Chapter 3

April snuggled against Ron. He switched off his nightstand lamp and held her, caressing her back. Sleep was almost upon him when a warble startled him awake.

With a groan April rolled over and fetched her phone from beside the bed. “Hello ... Brad ... Yes, I’m with a friend. No, I’m not going to tell you who or where ... because it’s none of your business -- that’s why. You can reach me by calling this number...” She listened for a moment. “Yes, Brad, I’ll be home in time to take care of Mattie. Goodbye.” She set the phone back on the floor.

Ron lay on his back, his hand on his chest. “All you all right?” April asked.

“My arrhythmia,” he said. “When your phone went off it gave me a shot of adrenaline and that put me into an episode.”

“Do we need to call an ambulance?”

“No -- it’s settling down. The first time I had one of these I really thought I was going to die. Now after a few hundred episodes I’ve learned to take them in stride. But it is why I don’t have a phone in the bedroom. If I get startled in the wrong part of my sleep cycle it sets it off.”

“Oh, God -- I’m so sorry. I’ll put the phone in the other room.”

“No, it’s all right. I’ll be all right.” He opened his arms to her and she snuggled against him again, smoothing her hand on his chest. “I have these all the time. I’m not worried about it...”

“I know...”

“So you shouldn’t worry about it, either.”

“Isn’t there something they can do about it?”

“Well -- I tried medication but it made me feel worse. My doctor wants to try an ablation but I’m waiting for the procedure to have a track record. I reconciled myself to it. Some problems are for fixing and some are for living with. This one’s for living with ... at least for the time being. Don’t worry about it, April. There are life-threatening arrhythmias but this isn’t one of them.”

“I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better.”

He nuzzled her hair and kissed her scalp, inhaling her scent. “You are making me feel better.”

April rested her face on his breast. “My God I can hear it ... thump-thump ... thump-thump-thump...”

“Yeah -- that’s what it feels like. It’s calming down and will be back to normal by morning. Sleep is the best cure for it.”

“I’m really sorry, Ron.”

“It’s okay -- it’s something I live with.” He closed his eyes and relaxed. April cuddled against him and he slipped his arm around her.

When his alarm sounded April was still snuggled against him. He kissed her forehead and she stirred. “I don’t want to get up,” she said groggily.

“Neither do I.”

“What time is it?” She leaned over to reach her phone on the floor.

“I know what I want to do,” he said and reached for her. He held her around her waist, kissed her shoulder and nuzzled her neck.

April giggled. “I know that’s what you want...”

“Are you saying you don’t want it?”

“I want it...” She consulted her phone. “But it’s six. I had better get up. Brad and Rayla leave for the office at seven-thirty and if I’m not there by then I’m toast.”

“Will you take a raincheck for a morning delight?”

She giggled again. “Okay...”

“Go ahead and use the bathroom. You can use the blue towel ... take a shower if you’d like.”

“No, I don’t have any of my stuff here. I’ll shower later.” April pulled back the covers and stood. She picked up her briefs and slip. “My clothes are scattered all over the house...”

Ron arose and pulled on a pair of boxers. He began brewing some coffee. “Do you have time for some breakfast?” he called to her. “I have some English muffins and eggs.”

“Just an English muffin.”

“Coffee?”

“Okay -- coffee ... black.”

“I’m going to poach an egg...” Ron poured water into a saucepan and placed it on a burner. He switched on a television in the kitchen.

April approached him in her black dress. “Well? Do I look like I had a rough night?”

“You look like you had a terrific night.” He held her and kissed her. “Are you game for another date?”

“Yeah ... I’d like that.”

Ron took a pad of paper and a pencil from the kitchen counter and set it by her. “Write down the brands of shampoo and so on you like. I’ll stock up.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I insist. It’s been a long time since I’ve entertained an overnight guest, so I’m not very well prepared. I want to be a good host.”

“Oh ... okay...” She began jotting on the pad.

“Put down any other sundries you might need.” He placed a plate with a muffin and a mug of coffee before her. “Look,” he said, gesturing toward the television. “It’s about the incident last night.”

“Oh, God!” April looked down and covered her ears.

“The guy died of his wounds...” Ron glanced at her and pressed the remote to turn off the TV. “That really upset you, didn’t it?” She nodded. “I’m sorry -- I shouldn’t have turned it on. I don’t want to upset you.”

“I know...”

He knelt down, kissed her lips and caressed her cheek. “I had a really good time with you last night.”

“So did I.”

“I’m falling in love with you, April.”

“I know...”

“April ... I just love saying your name.”

“I know...”

“Why do you keep saying, ‘I know’?”

“Because I know.” She gulped some coffee. “This is good coffee. I wish I could linger and enjoy it; but I’d better hurry or I’ll be late and then I’ll be in trouble.”

“So -- when can we get together again?” he asked.

“I don’t know -- I don’t have my calendar with me.”

“Put it on your phone.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

“I can show you how.”

“I think I can figure it out. I’m getting used to it.”

Ron picked up the list she had made. “It’s quite a list. Of course I’m a guy -- give me a bar of soap and I’m pretty much good to go ... Let’s see ... Hairbrush ... shampoo ... conditioner ... hair dryer. I think I have one of those. I’ll see if it still works.”

“If not, don’t bother to buy one. I have a spare I can bring with me next time.”

“Next time ... I love the sound of those words.” Ron continued to examine the list. “This looks like pretty standard stuff ... nothing that requires a trip to the spa at Baden-Baden. I’ll go out today and stock up.”

“You said your car is laid up.”

“Yeah -- they said it would be done by noon. The shop is just around the block -- within walking distance.”

April gulped the last of her coffee. “I had better be going.” She stood. “Where’s my bag?”

“On the sofa.”

“Right.”

“Do you have your phone?”

“In the bedroom...” April returned to the living room, stuffing her phone into her purse.

Ron embraced her and they kissed. “Thank you for a lovely time,” she said.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation.” He kissed her lips. “I think you and I are really compatible.”

“I know. I think so, too.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way with anyone.”

“I know ... Now, I really have to go.” She kissed his lips one last time and headed toward the door, pausing to look in a mirror. She stuck out her tongue at her reflection and then headed outside. Ron closed and bolted his door behind her.

April ... Ron sounded her name in his head. Closing his eyes and lifting his face he swept into his kitchen. His elbow caught the handle of the saucepan on the stove, knocking it to the floor. Some boiling water splashed his ankle. “Shit!” he muttered and grabbed some paper towels.

He heard pounding on his front door. “Ron! Ron!”

He opened the door. “April ... Something wrong?”

She rushed in. “Ron! Are you all right?”

He looked down at his ankle. “Just bit of a scald on my foot ... it won’t require hospitalization...” He looked up at her. “Hey -- I thought you were on your way out.”

“I ... I was, and then I heard you yell.”

“I didn’t yell.”

“I ... I thought I heard you yell. At least you’re all right.”

“Yes, I’ll recover.” He held her and kissed her. “At least I get one more kiss out of it.”

She headed for the door, turned and waved. “See you later.”

He stood looking out his doorway as she started her car, backed out and drove off. Then he closed and bolted door and reached down to rub his ankle. I didn’t think I yelled, he thought. I’m sure I didn’t yell. Even if I did, how could she hear it out there?

Ron showered and headed for his bedroom. He dressed in jeans and a polo, and then began straightening the disheveled bedclothes. April’s scent lingered on the pillow she had used. He held it to his face and inhaled.

He headed for his study, powered up his laptop and brought up a document on which he had been working. His mind wandered to the previous night. Ron locked his fingers behind his head, leaned back and savored the memories.