by Christina Li
Daniel was instructed to wait outside in the waiting area by the front desk and the officer led her into a small room with ugly green walls. In there was a single table with hard folding chairs on either side. Hanging along the side of one wall was a large mirror. She suspected it was one of those that other officers could watch through. The room smelled like a mixture of Lysol and sweat. This was horrible. What if she was put into one of the cells? What sort of evidence could they have? She would never steal anything. She couldn’t.
A taller officer came in then and sat down in the chair facing her. “Vanessa, can you tell me how long you worked at the Delany Art Gallery?”
“Three years.”
“Why did you quit?”
“The economy was bad and they cut my pay. I couldn’t afford my apartment anymore. It was crazy for me to stay. I was so far from my family and I wanted to come home.” Did that sound bad?
“So, you didn’t like working for the Delanys?”
“It wasn’t that. I mean, not really. I was doing only grunt work. I never showed any of my own pieces. I went out to California to see if I could make it as an artist. When my pay got cut, it was obvious that I couldn’t.”
“Were you angry when they cut your pay? Clearly, they didn’t realize your worth.”
Vanessa was at a loss for words. She rubbed her temples feeling a nasty headache coming on. “No. I wasn’t angry. I was disappointed. I thought they were my friends, but they weren’t. I didn’t take anything from them. I didn’t want anything from them.”
“You mean to say that they lowered your salary, treated you like dirt, and you were just a little disappointed? Didn’t you want to get back at them for all that wasted time? Stick it to them—just a little?”
“No.” Vanessa was horrified. The idea had simply never occurred to her. “I didn’t want revenge. I wanted to go home.”
The officer stood and left the room.
Now, Vanessa was angry. Overtaken by emotion, she marched over to the mirror and in a raised voice projected, “Do you have any evidence against me? I have nothing to hide.”
Naturally, there was no answer. Finally, the door opened again. The first officer beckoned her forward and said, “You’re free to go, but don’t take any sudden vacations.”
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed and her face tightened. “I would never take anything.” Her back stiff, she strode out.
Daniel met her in the hallway. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. Just please, take me home.” Her anger could only hold her together for a little longer. She didn’t know what she would do if Daniel wasn’t there, but she hated the fact that he saw any of this. As they pulled out of the parking lot, the sobs she had been holding back fell in waves down her face. Broken, but annoyed, she wiped them away with her fists.
Daniel didn’t try to get her to talk, instead he let her be silent. As he walked her into the house a few minutes later, he held her around the shoulder again, but in a brotherly way, trying to impart his strength and reassure her. “I’m sorry, but I have to run. I’ve got a class this morning. Are you going to be all right?”
In spite of everything, Vanessa smiled. “I think so. Thank you so much.”
“It’s what any friend would do,” he replied.
As he hesitated, Vanessa urged him on. “Go. Don’t be late on my account. I’ll be okay. Really.”
When she was alone again, the first thing she saw was her cup of coffee and the Bialetti still sitting on the stove, now tepid. She mindlessly poured all of it into a small ceramic pitcher and heated it in the microwave. It wasn’t quite the same, but she needed something familiar to take her mind off of things.
As she sat drinking her coffee, which even after being reheated, was quite good, she prayed. She was thankful. For the little things. Quieting her spirit, she waited and felt that precious Spirit of the Lord upon her. The scriptures about casting our cares upon Him because He cares for us came to mind and refreshed her, and another, with all prayers and petitions, with thanksgiving, make our requests known to God, and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. She didn’t know if she could trust Him fully to work out even her past, but she didn’t know what else to do. She thanked Him for His tender care, and poured out her soul to Him, asking Him to somehow take care of all the things that she saw no redemption for. And she felt peace for the first time since she could remember. She was starting to believe He could make a way.
