Page 10 of The Love Dose
“Definitely,” I say, as we navigate through a long line waiting for Santa. Calvin has piqued my curiosity. I hope I didn’t come off as a jealous girlfriend. I’m neither jealous nor his girlfriend.
Calvin smiles that killer smile. “Well then, how long have we got?”
Chapter Seven
Caroline
Calvin rides in the cab with me back to the Dakota. He’s been telling me about his incredible trip. I’m both exhausted and exhilarated. It's good to be back in Calvin's company. My earlier angst is gone and without any added alcohol.
We enter the lobby, the warmth a welcome respite. I see Larry, manning his oak console, busy watching the security feed, though I know he’s fully tuned into my presence.
I can’t decide if I should ask Calvin upstairs. We’ve had enough weirdness tonight. I take a seat on one of the velvet sofas. A large electric menorah with two lit bulbs rests on a tinseled table nearby, dwarfed by the enormous Christmas tree.
Calvin sits at the other end of the sofa, seemingly content with chatting where we are.
The curiosity is killing me. “Okay, I need to know. What's with the teeth necklace?”
He laughs heartily, pulling the strand out from beneath his coat. “Well, the mission did a stint at an orphanage. The kids were making interesting jewelry for a local sale. And, voila.”
“It's not real, is it?” I ask, carefully reaching for the sharp end of a tooth.
“I sure hope not. Poaching is against the law in most African countries. And probably so is letting kids near lions.”
Right. Stupid question.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’ve been monopolizing the conversation. You never had a chance to tell me what you’ve been up to these last few weeks.”
“Nothing quite as exciting as your trip to Africa. Well, not the same sort of excitement.”
He lifts a curious brow. “I’m intrigued.”
I don’t know what possesses me but I blurt out, “Want to come upstairs?”
So much for avoiding any more weirdness.
Though Calvin has been in my apartment many times, this invitation feels different. My leg is fully healed. Any pretense of a medical check-up won’t fit. Now we’re just friends. I think.
He doesn’t hesitate. “Sure. I could use a strong coffee before heading to the hospital.”
“You’re still going in tonight?”
He nods. “Yep. I’ll grab a cat nap when I can in the doctors’ lounge.”
We head for the elevators, and I nod to Larry. Heaven knows the drama he’s witnessed right here in the lavish lobby. I push the up button. When the elevator arrives, I hit my floor and face Calvin. “Bernard’s kids are suing me for the inheritance their dad left me. According to my lawyer, I need to make a decision about next steps as soon as possible. I can barely think straight.”
The words tumble out of me. Apparently, my filter is completely gone.
Calvin’s eyes fill with concern. “I’m so sorry. Sounds like a messy situation.”
I unlock my door but don’t flick on the lights.
Calvin stays put in the foyer, staring out the curtainless windows. “Wow. This view never gets old.”
My apartment faces east, overlooking Central Park, with street lamps glowing and the lights from Fifth Avenue twinkling in the distance. It’s stunning.
We walk in the semi-darkness until I reach the kitchen where I turn on the lights, illuminating the fourteen-foot-high ceilings. Shadows angle across the walls. It’s not creepy. It’s home.
The apartment has six large bedrooms and a butler’s pantry. Certainly not the largest in the 140-year-old edifice but its charm and character are undeniable.
