Tuesday and Wednesday went by much the same way: Sandra waking up from nightmares each morning; Sandra numbing herself in the cold water of her shower; Sandra going to get her morning coffee. Had she fallen into another routine in the last two years without realizing it in? The errant thought entered her mind as she rushed to work, but she didn’t pay it much attention, instead choosing to focus on dealing with the patients, appointments, paperwork, medical bills, insurance statements, and everything else her job entailed.
Thursday was a surprise.
Sandra came in unusually early to Cassie’s Blend. She had woken up in that awkward time period when it was too late to reach for the Ambien, but too early to get ready for work—though the nightmare didn’t bother her that night. So she’d showered, and gone to see if her friend at the coffee shop had opened the doors.
The actual doors turned out to be locked, but Cassie spotted Sandra from inside and darted over. Her eyes shone with mischief as she unbolted the lock and let Sandra in.
“What?” Sandra asked. Cassie was looking at her and trying—but failing—to conceal a smile.
“Nothing.”
“Really?”
“Truly. Nothing.” The grin became even more apparent.
“Come on, I know something’s up. You’re looking at me like a housecat who’s caught a goldfish.”
Cassie looked from side to side, and let out a schoolgirlish squeal. “Why didn’t you tell me you went out with Mr. Handsome last week?”
“Oh. That. Wait—how do you know?”
“Mrs. Baker came in the other day,” Cassie explained, tossing her hair and sauntering over to lounge on a stool. “Her husband wouldn’t stop gushing about it the minute he came home on Friday. A Friday night date. For you! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. Really, Sandra, I’m hurt!”
“Wait, why did Mrs. Baker tell you?”
“I have a skill at ferretting out gold nuggets of gossip.” Cassie beamed. “Oh, you shouldn’t be mad with the doctor. He’s one I’ve never been able to crack. Heck, he made his wife promise not to tell anybody after he told her.”
“Yet you found out,” Sandra noted flatly.
“Duh, I’m a pro. So, what happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on,” Cassie prodded. “That can’t be true. Come, come, sit. You have to tell me everything! Who is he? What’s his name? What’s his story? Did you kiss? How was the sex—great? Oh, I imagine it’d be great. He looked like the smoldering, passionate kind. I can just picture the two of you—”
“Cassie!” Sandra sat down hard at the table. She really didn’t want to talk about Friday. She did not want to relive the disappointment of not hearing from Brandon since. “Seriously! Nothing happened. We were out for an hour, and he didn’t call me after.”
“An hour? Only an hour?”
“That’s all I gave him.”
“Oh, Sandra, Sandra, Sandra,” Cassie chastised. “That was a mistake. And your next mistake was not telling me earlier! I could have helped you reel him in.”
“Thanks, but I don’t need your help. The whole date shouldn’t have happened, anyway, and—”
“Don’t say that! Why shouldn’t it have happened?”
“By the end of the night, he wanted nothing to do with me.”
Cassie frowned. “That’s hard to imagine.” Then she added in a stage whisper, gesturing with one long-nailed finger up and down Sandra’s clothes, “You didn’t wear that, did you?”
“Of course not!” Sandra blushed. “I have better things at home.”
“Well, then you have to tell me what you did!” Cassie glanced at the clock. “I’ve got fifteen minutes before I need to start prepping the back. So you have to dish. Let’s start with the basics. Do you like him?”
Sandra hid a furtive smile. “Maybe not at first, but after…”
“Not at first? You chased after him Friday morning!”
“Oh, I didn’t even tell you what happened—”
“You don’t need to.” Cassie laughed. “He came in here not ten minutes after you’d gone, asking for you.”
Sandra was shocked. “He asked for me? Why?”
“He said something about a new shirt.” Cassie’s eyes twinkled. “He walked in stripped to the waist like he owned the place. I nearly died when I saw him. If it had been anybody other than me and Josh in here, I would have sent him on his way, but since I didn’t have any customers to worry over…” Cassie trailed off, laughing. “Well, I can appreciate a good body with the best of them.”
