***
Annelie looked down at the dense quilt of clouds preventing her from seeing anything of the New York area as the plane descended at LaGuardia. She had lowered the backrest fully and stretched out in her first-class seat, pretending to browse through some documents, but her thoughts had whirled aimlessly—all about leaving Carolyn. Carolyn, looking like a sleeping angel, lying completely relaxed, her hair spreading like a dark red shadow across the pillow. She hadn't even stirred while Annelie packed. Annelie had watched her for a few precious minutes before grabbing her bags and leaving the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her.
She automatically checked her seat belt during the turbulent landing, but her mind was still on the previous night. Blue-gray eyes looking up at her with a wondrous expression as passion rode the petite body beneath hers. For those moments, she'd allowed herself to drown in Carolyn's eyes, reveling in her responsiveness. However, she feared last night could never lead to anything more. She was all too aware of Carolyn's reputation for always having a plan or an ulterior motive.
She was jerked from her reverie by the plane's erratic course along the runway. It taxied toward the terminal, and soon she was walking on the moving sidewalks, too impatient to stand still and be carried along. After she claimed her bags, she continued toward the exit when suddenly a reporter followed by a camera crew stopped her. Bringing her sunglasses down from her hair to cover her eyes, Annelie answered her questions regarding the Maddox movies in a short, polite manner while she kept walking, wanting nothing else than to find refuge in her large two-floor apartment. Telling the TV reporter goodbye, she hailed a cab and gave the driver her home address in Manhattan.
As she leaned her head back against the neck rest, she drew a deep breath. She still had Carolyn's musky scent in her hair.
***
Carolyn briefly closed her eyes as the cab drove up to Annelie's house. She had dropped her bags off at Jared's, to her relief finding the condo empty. Wanting to talk to Annelie face-to-face, she had taken a cab to Golden Beach immediately, hoping to find her at home.
She pulled the large hair clip from her hair, letting it flow freely around her shoulders. Why am I so down when I should be walking on air? I must have been crazy last night. Waking up alone hurt like hell, and I simply can't understand why she left—especially after all that…passion.
The note—despite its positive message—didn't convey anything about Annelie's state of mind. Carolyn thought back to the empathetic look on Kitty's face when the Australian came to fetch her. She knew, damn it. Annelie told her what happened. Mortified at the sudden realization, she flinched as the cabdriver tried to get her attention by raising his voice.
"You okay, ma'am?"
"Fine, thanks. Here you go. Keep the change." She stepped out into the scorching sun.
Had anyone asked her before yesterday what could ruin such a day, Carolyn would have replied, "Nothing on God's green earth." Now, her happiness about getting the coveted role was overshadowed by the fact that Annelie hadn't waited to tell her in person. How dare she? The note left her feeling more alone than ever, with a queasy sensation erupting in her stomach. She didn't usually read more into things than what seemed reasonable, but now she felt vulnerable, an easy target. And I hate it.
When she reached the gate leading up to the paved garden path, Carolyn pressed the buzzer, since she had returned the key card to Mary when she left three days earlier. The speaker came to life with Mary's voice, and the gate swung open seconds later.
"Welcome back, Ms. Black," Mary greeted her at the door. "What can I do for you? Did you forget something above the garage?" The wiry woman studied her closely.
"Hello, Mary, I didn't realize you worked on Sundays."
"Usually I don't, but I'll have a week or two off and wanted to make sure everything was in order before I left."
Carolyn frowned. "Annelie isn't home, by any chance?"
The housekeeper raised her eyebrows. "She had to leave directly from Orlando to fly to New York. I thought you were aware of this, since you were there with her. She originally planned to go tomorrow or Tuesday."
"Something came up, I assume." Carolyn tried to sound casual, her mind reeling. What the hell…To New York? Had Annelie run away? "I'm going back to New York myself, and I'd like to get in touch with her. Do you have her address?"
Mary nodded her head. "Of course. Come on. I've started a light lunch."
Feeling reprieved from her increasing depression, Carolyn followed Mary into the kitchen and sat down at a small table. "There you go, Ms. Black. I'll go find a business card and then join you."
As Carolyn contemplated the large salad and Melba toast in front of her, she suddenly felt nauseous. Mary's assumption only emphasized the reality of the situation. Annelie had opted for New York without so much as a goodbye, rather than return to Miami with Carolyn.
Her jaw tensing, she held on tight to the fork, staring down at the salad. Was facing me in the morning so incredibly embarrassing, she'd rather act this rudely? So out of character? Carolyn could only surmise that her first fear was correct. For whatever reason Annelie was forced to go to New York, the way she did it…
Mary returned with the card, interrupting Carolyn's train of thought. Accepting the card, Carolyn raised an eyebrow. "Annelie Peterson, Peterson & Associates. This is a law firm?" she asked. "Her own firm?"
"Yes." Mary said. "She employs several young lawyers, and they only do pro bono work."
They ate in silence while Carolyn digested this new information. Stunned, she was more than impressed with Annelie's multiple ventures. Perhaps there was a perfectly logical reason for Annelie to return so hastily to New York. The thought was comforting, but a persistent voice within her cautioned Carolyn not to assume this was true.
Refusing to go down the path of self-pity and anger again, Carolyn gazed down at the business card next to her plate. The idea of Annelie owning a law firm and turning out to be even more dedicated to putting her wealth to good use was not a surprise. It was the extent of Annelie's involvement, which was impressive, far beyond anyone Carolyn knew, that was astonishing. Carolyn knew people richer than Annelie who clung to their wallets like life rafts in a storm.
Something Mary had said earlier surfaced. If Annelie had originally meant to leave Monday or Tuesday, she must have run from Carolyn. Was she overwhelmed with regret for breaking her own rules? Knowing full well her own part in what had happened in Orlando, Carolyn wanted to bury her head in her hands and moan aloud. And that damn note…I'll go confront her. She's not going to get away with this. We'll just see what she has to say for herself. Nobody treats me like a whore and gets away with it!
After finishing what she could of her salad and thanking Mary, Carolyn called a cab and headed back to Jared's condo. She didn't offer much of an explanation for her hit-and-run stay, immediately reserving a flight for early the next morning. She would be in New York just after lunch Monday.
Dodging Jared's inquisitive looks, she locked herself in the guest bathroom, letting her clothes fall to the floor. She looked at her body in the mirror, seeing the clearly visible traces of Annelie's passionate caresses. Carolyn let her hands trace the reddened skin on her left breast, wincing when the nipple proved to be more sensitive than usual. She could still feel Annelie's full lips closing over the puckered skin, drawing it into the warm, moist cavity of her mouth…