girl was seated beside me, but she was leaning into her partner. She wouldn’t be looking my way at all for the evening, so the arm rest was mine. The seat beside me that would have been taken by Darby was vacant. The theater probably wasn’t going to be able to sell just one ticket. Who would go to a Broadway show by themselves anyway? Oh, wait, I did that once. I smiled at the memory and wondered how Stella and George were doing. I wished I had their last name and phone number. It would have been fun to look them up.
My thoughts were interrupted by a guy dropping into the seat beside me. He was nice looking and appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He had short dark hair, glasses, and was dressed nicely in a blue dress shirt with classic, pleated, tan slacks. I smiled; the ticket had sold.
I wasn’t looking at him, but he surely saw me smiling. He leaned forward, looked past me at the couple, and then looked at me and said, “Hi, I’m Rick.”
“Hello,” I said with a smile. “I’m Susan.”
He nodded and smiled. “Are you alone?”
I nodded back. “My friend had to work and couldn’t make it. There are some business acquaintances down the row,” I pointed in Bernardo’s general direction, “but they’re stuffy and not very friendly. Are you alone?” I asked him.
“No,” he said. “I came down from Boston to visit a friend from college. We used to work on Wall Street together, but I moved to Boston, and he moved on to real estate. We decided on the spur of the moment to see a show, and the only tickets available split us up. I think he’s back on the mezzanine somewhere.”
“It was nice of him to give you the best seat,” I told him. We did have great seats mid-center and close to the stage.
Rick wasn’t shy about openly looking me over, and he produced a big smile. “Oh, he certainly did give me the best seat. You have to come with me at intermission to meet him. He’s going to love you.”
I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, so I ignored the comment and asked, “What do you do for a living now?” I asked.
“Car salesman,” he said with a laugh. “But I work in an upscale dealership specializing in foreign models. I love cars, and it’s a great way to earn a buck.”
It was time for the curtain to go up. Rick sent a couple of quick texts and turned off his phone. I let him have the armrest, and we settled back to watch the performance.
The show was familiar, and I loved it. I had seen Anything Goes with my parents at our local Carbide Dinner Theater many years ago. The show was full of madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London. I smiled the entire time, and I loved the Cole Porter tunes.
When the lights went up for intermission, Rick turned to me and said, “Come with me, Susan. We’ll get something to drink, and I want you to meet my friend.”
I glanced at Bernardo and his companion. They were moving out of the aisle, and they weren’t looking my way. “Ok,” I told Rick and proceeded to follow him in the opposite direction from the two men.
The lobby was crowded. Rick held my hand to keep us from being separated, and we made our way outside to the sidewalk. He approached an incredibly handsome guy who was tall and well-built. His dark brown hair was falling in wavy strands onto his forehead. I was drawn to his face with its sexy stubble of a beard and dark eyes which took in every inch of you with one long stare. He had on a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to just above the elbow, and it was unbuttoned three buttons. It appeared he had worn the shirt to work then relaxed it for the evening. His black dress slacks were impeccable and probably tailored for him. This guy’s looks were a force to be reckoned with.
Rick caught his friend’s long stare and burst out laughing. “Susan,” he said, “this is my friend, Chase Connor McLoughlin, the third.”
“Wow, you weren’t kidding,” Chase said low, under his breath. He was talking to Rick, but still staring at me. I was starting to feel uncomfortable and could feel a blush coming into my face. Chase’s eyes settled down, and the gentleman in him showed up. “Susan, are you enjoying the show?” he asked. Oh my gosh, even his voice was unbelievably sexy, not too deep, and with a rich, throaty tone.
“I love it,” I responded with a smile. “I’ve seen the show at home in local theater, so this is a treat to see it on the big stage.”
“Where’s home?” he asked.
I noticed Rick was no longer beside me. “Northeast Ohio. Home for you?” I asked returning the question.
“Born and raised in New York City,” he said. “I’ve lived here all my life, and I never get tired of the city. Are you in town long?”
“No,” I told him. “I came up with a friend who has business here. We’re flying out tomorrow evening.”
“Have you had a chance to see much of the city so far?” he asked.
“Some,” I said. “I actually took a bus tour today, and it was fun.” I smiled at the recent memory.
Rick was back with three glasses of white wine. The three of us chatted for several more minutes. It seemed as though intermission had just started when it was time to move back inside the theater. I turned around and caught Bernardo and his companion staring at me. They were both frowning, and I couldn’t understand why they seemed so angry, even sinister. My feminine wiles obviously had no effect on those two.
Chase, Rick, and I started to move together with the crowd toward the theater doors. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bernardo and the other man walk into the theater through the farthest set of doors. Chase stopped and said, “Wait a minute.” Rick and I held up. “Do you really want to go back in?” he asked us. “Let’s grab a cab and run down to Greenwich Village for some Mexican food.”
“That sounds fantastic. I’m in,” said Rick. “Whaddaya say, Susan? Come with us. We’ll make sure you get back to your hotel later.”
I like to think I’m a good judge of character, and these two college buddies seemed like good guys. The thought of Bernardo and his creepy friend at the end of the night was much scarier than dinner with these two; besides, I was famished. I smiled at both of them and said, “Count me in.”
