Chapter 1 – The Favor
In the fall of 1975, the morning sun washed the new Santa Fe City Hall in a warm gold that made the polished floors glow. Twenty-five-year-old Veronica Hale walked through the glass doors with her usual unhurried confidence. The building still smelled faintly of fresh paint and new carpet, a scent she had come to associate with opportunity. Her heels clicked softly as she crossed the lobby, the sound echoing in the high ceiling. She liked that sound. It made her feel important.
Her desk sat near a wide window that framed the Sangre de Cristo Mountains like a painting. She paused for a moment, letting the view settle her. The mountains were steady and quiet. She liked the view, the nice clean office and the money.
At work, her life was just about perfect. It was when she got home that trouble began.
She set her purse down and smoothed her skirt before sitting. She had barely opened her ledger when she heard the familiar shuffle of Hal Whitaker’s shoes. He always walked like he was apologizing for taking up space.
“Good morning, Veronica,” Hal said as he approached her desk. His voice carried a hopeful brightness that made her smile politely.
“Morning, Hal,” she said. “You’re in early.”
He chuckled. “Well, I try to be. The markets do not wait for old men like me.”
Ronnie folded her hands on the desk. “What brings you over?”
Hal hesitated, then leaned a little closer. “I was wondering if you had given any more thought to what we talked about last week?”
She tilted her head. “You’ll have to remind me.”
“You know,” he said, lowering his voice. “Coming to work in my office. I could really use someone like you.”
Ronnie smiled, slow and warm. “Someone like me? How so?”
He flushed slightly. “You are sharp. You are organized. You have a good head for numbers. And you have a way with people. My office could benefit from that.”
She watched him carefully, quiet for a beat. He was trying to sound professional, but she could see the truth in his eyes. He wanted her nearby. He wanted her attention. More than he’d ever say out loud.
‘He wants me in his office so he can stare at my legs all day. He thinks I don’t notice. Men always think they are subtle.’
She crossed her legs slowly, letting the movement draw his eyes for just a second before she spoke again.
“That’s kind of you, Hal,” she said. “But I like it here. I like the view.”
He glanced at the mountains. “You would have a view in my office too. Not as nice as this one, but still a view.”
She laughed softly. “You selling me on scenery now?”
“I am trying to sell you on the job,” he said. “It is a good position. Better pay. Better hours. You would be working directly with me.”
‘That’s the part you want most. You want me close enough to smell your aftershave.’
Ronnie leaned back in her chair. “What exactly would I be doing?”
Hal brightened. “Investment tracking. Portfolio updates. Some correspondence. You would learn a lot. It is important work.”
“And you think I would be good at it?”
“I know you would,” he said. “You are wasted out here at the front desk.”
She let the compliment sit between them for a moment. Hal shifted his weight, waiting for her answer.
“Hal,” she said gently, “you know I appreciate the offer. Really, I do. But I am not looking to move right now.”
His face fell just a little. “May I ask why not?”
“You may ask,” she said with a teasing smile.
He blinked. “Well. Why not?”
She tapped her pen against the desk. “I like where I am. I like the people. And I like having my own space.”
“You would have your own space with me,” he said quickly. “A desk right by the window.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Right by your window?”
He cleared his throat. “Well. Yes.”
‘Of course. You want me where you can keep an eye on me. You want to pretend it is about the job. You want to pretend you’re not imagining things you shouldn’t be imagining.’
Ronnie leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. “Hal, you’re sweet. You really are. But I am not ready to make a change.”
He looked disappointed, but not defeated. He never was. That was what made him useful.
“I understand,” he said. “I just thought I would ask again. You never know when someone might change their mind.”
She gave him a slow smile. “You’re persistent.”
“I try to be,” he said. “When something matters.”
She let that hang in the air, then softened her expression. “Hal, I like you. You know that. But I am happy where I am.”
He nodded, though his eyes lingered on her face a moment too long. “If you ever reconsider, my door is open.”
“I know,” she said. “And I appreciate it.”
He hesitated, then asked, “Would you like to get coffee later? Just to talk?”
She tilted her head. “Coffee? What would we talk about?”
“Anything you like,” he said. “I enjoy your company.”
‘You enjoy the idea of me. You enjoy the fantasy. You enjoy thinking a young woman might want you. You enjoy believing you still have a chance.’
Ronnie gave him a soft, almost sympathetic smile. “Maybe another time. I have a lot to do today.”
He nodded again, trying to hide his disappointment. “Of course. I will let you get back to work.”
As he turned to leave, she called after him. “Hal?”
He looked back quickly. “Yes?”
She gave him a warm smile that lit her beautiful hazel eyes. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
His face brightened instantly. “Always, Veronica.”
When he walked away, she watched him go. His shoulders were slightly hunched, his steps slow. He looked like a man who had been given just enough hope to keep coming back.
‘Good. Stay interested. Stay hopeful. I might need you someday.’
Ronnie turned back to her window and the mountains beyond it. The sun was higher now, casting long shadows across the city. She picked up her pen and began her work, her expression calm and unreadable.
She always kept her marks close.
But never close enough to touch her.
* * *
Hal Whitaker walked away from Veronica Hale’s desk with his hands trembling slightly. He tried to hide it by clasping them behind his back, but the shaking continued anyway. He told himself it was only nerves. He told himself it was nothing unusual. But he knew the truth. Every time he spoke to her, something inside him stirred that he had not felt in years.
Her perfume still lingered in the air behind him, a soft floral scent that made him think of spring mornings and open windows. It had filled the room when she leaned forward, and he had breathed it in without meaning to. It stayed with him now as he walked down the hallway toward his office.
He paused near the window at the end of the corridor. The sunlight poured through the glass, bright and warm, and he closed his eyes for a moment. He could still see the way the light had caught her hair. That long red hair had glowed like copper in the sun. It had looked soft. It had looked alive. He had wanted to reach out and touch it, though he would never allow himself to do such a thing.
He opened his eyes and kept walking.
‘She is too young for you. She is far too young. You should not be thinking about her this way.’
He knew that. He told himself that every time he saw her. But knowing something and feeling something were not the same. He had learned that the hard way after his wife died. Grief had hollowed him out, and loneliness had settled into the empty spaces. He had not realized how deep it had gone until Veronica Hale walked into City Hall six months ago.
She moved with a kind of quiet confidence that drew his eyes without his permission. She never hurried. She never stumbled. She carried herself like someone who knew exactly how she wanted to be seen. Her posture was straight, her chin lifted, her steps measured. She always seemed aware of her body, aware of the space she occupied, aware of the way people watched her.
He watched her more than he should.
‘You are an old fool. She is twenty-five. She has her whole life ahead of her. She would never look twice at a man like you.’
He reached his office door and opened it. The room felt dim compared to the bright hallway. He set his briefcase on the desk and sat down slowly. His hands were still shaking. He pressed them flat against the desk to steady them.
He imagined her sitting at the empty desk near the window. He imagined her smile when he walked in each morning. He imagined hearing her voice throughout the day. He imagined the room feeling less empty.
He imagined not being alone.
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
‘You only want company. That’s all. You want someone to talk to. Someone to brighten the day. There is nothing wrong with that.’
But he knew that was not entirely true. He wanted more than company. He wanted warmth. He wanted attention. He wanted to feel seen again. Veronica made him feel that way, even when she was only being polite.
He thought about the way she had smiled at him. It had been soft and warm, the kind of smile that made him feel younger than he was. She had thanked him for thinking of her. She had said it in a way that made him believe she meant it.
Maybe she did.
Maybe she liked him, even if only a little.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
‘Do not fool yourself. She is kind. That is all. She is kind to everyone. You are not special.’
He knew that too. But the hope still lingered, stubborn and foolish.
He thought about the job offer he had made her. He had rehearsed it the night before, pacing his living room with a cup of coffee in his hand. He had told himself it was a practical decision. She was smart. She was capable. She would be an asset to his office.
But he also knew he wanted her there because the office felt too quiet. Too empty. Too cold.
He had not realized how much he missed the sound of another person breathing in the same room until his wife was gone.
He looked at the empty desk again.
‘It would be nice to have her here. It would be nice to hear her laugh. It would be nice to see her smile when she walked in each morning.’
He closed his eyes.
‘It would be nice to not feel alone.’
He sat there for a long moment, letting the quiet settle around him. The building hummed softly with the sounds of early morning work. Phones ringing. Papers shuffling. Footsteps in the hallway.
He wondered if Veronica was already back at her desk. He wondered if she was thinking about their conversation. He wondered if she would ever change her mind.
He hoped she would.
He hoped for many things he knew he should not hope for.
But hope was all he had left.
* * *
The sky was dark and gloomy when, two days later, Ronnie left her apartment in a hurry. She slammed the door harder than she meant to. Her boyfriend, Skip, had started in on her again about money, about bills, about how she never seemed to bring home enough. He was furious because she had bought a new white pant suit. He told her she was vain and spent too much on her clothes. She had countered pointing out that he had promised to tune her car and failed as usual.
She had walked out before he could respond. She was tired of hearing about money. She was tired of him.
Her old Plymouth coughed when she turned the key. She tried again. It sputtered, then died. She hit the steering wheel with the heel of her hand.
‘Come on. Not today. Not after that.’
She tried a third time. The engine caught with a shudder, then settled into a rough idle. She exhaled and pulled out onto the street.
Traffic was light as she headed toward City Hall. The morning sun was already bright, turning the adobe buildings a soft gold. She stopped at a red light near the edge of town. When it turned green, she pressed the accelerator and the car lurched forward, then stalled again. She cursed under her breath and tried twice more before it finally caught.
‘If this junk car dies for good, I am finished. I’ll be late for work. Skip will say it is my fault. He always does.’
She drove the rest of the way with both hands tight on the wheel. When she reached the new City Hall building, she parked in the far lot and sat for a moment, letting the engine tick as it cooled.
She thought about the fight. She thought about the bills on the kitchen table. She thought about the way her boyfriend, Skip, had looked at her, like she was a burden he had to carry. She made more than he did. She paid more than half the expenses. Who was he to criticize her?
She thought about the white pantsuit. It was beautiful. It fit her like a glove. She was saving it for a special occasion. Today, she wore a simple blouse and skirt. It was an unassuming outfit, but she knew she looked good in it. She had read something once:
The average woman would rather have beauty than brains because
the average man can see better than he can think.
Words to live by. Skip didn’t understand that. He was clueless.
‘He has no idea what I could do if I wanted to. He has no idea who I could be.’
She stepped out of the car and pulled up her skirt to look at her legs. They were her best feature, and she liked to make sure they would be on display.
The building rose above her, all glass and clean lines, reflecting the mountains behind it. She walked inside, her heels clicking on the polished floor. It felt good to be back at work. It felt good to be away from Skip.
She reached her desk and sat down, but she did not open her ledger. She stared at the mountains instead. The light shifted across the peaks, bright and sharp.
‘Hal has money. Real money. He’s been saving for years. And he has no one to spend it on. No wife. No kids. No one.’
She thought about the way he looked at her yesterday. The way his voice softened when he said her name. The way he had offered her that job again, almost pleading.
‘He would do anything I asked. Anything. He wants to feel needed. He wants to feel seen.’
She tapped her fingers on the desk. Hal was hardly her type. She liked lean young men, mean-looking men. The trouble with mean-looking men was that they were often mean.
‘What if I leaned on Hal a little? What if I let him think I need a hand? Let him believe he could fix something for me.’
She glanced toward the hallway leading to his office. She could picture him there, sitting alone at his desk, already thinking about her. He’d be early. He was always early.
She stood and walked to the break room. She filled a paper cup with water, then poured it out again. Her hands were shaking.
‘First step. Small. Nothing he’ll question. Nothing he’ll refuse.’
She walked down the hallway toward his office. Her heart beat faster with each step. She paused outside his door and smoothed her hair.
She knocked lightly.
“Come in,” Hal called.
She opened the door and stepped inside. He looked up from his desk, surprised and pleased.
“Veronica,” he said. “Is everything all right?”
She let her shoulders sag just a little. She let her voice soften.
“I did not mean to bother you, Hal,” she said. “I just needed a moment. I had a rough morning.”
He stood immediately. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “No. Nothing like that. It is just money. Bills. My car is acting up again. I don’t know how I am going to pay for the repairs.”
Hal’s face tightened with concern. “Your car broke down?”
“It almost did,” she said. “It’s old. I can’t afford a new one. I can’t even afford to fix the one I have.”
She looked down, letting the silence stretch.
‘Come on, Hal. Take the bait. You always do.’
He stepped closer. “Veronica, you should not have to worry about things like that. You work hard. You deserve better.”
She lifted her eyes to his. “I don’t know what to do.”
He swallowed. “If you ever need help, you can come to me. You know that, do you not?”
She let her breath tremble just slightly. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You would never be a burden,” he said. “Never.”
She gave him a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, Hal. That means a lot.”
He hesitated, then asked, “Would you like to sit for a moment? You look shaken.”
She shook her head gently. “No. I should get back to work. I just needed to clear my head.”
He nodded. “If you need anything, anything at all, you come straight to me.”
She stepped toward the door, then paused and looked back.
“I will remember that,” she said softly.
When she left his office, she walked slowly down the hallway, her expression calm and unreadable.
‘Good. That’s enough for today. Just enough to make him think I need him. Just enough to make him want to help.’
She returned to her desk and sat down. The mountains were still there, steady and bright.
She felt steadier too.
The first step was always the smallest.
But it was the one that mattered most.
* * *
A few days later, Ronnie waited until midmorning, when she knew Hal would be settled into his routine. She had spent the first hour at her desk pretending to work, though her mind was elsewhere. She’d had another fight with Skip, and she had finally thrown him out. He had tuned her car, but then he wanted her to pay for it. It was too much. She was glad to be rid of him, but he had paid part of the rent and money would be tight now that he was gone. She had a nice wardrobe, but not much in her savings account.
She kept replaying the argument with her boyfriend, not because it mattered anymore, but because it gave her the right emotional tone. She needed to look shaken. She needed to look tired. She needed to look like someone who had run out of options.
‘He will believe anything I tell him. He wants to believe me. That’s the difference.’
She stood, swished the skirt of her purple dress in the way that showed off her legs. She had spent an hour on her makeup. The night before, she had used a new rinse that brought out the natural red highlights of her hair.
She would use all of that at the right time. She walked down the hallway toward Hal’s office. Her steps were slow and measured. She let her shoulders sag just a little. She let her breath tremble. She practiced the expression she wanted him to see.
When she reached his door, she paused. She listened. Papers rustling. A soft sigh. He was alone.
She knocked lightly.
“Come in,” Hal called.
She opened the door and stepped inside. Hal looked up, and the concern on his face appeared instantly, as if he had been waiting for her.
“Veronica,” he said. “Is everything all right?”
She closed the door behind her and took a small step into the room. “I didn’t want to bother you, Hal. I just needed a moment.”
He stood up. “You can always come to me Veronica. What happened?”
She let out a shaky breath. “My car broke down this morning. Completely. I barely made in. The mechanic says it will cost more than I can cover.”
Hal’s eyes widened. “Your car broke down?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “I do not know what I am going to do.”
‘It did not break down. It ran just fine after her boyfriend had tuned it. But you don’t need to know that. You only need to feel sorry for me.’
Hal stepped closer. “Veronica, that is terrible. You should have called me. I would have come to help.”
She looked down, letting her voice soften. “I didn’t want to be a burden.”
“You could never be a burden,” he said. “Never.”
She took another step toward him. Close enough that her perfume reached him. Close enough see him forget to breathe for a moment. She watched his throat tighten.
“I hate to even bring it up,” she said, “But I don’t know how I am going to pay for the repairs. I’m already behind on bills. I don’t know what to do.”
Hal swallowed hard. “How much is it?”
“Three hundred dollars,” she said, naming a number that was high enough to matter but low enough to sound true.
He winced. “That is a lot.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I am embarrassed to even say it.”
Hal shook his head. “Do not be embarrassed. You work hard. You deserve help.”
She looked up at him, letting her eyes shine with just a hint of vulnerability. “I don’t want to ask you for anything.”
“You are not asking,” he said quickly. “I am offering.”
She let the silence stretch. She let him feel the weight of his own words.
“Hal,” she said softly, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes,” he said. “Let me help you, Veronica.”
She stepped even closer. Close enough that he could see the faint freckles on her cheeks. Close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath.
“Hal,” she said, lowering her voice, “After you being so kind, I think you should call me Ronnie.”
His breath caught. “Ronnie,” he repeated, almost reverently.
She smiled, slow and warm. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
He nodded, flustered. “I will write you a check. You can pay me back whenever you’re able. There is no rush.”
She touched his arm lightly. Just a brush of her fingers. Just enough to make him feel chosen.
“You’re very kind,” she said. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Hal’s face softened. “You will never have to find out.”
She let her hand fall away and stepped back, giving him space to breathe again. She watched him move to his desk, watched him open his checkbook with trembling hands.
‘There it is. The first real step. The moment he crosses the line and doesn’t even see it.’
He wrote the check slowly, carefully, as if the act itself meant something sacred. When he handed it to her, his hand shook.
She took it gently. “I will make this right, Hal. I promise.”
“You do not have to promise anything,” he said. “I am glad to help.”
She gave him one last soft smile. “Thank you. Truly.”
Then she turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.
As she walked down the hallway, she looked at the check in her hand. The ink was still fresh. She wondered if she should’ve asked for more. Decided it was better not to push it. More would come later. The thought settled her.
‘Good. Very good,’ she thought.
Hal was exactly who she thought he was. And this was only the beginning.
She slipped the check into her purse and kept walking, her expression calm and unreadable.
The con had officially begun.
Chapter 2 – Small Visits
The conference room was packed, louder than Hal liked, full of people who had known him for decades. Ronnie stood near the back, smiling politely at the jokes, the speeches, the stories about “old Hal.” She clapped at the right times, laughed when she was supposed to, but she kept her distance.
She knew better than to try anything here. Not with all these people around. Not with the ones who adored him. Not with the ones who barely tolerated her.
The crowd thinned and people drifted toward the cake table. Hal was speaking to a woman named Eloise Parker. Ronnie wasn’t sure what job Eloise had, but she knew the older woman was connected. Ronnie waited until Eloise walked away, then Ronnie slipped around the edge of the room and touched Hal’s arm lightly.
“Can I steal you for a second?” she asked.
Hal looked relieved to escape the attention. “Of course.”
They stepped into the hallway, the door swinging shut behind them. The noise faded.
Ronnie folded her hands, lowered her eyes just a touch. “I just wanted to say… I’ll miss you around here.”
Hal blinked, surprised. “You will?”
“Of course,” she said softly. “You were always fair with me. Not everyone was.”
That landed. She saw it in the way his shoulders shifted, the way he looked at her with something like concern.
He hesitated, then said, “Well… maybe we could keep in touch. I mean, if you ever wanted to grab a drink or something.”
She drew back as if stung. “Hal. Really?”
His face flushed. “I . . . I didn’t mean anything inappropriate. I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
She let the silence stretch just long enough for him to feel it.
Then she softened. “No. I’m the one who’s being touchy. It was kind of you to ask. I just wasn’t expecting it.”
He exhaled, relieved. “I didn’t want you to think, well, you know.”
“I know,” she said gently. “I’ll… think about it.”
He nodded quickly, eager to repair the moment. “Here.” He reached into his jacket and handed her a small card. “My unlisted number. The private line. If you ever need anything.”
She took it with both hands, as if it were something fragile. “Thank you, Hal.”
When she walked away, she didn’t look back. She didn’t need to.
She already had what she came for.
* * *
Ronnie waited three days before calling Hal. She knew exactly what she was doing. Three days created anticipation without looking desperate. When she finally dialed his private number, she let her voice sound warm and a little hesitant.
“Hal? It is Ronnie. I hope I am not calling at a bad time?”
His voice came through bright and eager. “Ronnie. No, not at all. I am glad you called. Truly glad.”
‘Perfect. He sounds like a man who has been staring at the phone.’
She let a small smile touch her lips. “I was thinking about your offer. The drink. I wondered if it was still open?”
“Of course it is,” he said. “I would love that. I can pick you up. Would that be all right?”
“That would be very nice,” she said. “Thank you for wanting to.”
* * *
She picked out a modest blouse and put on a pair of slacks, not too tight. She wanted to look nice, not naughty for tonight. Naughty would come later.
He arrived early, just as she expected. When she stepped outside, he straightened his posture as if he had been caught slouching. He opened the car door for her with a flourish that made her want to laugh, but she kept her expression soft.
“Thank you, Hal,” she said. “You always treat me like I matter.”
He flushed with pleasure. “You do matter.”
‘You matter because you’re useful. That’s all.’
The restaurant he chose was elegant, with soft lighting and quiet music. He seemed proud of it, as if he had discovered something rare.
“I hope this is all right,” he said. “I wanted to take you somewhere nice.”
“It is lovely,” she said. “You have good taste.”
The prices on the menu made her eyes pop. This place was classy and it was obvious that Hal came her often. The waiters were attentive and Hal called several people by name. The service was excellent.
Hal ordered a drink, downed it quickly and ordered another. She watched the alcohol loosen him. His stories grew longer, his laughter warmer. He leaned toward her as he talked, as if he could not help himself.
“You know,” he said, “I always thought you were special. Even when other people did not see it.”
She tilted her head. “You really thought that?”
“I did,” he said. “I still do.”
‘Of course you do. You’re lonely and I am young. That’s all it takes.’
She reached across the table and touched his hand lightly. “That means more than you know.”
He looked as if the touch had lit him from the inside.
“Would you like some dessert?” he asked.
“You know what I would really like? A frappe.”
“What’s a frap?”
“It’s like a milkshake. We had them back home.”
“Where was that?”
“I was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Back home, winters were wicked cold — the kind that bite your fingers even through gloves. You learn to keep your head down, get things done, and not make a fuss about it.”
“Wicked cold? I don’t know how you survived that. I’d lose my mind if I had to shovel snow every morning.”
“You don’t shovel every morning. Only after the big storms. And you don’t complain — you just get out there and do it. That’s how people are up there. Nobody’s dramatic. My folks moved us out here when I was ten.”
“Where are your parents now?”
“They died. They were both killed in a car crash.”
“I’m so sorry,” Hal said, reaching out toward her.
“It was a long time ago,” she said. “It was hard, but I got over it. Anyway, they don’t have frappes in Santa Fe. Let’s get out of here.”
After dinner he drove her home. When they reached her door, he walked her to it with a seriousness that almost made her laugh again. He stood close, too close, and she could see the thought forming in his eyes.
“Ronnie,” he said softly. “May I ask you something? Do you ever feel that there might be something between us?”
She stepped closer, letting him believe it. “Do you think so, Hal?”
“I do,” he whispered.
He leaned in. She let him come close enough to feel the warmth of his breath, then she turned her head and stepped back.
“I should go inside,” she said quickly. “Thank you for tonight.”
He blinked, confused. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” she said. “Not at all. I just need a moment.”
She slipped inside and closed the door gently.
‘He will not sleep tonight. He will lie awake replaying every second. And tomorrow he will want me even more.’
She smiled in the dark.
Everything was going exactly as she planned.
* * *
For the next date, Ronnie took her time getting ready. She chose her little black dress that fit her well, something elegant that suggested confidence without looking cheap. When she checked herself in the mirror, she tilted her chin and gave a small approving smile. Then she spun around in a little dance step. She wanted Hal to feel lucky. She wanted him to feel chosen.
‘He will think this is for him. That’s exactly what I need.’
When Hal arrived, he froze for a moment on her doorstep. His eyes widened, and he tried to recover by straightening his jacket. It did not help. He looked like a man who had stumbled into a dream he did not believe he deserved.
“Ronnie,” he said. “You look incredible. I mean, truly incredible.”
She let her smile warm. “Thank you, Hal. I wanted to look nice for you.”
“For me?” He blinked as if he could not quite process it. “You did not have to do that.”
“I know,” she said. “But I wanted to.”
He offered his arm, and she took it lightly. He seemed to grow two inches taller as they walked to the car.
At the restaurant he held the door for her again, and she stepped past him with a soft, appreciative look. “You always treat me so well,” she said. “It feels good to be around someone who sees me.”
He swallowed hard. “Anyone would see you, Ronnie.”
“Not everyone does,” she said. “But you do.”
‘Keep feeding him the idea that he is special. He will cling to it.’
They ordered dinner, and Hal could not stop glancing at her. Every time she lifted her glass, he watched her. Every time she leaned forward, he leaned with her. She let her voice stay low and warm, and she laughed at his stories in a way that made him glow.
“Do you really enjoy spending time with me?” he asked. “Or are you just being kind?”
She tilted her head. “Why would you think I am pretending?”
“I do not know,” he said. “I guess I never expected someone like you to want to be with someone like me.”
She reached across the table and touched his wrist. “Hal, I would not be here if I didn’t want to be.”
He stared at her hand as if it were something miraculous.
After dinner he drove her home again. When they reached her door, he walked her to it with the same earnestness as before. The night air was cool, and he stood close enough that she could feel his nervous energy.
“Ronnie,” he said. “I think we have a relationship forming.”
She stepped closer, letting her eyes soften. “Do you feel one, Hal?”
“I do,” he whispered.
She let him lean in. This time she did not turn away. She allowed his lips to touch hers for a brief moment, just long enough to light him up inside, then she pulled back gently.
“Goodnight, Hal,” she said.
He looked dazed. “Ronnie, did that mean something?”
“It meant I had a nice evening,” she said. “And I might want another.”
She slipped inside and closed the door.
‘He will float home. And tomorrow he will be even easier to guide.’
Ronnie smiled. Everything was unfolding exactly as she intended.
* * *
Hal drove away from Ronnie’s building with his pulse racing. The streetlights blurred slightly each time he lifted his fingers to his lips. He touched the place where she had kissed him, a brief, soft kiss that felt like it had changed the temperature of the night.
‘She kissed me. She actually kissed me. How is that possible?’
He forced his eyes back to the road, but his focus kept slipping. He had driven this route a thousand times, yet tonight every turn felt unfamiliar. He blinked hard and tried to steady his breathing.
‘Calm down. You are a grown man. You can drive a car. Why are your hands shaking?’
