9. Emily and Charlie
Leaving early, Anne decided she had time to stop by the wood shop. She opened the door to find Mr. Hamilton carving at his worktable in the back.
“Hello!” He waved at her.
“I’m on my way home. My girls are coming to town today. I wanted to bring them by the shop, but I wasn’t sure when you would be around this weekend.”
“Hon, I will be here the whole weekend. You can come by any time. If the door’s locked, just ring the buzzer. I’d love to meet your girls.”
“Have you heard from Gram, I mean, Mrs. Gherring?”
He smiled. “Yes, she came by today.”
“I think I got her in trouble with her grandson. He figured out we were plotting to find him a wife.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry about Mrs. Gherring. Steven Gherring is no match for that woman. No one is.”
“Yes, you’re probably right. I haven’t known her for long, but she seems to get her way.”
“So, I’ll see you sometime this weekend.”
“Sure thing. See you soon.”
* * *
Anne beather girls to the apartment by twenty minutes, just enough time to change clothes and pick up the apartment. She ran downstairs to surprise the girls, who thought they would beat her home. She was pacing in the lobby when the taxi pulled up outside. Anne ran outside as the girls spilled out of the car with lots of hugs and laughing. Chaos ensued as bags were hauled from the car and Emily had to go back and pay the taxi driver. Antonio came out to meet them and help with luggage.
Once inside the lobby, Rayna joined the crew.
Anne started the introductions. “This is Emily, this is Charlie, and this is Rayna and this is Antonio.”
“Antonio looks just like you described him,” said Charlie.
Emily piped in, “I understand my mom has been interfering in your lives. Sorry about that. We just can’t control her.”
Rayna said, “No, it’s okay. I was clueless before your mom came.”
“Yes, Rayna didn’t even know I was alive before Anne started working on her,” said Antonio.
“Mom, why are you home early? I thought you had a lot of work to do on that PowerPoint for Switzerland.”
Anne looked like she was about to burst. “We’ve got tickets to see Parsimonious and the Proper Wizard tonight. Mr. Gherring got them for us.”
All three girls started jumping around, while Rayna and Antonio chuckled.
“Something tells me you’re a little excited about this,” said Rayna.
Anne explained, “We weren’t planning to see anything really popular. We were just going to see what we could get on the cheap tomorrow. But all three of us were dying to see Parsimonious. Mr. Gherring surprised me with the tickets and let me off early.”
“Hmmm,” said Charlie teasingly. “That was suspiciously nice of him. What did you do for him?”
Everyone laughed but Anne, who felt her cheeks heating. “Charlie, stop it. You’re going to make Rayna and Antonio think bad things about me.”
“Oh Mom,” chuckled Emily. “You still haven’t learned to take a joke.”
“I can’t believe how much you guys look alike—all three of you,” said Rayna. “Your hair is different, but your faces…”
“Yes, you obviously inherited your beauty from your mom,” said Antonio. “I was trying to get her to go out with me when she got here. That’s why she hooked me up with Rayna. She was trying to get rid of me.” He winked at Anne.
“I’m hoping I still look that good when I’m Mom’s age.” Charlie turned to her mom. “Not that you’re old or anything—”
“Too late—you already called me old. But we’ll see tomorrow who’s old when I out-climb you at the gym.”
Charlie rolled her eyes. “Mom, I hate to tell you, but you aren’t going to out-climb me.”
“You guys should go get ready if you’re going to a seven o’clock play. It’s five fifteen already,” said Antonio.
Anne headed up the elevator with the girls and their luggage. The girls exclaimed over the cute apartment and the view from the window. Charlie walked around looking at the photographs.
“Mom, you have seven pictures of Emily and only six of me.”
“You can just give me a new framed picture for Christmas to even it out.”
“I think the pictures are fine just the way they are. You shouldn’t change a thing,” Emily declared, surveying the pictures for herself. “You turned one of mine backwards.”
“I was just making it fair.”
After downing some tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, the girls got dressed for the play. “Should we dress up?” asked Charlie.
“I’ve been told you’ll see all kinds of clothes at the play—the whole gamut, from jeans to cocktail dresses. I say wear something nice and warm, but not a dress. We’ll take the subway, so we’ll do some walking.”
“Are you sure you know where to go? Which subway to take?” asked Emily.
“None of us can navigate worth a flip, so I vote we just leave early and plan on getting lost,” laughed Charlie.
“My plan exactly,” Anne agreed.
“I, however, planned ahead,” said Emily. “I already downloaded a subway app for my phone.”
“Ha!” said Charlie. “You’ll probably get us more lost with the app than without it.”
* * *
They found the theater easily,stopping strangers to ask for directions and only making one wrong turn. Parsimonious did not disappoint.
“Didn’t you just love the costumes?” asked Anne.
“I liked the knight,” said Charlie. “He was so swoonworthy.”
“I don’t know,” said Emily. “I liked him before, when he was a troll.”
“The troll was hideous.” Charlie gave her sister a poke with her elbow.
“No, Emily may be right,” argued Anne. “After a while, when you really got to know the troll, you found out how sweet he was. He just got more and more good-looking, even before he magically transformed into a knight.”
“And the troll was strong and masculine,” said Emily. “Once he transformed, he looked kind of wimpy.”
“It doesn’t matter. Did you see the playbill picture of the knight? He was hot!” said Charlie.
“Actually,” said Emily, “I can’t believe we’re arguing about this. It isn’t real. We’re arguing over who was better looking—a make-believe knight or a man in a troll costume.”
“I think people were staring at us during the play,” said Anne.
“When?” asked Emily.
“Probably in the scene where all three of us were sobbing,” said Charlie.
“Ha!” Emily chuckled. “Which time?”
That comment got all three of them laughing, so they took a minute to catch their breaths.
“Okay, where to next?” asked Anne.
“You’re the New Yorker. You tell us where to go.”
“We should go to Times Square, and then I’ll take y’all up to that bar at the top of the Marriott where Henri took me after the gala.”
“Okay, but we have to sit at a different table,” said Charlie. “I can’t sit at the table where some guy kissed my mom.”
“Be nice or I’ll tell you all the gory details,” said Anne.
“Ewww! Yuck! Please, no details,” laughed Emily.
* * *
A quick cabride to Times Square and the girls were standing in the middle of the intersection, surrounded by throngs of people, huge digital images, and light shows.
“It’s so much cooler than on TV,” said Charlie.
“It’s almost a sensory overload,” said Emily. “I think I’ll like it better from above than when we’re in the middle of it.”
