8
Title: The Right Touch
Rating: K
Category: Romance
Disclaimers: These guys aren't mine but I love 'em.
Author's Note: The romance continues.
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The Right Touch
Chapter 9
Early Sunday afternoon
Sue and Myles were alone. The three of them had been busy brainstorming flowers, fauna and ideas for the Saturday benefit. When Levi had indicated he needed to go out, Lucy had offered to take him.
"I could use the exercise," she had declared. "I need the exercise."
Gratefully Sue had accepted her offer. Ideas were brimming in her mind and she didn't want to be interrupted.
"Doorbell," announced Myles as he scribbled the latest flower Sue suggested.
Sue bent her head down to peer at Myles' lips. "What did you say?"
He looked up. "Doorbell." He motioned to his position on the floor. "I'd get up and answer it myself but I don't think I'd be able to get back down. I don't know if I'll be able to get up for that matter," he grimaced.
She laughed. "I'll get it." Lithely, she stood up and peeked through the security hole. She immediately opened the door.
"Bobby!" she greeted happily. "Come in. You're just in time. We were just working on some ideas."
He smiled as he entered the apartment. The smile faded when he spotted a man seated on the floor. He seemed very much at home.
"Bobby Manning," introduced Sue, "Myles Leland."
"Don't forget the third," Myles added as he extended his hand. "Myles Leland the III. I'd stand but I can't," he apologized. "Nice to meet you. I've been hearing a lot about you."
Bobby glanced at Sue with a questioning look. She colored slightly.
"Oh, it's all good," assured Myles. "But then again, Sue never has a bad word to say about anyone. She's the most positive person I know."
Even with his limited contact with the pretty blonde, Bobby found it to be true. He could only agree with the man that seemed to know Sue so well.
"Thank you for the kind words...I think," she said dubiously. She shook her head. "Bobby's offered to give us the opinion of the-man-on-the-street of our ideas. And since he knows Ms. D'Angelo, it could help us narrow down our proposals."
"Good idea," agreed Myles.
"Would you like some coffee?" asked Sue.
"Sure. Two lumps of sugar, please." She moved to the kitchen to get it.
"Have a seat," suggested Myles. "You have your choice of floor or sofa. Or you could pull up a chair."
"Sofa is fine," replied Bobby as he lowered himself.
"Lucy said you're the one that recommended the shop to Ms. D'Angelo," Myles said conversationally. "Thanks."
"My pleasure," he answered. "Darcy needed a florist and The Right Touch immediately came to mind."
"Well, if everything works out, it would mean a lot to them, especially for us."
"Us?"
"Lucy and I," said Myles. "This shop is her dream. She wants to make a go of it. This opportunity to supply the flowers for this soiree could be just the ticket."
The sinking feeling Bobby had when Myles mentioned an 'us' immediately disappeared when he said 'Lucy and I.' Lucy was involved with Myles, not Sue. He felt strangely relieved.
"Sorry it took so long," apologized Sue when she brought the coffee. "We ran out of sugar and I had to look for a new bag."
"Not a problem," smiled Bobby as he took the coffee from her. "Myles and I were having a nice chat."
"That's good," she replied eyeing the two men.
At that moment, the door opened and Levi walked in to sit by Sue. "We're home," announced Lucy. "Did..." She stopped when she spotted Bobby.
"Lucy," began Sue, "this is Bobby Manning. Bobby, the other half of The Right Touch...Lucy Dotson." He stood up to meet her.
"I'm glad to finally meet you," smiled Lucy as she sized up Bobby. He was good-looking. "Sue's always in a better mood after your calls."
"Lucy!" exclaimed a mortified Sue.
Bobby grinned. He knew exactly what Lucy meant. He was usually in a better mood after he spoke with Sue, too.
She faced Bobby. "I..."
He held up his hand. "Not a word. I'll take it as a compliment. I enjoy our little chats, too."
Rolling her eyes at her roommate, she suggested, "Maybe we should focus on what you came here for."
"All right," nodded Bobby with a smile.
Sue reached down for the stack of sketches she'd made last night and this morning. She stood next to him as they looked over the drawings together.
Lucy gracefully lowered herself to sit by Myles while she watched the engrossed pair. Her eyes narrowed in speculation as she noted the mutual attraction. And they don't even realize it, she thought. Interesting, very interesting, especially since Bobby was supposedly involved with Darcy D'Angelo.
Finally, Bobby pulled out five sketches. "I think these may work."
"You think so?" asked Sue hesitantly.
"Well, they're nice…very nice," he stated kindly.
"But you don't think they're exactly what your girlfriend's looking for," commented Lucy shrewdly.
He shrugged. He looked at both women. "Look, I know you need to please the customer but you also have to please yourself to a certain extent. After all, designing—be it with flowers or clothing—is an extension of yourself. These don't look like the woman I've been talking to for the past few months. The theme of this year's gala is 'Joy'. I should think this would be easy for you."
Sue stared at him for a moment absorbing the unintended compliment while ideas began to spring up in her mind. She grabbed the sketchpad from the coffee table and plopped down on the sofa. Bobby looked over her shoulder as she drew. With interested eyes, Lucy noted the pull between the pair was even more apparent.
