Star Fallen Lover

by Lakes, Lynde

  When the plane landed, Cortz left the plane quickly then glanced back. Good. No one remotely resembling the bespectacled spy followed.

  Ahead, he caught sight of Blake Anderson, the corporate attorney for Harris Inventions, striding toward him. Cortz covered his uneasiness with a smile. He had first met Blake when the attorney came to visit him in the hospital. Blake was one of those silver-haired, well-dressed, well-fed, in-charge types he’d seen on television. He studied the dynamic walk, the confident expression. Soon he would have to project a similar strength to establish himself as the head of Harris Inventions.

  On the way to the parking area, Blake briefed Cortz on the board of director’s meeting to be held later that afternoon. “The prime reason for the staff get-together,” Blake said, “is to welcome you back to the firm. The agenda will include a briefing on the Honolulu expansion.”

  Cortz’s palms felt moist, his mouth dry. Whatever made him think he could get away with this? But he had to get away with it.

  The limo driver opened the door and Cortz climbed into the backseat. Although fascinated by the service and elegant interior, he forced himself to concentrate on the stream of information Blake was feeding him. It was crucial that he memorize every name, every detail.

  “The new vice president is Gordon Waverly,” Blake said. “With my help he’s been running the whole show these past months. Other than myself and your secretary, he’s probably the best person to bring you up-to-date on the firm’s direction.”

  Feeling a warning prickling on his neck, Cortz turned and studied the cars behind them. As the limo driver maneuvered through heavy traffic toward the firm’s location in Rancho Cucamonga, hundreds of cars passed or left the freeway, yet there was always that blue car. It stayed at least three car lengths back. Cortz squinted, looking for features to distinguish it from other similar cars. He couldn’t make out the license plate or see the driver.

  After they arrived at the Harris Inventions Plant, Cortz followed Blake into the two-story building. “Welcome back, Mr. Harris,” the receptionist at the front desk said. Cortz nodded and proceeded with Blake down the long hall, through a large, thickly-carpeted office, into an adjoining conference room set up for the meeting. Blake talked non-stop, pointing out the changes in layout since Greg had been away.

  Cortz’s throat tightened—his freedom, maybe even his life, depended on pulling off this charade. He paused at the door and looked around the dark oak paneled room. No windows—no escape if he needed it. Sweat trickled down his back. Why did he feel so hot with all that cool air blasting into the room?

  The chalkboard had diagrams and mathematical computations on it. He noted an error and instinctively stepped forward and corrected it.

  “Sharp as always,” Blake said, with admiration in his voice.

  Sure, Cortz thought, about concrete things. But it was the human element that could trip him up. Everyone would expect him to know who they were and what kind of relationship he, or rather Greg, had with them. He glanced at the open door. An overwhelming desire to run gripped him. If Darli were there next to him with her soft, cool hand in his, he’d feel safe. It would be a false security, of course, but nevertheless he wished she were at his side.

  Mona entered the room and hurried toward him with her arms outstretched. Her chestnut hair framed her face and emphasized her large, honest eyes. His guilt swelled like a ballooning docking station about to explode. Lying to Mona twisted his innards and was almost as painful as lying to Darli. “Greg, you look wonderful,” she crooned. “It’s good to see you back where you belong.”

  She appeared more relaxed than when she’d visited him at the hospital…happy, not worried. It was amazing how much they looked alike, same slender nose and full lower lip. It wasn’t hard to think of her as a sister, even though he’d never had one. He returned her hug. A hint of sweet, female fragrance wafted over him.

  Blake poured coffee for everyone and mixed a little cream in Mona’s.

  “You still take it black, don’t you, Greg?”

  “Usually,” Cortz said, staring into the cup. He’d learned to drink it that way from Darli. “But the hospital coffee was so bad we all put cream in it to stomach it.”