He whispered into the empty car, “She wanted to kiss me. She really did.”
Hearing his own voice startled him. He cleared his throat and tried to laugh, but the sound came out thin and unconvincing.
‘She stepped close. She looked at me like I mattered. She let me kiss her. Why would she do that?’
He reached his driveway and parked, but he did not get out. He sat there with the engine off, staring at the dark outline of his house. It felt too quiet. Too ordinary. He touched his lips again.
‘What does she see in me?’
He shook his head, trying to push the doubt away. Ronnie had said she enjoyed herself. She had said he made her feel seen. She had touched his arm. She had let him kiss her. Those were facts. He repeated them silently, as if they were lines he needed to memorize.
He stepped out of the car and walked inside. The house felt hollow in a way it never had before. He moved through the rooms without turning on the lights. He did not need them. His mind was bright enough.
He sat on the edge of his bed and leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
‘She said she might want another evening. She said she wanted to see where this goes. She said she cares. She must care. She would not have kissed me otherwise. Would she?’
He lay back and stared at the ceiling. The room felt too small for the feeling inside him. He closed his eyes, but the darkness only made her face appear more clearly. Her smile. Her voice. The way she had looked at him when she stepped close.
“Ronnie,” he whispered. “What are you doing to me?”
He turned onto his side, then onto his back again. He tried to slow his breathing. He tried to think about something else. Anything else. It was useless.
‘Do not sleep. Do not lose this feeling. Hold on to it. She kissed you. She chose you.’
He touched his lips one more time.
‘This is real. It has to be real.’
The air conditioner kicked on and Hal pulled up the silk sheet. As it slid over his naked body, he thought of the way Ronnie’s thighs had moved under her tight skirt. He began to swell large under the sheer covering. He felt a sudden sexual excitement in his body that made his face hot and his heart pound. He could not pry his thoughts away from that triangular place where her thighs joined and the skirt molded and folded in apparent invitation.
He touched himself. He held the hard, yearning, gristled object and there was an intense revelation, an awareness of his age and how few years he had left. He had never known a girl as beautiful as Ronnie. He had never dreamed he would kiss one.
Hal Whitaker, retired investment manager for the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico, grasped himself with is right hand and began to stroke his blood-gorged shaft with his eyes tightly shut.
He loved her. He was sure of it. He had to have her. No matter the cost, he had to have her.
Hal lay awake until morning, smiling into the dark like a man who had been handed a miracle he did not understand and did not want to question.
Chapter 3 – White Pantsuit Night
Ronnie had expected to get another invitation from Hal so soon. When he called and asked if she would come to his house for dinner, she gave him a strategic pause.
“I cannot do that, Hal. It would not be appropriate.”
He looked crushed. “Please, Ronnie. I would really like to cook for you. Just the two of us. Nothing fancy. I promise.”
She sighed softly. In a quiet voice she said, “Hal, I don’t know. People might talk.”
“I do not care what people say,” he said. “I only care that you come. Please. I want to do something nice for you.”
‘He is begging. That means he is ready to give me anything I want.’
She let her hesitation last for a moment longer, then nodded. “All right. If it means that much to you, I will come.”
His voice lit up like a boy who had been handed a prize. “Thank you, Ronnie. You will not regret it.”
‘Oh, Hal. You have no idea.’
It was time to bring out her snowy white pantsuit for the evening. It made her look sharp and confident, and it had the added benefit that it would make Hal stare every time she moved. Skip had bitched about how much it had cost but tonight would prove it was worth every penny.
When she drove into his neighborhood, she was amazed. The houses were stucco with perfectly manicured yards and expensive cars in the driveway.
She got another surprise when she came to Hal’s house. It was larger than the others with a wide cement drive and a magnificent view of the Sangre de Christo Mountains. She knew Hal had money, but this house made him look rich. She parked and walked up the drive with a broad smile on her face.
* * *
When Hal opened the door for her, he froze for a moment, then stepped aside quickly.
“You look incredible,” he stammered, repeating himself from their first date. “I mean, really incredible.”
She smiled warmly. “Thank you, Hal. I wanted to look nice for you.”
Inside, the table was set with more care than she had expected. Candles. Cloth napkins. A bottle of wine already open. He hovered near her, trying not to look too eager.
“Do you like salmon,” he asked. “I hope you do.”
“I love salmon,” she said. “This is very thoughtful.”
Dinner went smoothly. Hal talked too much, laughed too loudly, and poured himself three drinks while insisting he was fine. She kept her glass mostly full and barely touched it. She needed her head clear.
After dessert, she excused herself. “I need to freshen up. Where is your bathroom?”
“Down the hall,” he said. “Second door on the left.”
She walked away with a confident stride, but once inside the bathroom she slipped out of the jacket and took off her slacks. The bra and panties went next, and she gave herself a big bawdy wink in the elegant mirror.
Then she had to wait.
‘Let him wait. Let him wonder what I am doing.’
Time passed. She heard him shifting in the hallway. Then a soft knock.
“Ronnie? Are you all right?”
She didn’t answer.
He waited. Then knocked again. “Ronnie? Are you all right? I’m getting worried.”
She still didn’t answer. Everything was going according to plan.
When she heard the latch move, she sat down on the floor with her back to him.
The door creaked open.
She looked up sharply from the floor. “Hal! Really!”
He jumped back as if struck. “I am sorry. I am so sorry. I thought something was wrong.”
He tried to pull the door shut, but it hit his foot and bounced back, nearly knocking him off balance. He stumbled, caught himself, and finally managed to close it.
‘He is terrified. Perfect.’
She stood, fixed her earring, and stepped out into the hallway. He was waiting there, red‑faced and trembling.
She crossed her arms. “Did you get an eyeful? Do you like spying on women in the bathroom?”
Hal took a deep breath. His voice steadied. “Veronica Hale, I find that question quite insulting,” he said with surprising dignity.
‘Okay,’ she thought. ‘I’ve pushed him far enough.’
She blinked, then softened her expression. “I am sorry. You startled me.”
“I startled myself,” he said.
She laughed suddenly, a bright, warm sound. “Well, it certainly woke me up.”
“Me too,” he said.
“It was kind of exciting,” she said. “It was embarrassing and humiliating and exciting all at the same time.”
He swallowed. “What were you doing on the floor?”
“I dropped my earring,” she said. “I was trying to reach it under your vanity. I didn’t want to get my new pantsuit dirty, so I took it off. I fully intended to put it back on before I came out.”
“Of course you did.”
“You didn’t give me a chance.”
“I know. I said I was sorry.”
She let a playful gleam enter her eyes. “You really thought something terrible had happened, did you not?”
“I did,” he said. “I was worried.”
She stepped closer and touched his arm lightly. “You’re very sweet, Hal.”
‘He is melting. He cannot help himself.’
He looked at her with a mixture of awe and confusion, as if he could not believe she was standing so close.
“Ronnie,” he said softly. “I am glad you came tonight.”
She smiled. “I am glad too.”
‘And now you’re exactly where I want you.’
“Let’s go into the living room,” Hal said.
The large room was beautifully furnished with a leather couch and a fireplace that had Kachina dolls on the mantle. It was more evidence of how well she had chosen her mark.
“Would you like a drink?” Hal asked.
“Are you going to have one?”
“Yes. I think I need one,” he said and she could see that his eyes were glazed from what he had already consumed and from the shock of seeing her naked.
He brought two glasses over to the couch and sat beside her. He downed his drink in three large gulps. That made his eyes cloud over with a vacant stare.
“Did you like what you saw?” she asked, putting a mischievous gleam in her eye.
She heard his breath catch as he said, “I did. I liked it very much, Ronnie.”
“You want to know something, Hal darling?”
“Hmmm?”
“When you looked at me, it made me feel strange.”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “Strange in what way?”
“I told you. It was exciting. I’ve never felt that way before.”
He began to blush scarlet and she knew what he was thinking.
Before he could object, she stood and removed her jacket. His eyes grew wide. They grew even wider when she unbuttoned her pants and began to slip them down over her legs.
“Ronnie, what are you doing?” he demanded.
“Nothing complicated, darling. Just watch.
She removed the rest of her clothing and stood facing him. To make sure he got the message, she lifted both hands to her head and let him check out her naked body. His eyes bulged and his face flushed. He looked as if he was going to have a heart attack.
‘Not yet,’ she thought. ‘Not until he marries me.
Without another word, she took him by the hand and led him into the bedroom.
She helped him undress and pushed him down on the bed on his back. Then she straddled him.
She lowered herself onto his rather large erection.
He came in ten seconds flat.
“I’m sorry,” he moaned. “I’m sorry, Ronnie, I just couldn’t hold back.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, lover. You did fine. You did so real fine.”
“Really?” he mumbled.
Before she could answer, he fell fast asleep.
* * *
In the morning, Ronnie heard Hal in the shower. He had managed to get out of bed without waking her. She recognized it as another sign of her power over him. He was walking on eggshells, still not quite believing how lucky he was.
She sat up on the end of his bed and switched on the little television sitting on the bookshelf.
He came in wearing a purple bathrobe and she gave him her best, most welcoming smile.
He looked startled and pleased as she moved to display her legs. He started to untie the belt of his robe, but she cried. “Wait a minute. I’m watching the news.”
She didn’t give a damn about the news, but she wanted to show him who was boss. He looked disappointed but did not speak. He lay down beside her and put a big paw on the small of her back. She leaned against the pressure of his hand.
On the screen, smoke rose from an apartment building somewhere in the Middle East. A newscaster came on wearing a helmet and a flack jacket. He was holding a large black microphone in front of his face. When he began describing death and destruction, she muted the sound.
“There are so many terrible things happening in the world,” she said, looking into his eyes.
‘You don’t need to worry, sweet girl,” he said. “I’ll keep you safe.”
‘He’s learning his lines very well,’ she thought. ‘I wonder if it is time to ask for more money.’
She reached over and began to tug at his belt. He rolled over on his side to help.
With the robe open, she pulled away the sheets to let him enjoy the view of her naked body.
There was a sharp, satisfying, intake of breath and his eyes grew huge and round.
She lifted herself up, put one knee on his left side and gracefully swung her leg over his rotund body.
“I love this,” he moaned. “God help me, I do love it so.”
She lowered herself upon him with delicacy and precision.
He performed better this time. He lasted almost 30 seconds.
* * *
Hal stood at the front window with his hands pressed lightly against the sill. The morning sun was bright, almost too bright, and it made the white of Ronnie’s pantsuit glow as she walked down his driveway. She turned once, gave him a small wave, then continued toward the street.
‘Please do not let anyone see her. Please let this pass quietly.’
He watched until she disappeared around the corner. His heart was still beating too fast. He had a headache. He had drunk too much the night before and his sleep had been fitful. He kept waking up to find her lying next to him. Then he was too excited to get back to sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her laughing at his table, brushing her hair back, leaning close when she spoke. He felt foolish for how much it affected him.
Hal sat down in his recliner and folded his hands into his lap. He took a deep breath and his heart stilled. He told himself everything would be all right. He could still feel the warm echo of Ronnie’s presence in the house. The room seemed brighter somehow, as if she had left a trace of her energy behind. He leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
‘She came here. She actually came here. She sat at my table and laughed at my jokes.’
He touched his lips without realizing it. He had not just kissed her. It had gone further than that. It had gone so much further that he found it hard to believe. The memory of her smile felt close enough to touch.
All his life he had been watching women like Ronnie. He watched them, dreamed about them, lusted after them. He never really believed he would have one of them.
A car door shut outside.
Hal froze. “Who could that be?”
Then he remembered. He had scheduled a meeting with Eloise Johnson to go over some of the files he had left for her review when he retired. How long had he been sitting here? Would Eloise have seen Ronnie leave? Oh, God. What if she did?
Then came the knock.
He opened the door slowly. Eloise stood there with her tote bag. She was just standing there with a folder tucked under her arm. She worked with him at the city offices and had arranged to stop by so he could help her with the transition into her new role.
“Hal,” she said. “I hope I am not interrupting anything,” she said with a look that told him she had already drawn her own conclusions.
“No, no,” he said quickly. “Come in. Please.”
She was wearing black slacks and a long-sleeved white blouse. Her hair was pinned up in back which added tartness to her disapproving look.
She stepped inside and glanced around the room. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Who was the girl who just left?”
Hal froze. “Girl? What girl?”
“It looked like Ronnie.”
“I don’t know,” he said lamely.
Eloise raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Hal. I saw her walking down your driveway. She was wearing white. Hard to miss.”
He swallowed. “Oh. That. That was Ronnie. A friend.”
“A friend,” Eloise repeated. “Is that what we are calling her? Hal, she looked like she was coming from a photoshoot. And she left your house at eight in the morning. What exactly happened here?”
He stepped back. “Nothing improper.”
Eloise went into the living room. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes,” he said quickly. “Absolutely.”
She set her tote bag on the table and turned to face him. “Hal, you look guilty. Why do you look guilty if nothing happened?”
He rubbed his forehead. “I am tired. That is all.”
“No,” Eloise said. “You are hiding something. I can see it all over your face.”
He tried to steady his voice. “Eloise, please. It was just dinner.”
“Dinner,” she said. “At night. Alone. With a girl half your age. And now she is leaving your house in the morning. Do you understand how that looks?”
Hal felt heat rising in his cheeks. “I did not think about how it looked.”
“Clearly,” Eloise said. “And her hair was a mess. Her jacket was crooked. She looked flustered. What happened, Hal?”
He shook his head. “It was nothing. We had dinner. She lost an earring. It took a long time to find it.”
“All night?”
“Drop it, Eloise.”
Eloise gave him a long, assessing look. “That was quite an outfit she was wearing.”
Her tone was not admiration. It was accusation.
Hal cleared his throat. “It was just a pantsuit.”
“I bet it cost more than she makes in a week. Did you buy it for her?”
“No!”
“It was not just a pantsuit,” Eloise said. “And I told you, I noticed her hair was messed up. She looked like she just got out of bed.”
Hal’s blush deepened. “Eloise, please. It is not what you think.”
She crossed her arms. “Then what is it?”
He opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again. “She is going through a difficult time. I was trying to be kind.”
Eloise stared at him. “Hal, you are a terrible liar.”
He winced. “I am not lying.”
“You are hiding something,” she said. “I can see it all over your face.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It was nothing improper. Truly.”
Eloise stepped closer. “Hal, you are a good man. Too good sometimes. That girl looks like trouble. What are you doing getting mixed up with someone like that?”
He shook his head. “You do not know her.”
“And you do?” Eloise asked.
He hesitated. “I am trying to.”
Eloise softened slightly. “Hal. Please be careful.”
He looked away. “I appreciate your concern. But I can handle myself.”
“I’m worried that you can’t handle her.”
He felt a strange mix of defensiveness and embarrassment. “She needed company. I offered her dinner. That is all.”
Eloise sighed. “And she just happened to leave here looking like she had been through a windstorm?”
Eloise stepped closer. “Hal, I am not naive. Something happened. Maybe not what I am imagining, but something.”
He backed up a step. “Eloise, please do not make this worse.”
“I don’t have to make anything,” she said. “It already looks bad. And people in this neighborhood love to talk. You know that.”
Hal felt a cold ripple move through him. “Are you going to tell anyone?”
She watched him carefully. “Should I?”
“No,” he said quickly. “Please don’t. I did nothing wrong.”
“You look like a man who knows he crossed a line,” Eloise said. “Even if you will not admit it.”
He lowered his head. “I feel foolish.”
Eloise sighed. Her expression softened, but only slightly. “Hal, I am not here to shame you. I am here because I care about you. But you are making choices that could embarrass you. And I do not want to see that happen.”
He nodded slowly. “I understand.”
She picked up her tote bag and walked to the door.
“I think we should have our meeting at some other time.”
Before leaving, she turned back and looked at him with a mixture of pity and frustration.
“Hal,” she said, “you are just the age to play the fool.”
The door closed behind her.
Hal stood alone in the quiet house.
‘A fool. Is that what I am now?’
He did not know. And that frightened him more than anything she had said.
* * *
Ronnie arrived at Hal’s house that afternoon without calling first. She walked up the driveway with a confident stride, her hair loose around her shoulders and her expression bright and warm. She had picked out black knit pants and a white silk blouse, an effective combination to go with her long red hair.
She knocked once, then again, louder.
“Hal? Are you home?”
Inside, she heard movement. Something clattered. Then Hal’s voice, thin and strained. “Ronnie? What are you doing here?”
She smiled to herself. “Open the door and I will show you.”
The door opened only a few inches at first. Hal’s face appeared in the gap, pale and anxious. “Ronnie, this is not a good time.”
She pushed the door gently with her hand. “Let me in, Hal.”
“I really think you should come back another day,” he said. “Please.”
She stepped forward, forcing him to move back. “Hal, what is going on? Why are you acting like this?”
He sighed and closed the door behind her. “You should not be here. Eloise came by this morning. She saw you leaving. She asked questions.”
Ronnie raised her eyebrows. “Questions? What kind of questions?”
“The kind that make a man nervous,” Hal said. “She thinks something happened. She thinks I did . . . Well, you know. She thinks I did something wrong. She thinks I am losing my mind.”
Ronnie walked into the living room, stretched up to kiss him with the sweet shyness of a child. She took him by the hand and led him over to his sofa. “Hal, come on, relax. Sit down.”
“I cannot sit,” he said. “I am too worked up.”
“Then stand,” she said calmly. “But talk to me. What did she say?”
Hal rubbed his forehead. “She said people will talk. She said it will ruin my reputation. She said the City might reconsider the compensation they promised me. She said I am just the age to play the fool.”
Ronnie tilted her head. “And you believe her?”
“I do not know what to believe,” Hal said. “I feel guilty. I feel like I did something wrong.”
‘Good. Fear makes him easier to guide.’
She kept her expression soft. “Hal, look at me.”
He looked up slowly.
“You did nothing wrong,” she said. “As far as she knows, nothing happened. Nothing improper. Nothing anyone could twist into something else. Nothing anyone could prove. It was just between you and me.”
He swallowed. “But she saw you leaving. She saw your hair. She saw your jacket. She thinks she knows what happened.”
Ronnie leaned back slightly. “And what does she think happened?”
Hal’s face turned red. “I do not want to say it.”
“Then don’t,” Ronnie said. “Because it doesn’t matter. People think all sorts of things. That doesn’t make them true.”
Hal paced across the room. “You don’t understand. Eloise is connected. She knows everyone. She talks to everyone. If she starts gossiping, it will spread.”
Ronnie stood and walked toward him. “Hal, stop pacing. You’re making yourself sick.”
“I cannot help it,” he said. “I feel like everything is falling apart.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “Hal, breathe. You’re safe. Nothing is falling apart.”
He looked at her with wide, frightened eyes. “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. “I am sure.”
‘Of course he is scared. And fear makes him cling to the person who calms him.’
She guided him toward the sofa. “Sit. Please.”
He sat, trembling slightly. “I should not have let you come over last night. I should not have invited you. I should not have done what I did.”
Ronnie sat beside him. “Do you regret it?”
“No,” he said quickly. “No, I don’t regret it. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. God, Ronnie, I could never regret making love to you. I just regret how it looks.”
She smiled gently. “Then let me help you. Let me fix this.”
“How can you fix it?” he asked.
“I can talk to Eloise,” Ronnie said. “I can explain that I came over for dinner because you were helping me with something. I can tell her it was innocent.”
Hal shook his head. “She will not believe you.”
“She will if I make her believe me,” Ronnie said. “I can be very convincing.”
‘And if I talk to Eloise, I can learn exactly how much she suspects.’
Hal looked at her with a mixture of hope and fear. “Would you really do that for me?”
“Of course,” Ronnie said. “I care about you, Hal. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
‘And the more he believes that, the easier this becomes.’
Hal leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I feel like a fool.”
“You’re not a fool,” Ronnie said. “You’re a kind man who tried to do something nice. That’s all.”
He looked at her again. “Do you really think this will blow over?”
“Yes,” she said. “As long as we stay calm. As long as we don’t give anyone a reason to think otherwise. We’ll just act normal. As long as we act normal, it will be fine.”
Hal nodded slowly. “All right. All right. I will try.”
Ronnie placed her hand over his. “Good. You’re not alone in this. I am here.”
‘And now he will cling to me even tighter.’
Hal let out a long breath. “Thank you, Ronnie.”
She smiled warmly. “You’re welcome.”
Inside, she felt a quiet, satisfied glow.
‘He is scared. And scared men are easy to guide.’
She squeezed his hand gently.
“Everything will be all right, Hal. I promise.”
As she said it, she got her left hand inside his shirt. She went directly and efficiently to work on him. After last night, she knew him very well. Within seconds, his face became rosy and he started gasping for breath. She covered his face with little kisses as she let her right hand slip down between his fat thighs. She arched her back and tried to hold her breath to make her face look flushed. She increased her own breathing.
She knew he could smell her perfume and feel the steaminess of her breath on his neck. She could feel his growing excitement, and she moaned to make him think she felt the same way.
She wormed her way astride his lap. This was a repeat of last night and she knew it wouldn’t take long. She took both his hands and moved them to work down her soft knit pants. Then she began to tug at his zipper.
“Ronnie, wait . . . “
“Hush,” she commanded, placing a finger on his lips. No one is going to find out. It’s just you and me and I want you so much, lover. I’ve been thinking about you all day. You were magnificent last night and I want more. I need more.”
Then they had removed enough clothing, and she was sure a good quick solid bang was just the thing to calm his nerves and fog his brain.
Abruptly, and with the same surprise and horror he had shown the previous night, she felt him explode into her.
“Oh, God, Hal. Oh, God. It feels so good. Oh, God, Hal, you’re the best. You’re the best one ever.”
Chapter 4 – Afterglow
The meeting room at City Hall is enormous. High ceilings stretch upward like the inside of a cathedral. Dark wood paneling lines the walls, polished to a shine. Red upholstered chairs fill the space in long rows. More than one hundred people move about, talking in clusters, greeting one another, finding their seats. Southwest paintings hang between the tall windows, each one done by a local artist. Desert sunsets. Saguaros. Adobe houses. The colors glow under the warm lights.
Hal sits alone near the middle of the room. The chairs around him are empty, as if people have chosen to avoid him. He stares straight ahead, hands clasped tightly in his lap.
‘This is it. Eloise reported me. They know. They all know. They are going to drag me in front of everyone and tell them what I did. They will take everything from me.’
He swallows hard. His throat feels dry. His palms are damp. He looks around the room, but no one meets his eyes. A few people glance at him, then look away quickly.
Eloise sits in the back row. Her arms are crossed. Her expression is sharp and unyielding. She does not blink. She does not look away from Hal.
He shifts in his seat. His breath comes shallow and fast.
‘She told them. She told them everything. She warned me. She said people talk. She said this would happen. I should not have let Ronnie come over. I should not have let her stay so long. I should not have let her leave in the morning. I’ve lost everything for a piece of ass.’
A clerk steps up to the podium at the front of the room. She taps the microphone. “Everyone, please take your seats.”
The crowd settles. Conversations fade. Chairs scrape softly against the floor. Hal sits rigid, staring at the podium as if it is an execution platform.
The clerk clears her throat. “We will begin with a special presentation. Hal Whitaker come forward.”
Hal’s heart stops.
‘They are calling me. They are calling me first. They want to make an example of me. They want to humiliate me.’
He stands slowly. His legs feel weak. He walks down the aisle like a man on his way to the gallows. His eyes are unfocused. His face is pale. He has the thousand-yard stare of someone who has already accepted his fate.
People watch him. Some whisper. Some frown. Eloise leans forward in her seat, her eyes never leaving him.
Hal reaches the front and stops. He does not look at the mayor. He does not look at the clerk. He stares at the floor.
The mayor steps up to the microphone. “Hal Whitaker, we are here today to honor your decades of service to this city.”
Hal does not react.
The mayor tries again. “Hal Whitaker, are you listening to me?”
Still nothing.
A hint of irritation enters the mayor’s voice. “Hal, look up. Please.”
Hal lifts his head slowly. His eyes blink as if he is waking from a dream. He looks around the room, confused.
‘What is happening? Why are they not accusing me? Why is everyone looking at me like this?’
The mayor smiles. “There you are. Hal, this city owes you a debt of gratitude. You have served with dedication, integrity and professionalism for more than forty years. Today, we recognize that service.”
The clerk steps forward holding a plaque. She presents it to Hal with both hands. “This is for you, Mr. Whitaker.”
Hal stares at it. His mouth opens slightly. He cannot speak.
The mayor continues. “In addition to this plaque, the City Council has approved a special bonus of fifty thousand dollars in recognition of your exemplary work.”
A murmur of approval spreads through the room. People begin to applaud. Some stand. Some cheer.
Hal looks down at the plaque again. His hands tremble.
‘Fifty thousand dollars. They are praising me. They are thanking me. They are not condemning me. Eloise was wrong. Ronnie was right. Everything is all right.’
People crowd around him. They shake his hand. They pat him on the back. They tell him he deserves it. They tell him he earned it. They tell him they are proud of him.
Hal forces a smile. He nods. He thanks them. But his mind is spinning.
‘How could I have been so wrong? How could I have believed Eloise? How could I have doubted Ronnie?’
The crowd slowly disperses. Hal stands holding the plaque against his chest.
At the back of the room, Eloise remains seated. She does not clap. She does not smile. She watches Hal with a deep scowl, her eyes narrowed, her jaw tight.
She knows something is wrong. She knows Hal is hiding something. She knows he is a horney old goat and she is not finished with him.
* * *
Hal stepped out of City Hall and the night felt strangely thin, as if the air itself had been scraped away. The parking lot lights cast long pale reflections across the hood of his car, stretching like brittle glass. He stood there for a moment, the award still tucked under his arm, its polished surface catching the glow and throwing it back at him in a sharp, artificial shimmer. It looked heavier than it should have, as if the metal had absorbed the fear he carried inside.
