by Betina Krahn
Tenley didn’t wear makeup, at least, not anymore. From the moment she got up in the morning until the time she went to bed, she never once looked in the mirror. She combed her hair with her fingers. She wore clothes that were comfortable and shoes that didn’t kill her feet.
And she read books. She didn’t watch silly television shows or buy fashion magazines. She had a stack of classics on her bedside table. She was smart and talented and witty.
“And when you have a free moment, you go out and do something useful with your time,” he muttered, “rather than going to get your nails done.”
“What?”
Alex glanced over to find Tenley watching him with an inquisitive expression. Had he said that out loud? “Nothing,” he said. “Here we are.” Thankfully, the parking valet provided a distraction. He opened Tenley’s door for her and helped her from the car, then circled around to grab the keys from Alex.
When they got inside, Tenley excused herself and headed toward the ladies’ room. Alex waited outside and watched as two women went in and came out before Tenley. What was she doing in there? He reached for the door and pulled it open. “Tenley?”
“What?”
“Is everything all right?”
He heard a sniffle. “Yes?”
Alex stepped inside, then locked the door behind him. He heard the tears in her voice. She was locked in the center stall and he rapped on the door. “Come on, Tenley, open up. I don’t want to have to crawl under.”
He heard the latch flip and he pushed the door open. She sat on the toilet, her eyes red, a wad of toilet paper in her hand.
“Go away,” she said.
“No.” Alex reached down and took her hand, then pulled her out of the stall. “Why are you crying?”
“I don’t know.” This brought a fresh round of tears and she turned away from him and sat down on a small chair in the corner. “God, I hate crying. I feel so stupid.”
“Are you upset with me?”
“No.” She paused and wiped her nose. “Yes. Maybe. You just make it so difficult.”
“What?” He pulled her into his arms and smoothed his hands along her waist. “I don’t mean to.”
Alex’s fingers found her face and he tipped her gaze up to his. Her eyes were red and watery and he brushed a tear away with his thumb. He didn’t have the words to make her feel better because he didn’t know what was wrong. So Alex did the only thing he knew would take her mind off her troubles. He kissed her.
But what began as a sweet, soothing kiss, slowly turned into something more. Her mouth opened beneath his and he took what she offered. How many nights had he lain in bed, thinking about this, about the next time he’d touch her and kiss her and make love to her? This wasn’t exactly the setting he’d imagined, but at this point, it didn’t matter. Tenley was back in his arms again.
He grabbed the lapels of her jacket and pushed them aside, desperate to find a spot of bare skin to touch. They stumbled back against the sinks and Alex picked her up and set her on the edge of the counter, stepping between her legs.
She had too many clothes on and there wasn’t enough time. He glanced over his shoulder and considered the stall for privacy, but decided against it. The door was locked. If someone knocked, they’d have to stop. But until then, he—
“No,” she said, pressing her hands against his chest. “Don’t do this.”
Alex was stunned and he immediately stepped away. “What is it?”
She pulled her jacket back up and slid off the counter. “I can’t do this. I—I have to go.” Tenley hurried to the door and pulled on it, but it wouldn’t open. “I need to go.”
“Tenley, wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t—It’s just been such a long time and I—”
She finally realized the door was locked and when she turned the knob, it opened. He followed her out into the lobby, but she headed back out to the street.
“Tenley.” He took her hand. “Where are you going?”
“I have to go home. I can’t stay here.”
“Don’t. I promise, I won’t kiss you again.”
She raised her hand for a cab, but he pulled it down. A cab screeched to a halt in front of the restaurant. Christ, he could wait all day for a taxi and now, when he didn’t want one, there were ten available. She pulled the door open.
“Wait,” Alex said to the driver. “We’re not through.”
“Go,” Tenley said.
“No! Wait.” He reached into his pocket for his wallet, ready to pay the driver to do as ordered.
But Tenley pulled the door shut. “Go, now!” she shouted at the driver.
Alex could do nothing but curse as the taxi roared off down the street. The valet stood at his desk, observing the entire scene with a dubious expression.
“Bad date?” he asked.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“Well, at least you didn’t buy her dinner.” He grinned. “Do you want your car?”
Alex nodded. He sat down on a bench, his breath coming in gasps, clouding in front of his face in the cold air. What the hell had happened? Where was the woman who’d crawled into his bed and seduced him on the night they met? Or the woman who ran into the snow stark naked?
Something had happened to the free-spirited Tenley he knew three weeks ago. How could someone have changed so fast? He reached for his cell phone. She’d spent the previous night in a hotel and left her car parked there. Maybe if he tracked her down, he might catch her before she left.
Alex stared at his phone, then shook his head as he realized the impossibility of that task. The bottom line was Tenley didn’t want to be with him. Whatever they’d shared had faded. And he’d just killed what was left of it with his behavior in the bathroom.
When the valet returned with his car, Alex gave him a fifty-dollar bill and slipped behind the wheel. He’d made only one mistake in his life and Alex suspected he’d never stop regretting it. He’d left Tenley that morning after his sister had called.
