Drive and Determination

by Louise, Kara

  Will slid both feet off the bed onto the floor and then slowly pulled away from her. A slight moan from her prompted him to halt his difficult maneuver and remain still until he was sure Elyssa was sound asleep again. He watched as she stretched out her hand to within inches of him. When she settled down, he quickly pulled himself off the bed, taking in a deep breath, and stood looking down at her.

  “That was just a little too close for comfort,” he said softly to himself. “Even in your sleep you’re determined to put me in situations where you can find fault with me!”

  The light coming into the room allowed him to see that the coloring had returned to her face. He smiled as he anticipated seeing her bright eyes and beautiful smile again. “And trust me, Elyssa, at this moment, I am not without fault!”

  He went out into the living room and looked out the window. The sun was just barely peeking out over the crest of a mountain across the lake. The sky above declared loudly, with bright sunlight, the dawn of a new day. The water shimmered in the awakening rays of light, but the street outside the window was still cloaked in shadows.

  Will took in a very satisfied breath. He had not felt such peace and contentment for several years. Looking back toward the bedroom his thoughts went to Elyssa, apprehending that just being in her presence filled a void that had long been empty.

  He shook his head. Yesterday had been a loss in making any attempt to change her opinion of him. She had been ill for most of the day, secluded in the bathroom. Today he was committed to go out with Manuel to visit some of the coffee growers. He knew Elyssa would probably not feel up to accompanying them. He was quite sure she would be weak from yesterday’s ordeal, and in addition to that, she still had to sort through Chad and Janet’s belongings to determine what she wanted to take back with her. No, today did not look good either, and they would be returning to Guatemala City tomorrow.

  He folded his arms and looked back out the window. He shuddered as he considered the possibility that she would remember him being with her on the bed. He could only imagine her fury and knew that it would most likely cement her estimation of him.

  He went into the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee. As it began to percolate and its aroma began to waft through the house, Will decided to take a shower. Checking in on Elyssa first, he smiled at her sleeping form. She needed her rest and he knew that the longer she slept, the better she would feel.

  After a quick shower, Will poured himself a large mug of coffee and returned to the living room to await Elyssa’s rising and her possible wrath.

  Elyssa finally stirred about an hour later. She opened her eyes slowly, taking in the room around her. Her lips pursed into a twisted smile. “Why that presumptuous man!” she whispered softly. “How dare he move me here without my knowledge and against my will?”

  At the thought of Will, her hand slid across the bed in front of her and she wondered why it suddenly felt cold. She sat up slowly, waiting for any signs of residual effects from yesterday. Other than a little weakness, she felt fine.

  Elyssa swung herself into a sitting position. She stretched out her toes to touch the floor and fingers to reach up to the ceiling. She had to admit that she had slept like a baby. Perhaps she had been irrational in not wanting to sleep in here. Taking in a deep breath, she wondered if Will was awake yet. She was fairly certain he wouldn’t have left her to spend the night in the pension and figured he must be out in the living room.

  Elyssa looked down at the clothes she was still wearing from yesterday. She was more than anxious to get out of them. A shower would feel wonderful and she looked forward to putting on something clean and possibly trying to eat a little. She stood up slowly and as her legs wobbled underneath her, she steadied herself by reaching down to touch the nightstand next to the bed. When she felt balanced, she walked over to her suitcase and pulled out some clean clothes.

  Peering first out into the hallway, she then darted quickly into the bathroom before Will could see her.

  Stepping into the shower felt wonderful. Elyssa felt as though she was washing off every ounce of sickness from the day before. Her fingers went up to her temple, where the slightest trace of a headache was the only reminder of yesterday’s torment. As she gently rubbed her forehead with the tips of her fingers, she suddenly thought of Janet. A vague recollection of Janet rubbing her forehead teased her memory.

  “Oh, Janet,” she said to herself as the water pulsated down upon her. “It has been several years since you nursed one of my headaches and yet I feel as though it was just yesterday.”

  At that thought, she closed her eyes and lifted her face toward the spray, the water from the shower mingling with the few tears that began to fall.

  Elyssa finally turned off the water and stepped out, drying herself off and slipping into her clean clothes. She combed through her wet hair and squeezed her naturally wavy locks to encourage the curls to appear on their own.

  When Elyssa felt that she was tolerably presentable, she came out and walked into the living room. Will had a mug in his hand and when he noticed her walk in, he immediately put it down and stood up. He tried to erase the look of apprehension as he greeted her.

  “Good morning, Elyssa. How do you feel this morning?”

  Elyssa pursed her lips at the look of guilt on his face and couldn’t help but want to put him through a little discomfort. “I feel fine, but you were terribly presumptuous last night, don’t you think?”

  “Elyssa, I’m… I…”

  She waved her hand at him, shaking her head. “I truly cannot believe it.”

  Will looked down, letting out a huffy breath. “I really did not mean to…”

  Suddenly Elyssa laughed. “I’m sorry. I just had to make things difficult for you. I want you to know I’m not angry about what you did last night.”

