“Oh come on,” he said with a smile and a kiss to my cheek. “Humor me a little.”
“I would, but then we would stay here all day.”
“Now that sounds like something I would enjoy.”
“I’m sure you would, now let’s go.”
“Ugh! Fine, now let’s go.”
We walked out of the room and back to the receptionist desk. “Excuse me,” Ethan said.
“How may I help you, Mr. Callum?”
“Yes, we would like to sign up for the horseback trail ride at 4:30 pm.”
“Certainly, Mr. Callum, I’ll call someone over to take you to the stables.”
“Perfect. Thanks for all your help.” About five minutes later a hotel employee was taking us to the stables where the instructor was waiting for us to begin the tour.
“Hello,” said the instructor. “It seems like you guys are the only ones signed up for the trail, so it will be a lot faster and obviously a lot more private.”
“That’s good to hear,” said Ethan, smiling at me.
“Well then, let’s start the tour,” said the instructor, walking outside. “These will be your horses. They are very gentle so you won’t have to do much. Just grab the reins if you want to turn the horses in a different direction than the one you are going. Your horses will follow my horse, and my horse knows the trail by memory, so you don’t have to worry about doing much. So who’s getting on first?”
“I guess I will,” I said.
“Very well then. Put your left leg in this strap. I’m going to give you a slight push and you’re going to throw your right leg over the horse and place it in the right strap. Understood?”
“Seems simple enough.” With that the instructor gave me a small push up and I was on the horse.
“Ok, sir,” the instructor said, looking at Ethan, “now it’s your turn.”
For some reason Ethan had a harder time getting on the horse, which surprised me because he looked like he was born to ride horses once he was on it. The instructor got on his horse and tapped it softly so the horse would start moving and we did the same. At first I was a bit frightened because it was only my second time riding a horse, but after a while I got the hang of it and I positioned my horse next to Ethan’s.
The instructor was a few feet away as if he were trying to give Ethan and me some space. But then he started to slow down. “Stop here for a second,” he said. “I think I heard something. It might be a deer, and if it hears too much noise it might run away. Oh! There it is.” He pointed northeast. I had never seen a deer in person before, unless you count the ones at the zoo, but those look kind of sad. This one was free and full of energy. My horse moved a little and the deer seemed to have heard it, because it looked up in our direction and ran away.
“They never do stay for long,” the instructor said. “That one actually stayed longer than most. Maybe she wanted you guys to see her. So where did you guys come from?”
“New York, New York,” Ethan said as his horse started following the instructor’s.
“About five hours away?”
“About.”
“Are you folks enjoying your stay so far?”
“We are. Everyone has have been very nice to us and the location really is beautiful. I just wish we could stay longer.”
“Heading back soon?”
“Tomorrow afternoon, sadly. We both have to work on Monday. But at least we got a chance to get out of the house.”
“Yeah, that’s definitely good.”
After that, not much was said. We enjoyed the ride peacefully and the instructor let us go faster on the horses after a while. It felt liberating, almost as if we could fly. The forest was very thick; green surrounded us everywhere, green and brown. The trees around us were so high we could barely see the sky and it was starting to get dark.
“It’s time to head back,” said the instructor, “before nightfall. If you guys are interested in any more activities, the Inn organized a special kayaking session for couples tonight that starts at eight. I hear it’s going to be a real nice, very romantic setting.”
“Sounds like fun, Ethan. Would you like to go?” I asked.
“Sure, anything for you.”
“How long have you folks been married?” the instructor asked.
“Actually,” Ethan said, “we aren’t married yet. We just selected the date yesterday. I figured some celebrating was in order.”
“Pardon me, but you seem like you have a very good connection. Most couples don’t develop that for years.”
Ethan laughed. “I’m glad we seem like that before we even get married. That means were going in the right direction.”
After about half an hour we reached the stables and put our horses away. The instructor let us feed them some apples and sugar cubes, which they sure seemed happy to receive. We walked out of the stables and started walking toward the lake.
“Ethan, before we go kayaking can we eat? I’m starving and the kayaking activity doesn’t start for another hour and a half.”
“Fine, let’s go to the restaurant.”
We ate some of the most delicious food I have ever tasted. Ethan had a well-done beef skirt, with mashed potatoes and gravy, a piece of garlic bread and a corncob. While I also had a beef skirt, I ordered a side dish of rice and garlic bread. The drinks were the best part of the meal: two strawberry frozen drinks that were to die for.
After we finished our meal, we made our way to the lake where three couples were already waiting. There was a woman at the front of the group who I assumed was the instructor for this activity.
“Welcome,” she said in a strong, firm voice. “Today we have organized what we call the Bonding Exercise. Kayaking is a fairly easy activity but if done wrong you can find yourself going the wrong way or going in circles. Only through good communication can you go the right way. Isn’t that what we want in our relationships as well? Has anyone here ever been kayaking before?”
