by Brandy Blake
“The man knows what he’s doing, and he was definitely…on… you know, working… but still, I’d like to pretend that it was all for me, that he isn’t ever like that with anyone else, and that I’m special. I know better. I definitely know better, but it was nice to pretend that I could turn a guy’s head that way and make him want me the way that he seemed to want me. It’s flattering. It’s not real, but it’s still flattering.”
Willow sighed slowly and nodded. “I get it. So… are you two officially a non-item?”
“Yes, I believe we are. He’s going to take some getting used to, and I think we’re going to try to take our time, but there was some serious chemistry going on between us, right from the start. So, I think that we’ll have to see. It might wind up going faster than I thought, but I am going to try to take my time so that I can stop myself from making any mistakes with him. I don’t want regrets later. I just want fun, and I think we can do that, if we do it right.”
Raina couldn’t hold back the grin that formed on her face. She did want the fun, but she had promised herself a thousand times since she had met Michael, that she was going to take her time and be careful so neither of them would get hurt or run into a problem.
“Well, it sounds exciting. How was he in person? Was he at all like his profile? It has been my experience that guys usually aren’t as good in person as they are on their profiles… at least as far as social media and things like that.” Willow waved her hand dismissively.
Raina raised her eyebrows and gave her head a slow shake. “Oh honey… he’s so much more in person. More everything… more handsome, more charming, more enticing… more all of it. More. In every single way. Do you know, he stood up both times when I left the table. I went to the ladies room once and back to the counter for another coffee, and both times he stood up because I was standing up. I didn’t think men did that anymore. Then, when I was going to get another coffee, he wouldn’t let me do it. He went and got it for me. He was being thoughtful and sweet, and I haven’t felt that spoiled in a long time. I’ll be honest… I could get used to a guy like that.”
Willow raised a finger in caution. “Just as long as you don’t want to get used to keeping a guy like that. He’s not for keeps.”
“Oh, believe me, I do know that. We talked about it, and we are both set on keeping this a strictly non-relationship sort of connection,” Raina agreed.
“Well then, it sounds like you found exactly the right guy for just what you had in mind. I hope that it works out alright for you both!” Willow gave her a smile and stood up to leave. “By the way, Jackson called and you need to go to Vancouver for a meeting with him. He wants you there at the end of the week, so I booked that house on sea that you like, and you have a rental car waiting for you at the airport.
You leave Wednesday, and you’ll come back on Sunday. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to take care of for you while you’re up there, and please bring back some maple sugar for me.” Willow gave her a wink and a grin, and walked out of Raina’s office.
Raina thanked her and updated her calendar. She tried her best to focus on work that day, but as the day passed, she found herself with a thought kept tugging at the back of her mind and she began to wonder about it seriously.
By that night, the thought had taken hold and it wasn’t going to let go. She had learned years before that she should go with her gut instincts; her women’s intuition, and she decided that this time was just as important to hold to that practice as any other.
She picked up the phone and called Michael. He didn’t answer right away, so she left a message for him, asking him to call her back. Half an hour later, as she was getting ready for bed, he called. She was thrilled to see his name come up on the caller ID on her phone. She answered it and tried not to sound as gleeful as she felt.
“Hi, Michael, how are you doing?” she asked, praying with everything in her that he would say yes to what she had been thinking of for them both.
“I’m very well, thank you. How are you doing?” he asked in return.
“I’m good. Thank you for calling me back so fast. I was thinking about something and wanted to see what you’d think of it.” She tried to draw in a silent deep breath so that it didn’t seem so obvious that she was breathless just talking with him.
“Certainly, what is it?” he asked curiously.
She ran her red fingernail over the golden thread design on her burgundy comforter as she sat on her bed, leaned up against pillows at her back. “Well, I have a business trip coming up this week, on Wednesday, and I thought that you might like to come with me.
It’ll be a fun one; it’s in Vancouver, up the coast. I’ll be there until Sunday. I have a house rented on the sea, and I am going for business, of course, so I won’t be around the entire time, but I will be around for most of the time. If you would like to come with me, I think it would give us a good chance to get to know each other, and I think it could be fun for you. I’ll take care of all of the expenses, of course.”
She stopped speaking finally, realizing that her nerves had made her go on a little more than she had meant to. It was a great opportunity for anyone, she thought, to have an all-expense paid trip out of the country.
There was a long pause before he answered, and she knew right away that she had surprised him. “Wow… that’s a lot of time together to start off with. Are you sure you want to do that?” he asked hesitantly.
