Chapter 2
Alice was a few minutes early to the dining room. She wanted to make sure that she hadn't dreamed her second chance last night. She stood in the doorway looking around for a redhead and spotted it fairly easily. He was sitting at a table with a beautiful blond. She was leaning over the table towards him and they looked like they were having a very serious conversation.
Alice hesitated she didn't want to interrupt so she decided to wait a few more minutes since she was early taking the extra time to study Rainer. He was wearing a black polo shirt, a pair of brown cargo shorts, and he had sunglasses perched on his head. His easy confidence, as he leaned back in the chair and laughed at what the beautiful blond had said, was evident. He was obviously a man who was used to doing exactly as he wanted without any complaints from anyone. She wondered for a brief moment what that kind of confidence must feel like.
She had always been comfortable with who she was and had very little desire to change herself, much to her parent's dismay, but she wouldn't say she was a confident person. Sure, she wished as she looked at the blond Rainer was talking to that she was a little more outgoing and little prettier, but overall she was fairly content with who she was as a person.
Alice was wearing a bright red sundress and matching sandals, she had never been to Texas before but she had done her research prior to her trip and some hot days had be forecasted so she had dressed to stay cool, but even this reasoning didn't keep her from feeling dowdy compared to the beautiful blond. She recognized it for what it was, jealousy, and dismissed it knowing she would never be that beautiful or charming so why should she worry about it. She also knew that she had no chance of snagging a man like Rainer Stevens so she wouldn't allow herself to think along those lines.
If there was one thing she was good at it was living in reality.
Alice watched as the blond stood up on legs that seemed to go on forever and Rainer stood with her. She was very tall but Rainer still towered over her as he pulled her close into a hug giving her a kiss on the cheek and whispering something in her ear. She playfully patted his cheek then waved over her shoulder as she headed towards the exit. Rainer looked at his watch then looked at the door and saw her just as the blond was passing so he waved her over.
"Good morning," she greeted as she reached the table.
"You could have joined us." Rainer held out her chair as she sat.
"I was a little early and when I got here it looked as if you two were having a serious discussion. I didn't want to interrupt or intrude." She placed her napkin on her lap and picked up the menu. She was starving because she had been eating light in an attempt to save money.
"That was very thoughtful of you Alice." Rainer sat down across from her and she blushed at the sound of her name and the compliment. "Your cheeks match your dress." He noted taking a sip of coffee.
The comment made her blush even more.
"So how did you sleep?"
She knew he was just trying to make polite conversation but it still seemed like an intimate question.
"Not very well actually, the nap in the lobby seemed to have revived me enough to make sleep impossible. I ended up watching the late night movie, 'To Have or Have Not'."
"Good movie. You know how to whistle don't you"
"I do now, you just put your lips together and blow."
They both smiled at their similar knowledge of the film.
"Breakfast is on me so order anything you like." He motioned the waitress over.
She must have been watching them closely because she was there in an instant. Alice had eaten in the dining room several times in the last few days and her service had never been as good as it currently was and she had a feeling that it was because of Rainer. She was sure of it when the waitress batted her eyelashes, threw her hair over her shoulder, and cocked a hip.
Alice tried not to giggle as she ordered the big breakfast with an extra side of bacon. When she was done the waitress gave her a look of astonishment. Then turned to Rainer bending over with the pretense of not being able to hear him, but it really just gave him a good view of her ample bosom.
Rainer ordered the same thing she did minus the extra order of bacon and then handed over the menus. Alice watched as his glance dropped down to what was so obvious on display before he turned to her as the waitress walked away.
"Did you get a good look?" Alice asked grinning.
He looked at the waitress then back at her returning her grin. "Hey, if she's not shy why should I be?" he shrugged.
"Why indeed?" she agreed taking a sip of her water. He hadn't touched the lemon on his water glass so she asked if she could have it. He just waived his acceptance as he studied her.
"Are you always so blunt?"
"Yes." She said as she squeezed the lemons into her water. "My family says I lack a filter but I just consider myself a realist."
Rainer studied her, her honey brown hair was cropped short in a pixie style, her pale pink skin was make-up free and her hazel eyes were rimmed with a set of thick lashes. She looked like she was about eighteen in her little red sundress with cap sleeves.
"How old are you Alice?" Rainer took another sip of his coffee.
"Twenty-six, why?"
"You look about eighteen but you act like you're sixty." Alice had no comment for that so she just smiled politely. "My sister would have given me hell for checking out that waitress." He must have not expected her to comment as he continued.
"Why it's not as if the waitress was unaware of what she was offering. You seem to be a normal red blooded male and I have yet to meet one that wouldn't have looked."
He grinned again. "I like you Alice."
"Thanks."she said hoping that he liked her enough to get her an interview with Steven Douglas.
"Are you from Texas?" Rainer motioned for another cup of coffee and the waitress returned immediately to refill his mug. They're eyes meet while she poured the coffee and they were both fighting the urge do to bust out laughing but when the waitress pretended to knock a knife off the table and bent down to pick it up Alice couldn't hold it in anymore and had to cover her laugh with a cough.
