“I know we spent some of your vacation time with Dad, but we also need to see Grant.” Zack’s voice didn’t seem so loud in the hallway.
“The attorney?” she guessed.
Zack nodded. “Dad really isn’t in a clear enough frame of mind to trust him to communicate with Grant. If we’re going to keep my grandmother in her own home, we need to follow up.”
“That’s fine.” It was her own fault her travel plans had been intruded on. She was the one who’d come up with this scheme.
She sat in silence while they drove to the office. This time, she followed Zack. A brassy blond receptionist, her professional attire matching the office décor, looked up as they walked by, but she didn’t stop them.
He rapped softly and then opened the door before the occupant had a chance to respond. A tall, white-haired man stood to greet him. “This is an unexpected surprise.”
Zack’s voice was wry. “I figured you’d be here. You always are.” He slid the prenuptial agreement and the wedding license across the desk. “I didn’t want to say anything yesterday, but Sondra and I were planning to marry. We just moved up the date.”
The man narrowed his eyes. “How long have you known…” and his gaze turned to her. “Sondra?”
“We met sixteen years ago.” Zack’s reply was prompt.
“Hmmmm.” The gray-haired man didn’t seem impressed, but he glanced over the papers. “Who wrote this?”
“Sondra is an attorney. She did.”
Grant nodded. “It looks air tight.” He glanced up. “Congratulations. I wish you all happiness.” He looked down at the papers again and slid them across the desk. “I’ll need copies for my records.”
Zack nodded at his curt dismissal and led Sondra back to the waiting area. He leaned over and whispered, “Grant has been Dad’s lawyer since I can remember. He’s definitely old school.”
“And that means…” she prompted.
“He doesn’t like his space invaded.”
“I could tell.”
As if on cue, the receptionist stepped up, her hand out in a request for the documents. She returned them quickly and asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Zack shook his head. “We’re on our honeymoon. We probably won’t be reachable for the next few days.”
She smiled knowingly at both of them, and Sondra hoped the warmth on her cheeks wasn’t another tell-tale blush. She’d been doing far too much of it the last couple of days. She snuck a look at Zack, who didn’t seem at all bothered by the secretary’s clear assumptions.
Instead of being embarrassed, Zack shocked her with a quick dip down and a thorough albeit short exploration of her lips with his own. Sondra could hardly stand up when he pulled away, and his wicked grin didn’t look at all repentant.
She took in a breath to deliver a severe reprimand when she was stopped by the look on Zack’s face. Grant had entered the room. Their charade had to look real. Zack was adding in detail, she reminded herself. She wondered if his work in Afghanistan included anything in the spy department. His ability to fake their relationship astounded her.
* * *
When they were heading back toward DC, Zack turned to Sondra. “Okay. Now that’s out of the way, what’s your pleasure?”
She was hit with a vision of him repeating his earlier lip exploration in the comfort of her own room. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and met his curious gaze. “White House or Smithsonian?”
“We can’t tour the White House. We don’t have tickets.” He switched lanes to avoid a lumbering truck.
“I knew that. Sorry. I meant the Capitol Building.”
“That one shouldn’t be a problem. The House and Senate are recessed for the holidays, but I believe the building is open for tours.”
“Serves me right for making an unplanned trip. I really wanted to see Congress in action.” Sondra couldn’t help the disappointment that crept into her voice.
“Maybe some other time?” he encouraged.
“I doubt I’ll ever come back, so I’ll have to make do.”
“We’ll see about that.” He didn’t expand on the comment, but Sondra got the feeling he wasn’t going to let her give up on her dream. He continued, “The Capitol Visitor Center is on the east side. There are always protesters of one kind or another at the front.”
“Photograph opportunities?”
He chuckled. “Something like that.”
They parked a couple of blocks from the building. Sondra looked up at Zack, startled when he reached for her hand. She decided the hand-holding was harmless, so she didn’t pull away, and it didn’t take her long to appreciate the warmth of his hand against the frigid air. She stuffed her other hand in her pocket and didn’t pull it out again until they were in front of the building.
She kicked herself for not buying the bulkier ski gloves which had been hanging next to the knit ones. She was vain enough to think they wouldn’t match her wool coat. In this weather, vanity could be painful.
As Zack had predicted, several protestors with hand-made signs were pacing back and forth in front of the steps leading to the Capitol. Sondra pulled out her camera and took a few pictures before heading around to the Visitor Center.
As they entered the building, Sondra pulled off her gloves and stuffed them in her coat pocket. She turned slowly, soaking in the ambience.
“I can’t believe I’m really here.” She picked up a leaflet. Zack reached for her hand again, and they joined one of the lines for a tour.
“How come you haven’t come before?”
Sondra wrinkled her nose and admitted, “I didn’t have the chance while I was attending school, and I’ve been too wrapped up in the office to take any time for myself. Nikki’s request forced me to stop and think about where I’m heading. I decided a trip away for the weekend would help clear my head.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I wouldn’t have dreamed this trip would lead to my marriage.”
Zack chuckled. “It wasn’t anywhere on my radar, either, but it seems to be the best solution for both of us.”
