"What would you like to drink?"
"I really just want water, thank you."
"Will you have the house dressing on your salad or something else?" Why was he asking her every little detail? Was he one of those men that did all the ordering for their dates?
"I like the house dressing. What have you decided on?"
"I'm going to try the pizza, so I'll have something to take home for tomorrow. My sandwiches are getting boring."
His confession brought a tiny smile to Lauren's face. Maybe he was one of those helpless bachelors that couldn't accomplish anything in the kitchen.
The waitress walked up to take their orders, and Jack recited all their selections by himself. The waitress walked off but returned quickly with a glass of unsweetened tea which he left unsweetened.
"Do you always drink water?" He looked at Lauren curiously.
"Yes, in the evenings. Caffeine keeps me awake at night. Do you always drink your tea without sweetener?"
"Always. So you're a creature of habit, chicken parmesan every time. Do you order the same thing everywhere you go? Is this your favorite place to eat?"
"No and no. But I assumed you were familiar with national chains and wanted to try some "local color." If I want Italian on this end of town, this is where I come. Besides, I thought you might like to see the entrance to NAS. There's an interesting aviation museum on the base that's open to the public. The Blue Angels display is particularly impressive. There are four planes suspended in the air as if in formation. Windows surround the ceiling and when the sun streams through and hits the planes, it looks as if they're really flying through the air. People around here are crazy for the Angels."
"I can imagine. I've seen them fly at an exhibition in Houston. Do they have a schedule for around here?"
"Oh, yes. It's a big deal when they fly. The papers will announce it and the show will be in a location where the general public is allowed to go."
"Perhaps you could let me know the next time you hear about it."
"Sure."
Lauren drummed her fingers on the table. She hated to ask him questions about himself. He hadn't asked any about her, but she didn't want to run her mouth the whole dinner either.
Jack watched Lauren's nervous drumming. That girl is uncomfortable with strangers, but she certainly is lovely. Her movements are graceful; her voice is melodic. How could he put her at ease so he could get to know her? If he started talking about himself, she would think he was self-absorbed. He settled on her living arrangements.
"Why are you house-sitting?"
"The couple that owns the house went to India on a mission trip. The man is an eye-doctor and they're doing a tour with a medical mission group. My family has known them for years so they asked me to stay. I usually live with my parents."
Jack was surprised. "How old are you?"
"Twenty-four. How old are you?"
The amused look on her face told him he had blurted that question out without thinking.
"Thirty-one."
"Ah, an old man. And what brings you to teach in Pensacola?"
Could she tell he thought she was young? She was humoring him. Perhaps she was more perceptive than he'd first thought.
"I've never been here before. I wanted a short teaching term somewhere, and this was the first college to offer a position limited to one semester." He shrugged. "And it's near home, close enough to drive."
"You'll only be staying in Pensacola one semester? Why…if you don't mind my asking?"
"I've accepted a six-month stint with a mission organization and it doesn't start until June. I'm going to visit Central America and teach English as a second language. We'll also teach them other skills and evangelize."
Lauren eyed him with ambivalence. "Interesting. When you say evangelize, what do you mean?"
"Introducing people to God, our heavenly Father, Jesus, His Son, and The Holy Ghost, active in spiritual gifts today."
He spouted the litany concisely, as if he was instructing someone.
Yep, he was a philosophy teacher. Dogmatic whether you wanted it or not.
Jack noticed her cooling attitude and wondered if he'd made a mistake about her spiritual condition. "Where do you go to church?" He tried smiling at her.
She returned a polite smile as she gave the name of a church.
"I've visited a few times with my parents. It teaches God, the Father, Jesus, His only Son, and the Holy Spirit."
She appeared to have withdrawn, but Jack didn't understand why. He kept trying to draw her out. "Have you been in church all your life?"
"No, have you?"
"No, I was in high school when my father got saved and took the whole family to church. It changed my life. My entire family is saved now...parents, brothers, and a married sister. Have you got any siblings?"
"No, there's just me."
"You said earlier that you graduated from the college where I'm teaching. What was your major? What are you doing now?"
"Business, but I don't know what I want to do or what I want to be." Lauren took a deep breath as if preparing herself for something unpleasant. "There is nothing in life that interests me. I'm good at everything but excellent at nothing. So, I don't know, and I don't hear God yelling out any answers either." For a moment, the haunted look had left Lauren's eyes. She looked positively fierce.
Jack could see right through the defiance in Lauren's tone. She was deeply hurt by something, even struggling with it. But he wasn't sure what questions to ask to open her up. He decided right then to make Lauren his pet project while he was here. Maybe he could help her sort out her questions. It would be good practice before he went on the mission field.
Their waitress returned with their meal, and Jack waited before responding to her statement. "Why are you in a hurry to finalize every detail of your life?"
Lauren's whole body stiffened with that question. "My house- sitting will soon be over and because of my parents. They wanted me to have a career as soon as I finished college. There just isn't much to do in Pensacola. It's completely devoted to tourism, real estate, and the military. None of which appeals to me. I graduated with a business degree and no business interests with which to put the degree to work."
