Barbara’s smile froze and she held her breath.
“…to see an old movie.” William finished, his eyes merry with laughter. “Did you think I was going to say something else?”
Barbara’s breath came out in a whoosh. She shook her head and wagged a finger at him. “You’re not quite as funny as you think, Lamport.”
William chuckled. Then he leaned over and said in his best Bogie imitation, “What do ya say we blow this joint, Barbie, and take in one a dem old films?”
Barbara laughed. “You’re adorable, but it’s now 9:20 p.m. You’re on vacation, I’m not.”
“But surely you’re flexible?” William persisted.
“I’ve got a breakfast meeting with an investor tomorrow morning.”
“To discuss what, may I ask?”
“Israel.”
“I thought you just asked me to invest.”
“Well, I can’t ask you to invest all the money. I’ve still got to raise $10 million more.”
“Cancel that meeting. Send him or her a text message right now. I’m willing to consider investing the remaining $20 million.”
Again Barbara felt overwhelmed. She watched William with her mouth agape for several seconds, then she closed it abruptly, reached for her water and took several swallows. What was William doing? It felt as though he was her knight in shining armor, always coming to her rescue, always wanting to take care of her and solve her problems. But while it felt good and she wanted so much to accept it and to be taken care of by him she also knew the risk involved in doing that.
William was not her husband nor her fiancé. He was just her friend and for her own sake that was what he had to continue to be. If she allowed him to invest so heavily in her life he would begin to expect something in return, just like he did in business, she was sure of it. And what would his reaction be if – no, when – she didn’t fall into his arms. It would be worse for both of them.
She slowly, carefully, placed her glass on the table and pursed her lips as she thought about her response.
“I appreciate your offer William but let me think about that some more, okay?”
“What is there to think about? Are you a business woman or not. You’ve got someone offering to invest good money in your movie and you need to think about it? Why?”
Barbara hesitated. Should she be frank with him? She sighed, “Suppose that someone has an ulterior motive?”
William folded his arms across his chest. “Are you saying that I’m offering to invest $20 million dollars in your movie just so that you would agree to date me?”
When she nodded, he cocked his head to a side and appeared to think about it. “Would it work?” he finally asked.
“Of course not,” was her indignant reply.
He shrugged. “Exactly. So now that we’ve established that I can’t bribe you or buy you, guess what, my offer to consider investing the $20 million is still on the table.”
How was it possible that he’d managed to make her feel so foolish without even raising his voice? Barbara groaned inwardly and wondered if this situation with William was even a fair fight. He appeared harmless enough but in reality he was lethal. It was useless trying to oppose his logic. She’d prayed to God to help her to raise money for this film. He had made a way and she was a doubting Thomas because it wasn’t the way she had envisaged.
She now looked up at William through her lashes and gave him a small, sheepish smile. “You’re right, Wills. I accept your offer and I apologize for questioning your integrity. Thanks again for your confidence.”
“Don’t thank me, doll face,” he said glancing at his watch. “Let’s go see that movie.”
She checked the Film Forum Mobile App on her phone and found out that there was a showing of Casablanca at 9:45 p.m. Even though the theatre was about eight minutes away, it meant that they had to leave the restaurant immediately to get there on time.
~*~*~*~
When William dropped Barbara off at her apartment it was almost midnight. William turned to look at her. He placed his hand on the back of her seat and stared at her for a long time before he spoke.
“I enjoyed our time together. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you to church and for having dinner with me and for giving into my impromptu invitation to see a movie.”
Barbara inhaled his scent and smiled at him. She wanted to touch his cheek but she resisted and clasped the handbag in her lap tighter.
After another beat of silence she reached for her door handle but William said, “Don’t move. I’ll get that.”
She waited a minute as he got out of his car and moved swiftly to her side of the vehicle to open the door for her.
She smiled as she took his hand and alighted. “Thank you. You are so gallant, do you know that?”
“Just treating you like the queen you are, your majesty,” he said with a dashing smile and bow before straightening and grinning at her again.
There was an awkward moment when they simply stared at each other. It was finally she who wound up impulsively reaching up and giving him a quick hug. “Get home safely. Text me and let me know when you’ve arrived,” she said.
He said, “Will do.”
“Do Will,” she returned and grinned.
He smiled back and after watching her disappear into her building he got into his vehicle and drove off.
Chapter 19
Barbara was the one who called William on Saturday morning to invite him out. He had just finished a two-hour workout in the gym at the Waldorf and was on his way back up to the condo, when his phone vibrated in the pocket of his gym shorts.
He fished it out and was filled with delight when he saw Barbara’s beautiful face appear on the screen. He had taken a photo of her with his phone at dinner on Wednesday night and the next day he had added it to her name in the contact list. He had contemplated making it his wallpaper as well but thought better of it. He didn’t want her to see it and get scared off.
