| Chapter Eighteen Howie and Kat returned to the hotel later that afternoon after they had walked and shoped downtown. Howie dropped her off at her door and kissed her gently. "What time are we leaving for dinner?" Kat asked as they pulled away. "I'll pick you up at six," he replied and then kissed her quickly before walking to his own room. Kat sighed happily as she closed her door. The day had been great, and the night promised to be wonderful. She had been looking forward to it since Howie had explained his plans at breakfast. She had mentally went over her wardrobe and she knew the exact dress she was going to wear. It was a simple black sheath, with a scooped neckline and it fell to the top of her knees. Simple yet elegant was exactly what she was going for and the dress fit the bill. She walked to her closet and pulled out the dress and her black patent leather pumps and set them on the bed. Grabbing her undergarments from the drawer, she headed for the shower. She had plenty of time, but she was just too excited to sit around and do nothing. As she stepped from the shower, she heard knocking on her door and she wrapped her towel around her still damp body and fixed the towel on her head before going to answer the door. She used the peep hole to see who was there and she recognized the hotel uniform. Opening the door only a crack, keeping her body hid behind the door, she said, "Can I help you?" "I have a delivery for you miss," the hotel employee stated and held up a brown paper wrapped package. Kat reached her hand through the opening and took the package, thanking the man before shutting the door. Kat studied the the parcel. It measured roughly 11 X 14 and it was heavy. Wondering who it could be from, and what it was, she sat it down on the coffee table and tore the paper off. She gasped and her hand rose to cover her heart as tears came to her eyes. In front of her was a framed print of Monet's Water Lilies. The frame was of natural wood, stained to a honey gold color. Her hand reached out and stroked over the glass. She had no doubt that Howie had sent this to her, no doubt at all. She had no idea how he knew she had always wanted a framed print to hang in her house, but that made the gift all the more special. Gingerly, she picked up the picture and set it against the wall and began picking up the wrapping paper. As she picked up the last piece, she spied a white envelope with her name on it. Throwing everything else away, she sat on the edge of her bed and opened the envelope. Her eyes watered as she read the note and she felt her love for Howie grow. She blinked to clear her vision and reread the words. Kat, I saw how much you loved Water Lilies, how your eyes lit up and how dreamy you became when you talked about your love of art. I wanted you to have this to remember today by. You've shown me another side of you that I didn't know existed and I'm eternally thankful that you are part of my life. I love you, Howie Kat sniffed and wiped the tears from her face. How had she ever ended up with a man who was so sweet, a man who could see so much of her with just one look? She breathed deeply and exhaled, forcing her tears away. She stood and tucked the note into the corner of the print and then went to finish getting dressed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Howie arrived just as Kat was putting on her necklace and earrings. She checked her hair one more time to make sure the combs were holding her sides back and went to answer the door. "Hi," she said as she took in his appearance. His hair was loose and curly, brushing the top of his shoulders. His navy blue dress pants were fitted, hugging his thighs and his cream colored, short sleeve sweater clung to his upper body like a second skin. He carried his navy blue blazer casually draped over one arm and in the other hand he carried a bouquet of flowers. "Hi, yourself," he said as he presented to her the flowers and then lowered his lips for a kiss. "I'm just about finished, come on in," she said as she turned and walked into the room, looking for something to put the flowers in. All she could find was the water pitcher! She filled it with fresh water and arranged the flowers before coming back into the room. She sat them down on the coffee table and smiled at Howie. She noticed he was looking at Water Lilies and she walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered in his ear, "Thank you." He swiveled his head to look back at her, and the look in her eyes took his breath away. "You're welcome." No more words were needed, their eyes said it all. He took her hand and led her from the room and into the hallway. Raul was waiting and followed as they entered the elevator. After a short drive through the city, the limo pulled up in front of a dimly lit building and Raul got out and waited for Howie and Kat to emerge. They entered the building and rode the elevator to the top floor and stepped out into the waiting area of the restaurant. "Welcome to the Revolving Resaurant," a man in a black tux greeted them as they approached. "Reservation for Dorough," Howie said and then waited as the host scanned the reservation list. "Ah, yes sir. Right this way please." They followed the host through the dinning room to a table that was next to the windows. From their seats, they could see the entire skyline of the city. The lights from the other buildings seemed so far away and left Kat feeling like they were in the clouds. "How did you ever find this place?" she asked after they had been seated and handed their menus. "We travel a lot. Actually I've never been here, but Brian has brought Leighanne before and they both said that this is a fabulous place to eat." "Does the restaurant really revolve?" she asked as she stared out the window. "Yes, it makes one complete turn every hour. No matter where you sit in here, you have a view of the city." Kat took a look around the room and noticed that the outside walls were made of glass and all of the tables did indeed have a view. Their dinners arrived and as they ate, they talked about the highlights of their day together. "Oh look!" Kat exclaimed as her eyes gazed at something outside the window. Howie turned his head and smiled. The sun was finishing it's decent and the stars were beginning to become visible. "Look over there," he said as he pointed to a building. Kat looked and smiled. It was the building they had been facing when they were seated. They had made a complete rotation. Howie suggested they stay for dessert, to give the sky more time to darken and the moon to rise. When they finished the shared chocolate cheesecake and their coffees, Howie stood and helped her from her chair. Together they left the restaurant and rode the elevator down to street level. They entered the limo and Howie tapped on the glass as Raul got in the passenger seat. The limo pulled out into traffic and drove them to a nearby park. Howie stepped from the car and reached back for Kat's hand, helping her from the car. They began their walk hand in hand in silence, content just being together. Kat looked around and noticed that Raul was no where to be seen. She asked about it, and Howie explained that he was around, just not so close as to intrude upon their privacy. Kat blushed slightly and laid her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk. "I've missed this," he whispered as he stopped and turned to face her. "Missed what?" she asked. "Having time alone with you. For a while there, I thought we'd never find some private time," he murmured as his hands came up to cup her shoulders. Kat smiled up at him and replied, "I felt the same way. I was seriously thinking about kidnapping you just so we could spend more than an hour together." "I wouldn't have complained." His hands tightened on her shoulders and his head lowered to hers. Kat waited in breathless anticipation for his lips to meet hers. Not being able to wait a moment longer, she raised her lips and met his, her breath leaving her in a rush at that first contact. Reunion Index Next Chapter Main Page |