Chase hailed a cab. Rick hopped in on one side, and Chase opened the door for me on the other. As I was getting in, I felt Chase’s hand on my back as though he was guiding me into the cab. When he climbed in after me, I gave him a what was that? look. He laughed and said, “Susan, you’re wearing a beautiful dress. I couldn’t help myself and had to see if it feels as good as it looks. There’s nothing like cashmere is there?” He was still laughing, and it was hard not to laugh with him. Rick reached over and rubbed my arm, “If Chase gets to feel it, I get to, too. I’ve been wanting to all evening.”
“Ok, you guys,” I pretended to scold them. “Now that you’ve had your feels, everybody settle down.” Both guys laughed. I could see they were enjoying themselves, and so was I.
Chase and Rick were both doing some texting on the cab ride to the restaurant. I had to fight back the little paranoia monster wanting to bubble up. I was going to Greenwich Village with two complete strangers. It was crazy.
Twenty minutes later, we walked through the doors of a fabulous Spanish-Mexican restaurant. I loved the heavy Spanish influence and the large paintings on the wall. Chase held his elbow out for me to take his arm, and the three of us headed to the back of the restaurant. A chorus of “Chase!” greeted us from a group of ten people already seated around a large rectangular table. Chairs were moved, people scooted around the banquette seating on the wall, and we joined the group. Chase sat beside me, and Rick took a seat across.
The group of friends was an eclectic group made up of musicians, artists, Wall Street brokers, and a college buddy who also knew Rick. It was fun to watch the group of friends interact, and they made me feel welcome. When they discovered I played racquetball, one of the guys grinned and said, “When I saw your legs, I knew you were into sports, but I never would have guessed racquetball.” They asked questions and seemed genuinely happy along with me that I had won a tournament at the state level. We drank margaritas, ordered several platters of food, and shared it all family style. The food was delicious. The easy conversation continued after dinner, and I was thoroughly enjoying myself.
Chase leaned back in his chair and put his arm on the back of my chair. Occasionally, I could feel his fingers ever so slightly rub my shoulder, and I didn’t know if he was making a pass or simply enjoying the cashmere. One of the girls at the table smiled at me but addressed Chase and said, “Ok, Chase, how is it you always find the pretty girls?”
“I didn’t find her, he said. “Rick did.” He laughed and smiled at Rick. “I just took her away from him.”
I wasn’t sure if I should even address the comments, and I could feel a blush coming on. I hated blushing, and no matter how hard I tried, I had no control over it.
Chase checked the time on his watch, glanced toward Rick, and said, “Time to go.” He looked at me and asked, “Ready?”
“Sure,” I said.
We all said our good-byes, with Chase doing a lot of hand shaking, hugging, and kissing. We left the restaurant, and Rick hailed a cab for us.
It was after midnight. I assumed the guys would drop me at the hotel. I was wrong.
“Susan, do you like to dance?” Chase asked.
“I love to dance,” I told him with a smile. It would feel good to dance off some of the meal we had just consumed.
Chase gave an address to the cab driver, and the next thing I knew we were in the meatpacking district getting out at a dance club. There was a long line of people waiting to get in, but Chase grasped my hand and led me along to the front of the line. Rick followed close behind. People heckled us for bucking the line, but Chase ignored them. He greeted the guys at the door by name, handed off what I assumed to be a fair amount of cash, and we were ushered in.
The club was fantastic from top to bottom. It was an upscale club, and the crowd was preppie. The neon lighting around the room ranged from amber on the walls to a pink hue behind the bar. The dance floor, lit with neon red, was small, but not terribly crowded. High-energy Electro music blared from the sound system. I loved the atmosphere, and felt a wave of excitement rush over me. I was experiencing New York City nightlife by myself … well, with two nearly complete strangers. I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped my lips.
Chase and Rick took turns dancing with me between drinks, and we had a blast. Both guys were protective and cut off any advances toward me from other guys in the club. Rick commented a couple of times that Chase and I made a great looking couple, and people were definitely watching us when we danced together. Neither of the guys asked me if I was dating anyone, and neither of them made overt passes at me. We simply clicked and had a good time together. We finally left the club around 3:00 A.M.
Once again in a cab, it was the moment of truth. Would these guys really see me safely back to my hotel? The little paranoia monster started to rise up again, but I pushed it aside and tried to relax.
Chase broke the silence, “Susan, you really added to our evening tonight. I’m glad you joined us.”
“I had a good time, too, guys,” I said smiling at one and then the other. “Thank you both for showing me more of New York.”
Chase reached into his shirt pocket. “Here’s my card. I wrote my cell on the back. The next time you come to town, give me a call. I’ll show you a lot more of the city.” It was obviously the line of the day.
We pulled up in front of the St. Regis. Chase and Rick both leaned forward at the same time and kissed me on my cheeks – one guy on each side. I laughed out loud. It was a funny ending to a fun night. Chase stepped out and reached for my hand to assist me out of the cab. I gave them a last goodnight, walked up the steps, and into the hotel.
