He was babbling, and he knew it. She knew it too and smiled through tears as she put her arms around him for a final hug.
His lips found hers again and again until Lauren finally whispered, “If I don’t get out there soon he is going to leave without me.”
“Good! Then you can come to Lisbon with me.”
She pulled her arms from around him and wiggled loose. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she lifted her hand and touched his face. “I love you. Let me go now. Please!”
Gently wiping her tears, he gave her one last hug, then walked her out to the sidewalk and saw her settled in the taxi. He leaned in and gave her another quick kiss, then handed the driver some bills. He stood in the drizzle, watched her drive away and ached with emptiness.
Back upstairs there were reports he wanted to go over and packing to be done, but he couldn’t settle. He wanted to know Lauren was down the hall or curled up with a book or anywhere he could feel her presence. Eventually, he gave in and punched her number. When she answered, all she heard was a subdued, “Hi!”
“Jonas, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong is that you are there, and I’m here and I don’t like it.”
“That’s why you called?”
“Are you crying?”
“Not anymore. My face was drenched when I got home. I’m sure the cab driver found me pathetic. I am still a little teary but now, thanks to you, I’m smiling.”
“I’m coming out there!”
Lauren looked at her watch. It was late. “Have you finished your work?”
“Can’t focus.”
“Are you packed?”
“No,” he admitted.
She took a deep breath, then forced a business-like tone into her voice, when all she really wanted to do was cry. “Jonas! You are not going to fall apart over a woman! You can do that another time, not now, when you have an important conference coming up. And you are not driving out here this late. I’m already in bed.”
Lauren heard laughter on the other end. “Bossy little thing, aren’t you?”
Lauren returned his laughter. It was going to be all right.
“I miss your presence, Lauren. I like my place better when you’re here. It never used to feel empty, but tonight it does.”
“Oh, Jonas.” He heard the softness in her voice and felt tears pooling. “Will you do something for yourself? Will you ask for help to accomplish what you need to get done? And maybe listen to some music while you pack. That will make it feel less lonely.”
He wiped the tears from his face and wondered how in the world he had lived all these years without her. “Not a bad suggestion,” he acknowledged quietly. “I’ll give it a try. I love you, Lauren. Good night, sweetheart.”
“Good night, Jonas. I love you, too. Have a safe trip.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. She drew a deep, shuddering breath. She missed him. Before she settled down to sleep, she said an extra prayer for him.
Chapter Eleven
The phone awoke Lauren the next morning. “Lauren, Annie here. Did I wake you?” She sounded totally unrepentant.
Lauren checked the time. “As a matter of fact, you did.” She yawned delicately then explained, “I’m usually up by now, but I had trouble getting to sleep last night.”
“Worrying about Jonas, no doubt,” she said in an engaging voice.
“Why do you think so?”
Annie chuckled. “Because he had the same problem. I already spoke with him this morning,” she said by way of explanation.
“Not that I’m not delighted to hear from you but do you make a habit of early morning phone calls?”
“I wanted to catch Jonas before he left for the airport. Business,” she explained.
“Oh.”
“And I have orders to tell you he loves you and misses you and he’ll call you when his meetings conclude for the day.” She paused for breath then added, “Oh, and I’m to tell you it worked, but I’ve no idea what he meant by that.”
Lauren’s voice softened. “I know what he meant. Thank you, Annie. What a nice way to start my day.”
“And he thinks my suggestion is a good idea.”
Lauren laughed softly. “And the suggestion would be?”
“Come into town. I’ll show you where I work, then we’ll go somewhere nice for lunch. If you need an incentive, we can talk about Jonas. You can ask all the questions you want.”
“Did he tell you to say that, too?”
Annie’s delicate laugh made Lauren smile. “No, I thought of that one myself. Will you come?”
“Yes, please, I’d love to. Where do you work and what time shall I meet you?”
They discussed their plans and ended the call on an upbeat note.
Lauren crawled out of bed and peeked through the crack in the room-darkening curtains. The rain clouds had dissipated and the sun shone from a clear blue sky. Her last day in Norway was going to be spectacular.
She got ready with a much lighter heart than she would have if Annie hadn’t called. She donned a linen-colored pair of slacks and matching knit top, then added a lightweight, stylishly cut jacket in pale sage. The low-heeled pair of shoes she had recently purchased complimented the outfit perfectly. She chose a pair of sassy earrings as her only accessory and strapped her watch to her wrist.
There was obvious approval on Bente’s face when Lauren entered the kitchen. “Wherever you are off to, you look very smart,” she smiled.
“I’m meeting Annie in town. She is going to show me her workplace, then we are having lunch together. I’m taking the bus,” she said before Bente could offer her the car. She was usually so generous about sharing it, but Lauren knew she was off work today and had no intention of depriving her of it. “It’s a beautiful day, and the walk across town will do me good.”
“Better have some breakfast first. You won’t last till lunch.”
“True. I’ll grab something. What are your plans for today?”
“I’ve wanted to get outside and do a little gardening, plant some flowers. I’ll probably head over to the garden center this morning. Oh, and Jon said to tell you if you want one last boat ride before heading home, he’ll take you out this evening.”
