by Lyle, Linda;
“Well, I guess that’s all,” Alex said, closing the last file.
“Good,” she said. “I guess I should be going now.”
“I suppose so. I have a lot of work to finish before Friday.”
“Thanks for dinner.” She turned to gather her things and remembered she didn’t have her shoes. She laughed. “I guess shoes would be good.”
“I’m sorry.” He laughed as he walked over to the fireplace where he had left them drying on the hearth. “Here they are.” She reached for them, but he stopped her. “Allow me, Cinderella. You can’t run off without your shoes tonight. You might catch a cold.”
“Thank you, kind sir.” She gave a mock curtsy. “I’m ever so grateful.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” He gave a deep bow and kissed her hand. The gesture was so quick and natural that she was taken by surprise. “Let me walk you to your car.”
“That won’t be necessary. It’s nasty out there. There’s no sense in both of us getting wet.”
“I don’t mind.” He put a hand under her elbow and escorted her to the foyer. He helped her with her coat, pulling it snug under her chin, and holding the ends a few moments, looking into her eyes. She held her breath waiting for his kiss. Instead, he tucked her under the chin and opened the door. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She stammered, taken aback by the sudden change. He opened a large umbrella that was leaning against the wall and walked her to her car.
“Good night, Elizabeth. See you tomorrow.”
“Good night.” He closed the door and she started the engine. Driving home, she wondered if maybe she had misjudged him. Something deep within her questioned his motives. Was he really interested in her, and trying to make up for the other night? Or was he only in it for the challenge? Remembering the way he had taken care of her and the feel of his arms, she leaned toward the first.
❧
Alex watched her car pull away, and then he returned to the house. He shook out the umbrella and left it to drain in the foyer. Mathilda would clean it up in the morning. He sat at his desk for a few moments and smiled. He had held himself in check. Although he had wanted to kiss her, he had waited. She would begin to trust him now. She had wanted to be kissed. He could sense it in the way she held her breath and the look in her eyes. He would make her want it even more. His smile widened. He was well on his way to victory. It wouldn’t be long now. This was going to be easier than he thought.
six
Elizabeth awoke to the sun peeking through the blinds. She sighed and stretched in the warmth of the covers for one long moment before she threw them back. The shower would be warm and cozy, but the hardwood floors between here and there were cold. She needed some slippers. She dashed for the rug in the bathroom with only her toes touching the icy floor. The steam from the shower soon penetrated the chill of the bathroom, and Elizabeth found herself reluctant to leave the warmth of the spray. She let the pulse pound on her neck and shoulders as she thought about last night. A smile crept around the edges of her lips, but she shook it off. It was nice to be pampered, but Alex was not the right kind of man for her. She headed for her favorite chair for her quiet time and tucked her feet under her. She opened her Bible to the ribbon marker at Isaiah Chapter 40. She read of how the Lord is never weary and is always listening to our prayers. Her eyes fell on the last verse.
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
She felt a peace in her soul as she read the words. God had not forgotten her prayer for a Christian man. He would provide it in his own time. She offered a prayer of thanks and then prepared for work with a renewed spirit.
At work, Elizabeth found that the spark of energy had returned, and she set to work. By eleven-thirty she had completed Scott McClintock’s research and had the report ready. She found the note with his number and called his office, only to find that he was at home; so she tried the other number. He answered on the first ring, causing her heart to pound.
“Hello, Scott. This is Elizabeth Jordan.”
“Oh hi, Elizabeth.” He sounded suddenly brighter.
“I just called to tell you that I finished the research. Where would you like me to send it? Or would you prefer to pick it up?”
“Actually, I hadn’t planned to come into town the rest of the week. There are some repairs I need to finish here. I guess you could Fed Ex it here, but I’d really like to look at them tonight.”
“Oh, well I’ll do whatever you think is best.”
“What time is it?” The question took her off guard.
“Eleven-thirty. Why?”
“What are you doing for lunch?”
“Lunch? Oh, I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Well, why don’t you come to my house for lunch. I’ll clear it with Dad. Consider it a business lunch.”
“I guess that would be all right, if it’s all right with Mr. McClintock.”
“Good, then we’ll call it settled. I’ll ring Dad and then call you right back.” He hung up, and as she placed the receiver on the hook she felt unreasonably happy to be having lunch with Scott, even a business lunch.
As promised, he called back, confirmed the lunch, and gave her directions to his house. He lived near Cedar Heights Community Church, not far from her friends Hope and Jeff. She gathered up the papers and headed for the car. She sang along with the radio, tapping her hands on the steering wheel as she made her way out of the city traffic into the suburbs. His directions were easy to follow, and she soon pulled into a long driveway. This was no house. This was more like a ranch. The drive wound around to the back of an old Victorian-style house with a wrap-around porch. She smiled at the sight of a swing hanging near the corner. There were two buildings in the distance. One was obviously a barn, but she couldn’t figure out what the other building was. As she stepped from the car, she was greeted by a large collie.
“Hey, Lady, come here and leave Elizabeth alone.” Scott called from the back door. The dog bounded over to Scott and stood by his side.
