Night Whispers - Leslie Kelly [20]
Kelsey.
Mitch hadn’t seen her since her grand entrance into his apartment over the weekend. He’d had a hard time kicking the image of those long legs and sultry comments.
“Have you seen Amanda since you got back?” Paul asked.
Mitch grabbed a handful of pretzels. “She came by the other night.”
“And? Details, details…come on, buddy.”
“And nothing. We talked. She left. Period.”
“You’re kidding,” Paul said in disbelief. “I ran into her a few weeks ago, and she started pumping me for information about when you were getting back. I got the impression she was going to give you a tremendous welcome home.”
She probably had been planning exactly that when she came by the other night. But since Mitch hadn’t even been able to pretend interest, especially after Kelsey’s visit, a highly offended Amanda had stormed out.
“It’s not that I’d tell you anything, anyway,” Mitch said, “but in this case, let me assure you, there’s nothing to tell.”
His friend didn’t look as though he believed him, but Mitch didn’t bother to elaborate.
“Quiet down,” someone yelled. “It’s time for Night Whispers!”
Mitch glanced around and saw the bartender reach up to the sound system to crank up the volume on the stereo.
“Oh, buddy, you’ve got to check this out,” Paul said.
“What?”
“This new radio show. Everybody’s talking about it.”
Around the room, conversations quieted. Mitch saw people shushing others, demanding they listen. He’d never heard of Night Whispers, and couldn’t believe there was this much of a stir over some radio show.
“What’s it all about?” he asked Paul.
“It’s a sex show,” Paul said with a grin. “Well, not really sex, I guess women call it romance, or passion, but let me tell you, I hear Lady Love’s voice and I just ache.”
Ache? Paul ached? Mitch nearly laughed aloud at his friend’s exaggeration until he noticed the man was dead serious.
“Laugh if you want, but I’m telling you this show is great. A lot of people have Night Whispers parties. Everybody I know is into it. This woman, she just…I don’t know how to describe it, she speaks, and it’s not just how sexy her voice is, it’s that you almost feel she’s speaking from her soul.”
Mitch raised a skeptical eyebrow at Paul’s eloquent words as he lifted his drink to his mouth. A few slow, mellow notes of a saxophone underscored the prerecorded introduction, setting a lazy, relaxed mood. Then a smooth voice spoke.
“Hello, Baltimore. This is Lady Love and tonight I want to talk about sensuous pleasures.”
“Oh, my God,” Mitch sputtered as he nearly choked on his beer.
It was Kelsey.
“We all know about the five senses, learned of them in grade school. To taste, touch, hear, see and smell are all such gifts. Gifts that many of us take for granted and don’t stop to consider.”
Kelsey leaned closer to the microphone, closing her eyes as she spoke. The bright lights in the studio, and the equalizers, stereo and sound equipment, weren’t exactly conducive to romance or, tonight, sensuality. She had worked herself into her mood, as usual, with her bath. That always helped. She hadn’t been exaggerating to Mitch when she talked about the importance of a long, languorous bath, and found that her evening ritual helped prepare her to come in and talk frankly about the subjects she covered in her show.
“Tonight,” she continued, “I want to consider them. Sensuous pleasures are derived from everything that surrounds us. The soft petals of a rose brushed against the cheek, then its scent deeply inhaled, gives such delight. The sweet, slightly bitter taste of dark chocolate lingers on the tongue long after it’s gone. The calm solitude and silence of a beach under a night sky interrupted only by the sound of churning waves, washing forward then receding, brings peace and tranquillity. And who can look at a masterful piece