Monte’s hand rested on the small of Torie’s back as they strolled down the street. He deposited Torie in front of an entrance to the subway so that she could catch a train to her Upper East Side apartment. As they prepared to part company, Monte leaned in, kissing her lips briefly. He’d been aching to taste her mouth again all through lunch and flushed at the feel of her lips against his. With a tentative pledge to get together again soon, they moved away. Monte whistled as he made his way back to the office and his good cheer certainly had everything to do with the sexy woman who’d brought a smile both to his face and to his heart.
Chapter 6
Undress My Heart
“Monica, that’s terrific. That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear from you today,” Torie squealed.
She leaned forward in the passenger seat of Monte’s Lexus ES350 luxury sedan and slapped the open palm of her right hand on her thigh. She turned to Monte, her face a bright beam of happiness, which served to bring out a smile on his face, although he had no idea what she was so happy about.
“And they’re ready to sign?” Torie asked. “Wonderful. Okay, uh, sometime next month? Okay, I’ll wait to hear from you. Thank you again, Monica. Take care.”
Torie disconnected the call and dropped her PDA onto her lap. She clapped her hands together three times rapidly before covering her face with her hands.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re celebrating or am I going to have to guess?” Monte asked.
“Oh, my goodness, Monte. It’s unbelievable. No, scratch that. It is totally believable because I’m damned good at what I do,” Torie stated emphatically.
“Yes, you are. Now, what are we talking about?” Monte asked again.
“Well, a few weeks ago, I read for a lead spot in a new series pilot called Higher Learning—I know, same title as that nineties movie with Ice Cube. It’s a drama based on a college campus. I read for the role of Senora Phelps, head of the recruiting department. It’s a really great role…one that leaves a lot of room for growth. I had a good feeling when I read but, you know, you never can tell. Anyway, it turns out that feeling was right on the money!” Torie shouted.
“You got the part?” Monte asked.
“Not only did I get the part, but Monica said they’re offering me a very sweet deal to boot. She’ll have the written contract next month, and she says I’ll be pleased.”
“Damn, girl, that’s all right! Congratulations. Look at you—been in the Big Apple for five minutes and you’re already doing great things. Go ’head, Ms. Turner,” Monte shouted, his enthusiasm paralleling hers.
“Oh, Monte. I can’t even tell you what this feels like. I mean, it’s one thing to strive for something and envision it for yourself, but when it actually happens, it’s surreal. I don’t know what I did to be so blessed, but I’m truly grateful.”
“What you did was to be beautiful, talented, smart and driven. That’s a lethal combination, by any measure,” Monte said. “Don’t you want to call your mom?”
By this, their third date, Torie had already shared with Monte a bit of her relationship with her mother. She’d told him how demanding her mother could be, and she’d admitted that while her mother had always been her biggest supporter, there were times when her mother’s visions for Torie’s future conflicted with her own. At those times the pressure that Torie felt could be overwhelming as she struggled to follow her own course, despite how tenaciously Brenda tried to steer her into another direction.
“I’ll call her…later. Right now I just want to savor the moment, you know. I know there is an urge when good things happen to us to run right out and shout it to the world, but some things—like this one—are just so big that you need to keep it private for a while and soak it in,” Torie said.
They drove in silence for a few long moments. Monte’s excitement for Torie’s good news was another in a list of indicators that he’d had over the past couple of weeks, telling him how caught up he was with her. It almost felt as if her success was his own and he didn’t think he could have been any happier if, in fact, it were his own.
“I’m happy I’m here with you in your big moment,” Monte said, breaking the silence.
Torie turned to face him, while Monte kept his eyes on the road ahead of them.
“I’m glad you are, too,” Torie said sincerely.
They drove the remaining few miles in relative silence, save an occasional comment on the scenery around them. It was early on Saturday and they were headed out to the lake house in Ronkonkoma, about an hour’s drive from where Monte lived in Sands Point. Monte had bought the lake house just a few months after Shawna died. Their house had so many memories that he’d thought that having a change of scenery on the weekends would be good for the boys. It turned out that he was right. Being able to do activities like fishing and going out on the lake in a canoe brought smiles back to his boys’ faces and to his own. For the first year after Shawna died, they’d drive out almost every Friday night and stay through Sunday evening. It was a place of solace and comfort and, Monte felt, one of the best investments he’d ever made.
Now that his mother was living with them, Monte and the boys only went out to the house a couple of times a month, usually when his mother was feeling up to going with them. Otherwise, Cheryl would stay in Sands Point and look after her. Today, Monte’s hope was that he and Torie could spend some time alone, away from crowded restaurants and other people. He couldn’t deny that he found himself in a constant state of arousal every minute he spent with her. Today, if the mood was right and if Torie was feeling half of what he was feeling, he hoped they would fulfill every one of their desires.
Monte gave Torie the grand tour of the small cottage-style house and the surrounding grounds. The two-bedroom home was modestly decorated, with fireplaces in the living room and the master bedroom, two bathrooms and a fully loaded kitchen. Out behind the house there was a barbecue pit and screened patio, and the yard area was surrounded by a thicket of trees and shrubbery that offered privacy from the next house several hundred yards away. He took Torie down to the lake, which was a short walk from the house. They sat beneath a tree, looking out at the water for a while, easy chatter flowing between them. When they returned to the house, Monte spread a blanket in the backyard and left Torie out there reading a magazine while he prepared the brunch he’d packed for them.
“Wow, don’t even tell me you cooked all of this yourself,” Torie exclaimed when Monte spread the food in front of her.
“That depends. What do I get if I say yes?”
“Mmm, how about I kiss the cook,” Torie said, licking deviled egg from her fingers.
“Promises, promises.”
They ate and talked some more about Torie’s new role, a topic that made Torie’s light eyes shine even more brightly than they did.
“When you were a little girl, was acting the dream you held for yourself?” Monte wanted to know.
“I was seven when I decided that I wanted to act. I remember telling my mother that I thought the most powerful people in the world were people who could make others laugh, cry, be happy or sad, just with a few words or a smile. She thought I was just being what she liked to call my usual dramatic little self, but I was serious. I never
