LadyTaz, I'm starting to worry about you. Maybe I shouldn't have brought over my old smileys.
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Chapter 11—Not What He Had PlannedRick Stetler managed to hide his nervousness as he sat out on the white marble bench and watched one upscale car after another drive up to be met by a valet. Emmie Stockburne was nothing like any of the others, he thought. She wasn’t as lonely and vulnerable as he had hoped. He would have been glad to take any of the others home for some romantic “relaxation”, but this time he hoped she would just give up those contacts so he could end this. He still had things ready at home, just in case it would come to that.
He noticed a weathered old Chevy Blazer come up the drive. Sure enough, the tall, determined female Marine stepped out and handed her keys to the red-jacketed valet. She looked like she could belong in a place like this if she tried. He took a breath and stood up, motioning to her.
Emmie’s eyes darted as she tapped up the steps in her heels. Rather than a lonely widow pining for attention, she looked like she was there for a networking dinner, ready to meet him on her own terms--neat, modest, professional. She spotted him and gave him a polite smile.
“Hey Sir, uh Rick. You really didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”
“Yes I did. And don’t worry, the County is picking up the tab.” He stood next to her. “Shouldn’t you take my arm or something?”
She shrugged with a smile. “Okay. All this and I get a personal escort too, huh?”
He smiled back at her. “If that makes you happy.”
Emmie played along and hooked her left hand under his jacketed elbow, following him into the huge, magnificent, dimly-lighted hallway. It certainly was one of those places. “Thank God I dressed up for this” she said.
As they sat together, Rick seemed awfully eager to show her the wine list. “You pick the wine. Anything you want” he insisted pleasantly.
She put her hand up politely. “I don’t drink. You get whatever you want, though. Diet soda does me fine.”
He breathed deeply. So much for the drinks. “Scotch and soda for me, and a diet soda for the lady” he simply told the waiter.
She folded her arms and smiled at him slyly. “Oh, so now I’m a lady, huh?” she teased.
“I never said you weren’t” he said with some resentment in his tone.
As they waited for dinner, Rick leaned forward and studied her. “So Emmie. Since you know so many people, I was also wondering whether you could help me with something.”
I’ll certainly try” she said, doctoring her coffee delicately.
“I have a colleague who’s having a problem in business, and I know you have some contacts up at the state level, and I was hoping—“
“Who’s your friend? If you could write down his name and number for me, I’ll see what I can do. And I’ll need to know what his problem is. It’s a ‘he’, right?”
“I can’t really say.”
“Sorry, Rick. My family just prefers to hear from me. Or else have your friend call me, and I can set up something. Should I give you my number?”
Rick leaned forward. “Come on. You should know you can trust me.”
Emmie smiled. “Trust you? I don’t know. Delko told me about your little pie-stealing incident in the break room.” She broke into that musical laughter. “I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when that happened!”
“Don’t listen to everything you hear in there!”
As the waiter brought out their appetizers, Emmie put up her finger. “Just a second.” She bowed her head in silence for a few seconds. “Okay. This is really nice.”
Rick breathed deeply. “Right.” He knew at this point that Plan B was going to be in order. Bargaining was getting him nowhere. It was time to be charming. He watched her as she ate and looked around, especially at the beach off the veranda. “So, you enjoying this?” he asked her in a softer voice.
“Yes. Thanks.” Emmie might have really liked this if Rick weren’t constantly grilling her about her past colleagues and trying to piece together information. Now he seemed to gaze at her like a lovesick teenager. She found herself leaning away from him slightly.
It didn’t escape Rick’s attention that Emmie longingly watched couples hold each other tight and slow dance on the veranda as the small jazz band slowed its tempo. He immediately stood up and stuck his hand out to her. “Come on. Let’s dance” he insisted.
She looked up at him surprised. Then she nodded. “Well, okay. Why not?” Accepting his hand, she followed him out to the marble dance floor where he scooped up her right hand and pulled her close enough to him that she found her nose in his neck. She quickly eased herself back to a safer distance. Emmie allowed herself to get lost in the music and the feeling of being held close and swayed. She closed her eyes. It had been a long time.
“You enjoying this, Emmie?” he whispered into her ear over the music?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” It sounded to him like that resolve of hers was finally melting.
Rick then felt Emmie shudder and turn her head away. She paused to wipe her eyes and turn her head from his view. He stepped back. “What’s wrong? You’re crying.”
She swallowed and took a deep breath. “Nothing. I just…haven’t done this in a few years. Sorry if I scared you.”
It was time for the next step. He took her arm and guided her off the dance floor, out to the marble railing where it was quieter. He watched her bow her head as she listened to the surf. “You miss your husband, don’t you?” he asked gently. “Come on. I don’t live far from here. I’ll make you some coffee. You can talk to me about it.”
She looked at him warily as she dried her eyes some more. “Sir, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Rick never lost that charming, confident smile. “Why not?”
“I’m sure you know about ‘appearance of impropriety.’ You are over the lab, and it just wouldn’t be right.”
He felt his options slipping away. “I just invited you to come home with me to talk. That’s all. What were you thinking I had in mind?”
Emmie gathered herself and stepped back from him. She had had such propositions during her years as a Navy wife and knew full well what was expected. “Good night, Sir. I really appreciate everything you did. Please be sure to thank the chief for me. I guess I’ll see you at work Monday.” She turned to leave.
Rick knew she had completely slipped away now. It wasn’t supposed to work like this. In sheer desperation he quickly reverted to a power play. “I paid for dinner, Emmie!” he insisted loudly.
Emmie turned slowly, her wet eyes blazing at him. “I thought you said the County was picking it up.” She shook her head. “You’re not even a good liar, are you? Well here.” She furiously yanked a twenty dollar bill from her purse, balled it up, and backhanded it at him. He flinched when it landed on his chest and fell to the floor. “I’ll pay you the rest when my widow’s pension gets straightened out!” With that she spun around and walked away, refusing to acknowledge his presence any further.
“Emmie! Come on!” He tried to follow her, but she sped up, disappearing into the crowd. He looked around nervously when he realized people were watching him.
Rick angrily walked back to pick up the crumpled-up bill. After staring at it for a second, he stuck it in his waist pocket. O’Shay wasn’t going to like this. Worse than that, he realized he couldn’t stop thinking about her—the way that brown hair blew in the beach breeze. Those determined green eyes almost high up enough to look at him. Those healthy, curvy legs on those heels. That musical laughter. He really didn’t know any more about her than he did when she walked in. She was still a mystery to him.
He drove home, still unable to get Emmie Stockburne off his mind. Unable to sleep, he took off his jacket and looked around his bedroom. He could still feel her close to him in that slow dance. The smell of her perfume still hung on his jacket lapel. He tossed it onto a chair.
He wasn't supposed to feel like this about her.
Rick’s eyes then turned toward the small silver camera that still rested inconspicuously on the dresser. He had set it up earlier just in case he had to collect some evidence. Then Scott O’Shay’s words went through his mind.
“Make her nice and relaxed. The camera is just in case she needs a little more, uh, convincing somewhere down the road.”In a fit of anger he swept his arm across the dresser top. The camera and everything else flew against the wall and landed with a crash.