They stopped and watched a short orientation video before heading into the Emancipation Hall, which was designed to recognize the work of the slave laborers who helped build the Capitol Building. The sandstone slabs echoed the sandstone used throughout the building. They stopped at the document display and then moved on to the Capitol Building itself.
The building smelled of age, but the beautiful art was carefully preserved, and the electric lighting fought valiantly against the winter overcast.
As they entered the rotunda, the guide stopped to face the group. “We won’t be going through the Great Experiment Hall, but I wanted to mention it. Allyn Cox painted sixteen murals depicting various milestones in the history of this nation starting with the Mayflower Compact of 1629 to the women’s right to vote in 1920. The hall was dedicated in 1982, not long before his death. He also painted several of the medallion portraits above the doors. He sketched murals for another corridor, but his assistant died in 1986 before the painting began.”
Zack leaned over to whisper to Sondra. “I wonder if he’s frustrated the corridor was never finished.”
“I know I would be, but what he did is incredible. Didn’t he do the rotunda restoration as well?” Sondra asked.
The guide answered before Zack could, “It was his work on the restoration which got him the position to paint the murals. He also filled in the 31’ gap of the frieze in the rotunda.” She pointed to the frieze above. “He painted the murals depicting the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the Birth of Aviation.”
Sondra stepped closer to Zack and whispered, “Isn’t it amazing how that unintentional gap left room for some essential historical murals?”
“I’d say a lot of unintentional mistakes end up being for the best.” Zack said softly.
Sondra wondered what he was getting at. His voice sounded like there was a double meaning to the phrase, and she suspected he was referr
ing to their own situation. A small seed of hope planted. It was one she wanted to keep hidden.
They slowly walked past the statues and busts depicting presidents and other historical figures. They stopped with the guide in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln. She addressed the group. “President Lincoln sat for Vinnie Read. She was the sculptor who created this masterpiece, and she was the first female artist to receive a Government commission.”
Zack chuckled quietly. “Ah. So the women’s liberation movement is as old as the Civil War, huh?”
Sondra punched Zack’s arm playfully. “I’d say it’s as old as the planet.”
He grimaced and rubbed his arm. “That hurt.”
“Huh. I don’t think so.”
He grinned, then stared up at the art in the eye of the inner dome.
The guide pointed up at the mural above them. “Those figures are up to 15’ tall. You’d never guess from here, would you?” She glanced at the group and waited for the comments to fade. “You can probably tell Constantino Brumidi studied in Italy. It looks a lot like the Sistine Chapel, doesn’t it?” Sondra and Zack nodded politely with the others in the group.
Zack leaned close to Sondra and said, “It even has the same religious undertone. No modern artist would get away with showing George Washington’s ascension into heaven accompanied by the angels of Liberty and Victory. It’s a shame we’ve let modern society forget the religious background of this great country. We wouldn’t be who we are today without the hand of God in its creation.”
Sondra stared at Zack a moment, amazed he would be so bold to say something like that in public, but she noticed several of the people around them had turned to look and nod in agreement.
She moved closer to him, proud that he had taken a moment to stand up for something. But then, he was a soldier. He had been willing to lay down his life for the principles of freedom celebrated in this great building.
After they had re-grouped, the guide said, “This tour doesn’t include the Brumidi Corridors, either, but you can see both the Brumidi Corridors and the Great Experiment Hall in an on-line virtual tour. The Brumidi Corridors are the work of Constantino Brumidi. Although his assistants were used to create much of the art, Brumidi himself is credited with painting the portraits. The plants and birds were painted based on specimens borrowed from the Smithsonian. Artists of different nationalities assisted in the project.”
Zack added quietly so only Sondra could hear. “Despite current feelings, this nation has always made an effort to be a melting pot. As Emma Lazarus wrote, ‘Bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses—’”
“And they all yearned for freedom.” Sondra interrupted.
“Don’t we all?” Zack spread Sondra’s fingers wide and then clasped them again. She wondered if he was regretting his decision to marry as they hurried to catch up with the group.
When they finished their tour, the clouds decided to drop their load. The street was barely visible.
Sondra couldn’t resist the perfect snow. The falling snow had brought with it an unexpected slight raise in temperature. She bent down and packed a slushy snowball. Her aim was off, but the snow left its mark and dripped down Zack’s collar.
“What was that for?” He protested while scooping his own pile of snow. He lobbed it at her, the snow sliding harmlessly off her coat. Laughing, Sondra threw another slushy ball, which Zack easily dodged.
His next pile landed on her uncovered head. She shook out the snow and giggled.
Zack waved vigorously at the passing taxi.
After they were out of the storm, Zack checked his watch. “The Smithsonian closes at 5:00. We should have time for one of the buildings. Which one did you want to see?”
“The natural history museum.”
He nodded. “I like that one, too.”
The driver dropped them off in front of the museum, and they headed into the building, shaking off snow as they went.
Sondra felt a thrill as she stepped to the front desk. She didn’t realize how much she’d looked forward to exploring the museum until she was actually here doing it. Zack paid for both of them. Sondra was anticipating their tour with so much excitement, she couldn’t bring herself to protest.