She felt her heart skip a beat and she wondered for a moment if she really did want to spend that much time with a person who was practically a stranger. She made up her mind swiftly. “You know what, yes… I think it would actually be a really good way for us to get to know one another. I think people can choose to show certain sides of themselves when they’re out on dates or spending time together at the beginning of a new relationship, whatever that relationship might be. I am pretty confident that when people travel together they wind up learning a whole lot more about each other in much more honest and truthful ways. Our true natures tend to come out in us, I think.”
Raina felt even more certain about it as the words left her mouth. She’d definitely know in no time whether or not she was going to be into having an affair with Michael or not, if they spent that much time together in Vancouver. Even with the intervals of her business there, it would be exactly the best way to get to know him fast, rather than spreading the getting to know him out over time.
“Okay, well if you’re sure, then I’m going to say yes. I’ll go. I have my passport already, so that’s nothing to worry about. I just need to pack a bag I guess, and take care of a few things on this end, and then I’ll be able to go.” He sounded as if he was intrigued by the idea; as if he wanted to go and he was allowing himself the chance, even if he wasn’t sure it was a great idea.
Surprise overtook her as she realized that it was going to happen, and her heart picked up its pace. “You’re going to go? Well… great! That’s… that’s great. I’ll have a plane ticket ready for you. I’ll email you the information for the airline, and you can meet me at the airport. We’ll go from there.” She felt giddiness begin to well up inside of her. It didn’t feel real at all, but more like she was living in a strange dream.
“Oh! You’ll want to pack for fall; it’s cooler up there right now, and we’re staying on the ocean, so warm layers.” She offered him the quick tip and he thanked her before they ended the phone call.
She sat at the edge of her bed and wondered just what it was that she had gotten herself into. It would be a good trip, she told herself, wanting to believe the best of what might come to them. As she thought it all through for the tenth time, she decided that it would probably be a good idea to share her plans with someone else, for reasons ranging from safety to advice, to just plain sharing it.
She swiped her finger over her phone and called Aaron. He answered right away, sounding happy to hear from her.
“Hey, Raina! I was just thinking about you. What’s going
on?” he asked with a jovial tone.
She pinched the hem of her blouse and ran her fingertip over the inseam. “Well… I wanted to talk with you. I guess I want to give you an update about what’s going on with some advice that you gave to me.”
“You’re actually taking my advice? Did hell freeze over?” He laughed. “I’m kidding… I’m just kidding. Kind of. What is it? What’s going on?”
With a deep breath, she launched into it. “Remember when we were sitting in the restaurant the other night and you told me that you were worried that I wasn’t seeing anyone, and you thought that I should go find someone to… spend some time with?”
“Yes, I remember it very well, and I still think that you should,” he answered honestly. “I don’t like the thought of you being alone so much. I care about you, and I want you happy.”
“Well, I took your advice and I found a guy…” she began, wondering just how to explain it all to him.
“You did? Well good! That’s great! Do we know him? Is it a friend of ours?” he sounded encouraging.
“No, it’s no one we know. I got a recommendation from a friend; she sent me to an escort service, and I found him there. He’s really interesting, and he’s pretty good looking, too, so we’ll see. I’m reserving judgment until I know him better, but he seems like the right fit for the situation I would like to have.” She wanted to share it with Aaron without saying too much.
“I fully understand what you’re talking about. I’m glad to hear it; I hope it will be a good move for you.” He was pleased, and she could almost see his smile through the phone.
“I’m going to find out this week whether or not it’s a good idea. I have to go to Vancouver for a business trip, and he’s going to go with me.” She felt as if she was admitting something much too racy to someone who might be affronted by it, but Aaron took it in good stride as he always did with her.
“I think that will definitely give you a good idea of what you can expect with him. I hope it goes well.” He meant it, and she knew it.
“How are things going with you?” she asked him, frowning a little. “The divorce is coming along?” she added, becoming direct about what it was that she wanted to know.
He sighed heavily. “Yeah, it’s coming along, but it’s not pretty. The woman she left me for wants her to take me for a whole lot more than we agreed to, and I’m discovering a side of Cathy that I didn’t know existed. It’s not good. I wish… well, I just wish that things weren’t the way that they are. I want her to be happy, and I want me to be happy, and I almost wish I’d never married her.
“There were good times in it for us both, so I can’t totally wish it away, because I’d want to hold on to those good times, but I’ll be honest, it’s tough. For a long while, I didn’t think I was going to find anyone I’d want to spend my whole life with, and you remember I had a few failures in college, one big one that didn’t even start and it stayed with me, but then I wound up being with Cathy and I thought she was the one. I thought it was going to work out. I really believed it.”
“I know you did, and I’m sorry about it. What a crazy twist, huh? No one could have seen that coming; least of all you, I’m betting. None of the rest of us did. I’m just glad that you found out before there were kids or anything like that.”