  Will looked back up at her; his eyes widened with surprise. “You… you’re not angry at me, then?”

  “No, I actually slept very soundly.”

  “I’m glad,” he said with a cautious smile.

  “I know I was being ridiculous and quite irrational not wanting to sleep in their bed. You were right. It was very silly of me.”

  Will slowly let out the breath he had been holding. “I… I never thought you were being silly.” With a relieved laugh he added, “I’m glad you’re not upset. I felt as though you would sleep better there.”

  “I did. Thank you.”

  Will kept his eyes upon her, trying to read her face to see if she recalled anything else. At the moment, at least, it appeared she didn’t. He was grateful she had no memory of him sleeping by her side. “Let me make you some toast with just a little butter. See how your stomach reacts and if you’re still feeling OK in a little while, I thought I’d make a cheese omelet, if that’s all right with you. You’ll want to stick with bland foods today.”

  “That sounds fine, but you don’t really have to go to all this trouble.”

  “No trouble,” he called as he entered the kitchen. He made the toast while Elyssa sat on the sofa thinking about all he was doing. She was hungry and still weak, and had to admit she rather enjoyed the pampering. When the toast was finished, he brought it to her on a plate. She glanced up and thanked him, gracing him with another irresistible smile.

  “You’re welcome. Would you care for some tea? It would probably be easier on the stomach than coffee.”

  “Yes, please, that sounds delicious.

  Will walked back toward the kitchen, but paused just outside the door and looked at her. “Is your headache gone this morning?”

  Elyssa looked up. “My headache? How did you know I had a headache?”

  Will breathed in as if he was going to say something. Elyssa thought he looked uncomfortable again for some reason. Finally, he said, “Umm, you… you mentioned it last night.”

  “Oh,” Elyssa said slowly. She really could not recall anything about last night after coming out into the living room. She certainly didn’t remember any conver
sation with Will. “I still have a headache, but it’s just a small one.”

  Will nodded and forced a smile, then quickly disappeared into the kitchen. Elyssa turned her attention back to her toast. It may have been a slight throbbing of her headache, or because they had just talked about it, but she brought her hand up to her head and began rubbing it. She then began to comb her fingers back into her scalp and massaged the top of her head, which always helped alleviate the pain. Suddenly, a very clear and vivid memory from the night before assaulted her thoughts.

  Someone did rub my forehead last night! She looked back toward the kitchen door and another recollection intruded. Not only do I remember someone rubbing my forehead… Elyssa gulped. I remember hands going through my hair and massaging my scalp!

  With widened eyes, she began to recall bits and pieces of the night before. She had been in no condition to fully comprehend all that went on, but she remembered waking on several occasions. Her stomach no longer ached, but her head had. It was about the only thing she was aware of, except for the gentle hands continually rubbing it. In her muddled mind, she had associated it with being Janet, but in all reality, it had been Will!

  Elyssa finished her toast and dropped her head back against the sofa looking up at the ceiling. She then closed her eyes and asked herself, Why must he continually prove himself to be so opposite of what I thought of him? Why is he taking such prodigiously good care of me?

  When he returned with her hot tea, she thanked him. As she reached out her hands to take it from him, the warmth of the cup and the feel of his fingers brushing against hers brought a most annoying and unwelcome blush to her cheeks. As he hovered close, feelings of vulnerability stirred in her again and she wasn’t sure whether or not she liked it.

  Elyssa decided to change the subject. “What are your plans for today?”

  “Manuel and I are going to visit some of the coffee growers.”

  She slowly nodded her head. “That’s right. I had forgotten.”

  “I thought you might like to go. I was hoping you would, but it will be a long afternoon and most likely there will be a lot of walking.”

  “I’d really like to go, but I’m not sure if I should. I’m still tired and feel somewhat weak and I need to give the house a good once-over before we leave to see if there’s any thing else I’d like to bring home.”

  Will nodded. “Why don’t you work on that this morning and then when Manuel comes by later, see how you feel? If you’re not up to joining us the whole afternoon, perhaps we can stop back by later and take you to visit one or two families with us.”

  “I would like that.”

  “Good!” Will clasped his hands together. “Now, how is the toast settling in your stomach? Are you up to trying a Denton omelet?”

  Elyssa smiled. “Right now I feel as though I could eat anything!”

  Will stood up. “I don’t really know whether to take that as a compliment or not, but I think you’ll like it.”

  The sounds and smells of Will’s cooking began to permeate the living room. Elyssa hadn’t considered the fact that he might be a good cook. She rather expected that he had a hired chef to prepare all his meals or that he ate out a lot.

  When he came in with the omelet, Elyssa was pleasantly surprised. It was light and fluffy with just the right amount of cheese in it. He handed her a plate and then he sat down beside her. His close proximity and the scent of his aftershave made her feel inexplicably drawn to him and for a while she did not trust herself to say anything, let alone look at him.

  After taking a couple bites, though, she had to compliment him. She tilted her head and smiled at him. “This is very good, Will. Making the perfect omelet isn’t that easy.”

