Beware The Kiss Part 2

"You can be so d.a.m.n stubborn." Candace loudly exhaled. "Would you like me to get Ana on the phone for you?"

Erica nodded. "Candace, if any reporters call while I'm in the shower, just do your magic, okay?"

"Okay."

The sun had set by the time Erica left her downtown Minneapolis office and headed west on Interstate 394. The twenty-five minute drive to the Mahala Community Medical Center was not enough time to calm her nerves. She hoped to avoid running into Christina.

Christina Windquest.

Though she had tried over the years, Erica was unable to forget her. Christina had been spontaneous, pa.s.sionate and reckless. She had displayed the touch of a magician-her fingers easing aching muscles and awakening sleeping nerves. Life had been so different then. Erica slid her hand down the steering wheel and put the Jeep Grand Cherokee into fifth gear.

At the age of eighteen, Erica had viewed Christina as a G.o.ddess. Now, through the eyes of an older woman, Erica came face-to-face with reality. She was as captivating as Erica remembered, but that morning she had seen Christina - the G.o.ddess-as a stunned and frightened mother.

Erica knew she wasn't in love with Christina anymore. The heart-ripping separation had stopped and the scar that remained was taut with indifference - or so she thought. She had her career, her close friends.h.i.+ps with Susan Evans and Ana, and her solitude. Yet, she was very aware of how empty her life had become. What she missed most was the closeness and the intimacy of love. For too long she had lived without a lover's touch- not because she wanted to but because she had to, thanks to Raven's curse.

When she reached Tayler's room, Erica stood outside the door for several minutes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, raised her hand to knock but stopped. She tried again. After a number of attempts she gave up and turned to leave.

"Oh, h.e.l.lo," a nurse walked out of the room with a tray of medical supplies. "I'm finished. Please go right in."

"It's okay. I think I've missed visiting hours," Erica took several steps.

"No, no. I think Ms. Windquest would really like to see you. She's been asking about you, Ms. Laird."

For a moment Erica wondered how this woman knew who she was, but then remembered the article and photograph in the morning's paper. The nurse disappeared down the hall. Erica entered the room and walked to the side of the bed.

"h.e.l.lo, Tayler, I'm your absentee landlady."

"Ms. Kirsten-Laird, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Tayler's formal greeting was just above a whisper. She extended her hand to Erica.

Aware of Tayler's rib injuries, Erica avoided shaking Tayler's hand and held it instead. She was surprised to hear Tayler address her by her legal name. Most often, people referred to Erica by her father's last name, Laird, rather than her legal hyphenated name, Kirsten-Laird.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to introduce myself."

"I think your introduction was perfectly timed," Tayler grinned.

Erica noticed the slight blush in Tayler's cheeks. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." Tayler's voice was hoa.r.s.e and scratchy.

"Thank you for the roses. They're beautiful."

"You're most welcome." Erica let go of Tayler's hand and put her purse on a chair. She noticed the colorful array of flowers that decorated the room. The long-stemmed red roses she had sent stood in an elegant porcelain vase on the table next to the bed. She removed a rose. "Have you thought about opening a floral shop with all these plants and flowers?" Erica asked holding the flower to her nose and taking in the sweet, sweet fragrance.

Tayler watched as the dimples on each side of Erica's mouth deepened. She pulled the blankets up around her. "I'm sending them to the children's unit first thing in the morning, but I'm keeping the roses."

"Why?"

"Because children love flowers."

"I meant, why are you keeping the roses?" Erica slowly rolled the stem between her thumb and index finger.

"They're my favorite flower." Tayler closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them. "My father used to give me a rose whenever I was sad or hurt."

"I would imagine he didn't give you many roses then," Erica inquired.

"Actually, I got quite a few."

Tayler's eyes were as blue as her mother's, but unlike Christina's, Tayler's possessed a translucence -like the blue coastal waters of Puerto Arista. Erica lowered her gaze and focused on Tayler's bruised neck. She could see several black st.i.tches peeking out of the bandage. In the light of the sterile hospital room, Tayler's oval face and high cheekbones were a combination of strength and gentleness. Her age was difficult to estimate, but Erica guessed she was in her late twenties - a young age for a Pulitzer Prize winner.

"Thanks for your help last night." Tayler said softly. "I'm so sorry you got hurt."

Erica nodded.

"Mother told me that you two are old friends."