He unlocked the door and sat behind the wheel, letting the silence settle. The applause had faded, but the memory of it clung to him like static. He could still see the faces turned toward him, smiling, clapping, unaware of the dread that had hollowed him out. He rested his hands on the steering wheel and noticed the faint tremor in his fingers. It reminded him of another night, when Ronnie had reached across the dining room table and steadied his hand after he spilled his drink. Her touch had been warm, grounding. He could almost see her now, leaning over in her white jacket, the soft fall of her red hair catching the candlelight. She had laughed at something he said, a small, bright sound that filled the room like sunlight.
He closed his eyes and let the memory wash over him. The way she tilted her head when she listened. The way she would rest her palm lightly on his shoulder when she wanted him to know she was there. Those moments had felt endless then, suspended in a kind of gentle certainty. But tonight, sitting alone in the car, he felt the truth pressing in. Nothing was endless. Not even the warmth of her presence. Not even the comfort of her voice.
The award gleamed beside him, its surface reflecting the dim interior light. It was meant to honor him, to celebrate him, but all he could see in it was the reminder that he had been spared only for now. The fear he felt in that meeting room had not vanished. It had seeped deeper, settling into the quiet spaces of his mind. He remembered standing at the podium, the plaque in his hands, and catching a glimpse of Eloise in the crowd. Her glare had been like a death sentence. He had felt the cold edge of dread beneath his ribs.
He opened his eyes and stared through the windshield at the empty lot. The night was calm, but inside him everything churned. He understood now that the reprieve was not salvation. It was a pause, a breath, a momentary lifting of the blade. Life would continue, but always with the knowledge that it would end.
The fear lingered because it was honest. It was the truth he had glimpsed when he thought he was condemned.
He leaned back in the seat and let the quiet settle again. The award lay face down, its shine hidden. The night stretched before him, vast and indifferent. And Hal sat there, feeling the weight of being spared, knowing it was only temporary, knowing that the fear would follow him home.
* * *
Ronnie arrived at Hal Whitaker’s house just after sunset. She hadn’t been sure why he called, but she knew she should wear something sexy. He liked looking at her and her white top with the metallic blue skirt would serve her well.
The porch light glowed softly, casting a warm circle across the walkway. She walked up the steps with a confident stride and knocked twice. She waited with her arms folded, knowing he would answer. He always answered.
The door opened slowly. Hal stood there with wide, unfocused eyes. His face looked pale, as if he had been startled out of a dream.
“Hal,” Ronnie said. “You look like you saw a ghost. What happened?”
He stepped aside. “Come in. Please.”
She moved close and put her arm around him. He seemed to relax. He put his right hand on her back and smiled. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
She turned into the living room and immediately noticed the plaque on the coffee table. She walked toward it with deliberate calm. “What is this?”
Hal rubbed the back of his neck. “They called me to City Hall.”
Ronnie turned to him. “They did? Why? What did they say?”
Hal swallowed hard. “I thought it was because of Eloise. I thought she reported me. I thought they were going to accuse me of something.”
Ronnie felt a moment of alarm, but she hid it. She sat on the sofa and gestured for him to sit beside her. “Hal, calm down. Tell me what happened.”
He sat, trembling slightly. “They praised me. They honored me. They gave me an award for meritorious service.”
Ronnie lifted the plaque and studied it. “This is beautiful. They really did this for you?”
“Yes,” Hal said. “And they gave me a bonus. Fifty thousand dollars.”
Ronnie raised her eyebrows. “Fifty thousand? Hal, that’s incredible.”
‘Fifty thousand dollars. That changes everything. He is more valuable than I thought.’
She set the plaque down gently. “Hal, why do you look so upset? This is wonderful news.”
Hal leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Because I was sure they were going to condemn m
e. I was sure Eloise had told them something. I was sure they were going to take everything away.”
Ronnie placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hal, listen to me. Eloise doesn’t control the City. She doesn’t control your reputation. She doesn’t control your future.”
He looked at her with frightened eyes. “But she was there. She was sitting in the back. She was glaring at me the whole time.”
Ronnie tilted her head. “Glaring? Why would she glare at you if they were honoring you?”
“I do not know,” Hal said. “I do not understand her.”
‘Oh, I understand her. She is jealous. She is suspicious. She is a problem.’
Ronnie knew she had to calm him down. The crisis had passed, but he was so frightened he might do something stupid.
She twisted to face him. In the process, she let her skirt ride up to display eight inches of her right thigh. Hal’s eyes bulged, but he did not move. Ronnie took his hand and pulled it high up between her legs. She felt a tingle as he touched her most sensitive region. She was starting to warm to the idea of having sex with this man.
‘Fifty thousand dollars!’
“Let’s go into the bedroom,” she whispered.
She saw Hal’s throat work as he swallowed hard. He was frozen in place. By now, she had learned how to deal with this reluctant lover, and she pulled him to his feet.
Hal performed with is usual slam bam thank you ma’am style and it was over quickly.
As he got up and went to the bathroom, she spread herself out on the bed. She wanted him to know she was game for a repeat performance.
When he got back, he lay down beside her, obviously too drained to do anything useful.
Ronnie kept her expression soft as she moved close. “Hal, what did the mayor say to you?”
Hal gave her a vacant look as if he wasn’t sure where he was or what he was doing.
“Hal, what did he say?” she repeated.
Hal shook his head and his eyes came into focus. He seemed to relax. She ran her hand across his back in a comforting gesture.
“He said I served with dedication and integrity,” Hal said. “He said the city owes me gratitude. He said I earned the award.”
Ronnie smiled warmly. “And he is right. You did earn it.”
Hal shook his head. “I still feel like something is wrong. I feel like I am missing something.”
Ronnie leaned closer. “Hal, look at me.”
He looked up slowly.
“You’re not in trouble,” she said. “You’re not being judged. You’re not being punished. You’re being honored. You’re a good man.”
Hal’s eyes softened, but the fear still lingered. “Then why did Eloise look at me like that?”
Ronnie took his hand. “Because she doesn’t like me. Because she doesn’t like that I am close to you. Because she wants to control you. She is jealous.”
Hal blinked. “Control me? Why would she want that?”
Ronnie squeezed his hand gently. “Some people can’t stand to see others happy. Some people can’t stand to lose influence. Eloise is one of those people. Besides, you’re much more handsome than you realize. She wants you for herself.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Any woman would,” Ronnie said, moving her body against his to show him she meant it.
Hal pushed away, still too wound up for more sex.
Hal let out a long breath. “I feel foolish.”
“You’re not foolish,” Ronnie said, stroking his cheek. “You’re overwhelmed. Anyone would be.”
He nodded slowly. “I thought I was going to lose everything.”
“But you didn’t,” Ronnie said. “You gained something. You gained recognition. You gained security. You gained fifty thousand dollars.”
Hal looked at her with a mixture of relief and confusion. “I do not know what to think.”
“Then let me help you think,” Ronnie said. “Let me help you make sense of all this.”
‘And let me guide you exactly where I need you to go.’
Hal leaned back against the pillows.
“Thank you, Ronnie. I do not know what I would do without you.”
Ronnie smiled, warm and reassuring. “You don’t have to find out.”
Inside, she felt a quiet thrill.
‘He trusts me more than ever. And now he has even more money. This is the moment I have been waiting for.’
She reached out and touched him. “Hal Whitaker, you should be proud.”
He stroked her back with trembling hands. “Maybe I can be.”
Ronnie nodded. “You can. And you will.”
She lay beside him, close enough that he would feel her presence like a shield.
‘He is mine to guide now. And he doesn’t even see it.’
The room grew quiet as Hal stared at her breasts, still stunned, still vulnerable, still hers.
Chapter 5 – The Slip
Eloise stood in front of her bedroom closet longer than she meant to. She told herself she was only choosing something appropriate, something respectable, something that would help her speak clearly when she confronted Hal Whitaker. But her hand kept drifting toward the black dress she rarely wore. It was softer than her usual clothes, more feminine, with a gentle shape that flattered her figure. She hesitated, then took it from the hanger.
‘This is ridiculous. I am only going to talk to him.’
She laid the dress on the bed and opened the shoe cabinet. Her sensible flats sat in a neat row, but her eyes moved past them to the black high heels she had not worn in months. She picked them up slowly, feeling the weight of them in her hands. They made her taller. They made her posture straighter. They made her feel… something she did not want to name.
She set them beside the dress.
At the mirror, she pulled the clip from her hair. It fell around her shoulders in soft waves. People had always told her she had a beautiful bone structure, that her face looked elegant when her hair framed it. She usually ignored such comments, but tonight she studied her reflection with unusual care.
‘This is not about him. This is about doing the right thing.’
She applied her makeup with slow, deliberate strokes. A touch of blush. A careful line of eyeliner. A deeper shade of lipstick than she normally chose.
When she finished, she stepped back and took a breath. Her heart beat faster than it should have.
Then, gathering her purse, she left to see Hal.
Eloise gripped the steering wheel a little tighter than necessary as she drove toward Hal Whitaker’s house. The road was familiar, yet she found herself checking the street signs twice, as if her mind kept drifting away from the pavement in front of her. She told herself she was doing the right thing. She told herself she was only trying to save Hal from making a terrible mistake.
‘He is vulnerable. Someone has to look out for him.’
But her chest felt tight, and every time she pictured Ronnie’s face, a sharp heat rose in her throat. She pushed the thought away and focused on the houses passing by her window. She rehearsed what she would say, but the words kept slipping, replaced by a restless, uneasy feeling she did not want to examine.
When she pulled into Hal’s driveway, she sat for a moment with the engine off, breathing slowly. Her heart beat too fast. She smoothed her dress, checked her lipstick in the mirror, and stepped out before she could talk herself out of it.
At the door, she rang the bell and folded her hands together to keep them still. Hal opened it after a moment. His expression shifted from surprise to something closer to discomfort.
“Eloise,” he said. “I was not expecting you.”
“I know,” she replied. She took a steadying breath. “I want to talk to you about the awards ceremony.”
Hal hesitated, then stepped aside. “All right. Come in.”
They sat on the couch, a careful distance between them, the air thick with unspoken things.
* * *
Hal Whitaker sat stiffly on the couch, hands folded, trying to understand why Eloise had shown up unannounced. She looked different tonight. Her black dress, her hair loose around her shoulders, the careful makeup. He had never seen her like this. For a moment he wondered if he was imagining it.
She cleared her throat. “I wanted to talk about the awards ceremony.”
Hal nodded, though his stomach tightened. “All right. What about it?”
Eloise looked at him with an intensity that made him shift in his seat. “I saw you afterward. With her.”
Hal blinked. “With Ronnie?”
“Yes,” Eloise said. Her voice was sharper than she intended. “You were very close.”
Hal studied her face. Something flickered there, something he had never noticed before. Her eyes were too bright. Her breath came a little too fast. She kept smoothing her dress as if she could not sit still.
‘Is she… jealous?’
The thought startled him. Eloise, jealous of Ronnie? Eloise, who always lectured him, always corrected him, always acted like she knew better?
He looked at her again. Her cheeks were flushed. She would not meet his eyes. She looked almost… nervous.
A slow warmth spread through his chest.
‘She is jealous. She wants me to herself.’
The idea made him sit a little straighter. He felt taller somehow. More sure of himself. He had not felt that way in years.
Eloise finally met his gaze. “Hal, I am worried about you.”
Hal felt a surprising surge of confidence. “Why? Because of Ronnie?”
Eloise hesitated, and that hesitation told him everything.
She was jealous.
And for the first time in a long time, Hal felt like a man someone might actually want.
* * *
Ronnie hurried into her apartment, tossed her blue dress onto the bed. In his haste, Hal had left a big nasty stain on it. She would never be able to wear it again. She would make him buy her three more just like it.
Worse than the dress, he had kept after her so long that he had made her late. She barely had time to fix her hair before rushing out the door.
By the time Ronnie reached the office, she was ten minutes late. She pushed through the door and found four women gathered near the break room. Pat was in the center, talking animatedly as usual. Pat noticed Ronnie immediately.
“Ronnie, you look awful. What happened?”
Ronnie froze for half a second. Then she let her shoulders slump and her expression soften into flustered embarrassment. “Oh. I… it was a long morning.”
Pat stepped closer. “Long morning? Honey, you look like you ran here.”
Ronnie gave a weak laugh. “I sort of did.”
The other women watched her with interest. Ronnie felt the moment opening in front of her like a door.
She let her voice wobble just a little. “I was at Hal’s house.”
Pat’s eyebrows shot up. “Hal Whitaker’s house?”
Ronnie looked down at her shoes. “I shouldn’t have said that. I am tired. I am not thinking straight.”
One of the other women asked, “Why were you there?”
Ronnie fumbled with her bag, pretending to search for something. “It was nothing. We were talking about a costume party. I showed him some ideas. It got late.”
Pat crossed her arms. “Late how?”
Ronnie hesitated, then let the words slip out as if she could not stop them. “I spent the night.”
The room went silent.
Pat’s mouth fell open. “You spent the night at Hal’s house?”
Ronnie looked mortified. “I didn’t mean to. I fell asleep. I shouldn’t have stayed. I know how it looks.”
Pat exchanged a look with the others. “I wonder what Eloise will think.”
Ronnie’s head snapped up. “Eloise? Why would she care?”
Pat lowered her voice. “Because Eloise has the hots for Hal.”
Ronnie stared at her. “She does?”
“Oh yes,” Pat said. “Everyone knows it. She has been sweet on him for years. She tries to hide it, but she is terrible at hiding anything.”
Ronnie felt a slow, warm ripple of satisfaction move through her chest. She kept her expression small and confused. “I had no idea.”
Pat nodded. “Well, she will now. And she will not like it.”
Ronnie forced a worried look. “I don’t want to cause trouble.”
Pat smirked. “Too late.”
Ronnie walked toward her desk, her heart beating faster. She sat down slowly, pretending to be overwhelmed, but her mind was already working.
Eloise had feelings for Hal. Eloise was protective. Eloise was jealous.
Ronnie could use all of that.
She opened her mail, but her thoughts were far from work. She had stumbled into something valuable.
Something she could shape. Something she could turn.
Eloise’s feelings were not a threat.
They were leverage.
And Ronnie intended to use them.
Chapter 6 – Tears on the Porch
Thursday evening, Hal Whitaker finished washing his dinner plates and found himself humming a tune. After his encounter with Eloise, Hal was feeling happy and confident. He heard hurried footsteps on the porch. Before he could reach the door, someone knocked twice, fast and uneven. He opened it and found Ronnie standing there, her eyes red, her breath shaky, her hair slightly out of place as if she had rushed all the way from her car.
“Ronnie,” Hal said. “What happened?”
She stepped inside without waiting to be invited. “I am sorry. I didn’t know where else to go.”
Hal felt a jolt of worry. “Sit down. Tell me what is wrong.”
Ronnie sat on the edge of the couch, clutching her bag as if it were the only thing keeping her steady. Tears spilled down her cheeks. “They are talking about me at work.”
Hal sat beside her. “Who is talking?”
“Everyone,” Ronnie said. “Pat started it. She said I looked awful this morning. She asked what happened. I tried to explain. I tried to say it was nothing. But I slipped. I said I was here. I said I spent the night.”
Hal felt his stomach tighten. “Ronnie, you should not have told them that.”
“I know,” she said. “I know I shouldn’t have. But I was tired and flustered and Pat kept asking questions. And now they all think I am a slut.”
Hal’s breath caught. “Ronnie, no one should call you that.”
“They didn’t say it out loud,” Ronnie said. “But I saw it in their faces. I saw how they looked at me. Like I am trash. Like I am someone who throws herself at men. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
Hal felt a surge of protectiveness he had not felt in years. “Ronnie, you are not trash. You are not anything like that.”
Ronnie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “It gets worse.”
Hal leaned forward. “Tell me.”
“Pat said Eloise told everyone I am sleeping with you,” Ronnie whispered. “She said Eloise is furious. She said Eloise has feelings for you. She said I ruined everything.”
Hal felt a strange mix of shock and confusion.
‘So, it’s true,’ he thought. ‘Eloise is jealous just like I imagined.’
“Eloise said that?”
Ronnie nodded. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hurt her. I don’t want people to think I am using you. I don’t want to ruin your reputation. I feel sick. I feel ashamed. I shouldn’t have stayed here so often. I should never have stayed. I shouldn’t have let anyone see me leave.”
Hal reached out and took her hand. “Ronnie, listen to me. You did nothing wrong. People talk. They always have. Eloise should not have said anything. She should not have told people something so personal.”
Ronnie looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. “I don’t want you to think badly of me.”
“I do not,” Hal said firmly. “I think you are kind. I think you are honest. I think you are trying your best.”
Ronnie’s voice trembled. She started to cry. “I don’t know how to fix this.”
Hal squeezed her hand. “We will fix it together.”
Ronnie let out a shaky breath, as if his words were the only thing holding her up.
She wormed her way into his arms. He was concerned about her the way a friend would try to help. But as he felt the firm young body move against his, the feelings had nothing to do with friendship.
And Hal felt something settle inside him.
A decision he did not yet name.
But it was already forming.
“Come to bed,” he said. “That always makes you feel better.”
* * *
Ronnie stayed in his arms for a long time. Her crying had faded into small tremors, and Hal kept holding her because he did not know what else to do. He wanted to calm her. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to believe what he was saying even if it didn’t make much sense.
“It will be all right,” he said softly. “People forget things. They move on.”
She pressed her face against his chest. “I don’t want them talking about me.”
“They will not,” he said. “Eloise was upset. She said something she should not have said. She will calm down.”
Ronnie did not answer. She only held him tighter. Hal felt her weight against him and tried to steady his breathing. He remembered waking with her beside him. He remembered the way she had rested her head on his shoulder afterward. The memory made him feel protective, but it also made him uneasy. He wondered if anyone had seen her leave that morning. He wondered if Eloise had guessed more than she let on.
“You are safe,” he said. “I will not let anyone hurt you.”
Ronnie lifted her head and looked at him. Her eyes were red, but her expression was steady. “You really think everything will be all right?”
“Yes,” he said. “I promise.”
She searched his face. “You sound sure.”
“I am,” he said, although he felt a tremor of doubt beneath the words. He hoped she did not hear it.
He tried to think of something wise to say, something that would make her feel stronger. A line came to him from a book he had read years ago. He had not thought of it in decades. It rose in his mind with surprising clarity.
“There is a line from Dr. Zhivago,” he said. “A priest says the flesh is not weak. It is strong.”
Ronnie looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What does that mean?”
“It means we are caught up in powerful forces,” Hal said. “Forces that are bigger than us. We did not plan any of this. We did not expect it. It just happened. And it is strong. Stronger than either of us.”
Ronnie nodded slowly. “That makes sense.”
Hal felt relieved that he had said something that sounded thoughtful. Something that might comfort her. But then the rest of the quotation came back to him, the part he had forgotten until now. It struck him with sudden force.
The flesh needs to be contained within the bounds of marriage.
He felt his breath catch. He felt a cold shock run through him. He had not considered marriage since his wife had died. Not with Ronnie. Not with anyone. He had never imagined anything beyond the quiet life he already had. The idea that this might be heading somewhere he had not intended frightened him.
Ronnie touched his cheek. “You’re a good man, Hal Whitaker.”
He swallowed. “I do not know about that.”
“I do,” she said. “You care about me.”
He nodded, but inside he felt a tightening in his chest. He cared about her, yes, but he also cared about his reputation. He cared about what people thought. He cared about not being laughed at. He cared about not being the subject of whispers. And now, for the first time, he cared about where this was all leading.
He held Ronnie tighter, trying to silence the fear rising inside him. But the thought remained, quiet and persistent, that powerful forces were pulling him toward something he had never intended, and he did not know how to stop it.
Chapter 7 – The Week of Need
On Friday morning, Hal woke up to find Ronnie gone. He reached over and ran his hand over the sheet where she had lain. The bed, the entire room seemed very empty. He got up, went to the bathroom and started for the kitchen. He needed his morning coffee before he could think about what had happened or what he should do next.
When he went into the living room, he stopped dead in his tracks.
Ronnie was lying on the sofa wearing only a tee shirt and a pair of panties. The shirt had ridden up to reveal six inches of her midriff. Her chest, her stomach and her thighs were all exposed.
It made the room seem full of naked flesh. It made his eyes bulge and his heart pound.
“Ronnie!” he called, waking her. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“What are you doing in my living room dressed like that?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to wake you, so I came out here.”
“Put on some clothes.”
“Relax, Hal baby. You’ve seen me a lot more naked than this.”
“I’m not worried about me seeing you. What if someone walks by outside? The drapes are open.”
“So, close them.”
“Ronnie, you need to go.”
“Go?”
“Yes. Go. I need to be alone. I need some time to think.”
“Wow,” she said. “I didn’t know you could be such a grump in the morning. Maybe I should take you back to bed and cheer you up.”
“I didn’t mean to shout at you,” he said, starting to calm down. “You just shocked me. Please go. I need a little space.”
“Okay, lover,” she said, getting up and walking over to kiss his cheek.
“I’ll see you later.”
* * *
Hal spent the morning trying to steady himself. He sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee he barely touched. The words from Dr. Zhivago kept circling in his mind. The flesh is not weak. It is strong. He had said it to comfort Ronnie, but the rest of the quotation had struck him like a blow. The flesh needs to be contained within the bounds of marriage. He had not thought about marriage in years. He had certainly never thought about it with Ronnie. The idea frightened him.
He tried to distract himself with chores, but he kept replaying the night before. He remembered Ronnie crying in his arms. He remembered waking with her beside him. He remembered the way she had rested her head on his shoulder afterward. He remembered the fear that had crept into him even as he reassured her. Eloise had already fed the rumors. He wondered what people were whispering about him. He wondered if he had ruined everything.
By midafternoon he felt sick with worry. He sat in his recliner and tried to breathe slowly. He told himself he would not see Ronnie today. He needed space. He needed time to think. He needed to calm down.
At three o’clock, someone knocked on the door.
Hal froze. He hoped it was a delivery. He hoped it was a neighbor. He hoped it was anyone except Ronnie.
He opened the door.
Ronnie stood on the porch with a small bag in her hand. She smiled as if nothing were wrong. “I brought you something.”
Hal felt his stomach drop. “Ronnie, you should not be here. This is not a good time.”
She stepped past him and walked into the house. “I can see that you’re upset. I’m glad I stopped by.”
“I really think you should go,” Hal said. “People might see you. Eloise might come by. This could make everything worse.”
Ronnie set the bag on the counter and looked around the kitchen with an easy confidence. “Hal, you’re shaking. Sit down.”
“I do not want to sit down,” he said. “I want you to leave.”
She turned to him with a calm expression. “No. I am not leaving.”
Hal felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. He shut the door because he could not bear the idea of anyone seeing her inside. He sat because she told him to. He hated that he obeyed her so easily.
Ronnie pulled a chair close and sat facing him. “Tell me what happened.”
‘What happened,’ he thought, ‘Was that I got a glimpse of the future and it terrified me.’
“I’m tired,” he said. “I am worried I am afraid of what Eloise might tell people. I am afraid they will think I took advantage of you. I am afraid they will laugh at me.”
Ronnie reached out and touched his arm. “No one is laughing at you.”
“You do not know that,” Hal said. “You do not know what people say. You do not know how fast gossip spreads. They’ll say I’m taking advantage of you.”
Ronnie leaned forward. “Hal, listen to me. You did nothing wrong. I came to you because I wanted to. I stayed with you because I wanted to. You didn’t force me. You didn’t trick me. You didn’t hurt me.”
He rubbed his forehead. “I should have stopped it. I should have known this would cause trouble.”
‘All this anxiety,’ he thought, ‘Just because I couldn’t keep my pants zipped.’
Ronnie stood and walked to the counter. She opened the bag and took out a container. She placed it in his refrigerator without asking. She moved a few things around to make space. She acted like she belonged there.
Hal watched her with rising panic. “Ronnie, please do not do that. You cannot act like you live here.”
She turned and looked at him. “Why not?”
“Because it is not appropriate,” Hal said. “Because people will talk. Because this is dangerous.”
Ronnie walked back to him and sat again. “Hal, you’re imagining disasters. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
“You do not know that,” Hal said.
She touched his knee. “I know you. You always get quiet when you’re scared. You stop calling. You hide. I could feel it last night. That’s why I came.”
Hal swallowed. “I am confused.”
“I know,” she said. “Love can be pretty overwhelming. That’s why I’m here. I want to help you. I want you to see the truth.”
She walked across the room and went down the hall.
After a few moments, he heard her call.
“Hal, can you come in here please?”
When he went into the bedroom, he got his second shock of the day. Ronnie was squatting down near the bed. She had removed her outer garments and was wearing what looked like a black bikini. It looked like it could have been packed into a shot glass without too much of it protruding.
“Ronnie, for God’s sake. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
She gave him a big confident smile.
“Relax, Hal darling. I’m just trying to break the ice. Things have been too tense around here. Come on, I know just how to settle your nerves.”
He felt a rush of anger sweep through him. Then he took a breath.
He looked at her face. She looked calm, confident, certain. He felt himself relaxing despite his fear.
He heard himself laugh. The tension melted away. Suddenly, he felt better.
“I do not know how you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Make me feel like everything is going to be all right.”
She smiled. “Because it is.”
Hal leaned against the wall. “I should not let you in so easily.”
“You can’t help it,” she said. “Neither can I. You like having me here. I like being here.”
He hesitated. “Yes. I guess that’s true.”
She took his hand. “Then stop fighting it. Take me to bed.”
Hal looked at her hand in his. “Ronnie, I need to ask you something.”
She nodded. “Ask.”
“Are you just after my money?”
Ronnie did not flinch. She did not look offended. She looked thoughtful. She leaned back and folded her hands in her lap.
“Hal, I don’t love you just because you have money, but it helps. It’s just like you don’t love me just because I am pretty, but it helps.”
Hal stared at her. “That is a very blunt thing to say.”
“It is honest,” she said. “We both bring something to this. You bring stability. I bring companionship. Neither of us is pretending otherwise.”
Hal felt a wave of guilt wash over him. “I should not have asked you that.”
“You should,” she said. “It means you care about what this is.”
“What is this?” Hal asked.
“It is two people who need each other, two people who love each other.”
Hal looked down at his hands. “I do not know if I can handle this.”
“You can,” she said. “You already are.”
He closed his eyes. “I am afraid.”
