Rescuing Vanessa (A Little Bit of Coffee, Flowers, and Romance)

by Christina Li

  Not seeing any windows in this room, Denny felt safe enough to click on a light. Some of the bookshelves held curious objects. They seemed ancient. But, were they worth anything? He picked up a pot of some kind, but didn’t recognize it as anything of value.

  Where there weren’t objects, there were books. In fact, there were piles of books everywhere. Picking up one, he realized it wasn’t in English. It wasn’t valuable, so he put it back down. No vase in here.

  He wandered into another room and realized it was a bedroom. More books, more worthless pottery. Where is that vase?!

  He opened the closet and snorted, nothing of value there. There was only a tiny kitchenette and a bathroom left. He checked both to be thorough, but found nothing.

  He went back upstairs and wandered around the house. Still nothing. Her boxes weren’t there. No boxes, no vase.

  He could kidnap her and hold her for ransom, but he didn’t want to call that much attention to himself. But, if he didn’t get that vase soon, he would have to do whatever it took. His creditors would only wait so long.

  ***

  When Daniel went down to his apartment later that night, he had the weirdest feeling. It was as if a foreign, uninvited spirit lingered. Upon further inspection, he believed some things were moved. It was crazy. He wasn’t exactly neat in practice, but he couldn’t escape the sensation that someone had been here.

  “Lord, I don’t know what’s going on here, but this apartment is Yours. I claim it in Your Name, Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, I cast out any spirits that don’t belong.” Immediately, he felt peace. Opening up a cupboard above the sink, he got out a bottle of oil and anointed all the doors and windows in the entire apartment. People might think he was weird for doing these things, but from experience he knew there was more in heaven and earth than man was aware of.

  It was so strange. Why would someone break into the Bennett’s house? And if someone did, why didn’t he take anything? Daniel prayed protection for the family above him. He especially prayed for Vanessa. He somehow knew that she was part of all this strangeness.

  Chapter 8

  Finally, it was Friday night and time to leave, but where was Daniel? Vanessa had missed his coming in from the college and she didn’t quite feel at liberty to knock on his apartment door. Also, she didn’t want him to think she was desperate or like she wanted anything more than friendship. So, she ended up pacing up and down the living room.

  “Dear, you simply must stop that. You’re making me nervous,” said Grandma.

  “I’m sorry, but Daniel is late.”

  Sitting in his favorite chair and rattling his newspaper, Grandpa said, “You could always go downstairs and knock. Perhaps he fell asleep and needs to be woken.”

  Vanessa groaned. “Do you think you could?”

  “Why can’t you?” asked her grandmother.

  “I don’t want to seem like I’m one of those women throwing themselves at him. The whole point is to give him one less thing to have to worry about. If I go and bother him now, he might think I’m badgering him or something.”

  “I think you’re overthinking this,” said her grandfather.

  “I’ll go check on him,” said Grandma.

  “I think I need to use the bathroom.” Vanessa hurried off with butterflies in her stomach.

  “I’m sorry I’m running late this evening,” said Daniel as he hurried into the family room. “I can’t seem to get my bowtie right.” For some reason, he seemed to be all thumbs.

  Mrs. Bennett smiled and reached for it, deftly tightening the final knot. “Vanessa is actually better at this than I. She used to love to tie her grandpa’s ties for him when she was a little girl.”

  “Thank you,” said Daniel glancing in the mirror above the fireplace. “By the way, where is Vanessa?”

  “She’ll be right back,” said Mrs. Bennett.

  “Here I am,” Vanessa appeared. “Ready to go?”

