by Nicki Night
It was too early to sleep. The host family she was staying with buzzed around in the kitchen in anticipation of the great-smelling dinner the woman of the house was cooking up. Serenity smiled as she passed them on her way out to the porch and sat in one of the wooden chairs with seats made of straw. A single light provided just enough illumination for her to feel safe. She looked down the stone path leading up to the door. Bushy flora shone in the moonlight. The quiet was as thick as the night, save for the unfamiliar sounds of insects or whatever those animals were that screeched in the distance. She stayed outside but scooted closer to the door. The air held a freshness that didn’t exist in New York. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and smiled. This was going to be an amazing experience, she reminded herself.
Serenity had chosen the option of staying with a host family rather than in a hotel. Their warm, single-level home was closer to the village and would allow her to immerse herself in the culture. The furnishings were simple, with wooden tables that looked to have been carved right out of the trees. Knitted throws in bright colors covered beds, chairs and couches, making the three-bedroom house cozy.
She reminisced on her short time in Salvador de Bahia. She was still in awe of the varying landscape they covered on their way to the school. She had sat wide-eyed, absorbing the changing scenery, finding both sadness and beauty in all of it. Contemporary urban skylines and exquisite homes stood juxtaposed to the harsh reality of the impoverished shantytowns a short distance away. Tiny, stacked homes lay slanted against lush rolling hills or a stone’s throw from the vast blue ocean. When Serenity exited the car in the village, she had felt drawn to touch the red soil under her feet. Sporadic, lush greenery sprouted from that soil. Small dwellings bore vibrant hues.
Meeting the kids had been the highlight. She’d fallen in love with them immediately. They hugged her, held her hand, and skipped while Darcy gave her a tour of the flat, plain school building. She couldn’t wait to begin working with them.
A while later, the father came home, and Serenity joined the family for a dinner of chicken, fish stew and rice. Lucas and Isabelle were an older couple who spoke a level of broken English that enabled her to communicate about the basics with them. Their young, adult daughter, Ana, was relatively fluent and would help her parents out when they struggled with English.
“I desperately want to visit America,” Ana said over a forkful of rice. “I’ve been thinking about attending my next level of university there.” She then spoke in her native tongue. Serenity assumed Ana was translating her own words when the mother smiled proudly and the father nodded.
“What part?”
“New York, of course.”
“Be sure to let me know. I’ll show you around.”
“That would be wonderful. You can help me perfect my English, and I will help you with your Portuguese.”
“I hope I’m not mangling your language too much.” Serenity laughed. In preparation for her trip, she had taken lessons and practiced with a few language apps. She wanted to sound as authentic as possible but knew her American accent stood in the way. “You can certainly help me do a better job.”
“You’re doing very well. Believe me, I’ve heard some really bad Portuguese in my time, and I’m sure my English could be better. I’ll perfect it when I come to America to stay for a while.”
“That always helps.”
Through the rest of dinner, Serenity learned more about the family she was staying with. Lucas was a carpenter and sold distinctive pieces to rich families, and Isabelle was a volunteer with the school in the village, when she wasn’t making clothes. They’d put their talents to good use and enjoyed a comfortable living. Ana was finishing up college and preparing for the grad level.
After dinner, Serenity retreated to her room to retire early. Between the kids, food and hospitality, she was sure she was going to enjoy her stay. The only thing missing was Chris.
She tried to reach him one more time before going to bed but couldn’t maintain a fair enough signal. She closed her eyes and imagined his voice, wishing he were there to whisper in her ear and hold her until she fell asleep, the way he did every time they spent the night together. She closed her eyes with a smile on her lips. Sure enough, he showed up in her dreams. They lay, indulging in each other’s presence, on a beautiful beach. When she woke the next morning, Serenity was upset that Chris was gone.
She was all ready to go when Darcy arrived. “Ready?” He spoke English with the influence of his native tongue. The cadence was musical to her. When they had worked together in New York, he hadn’t seemed to have an accent at all.
“I’m ready! I need to get one of those phones we talked about.”
“Yeah. It should help some. Service can still be bad in the village at times, but it should be much better than the service from your regular phone. Let’s go. We’ve got some sightseeing to do. Once we start at school, you’ll have less time to hang out like this.”
“I’m in!”
Their first stop was a store where she could buy a phone. Immediately, she called Chris. She nearly screamed when he answered.
“Chris! Babe! Can you hear me?”
“Babe, I can hear you fine. I almost didn’t answer because the number was weird.”
“Ah!” Serenity laughed, tickled by her own excitement. “I know. I got a phone from a local provider. I’m so glad to hear your voice. What time is it there?”
“Just after eleven in the morning. What time is it there?”
“Around noon.” Serenity filled him in on every moment since their last conversation. “I can’t wait to see you. I feel like three more weeks is going to be way too long. I hope this phone works well when I get back to the house.”
“I hope so too. It’s been too long since I heard your voice.”