“Still, we need to get our picture.” Charlie pulled out her phone and flagged down a friendly bystander to take a snapshot of the three girls together in Times Square. Charlie immediately posted it on the web, and they started walking toward the Marriott. As they approached the hotel, Anne noticed several limousines lined up.
“I bet we might see someone famous if we wait a minute.”
“Mom, you probably wouldn’t even recognize someone famous if they came out. You’re so clueless. You didn’t even recognize Steven Gherring when you interviewed with him,” said Emily.
“But I have y’all here for that.” Anne argued. “Let’s just wait a bit.”
“Okay,” said Charlie. “I’ll keep my phone out and snap a picture if we see someone good.”
Two couples came out of the hotel. Charlie swore one of the women looked familiar, but the couples turned and walked past them toward Times Square.
“See, they’re nobody. Let’s go inside,” said Emily.
“Fine,” said Anne. “You’re no fun.”
They walked into the lobby, grateful to be warmer.
“I’m going to the restroom.” Charlie grabbed Emily’s arm. “You have to come with me.”
“But I don’t need to go—”
“I can’t go by myself.”
She pulled her sister along beside her. Anne stood leaning against a pillar in the lobby while waiting for the girls. Suddenly, she saw a familiar form at the top of the large padded staircase. It was Steven Gherring. And he was with Sharon Landry.
Anne slipped behind the pillar to hide herself, hoping no one could hear her thundering heartbeats. There was one lone reporter at the lobby entrance who snapped a picture of the couple as they descended. Gherring was magnificent in his tux. Sharon looked stunning in a long black evening dress with fish-scale sequins. When she moved, the dress looked shiny and molten. She clung to Gherring’s arm as they conversed, his head bent toward hers. At the bottom, Gherring took her coat and helped her put it on before they exited the lobby. Anne couldn’t take her eyes off the two of them. At the door, Gherring stopped for a moment and looked over his shoulder in her direction. She slipped behind the pillar and held her breath. When she peeked around again, they were outside. She felt slightly sick when she saw him put his arm around Sharon as they walked to the waiting limo.
What on earth was wrong with her? Why didn’t she just speak to Gherring? But she knew the answer. She didn’t want Steven Gherring to see the two of them side by side, to be able to compare them. She could never compete with a woman like Sharon Landry. Hadn’t she known that? Hadn’t she handpicked Sharon to be a perfect match for Steven? She found herself hoping Sharon had some unseen flaw. Maybe she had bad breath. Maybe her knees creaked like the stepsister in the Cinderella movie. No, Steven deserved to be happy. Anne needed to stop being selfish and hope Sharon would be just the right woman for Steven.
“You look kind of white, Mom. Are you okay?” Emily asked as they returned.
“I’m fine. I think I’m a little dehydrated. Let’s go on up to the top. No one important is coming down the stairs.”
* * *
When they enteredthe top floor bar, the girls were thrilled with the view.
“This is a romantic spot.” Emily gazed out the window at the city lights. “I can see why you let Henri kiss you here.”
“It wasn’t just the ambiance—he said some pretty sweet things. I think my ego needed a little pampering.”
“What did he say?” Emily asked.
“I don’t remember exactly, but it had to do with me believing in him and him deciding to open up his heart again. He’s been hurt before.”
“Awww,” said Charlie. “And you’ve always been a sucker for anybody who’s been hurt. You’re such a bleeding heart.”
“And what about you?” asked Anne. “I seem to remember a certain girl crying over a lizard you found with most of his tail broken off.”
“How was I supposed to know it would grow back?” Charlie pouted. The waitress approached the table.
“What should we get to drink?” asked Charlie.
Since we never got to go here with Dad,” Emily said, “why don’t we drink something he would have ordered?”
“Your dad didn’t drink much. But when he did, he always ordered scotch.”
“Three scotches please,” Charlie told the waitress.
When the drinks arrived, Anne proposed a toast. “To our memories of Dad and the new memories we make together!”
They all took a sip together.
“Yuck!” yelled Charlie. “Ugh! That burns!”
“That was awful. I’m glad I didn’t take a big sip,” Emily said.
“I just spit it back into the glass,” said Anne. Then all three dissolved into giggles. “People are staring—they probably think we’re drunk.”
“In this family, who needs alcohol to act embarrassing?” asked Emily.
* * *
The girls optedfor a quick breakfast in the apartment, not being motivated enough to rise early for a restaurant breakfast before their climb. Gherring was waiting in the lobby when they went down shortly after nine. He was dressed in jeans with a leather jacket, and he carried an athletic bag. Similarly, the girls had brought climbing clothes along—even Emily, who swore she wouldn’t climb.
“Mr. Gherring, I’d like you to meet my girls. This is—”
“Wait, let me guess. You must be Charlie and you must be Emily. Am I right?”
“How did you know that?” asked Charlie. “Did Mom show you pictures?”
“I’ve never showed him any pictures.” Any squinted at him. “How did you know? Charlie doesn’t have a hat on or anything. Both of you have your hair in ponytails. Emily isn’t carrying a book.”
“But I have one in my bag.” Emily gestured toward her backpack.
“How did you know which was which?” asked Anne.
“My secret.” Gherring smiled, looking much like a Cheshire cat but gave no answer. He led them outside to the waiting limo.
“Wow! We get to ride in a limousine—cool!” said Charlie.
They climbed in and settled on the far side, chattering with excitement. Anne took the spot between them, leaving Gherring alone on the opposite side.
“I could get used to this.” Charlie leaned back against the soft leather seat.
“Mom, do you get to do this all the time?” asked Emily.
“Yes, probably ten times now, but I still get excited,” she answered.
Charlie said to Gherring, “Mom always taught us money wasn’t important, but it sure is fun.”
“Thank you for the tickets last night. It was amazing, and you were very generous,” said Emily.
“Yeah,” said Charlie. “We loved it. And we spent all our money to get here, so we weren’t going to see any cool plays.”
“Charlie,” scolded Anne. “We don’t talk about how much money we have.”
“It’s not like I told him how much is in our bank account.”
“Quite right,” cut in Gherring. “I think your honesty is charming. I’m glad to have given you a fun evening.”
“How did you know which of the girls was which?” Anne asked.
“I simply made an educated guess from your descriptions. Emily, carries herself like a dancer. And Charlie, looks like she’d drive a Maserati really fast if she got the chance.”
“I thought maybe you were a Facebook stalker,” said Emily.
