by Christina Li
Chapter 9
“Wonderful presentation,” said Vanessa and everyone rushed to agree.
“Oh, yes, wonderful,” Mrs. Potts, another patron said. “I loved your pictures. Wish I was young enough to go along, but these old bones won’t let me. I’ll help someone else go, though, most definitely.”
“Thank you,” Daniel replied as he put his fork and knife into his steak. As he brought a piece to his mouth, all talk at the table stopped. People smiled. What was going on? Shaking his head, he put the cold, hard piece of meat into his mouth. Then, his eyes widened in surprise. He leaned back in his chair and slowly shook his head in disbelief. There was steam rising from the mashed potatoes.
“My food is warm.”
The whole table burst into laughter.
“You have a pretty terrific lady with you,” said Mrs. Potts.
He gazed at Vanessa. “Thank you.” Wow. “How did you do this?”
Her chin dipped down. She seemed elated but somehow more serious. The way she gazed at him was hard for him to read. “It truly wasn’t just me.” She looked away, then Mabel caught her eye and she waved her over. The young woman was in the middle of serving another table, but she came over as quickly as she could.
“Is your food all right?” she asked.
“It’s fantastic,” Daniel replied. “You’re one of my students aren’t you?”
“Yes, and I absolutely love it. I’m considering majoring in archaeology because of you.”
Daniel’s smile was as warm as the food. “Thank you so much.”
“Oh, it wasn’t really me. I mean, I put the food on the warmer, but it was really your sweet lady’s idea here. By the way, you ought to keep this one. She’s the real thing.” Daniel decided he would look into getting Mabel some kind of assistantship work in his department at the college. Anyone with a servant’s heart like hers would definitely be good for the team.
But mostly, Daniel didn’t miss Vanessa’s blushing over Mabel’s compliment. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered. He reached out his hand to hers, and with a squeeze said, “Thank you.” Maybe this truly was the woman the Lord had for him. What should he do next? Try to win her? This time, he wouldn’t make the same mistakes as before. He would wait on the Lord and follow His lead. This time, he would do things right.
Vanessa’s head tilted to one side and she raised her eyebrows, as if to say ‘I know we’re still pretending,’ but he smiled. This was going to be fun.
After the speeches were over, they were all led into another room for desserts and music from the string quartet. Vanessa’s fingers itched to draw the scene, the instruments and their players, the soft, golden light from sconces on the walls, the huge chandelier that hung glittering from the ceiling, the various desserts, the ladies in their formals, the gentlemen in their tuxes all milling around. She had a pencil in her purse. This would make such a beautiful painting. She couldn’t capture the colors, but she could catch the feel.
“Daniel, there are some people who have questions about your speech and your possible trip next summer,” said Mona. “Vanessa, do you mind?”
It was exactly the excuse she needed. This room was rectangular with a number of tall bistro chairs and tables here and there as well as long couches lining two of the walls. Daniel’s forehead wrinkled slightly in protest, but Vanessa waved him away, knowing he was at ease and had already won the battle. She was fine and no longer felt out of place. “I don’t mind at all. Go ahead. I’ll get myself some punch.”
The look he gave her as he walked away took her by surprise; it was almost as if he wanted to stay. She flashed him a quick smile and waved at him in her usual, effusive way, which seemed to put him at ease.
Vanessa got a cup of coffee, which actually met her minimum standards as a coffee snob, and some delicious looking strawberry cheese cake and sat down at a table in a far corner. It had a great vantage point. Pulling out her pencil and brushing crumbs off her napkin, she quickly transformed it into a graphite on modern-papyrus version of the quartet. She also drew the sconces along the walls and some of the people milling around or sitting at bistro tables like herself.
So intent on what she was doing, she didn’t see Daniel until he was standing beside her.
“Enjoying yourself?”
She let out a small startled cry, partly from sheer fright and partly from feeling like she was caught AWOL from her duties by her commanding officer. Her pencil dropped and rolled onto the floor.
He stooped over and handed it back to her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
“That’s okay. Thanks.” She breathed in deeply, smiled, and added a few last touches to the chandelier, then met his eyes as he sat down.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Occupational hazard,” Vanessa replied gesturing to her drawing. “I see something that begs to be drawn or painted and I simply feel compelled to try to capture it as best I can. Recently, my fingers have been itching to translate something. This scene is perfect.”
Daniel smiled. “It must be amazing to see the world through an artist’s eyes. May I see?”
Vanessa blushed but surrendered her napkin. “It’s not very good, a quick sketch to capture the feel of the room. If I get as much detail as possible while I have a moment, I’ll remember a lot later.”
“That’s rather amazing.” He held the napkin a bit closer. “That gentleman,” he pointed to a man standing near the center of the room then nodded back to the napkin, “likes to flirt, but he’s harmless. You’ve captured his expression perfectly. And that woman,” he gestured toward the side where she was standing “you’ve caught her arrogance but added some vulnerability.” He studied the napkin again. “You see more than the surface. You see the heart. That’s quite a gift.”
“Not really. Obviously, or I would have done better on the west coast.”