"Hm, yes. I met your mother quite a long time ago." Erica wondered how much Christina had shared with Tayler about their past.

"It's weird because I don't recall mother ever mentioning your name to me before."

Erica forced herself to smile. "I'm not surprised. We lost touch with each other."

She drifted off recalling the night she had first met Christina. Her rusted Mustang had broken down on a back road south of Minneapolis. Christina drove by, stopped, and offered her a ride. They meant to go to a gas station for help, but they never made it. That night Christina opened her house and her arms to Erica.

"Are you okay?" The low voice brought her back to the present.

"I'm sorry. Yes, I'm fine," Erica rubbed her temple. Her cheeks burned.

"When I'm released, do you think we could we get together and talk?"

"I - " Erica looked out into the dark night. "I don't think it would be - "

"Please, you saved my life." Tayler struggled to sit up. "At least let me take you out to dinner or something."

The overhead light behind Tayler's blond hair created the effect of a crown. Erica stared at the image. "All right, but only when you feel up to it," she said exhaling slowly.

A lone figure stood watching them from the doorway. Christina stepped out of the shadows. "Am I interrupting?" She asked as she walked to the opposite side of Tayler's bed.

"Hi, Mom. Look who's here."

"Darling, how are you?" Christina leaned over and kissed Tayler on the cheek. "h.e.l.lo, Erica, it's nice to see you again." The level of tension rose sharply as the two former lovers faced each other. Christina avoided looking directly at Erica. She was still feeling the sting from the words Erica spoke several hours earlier.

"h.e.l.lo, Christina." Erica picked up her purse. "I should be going." She looked down at Tayler and tried to smile, but the attempt failed.

"But you just got here," Tayler tugged on the hospital bracelet around her wrist.

"Erica needs to rest too, dear." Christina laid her hand on Tayler's shoulder then looked at Erica. "I'll be right back. I'm going to walk Erica down the hall."

Erica handed Tayler the rose.

"I was so surprised to see you this morning. I thought you moved to London." Erica said fumbling for her keys.

"I came back to Minneapolis a short while ago."

They continued to walk down the hall in silence. When they reached the entrance, Christina reached out her hand and stopped Erica. "You're still angry, Eri."

Erica found Christina's directness and the use of her old nickname unsettling. She tried not to look at Christina, but the magnetism Christina exuded made it too difficult. Her indifference turned to anger. "You left me," she said with dry bitterness.

"I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did," Erica retorted knowing she sounded like a spoiled child. "I tried to find out what happened, but you wouldn't even return my calls. I drove by your house - you were never there."

"I'm sorry, Eri, but I had to leave. I feared that if we went further I'd never be able to let you go."

"That was really nice of you, Christina," Erica replied hotly, "but I wasn't going anywhere."

"Yes, you were. That's exactly my point," Christina stopped and leaned against the wall. She was shaking. The tiny lines under her eyes deepened. She bit her lower lip. "You became my obsession. I wanted you with me for the rest of my life."

"And that's what I wanted."

"Oh, Eri, it was never that simple. You had just turned eighteen and were on your way to college. You wanted to spend your time in the library and I wanted to spend my time in Paris, the Caribbean -anywhere. I couldn't stand the thought of only seeing you on the weekends. I was too old for that. I just didn't know how to bridge the years between us. It wouldn't have worked. Don't you see?"

Christina's words tore at Erica's heart. She knew Christina was right. "I do now, but I didn't back then."

"I'm so sorry. I was only doing what I thought best."

Erica turned toward the door. "So, why didn't you tell me you had a daughter?"

Christina looked out the door into the dark night. When she looked back at Erica there were tears in her eyes. "It's such a long, complicated story." Christina searched Erica's face for compa.s.sion. "If you can give me a little time I can try to explain."

"Time is something I don't have right now, Christina." Erica struggled to find the words, any words, to explain the h.e.l.l she was living-but there were none. Every moment she lived the curse drew closer.

"I have to go." At her car, Erica leaned her head against the door and clenched her fist. "d.a.m.n you, Raven. Why don't you make a move?"

Three.

"I don't understand why you created this foundation," Erica's accountant said fidgeting with his pen, "but your dad was the same way. I think he gave to every charity in town. You're a lot like him."

"I'm not sure that's a compliment, Tony. He had a size 13 shoe." Erica smiled at the gray-haired man sitting across the desk from her.

"I.. .I meant to say that you have his generosity and genuine concern for people," Tony Fittipaldi blushed. "Your dad and I were roommates in college."