“Highly possible.” Gherring winked. “If I had a Facebook account.”
When they arrived at the climbing gym, Spencer was watching his friend rappelling down from the top of the wall. As they walked in, he came to greet them.
“I’m Spencer.” Towering over the girls at almost six foot four, he was wiry and had an athletic build.
His friend came running over when he’d disconnected, pushing his straight dark hair off his forehead. “Hey! I’m Mark.” Anne judged him to be just under six feet tall.
Charlotte introduced herself. “I’m Charlie.” She shook their hands firmly and asked Mark, “Are you a swimmer?”
“Yeah, how’d you guess?”
“Shiny hair, swimmer’s shoulders…”
“Impressive,” Mark replied.
Charlie left to change into her climbing gear.
Spencer asked Emily, “What’s your name?”
“I’m Emily, and I’m not climbing.”
“We’ll see.” He grinned at her, but she crossed her arms as if the matter were settled.
“Excuse me, but are you Steven Gherring?” asked Mark.
Gherring stepped forward and shook the boys’ hands. “Yes, I’m Steven Gherring. Spencer, you look familiar. Do you work at Papa’s Place, perhaps?”
“Yes sir. But that’s not a permanent job. I’m getting my MBA.”
“What’s your undergrad degree?”
“Economics.”
“You should put in for one of our internships and put my name down as a reference.”
“Thank you, sir! Wow, that’d be a dream to intern at Gherring Inc.!” Spencer’s smile split his face.
Charlie was already stepping into her harness when Gherring and Anne went to change clothes. Charlie was starting up the wall when Gherring and Anne came back out and found Emily perched on a bench, a book open on her lap.
“Go Charlie!” yelled Emily. She watched her sister work her way efficiently up the vertical climb with far-spaced holds.
Gherring sat down next to Emily, while Anne leaned against the wall. Though she pretended to ignore them, she was close enough to hear their conversation.
“A real book, huh?” Gherring said. “Not an e-book?”
“I read on my phone, but I still like real books. I like to hold them in my hands and turn the pages. I like to physically see the progress I’m making.”
“What are you reading?”
“Robert Jordan.”
“The Wheel of Time series? I got tired of waiting between books, but it was so good. I swore I’d never start a series that wasn’t finished again.”
“I know, me too. I’m actually re-reading the series.”
“So you don’t plan to climb?”
“Nope, and you can’t talk me into it.” Emily lifted her chin, in her customary defiance.
“I won’t try. I doubt you can be talked into anything.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Just that I think we may be a lot alike.”
Emily shook her head with a scoffing expression. “Right.”
“Let’s see how close I am. You aren’t really afraid of adventure as much as you don’t see the value in it. I think you’d climb without any fear whatsoever if there was a good reason to do it.”
“Like what?”
“If someone held a gun to your head and told you to climb or else, you’d probably cross your arms and tell them to shoot.”
Emily laughed, but she nodded in agreement.
“But if someone held a gun to your sister’s head, I bet you’d be up that wall before you could blink.”
“Okay, you’re right. But no one’s holding a gun to my sister’s head, so… What other good reason can you come up with?”
He drummed his fingers on his leg. “Hmmm. You don’t care what anybody thinks, and you’re not competitive in that way, so it has to be an internal motivation.”
“And believe me, I’m not internally motivated to climb that wall.”
“Let me confirm something else. You know, your mom interviewed at Gherring Inc. without doing any research and without the slightest idea of who I was. But I’m betting you’ve already read everything there is to find about me and Gherring Inc. Am I right?”
“Yes, you are.” She tilted her head.
“Don’t believe everything you read, okay? I bet you know in my younger days I dated a lot of different women?”
“That would be an understatement according to what I read.”
“I’m sure the number is exaggerated. But would it surprise you to know I dated a prima ballerina for a while? That woman could really climb. She couldn’t do overhangs, but she could do anything else. Ballerinas have strong leg muscles that don’t fatigue easily. That’s what you need for climbing. People think you need arm strength, but the key is to use your legs.”
“Okay, so what?”
“Your mom said you dance. Do you still do ballet?”
She nodded.
“Then you just might have the ability to be an amazing climber, and if you don’t try, you won’t ever know.”
“You really think I might be good at it? Even my first time?”
“There’s a good chance.”
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” She closed her book and set it on the bench beside her. “But now I really want to know.”
Gherring had the good grace not to look smug. “If we’re as alike as I think we are, you could fall in love with it.”
She bent to grab her backpack before turning back to Gherring. “Why do you think we’re alike? You barely know me.”
Gherring sighed. “How old were you when your dad died?”
“Eight years old.”
“I was ten when I lost my parents. The day I got the news was the last day I felt like a kid. Does that sound familiar? Feeling like an adult stuck in a kid’s body?”
Her expression strained, Emily sat back against the wall and stared straight ahead. “And like you need to be strong for your family?”
“Exactly,” Gherring murmured.
“Maybe we are alike,” she said in a small voice. Without another word, she headed toward the dressing room with her backpack.
Anne’s eyes were brimming with tears when Gherring looked up at her, his eyes questioning.
“Yes, I could hear everything,” she said.
“I hope that was okay for me to talk to her like that.”
Anne sniffed and dabbed at her face with her shirt. “It was good. I mean… she needs… She didn’t have any father figure in her life. Just her grandfather when he was visiting. It’s good for her to talk to a man like that. She’s so… careful… She puts up such a wall around her heart. It’s amazing you got her to open up at all. I just don’t want her to end up alone like…”
“Like me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
His expression clouded. “I don’t want her to end up like me either.”
A few seconds later he was at the climbing wall, putting on his gear. But Anne was still struggling to push the heart-wrenching image out of her mind… that of a ten-year-old boy with tears streaming down his face.
I wonder if that was the last time he let himself cry.
* * *
Gherring was halfwayup the wall when Emily came out of the dressing room. Charlie almost knocked her over with a hug.
“Em! You’re going to climb!”
“Just this once, to see if I like it.”
Charlie looked back toward the guys. “Man-oh-man! He’s got nice muscles.”
“Which one?” asked Anne. “Spencer or Mark?”
“Are you blind? I’m talking about Mr. Gherring.” Charlie jerked her chin toward the climbing wall where he was making his ascent.
“Charlie, that’s creepy. He’s old enough to be our father.” Emily tugged on the hem of her shirt.
“Have you looked at him?” Charlie grabbed her sister’s face and turned it toward Gherring who was making his way under a ledge.
