As he lit the thick vanilla scented candles, he thought about the flame in his heart that would never go out for Laura. Not many people got a chance to have a do-over in life. He could only hope that Laura would give him that chance.
Half an hour later, with a soft smell of the sweet spice filling the air, Chase surveyed the dining table with its setting for two. Then he turned his attention to the living room where the candles of various heights dotted the room. On the center piece table was a bowl of assorted roses with stems cut short, making the arrangement look thick and colorful. He’d ordered the vibrant array of colors off the Internet to cut the monotonous brown shade of his couch and furniture. It paid to watch a few of the popular interior designing shows.
His phone rang. His spirit dropped, thinking that it had to be Laura canceling. His disappointment waited in limbo as he picked up the receiver. “Yes?”
“Chase, it’s Laura. Sorry, I’m running late. I left the directions at home and thought that I could rely on memory.” She laughed. “Wrong move.”
Chase shoved the disappointment back down with a big sense of relief. She was on her way. “No problem.” He provided the directions, impressed that she’d made it into his neighborhood, two streets away.
He went outside to greet her, knowing that she was probably a bundle of nerves after driving around the area. As an afterthought, he ran back into the house, hoping that he didn’t miss her arrival. Hastily, he pulled a yellow rose out of the bowl and headed back outside.
Under the startling sunlight, he felt like a schoolboy waiting for someone to give him attention while he stood there with the flower. He stared down at the flower as if it would provide an answer.
A quick horn tap sounded and he looked up to see Laura waving from the nearby street corner. Maybe the romantic gesture would be too much. He tossed the flower in the hedge. Then he walked toward the mailbox as if that was his primary reason for being outdoors. She pulled up next to the curb offering him a quick wave.
“Hey, see that wasn’t too bad,” he offered.
“Yep, your directions were perfect.” She approached him and offered him a bottle of wine.
He should have kept the rose. He wondered if he could reach down to retrieve it from the hedge where it landed. Instead he took the wine and pretended to read the label. “Wonderful.” He had no clue about drinks. Maybe wine tasting would be the next hobby as he adjusted to his retirement phase.
He ushered her in, glad to see that she was suitably impressed with his new home. She handed her coat to him, which he took to the closet.
“Amazing.” Laura’s voice reflected her awe.
“It’s what I like to call home.” Why on earth did he sound like a good TV dad? “How’s Kasey?”
“She’ll survive. Right now she’s making all kinds of resolutions to stop drinking.” They laughed.
“Come on in. I have appetizers for us to enjoy.” Chase motioned toward the living room, before heading into the kitchen. He could see her from the kitchen as he added the finishing touches to the chicken tenderloins cooked on skewers served with cucumber dip or peanut sauce.
“You went all out. Hope you’re not disappointed.”
“You wouldn’t disappoint me,” he teased.
She shrugged, a shadow flitted across her face.
“Have a seat.” He set the serving dish on the table. Laura hadn’t moved. He turned to see why she resisted his simple request. She was perusing the photographs and various tokens of his mastery in sports.
Not wanting to disturb her, he continued setting out the small plates and napkins. Wondering if she was in the mood for quiet or chatting, he turned on the stereo with his remote and let the CD of R&B classics play. A line up of Roberta Flack, Temptations, Stevie Wonder and Barry White couldn’t hurt a candlelit dinner.
“I’m really confused,” Laura spoke over her shoulder. She had looked at the framed photographs, medals, championship cups and now turned her attention on him. “You could have anything you want.” She threw her arms out expansively. “Why are you here? I know Atlanta is the new Mecca for upwardly mobile African Americans, but why are you here? Why a college coach? I imagine that you could be a personal coach for the next up and coming athlete. Now you’re bogged down with politics and the administration. This is my world, not yours.”
Chase bit into the chicken on the wood skewers. He needed a minute to think. He slid the plate to Laura, glad to see that she finally thought about eating.
“My body’s broken up, Laura. Maybe I’ll go back to reclaim my place in the world after a year of healing. On my contracts, I still have endorsements and a few lecture circuits to hit for the coming year. I didn’t plan to retire so early, but it’s what had to happen.”
Neither spoke.
“Do you mind if I freshen up?” Laura looked around abruptly.
“Go right ahead. Off to your right. That’ll give me some time to transfer the food from the kitchen to the dining room.”
“I’ll help.”
“Thanks, but you’re not allowed to lift a finger, except to eat,” he explained.
Laura acknowledged his request and aimed for the bathroom. She closed the door, glad to get away for a few seconds. Several times she’d wanted to cancel. By not resisting Chase and that mind-blowing kiss, he could have the wrong idea that she was willing to play on dangerous ground. Then, she followed up with accepting his dinner invitation!
Laura made a face in the mirror. She smoothed her eyebrows, inspecting the rest of her face. Only her eyes and lips were made up. After a late night with light sleep, she needed the smoky eyeliner to enhance her eyes and make them look larger and more awake. With the same thought in mind, she had selected a reddish hued lipstick as a bright spot of color for liveliness.
Dishes clinked outside the room. Guess it was time to exit and face the result of her decision. She ran her fingers through her hair, tossing back the front piece so that it lay feathered on one side of her face. Enough with her fidgeting, she opened the door.
“Do you have a preference?” Chase stood behind one of the chairs, waiting for her decision.
Laura shook her head. She took the other chair, but Chase slid over to assist her. When he lightly touched her shoulder, she froze hoping that he would return to the other chair so she could breathe normally.
“Everything smells wonderful.” Laura did admire the line up of dishes. She couldn’t believe that his culinary skills had become so developed.
“There’s a garden salad, soup and Alfredo pasta with grilled chicken breast.”
“I’m embarrassed at how much you’ve done on my behalf.”
“Don’t be. Yes, I did spend a bit of time preparing, but this is my olive branch to you to keep the past in the past. Can we move forward?”
Laura took a gulp of wine, choking in the process. Over the rim of her wine glass she studied him.
“Look, Chase, I think we’d better keep this on neutral ground.”
“If that’ll make you feel better.”
“It would.” She ate her salad, enjoying the sweet, zesty vinaigrette poured lightly over the greens. “Someone made you very domesticated.” No sooner had the statement escaped than she blushed at the direct hit her question made. She felt like a hypocrite calling for neutrality when she zeroed in on what occupied her thoughts—Chase with another woman.
“There