Hot Chips and Sand
Copyright © 2013 Mary Hughes
All rights reserved
The waiter zoomed
back and
slid a loaf of spicy‑smelling bread in front of each of them.
Cliff ate all of his, then
sat, eyes wistfully following Vickie’s second slice on its way to her mouth. After a few minutes of puppy‑dog
eyes, Vickie swallowed carefully. “Would you like some of mine, Cliff?” She wasn’t really surprised to see the rest
of her loaf disappear. “How do you
survive on l’haute cuisine?”?”
“Only if you’re sure.”
“I’m sur—” She
wasn’t really surprised to see the rest of her loaf disappear. “How do you
survive on l’haute cuisine when you entertain clients?”
“I don’t.” “I don’t.” He
washed down the bread with a full glass of water. “I have a cook who raised
seven sons. She
feeds me after I’ve been out, entertaining clients.”
“No,
of course not. This is
different.” .” He paused. grinned and
pressed his fingers into the crumbs of bread on her plate, then licked his
fingers. “There is, however, a chocolate cake in the refrigerator
at my house, calling softly to me.”
“Really?
Are you sure that’s not my
brownie, singing from your stomach?”
“I
can see you’re going to be stubborn over this.”
Vickie
raised one eyebrow. “I
prefer ‘tenacious.’“tenacious’.”
“Hmm.” Cliff
seemed
very intent on tapped his empty glass for a
moment. Then he thoughtfully,
then picked up the pitcher and poured them both more water out of the
pitcher.
. As the ice
cracked, he
spoke carefully, not looking at her. “Would you , he said, “Maybe you’d like
to come
over to my house after dinner, for a piece of Hannah’stry some.”
“Some what?”
“Chocolate
cake. Hannah makes it with semisweet bakers chocolate cake?” and cream
cheese and fresh eggs and, well, it’s really good.”
“You
mean…you’re inviting me to your house?
“Yes.” He looked up
then, eyes clear and intent. “No
strings attached, of course.”
Cliff smiled ruefully. “I don’t blame you, after the way
I behaved the last time.”
“No, that’s not it.” Vickie flushed, feeling slightly guilty.
It
was the first time he had mentioned it since that day. and now he was Vickie
flushed, feeling slightly guilty. He was taking full blame for the
incident,
even though she had instigated it. Her
guilt prodded her. “That’s not it at
all, Cliff. ? Sweet man… “I’d
love to come.”
His eyes were unreadable for a
moment. Then aA
smile spread clear across his face, bringing back
the clear light. to his eyes. “Thanks for.”
“For what?”
“For giving me
another chance.”
Vickie
wondered at his sudden shift in topics, but answered as honestly as she
could. Without revealing too much, of
course. “Oh, I guess said, “I
like them both. , I guess. I like
working with your people a lot.” Especially
your CEO.
That
was about all she thought it was professional and proper to say, so she then
attempted to shift the focus from herself. “What about you? Which do you like better?”
The
accuracy of that remarkThat stung her eyes open wide.
WasLucky guess, or was
he really that sharp, or had it been a lucky guess? ?
She fenced a little. “You
mean, am
I afraid of you, just because you’re head ofyou own
the company?”
“Let’s
not start that again.”
“You forgot your
brother.”
Cliff smiled at the waiter, waved him off, and served
the pizza himself. The pizza came then, but she had to ask.
As he slid a thick wedge on her
plate she found her voice. “What has my brother got to do with it?”
She didn’t even bother asking how
he knew she had a brother.
Cliff smiled at the waiter, waved him off, and served
the pizza himself. “He’s at a rather expensive
university, wouldn’t you say?” He
looked
up, raisingraised an eyebrow at her.
She
was puzzled. “Yes, but he’s
got a generous scholarship that pays for most of…” She trailed off as realization
dawned.
“Provided by the
Hawkesclyffe Foundation.” He
turnedslid a wedge
onto his attention back to the pizza while Vickie sat,
stunned. After a minute she said,own plate.
“Mmm. Smells great.” He picked it up and bit off half the slice. “Tastes even
better.”
