Pants on Fire (6 page)

He gave her a strange look. “Because I enjoy history?”

“Because you have respect for the small town. Come on, lunch is my treat today.”

She picked a family owned diner for lunch. She didn’t know the family personally but the food was good and Tyler seemed to like local things so she guessed it was a safe bet. After burgers and milkshakes she took him to a Farmer’s Market and watched him buy several paintings and a handmade purse.

“It looks good on you,” she said, taking another bite of the home baked cookie she’d bought for a dollar.

He rolled his eyes. “It’s for my younger sister. She’s got the whole Bohemian look going on right now. The bright colours will suit her.”

“Hmm, fashion savvy and thoughtful. You’re a winner all around, Tyler.”

“I’m glad you think so.” There was a soft, almost wistful, look in his eyes and he smiled at her. “What’s next?”

They went back to the hotel and Megan kissed him long and hard in the elevator, carefully easing his key card out of his back pocket. When the doors dinged open she grinned and said, “Bet you can’t catch me.”

He gave her a head start, figuring he could pin her to the locked door of his room, but when she ran the stolen key card through the lock he put on extra speed and slammed through the doorway a split second before she locked him out.

He pounced on her and dragged her, kicking and laughing, to the bed. The sex was hot and feral and Megan, ready for it this time, gave as good as she got, leaving long red streaks down his back with her nails and a love-bite on his shoulder.

Afterwards they lay side-by-side, panting and grinning. “Wow,” she said. “That was even better than the first time.”

Over the next few days they hiked all the way to the King’s Bridge, and down several other local trails, spent a few afternoons in the pool, visited a local art and souvenir shop, and walked through every public garden and park Kingsbridge had to offer. They were together almost every waking hour, except for the few times Megan had a date with her mother or a family dinner to attend.

“You know,” Tyler had said, watching her dress after a quick round of sex, “I could come with you to this family dinner, as your date. I wouldn’t mind meeting your family.”

“They’re crazy. And my mother would have a fit if I brought you to a big family gathering without first bringing you to dinner with her and my dad.”

“You’re crazy and I think I’d like that a lot.”

She had kissed him, her usual carefree confidence wavering. “We’ll see.”

A few days later, Megan took Tyler to the Kingsbridge Rose Garden, a public garden with well-groomed walking paths that was supervised by the local horticultural society. It was a slow day, being the middle of the week and quite warm, so Megan and Tyler were the only people in the garden, aside from an elderly lady who was pruning one of the bushes. She smiled at them as they passed and returned her attention to her work.

They settled on a bench across from a fountain and Tyler sighed. “I’m going to miss this. I hardly have time to take a walk around the block on my lunch break; I never get to stroll around parks and gardens.”

“They must keep you really busy,” she said.

He nodded. “I never knew it would be this much work. I want to make my father proud but …” he sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s a beautiful day and I don’t want to spoil it with my depressed ramblings.”

“No, it’s all right.”

“I would love this kind of life, Megan.”

“What life?”

“This; the small city, no one poking into my business, time to take walks and visit museums, you sitting beside me on a park bench, I want all of this.”

“You mean a pretty girl sitting beside you on a park bench,” she said with a forced laugh.

“I mean you, Megan.” He turned her face to his and kissed her softly. “I love you.”

She stood up and he followed right behind her. “We should be getting back. It’s probably getting close to supper …”

“It’s 3 o’clock,” he said with a quick glance at his wrist. “Megan, what’s wrong?”

“Look, Tyler, I’m really enjoying myself, but I went out for dinner that first night looking for a fling and …”

“So did I, Megan. I didn’t come here looking for a small town girl to bamboozle with my big city glamour so I could steal her away and make her my good little house wife.”

“Bamboozle?”

He blushed. “All I wanted was a fling, a good time with a pretty girl, something to fill my first vacation since college. It doesn’t change the fact that I’ve fallen in love with you.”

She gave her head a slight shake and almost told him it wasn’t possible.
You said it yourself, you’re too attached. Can’t you just admit that you feel something for him?
She sighed. “Okay, you’re right. This is starting to feel like more than just a casual fling. I just … can’t we slow it down a little?”

He pulled her close. “All right. No more declarations of love. We’ll just have fun.”

She nodded. “I like fun.”

“That’s good, because I know how we could have some fun right now.” He led her back to the car.

Her cellphone rang and she stepped away from him. “I’ll meet you at the car.”

He nodded and went on down the path.

“Hello?”

“Megan? It’s Alicia.”

“Hey, Alicia. I went to see your showing. What a wonderful series of paintings. I envy your talent.”

“So you’ve said before. Well, you’re not the only one who liked them. They’re sold!”

Even over the phone Megan could hear the squeal of excitement in her friend’s voice. “Alicia, that’s wonderful. How many?”

“All of them! And to one buyer.”

Megan’s mind flashed back to an overheard conversation.
Yes it will really cost that much. They’re worth it.
Alicia was still talking, something about blessings and angels.
And there were those paintings he bought at the Farmer’s Market.