  “That hospital stuff is behind you now,” Mona said. She glanced toward the door. Cortz turned and saw Greg’s private secretary coming briskly toward them. He knew it was her. Mona had described her perfectly: a strong confident woman in her late thirties with a no-nonsense reserve. She wore her dark hair back in a severe chignon that accentuated her youthful oval face and bright blue eyes.

  He knew he had to welcome Ellen as a close, trusted employee he hadn’t seen for a long time. He felt a tic at the corner of his eye. His shirt clung damply to his back. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and took her hands in his.

  “Greg, I wouldn’t have known you. You look rested and different somehow.” Ellen’s eyes searched his.

  Was she suspicious? His heart pounded in slow, sharp beats. One misstep could send him back to the mental hospital, or worse yet, to some type of governmental lab with bars on the windows and men in white coats probing him with icy stainless steel instruments. He forced a smile. “You look different too. Could it be you are getting younger, and more beautiful?”

  Ellen laughed. “I think I like the new Greg.” She tilted her head and gave him a quizzical look. “You know,” she said, “this is the first time you’ve ever complimented me for anything other than my work.”

  He had to take it easy and not be so obvious. Ellen would be the one to unmask him. Their necessary interactions would make the pretense more difficult, more dangerous.

  A man approached, smiling. He was tall, husky, with gray streaked hair and a belly protruding over his belt. Was he the accountant he was supposed to know, or the new vice president? To confuse him further, a man with carrot-red hair and a pasty face full of freckles entered the room. Then, a third man, wearing rimless glasses and carrying a briefcase, followed the first two. Cortz darted a glance at each of the three men while rubbing the corner of his eye, trying to halt the persistent tic. He had to match the men with their jobs. The vice-president was older…he would be the one with the gray streaked hair. The accountant had to be the one with the briefcase and glasses. But who was the red-haired man? Every nerve in his body was jumping; he struggled to appear calm.

  “David,” Blake said to the red-haired man, “do you want to join us or did you just drop in to welcome Greg?”

  “Mostly to say hi,” David said. “Greg, stop by the lab before you leave. I’ve something of interest to show you.”

  Cortz sighed, and to cover his great relief, he nodded. The red-haired man was David Backus, head of Research and Design.

  Blake turned to the man with the briefcase and in a voice heavy with sarcasm said, “Phil, now that you’re finally here, we can start.”

  The muscles around Cortz’s shoulder blades relaxed. He clasped each man’s hand firmly and said their names respectively.

  They all took seats around the oval table. Cortz sat between Blake and Mona. He quickly stood again. His shoulder muscles had tightened up again and another trickle of cold sweat ran down his back. In spite of his fear, now was the time to show strength. He had to counteract any notions that he suffered from any remnants of mental problems.

  Standing tall, with steady eye contact, he mutely acknowledged the presence of each person seated at the table. It was a technique to establish command that he’d learned from his elder on Uraticus. He felt the expectancy in the room escalate. Everyone’s gaze was on him.

  Cortz cleared his throat then raised his chin slightly. “First of all, let me say how good it is to be back. You’ve worked hard to keep the business running smoothly in my absence.” He glanced at each face. “Your diligence and loyalty will be rewarded. But I am back and ready to relieve you of some of the strain and responsibility. It will take me a few days to review our status. But starting now, I must be advised of every decision
-making action this company faces. I want to initiate a restudy of all previously shelved communication and aquatic designs. I know I can count on your support in the days ahead.”

  He noted Blake and Gordon exchange startled glances. “What aquatic designs?” Gordon asked.

  Chapter Fifty

  Cortz felt a new prickle of uneasiness slide down his spine. He wondered how he’d made that mistake. Blake had told him about shelved aeronautic designs, not aquatic designs. He had to be more careful. “I meant aeronautic designs, of course,” Cortz said. “I just had aquatic on my mind because of a new invention I’ve been tinkering with.” He glanced down when Ellen flipped her steno-book over and continued taking notes. “But, I’ll go over that with you at another time. Right now I want to explain my idea for opening a firm in Honolulu.” Gordon nodded and Blake relaxed back into his chair.