Raina laid back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She could remember with perfect clarity the day that Aaron had met Cathy; she had been with him. She remembered him asking her to marry him, and then him asking Raina to be his best man/woman at the wedding. She had been certain that it would be right for them, too, but like Aaron, she had been wrong.
“What is it that Cathy’s asking for in the divorce?” she wondered aloud without bothering to hide her distaste.
“Everything. She wants the house, the cars, the money, all of it. Actually, you’re right, it’s a good thing that there weren’t any kids yet. I’m beginning to wonder if that’s still something that I will want in my life. I mean, you know I always have wanted kids, but now I’m getting to an age where I’m starting to wonder if I might be too old.
I don’t want to be sixty at my kid’s high school graduations, and now I’d be starting from scratch all over again. That prospect isn’t exactly brilliant for me.” He sighed quietly, but she heard it.
Her heart ached for what he was going through.
“I wish that I could fix it all for you. I wish that I could make her fall in love with you and only you, and want five babies with you, and you two could grow old together and be happy always.” She meant it.
He chuckled. “Five, huh? That’s a hell of a lot of college tuition.” He was quiet a moment. “Well, it is what it is, I guess. I’m just glad that there aren’t kids involved in the divorce. That’s an upside right now. I’m taking the good things as they come, no matter how ugly they are.”
“That’s the best way to do it,” she answered with a small smile, wishing she could give him a hug.
“So, when are you and Prince Charming heading off to Vancouver?” he asked, switching the subject back to her.
“Wednesday. We’ll be back on Sunday.” Her mind was drifting to the possibilities of her upcoming trip. Anything could happen, and she hoped with everything in her that no matter what did happen, it would be good.
“I know you’re going to have a great time. Just relax and look forward to it. Enjoy it,” he said with a smile she could hear.
“I’ll do that, Aaron. Thank you. Do you want me to bring back some salmon for you?” she asked with a grin. He loved it when she brought just about anything back from all of the places that she went to, but he especially loved it when she brought fresh salmon from the Pacific Northwest.
“You don’t have to, but if you do, I would love it. Thank you.” He sounded happy just thinking about it.
They said goodbye and she readied herself for bed, and all the while her mind was on the trip, and the fact that she and Michael were going to be side by side for five days and four nights. She couldn’t stop her imagination from going in nearly every direction, and most of what she thought of made her smile with a naughty grin.
***
It felt as if Wednesday would never come, and at the same time if felt like it came five minutes after the phone call she’d had with Michael. It seemed surreal to her that she had thought about it so much and then suddenly it was there and it was time for her to go.
She met him at the airport as they had planned. She walked up to her gate and went around a pillar looking for a seat, and there he was suddenly, standing before her wearing a soft dark brown suede jacket and a dark brown hat that looked as if Indiana Jones might have given it to him. His fingers were pushed down partway into his front pockets and there was a filled backpack at his feet, almost resting against his dark boots.
“Good afternoon!” he smiled at her and she was incredulous that she could feel as if she was frozen in place and melting into a puddle all at once.
“Hi! You look like you’re ready for an adventure!” She smiled at his attire and his stance. He could have been the hero on the poster for a wild action movie.
He gave her a nod. “You look beautiful.” He smiled. “Can I take that for you?” he asked, reaching out his hand to help her with her carry-on suitcase.
She wasn’t accustomed to men being quite so thoughtful and helpful, and she realized almost immediately that she liked it. “Yes, thank you! That’s thoughtful of you.”
He waited until she took a seat, and then he sat beside her. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water?” he offered, indicating the small mall of shops and eateries behind them.
Raina shook her head and the corners of her mouth turned up. The thought occurred to her that if he was going to be that sweet and considerate, acting the gentleman all the way through their trip, then it was going to be a great trip indeed. She mused that she could definitely get used to a man acting that way toward her.
“Have you ever been to Vancouver before?” she asked, fee
ling curious about him.
He hadn’t opened up much to her at all about who he was, and she found that the more he held back from her while actively getting to know her, the more she wanted to know about him. She found it intriguing and slightly frustrating.
He gave his head a shake. “No, first and only trip out of the country was to Mexico, for a friend’s wedding, actually.”
She smiled. “I think you’ll enjoy Vancouver. You seem to have a metrosexual sort of look and an outgoing personality, and Vancouver is in many ways a city filled with a young and vibrant crowd. There are neighborhoods where younger people tend to really spend a lot of time, especially at night, in clubs and places like that, and in the daytime those neighborhoods are busy with people going to coffee shops and art galleries. It’s also one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen, and it’s fall now, so all of the leaves are changing, and the colors will be gorgeous.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said as he leaned closer to her, his eyes steady on hers. “Especially because I’ll be seeing it with you. I think we’re going to have a wonderful time.”
