White Chocolate Moments

by Lori Wick

  Arcineh shrugged. "No one asked, and I didn't think to mention

  Gage shook his head. "That was highly unprofessional:'

  "That's not all that was unprofessional:' Arcineh said, and Gage looked at her.

  "I'm going to want to know what that means, but will you first tell me everything you remember about that meeting? I won't interrupt you."

  Arcineh began again, and Gage couldn't keep the amazement from his face. To hear that deception was discussed while they all sat there unaware was astounding to him. He had researched Siena Designs for a long time and thought it couldn't be a better match for Rugby Shades.

  "Did you and Patrice talk about it after the meeting?" Gage wanted to know next.

  "Mr. Sefton:' Arcineh began.

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  "Gage he corrected her, his eyes never leaving her face.

  "Gage Arcineh started again. "I don't know if I'm the best person to tell you this:'

  "Why wouldn't you be?"

  Arcineh looked at Sam.

  "Are you afraid of what Gage's relationship might be with this woman?" her grandfather guessed.

  Arcineh nodded. "I think there was a serious error in judgment, but I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble or fired:'

  "You can tell me Gage said, and waited for Arcineh to do just that The waitress brought more coffee, and when Arcineh had added cream and tasted it, she started.

  "Nothing else I could tell you will make sense if you don't know how Patrice views you:'

  "How she views me?"

  Arcineh saw no help for it. She took a breath and plunged in.

  "My first conversation with Mallory was her telling me to remember that she and the other women put up with Patrice only for the money:'

  Gage looked stunned over this, and Arcineh waited. She wasn't sure if he was hurt by the statement or wanted to argue.

  "Why did she say that?"

  "Because Patrice had laid claim to you. I feared speaking to you or looking at you for fear of losing my job:'

  "Did you really believe that would happen, Arcie?"

  "You probably don't remember this, but one day I was in the lobby looking at the new brochure and you sat down with me:' "I remember:' Gage put in softly.

  "Well, Patrice saw us, and that's when the job changed for me. None of us were allowed to get close to you. After that she criticized everything I did, so that when I sent her those notes, she wouldn't even consider that I might know what I was talking about:'

  Arcineh was warming to the topic now and went on without

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  mercy. "I've never heard of an employee who was expected to work at the boss' apartment after business hours and then spend the night. Some women might have got it into their heads to accuse you of something, and you'd be in a sexual harassment lawsuit right now. But then, I suspect that Patrice thought me safe enough to not do that or to even tempt you.

  "And I also assume the babysitting job was her idea. You should have looked at that woman who showed up, bringing her child to a business meeting, like she'd grown another head. And then done the same thing to Patrice when she suggested that someone on your staff babysit!"

  Arcineh was a little red in the face now with emotion. She was not shouting--her voice was level--but she was going to have her say.

  "I can see that you have a growing, thriving company, but don't ask me how. You have some business practices that I highly question, and you allow your assistant to run things so you don't have to think about them:"

  Gage was so flooded with emotion that he knew it would take some time to sort it all out. He looked down at the table, his mind trying to take it all in.

  "Thank you:' he said at last, and Arcineh stared at him. It was the very last thing she expected.

  "What will you do?" Sam asked the younger man.

  "First of all, I'll talk to my people. I don't expect them to lie to me, but I certainly won't tell them what I now know."

  Gage looked at Arcineh.

  "We go to court in about six weeks. Would you consider testifying?"

  "What does that look like?"

  Gage's mouth tightened a bit. "It could get pretty ugly. Siena has denied all charges. But we would try to keep you as informed as possible. Surprises are sometimes the worst part:'

  "Who's we?"

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  "My lawyers and I."

  "I don't wish to be difficult," Arcineh knew she had to add, "but I hate competition. I won't do it."

  Gage stared at her, not sure what she was saying.

  "Do you mean with Patrice?" Sam asked.

  "Yes. If my helping at the trial means putting me back on her radar as someone out to steal you, I'd rather not put myself through that:'

  "Did you know that Patrice is engaged to be married?"