“Wait a minute.” Sandra’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t tell him where I work, did you?”
Cassie took a sudden, inexplicable interest in a dirty spot on the table.
“You did!” Sandra exclaimed.
“Hey, hey!” Cassie protested. “With someone like that asking you a question, your brain turns to mush.” At least this time, Cassie had the grace to blush. “What’s a girl to do?”
“What if he was dangerous? What if he was a stalker?”
“Sandra.” Cassie gave her a level look. “I think I’d be able to tell apart a stalker from a regular man. Besides, the way he asked about you…it was very romantic.”
“How so?”
“What do you think? How many men do you know who’d be willing to swallow their pride enough to ask after you?”
Sandra thought about it for a moment. “Nobody.”
“Exactly. I’d consider myself very lucky if I were you. Having a handsome, obviously successful man interested in you is totally flattering!”
“And a bit unexpected,” Sandra added. Brandon had actually come to ask Cassie about her? And he did it after she’d dismissed him on the street? It was quite endearing, she had to admit—though in a strange-but-exciting sort of way. “What did he say?”
“Well, he explained what happened,” Cassie laughed, “and said you left without giving him a chance to apologize.”
Sandra smiled. “That much was true.”
“But I don’t know anything about what happened after! He obviously found you in the end, if you went on the date, but I don’t know how.”
“Well, I definitely didn’t expect him to come into the office,” Sandra began, and explained everything that happened after Brandon had showed up.
Cassie sighed when she was done. “Do you know how lucky you are to have someone like him go through all that effort just to find you? So, what happened on the date? Where did he take you?”
“We went on… a boat.”
“A boat?”
“Actually, maybe it was a yacht.”
“Wow! That must have been something.”
“It was, at first.” Sandra said. She remembered the disappointing ending to the date, and didn’t want to dwell on it, but with Cassie pressing her, she had no choice. “If I tell you about it, will you promise you won’t tell anyone else?”
Cassie made a motion across her chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
“And you’ll stop bugging me about it after?”
“You’ll never hear a peep out of me about the mystery man again.” Cassie’s eyes betrayed her words. “Unless things move forward with you, of course. What’s his name?”
“Brandon.”
“Brandon. Hmm. A good name, if a bit clunky.”
“I like it,” Sandra defended. “Not that it matters. Things aren’t going forward with us. Like I said, he hasn’t been in touch with me since that night.”
“Maybe he’s been busy. A man like that obviously has other things going on in his life.”
Sandra shook her head. “It’s been six days and I haven’t heard a word from him. Even if he was interested at first, I probably screwed it up, somehow.”
“Well, did he tell you why he’s in town? Or how long he’s here for?”
“No, he didn’t mention it.”
“What does he do? Where does he work?”
“He said he’s a businessman.”
&nbs
p; “Figures. Where’s he from?”
“Um. I don’t know.”
“Well, darling, if you had an hour with him, what is it exactly you did? Did you enjoy yourself, at least?”
“Actually,” Sandra said, forcing herself to think back to that night for the first time since Saturday morning. “Actually, I had a great time. A really great time. He took me on his yacht, and we sailed out to this spot just past the curve of the land. There’s a beautiful island there, completely uninhabited, totally pristine, and filled with huge evergreens. There were cliffs on the beach, and you could hear the waves crashing against them. And there were all these gulls, circling overhead, crying out.”
Cassie sighed. “Have I ever told you I love the sea? That’s why I live here. But I’ve never seen anything like that. It sounds romantic.”
“It was. And… in truth, he put a lot of effort into it. He timed the trip perfectly so that we would get there just as the sun was setting.”
“He didn’t!”
