Those Angstrom Men!. (9 page)

“Have a nice time,” Susan said. All she wanted to do was get off the phone.

On reflection, even though it was late, she called Alec. Alec would look after it. He’d know what to do.

“Alec, Susan…”

“SusieQ, are you alright? Did you get to your godfather’s without difficulty?”

“I did. I’m sorry to call so late, Alec.”

“SusieQ, you can call me any hour of the day or night.”

“Thank you, Alec…it’s fabulous to have friends like you and Annie.”

“Yeah, Annie’s a great girl, isn’t she?”

Susan smiled to herself. Annie was the same age as she was, thirty-six. Alec must be all of what, twenty-eight?  Hmmm, perhaps he had a thing for Annie?

“She is, and footloose and fancy free, Alec.”

Alec was not daft, he knew what Susan was saying. He ignored it. Telling his SusieQ who he really had a thing for wasn’t in the cards just yet, not until she was ready…

“Knowing you, SusieQ, you wouldn’t call at this time of night unless you had a good reason?”

  “Oh, Alec, Georgie just called.” Susan took a deep breath and continued calmly.

“George s
aid his mobile had been turned off because of a business meeting and he forgot to turn it on until just now. He says he’s going to go salmon fishing next week with his pals since I’m up here in Scotland.”

“Since the best salmon fishing is up near you, did he suggest staying with you?”

“Of course not…”

“I’ll put a detective on him first thing in the morning, Susan. If he’s doing what you and I obviously think he’s going to do, we’ll have the proof we need for a quick and cheap divorce.”

“I knew I could count on you, Alec.”

“You can always count on me, Susan, always.”

“I know, Alec, and you can’t believe how good that makes me feel.”

Alec sat there, thinking for quite some time after they hung up.

Time, he’d have to give her time to recover from her wounds. At least a year or two…

Three days later Alec called her.

The fishing trip was a week in Paris with the Marianne Faithful look-alike.

The detective Alec hired had taken photos of the two of them at the top of the Eiffel Tower, at a bistro on the Left Bank, coming out of Chanel’s boutique with lots of parcels and the hotel registration for Mr. and Mrs
. George Preston. Georgie wasn’t even smart enough to cover his tracks.

Alec and Susan’s father were wonderful. Annie was incredibly helpful.

They allowed George to buy Susan out of the house and furniture.

He’d picked the house. Susan would hav
e preferred a smaller property, perhaps a penthouse in town, since there were only the two of them, but George hadn’t considered her wishes, even though it was Susan’s salary that paid most of the mortgage.

As soon as the house was his,
he promptly moved his Marianne Faithful lookalike in.

Annie, Alec and Susan had moved her things out not six
hours before the trollop moved in.

Slightly less than two months later Susan was a free woman.

She spent the next few months learning to live alone again, and liking it very much.

She found a furnished Georgian townhouse not far from the office on a two year lease and took it, not wanting to make any decisions about property just yet. She painted a lot, and didn’t go out much.

Annie and Alec took to dropping by on the weekends with bottles of wine. The three of them laughed a lot and gradually, Susan’s smile returned.

Her father, widowed when she was fourteen, finally married his lady friend.
They had been going out for fifteen years.

They were very well suited and he was busy enough being a bridegroom and cosseting Barbara that he didn’t crowd Susan.

Alec helped Susan to reorganize her life. He asked her out for dinner one night when they had a five o’clock appointment to revise her will and she found herself wishing he was older.

He looked so handsome in the candlelight, his dark blond hair and sparkling blue eyes reminded Susan of a film star. She was glad to have such a good friend, and told him so.

Alec sensed Susan wasn’t interested in finding a new love interest yet, but he also knew that some of the more eligible single men in Portsmouth were beginning to show some interest.

He was
this
close now to claiming Susan as his wife, and he wasn’t going to let another man slide in ahead of himself.

Alec
was at his Uncle Brian’s birthday party, and found himself in a group which included his two cousins, Ian and David, and Ian’s wife Maggie. After duly admiring the new baby, and commiserating with David about the state of Man United this season, he drew Ian and Maggie aside.

“I have a little dilemma, and I thought that you two might be able to give me a clue…”

Ian smiled. “Sounds like it has something to do with a woman, since you’ve shanghaied Maggie as well as me.”

“It does. Do you remember Susan Shelton?”

“Who would forget Susan Shelton? She’s as nice as she is good looking.”

Alec smiled. “Nice, beautiful, clever, talented, and now she’s divorced…”

“So you don’t have to admire her from afar anymore, eh, Alec?” said Ian shrewdly. “I used to watch you watching her…but she’s a bit older than you, isn’t she?”

“Eight years. I don’t think that’s a significant difference now that we’re older.”

Maggie smiled. “How much older?”