Erica nodded. She had heard this story a number of times before, but nonetheless, loved the mood of reverie the discussion created.

"He was a bright student and a tremendous athlete. He was a handsome boy - tall, muscular and lean, dark brown hair, blue eyes -I practically had to be his bodyguard. The girls wouldn't leave him alone. At first I couldn't figure out why he didn't date. Then I realized that Weston was shy. By the end of our senior year, your dad wasn't acting like himself. I told him to see a doctor, but he said what he had no doctor could cure." Tony scratched his head.

"What was wrong with him?"

"Rebecca Kirsten -your mother," Tony laughed. "She was the most incredible woman I have ever known." He peered out the window lost in his memories. "The night your parents died I headed to the nearest bar. I had lost my boss and best friend, and the woman I would've married if your dad hadn't married her first.

"You take after your mother," Tony continued. "You got her dark brown eyes, cheekbones and figure. I couldn't help but fall in love with her." Tony smiled sheepishly "Your parents were so sad when they were told they'd never be able to have children, but they never gave up hope. The day you were born your dad was so happy he gave everyone in the company the day off. He was so proud. A fine man to work for -your dad. What a tragic end to a fairy tale love story." He wiped his eyes on a white handkerchief.

"I know you were a good friend to my parents, Tony."

"Well, anyway, I guess I've taken enough of your time," Tony stood. "I really just came up to have you look over these reports on the merger and to sign this check."

"Why didn't you sign it?" Erica raised an eyebrow.

"Because the bank needs your signature on this amount." Tony handed the check to Erica.

The quizzical expression on Erica's face froze. She stared at the check.

"Is something wrong?" Tony stood and switched from one foot to the other. When she didn't respond he added, "I know you're busy. Why don't I just come back later?" He started to remove the check from Erica's hand.

"No. No, it's okay, Tony."

Erica's hand shook as she signed her name. The normally healthy color in her face turned a ghostly white. When she finished, Erica snapped the cap back on her pen and laid it down on the desk. "There. That should do it for another year."

"Thanks, Erica." Tony took the check, collected his things and turned to leave.

"Oh, Tony, before I forget, I'm meeting with my attorney this afternoon to have my will updated." She saw the concern in his eyes.

"You're not ill are you, Erica?"

"No, but I suppose my timing is pretty poor considering we were just talking about my parents. I'm sorry. It's just that I want you to oversee the financial arrangements for this charity. It's very important to me that their work continue." Erica rubbed her eyes.

"You're not-" Tony blushed, "I thought your dad was ill until he told me he had fallen in love. You're not in love are you?"

"Oh heavens, no." Erica rose from her desk and walked Tony to the door.

"You know, your dad waited for the right woman to come along. Maybe you're just waiting for the right man."

Erica smiled. "It's an interesting thought, Tony. Thanks for stopping in." She shut the door and leaned against it.

With her eyes closed she fought against the memory of Patricia Locksley's senseless death. The guilt she still felt scorched like white hot steel. Her tears burned with remorse. She grabbed a tissue from a nearby table and blew her nose, walked to the window and looked down at the world fifty floors below. From her south window, Erica could see the lakes - Calhoun, Harriet, Nokomis and Lake of the Isles. She longed to be outside enjoying the weather, but the sands of time were running out-just as they had for Patricia Locksley.

The Patricia Locksley Foundation was a charity she had established in honor of an innocent woman who had been brutally murdered - twelve hours after she and Erica had made love. Raven's curse went immediately into effect and had a fatal implication for Patricia.

She looked down at her hands, but all she could see was the emptiness they held -all because of Raven, the evil enchantress who had seduced Ana and made Erica's love for Ana a sheer mockery. Raven, the green-eyed demon who had trapped Erica's life in her cold, jealous heart. No matter what end of the earth Erica ran to, she could not escape what Ana had done.

Erica walked back to her desk and looked around the room. Her office was elegantly furnished with a large mahogany desk, rich shades of blue fabric on the cloth furniture, and silver lamps and picture frames. She placed her hands on the desk and closed her eyes. With increasing horror, Erica feared she would lose all that she had created in the loving memory of her parents.

The Kirsten-Laird Architectural and Design Company was known worldwide, and Erica had a reputation for designing buildings that were not only breathtaking, but also sensitive to and protective of the environment. She was both a gifted architect and an intuitive diplomat.