26. Noel
26
Noel
T he text from Addison came in just as Noel had finished putting away his leftovers. He’d spent a good part of the last two days preparing for and meeting with an attorney about his situation, and now that the mess was somewhat out of his hands, he was able to breathe a little easier. His stomach had been in knots since Monday morning, and it was only this evening that he’d gotten a little of his appetite back. What he really craved was something homecooked from Addison’s kitchen, but the food from the Lux Solaris downstairs was good, and he’d eaten more than half of his meal, which was definitely a step in the right direction. He washed and dried his hands and picked up the phone, his chest tightening at her kind words.
He couldn’t continue to ignore her. He was a better man than that. But what could he say to her? What if his attorney, Joyce Patterson, couldn’t fix this for him and he ended up having to leave town with his tail tucked between his legs? Or worse, in handcuffs?
Yes, but what if things did go his way? What if Joyce, who’d assured him he had nothing to worry about, was right, and this would all blow over instead of blowing up? He didn’t want to lose whatever this was between them, and now that he had someone on his team, he needed to try to make amends with this woman who was quickly becoming important to him.
He began tapping in a reply. Thank you. I’ve needed your prayers. But then he erased it all and touched the call button instead. He owed her a phone call after two days of radio silence.
After the third ring, Noel was sure she was just going to let his call go to voicemail. But then, to his great relief, she answered in a breathless voice.
“Hello?”
Just the sound of that single word made his pulse race. “Hey, Addison. It’s Noel.”
“Hi, Noel.” He could hear the questions, the hesitation in her voice, but she only said, “It’s good to hear from you.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he crossed the room to drop into the corner of the plush sofa. “About that,” he began, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing his brow with his free hand. “Forgive me for not calling earlier. I—I have my reasons, but I think they’re probably going to sound like excuses, no matter how I spin them.”
“Noel,” she said, interrupting him when he paused to take a breath. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I’m just glad you’re all right.” She paused, then said, “You are all right, aren’t you?”
Noel hesitated, biting back the automatic “I’m fine,” response that was ready to fly out of his mouth. Instead, he opted for honesty, albeit minus any gory details. “Actually, I’ve been dealing with some serious trouble at work that has consumed my time and energy over the last two days. I feel like I’m just coming up for air for the first time, but it’s only a reprieve. I think things are going to get worse before they get better.”
If they get better.
But he didn’t say that out loud. “Anyway, I’m glad you called,” he added, hoping she wouldn’t push for explanations.
“I’m glad you called,” she corrected, her voice sounding lighter. He thought she might be smiling on the other end of the phone. “I texted. You called.”
“Right. Yes.” He chuckled, then took a deep, slow breath and let it out again. “Your voice is a balm to my soul right now,” he said, and as the words left his lips, he realized just how true it was.
“Oh, good,” she said on an exhale, almost like she’d been holding her breath. “But I’m sorry about the trouble at work. The way you talk about your job makes it seem like such a perfect fit for you.”
He sighed and wondered how much to tell her. As though reading his mind, she continued.
“You don’t have to tell me anything about it. I’m not probing for details. I just want you to know that I am aware how important this job is to you, and I can understand why trouble at work would feel overwhelming. I want you to know that you have someone on your team.” She paused, then added, “I’m here for you. That’s all.”
“Thank you,” he managed to get out around the lump that had risen in the back of his throat. How long had it been since he’d felt certain there was someone at his back besides Aunt Gigi? This was why people had friends, wasn’t it? “That means a lot to me.”
“And not just me,” Addison said, a note of determination in her tone. “My friends have fallen in love with you, too, Noel. You’ve got a group of us rooting for you.”
Too? He let that sink in and smiled. He wasn’t so na?ve to think that Addison had truly fallen in love with him in so short a time, but the idea of it made the pressure in his chest lift a little. The notion also echoed his own thoughts earlier; maybe they hadn’t already fallen in love with each other, but it was definitely possible that they were in the process of falling for each other. Which made his smile broaden.