Daniel leaned forward with a discerning gaze rubbing his well formed chin. “Did you ever consider that the reason you weren’t more successful there was because the Lord kept your work from being noticed? He has something incredible for you and wanted to keep you for that.”
Something abruptly took hold of Vanessa on the inside. She closed her eyes for a second, breathed in somewhat sharply, but deeply, holding it in as she momentarily got lost in the convicting thought that had entered her mind. Was it possible that she truly was called to be an artist but she was kept from her definition of ‘success’ for something much greater from the Lord? “What about all those who did make the art scene and do well? Why didn’t the Lord hold them back? I’m nothing special.”
It was as if the Spirit of God was doing spiritual surgery on her in this moment and Daniel’s words were the surgeon’s tools.
“Why did you come back?”
Vanessa shifted in her chair. His questions were right to the gut direct. “I came back because I wanted to make things right.”
“Why couldn’t you do that in LA?”
“I knew I was supposed to come home.”
“How did you know?”
“I just knew.”
Daniel stared at her, his chin being kneaded between his thumb and forefinger. He seemed to be waiting.
“Okay. It was the Lord telling me that I needed to come home. The longer I put it off, the more brick walls I seemed to run into.”
“So why did you put it off?”
“At first, I resisted because I thought I knew better. Isn’t that stupid? It was like I had to try things my own way. I had to get myself into a nasty mess before I realized how desperately I needed God.” She almost said more than she intended. She couldn’t face anyone knowing how badly she had blown it. Someone like Daniel would never want to associate with her if he knew everything. If she could bury her past, maybe she would never have to face it.
“We all desperately need God.” The compassion in his voice nearly undid her inner resolve, and she turned away as she fought back the tears. “And we all make
mistakes, big and small, but Jesus knows that. He can handle our mistakes. And He can even use them to make us better. He calls out to us, but He never forces us to respond to Him. It’s we who end up wishing we’d have responded sooner.”
He sounded like he had some regrets of his own, but what on earth could they be? He probably took some cookies from his mother’s cookie jar before he was supposed to when he was a kid. He was so perfect. Surely he never had done anything major in his life to regret.
***
On the way home, Vanessa was tired, but content. The party had wound down without event, people said their good-byes with smiles and airs, and they left hand in hand for the car. She knew it was just for show, but it felt right, and she was reluctant to let go as he opened the car door for her. No more glass slippers, back to pumpkins and mice. It was fun to be mates. Whatever that meant.
“Did you have a good time?” Daniel glanced over at her as he drove.
“Yes. I did. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but tonight was fun.” It had been a long time since she had felt genuinely good. She really enjoyed these confirmations. She had done right in coming home.
Daniel was quiet for a moment, then, “Do you like chess?”
Surprised by the sudden change in topic she answered, “Uh, it’s been a while, but I do like the game. I’m not very good at it, though.”
“That’s okay. Would you like to play a game tomorrow?”
“Oh, I can’t. I’m helping Grandpa at the warehouse. He seems to be developing some kind of weird allergic reaction to the green coffee beans. He’s going to teach me how to roast and I’ll be getting ready some shipments for him. I don’t how long that will take.” She had suggested that Grandpa train her on Saturday so she wouldn’t hold things up during the work week. She desperately wanted to be able to contribute more, at least until she got a full time job somewhere.
“Oh, well, perhaps sometime next week, then?”
“I would like that,” she said. Then, they were home.
Daniel opened the car door for her again. In California, she hadn’t been treated like this. He made her feel cherished, special. Woah! Do NOT go there! You’ve got God’s forgiveness. Don’t even want anything more. She reminded herself that there was no way someone like him could ever be interested in her. Whoever he ended up with would be one lucky gal.
He unlocked the kitchen door and let her go in first. Inside they stood in front of the door that led downstairs to his apartment.
“I had a good time tonight too,” he said. “Thank you for joining me this evening.” He touched her hand briefly then put his hand on the doorknob.
“Good night, Daniel.”
“Good night, Vanessa,” he answered as he turned the knob and went downstairs.
***
After walking around and then sitting in his car for a couple of hours, Denny was disgusted at the wasted evening. What kind of people didn’t go out on a Friday night? The professor and Vanessa went out, but the grandparents stuck around. Maybe old people didn’t have anything better to do.
Finally, back in his hotel room, Denny punched in some numbers on his cell. “Leonard, I need a favor.” He hated having to ask for help, but he couldn’t hang around watching and waiting indefinitely. “Can you put a trace on some boxes through the post office?” He paced around, first to the door, then the window, and finally the bed. He needed a larger suite.
“You want me to hack into someone’s account?” Denny could hear the excitement in Leonard’s voice.
“Yes.” He gave the departing and arriving addresses.
“It’ll cost you.”
“I’ll pay. Just let me know where those boxes are.” He didn’t bother to keep the impatience out of his voice.
“Give me a couple of days. I’ll expect the money in my account before you get any info.”
Denny ground his teeth together, but he agreed. “Fine. I’ll get you the money tomorrow.”
“Great, then I’ll get the info to you by Monday.”
Denny jabbed the end call button. Leonard was a pain, but he was one of the best. The man was in, out, no traces.
