Chapter 10
Delilah spent the rest of the week in an excited and quite delirious haze. Sure, Rick hadn't touched her much or kissed her again, but she noticed him glancing her way all the time. Now as she cleared up her classroom for another week, she couldn't wipe the grin from her face.
"So, out of curiosity, are you going to let the rock star out to play?" Natalia asked as she entered the room.
"Out to play where exactly, Nat?" Delilah raised her amused gaze to her friend.
"I wanted to go to the club on Saturday night. Would you two like to join me?" Natalia couldn't hide her enthusiasm as she bounced on her toes.
"Sorry, but we're going out of town to a horror movie event."
"Don't tell me he likes those stupid movies!" Natalia gasped.
"No, he's not that into horror but he likes the way I laugh at the most dramatic scenes."
"I swear you two have something going, don't you?"
"Friends do things together, Nat. It doesn't have to mean anything." Delilah busied herself with tidying a bunch of the children's artwork.
"Hey, you're blushing. Something happened. Tell me now. Please." Natalia went from shocked to overly excited and straight onto pleading.
"Whatever happened between Rick and I is absolutely none of your business."
"That means it's something good." Natalia rubbed her hands together with a wicked laugh.
"I'm not talking about this anymore."
"I've been good. Nobody knows he's here."
"Look we haven't had sex or anything like that so stop using that sticky beak of yours to snoop." Delilah pointed her finger at her friend.
"You are turning into such a bore."
"Ha ha, you're just jealous that he's not living in your house." Delilah turned a smug grin at her.
"I can't deny that," Natalia let out a long winded sigh. "I'm only trying to live vicariously through your life with said hunk. Is it too much to wish I could have one awesome night with the man?"
"My answer to that is yes. He's a person, not just the persona that you know."
"But..."
"Nat, if you don't mind, I have a plane to catch." Delilah picked up her bag and went to walk out of the door.
"I'm hoping you have a good time but you know I'm secretly lusting after his body."
"Oh, I know that truth," Delilah stepped from the room only to poke her head back inside. "And I'm going to have a great time, thank you very much." She laughed as her friend grumbled.
As promised, Rick waited outside the school building for her. He leaned back against the car glancing to and fro as if looking for her.
With his familiar cap in place, it darkened his face and hid those eyes that often enchanted her. His beard had begun to cover his face and obscure those familiar, famous features. With well worn jeans that hugged his body and a t-shirt, he blended in but stood out all at once.
Delilah decided that he still appeared just as handsome with a beard as without. As she approached him, she saw those mischievous hazel eyes and his grin that made her heart flutter as usual.
"You didn't tell me he was coming to pick you up!" Natalia exclaimed, which distracted Delilah's observations.
"Nat, you need to keep quiet." Delilah aimed a glare towards where Natalia had followed her.
"Fine. Can I at least say hello?"
"Go already."
Delilah watched with utter amusement as Natalia made a determined but sultry walk towards Rick. A perturbed expression flooded his face but his eyes stayed on Delilah the whole time. She wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to the way he focused on her. It always left her flattered that she could garner his attention with such ease.
"Hi, Rick." Natalia's words burst forth on a giggle and Delilah had to stifle a laugh at her starry eyed gaze.
"Lil, you had better be on your way over here to save me." Rick backed away from Natalia's keen smile.
"All I wanted was to invite you to come out with me on the weekend. Lila can come too." Natalia tacked on the last bit as if her friend became an afterthought.
"Nat, I already told you that we're busy this weekend."
"Maybe next weekend?" Natalia turned hopeful eyes to Rick.
"If Lil wants to go." He shrugged.
"She's going whether she likes it or not." Natalia crossed her arms.
"We're leaving now." Delilah stepped towards the car when Rick moved to get in the drivers seat.
"Don't forget me!" Natalia called out as they drove away.
"I still can't believe she's your friend." Rick shook his head but Delilah chose not to comment.
"Did you remember my suitcase?"
"Of course. I did recall your strict instructions." He winked.
"Good. Horror movies here we come." She clapped her hands together and Rick laughed.