Anne didn’t have to look to know what Charlie was talking about. She’d seen Gherring’s muscles up close.
Emily’s eyes bulged. “You’re right! No wonder he makes that most-eligible-bachelor list every year.”
“Does he work out all the time, Mom?” asked Charlie.
“He does Iron Man competitions.” Anne glanced at Gherring but quickly forced her gaze away. She couldn’t let the girls catch her staring.
“Iron Man competitions. And he said we were alike. Riii-ight!” Emily rolled her eyes.
Charlie grabbed Emily’s hand. “Come climb, sister.”
Soon Emily was making her way up the wall. Her brows were furrowed with concentration.
“That’s it,” called Gherring, having joined the group after his successful climb. “Use your legs.”
She climbed slowly and steadily, asking for guidance when she was stuck.
Charlie called up, “Put your right foot on that yellow jug and move over to the right. That’s it. Now can you reach that blue crimp with your left foot? You’ve got it.”
The moment she reached out to touch the top, the clan below began to cheer.”
“You did it! She did it! Yay, sister!”
Emily rappelled down and stood on the floor with a huge grin on her face.
Gherring asked her, “So, was I right?”
“I have to admit, it was pretty easy.”
“And you’ll do it again?” Gherring asked.
“Sure, why not?”
“This spring you can come to Colorado, and I’ll take you climbing for real, on cliffs. It’s so much cooler,” said Charlie.
“We’ve got Charlie, who’s practically a professional climber,” said Spencer. “And Emily, who flies up the wall on her first climb ever. I have to say, you’re making us look bad.”
Though he used a complaining tone, his expression held nothing but admiration. Charlie walked toward Spencer and gave him the once over.
“No, you don’t look too bad.” She grinned and winked at him.
Spencer pretended to fan himself.
“What about me?” Mark lifted his arm and flexed his bicep. But Spencer gave him a playful punch to the shoulder, and they dissolved into laughter.
Charlie grabbed her mom’s arm. “Come on, Mom. You’re the only one who hasn’t gone yet.”
“I’m ready,” she said. Gherring moved over to help her gear up and set up the belay. With her girls in the audience, she was even more self-conscious as Gherring’s hands brushed against her while securing the straps. She felt the blood rise to her face, and Emily raised her eyebrows.
Gherring asked, “Ready to try a harder climb?”
Anne swallowed. “Sure.”
Gherring set up Anne’s belay on a medium level climb, while Spencer set up to try the overhang climb Gherring had completed.
“Race you up,” called Spencer.
“You’re on,” said Anne.
She started her climb, adrenaline flowing. The holds were farther apart, and the wall was vertical. She struggled to pull her weight up.
“Use your legs, Mom,” called Emily.
Anne shifted her weight and concentrated on utilizing her leg strength. Soon she was climbing steadily. She spied Spencer above and to the right. Determined to at least put up a good fight, Anne started climbing faster. Spencer had reached the ledge and was struggling on the overhang. Then Anne’s foot slipped on one of the holds, and she almost fell.
Charlie was yelling directions from below. “Put your left foot on that red crimp! You’ve got it! Just a little further. Keep going.”
“I made it! Woo hoo!” yelled Anne as she touched the top. “Do you have me?”
“You can let go. I’ve got you,” said Gherring.
Anne started a quick descent.
“Did I win?”
“You won, Mom. But it wasn’t quite fair. Spencer’s climb is almost impossible.” Emily looked up to where Spencer was making a third attempt on the overhang.
“But Steven did that climb twice,” whispered Anne.
“Yes, Mom. We already know Mr. Gherring is Superman in disguise.” Emily waggled her eyebrows and started laughing.
Charlie giggled, having overheard the exchange. “Yeah, Mom. Have you found his kryptonite yet?”
Emily whispered something in Charlie’s ear, and she snorted with glee.
“What?” demanded Anne.
Charlie whispered to her mom. “Em says it’s you.”
* * *
A few more climbs,and the group was ready to go. Spencer asked, “Are you guys doing lunch at Papa’s today?”
“We’re stopping by the bookstore first, but then we’re going to lunch. You want to come?” Anne gave a sweeping glance, casually including Gherring in her invitation.
Spencer and Mark agreed to meet them for lunch.
“Mr. Gherring, are you coming with us to lunch?” Emily asked.
“I’ve got to go to the office today.”
Anne remembered he would have to work alone all weekend because of her altercation with Jeff.
She jumped when he put a hand on her arm. “It’s not the presentation. I’ve got other things to attend to that I’ve been neglecting all week.”
“I thought Papa’s Place was right next door to Gherring Inc. Couldn’t you just take a lunch break?” asked Charlie.
“I was actually planning to skip lunch—”
“Mom says you should never skip a meal.”
Gherring’s dimples deepened. “So I’ve been told. Sure, I’ll come over for a quick lunch. I just can’t play around all day.”
* * *
Gherring droppedthe girls off at Binding Books. As they walked into the quaint store, Charlie protested. “Mom, we’re never going to get Emily out of here!” She pointed to Emily who was already totally absorbed in the book collections. She gravitated quickly to the antique books.
“Come meet Ellen,” said Anne, dragging Charlie to the checkout counter. Ellen’s straight glossy brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her razor cut bangs emphasized the almond shape of her brown eyes.
“Ellen, you got your haircut. I like the bangs,” said Anne.
“Thanks. Just got it done. It’s for my character in the play. This must be your daughter. She looks just like you.”
“Hi, I’m Charlie.”
“I’m Ellen. Nice to meet you. I met your mom on the subway.”
“No one else would talk to me,” Anne said. “I kept trying to start conversations, and people just looked at me like I had antlers or something.”
“No one talks to strangers on subways. Except your mom. But she was too friendly to ignore.”
“Charlie’s just like me. When she was a little girl, she would meet people in a store and invite them to our home.”
“I bet you had some interesting house guests,” said Ellen.
“So, Mom says you’re an actress.”
“I’m trying to be one. I have my first lead role in a small production. We may only be open for a week, but it’s a start.”
“She’s very talented,” declared Anne. “She sings and dances too.”
“Your mom’s never actually seen me do anything.”
“I can tell. I have a sense about these things.”
“That’s my sister, Emily, over there sitting on the floor.”
Ellen looked over to where Emily had plopped down on the floor, surrounded by a pile of old books. “You can tell her there’s a seating area in the back.”
“She’s happy. No use bothering her,” said Anne.
“So Emily’s your big reader in the family?”
