CHAPTER 4
1209 Words
" I am waiting for your answer. Why have you been following me?"
Susan shot him a wide startled glance as her mind went completely blank, she couldn't even construct a simple reply to his questions. Her heart raced and every fear she had ever felt came to the surface.
"From the moment I met you, I knew you would be trouble," Horace said as he looked her over.
"Would you let go of my arm?" Susan asserted stoutly.
"And why have you not answered any of my questions?" He demanded savagely.
"I will answer all your questions, just release my arm," Susan returned calmly.
Horace released her.
"Well….."
Susan paused in mid sentence and took off with speed. Which was a foolish idea because Dr Kelly caught up with her in a few strides.
"You are really something else."
"And you are becoming a real pest!" Susan retorted.
"I am a pest?" He said incredulously. "When it's you who has been stalking me all this while."
"Now, wait here. Don't you think you are exaggerating a little bit?"
"No, I am not. Now start explaining yourself."
"Well, if you must know, I just wanted to base a character in my novel on you," Susan explained sulkily.
"What?"
"You heard me. I wanted inspiration for a classic romantic hero and I felt you fit that representation of what a fictional hero would be like." Susan admitted reluctantly. "I was clearly wrong to have thought so."
"Are you a published author?"
"I will be one soon." Susan's lips tightened.
"What is the world coming to these days? Every Tom, d**k and Harry can wake up one day and then start calling themselves authors."
"I am offended by that remark," Susan challenged.
"Why must you be offended by the truth?" Horace folded his arms across his broad chest.
"Excuse me, but I think you are so rude!"
"And you are delusional." Horace exploded.
Susan also felt the sarcasm in his voice.
"I am very sorry to have mistakenly thought of you as the classic romantic hero. Clearly, you are not a gentleman."
"I have never proclaimed myself as a gentleman like you are proclaiming to be a writer." Horace returned with undisguised contempt.
"Anyone who writes is a writer, whether published or not!" Susan stood her ground with dignity.
"You are not a writer, you are simply delusional."
"I am not delusional!"
Susan was so furious that she could not even breathe properly.
"I would advise that you find someone else to base your classic romantic hero on, because I am not him."
"I will gladly do that!"
Susan turned in one direction and stormed off while Dr Kelly turned in the opposite direction and walked away also.
That weekend, Fabrice Montand invited the entire writing circle to a few rounds of golf.
As Susan got ready for the golf outing, she was glad to have had the Dr Kelly fiasco behind her. Even now, each time that she thought about their interaction she felt both embarrassment and anger.
Never in her life had she felt so mortified but decided that the entire incident was best forgotten. Quickly she changed into a chic navy blue golf skirt, a T-shirt and a jacket before heading out to golf.
At that same country golf club, Dr Kelly and Gloria Rivers were on a golf date.
"What new skills are you working on?" Horace asked as he watched Gloria swing her golf club with perfection.
Gloria, who looked very pretty in a white and pink long sleeves and mini-skirt outfit, turned and smiled at the paleontologist.
"I have been working on a lot since we played together. I really struggled out of the fairway bunkers, and so I changed my technique a little and that has really helped."
They stored their clubs in the golf bag at the back of their electric golf cart. They both sat down before Horace drove the golf cart off to another part of the golf course.
"How does the Wentworth course suit your game?"
"I like playing here because I like a course with a demanding tee. Not to mention, the friendly atmosphere is a big advantage, in my opinion."
Gloria took off one of her white gloves and reached for a water bottle.
"You know most of the members of this country club," Horace added as he pulled the electric golf cart to stop.
"That's true."
Gloria smiled as they alighted.
Horace reached for their golf bag and they walked on together.
" Horace, let me know your reason. Why, even though you play quite well, did you not feel the challenge of winning any of the tournaments this year?"
Gloria watched as Horace took a good swing that sent the golf ball flying across the lush green course. She had always admired his powerful swing.
I just feel the boys played better than I did. Nevertheless, I really got close enough in my last round but I will be the first to admit I had a bad Saturday. I didn't drive the ball well and kind of lost my momentum from the first two rounds and that was that."
"Horace, look, a lady is stealing our golf cart!"
Dr Kelly turned around quickly to sight with great surprise, it was that delusional young lady who had the nerve to call herself a writer. And she was behind the wheel of their white golf cart.
Horace handed his golf club over to Gloria and quickly marched over to Susan.
"Just a minute," Horace called with a raised hand.
The moment Susan saw Dr Kelly walk towards her made her heart sink to her knees. This encounter would likely be as embarrassing as their first.
"Yes, can I help you with something?"
"This golf cart is mine, so would you please step down from it."
"No, I'm afraid not." Susan flashed him a belligerent look before igniting the cart into motion.
"Hey, young lady! Stop right there." Horace commanded as he ran after her. "This is my golf cart."
No it's not." Susan shook her head and kept on driving.
"No, you have made a mistake. This is my golf cart so go find yours. Horace said with a calm firmness.
You mean this is yours?" Susan asked.
"Yes, of course!"
The anger in Horace's voice was now rising.
"No need to be angry, but this is my golf cart so go find yours."
My dear lady, this is my golf cart!" Horace nearly screamed from frustration.
"No it's not. I mean, I don't see your name on it." Susan challenged.
Quickly, Horace got onto the seat next to Susan and ordered her: "Young lady, please stop and get out."
"No I will not!" Susan held on firmly onto the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator.
My dear young lady, will you stop this silliness?"
Susan took no heed and simply drove the cart to a pool of water on the golf course, stepped on the breaks and when Dr Kelly lost his balance, she pushed him with all her might.
"Oh, oh," Dr Kelly muttered before he went flying straight into the pool of water.
And a laughing Susan drove the golf cart away in triumph.
- Writer