“Oh, she’s beautiful. I always wanted a dog like her ever since I saw ‘Lassie.’ Come here, puppy.” She knelt down and stroked the dog while talking in low tones. The dog responded by licking her face.
“Lady. Stop that!” Scott reprimanded.
“It’s okay,” Elizabeth managed between fits of laughter, “I haven’t had a dog to do that in ages. I love big dogs.”
“Well, I guess you got your dessert before lunch.” They both laughed. Scott held the door open and motioned her inside.
The kitchen was large with a breakfast nook in one corner. The walls and floors were done in various shades and prints of country blue and all the appliances were bright white. There were homemade rugs on the floor and crosstitch samplers on the walls. She felt immediately at home.
“Lunch will be ready in about twenty minutes. Why don’t we go into the living room.”
“Lead the way.” She followed him down a long hallway, similar to the one in Alex’s house, but the Persian rugs in this hallway looked made for walking on.
“Have a seat.”
There was a fire crackling in the fireplace, the light reflected off the marble hearth. Elizabeth sank into a chair facing the fire and watched the firelight flicker on the ships-in-a-bottle on the mantel. The room was filled with beautiful furniture that was neither feminine nor manly. There were Queen Anne sofas in a small grouping to the right and two wingback chairs with reading lamps in another corner. The chair she was sitting in matched the one across from it and a sofa and love seat completed the grouping around the fireplace. It was a big room, but it seemed cozy.
“Want a Dr. Pepper?” Scott called from the kitchen.
“Love one.”
He brought in two cans and then sat in the chair opposite her. He propped his feet on the footstool, something Alex would never do.
“You have a
nice place.”
“I call it home.”
“Oh, I almost forgot why I came.” She reached in her briefcase and pulled out the report.
“You mean you didn’t come for my cooking?” he asked as he took the report.
“Cooking? You mean you cook your own meals?” Her eyebrows raised, and she stifled a laugh at the mental picture of Scott in an apron.
“What’s so funny? Don’t you think I can cook? I’ll have you know I’m a pretty good cook…as long as it comes in a can.” They both laughed. “Actually, I do have a lady who comes by once a week to do some cleaning and occasionally she has pity on me and leaves me things in the freezer. Which leads me to two important questions.”
“What are they?”
“Can you cook?” Before she could protest, he held up his hands. “I only ask because I’m a lousy cook and when I meet a lady I always have to ask.”
“The answer is yes, I can cook.”
“Great. Now the second question, can you cook well?”
“Yes. You can ask any of my friends. I’ve been cooking since I was ten.”
“Very good. Now I can relax.” He gave a mock sigh and leaned back in his chair.
“I’m very happy for you.” Elizabeth tried to look offended, but couldn’t hide the laughter. “At least you’re honest.”
“Thank you very much.” He slapped his thigh. “I almost forgot lunch.” He jumped up and ran into the kitchen and she followed him.
“What’s for lunch, anyway?” she asked.
“Lasagna. Don’t look so surprised. Mrs. Delaney left it in my refrigerator this morning with cooking directions.”
“Thank goodness for Mrs. Delaney. I love Italian food.”
“You do? Me too. I just love food in general.”
“Well, that makes two of us. Here let me help you with that.” Together they set the table.
“I always pray before meals, will you join me?” He held out his hand. She took it and bowed her head. This was a first. Never in her life had a man ever prayed before lunch or dinner or any meal. She was gaining respect for Scott with every moment.
Over lunch they discussed everything from the state of the American school system to personal preferences. Scott was so easy to talk to that she found herself sharing about her spiritual walk and how she hadn’t been to church regularly since she graduated from college.
“Well, you know, it’s easy to get out of the habit. You miss once or twice or you move and just don’t go looking for a new place,” Scott said. She felt refreshed at his lack of the judgmental attitude she usually got from members at her old church.
“I know. I really would like to find a good church. I miss having Christian friends to talk to and discuss the Bible with. Just people who understand how I feel.”
“You’re more than welcome to come to our church, and it’s not like you don’t know anybody. You know me and I’ll introduce you to our class. I think you’ll really like them.”
“I might just do that.”
“Good. Sunday school starts at ten o’clock.” He pushed back from the table. “I guess I’d better clean up this mess.”
“Here, let me help you.” They cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher. All too soon she was on her way back to work. Despite the prospect of going back to the office, Elizabeth felt lighthearted for the first time in a long while. She burst into a song of praise whose verses lasted until she pulled into the parking lot. She knew that what she had been missing was the fellowship of other Christians. Being with Scott had been like a refreshing breeze after a long drought. Not only because Scott was a handsome guy, but also because he shared her beliefs. She resolved to go to church on Sunday. With that thought in mind, she fairly danced into the building.
seven
Friday was going well until a dozen roses appeared on Elizabeth’s desk. At first her heart skipped a beat, but soon stuck in her throat when she realized they were from Alex. It was an invitation to go to the symphony, a rare treat for Elizabeth. She was tempted to go, after the way Alex had been acting lately. She shook her head as though it would rid her of her conflicting thoughts. No. She wouldn’t go, not after yesterday.
