Prey of Desire by J. C. Gatlin Read Free Book Online Page A

she said, turning to the first page. “It’s called ‘Twenty
Love Poems and a Song of Despair.’ Isn’t that romantic?”
    Page by
page, she read each poem to him. She found one poem of particular interest: “If
You Forget Me.” Those were the words written on the note she’d received at the
New Year’s Eve Party. This was the proof: the note and the poetry book were
from Ross.
    And, he
was waiting for her at their restaurant. Sighing, she turned the page.
    “Did you
ever write Nanna poems when you were young and
courting?” she asked him. She watched him a moment, waiting for a response.
    There was
a yellowing photo of her grand- mother in a frame on the nightstand. “ Nanna was so beautiful when she was young. She was quite
the catch. And I’m sure you were handsome and dashing too. Just like Ross…” Her
words trailed off.
    As if
suddenly noticing someone was beside him, he turned his head, appraising her. “Do
you know my daughter?” he asked her in a gravely, tired voice.
    Kim
smiled. “Of course I do. That’s my mother. I’m your granddaughter.”
    “You look
like her, ” he said “She’s about your age, my daughter.”
    Kim
paused a moment, studying him. Then she returned her focus to the book. When
she finished reading it to him, she started over and read each poem again.

 
 
     
                                       
*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

 
     
    It was
dark by the time she walked through downtown, past the University. If it hadn’t
been so late, she would’ve walked along Morris Munger Road again, pausing at the curve, searching the ground around the old real
estate sign and empty fruit stand.
    But Kim
decided to take the shorter, direct route home as the night was chilly and a
little spooky.  
    Barely
twenty minutes later, she made her way into the gated
townhome complex. The invitation in red ink was safely tucked away inside the
poetry book, alongside her textbooks. She smiled, thinking about the lovely
gift. It was so romantic.
    She
picked up Zeus at Mallory’s and they spoke briefly. The radio station hadn’t
called her, it turned out. Kim decided not to say anything to Mallory about the
invitation. At least not yet. Finally, she and Zeus
entered her own townhome next door.
    “You’re
getting me into a lot of trouble,” she said. Zeus looked up at her, curious.
    The
landlord was gone. The sink appeared to be fixed, again, and she tested the
garbage disposal. Satisfied, Kim rinsed her hands as Zeus sat on the floor. He
never took his eyes off her.
    “I can’t
afford another place right now, so if you get us evicted then we’re just going
to have to live in a cardboard box under a bridge,” she said, watching his
large brown eyes follow her out the kitchen and into the living
room. Then, as she moved toward the phone, she hesitated and pulled out
the poetry book and removed the invitation.
    “ Greico’s Italian
Restaurant. I will be waiting. ”
    She found
the Yellow Pages phone book and flipped through it. Finding the number for Greico’s Italian Fine Cuisine, she dialed the number.
    “Pleasant evening. Thank you for calling Greico’s Italian Fine Cuisine. What can I do for you this evening?”   came the voice over the
phone.
    “My name
is Kimberly Bradford…” She absent mindedly looped a finger between the black
spirals of the twisted phone cord. “I need to confirm reservations for, um, Ross
McGuire.”      
    “Yes, of
course. For what evening Miss Bradford.”
    “I’m not
sure. Possibly tonight.”
    “One
moment, Miss Bradford…”  Kim could hear
the rattling of paper and a moment later the voice returned. “ I’m sorry
ma’am. I show no reservations in that name. However…”
    “Yes?”
    “Reservations
have been made in your name for eight o'clock Friday evening.”
    An
overwhelming giddy feeling rippled through Kim’s body and she hung up the
phone. She returned to the kitchen and sat down at