“Actually, it’s only been two days.” She laughed, realizing it really hadn’t been that long. It just felt longer.
“Two days too long without hearing from you.”
They talked for a few more minutes before Serenity reluctantly said goodbye. She blushed at the sound of Chris sending her a kiss through the phone. Serenity called her parents and girlfriends next and promised to stay in touch as much as possible. After spending the day seeing much of what Salvador had to offer, Darcy and Serenity made their way back to the house. She tried Chris again once she got there. As Darcy had mentioned, the signal was stronger but wasn’t always guaranteed. Serenity had a brief, choppy conversation with Chris for a few moments before heading to bed. Fortunately, she dreamed of him.
Chapter 28
Chris had been optimistic when Serenity had first told him about her trip. Sure that the distance wouldn’t impact their relationship, he had assured her that they could work it out. Chris expected to have visited her by now, but work had thrown a major glitch in his plans. Now they struggled through two weeks of sporadic communication. The distance between them affected him more that he’d anticipated. He had known he would miss her, but the void gaped wider than he’d expected and touched him deeper than he’d thought possible.
Dialing her new number, he was prepared to count the rings until she picked up. The call went straight to voice mail. At least he could hear her recorded voice. He didn’t bother leaving a message. He knew it was likely that she was inside one of the school buildings. Instead, he sent a text.
Thinking about you.
Chris huffed, put the phone on his desk and sat back. He craved her with every part of him. His fingers longed to stroke her hair. His lips desired to graze her hot skin. His arms yearned to wrap themselves around her body. His mind wanted the stimulation she generated. He needed to feel her inside and out. His heart...it ached for all of her.
Chris pulled his chair closer to the desk and tapped on the keyboard, bringing up the travel site he often used. Fingering days on hi
s desk calendar, he entered the dates for the upcoming weekend. A list of prices populated the screen. Chris was searching departure times when his desk phone rang.
“This is Chris.”
“Son, come to my office. We need to meet now.”
“Be right there, Dad.” Chris could tell from the urgency of his father’s tone there was something serious going on. Before standing, he looked at the list of flights. He’d find one after meeting with him. While he was in his office, Chris could tell his dad he was taking Thursday and Friday off so he could head to Brazil to satisfy his longing to see Serenity.
“Do you know what this is about?” Jewel asked, catching up with him in the corridor.
“Not yet.”
Jewel sighed. “I just hope it’s not more bad news. If another chain closes, I’m going to scream. These supermarkets are leaving neighborhoods in droves.”
“The gap is widening fast. It’s getting harder to fill it. This would be the fourth one this month. That will be a huge chunk of business if we don’t get these new owners.”
The siblings sighed simultaneously.
Bobby Dale was just hanging up the phone when they walked into his office. His assistant, Emily, and Greg, a man from accounting, were already there. Jewel and Chris sat on either side of their father’s desk.
“Hey!” His father scooted closer to his desk and picked up a pen and notepad. Scribbling a quick memo, he handed it to Jewel.
Jewel skimmed the note. “Friday!” She looked up in shock.
“We have to work fast.”
“What’s Friday?” Chris asked. Emily and Greg’s expressions also reflected inquiry.
Jewel looked at Chris.
“You and Jewel will meet with the owners of Organic Haven, a boutique supermarket chain. They’re opening forty-five locations across the tri-state area. We’ve managed to get on their calendar for this Friday. I’ll need the two of you to fly up on Thursday night to meet with them the next day and come home with some business. This is almost a sure thing. I have the CEO roundtables and can’t make it myself, so, Chris, I’ll need you to guarantee that you can close this deal.” His father turned to Greg, pointing his pen in his direction. “Greg. I’ll need you to run the numbers. I want an update on the impact of the closings on our budget for this quarter and forecasts for the next quarter.”
Chris’s heart sank. Duty called at the most inopportune time. He wanted to see Serenity this weekend. No. He needed to see Serenity. There was no way to get out of this. Jewel ran operations and, besides his father, Chris was the company’s best closer. They needed this contract. Chris took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Kent and Ray would have to handle The Reserve on their own too.
Just before his father had called him for this meeting, he had been looking forward to telling Serenity that he was coming to see her. Now he had to wait at least another week.
Bringing his attention back to the people in the room, he strategized with the team about their approach and getting the final numbers for how much of a financial gap they were dealing with. By the time they were done, Emily had their flight scheduled. They agreed to meet again before he and Jewel left to finalize their proposal for the supermarket chain.
Chris maintained a professional demeanor through the entire meeting. In his office, he closed the door, leaned against it and groaned. Rolling the kinks that tightened the muscles in his neck, he walked over to his desk and flopped into the seat. Minutes passed before he moved. Would their relationship survive much longer without communication? He had to think about that. Not seeing her didn’t make him care for Serenity any less. Instead, her absence reverberated in the hollows of his chest. Missing her had become physical. It surprised him. In the past, absence helped him forget. He moved on seamlessly. Not this time. He couldn’t see moving forward without Serenity. He had to find a way to make this work.
