Catching Caitlin (4 page)

He laughed a little.
“Maybe... that’s very interesting...”

I cracked a smile. “Are
you already crafting your story?”

He shook his head, a grin
on his face “Oh no. Of course not.”

The doors opened into his
suite. I had never seen anything like it before. While I never thought I was
poor or neglected, I suddenly realized how different everything was when you
were rich. The expanse of the room was almost too much. A vaulted ceiling, with
criss-crossed wooden beams. A ceiling fan graced the uppermost eaves. Shiny and
glossy tile coated the floor between the bedroom and the bathroom, where a
claw-foot tub and shower were hiding.

The living room had two
velvet couches staring at a huge TV, which could be hidden inside the
entertainment wall. Wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded the
living room, which almost gave me vertigo just standing at the entrance from
the elevator.

He took off his shoes and
wandered into the bedroom. I kicked off my pumps as well. I traced his
footsteps, taking the time to calm myself.

In the bedroom, he was
leaning against the railing on the balcony, overlooking the city below. I
looked around the room. The bed frame wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen in a
hotel before. Intricate wrought-iron curled around the headboard. It had to be
locally made.

I made a face, moving
toward Hugh. He must’ve sensed me come up next to him. He put his arm around
me, surprising me.

“This city is beautiful,
don’t you think?” he asked. As he stared over the horizon, the glare catching
his eyes, I studied him. “I always look forward to coming here, especially in
the spring.” He pointed toward the same row of trees that I saw blooming when I
came into town. He squeezed me against his chest.

I stared across the
landscape, trying to make myself like it. “I guess I’ve never thought of a city
as beautiful before...” As the words left me, I felt his eyes fix on me.

“Although,” he reached
for me to face him, his frosty eyes penetrating me. He smiled. “I am here with
you, and that’s the real treasure.” My mouth parted, maybe subconsciously. He
cupped his hand against my neck, and held my head, leaning in.

My heart felt like it was
going to explode, the loud and incessant pounding of blood against my ears was
growing unbearable. His lips met mine, tentatively at first. Then our eagerness
got the better of us. I clasped my hands behind his back, pulling him toward
me, his mouth parting to meet mine. His tongue slicked against mine, and our
bodies intertwined.

I pulled away from him,
withdrawing. “I don’t know, Hugh.”

He breathed hard, “Don’t
know what?”

“If we should be doing
this. I just — don’t know what you’re expecting from me.” I looked away from
him, over the balcony. “Do you even remember us dating?”

He stepped closer to me.
“Of course I do. Why would you even ask?” He ran his hand behind my back and
pulled me close to him. His body heat curling into me and making me melt.
“Homecoming, senior year for me. I couldn’t believe how stunning you were in
that dress.”

“So you do remember. What
about our breakup?”

“What about it? That
doesn’t matter anymore.”

I nodded slightly, seeing
his point. Still, I couldn’t shake feeling nervous. Maybe it was because he
still hadn’t said a thing about his ring. He leaned in and kissed me again,
making me forget what I was even worrying about.

I let myself collapse
into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck as he groped me through my
shirt.

Not letting go of each
other, we stumbled back over the threshold back into the bedroom. We fell onto
the bed, and he only released me to catch his breath.

He started unbuttoning
his shirt. I stopped him, pushing his hand out of the way and undoing them
myself. A kind of fire flickered in his eyes, a kind I hadn’t ever seen before,
but that I understood.

I finished, moving my
hand up and pulling the shirt off his shoulders, exposing his bare skin to me.
I rushed to meet it with my lips, kissing his broad shoulders and strong chest.

He was stronger than he I
remembered. Time had certainly treated his body well. I was nervous that he
might think the opposite of me. He pushed me over, tracing the same kisses on
my body that I had left on his.

“Your stubble,” I
restrained myself from kicking him. “It tickles!”

“Good,” he said. He
kissed my cheeks, leaving me blushing under each press of his lips.

He tossed my legs aside
and ran his hand down my shirt, cupping one of my breasts. I reached up and
grabbed his shoulder, pulling him toward me. Another kiss, accented with heavy
breathing.