  Arcineh gawked at him, more confused than ever. "I have no desire to vilify this woman, but her need to be needed by you caused her to have a serious lapse in judgment, and now you're up to your ears in litigation.

  "Patrice runs that office with amazing efficiency, but she also had some issues. I hope everything works out for the best, and I don't want to see Patrice fired, but you did ask me what I thought:'

  Again Gage thanked her. She had been a huge help, but he also got more than he bargained for.

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  Chapter Sixteen

  "Your granddaughter is a beautiful woman:' Gage said to Sam in the older man's family room much later that day.

  "Yes, she is," Sam could not help but agree.

  Gage was about to ask a question about her, but he looked at the older man's face. His head was tipped back, his mind far away.

  "My son was a good-looking man:' he said after a minute of quiet. "But Isabella, Arcineh's mother, was stunning. She drew eyes, male and female, everywhere she went. And classy--Arcineh has her style:"

  "What happened to them?"

  "They died in an auto accident. Arcie was eleven. She came to live with me'

  "I take it the two of you didn't get along:"

  "As a matter of fact, we did very well together until I let my other granddaughter move in. Arcie was 17 at the time and moved out as soon as she could. I thought Arcie was being unreasonable. I was totally blind to who Quinn really was at that time:'

  The things Sam said that afternoon helped everything come into focus for Gage. He found himself more fascinated than ever. Gage

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  wrestled with what he was thinking for a time and then just spit it out.

  "Do you think Arcie will ever let me anywhere near her?" Sam smiled, not surprised he would feel that way.

  "Tell me something, Gage. Do you dance?"

  "A little. Mostly ballroom:'

  Sam smiled at him, and Gage laughed.

  "If that's the prerequisite, I probably don't stand a chance:'

  "I was just teasing you, but do take my advice on this. Don't ever make her compete for you. She'll walk away without a backward glance:'

  Gage felt compassion for the man but took each word to heart.

  "I'm still in shock:' Sam told Pastor Simon Orr when the morning service ended. "I've seen her every day, I think just to convince myself that she's really back in my life:'

  "Will you see her today?"

  "I'm headed there now:' Sam said with a smile.

  Simon clapped him on the shoulder and said, "I'll be praying:' Sam thanked him and headed to his car.

  "Hi:' Sam said quietly, causing Arcineh to start.

  "I didn't hear you:' she said, shutting her front door behind her. The hallway was always a bit cool.

  "I didn't mean to startle you. Did I catch you at a bad time?" "No, I'm just putting the trash out:'

  Sam took the sack from her hand and said, "I thought you might want to come over for lunch:'

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  "At your house?"

  "At my house:'

  Arcineh bit her lip. She loved the idea, but found it a little scary too.

&nbs
p; "Just the two of us?"

  "Yes:'

  "Okay:" Arcineh agreed, though she was not sure why. "Let me grab my coat:'

  Arcineh shot inside the building but came right back out. "Do you think it would be all right if I did my laundry?"

  "Of course:" Sam said, wondering why she wasn't inviting him in. "My stuff gets pretty dirty on the job," she apologized.

  "Get your laundry, Arcie Sam said, and Arcineh smiled at him.

  Sam found the Dumpster and then went in to wait by her door.

  Arcineh came out with a large sack and shut the door rather swiftly. "Have you got a man in there you don't want me to see?" Sam

  teased her.

  "No, things are just messy," Arcineh said. It was true, but not the full truth.

  "I'm sure I'd be horrified," Sam remarked dryly.

  Arcineh laughed but was glad he'd not pushed the point. If he struggled with her not having a phone, he would have been really upset to see that Jalaina had taken most of the furniture.

  "Where do you usually do your laundry?" Sam asked when they were headed down the road.

  "There's a small laundry room at the apartments. I don't mind, but I got behind, and Sundays are pretty busy in there:'

  "And this will save you a little money:' Sam mentioned, no censure in his voice.