In fact, he had reevaluated his strategy to win her heart based on their recent heart-to-heart conversation and had decided to dial back the contact. He didn’t want to smother her. Even though he could happily see and talk to her every day, he was conscious of the boundaries she had put in place, and he didn’t want to push against them too hard or too fast. He knew that change had to be managed and depending on the circumstances, like this one, it had to be gradual.
So, he had restrained his emotions and was playing it cool. Beyond texting her early Thursday morning to let her know that he’d arrived safely, he hadn’t spoken to her, and he hadn’t messaged her. While he had hoped that she would have called him, he wasn’t about to call her. He would give her the opportunity to miss him. Therefore, when he saw her face appear on his screen he couldn’t help the enormous grin that spread across his face. So, she misses me.
“Hello, Barbie.”
“Wills, how are you?”
“Great. I just had a fairly intense workout in the gym. I’m actually contemplating crawling back into bed after my shower, if you can believe that.”
“Well, don’t. I’m picking you up in an hour.”
“Picking me up?” William straightened and looked at himself in the elevator mirror. Wow. This is going even better than I’d hoped. “Where are we going?”
“Remember, I promised I’d take you around New York City? Well, I’m fulfilling my promise, I’m taking you out. I hope you haven’t had breakfast yet because we’re going to begin with the best breakfast place in NYC.”
“No, I haven’t eaten yet. I don’t eat before a workout. Say, how do I dress for this day out?”
“Casual. T shirt, Jeans and comfortable shoes. A cap and shades would also be useful.”
“The cap and sunglasses, is that because we’ll be outdoors a lot?”
“Yes and also because we don’t want to be an easy target for the paparazzi.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
~*~*~*~
William spotted B
arbara before she saw him. She was sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby looking at her phone. When she looked up and saw him coming towards her she smiled, stood, slung the bag over one shoulder and placed a brown fedora on her head.
“Hi Wills,” she placed her hands on his shoulders and tiptoed to give him a kiss on the cheek.
That was the first time she had kissed him since he came to New York. Progress at last!
“May I ask where we’re having breakfast?” he asked Barbara as he got into the passenger seat and strapped in.
She slipped on a pair of sunglasses and checked the side mirror before pulling out into the city street. “You may sit back, relax and trust me.”
William put on his own sunglasses and smirked. He leaned back on the brown leather seat of the car and contented himself with the arrangement.
Unless he was being chauffeur driven, he was usually the one in the driver seat when he was taking out a woman, not the other way around. This was a first. Yet, he didn’t find it unpleasant. The advantage, of course, was that he got to sit and admire Barbara in a way that he couldn’t when he was the one doing the driving.
“Did you read the business plan?” she asked.
“Yes, I did.”
There was a space of silence. “Are you going to tell me what you thought about it or are you going to leave me to die of suspense?”
He laughed. “It was a very thorough, detailed plan. Nothing less than what I expected. It looks like a lucrative venture.”
“Coming from you that’s serious praise. Did you send it to your team?”
“Yes, I did. I’ve arranged for a meeting via teleconferencing on Monday to discuss that, along with a few other matters. I should have a response for you by then.”
“Super…You know, for someone who’s on vacation you’re really still very connected to work. There comes a point at which you have to let go and trust God and not think that things will fall apart simply because you’re unavailable for a few weeks.”
“Actually, I’ve been really enjoying my holiday. Sure, I’ve spoken to my people a couple of times but it’s nothing like it was before I came here, trust me. Do you know that my phone is actually on silent right now? Has been since we left the hotel. I haven’t done that in so long I can’t remember. The only time I silence my phone is when I go to bed or when I’m in very important meetings. There are days when I arrive at the office at seven in the morning and leave at ten in the evening.”
Barbara glanced between him and the road. “I understand the temptation to put everything into work too. But whenever I start to do that I remind myself who’s truly in control. God. Not me. As long as I do my part and work diligently to achieve my goals He’ll do the rest. I just need to ask.”
“Well, that may work for you. I’m still not sure about how far my prayers go. I’ve pretty much ignored God for most of my life. How can I expect that He’ll listen to me now that I’m ready to talk?”
“God isn’t like mankind, William. Human beings hold a grudge, God doesn’t. In fact, it is his deepest desire that we all will someday come to a knowledge of him. When that happens He’s waiting with open arms to receive us. Familiar with the story of the prodigal son?”
William nodded.
“It’s just like that. He’s waiting and willing to forgive you and welcome you back home. Don’t ever believe that you’re so bad that God won’t want you anymore. That’s a lie of the enemy.”
Looking out the window at the New York traffic William asked a question that had been playing on his mind for days. “How do I make that transition, from steering my own ship to handing over the wheel to someone else?”
Barbara sighed deeply. “I was hesitant at first too. I knew that there was surrender involved and I was petrified. The strange thing was that when I finally did let go it was so freeing. I felt as though I had just handed over all my cares and concerns to someone else, someone reliable. I no longer had to concern myself with anything. Just sit back and let Him be responsible. You’ve got to experience it to understand, I guess. But, I’ll keep praying for you.”