“We all read a lot, but Emily is excessive,” Anne said.
“Do you have a sci-fi/fantasy section?” Charlie ambled toward the inviting books.
“On the aisle opposite your sister.”
“So, how’s the play coming along?” Anne asked.
“It’s so much fun.” Ellen’s face lit up. “We rehearse again this afternoon. But they’re having money troubles—one of the big underwriters dropped out. Hopefully, the money will last until we open. Nothing’s for sure with these small groups. That’s why I can’t quit this job at the bookstore.”
The wheels started turning in Anne’s head. If only she could find a way for them to get the money they needed. “I hope it all works out.”
“Me too! Especially because of this other actor. She’s got a kid who’s sick, and she doesn’t have insurance. She needs this to turn into a steady gig. I’ve been trying to get donations to help her with hospital bills. And we’ve been taking turns at the hospital to give her a break.”
“That’s so sweet. You know, maybe Mr. Gherring could help.”
“Is he that kind of guy? I’ve just seen the stuff in the news about him being such a big playboy.”
“I don’t know what his donation policy is, but he’s a kind and generous man. Maybe I could talk him into sponsoring the play. In fact, this might be a good way to get the two of you together.”
“What do you mean by together?”
“You know. Together as a couple. Didn’t you volunteer to date him when we talked about him before?”
Ellen started laughing. “I was only kidding. There’s no way Steven Gherring would date me. I’m nobody.”
“He goes out all the time with up-and-coming actresses.”
“I’m not up-and-coming, I’m more like ‘trying to pull myself up and hope to come someday in the future!’”
“You never know until you try.”
“Why don’t you date him?” Ellen crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.
My heart gave a little jump at the thought, but I knew I wasn’t his type. Not even close. Ellen was striking, and a genuinely nice person. Of all the prospects I’d considered so far, she was the one who seemed most likely to treat him the way he deserved to be treated.
“Trust me, I know what he likes. For instance, he always dates younger women.”
“But you’re younger than he is, aren’t you?”
I didn’t want to explain that I was looking for a woman he could start a family with.
“I’m not sophisticated enough for Mr. Gherring.”
“I’m not sophisticated either. And if he’s that snobby, I wouldn’t want to date him anyway.”
“He’s not snobby at all. He’s really nice, and he doesn’t talk down to me or treat me like a secretary. He even bought tickets for us to go see Parsimonious, the Proper Wizard last night.”
“There’s no way he would want to go out with me. You have a better shot at it.”
“If you meet him, you might be able to talk him into sponsoring your play.”
That got her attention.
“Really?” She bounced in place. “If you think he’d make a donation, I’d be glad to meet him. And I can introduce him to the other leads, too.”
“I’ll set it up when he gets back from Switzerland. I have a feeling I’m right about y’all. I’m a really good matchmaker.”
Charlie arrived at the checkout counter. “Are you making a match for Ellen?”
“Yes. With Mr. Gherring.”
Ellen shook her head. “She’s only matching me with him to sponsor our play.”
“But once they meet, anything could happen,” said Anne.
“I love this store!” Emily arrived and placed several books on the counter. “I wanted ten, but I’m only getting three.”
“This is my sister, Emily,” said Charlie. “She’s addicted to books. We’ve tried to get her some professional help, but she refuses.”
“Nice to meet you.” Ellen rang up the books. “Book addicts are always welcome in my store.”
* * *
Spencer and Markwere waiting when the three arrived at Papa’s Place.
“Aunt May put us in the back room, since Mr. Gherring is coming.” Spencer led them to their table, already set up with water and menus. Anne and the girls sat down on one side of the table, and the boys sat down opposite the girls. The aroma of home cooking wafted through the room.
“That smell is making my stomach growl,” said Emily.
Charlie grabbed a hot yeast roll from a basket on the table, slathering it with butter. “I can see already why this is your favorite place to eat, Mom. I’m surprised you haven’t gained weight.”
“I probably would’ve if I didn’t walk so much.”
Gherring appeared in the doorway. “I’m afraid I’ll have to eat quickly and get back to work.” He took the empty chair opposite Anne.
Charlie spoke between bites of roll. “So let me ask you a question, Mr. Gherring. Do you love what you do? Do you find fulfillment in your work?”
“Charlie, don’t start this with Mr. Gherring.” Anne groaned, recognizing a familiar argument.
Gherring raised his eyebrows. “Why do you ask?”
“We have this ongoing debate about whether you should work at a job you hate just because it makes money, or whether you should work at a job that pays less doing what you love to do,” explained Charlie.
“For instance, Charlie thinks I sold out by getting an accounting degree.” Emily sipped her water. “I’ve already passed my CPA exam, and I’ll be certified in another four months.”
“But she hates it.” Charlie pointed an accusing finger. “Admit it, Em. You dread going to work.”
“There’s not a job where I could get paid to read my books all day,” said Emily.
Charlie laughed. “That’s why I said your ideal job was to be a princess, like Belle in Beauty and the Beast with that huge library.”
“And your ideal job?” Gherring asked Charlie.
“I’m doing it. I ski all winter and get paid to teach kids to ski, and in the summer, I get paid to take people rafting and rock climbing. What could be better?”
“Maybe a job where you made enough money you didn’t spend every cent on food and rent,” said Anne. “And then live in a crowded apartment all winter and sleep on friends’ couches all summer.”
Gherring held his hands up in surrender. “I’m not getting in the middle of this one.”
“You have to answer my question,” said Charlie.
Gherring thought for a moment. “If I’m honest, I’d have to say I’ve never thought about it. Gherring Inc. was my destiny before I was born. I never had much choice.”
“You should take a year off. Come to Colorado and be a ski bum. Take some time to enjoy life.”
He laughed, but his expression was almost wistful. “I’ll keep that idea in mind.”
“Not everyone finds fulfillment from their jobs,” said Spencer. “Some people use their work to make the money they need to find fulfillment.”
Emily tilted her head. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
The young people started a debate on whether technology had caused a decrease or increase in communication. Anne and Gherring were quietly listening to their banter, when he said, “I can see why you miss your daughters.”
“They’re really fun, aren’t they? Although I wish they were a little more careful of what they say. Things just pop out of their mouths before their brains have engaged.”
“It’s possible they inherited that trait.”
She couldn’t argue. But it was embarrassing that he’d already noticed that particular flaw. Did it irritate him? Or was he teasing?
“There… you did it again,” he said.
“Did what?”
