Freddie's Find Pt. 02

CHAPTER THREE

On Monday, Freddie decided that she really wanted to face King on her own terms and get it over with. She dressed in jeans and went in search of the man. She started by knocking on his door. When she didn't get an answer there, she looked in the kitchen, where she had found him the week before. When she didn't find him there, she searched for him in the motel. But no one had seen him and no one had any idea where he was. Disappointed, Freddie returned to her rooms.

As she stepped into her hallway, she was startled to see Leona coming out of King's suite, adjusting her shirt and patting her hair. Freddie couldn't help staring at the woman because she was so surprised to see her. Leona noticed Freddie and shot her a sugary smile. She said, "Why, Frankie, isn't it?"

Freddie just clinched her jaw and said between her teeth, "No, ma'am. It's Freddie."

Leona just waved her hand in the air, "Frankie, Freddie, they're all the same! It was just wonderful having you serve my friends the other night. Maybe we can arrange for you to work at the reception for King and I when the time comes! Well, ta-ta!"

Freddie unlocked her door and slammed it behind her. She really didn't like that woman.

With nothing else to do until her shift started, Freddie decided to go for a swim. The motel pool was indoors and heated. There was also a jacuzzi in the same area and lots of places to sit and chat with friends. Freddie wasn't really interested in talking to anyone, though. She just wanted to work off some frustration.

Freddie had been swimming laps for about ten minutes when she literally bumped into a body. She coughed and sputtered as she surfaced to see who she had hit. Standing in front of her was a guy she recognized from the bar. "Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi yourself. Did I hurt you?" Freddie asked.

The man just blushed and laughed a little, "No, you couldn't hurt me. You aren't big enough. My name is Hugh. I've seen you downstairs. I keep wanting to talk to you, but I hadn't worked up the nerve. Then when I saw you in here, I thought that I just had to take a chance. I couldn't come up with a good opening line, so I just decided to let you run into me. Sorry for breaking your stride."

Freddie smiled at the man. He was probably in his mid 30's. He wasn't too tall, and he had a stocky body. His smile was genuine and his eyes were kind. For a brief moment, Freddie was actually sorry that Hugh didn't set off the same fireworks that King did. Hugh was an attractive guy and seemed much more her type.

Realizing that she needed to say something to make the conversation move forward, Freddie said, "Honestly, I can't swim many more laps than I had already. You just gave me a good excuse to quit! Would you care to join me for a bottle of water in the jacuzzi?"

Hugh gave her a huge smile and said, "I'd love to." They got out of the pool and grabbed their water bottles. They settled into the jacuzzi, with Freddie being careful to sit across from Hugh, so he didn't get the wrong idea. She didn't mind making a new friend, but she really wasn't interested in anything more with anyone but King.

Freddie and Hugh stayed in the hot tub for about fifteen minutes, discussing where they were from and what they were doing in New York. Hugh was a network consultant for a big company out of Georgia. He was sent to New York for two weeks at a time, once every quarter. He had just started his second week at the job site. He enjoyed the work, but he got lonely in the evenings. Hence his visits to the bar. He liked to hang out and get to know the patrons and staff. It gave him a sense of belonging.

When the bubbles stopped, Freddie and Hugh got out of the jacuzzi. Freddie grabbed her towel and turned to face Hugh. "Thanks for taking the chance to talk to me," Freddie said, "I really enjoyed getting to know you better. I need to go get ready for work. Will I see you downstairs in a little while?" Hugh grinned and assured her that he would be there. She waved at him as she headed for the elevator. Hugh had done great things for her ego and she was feeling much better.

Freddie's good mood lasted until she got off the elevator on the tenth floor. King was just coming out of his rooms when she stepped into the hall. He saw her and grinned a happy grin. Freddie knew that Leona had left his rooms less than an hour ago. She figured his grin was a satisfied one as well as happy. She didn't speak as she turned toward her door.

King stopped her from closing her door by putting his foot in the opening. When she pulled the door back open and looked up at him, he said, "I'm not sure what is going on with you, but I am not too pleased with your sudden aversion to talking to me."