No one was in the elevator. I leaned against the wall and let out a satisfied sigh. It had been a wonderful day. I yawned. I couldn’t wait to get into bed. I didn’t even know what time we needed to be up in the morning. I hoped I could sleep in.
I slowly opened the door to our room and tried not to make any noise so as not to disturb Darby. I saw right away he was sitting in the living room. His head was dropped down onto his chest, and he was asleep. I walked over to him, gave him a little shake, and whispered, “Darby.”
His head jerked up, and he yelled at me, “Susan! Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you.”
I was completely taken aback by his words. This was not like Darby at all. “I met some people at the theater. We went out to dinner and then dancing. Why are you so worked up?”
He put his head in his hands. “I thought something terrible had happened to you. I honestly didn’t know if I would ever see you again, and I feel responsible for you.”
I still didn’t understand why he cared I had an evening out, and I started to get defensive. “Darby, you aren’t really babysitting me for Mick. I can go out if I want to.”
He stood up and faced me, his voice still raised, “Susan! Armand called. He told me Bernardo was with you at the theater, but you were talking to a couple of strange men at intermission, and then you disappeared. You never came back into the theater. Bernardo wanted to call the police because he was sure you had been abducted.”
“Oh my gosh! That horrible Bernardo!” I blurted out.
Darby’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. I was, after all, speaking about his new employer. I tried to defend myself. “Listen, Darby, he wasn’t a nice man. He was rude to me. The man with him did nothing but stare at my chest, and the man from the store with the Indiana Jones hat was there, and there were two thugs in suits in the corner of the lobby.” I paused to take a breath. “He scared me, and I didn’t want to have to rely on him to help me after the show.”
“Susan, you’re being ridiculous!” he said, his voice still raised. He started to pace. “Everyone was concerned for you. Why did you leave? Why didn’t you stay for the entire show?”
“Because I saw it already with my mom and dad, and I met a couple of great guys. At intermission, when they asked me to go to dinner, I wanted to go.”
Darby walked over to the desk and picked up the handful of telephone numbers and recipes I had placed there after the bus tour. “Great guys like this?” he asked me sarcastically.
I was stunned by his attitude. “Darby Tapley, you have no right to ask me about my personal life!” I yelled at him. “If I want to go out with all of those guys, I will!”
I stormed into the bedroom, grabbed my pajamas and locked myself in the bathroom. I checked myself over in the mirror. Other than a few hairs out of place, I had held up well over the long night. But now I wanted to cry. Darby had never ever been truly upset with me before. Was he now? Why would Bernardo have given everyone the impression I had been abducted? Anybody who saw Chase and Rick talking to me could see they were normal guys, and we were all laughing; we looked like friends. There was a reason Bernardo told Armand I might have been abducted. But what was it? Maybe it was something as simple as the fact he wanted to save face for losing me and not getting me back to the hotel himself, but I doubted it.
Pajamas on, I left the bathroom. Darby was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was calmer now, and said, “Susan, I’m sorry. You’re right. I invited you to come with me, and you can do whatever you want while you’re here. I wasn’t judging you, really I wasn’t.” He stood up to face me and tried to explain. “I sat here for hours imagining the worst, and so many terrible scenarios went through my mind. The phone numbers scared me. Any one of them could have been a serial killer. Honestly, Susan, sometimes you are just so trusting of people, and I was afraid that trust finally did you in.”
I almost laughed at the thought of those crazy cooking school guys as serial killers, but Darby wouldn’t understand, so I remained perfectly still. He seemed exhausted, and he had nothing more to say.
“Darby, I’m sorry, too,” I finally said. “I should have called you. If I would have told you where I was, none of this would have happened. It hurts me to see you’ve agonized over this, but you have to remember, we both agreed I would only call you if I was in trouble and needed help.”
He came over to me, gave me a hug, and kissed me on my nose. “I have to get some sleep,” he said. “We can talk more about this tomorrow. Do I want to know about all of those telephone numbers?”
I smiled at him and said, “Yep. It’s a good story.”
“Good,” he said. I could tell he was miserable, and I did feel a little guilty.
We climbed under our respective bedding. “What time do we have to get up?” I asked.
“I’m meeting both brothers at 10:00. You can sleep in. We’ll go someplace nice for dinner before we head out to the airport in the evening.”
“Ok, and don’t worry about me,” I told him. “I won’t be doing anything extreme. The art museum is number one on my list for the day, and I don’t expect to be taking off with anyone else while we’re here.”
“Good,” he said as he reached up and turned off the light.
Chapter Eight
The sound of a ringing telephone broke my sleep. I could barely lift my head off the pillow to determine where the telephone was. Darby was already gone, and the clock on the nightstand read 9:30. I had to scoot over the bed to Darby’s side to be able to reach the telephone next to the clock. “Hello?” I mumbled into the handset.
“Susan? This is Chase McLoughlin,” said the now familiar voice.
Chase? I was awake now. “How did you get my room number?” I blurted out. It was the first thing that popped into my head. The room was registered to Darby, not to me.
He laughed and said, “I know the hotel manager. What are you doing today? I’d love to see you again. I’ve been thinking about you all morning.”
