Dearest Shannon,
When I think of you I don’t know where to begin
Your magical voice is like a sweet violin.
My heart beats with joy at the sound of your laughter,
And your happy smile fills me with joy ever after.
Your Secret Admirer
Shannon smiled. The note was tender and sweet and oddly flattering, even though the poetry itself hadn’t improved. Today, though, something was different, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
She tucked the note into the envelope containing the other notes, unwrapped the kiss, and popped it into her mouth. While she savored the rich chocolate, Shannon turned her head toward the opening for the lunchroom. Any second now, Todd would be walking through the doorway.
She hadn’t told him about the notes, but he’d promised to keep his ears open to any conversation concerning her. Of course, it was too early to hear anything. Once he arrived, she would simply remind him.
Instead of Todd, Faye walked into the office. Shannon found herself strangely disappointed.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Todd. Not only had she spent the evening with him, she’d actually enjoyed herself. In many ways, he was the same old Todd she’d known since she was a kid. Yet it was the first time she’d talked to him as a single man and not as her brother’s annoying friend.
Then, when they were leaving, he’d acted so strange. Todd always radiated confidence and control; yet he was at a loss for words. He’d even stammered. She didn’t know what was going through his mind, but with Todd Sanders, it could have been anything. He couldn’t have realized how charming his momentary lapse had been, but it showed her a side of him she didn’t know existed. At the time, she’d almost been inclined to give him a hug, but since it was Todd, she’d erased the thought from her mind.
“Hi, Shan.”
“Good morning, Faye. Is Todd in the lunchroom?”
“Nope. Haven’t seen him yet.”
Shannon checked her watch. Most days they arrived about the same time. Today she’d come in a few minutes early to be sure she could read the Secret Admirer’s note in private. With the clock now showing ten minutes after Todd’s usual arrival time, a niggling worry started to prod Shannon. She rose and unlocked the filing cabinet so she could get his phone number out of his personnel file; but just as she touched the folder with his name on it, the familiar sound of Todd’s laughter echoed from the dispatch office.
With a quick push, she closed the drawer and engaged the locking button then walked to the dispatch office. She found Todd and one of the drivers in the small room, talking with someone she’d never seen before through the window opening into the drivers’ area. Bryan, Rick, and Gary were nowhere to be seen.
“Todd? What time did you get here? I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?” When he turned to face her, he was still winding down his laughter. His eyes were moist, and he swiped over them with his sleeve. “Did you need a form for Terry? He’s been here once before, about four months ago, Gary says.”
“No, it isn’t that. I just wanted to remind you about what we talked about yesterday.”
He grinned, and Faye’s words echoed through Shannon’s head. Todd truly was even more handsome when he smiled. In the throes of his laughter, his smile was almost magnetic. It was the same smile she remembered from her high school days, when she briefly had a mad crush on him; only now the years and alleged maturity added attractive little crow’s-feet to the corners of his big brown eyes. “I haven’t forgotten. I’ll keep my ears open and let you know if something comes up.” With the other men standing behind Todd, neither one could see his face. Using that advantage, Todd placed his hand over his heart and gave her an exaggerated wink. “Promise.”
Shannon opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her heart started pounding, just as it had back in those foolish high school days.
Before she said something stupid, Shannon spun around and strode out of the room. She busied herself with her work, ignoring all around her until Faye appeared at the front of her desk to announce it was time for coffee break.
They had barely sat down before Faye started talking. “Have you been in the dispatch area today? It’s nuts in there.”
Shannon nodded. “I know. Where’s Gary? He should be in there with both Rick and Bryan off.”
“Gary had a bunch of meetings lined up this morning, and he couldn’t cancel. Todd seems to be doing okay in there, considering.”
“I noticed you checked on him fairly often.”
Faye smiled. “Yeah. I got him coffee a couple of times. I thought he could use it. He said he really appreciated it.”
Shannon sighed. “You’ve got it bad. Maybe there’s medication for that.”
Faye grinned. “Get serious, Shan. Todd’s different from anyone else I’ve ever met.”
Shannon nearly choked on her tea. “You can say that again.”
Faye’s smile disappeared. “I don’t know what you have against him.”
Shannon looked down into her mug, not able to face Faye as she spoke. “I already told you Todd is my brother’s friend. Let’s just say we haven’t always gotten along that great over the years. I guess I’m finding it a bit strange to see him so normal, for lack of a better word. I can’t help but expect this is a bad dream and I’m waiting for the punch line. Any moment, I feel as if I’m going to wake up, and he’ll do something to embarrass or insult me the way he did when we were kids. I know I shouldn’t feel that way. After all, it’s been over a month now, and he’s been nice to me and everything’s been fine.”
In fact, things were more than fine, even outside of work when no one was around he’d have to answer to or see the next day. When the bookstore closed, she’d enjoyed their time together so much that for a moment she’d wished the store was open until midnight, just so she could have stayed to talk with Todd longer.
Faye smiled dreamily. “Yeah. He’s mighty fine.”
Shannon rolled her eyes. “Oh, puh-leeze.”