  Daniel stared. And stared again. Wow! Her copper hair fairly glowed and his stomach did funny flips when he gazed into her eyes, which he tried not to do but they were like magnets to his. Feeling his face heat up, he coughed, rubbed his hands together, and adjusted his glasses four or five times.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  Mentally shaking himself, he answered, “Fine, yes. Ready to go. By the way, you are lovely.” He hastened to the door and held it for her as she stepped through. He hoped she didn’t notice his face turn a deeper shade of red as he delivered that complement. A PhD in archaeology, linguistic archaeology no less, the study of languages and their development, yet his capacity for intelligent conversation rendered completely useless. What was wrong with him? It was a simple date, right? They were simply mates in the strictest British sense of the word, friends, and she was just being a good friend and doing him a favor. Right?

  It was only about a forty-five minute drive, but after the first fifteen of complete silence, Vanessa worried she would destroy the ruffle around her wrist. If she didn’t deal with her jitters, she tended to pick at things and the ruffles were the closest target. “So, what should I expect?” Maybe if she had a better idea of what she had gotten herself into, it would all be easier.

  “Well, first we’ll mingle.” He sounded like the word was distasteful to him. “Then, we’ll all go into the dining room and eat. After a ridiculously short amount of time, I get up and speak, boring everyone to tears. And, by the time I get back, my food is cold. After that, we get to listen to a few other speeches, all equally boring. Finally, we go into another room where a small string quartet will be playing while we take our desserts.”

  “Goodness, you make it sound so exciting. I can’t wait.” Vanessa tried to lighten the mood. Daniel didn’t even come close to cracking a smile at her attempt. He just let out what seemed like a small snort. Reality was settling in. This wasn’t a romantic evening, this wasn’t even a nice time out with a friend. It was politics pure and simple and she was an actor in a play. How could she ever have thought anything else?

  After another nerve-wracking pause, Daniel broke the silence.

  “I’m sorry. I’m not very good company right now. Can you forgive me?” he asked. He seemed genuinely apologetic.

  Poor man. How selfish of her. He needed a friend to stand by him and all she had thought about was her own feelings. “Yes. I’m sure it can’t be easy giving a speech with this kind of pressure.”

  “Thank you. It’s not the speech that I’m worried about. It’s the ‘mingling’ before and after dinner. Some of the women at these functions remind me of vultures, mums and their daughters. If I’m seated with any of them, I can hardly eat. Last year, I nearly felt as if I needed to arm myself. The women, young and older constantly seemed to be leaning towards me invading my space. I had to be so careful not to offend, but I was getting offended. Those ladies were getting entirely too familiar.”

  “Most men would love to be in your position, all that female attention. Why do you hate it so much?” She was honestly astonished, especially considering her most recent experiences.

  Daniel sighed. “It doesn’t seem real. They aren’t interested in me, not the real me, only in their James Bond, British accent, Indiana Jones idea of me. It’s all so superficial, so fake. I hate it!”

  Vanessa had never seen him get so upset. She decided to proceed with gentleness.

  “Hmm. I suppose it would help if you were married,” Vanessa said, thinking it through, “not that I’m jumping on that bandwagon, just making an observation.”

  “Don’t worry. You’re a good mate. But, you’re right about being married. When Claudine was still alive, I never thought about it. Certainly, over in England, I wasn’t the novelty I am here. In fact, there, I was considered something of a nerd.”

  Vanessa wasn’t quite sure what to think about being a ‘good mate’, but she was glad he was talking. She knew it would do him good and help him relax before the evening. “I can’t imagine you as a nerd.” For heaven�
��s sake, he was gorgeous. In his black tux and bowtie he was perhaps the most physically striking man she had ever seen. The hipster glasses didn’t detract, they enhanced his appearance. Were those British girls blind or something?

  “Oh, I suppose I did finally grow up. I’m at least passable. That’s what Claudine always used to say. She was beautiful. Being with her seemed like something out of a dream sometimes, not quite real.”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss,” Vanessa said softly. She couldn’t imagine what that must have been like. She was no stranger to loss, but of course hers was in a totally different category, she had brought it all on herself. To know the pain of two people who were perfect for each other, the one perfectly complementing the other, and the other ripped away without warning. How much baggage he must carry and face. She longed to know that kind of love, but only knew too well that it would be forever outside of her grasp.