  The combination of her twinkling eyes and smile directed at him, coupled with her words of appreciation resonated within him. He smiled back at her. “I’m flattered you think it’s perfect! But truly, it’s not that difficult to make.”

  “But from one who probably has a kitchen staff to prepare all your meals, it’s pretty commendable.”

  He looked at her, surprised. “A kitchen staff?”

  “Well, certainly it’s either that or you go out for every meal.”

  Will laughed and shook his head. “I do go out to eat when it’s for business, but you know I don’t like to eat out alone.”

  Elyssa nodded. “So you told me.” After a few more bites, she said, “So are you telling me you cook your own meals?”

  “Actually, I do have an excellent cook, but she’s leaving soon.”

  “Oh? Why is that?”

  In a soft voice filled with admiration, he answered, “My sister, Gina. She loves to cook, but unfortunately she’ll be leaving for college in the fall.”

  “Ah, yes. So will you hire someone to cook for you when she is gone?”

  Will looked back down at his omelet. “Probably not. I’m not a picky eater and I can make a big batch of something and eat it as long as it lasts. With all the business luncheons that occur throughout the week, I get enough variety.”

  Elyssa peered at him out of the corner of her eye. “So how is it that you have been able to stay away from work this past week?”

  “My cousin, who is the vice-president, is handling things while I’m away.”

  “And you trust him to do that?”

  “Implicitly.” He looked up and met her gaze. “There are some things I set into motion when I first arrived, but right now they are out of my hands. When we get back to Guatemala City, I’ll need to see how they are progressing.”

  “Hmmm.” Elyssa took a couple more bites of her omelet and then put the plate down. “It’s very good, Will, but that’s all I can eat.”

  “That’s OK.”

  Will stood up and as she handed her plate to him, she said, “I appreciate everything you did to help me yesterday. I really did not even think about eating the fruit in that market place without washing it off first with the bottled water.”

  “I think everyone who has come down here with Pemberleo has had at least one bout with Montezuma’s Revenge.”

  Elyssa laughed. “Including yourself?”

  Will let out a chuckle. “Oh, yes, several times. I recall as a child, spending the whole night in the bathroom.”

  “And that taught you a lesson you never forgot?”

  Will pursed his lips. “You’d think it would, but no. About a year ago I came down and it was terribly hot. I wanted something to drink and asked for a bottled water and ice in a glass.”

  Elyssa looked at him oddly. “And?”

  “Well, I had the bottled water, but had forgotten that in most places, they make ice with tap water. It hit me about as bad as it hit you.”

  “Hmmm. From ice?”

  Will nodded. “From ice.”

  Elyssa found herself growing weary and couldn’t hold back a yawn. “Perhaps I ought to begin sorting through everything before I fall asleep.”

  “Would you care for any help?” Will asked.

  “No, you’ve done enough already. I’ll be OK.”

  “All right, but don’t overdo it. You probably still need some rest.”

  Elyssa answered with a very soft, “OK.”

  As Elyssa walked into the back bedroom, Will sat in the chair, beaming. It had been a good morning and there had not been one argument between them. Fortunately, she had not been aware of the fact that he spent the night sleeping by her side. He felt a little guilty not confessing it to her, but for the moment, he wanted to savor her good opinion. Maybe someday I’ll tell her, he thought to himself. When we’re old and gray and babysitting our grandchildren!

  Chapter 15

  Elyssa spent a good part of the morning opening cabinets, closets, and drawers, looking for anything that she might want to take back with her. Other than a few pictures, she really didn’t find anything that struck a sentimental chord. She felt that there were most likely many needy people here who could use those things more than she.

  Will c
hecked in on her occasionally, hoping he would not come upon her in a state of tears. He was grateful that she appeared to be in control of her feelings this time around. He was quite certain she was not yet over her grief, but things had improved. He also knew that there was one more thing she should do before they returned to Guatemala City which would undoubtedly unleash any residual grief. As much as he dreaded causing her any further pain, he knew it was something she would later be glad she did.

  As the time approached for Manuel to come for Will, Elyssa grew more and more weary. She was seated upon the floor, looking through the bottom drawer of a dresser, and she could barely keep her eyes open any longer. She took the small stack of neatly folded clothes and placed them onto the carpet, then placed her head on the stack. Within minutes, she had fallen asleep.

  It had been a while since Will heard anything from the back room. When he went back and looked in, he smiled at her sleeping form curled up on the floor. She looked very serene and he didn’t wish to awaken her. He reached for a throw that lay tossed over a chair and spread it across her. He would let her sleep.

  Manuel arrived shortly thereafter and Will left a note for Elyssa, saying they would return after a couple of hours. He hoped that she would feel up to visiting a family or two.

  *~*~*

  Later, Elyssa opened her eyes and stretched out the kink in her back as she sat up. The throw slipped down to her waist and as she eyed it, her fingers swept over the woven fabric. She knew it hadn’t been there when she fell asleep. Her eyes went to the door and she wondered if Will had already left with Manuel.