“I can dream, can’t I?”
“He’s not some movie star or idol in one of those teen magazines. He’s just Todd.”
“If you’ve known him for years, haven’t you ever thought of what it would be like if something developed between you?”
Briefly, when she was going through a period of teenage insanity. She wondered if Faye had heard a word she just said about how sometimes she didn’t know whether to scream or cry after yet another unpleasant day spent with Todd and her brother. Before she could answer, Faye continued her questioning.
“Haven’t you ever considered what it would be like to be alone with him, like on a romantic date?”
Actually, she had been alone with him prior to last night, but it wasn’t on a date. Craig and Todd were in the garage at her parents’ home. She’d gone to tell Craig their mother wanted him for something, so Craig went into the house, leaving her alone in the garage with Todd for a few minutes. For entertainment, Todd asked her to hold some kind of auto part she hadn’t known was greasy until it was too late. It took ten solid minutes of scrubbing to get the slime and oily stink off her hands, then a whole day to get the grime out from under her fingernails.
She set her empty mug down on the table with a thud. “I’m sorry, Faye, but I have enough problems with men without adding Todd to the mix.”
Faye’s eyebrows quirked. “Oh? Is there something you’re not telling me?” She leaned closer over the top of the table. “Is it someone here? What’s happening? Did you find out who gave you the chocolate kiss? I couldn’t find who was giving them out. In fact, no one knew anything about chocolate kisses.”
Shannon sucked in a deep breath. “Oh, Faye … you didn’t go around asking, did you?”
“I asked a couple of people where they came from, but not many. Why?”
“Because it was just meant for me. There was a note attached.” Shannon leaned toward Faye then straightened, not wanting anyo
ne to see they obviously wanted to keep their conversation confidential, as that would attract attention. “I’m afraid I have a Secret Admirer.”
Faye’s eyes widened. “Wow! That’s so exciting!”
“Shh!” Shannon fanned one hand in the air then hunched in the chair. “Don’t tell anyone. I have no idea who it could be. Think. If you were asking around about the chocolate kiss, then that makes at least a couple of people I can eliminate from my list. Who did you talk to?”
“Nanci and Brenda.”
Shannon’s heart sank.
“Sorry. I didn’t ask any of the guys. I didn’t think any of them would be bringing stuff like that to work. That’s why I just asked women. I didn’t specifically say you had one. I just walked up to them and asked if they had chocolate, and both said no.”
“I guess that’s okay, then. Whoever he is, he has to know I’m trying to figure it out. I just don’t want him to think I have an investigative team out looking for him, or he’ll stop doing it, then I’ll never know.” She didn’t want to tell Faye that Todd was already helping her. From past experience, she knew Todd could be very tight lipped when it suited him. No one would ever know Todd knew about the Secret Admirer or that he was helping her discover the man’s identity.
Faye, on the other hand, was not known for being discreet.
“Just keep your ears and eyes open, but please don’t say anything to anyone, and especially don’t ask questions. If you hear something, tell me, and I’ll take it from there, okay?”
Faye nodded, the personification of seriousness. “Okay.”
Shannon pushed the chair back and stood. “We had better get back to work. I have a million things to do.”
Shannon couldn’t stop thinking about Todd, even though she didn’t see him. His absence in the lunchroom during break times only served to show she’d come to expect his presence. He was buried in work, dealing with a system he wasn’t entirely proficient at yet, while doing the volume of at least two people. He only came out of the dispatch office a couple of times, when he ran for the washroom, then right back.
By the time Gary finally returned, it was half an hour before quitting time. Bill left the room, but she still didn’t see Todd.
When it was time to go home for the day, Shannon hadn’t completed all she’d wanted to do to meet her payroll deadline for the next day. Rather than leave it for the last minute, she took advantage of the quiet office to work undisturbed.
Twenty minutes after everyone else left, Todd emerged from the dispatch room at a slow pace, the wear and tear of a stress-filled day apparent on his face and in his posture.
She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“Hey, Todd. How did things go in there?”
“Okay, I guess, but I can’t remember ever being so tired.” He turned and looked at Faye’s empty desk. He pulled her chair out and sank down into it. “Since it’s just you and me here, do you mind if I talk to you about something?”
Shannon had a feeling she knew what he was going to say. She’d seen Faye going in and out of the dispatch office a number of times, sometimes with Todd’s coffee mug in her hand; other times, Faye was empty handed. Shannon didn’t mind helping him out or giving him a bit of womanly perspective, but she didn’t want to do it in the middle of the office. Even though the other regular day staff had left, Gary was still in his office and could appear at any time. Also, not all the drivers were in, and the afternoon-shift warehouse staff members were just beginning their day. Any one of them could walk in at any time, and often did, once they realized she was still there.
Shannon stood. “I have a better idea. You look so tired. Let’s go to my place. I just happen to have a great lasagna left over in the fridge from yesterday. All I have to do is heat it up and make a salad, and we’ll have a ready-made dinner. We can talk then, without any worry about being disturbed.”
“You’re inviting me over to your place? And you’re also going to feed me?”