He hadn’t smiled in two days, and it felt good. “Thank you, Addison,” he said again. “It does my heart good to know that.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, then she said, “Would you like to come over for supper tomorrow night?”
For some reason, her invitation made him want to weep. It felt like she was offering him shelter in a storm, a safe place to land after flying too close to the sun. At Addison’s apartment, he wouldn’t have to worry about running into anyone who knew about John’s charges against him. He wouldn’t have to be constantly looking over his shoulder while sharing a meal with her in the sanctuary of her colorful little home.
He must have paused too long, because she let out a self-conscious little cough and said, “I mean, I understand if you’re busy. I just thought it might be nice to –.”
He cut her off with a decisive, “Yes. Yes, I’d love to see you tomorrow. I’d love to have supper with you. What can I bring?” He was desperate to get out of his apartment, but even more so to see her smiling face again. He’d missed her fiercely.
“Nothing,” she told him, and he could hear the relief in the single word. “You know I cook almost every night, anyway. Um, would you rather have meatloaf or chicken tacos?”
“Wow, options?” He practically hummed with enthusiasm. It had to be moments like this for which the old adage, ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,’ was coined, because a wave of deep appreciation and affection for Addison Wedgewood washed over him at the thought of her preparing a meal for him. It didn’t matter what she cooked, he realized. Just the fact that she wanted to feed him made him warm all over.
They decided on meatloaf; Addison claimed she had a recipe her mother had clipped from a newspaper more than twenty years ago. “Do you remember the basketball player, Penny Hardaway?”
Noel wasn’t much of an athlete himself, but he liked sports, especially basketball. “Absolutely. He’s coaching now. A legend.”
“Yeah, well, this meatloaf is his mother’s recipe, if you can believe it. It’s one of our family favorites.”
“Penny’s mom’s meatloaf recipe. Wow. I can’t wait to try it.”
“And I can’t wait to make it for you. You’ve never had meatloaf like this before.” He could almost picture her rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
They talked for several more minutes, Addison sharing an anecdote from work that made him smile. An elderly gentleman had come to her for help in locating his lost wife. They’d found the grandmotherly woman in the airport’s playroom helping out an overwhelmed mother traveling with three little ones. “By the time I left them, Mr. Chamness was doing silly magic tricks for a rapt audience, and the couple had all but become honorary grandparents to the rowdy bunch. The mom—her name was Nancy—went from crying tears of frustration to tears of joy, especially when they discovered they’d be sharing the same flight.” Addison sighed dreamily when she finished telling the story. “I just love it when I can help people who really need it.”
Noel marveled at how much pleasure this woman got out of what most folks would consider a mundane job. He knew it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for her. He'd seen her face that day he and Barb had exited the plane together, her initial reaction when Barb had greeted her. He'd seen her pull herself together and put on a brave face so she could be engaging with them. In spite of the difficult days, she was the kind of person who seemed to find the good in situations, in people, that others typically overlooked.
When they said goodnight a short while later, Noel was surprised to discover how much better he felt. His shoulders had relaxed and the tightness in his chest had let up. He took a few long, slow breaths and reveled in the sensation of peace that washed over him. “Thank you, God,” he murmured, letting his head rest against the back of the sofa and closing his eyes. The relief he felt just being able to talk to someone other than himself at the end of the day was palpable, but to have someone like Addison Wedgewood as that ‘someone’ made it so much more than just relief. She lit something up inside of him, something that made him feel valued, like he was more than just the man in the suit behind the numbers. He had a feeling she had that affect on just about everyone who came in contact with her.
Did he make her feel valued, treasured, in the same way?
He pondered the question as he got ready for bed. He, in fact, had done just the opposite, hadn’t he? By not responding to her attempts to engage with him until now, he’d surely made her feel unimportant, or even expendable. Not valued. Not treasured. By not even acknowledging her with a quick text to let her know he’d received hers was unpardonable. How much more selfish could he get?
