Free Perfection #3 by Claire Adams

symphony and life after Bullet. I
did have one of those, right? I heard him tapping on my door and walked over to
answer it. I cracked it; I was still in my underwear but I did not want him to
come in. No way was I letting that sex machine in here with me right now even
though I secretly wished he would step right in.
    “Almost ready?”
    “Yes, I am. Give me fifteen minutes.”
    “I will meet you downstairs in the kitchen. Bring
your bags with you. We will drive to the airport after we leave town.”
    Was I supposed to cry about that? “I’ll be there.” I
closed the door and scrambled around for my clothing. I wore the same sheath
dress that I wore here; it made me feel pretty. Anyways, I felt like dressing
up—it was always a morale booster. I wanted him to know what he would be
missing. I slid my feet into my mules and checked the bathroom for any items I
may have left behind. True to my word, fifteen minutes later I was standing in
the kitchen with Bullet, listening to him call his housekeeper. It was official
— we were leaving. I put my game face on and pretended to be happy about it.
    As Bullet stuffed the bags in the trunk, I gave one
last look at the cabin. It had been a nice getaway spot; I envied this little
place. Maybe I should look into getting a home, if my orchestra position falls
through. I still didn’t know but as I was about to graduate, I needed to figure
that out. It was nice to have so much room and be able to enjoy amenities like
a fireplace and a spacious kitchen. Those were things I would miss and I didn’t
even know it. At least until now.
    We drove the short distance to the ferry. I rolled
down my window and enjoyed the country air for a little while. Right on time,
the ferry docked, and we waited for the boat to be secured then drove onto the
deck. There was one other car; I recognized the couple from the campsite but
they didn’t attempt to socialize. They hung out in their car, windows steamy,
music playing. I felt a little jealous but the distance between Bullet and I
might as well have been a mile wide. I couldn’t believe that we had shared so
much in such a short amount of time. I also couldn’t believe we were leaving
like strangers.
    “Want to stand on the deck? We can get a better view
from there. I know it’s a short trip from here to the opposite shore but I like
the open water.” He put the keys in his pocket, always so careful about the
details.
    “Sounds great.” I followed him to the railing and we watched the cabin get smaller. I had mixed
feelings about this weekend but I had to admit right now I was just plain sad.
“I hope your extended stay didn’t inconvenience your clients.”
    He leaned against the railing his sunglasses in his hand.
I had a thing for crisp white shirts and he looked gorgeous in the one he was
wearing. The startling white set off his tanned skin, dark hair and playful
blue eyes. Oh girl—stop day dreaming!
It’s over, remember?
    “Not at all. It was my pleasure. I am sure Page isn’t happy with me but as I remind her
frequently, she works for me. It’s not the other way around.”
    “Oh, I see. Do you have personnel problems often?”
What I really wanted to ask was, “Did you
sleep with her too?” Of course, I was too much of a lady to ask that
question.
    “Not really, but she likes continuity. She’s been
with me right from the beginning, well almost.” After a few minutes of not
speaking, I spotted the approaching shore. I began to feel anxious about
leaving. Would he forget all about me? Probably but what could
I do about it? Fall at his feet and beg him not to leave me? Hell no! I
wasn’t the begging type. We strolled back to the car and waited for the ferry
to dock. Bullet paid the toll and we drove onto the highway headed to Blue
Lake.
    “Ready to see other people?” I looked puzzled at his question. “I mean the people in the town.”
    I couldn’t do anything but smile. “Sure and I want
to see these two stop