CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Riley waited for Sam’s answer, kind of hoping he’d say yes so she’d get to spend more time with him but also hoping that he’d say no and he’d go. His very nearness was disturbing her equilibrium and it might be better for her if he simply left.
It wasn’t a surprise that he had a flight out this morning. She’d known it all week and they’d talked about it last night. She was fine with it…really. She’d get over him eventually, but she hadn’t realized it was going to feel this rotten. That she hadn’t expected.
It was probably just the sex, anyway. There weren’t enough superlatives to describe last night, so of course she was going to be a little sad when he left. No more great sex, right? It didn’t have anything to do with him as a person. She barely knew him.
Except that she had spent a great deal of time with him and he seemed like a good person. Not movie star-ish at all. Really down to earth and normal. She’d expected an arrogant asshole and had instead found a hard-working man trying to do the best he could.
But then he was one of the most famous actors on earth so maybe it was all make-believe. It would make it easier if she could convince herself that the whole thing was simply Sam’s acting skills. Like he didn’t really care about her as a person and he’d just used her for sex.
Although he could get sex from many willing women, several of whom had been at the party last night.
“I’m afraid I can’t,” he replied, swinging his legs off the bed and grabbing his tuxedo trousers. “I still need to go back to Mom’s to shower and pack. The car picks me up in a few hours.”
She was relieved and disappointed.
“Don’t you have to take your rental back?”
“The company will have someone pick it up.”
That didn’t make any sense. Why not drop it at the airport since that’s where he was going anyway?
Movie star stuff. He didn’t have to return his own rental, make sure the tank was filled and so on.
His phone chimed and he fumbled in the pocket of his jacket to answer it while Riley shrugged into her robe and tightly belted it around her waist. She suddenly felt very naked. Too naked. He must have felt it too because he was dressing quickly, while moving the cell phone from hand to hand while he talked.
“Sure, Bobby. I’m flying into New York today.” He zipped up his trousers and began working on the shirt studs. “Don’t worry, unless the flight is late I’ll meet you at three at Le Cirque.”
Riley had a vague notion what Le Cirque was. She was pretty sure she’d heard it mentioned on television. It sounded expensive and exclusive. A place that kindergarten teachers rarely hung out unless they were waitressing as a second job.
Sam didn’t put on the tuxedo jacket, simply draping it over his left arm while he held the phone in his right. “I know how to handle his type. Make a fuss over his last film and admire his trophy wife. We’ll have the financing for the project by the time the waiter delivers the check.”
Already Sam was in his regular world, barely even aware that he was standing in her bedroom in some podunk beach town in Florida. She could almost feel him pushing toward the front door, anxious to get back to work and to his life.
So different from her own. Last night had been a fun fantasy but she’d be foolish to think it was anything more. He wasn’t going to miss her when he left or think about her when he was supposed to be doing other things. He wasn’t going to call her in the middle of the night because he forgot what time zone he was in. He definitely wasn’t going to show up at her school with flowers and sweep her off her feet because he couldn’t get her off of his mind.
She couldn’t say he hadn’t been honest, though. He’d warned her and she’d said she didn’t care. She wasn’t in love with him, either. And she wasn’t. But she did like him and if he was anyone else…
He seemed to realize she was standing there because he straightened and gave her a crooked smile, holding up one finger.
“Listen, I need to get off the phone so I can get ready for the limo. I’ll call you from JFK when we touch down. Yeah, thanks, Bobby. I’ll see you soon.”
Sam hung up and tucked the phone in his pocket. “Sorry about that. I guess my vacation is officially over.”
“They didn’t give you much respite.” She glanced at the clock. “The sun is just coming up now. Your friend Bobby must be an early riser.”
“He’s my publicist and I swear he never sleeps. No matter what time of the day or night I’ve talked to him he sounds like he’s had his coffee and eggs. He might be immortal or a vampire.”
Sam was trying to make a joke to lighten the atmosphere, so she laughed even though it wasn’t all that funny.
“He sounds like an interesting person.”
“He is,” Sam assured her, his gaze coming to rest where she stood across the room. He seemed stiff and not nearly as relaxed as he’d been all week. “I guess I need to be going.”
This was awkward. So incredibly awkward. Last night she hadn’t been thinking about the inevitable goodbye. Should they kiss? Hug? Riley had never had a one-night stand so she wasn’t sure what the rules were.
Not sure what to say, she led the way out of her bedroom and to the front door. He slipped into his shoes and palmed his car keys as they stood there, each one waiting – or hoping – for the other to say something and break this painful tension.
“I hope you have a safe flight and there aren’t any delays.”
A neutral statement.
“I hope so, too.”
It was like a slow torture. Neither of them knew what to say, but there was one thing she needed to do.
“Riley–”
“Sam–”
They’d both spoken at the same time, which was funny as neither one of them had been too keen on speaking only moments ago.
“Ladies first,” Sam said with a smile.
Taking a deep breath, Riley could only smile back. The tension had lessened enough that it was easier to breathe.
“I just wanted to say thank you for what you–”
“No, you don’t have to do that.” Sam was shaking his head and waving away her words. “I don’t need a thank you for doing the right thing. I’m just glad I could help. It was my pleasure, Riley. You made this vacation…special.”
Those blue eyes were dark with emotion and that last word had come out reluctantly, as if he hadn’t wanted to admit it. He was probably thinking that she might push for more. He could relax because she wasn’t going to do that and embarrass them both.
“Not everyone would have done it,” she pointed out. “But I am grateful.”
Reaching for the phone in his pocket, Sam checked the display, probably watching the time. There was a ticking clock on their relationship, after all.
“Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, Riley. Will you look after my mom? Just keep an eye on her, that’s all I ask. I worry about her when I’m halfway around the world working and don’t get to talk to her much.”
That was an easy promise to make, and one she did happily.
“I will,” she promised. “Paula is one of my best friends and I love her very much. We’ll keep her busy, how does that sound?”
“Fantastic. I appreciate it more than you know. Having met you and Tara, I can sleep a little easier knowing that Mom has a group of loyal friends around her when I can’t be.”
Silence again. They’d run out of things to say so it must be time for Sam to go. She reached for the doorknob but his hand was there first, his touch shocking her as a bolt of lightning ran up her arm.
Physical attraction still there? Check.
“Riley.” Her name came out softly, almost like a sigh. “I have to go.”
“I know. We talked about this last night and it’s okay. I’m not going to cry or beg you to stay. We both knew it was a one-time thing.”
“It doesn’t mean it’s easy to leave this morning.” His fingers came up under her chin so that she had to look into his eyes. “If I were a different kind of guy…fuck…I never wanted to hurt you–”
She pressed her fingers to his lips to stop his flood of words. “You haven’t hurt me. I’m not in love with you, Sam, and you’re not in love with me. There’s lust and friendship and maybe a few other things but we’re not in love.” She smiled then because the memories from the week were flitting through her mind. She’d had fun – real fun – for the first time in a long time. “But I will miss the dancing to the oldies.”
His answering grin was dazzling, good enough to be in the movies.
“I will, too.”
Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers once, twice, and then a third time before deepening the kiss until she had to grab onto his shoulders to keep the room from spinning. He stepped back and she felt the loss of his touch immediately. Twisting her fingers together to keep from reaching out to him, she mustered up another what she hoped looked like a carefree smile.
“What is it they say in the acting business? Break a leg?”
“Thanks,” he chuckled. “I could use the luck. I start a new picture in a few weeks. Goodbye, Riley.”
It was time. No more putting it off.
“Goodbye, Sam.”
He stomped down her front porch steps, the light from the rising sun making a halo around his retreating figure. What a crock. Sam Collins was no angel. Devil, maybe. But he’d also been, for one week only, a good friend. And for one night, a wonderful lover. It would have to be enough and it was more than many people ever got.
Goodbye, Sam. Have a nice life. I’ll be fine.
And she would be. In a few weeks, he would be a lovely memory that she would cherish for years to come. But right now she was going to eat lots of ice cream.
* * *
The limo driver loaded the bags into the trunk of the vehicle while Sam said goodbye to his mother. He’d showered, dressed, and packed and was now ready to head to the airport. He had a business meeting this afternoon and a new movie that was scheduled to start filming in a few weeks. Vacation was over.
“I can’t believe you’re going to just leave like this,” Paula said, clearly agitated by his departure. Normally she was sad to see him go but she didn’t get this upset. “Have you lost your mind?”
Pulling his mother into a hug, he pressed a kiss onto her forehead. “I’ll come back and you can come visit me in New York if you want. You can go shopping and see some shows. It’ll be fun.”
Throwing up her hands, she rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I’m talking about. Of course I’ll see you again. I was already thinking I might join you in New York for a few days. I’m talking about you and Riley.”
Stiffening, he simply shrugged. “What about Riley? We went to the party last night just like you wanted us to.”
Paula’s brows rose. “And then you spent the night with her.”
Busted.
He should have known his mother had a bullshit detector that had been working overtime since Sam was old enough to tell a fib about who had spilled his juice. Or maybe it was that she’d been wide awake when he walked into the house this morning still wearing his tuxedo from last night.
“About that–”
Holding up her hands, Paula shook her head. “I don’t need the details. You’re my son and Riley is my friend. That would be creepy. But I do love you both and want the best for you and frankly, my darling baby boy, there is no woman in the world that would be better for you than Riley. You’re a fool to walk away. She’d be the perfect wife for you.”
His mother knew all the reasons that wasn’t going to happen, but she kept beating this particular dead horse.
“I think it’s a bit quick to be talking about marriage. But let’s just say that Riley and I did keep dating and that we fell in love. Let’s just say that happened and we got married. You say Riley would be the perfect wife for me, but would I be the perfect husband for her, Mother? Can you honestly say that I’d be a good husband for one of your best friends in the entire world? Think about it before you answer.”
Riley had been correct – brutal but correct. They weren’t in love. Not yet. There was a ton of lust and passion, along with a healthy dose of friendship and respect. Perhaps if they’d had more time they might have fallen in love but he didn’t stay in one place very long, and Riley wasn’t the type to allow herself to be dragged around the globe, living in the shadow of her famous beau and at the whims of the paparazzi and press corps.
Riley was far too sweet for Hollywood. It would chew her up and spit her out. He was doing her a favor by leaving.
“You’re letting your past dictate your future,” Paula scolded, her finger wagging under his nose like it had when he was thirteen. “It takes two to make or destroy a marriage.”
“It didn’t take two to not be there when Trish needed me. It only took me.”
Sighing, Paula shifted on her feet, looking older than she had a few minutes ago. “How long are you going to punish yourself for that? It wasn’t your fault. If you’d been there–”
“There might have been something I could have done. It doesn’t matter, Mom. I have to go. Riley and I talked about this. We’ll both be fine.”
“I still think you’re being foolish. Riley is a wonderful–”
“Mom,” Sam cut in, unwilling to keep arguing about this. The decision had been made. “It’s already over.”
And that was that. He hugged his mother again and promised to call from New York City when he landed. She waved goodbye to him as the limo drove away but she had that look on her face. The one that said that he might be done arguing but she wasn’t.
He hadn’t heard the last of this.