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Chapter 30
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The Fantasy Maker Chapter 31
Emma's thoughts lingered on Tommy until she crossed the city limits sign. The sun was just beginning to set, reminding her that she had missed the boys' bed time. She hoped her mother was not too annoyed with her. Her father would have expected mother to be home hours ago to make his dinner.She told the Bluetooth to play back her messages. There were five from Steve, each growing more annoyed in tone as the day wore on. The last was the call Emma and Tommy had heard from the bed.A little after eleven:"Talked to the Christian Revolution. They've promised to make Alvarez back off." A little before one:"Turns out there's a reporter from the Austin Statesman in town just for the day. Can you make a five o'clock meeting?"1:45:"Emma, I really need you at this meeting. Where are you?"At 4:30:"Damn it, Emma. Are you ignoring me on purpose?"And then twenty minutes to eight:"You're mother texted me at five-thirty, Emma, right in the middle of the damn meeting with the Austi
The Fantasy Maker Chapter 32
Emma was curled up on the couch, a ceramic coffee mug in her hands. It was designed to look like a Starbucks cup, complete with a thin rubber lid. She had found it in her car Tuesday morning. Dante ¨C Tommy ¨C must have forgotten it after their trip to the park.At first, she thought she would just shove it into the glove box and take it back to him on Thursday. But then-she couldn't resist putting her lips where she knew his had been. In an odd sort of way, it made her feel close to him.It hadn't occurred to her to give him her cellphone number, or to ask for his. She wished she had. It was funny how being apart made all these little insecurities suddenly rear their ugly heads. She kept thinking that he might cancel on her, that she would drive up and he wouldn't be there. Or he would ask her to leave.Or there would be another woman there.Emma sipped from his cup and tried to push that last thought away.She heard a little noise across the room. She looked up just as Steve tur
The Fantasy Maker Chapter 33
This time, he actually was waiting for her outside.He was sitting on the top step of his narrow porch, once again clad in tight jeans. His shirt was a navy blue button-up, unbuttoned. She was still putting the car into park as her fingers began to twitch, aching to touch the smooth skin that dark shirt revealed.He smiled as he walked casually toward her on bare feet. Normally Emma disliked the sight of a man's bare feet, but everything about Tommy made her insides turn to liquid. He pulled the car door open, reaching inside for her before she had chance to grab her bags. And then she was in his arms, his lips exploring the sensitive skin of her throat."I missed you," he groaned in her ear."Oh, hell, you're so dangerous for me," she whispered as she ran her hands over his chest and around his ribs."You don't know the half of it."She pulled back so she could look up at him. She wanted to memorize the lines of his face. But he wouldn't give her even those few inches. His hands
The Fantasy Maker Chapter 34
Music played softly in the background, some country tune she couldn't recall having heard before. He continuously surprised her with his taste in music, movies, and literature. He was complex, this god of a man.She had her camera again. He was stretched out against the headboard of his bed, pillows bunched up behind his back. He was laughing at her, holding his hands up to block the lens of the camera."This isn't a Playgirl photo shoot," he said."No, but it would be a disservice to all of humanity not to capture this sight on film."He laughed again.Emma leaned back, trying to get his full length in focus, but he grabbed her just as she pushed the shutter. She was pretty sure her hand had blocked the entire shot."Hey," she grumbled. But then she was in his arms, and that didn't seem to be such a bad thing.Her camera forgotten somewhere on the mattress, she found herself trapped beneath him as he teased her nipples with his tongue. She sighed, leaning back to give him all t
The Fantasy Maker Chapter 35
Emma moved through the room, her hand caught fast in Steve's. Jen was across the room, obediently following Ray through the crowd with a hand on the small of his back. She caught Emma's eye and made a funny face. Emma smiled, grateful for someone in this crowd of strangers who understood her.Someone snapped a picture, the flash pulling Emma back to the conversation going on around her. She nodded politely at the wife of some business man who was standing to her left. The woman didn't notice, however. Her eyes were stuck on Steve and only Steve.It was the second event in so many days. Not the way she wanted to spend her Saturday. Emma's jaws still hurt from all the smiling she had done the night before. She was grateful there was nothing planned for tomorrow. She had three rolls of film sitting on her desk back home that she was anxious to develop. Three rolls with thirty-five frames each of Tommy. Hmm-just the idea sent a tingle through her still sore body.Steve looked down at
The Fantasy Maker Chapter 36
"Education is the most important issue on the political agenda today. Our children are our future, yet we have failed to give them the education they need to make a difference in the world. Half of all high school students in the state of Texas will not graduate. The rest will struggle to meet basic entrance requirements for major universities across the country. This is unacceptable."Emma tried to listen as Steve made his speech. But she was distracted by a text message that seemed to be burning a hole from her phone through the pocket of her skirt. She knew the vibration meant that Tommy had written to her. Knew it because everyone else who mattered was here in this room. She could see Jen watching her from a front table, could feel her mother's eyes from the back of the room. Even her boys were there, playing in a back room with the very capable Sunday school teacher from the local Baptist church. They had traded cellphone numbers on Thursday before she left him, before she left
The Fantasy Maker Chapter 37
Steve left an hour later. Emma meant to spend the rest of the day in her dark room, three rolls of film calling to her with the urgency she felt to develop them. But, like the day before, there always seemed to be something more important to do. Instead, she found herself curled up on the couch with one child in her lap and the other at her feet, an Iron Man movie in the DVD player and a bowl of popcorn half-forgotten on the coffee table."Why does Pepper get to use his suit, Mom?" Justin asked."He was protecting her.""But I thought only he could use it.""She's not using it, dummy," Seth said. "She's just hiding.""Not exactly," Emma said, knocking Seth with her foot. "And don't call your brother a dummy.""Sorry."Steve called as the credits began to play. Emma handed the phone to Justin, then gathered their glasses and went into the kitchen to load the dishwasher. Seth came into the room a few minutes later. "He wants to talk to you, Mom."She slipped the phone from his ha
The Fantasy Maker Chapter 38
Emma dropped the day's mail on Steve's desk. A manila envelope addressed to Steve in bold letters caught her eye. The writing was done in magic marker and there was no return address. And no stamp. Someone had to have put it in the mailbox themselves.Very clandestine. She smiled. Probably just campaign materials.She stepped out into the hall, about to call up to the boys when she felt a little pinch in her abdomen. She touched the spot, hoping it wasn't an indication that her period was about to start. She had been irregular for a few months. Stress did that. But she was supposed to meet Tommy tomorrow afternoon. It would be just her luck-"Boys, you're going to be late if you don't hurry up!"Right on cue, they came running down the stairs, their feet like a herd of elephants on the stairs. They paused in front of her, each dressed in a pair of shorts, each skidding across the foyer on the sleek plastic of their cleats. Justin's shin guards were almost too big for him, making
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