Steele Holting Out For You 8/9
Date: Thursday, January 11, 2001
Breezy <giglnbreez@aol.com>
"Laura, I think we should talk," Remington spoke through
the door, "If not tonight, maybe tomorrow on the flight back.
I don't want you to be angry, but I just want to know where I
stand," silence. He slid an envelope under the door, "Well,
if you won't listen, please read the note. It'll explain my side,"
he turned and went to bed in the worst condition he had ever been
in.
Laura had sat and listened to Mr. Steele plead his case. She didn't
know what she felt any more. The other night with Murphy had been
nice, but it was awkward. It felt like she was kissing her brother,
if she had one.
Mr. Steele, on the other hand, he lit a fire in places she didn't
even know about. When he kissed her it was all she could do not
to go straight for another. She moved over and picked up the envelope
on the floor. She smiled. If she opened this, she thought, she
might as well throw in the towel. Her stomach lurched. Love was
not something she wanted to feel right now. Lust, caring, those
were fine, but love, she needed time to adjust to the feeling
before she could share. And what did the envelope hold in store
anyway? It could just be a goodbye; after all, she had put him
off for quite some time. It could also say he had found someone
else and he didn't need her any more, but the agency was still
convenient. She wouldn't know until she opened it
and she wouldn't do it now.
She needed to devise a plan; first she would go to Murphy when
they get back. From there, she had no clue of what her plan of
attack would be. Taking things slowly had brought her this far.
Maybe they can go back to the way things were before. There's
comfort in the familiar.
***
Six. An ungodly hour for any respectable hedonist, but this was
important. Remington slowly levered himself into a sitting position.
His body protested every move he made. He had had better nights
sleeping on a sidewalk in the dead of winter. Nothing was physically
wrong, but that didn't much
matter.
He had to catch the same flight as Laura and have the chance to
see how she reacted to his letter. The note had only been written
because he hadn't been able to sleep a few weeks back after sitting
in a car with Laura for several hours on a stakeout. It was the
only way he could get his mind and
body to wind down from the close proximity. All he wanted then
was to touch her and tell her how he felt. Nevertheless, a stakeout
is not the place to try to profess or make love.
He trudged to the bathroom and automatically went through the
process of washing up and packing. He went to check on Laura before
he left to make sure she was still flying off and see if she wanted
to share a cab.
He picked up the phone and called the desk, "Has Miss. Holt
checked out yet? Thank you." He walked over to the connecting
door and knocked softly, "Laura? Are you ready to get going?"
Laura snapped straight up like a shot. What time was it? Oh no!
She needed to be at the airport in twenty minutes.
"I'll be ready in five minutes, you can go without me,"
she flew through the room, tossing everything into her cases trying
to force them shot.
"Laura, I'm not leaving without you. Paying for cab fare
twice doesn't make sense. Do you need any help?" He was hoping
that he would have a chance to see if she even opened the envelope
before he had to ask.
The door opened, but by the time it finished revealing the other
side Laura was in the bathroom sliding all of her toiletries off
the counter into her carryon.
"Would you mind closing the bag on the bed and checking to
make sure I didn't leave anything behind?" Laura poked her
head out of the bathroom, "I'll be out in a minute,"
she shut the door.
Remington looked around, focusing first on the wastebasket next
to the bed stand. That's good it wasn't in there. It meant that
she had it, read or not, she still had it.
***
"Well Abigail, I had a wonderful time with you, even if the
mission was a flop," Mildred was waiting for Abigail to finish
packing so they could check out together.
"We didn't fail yet. They haven't gone their separate ways
and they're still talking, at least a little bit. My daughter
is as pigheaded as they get. She will come around, but it will
be on her own time. Murphy was never her type or I would have
pushed much harder when I first met him."
***
The ride to the airport was long and uncomfortable. The construction
traffic, a street festival, and a game at the Boston Garden kept
things at a stop and go pace.
"Just like home, eh?" Remington chuckled, more to himself
than for Laura, "Too bad you didn't grow up in the area,
we might be there by now."
Laura looked over at him from the post she had been keeping by
the window, "I don't think that there is a short cut here
that would save us more than ten seconds. The lay out of the streets
is impossible," she turned back to the window and started
thinking again.