By the time he’d showered and slid between his sheets, he was determined to do everything he could to make sure she knew what an amazing person she was.
The next morning began with a phone conference with his attorney. “Do not leave town,” she advised him when he suggested he might go back to Bald Knob for a few days. “The only reason I’m not pushing for you to return to the office is that they’re essentially giving you paid leave. But I’ve requested a written statement from then that this time away from the office is not a disciplinary action. If they haven’t sent it to me by the end of the day, you’re going back to work tomorrow morning, understand?”
That made sense to him. Honestly, he’d rather be busy working than spending the long hours of his days pacing the confines of his suite.
“Depending on what that statement says, even if they assure me that it’s not a disciplinary action, I may insist that they send Mr. Sheridan home and have you return to work. If he is the one requesting that he not have to interact with you, then he should be the one on leave, not you.”
Noel had worked with Joyce on a few other cases in the past, but never had he hired her as his personal defense attorney. He’d never had a need to before now. She was part of a firm the resort contracted with, and although her services were quite expensive, he was confident in her ability to cut to the chase with his situation. It was why he’d refused to sign anything on Monday that Human Resources had given him. He wasn’t going to do anything more to jeopardize his position, one that he wanted to keep more than anything, now that he’d talked to Addison. If Joyce told him to jump, he’d ask her how high. If she said to stay put, he’d stay put.
As soon as he got off that phone call, he tapped in a quick text to Addison. Feel like meeting me for lunch today? He’d take her anywhere she wanted to go, even if it meant eating from one of the vendor kiosks at the small airport. I’m off today and can pick you up, he added. He hadn’t told her about his paid leave the night before, and he didn’t want her to worry that she’d be inconveniencing him.
I’d love to, came her reply a moment later. I take lunch from 1-2. Will that work for you?
He’d already checked out a few restaurants close to the airport; he wanted them to have enough time to enjoy a meal without having to rush through it. He’d landed on a Cantonese restaurant, having recalled that, during a conversation out at the Garden Gate Guesthouse over the weekend, she’d said one of her favorite comfort food meals was pan fried noodles and pork dumplings.
He arrived at the airport well before one, armed with another potted plant, this time, a young peace lily that sported lush green leaves and white-tipped spears shooting straight up out of the middle of it. “It’s just getting ready to bloom,” the woman at the flower shop had explained when she’d recommended the plant to him. “Each of these flowers should last for months.”
Noel had explained to her that the recipient was new to keeping plants, but the florist had assured him the species was easy to maintain. “And it’s a lovely gift for a friend. Peace lilies are all about harmony and hope, and of course, peace. In some cultures, it’s symbolic of restoring balance after difficult times, of finding beauty in life.”
He’d dressed carefully, wishing the dark circles under his eyes weren’t so prominent, and took more care than usual to get his hair under control. He really needed a haircut; maybe he’d get that done this afternoon since he was in Evansville already. He’d found a no-nonsense barber downtown near the River Walk who managed to cut his hair exactly the way he wanted it with very little direction.
When he stepped up to the sliding glass door of the terminal at 12:50 pm, Addison was standing at the check-in counter talking animatedly to her coworker. Natalie, he thought Addison had said was her name, was grinning and nodding in response to whatever Addison was saying.
They both turned and looked at him as the door swooshed open and he stepped inside, the blast of warm air in the terminal a relief from the brisk breeze that had picked up that morning. The weather channel was forecasting rain and possibly sleet tomorrow, but today was still clear, albeit crisp, with only a few cotton ball clouds dotting the sky.
One of Addison’s hands went to her mouth at the site of him and his plant, making him smile. Beside her, Natalie pursed her lips and nodded, as if to say “Well done, sir. Well done.”
In fact, when he approached the counter, she did say, “Well, look who knows when to show up bearing gifts,” in a tone that made him realize that she likely knew he had some making up to do.
He carefully set the heavy ceramic pot on the counter. “I come bearing a white flag,” he said. He was prepared to go all out to make things right. “I’m sorry about the last two days, Addison. This is a peace lily.”