  “Thank you,” he said. “The one good thing that came of it all was that I drew so much closer to the Lord. I’ll always wonder what might have been, but I know that even in this, the Lord has a plan.”

  Vanessa’s thoughts were interrupted as they pulled into the parking lot. She wanted to know more about Daniel’s One True Love. Was this a morbid curiosity? Perhaps, but something inside of her wanted to know the kind of woman Claudine had been, if only to know what a match made in heaven looked like, and how to be that match, even if it was unattainable.

  When he came around to open her car door for her and hand her out of the car, she was surprised when he didn’t let go. “In England, mates hold hands,” he said.

  “Are you making that up?” she asked. She really wondered what he meant by using the word ‘mate’, and something inside her secretly hoped he meant something more. It felt good, even if it wa just for a pretend date. She really wasn’t as reluctant to play this role as she seemed.

  He grinned as they walked through the door.

  Then, she was glad they were holding hands for more reasons than this. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces here. His hand felt strong in hers. Was she encouraging him as much as he her? Well, no matter, this mate would enjoy holding hands with the best looking man in the room.

  The first person to approach them was Dr. Thomas. Oh, just ducky! Daniel wished he could avoid the woman completely, but it was not to be. His right hand held Vanessa’s left with an element of possession, and he didn’t let go. His fingers intertwined hers, and she reciprocated with a heartfelt squeeze. She had no problems making it look real. It felt so real.

  “Well hello Daniel, darling,” she drew out the last word as she touched his shoulder. “And who is your lovely friend?” There was a suggestion of venom in her voice and her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Instinctively, Daniel drew Vanessa in closer.

  “This is Vanessa. Vanessa, Dr. Thomas.” The two women shook hands. Vanessa smiled, her connection to Daniel growing instinctively stronger as they faced down this common adversary together.

  “How long have you known Daniel?”

  “Oh, for a little while now.”

  “How long have you been dating?”

  Vanessa’s eyes widened, both at this woman’s nosiness, and something about the word ‘dating’ quacking her pulse in a not-bad way. She took it in stride and replied with confidence. “Not very long, but when we first met, he saw stars.”

  Daniel for the first time all night flashed a genuine smile. At first he let out a joyful sounding chuckle at this inside joke which abruptly turned into a laugh out loud. When his eyes caught hers, his whole demeanor was transformed. His cheeks flushed but this time in a healthy manner, welling up from a warmth he felt deep down in his soul. He truly felt like Vanessa and he were partners in the true sense of the word. He reveled in this newfound feeling of companionship. Did she know he was attracted to her? He relaxed his death grip on her fingers and somehow naturally released his hand from her and pulled her in close, ending up with his arm around her shoulder. She slid her arm around comfortably around his waist and leaned into him. They certainly looked the part. In the midst of his laughter, he replied, “I did, didn’t I?” which in turn released a round of joyful and musical laughter from Vanessa. Daniel thought he’d never heard anything quite so beautiful in all his life. And he certainly enjoyed the renewed confidence and a hint of a sparkle of mischief in her eyes right now.

  “Oh yes. You told me so and we’ve seen each other nearly every day since.” Her whole face seemed to glow. Daniel was impressed. Without lying at all, Vanessa had taken Dr. Thomas completely off guard. As he gazed deeper into her beautiful eyes, her grin faltered slightly, her expression turning more serious. Then, Daniel blinked and the moment was gone. Still, what it would be like if they were more than mates?

  Dr. Thomas formed her mouth into the usual crimp. “I would love to hear how you met.” Her voice dripped with vinegar.

  “I’m sorry, Dr. Thomas, we’ll have to explore that dig site another day. I see Professor Pierce and have been instructed to speak with her before the formal festivities. So, if you will excuse us.” Daniel nodded in adieu and gently guided Vanessa away with him in his coworker’s direction.