"Do you want to know your fathers last words of wisdom to me?" he glanced her way.
"Hell no."
"I'm telling you anyway. He reminded me to that you have a contraceptive injection, which you had last month. Then he said that if I had any diseases that I should use protection to look after you."
Delilah's mouth dropped open in horrific mortification. Her father always managed to embarrass her in any situation. The truth of her fathers thoughts now left her blushing as she realised his meaning.
"Oh, my God! Dad thinks we're going away for a dirty weekend." Delilah exclaimed.
"Yep." Rick grinned as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.
"That old man and his ideas. I wish he'd bloody keep them to himself sometimes." She placed her head in her hands to try and stem her bright red face.
"What if were? Would that make a difference in your reaction?"
If anything, Delilah's blush only deepened. She stared up at him slack jawed with shock at his suggestion. That all over tingling she had whenever she thought of anything naughty with Rick left her shivering. Was that what Rick had planned?
"I... why would you ask me that?" she blurted out.
"Alright, think of it this way. What if I gave you those tickets with the intention of having a dirty weekend?"
"You should never say the word dirty in that tone." She muttered as her mind became even more muddled.
"Answer the question, Lil."
"Ugh, I'm not answering such a loaded question." She crossed her arms.
"Fine," he sighed but then admitted. "That's not why I bought the tickets."
"It's not?" she couldn't hide her disappointment.
"You've looked after me, Lil. These tickets were only a small slice of the gratitude I feel towards you. I want to look after you and treat you to everything I know you love. That's why I bought the tickets."
"You don't owe me anything, Rick. We're friends and that's what friends do for each other."
"I know but..."
"Plus if I ever suffer a mental breakdown and decide to become a cat lady, you'll have to support me through my suffering."
"Okay." He drawled the word and raised his brows.
Delilah collapsed into giggles at his terrified expression. As serious as the conversation had turned, it was nice to change it back around to something silly and fun.
"I'm kidding, Rick." She reassured him.
"Phew, you had me going there for a minute."
"I know." She laughed.
"Come to think of it, I'm sure I would support you through your crazy cat lady phase," he sighed and shook his head at himself. "I think I'm starting to lose my mind."
"Welcome to the world of Delilah White, I think that every day." She grinned at him.
"You are a bit of an oddball, Miss Delilah."
"Hey!"
"You didn't let me finish," his cheeky smirk grew. "But you're also my lucky charm, so I'm not abandoning you anytime soon." He reached across the console and brushed his hand against hers.
"Good to know, Rick, good to know."
Her heart once again fluttered at his sweet words. So often, he surprised her with thoughts he seemed to have about her. She loved knowing she meant so much to him, it left her giddy and breathless.
They fell silent and Delilah appreciated that the quiet between them contained no awkwardness. In the last six months since they had gone from being only words on paper to actually communicating face to face, things had changed between them. The friendship between them strengthened and she knew that her attraction for him did too. She appreciated having him close by and he seemed to return the sentiment.
It was only when they arrived at their destination that Delilah once again considered what Rick saw in this weekend together. The plane trip had nothing eventful but now that they headed to a room together, Delilah's thoughts jumbled. Sure, he said he'd bought the tickets for her out of gratitude but what if he expected more?
She had to wonder if she brought enough sexy underwear to cope with a weekend alone with Rick. Delilah knew how stupid she was acting but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Sometimes the reality of Rick made her mind introduce crazy scenarios.
"What is going through your mind? You're acting funny." Rick looked to her as he unlocked the door to their hotel room.
"I'm fine."
"What a lie." He shook his head in amusement at her.
"Sometimes I'm not sure where we stand, okay. We flirt together but then we don't really say anything. Then we'll have deep and meaningful moments without seeming... well... deep and meaningful." She tossed her hands in the air at her terrible description.
"Delilah," He turned to her and grasped her shoulders. "We are whatever the hell we are."
"And since you moved in we've changed, our dynamic is different to what it was before. Sometimes it like I can say anything to you and other times I'm stumped with what to say. I mean... earlier when you suggested a naughty weekend and I'd already suggested it as a date... I just want to know where we stand." She clapped a hand over her mouth to stop its blathering.
