Maria saw him coming towards her in the restaurant and experienced an instinctive wave of panic. She recognized him, of course. Joshua Hamilton was the city's most eligible bachelor, frequently featured in the society column of the papers, a beautiful model or starlet practically draped over him. 1
What would he ever want with me, she thought. Yet he was making his way purposefully towards her. She swiveled quickly to face the bartender and ordered a scotch, straight up. 2
“Fancy meeting you here, Angel,” she heard him say softly beside her. 3
That voice could melt steel, she mused. It flowed over her like honey. Calm yourself, she warned her jangling nerves, he can't help how he speaks. For God's sake, don't act like a starstruck fool!4
Maria turned to face him with a studied indifference she silently congratulated herself on. “Sorry,” she said with a half-smile, “you seem to have mistaken me for someone else.” She saw his brows rise in surprise as she turned away. She accepted her scotch from the bartender with a soft thanks.5
“I don't think so, Angel. You're exactly the person I've been searching for for the last six months.” 6
She turned to face him with a polite smile mixed with the beginning of annoyance. “I've never seen you before in my life. How could I be the one you're looking for? And before you ask, no, I don't have an identical twin named ... Angela?”7
“Angel,” he corrected. He studied her and it was all Maria could do to bear his scrutiny calmly. It was when he looked into her eyes as if seeking out her secret thoughts, that Maria understood that this Angel would have a hard time escaping him if he ever found her.8
At last he seemed satisfied that he had made a mistake. He mumbled an apology but stayed rooted beside her. He was silent for a long moment and she realized that he was staring at her betraying hands as she downed her drink. Something about them seemed to satisfy him. She felt the walls closing in on her and wondered why she should feel so unsure of herself with this man she hardly knew. 9
Divine help came in the form of the waiter who came to escort her to her solitary table. She forced herself to walk calmly toward her table and sit down primly. Her waiter took her order and left. One second she looked away and that was all the time it took for Joshua Hamilton to materialize at her table. Her smile this time held more annoyance than politeness.10
“I'm sorry to bother you Miss. My name is Joshua Hamilton. May I join you?” He didn't wait for her to reply before seating himself opposite her. 11
“Let me pay for your dinner to make up for my intrusion into your personal space back there.” Apparently he did not see the irony. He brushed off her attempt to tell him not to bother. “Really, I insist. It's the least I can do. Don't worry, you have nothing to fear from me. Any waiter here can vouch for me.”12
Maria recognized a stubbornness in him that she knew could not be shaken. He intended to speak to her and one way or another, he'd get his way. She did not doubt that he would eventually find his Angel. He would not give up until he found her.13
She gave in to a force of will greater than her own. “Well alright, Mr Hamilton. You can buy my dinner since it seems that's the only way I'm gonna get rid of you.” His laugh said he did not take offense.14
“That's the first thing I noticed about Angel. She's never shy about airing her feelings. The tongue-lashing that lady put on me the first day I met her still makes me squirm.” He looked at her deliberately. “You look just like her.”15
“Look Mr Hamilton,” she began agitatedly. “Am I going to be subjected to a non-stop commentary about your Angel for the remainder of this evening? I came here to enjoy a quiet dinner.”16
“Pardon me. Of course not. It's just that Angel and I, we clicked. I never met anyone like her before. Seeing you here of all places brought it all back. Made me realize how much I miss her.”17
“That's all very interesting, Mr Hamilton, but...”18
“Call me Joshua, Angel.”19
“I'm not your Angel!” Maria fought to control her rising anger. She scoffed, “And it seems that she isn't your Angel either. Left you, didn't she?”20
A deep sadness crossed Joshua's face.21
“Yes,” he said, “yes, she did. We spent the night together and when I woke up she was gone. I've spent the last six months trying to find her.”22
Maria was annoyed with herself for feeling sympathy for this man who probably just wanted another roll in the hay with this Angel. Get real, she told herself. He could have anyone he wants.23
She added cruelly, “Maybe Angel doesn't want to be found.”24
She saw him flinch, and she felt no joy at his obvious pain.25
“I have to find her. I just have to.”26
“Why is finding her so important, Joshua?”27
“I have to know why she left. Was it something I did? Did I scare her off? It's been driving me crazy!”28
The cruel imp in her could not resist needling him. “Maybe she got what she wanted. You're an attractive man. Maybe all she wanted was sex.”29
Storm clouds started to gather in his chocolate eyes. He visibly reined in his anger and Maria was fascinated by his supreme self-control.30
“Angel's not like that. She cares for me.”31
The imp would not be tamed. “How do you know that for sure? How long did you know her?”32
He sighed and answered softly, “It was our first date.”33
Maria laughed caustically. “You work fast, Mr Hamilton. Your Angel must be an easy lay.”34
This time he did not conceal his outrage at her impudence. “Don't you dare speak about her like that! What do you know of her?” He seemed to have to reach deep to gather his self-control. “Angel's sweet and innocent. She was a virgin that night. That's why I have to find her.”35