  After Cortz outlined his plans, he said, “Are there any questions?” There was silence in the room. For a moment he feared he’d overdone his act, but when he felt Mona squeeze his hand he knew he’d played it just right. “Fine. I’ll turn the meeting over to Blake.”

  Even with Mona’s support, he couldn’t relax. His earlier mistake had unnerved him, but what shook his composure most was the intense way Ellen kept looking at him.

  During the remainder of the session, Cortz memorized every detail of the discussion.

  Phil reported that the company’s financial growth exceeded that of the previous quarter. Gordon warned that there had been serious security problems with the recent turnover of non-skilled labor. Mona gave her support to the Honolulu expansion, urging Blake to make the project his top priority.

  After the meeting, Cortz and Blake toured the lab. Cortz noted each new idea under study. The satellite booster David showed him was outdated by Uraticus’s standards. Cortz knew immediately what changes would significantly extend the useful lives of fuel-dwindling satellites. He noted the same obsolescence in the communication designs of the other five staff inventors. Excitement burned in his soul. He knew how to update all the work in progress. He told David he would be back in the morning to review the blueprints.

  Now how did he get to his office? He had no idea where it was. “Blake, would you mind walking with me to my office? I’d like to discuss in more depth the legal ramifications of opening the branch office in Honolulu.” While they talked, Cortz pondered the wisdom of asking Blake about the diamonds. Mentioning them was dangerous, but he needed help. He took a deep, fortifying breath. “I bought some uncut diamonds and need to find the best market. Any suggestions?”

  “As a matter of fact I do. I dabble a bit in gems myself. I’ll put you in touch with a friend of mine. He’s a top cutter. The three of us can go to the diamond auction next week.”

  After Blake left, Cortz asked Ellen to come into his office. She sat down and looked at him expectantly. He cleared his throat. “For the next three weeks I must immerse myself totally in a review of our status. I don’t want to leave the building for anything. Please see that my meals are brought in and all my personal needs taken care of: barbers, cleaners, housekeeper, and a masseuse daily. I plan a tight schedule of work, study and exercise, and I need you to keep me on target. Hire anyone you need to help you.” He had heard this in a TV movie and the secretary had seemed impressed by it.

  “Yes, sir.” She made some notes on her pad. “Anything else?” Her steady gaze and unwavering eyes unnerved him. His face grew warm and his collar felt tight.

  “Yes,” he said past his constricted throat. “Get Darli Grenlane in Honolulu on the phone for me, and then see that I’m not disturbed for about twenty minutes. Here’s her number.”

  Ellen started for the door.

  “Wait…where are you going?” He couldn’t let her go.

  “To my office to put the call through,” she said.

  “Do it here. If she’s not in, I’ll dictate my idea for that aquatic design now.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, her stare scrutinizing.

  Cortz felt like an amoeba under a microscope. He paid close attention to how Ellen used the telephone system.

  After a few seconds, she said, “Miss Grenlane? Just a moment please.” She handed him the receiver and left the room. Did Ellen suspect why he’d asked her to stay to make the call?

  “Darli, are you there?”

  “Cor…I mean Greg.” Her voice was soft, sweet and her words came out a little wobbly. Cortz felt his body begin to relax. He laughed. “You can call me Cortz in private. I like the way you say it.”

  “It feels so right. But I promise I’ll call you Greg in public.”

  Cortz felt his tension drain away. Talking to Darli was just what he needed to counter the stress that had gripped him for the last few hours. “It tore me up inside to leave you,” he said, “especially after the breakin.”

  “Life can’t stop just because some creep invaded my privacy. By the way, Keiko’s here. She’s spending the night.”

  “Good,” Cortz said. “Are you still being followed?”

  “I don’t think so. At least I haven’t seen anyone. There’s a van parked across the street. It’s there all the time. But then maybe I’m a little paranoid these days.”