“About twenty different emotions just zoomed across your face. It must be your eyes. They’re so expressive—I just try to guess what you could possibly be thinking.”
“I hope you don’t ever figure out how to read my mind. That would be really uncomfortable.” She lowered her chin to hide her face.
“Why? What are you thinking that I shouldn’t know? Are you saying secret curse words under your breath?”
Her face flamed. It would be terrible if he knew what she thought about him. What if he knew how his touch affected her? What if he knew her heart beat harder when he came close? She needed to get this man matched up. That way, these illicit thoughts wouldn’t invade her mind anymore.
He was still studying her face when the plates arrived. They devoured the food and stayed at the table chatting for almost thirty minutes. To Anne’s surprise, Gherring no longer seemed to be in a hurry to get back to work.
“I’m not trying to get rid of you or anything, but didn”t you say you had to work some more?”
He stretched and groaned. “I think I’m going to take a break and tackle it tomorrow. I’ve got plenty of time. In fact, if you guys want a ride back to the apartment I could take you.”
“That’d be awesome. We don’t have the whole day planned out, but we’re going to do MOMA. Hey girls, Mr. Gherring’s going to give us a ride home. We can rest a bit and then go see the Museum of Modern Arts. They have an Impressionist Exhibit.”
“Can we invite the boys?” asked Emily.
“I don’t mind, but they may have other plans.”
“No, ma’am. We have nothin’ but time today. We’ll study tomorrow.”
“Okay, meet you there at, say, three o’clock?”
“Works for us.”
* * *
Rayna exclaimedthe moment she saw the group enter the apartment lobby. “Look what came for you! You got a dozen red roses. And two gift baskets. I didn’t read the card.”
Anne glanced at Gherring, who was brooding near the elevator. She opened the envelope attached to the roses but didn’t read it out loud.
“It’s a welcome to New York present from Henri,” she told the girls. “Why don’t you grab the gift baskets and we’ll take them upstairs to open them?”
With their arms full of flowers and cellophane-wrapped packages piled high in decorative baskets, they tromped into the elevator.
“Aren’t you going up?” asked Anne when Gherring remained outside the elevator doorway.
“No, I’ve decided to go back and accomplish something at work.” His voice was flat. When his stormy gaze met Anne’s, she felt like she’d betrayed him.
“Thanks for the ride and for everything else,” said Charlie.
“Will we see you again this weekend?” asked Emily.
His glower softened. “I’m not sure. We’ll see.”
Anne held her breath, relieved when the elevator doors closed without the girls mentioning anything about her plans to visit Henri.
* * *
Upstairs,the girls started unpacking the baskets while Anne called Henri on FaceTime. She turned her phone toward the girls so he could see them busy exploring their surprises.
“We love the stuff, Henri. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I am sad I cannot be there, so I will try to bribe you to like me.”
“This is awesome,” said Charlie. “Thank you, thank you! Look Mom—they’re full of different New York stuff, mostly food. There’s a New York Checker Cab Crunch, Statue of Liberty Lollipop, Hampton Popcorn’s White Truffle Parmesan Popcorn, New York Mints. What’s this? New York Traffic Treats. What’s in that other one, Em?”
“Nice to meet you, Henri. I’m Emily. Sour Puss Pickled Ginger Carrots, McClure’s Garlic and Dill Potato Chips, NYC Hot Sauce, Mast Brothers Chocolate Bar, and Butter+Love Moustache Cookies. There’s some other stuff in the bottom. Oh! McClure’s Bloody Mary Mix and Z crackers. Awesome! This is so much fun.”
The girls continued to examine the goodies, while Anne turned the computer screen back. “That was so sweet, Henri.”
“And did you like the card with the roses?”
Anne blushed. “Shhhh. I didn’t let anyone read it.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Anne glanced toward the girls to make sure they were not eavesdropping. “Because you said something about wanting to kiss me again.”
“Is that bad? They do not want you to kiss me? Perhaps I should talk to them.”
“If you’re going to talk about kissing, you should get a room.” Emily’s teasing resulted in even more heat in Anne’s already flushed face.
“Mom, you’re such a prude. We don’t really care. Just don’t make kissing noises where we can hear them,” said Charlie.
Exasperated, Anne grimaced at Henri. “That’s why.”
* * *
The girls left earlyfor the subway station, so Anne could take them by Carved Wood Creations. Mr. Hamilton was nowhere to be seen, so Anne showed them all the beautiful carvings. Each girl picked out a favorite.
“This one is mine,” declared Anne, showing them the Inseparable Love pair. “He carved it from a single piece of wood. That’s how he made them so they won’t come apart.”
“I like this one,” Emily picked out a mom reading a bedtime story to a small pajama-clad child, nestled in her lap. “Or maybe this one.” She spotted a pair of ballet dancers, with the female gracefully arched backward and perfectly balanced over the head of the male dancer by one hand.
“These are the best. Look.” Charlie found a group of five figures, male and female, with their feet together and their hands clasped, stretched all the way out in a leaning position and held up by the balance of the others. “Look, you can change them around, but they only balance if you put them in just the right order. Otherwise they fall over. It’s like a puzzle.”
“I secretly call that one ‘World Peace.’” Mr. Hamilton emerged from the back. “It’s a really delicate balance and if anything is out of order, it topples over. These must be your daughters you were so excited about.”
“Yes, Mr. Hamilton. This is Emily and Charlie.”
“I’m so glad to meet you both.”
“Mom told us about your shop, but I couldn’t really picture it. These carvings are incredible.” Charlie managed to balance the figures in their original order.
“How on earth did you ever learn to do this? The detail is amazing,” said Emily.
“Lots of practice. I was a chauffeur for the Gherring family for many years. That’s a lot of time sitting around waiting to drive them home. Whittling was how I passed the time. Now I have to use these magnifiers to see what I’m doing, but I still love it.”
“See Charlie, it wasn’t that he loved his job, but the job made his pastime possible. And he loved his pastime,” said Emily.
Charlie crossed her arms. “So, if you had your life to do over again, would you do it the same way? Would you choose the same job?”
“Yes dear, no regrets. It’s not really the job anyway. It’s the people. Wherever you work and whatever you do, whether it’s a job or a hobby, it’s the people you interact with that really matter. If the Gherring family hadn’t been such incredible people, I would’ve found another job, lickety-split.”
“Round two for me.” Emily sported a smug smile.
“You haven’t won yet,” said Charlie. “Mr. Gherring hasn’t given an answer yet, so round one is still up for grabs.”
“Have you met Mrs. Gherring?” he asked.