"What are you smirking about?" asked Myles quietly.
She thrust her chin in the direction of Sue and Bobby deep in conversation.
Myles glanced at them. "What?"
"I forgot," she sighed, "you're a man."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
She tugged at his arm. "It means we're going for a walk and leaving them alone. I'll tell you while we're out." She wanted to give Sue and Bobby some time alone. She stood up pulling Myles up with her.
He groaned as he got up. "Now you're walking me?"
Bobby looked up when he heard the groan. "Going somewhere?" Sue looked up, too.
"Myles needs to move before he becomes a permanent fixture on our living room floor," Lucy declared. "Which would not be a good thing. He'd clash with our decor."
He glared at her. "Just for that, you can treat me to a mocha latte."
"Deal." She turned to the couple on the sofa. "We'll be back in a while."
"Don't forget to list down the flowers you want to use," reminded Myles as Lucy tugged him towards the door. "Nice meeting you," he pointed to Bobby.
Bobby waved. The door closed.
"Alone at last," he joked, eyes twinkling with humor.
"Except for Levi."
"Ah," he continued in the same vein, "the chaperone." Levi was stretched out next to the sofa napping.
Sue smiled. Her phone conversations with him were fun but being with him in person was even more pleasant.
"It's too bad we didn't meet sooner," she said. She stopped, aghast that she voiced her thoughts.
Bobby grinned. "I was just thinking the same thing myself. You, are a very easy person to be with, Sue Thomas."
"You are, too, Bobby Manning."
As they smiled at each other, their eyes connected and held for a long moment. Sue had to remind herself to breathe.
"I...I have an idea," she said breathlessly.
"You do?" replied Bobby absent-mindedly his attention elsewhere.
His eyes remained glued on hers. She had such warm, lovely eyes, he thought. Her skin looked so smooth...so soft. And her lips...what would it feel like to kiss them? Unconsciously, he started to lean towards Sue. Mesmerized by his stare, Sue responded in kind.
Just before their lips met, Bobby's cell chirped, breaking the spell. He pulled back abruptly. Sue looked confused.
"Phone," he said succinctly. He reached for it as he silently cursed the interruption. He looked at the caller ID before answering.
"Jack! What can I do for you?
A favor? If I can. What is it?
Tonight?" He glanced at Sue. She was busily sketching away. "Sure, I'll be glad to stay with the kids.
Six? I'll be there.
No worries, mate. You'd do the same for me. See you later." He flipped the phone shut and moved to look over Sue's shoulder. She glanced at him.
"A friend," he answered briefly. "Needs an emergency baby-sitter for tonight." At her amused expression, he remarked, "In fact, it's the little girl and her brother that you saw me with at the movies."
"Oh. That should be fun."
"Yeah, they're good kids." He looked at her an idea growing in his mind. "Why don't you come along and help me? This time I have to feed them so Jack suggested I take Megan and Josh to the pizza place close to their house. It'll be a lot easier taking Megan to the powder room if you're there," he pointed out.
"What about your girlfriend?" brought up Sue. "Shouldn't you be asking her?"
He waved off the suggestion. "Too busy." He looked hopefully at her. "Are you game? It would be a lot easier with two."
She considered his idea. It would be fun if last night was any indication and it would be easier to watch the children with two adults. "All right," she said quickly before she could change her mind.
"Wonderful." He smiled at her briefly before looking down at her drawing. "What do have here?" He took the sketchpad from her to take a closer look. He stared at it for a few moments.
As the silence continued, she grew nervous. Maybe it wasn't as good as she thought. Maybe he didn't like it. "Well?"
"I like this," he said slowly. "I like it very much. It's you."
"Do you think Ms. D'Angelo would like it?"
"She'll love it," he pronounced.
Sue smiled in relief. "That's good." She flipped to the second page. "I was thinking along these lines for the table centerpieces." She leaned in to him as she pointed out the flowers she wanted to use. As his warmth permeated through her thin shirt, she became very aware of how close they were sitting. She should've, but she didn't move. She was enjoying his nearness too much.
"Makes me happy," declared Bobby as he turned to her.
She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts, she missed what he said, "Excuse me? Did you say something?"
"Oh sorry," he said contritely. "I forgot. I need to be facing you. You look so normal I forget you're deaf."
"I look so normal?" she repeated.
He looked stricken. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded!" he apologized. "Of course, you're normal. I didn't intend to infer that you're not. It's just that you can't see your deafness, you know, like a person who's blind or missing an appendage. So I for…" he stopped and noticed the twinkle in her eyes. "Could you help out a mate here with two feet in his mouth?"
"You're doing just fine by yourself," she teased.
He handed the sketchpad back to her. "And here I thought you were such a nice person," he complained playfully.
"Oh, I am—to people without both feet in their mouths," she assured him."Rather difficult to read lips like that."
"Ha! Ha! Very funny," Bobby frowned.
She giggled. "So are you."
Bobby tried to maintain his stern expression but failed miserably. The room rang with their shared laughter.
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