My phone rings suddenly, interrupting our laughter.
“Sorry,” I tell Jack, as I glance at the screen.
It’s Landon.
I signal to Jack to give me a few minutes and get up from the table, walking in the direction of the ladies room.
“Hello,” I say.
“Where are you?” Landon asks without preamble.
“Have you returned?”
“I have. I landed about half an hour ago.”
“You could have let me know you were on your way.”
“Why? I told you I was going to return today.”
“Yes, but…” I stop myself. I’d been about to complain about the silence. He hadn’t called me once while he was gone, and it rankled. It really shouldn’t have, because even though my emotions are telling me otherwise, I’m not his girlfriend. He doesn’t owe me calls every other hour to check on me. Just as I don’t owe him any explanation for going out.
“I went out,” I say, not offering any further explanation.
“I gathered.” His voice is terse. “Are you alone?”
I pause. “No. I’m not, but I’m about to leave now.”
There’s a charged silence on his end. “Where are you?” he says finally.
I tell him the name of the lounge.
“I’m on my way,” I hear him say.
“You don’t have to…”
“I’m on my way,” he repeats, his voice crisp as he ends the call. I stare helplessly at the phone, then turn back to the table where Jack is waiting for me.
“EVERYTHING all right?” Jack asks when I join him again.
I nod. “Yeah¸ I think.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” I look towards the entrance, wondering how long before Landon arrives.
“You sure you don’t want another drink?”
I shake my head. If Landon is coming here, then I’m going to need all my senses intact.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.” Jack is saying. He starts to tell me about his travel plans, but I’m not really listening. I have one eye on the door, waiting for Landon to appear. The tension in my stomach is as much eagerness to see him, as it is anxiety about his reasons for coming, and what his reaction will be when he sees me with Jack.
Would he be jealous?
The idea is oddly appealing, but I dismiss it almost instantly. Why would he care who I hung out with?
Jack is waiting for me to say something, and I realize I have no idea what he’s been telling me. He leans across the table and put his hand over mine. “You’re not listening,” he says, smiling. “Where’s your mind?”
Before I can answer, my eyes skip past him to the entrance again, and Landon is just walking into the room. As always, seeing him takes my breath away. All that strength and power encased in a body that’s almost too raw in its beauty. He’s wearing one of his magnificent suits, with no tie, and the top buttons of his shirt undone.