'Never' turned out to be two days later. I was standing in the elevator, having pushed "12" on the elevator of the swank Manhattan building wondering exactly what I was doing here. Well, if you know me, you know what I was doing here, firstly, making an ass of myself, and secondly coming to claim what was mine.

It wasn't something I had just done, no, the last two days were filled with nothing but torn emotions. Should I go see her, should I leave her be? Should I mess up her life with declarations of love or do I give her peace and let her live her life without me? For two freakin' days I wracked my brain for not. I knew the minute she walked out that gallery door that I was going to go after her again. It just took me two days to find out where she was.

So here I stand, waiting for the 12th floor, wondering what I was going to say that she hadn't heard before. I was never really good at words and for all the two-steps forward I moved on somethings, being a guy who could say the right things at the right time wouldn't be one of my strong points. How was I going to persuade her to leave her husband, her brand-new life to come away with me again solely because I wish her to? I watched as the light on the floor bar glowed at the 10th floor, at the 11th floor then 12th and as the doors opened and I walked out of the elevator, rounding the corner towards the law offices, reality hit me in the face.

Lips pressed together, hands threaded through hair, breaths in soft pants. A passionate kiss of two lovers, hidden from the rest of the floor in a quite corner.

I stood there, shocked as hell, watching the non-so-public display of affection. But as shocked as I was, I found that I began to smile. Not wanting them to see me, I moved quietly back around the corner, waiting for the lovers to part. Luckily for me, it didn't take very long. It was a stolen kiss, one that you have taken when the moment was right. I heard them bid their adieus and my witness to the display had gone unnoticed. No kidding with a kiss like that, I thought with a chuckle. The entire world probably melted away for them during a kiss like that. I have to admit that I got a little wistful thinking of a time that when I was a part of a kiss like that but as I started approaching the doors of Delgado & Weaton International, I knew that I would have that feeling again.

"Sir, you really need to have an appointment."

Receptionists, I thought with a sign as I looked at the fresh-faced woman who was standing in my way. Normally, I would have cut her to the quick, thrown her aside without a bat of an eyelash. But I was different now I was mature.

"Screw the appointment, I wanna see Ms. Delgado. "

OK, I didn't say how mature. Exasperated, the New Yorker obviously had put up with people "like me" before. Her hand went under her desk, probably to a hidden button that was wired straight into the security office.

"Look, Mister, in order to see Ms. Delgado, you really need an appointment. I don't want to have to call security on you so..."

"No need for security, Emma. Mr. Manning would only find his way back up here." Turning, there was Tea, Ms. Delgado walking through the doorway, briefcase in hand, a slight smile on her face.

Her dress was different from the when I saw her a couple of days ago. When I saw her then, she was sexy, vibrant, hot. Today, she had her lawyer look on, $500 dollar nondescript suit, white blouse; hair pulled up into one of those sweepy things. She looked nice but she looked all business. I smiled at her. She raised an eyebrow. "Todd, I didn't expect you here."

"Seems I'm popping up in a lot of places where I'm not expected." I smile to her. She watched me with suspicion, in between hellos of people walking past her through the heavy glass doors.

"Why are you here?" She didn't ask it with maliciously or with venom, no, it was just a question asked to satisfy a curiosity. So far, things were going good.

"I wanted to see where you worked," I told her truthfully, looking around the plush outer office, with its dark mahogany walls and dark marbled floors. "It was really nice seeing you the other day and I wanted to see how you're getting along. Can I see your office?" Tea slowly nodded, still regarding me. She was suspicious but intrigued. I can tell she wanted to know why I was really there. Perfect.

We walked back towards the inner-offices, Tea smiling and acknowledging others along the way. We go into the office with her shutting the door behind her. "Decent." I acknowledge, looking around. It was decorated as the outer office, heavy in dark mahogany and marble. A large pictured window behind her desk displayed a view of the New York City smog.

"Glad you approve." She answered, walking behind her glass top desk, placing her briefcase on top. Sitting, she motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk. I do, with a nod.

"So, Todd," she started after a few moments of silence, her eyes scanning over my appearance. "What are you really here for?"

I smile again, letting my eyes wonder over her appearance. She stirs in her chair uncomfortably over the scrutiny.

"You don't believe that I'm just here to see how you're doing? Do I have to want something?" She raises her eyebrow again.

"You really should be careful about that, Delgado. It'll get stuck like that."

"That's making faces," she corrected, sitting back into her chair. "Come on Todd, spill it. What do you want?"

"Well," I started, sitting back in my chair, regarding her suspicious nature. "I did come here with an ulterior motive. I was thinking that it was good to see you again and Roger and I hadn't had a chance to chat so I was wondering if you the two of you would be my guest this weekend at my house in the Hamptons."

