Free Mad About the Boy by Suzan Battah Page B

constantly throughout the movie, his thoughts a complete distraction. He couldn’t follow the plot at all because his mind kept wandering. And now, as he drove home, visions of Julia kept flashing through his mind. He remembered her in the water with her hair dripping wet while she tried over and over to get on the board. Even in the dark, Chris could see her eyes and hear her laughter. He started to think of the many ways he wanted to see her naked. The string bikini she had chosen had showed off such luscious curves and her golden olive skin. Groaning, he shook his head, trying in vain to clear his thoughts. As he turned the car down the driveway, the garage doors were already rolling up. While he waited, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He would need to get straight into a cold shower to cool down.
    It was only one thirty. He had left the event early, glad to get away from Miami and the Augustine for a while. Chris flexed his aching muscles as he entered the darkened condo. He tensed for a moment, letting out a deep sigh thinking how he could spend more time with Julia without appearing too over-bearing. There was one thing he had noticed about her straightaway: She held back her emotions, unusual for such a passionate woman. He could tell she wanted to say or do more, but on more than one occasion, she had hesitated.
    He had never liked any other woman as much as he liked her. She occupied his thoughts at the oddest moments. But over the last few weeks, their brief moments together weren’t enough. He needed to see her more, but finding time to be alone was becoming a bit of a joke. He planned to do something about that.
    From the first moment he met her, there had been an instant attraction. Beautiful, sophisticated women had previously been his constant companions, yet with just a glance, this one woman had caught his attention in a big way.
    “I better have that cold shower.” He turned to switch on the light to his right. There was no switch, just an empty hole in the wall with wires poking out.
    “What the hell?” he muttered. The echo of his voice vibrated throughout the empty condo, annoying him even more.
    With the hour so late, he tried to focus his eyes on his surroundings as he searched for a light switch that would work. But none of the lights in the condo were operating. He squinted to see in the faint light coming in from the street.
    The condo was a mess. There were sheets and plastic thrown over furniture. The faint smell of paint filled his nostrils. He hadn’t come to the condo in months, but he didn’t remember leaving the condo like this the last time he was here.
    Frustrated that he had no idea what was going on, he walked further in. His sanctuary for the night had been compromised.
    The sliding doors facing the water showed the moonlit view as he remembered. As waves rolled in the distance, the smell of salt and sea, fresh and sharp, hit his nostrils. He pushed the doors open to let in the cool breeze. The dream-catcher his sister had given him two years ago, weatherworn, hung in the breeze, swinging back and forth.
    It took only a moment for the light-bulb to go off in his brain. Then he headed for the kitchen and rummaged in the bottom drawer for the flashlight he kept there. He gave a triumphant hoot and flashed the beam around so he could have a better look. He skimmed across the plastic-covered coffee table, but came back to beam the light there again. Several large folders were scattered across the coffee table and he thought they might be a clue as to what might be going on.
    Chris was just about to go through them when the front door rattled briefly. He froze as the door opened and the very woman who had distracted him all evening carefully walked in, holding a large box.
    “What the hell is going on?” he demanded, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice with little success.
    Julia gasped, nearly dropping the box in her hand and struggling with it for a second. “Chris,