“Yes, he did. It was beautiful. Serene. I remember feeling so at peace with the world…” Sandra shivered. She also remembered Brandon. His smell, his presence, the taste of his intoxicating lips on hers… the feel of his hard, tight body… that alluring, penetrating gaze… “It was magical.”
“A-a-and?” Cassie sung the word.
“And, we talked. I talked, I should say. He made me feel really comfortable, somehow. I felt like he was interested in me.”
“Of course he would be. Look at you!”
Sandra glanced at her pale reflection in the window, considering. “I don’t know why you keep saying that. But I don’t mean just physically, anyway. He seemed interested in who I am—as a person.”
Cassie sighed again. “Do you know how rare it is to find a guy like that on a first date? One whose biggest interest isn’t how he’s going to get into your pants by the end of the night?”
Sandra narrowed her eyes. “How do you know? I thought you and Robbie were exclusive since high school?”
“Oh, there may have been a few other guys sprinkled here or there before we got hitched,” Cassie admitted slyly. “But that all stopped the minute we said our vows. He knows I love him. And he loves me. Still, though…”
“What was he like at first?”
“One of those guys who just wanted to get into my pants!” Cassie laughed, and Sandra couldn’t help but join in.
“Anyway,” Cassie pressed, “you talked, while you were all alone on this big yacht at twilight. Then what?”
“Well, he had a bottle of champagne. Not just any champagne, either. He brought Krug Clos d'Ambonnay.”
Cassie made a funny face. “What’s that?”
“It’s just a really expensive vintage. The only reason I know is because my dad used to collect bottles. Oh, I didn’t even tell you about the Rolex!”
“He had a Rolex? That’s a little gaudy.”
“I know,” Sandra agreed. “I felt the same way. It’s pompous. And that’s what he was like when I first met him, but on the boat… he was a man transformed. Anyway, so we had the drinks, and I said thank you, and then I looked into his eyes…”
Cassie nodded, hanging onto the edge of every word.
“…and I saw this fire explode within him. He swept down and kissed me on the spot.”
“Kiss, like, a full kiss?”
“Everything. For a moment I thought I’d awakened something within him.”
“And? How was it?”
“Amazing. The best I’ve ever had.”
“No! You’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not.”
“Better than… what’s his name?”
“The guy you keep bugging me about from two years back? I told you, nothing happened with him.”
“No, no. Not him. Your ex.”
“Oh. Him.” Cassie knew an abbreviated version of the story that Sandra had told Brandon about her past. Basically, she knew that Sandra had moved to Ocean Shores after dumping her fiancé in Dallas. She didn’t know any of the details, however, and Sandra let Cassie assume she was originally from Dallas. “There was no comparison. That’s like comparing my beat up Mazda to a Lamborghini.”
“When’re you going to get that car fixed up, anyway? It’s been sitting in that parking lot for months. I told you Robbie can fix it.”
“When I get the cash.” Robbie was Cassie’s husband. “I don’t need it now, anyway.”
“Oh, well—” Cassie stopped short with a startled look at the clock. “Jesus! Where has the time gone? I’ve got to get started putting this place together, Sandra. You’re welcome to stick around and chat. Maybe we can figure out some way for you to reel Brandon back in. You want me to make you your drink?”
“Yeah, thanks. Isn’t Josh usually the one who gets things running here in the mornings?”
“Yes, but he’s been busy. He asked for a few morning shifts off this week.”
“Off?” Sandra blinked in surprise. “He needs that money for his mother.”
“I know. I was surprised.”
“He hasn’t taken time off since I’ve known him.”
“Kind of like you.”
Sandra gave her a level look.
“I don’t know, maybe he’s prepping for exams or something,” Cassie continued. “He’s graduating this year, you know.”
“I know.”
“Here—” Cassie handed Sandra her coffee. “On the house. No charge. As a way of saying thanks for finally sitting down and talking.” Cassie smiled.
“You know, I have to admit, it actually felt pretty good to talk to someone about it.”