She still had a few hours before she was needed at her grandparents’ work. What should she do in the meantime? Within moments, she felt the Lord wrap His arms around her and give her His answer. She felt that tug, that calling that had sustained her over the past three years, but had gotten lost in a sea of self-serving, and she started to yield to that calling once again. She was still called by God, Himself, to be an artist. So, she went upstairs and lost herself recreating in paint and canvas what she had captured on the napkin on that wonderful night that seemed so far away.
Daniel hated the fact that he had to leave her, but there was nothing he could do. It wasn’t possible to be in two places at the same time. He was distracted while he taught. He found it difficult to focus on the students’ questions.
Frustrated he finally took a moment. And prayed. As he let go and gave it to the Lord, he was at peace about it. He realized he was exactly where he needed to be. The Lord could take better care of her than Daniel. The rest of the class went much better.
Still, he couldn’t wait to get back to her.
Chapter 11
Unfortunately, by the time Daniel got home, Vanessa was gone. At first he was worried, but then he remembered that her grandfather needed help at the office/warehouse. She was a responsible girl; it might even help for her to go about her duties to give a sense of normalcy. He was consoled by the thought.
Still, he just wanted to see her, to make sure she was alright, to offer any kind of support. Anything. He spent several minutes prowling around the kitchen before he decided that it was fruitless. He wasn’t hungry and his impatience wasn’t going to get her home any faster.
So, better use his time more responsibly. Perfect. Setting the kettle on the stove to boil for tea, he ran downstairs to his apartment and grabbed his laptop. He ran back upstairs just in case she might have arrived in the time it took to go down and come back again. No such luck. Then, he camped at Mrs. Bennett’s kitchen table. She wouldn’t mind and he would be sure not to miss Vanessa.
After about an hour, the tea was gone and he had all his students’ reports graded with notes sent back to them. Still no Vanessa. Now what?
He surfed around on his laptop for a while, but soon grew bored. Then, inspiration struck again and he went into the family room and set up the chess board in front of the fireplace.
Finally, after another several minutes of pointless wandering, he went back into the kitchen and took out vegetables and some meat from the freezer. With those ingredients, soy sauce, corn starch, fresh garlic, and salt, he could make a more than passable stir fry. At least that would be something useful to do.
He started on the vegetables with a vengeance with a large chef’s knife while he let the frozen meat thaw slightly in the microwave. As he sliced and diced, he was able to take out some of his restlessness. He resembled a cross between a Chinese culinary artist and the Flash, and half his vegetables ended up all over the counter, some landing in the sink and all over the floor. He decided he should be a little more careful with the chicken and beef. After he cleaned up a bit, he poured some oil in the wok and had the meat sputtering. He always forgot the rice, so he quickly filled the automatic rice cooker with the appropriate amounts of water and rice. Hopefully, it’d be done by the time the dishes were ready to be served. While the ingredients from the first dish sputtered and danced playfully in the wok, Daniel tried to decide whether or not to make a couple more dishes. Shrimp, maybe? Egg drop soup? Mrs. Bennett had a bag of frozen cocktail shrimp in the freezer that wo
uld work in a pinch, and he soon had that ready to stir fry as soon as he emptied the wok.
Setting the finished, steaming dishes on the table, he surveyed his work. Not only did it appear appealing, the smells were tantalizing. He remembered that most women did appreciate a man who could cook. What was Vanessa’s favorite meal? He would have to find out, maybe surprise her. Mrs. Bennett would know. But, how to do that without revealing his romantic intentions?
“Daniel, how wonderful,” said Mrs. Bennett when she arrived home. “What a nice surprise.”
“Thank you, Daniel. It smells great,” said Mr. Bennett.
“Just thought I would surprise you,” he replied. “Uh, where is Vanessa?” He tried to sound casual.
“Oh, she’s a bit of a workaholic. She decided she would stay later and get a few more shipments ready,” said her grandmother.
“If she keeps this up, I’m going to have to give her a raise,” her grandfather added wryly.
