VANCOUVER: The Gem of Canada Is Aglow with Four Romances

by Gail Sattler

Not giving him any opportunity to protest, she pulled his hand and led him into the store, where she saw someone holding one of the shirts up to a light, which was part of the display inside the store. After being exposed to the light, the black and white sketch outline drawing came alive with colors.

  Molly shook his hand, just in case he wasn’t watching. “Wow, look at that! The shirt changes in the light. Did you see it?”

  “That’s fascinating. I wonder how it’s done?”

  Molly yanked one off of the rack and held it up to his chest. “Perfect. Don’t move.”

  Before he had a chance to open his mouth, she rushed off to pay for the T-shirt.

  Within a few minutes, Molly returned to Ken and held out the bag toward him. “This is for you. It makes you a proper tourist.”

  “But I already told you, I’m not—”

  She held one finger in the air to silence him. “Consider it an initiation. Everyone has to have a shirt that says ‘Vancouver’ on it. I’ve got one too.”

  “Thank you, Molly. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Then don’t say anything. Come on. We still have lots of stuff to see.”

  When he reached for the bag, Molly stuffed it into her purse instead. This way, he would have his only available hand free to hold her hand. She didn’t want to think of why she wanted it so badly. Monday, when they were back to work, it would be business as usual, but for now, she planned to enjoy herself, which mostly included a good case of the warm fuzzies from being with Ken.

  They wandered past all the small shops, but every once in awhile, she made sure she led him back to someplace she could buy a snack.

  “Don’t you ever quit eating?”

  Molly finished the last prawn in the bag from her latest purchase and threw the tail in the garbage bin. “This isn’t really eating. It’s snacking. All the calories I consumed today are canceled by the diet cola.”

  “I’m not even going to comment.”

  She also chose not to mention that Ken had consumed a fair amount of food himself, especially considering how much he complained. Even if he protested today, one day she would get him to eat seafood. “I just want to get one more thing, and I think we’d better head home.”

  He nodded. “It’s probably not a good idea to wander around here after dark, is it?”

  “I don’t know, but I’d think not. We’re a long way from home.”

  He checked his watch. “Fine by me. Let’s head back.”

  Molly redirected him to the place that sold the little seafood rolls and asked for two, determined this time to at least get him to taste it. To her horror, she discovered that after paying for the T-shirt, she didn’t have enough money left in her wallet.

  She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Ken, can you do me a favor? Can I borrow some money?”

  “I’d be more than happy to buy it for you, Molly.”

  She shook her head. “No. I want to buy one for you. You’ve really got to try this. I’ll pay you back. I promise.”

  One side of his mouth quirked up. “Let me get this straight. You’re borrowing money so you can buy me something I have no intention of trying.”

  Her face flamed. “Something like that.”

  His laughter rang out, a cheery sound that made Molly’s heart beat faster, which was something else she became determined to control. “A deal I can’t refuse.” Once he paid for the two rolls, the clerk presented them to Molly, and she turned to give one to him.

  Molly delved into hers immediately, savoring every bite. Ken stared at his in such a way that she wondered if he had the use of both hands if he would be picking it apart like a little kid before deciding if he was actually going to risk taking a bite.

  She nudged him with her elbow, since both her hands were busy. “Taste it. It’s really good.”

  He took the smallest bite known to man, then rolled it around in his mouth before swallowing it almost painfully. “Sorry, but I really don’t like seafood.” Sheepishly, he handed it back to her.

  Molly sighed. “I’m not shy. I love these things.” Gustily, she ate Ken’s roll, then licked her fingers. “Okay, let’s go home.”

  “I guess we’ve both eaten so many snacks that stopping for supper is a foolish idea.”

  Molly nodded and tried to hold back a burp.

  Chapter 15

  Molly slid into the seat of the SkyTrain car, and Ken slid in beside her.

  “There are far less people going home than on the way here, aren’t there?”

