21. Chapter 21
Chapter 21
H igh hopes were difficult to stifle, and that was definitely true when my love interest asked to spend a weekend with me. Granted, it wasn’t a weekend alone, but there would still be plenty of opportunities for alone time. Any man who invites a woman he’s dating on a weekend away must have at least considered, and maybe even counted on, the possibility of romance or intimacy. Maybe both .
It was with those hopeful thoughts that my parents and I arrived in Duluth on Friday morning. After driving to their suburban home in North Oaks on Thursday night, I’d gone to bed early so we could be on the road by 6 o’clock.
As the harbor came into view, I was struck, as always, by its beauty. Somehow even the dusty industrial scene created by the shipyards and rails could scarcely mar the allure of the pristine lake, the seagulls circling near, the historic lighthouse, and even a glimpse of a ship or two far off in the distance. Duluth had always held a special place in my heart, and despite many prior visits, each time I felt as though I was witnessing the beauty of the lake for the first time. Earlier in my life, I’d considered moving there, but it was too risky because my beloved Duluth might lose its magic if I saw it every day—if I did such dull things as work and shop for groceries there. No, I’d decided, Duluth would remain my favorite getaway; I couldn’t and wouldn’t give that up.
At the hotel, just a block from the great thawing Lake Superior, we checked into our rooms and received a packet of materials for the convention. Not the Four Seasons, but it was more than comfortable and tastefully decorated. After unpacking a few essentials in my room, I sat on the bed and opened the brochure containing the schedule. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I realized the first session was starting soon. I’d arranged to meet my parents at their suite to walk down to the conference rooms together. Scanning over the brochure listing the sessions available this morning, I circled a few possibly interesting ones before standing and gathering my bag and a water bottle.
As I found a seat in the main convention room, I was vaguely aware of my parents conversing with a nearby couple. Looking around, I smiled, feeling very grown up and, well, professional. As much as I loved my work-from-home job and the rarity of required social events, there was something about being surrounded by people in the literary community and publishing industry. These people had made it. Maybe I could too. I was, after all, well on my way to becoming a real novelist.
But my enthusiasm faltered by lunchtime, when I hadn’t seen or heard from Gregory at all. I tried calling and texting him but received no response. It wasn’t that strange that I wouldn’t run into him at a large convention, and I had no idea which sessions he was attending. Still, the lack of any response to my messages was worrisome, especially since he was typically so attached to his phone.
Forgiveness was imminent, however, when I received Gregory’s text in the middle of the afternoon, apologizing for the delay and requesting that I attend the dinner reception with him.
A wave of relief washed over me. He wasn’t avoiding me. He was just busy. What mattered was that he wanted me —me!— by his side at this reception. That in itself was pretty significant, given how important these functions are for networking, especially for someone like Gregory for whom professional networks were everything.
In the meantime, I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon sessions, having never attended such a convention before. The session on AI-based editing left me feeling nervous about the future of my chosen line of work. The upside was I walked away feeling even more resolved to get serious about my writing. Acknowledging I’d had plenty of inspiration, I could admit I hadn’t devoted enough time to my novel.
At the following session, I encountered my father and tried not to laugh at his ridiculous mustache disguise.
“Dad! I mean, Dr. Carroll. So nice to see you here,” I said, hoping I’d used the correct fake name.
“Well, it appears we have similar taste in literary topics,” he said with a wink. “I wonder where that came from.”
We linked arms and settled into the few open seats, near the back of the room. I whispered, “Where’s Mom?” Even though my mother was a scientist, she often attended literary conventions with her husband and even claimed to enjoy them, though their literary tastes often diverged. Fortunately, she wasn’t widely recognized outside the U of M academic community, so she didn’t wear a disguise. Still, my habit was to be discreet when it came to my parents.
“She’s at the session next door. Nature writing or some such topic that sounded dreadfully boring to me.” He flashed a toothy grin. “You’ll see her at the reception tonight though—that is, are you planning to go?”
“I am,” I replied and then frowned as I considered how much to reveal. Should I introduce Gregory to my parents? It was probably too soon, especially given that my father valued anonymity at events like this. At the same time, I wasn’t sure when another such opportunity to introduce them would arise; I didn’t even know how long Gregory was going to stay in town with Brandon. For that matter, I knew next to nothing about what Gregory was even doing in town.
As my father looked at me with curiosity, I realized I’d spaced out. “Sorry, I was just thinking. I’d kind of like you to meet Gregory, the guy I mentioned, but it’s so early in our … dating, I guess you would call it. This is going to sound silly, but … you’re my dad, so it’s OK, right? I was wondering if maybe we could arrange a so-called chance encounter, so it doesn’t seem all weird that I planned it in advance.” I looked at my father with pleading eyes.