Lauren’s eyes shone. The Jansens were so thoughtful. “Tell Jon thank you, and I’ll definitely be back in plenty of time.”
She ate a light breakfast, spent some time chatting with Bente, then grabbed her bag and headed for the bus stop just a short walk from the house. Lauren didn’t mind taking the bus. The road ran above the coastline a good part of the way, and from the oversized bus window, she had superb views of the fjord and the surrounding islands. She loved the way the houses clung to the hillsides, some above the road and some below, and until they got closer to the city, the only flat space of any note seemed to be the water. She remembered once, years ago, reading a description of Bergen that said nature had designed the city as a stage, with the houses sitting on the slopes like spectators in an amphitheater. Lauren absolutely agreed. The city charmed her all over again each time she returned.
She exited the bus mid-town, just a few blocks from the address Annie had given her. She was very familiar with the city by now and had no trouble finding its location along a major street. When she stopped in front of the building, a smile broke out across her face. She had walked past this travel agency many times. Its big display window had often drawn her because of the inviting advertisements for exciting and exotic vacations at unbelievably affordable prices.
Carefully she pushed open the heavy glass door framed in wood. The inside was just as inviting with several large posters featuring desirable, world-renowned vacation spots. Annie sat at an important-looking desk to one side while two employees were busy at their desks, a middle-aged woman on the phone and a young man at his computer. Two other desks were unoccupied at the mom
ent. Annie looked up from her screen and, seeing Lauren, left her desk to greet her.
“Oh, wonderful! You came at a good time. It’s been fairly quiet this morning, which has given me time to catch up on quite a bit of work.” She indicated the young man and said, “This is Helge, my assistant. Helge, meet Lauren Hart, a distant cousin visiting from New York.” She motioned to the woman on the phone. “And that’s Tove on the phone.” Tove lifted her hand and smiled a greeting.
Helge stood up with alacrity and walked over to shake Lauren’s hand. “New York? Oh, I envy you. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.”
Lauren smiled. “And I find Bergen to be one of the most charming cities I know.”
The young man looked at her with obvious surprise. “But New York has everything. Anything important that happens, happens there.”
“You have a point,” Lauren agreed, charmed by the young man’s enthusiasm. “It can be a fascinating place.”
Annie smiled at her assistant as she issued last-minute instructions. “I’ll be back this afternoon, Helge. See if you can get me the figures I need.”
“I’ll work on it. Enjoy your time together.” He flashed Lauren another grin and returned to his desk.
“We are in the middle of putting together some upcoming tours,” Annie explained as they stepped onto the sidewalk. “We specialize in affordable group tours while at the same time providing our clients with a certain amount of luxury. We also do surprisingly well with custom travel for those who don’t want any part of a tour but want every detail of their trip planned for them.”
“You must be a busy agency,” Lauren observed.
“Yes, thankfully. As I am sure you know, Norwegians like to travel abroad, preferably to warm, sunny places. We take the guess-work and worry out of the experience, and all they have to do is enjoy themselves.”
“How long have you been doing this? It sounds like a demanding job.”
“I started working for the agency at twenty and have been a partner for four years. It can be demanding,” she admitted, “but I love it. Where to for lunch? Do you have a preference?”
“Not really. But on such a beautiful day, eating outside appeals to me.”
“Well, then, unless you have your heart set on a sidewalk café in town, there is a little seaside restaurant William and I like that’s just a few kilometers across the bridge on Ash Island. It has a terrace right at the water’s edge, and the food is simple but good, perfect for a day like today.”
“Sounds nice. Let’s go there.”
They retrieved Annie’s car from the parking garage and navigated through town and across one of the bridges connecting the outlying islands to the city. Lauren leaned back in her seat and took in the beauty of the scenic drive.
“This is so kind of you, Annie. I am so glad you called.”
“And I’m so glad you wanted to come. I found you so interesting last night that I wanted to get to know you better.”
Lauren gave her a warm smile. “I told Jonas I hoped to get to know you better, too.”
“I’m especially intrigued by two things,” Annie admitted.
“Oh?” Lauren could think of nothing especially intriguing about herself, in fact, she had always considered herself quite ordinary. “What, for instance?”
“First, that Jonas, who had pretty much given up hope of finding the right woman, has fallen in love with you in a matter of days. And second, the fact that you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.” Annie probed carefully, “Did Jonas know that about you before you met?”
Lauren’s eyes turned soft. She could still see the look in his eyes when she told him. “No, he found out a couple of days later.”
“His best friend is a member of your church.”
“Yes, he told me.”
“I know the Andrews family,” said Annie. “Jonas is very close to them and usually goes to church with the family when he is in the States on business.” Her voice softened. “No wonder he fell in love with you, Lauren. You are exactly the kind of woman he had hoped to find, only I don’t think he knew where to look. Did you know much about Jonas before meeting him?”
“Not much more than his name. When I first heard about him, I thought he might be close to my parents’ age because of his interest in family research.” Lauren laughed softly. “I thought the hostess at the restaurant had brought me to the wrong table when I saw how young he was.”