"Come inside and lets stop this freak out. Between you and your father I don't know who's the craziest." He shook his head as he stepped into the hotel room.
"Where do you think I get it from?" a weak laugh escaped her.
"Sit." He waved a hand towards the couch.
Delilah hesitated before she walked in and shut the door behind her. She sat down and tried not to twitch. Rick hadn't answered her crazy babbling and now she wasn't sure what to think. She bit down on her lip and tried to stay calm.
"I don't mean to act evasive. I really don't. The last thing I want to do is to leave you with any confusion." He started to explain as he paced across the floor.
"Once again, you're not saying anything but you're hinting that you are."
"I like flirting with you, Lil. Making you blush and stammer the way you do is the cutest damn thing."
"You do?" her eyes widened.
"Of course I do, otherwise why would I do it?"
"I didn't realise."
"Did you think I just flirt with anyone like that?" he sounded insulted.
"No, yes, damn I sound like an idiot." She put her head in her hands.
"I've been in the public eye for too long. My life comes under a ton of scrutiny and I'm used to hiding things. It probably doesn't help that my last relationship was with a woman who I still can't stand today."
"Please don't tell me that you mean Deidre." She made a face.
"You've read my letters and I've only ever told you the truth."
"You haven't had a long term relationship with anyone but her?" Delilah's voice rose higher.
"I'm afraid so."
"Holy guacamole! You've lived in the world of instant gratification from any woman who would drop her pants, which would be every woman." Delilah stared at him.
"It sounds fucking bad when you say it like that." He dropped his chin to his chest.
"Okay, ignore my babbling and let's move forward."
"In what way?"
"Do you recall Don from high school?"
"Yeah, didn't you guys date for a while?"
"A year after school."
"So why are we talking about him?" Rick frowned.
"I'm trying to point out that I haven't had the longest relationships with men either."
"At least yours lasted more than one night." He resumed his pacing across the floor.
Delilah dragged in a breath realising that they were getting nowhere. His earlier statement sounded in her mind and she decided that this time he was right.
"Alright, it looks like I'm going to have to agree with you."
He stopped and stared at her, "in what way?"
"We are whatever we are. If we're moving forward at least we should do it together."
Rick blinked as if that was the last thing he expected her to say. He released the heaviness in his chest with a long breath. Delilah always surprised him and he hoped that she always would.
"Sometimes you can show rationality." His voice dropped to a teasing tone.
"Sometimes." She agreed.
A knock on the door startled Delilah as she went to stand. Rick waved her to stay as he went to the door to retrieve their bags. She frowned at him and wondered if this odd chat they had moved them forward or back in the same place. Her confusion over him and the gestures he made towards her remained the same.
"Are you ready to hit the movies." Rick disturbed her thoughts.
"Sounds good. We'll have to sit down and figure out a schedule of what movies to watch." She turned to him.
"I have everything mapped out. Don't you worry that cute little head of yours about any of it. You have time for a quick shower and change if you like."
"That I would." She replied as she manoeuvred her suitcase into the middle of the room.
She opened the clasp and realised that everything had jumbled around. The suitcase almost exploded open and clothes went everywhere. Her slinky pink nightie that she had tossed in at the last minute fell out onto the floor.
"Damn!" she exclaimed as she tried to scurry around and grab her things.
"Hot pink, huh?" Rick's tone deepened as she reached for the garment.
"What's wrong with hot pink?" she tried to hide her blushing face as she shoved the nightie away.
"Nothing. I guess I always saw you as a pastel colour type girl. I'm glad to have my theory proven wrong." He mused.
"Are you saying that I'm boring?"
"Fuck, no. You couldn't bore me even if you tried. Go and shower, Lil, before I forget why we're here."
She didn't miss the heated look in his eyes as it darted from her to her suitcase and then back to her. With a quick flick, she closed the suitcase. She headed to the bathroom with a smile on her face. The hope that they may become more than friends bloomed inside her and she didn't want it to ever die.