Vickie watched him chew, trying
to clear her head. “Did you do thatknow?” she
said finally. “Did you give him the money on purpose?”, because you
somehow knew who I was?” She winced when she realized how self-centered that
sounded.
“What,“You mean
to hold it over you?” ? Other way around, actually.”
He bit
off half afinished the slice pizza. “I do
screen all scholarship recipients. Actually,
that’s how I and found out about you.” He took another huge bite. “Although I admit I thought V.
Johnston was a brother, until I met you.”
“At
the office?”
“No,
at the hotel.”
She
blushed, remembering it. Then,
remembering it, “I didn’t tell you my name then.”
“Some
people“People at the embassy mentioned V.a person named
Johnston had
been kidnapped, and since I would be in town, would I please look out for Mr.
Johnston. Apparently I wasn’t the only one
confused on that point. Then I saw you, and the matter was cleared up
immediately. Definitely female.”
His
eyes met and held hers, his mouth crooked up on one side in a very sexy
smile, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. Then, as if remembering something, sheShe
looked away. “I was very“I’m
glad you were there. I
don’t think I could have escaped, otherwise.”
“You
didn’t seem glad at the time.”
They“There were…other factors.”
Sexy, high-handed, half-naked factors. “So about that subroutine.”
“You mean the
one you sneakily commented?”
“Hardly. The
variables were clearly and beautifully named, anyway.” And they were back on
safe ground again.
When they were done
eating,
so Cliff put the tab on the company card and they walked together
out of the restaurant, hunger, for food at any rate, sated.
Vickie
thought some more about that night in Middle Yemen. How had she felt? What could she share with him? Silently, she let him into her
sedan.
Finally,
as Wondering what she’d find at his home. Whether
he’d be professional…or not. The idea of his…not…excited her. And that scared
her. As she pulled out, she said, “You’reYou know, I
didn’t mean it before, about being afraid of you. I’m not afraid of anyone
just rather
imposing. I wouldbecause
they’re in a position of authority. But…well, you’re big, you know. I’d
imaging most people would find you…intimidating.”
He
laughed. “Not so very long ago, you could
have kicked sand in my face at the beach.”
What? “I guess I can’t
picture that.”
“But
it’s true. I
was a skinny kid. Tall,
but gangly. No
interest in sports whatsoever. Turn
right here.”
Vickie
realized they were headed toward the park Cliff had taken her to for their
picnic. Did She wondered if he live near
there? “When I was inlived nearby. “In my high school, we
had jocks, nerds and freaks. Jocks
were brawn without brains, nerds were brains without brawn, and freaks didn’t
have either. Somehow,
I can’t see you with the broken glasses and a pocket protectorcomputer.”
“Oh
yes, I would have definitely been a nerd at your school.“But I was.
Nothing interested me except for electronic gismos. Obviously, that did not make me
too popular with my peers.”
“Dad
was already dead by then. Mum
just despaired of me ever making it in proper society.”
“I’m sorry.” Vickie wasn’t sure if she
He shrugged. “It
was talking
about the loss of his father or the attitude of his mother.
“You
know,a long time ago. I guess that’s part
of the reason I hated sports. Dad was always very athletic, and it just got him
killed.”
“Killed?
How?”
Cliff
gave her a series of directions before continuing. “He was a career serviceman, of course. .
Well, he volunteered for every extra assignment that came along, which allowed
Mum to live in the style to which she was accustomed to,
and got Dad
to get out
of the house. And since Dad kept himself in peak physical
condition, he was always chosen for the highest‑paid, and coincidentally most
dangerous assignments.” He smiled thinly before going on.
“One
day, he volunteered for a peace‑keeping force in the Middle
East. He
and his commanding officer were taken hostage the day after he got there. Dad died helping the officer
escape.”
Could
this be why he“He was so callused?
a hero, then.” The
directions had taken her into the park. She stopped, uncertain.
Cliff looked up from his own
thoughts, saw her indecision, and smiled. ““Go straight. We
moved here after that. Straight.”
She started forward, and was
amazed to see the. The parkway curve,
surprisingly, curved into a long driveway, and.
And at the end of
the drive stood the most beautiful home she had ever seen.
