By the way, guess what I’m wearing right now? A really cool koala tee shirt. I figured if I couldn’t be with you, I’d be with your ‘favorite Aussie.’ I’ve never had a tee shirt expressed to me from half way across the world, so I know this koala truly is special. It came just as I was packing for Hawaii, and I needed another clean shirt (just kidding).Seriously, thank you.
I just want to say this: before you left New York, you asked me to support your Australian journey and I (mostly) did. Now that I know your backstory, my support level is different. Now it’s:
One. Million. Percent.
Your favorite Chicagoan, and (I hope) your favorite guy, David
-22-
SUNDAY EVENING
It seemed like an odd time to begin their first session, but the instructions were clear. Tessa was to meet Russell Sunday at 6:00 p.m. in the hotel bar. At 5:50 Tessa left her room, wearing the gorgeous silk charmeuse. Was it her imagination or did nearly every man she passed stop to take her in? The power of a well-cut gown and expensive underwear, she thought.
Tessa took a seat at the bar. She was there only two minutes when a man sat in the stool next to her.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
Tessa’s first thought was that this must be Russell. The problem was he didn’t look anything like the photograph she’d seen in Carmen’s office.
“I’m waiting for a friend,” she said. If this was Russell, surely he’d say so.
“I’d like to be your friend. How about we share a drink?”
Ah. Not Russell. “No thank you.”
When the man leaned closer, Tessa could smell the alcohol on his breath. He had watery blue eyes and he actually licked his lips like he was about to eat something tasty.
“Darlin’ you are about the prettiest thing I’ve seen. You can’t say no to a friendly little drink.” He leaned even closer, practically drooling down Tessa’s neckline as he strained to get a peek under her dress. He brought his hand toward Tessa and it wasn’t clear whether he was aiming for her shoulder or her breast.
“The lady said no.”
A voice boomed from behind them. It wasn’t menacing, but it certainly wasn’t friendly. Before the drunk could lay his hand on Tessa, a large hand grabbed a fistful of collar and yanked him to his feet.
“No means no,” the man said, and the drunk started to object, but stopped as soon as his alcohol-soaked brain cells processed the fact that the man who’d yanked him was at least 6’4” and two hundred pounds, mostly muscle.
“Didn’t mean any harm,” the drunk said.
“Doesn’t matter what you mean; only what you do. You invaded the lady’s space when she told you no. Now that pisses me off. Unless you want a mouthful of broken teeth, leave now.”
The man said it all calmly, but there was no mistaking his tone, or his ability to carry out his threat. His right fist was clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. The drunk decided Tessa wasn’t worth facial reconstruction and left.
“Sorry about that,” the man said as he sat in the stool vacated by the drunk. “I’m Russell. Are you alright?”
Tessa was pale. “A little shaken.”