Yacht Club Dreams- Part Iv

“Don’t worry,” he told her brother “I will make sure she gets home safely.” With a firm handshake It was a done deal He would be true to his word It was now a matter of honor They were off towards the entrance of the club Maybe he’d just get one of his drivers To drop her off Maybe he was just being polite She did get a smug sense of satisfaction From all the looks they got as they passed The late night party goers Looks of envy Of incredulity She pressed a little closer to him This was her moment of glory… He asked the valet To bring the car And as they waited He turned to her and asked “Are you cold?” “I’m fine, thank you,” and yet she couldn’t help The little tremor that ran through her again How could she explain to this man beside her That it wasn’t the chilly late night air But his overwhelming presence The intoxicating scent that clung to him That made her react this way She tried to pull away a little And before she knew what was happening He had draped a jacket on her shoulders More of that scent engulfed her When would this torture ever end? He opened the door of his Lexus for her And as she settled in She looked with dismay He was getting into the driver’s seat It would be a long drive home After she gave him her address, He eased the car out onto the road And she exhaled slowly Surely these 20 minutes could pass without mishap She twirled the scarf between her hands Stealing a glance at him She could almost swear he looked nervous Thought his driving was smooth Smoother than that of anyone she had been with before She felt compelled to break the silence… “It’s a fine club you have there,” She spoke quietly “I’m glad you approve.” He looked at her lingeringly He blue eyes searching her face “That was quite a dance…” “I’d rather we didn't talk about that,” she whispered. “Why? You were amazing.” It was getting hard for her to breathe. “I don’t even know your name,” he said. “Well, after tonight…you won’t have to.” And she bit her lip as soon as the words had come out Now that she had let it slip, she might as well spill it all out… “Listen, I don’t know why you’re doing this. Is it for your image? Rich man drives poor girl home? Maybe you think I’m a charity case Like one of those people I've read in the papers That your charity organization helps. You wanted to look good in front of your yacht club buddies Good publicity? Ok…deed done. Bravo. Now you can just let me off at these traffic lights.” Eileen Manassian Ghali To Be Continued...