“She’s thirty six now, and I’m twenty eight. She married young, only nineteen. I fell in love with her when I was nineteen, and there’s just been nobody else who’s measured up to her since.”

Ian laughed. “And heaven knows Alec has tried, Maggie mine. He must have dated every good looking woman in Portsmouth over the years.“

“Until a year ago, Ian.
Until Susan caught George cheating on her. Since then, I’ve been waiting…biding my time...“

Maggie smiled, sympathetically now.

“So what’s the problem then, Alec? Tell her how you feel.”

Alec shook his head. “She’s not ready yet.”

“Well, I can’t help you unless I know the problem,” said Maggie reasonably.

“
There are two problems, Maggie. She’s starting to get her confidence back, and I’m sure two or three men I know are on the verge of asking her out. I certainly don’t want her taking up with anybody but me…and I don’t want her taking up with me until she’s ready to give her heart to me.”

“Well, then, Alec, you need to keep her so busy she doesn’t have time to date these two or three men if they ask her,” smiled Maggie. 

“And what’s the second problem, Alec?” asked his cousin.

“
Ian, the second problem is how to make her take me seriously as a man, and not as a family friend, when she’s ready.”

“Hmmm…”

Ian gave it some thought. “Well, Maggie’s quite right, you need to take up all her free time. Think of an activity you can get her involved with, one where she won’t bump into too many good looking single types.”

“Suggestions?”

“Does she like sailing? You‘ve got that thirty two foot sloop you haven‘t used much the last couple of years.”

“Yes, she does. I could get her and her friend Annie to crew for me on some of the long distance races our sailing club has organized for the next few months, I could monopolize every weekend for the next four months…
and she’s so busy at work just now, she doesn’t go out during the week.“

“By then she should be ready for some romance, Alec
.”

Maggie thought for a moment. “I know, you need to get her away somewhere romantic,
and woo her with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.“

“Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries
?”

“Best seduction tools I know
,“ smirked Ian. “They worked on you, didn’t they Maggie mine?”

Maggie gazed adoringly at her husband. “They worked so well that I married you, and had your baby, darling…in spite of the fact you l
ied to me…”

Alec raised an
eyebrow. “Lied to you, Maggie?”

“Yes, lan told me his name was Armstrong, not Angstrom. He wanted to try and have a normal relationship with me.”

“How did you tell her, Ian?”

“Dad actually spilled the beans, and boy, was she mad. Spitting fire! But I kissed her silly and she forgave me.”

“And he plied me with Cristal and chocolate covered strawberries,” smiled Maggie. “Cristal and chocolate covered strawberries work every time, Alec.”

When Alec got home, he telephoned his wine merchant and ordered a case of Cristal which he laid down in his wine cellar for future use. Then he went online and learned how to make chocolate covered strawberries. He found some of the best chocolate, stashed it in his pantry and made sure he always had fresh strawberries in the fridge.

A week later, the weather forecast said the weekend would be perfect for sailing. He called Susan and Annie and invited them out for the weekend on the sailboat.

He brought along the strawberries and the chocolate, but not the champagne. He brought Pinot Gris instead.

The three of them had a marvellous time, sailing all day and drinking wine and eating the strawberries when they moored Saturday evening.

“So, girls,” said Alec when he judged they were mellow,

“I see the sailing club is organizing a series of six long distance races over the next four months. I thought I might enter, if you two would be my crew.”

“I’ll sign on if you promise these strawberries every race,” laughed Susan.

“Me, too,” agreed Annie, licking her fingers.

Alec smiled. Problem Number One solved. Susan would be too busy to meet anyone but him…

Now, on to Problem Number Two.

The solution to Problem Number Two flashed up during their third weekend race. They sailed past a gleaming
cruise ship headed out of Southampton, off no doubt to the Mediterranean.

“Wouldn’t that be a great holiday?” sighed Annie.

“What’s stopping you?”

“Somebody to go with, it’s too expensive on a teacher’s salary to go on my own…and Susan thinks she’d be bored.”

“But you love being out on the sailboat, Susan,” said Alec. “You’re never bored while we’re sailing.”

“That’s different. I’m always busy.”

“Oh, no you’re not. You laze in the sun working on your tan at least two or three hours every afternoon…”

“Well, maybe…”

“Go with her, Susan. Would you deprive your best friend of her dream holiday because she can’t afford to go alone?”

Susan sighed. With both Annie and Alec on at her, she supposed she’d better give in. Her eyes narrowed.

If she was going to suffer the boredom of a large cruise ship filled with either older couples or legions of young women looking for a romantic interlude, she’d make sure Alec shared her suffering. Besides, she still thought that maybe Alec fancied Annie and was reluctant to spoil a good friendship by making a move…

“Okay, okay, I’ll go with Annie, on one condition….”

“What’s the condition?” asked Annie anxiously.

