Allie
tied her sneakers and walked to the sliding doors leading to the apartment’s
balcony. She’d arrived in the Hudson River
village late last evening and settled in. Before Steve left he’d made her
reservations at Five Cuisines for her under the name she used when scouting
restaurants. The reservations were for the six PM seatings for five nights each
dinner in one of the rooms.
She
drew a deep breath of air not redolent with city odors. She walked to the
railing. A warm early June breeze caressed her skin. Cloud puffs scudded across
the blue sky. Several sailboats glided past. She watched until they neared the Tappan Zee Bridge
A
sound caught her attention and she looked down. If this was the neighbor Steve
had mentioned he had been right. The man was definitely her type. He wore black
work-out silk pants and flowed from one Yoga position to another. His tanned
sculpted body was glorious. Her blood stirred.
She sucked in a breath. A man who looked as fabulous
surely had been claimed years ago. Her last relationship had died four months
ago and no one had appeared. The constant jetting about the country wasn’t
conducive to long term relationships.
Face it. None of
the men she’d dated in the past had made her want to remain earth-bound.
Though she had planned to walk to town for coffee, to
browse in the shops and see what the local restaurants might offer for lunch
she couldn’t move. She leaned on the railing and drooled. Her gaze focused on
his broad shoulders, tight rear and muscular legs. His dark hair touched his
shoulders. Was his face as striking as his body?
He turned. A long sigh escaped. Definitely easy on the eyes. Too bad she couldn’t see his hands to
search for a ring. If he’d been hers she would have banded him with a broad
one.
If you lean over the
railing one more inch you’ll end up in flight. Though falling into his arms
seemed a novel way to meet there was no guarantee he would catch her without
one of them breaking bones.
At that moment he looked up. Their gazes met. She felt the
impact to her toes. Yes, yes. Those
words formed a mantra in her head. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Hello. Though my neighbor was off on a trip.”
She grasped the metal railing. “He’s off to Alaska . He offered me a
place to stay while I’m in town doing research.” Surely the man’s eyes were as
dark as the midnight sky.
“Are you a writer?”
“You could say that.” After all, she wrote all the feature
stories.
“Need help with your research?”
She released her grip on the railing. His voice sizzled
along her skin. She’d better move away before she propositioned him. A foolish move. “At the moment no but
I’ll let you know if I do. Right now I’m off to explore the town.”
“See you around.”
“I’m sure you will.” Allie backed into the sliding doors.
She rubbed her rear. Boy was she rattled.
She laughed at the foolish ideas circling in her thoughts. She ducked inside.
From his approach, chances were he was single. Did she want a short-term
involvement with a stranger? The way her body pulsed and the direction of her
thoughts all pointed to yes.
Slow down.
She slid her small bag over her shoulder, tucked the
apartment key inside and left. On the ground floor she glanced at the number of
the hot guy’s apartment. Maybe she could learn his name from the mailboxes. As
she reached the lobby she made a face. The boxes were in a locked room. She
didn’t have the key.
Just my luck.
She waved to the doorman and strode up the hill to Main Street . As she
strolled toward town the aroma of coffee drew her to a storefront where several
tables stood on the wide sidewalk. She read the name on the door and chuckled.
The Coffee Mug.
When she entered the scent of freshly baked bread blended
with the rich aroma of coffee drew her to the counter. Trays of rolls, a
variety of breads and assorted cookies lined the showcase shelves. She ordered
a coffee to go and promised herself she would stop on the way back to the
apartment for a loaf of rye bread, some rolls and a small bag of ground coffee.
As she continued her exploration she sipped the amazing
brew. The variety of small shops selling books, antiques, chocolates,
dollhouses and jewelry. Restaurants were interspersed with the stores. At each
eatery she paused to read the menus. Some tempted. Lunches became a matter of
choice. Maybe Five Cuisines wasn’t the only game in town.
A window display made her gasp with joy. The Peekaboo
Boutique. She dropped the coffee cup in a trash container at the edge of the
sidewalk and pressed her nose against the window. Mentally she flipped a
two-headed coin and won. Lingerie was her downfall and many of the items on
display were unique and sexy. The bras and bikini bottoms seemed to have been
painted by hand with flowers and butterflies. As she opened the door a bell
tingled.
A middle-aged woman pushed through a beaded curtain with
clacking and bell tones. “Hello, Welcome to Peekaboo. I’m Peggy Lou. New in
town?”
“Just visiting but I’m fascinated with everything I see.”
“What would you like a closer view of?”
Allie laughed. “Everything. Let’s start with those lace up
thigh high stockings and a matching teddy.”
Peggy Lou arched a brow. “You have great taste and the
perfect body to wear them.”
“And I have the right dress.”
Before long a half dozen sets of unique lingerie sets sat
beside the stockings and teddy. Allie chuckled. “I’d better stop before I max
my card. Don’t worry. I’ll be back.”
“And I look forward to seeing you again.”
No comments:
Post a Comment