“You guys must have gotten here way before we did, it looks like you’re already unpacked!” exclaimed Jenny, looking around her.
“Yeah, and we’re really fast, too,” I said quickly. “So welcome to our new home. What do you think?”
“Gorgeous!” said Jenny, looking around some more.
“Nice place,” agreed Xander, as we moved toward the living room.
“Have you heard from John and Annette?” Miles asked, as we sat down.
“They’re both on their way,” said Xander. “Traveling separately though, since they don’t live in the same town.”
“They should both get here in the next couple of hours,” said Jenny.
“It’s so good to see you guys again,” I said.
“You too,” said Jenny. “It was an adjustment after school let out, with you two at the castle, Xander here in Glen Haven, John and Annette elsewhere, and me back in Cedar Oaks, living at home. I was so used to seeing everyone every day, and hanging out at our place. I missed that.”
“Anika and I were talking about the same thing. We’re glad all of you’ll be living down the hall,” said Miles.
“Even John and Annette. It’ll be better than old times,” I said, squeezing Miles’ hand. “Oh! I’m being a terrible hostess. Would you two like anything to drink? We’ve got bottled water, and—well, that’s it until we make a run to the grocery store.”
“No, but thanks,” said Xander. “Jenny’s got unpacking to do and I’m helping her. We just wanted to say hi.”
“We can drop by and help later, if you aren’t already finished by then,” said Miles, as we all stood.
“That would be great,” Jenny smiled.
“Maybe we can order Chinese like we used to,” I said.
“Sounds like a plan,” said Xander.
We walked them to the door and said goodbye, then they went down the hall to Jenny’s apartment.
We turned to find Chip and Trixie sitting behind us. Chip had a leash in his mouth, and Trixie gave Miles a pleading look.
“Do I even need to tell you that these two want to go for a walk?” asked Miles, and I laughed. “Let’s take them to the dog park—just a quick trip, Trix—then do a grocery run. By that time, John and Annette will probably be here.”
“Sounds good,” I said, grabbing my purse. “I’m ready.”
Two hours later, with two somewhat satisfied dogs and our grocery shopping complete, we returned to our apartment.
“This is really my first opportunity to be domestic since we’ve been married,” I said. While I loaded the refrigerator and freezer with all of the cold items, Miles arranged the dry goods in the cabinets.
“It is, isn’t it. No more Chef Antonio to take care of meals. No Queen of Clean, either.”
“I hope I don’t starve you to death,” I said. “I haven’t clocked very many hours in the kitchen. Jenny was the culinary expert when I lived down the hall, and she did almost all of the cooking.”
“I won’t starve. There’s always Chinese, and pizza, and hamburgers…” I looked a little hurt, I guess, because Miles quickly added, “But I’m sure anything you cook will be great. I’ll love it, probably want seconds and thirds.”
“Good save, Mr. Bannerman,” I said, smiling.
Miles smiled back, and kissed my cheek.
“It’ll be fun,” he said. “Just the two of us. Not that we didn’t have a lot of privacy on the fourth floor of the castle, but this is different. We can sleep in on Saturdays without anyone thinking it’s a five alarm fire, and coming to look for us, to see why we didn’t make it to breakfast.”
I laughed.
“No kidding! Poor Grandma Polly. ‘But Miles has never been late to breakfast before!’”
“Yes, well Miles was never married before, either. The reason I got up early every morning wasn’t for breakfast, it was to see you,” he said, as he smiled at me and opened a package of paper towels, placing one in the holder on the counter. “I don’t have to do that now.”
“A major improvement over last year,” I said, hugging him hard.
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said, hugging me back.
We finished putting our groceries away, and Miles looked at his watch.
“Shall we see if John and Annette are here?” he asked.
“Yes, let’s do that. It’s been over two hours, so they should be.”
We locked the door behind us, and walked the short distance to my old apartment. When we knocked, the door was opened immediately.
“Anika, Miles!” said Annette, hugging me, and then welcoming us in with a wave of her hand. “It’s so good to see you!”
“You, too,” I said. The last time we saw them was on the day of our wedding.
“Hi, John, great to see you again,” said Miles, as John walked out of the kitchen, and into the living room.
“You too, Miles, Anika,” he said, smiling. Then he turned to Miles. “You look like marriage agrees with you.”
“It does,” Miles smiled. “I highly recommend it.”
The look on Annette’s face made me look at her hand, and—
“Annette! Oh my goodness—you guys are engaged!” I exclaimed, so excited as I grabbed Miles’ arm, and told him, “They’re engaged!”
“Congratulations,” Miles smiled, shaking hands with John, who was beaming, and I hugged Annette, who had an equally brilliant smile.
“When did this happen?” I asked.
“Last weekend,” said Annette, reaching for John’s hand. “John drove up to my parents’ place, and proposed.”
“Oh, that is so awesome,” I breathed. “And your ring is beautiful. I love the design, and how the stones are set.”
“Thanks,” said Annette, smiling. “I love it too.”
More than anything, she loved it for what it represented. I could see it in her eyes, and I was glad, and couldn’t help beaming back at the happy couple.