“You're afraid she's pregnant?”36
“Not really, we used protection. I'm more worried that she's beating up on herself. She may think that she was just a conquest to me. Another notch on my bedpost.”37
“Can't say I blame her. You look like you've got a few of those.”38
His regard held supreme irritation. “I'm not a saint and I never pretended to be. Angel's different. So very different. Everything I ever wanted or dreamed of in a woman. I couldn't believe my luck when I met her. It was like I had been waiting my whole life for her. And I know she felt the same way.”39
“I think you're deluding yourself.”40
He stared at her and made no effort to mask his feelings. Maria felt the force of those emotions like a kick to the gut. She could not doubt his sincerity. What was it about his Angel that could bring such a strong man to his knees? She wondered if she possessed Angel's power to bewitch.41
His next words brought her back to the present. “I know Angel loves me. She left me because she panicked. She thought that she was making a fool of herself. I screwed up. I should have told her how I felt but I didn't want to scare her. Instead, my silence made her run away. I have to find her. I have to tell her.”42
Maria felt everything in her stand still. “Tell her what, Joshua?” she asked softly.43
Joshua looked into her eyes and spoke with deep conviction. “I want to tell her that I love her. So much. Meeting her, loving her was the best thing to ever happen to me. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'd give her everything, anything, if only she'd come back to me and let me love her.”44
She heard him stand up. “I'm sorry to have bothered you. You must think I'm crazy going on about a woman who left me. But seeing you here of all places.... You see, I always believed that when Angel was ready to come back to me, she'd come here. It was where we had our first date.”45
Maria gasped but did not look up. 46
“I'll leave you to eat your dinner in peace. I'm sure they'll bring your order very soon.”47
She could not let him leave. She grabbed his hand quickly.48
“Please stay. Join me.” She looked up and he saw the tears streaming down her face.49
“You're sure?” he asked and she nodded. 50
He smiled slightly and wiped her tears with his free hand. “I've been spilling out my guts to you and I don't even know who you are. Please, Miss, tell me your name?”51
She took a cleansing breath and spoke clearly.52
“My name is Maria.”53
She saw a terrible pain cross his features. He turned to leave but she held him fast.54
“Maria Angel Cortez.”55
THE END
Author notes
My favorite animal is a dog
A contest entry
- Black Roses and Purple hearts by Starlight-Kisses.
475 points, ended May 2, 2008, 15 entries
• next story in this contest, remove from contest - April's New Member's Contest by SW Greeters.
300 points, ended May 6, 2008, 10 entries
Honorable mention
• next story in this contest, remove from contest
Did the story make you question at all whether Maria was Angel? Did it create the right level of doubt in you mind as to her identity?
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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Wow, this has such a sweet ending! It was clever of her to get him to talk honestly before letting him know he had really found the right woman.
I can tell she's a clever one. I suspected Maria was actually Angel, but you did a very good job of making sure readers don't know for sure until the end. It's incentive to keep reading. 
Good job and welcome to Storywrite!
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I find humor so hard to write, but you've thrown in a little in here and it was good.
Thanks for entering and good luck in the contest.
Brooke
greeter -
I figured that Maria probably was Angel, but there was enough doubt so that I had to keep reading. This is well written, with good pacing, dialog, and tone. I was a just a tiny bit miffed with Maria for playing games with Joshua, but that aspect is partly what makes a good romance story. Nice work.
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I had my doubts that the two ladies were one and the same, even after she admitted to being Angel.
But it was an interesting story, with a good romantic plot, and natural sounding dialogue. It could find a place in a woman’s magazine.
You are a very talented writer. You capture the personalities of your characters and maintain them.
There was a bit of humor in your writing that added a reality to the tale.
The text does require some editing. Don’t we all
. But a lot less then most first drafts.
Welcome to SW and good luck in the contest
.
Geri
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Very Good.
p14 'She gave into a force,'
This was a very good story, but was Maria actually his Angel. I assume that she was. She didn't act particularly like I would think a woman who had only had sex once with the man she was talking would act. I hope that sentence made sense.
She seemed more experienced. Maybe she was just angry and hurt, I suppose.
Thanks for entering the new member contest. Welcome to Storywrite.
Andy
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okay that ending was umm unexpected well done it held me in the story and it was really good i liked it but in my contest I asked the contestants to tell me their favorite animal i won't dq you because many people have done the same thing i'll check it later but anyways good luck
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