“I know,” she said. “That’s why I came.”
He opened his eyes. “Ronnie, this is moving too fast.”
She stood and walked behind him. She placed her hands on his shoulders. “It is moving exactly as it should.”
Hal felt his breath catch. He remembered the line from Dr. Zhivago again. The flesh needs to be contained within the bounds of marriage. The thought frightened him. He wondered if Ronnie had thought about marriage. He wondered if she expected it. He wondered if he was being pulled toward something he could not control.
Ronnie tried to pull him over to the bed, but he was too wound up for sex.
“Please get dressed,” he said. “I’m sorry. I’m just not ready for anything more right now.”
“Sure. Whatever you want,” she said and, to his relief, he didn’t hear any resentment in her voice.”
In the living room she walked around and sat in front of him.
“Hal, nothing bad is going to happen. You’re safe.”
He whispered, “I hope so.”
She smiled. “I know so.”
She stood and walked to the door. “I will come by on Monday.”
Hal hesitated. “Should you?”
“Yes,” she said.
He nodded slowly. “All right.”
Ronnie opened the door. “Hal, everything is fine.”
He whispered, “I hope so.”
She smiled again. “I know so.”
She left, closing the door softly behind her.
Hal sat in his chair for a long time, staring at the door, wondering how she had taken control of his life so quickly and why he felt relieved that she had.
* * *
Monday morning, the sky was black and threatening. The clouds looked like they might bring snow. Hal turned into his driveway and hit the brakes so hard the tires squealed. Ronnie’s car sat there like it had never left. His pulse jumped. He gripped the steering wheel and stared through the windshield, trying to make sense of it.
‘She can’t be here again. I told her to go home. What is she doing?’
He climbed out, slammed the door, and stood for a moment in the heat. The sun glared off the hood of her car. He felt sweat start under his collar.
‘Did she break in? Did she find the spare key? Why would she come back?’
He walked up the path, his jaw tight. The front door was closed but not locked. He pushed it open and stepped inside.
“Ronnie?” His voice echoed through the living room.
No answer.
He moved farther in, scanning the furniture. Everything looked different. The clutter that had been there yesterday was gone. The floor gleamed. The smell of lemon cleaner hung in the air.
“Ronnie?” he called again, louder.
From the kitchen came a faint sound: a chair scraping, something clinking. He followed it.
When he reached the doorway, he stopped cold.
Ronnie stood by the counter with her hair tied up in a faded rag. She wore an old gray sweatshirt and jeans. There was a smudge of dirt on her nose. She was wiping down the counter with a rag, humming softly.
Hal blinked.
‘That’s her. But she looks different. She looks… normal.’
She turned and saw him. “Oh, you’re back,” she said, smiling. “I thought I’d get a head start on this mess.”
Hal’s mouth opened, but no words came out.
“You went to the bank, right?” she asked. “I figured you’d be gone a while.”
He stepped into the kitchen, still staring. “How did you get in?”
“You left the back door unlocked,” she said. “I knocked first. When nobody answered, I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind if I helped.”
“You thought I wouldn’t mind?” His voice rose. “You can’t just walk into someone’s house.”
She set the rag down and faced him. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to help.”
“Help?” He looked around. “You cleaned everything?”
She nodded. “It needed it.”
Hal rubbed his forehead. “You didn’t need to,” he said. “The maid comes on Wednesday. Ronnie, I told you not to come back.”
Ronnie crossed her arms. “You didn’t mean that. You were just mad.”
“I wasn’t mad,” he said. “I was . . . ” He stopped.
‘What was I? Scared? Embarrassed? I didn’t want her to see how untidy my house can get.’
Ronnie tilted her head. “You were what?”
He sighed. “I was confused.”
“Well, I’m not confused,” she said. “You needed help. I gave it.”
Hal looked at her again. The rag on her head made her hair look darker, and the sweatshirt hung loose on her shoulders. She looked nothing like the polished woman who had walked in yesterday with perfume and perfect hair.
‘She’s not the shining lady now. She’s real. She’s standing in my kitchen like she belongs here.’
He felt his anger slipping away.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked quietly.
“Because I wanted to,” she said. “You looked like you needed someone to care.”
He leaned against the doorframe. “You think cleaning my house means you care?”
She smiled faintly. “It’s a start.”
Hal shook his head. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I know,” she said. “But I want to.”
He watched her pick up a stack of plates and start rinsing them. The sound of running water filled the silence.
‘She’s not afraid of me. She’s not pretending. She’s just here.’
He stepped closer. “You didn’t have to come back.”
“I wanted to see you,” she said. “You looked so lost yesterday.”
“I wasn’t lost.”
She turned off the faucet and faced him. “Then why did you look like you wanted to disappear?”
He frowned. “You think you know me?”
“I think I’m starting to,” she said.
Hal felt something twist inside him. He wanted to argue, but the sight of her standing there with soap suds on her hands stopped him.
‘She’s beautiful. Even like this. Especially like this.’
She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. He could see beads of sweat on her forehead. He felt an absolutely savage surge of desire for her. Up to now, she had taken the initiative, but suddenly he wanted to fell her where she stood and mount her.
She didn’t know what was happening to him. She went back to washing the dishes.
He grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him. She dropped the plate she had been holding, and it broke with a crash. She seemed very small standing there in front of him. She had to tilt her head back to look at him. He grabbed a handful of sweatshirt and jerked on it until it started to tear.
She emitted a small hiss of dismay. For one long moment, the fabric held, then there was a ripping sound, and it came apart. He threw it aside. She wasn’t wearing a bra. The jeans came next. He didn’t bother to unbutton or unzip. He just pulled them down over her slim hips and they puddled around her ankles.
“Hal,” she cried. “Wait a minute. Are you crazy? Not here. Not now. Not like this. Wait. Wait! Let me get cleaned up first.”
But he was in no mood to wait. He unzipped his pants and his member came out hard and swollen.
“Hal, stop. The faucet is stabbing me in the back. Hal stop. Please stop.”
But it had gone too far to stop. He took her gasping and huffing in his peak of need. After a moment of shocked surprise, she began to cooperate. She eeled violently against his thrusts and made a great broken cry of wordless craving. Her hand slipped and splashed soapy water over both of them, and he kept thrusting, violent, wet and lathered while she kept squirming on the near edge of the porcelain sink.
When it was over, Hal knew he should feel guilty and ashamed of what he had done. It was without tenderness, dignity or affection. It was a pure animal response to a visual stimulation with neither grace nor refinement. But, somehow, he did not feel regretful about what he had done. It had been building inside him for a long time and seeing Ronnie dressed like a cleaning lady had pushed him over the edge.
Ronnie made a sound of irritable impatience, and he stepped back to let her slip down and put her feet on the floor.
“Wow,” she said. “Hal darling, you are so impetuous. Up to now, I’ve been the one who had to seduce you.”
“Are you okay?” he asked, suddenly frightened that he might have injured her. He wasn’t entirely sure of what he had just done. There hadn’t been any thinking involved. He had taken her like he would have trapped some animal in a narrow place without consideration or plan. It had been instinctive and involuntary.
“I think so,” she said. “The faucet was in the way. What was that all about? What got into you?”
“You look different.”
“Different how?”
“I don’t know. More human. More approachable.”
Ronnie laughed softly. “That was the point.”
“What point?”
“I wanted you to see me,” she said. “Not the version you made up in your head.”
He blinked. “What version?”
“The one with the fancy clothes and perfect hair. The one you were afraid to touch.”
“I wasn’t afraid.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You were,” she said. “You were terrified you’d mess me up.”
Hal opened his mouth, then closed it again.
‘She’s right. I was scared. I thought she was too perfect. I thought if I touched her, she’d vanish.’
He looked down. “Maybe I was.”
Ronnie smiled. “Well, you got over it. I must say, I didn’t expect that kind of a reaction. Anyway, you did it and it was pretty great.”
“Was it?”
“It was the first time you took charge. You grabbed me really hard and you turned me around. You were very impressive, very potent.”
“No one has ever said that to me before,”
“Well, now someone has. Come on, take me to bed.”
She stepped out of her jeans and kicked off her shoes. He followed her into the bedroom unable to take his eyes off her slim, taut, perfectly formed hips.
She got into bed and buried her face in the hollow of his throat.
“Hal dear, you were magnificent.”
“Was I?”
“You were. You seduced me.”
“Did I? Or was this all some kind of set up. Did you plan it this way?”
“No,” she laughed. “If I had planned it, I would have picked a more comfortable location. Don’t start doubting anything. You’re losing the glow.”
He studied her face. The smudge on her nose made her look younger. Her eyes were bright, alive.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
She froze. “What?”
“You’re beautiful,” he repeated. “I mean it.”
Her cheeks flushed. “You really think that?”
“Yes.”
She laughed, a quick, nervous sound. “You’re just saying that because I cleaned your kitchen.”
“That’s not all you cleaned.”
“Hal, you continue to amaze me. You are a changed man.”
“You should know. You’re the one who changed me.”
“I think we changed each other. I think we’re building something that’s going to last a long time.”
He pulled her closer. “You didn’t have to trick me.”
“It wasn’t a trick,” she said. “It was a reminder.”
“Of what?”
“That I’m not made of glass.”
He smiled faintly. “You think I treat people like they’ll break?”
“You were treating me that way. You treat yourself that way too,” she said. “You hide behind politeness.”
He looked away. “Maybe I do.”
Ronnie smoothed the sheet with the flat of her hand. “You don’t have to with me. I guess you found that out”
He took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say what you feel,” she said.
‘I feel like I’ve been asleep. I feel like she woke me up.’
He said, “I’m glad you came back.”
Ronnie smiled. “That’s better.”
He laughed softly. “You’re impossible.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But you like that.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what I like anymore.”
She stepped closer. “You’ll figure it out.”
Hal thought about the kitchen. “You really cleaned everything?”
“Almost,” she said. “I left the windows for you.”
“Why?”
“So you’d have something to do while I make lunch.”
He blinked. “You’re making lunch?”
“Yes,” she said. “You look hungry.”
“I’m not.”
“Well, I am. Come on, let’s get something to eat.”
He watched her move around the kitchen, pulling out bread and cheese. Her movements were quick, confident.
‘She belongs here. She looks like she’s always been here.’
Ronnie glanced at him. “You were scared, weren’t you?”
He hesitated. “A little.”
“Of me?”
“Of what you made me feel,” he said.
She smiled. “That’s fair.”
He watched her butter the bread. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
“Planned what?”
“Planned on being here. Planned on dressing in a different way.”
“Of course,” she said. “You needed a push.”
“A push?”
“To stop hiding, to stop being afraid to let yourself go.”
He frowned. “You think I hide?”
“I know you do,” she said. “You hide behind manners and apologies.”
He sighed. “You make me sound pathetic.”
“You’re not pathetic,” she said. “You’re careful, too careful. Today, for the first time, you took a risk. Look how it paid off.”
He smiled faintly. “That’s one way to put it.”
Ronnie slid the sandwiches onto a pan. “You don’t have to be careful with me. I can take it.”
He looked at her. “You sure?”
“Try me.”
Chapter 8 – The Halloween Claim
On Friday, Hal realized that he hadn’t seen Ronnie all week. He had to admit; it had been restful. She was a handful and that affair at his kitchen sink had been the most intense sexual experience of his life.
When he opened his front door, she gave him a big smile and said, “Hi Hal. I missed you. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
He stepped aside automatically. “Come in. You look… you look very nice.”
Ronnie walked past him, her red hair catching the light with every step. Hal felt a familiar softness in his heart and a hardening lower down.
He had never known anyone who could change the atmosphere of a room simply by entering it. She sat on the couch and crossed her legs neatly, her posture relaxed and confident.
“I have an idea,” she said. “I want us to go to a Halloween party next week.”
Hal froze. “A party?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “It will be fun. Everyone will be there.”
Hal’s stomach tightened. “Everyone?”
Ronnie nodded. “City employees. People you know. People who should see you enjoying yourself.”
Hal sat down slowly. “Ronnie, I do not think that is a good idea.”
“Why not?” she asked.
Hal rubbed his hands together. “Because they will talk. They will see us together. They will think we are… something.”
Ronnie tilted her head. “Are you ashamed to be seen with me?”
“No,” Hal said quickly. “No, of course not. It is just… complicated.”
Ronnie leaned forward slightly. “Hal, you have spent your whole life worrying about what people think. You deserve to enjoy yourself. You deserve to be happy.”
Hal swallowed. “I know. But this is different.”
Ronnie’s expression softened. “I want to go with you. I want to spend time with you when we’re not in bed. What we do there is great, but there’s more to life than just sex.”
Hal felt his pulse quicken. She looked so certain, so confident, so sure of him. He wished he could borrow even a fraction of that certainty. He wished he could believe he belonged in a room full of people who had never looked at him twice.
“I do not want them to misunderstand,” he said quietly.
Ronnie smiled. “Let them misunderstand. Let them wonder. Let them see you with someone who believes in you.”
“Ronnie, I’m just not sure.”
“May I use your bathroom?” she asked.
“Of course,” Hal said, surprised by the sudden request. She had been in his bathroom before.
Ronnie picked up her rather large purse and walked across the room. Hal couldn’t help contrasting the smooth elegant flow of her movements with those of Eloise.
Hal mixed himself another drink and was just taking a sip when Ronnie opened the bathroom door and stepped out. He felt his breath catch. Ronnie stood in the hallway wearing a sheer satin nightgown that shimmered softly in the lamp light. It was elegant, flowing, and impossibly graceful. The fabric moved like water when she shifted her weight. Her hair framed her face in loose waves, and her smile was bright enough to make Hal forget whatever he had been worrying about.
Hal looked at her again. The satin nightgown, the calm confidence, the way she seemed to glow with purpose. She wanted him. The message was clear. She wanted to be in his bed. The idea made his chest feel warm and strange. The warmth spread lower through his body.
“Ronnie, what are you doing?” he asked. He had trouble getting the words out.
“Nothing complicated, dear. I guess you could call it husband wife stuff.”
“Is this about the party?”
“Maybe,” she said, walking over to him. “The party next week and the party you and I are going to have right now.”
“I just don’t know about the Halloween party,” he said.
Ronnie reached out and touched his hand lightly. “Hal, please. I want to go with you. I’ll be very grateful. Want me to show you how grateful I can be?”
He felt the last of his resistance slip. He could not refuse her. He never could.
“All right,” he said. “We will go.”
Ronnie’s smile widened. “Good. You will not regret it.”
Hal hoped she was right. But as he followed her into the bedroom, a quiet unease settled in his stomach. He did not know what that party would bring. He only knew that Ronnie wanted him.
And that was enough to make him go.
* * *
The week went by faster than Hal could have imagined. On the previous weekend, it had seemed like an unimportant thing far off in the future. But the time had gone right on by and now it was Friday and he was dreading the Halloween party Ronnie had talked him into attending.
He had just finished straightening the living room when the doorbell rang. He opened it and felt his breath catch. Ronnie stood on the porch dressed as a witch, but not the kind children imagined. Her costume was elegant, deep green satin that shimmered like candlelight. The fabric flowed around her like mist, sheer in places but layered enough to look graceful. The tall hat framed her face, and her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders. She looked theatrical and confident, as if she had stepped out of a storybook.
“Look at you,” Hal said quietly. “You are… very striking.”
Ronnie stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. “I told you I wanted tonight to be special. This party is important.”
Hal closed the door slowly. “I remember. I just do not think I should go.”
Ronnie turned toward him, her expression sharpening. “Why would you say that?”
Hal rubbed his palms together. “People from the City will be there. They will see us arrive together. They will make assumptions.”
Ronnie lifted her chin. “Let them. You have spent your whole life letting other people decide how you should feel. I am not going to let you hide tonight.”
Hal swallowed. “It is not hiding. It is being careful.”
Ronnie stepped closer. “Careful is what you have been for decades. Careful is what kept you invisible. You deserve to be seen.”
Hal felt his stomach tighten. “Ronnie, I do not want to cause trouble.”
“You will not cause trouble,” Ronnie said. “You will walk in with me, and people will see that you’re enjoying your life. That’s all.”
Hal shook his head. “They will talk.”
Ronnie’s voice grew firmer. “Hal, listen to me. You have worked hard all your life. You deserve to have a little fun. You have every right to celebrate. I want to go with you. I want you beside me.”
Hal looked at her costume again. The green satin, the hat, the confidence. She looked ready for a stage, not a quiet night at home. He felt small beside her, yet strangely proud that she had chosen him.
“I do not know if I can do this,” he said.
Ronnie’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You can. You’re just afraid. And fear is not going to run your life tonight.”
Hal felt a flicker of embarrassment. “I am not afraid.”
“Yes, you are,” Ronnie said. “But you don’t have to be. I will be with you.”
Hal hesitated. “Ronnie, I forgot to get a costume.”
“That’s okay,” she said easily. “I don’t want you to wear one. I want everyone to see who I am with. It will make me proud.”
“I just don’t know,” he said, feeling his resolve melting away.
She reached out and took his hand. She stepped close and moved his hand over her body. She felt soft and warm through the layers of cloth. He did not try to resist.
“Did you ever make it with a witch?” she asked with a playful laugh.
“Ronnie . . .”
“If you play your cards right, you’ll get a chance tonight. But only after we go to the party.”
Her insistence pressed against his reluctance like a steady hand. He felt himself bending toward her, the way he always did.
“All right,” he said quietly. “If you want me there, I will go.”
Ronnie smiled, triumphant and warm. “Good. Get your coat. We are leaving soon.”
Hal nodded, though his heart thudded with unease. He did not know what the night would bring. He only knew that Ronnie wanted him beside her.
And that was enough to make him follow.
* * *
Hal Whitaker followed Ronnie into the community center, his heart thudding as the noise of the Halloween party washed over him. Music played from speakers near the stage. Orange lights glowed along the walls. People in costumes laughed and mingled. He recognized several City employees immediately. His stomach tightened.
Ronnie walked with confident steps, her green satin witch dress shimmering under the lights. She looked like she belonged here. Hal felt every eye on them, even if no one had turned yet.
“Relax,” Ronnie said softly. “You look fine.”
Hal swallowed. “I do not think I should be here.”
Ronnie gave him a quick smile. “You’re here because I want you here. That’s enough.”
Hal wished he could borrow her certainty. He kept his hands close to his sides, trying not to look as nervous as he felt.
A group of City employees noticed them. One of them nudged another. Hal felt heat rise in his face.
Ronnie leaned closer. “Ignore them.”
“I cannot,” Hal whispered.
“You can,” Ronnie said. “You’re not doing anything wrong.”
Hal wished he believed that. He wished he could disappear into the crowd. But Ronnie kept walking, pulling him gently forward with her presence alone.
They reached the refreshment table. Ronnie picked up a cup of cider and handed it to him. “Drink this. It will help.”
Hal took a sip. His hands shook slightly.
Ronnie looked around the room with a satisfied expression. “This is perfect. Everyone is here.”
Hal felt a jolt of panic. “Ronnie, please. I do not want people to think we are… together.”
Ronnie turned to him. “Why not?”
“Because they will talk,” Hal said. “They will think I am being foolish.”
Ronnie’s eyes softened. “Hal, you are not foolish. You are kind. You are generous. You are someone people should admire.”
Hal looked down. “I do not think they see me that way.”
“They will,” Ronnie said. “Tonight is the start of that.”
Hal looked around again. Ronnie was right. Very few people were taking notice of them. The ones that were did not act the way Hal had expected. Some of the women glanced at him and looked away. They did not seem to care. Many of the men looked at him, but they seemed to approve. Some looked envious. Hal realized that they were wishing they had a beautiful young girl at their side.
Before Hal could consider what he had just seen, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Hal.”
He turned. Eloise stood a few feet away, dressed in a simple but elegant blue dress. Her hair was pinned up in back. She looked composed, but her eyes were sharp.
Hal felt his breath catch. “Eloise. I did not know you were coming.”
“I was invited,” Eloise said. Her gaze flicked to Ronnie, then back to Hal.
“I did not expect to see you here.”
Ronnie smiled politely. “Hello, Eloise.”
Eloise returned the smile, but it was tight. “Hello.”
Hal felt the tension immediately. Eloise’s eyes lingered on Ronnie’s costume, then on Hal’s face. Something in her expression made Hal’s chest tighten.
Eloise spoke quietly. “Hal, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Ronnie answered before Hal could. “We are enjoying the party. You can talk to him here.” She took his arm, pressing her breast against his shoulder.
Eloise’s jaw tightened. “I would prefer to speak privately.”
Hal felt torn. Ronnie’s hand rested lightly on his arm. Her body felt firm and warm everywhere it touched his.
Eloise’s eyes held a mixture of concern and something he could not name.
Ronnie spoke again. “Hal doesn’t need to step away. He is fine.”
Eloise looked directly at Hal. “Are you?”
Hal felt a strange surge of confidence. Ronnie believed in him. Ronnie wanted him here. Ronnie wanted him beside her. Eloise looked upset, almost hurt. The idea that she might be jealous made his heart beat faster.
“I am fine,” Hal said. “Really.”
Eloise’s expression faltered. “Hal, please. I want to make sure you understand what is happening.”
Ronnie’s voice was calm. “He understands perfectly.”
Hal nodded. “I do.”
Eloise looked at him for a long moment, then stepped back. “All right. I will not interfere.”
Ronnie smiled. “Good.”
Hal watched Eloise walk away, her shoulders tense. He felt a strange mix of triumph and guilt. Ronnie slipped her hand into his.
“See,” she said softly. “You belong here.” She stretched up and kissed him on the cheek.
Hal took a breath. For the first time, he almost believed her.
* * *
The drive back to Hal Whitaker’s house was quiet. Ronnie sat beside him, her witch hat resting in her lap, her satin dress gathered neatly so it would not wrinkle. Hal kept his eyes on the road, replaying the party in his mind. He had seen the looks people gave them. He had seen Eloise’s expression. He felt both proud and uneasy.
When they reached his house, Ronnie followed him inside without asking. She set her hat on the table and looked around the living room as if she were assessing something.
“Hey, leave the hat on,” Hal said.
“You want me with it on?” Ronnie asked, sounding surprised. “It’s just part of a silly costume. The party’s over.”
He felt a hint of resentment rush through his body. After all, he had gone to the damn party for the girl.
She seemed to notice his displeasure and quickly said, “Okay, I’ll wear it. I’ll do anything for you Hal.”
“I want you to wear it,” he said, not sure why he was making such an issue of it.
“You did well tonight,” she said, obviously trying to defuse the situation.
Hal blinked. “I did not feel like I did well.” The full magnitude of what he had done hit him.
Ronnie stepped closer. “You stayed with me. You didn’t run away. You didn’t let anyone intimidate you.”
Hal rubbed his hands together. “I felt intimidated.”
“But you stayed,” Ronnie said. “That matters.”
She took his hand and gently pulled him toward her.
Hal sat down slowly. “I do not know what people thought.”
Ronnie joined him on the couch. “People always think something. You can’t control that. What you can control is who you trust.”
Hal looked at her. “I trust you.”
Ronnie smiled, but there was something thoughtful behind it. “I know you do. And I will not let you down.”
Hal felt a warmth in his chest. “I hope not.”
Ronnie leaned back slightly. “Hal, tonight showed me something. You are stronger than you think. You stood beside me even when you were scared. That means something.”
Hal swallowed. “I just did not want to embarrass you.”
“You didn’t,” Ronnie said. “You made me proud.”
Hal felt his face warm. “I am glad.”
Ronnie studied him for a moment. “I want you to understand something. I don’t have many people in my life who care about me. Not really. Not in a way that lasts.”
Hal frowned. “Why not?”
Ronnie looked down at her hands. “People leave. People disappoint. People take advantage. I have learned to expect it.”
Hal felt a pang of sympathy. “I would not do that.”
Ronnie looked up. “I know. That’s why I feel safe with you.”
Hal’s breath caught. “Safe?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “You are steady. You are kind. You don’t hurt people. You don’t play games. You’re someone I could rely on.”
Hal felt a strange mix of pride and fear. “I try to be dependable.”
“You are,” Ronnie said. “And that’s rare.”
Hal looked at her costume again, the satin catching the lamplight. She looked softer now, less theatrical, more vulnerable.
Ronnie continued. “Tonight made me think about the future. About what kind of life I want. I am tired of chaos. I want stability. I want someone who will stand beside me.”
Hal felt his pulse quicken. “Ronnie…”
She reached out and touched his hand. “You’re the kind of man who could build a life with someone. A real life. Not just passing moments.”
Hal stared at her, unsure what to say.
Ronnie squeezed his hand gently. “I want you to think about that.”
Hal nodded slowly. “I will.”
Ronnie smiled, satisfied. “Good.”
Then she moved close. He could smell her perfume. She put her arms around him, and he felt the velvety soft texture of the fabric she wore.
“Ronnie, can I tell you something?” Hal asked, feeling a nervous chill run up his back.
“Of course.”
“I’ve never said anything like this before but, well, I liked seeing you in costume. It turns me on.”
“Why Hal Whitaker, you devil. You’re kinky.”
“Maybe a little,” he said, blushing scarlet.
“I love it. We’ll have to do more of it.”
“I think so,” he said.
“Is that why you like the hat?” she asked.
“It is.”
“Then you are going to love this,” she said. She stood and picked up her bag.
“I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder as she walked into the bathroom.
Hal took a sharp breath when she came out.
Apparently, her costume had been in two layers. The bottom layer had been soft green cloth. She had removed it leaving the top layer of open mesh. He could see her bare stomach and the bottom of her naked breasts.
He thought his heart was going to stop.
“It’s time for you to make it with a witch,” she whispered. Her hot breath in his ear sent chills down his spine.
When she took his hand and started to pull him into the bedroom, he stumbled and almost fell.
She gave him a delighted laugh.
“Don’t fall yet, lover. Wait until we get next to the bed.”
Hal sat there, feeling her words settle inside him like seeds. He did not know what they would grow into. He only knew that Ronnie wanted him close.
And that made him feel important in a way he had not felt in years.
