Honeymoon

Chapter 74

THE SOUND OF the doorbell chiming downstairs made for a rude awakening the next morning.

Nora sprung right up in bed. “Who could that be this early?”

I looked at my watch. “Shit.”

“What?”

“It’s not that early. It’s almost nine-thirty.”

Her reaction was a frisky grin that somehow managed to be wholesome and sexy at the same time. “I guess we really tired each other out.”

“Go ahead and laugh, I was supposed to be at my office an hour ago.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll write you a note.”

The doorbell rang again. This time, repeatedly. It sounded like wind chimes during a hurricane.

“Whoever it is, I’ll get rid of them,” Nora said. Beautifully naked, she climbed out of bed and went to the window. She peeked through the curtain. “Damn, I forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

“It’s Harriet.”

I didn’t know who Harriet was, but it didn’t matter. All I knew was that I didn’t want her or anybody else at the door—not with me on the other side of it. “You can get rid of her, right?”

“Actually, I can’t. She’s doing me a big favor.”

“What if she sees me here with you?”

“That won’t happen. I asked her to look at the furniture for her consignment store. Just hang out; I’ll make sure we stay clear of this room. It won’t take long.”

John O’Hara didn’t really have a problem with that; Craig Reynolds, on the other hand, had a job to get to. “Nora, I’m already late for work as it is,” I said. “There’s got to be a way I can slip out a back door, or something.”

“She’s already seen your car. If it’s gone when she’s leaving, she’ll ask me about it. Neither of us wants that.”

I took a deep breath and let it out. “How long is this going to take?”

“I told you, it won’t take long.” She unlocked the window and opened it. “Sorry, Harriet, I’ll be right there,” she called down. “Great hat, sweetie.”

Nora spun and, with a running start, jumped back into bed with me. “Now about your going to work today, you,” she said, her hand reaching beneath the sheet. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Oh, you don’t, do you?”

“Absolutely not. I think you should play hooky so we can have some fun. What do you think?”

It didn’t matter what I said. Nora’s hand under the sheet could already tell what I thought.

“I suppose I could take a day off.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“What should we do?”

Nora glanced down at the sheet covering me. “Well, I’ll tell you. It looks like someone wants to go camping.”

She hopped back out of the bed. Very limber. Must work out a lot.

“Wait, you can’t leave me now,” I said.

“I have to. Harriet’s waiting and I’ve got to go put some clothes on.” She glanced down at the sheet again, the same frisky grin on her face. “Hold that thought,” she said.