Stepping past the front desk, they entered a great marble hall. Visitors were milling around the African Elephant displayed at the end of the room. Elevator banks and hallways were located behind marble ionic columns. Greek architecture gave an ageless feel to the building. The only reminder of the current date was the falling snow darkening the huge semi-circular windows at the top of the room.
They moved to the Ocean Hall. The display of the whale above them was dwarfed by tall ceilings. The architecture was as much a part of the experience as the displays. High ceilings gave the impression of immense space even with the milling tourists.
The Ocean Explorer Theater offered a chance to sit through a short movie. Zack rested his arm behind her during the movie, and Sondra had to fight the desire to rest her head on his shoulder.
After the short video, Zack took her hand as they explored the various floors. She was impatient with herself at how thoroughly she’d come back to her youthful imaginings. Even though he couldn’t possibly know how his touch affected her, she was reluctant to pull away. This moment wouldn’t last, and she couldn’t take advantage of his protective nature to beg him to make the marriage a real one. It wouldn’t be fair. Still, this stolen moment was something she couldn’t deny herself. It would be a memory that would have to last a lifetime.
As the announcement to close the building was sounding for the second time, they stepped out of the museum into a frigid wind. The snow was no longer slushy. The ice crystals whipped across her face. Sondra pulled on her gloves, still wet from the earlier snowball fight, and hoped her body heat would help the drying process.
Zack waved down a taxi. He directed the driver to a local restaurant, where they fought their way through the driving snow and into a waiting room warmed by a roaring fire. The fireplace looked as old as the building. Sondra peeled off her wet gloves and stuffed them back in her pocket.
The building was a quaint reproduction of a restaurant frequented by Thomas Jefferson. The servers wore period costumes, and the food was created from old recipes. Hand-made wax candles lit the tables, their warm glow mocking the fierce winter storm.
Sondra ate slowly and savored the different flavors. Zack kept her entertained with stories of his young nieces and nephews. She listened enough to learn Jade, who was five years older than Zack, had two daughters and three sons.
Although Sondra laughed and nodded at the appropriate places, she felt detached from the scene, as if she was watching and not participating. She could scarcely grasp she was really here, in Washington, DC, touring the capitol, and sharing the moment with her husband, Zack Carlson. She would wake from this dream any moment and find herself staring at the ceiling of her home in Draper.
“Did you hear me?” his query broke inter her thoughts.
She started. “Sorry. I missed that.”
“I wanted to know where you wanted to go.” He checked his watch. “All of the buildings are closed, but we can take a quick drive around the Mall and maybe get some pictures from the car.”
“Thanks. I’d like that.”
He nodded. “Shall we go?” He had already left a tip and paid the bill. Sondra wondered how she’d missed the whole transaction with their server. Her mind was obviously not in the moment.
Sondra pulled her wet gloves on, kicking herself for not leaving them out on the table to dry.
They headed back into the storm and Zack found another taxi. Their parked car wasn’t far, but the streets were slick with ice, and Sondra found herself flinching as they nearly slid into three cars—two moving and one stationary—before they made it to their own.
As Zack paid the driver, Sondra moved out and stood by the car. It looked like it had been through a car wash and then left in a deep freeze.
They both stared at the disappearing tail lights of the taxi as it turned a distant corner. The frozen wind chilled her.
Zack pulled out his phone. He looked stricken. “I forgot to charge it. Did you bring yours?”
Dread seized her heart. She hid her fear as she answered. “No. I left it at the hotel. I didn’t want to take any calls today. Sorry.”
“We need to get back to the hotel. Do you think you can walk? I doubt any taxis are going to come down this street. It’s not heavy traffic, and the black ice…” He shook his head.
Sondra tried to look brave. She was an accomplished attorney, after all. Still, after their experience the night before, walking on the streets of DC was daunting. She looked around, expecting a gang of hardened criminals to emerge from one of the side streets. “How far is it?”
“It’s four blocks.”
She slipped and slid to his side and held on to his arm while they crossed the icy streets. They managed to push their way against the wind for a couple of blocks before she stopped in the shelter of a building. Uncontrollable shivers shook her.
He reached down to hold her hand and quickly pulled away. “Why didn’t you tell me your gloves are wet?”
“I th-thought my body heat would dry them, b-but I-I guess it d-didn’t work.” She could hardly speak through her chattering teeth. He peeled off the gloves, held her hands cupped in his and blew his warm breath on her frozen fingers.
After a couple of minutes of his breath moving past her fingers, she could feel them again. “Th-thanks.” Her teeth still chattered, but his breath had warmed her whole body.
He put an arm around her shoulder and kept her close while they headed back into the arctic blast. “Keep your hands in your pockets. We shouldn’t be much longer.”
Somehow, the next couple of blocks seemed shorter. Having his warm body close to hers was distracting. Her fingers tingled with more than returning circulation. Watching his dark head bent over her frozen fingers had drawn out full-blown desire. The intensity scared her.
Lined With Silver Page 5