Chapter 9 – More Games
Hal Whitaker stood in his living room, pacing slowly while he waited. Ronnie had been busy over the weekend and he had missed her. She had promised to stop by today, Monday after work, but it was already 5:45 and she was nowhere to be found. He kept checking the clock every ten minutes and only one minute had passed.
Finally, he heard her car pull up into his driveway. He had asked her for something special, and he couldn’t wait to see what she had come up with. He had not expected to say it out loud, but the words had just popped out of him after the Halloween party. He had told Ronnie he liked her Halloween costume. He had told her she should wear another one. When she asked what kind, he felt a strange boldness rise in him and told her to use her imagination.
Now he wondered what he had invited.
The doorbell rang. Hal stopped pacing and took a breath before opening the door.
Ronnie stood on the porch wearing a costume unlike anything he had ever seen. Her skirt was red lace that fell in soft layers, shorter in the front and longer in the back. Her top was a corset‑style blouse in blue and cream with gold trim and red ribbons. She wore gold heels, a red scarf tied around her hair, and bracelets that glinted when she moved. In one hand she held a small stack of cards.
Hal stared. “Ronnie… What is this?”
Ronnie stepped inside, her skirt swaying. “You told me to use my imagination. So I did.”
Hal closed the door slowly. “You look… very sensual.”
Ronnie smiled. “I am a fortune teller. I thought it suited the moment.”
Hal felt his throat tighten. “The moment?”
Ronnie walked toward him, her bracelets chiming softly. “You asked me to dress up for you. That tells me something.”
Hal swallowed. “It was only a suggestion.”
“It was more than that,” Ronnie said. “You wanted to see me again. You wanted something special. You wanted me to choose something that meant something.”
Hal looked at the cards in her hand. “What are those?”
“Tarot cards,” Ronnie said. “Part of the costume. But also useful.”
“Useful for what?”
Ronnie sat on the couch and gestured for him to join her. “Sit. I will show you.”
Hal sat, feeling strangely nervous. Ronnie spread the cards across the coffee table in a neat fan.
“People come to fortune tellers because they want to know their future,” she said. “They want reassurance. They want hope. They want someone to tell them they are on the right path.”
Hal watched her hands move gracefully over the cards. “I do not believe in fortune telling.”
Ronnie looked up at him. “You don’t have to. You only have to listen.”
She selected a card and placed it in front of him. “This one means new beginnings.”
Hal frowned. “I do not know what that means.”
Ronnie chose another card. “This one means partnership.”
Hal felt his breath catch. “Ronnie…”
She placed a third card down. “And this one means stability.”
Hal stared at the cards, unsure what to say.
Ronnie leaned closer. “You asked me to wear another costume. You asked me to choose something. I chose this because it is about the future. It is about building something. It is about trusting someone.”
Hal felt a warmth spread through his chest. “I did not mean anything like that.”
Ronnie smiled gently. “You may not have meant it. But you felt it.”
Hal looked at the cards again. New beginnings. Partnership. Stability.
Ronnie touched his hand lightly. “I want you to think about what you want your future to look like.”
Hal nodded slowly, unable to look away from her.
Ronnie’s voice softened. “And I want you to think about who you want in it.”
“I will,” Hal said. “I promise I will.”
“Now,” Ronnie said, putting down the cards. “That’s enough about the future. Let’s talk about the present.”
“What about it?”
“What do you want right now?”
Hal’s eyes bulged and he blushed scarlet. He did not answer.
“It’s a silly question,” Ronnie said with a smile. “I know what you want right now.”
“That’s enough talk for tonight,” she said. “Now come with me.”
She led him into the bedroom and slowly, lasciviously removed his clothing. Then she pulled up her skirt, removed her panties, and lifted her right leg over his body. She could see how ready he was.
To her surprise, he began to unbutton the front of her blouse and pushed the bra up off her breasts.
“You are my stallion,” she moaned. “You are my wild stallion.”
* * *
After he finished with her in bed, Hal got up and walked into the living room. She pulled down her skirt, straightened her blouse and followed him. She sat down next to him on the couch and laid the tarot cards on the coffee table.
Ronnie watched Hal stare at the tarot cards as if they were instructions for assembling a lawnmower. He was distracted, drifting in and out of the conversation, nodding at the right moments but never truly engaging. The cards lay between them, their colors bright against the wood, yet Hal looked at them with the same dull expression he used when checking the weather.
She picked up the deck again and spread three cards in front of him. “This one is about the future,” she said. “Do you see what it suggests?”
Hal leaned forward, squinting. “It suggests change, I guess.”
“You guess?” she asked. “Are you even listening?”
He blinked slowly. “I am listening. I just do not know what you want me to see.”
Ronnie felt her patience thinning. She gathered the cards into a sharp stack, the motion crisp enough to make him look up.
“You know,” she said, her voice low and teasing, “some people don’t need cards to see what is right in front of them.”
Hal’s brow furrowed. “You mean marriage again?”
She leaned forward, her bracelets chiming softly.
“I have never said a word about marriage,” she snapped.
“You have the subtlety of a rhinoceros.”
“And you have been sitting here waiting for the universe to tell you what you already know.”
The air between them thickened. Hal’s composure faltered, but only for a moment. He straightened on the couch and folded his hands neatly in his lap.
Ronnie watched him closely. He was not confused. He was avoiding.
“Hal,” she said, taking a breath, “Please think about where this is going.”
He looked at the cards instead of her. “We are spending time together. That seems good enough.”
“Good enough for what?” she asked.
“For now,” he said.
Ronnie felt irritation spark in her chest. “You keep pretending you don’t care. Why?”
Hal rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re pushing again. Always pushing. Why cannot you let things breathe?”
She stared at him. “If you feel that way, why don’t you say it instead of hiding behind silence?”
He shifted in his seat. “I am saying it now.”
“Barely,” she said. “You are whispering it like you hope I will not hear.”
Hal looked down at his hands. “I do not want to hurt you.”
“You hurt me more by pretending,” she said.
He lifted his head. “Pretending what?”
“That you don’t know what I want,” she said. “That you don’t know what you want.”
Hal exhaled slowly. “Maybe I do not know.”
Ronnie stood and paced near the window. The curtains glowed with the moon light.
“You know,” she said. “You just don’t want to deal with it.”
Hal watched her with a guarded expression. “You are reading too much into everything.”
“I am reading what is there,” she said. “You’re the one pretending it is invisible.”
He frowned. “You think I am afraid?”
“I think you’re hiding,” she said.
Hal shook his head. “I am thinking.”
“Thinking about what?” she asked.
“About us,” he said. “About what this means.”
Ronnie crossed her arms. “And what does it mean to you?”
Hal hesitated. “It means we enjoy each other’s company.”
“That’s all?” she asked.
“For now,” he said again.
Ronnie felt her stomach tighten. “You keep saying that. For now. As if the future is some fog you can’t walk into.”
Hal’s voice softened. “Maybe it is.”
She stepped closer. “You know what the cards said today? The Lovers reversed. Do you know what that means?”
Hal swallowed. “Imbalance.”
“Yes,” she said. “One person giving more than the other.”
He looked away.
Ronnie felt her frustration rise. “You know it is true. You know I am the one leaning forward while you lean back.”
Hal’s jaw tightened. “Maybe the cards are wrong.”
“They are not wrong,” she said. “You are.”
Hal stood abruptly. “Ronnie, you are upset.”
“No kidding, I’m upset,” she said. “You sit there acting like you don’t understand, but you do. You just don’t want to deal with it.”
He took a step toward her. “I am trying.”
“No,” she said. “You are avoiding.”
Hal’s shoulders stiffened. “You want me to say something I am not ready to say.”
Ronnie stared at him. “You are ready. You are just scared.”
Hal’s voice dropped. “I am not scared. I am cautious.”
“Cautious?” she asked. “About what?”
“About making promises I cannot keep,” he said.
Ronnie felt a sting behind her ribs. “You think I am asking for a promise?”
Hal looked at her with a conflicted expression. “Are you not?”
She shook her head. “I am asking for honesty.”
He looked down again. “I do not know how to give you what you want.”
Ronnie picked up her purse from the chair. “Then I am done waiting.”
Hal’s eyes widened. “Ronnie, please.”
She moved toward the door. “No. You have had your chance.”
He followed her a few steps. “Do not leave angry.”
“I am not angry,” she said. “I am disappointed.”
Hal’s voice trembled slightly. “Can we talk about this later?”
“No,” she said. “Later is just another way for you to hide.”
She opened the door. Cool evening air rushed in. She looked back once. “You will think about this. You always do.”
Hal stood frozen, his mouth half open, his expression unreadable.
Ronnie stepped outside and closed the door behind her. The sound echoed through the quiet house.
She walked down the path, her heels clicking against the concrete. The sky had turned gray, and the first hint of the sun was beginning to show. She did not look back.
Inside, she imagined Hal still standing there, staring at the door, wondering what the cards would say now.
She marched toward her car, her pulse steady, her frustration cooling into something heavier. She didn’t need the cards to tell her what this meant. She already knew.
* * *
Eloise Parker jogged past Hal Whitaker’s street just as the first pale light touched the rooftops. She had not slept well. The Halloween party replayed in her mind, especially the moment Hal insisted he was fine while Ronnie hovered beside him in that shimmering witch costume. Eloise told herself she was running by his house only because she wanted to check on him. She told herself it was concern, not jealousy.
She stopped and stared at Hal’s house.
Ronnie Hale was coming down Hal’s front steps.
Ronnie wore a fortune‑teller costume, complete with a red lace skirt, gold heels, and a scarf tied around her hair. Her makeup was smudged. Her hair looked slept‑in. She clutched a small stack of cards in one hand. She froze when she saw Eloise, then tried to smooth her blouse, which only made her look more disheveled.
Eloise’s voice came out sharper than she intended. “Ronnie. What are you doing here?”
Ronnie blinked rapidly. “Oh. Eloise. I didn’t think anyone would be out this early.”
“That is not an answer,” Eloise said. “Why are you leaving Hal’s house at six in the morning? And why are you dressed like that?”
Ronnie looked down at her costume as if she had forgotten she was wearing it. “This? It is… it is nothing. I was showing him ideas. For a costume party. I thought it might cheer him up.”
Eloise stared at her. “At six in the morning?”
Ronnie’s cheeks flushed. “We were talking. I lost track of time. I didn’t mean to stay so late.”
Eloise stepped closer. “Ronnie, you look like you have been here all night.”
Ronnie’s eyes widened, and she shook her head quickly. “No. I mean… yes. I guess I was. I didn’t plan it. I was just trying to help him. He seemed lonely.”
Eloise felt a tightness in her chest. “Ronnie, this is inappropriate. This is not the first time it has happened.”
Ronnie looked down, her voice small. “I know. I am sorry. I shouldn’t have stayed. I just… I didn’t want him to be alone.”
Eloise watched her carefully. Ronnie’s posture was small, her voice shaky, her expression embarrassed. She looked like a young woman who had made a foolish emotional decision, not a calculating manipulator.
Eloise’s anger softened into something else. “Ronnie, Hal is vulnerable. You cannot take advantage of that.”
Ronnie shook her head again, almost frantically. “I am not taking advantage. I care about him. I really do. I know it looks bad. I know you think I am irresponsible. I probably am. I just… I wanted him to feel better.”
Eloise exhaled slowly. Ronnie looked overwhelmed, messy, and naïve. It was easy to believe she had stumbled into something she did not fully understand. Easy to believe Hal had let it happen. Easy to believe this was a late‑in‑life romance, not a scheme.
“Go home, Ronnie,” Eloise said quietly. “And think about what you are doing.”
Ronnie nodded, eyes down. “I will. I am sorry.”
Eloise watched her walk away, her costume catching the morning light. She felt a mix of frustration and pity.
Ronnie was not calculating.
Ronnie was just reckless.
And Hal was a fool. He was, she feared, falling for the girl.
Chapter 10 – The Diamond Watch
Ronnie arrived at Hal Whitaker’s house the Tuesday evening wearing a soft blue dress and a bright smile. She knocked lightly, then stepped back and waited. Hal opened the door almost immediately. His face lit up when he saw her.
“Ronnie,” he said. “I was not expecting you.”
“I wanted to apologize,” she said. “I said some things this morning that I shouldn’t have said. I don’t mean to pressure you. I am very grateful for all that you have done for me. I thought we should celebrate. You helped me get my car fixed. You went with me to the Halloween party even though you didn’t want to. You were brave. I want to thank you again. Like they say, life is short. Why not enjoy it?”
Hal blinked. “Celebrate? How?”
“With dinner,” Ronnie said. “A real dinner. Somewhere nice. Will you take me?”
Hal hesitated only a moment. “Yes. Of course. Let me get my jacket.”
‘Good. He is eager. He wants to impress me. This will be easy.’
They drove to a restaurant with white tablecloths and soft lighting. The hostess seated them near a window overlooking the courtyard. Hal looked nervous at first, but Ronnie kept the conversation light. She laughed at his jokes. She complimented his tie. She asked him questions about his years at the City.
“Did you ever think they would honor you like that?” she asked.
“No,” Hal said. “I never imagined it.”
“You deserved it,” she said. “You really did.”
Hal smiled, shy and pleased. “Thank you, Ronnie. That means a lot.”
“Did you enjoy the Halloween party?” she asked.
“I can’t say I enjoyed it,” he said. “But I certainly did enjoy what we did after it.”
“Why Hal Whitaker, you devil. Are you trying to embarrass me?”
“No! Ronnie I would never . . . “
“Relax, Hal. I was only kidding.”
Ronnie leaned back in her chair. “I am not ready to go home yet. Are you?”
Hal shook his head. “No. What would you like to do?”
“Let us walk around the mall,” she said. “I want to look at pretty things.”
Hal paid the bill without hesitation. They walked through the mall together, passing clothing stores and perfume counters. Ronnie stopped often, admiring displays, touching fabrics, smiling at jewelry cases. Hal followed her closely, watching her reactions.
They reached a high-end jewelry store with bright lights and glass cases filled with diamonds. Ronnie paused at the entrance.
“Can we go in?” she asked.
“Of course,” Hal said.
Inside, the cases sparkled. Ronnie moved slowly, her eyes scanning each shelf. Then she stopped. A diamond watch sat on a velvet stand, its face surrounded by small stones that caught the light like stars.
“Oh,” she whispered. “Hal, look at this.”
Hal stepped beside her. “It is beautiful.”
Ronnie leaned closer. “I have never seen anything like it.”
A salesperson approached. “Would you like to try it on?”
Ronnie shook her head quickly. “No. It is too much.”
Hal glanced at the price tag. Ten thousand dollars.
Ronnie stepped back. “I shouldn’t even look at it. It is ridiculous.”
Hal frowned. “Why ridiculous?”
“Because it is extravagant,” she said. “Because I don’t deserve something like that. Because it is far too expensive.”
‘Say it is too much. Make him insist. Make him feel like he is choosing this.’
Hal looked at the watch again. “It would look beautiful on you.”
Ronnie gave a soft laugh. “Hal, please. I can’t let you say things like that.”
“Why not?” Hal asked.
“Because it is silly,” she said. “Because it is a ten-thousand-dollar watch. Because I can’t let you buy something like that for me.”
Hal straightened slightly. “Who said anything about buying it?”
Ronnie looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. “You didn’t have to. I know you. You’re generous. You want to make people happy. But this is too much.”
Hal swallowed. “Ronnie, you have been very kind to me. You helped me when I was scared. You made me feel better. You made me feel like I was not alone.”
“You were not alone,” she said softly. “I meant every word.”
Hal looked at the watch again. “You deserve something nice.”
Ronnie shook her head. “Not something like this.”
Hal turned to the salesperson. “Can she try it on?”
Ronnie’s breath caught, but she kept her expression hesitant. “Hal, no. Please. I can’t.”
“Just try it,” Hal said. “Please.”
The salesperson lifted the watch from the case and placed it gently on Ronnie’s wrist. The diamonds shimmered under the lights. Ronnie looked down at it, letting her eyes widen just enough.
“It is beautiful,” she whispered. “But I cannot let you do this.”
Hal stared at her wrist. “It suits you.”
Ronnie lifted her arm slightly. “Hal, it is ten thousand dollars. I can’t accept that.”
Hal took a deep breath. “I want to buy it for you.”
Ronnie looked at him with a mixture of surprise and reluctance. “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes,” Hal said. “You deserve it.”
‘There it is. He is mine.’
Ronnie let her resistance melt into a soft smile. “Then I will accept it. And I will treasure it.”
Hal nodded, proud and nervous. “Good. I want you to have it.”
As the salesperson boxed the watch, Ronnie glanced at Hal.
‘And now he is invested. And he will not walk away.’
They left the store hand in hand, the bag swinging lightly at Ronnie’s side.
* * *
Ronnie followed Hal Whitaker into his house, the small velvet box held close. The living room lights were warm and soft, casting a gentle glow across the furniture. Hal closed the door behind them and stood there for a moment, looking at her with a mixture of pride and disbelief.
“Do you want to try it on again?” he asked.
Ronnie smiled. “Of course I do. It is beautiful.”
She walked to the sofa and sat down. Hal hovered nearby, watching her with nervous anticipation. She opened the box slowly, letting the moment stretch. The diamonds caught the light as she lifted the watch from its velvet cushion.
“It is even prettier in here than it was in the store,” she said.
Hal nodded. “I thought so too.”
Ronnie slipped the watch onto her wrist. The clasp clicked softly. She held her arm out and turned it slightly, admiring the way the stones shimmered.
“It fits perfectly,” she said. “Hal, I can’t believe you did this.”
Hal sat down beside her, his hands clasped tightly together. “I wanted you to have something special.”
Ronnie looked at him with warm eyes. “You have already given me so much. You didn’t have to do this.”
Hal swallowed. “I wanted to.”
‘Good. He is proud of himself. He feels generous. He feels important. This is exactly where I need him.’
Ronnie lifted her wrist again. “It is stunning. I feel like I should be walking a red carpet.”
Hal gave a small laugh. “You look like you belong on one.”
Ronnie touched the watch lightly. “I will take good care of it. I promise.”
Hal watched her for a long moment. His expression shifted. Something uncertain flickered across his face. He took a breath, then another, as if gathering courage.
“Ronnie,” he said quietly. “How will you ever thank me?”
Ronnie froze for only a fraction of a second. She kept her expression soft and thoughtful. She turned toward him slowly.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Hal looked down at his hands. “I mean… I do not know. I have never said anything like that to anyone in my life. It just came out.”
“I’m glad it came out,” she said, stepping close to him. “You were thinking about it, and you trusted me enough to say it. I cherish that.”
“You do?”
“I do. And I will thank you.”
She raised her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to kiss him. She made the kiss last a long time. She pressed her body against him and swayed her hips. She didn’t find Hal physically attractive. She liked younger men who looked mean, who looked like trouble. Hal was too old and too fat to arouse her. But she had a way of taking her mind off her distaste. She thought of the $50,000. And tonight, she thought of the diamond watch and what it could mean for the future. That got her hot. That got her hot and wet and more than ready.
“Do you want me to thank you some more?” she asked with a wicked glint in her eye.
She saw him swallow. For a moment she thought he might faint. Then he took her in his arms and kissed her again. She could feel his excitement growing.
This time, it was Hal who led the way into the bedroom. It was Hal who undressed her and laid her down on the bed. For the first time with Hal, Ronnie felt a genuine excitement as he entered her. She thought about the watch again and how much it had cost. That got her really excited. She tilted her pelvis forward to press against the base of his shaft and a shudder ran through her body.
She had to hurry, but this time she managed to fulfill her own needs before he erupted.
* * *
When she woke, he was lying next to her with his head propped on his elbow.
“You are so beautiful,” he said. “I don’t deserve you.” He blushed and turned his head away.
Ronnie leaned closer. “Hal, look at me.”
He lifted his eyes.
“You did something kind,” she said. “You did something generous. You did something that came from your heart. That means everything to me.”
Hal blinked. “It does?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “You don’t need to be thanked in any special way. When we’re in bed, it’s for me as much as it is for you. You’re a splendid lover. And you will have my gratitude for that as well as the watch.”
‘He wants reassurance. He wants to feel worthy. Give him that and he will follow you anywhere.’
Hal let out a shaky breath. “I just wanted you to be happy.”
“I am,” Ronnie said. “You made me very happy.”
Hal’s shoulders relaxed. His eyes softened. “Good. I am glad.”
Ronnie touched his arm gently. “Hal, you have had a hard couple of weeks. You have been scared. You have been overwhelmed. And the City honored you. You deserved that. You deserved to celebrate. And you deserved to feel appreciated.”
Hal nodded slowly. “I did not think anyone would ever say that to me.”
Ronnie gave him a warm smile. “Then I am glad I said it.”
‘He is so easy to guide when he feels seen. He wants to believe I care. He needs to believe it.’
Hal looked at the watch again. “I hope it was not too much.”
Ronnie shook her head. “It was generous. It was thoughtful. And it was your choice. I didn’t ask for it.”
“No,” Hal said. “You did not.”
Ronnie lifted her wrist once more. “And I will wear it proudly. Every time I look at it, I will think of you.”
Hal’s face brightened. “Really?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “Really.”
‘And now he is tied to me. Emotionally. Financially. He will not walk away from this.’
Hal leaned back against the sofa, finally looking relaxed. “I am glad you like it.”
“I love it,” Ronnie said. “And I appreciate you.”
Hal looked down, embarrassed but pleased. “Thank you, Ronnie.”
Ronnie stood and walked toward the hallway mirror. She lifted her arm and admired the watch again. Hal watched her from the sofa, his expression soft and hopeful.
‘He is mine now. Completely. And he doesn’t even realize it.’
She turned back to him with a bright smile. “This was a wonderful night, Hal. One I will not forget.”
Hal nodded. “Me neither.”
Ronnie walked back to the sofa and sat beside him again. “You did a good thing today. You should feel proud.”
Hal nodded once more, slower this time, as if letting the words sink in.
He took a deep breath as if to summon his courage. Then he said, “Want to make it two good things?”
She did.
Chapter 11 – Unexpected Problems
Ronnie moved briskly through Hal’s living room on Monday morning, checking her planner and the small overnight bag she used for short trips.
“Why do you have to go to Alburquerque?” Hal asked.
“They’re sending me to a seminar in property management.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know. I guess that’s why they’re sending me, so I can find out.”
“And your boss said you have to go?”
“Well,” Ronnie said as she zipped up her bag. “Eloise said it would be a good way for me to get noticed.”
“Eloise?”
‘Why would Eloise care if Ronnie got noticed? Why would she want to help Ronnie?”
“So, this was Elise’s idea?” Hal asked.
“Yes. She said I was too talented to be stuck at the receptionist’s desk.”
Hal stood near the doorway, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and mild relief.
“You are sure this seminar is worth the drive?” he asked.
“I will be back Tuesday afternoon.” She pointed toward the corner. “Don’t forget to water the fern.”
He smiled. “I will take care of it.”
She kissed him lightly on the cheek and headed out the door.
‘She is already thinking about her next step. Maybe the time apart will help both of us. Maybe I will be able to think more clearly.’
The house settled into silence once her car rolled down the street. Hal wandered into the kitchen, poured himself coffee, and sat at the table. The quiet felt strange, almost too large for the small house. He listened to the refrigerator hum and the clock tick.
‘Eloise has been acting strangely. Ronnie has been tense. I never imagined anything like this. I should feel overwhelmed, but instead I feel strangely calm.’
By evening he had nearly forgotten his concerns. The television murmured in the background as he watched a baseball game without really seeing it. When headlights swept across the front window, he frowned. He stood and opened the door before the knock came.
Eloise stood on the porch, her purse held tightly. “Hi, Hal. May I come in?”
She was wearing a fashionable pantsuit, and she had a new hairstyle. It was light and feathery, and it made her look ten years younger. She still wore her wedding ring, although he knew she had been widowed for years.
He stepped aside. “Of course. Is everything all right?”
She walked into the living room, her eyes bright with nervous energy. “Ronnie is in Albuquerque until tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. She left this morning.”
Eloise took a deep breath.
“Could I have a glass of wine?”
“I didn’t know you drank,” he said.
“I don’t think you’re in a position to lecture me, Hal.”
“Of course not. I’m sorry. Let’s go into the dining room.”
“Eloise stood by the table, took the glass of wine in both hands and drank a long pull on it. Then she lifted it in a salute to him. He saw that her hand was shaking.
“I need to tell you something, Hal.”
“What is it?” he asked, surprised by her hesitation. Eloise never got flustered, was never at a loss for words. Tonight she seemed anxious and tense. She wouldn’t meet his gaze. He had never seen her like this.
“Would you like to sit down?” he asked.
“No,” she said. “I don’t want to sit down. I’m sorry. I just . . . “
Hal saw her chin quiver. What on earth could make her so apprehensive?
He saw her chest expand as she took another deep breath. Her breasts were large and widely separated.
“I’m just going to come right out and say it,” she said. “I have been holding it in for too long.”
“Okay.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but then I thought about all those years ahead of me. I saw each day like the previous one. I saw a long string of tedious days full of nothing. I was afraid I would die and be buried and forgotten. I couldn’t face all those empty years without saying it to you.”
Hal felt a tightening in his chest. “Say what?”
“I want you to know something, something important. Hal, you’re a wonderful man, an amazing man. The times we have worked together were very special to me. I always hoped . . .”
“Go on.”
“I hoped that someday I could say this. I love you, Hal” she said. Her voice trembled. “I have loved you for years. I was afraid to tell you, but now I’m more afraid I’ll lose you if I don’t speak up. I’m afraid this might be my last chance.”
He stared at her, stunned. “Eloise, that is a lot to hear.”
“It’s a lot to say. I’ve been afraid to say it, afraid you might laugh at me.”
“I’m not laughing.”
Eloise reached up and ran her fingers through her loose hair. She shook her head. Her eyes softened and she shed her rigid, overly formal demeanor. She stepped closer, placed her hands lightly on his shoulders, and kissed him on the mouth. She moved close and he could feel her generous breasts tight against his chest.
He froze, then gently pulled back. Her face was flushed and her eyes were glazed over.
“Is this why you sent Ronnie to Alburquerque?” he asked, suddenly seeing the whole plot. Now everything made sense.