“Not yet,” said Anne. “We’re having dinner tomorrow night at her house. I can’t wait for them to meet her.”
“Yes, she is quite a woman.” Mr. Hamilton chatted easily with the girls, and by the time they left for the museum, they were exchanging hugs and regrets.
“He’s like a great-grandpa, right?” asked Charlie. “I mean he’s old enough to be ours?”
“Yeah, I guess he is. He’s ninety.”
“Maybe we could just adopt him,” Emily suggested. “He’s so cute and artistic and talented. That’s what I want to be like when I get old.”
“Not me,” said Charlie. “From what Mom has told me, I want to be like Gram.”
* * *
The girls arrivedfifteen minutes early to MOMA, having effectively traversed through the subway system with Emily’s phone app. Spencer and Mark were waiting inside the lobby. Anne trailed behind the other four, who conversed easily about the artwork. Charlie loved a huge picture of a man that was made up of thousands of tiny photographs of other people. Emily loved everything in the Impressionist exhibit.
“I can’t believe I’m actually looking at ‘Starry Night,’” said Emily. “It’s a lot smaller than I thought it would be. Look. People are taking pictures of it. I thought you weren’t supposed to. They just kind of wait ‘til the guard wanders off.”
“Maybe it’s okay as long as you don’t use a flash,” suggested Spencer.
“I’ll get you next to the painting.” Charlie pulled out her phone and took a picture of Emily standing by the famous painting.
“Ma’am,” said a guard who happened to pass by. “Picture-taking is not allowed.”
“Okay, sorry,” said Charlie, giggling.
Emily, totally mortified, gave a scathing look toward Charlie. And both boys stifled laughter. Charlie immediately posted it on the internet. “It’s not like they’re going to put us in jail.”
Anne stood for a long time looking at the Monet paintings. He was her favorite. She loved the colors and the peaceful impact of the artwork. In contrast to the Van Gogh, the Monet’s were huge, covering entire walls.
As the group moved through the museum, Spencer seemed to be spending more time near Emily, while Mark was talking to Charlie. Anne was surprised that the pairs were reversed from her prediction. But both pairs seemed to enjoy a good bit of verbal sparring, and Anne congratulated herself on a successful matchmaking effort, at least for the span of the day.
Arriving back in the museum lobby, Anne said, “I wanted us to do a tour of some kind, double-decker bus, maybe. But it’s kind of late, I guess.”
“Hey,” Spencer said. “We should all go on the Twilight Tour. It’s a boat that takes you on the Hudson. I think it costs about thirty bucks. Is that too much?”
“Since we got theater tickets for free, we could afford that,” said Anne, glancing at the girls to see if the idea was agreeable.
“I’m gonna want a warmer coat and a hat if we’re out on the water at night,” said Emily.
Spencer quickly checked out the departure time. “If you hurry, you’ve got just enough time to go back and change. But you’ll need to catch a cab.”
* * *
Anneand the girls took a cab back to the apartment. Rayna was still at the lobby desk. “What are you guys up to?”
“We’re going on a twilight cruise on the Hudson River. We just came home to change into warmer clothes.”
“And we’re going with Mark and Spencer,” said Charlie. “Mom’s really trying hard on this matchmaking thing.”
“Charlie, I didn’t plan for y’all to be together all day,” Anne said. “That just happened.”
“If we didn’t like spending time with them,” Emily said, “we would’ve ditched them a long time ago. You know that.”
“True. You’re both pretty good at ditching guys—much better than you are at keeping them. We’ve got to hurry. Will we have any trouble getting a cab?” she asked Rayna.
“Probably not. You might have to go around the corner. Or I can call one for you.”
“That’s a great idea. Fifteen minutes?”
“Done.”
* * *
Seventeen minutes later,a breathless Anne returned to the lobby. “The girls are almost ready. Is our cab already here?”
“No,” said Rayna. “I got you a limo instead. Is that okay?”
Anne’s face fell. “Oh Rayna, I don’t think we can afford—”
“It’s free,” said a voice from behind her, “if I can tag along.”
Anne turned to find Gherring sporting a congenial smile. He must’ve forgiven her for the Henri thing.
“We’d love it,” she said. “But do you really want to go on a touristy cruise on the Hudson? What if people recognize you? Tourists aren’t cool about being around famous people the way New Yorkers are.”
Gherring pulled an old beat-up baseball cap out of his pocket and added a pair of glasses. “Voilà!”
“Now we just need to teach you how to drawl,” said Anne. “And people will think we’re a couple from Texas.”
“Are y’all ready to go?” he stretched out his words.
“That’s pretty good, but it’s not red-dy, it’s ray-eh-dy.”
Emily and Charlie came running down. Emily asked, “Are we too late? Did the taxi wait for us?”
“Mr. Gherring is taking us,” said Anne.
“Oh hey, Mr. Gherring,” said Charlie. “Dig the cool glasses—I didn’t even recognize you.”
“Yeah, love the nerdy look.” Emily whispered to her mom, “I think he really is Superman.”
* * *
Despite the cold evening air,the girls were delighted with the cruise. It was ninety minutes long and included all the sites along the Hudson River, including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges, and views of the twinkling lights of the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building on the New York skyline.
“I know this must be boring for you,” Anne said to Gherring, when the young people had gone to the outside railing. “You’ve been so kind. You’ve really made this weekend great for the girls. It wouldn’t have been half as much fun.”
“But you had all your gifts from Henri…”
“I’m sorry that happened in front of you. I’m really not trying to flaunt him in your face, you know. And it doesn’t change how much I appreciate your efforts to make this weekend special for the girls.”
“It was nothing.”
“No. I know you gave up a lot of work time. And now… coming out here… I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“You don’t need to repay me. I just wanted to show you—”
“Mom! Come outside—it’s prettier from out here,” yelled Charlie.
Anne rolled her eyes at Gherring. “I’m coming.”
Gherring walked with her to an empty spot on the railing near the girls.
Emily called, “Isn’t it beautiful, Mom?”
Anne noticed both girls had extra protection from the wind using the boys as wind shields and a little extra body heat from their arms. As she stood shaking from the cold, Gherring moved beside her and opened his coat to wrap it around her back. Suddenly Anne felt not only protection from the wind but also the warmth of Gherring’s body against her side. A shiver rippled down her spine.
“Are you still cold?” asked Gherring.
“No, I’m fine,” Anne muttered, embarrassed by the quivering of her voice.