He picked up his phone, pulled up her name and stared at the foreign number listed below her usual cell number in his contact list. He wanted to hear her voice. He tapped the screen and put the phone to his ear.
“Chris!” Serenity’s excitement made his pulse beat faster.
He sat up. “Serenity?” he questioned as if it could have been someone else.
“Hi. Can you hear me?”
“Yes.” Her voice was choppy, but he could still make out what she was saying.
“You called at a perfect time. We’re headed into a town near the village. My signal should be—”
Serenity’s voice was cut off midsentence.
“Hello?...Serenity?”
“Chr...I...you...hear me?”
“No. You’re coming in and out.” He figured out what she was saying.
“When are you coming?” She sounded sweet.
Chris heard that and air swirled in his chest. His shoulders slumped. He wished he could tell her that he’d see her this week. He’d already postponed once already because of issues at work.
“I’m trying to come next week.”
“Next week?” Despite the spotty connection, her disappointment rang through with crisp clarity.
Chris pictured her posture slump as a frown crossed her pretty lips, and he wished he could wrap his arms around her.
“You changed your plans again?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
Then there was silence.
He wasn’t sure if it was the connection or if she just didn’t have anything else to say to him.
“I’m coming to you soon. I promise... Hello?”
“Hel...”
“Serenity?”
No response. A series of beeps indicated that the call had ended. He tried her number again. The call went to voice mail. He tried again, only to have the same result. He wouldn’t be able to explain anyway.
Chris put the phone down, rested his elbows on his desk and held his head in his hands. One way or another, he was going to find his way to Serenity. He had to.
Chapter 29
After nearly a month, the students were already playing well. The sounds coming from the instruments began to sound more like music. Serenity walked into the main room where most of the learning took place, and several students ran over to her to hug her waist. With a heart filled with warmth, Serenity hugged them back.
“Okay, everyone. Get your instruments.” When it was time to play, their eyes would brighten, some would literally jump up and down. Wood grunted against the stone floor as students knocked into each other in pursuit of their respective instruments lining the back wall. Their excitement filled her with overwhelming joy.
Serenity looked forward like never before to teaching. The only sore spot in her life was her dwindling relationship with Chris. Despite her new phone, they hardly spoke. The signals just weren’t strong enough in the village or at the house. She only got to the city once, maybe twice, a week. Almost every conversation was a struggle. She was beginning to think that trying to hold on to him during this trip was a mistake.
She wanted to be upset at him for postponing his visit twice already but couldn’t really blame him. At times, her imagination would get the best of her, and she’d entertain the idea that he was probably ready to move on. Finding another woman to spend time with wasn’t hard for a man who was handsome, rich and charming. Then she’d scold herself for jumping to conclusions that caused such sadness.
“Ms. Serenity.” She felt a hand tug on her dress. “We’re ready.” The small, heavily accented voice brought her back to the present.
“Yes. Thank you.” She patted the boy on the shoulder.
For the remainder of her classes, Serenity forced herself to stay focused on her students. Thinking about Chris only made her feel worse. When the day was over, she saw that he’d tried to call. As much as she missed him, she went to bed without try
ing to call him back. She needed time with her thoughts before speaking to him again.
She woke with a renewed perspective. The obstacles weren’t his fault. She would try to stay positive and not assume anything. He had said he’d make it work, and she wanted to give him a chance to do just that before giving up on what they’d created. Her renewed spirit had her looking forward to speaking to Chris again—and seeing him soon.
“Good morning...” Serenity called Chris before she’d gotten out of bed. “I said good morning. Can you hear me?”
“Barely.” His reply was chopped by dense silence.
“Hold on.” Serenity slid her foot into the slippers beside her bed and tiptoed through the house. Carefully, she pushed the front door open, trying to keep the creak from waking anyone. “Can you hear me better?” she yelled into the phone, after closing the door behind her. She moved around on the porch, hoping to find a spot that provided more clarity.
“I can...” Chris’s voice faded and came back in.
Serenity moved all the way to the edge of the porch. Finally, she could hear him more steadily.
“Say that again.”
“I said how are you?” Chris yelled into the phone.
“Oh. Great! Missing you,” Serenity yelled back. The two maintained high volumes throughout the call.
“I don’t have good news.”
Serenity felt her pulse pause. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay? Did something happen?”
“I’m going to have to push my trip back another week. We have new client meetings, and they’re critical for business. I tried to work out other dates, but this seems to be the only one that worked for everyone else.”
Serenity’s heart fell to the pit of her stomach. She blinked back tears. Surprised at her own reaction, she shook her head and pulled herself together. “Oh,” was all she could manage to say. As much as she wanted to see Chris, she truly needed a taste of familiarity. She loved her work and adored the people she worked with—especially the kids. She had begun to fall in love with the city but was still terribly homesick. His visit would have been her salve, soothing more than just her desire for home.