Behind Closed Doors by Kimberla Lawson Roby Page B

did the same with the purple one. Then, she scooped up the red satin one. It was more beautiful now than it had been in the store. Hmmph. She didn’t care what Miss Marilyn had thought about the big price tag. Larry was going to flip when he saw her in this, and that was the only thing that counted.
    She tucked the last piece of underwear inside the suitcase and was starting toward the brass vanity set when the phone rang.
    “Hello?” Regina said.
    “Hi, baby.”
    Uh-oh. Why was Larry calling her at home when he knew she was supposed to be at work? Since Atlanta’s time zone was an hour ahead of Schaumburg’s, he should’ve already been in class by now. What was she going to do? Better than that, what was she going to say? She’d done everything in her power to keep her plansundercover, and there was no way she was going to blow it now. She had to think fast.
    “Hi. How’d you know I was home?”
    “I called your office, but when I got your voice mail message, I pressed zero and spoke with your secretary. What are you doing at home? It’s after eight o’clock there, isn’t it?”
    Regina paused so she could gather her thoughts and tiny white lies together. “No, I’m just running a little late. I’ll get there by nine, though. Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”
    “Actually, I am, but I wanted to call you before I went in. I really wish you had come down here. We could have had a great time, and you don’t know how sorry I am for talking you out of it.”
    She was about to burst. She wanted to spill her guts and let him know that he hadn’t talked her out of it. That she had made plane reservations. That she had extended his hotel stay. That she would be there by this afternoon. But she just couldn’t do that.
    “I tried to tell you that it would’ve been a nice vacation for us, but you wouldn’t listen. As a matter of fact, you haven’t been listening to much of anything I have to say lately. But then you know what they say.”
    “No, what’s that?”
    “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. And maybe that’s what’s happening to you.”
    “All I know is that I miss you a lot, and I can’t wait until I get home tomorrow evening, so I can hold you,kiss you, and make love to you until I’m completely worn out.”
    Shoot, he was getting his chance to do that tonight. He just didn’t know it yet. “I miss you too, Larry. More than you’ll ever know. I know we’ve been arguing a lot, but I’m confident that things will get better between us. Maybe all we needed was some time apart.”
    “What? Did you say ’time apart’? I can’t believe I’m hearing that from the woman who wants to monitor my every move and gets highly upset when I don’t spend all of my free time with her,” Larry said and cracked up laughing.
    “I’m only like that because I love you so much, and I don’t want to be without you. But, I admit, maybe I have been being a little too tight with you, and I’m going to work on that from here on out.”
    “You don’t know how much of a relief it is to hear you say that. Well it’s after nine, so I better mosey on into the conference room before they send out a search party. I’ll give you a call tonight after dinner, though. Okay?”
    “Sounds good. I love you, Larry.”
    “I love you, too, baby. Bye.”
    Regina was grinning from ear to ear. Larry was missing her more than she’d thought. How could she have ever doubted a man like this? She was glad she’d followed her first instinct and was flying down to Georgia. This was going to be one of the best trips they’d ever had, and just thinking about it caused her heart to race.
    She started for the vanity set again, but this time the doorbell rang.
    Damn. Now what? The clock was already pushing eight-thirty, and she didn’t have time for any more of these interruptions. Who could it be, anyway? Both Karen and Marilyn were probably already at work by now, and it was way too early for any Jehovah’s Witnesses