“I guess. I just thought it would be a better place to talk.”
“That sounds great. I appreciate it.”
“I only have to finish what I’m doing.”
Todd lounged in Faye’s chair until Shannon was ready then followed her out and into the parking lot. Shannon unlocked her car door but didn’t get in. Instead, she stood watching Todd, who was standing beside his car and pressing his hands to every pocket in his jacket, jeans, then shirt.
“I don’t believe this,” he called out. “I must have forgotten my car keys in the office. I’ll be right back, unless Gary sees me. Don’t leave without me, because I’ve never been to your place before. I’m not exactly sure where it is.”
“No problem.”
As Todd jogged back into the building, Shannon had time to think about what she’d just done.
Surely, she was losing her mind. She’d just invited Todd Sanders to her apartment. The apartment she moved into so she could get away from him.
That she felt sorry for him further confirmed she was losing her mind. She justified it by telling herself she was doing it to talk to him for Faye’s benefit and was making the sacrifice for a friend.
Todd was back within minutes, and she was soon on her way, with him following. She pointed him to the visitor parking area then entered the residents’ underground parking area. She was about to push the button in the elevator when she realized she’d left Todd outside. Not only did he not have a key to get in, but he didn’t know which was her apartment, although he certainly could find it from the listing by the door.
Instead of hitting the button for the fifth floor, Shannon rode the elevator to the lobby, where she walked to the main door to let Todd in then took him to her apartment.
“This seems like a nice place. You like living here?”
“Yes. For an apartment, it’s pretty peaceful.”
Having known him for years, she was comfortable with Todd’s help in getting their dinner together. They only chatted about inconsequential things until it was ready and on the table.
For a second, Shannon hesitated. Even when she was alone, which was most of the time, she always bowed her head and gave God thanks for her meal and her day. She didn’t know if Todd did the same.
She’d seen him in church, and Craig had told her about Todd’s turning his life over to Jesus. She’d also seen him in action at work. All these showed a man living his faith. But this was the first time she was alone with Todd in a private setting. No one was there with him except her, and God, of course.
After knowing Todd for so long, there was no pretense between them. Sometimes she felt that Todd didn’t consider her any differently than an annoying piece of furniture. He never pretended to be anything he was not, and he never changed his behavior because she was there. She’d seen him happy and sad. She’d seen him at his best, and definitely at his worst.
Todd smiled at her, clasped his hands, bowed his head, and waited for a few seconds for her to do the same. “Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the food we’re about to eat. Thank You for Shannon and her willingness to open her home and share it with me. Thanks, too, for the good jobs You’ve given both of us, and I pray we’ll be able to show Your glory to all who work there. Amen!”
“Amen,” Shannon murmured, unable to believe the tightness that formed in her throat from his heartfelt words.
Todd didn’t wait for her to respond or start talking. He began eating right away. “This is great,” he said, speaking through his mouthful. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until we started heating this up. I didn’t have time to stop for lunch. All I’ve had today was a bag of chips out of the machine and a few dozen cups of coffee.”
Shannon cleared her throat and reached for the salad dressing. “Yes, I had a feeling.”
After a few more hearty mouthfuls, Todd slowed down. “Actually, that’s what I have to talk to you about.”
“You want to talk to me about your bad eating habits?”
He sighed
while he rose and helped himself to another piece of lasagna from the pan. “No. About Faye and the coffee. She came in more times than I could count to bring me coffee. While I appreciated it, I think it’s getting out of hand.”
“You admit you’ve been drinking too much coffee?”
He sat down at the table with his refilled plate but didn’t continue eating. “Get serious, Shan. I think I’m starting to see what it’s like when I did this kind of thing to you, and I’m sorry I used to do that. I wanted to talk to you about Faye.”
Shannon nodded. Of course she’d known what he was going to say. She’d already heard Faye’s side of the story. Faye had made her feelings toward Todd rather obvious. Shannon knew him well enough to realize that if he returned her feelings, even in the slightest, he would already have asked her out. Still, she had to give him a chance to say the reason he was seeking her out. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be like that. What did you want to ask me?”
“I don’t know what to do about Faye.”
“You know she likes you.”
“I know that. I think everyone in the office knows. And probably half the drivers, too.”
“Why don’t you take her out a few times and see what happens? Faye is really nice. After a while, it’ll either work, or it won’t.”
“It wouldn’t be right to do that. I’m old enough now that I have to be realistic. Any relationship I enter into could develop into marriage, and I can’t marry Faye. I don’t know her that well, but I don’t think she’s a believer. I don’t want to get into something like that.”
Shannon nodded. “I know what you mean. But I think Faye is a Christian. She’s even been to church with me a couple of times. I get the impression that something in the church has hurt her, and she’s stepped back. She doesn’t want to talk about it, but I think she just needs some time to work things out, and she’ll be fine.”
“I can understand her situation, but that doesn’t change the way I feel. I have to figure out a way to tell her gently I’m not interested. It wouldn’t be fair to go out with her when I know nothing would come of it.”
Time to Laugh Romance Collection Page 35