Only Ethan and I raised our hands.
“Well then, for those who haven’t done this before, you each get a paddle, which you will use to control your kayak. You must both stroke at the same time or your kayak won’t go the way you want it to. Not only must you stroke at the same rhythm but also on the same side or once again your kayak won’t go the way you want it to. When you want to turn, you will paddle various times on the opposite side. Any questions?”
No one asked anything.
“Very well, if no one has any questions you may grab a life jacket from your right.”
Ethan grabbed us a couple of life jackets, which we put on. We started walking toward the water and grabbed one of the kayaks. I got in the kayak first and Ethan pushed it into the water before he got in.
“If you haven’t noticed,” the instructor said, “we put lights all around the lake and even some floating on the lake. Do not be afraid to bump them. They are not powered by electricity but by the sun. We put them in early in the morning so they absorb as much sunlight as possible. There are not many rules. Just don’t get out of the kayak on the other side of the lake, and if you fall out don’t panic. Just try to get back in gently. There is nothing in the water that can cause you any danger, so there is no reason to panic. Enjoy your kayaking.”
We started paddling and when we were what I considered far enough out I said to Ethan, “Don’t you think she talked a lot?”
He started laughing and said, “A little. But she was just giving instructions. Plus, honey, you kind of talk a lot too.”
“Not always,” I said, giving him a hostile look. “Only when the situation calls for it.”
“Which I’m sad to say for you is most of the time.”
“Whatever. I haven’t even talked that much on this trip.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s because you were mad at me on the way here.”
“Well...what do you expect? You left for two weeks, we barely talked on the phone during those two weeks, mostly texted, and you were complaining about my music on
the way here. You know how I feel about music. Almost all music is good music, and I even listen to yours.”
“Ok, those are all valid points. But there are a few things we have to observe. First of all you were working for most of those two weeks. Second I was in seminars almost every single day, all day. The reality is that many times I ended up exhausted and just went to sleep after each seminar was over. Third, I came home early from the conference just so I could be with you. My last point is that your music is hard to tolerate because you put it so loud and the beats get you tired after a while. Plus we hardly ever listen to my music because you don’t like it.”
“Ok, I accept your first three points. However, that last point I’m going to have to debate. I do like your music but it is too slow paced, and sometimes, correction many times, I want something a little faster. I need music that goes with my mood and many times I am happy and energetic.”
“Therefore, we never listen to my music for that very reason.”
“Fine. On the way back we’ll listen to your music.”
“Ok. I don’t mind making the sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice? You act as if I’m torturing you.”
“Well, some would consider that a form of torture. Especially when you start singing. Now that is what I call torture.”
“Whatever. You are such a jerk,” I said as I threw water at him.
“I’m just kidding...The lake does look beautiful with all these lights in and around it. Do you like it?”
“Yeah, I do. It’s lovely. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he said as he leaned in for a kiss.
I gave him a small peck on the mouth and he kissed my cheek.
“We should probably head back,” he said. “Everyone else seems to be doing just that.”
I paddled on one side and he paddled on the other.
“Babe, you need to paddle on the same side as me,” he said.
We both went to paddle but chose the opposite side once again.
“Babe, go left,” Ethan said.
I went left but just ended up making us go in a circle.
“Babe, stop! You can just paddle on one side. God, are you stupid. Just stop.”
Instantly I wanted to be anywhere but there. I hated it when he called me stupid.
“Fine, you do the paddling.” I threw the paddle at him hitting him in the face.
“Are you fucking serious?” he screamed at me. “Sometimes I can’t stand you!”
At that moment, his words reminded me of Tom for some reason, and now I had a strange desire to see him.
Chapter seven
Apart from the incident at the lake, the rest of the weekend was pretty fun, but my mind was mostly elsewhere. Whenever Ethan would ask what was wrong, I would just say that I was sad the weekend was almost over and that we had to go to work. In reality I was actually kind of excited to go to work, which worried me because something told me this had something to do with Tom. He didn’t pop into my head too much the rest of the weekend, but I could feel the thought of him somewhere in the back of my mind.
After Ethan and I finished kayaking on Saturday night, we went swimming in the indoor pool. On Sunday morning he woke me up early because he wanted to talk a while. We did many things but talking was what we did the least. Around 10 am we had breakfast then decided to go on a Whitewater rafting tour. There were four other people in the raft with us including the instructors. It truly was a great experience and the waves felt amazing when they hit us. At first it was a bit hard to maneuver the paddles but then I got the hang of it. Ethan meanwhile seemed like he had done this a million times; he was a natural. At about 2 pm the tour ended and we went golfing for about an hour and a half. I beat Ethan so badly it was sad. He’s usually better than me at what I call nerdy sports, but this wasn’t the case. After we finished playing we went back to the Inn, packed our bags, checked out and were on our way home. I fell asleep on the way back and woke up when we were almost home. We made it to the house at around 9:00 pm. We were both so tired we quickly unloaded our suitcases from the trunk and went to bed.
