She punched in his number on her cellphone and listened over the radio as the Bluetooth amplified the connection. She stretched her neck this way and that to get the driving kinks out as she waited for him to take the call.
“Hello?”
After all these years, she thought, the sound of his voice still thrills me. “Hey, you. Where are you?”
“My GPS says I’m five minutes away. How about you?”
“Same. That will be a first, I think, if we walk in together. If your friend Carla’s working, she’ll be stunned.” They liked all of the Royal Poinciana’s staff, but over the years, Carla was the one with whom they’d had the most contact. She always laughed at John’s jokes.
“I’m getting into some traffic. Better hang up. I love you,” John said. “I can’t wait to see you!”
“I love you too,” Greta murmured. “It’s been too long. Two weeks are bad enough, but four? Intolerable.”
“I agree. See you soon.”
Greta peered at the lake as she turned onto Main Street in Crosby. A few picnickers, or maybe they were workers taking off early, were enjoying the park. Crosby had sections with very nice homes, but there were also plenty of pockets of low-price rentals that cried out for more attention. She had grown to love Crosby over the years, even though not a soul outside of the Royal knew she even existed.
She was surprised to find all of the parking spaces in front of the hotel taken. Rarely had she parked behind the hotel, but it was a small matter, just a few more steps between her and sheer bliss. As she pulled into a parking space, John’s green convertible pulled in beside her. There was no mistaking it – she’d never seen any car of any make in quite that shade. Somewhere between lime green and aqua, the color suited him perfectly.
As she pulled her suitcase from the trunk, John got out of the car and walked to her. “That can wait,” he said, taking her in his arms. They kissed a long time, unaware that a few students with rooms on the back side had stopped studying to watch. People might pass on nearby sidewalks. Cars might pull in or out of the parking lot. They had been apart for a month and they needed this kiss like a plant needs sunshine.
Greta moaned a little as their lips touched, her hand moving from the suitcase handle to caress John’s neck, pull him even closer as her hips instinctively met his. “That’s better,” she said with a sigh when they parted for the moment.
John returned to the trunk of the convertible, opening it and pulling out his own suitcase. When he set it down, he pulled on the front of his khakis and said with a grin, “I’d better settle down a bit before we go into the hotel.”
Greta laughed. “Why, Mr. Farmer, I do declare. You’re being a bit presumptuous with that hard-on, aren’t you? Anyone might think you missed me!”
“Not at all. But I did miss the sex!” He gave her bottom a swat as he passed her. “If you don’t behave, I’ll have to proposition Carla.”
“That would make her year, I’ll bet.” The couple walked through the parking lot up the ramp to the back door of the Royal, where John held the door open for Greta. It was a warm February afternoon and the chill of the air conditioning was refreshing.
At the sound of suitcase wheels on polished wood floor, Carla appeared from the back of the office to the front desk. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” she called. “We haven’t seen you guys for a while!”
“Too long! How have you been?” Greta’s smile was genuine. As anxious as she was to get upstairs and be alone with John, Carla’s thoughtfulness was always appreciated, especially the early check-ins and late check-outs that she issued. And it cost nothing to be friendly.
Carla handed Greta the room key bearing the number 207. As long as they’d been coming here, paperwork was unnecessary. “Did you find a place to park out front? We’re pretty full, for a change.”
Greta and John exchanged a look, nodding. “I see that,” Greta answered. “We parked in back. I don’t think that’s ever happened.”
Carla held up a flyer from a stack on the front desk. “There’s an event this weekend in Sebring, if you’re interested. Big do at the circle downtown tonight, more tomorrow. Oh, and don’t forget there’s breakfast, six to nine.” She jotted a note to herself on a pad. “With this unusual crowd, I better tell the ladies to make sure it’s well-stocked.”
Greta and John declined her offer of the elevator. It was a treasure with all of the original wood and polished trim, but they didn’t mind the exercise. In a way, it was part of the foreplay. When they were together, every minute was significant, even the walk up the stairs. The landing. The hallways. The sound of the key in the lock. Putting down their suitcases, closing the door. That exquisite moment when they were finally alone in the same room. To Greta, it was the best feeling in the world. Well, almost the best.
John excused himself to use the connected bathroom after his trip. While she waited, Greta hung up her clothes in the little closet, turned the air conditioning down to more of a John-friendly level, then took the decorative pillows off the king-size bed and stacked them on the tufted settee beneath the wall of windows. She carefully took off her necklace, watch and bracelet in preparation for what she knew was in store.
“Did you have a nice drive?” John asked as he came back into the room and washed up in the room’s sink. All the rooms seemed