“Of course it felt good!” Cassie looked scandalized. “That’s what women do. I swear, I don’t know why you have to be so secretive about your life.”
“Sometimes it’s better to have some privacy.”
“Not in a town this size! And I’ve been trying to get you to come out with us girls for our dinner-and-a-movie nights forever.”
“Work keeps me busy.”
“Work, work, work. You’re a receptionist for crying out loud! And Doctor Baker’s a sweetheart. He’d let you take a day off without a blink. Hell, he’d give you a week if you just ask.”
“I need the money. Student loans, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right. The bank’s still after you, is it?” She sighed. “That’s why I never went to one of those expensive schools.”
“That might have been the better bet,” Sandra muttered, and genuinely meant it. “Actually, you know what…” she began, testing the waters. Maybe she could stand to let Cassie into her life a little more. Sandra didn’t know how much longer she’d stay in Ocean Shores, and didn’t want to hurt the woman when she left, but still… “Maybe I’ll come out to one of those movie nights this week.”
Cassie blinked, stopped, the surprise clear on her face. And then she radiated the most gratifying smile Sandra had ever seen. “I’d love that.”
Sandra returned the smile, said her goodbyes, and headed to the office. It was only a few blocks away.
When she got there, she was in for her second surprise of the day.
Standing beside the door, under the mail slot, was the largest bouquet of flowers she’d ever seen. There were literally dozens of different types: roses, lilies, carnations, irises, tulips, and half a dozen more she couldn’t name, much less recognize. Sandra picked it up and brought her face close, pulling in the sweet, gentle aroma with a deep breath. Then she noticed a small envelope, hidden amongst the stems, with her name handwritten on one side.
She opened it and pulled out the card.
Sandra,
I’ve been out of town but haven’t forgotten about you.
Didn’t know what flowers you liked best. Hope you find something in here that pleases you.
I should have asked.
Brandon
A chuckle from the side of the street surprised her. She looked over, and saw Doctor Baker standing there, regarding her with
a teasing smile. “Star-crossed lovers?” he mused.
“Hardly,” Sandra snorted, folding up the card.
“Well, in my opinion, a man who sends that many flowers to a woman has fallen pretty hard for her.”
“You know we only went on that one date.”
“Did you?” Doctor Baker winked. “I’m not so sure anymore.”
Sandra rolled her eyes and unlocked the door, letting both of them in. Then she went back out and picked up the bouquet of flowers. Who did Brandon think he was, casually dropping in and out of her life like that? She wasn’t some doll to be taken out and played with when he got bored! Despite that, she took extra care bringing the flowers inside and setting them on the counter for everyone to see.
The fresh flowers filled the office with scents of spring throughout the day. A number of patients—especially the older ladies—made glowing remarks about them.
The final surprise of the day came at noon, when Sandra was getting up to lock the front door for lunch.
A man walked in, dressed in a skinny black tuxedo, of all things. He was bald, maybe Doctor Baker’s age, and had an air of a butler about him.
“Can I help you?” Sandra asked.
“I’m looking for Miss Hawthorne,” he announced.
Sandra cleared her throat, not understanding. “That’s me,” she said, uncertainly. She could feel Doctor Baker’s eyes on her. He had rolled out of his office on his chair to see what was going on.
“Ah. Excellent.” He handed her a sealed envelope. “This is for you.”
“What is it?”
“I was told they were instructions, Miss.”
“Instructions?” Sandra slipped her finger under the flap and broke the seal. Inside the envelope was a card much like the one that had arrived with the bouquet.
Sandra,
Meet me at the Space Needle tonight.
Reservations are at eight.
Before then, allow my assistant to take you shopping.
Brandon
Sandra frowned. Did Brandon really expect her to forget everything at the drop of a hat and come running whenever he summoned? That was ridiculous! And… shopping? Was she some sort of vagabond in need of charity?
Yours to Savor Page 8