  When the other professor saw him, the relief in her eyes was evident. “Oh, Daniel, I’m so glad you’re here. I know I shouldn’t fret. Is your speech ready?” The woman glanced briefly at Vanessa, paused slightly as if surprised, gave her the once over glance, and then smiled and nodded as if in approval. Finally, she focused her full attention back to Daniel and the business at hand.

  “My speech is ready. I already checked out the equipment earlier this afternoon. Don’t worry.” The professor was a control freak, but she was easily comforted.

  He was glad when she chuckled at herself. “I should have known you would have everything in hand.” Gesturing to Vanessa she said, “And who’s your beautiful friend, Daniel?” Without waiting for a reply she stuck out her hand for a shake and said, “I’m Mona Pierce, what’s your name?”

  Shaking her hand, she replied. “Vanessa, and it’s nice to meet you. Daniel talks a lot about you.”

  Leaning forward, Mona smiled and said, “I’m his boss, but he doesn’t have to worry. I want to keep him. He makes me look good.”

  They all laughed. Then, Mona said, “Sorry, Daniel, duty calls. See you later, I hope?” she asked Vanessa.

  They both nodded and Daniel and Vanessa made their way over to the refreshment table. Daniel let go of her long enough for her to claim a diet soda and he a bottled water.

  The rest of the evening went remarkably smooth. Despite the fact that Daniel disliked fundraising, he was good at making people feel special, whether in a one on one interaction or with an entire room.

  When they were seated, Daniel got to take exactly three bites of his meal before he was called upon to give his power point presentation. As he walked to the platform, Vanessa signaled to a short, blond, friendly looking waitress.

  “May I help you, Ma’am?” she asked.

  “Yes.” Vanessa read the waitress’ name tag. “Mabel, I was wondering if you could do me a favor. The man who was sitting here has to give his speech and it’d be lovely if his food didn’t get cold. Would it be possible to put it on a warmer until he is done speaking?”

  “Are you Professor Greyson’s date?” Mabel asked. Her eyes were all dreamy when she said it.

  “Uh, yes.”

  “That is so cool. I’m in one of his classes and he’s a wonderful teacher. I got this temp job just so I could listen to his speech tonight. You’re really cool to be so thoughtful. I’ll put his plate on a warmer for him.” She picked up the plate. “I like you. I think you’ll be good for Professor G. He needs someone to take care of him.”

  Vanessa blushed. “Thank you.” Oh how she was enjoying this Cinderella evening. It would end all too soon and she would be back to being a pumpkin in the real world. But for now, she was with her Prince!

  The girl hurried away with Daniel’s plate as the lights lowere
d slightly.

  Sitting there and listening, it was obvious that he loved archaeology. He seemed to come alive up there discussing old books and fascinating finds. He made history seem like more than old stories. It was almost as if he took a person back in time. His pictures were incredible, oh so vivid! Vanessa especially enjoyed the artistry of the various written works that were presented. Before the printing press, he explained, books were as much art as they were communicating stories, history, and ideas. This idea resonated with her deeply.

  “In ancient times up through the middle ages, artists couldn’t go down to the corner store to pick up paint and supplies.” Daniel showed a picture of some hand crafted brushes. “Often times, they had to make all of their equipment using plants and dyes. Even the medium on which they drew their art had to be crafted somehow. That’s why we find pictures on the walls of caves.” Daniel showed some cave art. “They were an easy canvas that has lasted for centuries.”

  What would it be like to stand before something that had been created thousands of years before? In her art classes Vanessa had seen pictures of cave art and ancient manuscripts, but never first hand. What would it be like to explore something like that with Daniel? Naturally, she was interested only for academic reasons. No other reason. Or could there be?

  All too soon, his speech was over and Mabel the waitress arrived promptly with his plate, all nicely warmed, back at the table before he sat down. Vanessa hoped he would enjoy her surprise. He had certainly earned his meal.

  When Daniel got back to his table, everyone sat staring at him in anticipation as if expecting something. This was strange, not the usual response he got after a speech. Did he have something in his teeth?