“That Alec
come with us. I know you, Annie, you’ll met some man the first twenty four hours we’re on board...and ditch him twenty four hours after that, and spend the rest of the trip bewailing the fact there are no good men on board. If we take Alec, at least we’ll have a hunk to dance with and explore the ports with….”

Alec’s eyes twinkled.
This was too easy! Thank you, God!

Aloud he said, “So I’m a hunk, am I?”

Susan squirmed. “Well, you are rather good looking and very fit, you know, tall, blond, nice eyes, great abs and all that…”

Annie nodded. “Great idea, Sue, we can take turns dancing his feet off. And he can vet any men we meet.”    

So here they were, on the
Azure Dream
, heading south for the Canary Islands.

It was
late September, but still balmy. Annie had arranged with her headmaster to have the time off.

It had been easy.
His wife, a teacher herself was now stuck at home with the kids and going stir crazy with three children under seven. She was a good friend of Annie‘s and more than willing to cover Annie’s classes while she was gone. 

At the last minute, Alec had a very important merger drag on and on. It looked as if he wouldn’t make it.

He began to wonder if there was a God, after all. 

They arranged that Susan and Annie would board by themselves, and if he could get away, and it wouldn’t be till the last minute if he could, Alec would find them onboard.

He had their cabin number, after all. The
Azure Dream
left Southampton at four, and Susan and Annie had been amazed at the crowd on deck as they pulled away from the dock. They threaded through the tightly packed bodies, searching for Alec.

“Guess he didn’t make it, Annie.”

“Too bad, there goes our hunky dancing partner. The man can really shake those hips, can’t he?”

Susan thought of Alec’s hips, and wondered why she suddenly felt a little warm.

“Eh, look at all these people, Annie...I’m amazed there are so many passengers on this ship!”

Annie had been dismayed rather than amazed. She guessed that sixty to seventy percent of
the passengers were women, very attractive
young
women.

If
Annie had harboured any secret thoughts of a shipboard fling, and perhaps she had, they were dashed at the sight of all those attractive young women.

Who would pick a thirty six year old over a twenty-something in a bikini? Annie knew that as soon as it was warm enough, they would all be in bikinis.

Annie really did want to have a shipboard romance. She’d seen how Alec looked at Susan over the years, when he thought nobody was looking, and she’d seen his eyes light up when Susan called him a hunk…

No, Annie had no intention of being a third wheel. But it looked as if Alec hadn’t made it on board.

Annie was wrong, Alec had made it onboard, at the last minute. However, he spent the next three hours in his cabin on his mobile, giving his partner instructions how to proceed with the final negotiations, holding their client‘s hand via wifi.

Alec was weary. He’d worked sixteen hours a day all week so that he could be on this cruise.

He lay back on his bed for just a minute, closed his eyes, and…

Susan and Annie enjoyed the buffet up on the Lido Deck.

“Too bad Alec missed the boat,” joked Susan. “He’d have been company for me while you flirt with all the men on board.”

Annie snorted.

“Not much danger of that, Sue.”

“What do you mean, there are lots of men for you to flirt with, Annie.”

“
Look at all these women, all looking for the rare single male passenger, all younger and slimmer than me.”

Susan smiled. Annie was a knockout.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Annie. You’ll have somebody panting at your heels within hours.”

“I doubt it. I’m mid-thirties. A lot of these babes are mid-twenties.
”

“Annie, Annie, where’s your self-confidence? You look
better than most of them.” 

“
Just wait till the sun comes out and they’re all lounging round the pools in their thong bikinis.”

“You’ve got a thong bikini yourself, lady, and the figure to wear it.”

“Let’s go down to the Casino, try our luck, and then we’ll come back up here at eight for that dance party. It’s called the Singles Mingle for a reason, Susan…”

Susan sighed.

She followed Annie down to the Casino where they played the slots for about an hour, just about breaking even.

Then she followed Annie to their cabin where
they changed into pretty dresses, refreshed their makeup and headed up to the Lido Deck for the Singles Mingle.

As Annie had feared, there were about six women for every man.

Six
younger
women for every man. Annie hailed a passing waiter and got them two potent fruity drinks with umbrellas. Susan sipped hers, Annie gulped hers and then another, and another.

She tried to drag Susan over the dance floor, but the last thing Susan wanted to do was make a sp
ectacle of herself with her half-drunk best friend gyrating to the four piece band.

“I’m going to get an early night,” Susan finally told her.
“I’m tired. I worked flat out all week so I didn’t leave any loose ends at work.”

Annie was about to protest when a good looking man came up and asked her to dance. He was handsome in an Antonio Banderas way, with sexy eyes and sexy hips. Annie licked her lips and followed him onto the dance floor.

Susan groaned and wished she’d insisted on separate cabins. She could have treated Annie, called it an early Christmas present.

