Sensational

by Janet Nissenson

  Ian Gregson also possessed a dazzling smile, a firm handshake, and a deep, cultured British accent that would be more than enough to get ninety-nine percent of the world’s female population to fall into his bed at the blink of an eye. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lauren. And quite uncanny how much you look like your sister, even for identical twins.”

  She returned his handshake with a grip that took him by surprise, and gave him her very best flirty smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, too, Ian. And you certainly live up to all the hype. Between my sister, Travis, and Anton, you’ve got quite a fan club here.”

  He looked both startled and more than a little embarrassed, and Lauren guessed a man as suave and confident as Ian was rarely if ever at a loss for words as he was now.

  Nathan tactfully stepped in and offered Ian a crystal tumbler of scotch, while Julia urged everyone to partake of the extravagant array of hors d’oeuvres she had set out. The last guests of the evening – Eric Chiang, one of the architects employed at the firm, and his wife Karen – arrived a short time later.

  Lauren quickly discovered that Ian was not in the least bit put off or intimidated by her outspokenness, and actually seemed to find her quite amusing. At his encouragement, she told him about her various travels and some of the stories she’d covered for the magazine. He, too, was very well traveled, small wonder considering his family owned a worldwide chain of luxury hotels and resorts.

  Julia had none too discreetly sat them next to each other at dinner, and Lauren found it truly flattering for a change to have such a charming and attentive dining companion. She’d spent far too much time in recent years sharing pizza and beer with her crew, being treated very much like one of the guys, and had nearly forgotten what it was like to be around a true gentleman. Not counting, of course, her disastrous blind date with Daniel. The very same blind date she found herself recounting for everyone at the table, blaming all the champagne and wine she’d consumed for loosening her tongue.

  Ian found the tale hilarious, and laughed so hard he had to wipe a tear or two from his eyes. “My God, you are truly a force to be reckoned with, aren’t you?” he chuckled. “Ah, I’m very glad I came here this evening, Lauren. I can’t recall the last time I’ve laughed this much.”

  Lauren grinned. “Happy to oblige. Though why a man who’s got as much going for him as you obviously do doesn’t laugh very often is beyond me. Or why you don’t have a date along this evening. “

  Ian sobered instantly, masking his obvious discomfiture by reaching for his wine glass. “There’s a very good reason for both of those circumstances,” he told her quietly.

  “You’re in love with someone and she doesn’t return your feelings,” Lauren observed matter-of-factly. “Is she an idiot?”

  He gave her a faint smile but didn’t deny what had actually been a lucky guess on her part. “No, not in the least. And she has no idea of how I feel about her because I’ve never once even given her a hint.”

  “Ah.” Lauren nodded, scooping up another bite of Julia’s heavenly peach cobbler with fresh cream. “She’s married, then. Or otherwise spoken for.”

  Ian glanced around the table warily, as if to ascertain that no one else could hear their conversation. “You’re very observant, Ms. McKinnon,” he replied with an unwilling smile. “Perhaps too much for your own good. And I trust that you can also be discreet? I, ah, would not want what I just told you to be shared with anyone else at this table.”

  “Hmm.” Lauren licked cream off her fork in a very unladylike manner. “I take that to mean the woman in question is known to someone else here at the table. I’d guess then that she either works for you or for Nathan.”

  “The former,” he admitted reluctantly. “So I would appreciate your discretion, Lauren. Especially with your sister, since I fear she already suspects.”

  Lauren pretended to draw a zipper across her mouth. “Not a word. Scout’s honor. Not that I was ever a girl scout, of course. Too many rules and regulations, not to mention the truly hideous uniform.”

  Ian’s amusement returned. “I can just imagine the havoc you would have created in a group like that. But I do appreciate your keeping this information to yourself.”

  “Yeah, no big deal,” she shrugged. “Though that still doesn’t explain why a hunky guy like you is here without a date tonight. I mean, I understand about your forbidden love and all that, but why are you pining away for her this way?”

  He smiled thoughtfully. “It’s very simple, actually. If I can’t have her, then I don’t want anyone else. I have a few female friends who attend social events with me from time to time, but those are all strictly platonic relationships. The thought of being romantically involved with anyone besides T – besides my forbidden love, as you so succinctly put it – holds no appeal whatsoever.”

  Lauren gave a low whistle. “Well, damn. All I can say is that this girl must be one smoking hot babe for a guy like you to live like a monk because you can’t have her. How long has it been for you anyway? You know, since you, uh, shagged anyone? That is how you Brits phrase it, right?”

  He gave her a look of disbelief. “I would say that I can’t believe you just asked me a question like that, but then I’ve also just spent the last two hours hearing about all your wild adventures and, ah, questionable blind dates. And I’ve determined that there’s very little that intimidates you, including asking virtual strangers about their lack of, er, shagging.”

  She gave him a cheeky wink. “I’ll tell you if you tell me. I’ve had a dry spell going now for eighteen months.”

  Ian laughed in spite of himself. “I believe I can one up you there. By several months, in fact.”

  She shook her head. “What a waste. I hope this chick wakes up and smells the roses one day soon, appreciates just what she could have.”