“I didn’t send her,” Eloise insisted. “Are you trying to change the subject? Hal Whitaker, I just told you I love you.”
“I know you did. Eloise, you matter to me. I care about you. I do not want to say anything careless. I do not want to hurt you.”
Her eyes widened. “So, you do care?”
“I care very much,” he said, choosing each word with caution. “I just do not know what I am ready for. I want to be honest with you.”
‘She deserves kindness. She deserves to feel valued. I cannot simply reject her. She is too good a person.’
Eloise’s expression shifted. Confusion flickered, then melted into relief. “You are only being careful. I understand. You want to take things slowly with me. I understand. I only ask that you take things slowly with Ronnie as well. Give it time. Think about what you are doing. Think about what I have said. I know I can make you happy. I’m glad you have agreed to give me the chance.”
Hal opened his mouth to clarify, but she was already heading toward the door.
“Thank you, Hal,” she said. “You will see. Everything will work out. Call me.”
She left with a visible bounce in her step, her heels tapping lightly on the walkway.
‘She misunderstood, but she is happy. And I am flattered. Someone like Eloise caring for me feels unreal.’
The house felt warmer when the door closed behind her, the air touched with her perfume and the memory of her hopeful smile.
* * *
Hal woke up on Tuesday morning with a strange lightness in his chest. The morning sun pushed through the curtains, and he lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling. Something inside him felt different, almost buoyant. He stretched, sat up, and rubbed his face with both hands.
‘Virile. That is the word. I feel virile. I have not felt this way in years.’
He went into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. On the outside, he looked the same. It was on the inside that he had changed. He had always liked himself. It was strange that most other people didn’t like him. Most ignored him or even ridiculed him.
But Eloise didn’t ridicule him. Neither did Ronnie. They both liked him. They were both after him for a wedding night. Eloise was obviously willing and Ronnie was all worked up. So, he must be pretty good. He must have some quality that those two women saw that nobody else did. For the last magical month, Ronnie had shared his bed. Now Eloise wanted to take her place. It awed him.
To have one woman, Ronnie, show an interest in him was an aberration. It was a once in a lifetime event, like a miracle. It said more about her than him. But to have a second woman, an accomplished and intelligent woman like Eloise, show the same fascination with him, that was different. That said something about him. He must have some quality he was unaware of. There must be some attribute, some characteristic that they could see that he could not.
It made him feel special. It made him feel potent and manly. What did the kids call it? Butch. That was Hal Whitaker, the new Hal Whitaker. He looked in the mirror and told himself he had a stud look. He made a theatrical pose, like Robert Mitchum. He told himself he had a new wisdom of the flesh. It was some primitive gift that made him irresistible to women, at least two women, and that was more than he had ever dreamed possible.
At an intellectual level, using his brain, he knew this was all ridiculous. He knew what he was. But he was no longer operating at an intellectual level. This was primordial, prehistoric. This was his lizard brain driving his fleshy cravings and he surrendered to them without hesitation.
He realized that he had grown large between his legs. He slipped his hand down and felt the swollen flesh.
“It’s hard as blue steel,” he said aloud. “A cat couldn’t scratch it.”
He stood and walked into the kitchen, humming under his breath. The tune had no name, but it carried him along as he made coffee. He poured the water, scooped the grounds, and smiled at the sound of the machine sputtering to life.
Only one woman before Ronnie had ever shown romantic interest in him. He had married her. After she died, he never expected it to happen again. Ronnie’s interest had felt like a marvel when it appeared, something he never expected. Now Eloise had stood in his living room the night before, her eyes bright, her voice trembling, telling him she loved him. She had kissed him and pressed her body against his. The message came through loud and clear.
He leaned against the counter, letting the warmth of the mug seep into his hands.
‘Two women. Two. At my age. How can that be real. Ronnie’s interest feels like thaumaturgy. Eloise’s feels flattering in a way I never imagined.’
He walked through the house, humming again. He watered the fern just as Ronnie had instructed, smiling as he tipped the pitcher. The leaves glistened, and he nodded to himself.
“Well, that looks better,” he said aloud.
He stepped outside to check the mailbox, still humming. The air felt cooler than usual, and the sky was a bright, cerulean blue. He greeted his neighbor Cory, who raised a hand in return.
“You seem cheerful today,” Cory said.
“I suppose I am,” Hal replied. “It is a good morning.”
He spent the rest of the day moving easily from one small task to another. He swept the porch, wiped down the kitchen counters, and sorted through a stack of old mail. Every so often he caught himself smiling for no reason at all. When he looked at the kitchen sink, he remembered all the hot sweaty grunting effort and it made him laugh.
‘Eloise cares for me. She truly does. And Ronnie will be back tonight. I never thought I would be in a place like this. I never thought I would feel this alive.’
By late afternoon he was still humming, still smiling, still feeling the strange, pleasant energy that had carried him from the moment he woke. The house felt warm, the air felt light, and every step he took seemed to land just a little easier than usual.
* * *
Ronnie came back late Tuesday evening. Hal heard her car door slam and stepped toward the entryway. She walked in with her overnight bag hanging from one hand, her hair slightly tangled from the long drive. She looked tired and irritable.
She was wearing a thin tan skirt cut just below her knees and a lovely white blouse that looked like silk. Hal felt a wild, feral craving that came on so forceful and sudden it made his head spin. Suddenly, he knew he was going to screw this woman and his need to do it made beads of sweat break out over his entire body.
She dropped the bag on the floor. “I am exhausted. That seminar was pointless. I need to pee.”
Hal did not wait. He stepped forward, grabbed her shoulders, and kissed her. She stiffened immediately. He didn’t care. He began to tug at her skirt.
“Hal, stop,” she snapped. “I said I have to pee.”
He ignored her objection and kissed her again, trying to pour all the strange happiness of the day into the gesture. When she tried to twist away, he grabbed the front of her blouse. A stitch broke loose with a loud ripping sound.
She looked at him in shocked disbelief. Then she glowered.
“Hal Whitaker,” she shouted. “What the hell is wrong with you? You tore it! My God! That was my finest silk blouse.”
He didn’t care. The look on her face was insolent. She was dismissing him like a servant. He was tired of taking her orders. He had decided to give some orders of his own.
“Take off your clothes,” he shouted over her whining.
Ronnie’s eyes flew open at his tone. He saw them change. The anger and brazen disrespect had been replaced by fear. It made him feel ruttish and puissant. It inflamed his lust. For the first time she looked flustered and Hal was enjoying it.
He pushed her down on the couch and began to tear at her panties.
“Stop it,” she cried. “Stop it right now!”
His fierceness surprised and pleased him. It excited him to hear the fabric tear and see her dismay. She looked so confused and bewildered, it aroused him. Ronnie was trying to fight him off. She was sweating heavily now. So was he. His heart was pounding and his vision blurred and all he could think about was getting her legs apart and getting on with his urgent business.
He unzipped his pants and his organ, already thick and throbbing, came out.
Ronnie seemed frantic. She tried to twist away, but he was solidly on top of her and she couldn’t escape. He was experiencing a reaction he’d never felt before, never expected. It stirred him to greater lust.
Then, he was inside her and he proceeded with enthusiasm. It felt so good. It felt so much better this time. He didn’t know why and he didn’t have time to wonder. He sensed it begin. He was starting to recognize the faint, far away twinges and twitches that would lead to the sweaty and energetic thrusts and he would begin snorting and thudding away right up to the massive and dramatic burst of fleshy molten juice that took away all his self-doubt, all his concerns and all his worries.
During his climax, Hal Whitaker was a god and there was no one who could judge him or restrain him.
Ronnie had taught him that. She had opened the door to heaven and now he was learning to enter without her support.
After he finished, she pushed him off with both hands.
“What is wrong with you?” she cried. “I just walked in the door.”
She picked up her purse and stood there glaring at him. Her beige skirt was drenched in their sweat. It was so wet it looked translucent. Her beautiful white blouse was torn and wrinkled. She had pulled it up to cover her breasts, but one sleeve was entirely gone and the other hung limply at her side. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes had a haunted look.
He blinked, surprised by her anger. After all, she was the one who had taught him to love sex.
“I missed you,” he said, knowing it sounded lame.
“Well, I told you I needed a minute,” she said sharply. “I’m tired and I had to pee. You had no right to force me like that.”
“I couldn’t control myself,” he said with a laugh.
“Well, you’d better learn how to control yourself,” she snapped. “I won’t be treated like a whore.”
“It’s your fault,” he said.
“How is it my fault?”
“You shouldn’t come in here looking so sexy.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was wearing a skirt and blouse.”
“Ronnie, my dear, you would look sexy in a burlap sack.”
“Don’t try to weasel your way out of this. You’re not going to get off that easy. I’m going to pee and then I’m going to leave.”
Hal sat on the couch. He was surprised by how little concern he had. She would get over it. And, if she didn’t, that was okay. He felt too good to be upset by her tantrum.
She came out of the bathroom, grabbed her bag and headed for the door. “I am going home. I am too tired for this.”
Ronnie slammed the door behind her with a loud crash.
Hal stood still for a moment, staring at the empty space she had left behind. He expected to feel hurt or confused, but instead a warm, steady calm settled over him.
‘She left. She is mad. But I do not care. Not tonight. I feel good. I’ve never enjoyed taking her as much as I did tonight.’
He walked into the living room and sat down, letting the quiet wrap around him. His chest felt light, almost buoyant, the same way it had that morning.
Ronnie was sleeping with him. Eloise wanted to sleep with him. He had gone from dud to stud in a month. Who would have thunk it?
‘No one is going to spoil this day. I feel better than I have in years.’
He leaned back, folded his hands behind his head, and let out a slow breath. The house felt peaceful, and for the first time in a long while, he felt entirely at ease.
* * *
Chapter 12 – The Hastening
Ronnie gripped the steering wheel tightly as she headed down the dark road toward her apartment. The streetlights flicked across her windshield, each one making her blink harder than the last. Her irritation had not faded. If anything, it sharpened with every mile.
“What was he thinking?” she muttered. “I walk in the door and he jumps on me like that. That was damn close to what they call rape.”
She shook her head, her red hair brushing her shoulders. There was a soreness between her legs to remind her of how rough he had been. Who the hell did he think he was?
The anger felt familiar, but underneath it something colder stirred. She pressed her lips together and stared straight ahead.
‘He is changing. That was not the Hal I know. He was more assertive. More physically aggressive. That’s not like him.’
She turned onto a quieter street, her tires humming against the pavement. The thought unsettled her. Hal had always been easy to manage. He had always listened, always hesitated, always deferred. Tonight he had not hesitated at all. He had just pushed her down and taken her like some kind of animal.
‘He grabbed me. He kissed me even after I told him to stop. He tore my clothes and he stuck that big purply thing in me and he didn’t care if I liked it or not. He has never done anything like that. He is slipping out of my control.’
She exhaled sharply, her pulse quickening. The idea frightened her more than she wanted to admit. She had spent many weeks shaping him, guiding him, making sure he depended on her. She had built her plans carefully, step by step.
If she didn’t play her cards right, everything could fall apart.
‘If he pulls away from me, I could lose everything. If he abandons me, I will have no chance to get at his money. I can’t let that happen.’
She slowed as she approached her apartment complex, her mind racing faster than the car. Hal had seemed happy when she left. Too happy. Happier than she had seen him in a long time. That alone made her stomach twist.
‘He is changing. And if I don’t adjust, I will lose him. I can’t afford that. I need to rethink everything.’
She parked, turned off the engine, and sat in the silence. Her jaw tightened as she stared at the dark outline of her building.
‘Tomorrow, I will fix this. I have to.’
Ronnie picked up her bag, stepped out of the car, and walked toward her door with a determined stride.
The next morning, Ronnie stopped by Hal’s house on her way to work. She couldn’t understand what had gotten into him the previous night. He had never been like that. Something had changed and she had to find out what it was and fix it.
When he opened the front door, he grabbed her and began to maul her.
“Hal, don’t,” she hissed. “I’m on my way to work. We need to talk and I only have a few minutes.”
“Alright,” he grumped. “Come in and have some coffee.”
Five minutes later, she sat forward on the couch, her coffee forgotten on the table. She felt the pressure of the clock pushing her to act quickly. She looked at Hal with a bright smile that she hoped appeared natural.
“Hal, I have been thinking,” she said. “We have been together for a long time.”
“Do you think it’s been a long time?” he asked.
“Well, yes,” she answered, surprised by the question.
“In your short life, maybe it seems like a long time,” he said. “But I have been around many more years. I have done a lot of things. I have been a lot of places.”
“Do you ever think about settling down? I mean really settling down?”
Hal looked at her with a calm expression. “What do you mean by settling down?”
“Well. . . “ she hesitated. Then she took a deep breath and said, “I guess I mean marriage. I think it would be wonderful. We get along. We like each other. The sex is fantastic. Don’t you think so?”
He did not flinch. He did not look startled. He simply watched her, and she felt her stomach tighten.
‘He is too calm. He is not reacting the way he used to. I need to keep going before he slips away from me.’
She leaned closer. “I know last night was a lot. I know I was emotional. But I want you to understand how much you surprised me. You’ve never been like that. It shocked me and I was tired from the trip. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I want you to know how serious I am. I want a future with you.”
Hal nodded slowly. “I hear you.”
She waited for him to say more. He did not. The silence pressed against her, and she felt her pulse quicken.
“Hal, don’t you think about it?” she asked. “Don’t you think about us?”
He took a breath. “I think about us. I think about a lot of things. In fact, I had a long talk yesterday.”
“With who?” she demanded.
He looked at her with the same steady calm. “Eloise stopped by.”
Ronnie felt her chest tighten. She tried to keep her face still, but she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
“Oh,” she said. “Eloise.”
“Yes,” Hal said. “She wanted to check on me. We talked for a while.”
Ronnie forced a smile. “About what?”
Hal shrugged. “Just things. Life. Choices.”
Ronnie felt her throat close. She could picture Eloise sitting in Hal’s living room, talking to him in that gentle, thoughtful way she always used. She could imagine Eloise asking him questions, guiding him, encouraging him to think differently.
‘She was here. She talked to him. She got into his head. Maybe she got into his bed. I should have come back earlier. I should have stopped this before it started.’
Ronnie kept her voice light. “That was nice of her.”
“It was,” Hal said. “She helped me think about a lot of things.”
Ronnie felt her pulse hammering. “What things?”
Hal looked at her with a calm she didn’t recognize. “Just how I want to live. How I want to make decisions. How I want to feel.”
Ronnie swallowed hard. “Did she say anything about me?”
“She said I should be honest,” Hal replied. “With myself and with you.”
Ronnie felt panic rising like heat under her skin. She tried to smile again, but her lips felt stiff.
‘He is slipping away. She changed him. She changed everything. I need to fix this before he makes a decision I cannot undo.’
Ronnie reached for his hand. “Hal, I want us to be honest too. I want us to be close. I want us to build something real.”
Hal looked at her hand, then at her face. “I know you do.”
She felt her breath catch. His tone was gentle, but it was not yielding. It was not the old Hal. It was someone new, someone she didn’t fully understand.
‘Eloise did this. I have to get him back before she takes him completely.’
Ronnie leaned closer. “Then let us talk about our future. Right now.”
“Not now,” he said. “You have to go to work. Come back this evening.”
“Okay,” she said, trying to control her growing alarm.
“Ronnie,” he called as she started out the door.
“Yes?”
“Wear something pretty.”
* * *
Ronnie left work with her nerves still tight from the morning. She kept replaying Hal’s calm expression, the way he had mentioned Eloise without hesitation, the way he had looked at her as if he had already made up his mind about something. What he hadn’t told her about Eloise, Ronnie was perfectly able to guess. Ronnie hadn’t counted on another woman being involved. She needed to regain control. She needed to push Hal back into the direction she wanted. Marriage had to stay in the front of his mind, not whatever Eloise had planted there.
She drove to a small dress shop on the edge of town. The windows were dusty, and the mannequins looked like they had been standing in the same poses for years. She walked inside and scanned the racks until she found a white dress. It was simple, soft, and had a faint shimmer when she held it up to the light. It reminded her of a wedding dress, but not enough to be obvious. She hoped it would nudge Hal’s thoughts in the right direction. She bought it and wore it out of the store.
‘He will see this and think of marriage. He has to. He can’t ignore something this symbolic.’
She left the shop and drove to a small BBQ stand. The smell of smoked meat drifted through the air, and she ordered two meals wrapped in aluminum foil. She knew Hal would be hungry. If he was eating, he would not be grabbing at her, at least not immediately. She needed time to settle him, time to steer him, time to get him thinking about commitment instead of whatever Eloise had whispered into his ear.
When she reached Hal’s house, she opened the front door and stepped inside. Hal appeared instantly, as if he had been waiting behind the wall. He grabbed her with both arms, almost making her drop the food.
“Hal. We talked about this. Let me get inside.”
“What have you got there?” he asked.
“BBQ.”
“It smells good,” he said. “But not as good as you.”
He pulled her close again and kissed her. She smelled liquor on his breath. It was sharp and sweet, and it made her stomach tighten. She pushed lightly against his chest.
“Hal, please. Let me put this down.”
He finally released her and walked to the couch. He sat heavily and began opening the foil packages.
She sat across from him letting her skirt ride up all the way to her hip. She leaned forward to let him admire her breasts. She ate quietly. She could see from the way his eyes moved over her dress that it was having the desired effect. His gaze lingered on the white fabric, then on her face, then back to the dress again.
‘Good. He sees it. He understands it. He is thinking about it. I can use this.’
When they finished eating, Hal wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up. He walked toward her with a hungry expression.
“Hal, wait. Let me wash this sticky sauce off my fingers.”
“I like it sticky,” he said with a laugh.
She forced a smile. “Remember when you were shy?”
He looked at her with a strange mixture of pride and challenge. “I am no longer shy. Whose fault is that?”
He grabbed her and pushed her down on the couch. She felt his weight and his hands, and she tried to twist away.
“Hal. No. Not here. We are not children. We can wait. Let’s go into the bedroom and do it with at least some hint of dignity.”
He did not listen. When she tried to pull her arm free, he tore her dress. The sound of ripping fabric filled the room. She gasped and pushed him away with both hands.
“Hal. Stop. You tore it.”
He blinked at her, confused, then annoyed. “It is just a dress.”
“It is brand new,” she said. “I just bought it today.”
He shrugged. “You look good in it.”
She stood up and held the torn fabric together with her hand. She felt anger rising in her chest. She had only owned the dress for an hour, and he had already ruined it.
She started to speak angrily, but the look in his eyes stopped her. She had misjudged how drunk he was. He grabbed her wrist, hurting her.
“Ow,” she cried. “Stop it. Stop it right now. You’re scaring me.”
“You like it when I scare you,” he said.
He pulled her into the bedroom and threw her down on the bed. He began taking off his clothes and she tried to think of some way to stop him.
Before she could react, he pushed her down on the bed and fell on top of her. He began wrenching her clothes. He tore the dress again and then he pulled up the skirt. She felt his strong fingers find the elastic band of her panties and he pulled them down around her thighs. She squirmed and writhed beneath him, but he was determined.
He couldn’t get her panties all the way down and, with a growl of frustration, he tore them away. She saw them go flying across the room. Then she felt something hot and hard dig into the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh.
He forced her legs apart and entered her. Up to now, the sex with Hal had been swift and effortless. He had always finished quickly, and she had usually been on top. When he’d taken her the evening before, she had been too shocked to notice the details.
But tonight was different. He lay on top of her grunting like an old hog. He seemed to have more stamina, and it went on and on. Eventually, he got tired and let the entire weight of his body bear down on her. He was so heavy she felt crushed.
He made no effort to hold himself up with his arms, and she had trouble breathing. Then she felt him eject his built-up slime into her treasured sanctuary.
“God,” she cried aloud. “Oh, God, what have I done?” A wave of shame and revulsion swept over her.
Hal didn’t notice. He rolled off her and immediately began snoring.
She got up, pulled down her skirt and walked to the door.
* * *
Ronnie left the house and walked to her car. Her hands shook as she unlocked the door. She sat behind the wheel and stared at the torn dress.
‘Hal has turned into Frankenstein.’
She started the engine and drove. The road blurred slightly as she thought.
‘No. Frankenstein was the doctor. Hal is the monster. I am Frankenstein. I am the one who created the monster. I am Dr. Frankenstein and Hal is my handiwork.’
She gripped the steering wheel tighter. The thought chilled her. She had pushed him, shaped him, encouraged him, manipulated him. She had wanted him to be stronger, more assertive, more confident. She had wanted him to be a man who could make decisions. She had wanted him to be someone she could marry and then control.
Now he was something else entirely.
She thought of what it would be like to be married to him. She imagined ten years of nights with him. Ten years of his hands grabbing her. Ten years of his weight pressing her down. Ten years of his liquor breath and his sudden confidence. Ten years of being smashed down like a squashed bug on the freeway.
She felt her stomach twist.
‘He is old, but he is not that old. He could live ten more years. Maybe longer. I can’t live with that. Not for fifty thousand dollars. Not for any amount of money.’
She drove through the warm night, her thoughts racing faster than the car.
‘I need a new plan.’
She considered the ideas that flickered through her mind.
‘Marry him and then murder him?’
She shook her head.
‘No. The authorities are too clever. I would never get away with that.’
She thought again.
‘Could I get someone else to murder him?’
She felt her pulse quicken at the thought, then slow again.
‘No. They might talk. They might slip. They might ruin everything.’
She drove past the darkened shops and quiet houses. The sky was deep blue, almost black, and the streetlights cast long shadows across the pavement.
She needed a plan that didn’t involve murder. She needed a plan that didn’t involve violence. She needed a plan that would get her the money and also free her from Hal without destroying her life.
She pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine. She sat in the car for a moment, breathing slowly.
‘First, I need to go inside. I need to wash his stink off my body. Then I can think. I can’t think clearly when I smell like him.’
She stepped out of the car and walked to her front door. The torn dress brushed against her legs. She could feel a large wet spot in back pressing against her bare bottom. She felt a wave of disgust.
She unlocked the door and went inside. The quiet of her apartment felt like a relief. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.
She walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Steam filled the room. She removed the torn dress and dropped it on the floor. She stepped under the water and let it wash over her. She scrubbed her skin until it felt raw.
‘He is out of control. I made him this way. I have to fix it. I have to find a way to undo what I did.’
She closed her eyes and let the water run down her face.
‘Eloise changed him. She pushed him further. She made him think he could be someone else. I need to find out exactly what she told him. I need to know how deep her influence goes.’
She rinsed her hair and turned off the water. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes looked tired, but sharp.
‘Tomorrow I will talk to him again. I will be sweet. I will be gentle. I will be everything he wants. I will find out what Eloise said. I will find out how much he changed. I will find out how to turn him back into the man I need.’
She dried herself and walked to her bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the torn dress lying on the floor.
‘He tore it without thinking. He tore it because he wanted me. He tore it because he thinks he can do whatever he wants. I can’t let him think that. I can’t let him believe he is in control.’
She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
‘Tomorrow I will begin again. Tomorrow I will take back control.’
She closed her eyes and let the exhaustion pull her down.
‘He is the monster. I am the doctor. I can still fix him.’
Ronnie fell asleep with the towel wrapped around her, her mind already shaping the next move.
Chapter 13 – The Hardening
Hal had spent most of Friday puttering around the house. He cleaned the kitchen, sorted mail, and read the newspaper twice. By evening he felt settled and calm. When Ronnie knocked at the door, he opened it with a relaxed smile. “Come in. I was just thinking about having another drink. Can I make you one?”
Ronnie stepped inside with a tight expression. “Thanks, but we need to talk.”
Hal felt the shift immediately. “About what?”
“About Wednesday night,” she said. “You passed out.”
“I know,” he said. “You kept giving me drinks.”
“Are you saying it was my fault?”
“I’m saying you have no right to complain about it. You helped make it happen.”
‘She can be such a child,’ he thought.
“That’s not all,” Ronnie said. “When I came back from Albuquerque Tuesday night, you grabbed me and threw me down on your couch like I was a hooker. Then on Wednesday, you hurt me and you tore my dress. You have been disrespectful.”
Hal blinked. “You didn’t say anything about it last night.”
“I didn’t have a chance. You passed out, remember?”
“Don’t start on that again. Besides, you are exaggerating. The dress was an accident. The sex was something you liked.”
“No, I didn’t. The dress was not an accident,” she said. “And the sex was too rough. You didn’t even apologize.”
Hal rubbed his forehead. “I didn’t need to. It was not a big deal.”
“It was a big deal to me,” she said. “I still have bruises and that dress cost money.”
Hal sighed. “You are pushing again. Always pushing. Why can’t you let things breathe?”
Ronnie stepped closer. “I am asking for respect.”
Hal walked toward the living room. “You are making this into something it is not.”
Ronnie followed him. “Why are you dismissing me? Why are you acting like my feelings don’t matter?”
Hal turned around sharply. “Because you are treating a torn dress like a tragedy. It is a dress.”
“It is not just a dress,” she said. “It is the way you acted.”
Hal felt irritation rising. “What do you want from me?”
“I want you to show some consideration. You can start by replacing the dress,” she said. “I want a new one.”
Hal stared at her. “You want money?”
“Yes,” she said. “I want money for a new dress.”
Hal felt anger flare. “Fine. If that is what you want, I will write you a check.”
He walked into his study, pulled out his checkbook, and sat at the desk. Ronnie stood in the doorway, watching him with a calm, steady gaze. Hal wrote the amount stiffly, tore the check free, and handed it to her. “One thousand dollars. That should cover your dress and whatever else you think I ruined.”
Ronnie looked at the check with a soft smile. “Thank you.”
Hal crossed his arms. “It’s not a lot of money. I do not know why you made such a scene.”
She held the check lightly. “I didn’t make a scene. I asked for what I deserved.”
Hal shook his head. “You are always asking for something.”
Ronnie’s voice softened. “Hal, listen. I should not have come in here angry. I should have talked to you calmly.”
She stepped close and put the flat of her hand on his chest. She looked up at him with those beautiful hazel eyes.
Hal felt his irritation ease. “Maybe I should not have dismissed you.”