He should have stayed. He should have lived up there with her until he was absolutely certain she was in love with him. He knew her heart was fragile and yet he thought they’d just be able to pick up where they’d left off in a week or two. Only in the meantime, Tenley had erected a wall around herself, too high and too thick for him to broach.
He’d missed his chance with her and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
TENLEY LOOKED at her reflection in the mirror, trying to see herself as others might. Gone was the streak of purple in her hair. Gone was the dark eye makeup and the deep red lipstick, the black nail polish.
She smoothed her hands over the bodice of the red vintage dress. She’d found the garment in a trunk in her grandfather’s attic and had thought the shawl collar and wide skirt made it a classic design. When she’d brought it down, her grandfather had grown all misty, remembering the night her grandmother had first worn it.
In her ongoing effort to get out more, Tenley had invited her grandfather to the Valentine’s Dance, held at the fire hall in town. The dance was one of the biggest events of the winter season. Everyone attended. Jimmy Richter’s Big Band came in from Green Bay to play and the Ladies Auxiliary made cake and pink punch. Anyone who was single was invited to attend, from teenagers to retirees.
Tenley suspected her grandfather had ulterior motives for accepting the date. Rumor had it he and Katie Vanderhoff had been seen together at Wednesday-night bingo for the past four weeks in a row. Though he might have wanted to ask Katie to the dance, Tenley knew the potential gossip would have scared him away. Considering the suitability of the match, the gossips would have had them married off before they stepped on the dance floor.
Tenley heard a knock on her door and she took one last look in the mirror. “You can do this,” she murmured. “It’s just a silly dance.”
But it was more than that. Since her trip to Chicago, almost two weeks had passed. She’d begun to see her life in a different light. She wanted to find
someone to love her, a man who might make her feel the way Alex did. But Tenley knew it would take time. She wouldn’t fall in love in a week or even a year. There were too many things in her past that kept her from surrendering so easily.
But she had felt something with Alex and she was certain she could find that again if she only got out there and started looking. She had made one vow to herself. No more one-night stands. Sex for fun was a part of her past. From now on, she intended to act a bit more circumspect.
She grabbed her coat from the bed, then hurried to the door. The dogs tried to follow her outside, but she slipped out without them. “Sorry,” she said.
Her grandfather stood on the porch, dressed in his best suit, his hands behind his back. He slowly brought out a plastic box and Tenley was delighted to find a corsage there. “It’s an orchid,” he said. “I used to buy your grandmother white orchids all the time. She loved them because they lasted so long.”
Tenley took the box from his hand. “I’ll put it on in the car. It’ll freeze out here.” She hurried down the steps and hopped inside her grandfather’s Volvo. Shivering, she rubbed her hands together and then held them close to the heat. “Are you really sure you want to do this?” she asked.
“Your grandmother died four years ago. I think it’s time I got out there and met some ladies. Not that I want to get married again, but I would like to have some company if I decide to see a movie or dine out.”
He’d combed his bushy hair and shaved off the usual stubble that covered his cheeks. “You look very handsome,” Tenley commented. “All the ladies will want to dance with you. I heard you’ve been spending time with Katie Vanderhoff.”
He grinned. “Maybe. It’s those damn cinnamon rolls. I stop by for coffee in the morning and she feeds me one of those and I think I’m in love. That’s how your grandmother won my heart. With her apple pie.”
“Well, you’ll have to be sure to ask her to dance. Just make sure I get the first and the last one.”
Tenley flipped the visor down and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair looked silly, all curled and poufed up. As soon as she got to the dance, she’d take it down.
“You look very pretty,” her grandfather said, steering the car onto the road. “No more blue hair. Or was it purple? I can’t remember.”
“I’ve decided to be perfectly normal for one night. I’m even wearing underwear.”
“I don’t need to hear about that,” her grandfather said, wagging his finger, “although, I am glad to hear it. I wouldn’t want to have you twirling around on the dance floor wearing nothing beneath your skirt. And I do love to twirl a girl.”
By the time they got to town, Tenley was nervous. She’d been off the social radar for so long she knew her appearance would cause a lot of speculation. Everyone in town knew about Alex and her romance with him. But as far as they understood, that was still going on, long distance.
If they asked, she would have to tell them the truth—she and Alex had parted as friends. Friends who didn’t speak to each other. Friends who couldn’t possibly be in the same room without wanting to tear each other’s clothes off.
The dance was already well under way when they arrived. Her grandfather grabbed her coat and hung it up, then held out his arm gallantly, a broad smile on his face. “You look lovely. Absolutely lovely. I wish your grandmother could see you. You look just as pretty as she did on the night we met.”
“Thank you,” Tenley said. “Are you ready?”
“I am. Are you?”
She nodded. They walked toward the entrance to the hall and stopped at the ticket table. Harvey Willis’s sister, Ellen, was selling tickets and complimented them both on their snazzy attire.
The interior of the firehouse had been transformed. The trucks had been moved outside for the night and lights had been strung from the overhead beams. A small stage was set up on one end and the band was already in the midst of their rendition of “Moon River.”