  “I’m flattered,” remarked Ian dryly. “And might I return the compliment? Whoever the man is that you’re in love with, he’s a fool not to appreciate you.”

  Lauren was speechless, a very rare occurrence for her. “How – I mean, that’s not – it’s not like your situation. Not exactly, anyway.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t need to know the details to determine that you find yourself in a similar set of circumstances. You’re not the only one with excellent observational skills, Lauren. I was taught those same skills at a very early age. And they tell me now that your heart has been badly broken.”

  She reached for a bottle of red wine only to have Ian pick it up first and smoothly refill her glass. She took a long swallow before lifting the glass to him in a toast. “Here’s what we should do,” she told him half-jokingly as she ran a teasing hand up and down the sleeve of what she guessed was a custom made suit jacket. “We should say to hell with broken hearts and unrequited love and break our dry spells with each other. What do you say, handsome?”

  Ian’s hazel eyes gleamed with amusement. “I’d say that you’re a very beautiful and enchanting woman, and that I’m incredibly flattered at your, er, offer. But - ” he gave a regretful shake of his dark head, “the heart wants what the heart wants, Lauren. And my heart belongs to someone else, even if she’ll never know.”

  “I get that.” She sighed. “But the heart doesn’t always have to be involved when it comes to, ah, shagging. In fact, mine has only ever been truly involved once. No reason we couldn’t commiserate over our mutually foolish infatuations by having a bit of fun.”

  Ian refilled his own wine glass. “Well, now. That brings up quite a different dilemma,” he teased. “You see, I rather like to be the one in charge of all aspects of my life including the, ah, bedroom. And I sense that you and I would have a bit of a – let’s call it a power struggle – in that regard.”

  Lauren tried very hard not to think about how it had always been an equal give and take between her and Ben, though she had admittedly liked topping him as often as possible. Almost as much as she’d enjoyed being dominated by him.

  Belatedly aware that Ian
was politely waiting for her reply, she merely gave him a little wink. “That, I’m afraid, is a deal breaker,” she teased. “Especially since I’d have to leave my handcuffs and floggers at home.”

  As Ian’s laugh rang out, Lauren caught Julia’s eye and groaned when she noted the hopeful expression on her twin’s face. She would definitely have to set her sister straight after dinner – to let her know that even though Ian was undeniably a catch, there was nothing happening there. Not as long as his heart belonged to another woman, and hers – well, there had only ever been one man who’d been able to lay claim to hers.

  ***

  October –Big Sur

  “There. That ought to do it. What do you think?”

  Lauren carefully inspected the section of deck railing that her father had just finished repairing. Living so close to the ocean came with a higher than average occurrence of wood rot and rust, and one of the consequences was a continual need to perform preventive maintenance and make regular repairs.

  “It looks great, Daddy,” she replied. “Thanks for coming down to help me.”

  Robert shrugged. “A labor of love, darlin’. This cabin is a testament to that theory. And if I didn’t have my workshop and your mother her studio at our place up the road, I’d be sorely tempted to switch places with you. The years I lived here were magical, special. Not that the Carmel house isn’t equally as special to me, but, well – you know.”

  Lauren nodded, knowing it wasn’t necessary to put into words the unique affinity she and her father had always shared for this place. And while her mother and sister also had fond memories of the cabin, they had never felt quite the same attachment that she and Robert had always enjoyed.

  “Well, it’s a very good thing that you aren’t planning to move back here,” teased Lauren. “Because I would chain myself to the deck before I would ever willingly leave this place.”

  Robert chuckled as he began to put away his tools. “Not to worry, Laurie. Your mother and I aren’t going anywhere. And I wouldn’t dream of asking you to leave this place. I know how important it’s always been to you.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” She knelt down to help him pick up his tools and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I hope I didn’t take you away from anything important today.”

  He gave a brief shake of his head. “Nothing that won’t keep for a bit. When I left, your mother was cooking up a storm to get ready for your birthday party this weekend. And when Natalie is occupied in her kitchen, I know better than to interfere.”

  “Julia’s the same. When I offered to help out at that dinner party she gave a couple of weeks ago, I thought she was going to stab me with her paring knife. And I really wish Mom wasn’t going to so much trouble for a little birthday dinner. It’s not like Jules and I are little girls anymore.”

  Robert stood and hooked an arm around his daughter’s neck, hugging her in close to his side. “Ah, but you know what your mother is like when it comes to giving a party. She’s not one for bringing out the good china and crystal, or cooking up a lot of fancy dishes. But she does insist on making enough food for a small army. And she loves nothing better than to be surrounded by her family and friends as often as possible. Especially her girls. When Julia moved out here from New York last year, your mother was over the moon at the thought of having both her babies close by. So let her spoil the two of you a bit, hmm?”

  “Okay.” She giggled like a little girl as her father ruffled her hair, causing even more strands to tumble from her untidy braid. Only for her father would she ever do something as girly as giggle. “Do you have time for a cup of coffee before you head back? And I have half of a lemon meringue pie from the bakery.”

  “What happened to the other half?” asked Robert with a knowing wink.