He reached his hand
behind my back, threatening to unclip my bra. I moved to block him, still too
jittery to let him go that far.

“Not yet, I’m — ” I
whispered.

He finished my thought,
“It’s okay. I understand.” He clasped my shoulder instead, diving in for
another long kiss. The afternoon light filtering in through the windows, his
body casting a shadow on my face.

I drank him in, savoring
that flavor I had missed for so long. That all encompassing serenity I felt
when I was with him. How did I ever compare that to anything else?

I pushed him away from
me, trying to catch my breath. He was winded too, our bodies still glowing from
our sudden reunion. His pants bulged with eagerness, but I knew I wasn’t quite
ready for him yet.

He didn’t seem as
disappointed as I thought he would be. I threaded my fingers in my hair, trying
to fix it.

“I’m sorry. It’s a lot to
take in... running back into each other.”

He held up his hands in
surrender. “No. don’t apologize. It’s a lot for me too.”

As we regained our
composures, I realized how hungry I was. Sushi was good, but not as filling as
it was made out to be. My stomach rumbled, and I instinctively clutched it.

Hugh smirked a little.
“Should we order room service?”

I let out a gasp. “Room
service! I’ve never had had room service, ever.” He laughed as he pulled out
the menu from the night stand. It was in a huge binder. After we put in our
orders, we talked to pass the time.

I pointed at his wedding
band. “When am I going to hear the story about this?”

“Soon.” I could tell he
was being as honest with me as he could be. “Listen, I know you probably think
that I’m cheating on my wife with you right now, but trust me, I’m not.”

“I know. I do.” I
surprised myself at how nonchalant I was being. When I first saw the ring, my
mind burned with questions. But just being here with him, I felt like
everything might be okay.

He exhaled and looked out
the balcony window. After a moment of thinking, he spoke. “Come back to Reno
with me. My flight leaves tomorrow, and I can get you on that plane.”

“Are you serious?” I sat
up in the bed, my interest piqued.

“I am dead serious. What
have you got going on here anyway?”

I didn’t answer. I
thought about my parents, and about Aaron.

“If you want. Just think
about it. Worst case is I’ll just take you back home tomorrow. If you want to
come, you can grab your things there, and we’ll head straight for the airport.”

I nodded as the doorbell
rang. I rolled over in disbelief that he had a doorbell, watching him dash to
the elevator to let the waiter in.

As we ate, I tossed the
thought around in my mind. Going to Reno with Hugh? I just met him for the
first time in years... was it a mistake? Or was it fate?

I guess there was only
one way to find out.

After finishing up
dinner, we ended up watching some bad television. I was cuddled up next to him
on the bed, pillows propping us up.

As our faces glowed with
laughter and he teased my socked feet with his toes, I knew that I had to go
back with him. What was the worst that could happen? Sometime after midnight, I
fell asleep, my hands clutching Hugh’s chest.

***

A
movement on the bed
woke me up. I opened my eyes and saw Hugh slipping out from under the sheets,
throwing his legs out. He turned and looked at me, a brief smile crossing his
lips.

I groaned, shielding my
eyes with my arm. “What time is it?” I asked.

“About seven in the morning.
We have to make some extra time if we’re going to pick your things up from your
house— ” he suddenly hesitated.

I leaned up and propped
myself on my elbow. “I never said I would go.”

He frowned and crossed
his arms. “Well, are you?”

I milked the moment for a
little bit. I’m sure his mind was burning all night wondering if I was going
with him or not.

“Sure, I’ll go.”

“Sure?” he said. “That’s
the best I can get out of you?”

I rolled over, dragging
the sheets with me. “Yep,” I said teasingly.

He shook his head,
smiling to himself. “You should get dressed.”

I didn’t have any other
clothes with me, so I slipped on what I had worn yesterday. A little bit
wrinkled, and not nearly as comfortable as silk pajamas. It would have to do
though. I did my best to fix my hair while Hugh got ready.