She stepped closer, put her arms around him and twisted her upper body against his. “I am sorry.”
Hal exhaled slowly. “I am sorry too.”
Ronnie smiled gently. “We don’t have to fight.”
Hal returned the smile. “No. We do not.”
She touched his arm. “Thank you for the check.”
He nodded. “If it makes you happy, then it is fine.”
Ronnie slipped the check into her purse. “It does.”
Hal felt warmth settle between them, a soft quiet replacing the earlier angry tension. They stood close, another kind of tension building.
Ronnie leaned in and kissed him. He felt her hand moving in a way that turned the tension into tautness.
“Let’s go to bed.”
Hal smiled. “Yes. Let’s do that.”
* * *
Ronnie woke early on Saturday with Hal snoring beside her. She felt good. Hal had been easy to handle and she got some sleep. She greeted the morning with a clear purpose. The sunlight through the curtains looked pale and thin, the kind of light that made everything feel sharper. She dressed quickly, pinned her hair neatly, and slipped the cheap diamond ring onto her finger. It sparkled just enough to catch attention, but anyone who knew jewelry would see it for what it was. Ronnie didn’t care. She only needed it to look convincing to someone who just glanced at it.
She drove into Santa Fe and parked near the First National Bank, the same place where she had cashed Hal’s three hundred dollar check earlier in the month. The morning air felt crisp, and the sound of traffic on San Francisco Street echoed between the buildings. Ronnie paused at the door of the bank, adjusted the ring, and stepped inside.
The lobby was bright with fluorescent lights that hummed faintly overhead. The marble floor reflected the glow in soft patches. A few customers stood in line, their voices low and muffled. The air smelled faintly of paper, ink, and the metallic scent of coins. Ronnie walked toward the teller windows, scanning for the same young woman she had met before.
Jessica stood behind her station, sorting slips of paper. Her blonde hair was tied back neatly, and she wore a pale blue blouse that matched the color of the bank’s logo. Ronnie approached with a warm smile. “Good morning.”
Jessica looked up. “Good morning. How can I help you?”
Ronnie placed the check on the counter. “I would like to cash this.”
Jessica glanced at the amount. “One thousand dollars. Do you have your identification?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. She handed it over and waited while Jessica typed something into the small terminal. The machine clicked softly, and the lights above flickered for a moment. Ronnie watched Jessica’s face carefully. She wanted recognition, a connection, something that would settle into the young woman’s memory.
Jessica handed back the identification. “I remember you, Miss Hale. You were here a few weeks ago.”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “I cashed a check from Hal then too.”
“I recall,” Jessica said. “It was the first time I cashed a check for a customer. It was just my second day, and I was still learning the ropes. You were very nice to me.”
‘Perfect,’ Ronnie thought. ‘She’s still new. It will help me condition her into accepting me as legitimate.’
Ronnie nodded politely. “I remember you as well. You were nice too. You were very efficient.”
“That’s good to hear,” Jessica said as she beamed with pleasure. “My boss, Mr. Anderson can be quite mean. To tell you the truth, I don’t like him. But working with pleasant customers like you makes the job easier. I just got married and I need this job.”
Ronnie lifted her hand slightly, letting the cheap diamond ring catch the light. “Hal and I are going to get married soon.”
Jessica paused for only a moment. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Ronnie said. “It has been a wonderful week.”
Jessica smiled, her expression warm and friendly. “I will get your cash. One moment.”
Ronnie listened to the sounds around her. A man at the next window asked about a loan. A woman behind her shuffled papers in her purse. The printer near the back office made a rhythmic clicking sound.
Everything felt ordinary, steady, predictable. Ronnie liked that. Predictable places made it easier to plant ideas.
Jessica returned with the money and counted it carefully. “One thousand dollars. Would you like an envelope?”
“Yes, please,” Ronnie said.
Jessica handed her the envelope. “Is there anything else you need today?”
“No,” Ronnie said. “You have been very helpful.”
Jessica gave her another friendly smile. “Have a nice day. Come back soon.”
Ronnie walked out of the bank with the envelope tucked into her purse. The sunlight outside felt brighter now, almost golden. She touched the ring again and smiled to herself. Jessica had seen it. Jessica had heard her say Hal’s name. That was enough for today.
As Ronnie drove home, she did the math in her head. She could forge Hal’s signature on several checks and cash them. She was sure of that. Jessica trusted her. But the checks couldn’t be too large. That would draw suspicion. And there was a time limit. After she wrote the first bad check, Hal would see it in his monthly statement.
She could never get enough money just by writing bad checks. She needed a way to get a lot more money.
She walked up the steps to her apartment. The sun had risen higher in the sky, and it was getting warm. The steps seemed higher than usual. She felt tired and discouraged.
When she got inside, she put on a pot of coffee and spread out her bills on the kitchen table. There were a lot of them, some past due. She started writing numbers on a sheet of notebook paper. How much would she need? How much could she get?
None of it showed her a way in. She rubbed her forehead and tried to imagine how people stole money.
She had no experience, no plan, nothing that made sense.
‘There must be a way to take more. I can’t keep waiting.’
She stood and paced the narrow room. “I need something that works,” she whispered.
* * *
Saturday night, Ronnie arrived at Hal’s house later than usual. The sky was already dark, and the porch light cast a pale circle across the walkway. She hurried up the steps, trying to look flustered but not panicked. She knocked once, and Hal opened the door almost immediately.
“You are late,” he said. “I was waiting.”
“I know,” she said. “I am sorry. I had trouble with my car.”
Hal frowned. “Trouble? What kind of trouble?”
She stepped inside and brushed her hair back from her face. “It made a terrible noise. A grinding noise. I thought it was going to fall apart right there on the road.”
Hal closed the door behind her. “Why did it do that?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I barely got it here. I was afraid it would stop in the middle of the street.”
He looked concerned. “You should not be driving something dangerous.”
“I don’t have a choice,” she said. “It is the only car I have.”
Hal walked closer. “Let me look at it.”
“No, you can’t,” she said quickly. “It is too dark. And I don’t want you crawling around under it. It is filthy.”
Hal studied her face. “You look upset.”
“I am,” she said. “I don’t feel safe in that car anymore.”
He nodded slowly. “You should not be driving something that scares you.”
She sat on the couch and sighed heavily. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford repairs. I can’t afford anything right now.”
Hal sat beside her. “What kind of car is it again?”
“A small one,” she said. “Old. Very old.”
He shook his head. “You need something better.”
“I know,” she said. “But I can’t get something better. Not now.”
Hal leaned forward. “Why not?”
She looked down at her hands. “Money. It is always money.”
“Why don’t you have a drink?” Hal asked.
“That’s a good idea. Are you going to have one?”
“Way ahead of you,” Hal said, picking up a half-empty glass.
“Let’s go to bed,” Ronnie said.
In the bedroom, they undressed and Hal lay face down on the bed. Ronnie straddled him and began massaging his back.
“That feels good,” Hal said, his voice slightly slurred.
“I need to take better care of you,” Ronnie said. “You are very tense.”
Hal was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “Ronnie, why don’t you get a new car?”
She looked down quickly. “A new car?”
“Yes,” he said. “Something safe. Something reliable.”
“I can’t buy a car,” she said. “You know that.”
Hal shook his head again. “You should have one.”
She gave a small laugh. “That’s easy for you to say.”
“I could help you.”
She took a breath and pressed harder on his shoulder blades. “Help me? How?”
“I could buy you a car,” he said. “Why not?”
Ronnie felt her pulse quicken. She kept her voice soft. “Hal, that’s too much. I can’t let you do that.”
“Why not?” he asked. “I want you safe.”
She shook her head. “It is too generous.”
“It is not,” he said. “You need a car. I can get you one.”
She hesitated, letting the silence stretch. “Are you sure?”
He rolled over on his back. She could feel his erection pressing against her panties.
“Yes, I am sure,” he said with a smile.
She gave him a small, grateful shy glance. “You’re very kind.”
He reached for her hand. “I want you taken care of.”
“I’m afraid to drive it home,” she said, staring into his eyes. “Can I stay here tonight?”
His smile broadened. “Of course,” he said. “That’s another way I can take care of you.”
“And I can take care of you,” she said, removing her bra.
She squeezed his thighs lightly. “Then maybe we can look at cars tomorrow?”
“Yes,” he said. “Tomorrow.”
She leaned back, letting her breath settle.
‘He suggested it himself. I didn’t have to ask. This is perfect. He is falling right into place.’
Ronnie smiled softly and let him slide into her heated depths.
* * *
Monday, Ronnie arrived at the First National Bank of Santa Fe just after noon. She had to hurry so she could get back to the office, so she planned on grabbing a burger and eating it while she drove. The winter sun was bright, but the air held a brisk chill as she walked with purpose, her heels tapping against the concrete in a steady rhythm. The cheap diamond ring glittered on her finger, catching flashes of sunlight as she moved. She had made sure it was visible. She wanted it to be seen.
Inside the bank, the air felt warm compared to the cool air outside. Traffic on the busy street in front created a faint vibration in the room. The marble floor reflected the brightness in soft, uneven patches. A few customers stood in line, their voices blending into a low murmur. The sound of a coin counter clattered from somewhere behind the teller windows. Ronnie inhaled the familiar scent of paper, ink, and metal.
She scanned the row of tellers until she saw Jessica. The young woman was sorting envelopes, her pale blue blouse crisp and neat. Ronnie approached with a warm smile. “Hello again.”
Jessica looked up and returned the smile. “Hello, Miss Hale. I remember you. How can I help you today?”
Ronnie placed the new check on the counter. “I would like to cash this.”
Jessica glanced at the amount. “Five hundred dollars. No problem.”
“Thanks.”
Jessica handed back the identification. “Everything looks fine. I will get your cash.”
Ronnie lifted her hand slightly, letting the diamond ring catch the light from the big windows in front. “Hal gave me this check so I could buy car insurance. He wants me to be safe.”
Jessica paused for a moment. “That is thoughtful.”
“He is thoughtful,” Ronnie said. “Well, like I told you, we are getting married soon.”
Jessica’s smile was warmhearted. “I remember. Congratulations again.”
“Thank you,” Ronnie said. “We have been planning things. We are going to remodel his house. It needs updating. The contractor requires cash payment in advance.”
Jessica nodded as she counted the bills. “That sounds like a big project.”
“It is,” Ronnie said. “But Hal wants everything to be perfect before the wedding.”
Jessica placed the money into an envelope. “Here you are. Five hundred dollars.”
Ronnie accepted it with a grateful smile. “You’re always so helpful.”
Jessica smiled back. “I try.”
Ronnie glanced around the lobby. A man near the entrance was arguing softly with another teller. A woman behind Ronnie shuffled papers in her purse. The printer in the back office made a steady clicking sound. Everything felt ordinary, predictable, exactly the kind of environment where small details settled into memory.
Ronnie tucked the envelope into her purse. “I will probably be back again soon. There is a lot to organize.”
Jessica nodded. “I will be here.”
Ronnie stepped out into the bright afternoon light. The sun felt warm on her face. She touched the ring again and smiled. Jessica remembered her. Jessica remembered Hal. Jessica had heard the word marriage. She had heard the word remodel. She had heard the word cash.
It was exactly what Ronnie wanted.
* * *
Tuesday after work, Ronnie sat in her car outside the small bar on Cerrillos Road called Bud’s. She tried to calm her breathing. The neon sign flickered in the window, casting a faint red glow across the parking lot. She had not seen Boone McSwain in more than a year, not since Skip introduced them at a party where Boone stood in the corner with a slow smile and sharp eyes that missed nothing. She remembered that clearly. She needed someone like that now.
Ronnie stepped into Bud’s and the smell wrapped around her like a rancid cloth. Old beer clung to the floorboards, sour and sticky. Cigarette smoke drifted in slow layers near the ceiling.
She peered through the haze and saw a man sitting alone. It looked like Boone.
As Ronnie moved across the dirty floor, a biker wearing a leather vest slammed a cue ball across the pool table, the crack echoing through the dim room. Laughter rose from a corner booth, sharp and mean.
She walked past a row of barstools with torn vinyl seats. The counter was wet with spilled drinks. A neon sign sputtered above the bar, its blue glimmer trembling like it was about to die.
Boone sat in a booth near the back. The overhead bulb cast a yellow circle around him, making his face look hollow. His hat was pushed low and his long legs stretched out. When he saw her, he lifted his bottle and grinned.
“Well now, Ronnie. You came walking into Bud’s on purpose? What do you want?”
Ronnie slid into the booth. The seat was cracked, the stuffing poking through.
“I need help,” she said. “I need someone who can do things.”
Boone laughed. “Things? You are talking like you know what that means.”
“I know enough,” she said.
The jukebox thumped out a song with a warped bass line, each note buzzing through speakers that had been blown years ago.
Boone spoke with his slow Louisiana drawl. “Help with what?”
Ronnie hesitated, then spoke. “First, we need to talk about how this might work.”
“How what might work?”
“Business. A kind of business anyway. Like I said, I need help. I can pay you.”
“I like the sound of that.” Boone leaned forward. His breath smelled like whiskey and cigarettes.
There was a loud crash of glass breaking. Someone swore. Ronnie felt her stomach tighten. She had been here with Skip, but she had never liked the place. It felt dangerous, alive in the wrong way.
“How do I know I can trust you?” she asked, watching him closely.
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“But I’m not a . . . “
“A criminal?” he asked with a laugh. “From the look on your face, I think a criminal is exactly what you need. Why don’t you tell me about what you have in mind? It’s not a crime to talk about it. Then we can decide how to proceed.”
She took a deep breath and said, “I want to take some money from an old guy I know.”
“What?” Boone asked. “Speak up. It’s noisy in here.”
“I want to get something from someone who won’t miss it.”
“You want to steal? From who?”
Ronnie kept her voice steady. “Someone I know. Someone who trusts me. I need a plan and I need someone who understands how to do this without getting me into trouble.”
Boone smirked. “You are serious. You came here to ask me for criminal advice?”
‘Boone thinks I am weak. I can’t let him see that.’
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “I am serious. I want to do this right.”
Boone tapped his bottle against the table. “You are either brave or stupid. Maybe both. But if you want to talk about making money, I will listen. Tell me what you think you can pull off.”
Ronnie looked around the smoky room, then back at Boone. “I can pull off more than you think. I just need the right help.”
“How much?”
“I think I can get one hundred thousand. Maybe more.”
Boone’s eyes brightened. “One hundred thousand dollars? You sure about that?”
“I think so,” she said.
There were loud voices from the front of the bar. The biker, his arm covered in blue tattoos, pushed a smaller man and the bar tender shouted at him.
“What do you need from me?” Boone asked, ignoring the fight.
“You can teach me things. I’ve never done anything like this. I need to know how to start.”
“Let me think about it,” Boone said. “Call me in two days.”
* * *
Wednesday morning, Ronnie was so nervous she couldn’t sit still. She would get up from her desk, walk over to the coffee machine and pour a cup she didn’t really want. Then she would walk to the bathroom and walk back. She was so full of nervous energy, she thought she was going to burst.
Finally, five o’clock came and she drove home and put on her blue skirt and white blouse. It was an outfit that had gotten his full attention in the past and that was what she wanted tonight.
“Ronnie,” he said as he opened the door. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
He tried to grab her, but she spun away.
“Wait a minute. I want to tell you something,” she said. “I had something exciting happen today.”
He stepped aside and let her in. She walked to the couch and sat down, smoothing her skirt. She waited until he sat beside her before she spoke again.
“I found a car,” she said. “A really good one. Almost new. The price is unbelievable.”
Hal leaned closer. “What kind of car?”
“A small Mercedes,” she said. “Perfect for me. The seller is leaving town and wants to get rid of it fast.”
Hal nodded. “That sounds expensive.”
“I know, but I love it. I want to look good for you, Hal.”
“You could look good in a Ford,” he said, but she could see that he was wavering.
“It has leather seats,” she said with a coquettish smile. We could make love in it.”
She saw him swallow, then shake his head.
“Ronnie, I said I’d buy you another car. I didn’t say I’d buy you a luxury car.”
“Please,” she said, dropping her eyes. “I really want this car. Hal, I don’t want to be driving around in some cheap little tin can. I want to feel safe. I want to feel protected. I want to feel like you are taking care of me.”
“I do want to keep you safe, but it’s a lot to ask.”
“It is,” she said. “But there is one problem.”
“What problem?” he asked.
“He wants cash,” she said. “He won’t take a check. He won’t hold it. He said he has other buyers waiting.”
Hal frowned. “Cash?”
“Yes,” she said. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to lose it. It is such a good deal.”
Hal rubbed his chin. “How much is it?”
She hesitated, lowering her eyes as if embarrassed. “It is a lot. Thirty-five thousand.”
Hal blinked. “Thirty-five thousand.”
“I know,” she said. “I know it is too much to ask. I shouldn’t have said anything. I just really want that car. Isn’t there anything I can do to change your mind?”
“Ronnie . . . “
“Maybe you don’t have to pay for all of it. Maybe I could take out a loan and make payments.”
“That would make it cost even more. All right, I’ll give you the money, but you’d better take damn good care of that car.”
Hal stood up and walked toward his study. “Wait here.”
Ronnie watched him disappear into the hallway. Her pulse quickened.
‘He is going to do it. He is going to give me the money. I have to act surprised. I have to act grateful. I can’t look eager.’
Hal returned with a thick envelope. He handed it to her without ceremony.
“Here,” he said. “Take it. Get the car.”
Ronnie opened the envelope and saw stacks of bills. Her breath caught.
“He must keep a great deal of cash in that safe I found.’
That was something she hadn’t known. It gave her a new idea for how to execute her plan.
“Hal,” she said trying to hide her excitement. “This is too much. I can’t take this.”
“Yes, you can,” he said. “I want you to have it. I want you to be safe.”
She closed the envelope and held it against her chest. “You’re very generous.”
She went over and threw her arms around his neck. He leaned back and lifted her off the floor. She moved her knee between his legs and felt an immediate response.
“When I get back,” she said, “I’ll show you how grateful I am.”
He smiled proudly. “I like helping you. Besides, it helps me too. I want you to be safe and I want to know you’ll be able to get here when I need you.”
She stood and kissed his cheek. “I will go now. I need to meet the seller before he changes his mind.”
“Come back after,” Hal said. “I want to see it.”
“Of course,” she said.
She left the house with the envelope in her purse. She walked to her car with steady steps, her mind already shaping the next part of the plan.
‘Thirty-five thousand. I can rent a car and tell him I bought it. He will never know. The bank will see me again. They will think I am someone he trusts. This is working. I can keep going.’
Ronnie started her engine and drove into the night.
Chapter 14 – The Deepening
Thursday morning, Ronnie sat at her desk in City Hall staring out the window. Hal had given her $35,000 in cash without much of an argument. She had been thinking of stealing what was left of the $50,000 bonus he’d been given but obviously he had a lot more than that.
This project was bigger than she had realized. She needed more help.
Ronnie dialed Boone’s number.
“Yeah?”
“Boone, it’s me, Ronnie.”
“Well, hello. I didn’t think you would call.”
“We need to talk.”
“Not on the telephone. Meet me at Bud’s in an hour.”
“No. I hate Bud’s. Let’s meet in the park across from the downtown library at 5:30.”
“Fine by me.”
Boone showed up right on time and sat down next to Ronnie on the park bench.
“Tell me about this guy you were talking about.”
“He’s old. He’s retired.”
“What did he do?”
“He worked for the City of Santa Fe. He did investments or something.”
“A financial type. They usually have money. How much is he worth?”
“I have no idea.”
“Find out.”
“How?”
A fire truck rushed by, lights flashing, siren screaming. Boone waited until it had passed and the noise dropped down.
“Search his house. Look for cash, valuables. Don’t take anything yet. Just find out what he’s got.”
“Why do that? Why not just take it now?”
“We have to find out how much there is. Maybe it isn’t worth the trouble. And it is a test. Let’s see if you have the nerve to do this.”
‘I have more nerve than you can imagine.’
“Okay, I can do that,” she said. “I’ll get back to you.”
As she started to leave, he called after her.
“Ronnie.”
“Yes?” she asked as she turned to face him.
“I don’t work for free. Next time bring some cash.”
* * *
Ronnie was nervous as she drove to Hal’s house. After her meeting with Boone, everything seemed more real, but now at least she had a clear goal.
She thought about Hal’s behavior, replaying every moment from the nights before. She had noticed a pattern. He had been drinking more. His confidence had grown in proportion to the liquor. She needed to use that. She needed him quiet, pliable, and unconscious. She needed time to search.
When he opened the door, she saw the same eager expression. His eyes were bright, and she could smell the faint trace of alcohol already on his breath. She stepped inside and held up a small bag.
“I brought drinks,” she said. “It’s your favorite, Wild Turkey and ginger ale. I thought we could relax.”
Hal smiled. “I like relaxing,” he said as he took her in his arms. She let him kiss her although the taste of alcohol on his lips was nasty. After a moment, she slipped away.
She walked to the kitchen and set the bottles on the counter. She poured him a glass and handed it to him. He drank quickly, almost greedily. She poured another. He drank that one too. She kept the drinks coming, fast and strong, until his eyelids grew heavy and his speech slowed.
“Ronnie,” he said, “You are too good to me.”
She smiled sweetly. “Let’s go into the bedroom and you can have another.”
“I like the way you think.”
He was lying on the bed when she handed him his new drink. He drank half of it, then slumped back on the pillows. She grabbed the glass before it could spill. His head tilted to the side. His breathing deepened. She watched him for a moment to make sure he was fully asleep.
‘Good. He is out. I finally have time to look. I need answers. I need to know what he has and what I can use.’
She stood and walked quietly through the house. She checked the bedroom first, then the hallway closet, then the kitchen drawers. Nothing useful. She moved to the study. The door was half open, and she slipped inside.
The room smelled faintly of dust and old paper. A desk sat against the wall with an antique lamp with a green glass shade. It looked like the kind bankers used in old movies.
She noticed that a picture was slightly crooked. When she pulled it away from the wall, she found a gray and black steel safe built into the wall. It had a large dial combination lock in front and a solid-looking silver handle on the side. She ran her fingers across the textured surface.
“I wonder what’s inside of you,” she whispered.
She knew she didn’t have the skills to open a safe, so she went over to the desk and sat down in his big leather chair.
She began to leaf through neat stacks of folders. She opened the first one. It contained charts and numbers she didn’t understand. She flipped through the pages, trying to make sense of them. She recognized a few names like IBM and General Motors, but the rest looked like a foreign language. What were tax-free municipal bonds?
‘This is useless. I can’t read any of this. I need something simple. Something clear.’
She opened another folder. More numbers. More charts. More companies she had heard of but never cared about. She felt frustration rising.
Then she found a single page labeled Account Summary. She stared at the balance printed at the bottom. Two million dollars.
Her breath caught. She read it again to make sure she had not imagined it. Two million dollars! She felt her pulse quicken and her hands tremble.
‘Two million. I had no idea. I thought fifty thousand was a lot. I thought I was dealing with a small fortune. This is real money. This is life changing. This is everything.’
She folded the page and slipped it back into the folder. She looked around the study again, trying to absorb the truth. Hal had two million dollars. He had never told her. He had never hinted at it. He had kept it hidden.
She left the study and walked back to the bedroom. Hal was still asleep, his mouth slightly open, his breathing loud and steady. She stared at him for a moment, trying to reconcile the man in the bed with the number she had just seen.
‘He is worth two million. I need to think. I need to plan. I need to understand what this means for me.’
She took off her clothes and got into bed beside him. Her dreams were filled with wonder. What a world it would become! First-class air travel. No, forget that, he could charter a private plane. They could buy the latest fashions in Paris.
In the morning, she snuggled close and told him he was a wonderful lover. But Hal was hung over and grumpy. He obviously wasn’t ready for sex, so she dressed quickly before he could get out of the bathroom.
She left the house quietly, closing the door behind her. The morning air felt cool against her skin. She walked to her car, still trying to digest the new information.
‘Two million dollars. Everything has changed.’
* * * *
The next evening, Ronnie got to Hal’s house and found him gone. She went into the bathroom and opened the large tote bag she’d brought with her. Ronnie barely had time to change when she heard Hal’s car drive up. She went to the front door to greet him. She had picked out the pale nightgown that whispered as she moved. She saw Hal give her an approving glance as he walked in.
They sat. She talked; he drank. At nine o’clock, she went into the kitchen to make him his third drink. She took three cubes out of the silver ice bucket and dropped them into a heavy glass tumbler. She poured bourbon into Hal’s glass and added ginger ale to soften it.
She moved with an exaggerated gracefulness as she walked back into the living room.
She had built a fire, and the light gave off a soft and pleasing glow. Hal sat on the big leather couch looking relaxed and comfortable. She handed the tumbler to him with a warm smile. “Here, Hal. You look worn out. This will help.”
Hal took a long drink. His eyes were already a little cloudy. Ronnie watched him carefully. She needed him relaxed, agreeable, but still awake. She sat beside him and touched his arm. She leaned forward to let him look down the front of her nightie. She saw his eyes widen and heard a sharp intake of breath. She was walking a fine line. She wanted him drunk and turned on, but she didn’t want him to pass out or try to tear her clothes off.
“Are you trying to seduce me, Ronnie?” he asked with a smile. “You know that’s not hard to do.”
She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “These days, you’re the one doing the seducing,” she said with a smile. She ran her hand lightly over his thigh.
His smile was wide and pleased and a little fatuous. Maybe she should slow down the alcohol supply for a little while.
She put his hand on her breast. “Go easy with me tonight,” she whispered in his ear. “You don’t need to maul me. I’ll give you anything you want.”
He turned awkwardly and took her in his arms.
“You smell good,” he said.
He didn’t. Behind the stink of the bourbon, there was a nasty scent of grease and pungent spice. She made herself kiss him anyway.
She caught his hands and brought them down between her thighs. She turned and leaned back against him. “Let’s go to bed,” she said breathlessly. It wasn’t the prospect of sex that was exciting, it was the thought of $2,000,000.
He started to get up, but the drinks and his weight made it hard for him to stand.