  Lauren grinned and rubbed her washboard flat stomach. “You know I burn up calories faster than I can consume them. You’re lucky there’s still half left. Come on. I’ll even let you brew the coffee.”

  Robert shuddered. “An excellent idea, darlin’, given that yours is thick enough to lay bricks with. No wonder you cream and sugar it to death.”

  “Well, that way I get both my caffeine and sugar kicks at the same time,” joked Lauren, looping her arm through her father’s as they walked inside the cabin.

  He looked at her reproachfully. “And you know that you shouldn’t be having either of those substances. I realize you’ve learned to control your condition over the years but too much stimulation is playing with fire, darlin’.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. “I know, Daddy. And trust me, I’ve got it all under control.”

  Robert stopped short as he spied an object on the kitchen counter. “And you know my feelings about that quite well, young lady. Every time I see it, I want to throttle your Uncle Malcolm for giving it to you.”

  “Oops.” Lauren hastily swept up her switchblade and stashed it in a kitchen drawer. “Sorry. I was using it to open a box this morning.”

  Robert shook his head even as he began to scoop coffee into a paper filter. “You should be keeping that lethal weapon locked up. I’m still not sure it’s legal to possess in this country. Not to mention all of the many and varied places you travel to.”

  “But I don’t take - ” Lauren’s protest died on her lips as her father glared at her.

  “You never could lie to me, Laurie,” stated Robert as he flicked the ON switch to the coffeemaker. “I may be the one person in the entire world who can truthfully say that. So don’t even try telling me that you don’t pack that knife with you everywhere you go. And while I understand why you take it along when you go to some of these godforsaken places the magazine sends you to, you do not need to hide it in your boot when you go into town for groceries or drive up to San Francisco to see your sister. So do your poor old father a favor and leave it safely at home, hmm?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” she murmured obediently, even though both of them knew she’d break her vow the very next time she left the house.

  Over pie and coffee, Robert told her about several projects he was working on. He rarely did any architectural design these days, save for the occasional room addition or remodel. Nowadays he preferred to work with his hands designing and building furniture, decks, and cabinets.

  Robert took a sip of his coffee. “And what about you, darlin’? Are you still loving life traveling all around the globe?”

  “Of course.” She gave him a puzzled look. “Why would you even ask me that?”

  “Because something’s been troubling you for a while now, Laurie.” He was the only person in the world who could get away with using that particular nickname. “You seem sad sometimes. Maybe even a little depressed. And that, my girl, is not like you at all. So tell your old dad what the matter is.”

  Lauren hesitated, sorely tempted to cry it all out on her father’s broad, comforting shoulder, knowing that somehow he would make it all okay. But she was too old now, and far too proud, to go crying to her daddy when she needed soothing. It had been a long, long time since she had done something like that, having been fiercely independent from the time she could walk.

  “It’s nothing really, Daddy,” she fudged. “Just, well, I guess I’m still mad at my boss for not sending me to Brazil. And I don’t care what excuses he gave me. I still say he held me back on purpose.”

  Robert guffawed. “You do hold a grudge, don’t you, darlin’? Well, in my opinion, your boss is both very wise and very brave. In fact, the next time I’m in New York I’m going to buy him a drink to thank him. And if he had let you go to Brazil knowing the danger involved, I would have either insisted he got fired or had his head examined.”

  “Daddy, you aren’t serious are you” asked Lauren, trying to disguise the panic his words had initiated. “You’re not really going to ask Ben out for a drink, are you?”

  He winked. “What’s the matter, Laurie? Afraid your boss will tell me tales about some of your adventures? Trust me, darlin’, there’s really nothing I’d b
e shocked to hear about you at this point.”

  ‘Oh, yeah?’ she asked herself wildly. ‘How about the fact that my boss and I had a wild fling five years ago right here in this very cabin. In fact, I think one of the many places we, uh, flung was right about where you’re having pie and coffee.’

  But of course she said nothing about her ill-fated affair with Ben, keeping it to herself as she had done for such a long time. She quickly changed the subject, asking her father about his favorite soccer team, knowing that he’d happily converse on that topic for endless minutes.

  When Robert headed back home to Carmel a short while later, however, it was all Lauren could do to stop the tears from tracking down her cheeks unheeded. Over the years she’d gotten real good at blocking out all the memories, and the pain that accompanied them, but then there were times like today when nothing kept them at bay for very long.

  Everywhere she went in this cabin, the surrounding grounds, the nearby bluffs and beach, brought back bittersweet memories of Ben. At one time she’d considered replacing nearly every stick of furniture in the house – the bed, both sofas, chairs, even the kitchen table – because they had made love on all of those surfaces and more. But to do so would have surely raised her parents’ eyebrows – and suspicions – and thus nothing had changed.

  She did some work enhancing and cropping a series of photos she’d taken during her most recent visit to San Francisco, thinking that they might be something her mother would like for the gallery. She poured herself a glass of wine and watched the sunset out on the deck, unwillingly remembering each time she had done exactly the same thing with Ben. Dinner was a tamale plate she’d picked up in Monterey earlier today, and while she normally savored each delicious bite tonight everything tasted like sawdust.