He packed up his small
duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. I raised an eyebrow.

“How long were you here
anyway?”

“Four days,” he said, “I
didn’t want to be away from work very long.”

“A man who can’t stand to
be away from work?” I shook my head, “That’s a surprise.”

“Why’s it a surprise?”

“I remember when you
worked for a tire place in high school, you hated it.”

He shrugged, “Things
change. I’m not the same man I was in high school.”

I wondered if I was the
same woman?

He pulled out his wallet
and left a tip on the night stand for housekeeping, a hundred dollar bill. I
tried to act casual about spying on his tip, but he shot me a knowing glance.

We exited the room,
taking the elevator down to the lobby. He signed off for his room charges and
flashed a smile at the clerk.

I knew I wasn’t going to
tell Aaron, even though I wasn’t sure why I didn’t want to. Maybe I didn’t want
him to tell me what I was doing was stupid, or tease me that I thought I had
gotten over Hugh.

As we drove to my house,
I kept looking at him. Not looking, but staring. He drew me in. I’d forgotten
what it was like, to be so enraptured with someone. How I could miss someone so
much and never realize it? This wound that was cut into my heart felt a little
better when I was with him.

***

A
fter a short drive
across town, we pulled into my parents’ driveway. Hugh brought us to a firm
stop, but left the car running. He slung his arm over the back of the seat and
looked at me.

“You want me to come in
and help you pack up?”

I looked at the house,
examining its new paint and shutters. While it looked new and fresh on the
outside, I knew there was nothing but a crumbling marriage on the inside. It
made my stomach twist.

“No, that’s okay. I’ll be
real quick.” I opened the door and crossed into the house.

My mom wasn’t in the path
to my room, so I didn’t have to see her. I sighed as I closed my door, leaning
my head against it.

I squeezed my temples,
trying to assure my self I wasn’t losing my mind.
Am I really doing this?
Leaving with Hugh to cross the country?
I

I had no idea how long
I’d be gone, but I figured four days worth of stuff would be good enough. I
tossed the strewn clothes from the floor into my half-emptied suitcase and
zipped it shut. I’d probably never pack so fast for the rest of my life.

As I made it toward the
front door, I decided I should leave some kind of note. I set my suitcase down
and went to the kitchen, tearing off a piece of paper from a notepad that was
abandoned on the counter.

Went out of town for a
while, don’t worry about me. I have my phone. I should be back in a couple of
days. - C

I pinned the paper to the
fridge, and went out the front door.

Hugh was waiting,
standing near the opened trunk of the car.

“That was surprisingly
fast,” he commented.

I nodded, slinging the
suitcase into the trunk. “Did your parents redecorate?” he pointed at the
shutters. “I swear it wasn’t this nice before.”

I blew at my hair,
tossing it into the air. “Thanks. They must’ve done it while I was gone.”

“Looks really nice. Like
a new home almost. A lot better than what I remember.”

I slammed the trunk shut
and came around to the passenger side. I climbed back into the car, and Hugh
swung out of the driveway.

“Next stop, Reno.”

***

W
hen we reached the airport,
Hugh turned in his rental while I started freaking out about the huge security
lines.

“When is our flight
again?” I asked.

“About thirty minutes.”

“What?” I nearly let go
of my suitcase handle. “We won’t make it! Look at the security checkpoint
line!”

“We don’t use that.” He
waved my comment off, and gestured for me to follow him. Bewildered, I moved
past the crowd with him, joining him in the employee checkpoint line. A TSA
agent checked our IDs and let us go on through.

There wasn’t a terminal
line for us, and our flight wasn’t listed on any of the screens. Hugh led us
out through one of the terminal doors, and I finally saw why we had it so easy.

Because
he
had it
so easy.

A private jet sat on the
runway, some personnel tending to it. My jaw dropped: a private jet?

“You’ve got to be kidding
me, is that for us?”

“Definitely. The company
jet, just for us. And it’ll take us right to Reno. No pit stops.” He took my
suitcase and handed it to the bag check waiting at the stairs. “My home,” he
added.