"Why did you choose a business degree?"
"Oh, I like business. I like understanding how things run. I just don't know which business I'm most interested in. I don't want to manage a restaurant. I don't want to manage a clothing shop in the mall. I hate real estate. I don't know…"
Lauren looked so forlorn that compassion welled up in Jack. This 24 year-old girl was trying to decide her entire future like she was going to be locked to that one decision for the rest of her life. Lord, help me become Lauren's friend and give her support the next few months.
Perhaps it was time to change the subject. "How is your food?"
"Oops, I'm sorry. It's great. Forgive me for complaining. How's your pizza? I hope you like it."
"It's surprisingly delicious. I wasn't sure about this place but you knew what you were doing."
"I wondered when you didn't say anything. Everybody thinks this is a dive until they try the food."
The rest of the meal went more smoothly. Jack told Lauren about his home and family in Texas. She sensed there were things he kept back, but she hadn't revealed all either, so she wasn't too concerned.
She told him about the different shops she used, her favorite dry-cleaner, which supermarket was the best for meat, which one for vegetables, which was the cheapest.
He learned that she loved living on the water but hated swimming in it. She was afraid of sharks.
"What about sailing? I can't wait until it warms enough to go out. Would you go with me?"
"If you promise not to turn the boat over like my best friend did when we were seventeen. We were on a tiny sailboat in the bay, and we had to swim back to shore, fearing whatever might go bump in the murky depths. I was afraid to move my legs."
Jack held up his h
and and pledged. "I solemnly promise to do everything in my power to keep the boat upright. And if it does tip over, you can sit there and wait while I swim back to shore."
Lauren laughed again. It made Jack feel as if he had accomplished something great, to take the sorrow out of her eyes, at least for a little while. She was charming when she forgot her pain. It would be easy to spend the next five months as her friend.
Lauren was the first to look at her watch. "I think we've been sitting here over an hour."
"Oh, of course. Ready to go?"
When she nodded, Jack jumped up to pull out her chair. He had already paid the bill and left a tip on the table so they walked out together.
He put Lauren in her car and said good-night. "I'll follow you home."
"No need. There's a security system, and I go home alone all the time. I'm not afraid. Besides, there's always Skippy to let me know if anyone's there."
He grinned. "Is that a good thing?"
"She's noisy, but I like her. The house would seem too empty without some company."
"Maybe I could come over and keep you company some night. We could watch TV or play a board game."
"Sure. I could fix you dinner to pay you back for tonight. I really enjoyed myself, thank you."
She had the most forlorn expression even though she was trying to smile. Jack was taken aback by the strength of his reaction. He wanted to make her eyes come alive. Right now she was looking at him as if he was a valued friend, and he had the desire to prolong that moment. He leaned down to her window.
"I wouldn't mind some home-cooking. Are you any good? I'm pathetic."
"I know a few things. My Mom did most of the cooking, but sometimes I took over for her. By the way, if you don't want to swim with the sharks, you're welcome to use the pool any time. It's heated…but the air is cold when you get out! Good night." Lauren rolled up her window, and Jack walked to his car.
He followed Lauren all the way back, and she honked her horn when she turned off at her house. Jack continued to his cottage, but he was too restless to sleep so he walked out to the shore to think about the evening.
It was Thursday. Should he wait to see her again until church on Sunday? He had forgotten to ask if she was dating anyone. She might have a boyfriend. She wasn't overtly flirtatious like many girls her age, so he couldn't be sure. Jack finally decided to run into her by chance even if he had to run up and down the beach a lot to "run" into her.
Lauren pondered her new acquaintance as she pulled into the driveway. She had enjoyed her unexpected evening out. Jack was too old to date, but he certainly was handsome. She could just imagine the reaction from the female student body when he walked onto campus as the new instructor. Humanities would definitely get an increase in enrollment.
When she got inside, Lauren turned off the security grid then grabbed a jacket and let Skippy out of the laundry room. The dog headed straight for the back door.
Lauren followed, and they went outside together. The air was chilly, but crisp and clean. Skippy ran down the steps, and Lauren followed after her. The moon and stars were bright this far from the city, so the path was well-lighted after you let your eyes adjust.
While Skippy sniffed around, Lauren looked out at the bay. There weren't any waves, but the current moved the water, making the reflection of the twinkling lights from the stars above look even more fluid in the black water.
She heard the water slap at the pier and stepped up. She rarely ventured out on the pier in the dark when she was alone. There was no railing. If she fell in, there would be no one to save her, but she did want to look down the beach.
Skippy came silently up to Lauren so they turned back toward the house. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement and whirled around. There was someone walking on the beach, and it looked very much like Jack.
"Jack?"
Skippy barked and ran forward to greet the newcomer. "Yeah, it's me, Lauren. I'm going for a moonlight stroll. Care to join me?"
"I'd love to, but if I don't get ready for bed, I won't be able to get up for work in the morning. Goodnight and thanks again for dinner, I enjoyed it."
"You're welcome. You never mentioned a job. What do you do?"