The day passed so quickly that Elizabeth almost missed her lunch. She was rushing out the door when she ran into Alex, literally.
“Whoa there. Where are you off to in such a rush?” He held her firmly while she regained her balance and then slowly released her.
“Lunch. If you’ll excuse me, I don’t have much time and I have some errands to run.” The words came out in one breath.
“You’d better slow down and catch your breath. No one will notice if you’re a few minutes late today.”
“I have a lot of work to do before the weekend.” She tried to smile and be friendly, but it was hard to be casual when she felt like a trapped animal.
“Well, take it easy. I don’t want anything to happen to my favorite researcher.” He smiled and touched her shoulder lightly as he moved down the hall. She sighed in relief.
She managed to swallow a cheeseburger between the dry cleaners and the bank and some fries between there and the post office. She was back at her desk and immersed in work in less than an hour, a record. She alternated between her desk and the library the rest of the day, hoping she wouldn’t bump into Alex again. She didn’t know what to say, but she did know that she couldn’t go out with Alex anymore. For one thing, he was not interested in church. For another, she really liked his younger brother. She dreaded what was certain to be a confrontation, and she didn’t have long to wait.
“I see you got the flowers.”
“Alex.” Elizabeth jumped upsetting her coffee mug.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. Here let me help.” He pulled out a handkerchief and started swabbing the desk.
“It’s okay. There wasn’t much coffee left. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“That’s because you were buried in your work, literally.” A half-smile lifted the corners of his mouth and his eyes twinkled. He pointed to the stacks of files on either side of her.
“Oh, I was just getting these ready to file away. I’m almost finished.”
“Good. Then you’ll be free this weekend.” He spoke as if the matter were settled.
“Actually, I’m going to be busy,” she lied. “I have a lot of things to do at home this weekend.” She tried to keep her voice even.
“Oh, that’s too bad. I was looking forward to taking you to the symphony. Are you sure you can’t take out a little time from your hectic schedule.” He put his hands on her desk and leaned forward. That ever ready smile and the sheer force of his presence set her nerves on edge.
“I’m sorry…I…can’t.” She stumbled over the words, getting up to break the spell he seemed to be casting. “I really have too much to do.” He straightened up, and she expected to hear an argument.
“Well, maybe another time. Don’t work too hard.” His smile lost some of its sparkle, but he left without another word.
Elizabeth was shocked that he had given up so quickly, but she was also relieved. Maybe he had taken the hint, but something told her she hadn’t seen the last of him. She put away the stack of files, except for the research for Senator Riggs. Stuffing the file in her briefcase, she headed for the door. The weekend would be slow, and she could finish the report on her computer at home. She winced as she remembered telling Alex she would be too busy to go out with him. It was too late to think about it now. The damage was done.
The weekend went by slowly. She really didn’t have much to do. Cleaning the house took only a few hours and the shopping took even less. After lunch, she sat down and turned on the television. Thirty minutes of channel surfing proved that no matter how many channels she had there was still nothing good on. She wandered around the house, going from room to room searching for something to do. She picked up books only to lay them down and then picked up projects only to grow bored. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Scott and Alex. Alex was
every girl’s dream for a boyfriend. He was charming, handsome, rich, and attentive, but something about him set warning bells off. He was too perfect, but maybe she was misjudging him. She liked Scott too, but was he interested? She groaned and hit the pillow, willing it all to go away. Finally, it was late enough to go to bed. As she snuggled down in the covers, she knew she had to go to church tomorrow. She needed all the help she could get. With that decision made, she fell into a peaceful sleep.
With a mixture of excitement and nervous energy, she got ready for church Sunday morning. She wanted to look good, but her hair and makeup seemed to have other ideas. Nothing went right. At nine-thirty she rushed out to the car feeling unattractive, but it was too late now. She barely had enough time to get to church. She pulled into the parking lot with five minutes to spare and was surprised to see Scott standing next to his car. She relaxed and waved at him. She hadn’t realized how wound up and worried she was about walking into the church alone until she had seen Scott waiting for her.
“I was hoping you would come today,” Scott called. He walked over and helped her out of the car.
“You don’t know how glad I am to see you. I’m always nervous going to someplace new.”
“I know it can be awkward the first time, so I thought I would wait for a few minutes out here. Let’s go on inside.” He led her in a side door and down a hallway lined with classrooms, each with a shingle proclaiming the class’s title. He led her into the one marked “Singles.”
“Elizabeth, I’d like you to meet Mark, David, Rita, Joanne, and Kevin.”
“Hi, Elizabeth.”
“Nice to meet you.”
The voices and faces all blended together, and there was a general blur of introductions and greetings. Elizabeth was sure she’d never remember all the names. Just then the teacher came in and Elizabeth was introduced again. Class was opened with prayer, and in that quiet moment Elizabeth felt the fellowship she had been missing. She relaxed and was soon engrossed in the conversation. The topic was being content in any circumstance, and Elizabeth felt God speaking to her through the lesson. Afterwards, everyone mingled around talking and even hugging.