  Cortz decided not to mention the man on the plane or the blue car. He didn’t want to add to her worries. “Did you know I can see you across the phone lines?” He forced a light, playful tone.

  “I hope not. My hair is windblown and I’ve eaten my lipstick off.”

  “Lipstick off, hair tussled.” A pang of longing shot through him, making his voice huskier. “Ready to be kissed.”

  She laughed. “Hey, what kind of call is this?” The familiar bubbling throatiness of her voice overwhelmed him.

  “A call from a man who is missing you more than you can imagine. And I can see you. Shall I describe what I see?”

  “Cortz, that’s silly.”

  He figured when she got home from work she’d changed into shorts that emphasized her long, well-shaped legs. “You’re wearing that red flowered off-your-shoulders top, emphasizing your golden-sunset tan.”

  “How did you know that?”

  Cortz caressed the mouthpiece of the phone. Her waist-length hair would be pulled back, revealing the arch of her neck. “Darli, close your eyes.” Could she hear the longing huskiness in his voice?

  “Why?”

  “Humor me, please.”

  “Okay. They’re closed.”

  “My arms are slipping around you. Do you feel their warmth? I’m feathering kisses along the arch of your graceful neck, pressing my body into yours. You’re feeling a little breathless, wanting more. And I’m out of my mind with wanting you.” If only he could really reach through the line, across the miles.

  “Wow,” she whispered. “I think we’d better reserve this talk for later. Keiko’s here, you know.”

  “She can’t hear what I’m saying.”

  “No,” Darli whispered “but as hot as my face is, I know she’s reading my reaction and the gist of the topic.” Without almost taking a breath, but in the husky voice of a woman aroused, she rushed on, describing her wedding dress.

  “You’ll look wonderful in whatever you choose,” Cortz said, “or even if you wore nothing.”

  “Oh sure,” she whispered into the phone. “A nude bride.” She laughed again, the sweet laugh he loved so much. She was probably twisting and untwisting the cord. She always did that when she talked on the telephone.

  “Just remember, I love you,” he said, hoping everything didn’t blow up in his face. “And I always will, no matter what happens.”

  “What could happen?”

  He didn’t even want to think of all the things that could go wrong. “Nothing with you in my corner. Soon we’ll be married and everything will be perfect.” Which would be harder, masquerading as Greg, deceiving Darli, or being away from her?

  After he hung up, Cortz went to his office window and scanned the grounds.

  Beyond the g
reenery, the few remaining employee cars were scattered across the concrete parking area like a dozen out-of-orbit planets. His heart rate sped up. The center car was blue. The bright sun shone on its cracked wind wing. Inside, he glimpsed a shadowy figure of a man. Why would an employee sit out there so late in the afternoon?

  He didn’t dare call security. The request for help could turn around on him. An ex-mental patient probably would be suspected of paranoia. If he raced down there and confronted the man, it might stir things up and stirring things up was not the way to survive in this foreign world.

  Cortz heard a noise in Ellen’s office. He looked at his watch. She should have gone home by now. So who was rummaging around in there?

  Chapter Fifty-One

  He slipped quietly into the room.

  “Ellen, you’re still here,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you at your desk so late.”

  “Good thing I stuck around,” she said. “Mona called. She couldn’t wait any longer for you to return from the lab. She had to head back to the valley so her babysitter could leave early.”

  Ellen jotted a few things on her yellow pad then reached into her desk for the phone book. “She wants you to join her for dinner and stay the night. It’s a celebration for the baby’s first birthday. Shall I run out and pick up a gift for you?”

  “No, that’s one present I prefer to choose myself.” He handed her a list he’d made earlier. “But if you would be so kind, order flowers to be sent to the ladies listed here.” Television had taught him what Earth women liked.

  Ellen glanced down and read, “Red roses for Dr. Steina, yellow roses for Mona, and a single white rose to be delivered to Darli every day for fifteen days.”

  “And don’t forget the name at the top of the list.”

  She smiled. “Red roses for me.”