  “Yes,” Molly said. “This is normal for a Saturday. Remember, for most people, this is suppertime.”

  “We’ve been sitting here for a long time. Why aren’t we moving?”

  “The SkyTrain turns around here. See, behind us.” Molly pointed to the opening where the switch for the track was, just beyond the wall. “This is where the trip begins eastbound, so the train will just sit here for a few minutes until it’s time to go. It’s a schedule thing.” Molly turned her head, but Ken was looking around the car. He tilted his head back as he read the ads displayed in a neat row along the curved edge of the ceiling of the car.

  “Look at that. There’s an ad for a 3-D movie. I remember when I was a kid, some cereal box had a 3-D picture on it, and they enclosed the glasses to go with it. I was fascinated by it. I was about nine years old and attempted to draw some 3-D pictures. My mother saved a few, even after all these years. It’s harder than you’d think it would be, you know. I can’t imagine a whole movie in 3-D.”

  “You mean you’ve never been to a 3-D movie before? Are you serious?”

  He nodded, then shook his head. “Never.”

  Molly started to push him out of the seat, forcing him to stand. “You don’t know what you’re missing. Let’s go.”

  “But we haven’t even gone one stop.”

  “I know. It’s right here. Let’s go.” Molly continued to nudge him until they were both out of the car. “I haven’t seen this one yet, and I hear it’s really good. It’s all taken underwater.”

  The chimes sounded, the doors swooshed closed, and the SkyTrain moved away, leaving them standing alone on the platform.

  “I can’t believe this. We left the train. We just got on it. We didn’t even go one stop.”

  “You’re going to enjoy this. I know it. This way.”

  She nearly dragged him out of the station, up the escalator, and toward the convention center. They walked slowly up the stairs and down the long side of the convention center until they arrived at the entrance to the IMax Theater.

  From a distance, Molly squinted to read the board above the ticket booth which showed the features and times. She shook his elbow when she found what she wanted. “We’re in luck. The one I want to see starts in half an hour. We can buy our tickets now and enjoy the scenery for awhile. It’s really pretty from up here, isn’t it?”

  “Where are we?”

  “This is the Burrard Inlet. We just crossed it on the SeaBus. Over there, see? That way is Stanley Park.”

  “I knew that. I meant this place.”

  The wind ruffled his hair as he turned to look down the inlet. She imagined he could have been a pirate, facing into the wind off the bow of his ship, ready to experience yet another adventure. The only thing that marred the image of a brave adventurer was that one sleeve of his jacket hung empty, and she could see the cast and sling peeking through the opening. Molly wondered what pirates did in days of old when they broke an arm.

  “It’s called Canada Place. It was built for Expo ‘86, but now it’s a convention center. The IMax Theater is part of the complex.”

  He leaned over the railing, three stories above the water, inhaled deeply, and closed his eyes as another ocean breeze ruffled his hair. “There’s nothing like this where I come from.”

  “I think we should go buy the tickets now. We don’t want to miss out on getting great seats.” She started to reach for her purse, but Ken’s hand on her arm stopped her.

  “P
lease, it’s my treat. Don’t embarrass me by insisting.”

  Molly snapped her mouth shut. As if she needed more reminders. The difference this time was that here she could put the tickets on her credit card, especially now that she knew exactly how much, or rather how little, she had in her wallet.

  Instead of waiting inside for the show to start, they returned to the railing to enjoy the view and the fresh sea breeze. Fighting the chill of the wind, Molly wished she had worn a warmer jacket but wasn’t willing to give up the delight of the moment. She struggled to control a shiver. After a very poorly suppressed shudder, she crossed her arms and hunched her shoulders.

  Ken stepped closer, and she thought he was about to suggest they go inside since he couldn’t do up his jacket because of the cast. To her surprise, he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She fit neatly into the opening of his unbuttoned jacket, with the hardness of his cast pushing gently against the side of her waist. She looked up and opened her mouth to protest, but no sound came out as he grinned down at her.

