Chapter 3

The next morning, Greg had to leave on yet another business trip. He groaned as he once again packed. Traveling was getting to be a real pain in the ass. He wished there were another way to do business. Teleconferencing was all right for some things. But others demanded the old-fashioned hands-on approach. He'd be gone for a week this time. As usual, Amy would house-sit. He made sure that he'd left her some spending money and the customary box of Godiva chocolates. The airport limo arrived just as he closed his suitcases, and he was off.

As had become her habit, Amy had invited Megan to stay with her in Greg's house. Megan really liked the place. It was much grander than her mother's house and far nicer than Amy's parents' home. But it still felt lived in. Greg had definitely left his spoor everywhere. Now that she'd met him, she could see him in all sorts of things. Things like the art, the choice of decor or the style of furniture, for instance. Nothing was too fancy, but everything was first class. Substance rather than flash. Yes, that was Greg. And after that experience in the restaurant, she thought that she could actually feel his presence.

She thought back over the lunch on Friday. Had Greg felt what she did? Yes, she was sure that he had. He'd gasped when their hands touched. So had she. At exactly the same moment. When she'd looked into his eyes, she'd almost felt that she was falling into gray-green whirlpools. And it was almost as though he could see inside her. She shivered remembering the chills she'd had down her spine. And when she'd kissed him, she'd thought she might collapse on the spot.

She hadn't made it up. It was real. Wasn't it?

Tuesday evening the two girls ordered pizza and opened a bottle of Greg's Chianti. They finished the pizza and were putting the dishes in the dishwasher when the phone rang. Amy said, "Megs, can you get that? My hands are all wet."

"Sure," Megan said. She picked up the phone and said, "Young residence."

There was a slight hesitation. Then a man's voice said, "Megan?"

Megan said, "Yes, it is." Oh God, it was him. The chills were back, even more intense. "Is this Greg?"

There was silence for a few moments. Then Greg said, "Yes, it is. Megan, it's so nice to hear your voice." The tingling was there again. How could just hearing her voice produce this effect?

Megan blushed and shivered. She was glad that Greg couldn't see her. "Thanks," she said, "it's nice to hear yours as well. I hope you don't mind my being here."

"Not at all. What's happening?"

"Nothing much," she said. "Just spending my days chained to a desk. How about you?"

"Bored out of my mind," Greg said. "Nothing but boring meetings during the day and a hotel room at night."

Megan said, "You don't like hotels?"

"No," he said. "I don't."

She said, "I haven't stayed in a hotel too many times. When I did, I thought it was kind of a treat."

Greg laughed. "Maybe it would be," he said, "if you were on holiday. On business trips, the hotel is sort of a combination office for the busy and warehouse for the weary."

Megan laughed in return. She said, "I hope you don't mind, but Amy and I had a bottle of your wine with supper."

Greg laughed. "I trust," he said, "that it wasn't the 1995 Château Margaux."

Megan giggled. "Oh hell no," she said, "it was a bottle of Chianti."

"That's OK. Go ahead and have another bottle, if you want."

"We just might. Do you want to speak to Amy?"

"I guess I'd better."

Megan handed the phone to Amy. Amy chattered away for a while. Megan didn't even try to follow the conversation. She was thinking about Greg. And she was still tingling. "Damn," she thought, "I've got to cut this out. I could be setting myself up for a big fall."

Amy hung up the phone. The two girls opened another bottle of wine and prepared to drink it in the living room in front of the fireplace. Amy sat on the chesterfield to work on her homework. She had to read a play and be prepared to discuss it in her drama history class. Megan sat on the floor in front of her. Megan liked sitting with her legs extended toward the fire. She loved feeling the warmth.