No Ordinary Romance (12 page)

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"A terrible thing since both of us has a busy
day at work ahead. The way I'm feeling I won't let you out of bed
for the rest of the week." Upon hearing her sigh of disappointment,
he kissed again. "I wouldn't say no if you invite me back this
evening."

Thomas cradled her head onto his chest and
held her tight; she didn't want this to end either. The reality of
the outside world was intruding on their time together. "You're
welcome in my home any time you like. I could make us dinner say
around seven o'clock."

Thomas kissed her again. "I'll be here
Constantina, but I don't know if I'll be hungry for food." He
picked the towel up and threw it over his shoulder. "It's seems I'm
all sweaty again. Why don't you join me in the shower this
time?"

Thoroughly enjoying the view of his backside,
Connie fell in behind him. "Somehow I got a feeling we'll both be
late for work today."

***

An hour later, Connie and Thomas left her
bedroom. She was in a robe, and he was dressed for the office. She
whipped around the kitchen making French toast, sausage, and strong
coffee with no sugar or cream. She sat down at the table to watch
him eat; her stomach was too jittery to eat. "You never did tell me
about your business trip."

Thomas
impressed
by the spread she made for breakfast. He only knew
of one other woman who cooked this way, and she was his mother.
"Well I had other things on my mind this weekend. Every time I came
up for air you were stuffing me with food."

"I wanted you to have plenty of energy to
keep up with me."

"In addition to being a contract lawyer, I'm
the CEO of a family owned business. My mother, sisters, and I work
hard to attract new business to Omaha. We got off to a rocky start
because the scandal involving my ex-wife did a lot of damage to my
reputation. As time went on, people began to forget my past and
focused on what I could do for them and their companies."

"I don't imagine anyone
keeping you down for long. You've got too much pride and
personality
for that."

"Are you still looking for a buyer for The
Purple Feather?"

"I've spoken with representative of several
prospective buyers, and I hope to sell pretty soon."

Thomas cleared the last bite of French toast
from his plate followed by a sip of coffee. "I just don't
understand your reasons for selling a successful business."

"Successful. Yes, but it's carries a large
raincloud with it, and I don't want the Cabbage Patch Foundation to
suffer because of my ties to a sex store."

"You think people are that narrow
minded."

"The kind that contribute to the foundation
are that narrow minded. I don't need to provide the hoity toity of
Omaha with ammunition to damage the foundation. We caught some heat
for dispensing condoms at our clinics. Which I just don't get, you
realize that last year Omaha had the highest rate of Chlamydia in
the entire United States."

"Constantina, the foundation is doing a lot
of good things. Don't let a few stuffed shirts keep you from your
path. Breakfast was wonderful, but I truly do need to be going, or
I won't leave at all. Why don't you walk me to the door?"

Thomas grabbed her hand and pulled her out of
her seat. He put on his coat and gathered his suitcase as she
followed closely behind him. When he got to the door, he turned
around and stole another kiss. "Have a good day baby. I'll see you
at seven."

Connie stood at the door, watching him pull
out of her driveway; she was so out of her league with him.
"Thomas, please be the real deal," she whispered to herself.

***

Connie was taking a short break when her
phone rang. "Hello this is Connie Jacobs. How can I help you?"

"Hey Con, it's Jenna and Samantha. We called
to get the details on your weekend."

"Do you guys have me on speaker phone?"

"Yeah, but we're in Jenna's office, now spill
it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Connie, Sam and I saw the picture of you and
Thomas in the local entertainment section of the newspaper. You
can't make me believe that you two didn't sex each other up this
weekend. Besides that, you haven't answered your phone all weekend.
So give us some details! Now how good was he?"

Connie didn't speak for several meetings.
"Thomas is the best I ever had. He took his time to give me what I
needed."

"Woo hoo! When are you seeing him again?"

"He's supposed to come over tonight for
dinner. I don't want either one of you calling me, not unless Jenna
goes into labor early."

