by Sue Gibson
The elevator doors slid open. Christy’s head lifted from the sheaf of papers spread across the table. Smiling, she uncurled her legs from the cushioned corner chair and reached for one of the two cups of coffee placed on the glass table. His heart thudded in his ears. Would he ever get used to her smile? He hoped not.
He dropped into the vacant chair and glanced at the steaming cup she slid toward him. “Thanks.”
“No problem. I picked them up at Timmy’s on the way. Cappuccino for me and a regular double-double for you, right?” She flicked her eyelashes toward the door marked “Manager”. “Trey understands.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “He knows I can’t wait until I arrive for my first coffee of the day.”
“And you shouldn’t.” So she didn’t make coffee at home. He stashed this extrapolation in his growing mental file of Christy’s preferences. A morning person himself, he’d relish the lifelong role of designated coffee brewer.
“So here is the plan. I’ll take shots of you on the
job today. I know you have a boat cruise first thing, and then a children’s pool party.” The brochure was a godsend.
She took a sip of coffee. “Perfect.”
“And let’s feature a unique attraction of the area too. How about The Crow’s Nest.” An awkward invitation, but he figured a Ted-type would take initiative.
She leaned in and touched his forearm. “You remembered.”
Of course he remembered. Practically every word she’d said ran through his brain like a ticker tape when they were apart. “I’d like to take you there, this evening, you know to eat…dinner.”
Her face was close enough that he could smell the cinnamon on her breath. Her parted lips were soft and welcoming. He wanted to kiss her. She glanced over his shoulder to Trey’s door, the light in her eyes mirroring his thought. He checked the peripherals. She leaned in closer yet, her hair brushing his forearm.
Christy’s cell phone blinked then danced across the slick glass tabletop. Blushing, she grabbed for it, clicked and scanned a long text. “Grab your coffee and your camera, partner. Lily’s stuck on Osprey Island with a broken outboard motor and two guests. I’ll round up my boat cruise guests and pick up Lily and her fishermen.”
He reached for his coffee. “Let’s go, sounds like as photo op to me.”
“Did you bring the waivers for the guests to sign?” Her words rushed out, a hint of worry in her voice.
“Right here.” He patted the camera bag slung across his chest.
She turned and smiled appreciatively. He nodded,
inanely happy that he’d made her happy. Striding ahead, he grabbed for the door and followed her down the path to the lake.
****
Typically the day dissolved into a blur of activities. After the pool party an impromptu rock climbing class had been added. Now comfortably settled at their table in The Crow’s Nest, she realized that she was starving.
Edward’s head was bent over the camera’s screen, clicking quickly through the digital content, somehow managing to look studious and hunky at the same time, a delicious mix of Ted and Edward.
Just as Edward had predicated, her guests had no issue with the camera. Edward seemed to have found his second calling, filling up the digital memory card with shot after shot.
She sighed and leaned back. A breeze lifted up from the lake rustling through the stand of pines that surrounded the restaurant. The scent of the heavy boughs drifted through the screened window and beyond. With each breath, she released the tension of the day. Underneath the table, she slipped off her shoes. Around the room, caught under the ancient spell of Pines, the animated chatter of the other diners soon quieted to a soft conversational hum.
“Check this one out, Christy.” Edward handed his camera across the table top. “It reminds me of the day Stan and I caught all the pickerel with Lily.”
She pulled her eyes from his face and peered at the three inch screen. “That, my friend, is how they all look after they’ve caught their first fish—proud, tired and ready to do it all over again tomorrow.” They laughed quietly in mutual appreciation.
In the photo, the marooned fishermen smiled for the camera, clearly not daunted by the malfunctioning motor or the island rescue.
Edward grinned. She loved it when he grinned. “You know what makes people happy. Stuff like boat rescues will be remembered long after fancy dinners and hot tubs are long forgotten.” He encased her hand in his. “You make vacations memorable.”
Her face warmed to his words. “Hey that’s a good line! Make sure that quote makes it to my Power Point.” She laughed and reached for the glass of Chardonnay Edward had chosen from the wine list.
Edward lifted his glass. “A toast.” Anticipating the theme, she summoned the requisite smile. Of course, he was excited about her promotion. All her friends and relatives were proud of her accomplishments. But she’d rather not think about it just now.
From the bulrushes of Greensly Bay, loons called out. His eyes caught hers, slowing time to an imperceptible pace. Struck with a premature homesickness—that included Edward—she ached to hold the moment forever.
Edward leaned in over the place setting, until their faces were inches apart. “To us.”
She been prepared for a lengthy laudatory speech, peppered with words like success and ambition, not these two simple words.
She nodded her head and managed, “To us.” She struggled to make sense of the situation. She’d fallen hard for a brilliant, social misfit—yet she was completely ready to hand over her heart.
Their wine untouched, they returned the crystal glasses to the table. He reached for her hand, his thumb softly stroking her wrist. “So, I was thinking…” He cleared his throat. “I know we haven’t
known each other very long, if you discount our first encounter twenty years ago, just fifteen days.”