“So come on in,” said Jenny. “No need to hang out in the doorway, we’ve got a much more comfortable living room.”
We all moved that direction, everyone talking at once. There were so many conversations going on, it was hard to keep track of one’s own.
“Congratulations, Xander,” I heard Miles say over the chatter, as the two shook hands.
Everyone’s heads snapped to look at Jenny’s hand, and then there was more squealing on the part of the females in the room, than the guys could handle. They pressed their hands to their ears, and retreated to the kitchen.
“When!” I exclaimed. “When did this happen?”
“Last night,” Jenny said. “I can’t believe you didn’t see it earlier when we dropped by your place.”
“Well as I’ve said a time or two, I’m not the most observant person in the world!” I laughed. “Good thing I’ve got Miles to make up for that.”
“Your ring is gorgeous,” said Annette, and I echoed her.
“Thank you,” Jenny, smiled. “I love it because I think it’s beautiful, but even more for what it represents.”
Annette and I totally got that.
“So have either of you set a date?” I asked.
“Summer,” they both said, and we all laughed.
“Perfect!” I said. “Then you and the guys can each swap a roommate, and stay right here on the hall. If you want, of course. Not that I’m, like, trying to plan out your future or anything.”
We all laughed again, we were just so excited!
The guys cautiously made their way back to the living room.
“Is it safe?” asked Xander, slowly removing his hands from his ears.
“We make no guarantees,” I said, smiling as I looked toward Miles, and he smiled back.
“If you’re not tired out from moving in, or have too much left to do, Anika and I would love to take everyone out to dinner to celebrate,” said Miles.
“You know, I just got a renewed burst of energy,” said Xander, as we all laughed.
“Me too,”
said John.
So Miles and I went back to our place, and the guys to theirs, so that we could all get ready to go. While Miles called and made the reservations, which really wasn’t that necessary considering we own the place, I changed out of my jeans and t-shirt and into something more appropriate for fine dining. I chose a sleeveless, fitted black V-neck dress. I added pearls, and twisted my hair up as Miles walked in the room.
“You could take the actress’s place in Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” he commented, as he sorted through his closet.
I laughed.
“I don’t look anything like her.”
“Your outfit does,” he said. “And the way you’ve done your hair.”
I hunted for my favorite pair of black heels. I had so many clothes now, I had a hard time finding anything I specifically wanted. I needed to figure out some way to sort them. Miles would be good at that. With all of the businesses that we own, he had to be organized to accomplish everything he had to do each day.
By the time I found my shoes and stepped out of my walk-in closet, Miles was straightening his tie. He reached for his jacket, and smiled.
“But I agree, you look nothing like her… you are so much more beautiful.”
“I love it when you say things like that,” I said, smiling back.
“It’s the truth,” he said. Mindful of my freshly applied lipstick, he kissed my cheek.
I grabbed my evening bag, and we stepped out into the hall to wait for our friends. Xander was just walking out of the guys’ apartment, John right behind him. Soon we were joined by Jenny and Annette. We walked together to the covered parking lot, but drove our separate vehicles.
“I love that our friends are engaged,” I said, squeezing Miles’ right hand, as he steered our vehicle with his left.
“That is just pretty cool,” agreed Miles.
“The timing is perfect, too. If only one couple got engaged, then the girl from the other couple would feel left behind.”
“It worked out great,” agreed Miles.
We pulled up to the covered awning, our friends right behind us, and Miles handed our vehicle over to the valet.
There was a look of awe on Jenny’s face as she took in the place.
“I’m glad I dressed up, like you said to.”
“Me too,” said Annette, just as awestruck.
Our friends followed us into the restaurant, where the maître de greeted us deferentially. “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Bannerman. It’s wonderful to see you here this evening.”
He snapped his fingers, and a waiter appeared out of nowhere and led us to a table in a semi-private room. There was an arched doorway on the wall facing the rest of the dining room, and a large glass window beside that. We had a view of the rest of the restaurant from our very own space, but wouldn’t be intruded upon by anyone other than our server.
“This is amazing,” said Jenny, impressed.
“That guy knew who you are without you telling him,” said Xander, his eyebrows knit in puzzlement.
Miles smiled.
I looked at him, and bit my lip. He looked back. After a few seconds of that, I said, “I’m not Trixie.”
That made him laugh, although no one else got the joke.
Miles looked at Xander, then John, reassuring himself, before speaking.
“Yes. He knows who we are, because we own this place,” said Miles.
Jenny knew all about how financially well-off Miles was after he inherited the Bannerman estate, but she was a good friend and told no one, including Xander, apparently. At least that’s what I gathered, by the way his jaw hung open and his eyes bugged out.
“Wait—what?” asked John.
“You guys… we live in a castle,” I said.
“My goodness,” said Annette, trying to assimilate this information. The restaurant, not the castle. “I guess—that makes sense. You just seem—so normal, both of you, so—easy going and totally unpretentious.”
“Thank you,” said Miles. “That’s who we are. And I hope you’ll still see us that way. We value our friendship with each of you, and would be deeply grieved if admitting to this did anything to change that.”
Xander shook his head hard, as if to clear it.