“Isn’t that a funeral flower?” Natalie asked, one eyebrow raised suspiciously.
“Nat,” Addison said with a quick sideways glance at her friend. But she reached out and ran a fingertip over the shiny surface of one of the leaves.
A slight flush crept up Noel’s neck and he could feel his cheeks warm at Natalie’s not-so-subtle challenge, but he recognized the mama bear in her for what it was. “I suppose it could be,” he said agreeably. “They’re symbolic of healing and hope.” He turned and locked gazes with Addison. Without looking away from her, he touched one of the taller blooms that was almost completely unfurled. “It’s called a Peace Lily because it looks like its waving white flags of peace.” He smiled softly, hoping she perceived even a small measure of his sincerity.
“Nice,” Natalie said, nodding again. She cleared her throat when Addison didn’t speak.
“Wow. It’s beautiful,” Addison gushed self-consciously, her cheeks coloring prettily. She tucked a curl behind her ear and lifted her eyes to Noel’s. “Is it—is it for me?”
Natalie chuckled softly and nudged her with a hip. “It’s not for me, woman.” Then she wrapped her arms around the pot and carried it over to her own station. “But I’ll plant-sit for you while you’re at lunch. Get out of here, you two.”
On their way out of the airport parking lot, Addison had introduced Noel to Arnie Bowman, the author he knew as Arnold Archer. The man had been exceedingly gracious and humble, had promised he’d sign his books at Noel’s request, then another car had pulled in behind them, forcing them to move along. They’d spent the rest of the short drive to the restaurant talking about Arnie, both of them waxing poetically about how remarkable the man and his stories were.
The food at The Cantonese Palace was just as delicious as the online reviews claimed it to be, but then his enjoyment of it might have had more to do with the company he was with. Addison sat across from him making pleasant sounds of appreciation with each bite of her food, making him grin with satisfaction as he watched her wholeheartedly enjoy her meal. She had removed her uniform shirt to reveal a square-necked lightweight sweater the color of deep water. He couldn’t say for sure if it was more blue than green or the other way around, but it hugged her voluptuous curves in a pleasantly distracting way.
He wondered if she liked what she saw when she looked at him.
His conversation with Joyce that morning had heartened him considerably, and although he still didn’t feel like dragging out his dirty laundry for Addison to see, he found it surprisingly easy to give her a few pertinent details. “My position was created to relieve some of the task load from my coworker. Understandably, he’s felt challenged by my presence. Were I in his shoes, I, too, would wonder if my company thought I wasn’t capable of performing my duties. I can see why he might worry about my presence.”
“You sound very sympathetic,” Addison responded, her brow furrowed like she was trying to understand.
“I’ve tried to be,” Noel continued, shaking his head slowly, a coil of shame twisting in his gut. “But he hasn’t exactly been receptive.”
“Ah.” She took another bite of sticky rice. She didn’t say more.
“I think he’s been looking for something to pin on me since I first got here, and last week, I gave him what he wanted.” He shrugged and looked down at his nearly empty plate, then lifted his gaze back to meet hers. He didn’t want to withhold the truth about his actions to her; she needed to know what she was getting into, if she was going to, as she put it, ‘be on his team.’ “I lashed back at him and he recorded it. There’s really nothing I can do to deny what I said to him.”
Addison put down her fork, her brows drawn together in concern. “That sounds awful, Noel. The whole situation, I mean. That you’ve been under this kind of pressure all this time? No wonder you let off some steam.”
Noel grimaced. “That’s a nice way of putting it. My coworker is calling it harassment and verbal assault and threats of violence and a hostile work environment. There were a few other choice phrases, too.”
Addison reached across the table and touched the back of his hand. “Hostility and violence? That doesn’t sound like you at all, Noel. I mean, I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I just don’t see any of that in you.”