"Oh, damn! Every time I get comfortable
junior presses against my bladder." Jenna left the office to go to
the restroom.

"What wrong with Jenna?"

"She had to go pee. Now just between the two
of us, do you think Thomas could become an indispensable part of
your life?"

"I don't know Sam. There are aspects about
Thomas that I genuinely enjoy, but he also has a lot control
issues. Tell me something Sam, why did you invite Thomas to your
New Year's Eve party, especially after I expressed my dislike for
him."

"For the reason I told you. He looks at you
as if you're a dream walking. When you're not pretending to hate
him, your eyes get all misty every time he walks into a room. You
want him Connie, and that's all the motivation I needed. I want you
to be happy in a relationship and I'm all about doing my part. I'm
just glad that you two finally started communicating."

"We've been communicating all right. We
communicated so well, we almost didn't make it to work this
morning.

"I heard from a reliable source that you and
Thomas disappeared during the Valentine's Day dance. When you came
back almost an hour later, Thomas couldn't keep his hands off you.
Did you do something naughty with Thomas at the dance? If so, you
know you got my approval, sex can be much more exciting when
there's a chance you might get caught."

"I am so not going to answer that question.
We just took a little stroll to talk about his business trip."

"Really! I don't believe that for one moment.
Did you wow him with your sex toys this weekend? He seems like the
type who would assuredly get into a little play."

Connie pursed her lips together; she wasn't
comfortable about discussing her sex life. "You're still on your
honeymoon; I can't believe you're interested in my sex life."

"I'm just teasing you Con, I know how tight
lipped you are about sex and giving up the goodies. My advice to
you is to live in the moment and stop looking for flaws. If you're
not too busy this week give us a call, maybe we can do lunch or
something."

"Thanks Sam, I'll call you and Jenna later in
the week. I was dreadfully swamped today, and I still have to plan
dinner for Thomas tonight."

"Connie!"

Connie hung up the phone before Samantha
could start plying her with questions. Jenna and Samantha were the
best friends a girl could have, but sometimes they tested her
sanity.

***

Thomas was reviewing a contract for a new
client when his secretary called him on the phone. "Yes
Caroline,"

"Mr. Galvin, uhmm Thomas, your ex-wife is
here to see you."

When he saw the picture of him and
Constantina in the paper looking as though they're in love, he
expected questions from his family. He wasn't surprised that Elise
decided to show, she always was territorial, even though they're
divorced. "Send her in Caroline." Thomas went back to reviewing the
contract determine that Elise wouldn't ruin his day.

"Thomas I know you're busy, but I would like
your full attention."

Thomas finished reading the paragraph before
turning his attention to Elise. "Okay Elise, what do I owe this
displeasure?" Thomas had to admit that she looked good. Her
glorious red hair fell down in waves around her shoulder. Her
makeup, impeccable, she was excellent at playing up her green eyes.
As usual, she dressed as if she were headed for the red carpet. She
flaunted the diamond drop earrings with a matching necklace and
bracelet. According to the rumor mill, she was getting married
again to some Wall Street sucker.

"Oh Thomas I was just in the neighborhood
when I decided to drop by."

Thomas gave her his full attention, "Quit
playing games with me, state your business and be on your way."

Elise took a seat directly across from
Thomas, crossing her legs. "I saw your picture in the entertainment
section of the newspaper. I just wanted to know if the rumors were
true. Did you hooked up with that slag from the Cabbage Patch
Foundation. I don't know what was more troubling the fact that
you've stooped so low to find my replacement or that stupid
lovesick expression on your face."

"Jealous."

"Not jealous darling. Just curious."

"There comes a time in a man's life when he
grows up and learns how to appreciate a real woman when he finds
her." The flash of red on Elise's pale cheeks let Thomas know that
his jab hit it home. If a man had called Constantina a slag, he
would have beat him into the floor.

"She's a little nobody that inherited
everything she has. For God's sake, some black witch in North Omaha
raised her. You're an established businessman with a reputation to
uphold. How can you be so complacent when your future is at
stake?"