  "I suppose you think I'm crazy. My parents' money is sitting in your bank, and I don't touch it."

  "You've never wanted it, Arcie, so that's nothing new, but it is hard for me not to just hand you everything."

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  "I guess it would be. I've never thought about it before." Arcineh looked over at him, realizing now that his face looked younger than the last time she'd seen him.

  "Is anything wrong?" Sam asked with a glance at her.

  "I'm just looking at you:"

  "I missed you too." Sam said the words.

  "Did you look for me?"

  Sam laughed a little. "About a thousand times I hired an investigator to track you down, only to call him back in five minutes and cancel. I knew you'd come home when you wanted to."

  "When did all this begin?"

  "Not right away. I was too angry. But when I realized that you'd gathered your birth certificate and passport, I got scared. I was glad you at least called Vi."

  "I called you too, but Quinn always picked up."

  "Did you talk to her?"

  "No, I just hung up:'

  They were at the house now, and Sam hit the garage door opener. Arcineh looked around, thinking she would never see him in something this small but also understanding that in some parts of Chicago, this would be a mansion.

  "Come on in," Sam invited, climbing from the car and retrieving the sack of dirty clothes. "I'll show you around the downstairs."

  Arcineh followed him, hardly able to believe her eyes. It was like a scaled-down version of his old house. Nothing was quite so large or grand, but it was almost all there.

  "The backyard is big!" Arcineh commented when they stopped before the patio doors.

  "Yes it is, and just to the right:' Sam pointed, "will be the pool:' "You're getting a pool?" Arcineh couldn't hide her pleasure.

  "I am. I told myself when I moved here that when my girl came

  home, I'd put in a pool."

  Arcineh put a hand over her mouth, thinking she'd not cried this

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  much in the four years she'd been gone. She had hardened her heart and forced herself not to. Now all the walls were tumbling down.

  But she didn't want to cry again, and thankfully Sam rescued her.

  "Why don't I show you where the machines are:"

  "All right:'

  "Then I'll start lunch:'

  "Can you actually cook these days?" Arcineh asked simply to distract herself.

  "I'll have you know that I can heat a can of soup to perfection:' "Is that what we're having?" Arcineh had to laugh.

  "Not just that:' Sam said, managing to sound offended. "What else?"

  "Crackers and milk."

  Arcineh chuckled all the way to the laundry room.

  Lunch eaten, they had not been settled in the family room for more than five minutes when Arcineh noticed a Bible on one of the tables.

  "Do you read the Bible these days?" she asked Sam.

  "I do. I thought I knew what was in it, but I couldn't have been more wrong:'

  From far away, Arcineh heard the washing machine beep and excused herself. Almost as soon as she left, Sam was swept back in time to when his views began to change.

  Sam stood in the stark hospital room, tense and agitated, and watched Mason's eyes open slowly. He blinked a few times before focusing on his boss.

  "Oh, Sam. I'm glad you came."

  "How are you feeling?" Sam made himself ask. It was the last place he wanted to be.

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  'As good as can be expected for a dying man," Mason said, his voice pragmatic.

  "Don't joke." Sam's voice was a little harsh, and for the first time Mason didn't take it.

  "You never stop, do you? Always the boss," the man in the bed said.

  Sam had the good grace to look ashamed.

  "I've got some things to tell you, Sam, and this time I have nothing to lose."

  Sam had no reply to that, but Mason didn't need one. He wasted no time on politeness or pleasantries.

  "You're going to hell," Mason said, his voice firm, ignoring the angry tightening of Sam's jaw. "I was headed there too, but thankfully I got cancer and made myself stop and face the music."

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Then I'll tell you. I've been reading my Bible. I hadn't touched it since I was a kid. It says that men like us will perish forever. We do nothing but live for ourselves--you know we do.