“That’s true, only fifteen days.” And yet her hand completely belonged under his warm grasp.
His eyes holding steady on his dinner plate, he pushed on. “You may think it presumptuous of me…but I’d be honored for you to be my…girlfriend.” Slowly, his head rose until he looked directly in her eyes. Exposed, he’d risked everything.
She swallowed. Waiters hurried past, the kitchen door swung open and slapped shut again.
They both leaned in, the tiny glass and china laden table stretched between them, infuriatingly, for miles.
Edward, the quintessential man of few words, waited until her words gushed out.
“Yes, of course. I’m surprised—in a good way of course.” She raised her hands to her cheeks. “Our mothers!” He grinned. “Yes, I’d love to be your girlfriend.”
His smile, a mix of relief and elation, lit his face. “Don’t worry about the logistics.”
She giggled at his serious tone. “I’m not.” Loads of couples handled long distance relationships just fine.
“I’ve figured out a plan.” He shifted forward in his chair, his eyes flashing with excitement. Under the table, their knees bumped and his fingers re- tightened their hold on her hand.
“I’m sure you have.” She’d leave all that to Edward. As long as they were together, it didn’t matter when or where. She stole a glance around the room, marveling that the other guests continued eating and drinking as normal, while her own life quietly but profoundly altered course.
Chapter Nineteen
An altered life course was exciting and full of promise, but kind of exhausting too. Eager to introduce Edward to her friends, and simultaneously, Edward to dancing, waterskiing and karaoke, she’d not practiced Tai Chi all week. Time with Edward was precious and he was leaving tomorrow morning.
She withdrew from the Sun Commencing Posture and stretched, catlike, against the luxurious grass of the Nirvana’s side lawn. With only ten minutes until her meeting with the decorators who’d transform the Starlight Room from an elegant night club to a retro Disco lounge, she intended to enjoy every second of the sunshin
e. After that, her day was tightly scheduled right through to midnight.
She crossed her hands behind her head and looked up through a canopy of sun dappled leaves to July’s cloudless sky.
In the Penthouse foyer hung a painting with a similar perspective. Two years ago Delaney had been commissioned to paint the local landscapes and now paintings withher vision of the Canadian Shield were scattered like pearls throughout the hotel.
She sat up. If she landed the new job, she could take a bit of Loon Lake with her. A quick email to Delaney and she’d know if a print of the painting existed. Resting on her elbows, she smiled. Even in Toronto, morning Tai Chi under the maple leaves
was not entirely out of the question. “Mind if I join you?”
Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of Edward’s voice and his considerate request. Respect and thoughtfulness would never grow old for her. “Of course not.” She patted the grass. “I was hoping we would get a chance to talk before the day got away from us.”
He eased to the ground and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Anything I can do to help before I meet my group at the Pro Shop.” He’d signed up as a fourth with Kendall, Maureen and Trey to play in the Nirvana’s Second Annual Charity Golf Tournament.
“Thanks, but no. I’ve got everything under control, I think.” There were a thousand little details to orchestrate when pulling together a major social function, but she had trained for this kind of event. “But if you don’t hear from me all day, don’t take it personally.” She shifted her gaze to the lake, momentarily embarrassed. Did men even worry about stuff like that?
He slung his arm across her shoulders and nudged closer. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’d flub all my shots if I thought you’d forgotten about me.” She snuggled into his body. “At least I’ll see you later in the Disco lounge.”
“If you can find me!” In the last few days the reservations list had doubled. “The Starlight Room is booked to capacity.”
“Our last day together isn’t really…together, is it?” He plucked the heads off a clump of dandelions and tossed them toward a curious squirrel.
“I guess not,” she agreed. The dance and his golf tournament both fell on the last day of his vacation.
“I signed up for the tournament the first week I arrived.”
She knew what he was trying to say. “With my encouragement.”
“I’ve been planning this dance for four months.” He patted her knee, forgiving her the unintended.
He jumped up and offered his hand. “Did you look at the schedule I faxed over to your office?” She rose, curling her fingers around his hand.
“I sure did, Edward. It looks great. Six dates in three weeks, that’s almost as many as a regular couple.” According to the schedule, he’d return to the Nirvana most weekends and she’d meet him for either lunch or dinner each time she drove to the city to purchase supplies or attend a workshop.
“Keep in mind,” she cautioned, “if I get promoted, our relationship is going to get a lot more… challenging.”
Toronto was a longer commute than Ottawa. He turned to face her and she stepped into his open arms, tucking her head under his chin. He smelled deliciously familiar. Unexpectedly, tears filled her eyes. He’d started using the hotel’s signature after shave and cologne the day after their parking lot kiss. She blinked furiously, hoping he wouldn’t notice her undoing.
“Challenge or opportunity?” he said, with the intonation of a professional motivational speaker. She smiled against his broad shoulder. So here was the renowned ad man his mother had been bragging about for years.
“You always make me feel better, Edward.” It was true. For now, she’d leave the logistics of their relationship in his capable hands.