"Your guest?" she asked, "Why?"

"Can't I be generous?" I asked innocently, to which she laughed.

"No. Don't kid a kidder Todd, we've been through too much for too long for you to kid me. Something's up and I know it. Now, give."

"Well," I smiled, "if you must know, I really do want to spend some time with you. I've, I've missed you. Now, before you get all upset, listen to me. Nothing hanky, nothing stupid, just spending some time, catching up. Things went so well the other night I thought maybe we could just, you know, meet, catch up, stuff like that."

"Stuff like that?" She asked, dryly. "Todd, I swear." She ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. It was my turn to shift uncomfortably in my chair, her actions causing reactions within me again. "You come here out of the blue..."

"No, not out of the blue, you saw me the two nights ago."

"And want me to just go with you to your home and spend the weekend with you." She continued, ignoring my remark.

"Not just you," I corrected. "Your husband too. He can spend the weekend too so you're guaranteed nothing fishy. Unless you don't want Roger around."

"Why wouldn't I want Roger around?" she asked. "Roger is wonderful to be around."

"I'm sure," I told her, dryly. "But, if he's around, I could figure out that you two aren't married."

I waited, watching her as she smiled at my dropping her little secret.

"Did I say we were?" she asked me, to which I shook my head.

"Nope, didn't say you two were. You couldn't lie to me like that. You are, however, making others believe that you two are. Wanna know how I know?"

Again, she laughed. I could see why she would; I must have looked like a kid ready to pop if I didn't tell my secret soon.

"Sure, Todd, I'll bite. How do you know that Roger isn't my husband?"

"Perhaps it was the blonde guy's tongue down his throat that gave me a clue."

She nodded, "Blonde, about 5'8?" I nodded. "Mark, Roger's partner."

"You really should tell them to be careful, Delgado, if you want to keep people thinking your married. I mean, granted, they were in a discreet spot but anyone could have come along and...."

"Looked like someone did. Look, Todd, it really isn't what you think."

"Enlighten me."

Sighing again, "Our firm deals with international clients who are, how should I say, more conservative. They believe in marriage, family, all of that. I wear the ring to make them think that I am married because its good for business. They assumed it was Roger when we started going to functions together. Roger is actually seeing Mark, another attorney here at the firm."

"So, Roger is, what, your beard?" I asked with a smile.

She nodded. "Everyone here knows that Roger and I aren't married. Some of the client's don't, however. So, yes, you found out my little secret, which really isn't a secret."

"Gives us something to talk about, didn't it?"

Again, she nodded. "I do want you to come up to the Hamptons with me, Tea." I tell her, watching her. "You can still bring Roger if you want, you know, to chaperone."

"I don't think so Todd," she says, standing up, moving away from me towards the window.

"You'll like it, Tea," I told her, wanting to go over to her and hold her but I don't. I just sit where I am, holding onto the chair arms for dear life. "You always wanted a house up there."

She nods, looking out the window. "Along with the man I wanted. But that's all over now. So much water under the bridge and I don't want to go back there, you know?"

As much as it hurt to hear, yeah, I did know. Although we loved each other so much, back then, things were screwy, I was screwy and I wouldn't, not for all the money in the world, take her back there, not to that time. I wanted to take her to a place where we both have never been before, to a better place.

"I'm sorry Todd," she continued, turning to me. "I didn't want this to be this way or get into this but I can't. I'm sorry but I can't accept your offer."

Nodding, I get up from my seat, my eyes on the desk instead of her. I didn't want to see the disappointment I knew that was there in her eyes, placed there by me during that time. I hated that my invitation brought back those memories for her, that wasn't what I wanted to do but its understandable that it had. I know, as I knew then, that I had hurt her deeply. Why should she trust me now?

"It's OK, Del...Tea. Really, thanks for your time."

I'm sure she was as shocked as I was when I walked out the door. I had resigned myself to doing battle after battle with her, right there, like before on why she should go. But my feet decided what it wanted to do and that was to leave. And so I went. I guess it was better that way, to not continue doing things as I had done in the past. It was over, finished, no more replays, no more second chances. I was so deep in thought of that, realizing that that I didn't see Roger as we bumped into each other. He greeted to me but I didn't acknowledge. I just walked right past him and out the doors.

"Was that Todd I just saw?" Roger asked Tea when they were alone in her office. She hadn't left the window since he left, hoping that she would see him as he moved out onto the street below. But she knew it was silly to expect to see him from here, 12 floors up. But she still stood there, looking, hoping. "What did he want?"

"To take me home." She answered, quietly.

To be continued. . .

© Copyright by Whlwtcher 2000