Seated at Norma’s, Barbara took off her fedora. She looked so cute, like a teenager, with the long braid hanging over one shoulder that William playfully reached over and tugged on it. He grinned when she blushed and giggled, just like a teenager.
“Now, I’ve got to warn you,” Barbara said after the waiter left them with their menus. “These portions are huge. When I eat here I don’t eat again till evening. So don’t order too many things.”
William shook his head. “Barbara, you’re a woman. Plus you eat like a bird. I am a man – a man who did cardio and pumped iron for two hours this morning. I’m ravenous. There is no way that these portions can fill me till evening.”
An hour later, William shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I think that the signal from my stomach just reached my brain.”
Barbara burst out laughing, “Didn’t I tell you not to order the lobster frittata and the pastry basket. I knew that they would have to wheel you out of here.”
Despite himself William started to laugh. The motion gave him such a pain in his gut that he winced. “Stop, Barbara, please. You’re killing me.”
“Don’t worry, just give it a little time. Eventually you’ll feel your legs again.”
William involuntarily started laughing again and again he winced, “Will you stop?!”
~*~*~*~
Half an hour later, Barbara slid behind the seat of her car and waited for William to strap in before she moved off.
“Do you know that your car is exactly like my mother’s, except hers is bronze,” he said looking around the Mercedes.
“She’s clearly got taste.”
“I was thinking more along the lines that the Merc really isn’t for the twenty to thirty something set, Barbara. Even a Beemer, I could understand.”
“I had a BMW two years ago. I happen to like my Mercedes thank you very much. What’s your problem?” she asked with mock indignation.
“Granted, the Mercedes is a fine vehicle but the S-Class Barbara, really? A woman your age should be driving the SLS AMG or even the SLR McClaren Roadster.”
Barbara shook her head. “What is it with you and sports cars? I’m telling you, one day when you’re married with kids you’re going to have to put this whole coupe car phase behind you and drive a minivan.”
William erupted with laughter. “Believe me when I tell you that I’ll never drive a minivan. An SUV sure, never a minivan. Besides, I don’t need to abandon a two seat car because I have children, I can still use my sports car for those days when it’s just me and the wife tearing down the countryside.”
Him and the wife. Barbara had been trying to make a joke but she found that the thought of William married to someone other than her was not an image she wanted to linger on.
In as much as she didn’t want to allow herself to think of becoming his wife she didn’t want him to marry anyone else either. How messed up was that?
She decided that she needed to distract herself from her thoughts. She reached over and tapped on her iPod, which was set up to play through her car radio. Third Day began to sing and she sang along with the familiar lyrics of the song.
~*~*~*~
The first thing that William noticed was that Barbara had a nice voice. Then he began to listen to the lyrics of the song and as he listened he felt a strange stirring in his soul.
William stared out the window, unseeing, as he listened to the words. He tried to identify what he was feeling.
Then it clicked.
Desire. He felt desire. Desire for something more than what he could see or touch. He had everything that he could possibly want, yet…he didn’t feel fulfilled. He wanted what Barbara had, that joy. He felt as though he was on the brink of a breakthrough. He could feel the struggle. Despite the cool weather he felt beads of sweat break out over his face. He wiped his forehead with the palm of his hand.
“Are you alright,
Wills?” he heard Barbara ask in a voice laced with concern.
He nodded and took several deep breaths. After a few minutes had passed he said, “That was an amazing song. Who was the group?”
“A Christian rock band called Third Day.”
“I take it that the lyrics are about being saved.”
“Yeah. It’s about the spiritual rebirth of the human soul from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s called Born Again. I like that group. They sing some powerful songs.”
Their next stop was Central Park. Barbara parked in a parking garage and they walked for several minutes until they got to the Central Park Bike Rental. William was surprised to see Barbara make arrangements to rent two bikes.
“Wow,” he said, as he replaced his baseball cap, with the bike helmet. “This is unexpected. I haven’t ridden a bike in years.”
“Me neither. I’m just trusting it’s true that once you learn to ride a bike you never forget.”
Despite a mildly wobbly start, unassisted by their fits of laughter, they soon were on their way quite confidently. They took their time cycling through the hilly terrain, stopping to see the model sailboats at the Conservatory Water, the Alice in Wonderland Sculpture, Belvedere Castle atop Vista Rock, and the Bow Bridge.
Two and a half hours later, they were back in the car travelling from Central Park to the West Village. They visited the Jefferson Market Courthouse, a former women’s detention center, which Barbara informed him had once held Mae West, and browsed the shops along Bleecker Street and Commerce Street. Barbara picked up a few items as women are wont to do when they stumble across quaint shops. Bags with clothing, shoes, and jewelry hung from William’s hands, at his insistence, when they left the shops. One of the bags contained a pair of trousers and a shirt Barbara had insisted on purchasing for him with the reminder that the entire day was her treat.
“Have you ever been to the Empire State Building?” Barbara asked as William placed the final shopping bag in the trunk of her car. It was now three o’clock in the evening.
The Royal Couple: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 1) Page 19
