Free Momentous Kisses: Love in Sandy Beach by Jessica Gray

boyfriend? My lover? My test subject?
    She didn’t have any answers to those questions. Not yet anyway.
    Around midafternoon, she arrived at his clinic and met with the facility manager, Mr. Wallace, who absolutely loved her paintings. He asked her to leave three of them with him for a “test drive.”
    During a two-week period he would hang up her paintings and see if the patients liked them as much as he did. He offered to pay her a small fee for borrowing the paintings, the amount to be deducted from the sales price if he decided at the end of the two weeks to buy them.
    Apparently she wasn’t the only one to do tests. The thought caused her to smile.  So far, her own test was working out perfectly. She hurried home to cook a celebratory dinner to share with Russell.
    The next days flew by. Russell went to work, while Allison explored Chicago, visiting places of her childhood and pitching her paintings to several galleries. In the evenings they ran together, ate the dinner she had cooked, or went to the movies. And had sex. Lots of sex.
    She had moved into his bedroom, and each day she added a new décor item or burst of color somewhere in his apartment. Russell always complimented her on her choices, and seemed genuinely happy to see the changes taking place in his home.
    After the first rough days, it felt like they’d been together forever. But despite floating on cloud nine with Russell, Allison missed Sandy Beach. And the more time she spent in Chicago, the more nostalgic and homesick she became.

Chapter 14
    Russell grew worried about Allison. They had just finished a movie that should have left her smiling, but instead she looked pensive. “Penny for your thoughts.”
    “That won’t buy you a single word,” she said.
    “What’s wrong?”
    Allison looked at him. “Would you believe I’m homesick?”
    Russell hugged her close. “Yeah, I’d believe that. Missing the beach?”
    “How did you know?” she asked, snuggling against his chest and closing her eyes.
    “I love that place as well. And Chicago is a far cry from Sandy Beach.”
    They fell asleep like that, and early the next morning, Russell slipped out of bed and called his receptionist. “I need your help.”
    She laughed and then asked, “More grocery shopping?”
    “No. I want to make a picnic lunch.”
    “Oh, that’s easy.” She gave him the number of a nearby deli that not only provided the food, but the basket, the blanket, and the utensils needed for a beautiful picnic lunch.
    “Thanks. Enjoy the rest of your day.” He headed down to the deli, picked up the basket of food, and returned to the apartment. When he got back, Allison was gone. She’d left a pink Post-it on the table saying, “Will be back soon. Getting croissants for breakfast. Kisses – Ally.”
    She’d smacked a lipstick kiss onto the Post-it, and he fought a grin. That was so like her.
    He took advantage of her absence, grabbed swimwear for them both and some towels. He also tossed a bottle of sunscreen in the bag and then carried it down to his car and tucked it away in the trunk.
    Allison was just opening the door when he went back upstairs. He snuck up on her and grabbed her around the waist. “I have a surprise for you.”
    She giggled, “What is it?”
    “Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you now, would it?”
    She wrinkled her nose.
    He spun her around and then put her down. “Come on.”
    “Where are we going?”
    “You’ll see.”
    He drove them out of town, heading north along the lake. About thirty minutes up he knew a cute little beach. It wasn’t Sandy Beach, but it was a close second in his mind. She continued to quiz him about their destination, but he only winked at her and refused to say anything. He loved to tease her, and her curiosity was an easy target.
    When they arrived, she dashed the length of the tiny beach back and forth, before she jumped at him and hugged him tight. “It’s wonderful, Russ. This place is just what I