“Anika’s latte ice cream… our favorite Chinese restaurant only delivers to Anika’s apartment… Anika knows the owner better than I do… ”
He looked shocked all over again.
“You’ve got a good memory,” I said, impressed.
“It’s okay, Xander,” said Jenny, patting him on the back, which made the rest of us laugh, and broke the spell that had Miles and I concerned.
“You guys realized though, that there’d been two attempts on Miles’ life because of his inheritance, right? I guess I thought you would have already figured out it was over more than the castle itself,” I said.
“Yeah…” said Annette. “I think this just brought it home on a different level. Owning a business, especially one like this.”
Miles and I looked at each other, and I bit my lip again.
“Please don’t see us differently,” said Miles. “We’re the people you’ve known since the day we met. But… we just… happen to own an awful lot of places and things.”
“On the upside,” I said brightly, “none of you needs to worry about finding a job after college, no matter what you major in!”
Somehow that completely broke the spell, and everyone laughed.
The waiter returned and began taking orders, while another filled water glasses.
After ordering, I excused myself, and made my way to the ladies room.
Mission accomplished, I walked back through the main dining area toward our semi-private room.
Without warning, a man stepped into the aisle right in front of me. He blocked my path so suddenly and completely, that to avoid bumping into him, I had to stop abruptly. Not so easy to do in heels!
Before I had time to feel annoyed by his rudeness, I was hit with an intense Red Alert feeling that nearly put me in fight or flight mode. My heart pounded, but I was reassured when I looked anxiously toward our semi-private room, and saw that Miles was keeping an eye on me. He rose from his chair and quickly made his way toward me. As he did so, I looked at the guy in front of me.
The most remarkable thing about him was also the most alarming. Darkness, thick swirling darkness, hovered all around him.
The sight of it caused my heart to pound even harder, and I was so glad Miles was on his way. Whatever this was, I didn’t want to face it alone.
The guy was in his late thirties, probably. Wavy dark brown hair, not so long as to be considered un-businesslike, but not short either. His eye color matched his hair. There were women who would consider him attractive, but he was nothing compared to the most gorgeous guy in the world, who happened to be my husband.
“Good evening,” the guy in front of me said, suave and self-assured, his gaze intense and a little unnerving. “You’re just who I’ve been looking for.”
I wasn’t sure if he was trying to flirt, or if what he said had another meaning that tied to the Red Alert feeling I had, and the intense feeling of darkness surrounding him. I was determined to hide how anxious he made me feel, and raised an eyebrow.
“What a terrible waste of your time,” I said, and he looked surprised, but also as if that intrigued him. “I would like to return to my seat now, if you will be so kind as to stand aside.”
“You’ll have a much more enjoyable evening if you join me, instead,” he said. A strange sound filled my ears briefly and I was hit with a wave of dizziness. I barely registered the self-assured smile on his face as he said, “May I ask—”
Whatever he wanted to ask permission to ask, he never did get it out. He slid right out of my way, and Miles walked past the guy and held out his arm for me. I took it gratefully, and the dizziness vanished. I clutched his arm and his hand like a lifeline. I managed to smile back at Miles, and turning, we set a course for the semi-private dining ro
om.
“What was going on?” Miles asked quietly. “You’re trembling, and I’ve never seen that look on your face before.”
“He stood up and got in my way so I couldn’t pass.”
“I saw that,” said Miles, studying me as we walked. “But there’s more to it than that. So tell me.”
“There’s a lot more. I had such a strong Red Alert feeling. There’s darkness hovering all over that guy.”
“Like last year? With Alfred, Bea, and George Frank?” Miles asked with concern.
“Yes, only much stronger. I started getting dizzy, and my ears were ringing or buzzing or something. It was strange, and unnerving,” I said, feeling better the further away we got from the guy. “I wonder what that means?”
“Whatever it means, it isn’t good.”
We both thought that over as we walked.
“He’s lucky you used—you know—instead of this,” I said, squeezing his bicep. That made Miles laugh.
We reached our semi-private room, and our friends. He pulled out my chair for me, then sat beside me again, leaving our conversation to be resumed at another time.
“You know who that is, right?” asked Xander.
“Who, the guy who stood in Anika’s way?” asked Miles, as he picked up his water glass.
“Yeah. He’s looking over here, by the way,” said Xander.
I refused to look, even though when people say that, it causes an overwhelming urge to do so. Instead, I looked from Miles to Xander.
“So who is he, and what do you know about him?” asked Miles. He kept his eye on the guy while Xander talked.
“He’s a visiting professor at the college this year. He teaches sociology, he’s taking over for one of the professors who’s on sabbatical.”
Xander picked up his own water glass and took a sip, glancing toward the professor as he did so.
“He’s still looking this way.”
“What else do you know about this guy, and how do you know?” I asked.
“Because I live here, and my cousin Cheryl works in the arts and sciences department, I hear things you guys wouldn’t.”
Xander paused to glance at the professor again, as he buttered one of the rolls our server delivered.
“Spill it,” said Miles, “or every time someone pauses in conversation, Anika’s going refer to it as ‘pulling a Xander.’”
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