Now that he didn’t have to spend any more time sitting in a stupid parking lot in Vanessa’s cul-de-sac, he planned on enjoying the rest of his weekend checking out the local life.
***
As was his custom, Daniel knelt on the soft carpet beside his bed that night before falling asleep. He loved the quiet stillness. The only sound was the soft hum of the air cleaner sitting on top of the dresser.
“Lord, I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. What I had with Claudine was like a strange dream, but this is more real than anything I’ve ever experienced. Help me to do things he right way this time. I know You are leading in this. Help me to not get ahead of You.”
For a few moments, he lost himself in daydreams. What would it be like to share his life with her? He wanted to know everything about her, what she liked, what she didn’t, her favorite foods, her favorite flowers and colors and books. Did she like poetry? Would she like to travel the world with him?
“Sorry, Lord, I got distracted. Bless her. She is a fantastic person, but she’s hurting. Protect her and help her heal.”
He prayed a while longer then climbed into bed only to dream about her.
Chapter 10
Monday morning dawned bright and clear. Vanessa had done good work over the weekend and her grandfather had offered her a job. It wasn’t art, but it was helping him and she didn’t mind a bit. It was only part time, a couple of hours a day was all he needed, but she was so glad for it. She was responsible for the handling of the coffee and getting it ready for shipment. At least it was her second love—coffee.
There was nothing like the smell of freshly brewed coffee. So many different flavors, so little time. Now that she knew how to roast the beans, her grandfather had encouraged Vanessa to try out some of her own blends. Sumatra was her favorite, but she also liked Brazilian and Columbian. There was also Java, Kalossi, and Antigua. These were the ones her grandfather used in his various blends, but there were many, many more. She hoped to purchase a little of some others and experiment.
This morning, she tried a mix of Brazilian and Sumatra that she had roasted on Saturday. Preferring a medium roast, she had removed the beans from the roaster quickly around hearing the second crack. She simply was not a morning person and needed the extra little kick of caffeine. Her grandfather said that not only was first and second crack a factor in taste, but length of time roasting influenced the amount of caffeine. Less time meant more caffeine. Some people enjoyed a darker roast, saying the flavor was richer, but it actually had less caffeine. It was all a matter of personal taste. People bought her grandparents’ coffee roasts, so they must be doing something right.
Her beans took a moment to grind and the noise never bothered her. The dark powder promised a rich taste.
She didn’t have to go into her grandfather’s warehouse/office until later in the afternoon. Daniel hadn’t come upstairs yet, but it was possible she had missed him. She went into the living room and peeked out window. His car was in the center lot.
Not wanting to dwell on her happiness that he was still home, she scooped the now ground up coffee into an Italian Bialetti coffee maker, put water into the bottom compartment, screwed it all together, and placed it on the stove. She couldn’t wait for her espresso. Maybe Daniel would like some. Grinning, she opened the lid and watched the coffee bubble up through the tube inside. Her mouth watered in anticipation.
When it was done, she carried it to the table and poured equal amounts of milk and coffee into a cup. Sitting down, she held the coffee up to her nose and breathed in the rising steam. Utter perfection. The taste promised to be even better.
As she was bringing the cup to her lips, the doorbell rang. The moment was broken, so reluctantly, she set the cup down and went to answer the door.
A police officer was standing there. “Hello,” she said. “May
I help you?”
“Are you Vanessa Bennett?” he asked. He was a big guy with a deep voice. He didn’t have to try to be intimidating.
“Yes.”
“I need you to come down to the station for some questions.”
“What on earth for?” She had made a mess of things in California, but she hadn’t done anything illegal.
Then, Daniel came through the house. “Vanessa, are you all right?” He saw the officer and moved quickly and a bit awkwardly to put himself in between her and the uniform as best as possible. “Can I help you, officer?”
Vanessa answered for him. “Uh, this officer wants me to come to the police station. He has some questions for me.”
Daniel addressed the officer directly. “Can’t she answer your questions here?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Am I being arrested?”
“No, you are considered a person of interest.”
“How so?” asked Daniel.
“It pertains to a missing vase from the Delany Art Gallery in LA.”
“What?! Do the Delanys think I stole from them?”
“You need to come with me, Miss.”
Vanessa put a hand over her stomach. She reached out to hold on to the door frame. A wave of dizziness swept over her. Her past was catching up to her very quickly, and everything she had tried so hard to leave behind was staring her in the face.
Daniel caught her, put his arm around her shoulder to steady her. “I’ll follow you to the station. I’m sure we can get this all sorted.” She was never more thankful for such a friend. He was a good ‘mate’ after all.
She regained some of her composure and walked with the officer to his cruiser. At least he didn’t put handcuffs on her. She hoped none of the neighbors would see. Most of them should be at work already, except the retired ones, and the nosey ones. Great.
The ten minute ride seemed to take hours. The one comforting thought was seeing Daniel follow behind in his Camry. When they arrived, it seemed the building itself had already pronounced her guilty. How could this happen? This cannot be real. After all the years she spent working for them how could the Delanys possibly think she would steal from them?