Scorching Heat Down South

Chapter 15

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Almost a month later.

Summer had reached its full peak in Fairview and it was hotter than it had ever been before. Cold showers and dips in the pool became completely pointless because as soon as you toweled off you'd would be drenched with hot clammy sweat again. The heat was fiercely unforgiving. Claire spent her days lounging around her home, taking walks with Sally and occasionally going into town for a movie. The days were slow and time seemed to crawl by and she had never been unhappier.

She missed Lauren everyday and Levi even more. Time and again she would find herself wondering what he was doing, where he was, who he was with and if he thought about her at all. She knew he had done the right thing by cutting off her contact to Lauren. It was were they'd been heading all along. As he'd said, there really was no point in prolonging the inevitable. It would have still hurt the same, maybe even more so.

It was late in the afternoon when a soft knock roused Claire from her thoughts. She paused the movie she had been pretending to watch and got up. She looked down at her light grey skirt and off white blouse. It was casual home wear, nothing fancy and certainly not something to entertain guests in. But she hardly ever had anyone visit her anyway so she knew it was probably Sally. She opened the door and to her surprise it was David.

"Hello, Claire." He walked in and gave her a very tight hug, "How are you?"

She hugged him back, "David what a surprise!" She said and ushered him into the living room.

"Your home is beautiful." He commented as he looked around. He turned and faced her, "And you're even lovelier that before." He added and sat on one of the lounge chairs while she sat on the opposite couch.

"Thank you. But what are you doing here? I thought you were in the city?" He was the last person she'd expected.

"I was. I came to visit Sally. But I also wanted to apologize for the way our date ended." He looked chagrined.

Claire smiled, "Oh don't worry about it." She replied and waved it off with a hand. "How did everything go with..." she paused as she tried to remember. "....with Steve?"

David grinned, obviously pleased that she remembered, "He tried to visit his children without permission. Messy divorce and custody case you see, so his ex wife called the police."

"That's horrible. Is he alright?" She asked, concerned.

"He's fine now. But how have you been? Sorry I never called. At first I was swamped with work then I was afraid you wouldn't answer even if I did call."

"There's no need to apologise David, really. I understand. I've been well, how have you been?"

"Great. I was worried you'd never want to see me again. Not a day went by that I didn't think of you Claire."

Unable to come up with an appropriate answer to his comment, she brushed it off and asked him about his work then the conversation naturally turned to safer topics like the weather and Claire was glad to have some company. Even if it was for only a little while her mind wondered away from Levi, giving her some sense of relief. She offered him some cool lemonade and cookies which he graciously accepted. As they enjoyed the light snack, there was another knock. This one hard, almost impatient and Claire thought in amusement that it was probably her lucky day to receive not only one but two callers. She was laughing at something David had said when she opened the door.

But the laugher immediately died on her lips when she saw Levi standing there with his fist raised as if to knock again. He was wearing a dark grey expensive looking, three piece business suit, only without a tie and a jacket. The first couple of buttons of his crisp white shirt were undone and she could see the dark tan of his chest. His dense dark unruly hair was in disarray as if he'd run his hands through it multiple times. He looked absolutely great, she loved him in his usual jeans and t-shirts but in a suit!! God, he was all hard powerful lines and picture perfect, masculine sophistication. Her breath halted as a fierce, inexplicable need to throw her arms around him surfaced from somewhere deep inside her.