Rosemarie Ch. 03

Rose said the last without thinking, then gasped as the realization of her crass words soaked in and her face turned beet red.

"I apologize, Mr. Collier that was very vulgar of me. Please forgive me," she said in a mortified tone.

"Firstly, my name is Jake, 'Mr. Collier" is my father and uncles. Secondly, the bastard deserves any crass and vulgar thing that's said about him. And, lastly, I stand by my original statement. The loss is entirely his," Jake said, looking directly into her eyes. He was gratified by the maidenly look of gratitude. God, what would this young woman think of him if she knew that he'd lusted after her luscious body as she innocently bathed in the heat of night?!?

"You're being very kind, Jake," Rose smiled, a bit shyly. She wondered at herself, being able to carry on a conversation of this depth, all the while thinking of the occasions over the past week in which she had shamelessly displayed her body to his gaze, without him being aware that she knew it, and had seen him in intimate moments as well. She found herself liking him more and more as she spent time with him. Should she continue her late night teasing?

"It's nothing, nothing at all. Now, these are the stables?" he continued, wanting to get the conversation back on a less intimate keel.

They walked around the grounds with Rose showing him the stables, golf course, the site for the new pool which would be installed within the next two years and several other parts of the club. By the time they returned to the others, it was time to be heading back home.

They took the long way around and showed Jake the other magnificent homes on Meridian Avenue. The massive brick and block stone dwellings which housed the most upper of Indianapolis's upper crust were impressive, with their perfectly manicured lawns and detailed landscaping. Several of the mansions had very tall hedges completely surrounding the back yards, as the Colliers and the Thornton's did. There was an eight foot tall solid hedge surrounding both of their back yards, but there was a metal arbor and gate that had been constructed in them, linking the two yards as they frequently socialized. It made the yards quiet and secluded, as if you were miles from the middle of town.

Upon returning to their homes they bid the others farewell and promised to meet at the Thornton's again the next day for brunch. Before she went inside, Rose heard her name called and saw Jake striding across the side lawn between their houses, waving a tennis racket at her. She laughed, realizing that she'd forgotten it in the Collier's car.

"Sorry, I'm a bit addle headed today, I'm afraid," she said with a smile, accepting the racket.

"Don't mention it. Actually, I'm glad that it gave me an excuse to see you privately for a moment," Jake said, his hand lingering on the racket. "My uncle mentioned the dance at the club next Friday and I wondered if you'd allow me to escort you?"

Rose was immensely surprised, as it had been a while since she'd been invited out by a man, and the fact that Jake had only shown what appeared to her as a casual interest in her, at least by day, up until this point. However she found herself agreeing to his invitation, as well as the suggestion that perhaps they could take in a moving picture sometime during the following week. They then parted, both wondering what the following week might hold.