  “You looked cold. One thing I’ve learned so far is that you West Coast people don’t know how to dress for cool weather. I’d bet you don’t own a pair of proper winter boots, do you?”

  All Molly could do was shake her head. She no longer felt the cold. It was true, the size of him sheltered her from the wind, but the heat generated came from within.

  “See? And you’re keeping me warm now, too, since I couldn’t do my jacket up.”

  She knew they were supposed to be checking out the scenery, but she continued to look up at him.

  His voice lowered in pitch, and he nuzzled his face into her hair. “We’re good together, Molly.”

  Molly’s heart hammered in her chest. He was right. They were good together, and not just to keep warm. He kept her disorganized habits in place, and she loosened him up. He quieted her down, and she brought his gentle nature to life. They laughed at the same things, and the same issues upset them both. She liked being with him. She simply liked him. A lot. More than liked. She loved him.

  At the realization, Molly’s head spun. Before she could think about it, she felt Ken nuzzling his face into her hair. Then he kissed her temple.

  Her heart skipped a beat, then started up in double-time. She couldn’t deny it. She did love him. If she turned her head just a little and lifted her chin, she could allow him to kiss her properly. If that happened, without moving too much, she could turn and slip her arms under his jacket and hug him and kiss him right back.

  The cool wind on the other side of her head ruffled her hair.

  Molly stiffened. She couldn’t entertain the thought of kissing Ken now. They were outside a major public attraction, in front of a bunch of people, all strangers.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. It didn’t matter where they were. Ken was her boss. She couldn’t love him.

  Molly stepped back. Immediately she missed his warmth. “We should go in now,” she stammered.

  Once inside, Molly headed straight for the concession.

  “Surely you’re not going to tell me after all the food you’ve consumed today, you’re hungry.”

  Her stomach churned. Maybe if she ate some junk food, it would calm her down. She selected the cheapest candy in the display and carefully counted the exact change to the clerk, leaving exactly two cents in her wallet. “I can’t watch a movie without a snack. It’s not right. It’s a rule.”

  He didn’t say a word, but she could imagine what he was thinking. Candy in hand, Molly directed him toward the entrance to the theater room, where two ushers were distributing the special 3-D glasses to patrons as they entered.

  Ken groaned softly. “Don’t tell me everyone is going to be wearing those horrible green and red glasses.”

  He almost stopped walking, but Molly pushed him from behind, determined to focus all her attention on the upcoming movie instead of Ken and what he was doing to her system. “You really haven’t been to one of these before, have you? They’re not red and green. They look just like regular sunglasses. The movie is in beautiful bright vivid color. It looks just like a regular movie when you put the glasses on, only better, because you could swear that some of the stuff is almost in your lap. It’s a real experience.”

  Ken mumbled something under his breath that Molly couldn’t hear, so she ignored him.

  The short line inched forward, taking them along with it. They received their 3-D glasses and found their seats.

  Ken wiggled the arms of the glasses and held them up to the light. She tried not to laugh at his incredulous expression as he examined them. “These are cardboard. And they’re green. Both sides are the same. Are you sure about this? Is this some kind of joke?”

  “Trust me. It’s different when you’re wearing them. Just be patient, okay?”

  Before the lights dimmed, Molly struggled to open the bag of licorice, concentrating intently on the little perforated line that was supposed to make it easy. The plastic stretched but refused to tear, making her think that if she couldn’t find a pair of scissors in her purse, she should ask for her money back, especially since she’d spent the money she was supposed to have used for her fare home on the candy. She froze for a second as it dawned on her that now she was going to have to borrow more money from Ken to get home. She tugged at the plastic wrapper again, on the verge of desperation when Ken spoke.

  “I still don’t notice anything any different. Everything’s just darker.”

  Molly gave the plastic another pull, only succeeding in stretching it worse. “They’re polarized or something. I don’t know how they work. All I know is that they do.”