Noel turned his hand over and wrapped his fingers around hers. “Thank you, Addison. I wish you knew how much it means to me to hear you say that.” He looked her in the eye, needing her to grasp the seriousness of the situation. He was tired of talking about it, of thinking about it, but it wasn’t fair to her to let her think John’s accusations were completely unfounded. “But I hope you know that everyone has a breaking point. I mean, I wasn’t violent,” he amended quickly. “And I didn’t assault him, not even verbally. But I certainly wanted to.”
Addison made a quiet scoffing sound. “We’ve all had visions of punching people in the throat.”
Her response, made so matter-of-factly, caught him by surprise, and he laughed. “Surely not you, Miss Wedgewood.”
“Oh, surely me, indeed,” she declared, straightening in her seat and squaring her shoulders. But she didn’t withdraw her hand from his. “Why, just the other day, this guy made plans to take me to the movies, then he ghosted me. And that was even after I offered to cook supper for him,” she said in a dramatic tone, pressing her free hand to her sternum. “A jackanape. A ne’er-do-well. A blackguard,” she declared. “Believe me, I entertained a few visions about what I’d do to him if he happened to show up at my ticket counter again.”
“Clearly deserving of a throat punch,” Noel uttered in mock horror. He knew what she was doing, moving the conversation away from the unsettling situation he was in, and he squeezed her fingers in silent appreciation. “I’m glad you’ve moved on from that guy. He sounds like a real… what did you call him? A ne’er-do-well? Jackanape?”
Addison giggled like she was going to continue the silly banter, but then pressed her lips together in a gentle smile. “All kidding aside, Noel, that’s not who you are. A jackanape, I mean. Nor do I believe, for even one moment, that you are anything your coworker has accused you of. I’m sorry you’re in this situation, and I can see that it’s really gotten to you.” She leaned forward and reached across the table for his other hand, then clutched both of his, hard. “If there is anything I can do to help out in any way, I’m here.”
Noel nodded slowly, for a moment overwhelmed by her vehemence. Just then, a waiter approached their table, and Noel let go of Addison’s hands. “Everything is delicious,” he told the smiling young man who asked if they were enjoying the food.
They ordered another pot of jasmine tea and a plate of almond cookies to share, and for a few moments after their server cleared away their dirty dishes, they sat in silence, the fragrance of the hot tea swirling between them.
Finally, Noel said, “You’re doing it, Addison. Being here with me, I mean. Yesterday at this time, I felt like the loneliest man in the world,” he admitted. “I was ashamed to talk to anyone, and I didn’t know what to say to you.”
“Am I really so scary?” she asked softly. She picked up her small porcelain tea cup and blew over the surface of it before taking a sip.
Noel gave her an exaggerated rueful look. “Well, you just admitted that you wanted to punch me in the throat.”
“I did not,” she retorted, rolling her eyes. “I said I entertained visions of what I’d do to you the next time I saw you.”
“And what, exactly, were those visions, if they weren’t about committing bodily harm against me?” he asked, then took a sip of his own tea, his eyes fixed on her face over the rim of his cup. Was she blushing? Or was it just the temperature of the delicious drink?
Addison set her cup down and shrugged. “Honestly?”
“Honestly,” he insisted.
“I was worried you’d been injured and were languishing in some hospital somewhere with no friends or family to visit you. Of course, I imagined your phone had been lost or destroyed in whatever tragic accident had befallen you—”
“Languishing? Befallen me?” Noel grinned at her. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use phrases like that outside of a book before. Or jackanape, either, for that matter.”
Addison gave him a narrow-eyed look. “Well, my dearest friends are books, or the characters in them. How else am I supposed to speak?”
“I like the way you speak, Miss Wedgewood. So refined.” She really was blushing. “So elegant.”
“Thank you,” she quipped, a pleased smile spreading across her face. She bit her bottom lip, then said, “I’m glad no tragic accident has befallen you, by the way.”
“I am, too. If it had, I wouldn’t be here sharing this amazing meal with you.” He held her gaze and added, “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be right now.”
“Nor I,” she said, blinking, but not looking away.