“You are cold.” He opened his coat again, turning her and pulling her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her and enveloping her in his coat. Anne panicked, knowing he must feel her heart thrumming against him. She tried to slow it down, but he moved his arms in a gentle caress on her back, and her blood pumped even faster. She could feel his strong hard muscles pressed against her, and it seemed his heart beat quickly as well. Breathing so rapidly she felt a bit faint, she couldn’t summon the strength to pull away from him.
The desire she’d been holding back came to the surface. She couldn’t let herself feel this way. This was a road that would lead to endless pain. Even these few moments of sheer pleasure would cause incredible suffering when she came crashing back to reality. She didn’t dare let her imagination run in the arms of Steven Gherring. She had to keep a hold on her rationality, her practicality, her good judgment. She wasn’t the right match for Steven Gherring. She knew that in her head, but not in her heart.
“Your hair smells good,” remarked Steven in a slightly strained voice.
“It’s eau d’ bargain brand shampoo.”
Steven started laughing. With her head against his chest, the deep sound resonated in her ear.
“Are you warm now? You’ve stopped shaking.”
“Yes. I’m cozy. Thanks. You must be freezing now, since I sucked all the heat out of you.”
“No problem. I’ve got a lot of heat in here.”
“I know. All the tabloids say you’re really hot.”
“I don’t think I’ve been in the tabloids for quite a few years. And back then the stories were all hyperbole and hype.”
“What did you say? You were hypertrophied and ripe?”
Gherring’s chest shook as he chuckled. She was warm and comfortable. Too comfortable. If he had any idea how he made her wish for things that could never be, he’d keep his distance. She needed to guard her heart. She’d tried so hard to control her thoughts, but her body betrayed her. She had to bring herself back to reality before her heart got any more ideas.
She pulled her arms back and straightened up. “We shouldn’t stand like that. The kids might get ideas.” She backed away and stuffed her hands in her pockets, checking to make sure the wind prevented the girls from hearing her comment.
Gherring frowned and spoke in a low voice. “There was nothing wrong with me keeping you warm.”
“Yes, I know you often put your arm around women to keep them warm. Like last night with Sharon.”
“Who?”
“Sharon Landry—your date last night. I know it’s not a big deal for you to help a woman stay warm, just like when you put your arm around Sharon last night on the way to the car.”
“What are you talking about? How do you know—”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad you’re so sweet and thoughtful. It’s just that people can get the wrong idea.”
“You’re not making any sense—”
“It doesn’t mean anything to you, but maybe it does to someone else. Don’t you see? You led her on. You put your arm around her last night, and today you can’t even remember her name. I know you didn’t mean to hurt her, but you did.”
“Are we still talking about Sharon?”
“We’re talking about… about… I can’t do this with you.”
“Do what with me?”
“I’m your secretary, and I want to keep my job. And I know you’ve been with thousands of women.”
“I haven’t been with thousands of women. Hundreds, maybe.”
“Hundreds… that’s soooo much better.” Her throat was tight. How had she let herself get to the point where it bothered her to think about all the women he’d dated in his lifetime? “You probably can’t even remember most of them, can you?”
“I remember a few.” His jaw jutted forward.
“Well, I’m not like you. I’ve only been with one man my entire life. So, nothingis casual for me. Not even hugging to stay warm. It… it does something… It means something it shouldn’t… something it can’t.”
“You’re making assumptions.”
“I have to. I have to be careful. I’ve got to keep my head straight, and to do that I’ve got to keep my distance.”
“You didn’t keep your distance with Henri,” he muttered.
“Henri is safe. He’s in France. He’ll soon tire of this long-distance thing, and the whole relationship will fade away on its own.”
“You don’t know him like I do. He can be very persistent. He’s like a weed—”
“This isn’t about Henri. It’s about us. I mean it’s about there-is-no-us, and I need to remember that. And when you keep me warm it’s too hard to remember.”
Gherring moved to rail and gazed toward the twinkling lights of the New York skyline. With a grim expression he turned back to Anne. “I promise… from now on I’ll let you freeze to death.”
* * *
Mortified,Anne tried to keep her distance from Gherring for the rest of the night. She’d made such a fool of herself over something that meant nothing at all to Gherring. He didn’t even understand what she was talking about. He was really just keeping her warm. That physical contact hadn’t affected him at all. He had no idea something that simple was distressing her, and now she had as much as told him he made her hot and bothered. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at him.
Gherring offered to buy dinner for the whole group, so the young people jumped on the idea. He took off his hat and glasses and immediately procured a table for six in a restaurant with a two-hour wait. Anne pretended to enjoy herself during the extravagant meal, working hard to avoid eye contact with Gherring.
After the limousine dropped the boys off, they returned to the apartment. The girls were exhausted but excited from their eventful day in New York.
“Mr. Gherring,” said Charlie, “I hate to ask and you can say ‘no’ if you want to. But can Mom take a picture of us with you?”
Gherring grinned. “Okay, but only if you send me a copy.”
Anne looked through the camera viewer at her two beaming girls standing next to Steven Gherring with his arms around them. Why did she have a lump in her throat?
She snapped the picture and handed the phone back to Charlie. They rode the elevator to their floor, but Gherring stopped her before she could escape to her room. “Can I talk to you alone for a second?”
“Sure.” She hated the way her voice quivered.
Gherring gestured toward a pair of chairs in the elevator foyer. Anne sat down with her back stiff, studying the pattern on the rug.
“Ms. Best, I’m sorry I was so forward with you tonight.” He leaned toward her, but she refused to look at him. “You’re quite different from any other woman I’ve known, and I’m not really sure how to act around you.”
“It’s okay—”
“No wait, I want to finish. I want to correct a couple of things you seem to believe about me.”
“I’m sorry I said that stuff. I was just rambling—”
His scalding finger pressed against her lips to silence her.
“The first thing is, I haven’t dated that many women. I’ve attended events with quite a few, but that’s a far cry from having a relationship.”
She made the mistake of looking up. He captured her gaze and she couldn’t pull her eyes away.
“The second is, I do remember the few women I’ve actually dated, and that’s because of the third thing. I’m a very careful man. Everything I do… remember this… everything I do means something to me.”
She would’ve gulped if there had been a drop of moisture in her mouth.
Evidently satisfied, he stood and started to walk away, before turning back. “And let me correct that last thing I said on the boat—I would never let you freeze to death. No matter how stubborn you were.”
With those words, Gherring got on the elevator and closed the doors, leaving Anne very much alone. And more confused than ever.