shivers through her body, but any type of contact with him created the same reaction.
The flight back Sunday evening was quick and Alana was depressed when he left her on her doorstep. She didn’t want to leave him. She admitted, if only to herself, that she wanted to be with him constantly.
But that was a dream she no longer believed in, she reminded herself as she closed the front door firmly behind her. Taking her suitcase, she carried it up to her room and determinedly unpacked, ignoring the feelings of nostalgia as she touched each of the clothes she’d worn, and not worn, with Gus over the previous few days.
It was difficult to get back to reality on Monday. She wanted to call Gus but kept herself busy. He finally called later that afternoon to tell her that he had to go out of town unexpectedly. Alana maintained a cheerful voice while on the phone with him, but as soon as she hung up her cell phone, she shed a tear.
Alana spent the next two days with the kids at the orphanage. She’d gotten the funding and sponsorship for several new programs she’d been working on. Now she had to work with Ellie to get them going. There were fifteen new teens who were starting a mentoring program. Alana and Ellie paired up the older teens with the younger kids as a big sister or big brother type of program but the older kids had to come up with activities on their own. They were required to research activities on the internet, come up with the costs and create a formal proposal arguing the merits of the outing.
She also attended several other parties that week and made contacts with a few other people that were interested in forming a partnership with the center. Alana was proud that the center was finally making a name as a resource for troubled or orphaned kids and people in the city were responding with help.
She threw two parties for her father as well. Alana organized a luncheon for some of his clients in the middle of the week as well as a more formal dinner party Thursday night. Her father asked her to schedule something for the weekend, but Alana refused. She’d missed several calls from Gus because she was so busy but she was hoping that they would be able to do something together over the weekend. She didn’t want to tie up her time with other obligations.
“Hi gorgeous,” a deep voice behind her said.
Alana spun around and smiled brightly at Gus’s handsome face. “Hello yourself,” she said, wanting to kiss him but afraid that others would see them.
Gus sighed deeply. He took the last step that separated them and, ignoring her worried glance at the other guests, put one hand on the small of her back and the other around her shoulders. He kissed her deeply, leaning her over his arm to deepen the kiss, allowing everyone to know that they were a couple.
He ended the kiss just as abruptly, then winked at her. “That’s a more appropriate greeting,” he said, liking the fact that she kissed him back just as passionately, even though she didn’t want to. She just couldn’t hold back her reaction to them. It gave him hope.
“Gus, please,” she whispered, glancing shyly around and touching her slightly swollen lips to check on her lipstick.
“Please what?” he asked, his shoulders blocking out the rest of the crowd in the ballroom so they were in relative privacy. “Please take you away from here and make passionate love to you?” he said so only she could hear. “Please propose to me again so I can finally accept and admit that we’re meant to be together?”
Alana stared at him, her mouth opening but the words unable to come out.
He scowled at her lack of a response. “That’s what I thought,” he said, the irritation clear in his voice and his face. He looked out over the crowd and grabbed his scotch again. “Alana, when are you going to explain what is going on between us?”
Alana closed her eyes as the tears formed behind her lids. She forced herself to get control. “Gus, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said harshly. “Just help me to understand!”
“Gus, this isn’t the time or place.”
“Then come with me and explain it to me. Because I’m sick and tired of trying to figure it out by myself. You’re not giving me enough clues so I’m coming to some