His hand slid to cradle the back of her neck. She tipped her head back for his kiss. He was getting really, really good at this. Letting go of her worries,
she wound her arms around his neck, her body melting against his frame. This time she’d chosen the perfect man.
****
It was almost six p.m. when Christy ran her pencil down the checklist, then began again at the beginning, this time stroking off each completed task. Satisfied, she dropped the pencil to her desktop and rolled her chair back a few inches. A glance at the computer told her she had an hour left to shower and change before the Starlight Room’s door swung open to reveal the Disco Lounge. Tipping her chair back, she propped her aching feet on the desk and looked out at the golf course. In the distance, the carts still rolled down the graveled paths.
Swinging her feet to the floor, she reached to shut down the computer. In the top left corner of the screen the blinking green light of her email icon flashed on. “Awwg.” Not now. Her hand hovered over the keyboard, her gaze dropping to the tiny clock again. What if the DJ was canceling or she’d forgotten to submit a report to Ethan? Tapping the cursor, she stood up, her eyes still on the screen. She reached behind and fumbled for her sweater, hoping the message wouldn’t require an immediate response.
The sender’s address looked vaguely familiar but thankfully the subject line didn’t refer to anything disco related. Excellent. Whatever the attachment contained could wait another day.
She struggled to untangle the arms of her sweater and read the email again. It was from Pinnacle Promotions. Edward’s advertising firm. Her heart jumped. The PowerPoint presentation! In the flurry of the last couple of days, she’d almost forgotten about Thursday’s interview.
She dropped to her chair and leaned into the screen, her eyes flitting from detail to detail.
The file had not only been sent to her, but to Edward as well, she noted smiling. Both their names appearing on the same message, like holding hands in public, signified another milestone in their relationship.
She grabbed her cell phone and scrolled through the contact list. Edward really should be here with her for the viewing.
His automated answering system picked up on the first ring. She clicked out, looked out to the greens again and back to the monitor. If she didn’t take a peek now, it’d be late tomorrow morning before she’d have a chance.
She settled in front of the screen, drew a breath and opened the file. Just a peek for now, the rest she’d save for Edward.
A soft, rhythmic melody floated from the tiny speakers. Elbows on the desk, she rested her chin on her hands. Oh, Edward. Any lingering doubts she’d harbored about his emotional connection with both her philosophy and the hotel’s mission statement floated out the window with the sweet flute notes.
The presentation opened with shots of a spectacular sailors’ sunset, soaring granite cliffs and the lake’s resident loons gliding in tandem across a mirror smooth bay. He knew his stuff. No wonder Edward was so successful. She scanned the familiar text, nodding as each page presented.
She clicked through the next few screens, anxious to see the photos he’d chosen for her recreational programs. Checking the sidebar, she found the pages and clicked the cursor.
Immediately the energy level of the presentation rose
as the soundtrack became more upbeat and modern. Again, she nodded in agreement. Photographs began populating the screen in quick succession.
There had been virtually no breeze the day of the shoot, she remembered, but even so her hair looked…tousled. She rolled her chair in closer. Freezing a frame, she studied it more carefully, not only was her hair windswept from her face but it was…blonder? Her stomach tightened and a familiar anger rushed in.
She pulled her eyes from the screen and focused on the tranquil scene outside her window and called up Lily’s words. “Don’t overreact to every little thing. Quit looking for trouble where it doesn’t exist.”
Her breathing slowed to something close to normal. Edward was a professional. She needed to trust him and his judgments. Swinging back toward the monitor, she selected the next page. She and five brave guests were tackling the lake’s western rock face. Edward had remained on the anchored pontoon boat with
his camera. She was featured halfway up the cliff, her mouth open in laughter, head tipped back and her hair again was photo shopped to a longer length and lightened several shades. The next photos, with the leather-harnessed portion of her body as the background, featured two handsome, adventurous guests.
Steeling herself, she pushed through the rest of the pages, a montage of the same silly stuff. The only place where the programming took prominence over her California Girl image was in the Children’s Activities section.
Did he really think she could sit shoulder to shoulder with the Board members and present this PowerPoint?
Too angry to wait out the shutdown sequence, she yanked the plug from the power bar. There was no way she’d take this piece of trash to Toronto—even if it would seal the deal.
A phone rang in the lobby. A laundry cart rattled past her partially open door. She sat frozen, trying to sort out the confusion in her head.
She put her hands to her burning face. Edward really loved the idea of her becoming an executive like him. Hadn’t he found courage to pursue a relationship with her almost immediately after hearing of her promotion? She blinked hard, refusing the memory of his heartfelt declaration on Osprey Island to muddy the track she was following. Right now her heart, not her head, needed to lead.
Edward worked in the corporate world, and sold image and product every day. Apparently Beautiful People and Sex still was the default method of selling image. She dropped her head into hands. She knew Edward was a top ad guy, but he’d seemed…different. She swept a scattering of pens and pencils into a side drawer and slammed it shut. It wasn’t a life she wanted any part of anyway, competing for bonuses