Hide & Seek - James Patterson [47]
“I like to talk to other people who've been in the spotlight,” Will admitted. “As long as they have their heads on straight.”
I grabbed at my neck. “My head okay?”
Will laughed. We both did. I knew exactly what he meant about talking with people who had experienced “star treatment.” There definitely was a bonding that could happen.
“Tell me about Rio,” I said to him about midway through lunch. “No, tell me some good stuff, first.”
“I don't want to talk about me,” Will said and waved off the question. That was unusual, and refreshing. The thing I didn't like about talking to most “stars” was that they loved talking about themselves. I'd have bet that Will was like that. Now I saw that I'd been wrong.
“Leave it at this,” Will said. He took a sip of his wine and stared into space. “I'm changing now. I'm looking for grace rewon. Just like in your song.”
“You'll find it,” I said gently. He had touched me a bit. He was clearly vulnerable, and needy. I secretly liked the fact that he enjoyed my songs so much. I guess I wanted to be a part of his conversion.
“Help me, Maggie.” He said the words softly.
“How? How can I possibly help you, Will?”
He looked at me so intensely I felt my cheeks burning. “Include me in your songs,” he said.
I did better than that. I included him in my life. It was as though I couldn't help myself. As though the planets had conspired to do this to me.
He asked me out, hesitantly, and I found it not so much charming as riveting. He had a way of being attentive that told me I and I alone mattered. He shut out all distractions when we talked. He looked only at me, listened only to me, made me believe I was wise, and worthy, and special.
And so, I went out with Will Shepherd again.
It was very romantic in the beginning. It all came very slowly. It felt right.
We didn't even kiss until our fourth “date.” It came naturally, at my front door, as he was saying good night. The kiss had gentleness and passion, and I felt myself responding almost despite myself.
I pushed him away, gently. “This will take time.”
Will kissed me again, a longer kiss that was amazingly tender. For me, it was half pleasure, half pain. I wanted him and I was afraid of the need. I'd heard the stories about him; I was skeptical that he could change. And yet, he so desperately wanted to change.
This time Will moved away voluntarily. He opened the front door for me, and was gone.
My driveway was lit at night, and I stood there for a moment, watching him walk to his sports car. Long after it had disappeared into the darkness, I stared after him, my emotions confused, but definitely heightened.
CHAPTER 52
WILL DROVE STRAIGHT to Manhattan that night. He pushed his sports car to over a hundred on the Saw Mill River Parkway. Jesus, he was good! But he was also frustrated, and incredibly, painfully horny as a goat. He didn't know how much more of this slow-dance courting business he could take. He wasn't used to it.
Maggie was as straightforward and honest as her songs—but he was beginning to wonder if she was worth the challenge. He was having trouble, well, being so fucking nice all the time. Sometimes, he felt he couldn't possibly be good enough for her.
Cat and mouse, he thought as he crossed from Westchester into New York City. That's what it amounted to with women. He almost always caught them—some were just more trouble than others. It was another game really, a substitute for football, and whatever football was a substitute for.
Rebecca Post was an art dealer who had a big coop on East Sixty-first Street overlooking the bridge. Rebecca was such an easy little mouse to catch, Will thought. Maybe she was too easy, but he could probably think of something to spice that up. Sure he could.
Will used his key to let himself into her luxury apartment. It certainly hadn't been hard to get his own key—he'd just asked, once.
The Blond Arrow tiptoed when he was inside the darkened apartment. He felt like an intruder. A digital clock in the living room clicked the time—twenty past one.