Page 15 of More Than a Fling
As she switched off the bedside lamp around midnight, she remembered that she hadn’t checked her voice mail but decided it could wait until the morning. She fell into a troubled sleep, with dreams of danger lurking in the dark shadows.
* * *
The bright sunlight entering through the bedroom window aroused her from sleep. Glancing at the bedside clock she saw it was already seven thirty. She hurriedly jumped out of bed with the dogs dancing around her heels. After letting them out she put on a pot of coffee. Remembering her voicemail, she played the message from the night before and her heart literally skipped a beat.
“Hey Annie, it’s me Gabe,” he said, as if she could forget that sexy voice, “I was hoping I could see you this weekend, maybe go out for a drink and a bite to eat? Give me a call.”
She had to sit down, so she plopped on the stool closest to her, more excited than she wanted to admit.
“Oh my God!” she said out loud. After not hearing from him right away she had assumed he wasn’t interested and she had let it go…but now, what the hell. She couldn’t contain the huge smile that lit up her face. She felt excited and noticed a very tingly response between her thighs at the sound of his voice. He was such a guy, and a beautiful one at that. She hoped she was a match for him but by God she couldn’t say no even if her better senses told her to do so.
He answered on the first ring, “Hey Gabe, it’s me, Annie.”
“Annie.” Somehow the way he said her name made it sound like a caress.
“Hi…” she said shyly.
“I really want to see you again; would you be interested in going out me with tomorrow night?” he asked.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
“Good. Do you like barbeque?”
“I love good barbeque,” she said.
“I have a place in mind. It’s about an hour away, casual, then we can come back to town and go out for a beer, sound good to you?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Text me your address and I’ll pick you up around six thirty if that works for you.”
“Perfect, I work until five—that will give me time to take care of the dogs and get ready,” she said.
“See you then, Annie.” His voice was soft and husky.
“Yes, see you then," she replied. She clutched the phone tightly while pressing her other hand against her racing heart. After disconnecting, she danced light-heartedly around the room, pirouetting with perfect balance and grace, her cheeks flushed with exhilaration. She hoped she could get through today and tomorrow without exploding.
“OK Annie, get your butt moving…you now have thirty minutes to shower, get out that door, into your car and drive to the salon,” she scolded herself. With that she floated forward into her day, somewhere far above her ordinary existence, and managed to arrive at the salon before her first client.
* * *
“You are in an awfully good mood today Ms. Morgan,” James commented.
“Oh really? How can you tell?”
“Spill it. I know you so well. It has to be that cowboy everyone was talking about… the guy in the band that jumped off the stage to rescue the damsel in distress,” he teased.
Annie stuck her tongue out at James and said, “I’m not talking, my lips are sealed.”
“No fair,” Zoey chimed in. “We are your best friends, what kind of friend keeps secrets from their besties?”
“Oh, it’s nothing…a casual date tonight, dinner out, then we’re going for a couple of drinks afterwards,” Annie finally confessed.
“I can’t stand it. This is so amazing, not to mention romantic. James this guy is sohot!” Zoey said, fanning herself.
“So is our Annie,” James said. “No one is good enough for our beautiful girl.”
“It is a date everyone. No big deal. That is why I wasn’t going to tell y’all I knew you would make a production out of it,” Annie said.