“Just a minute,” Ronnie said. “I was thinking about something. You like to keep cash on hand. You told me you always have. When you gave me the money for the car, I felt bad taking it. I want to replace it for you.”
Hal blinked slowly. “Replace it? Why?”
“So you don’t have to go to the bank yourself,” Ronnie said. “Let me do it for you. I will take out thirty-five thousand in cash and bring it back. It saves you the trip.”
Hal reached out, picked up his glass and drank again. “You want to go today?”
“No darling. It’s much too late. I can go first thing in the morning,” Ronnie said. “All I need is a check from you. The bank will give me the cash. Then I will bring it home. You will have your money back exactly the way you like it.”
Hal stood, nodded, swaying slightly. “A check. All right. If it saves me the trouble.”
Ronnie placed the checkbook in front of him. “It will only take a moment.”
Hal picked up the pen. His hand trembled, but he wrote her name and the amount.
Ronnie smiled. “Thank you, Hal. You’re wonderful. Now, have another drink.”
* * *
Saturday morning, the air felt cool and dry inside the bank. The fluorescent lights still hummed overhead in a faint, steady vibration. The marble floor reflected the brightness in uneven patches. A few customers stood in line, their voices blending into a soft murmur. Traffic hummed by on the street. Ronnie scanned the row of tellers until she saw Jessica.
Jessica looked up and smiled politely. “Good morning miss Hale, or is it Mrs. Whitaker by now?”
Ronnie returned the smile. “Good morning, Jessica. It’s still miss Hale for a little longer. I need to cash another check.”
She placed the large check on the counter. Jessica’s eyes widened slightly as she read the amount. “This is a very large check. As you know, it is for thirty-five thousand dollars. I will need to verify it with Mr. Whitaker.”
Ronnie kept her expression pleasant. “Of course.”
Jessica looked uncomfortable, but she picked up the phone. Ronnie watched her face carefully. She saw the moment Hal answered. She saw Jessica’s expression tighten. She saw the faint flush of embarrassment rise in the young woman’s cheeks. Jessica listened for several seconds, her posture stiffening.
“Yes, Mr. Whitaker. I understand,” Jessica said. Her voice was small and strained.
Ronnie knew exactly what Hal sounded like when he was hung over. She had heard it many times. She knew Jessica had just received the full force of it. She also knew Hal would approve the check without hesitation. After all, he knew she was going to cash it for him.
Jessica hung up and looked apologetic. “He approved it, but he sounded very busy. I am sorry. He cursed at me.”
Ronnie gave her a gentle smile. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you. He is working. He hates to be interrupted.”
Jessica nodded quickly. “I understand.”
Ronnie could see the reluctance in Jessica’s eyes. She could see the discomfort. She could see the hesitation that would grow each time she thought about calling Hal again. The young woman looked down at the check as if it were something dangerous, something she did not want to question twice.
Jessica cleared her throat softly. “I will get your cash. One moment.”
Ronnie listened to the sounds around her. A man near the entrance asked about a loan. A woman behind her shuffled papers in her purse. The printer in the back office made a steady clicking sound. Everything felt ordinary, predictable, exactly the kind of environment where small details settled into memory.
Jessica returned with the money and counted it carefully. “Thirty-five thousand dollars. Would you like an envelope?”
“Yes, please,” Ronnie said.
Jessica handed her the envelope. “Is there anything else you need today?”
“No,” Ronnie said. “You have been very helpful.”
Ronnie walked out into the bright morning light. The sun felt warm on her face. She touched the ring and smiled to herself.
Jessica had heard Hal’s irritation. Jessica had felt it. Jessica would not want to call him again.
That reluctance was exactly what Ronnie needed.
Her plan was going very well.
That night Ronnie handed Hal the thick envelope containing the $35,000. She expected him to look relieved, but he tossed it on the coffee table like it was yesterday’s newspaper.
She sat and watched him drink until he passed out.
* * *
Saturday afternoon, Ronnie went to Boone McSwain’s apartment and sat for a moment with her hands on the steering wheel. The afternoon sun pressed against the windshield, turning the air inside the car warm and bright. She kept thinking about the thirty-five thousand dollars Hal had given her for a car. She kept thinking about the safe in his house. She kept thinking about the two million dollars she believed he kept hidden. Her pulse felt uneven.
She climbed the outside stairs, the metal rail warm under her hand. The empty swimming pool below was cracked and dry. Junk cars sat outside on blocks, their shadows stretching across weedy lots.
She couldn’t help thinking that things were a lot nicer and cleaner at city hall. Life as a criminal had its downside.
She walked toward Boone’s door. When she knocked, he opened it with a slow smile.
“Well now. You came back quick.”
“I found something,” Ronnie said. “The old guy has a safe.”
Boone raised an eyebrow. “A safe. What kind?”
“A wall safe,” she said. “New. Heavy. He keeps it behind a framed picture in his study.”
Boone stepped aside and let her in. The room smelled of cigarette smoke and stale beer. “You think you can break into it?”
“No,” Ronnie said. “I don’t know how.”
Boone sat on the edge of the bed. “You will never crack a safe like that. Not without tools. Not without time. But people write down combinations. They hide them close by. Desk drawers. Books. Behind pictures. Under lamps.”
Ronnie felt a spark of hope. “So, I should search the study?”
“Yes,” Boone said. “Search everything. People get lazy. They think no one will look.”
Ronnie nodded. “I will try.”
Ronnie breathed a sigh of relief as she left Boone’s neighborhood. Three blocks away, the houses looked nicer and there were no junk cars in the yards. When she got to City Hall, it looked like a palace.
The afternoon when by quickly and, after work, she drove straight to Hal’s house. The rented car hummed softly on the road. She ran her hand over the leather-covered steering wheel. It was too bad she couldn’t keep the car. She would miss it.
She kept thinking about Boone’s words. She kept thinking about the money. She kept thinking about Rio.
When she reached the house, Hal wasn’t home. She let herself in quietly and walked to the study.
The room felt still and warm. Sunlight filtered through the curtains in thin stripes. She opened the desk drawers one by one. Pens. Receipts. Old letters. Nothing useful. She checked under the blotter. She checked behind the framed photographs. She checked the underside of the lamp. Nothing.
Her frustration rose. She hit the desk with her fist. The paperweight near the edge wobbled and fell to the floor with a dull thud. Ronnie bent down to pick it up. As she reached under the desk, her fingers brushed the bottom of the drawer above her. She felt something rough.
She pulled the drawer open and looked underneath. A strip of masking tape clung to the wood. Numbers were written on it in faded pencil.
Her breath caught. “Is this it?”
She wrote the numbers down and walked to the picture. She moved it and uncovered the safe. The metal felt cool under her hand. She turned the dial carefully. The lock clicked. The door opened.
Stacks of cash sat inside, well-ordered and quiet. There was a lot, there was much more than she had imagined. There were also some official looking papers and several neat rows of small gold bars. The sight caused her to inhale sharply. She reached out and touched one of the bars, feeling its cold weight before she set it back exactly where it had been. She closed the safe quietly, then straightened her blouse.
Ronnie stared at them. Her pulse felt sharp and fast. Boone had been right. People got lazy. People hid things close by.
She started to grab the money and gold but then she paused.
‘If I take this now, they’ll know who did it. Hal and I are the only people who have been in this house. I’ll never get away with it. Not now. I need a better plan.
She closed the safe gently and straightened the picture. She walked out of the study with her heart pounding.
Her plan was no longer an idea. It was real.”
* * *
Ronnie took Hal’s favorite sheer nightie out of her tote bag and changed. As she walked out of the bathroom, she stopped and listened. A familiar engine rumbled up the driveway.
‘He is home earlier than I expected. I need to look calm.’
She walked to the front door just as Hal stepped inside. His face lit up when he saw her.
“Well look at you,” he said. “You look beautiful. You doing all right?”
“I am now,” she replied. “Do you want a drink?”
“Do I ever say no to that?”
She laughed softly and moved to the kitchen. She mixed his usual drink first, light and smooth, the way he liked it when he came home tired. She handed it to him and watched him sink into the couch with a long sigh.
“This hits the spot,” he said. “What did you do today?”
“Oh, a little cleaning,” she answered. “Nothing exciting. How was your meeting with the lawyer?”
“Boring. Loud. Same as always.” He took another sip and relaxed deeper into the cushions. “You make these better than anyone.”
Ronnie returned to the kitchen and mixed another drink. This one was stronger. She brought it to him and sat beside him. After he took a long drink, she reached out, took the glass from his hand and took a sip. She leaned forward and placed the tumbler on the coffee table, then turned and gave him a long passionate kiss.
“You really know how to make a man happy he came home,” Hal said, his voice slightly blurred.
“You sure you want another?” she asked.
“Of course I do. You spoil me.”
‘He never notices when I change the mix. He trusts me completely. I can play him like a trout on a light line.’
They talked for a while. She asked him questions about the contract, about his investments, about the neighbor’s dog that barked all morning. He answered each one with a slow smile, his eyelids growing heavier as he finished the second drink.
She leaned so close she knew he could feel her breath on his cheek.
“Why don’t you have one more?” she asked, “Then you can take me to bed and make me happy.”
“It just keeps getting better and better,” he said, staring at her with glassy eyes.
She made a third, stronger still, and placed it in his hand.
“You are going to knock me out,” he said with a laugh.
“You will sleep well,” she replied. “Drink it while it is cold.”
He did. His words blurred together as he leaned back. His head lolled to one side and he blinked slowly.
“I think I am fading,” he murmured.
“Come on,” she said. “Let me help you to bed.”
She stood and guided him up. He leaned heavily against her, his arm around her shoulders. She walked him down the hall, steadying him each time he stumbled. In the bedroom she had to undress him. He tried to help, but he was so drunk he just got in her way.
“Are you ready for love?” she asked, moving her hand as she emphasized the word ‘love.’
He gave her a foolish smile and collapsed onto the mattress with a groan. He rolled onto his back. Within moments he was snoring loudly.
She watched him for a long moment, listening to the uneven rhythm of his breathing.
‘He will not wake up for hours. This is how I’ll do it. This was practice. I’ll feed him drinks until he passes out, then I’ll clean out the safe and be on my way. It’s going to happen. It’s really going to happen.’
She stepped quietly into the hallway, the house warm and still around her. She sang softly, “Flying down to Rio, Rio by the Sea-o.”
Everything felt suspended, waiting for her next move.
* * *
On Sunday morning, Ronnie sat at Hal’s kitchen table trying to think things through. Hal had far more cash in the house than she’d ever imagined. She wanted it. But she knew, if she stole a lot of money, she would get caught for sure. She needed more help and she would have to leave the country.
“I want to go to Rio de Janeiro,” she said aloud. “I have always wanted to go there. It is my dream to sit by the pool and have a man with a hard, mean-looking face bring me a drink and speak to me in a foreign language.”
‘Okay. I have a plan. I’ll go to Rio, but I can’t tell anyone that. I’ll tell them I’m going to Amsterdam. Then, if they talk, it will throw the cops off my scent.’
Ronnie drove back over to Boone’s apartment.
He had a big smile as he opened the door.
“Did you find the combination?
She looked at him carefully. “Not yet but I’ll keep looking,” she said. “Can you help me in another way?”
Boone tapped his fingers on the table. “Maybe. What do you want to do?”
“I told you. I want to rob this guy I’ve been sleeping with. He keeps cash in his house. I have seen him hide things. I’m sure I can find at least some of it. When I do, I won’t be able to stay in Santa Fe.”
Boone leaned forward. “You want me to help you get out afterward?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I can get the money, but once I do, I’ll get caught if I stay in this country. The cops are smart. They’ll know right away that I’m the one that took the money. I need to leave the United States and never come back.”
Boone nodded with approval. “Sounds like you’ve thought this through.”
“I want to go to Amsterdam. I went there once on vacation. It was wonderful.”
Boone chuckled softly. “The Netherlands are a long way from Santa Fe.”
“I know,” she said. “Can you help me?”
Boone studied her face. “You do not trust me, do you?”
Ronnie kept her voice steady. “I don’t trust anyone. But you know things I don’t.”
Boone nodded slowly. “I can help you. I can help you disappear for a while. I can help you move money. I can help you avoid attention. When you give me the money, I can talk to my people”
“How long will it take?” Ronnie asked.
“They can do it right away, once I pay them.”
Ronnie felt a small spark of relief. “What do you want in return? What do you want for helping me?”
“A cut,” Boone said. “You bring me the money, and I take my share. Then I help you get where you need to go.”
Ronnie looked at him carefully. His drawl was slow, but his eyes were sharp. She could not tell if he was lying. She could not tell if he was exaggerating his experience. She only knew he had more knowledge than she did.
“All right,” she said. “We will work together.”
Boone smiled. “Good. You bring me some money to get it started, and I will take care of the rest.”
Ronnie felt her pulse jump. “How much will it cost?”
“Ten thousand,” he said.
Ronnie stared at him. “Ten thousand? That’s too much.”
Boone smiled slowly. “Then you need another plan.”
“I can pay you $5,000 now and $5,000 later.”
“Do you have the cash with you?”
“I do,” she said and handed him a thick white envelope.
Boone glanced inside but didn’t count it.
“Okay. I guess you’re serious. I’ll have the documents tomorrow. Make sure you have the rest of my money.”
Chapter 15 – The Taking
Ronnie walked into the First National Bank of Santa Fe with her pulse beating fast and uneven. The morning sun poured through the tall windows, filling the lobby with bright light. The fluorescent fixtures hummed overhead. A safety deposit box clanged as someone shoved it closed. She held the forged check in her hand, the ink still looking fresh. She had practiced Hal’s signature for hours, but she still felt nervous.
Jessica looked up from her station and smiled. “Good morning, Ronnie. What can I help you with?”
Ronnie swallowed. “I need to cash a check.”
Jessica reached for it without hesitation. “All right. Let me see.” She glanced at the amount. “Twenty-five thousand dollars. Is this for your remodeling job?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “Hal asked me to take care of it.”
Jessica nodded. “He trusts you with a lot. That must feel nice.”
Ronnie forced a small smile. “It does.”
Jessica typed something into her terminal. Ronnie watched her fingers move across the keys. She waited for a question. She waited for hesitation. She waited for Jessica to look up and say something like, “This signature looks strange.” But Jessica did not. She simply nodded and walked to the back to retrieve the cash.
Ronnie listened to the soft murmur of customers behind her. She felt the weight of the fake passport and fake license in her purse. She had chosen the name Anastasia Martin. Anastasia had a nice, impressive European feel and Martin was reassuringly American.
Finally, Jessica returned with the money and counted it carefully. “Twenty-five thousand dollars. Do you want an envelope?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “Thank you.”
Jessica handed it over. “Anything else today?”
“No,” Ronnie said. “You have been very helpful.”
Ronnie left the bank and stepped into the bright sunlight. She drove to the travel agency near the plaza and walked inside. A woman behind the counter looked up. “Can I help you?”
“I need a ticket to Phoenix,” Ronnie said. “One way.”
“In your name?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “Ronnie Hale.”
The woman typed quickly and printed the ticket. Ronnie paid in cash. When she stepped outside, she held the ticket tightly. She felt the envelope of money in her purse. She felt the weight of her next move.
She drove to Boone’s motel. He opened the door with a slow smile. “You look tense. Something wrong?”
Ronnie sat in the chair near the window. “I could not find the combination to the safe. I searched everywhere. Hal will not give me any more money. I think my plan failed.”
Boone frowned. “You sure? You looked carefully?”
“I tried,” Ronnie said. “I really tried.”
Boone studied her face. “You want me to take less money for the passport and the ID? Is that why you came in person?”
Ronnie lowered her eyes. “Can you? Please?”
Boone laughed. “No. You owe me what you owe me.”
Ronnie acted reluctant. “All right.” She opened her purse and handed him the payment she owed. Boone counted it slowly, then nodded. “You really did not make the score, did you?”
“No,” Ronnie said. “I failed.”
Boone leaned back with a satisfied smile. “I knew it. You are not built for big jobs.”
Ronnie stood. “I guess not.”
Boone waved her off. “Come back if you need something small.”
Ronnie walked out into the sunlight. Boone believed her. He thought she had failed. That was exactly what she wanted.
* * *
Ronnie parked the rented car in Hal’s driveway and sat for a moment with her hands resting lightly on the steering wheel. The late afternoon sun cast long orange stripes across the yard. She had come to execute her plan. She would get Hal drunk, wait for him to pass out, and then she would take what she needed. It had become easy to predict him. He drank too much these days. He trusted her too much.
She stepped inside. Hal sat in his chair with a tired expression. His shirt looked rumpled, and his face seemed pale. Ronnie walked over and wrapped her arms around him playfully. “I missed you. Are you ready to take me to bed, or would you like a drink first?”
“I’d like a drink.”
Ronnie when into the kitchen and took down a bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon. She poured a healthy splash into a heavy glass tumbler and then added a little ginger ale just the way he liked it. She would start with a normal blend, then make them stronger as the night wore on.
Hal took the glass out of her hand and said, “Thank you. Bourbon and ginger, my favorite.” His voice was so soft she had a hard time hearing it.
She walked around behind him and began massaging his shoulders.
“That feels good,” he said, still quietly.
“This will make you feel even better,” she said as she slid her hand down over his stomach and between his legs.
Hal shook his head when she started to tug at his zipper.
“I am not feeling well. Stop that.”
Ronnie kept her voice light. “What is wrong? Did you eat something bad?”
Hal pressed a hand to his chest. “I do not know. I feel strange. I have a pain in my chest.”
Ronnie smiled gently, trying to keep him calm. “Do you want to lie down?”
“Yes,” Hal said. “I think I should.”
Ronnie followed him down the hallway. The bedroom felt warm and dim, the curtains drawn halfway.
“Let’s take off your pants,” she said and this time he let her unbutton and unzip him. His breath smelled sour as she helped him take off his shirt. As he began to pull down his underwear, she started to undress herself.
“Ronnie, wait,” he said. “I don’t want to sleep with you, not right now.”
“You can’t do that to me, darling,” she said in her best lusty voice. “Not now. I’ve been thinking about you all day. Come on; help me out.”
She touched him in a way that always got him hot.
“Ronnie, stop it!” he said in a more forceful voice.
She turned him and began kissing him. She tried to fake throbbing love and panting passion, but it seemed to make him angry.
“I said stop it!” he shouted and pushed her away.
Hal reached for the bedpost, but his hand slipped. He swayed, his knees buckling.
Ronnie stepped forward quickly. “Hal, what is happening?”
Hal tried to sit on the edge of the bed, but his balance failed. His shoulder struck the side of the mattress. His body twisted, and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud.
Ronnie gasped. “Hal? Hal, can you hear me?”
Hal lay on his side, breathing hard. His face looked strained, almost gray. He clutched his chest. “Ronnie, I think I am having a heart attack.”
Ronnie knelt beside him. Her pulse raced. “Do you want me to call an ambulance?”
“Yes,” Hal whispered. “Call now.”
Ronnie stood quickly and grabbed the phone from the hallway table. Her hands shook as she dialed. She told the dispatcher that Hal had collapsed and that he believed he was having a heart attack. She gave the address and hurried back to the bedroom.
“Help is coming,” she said. “Just stay still.”
Hal’s breathing came in short, uneven bursts. He tried to speak again, but the words broke apart. Ronnie touched his shoulder lightly.
“Do not move. They will be here any minute.”
The sirens arrived quickly. The sound grew louder as the ambulance turned into the driveway. Red lights flashed through the bedroom window, filling the room with pulsing color. Ronnie stood and walked to the front door as the paramedics rushed inside, their voices sharp and urgent.
She stepped aside to let them pass. The flashing lights spilled across the walls, bright and relentless.
The ambulance had arrived.
Ronnie followed the ambulance down the dark road, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. The flashing red lights ahead blurred in her vision. She blinked hard, but the tears kept coming. Her breath felt thin and shaky.
‘My entire plan is ruined. How could this have happened? Hal should be passed out in his bed, not in a damned ambulance with a bunch of strangers. I should be halfway to Phoenix by now.’
She glanced at her purse on the passenger seat. Her voice broke. “Oh my God. There is fifty thousand dollars in cash in there. I have a one-way ticket to Phoenix. The combination to his safe is written down on the back of an envelope. What if the police find those things? What if they think I was trying to hurt Hal? Jesus. I wanted to rob him, not kill him.”
The ambulance turned sharply, and Ronnie followed, her heart pounding. Another thought rose up, sharp and painful.
“I don’t care about Hal. I never loved him, but damn it, I didn’t want this to happen. Why? Oh, why?”
Her tears blurred the road again. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. A flash of memory struck her: Hal lying on the floor, pale and sweating, his face twisted with fear.
“The ambulance people saw him in his bedroom naked. Will they report that? Of course they are going to report that. What will they think? What am I going to say? Oh God, what am I going to do?”
The ambulance lights flashed brighter as it slowed, guiding her toward the hospital entrance.
Ronnie turned into the hospital parking lot too fast. The ambulance lights ahead flashed against the rows of cars. Her vision blurred again, and she almost sideswiped a sedan pulling out of a space. She jerked the wheel and gasped. “Focus, Veronica,” she said out loud. She shook her head hard, clearing it. The near accident snapped her out of the panic that had been choking her.
She parked crookedly and leaned back in the seat. A strange laugh escaped her. It sounded thin and shaky. “I am a wannabe con artist who just called the authorities to interrupt my own robbery. What kind of screwball thing is that?”
She reached out and touched her purse. The leather felt warm under her fingers. “Nothing is ruined. Nobody is going to arrest me and search my belongings. At least not yet.”
She took a slow breath. Another thought rose sharply.
She remembered Boone’s smug expression when he said she was not built for big jobs. “I will show him. I will show everyone.”
She looked toward the emergency entrance. “I have to gather information. I have to find out where I stand. Then I can revise my plan to fit whatever this is.”
‘There is no sense in worrying about things I can’t avoid. I will have to play it by ear until I learn what is going on.’
Ronnie opened the car door and stepped out, her pulse steadying as she walked toward the hospital lights.
Four hours passed before a doctor approached. “Are you waiting for Hal Whitaker?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “Is he alright?”
“He had a gall bladder attack,” the doctor said. “Probably from overeating. He will recover.”
Ronnie exhaled slowly; a wave of relief sweeping over her.
“Can I see him?”
The doctor studied her. “What is your relationship to the patient?”
“I am his wife,” Ronnie said. The lie came easily, and she felt a flicker of amusement at the irony.
“All right,” the doctor said. “Go in, but do not stay too long. I have given him a mild sedative.”
Ronnie walked into the dim room. Hal lay in the bed, small and weak, his skin pale and damp with sweat. She felt a jolt of shock. He looked fragile, almost shrunken.
“What happened?” Hal whispered.
“You had a gall bladder attack,” Ronnie said. “You’re going to be fine.”
Hal nodded and drifted into sleep within minutes.
Ronnie stood beside the bed, staring at him.
‘There is no one at his house. I could take everything. I could empty the safe right now. I could be gone before anyone notices.’
She touched the bed rail lightly, her fingers trembling.
‘I want the money. I want Rio. I want freedom. I have worked too hard to stop now.’
She looked at Hal again. His breathing was shallow. His face looked soft and defenseless.
‘I cannot do it. Not like this. Not while he lies helpless. I am not a monster. I am not going to rob a man who can’t even sit up.’
She stepped back from the bed.
‘The plan will have to wait. I will have to think. I will have to decide what kind of person I am willing to become.’
Ronnie turned toward the hallway, her conscience and her ambition pulling hard in opposite directions.
* * *
Hal sat on the edge of his bed, still weak from the gall bladder attack and the long night in the hospital. The house felt quiet, almost too quiet. Ronnie moved around the room with soft steps, bringing him water, straightening the blankets, touching his shoulder gently. He watched her with a dazed sense of gratitude.
‘She stayed with me. She took care of me. I do not deserve someone like her.’
Ronnie helped him lie back against the pillows. “Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?”
Hal swallowed. “I do not know what I would have done without you. You were wonderful. You really were. You saved my life.”
Ronnie smiled. “I just want you to get better.”
Hal looked at her, his heart beating faster.
“Ronnie, can I ask you something?”
She paused. “Of course. What is it?”
“You’ve shown me how wonderful you are. I love you. Will you marry me?”
Ronnie froze. Her eyes widened for a moment before she forced a smile. Hal felt a flicker of confusion.
‘Why is she hesitating? I thought this was what she wanted.’
Ronnie touched his hand. “Hal, you surprised me. You really did.”
He tried to sit up straighter. “Is that a yes? Do you want to marry me?”
Ronnie’s smile brightened. “Of course I will marry you.”
Hal exhaled with relief. “You mean it?”
“Yes,” Ronnie said. “Now why don’t you let me make you a nice big bourbon and ginger and we will go to bed.”
Epilogue
One week later, Ronnie, now Anastasia Martin, sat by the pool at the Hotel Mar Azul in Rio de Janeiro. The water shimmered in the bright sun, and the air smelled of salt and tropical flowers. An athletic young man with a hard, mean-looking face approached her lounger. He handed her a drink and spoke in a foreign language.
Ronnie smiled, nodded, and lifted the glass. The man walked away without another word.
She stretched her legs and let the warmth settle over her. The pool glittered. Music drifted from a bar nearby. She looked relaxed, content, almost serene.
Ronnie laughed. She imagined the look on Boone’s face when he opened the package she had sent him from Phoenix. It contained $10,000 in cash and a gold bar. He would be amazed that she had paid her debt, but she could afford it now and he had been very helpful.
While Ronnie sat by the pool, Hal Whitaker sat at his desk doing his sums. His pen scratched across the ledger as he added the columns again. Ronnie had taken two hundred sixty-five thousand eight hundred ten dollars.
Hal shook his head slowly. It was a lot of money, but he still had plenty left. He could not bring himself to report Ronnie to the police. Despite everything, he was still fond of her. There was also the fact that he did not want anyone to know what an idiot he had been.
He muttered to himself. “The talk about a May-December romance. Mine was more like January-one-foot-in-the-grave.” He closed the ledger. “Still, there were times when it was wonderful.”
Hal picked up the telephone, dialed a familiar number, and waited for the ring. “Eloise? It is Hal. Are you free tonight?”