To Tenley’s relief, there were plenty of familiar faces in attendance. If no one asked her to dance, she’d at least be able to chat. But as she scanned the room, her gaze came to rest on a face she hadn’t expected to see.
Her fingers dug into her grandfather’s arm as she gasped. “He’s here,” she whispered.
“Who’s here?”
“Alex. He’s standing right over there.”
“Oh, look at that,” her grandfather said. “Now, doesn’t he look handsome. And what’s that he has in his arms? Looks like roses.”
“Did you know about this?” Tenley asked.
“Well, he did call a few days ago. Wanted to know if the dance was on Saturday or Sunday night. I just told him what he wanted to know. I also mentioned you’d be attending.” He unhooked Tenley’s hand from his arm and gave her a little push. “Go on. Talk to him before some other girl snaps him up.”
Tenley slowly crossed the hall. Everyone was watching, even some of the guys in the band. Her knees felt weak and her head was spinning, but she held her emotions in check. She was not going to break down and cry. Nor was she going to throw herself into his arms.
She stopped in front of him, swallowing hard before speaking. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard you were planning on attending and I didn’t want to give any of these single guys a chance to charm you.”
“How did you know about the dance?”
“You mentioned it. You said Randy asked you every year.”
“You remember that?”
He nodded. “I remember everything you said to me.”
She glanced over her shoulder at her grandfather and found him grinning from ear to ear.
“I brought you something,” Alex said. He handed her the roses. “I’m sorry there’s so many of them, but I asked for the nicest bouquet and this is what they gave me.” He took them from her arms. “Here, we’ll just put them down.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“And there’s candy and a card, but I thought I’d save that until later. They’re out in the car.”
“Gee, all you forgot was the jewelry,” she teased.
“Ah, no. I didn’t forget that.” Alex reached into his pants pocket, but when he didn’t find what he was looking for, he patted down his jacket pockets. “Where did I put that?”
“I don’t need any more gifts, Alex. The flowers are fine.”
“No, you’ll like this one,” he said. “At least, I hope you will. Here it is.” He held out his fist, then opened it.
Lying in his palm was a ring…a diamond ring…a very large diamond ring. Tenley gasped, her gaze fixed on it. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, a pale yellow heart-shaped diamond, surrounded by tiny white diamonds.
“What does that mean?” she asked. Was this a proposal? And if it was, did he really expect her to accept with all these people watching her? Or maybe that was why he’d done it here, so she couldn’t refuse. “Alex, I don’t think this is a good idea. You know how I—”
“Tenley, don’t talk, just listen. Yes, I know how you feel. And I understand your hesitation. Your experiences in life haven’t made it easy for you to open yourself up to loving someone. But what we shared that week in your cabin was something special and I don’t want to let that go.”
“Is this a proposal?”
“It’s whatever you want it to be,” Alex said. “You decide. All I know is I don’t want to lose you. I want you to be mine, for now and for as long as you’ll have me. I want you to be my valentine, Tenley.”
“But I—”
“Don’t say no. You can’t say no. Because I’m going to keep coming back every weekend and every holiday until you say yes. I’ll buy a place up here and I’ll come over every morning and take you to breakfast. And I’ll sit on your sofa every night and rub your feet. We’ll go for walks in the woods in the winter and we’ll take our clothes off and lie in the summer sun.”
He took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. “I�
�m giving this to you so that you understand I won’t change my mind. For as long as you wear that ring, I’m completely yours.”
“But how are we going to do this? You live in Chicago and I live here.”
“I’m not sure. At first, I’ll come up on the weekends. And maybe you can come down and visit. We’ll figure out all the details later, Tenley. We don’t have to decide everything right now. All we have to do is make a commitment to try.”
He was making it so easy for her to say yes. And she wanted to say the word, to throw herself into his arms and tell him it was quite possible that she did love him. Not just possible, very probable.
“I was thinking about spending some time in Chicago. There are some classes I want to take at the Art Institute this summer.”
He smiled. “Really? Because that’s just a quick train ride from where I live. You could stay with me. I could take you out and show you the city. You could even bring the dogs and cats. I’ve got plenty of room for all of you.” He dropped down on one knee and held her hand. “Say yes, Tenley. Tell me you’re willing to try.”
“Yes.” The word came out of her mouth without a second thought. “Yes. I am willing to try. And I will be your valentine.”
Alex stood up and pulled her into his arms, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around on the dance floor. The crowd around them erupted in wild applause and Tenley looked up to find everyone in the hall watching them. A warm blush flooded her cheeks and she buried her face in the curve of Alex’s neck.
“We’re causing a scene,” he said.
“I know. Don’t worry. It will give them something to gossip about tomorrow morning.”
“Are you all right with that?”
She nodded. “I think I can handle it.”
Alex set her back on her feet, then took her face in his hands and kissed her. That brought even more applause and a few moments later, the band broke into their rendition of “My Funny Valentine.” Alex swept her out onto the dance floor.