  She lowered her head, raised the bag, and opened her mouth, ready to rip it open with her teeth.

  “I told myself when I got my laser surgery that I would never wear glasses again, not even sunglasses. Look what you’ve done to me.”

  With her mouth wide open and teeth bared mere inches from the bag, Molly paused from her mission and raised her eyes to study him. Ken sat beside her, already wearing the large cardboard 3-D glasses. He scanned the surrounding area, alternately looking through the glasses, then picking them up so the arms remained sitting on his ears, holding the lenses above the level of his eyebrows as he studied the area without looking through them.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered between her teeth.

  He let the glasses fall back to rest on his nose and turned to her, grinning like a little boy. He scrunched up his nose, making the glasses rise on his cheeks temporarily and drop once more.

  Molly’s heart skipped a beat. The man was still good-looking wearing oversized cardboard glasses.

  They slid down his nose, and he pushed them back into place with his index finger. “So much for my dignified image. Have you ever seen a vice president with cardboard glasses?”

  “Vice president?” Molly glanced around the theater, which was rapidly filling up. She wasn’t aware Quinlan Enterprises had a vice president. She scanned the crowd around them once more. “There’s no one from work here. The only one I know here is …” Her voice trailed off. “You …,” she whispered.

  She stared at him. His 3-D glasses were crooked, and he was still grinning. “What?” he asked.

  Suddenly things she’d heard started falling into place. She’d known the production manager’s position was safe from being replaced, as was everyone in the office. The only person who would be leaving within a few months was Mr. Rutcliffe, who was about to retire. Everyone knew Ken wasn’t going to take that position because Mr. Rutcliffe’s assistant was being trained for the job and was doing well, and Ken had nothing to do with either one of them. It all suddenly made sense.

  It was Ken. Ken was going to be the vice president. That was the big shake-up rumor said would be happening. Rumor also had it that the senior Mr. Quinlan would be retiring in a few years. When a president left, it was natural that a vice president stepped up to take his place. Even though he was only twenty-seven years o
ld, Ken was being set up to be the future president of Quinlan Enterprises.

  She had fallen in love not only with her immediate supervisor but also with the man who was soon going to run a national corporation. When that happened, she, and all the rest of the staff, would be calling Ken “Mr. Quinlan.” Molly felt sick.

  “Say something. At least tell me how ridiculous I look. But don’t sit there with your mouth open.”

  Molly snapped her mouth shut. All she could do was stare at Ken, who still wore a devastatingly attractive grin beneath the oversized cardboard glasses.

  The lights dimmed.

  The entire theater stilled and all was quiet. Except her heart. It was pounding so hard surely the erratic thumping echoed through the whole place.

  A deep voice boomed through the speaker system; spotlights illuminated the speakers and screens and the cameras in the rear of the large room in sequence as the narrator gave the audience a tour of the workings of the IMax Theater, saving Molly from having to comment.

  “This is fascinating,” Ken whispered in her ear. “I can’t believe all this technology for a movie.”

  “Yeah,” Molly mumbled over the bag, now firmly clenched in her teeth while she tugged at it increasingly harder. All the electronic wizardry in the world wasn’t helping her get the sugar she needed so desperately. At the moment she didn’t care if she pulled out a tooth—she needed that candy. She was almost ready to scream when it finally gave way, except she was pulling so hard the wrapper tore completely in two. Red licorice nibs flew into the air, landing on everyone around her.

  “Mommy! Mommy! It’s raining candy!”

  People around her stared, and the mother hushed the child while the demonstration continued.

  Molly shrank down into her chair, hunched as low as she could. She could hear Ken’s muffled laughter beside her as he picked a handful out of his lap. He leaned toward her, then deposited a small handful into her open palm. “Here. It’s not exactly manna from heaven, but I managed to recover a few.”

  She mumbled a thank you and prepared herself to watch the show with her diminished supply of candy as the opening credits and film’s title expanded in huge, full 3-D across the screen.