Rainer held it together much better and thanked her with a sexy grin.
"Stop encouraging her. It is very embarrassing."
"How am I encouraging her?" he held up his hands in confusion.
"You need to be careful where you spread that lethal smile of yours."
"Lethal uh.... I'll have to think about that one. I don't think I've ever killed anyone."
Alice just shook her head with a smile at his corny joke, "In answer to your earlier question I am not from Texas. I'm born and bred New York."
"What do you do in New York?"
"I work at a magazine as a research assistant." Alice couldn't help but notice that he grew still as she gave the name of the magazine.
"Don't worry I quit to come here. I didn't come to get the scoop on Rainer Stevens. I start a teaching job in the fall but I needed the summer to finish my dissertation. I did promise my former editor that if I was able to secure an interview with Steven Douglas that I would sell it to her though, with his knowledge of course." She assured sitting up a little straighter as his eyes narrowed when she started to talk about Steven Douglas.
"I was counting on the money from the sale of the article but if he won't talk to me on the record then that's fine I'll just ask to put a quote or two in my dissertation and promise to let him read it before I defend it."
"What about the money?" he asked.
Alice shrugged. "Now that I've talked to you I can go back home and that will help because I won't have to spend anymore to track you down. I might have to find a part time job to get me through until fall but it's doable. As long as I don't have to ask my parents." She added. She didn't know why she added that last bit but Rainer had a knack for making you want to share. That was probably why he was so good at his job.
The waitress came with their food and there was a pause in the conversation as they were served. Rainer looked at her petite figure and then at the food. "My mother would say that your eyes are bigger than your stomach."
"Wanna make a bet?" She asked as she bit into a piece of bacon. It was well known by her family and friends that she ate like a man twice her size.
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. Alice munched happily on her bacon. She was surprised that she felt so comfortable around Rainer, usually she took a while to warm up to people but with him she had felt an instant rapport. She stopped fork midair as she realized that she felt as if she had always known him.
"Did you finally hit full?" Rainer asked looking up.
She shook her head and went back to eating.
He had finished and sat back to watch her, "You are like a machine."
She nodded but kept on eating. "My mother has tried to tell me many times that ladies do not eat large meals only little ones." She said after swallowing her last bite.
She eyed his plate. "You don't like bacon?"
"No, I am just full."
He watched her as she kept glancing from him to the bacon. Her manners were not so bad that she was going to ask for it but she did hate for it to go to waste. He must have read her thoughts because he pushed his plate towards her watching her as she grinned then snatched up the bacon. "I normally don't eat this much but I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday." She leaned back in her seat sipping her water, finally full.
"So why Steven Douglas as a subject, he's a relatively new author, why not someone like Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway, or Mark Twain?"
Alice leaned forward, instantly ready to talk about one of her favorite subjects. "Because they have all been done to death, I think that Steven Douglas is the Mark Twain of our time. His books are so entertaining that you forget that you're actually reading about important political and cultural events. In fifty years his books will be the ones that school kids read to find out what was truly going on in our country."
Rainer shook his head. "I think you overestimate his skill."
"I'll let you read my dissertation when I am through and see if you agree with me then." She leaned back in her seat again refusing to think about the fact that she would have to change her subject if Rainer couldn't help her get an interview. As if he had heard her thoughts he continued.
"Well I am afraid I can't get you an interview. I have thought of every option and none of them will work. I am, however, more than willing to let you read the transcript of my interview with him and give you permission to use whatever you like."
She jumped out of her seat and rushed to his side of the table to give him a hug. "Thank you I'll take it." She might even be able to get enough to keep her from having to start over.
"Wait, I am not through yet." He stopped her just before she reached him
She sat down heavily in the chair next to him. There was always a catch.
"You said you were a research assistant." He watched her closely as she sat on the edge of her seat before him and he waited for her to confirm the fact with a nod before he continued. "I need you to help me. I'll pay you a fair wage as well as for the cost of your hotel stays but you'll have to give me the next three weeks. It'll involve a lot of traveling by car to different parts of Texas and possibly some uncomfortable lodging situations-,"
"Three weeks? That's all?" she cut him off before he could continue and possibly talk them both out of her having the job.
"That's all."
"And you pay me?"
"Yes."
"I agree." She jumped up. "Can I hug you now?"
He stood up and motioned for the bill then opened his arms. "Yes you may hug me now."
She laughed as wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up at him. "Thank you."
He grinned down at her with his lethal grin and she felt her heart do a little flip that she quickly dismissed it as joy.
"Wait to thank me until the end of the three weeks."
She rested her head on his chest listening to his heart beat which was strong and steady questioning herself as to why she felt so comfortable in his arms and as she looked up she looked right into the eyes of the waitresses who was staring daggers at her.
"How long are we staying at this hotel?" She asked in a whisper.
He frowned at the question, "We'll leave tomorrow morning, why?"
"Because I am getting a very 'Fatal Attraction' vibe from the waitress."
Rainer threw back his head a laughed. "No more late night movies for you." He said giving her a squeeze before releasing her to sign the bill.
The hug hadn't lasted long enough in Alice's opinion.
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