"Hello ladies," he said pleasantly.
If he had overheard their conversation, he made no indication.
"Hi Jay," came Karen's greeting. "We were just taking a bath- and having tea."
That made Jay look at them a little quizzically but then he nodded and carried on up the stairs.
Karen walked Cheryl to her car where she kissed her and left after Cheryl said, "I'll call you about the party."
From there she went to the kitchen, only to remember they'd left the tray upstairs.
"Don't worry about it dear," Mrs Brown reassured her.
Jay could smell the light, yet heady combination of Karen's soap and perfume from the door. He noticed several things in the following moment.
The curtains were closed; Karen's t-shirt was discarded on the chair, a scrap of lace was nearby, the tea cup and tray on the night stand. The teacup in the bathroom! He retrieved it and placed it on the service tray.
He couldn't avoid the mussed condition of the bed. Shaking his head, he went downstairs.
On the day of Cheryl's party, Karen told him Cheryl would pick her up.
"Then," she said, "I'll come home with you."
"Alright."
Just as Jay was leaving, Cheryl drove up.
He waited for her to get out of her car. The velour tracksuit suited her to distraction. And he found, as she drew nearer, it was the same blue colour as her eyes.
"Good morning, Jay!"
"Good morning, Cheryl."
"How's it going? Is Karen ready?"
Jay looked back at the house. "I don't know. You'll have to ask her."
Cheryl watched his eyebrows knit over clear blue eyes as he said, "I thought the party was this evening."
She grinned naughtily. "It is. Just getting into the mood- it thought we'd spoil ourselves this morning."
"Ah. I'm sure Karen will enjoy the company." He waved her in and left for the gallery.
Cheryl picked up the hanger with Karen's outfit and zipped it into a travel bag. "Let's go."
They stopped to say good bye to Mrs Brown and then left for Karen's friend's house.
As they drove, they chatted incessantly like teenagers discovering the thrills of life. Dropping off Karen's outfit, they then headed to a secluded beauty house in the country. Sylvie- the owner- was a distant relative of Cheryl's and every now and then they got together for a day of pampering. Today was one such day.
When it was all over, nails had been freshly painted, faces masked and skin deep massaged. The women were refreshed and Sylvie could see why everyone liked Karen so much. She was like a ray of sunshine despite the broken arm and other misfortunes that had befallen her recently.
Once they were back at Cheryl's, they turned on lights, checked flower arrangements, consulted with the caterers and then retreated in Cheryl's bedroom downstairs.
"Harold," Cheryl told Karen, "insisted on coming to this one."
"Oh well. He's a nice guy," Karen offered.
YOU ARE READING
Stroke of Love
Romance(Previously entitled Karen's Story) Getting hit by a car brings Karen Fox into Jay Madison's quiet life. More specifically, it brings her right into his home. Before he knows it, he's falling in love and she's running away! A tale about a southern b...