He stared at me for a moment, and the corners of his eyes crinkled deeply as he smiled. “Understood. I’d love to meet anyone you deem worthy of introducing to us, and I promise not to make things awkward.”
I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “Dad, you’re just the best. You do know that’s, like, exactly what any daughter wants to hear, right?”
My father chuckled. “Oh, I’ve had a bit of experience with this sort of thing. You and your sister have a lot in common, you know, more than either of you will ever admit.”
I groaned at the recollection that I still hadn’t called Lillian back after weeks of texts and calls. I made a mental note: Call sister and apologize profusely (bring chocolates?) .
I arrived at the evening reception dinner alone, having asked my father to meet me later on. My mother wasn’t feeling well, so my father would be attending solo, but he had a few trusted colleagues at the event, so he’d have others to talk to.
With my heart racing, I took a deep breath and entered the reception hall, looking around for the enigmatic man who had invited me.
As I surveyed the room, I heard a deep, polite voice behind me, “Viviana, it is nice to see you.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I whirled around. His generic greeting was less than impressive, but all rational thoughts fled as my eyes landed on him. Somehow, he was more gorgeous, more intriguing than ever. His full lips were curled in a slight smile, which was uncommon for him. The man shouldn’t be allowed to smile , I thought desperately as I wiped my damp palms lightly on my dress. As if he weren’t already handsome enough when he was sulking—now I have to deal with a smile?
At a loss for words, or at least any words that would make sense, I nodded as I returned the smile and let him lead me to a nearby table toward the back of the room.
Even more miraculous than his almost-smile, he made attempts at small talk for a few minutes. Like him, I wasn’t a big fan of small talk, but knowing that he would try, for me , warmed my heart. Remarking upon the weather being cool so close to the lake or the quality of the coffee was certainly preferable to his usual stony silence.
After we chatted about the day’s events, he explained he’d been tied up not only with multiple sessions but also with some business issues that he needed to assist Brandon with. I bristled at the unwelcome news that Brandon was in attendance. But it was only natural that he would attend this conference, given his business, so I vowed to myself that I’d remain cordial if I encountered him, at least when Gregory was around.
When the main speaker took the stage in the front of the room, we were spared the small talk for a while. I took the opportunity to study Gregory out of the corner of my eye; he seemed not to notice, listening intently to the speech.
Shortly after the speech, my father wandered over to our seats. “Viv!” he said, his eyes wide. “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you here tonight. Your mother turned in early. Join me for dinner, sweetie?”
Greeting my father, I attempted to appear surprised about the encounter as well, and Gregory looked between me and my father with interest.
Before either of us could respond, my father added, “I hope I’m not interrupting—you can just tell me if I am.”
Still unsure about the situation even though we’d planned this so-called interruption, I began, “Well—”
Rising, Gregory cut in. “Of course not, sir. Please join us.” He glanced at me expectantly, and I stood as well.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, biting my lower lip. “Gregory, this is my father. Dad, this is Dr. Gregory Fitzgerald. Gregory, is it all right if my dad joins us for a while? I haven’t seen him all day,” I lied.
The men shook hands, and Gregory professed himself happy to have my father join us. As we sat down, I eyed Gregory, surprised that he seemed so pleased at my father’s appearance. I grudgingly acknowledged there was plenty of time for alone time, er, romance, later after the event. I should celebrating the fact that he wanted to meet my parents already. This must mean we’re really dating , I thought, knowing I shouldn’t.
I tried to quickly think of a casual way to break the ice, but before I could even begin, Dad and Gregory were already starting a conversation about the publishing industry. My father hadn’t exactly been explicit about his identity, but it didn’t seem to prevent either of them from engaging in a detailed discussion of literary trends and developments.
With a sigh of relief, I relaxed in my chair and smiled. Introducing them had been so easy. But after dinner was served and I’d devoured most of it, I began to wonder if they’d forgotten I was there. I tried to insert myself into their conversation, though their topics of discussion were mostly beyond my expertise.
I might as well be invisible.
Although my father noticed at times that I was uncomfortably quiet and tried to steer the conversation toward more general topics, Gregory seemed intent on their original more niche topic, which at the time was the revival of an imprint I’d never heard of.
When Gregory eventually rose to greet an important acquaintance he spotted a few tables away, he promised to return promptly and bring back champagne for me. My expression forlorn, I stared at him as he walked away.
Dad turned to me, his brow wrinkled. “Are you all right, sweetie? His background is impressive, but he … I’m not sure what to make of him.”
I slowly forced my gaze away from Gregory and looked down at my hands. “I’m fine. The conversation was a bit beyond me, but that’s OK.” I met my dad’s eyes and did my best to look unaffected. “I kind of expected that to happen at a convention like this, where I’m clearly out of my element. Still, it’s interesting to listen.”
