Something About Vegas

Clarity

"So Calleigh, what do you think you want to do? The way I see it, we have a couple of options to choose from. One, we can push on to Kansas City and spend the night there. If the weather improves we can probably make it in under three hours. In the morning we can head to the airport or keep driving, your call," he outlined, once they finished their pie.

She regarded him thoughtfully, her head tilted to the side, then she turned her attention to the window. "Or?" she questioned with a sigh, still focused on the view of the outdoors.

"Or, option number two, we call it a day and stay here in Abilene. I'm sure there are worse places to put in for the night," he offered with a shrug.

"I vote for calling it a day. You look beat, like you could use some sleep. It was a rough day of driving. We can just hang out, take it easy tonight and get a pizza or something," she suggested, smiling at him. He was captivated by her, lost in her eyes, unable to form a coherent thought for a moment. When she smiled that way, eyes shining and her attention focused solely on him, he knew he'd agree to anything she asked. He'd even agree to walk back to Miami, in this weather, in the middle of the night, if it would make her happy.

Was it always like this, did she always have this effect on him? he wondered. Had he just been clueless before that night in Vegas? It was all beginning to make sense. There was a depth and strength to his feelings that confounded him and couldn't have occurred overnight. He found these feelings uncomfortable, like ill fitting clothes he couldn't take off. He fidgeted in his seat before answering, trying without success to get comfortable again.

"Sounds like a plan. There were a couple of motels we passed on the way here. We can get one room, two beds, or two separate rooms, your choice," he told her when he was finally able to speak. He tried to avoid giving away anything with his expression. Maybe they could just leave this alone and no one would get hurt. They could chalk the first night up to an evening of too much alcohol. The second night, well, that was proving to be a bit harder to figure out, it was probably just the heat. If he told himself that enough times he might start to believe it and then he could bury these feelings of his again.

"One room is fine," she answered, "is it OK with you?" she asked hesitantly, looking at him with a questioning look he didn't quite comprehend. He nodded and they left after paying the check. Not for a minute did he truly believe that sharing a room would be a good idea, not after last night.

A suitable motel with vacancies was found not far from the interstate. Tim very pointedly asked the desk clerk if the room came with two queen sized beds and she assured him that it did. Calleigh, standing off to the side, said nothing. They found their room, gave it a quick once over and found it to be a step up from the room they shared last night. Once inside, he watched as she dropped her stuff on one of the beds, then he dumped his stuff on the other bed. The air conditioner was his first order of business, for there was no way he wanted to risk the heated conditions of last night. He turned it on to make sure it worked properly, although something told him just sharing a room with her would be enough to heat up the conditions of the room.

"Hey Tim, I think I'm going to take a shower before we eat if that's OK. I feel a mess after sitting in the car all day and getting drenched every time we got out." She stood, bag in hand, looking at him uncertain and it took him a minute to realize she was waiting for him to say something.

"Yeah, sure," he replied when he got his mouth to work and he hoped the look on his face didn't give away where his head had just been. The minute the word 'shower' came out of her eminently kissable mouth, his mind had involuntarily gone exactly where it shouldn't and now he couldn't get thoughts of Calleigh, naked in the shower, rivulets of water running down her skin, out of his head. He felt his cheeks color, so he quickly turned from her and walked over to the small table in the corner of the room, before he embarrassed himself. "I'll take care of ordering the pizza," he mumbled. He could still feel her gaze. He swallowed hard and picked up the hospitality book left by the management, engrossing himself in it's contents.

"Thanks. I won't be long," she told him in her honey coated drawl which was not helping him take his mind off her.

'God, I'm pathetic,' he said to himself after he heard the door close. He found a pizza delivery listing and phoned in their order, grateful for something concrete to do. Hanging up, his ears were filled with the sound of the shower and thoughts of his temporary roommate, who was also, for the time being at least, still his wife, once again filled his head, causing him to groan.

He sat down hard in the nearest chair and placed his head in his hands. It was no use, she was all he could think about, ever since that night in Vegas, no matter what he did or how many times he tried to stop himself. How long had he been denying these feelings he had for her? No one had ever had this effect on him, or even came close. Thanks to Calleigh, he found himself wanting things he never knew he desired and certainly didn't think himself capable of, like a permanent relationship, for one.

Women for him fell in two categories. There were the ones he had no real interest in, other than an evening's diversion and the ones he liked, but who always wanted more than he was willing or able to give. Both kinds faded out of his life with little fanfare and he liked it that way. Calleigh fit in neither category. He wanted her with a passion he didn't know he possessed and she was all or nothing as far as he was concerned. She could never be a fling that would fade in time, she was much too important to him, which would finally help explain his alcohol fueled behavior in Vegas. He had never taken a risk like this and he probably shouldn't have taken this one, there was just too much at stake. It could never work out between them, never. It was crazy to think she could ever return his feelings.

It had grown quiet in the small room, the sound of the shower no longer apparent and all he heard now was the distant low rumble of thunder along with some highway noise. He wondered how long he had been sitting staring at the walls. She soon ventured out of the bathroom with the light scent of flowers clinging to her, looking as beautiful as ever. He watched her put her things away and come join him at the table.

"Pizza coming soon?" she asked with a lilt in her voice.

"Uh, yeah, maybe another 15 minutes," he answered. Her hair was damp, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkled and the corners of her lips turned up in the form of a shy smile. She looked to him like she did after making love and he knew that look well, having committed it to his memory.

"Tim, something on your mind? You seem distant or maybe you're just really tired," she commented and placed her hand on his arm. She fixed her intense green gaze on him and he swore she could see through to the core of him.

"It's nothing, Calleigh. Just thinking about the drive tomorrow," he lied and wondered if she knew he wasn't being honest with her. Her fingers brushed his forearm with a feather light stroke before pulling away and he basked in the memory of her touch on other parts of his body. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with his inability to turn off the sensations her nearness caused. Feelings, once turned on, were not so easy to turn off, he had recently discovered.

He had handed over his heart without cognizant thought and now he couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't sure if she realized it or if she wanted it, but he wouldn't be getting it back in any usable form. It was hers, he had taken the risk and surprisingly, he wasn't regretting it as much as he thought he would. That night in Vegas would always be worth the heartbreak it was certain to cause him, he was only sorry for making a mess of her life and causing her any distress.

"I hope you know how much I appreciate you being here. I know you're missing work because of it. To top it off, I haven't been in the best of moods," she volunteered, interrupting the dialog in his head.

"It's OK. I don't mind being here with you," he revealed.

"Thank you. It's been an..." she began, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. "I imagine that's our pizza."

"I'll get it," he replied, eagerly jumping out of his seat, grateful for the interruption because he wasn't ready for any kind of a serious conversation with her.

They ate their pizza and kept the conversation to safe topics, which helped him to relax and just enjoy her company. Despite avoiding the subject that he imagined was on both of their minds, there was no tension between them tonight. It had finally evaporated, leaving them both more comfortable and at ease with each other.

There was no more denying that he felt a deeper connection to her. When she let her guard down, he could see something In her eyes, something he thought he only imagined there before. But still, he had no clue as to why she said 'yes' that night and she was providing no answers.

The boundaries they crossed had yielded entrance to a different kind of relationship, one with a stronger, more intimate bond. This was the one they had tried on two nights ago and had discarded in the light of day, only to repeat the same action the very next day. Both had been uncertain about what they wanted or expected from each other. All they needed to do now, was to choose to walk through together, the entrance was already there. He watched her while she was talking and he wondered if she would ever want the same thing he did. He was almost afraid to find out, because it was probably going to hurt like hell when he did.

tbc