Daniel laughed with everyone, but it was a bit forced. Perhaps surprises weren’t the best way to go. He sighed to himself as he sat down with her grandparents. At least they enjoyed the on the spot gourmet meal.
Late that night, Vanessa was exhausted by the time she got home, but she knew her work was good. She had picked things up quickly, but there was still more to learn. She helped her grandmother out with the website that afternoon and decided to add a bit of ‘coffee art’ to the site to make it more appealing. Her grandmother loved it and encouraged her to do more.
Although it was drawing on the computer, it was still art. Her grandparents had a very basic business desktop with no frills, so improvisation was needed. She quickly adapted to using a mouse instead of a pencil or paintbrush, actually drawing the lines and curves with the move of the device, and filling and shading with the point-and-click. It was a little tedious, but fun learning how to express herself with a new medium. She designed some T-shirts and mugs for fun and offered them for sale on the site. Her grandparents had a local printer friend who could print them when orders came in. She would see what happened.
When she walked into her grandparents’ kitchen, they had left a small light on with a post-it note stuck up underneath. Curious, she pulled it down and read it.
Daniel made dinner tonight. Chinese, one of your favorites. It’s in the fridge, heat it up and help yourself. Love you. –Grandma
Vanessa checked the fridge and was amazed to see two different meat and vegetable dishes, egg drop soup, and rice. She pulled out one along with the rice and then loaded her now cold gourmet meal into the microwave.
“I thought I heard someone come in,” said Daniel.
“Oh!” Vanessa had been facing the microwave and didn’t hear him come up behind her.
“Sorry! I seem to have a knack for that.”
“No problem. I just didn’t hear you come up.” She set her plate on the table and grabbed a fork from the drawer. Chinese food was one of those that she loved reheated, and the piquant smells promised complete satisfaction. She loved the orange and green colors with the savory sauces and choices of meat. If he ever made another meal like this, she wanted to try colored pencils to sketch it all fresh.
“It tastes better with chopsticks.”
“Really?” She folded her arms across her chest. “Do you happen to have any on you?”
He smiled. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
Her eyes flashed with delight as he pulled a pair of chopsticks from inside his blazer and handed them to her. Did he always carry chopsticks? Or did he plan this? Always so many questions! Deciding to enjoy the moment, she set those aside, and set herself down. “Okay, I’m busted. I have no idea how to use these things.”
Daniel sat down next to her and took the chopsticks. It felt good to have him next o her. She had that safe feeling come back to her. Holding the utensils between his thumb and first and second fingers, he demonstrated. “See, like this.” He opened and closed them like pinchers. She suspected it wouldn’t be nearly so effortless when she tried. He scooped up some of the food from her plate and held it in the air for a moment, then set it back down. “Now, you try.”
She couldn’t even get the hold right much less pick up any food. “I think I’m pretty hopeless at this. And I think I know why some of my Chinese friends are so thin!”
“Nonsense. Here.” He pulled his chair closer to hers. Then, he placed the chopsticks in her hand and wrapped his own around hers. “It’s easy, see?”
Suddenly, the room felt very warm to Vanessa. She even felt a little lightheaded, but in a good way. Maybe she just needed a drink of water. “Yeah. This isn’t so hard.” Did she sound as breathless as she felt? Daniel’s hand felt strong and sure around hers. He smiled encouragement. Obviously, Daniel wasn’t nearly as affected by this as she was. She was distracted by his every movement, the widening of his smile, the calm and confidence in his magnetic eyes, the slight jostle of his hair when he spoke with passion, and the peace and joy that seemed to follow him around like an aura that she found oh so attractive!
Valiantly trying to focus, she allowed him to guide her hand as they scooped up some food and brought it to her mouth. She laughed when some fell off and back onto the plate.
“It simply takes a bit of practice. Soon, you’ll be eating like a native.”