"I refused to discuss my relationship with
Constantina to you of all people. I think you need a reminder of
history. I was an up and coming lawyer when my wife and business
partner, you took it upon herself to defraud our clients. You
skated through prison just like everything else. How did you manage
to serve only 18 months of a seven year sentence?"

Elise smiled like a Cheshire cat, "what can I
say, daddy has friends in high places. I was released for good
behavior. This brings me to the real reason why I'm here. I know
that you're the CEO of the Chisum Group. I have some property in
Elkhorn that I need to sell before I moved to New York."

"So contact a realtor."

"I know that you have contacts with land
developers looking for such an opportunity."

"So why come to me, certainly you know that I
would never take you on as a client."

Elise uncrossed her legs and sat forward,
"You've been tremendously successful bringing new business to
Omaha. I have 500 acres of prime real estate left to me through my
grandmother."

"I'm sure your daddy has plenty of contacts.
Why bring this deal to me?"

Elise gave Thomas her brightest smile. "Well
daddy and I are had a little disagreement on the sale of the
property. He wants me to hold it in a trust for my future
children."

"Except that you're a greedy bitch looking
for fast cash. You thought that I would help you unload the
property and jab the judge at the same time. No dice Elise find
another sucker to play your games. Now excuse me, I have urgent
business to attend, you can see yourself out."

"Okay Thomas, I hope you don't live to regret
your decision." She left his office in a hurry and slammed the door
on the way out.

"Good riddance."

"What did that viper want?"

Aaron Colton, his best friend, and co-counsel
stepped into his office thrusting his body into a chair. "Calm down
Aaron, my witchy ex-wife isn't worming her way back into my good
graces. She trying to pull a slick move on her daddy and thought I
might fall for the bait."

"I'll never understand what you saw in her.
With those frosty green eyes and blood red lips, she's what I
imagined a living corpse to appear."

"You never expressed this opinion of her
while we were married."

"Sure I did. I told you if you married that
poisonous bitch, she'd make your life a living hell. Once you were
married I avoided her at all costs."

"I remember you trying to save me from myself
at the bachelor party, but what can I say I had my future all
mapped out, and Elise was a part of that future."

"Enough about that trollop, just talking
about her makes me feel dirty. What's going on with you and Connie
Jacobs? I saw your picture in the paper; you've been unusually low
key about your attraction to her."

"Constantina is like no woman I've ever met.
When I'm with her, she makes me a better man."

Thomas didn't know it, but he was in love
with Connie Jacobs, this time he had Aaron's approval. "I knew she
was important to you months ago when you chewed her out for
changing her tire on I80."

"She's lucky I didn't paddle her ass. I
wasn't her favorite person back then; I was just as surprised as
you were when she allowed me to drive her back to Omaha. The truce
didn't last long we were back at each other's throats at the next
city council meeting."

I know you Thomas you've never gone through
so much trouble over a woman before. Do I hear wedding bells in
your future?"

"No so loud, Constantina is not the most
trusting woman. If she got wind of my real intentions, I'd never
get close to her again, and that's just not acceptable."

"Congratulations Tommy! This time you've
chosen well for yourself. Don't rush her; Connie doesn't seem like
the type of woman you can push around."

"You're right about that, she's as stubborn
as a mule, but she challenges me Aaron, and that's what keeps me
coming back for more."

***

Connie stopped at Walgreen's on the way home
to purchase a copy of Sunday's Metropolitan Newspaper. She sat
inside her car thumbing through the sections until she reached the
cover of the entertainment section. "Oh no." She stared at the
photo of her and Thomas. She looked like a woman in love, she had
suppressed her true feelings for Thomas.

Connie didn't know where this thing with
Thomas was leading, but she hated wearing her heart on her sleeve.
She hoped Thomas never saw the photo. No wonder Samantha and Jenna
called her trying to pump her about Thomas. She drove home feeling
more confused than ever; what would Thomas think if he saw that
photo.