In the morning when I woke up, Ethan had already gone to work. I started getting ready for work, ate some cereal and headed out. When I got to work Tom was standing near my desk and as soon as he saw me he smiled and waved. By the time I got to my desk he was already talking to me.
“Hey, Rachel, you look very nice today. I especially like your skirt. It makes your body look perfect and your shirt makes you look delicate. You should wear pink more often.”
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“I never look bad.”
“You are so full of yourself.”
He started laughing and looked me in the eye. “But you like that, don’t you?” There was a clear challenge in his voice.
I raised my eyebrows. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“Rachel, after what happened Friday I thought you’d be more honest with me.”
“Tom, I already told you that was a mistake.”
“Was it? I see it very differently. To me that was bound to happen because our connection is undeniable.”
“You can have a connection with many people, but that doesn’t mean things are supposed to happen.”
“True...but there are some connections that are so strong that they trample all other connections. Have you ever heard of the red string of fate?”
“No, what is that?”
“According to this Chinese and Japanese myth, the gods tie an invisible red cord around those who are supposed to meet each other or help each other. The two people who have this string tied to their ankles, as the Chinese believe, or to their pinkies, as the Japanese believe, are destined lovers. This cord can stretch, it can be twisted around, but it will never break.”
“Oh come on. Do you really believe that?”
“Do you believe that there is one soul mate out there for you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s the same concept but in different words. That being said, I’ll see you for lunch.”
“Wait, what?”
“I’m inviting you to lunch. See you at twelve,” he said as he walked away.
It was truly unbelievable how much self-confidence Tom had. I couldn’t remember a moment when I’d met someone with so much self-confidence. It was a bit annoying but at the same time so appealing and refreshing. Not many men were so confident now a day’s, especially not ones who seemed to be extremely happy with their lives. The first half of the day went by normally, then something completely unexpected happen. Ethan came walking into the building at 5 minutes before 12. I had never been so scared in my life, but I had no reason to be scared. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, at the moment. Plus Ethan had no way of finding out what had happened at the park on Friday. No one was there except Tom and me. Ethan reached my desk and gave me a kiss on the mouth.
“Hey, honey.”
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I thought we could go out for lunch together. I asked the bosses if I could leave for lunch half an hour early and they said yes, so here I am.”
This is unbelievable. Ethan hardly ever comes to take me out for lunch and he chose today of all days to do it. I don’t really have a reason to say no though.
“Sooo, are we going to go?” Ethan asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“Sure, let me get my purse and we can go.”
At that moment I saw Tom walking toward my desk and something exploded inside me. Would Ethan notice the tension between Tom and me? Would Tom react normally or would he make one of his comments, not knowing that the man in front of me was my fiancé?
As Tom was reaching my desk and before he had a chance to say anything, I stepped in.”Mr. Cooper, I’d like you to meet my fiancé Ethan. Ethan, Tom Cooper— he’s the new head lawyer Mr. Reynolds hired for the firm.”
Tom stretched out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” said Ethan, shaking Tom’s hand.
Tom turned away from Ethan and looked into my eyes. “Rachel, are you going to go to lunch with the rest of the office?”
“Actually, Ethan passed by to see if I could go to lunch with him, so I’m going to have to take a rain check on that. I hope you will tell the others for me.”
“We’ve been on a bit of a celebration this weekend. We set the date for our big day Friday night,” Ethan cut in.
I looked for some type of reaction from Tom or a glimpse of pain, but he was perfectly composed. “Well, I hope you two have a good time at lunch and congrats on setting a date for the wedding.”
“Thank you,” Ethan replied.
“Well, I must be getting to my own lunch,” Tom said quickly, and started walking away from us.
“He seems like a good guy,” Ethan said.
“He is a good guy, but I don’t know much about him.”
“Strange, since he’s on a first name basis with you.”
“Everyone here calls me Rachel. Young secretaries don’t really have standing, so why be called by their last name, much less ones that aren’t married.”
“That seems logical. Shall we go to lunch?”
“Yes,” I said as I grabbed my bag. “Let’s go.”
“Very well.”
As we started to walk away from the building and away from Tom, I ached inside with every step. Something told me that Tom had been more hurt by what he had just witnessed than he let on.
“So where would you like to eat?” Ethan asked.
“Anywhere is fine.”
“Anything specific?”
“Not really. As long as I get some food in this body before one pm I’m good.”
“Well then, off we go.”
We walked about two blocks and saw a cute little diner that Ethan pointed out. The place made us feel right at home and yet seemed like the perfect place to go to if one wanted to escape from home. The floors were covered with white and red tiles, the walls were all white and the tables had white and red tablecloths. There were also nice booths with red leather seats. Walking into the diner for a second I felt as if it were Valentine’s Day. Everything looked like love and for some reason it seemed like a place Tom would like.
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