Freddie grimaced and said, "Look, King, I wanted to apologize to you all week-end, but I couldn't find you. I wasn't comfortable talking to you in front of my co-workers Friday night, and I'm not that comfortable talking to you in my bathing suit right now. And I'm really not comfortable knowing that you have seen me in even less. You didn't have to put me to bed, you know. I could have survived in the chair."

King's face broke into an unrepentant grin as he lifted one eyebrow at her, suggestively. In spite of herself, Freddie found that she was grinning back at him. Shaking her head in remorse at her inability to stay emotionally distant from King, she said, "I love my job, if that's what you want to know. I appreciate everything you have done for me. I just don't think that we should socialize too much. I don't run in the same circles that you do."

King shook his head, "I'm not even going to try to figure out what you are talking about. But I'm glad you like your job. You have gotten rave reviews from your co-workers. No one seems to have any complaints about you."

It was Freddie's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Not even Ms. White?" she asked.

King looked taken aback and said, "What are you talking about?"

Freddie just shook her head and said, "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Your lady friend just gets on my nerves, that's all."

Suddenly King's look became guarded. He shrugged his shoulders, then stepped out of her door. He said, "Well, you need to get ready for work and I need to get downstairs as well. I'm glad everything is going well for you. Let me know if you need anything."

Freddie closed her door and sighed. Sometimes she didn't know what to make of King. Why had it been so important to talk to her and then just abruptly end the conversation. Sometimes the man made no sense.

Freddie's second week at work went as well as her first. She was getting very comfortable with the routine and had managed to make friends with several of the other employees. Jake had given her a hard time on Monday night about cuddling up to the boss, but he had shut up when King had given him the evil eye from across the room. Freddie had seen Hugh every night and had even taken a couple of her breaks to talk to him. Things were going well.

Even Freddie's interactions with King were going smoothly. Not that there was much chance of many of those interactions. Leona had taken to coming into the restaurant every night. She would sit at the bar and sip her drink while watching King's every move. Freddie noticed that Jake seemed to be very interested in helping out in the bar area whenever Leona was present. Several of the other regulars took notice of her as well. Freddie wondered if King didn't mind his fiancee sitting at a bar. Maybe he liked that kind of woman.

At the end of her nearly perfect week, Hugh asked Freddie if she would go out with him to the movies on Saturday. His plane ticket required him to stay overnight on Saturday to get a better rate, so he wouldn't be leaving until Sunday. Since Freddie wouldn't be working on Saturday, she suggested that they get together for supper before and then catch the late movie. Hugh seemed thrilled with the idea and agreed to meet her in the lobby.

On Saturday morning, Freddie decided to go see some of New York. She was leaving her room when King came out of his rooms. He smiled at her and said, "We have to stop meeting like this." Freddie was thankful for his humor because it made her feel more comfortable around him. It was bad enough that her heart still did flip flops every time she saw him.

"Where are you headed?" King asked.

Freddie just shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I'll go for a walk or something. I really don't need anything from the stores, so maybe I'll just wander around and see the sights. You know, act like a tourist!"

King laughed along with her. Then he got serious. "Hey," he said, "Why don't you come with me? I have to meet some business partners in Manhattan for about 30 minutes, then we could go do the Statue of Liberty tour and maybe even the Empire State Building."

Freddie meant to say no. She really did mean to say no. But the thought of spending the day with King and getting to see some of the things she had always dreamed about visiting, was just too tempting. When she opened her mouth, she found herself saying, "Sounds great!" King just smiled widely and punched the elevator button.

King was true to his word. He kept his business meeting short and then became an expert tour guide for Freddie. They rode the ferry out to the Statue and wandered around the island. When they came back, they grabbed hotdogs and cokes from a street vendor and ate in the park. Afterwards, King waited in line with her for the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building. Freddie was awe struck by the view from the top, but she was more blown away by the intensity of her feelings for the man beside her. King was way more than a friend - he was everything she had ever dreamed of finding.