"I work for a marketing firm. Even Pensacola has to have someone to put up billboards."
Jack walked closer as she stepped off the end of the pier and onto the sand. "Would you and your parents be interested in joining me for dinner after church on Sunday?"
"My parents died in an automobile accident about a year ago, right after they started going to church. Good night."
Lauren walked up the steps leading to her house without a backward glance, Skippy close on her heels. She left Jack standing on the beach in the dark with his mouth hanging open.
Chapter 2
Lauren awoke the next morning feeling optimistic. She even spent longer than usual getting ready. Her hair was brushed until it was sleek and shining. Her black pantsuit pressed and smooth. Usually, she just grabbed whatever outfit was first in the closet.
She thought about Jack with anticipation. Perhaps she had finally met someone...? No, she couldn't afford to think that way. He was a Christian, and he was leaving in five months.
After taking taking Skippy out for a quick walk, she left for work. She didn't mention to anyone that she'd met a new professor or that he was living down the beach from her. That would create too much speculation. However, that didn't stop her from thinking about him. Her mind wandered more than once. Ryan Evans had to jog her memory several times.
"Lauren, is everything all right? You seem distracted today."
"Sorry. I'm fine."
She felt a hot flush rise up her neck.
Ryan regarded her with interest then patted her hand. "Well, whatever it is, I'm enjoying that lovely blush."
Lauren dropped her eyes and focused on the file folder in her lap. "Thank you."
Her boss held a soft spot for her. She'd first come to the ad agency as a college intern. When her parents had been killed right before college graduation, Ryan and his wife, Sue, had kept Lauren from falling apart. Ryan had helped her keep her focus on her schoolwork, and Sue had provided emotional support.
When Lauren graduated, Ryan had created a permanent position for her even though her contribution to the company had been practically nil. It had taken months, but a spark of creativity had returned. She had a lot for which to thank him.
He returned to the contemplation of their most pressing campaign. "Where is Peter Wright? I thought he was supposed to bring in market research for the increase in elderly housing. He'll be in Destin all day tomorrow, working with that banker, Donna Jones. I need the information."
"Oh, I saw him this morning. I forgot. He said he'd have it later." Lauren blushed again.
"Is this to be a trend?"
Lauren smiled, shaking her head.
After Ryan reviewed their progress on several accounts, Lauren went to the library to research some statistics. She was assessing the management skills of a national business that wanted to project a new image. Someone else was working on finance, and someone else was reviewing the company's business plan for the future.
When she returned to her office after lunch, there was a message from Peter Wright. "Call my cell phone. Peter."
She rolled her eyes. She didn't know why Ryan liked Peter so much. That man was a blow-hard who breezed through life by using other people's ingenuity as much as possible. She rang his phone.
"Peter Wright."
He sounded so pompous.
"It's Lauren. What's up?"
"Listen, I left that file at home, and I'm booked up all afternoon. Whadya say I run it by your house tonight? I know Ryan wants it."
Lauren smothered a disgusted sigh. "Fine...whatever, but you know that will leave me staying up half the night to determine the correlation for our customers. It's due in the morning."
"Great."
She gave directions to the Jamieson's house th
en hung up. If she was going to be up half the night working, she might as well go home now.
Back at the house, Skippy was frantic to get outside and didn't give Lauren a chance to change her shoes. For once, the winter sun was burning down, so Lauren dropped her shoes and her jacket at the back door and headed out. Before she got off the porch, she saw a note crammed in the door handle.
Dropped by. Got your dog to barking. You can thank me later. Jack
Lauren laughed at Skippy. "Is that why you were so anxious to get outside? Did you hear Jack knocking at the door? Well, he's gone now. You scared him away, you ferocious beast. I'll race you to the bottom…"
Dog and girl went racing down the steps. Skippy, of course, won.
"I think it's cheating not to use the steps, puppy dog. If it wasn't so steep, I'd chase you right down that hill. Come on, let's go up the beach. Maybe Jack will see us and come out to play."
Lauren headed for her favorite spot, glancing up at Jake's cottage as they strolled past, but there was no evidence of activity. She and Skippy continued on.
When they reached the point, Lauren settled in the sand, and Skippy barked at the retreating tide. It was warmer out today, and Lauren pushed up her sleeves and dug her toes in the sand. If she leaned back, she could just about fall asleep out there with the gulls calling and the occasional boat whirring past.
Skippy came up and licked her on the face. Lauren's eyes flew open. "Yuk, dog. Don't you know when someone is resting peacefully?"
She rose, and Skippy started diving at her toes. She rushed forward then ran away trying to get Lauren to chase her.
"I'm going to get you!"
Skippy ran off, and Lauren sailed after her. When she was out of breath, she called to Skippy to stop. "Slow down, dog, you're wearing me out. Let's go back."
At the house, Lauren spent a while picking up. With everything in order, she took a shower and washed out her long hair. When she was completely ready for company, she turned on all the outside lights in the front and the back, including the pool lights. It was an impressive sight in the dark neighborhood.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Skippy barked and danced around the door.
Wind on the Sand (The Winds of God) Page 2