My father gave me a doubtful look but said no more, to my immense relief. Certainly I had doubts about Gregory, like, all the time , but everyone had flaws, right? Doting fathers didn’t usually want to acknowledge that inevitable fallibility when their daughter is dating a flawed person.
It doesn’t help that no one can live up to my sister’s perfect example .
My grimace turned into a tentative smile as Gregory returned, sitting down quickly. I greeted him with a tentative smile. His piercing eyes landed on me briefly, and he hastily apologized for forgetting my drink but didn’t offer to remedy his mistake. Before I could reply, he turned to my father and initiated another conversation about a literary topic that I knew nothing about. I sighed and pulled out my phone, resigning myself to my lonely fate for the evening. I probably wouldn’t know anyone else at this event, and I neither enjoyed nor excelled at mingling with complete strangers.
As I doom-scrolled with little interest, I occasionally looked up or listened to bits of their conversation. Both seemed very engaged; indeed, they were discussing some of my father’s books now. If I hadn’t known better, I’d think Gregory had done research on my father before this evening. But that couldn’t be, as I’d never revealed my father’s identity before. If Gregory was aware now, it was only because of their conversation, surely. I returned my attention to my phone, yawning as I scrolled mindlessly. I thought about all the things I’d rather be doing in Duluth, like visiting the rose garden or the historic Glensheen Mansion and its sweeping grounds, where I liked to imagine myself strolling and living a hundred years ago. Or wandering around in the cute little shops on Canal, ordering lunch from the boat-shaped restaurant down by the water, running on the lakewalk—I could never run out of blissful things to do in Duluth. Speaking of running, I wondered what Jack was up to this weekend . I almost texted him but held back.
Fortunately or not, after they’d talked for an hour or so—it felt like hours to me—my father left to go speak to some acquaintances he’d spotted, so his conversation with Gregory ended. Finally. I turned to Gregory with what I hoped was a cheerful smile, intending to start a conversation about the keynote speaker.
Before I could begin, Gregory spoke, his face unreadable. “Viviana, I need to turn in early this evening, as I have a very early meeting with an acquaintance tomorrow before the opening sessions.”
“Oh, I—that’s fine,” I lied. “Will you walk me back to my room? I’m feeling a bit tired myself.”
Not tired so much as bored or… defeated, but he doesn’t need to know that .
“Yes, I can oblige if you will wait here for a moment. I need to speak to Brandon before we depart.” He inclined his head to the left. “He is just over there, I believe, so it will not be long.”
I nodded as he stood and sought out Brandon. I breathed a sigh of relief, at least, that Gregory wouldn’t be bringing him over to greet me. The last thing I needed tonight was to deal with my close friend’s cheating boyfriend. If they were even still together. I hoped not. I was still angry with Annie, but I wanted better for my friend than him . How was it possible that the affable Brandon was now the bad guy and the moody Gregory was the good guy? Well, potentially good.
True to his word, Gregory returned in just minutes, and we walked to my room in silence. With his brisk, long strides, I had to nearly jog to meet his pace.
“You’re quiet now,” I ventured. “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
When we reached my door, I pulled out my room key card, still debating about whether to invite him in—that is, whether to do something crazy and probably desperate but maybe worth it. Before I could lose my nerve (if not now, when?), I blurted out, “Would you like to come in?”
He blinked in surprise and then, with a blank expression, shook his head. “I cannot. I must prepare for tomorrow’s meeting and rest.”
“Oh, right,” I murmured. “Well, maybe tomorrow then …”
When he didn’t respond, my cheeks grew rosier. “I mean, we’ll see.”
Please, floor, just swallow me up .
He eyed me strangely then, apparently oblivious that I’d been flirting or propositioning him. Suddenly, the realization seemed to dawn, and he studied the floor. “Ah … I am sorry. It has been a long day. Please understand. Indeed, I hope we will meet again tomorrow.”
Rarely did Gregory ever sound awkward—at least not the nervous kind of awkward—so he must be sincere; the long day must have affected him. Still, I just stood there, pulling my lips between my teeth.
His dark eyes hinted at growing impatience, but he seemed to realize that something was expected of him then, so he abruptly dipped his head and pecked me on the cheek. “Thank you for accompanying me this evening and for introducing me to your father. It was a rather enlightening talk, and I enjoyed it very much.”
“I’m glad.” I moistened my lips, which he glanced at only briefly. “Well, I’ll let you go back to your room now. I … I hope to see you tomorrow.”
He nodded and turned down the hall toward the elevator.
Of course he’d be on the top-floor penthouse suite or something like that .
My room was only on the second floor, so we’d taken the stairs.
But as resentful as I felt about some of our interactions this evening, I couldn’t help but stare at him as he approached the elevator. His was such a fine male form, and even with a view only from behind, it was so easy to forget everything else. Especially with a view from behind.