Annie crept in at about four. Susan didn’t even hear her.

Susan was up at six the next morning, and relished the solitude as she walked around the ship, breathing deeply, enjoying the sea air, the wind in her hair, appreciating the lack of structure for the day ahead. She’d put the
Do Not Disturb
sign on their cabin door and smiled. Either Annie was planning to sleep half the day or she‘d see her at breakfast.

About eight,
Susan went up to the Lido Deck for the buffet breakfast. She was surprised, and pleased to see Alec sitting alone at a table.

“Hello,
Alec, we thought you’d missed the boat. When did you get onboard?”

“Last minute.
They were rolling up the gangway behind me. Then I spent three hours on my mobile making sure everything goes according to plan while I’m away. After that, I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes for two minutes…and woke up an hour ago. Hope you don’t mind I didn‘t appear last night?”

“Not at all.”

“I saw the
Do Not Disturb
sign on your cabin door when I came up to collect you two for breakfast,” Alec said.

“I put it there when I went out on deck. Annie was dead to the world. She’d had quite a few drinks when I he
aded down to bed. I don‘t know what time she got in…”

Sleeping Beauty joined them half an hour later.

“I danced my feet off with Mario,” she told them as she sipped a coffee. “He’s an Italian chap who says he’s a count.” 

Alec smiled. “I’ll check him out later, and make sure he isn’t a fortune hunter.”

Annie grinned. “Won’t do him any good if he is, will it, since I’m an underpaid school teacher.”

“True, but some of these guys...”

“I know,” sighed Annie, “but he’s very nice, and I had a great time, and wow, can the man kiss…”

“I’ll still check him out for you, Annie,” insisted Alec.

“Thanks, Alec.”

“What are you planning to do today, Alec?” asked Susan.

“Well, SusieQ, I was planning to take it easy, laze the day away by the pool, perhaps check out the bridge tournament they’re organizing. Would you be my partner?”

Alec and Susan had recently started to play bridge about twice a month with a group who were more interested in having fun than win
ning. It was another of Alec’s ploys to make sure she didn’t meet any eligible men. He’d checked out the group before he suggested it to Susan. The other members were all either married or over sixty.

“Sounds good.
What time?”

“Two in the Library.
I’ll register us both, shall I?”

“Thanks. Anything else
we should sign up for?”

“There’s a wine tasting in one of the dining rooms tomorrow at two. I read about it this morning in the Ship‘s newsletter. Six wines, six canapés, you get to keep the liqueur glass. I’ll enroll the three of us, shall I?”

“Yes, please. Annie will like that.”

Annie
nodded, her mouth full of toast.

“You will too, SusieQ, won’t you?”

“Yes, Alec, I’ll love it.”

Susan was amused to see how many sexy young things were giving Alec the eye, and her and Annie the cold glare.

It was quite flattering, Susan thought, that those women would think there was something between Alec and either Annie or herself.             

Susan stood up. “I’m off to see what the shops have to offer. I promised my P.A. an
Azure Dream
tee shirt.”

“I’m going to find a spot by the pool and work on my tan,” smiled Alec.

“I’m going for a walk and then to Trivia. Mario and I are going to play Trivia this morning,” grinned Annie. “If he remembers, that is. We were both pretty drunk when we made the date.”

Susan soon found the gift for her P.A., and small presents for the receptionist and mail boy. Then she wandered up by the pool. Alec was sunning himself alright, surrounded by three or four twenty-somethings in bikinis.

She didn’t understand why it bothered her. Shrugging, she consulted the pocket sized deck plan and climbed up another flight of stairs, found the spa and beauty salon and made an appointment to have her hair cut. Thinking about those younger women in their bikinis, she booked a manicure, pedicure, facial and bikini wax as well…

Susan bumped into Annie back at the Lido buffet when she decided to get a cup of tea.

“How was trivia?”

“Fun.
Mario’s just gone down to his cabin to change into his swimming trucks.”

“Still saying he’s a count?”

“He says the family is titled but impoverished.”

“So is he looking for an heiress to help refurbish the family home?”

Annie laughed. “I told him if he was, I was the wrong woman. I already explained I’m only a school teacher.”

“That was wise. Alec was concerned he might be a fortune hunter.”

“You’d thing Alec was our big brother, the way he fusses about us and calls you SusieQ,” Annie grinned,

“Instead of be
ing eight or nine years younger,” Susan smiled.

“
I guess that’s what solicitors do...” said Annie.

“So did you really dance the night away?” Susan asked.

Annie turned beet red. “Well, part of the night, and then Mario and I enjoyed a couple of drinks on his balcony....”

Susan held up her hands. “Say no more!”

Annie grinned again. “I don’t want to make you jealous, Susan, but he is fantastic. You’ll meet him at lunch.”