About 4:00, Freddie told King that she needed to get back to the motel. He asked her why and she explained that she had a date. King didn't look too happy, but he took her back anyway. Freddie suspected that he just didn't like somebody else making plans that affected him and she had cut his guided tour short.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, Freddie met Hugh in the lobby of the motel. She had worn one of her nicer dresses and she felt good about the way she looked. Hugh gave her a quick hug and put his hand on her back to guide her out of the building to begin their evening. Freddie smiled as she realized that she was out on a date with an attractive man - she only wished it were the right attractive man!

Freddie and Hugh enjoyed supper at an Italian diner close by and then headed to the theater. Hugh had mentioned seeing a movie, but he surprised Freddie by producing tickets to The Lion King on Broadway. She had never been to a Broadway show and was thrilled. But she also knew that such tickets didn't come cheap. She offered to pay for her own ticket, but Hugh assured her that he had gotten the tickets as a perk from his job. Freddie felt better about accepting the ticket then, so they headed to the show.

Hugh and Freddie had a great time at the show. Afterwards, they stopped by a local deli to grab a cup of coffee. It was after midnight when they got back to the motel and they both were exhausted.

Hugh joined Freddie in the elevator as they headed for their rooms. Hugh's room was on the fifteenth floor, so the elevator stopped on Freddie's floor first. As the doors to the elevator opened on her floor, Freddie turned to say good night to Hugh. She was surprised when he grabbed her in a tight hug and planted a wet kiss right on her lips. Before she could even react, Hugh had released her and she had automatically stepped backwards out of the elevator.

"Good night," Hugh said, with a huge smile on his face, "And thanks for one of the best nights of my life. I'll never forget this, Freddie. Maybe I'll see you next time I'm in town." Then the elevator doors shut and Freddie was left standing in her hall.

Freddie was still standing in front of the elevator doors, staring at them in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened, when she heard movement behind her. She turned and saw King sitting in a chair at the end of the hall. He was scowling at her like something was wrong. "King? What are you doing out here?" Freddie asked. She was mentally running through the list of all the possibilities, hoping she hadn't done anything wrong.

King pushed himself up out of the chair and walked toward her. When he was within touching distance, he said, "Do you know what time it is?" Freddie was so tired and King was so indignant looking with his hands on his hips and his face all scrunched up in a frown. Freddie tried to hold back, but she just couldn't. She burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that she was almost doubled over. King continued to stare at her, waiting for her to stop.

"Oh, King," Freddie gasp in between giggles, "Please, please stop looking at me that way. It's just making it harder for me to quit laughing." King didn't seem at all amused that Freddie found him so humorous. After several moments, Freddie managed to straighten her face long enough to look King in the eye. With her most serious expression, she said, "Have I missed curfew?" Then she howled with laughter again. She vaguely wondered if this was what it felt like to be hysterical. She couldn't seem to quit laughing.

Suddenly King grabbed Freddie and her lungs filled with air in a quick gasp. Before she knew what he intended, King was kissing her. Her mind, which moments before had been incoherent with laughter, suddenly cleared of everything except the feel of King's lips on hers.

Unlike Hugh's earlier kiss, King's kiss wasn't over in a flash. Also unlike Hugh's kiss, King's kiss was setting Freddie on fire. King traced the outline of her lips with his tongue as she gasped in his arms. He stroked the fullness of her lips only seconds before he plundered her mouth. Freddie met his attack and returned her own. They both seemed to be trying to taste as much of each other as possible in whatever amount of time they would have together.

Finally, King pulled away slightly and looked down into Freddie's face, his eyes resting on her swollen and bruised lips. He said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know how else to get you to stop laughing. I didn't mean to do that. I could really use a cup of coffee right about now. Do you have any?"

Freddie gave a quiet chuckle and pulled away to open her door. As she unlocked it, she turned to look over her shoulder at King. The moment was thick with tension and Freddie needed to lighten the situation. So, using her most teasing voice, she asked King, "Do you really want coffee or do you just want to sweet talk me into letting you into my room?"

King actually blushed before he answered. He said, "I really do want coffee."

"Good," Freddie laughed, "Because that's all I'm offering."