  "Did you know," Mason asked, his voice filled with fascination, "all the comics and cartoons are wrong? There is no angel waiting to dialog with us at some great gateway. By the time we die, eternity is settled. I found Jesus' words and works are known too. Believe in Him, you're saved. Don't believe, you're condemned already It's black and white in John 3, Sam."

  'And now you're telling me you're saved?" Sam asked, doing nothing to hide his contempt.

  'Amazing, isn't it?" Mason didn't respond to the scorn. 'At this late hour, God still allowed me in."

  "In where?" Sam heard himself ask, not sure why he wasn't storming from the room.

  And Mason answered. He answered in plain terms, and Sam's life had not been the same since.

  Arcineh came back with a load of clothing to fold. She sat on the

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  sofa just where she'd been and began the methodical work. She hadn't even folded two shirts when she picked up where they'd left off.

  "I don't understand. You just suddenly started reading the Bible?"

  "It wasn't sudden, but it would seem that way to you."

  Arcineh looked tense now, and Sam knew he would have to tell her something.

  "Did I tell you that Mason Beck died?"

  Arcineh put her hand to her head. It was all so much to think about.

  "What happened?"

  "Cancer:'

  "Oh, Sam," Arcineh began. "I don't know how much more I can take:'

  "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before:'

  "But it has something to do with your Bible reading, doesn't it?" "Yes. Mason set me straight on some things. It's been a big help."

  "So what? You've had some sort of religious experience?" "You make it sound pretty disgusting:'

  "I didn't mean to:' Arcineh immediately recanted. "I have a friend who's very religious, and she goes to church, and she's very sincere. It just all sounds so hard that I can't imagine wanting that. There was a time when you didn't:'

  "That's very true. I'm thankful that people can change:'

  Arcineh could only look at him. He was changed. Remarkably so. The old Sam would have blamed her, to some extent, for leaving. He would have said she could have tried harder to tell him
or thrown it onto Violet. This humble, almost gentle, man took a little getting used to.

  "Did you have enough lunch?" Sam said, not ever planning to shove his beliefs down her throat.

  "I did, thank you. Can I ask you one more thing?"

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  "Sure:'

  The phone rang before Sam could say anything. He got up swiftly, checked the caller ID, and came back.

  "Go ahead:' Sam said.

  "Why didn't you pick up?"

  "Because it wasn't Vi. She's the only person I'd pick up for right now--so you could talk to her"

  Arcineh could only stare at him. "You're so changed:' "Yes, I am:'

  "I think I don't want to ask any questions:' Arcineh decided. "I just want you to tell me exactly what happened:'

  "She speaks Italian?" Patrice all but whispered.

  She was sitting in Gage's office, and he had just learned that Patrice did remember the notes from Arcineh.

  "This is all my fault:' Patrice went on. I ignored her, and now we're in this terrible mess:'

  "Why did you ignore her?" Gage asked.

  "I--" Patrice began, but stopped. How did she tell this man that she must protect him? She saw the adoring looks he got but knew that none of those women were good enough. When one came along that met the standard, she would know, but it hadn't happened yet.

  "Patrice?"

  "I'm rather protective of you:' Patrice said, finding the words. "But I've failed miserably, and I see no choice but to resign:'

  "I don't want you to resign. I have no plans to fire you, but before this is over, you'll be dragged over the coals. Arcie will sit on the witness stand and say she tried to warn you. The main focus will be on the lying translator and whoever hired him, but the light will definitely hit you as well:'

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  Patrice nodded, thinking she deserved nothing less, but Gage wasn't done.

  'And there will be some changes around here. I find it hard to believe we can't get our jobs done unless you fill each woman with fear:'

  Patrice licked her lips. "Arcie did quite a bit of talking."

  "She got some things off her chest:' Gage said, putting it mildly. "And she was right. My head's been in the sand. I don't want these hardworking women to stay because the pay is good. I want them to enjoy each day, be productive, and not fear your reprisal:'

  Patrice was not so humble now. It wasn't like that, she was sure. The women enjoyed working on this floor. Arcineh hadn't been around long enough to know anything.