“Yeah, it must have been an act of God,” Megan said, shaking her head. “Or else you’re just that talented.”
Or Tyler’s got more money, personal or business, than he’s letting on.

“I was just so excited, I’ve been telling everyone.”

“You have a right to brag, Alicia. Congratulations. We’ll hook up for drinks and celebrate before I leave town again.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Take care.”

Tyler saw Megan hurrying towards him and said, “You look serious. Not bad news, I hope.”

“Good news, actually. My friend, the painter, just sold every painting in her showing.”

“Oh, well, that’s great news, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Tyler, did you buy them? I overheard part of your conversation the other day …”

He nodded. “I work for a hotel chain. Sometimes when I see art that I think would look good in a lobby or hotel room I pass the information on to the right department and they buy it.” It was truth, and yet it left out so much.

“Your word must carry a lot of weight.”

He forced a laugh. “Sometimes they don’t buy what I tell them to,” he lied. “Are you ready to head back?”

She nodded. “Tyler, thanks for giving her a chance. With that sale, she might just make it as a painter.”

The next day was a stay in day. After chasing each other around in the pool and creating a ruckus they went back up to his room to shower off.

“You know,” she said as she rinsed shampoo from her hair. “We’ve only had sex in the shower once.”

“Shower sex is a circus act,” Tyler said. He kissed her upturned lips. “I prefer sex on the bed.” He kissed her jaw. “Or the couch.” He moved down to her neck. “Or the floor.”

“Mmm. We haven’t done that yet.”

“What? Sex on the floor? I was using the bed as a sound barrier so we don’t get complaints from the people in the room below us.”

“You don’t fuck hard enough to shake the floor,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“You scream, Megan. It’s hot and sexy and very loud.”

She swatted him and let him take her place under the spray. “I’m done. I’ll see about some lunch.”

She was looking over the room service menu and trying to decide if she wanted a sandwich or something more when one of the cellphones chirped. When the sound didn’t repeat she assumed text message and went to check her phone.

There were no missed texts or calls so she peeked at his. The text was still on the screen.

FROM: Stephanie M. ~ everything’s fine on the home front. Paintings arrived today, you were right, beautiful. I’m keeping one for us. Call me later.

“For us?” Megan murmured then put the phone down as she heard the water shut off. “Tyler,” she called. “Your phone beeped!” She went across the room to the landline. “And I’m ordering two turkey clubs and a bottle of pop for lunch!”

“Lunch sounds great, I’ll be right out.”

While talking with room service she watched Tyler, wrapped in a bathrobe, read his text, watching his face for whatever emotional reaction might occur. There was barely a flicker and he looked up and smiled at her.

“I’ll be just a moment,” he said.

She nodded and said, “That’s right, room 412. Thank-you.”

Megan sat on the foot of the bed staring at the bathroom door. She could hear Tyler’s voice, but not his words from here. If she wanted to hear more she’d have to get up and stand by the door – but to do that would be more than just ‘overhearing a passing conversation’, it would be eavesdropping and an invasion of privacy.

But what did she mean by ‘home front’ and why is she keeping a painting for her AND Tyler?
Doubts swirled in her mind until she couldn’t bare it anymore and she had to know something. She got up and strolled casually towards the window, lingering by the bathroom door.

“I’m glad you got that all sorted out. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Tyler was saying. There was a pause and then he chuckled. “No, I bought you one too, a smaller one, I think Matt will really like it. How are Matt and AJ doing?”

Megan felt her heart drop and shatter.
I told you not to get attached.
She gathered her clothes and was most of the way to dress by the time Tyler came out of the bathroom. He frowned and tried to hide it with a smile. “I thought we had a tradition, eating in our bathrobes. I was enjoying that.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Something came up, I have to go. Now.”

“Can’t you at least stay for lunch? You already ordered.” He touched her and she pulled sharply away. “Megan, what’s wrong?”

“Please, Tyler, I have to go.”

He caught her as she tried to leave and stared hard into her eyes. “What is going on? Did you get a call? Are your parents all right? Your family?”

“No I didn’t get a phone call from my family,” she snapped. “But I did overhear you talking to your family.”

“My family? You mean Stephanie? She’s my secretary at work. There was a mix up she needed to give me a heads-up about.”

Megan shook her head, trying to fight back tears. “Right. ‘I’m keeping a painting for us’, you don’t know what you’d do without her. You have two kids together, for fuck’s sake! You said you loved me, you bastard, I never should have trusted you.” All the memories of all the assholes who had lied to her or abandoned her as soon as they knew what she did for a living tumbled through her mind.

Tyler was shocked, but kept his head enough not to let her go. “Kids? Me? Me and Stephanie? Where did you … Matt and AJ.”

“Yes Matt and AJ. How old are they?”

“AJ is nine months old. Matt turned thirty last month. He and Stephanie have been married for two years. He’s a painter and stay-at-home dad. Like a good boss I like to ask Stephanie how HER family is doing on occasion. And the painting she’s keeping is for our office. I also bought her one at the farmer’s market, as a thank-you for covering my ass while I’m on holidays.”