She laughed again which brought her back to her senses. “I’m not so sure about that.” But then, she surprised herself when she was able to scoop up some food and get it into her mouth all by herself. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Undeniably I am. We Brits are always right.”
“Um, I wouldn’t go there if I were you. We did fight a war with each other, remember.”
“Well, there’s always one bad egg rolling around somewhere. You shouldn’t hold our past against us.”
“No, I suppose not,” she replied enjoying the wonderful banter.
Daniel put one hand to his heart and the other to his forehead in mock horror. He was trustworthy, loyal, confident, humble, friendly, and funny! She was so glad they could be good friends.
“Certainly not. You’ve just got to remember rule number 1.”
Now she was confused. “What’s rule number one?”
“We Brits are always right.”
Vanessa groaned.
“So, what do you think of the stir fry?” Daniel sounded eager.
He was awfully cute when he was excited about something. Um, strike that thought, too. “It’s delicious.” Her next several attempts at mastering the chopsticks ended with more food on her plate than in her mouth. She put down the chopsticks and rubbed her hand.
“It does require practice, but be careful not to tense up your hand. Just relax.” He took her hand in his and gently rubbed it.
Her eyes widened with surprise and excitement, which she tried to hide. That felt entirely too good. They were only friends, right?!
Suddenly, she jumped up and opened up one of the cupboards. She took down her favorite glass and stuck it into the water dispenser on the refrigerator. She needed some cold water right now.
Then, she sat back down, grabbed her fork and shoveled food into her mouth. She smiled, but avoided his eyes. “Really good,” she said between mouthfuls. “I’m famished.” Too bad she had no idea how anything tasted.
Daniel seemed a bit uncomfortable too. He edged his chair slightly away from her. “I’m glad you liked it. I have to get some rest. I’ve an early class at college tomorrow.” He stood up and went toward his door.
“Daniel,” Vanessa was grateful for the food…and his friendship. She didn’t want to mess things up. “Thanks for cooking tonight. The food is delicious, and, you’re right, it really does taste better with chopsticks. I just need to practice some more.” She offered a conciliatory smile.
“Perhaps I can make more sometime. Well, good night.” Then, he left. Some of that uncomfortableness had left, but he seemed something else.
Vanessa sighed and took another sip of water. Then, sh
e resolutely picked up the chopsticks and worked to eat every last bit with them. The rice was especially hard, but she managed it. Next time Daniel made Chinese food, she determined she would impress him.
Meanwhile, Daniel was downstairs banging his head against the nearest wall. What had he been thinking? He had come on too strong.
Lord, I got ahead of You didn’t I?
He waited a moment for an answer. Then, Are You laughing at me, Lord?
Well, at least if the Lord was laughing at him he couldn’t have done too badly. However, he intended to back off a little for now.
***
Denny woke up with a headache. What day was it? He hadn’t drunk that much in a long time. What was that stuff that pretty girl had given him at the bar? Clean needles. It was good. How much money had he spent? Oh well, another credit card maxed out. He could always get a new one.
He rolled over in his bed and checked his cell for messages. Nothing.
He sat up and rubbed his aching head. He had forgotten something, what was it? Then, he remembered and grabbed his cell again, punching in numbers furiously.
“Leonard! Weren’t you supposed to have something for me by now?!”
“Sorry, boss. They’ve got some new encryption software. It’s taking a longer to break. I’ll try to get you the info later today or tomorrow.”
“You’d better.”
Leonard didn’t reply. He simply ended the connection. Denny wished he could get his hands around the guy’s neck. He had no desire to kill him. He needed him too much. But, he would enjoy watching his face go red and maybe a little blue.
***
The next few days flew by. Vanessa loved church. Each service had an altar call at the end where anyone who wanted to could come to the front and pour out their hearts to the Lord. There was no judgment by anybody. In fact, it was welcomed. People prayed for one another. Loads were lifted, they encouraged one another, and bodies and spirits experienced healing and the power of God.