“When Jonas called me to arrange the dinner last night he sounded so upbeat, almost giddy with happiness. It was so unlike him that my protective instincts kicked in. But after seeing you together last night, I knew I had worried needlessly.”
“We connected almost instantly,” said Lauren. “When I hugged him in greeting, I remember thinking he was beautiful and . . .”
“You hugged him that first day?”
“Of course! He was family.”
“Oh, Lauren,” said Annie with affection. Lauren had included Jonas in her circle of love from the first moment they met. She wondered if he understood that. “No wonder Jonas has been different these last few days. I have never seen him so happy and carefree.”
They drove in comfortable silence after that until Annie pulled into the restaurant parking lot.
It was a well-preserved, charming, old wood building, painted deep red with green trim. Flowers in large tubs bloomed cheerfully by the entry, and the large flagstone terrace in the back offered panoramic water views. Stone steps led down to a small dock where a hydroplane was moored, and in the distance, Lauren spotted a couple of large ships and several sailboats. She was delighted with the restaurant Annie had chosen.
“Why is it I have never heard of the restaurants you take me to?” she asked as they sat at one of the seaside tables.
“Maybe because we live here, and William and I enjoy discovering new places to eat,” she replied. “Jonas introduced us to the place we went last night. I don’t usually go there alone. It puts too big a dent in my pocketbook. But Jonas invites us from time to time.”
“He is a good man, isn’t he, Annie?”
“The very best,” Annie assured her.
Their meal took no time at all to arrive. Lauren had ordered fresh fruit and an open-faced sandwich along with a bottle of Solo, a local soft drink.
Annie smiled at her choice of beverage. Her own choice was a cup of tea. “Not interested in a beer?” she teased, knowing as a Latter-day Saint, Lauren didn’t drink alcohol.
“No thanks and neither are you, I see.”
“I don’t usually drink alcohol,” Annie replied simply.
“No?”
“I may have a sip of wine occasionally at social gatherings, just to be polite, but that’s all.” She paused a minute, then confided, “My mother was a problem drinker. William and I decided fairly young that we would be very careful about drinking alcohol when we became adults, and we have kept that pledge.”
“I’m so sorry, Annie. That must have been difficult.”
“It often was. She passed away when we were nineteen. I still miss her sometimes. The good days, I mean. She was fun and lively then. My father grieved for a long time. He married again a few years later, a widow with two grown sons. They live in Trondheim now. His wife is very kind, and she dotes on him. They have a good marriage.”
“Was it hard to see him re-marry?”
“I had my own life by then. I hadn’t lived at home for a while so the adjustment was relatively easy. And it helped that I liked his wife.”
“How old were you when Jonas found you?”
“Twenty-four. I was working for the travel agency and living with my boyfriend at the time.” Annie continued talking, telling Lauren about her life, then listened attentively as Lauren talked about her own life. Finally, Annie glanced at Lauren’s plate. “Are you ready for dessert?”
Lauren looked at her plate and saw that it was empty. She had been so engrossed in their conversation she had eaten every crumb of her meal while they were talking. Now she looked at Annie. “I’m full, but I am still going to have one of their cream cakes. This is my last chance to indulge before I fly home.”
They both ordered dessert, and while they ate, they kept talking until Lauren’s phone pinged. Pulling it out of her bag she smiled. “A text from Jonas.” She read the text, then looked at Annie. “They are breaking for lunch.”
Annie waited while she and Jonas texted back and forth. Finally, Lauren tucked her phone back in her bag.
“Jonas says hello and thanks to you for looking after me.”
“That’s all?” Annie grinned.
“That’s all that was meant for you. Obviously, I don’t need looking after, but you’ve made this day much easier for me.”
“And you’ve learned more about Jonas.”
“Yes, I have, but there is still so much I don’t know. I’ll have to be satisfied with phone calls and texts until we can see each other again.”
Annie sobered. “Sometimes, when you have known someone for a long time and think you know all about them you discover you never knew them at all,” she said.
Lauren looked at her friend’s suddenly serious face. “Annie?” she said softly.
Annie took her time answering, then unexpectedly blurted out, “You and Jonas aren’t sleeping together, are you?”
Surprised by the question, Lauren shook her head. “No. I am old-fashioned that way.”
Annie was silent a moment, then sighed. “Wish I had been. Old-fashioned, that is. I told you I was living with my boyfriend when I first met Jonas. It’s pretty common here for couples to live together before they are married.”
“Yes, I am aware of that. It’s become quite common in the States, too.”
“We’d been together since I was twenty. When I was twenty-five, we decided we were ready for marriage. We planned a big celebration with all our friends and family. Then one day, just weeks before the wedding, I found out that from time to time he’d had other women on the side. When I confronted him, he didn’t deny it, but claimed they weren’t important and didn’t mean anything. He insisted he loved me and wanted to marry me. I don’t know how I managed to stay calm, but I asked if he planned on continuing that practice after we were married?”
Because of Lauren: A Love Story Page 14