King went into the sitting room and threw himself on the couch, waiting for Freddie. She put the coffee on to brew and went to join him. For a moment, Freddie thought King had fallen asleep on her. He was sitting completely still with his eyes shut. But when she moved to sit down in the chair across from him, his hand shot out and pulled her onto the couch beside him. Startled, Freddie didn't even have time to protest before she was sitting beside King, their legs touching from hip to knee.

King said, "Don't even try to get away from me. We need to talk and we're going to do it now!" Freddie giggled at his attitude and King shot her a wary glance before he said, "Don't tell me you are going to start that again. I can't talk to a hyena." Before she even thought about it, Freddie stuck her tongue out at King.

Suddenly, the room tilted around her and Freddie found herself lying down on her couch with King on top of her. He said, "I told you the next time you stuck it out, I was going to catch it!" Then he was kissing her again, making good on his promise to get her tongue. This kiss was even more exciting to Freddie than the one in the hall had been. And she hadn't thought anything would ever be better than that.

King was holding her face with his hands and teasing her bottom lip with his teeth. Freddie moaned when she felt one of his hands begin to stroke down her neck. When King actually cupped her breast with his hand, she arched into him. She had never felt anything like this and she didn't want it to end.

When King lifted his head, Freddie wanted to pull him back to her. But when his lips began following the trail that his hands had made, she decided to let him do whatever he wanted to do. He obviously knew what he was doing and she really had no clue. It wasn't like she had never been kissed before, but the way King did it made it seem like a whole different art form from what she had experienced before. The only thing she was clear about was that King was driving her crazy and making her feel things she had never felt.

All too soon, King was sitting up and pulling her with him. He reached over and buttoned her shirt where it had come loose. Then he stood up and headed toward the kitchen. Over his shoulder, he said, "I think I could really use that coffee, now." Freddie was sitting on the couch, still somewhat dazed by King's kiss. She watched him go into her kitchen and heard him rummaging around. She assumed that he was looking for coffee cups. Freddie didn't offer to help, because she wasn't sure she was ready to be in the same room with King, yet. And his quick exit told her that he must be feeling the same way.

Several minutes had passed before King returned to the sitting room. He was carrying two cups of coffee. He handed one to Freddie, then took his own over and sat down in the chair. He took a sip of his coffee before sitting it down on the end table beside him. Freddie watched as he buried his face into his hands. After a moment, he ran his hands through his hair, then dropped them into his lap. Freddie didn't say anything - she simply waited.

It didn't take too long until King began talking. Without looking her in the face, again he said, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do that."

Freddie rolled her eyes and she teased, "Seems I've heard that before!" King looked up at her and she saw the confused look in his eyes. She continued, "King, it's ok. It's just a kiss. Well, actually now, it's two kisses. But it's not like I've never kissed anybody before." Freddie had meant to put King at ease, but her last comment seemed to have the opposite effect.

King suddenly jumped to his feet and started pacing around the room. Freddie watched him for a few moments before she said, "King? What's wrong?"

She was dumbfounded when King abruptly turned to face her and angrily said, "What's wrong? What's wrong? You just bring me in here and make out with me, right after you have been out with Hugh. And don't think I didn't see you snuggling up to him down in the lobby tonight when he came and got you. You don't even know who he is. Have you forgotten that you are in New York City? What if he had hurt you, or taken advantage of you? Any man with eyes in his head would have wanted you tonight, the way you look. But nobody knew where you were going. You didn't tell anyone what your plans were. If he had hurt you, we might have never found you again!"

Freddie was certain that her mouth was hanging open. She was in a state of confusion. She couldn't believe King was so upset because she had gone out on a date. And while her brain was trying to process that King thought she looked desirable, it was also registering that he thought she was incompetent. It only took a minute for her surprise to become indignant anger.

Freddie fumed back at King, saying, "Just who do you think you are? I didn't ask for you to sit up and wait for me. I can take care of myself. What if I sat up and waited for you every time you go out with Ms. White. Oh, don't tell me - that's different, because we all know who Ms. White is. How could we not know everything about her? She's here all the time. When she's not down at the bar scoping out your every move, she's up here in your room. Well, King, dump the double standard. I can go out with anyone I want to! And I can bring them up to my room, too!"