Murphy had told her how he felt. It was a bit hasty. It didn't
matter though; she knew he cared about her. She knew before, now
it was a public topic. She had been glad that he hung up the phone
so fast. If he hadn't, she didn't know what she would have said
in reply. She cared about him. She had been his friend for years.
His best friend. Then there was her Mr. Steele, hers? That was
a bit presumptuous.
How did he feel? The letter probably told her everything she needed
to know, but opening it now with him right here would be a little
uncomfortable. She had wanted to read it last night, but the fear
of what might be in there stopped her every attempt. At first
it was because it was a "Dear Laura"
letter, but now it was because it was a proclamation of his love.
She should have torn the thing wide open while she had the chance.
Now she had to wait until she was back in LA.
He was content to watch Laura the rest of the ride. He knew she
was struggling with something right now. He figured she was thinking
about giving him the bum's rush and running away with Murphy.
They were cut from the same cloth, both were sensible, intelligent,
and most of all he was never a
conman, a charlatan, or a thief. He could feel his chest crumbling
with every breath he took.
"Umm, Laura? Do you mind if when we get back I take a few
days off..."
***
Murphy looked at his watch. Laura had called him last night around
11. She had told him she would be arriving at LAX around 7:30
this morning. She sounded as if she had something important to
tell him. His hopes were that she would jump into his arms when
she saw him and they would live happily ever after, but a feeling
in the pit of his stomach said otherwise.
She hadn't mentioned how she felt, either way. If she had given
him some clue he would have prepared a little better. All of the
build up from the other night had him going crazy. He wanted more
of her. He hoped to have at least one more chance to be with her
before she let him down. He knew that if she did let him down
he would never have another chance. Laura wasn't like that. She
didn't toy with men in that way. She was straightforward, sometimes,
he felt, a little too straightforward. If his hopes were going
to
be dashed he wanted it to be delivered with a soft blow.
***
When they arrived at Logan Airport Laura was going crazy. She
needed to read the letter. Her life depended on what it said.
She still didn't know what she wanted, but she had a feeling that
if she found out how he felt she could devise a plan for her life
starting when they landed.
"Mr. Steele, I have to run to the ladies room. I'll meet
you at the terminal," Laura patted his shoulder and ran off.
He watched her trot through the crowd until she reached the hallway
marked "women." He decided to wait for her, he figured
if he was going to disappear in a few hours, the last ones he
had as Remington Steele should be spent with those that Steele
needed most.
When Laura was out of his view Laura tore into Remington's letter.
She looked at the first line ten times. She couldn't believe what
it said. The rest of it could wait. She knew her plan now. She
just hoped she could handle it. She put the paper back into the
shredded packet that had contained it earlier, checked her reflection
in the mirror and headed back out into the fray.
"Laura, I thought I'd wait, there's a terribly large crowd
and I wasn't sure of the location of the terminal," he never
looked at her after he had spotted her. He knew that her demeanor
had changed, but he wasn't sure of the direction it had changed
in. He guessed that if she really had to go
she would be happier now, but he didn't read happiness in her
appearance. It was an odd stance, he saw determination and something
else. Maybe she would talk on the plane.
She nodded her acknowledgement to his comment, "It's this
way. We should hurry, I'd like to boarded so I can take a nap,"
she picked up the pace.
***
"Mildred, this is a wonderful idea. It'll be great not having
to depend on the girls for company in LA," Abigail smiled,
"I haven't had such a good friend in years. I, um,"
she choked back the emotion she was feeling, "Thank you."
"Abigail, you are a wonderful person. It's a shame you don't
live in the area, we could spend more time together. I'll have
to come back out and visit after the kids' wedding," Mildred
smiled, "I think our terminal is over here."
Both women trucked their way across the crowd and to the desk.
***
"Mr. Steele, when we get back, could you please meet me at
the office before you go on vacation?" Laura asked as she
settled back into her seat.
He thought that his quick escape would be less painful, however
this was Laura this was the last time, "I suppose I can.
I just need to pick a few items up from my place."
Laura smiled and closed her eyes. Things would work out just fine.
Steele sat back in his seat. This was going to be harder than
anything he had ever done before.