by Karen Booth
Delia smiled. “A doctor is a doctor. I’m going to refer you to a cardiologist, but let’s just make sure for today that there’s nothing serious going on.”
Lela sat in a chair and Delia asked Donovan a bunch of questions about his symptoms and whether there was a pattern to them. Delia listened to his heart, took his pulse, and then had a nurse bring in a small EKG machine. The nurse found it quite hilarious that the patient was a man over fifty. When all was done, Delia typed a bunch of notes into a computer then printed out Donovan’s marching orders.
“Call the cardiologist today and make an appointment,” she ordered. “Between symptoms like this and your age, you should at least establish care with a specialist. But from where I’m sitting, for today, everything seems normal.”
“Then why is this happening?” Donovan asked.
“My guess is it’s stress or anxiety. Maybe both. There’s information on the print-outs about meditation, relaxation, and dietary changes.”
That made perfect sense to Lela, but that also meant that Donovan’s pains after he slept with her three years ago meant stress or anxiety. That wasn’t fun to think about.
“Okay. Thank you.” Donovan hopped off the table.
Delia grabbed a small basket and showed it to him. “Don’t forget to pick out a sticker.”
Lela snickered. “Too bad they don’t give out lollipops anymore.”
“Oh, yeah. Those were the bad old days, weren’t they?” Delia asked, opening the door for them. “By the way, email wedding invites went out to you both this morning. Quicker than paper. Tammera and I really don’t want to make this a big deal, so we found a tiny non-denominational church near the Flatiron Building. Ceremony in the morning then lunch at a restaurant a block or so away.”
Lela gave Delia a quick hug. “Thanks for your help. Looking forward to the wedding.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Now, when Donovan walked to work, he focused on his breath. In… in… in… and out… out…. out. It took a great deal of concentration to center himself while trekking along Manhattan’s sidewalks. There were copious hazards to avoid—oblivious people staring at their phones, and pretzel vendors who’d parked too close to the crosswalk, and the subway grates Donovan did not trust would keep him from plummeting into the world of the New York City transit system.
He also pursued his breathing practice at his desk several times each day, reminded to do so by his smartwatch. There were far fewer distractions in the office. It was mostly just Lela and her smile and the way she seemed to float into a room. Those were the moments when he had to stop, catch his breath, and start over again.
For today, there was a bit too much excitement to make room for Zen moments. Echo was back from her honeymoon.
“Knock, knock,” Donovan said at her office door. He didn’t wait for an invitation, storming in to get a hug and hold on tight. He’d missed her. Desperately. “So? How was it? Awesome?”
“It was unbelievable. We have to go back. The water, the people, the food. I miss it already.”
“Well, you look amazing. So relaxed. That’s good.”
She eased back, still holding on to him. “Thank you for being the voice of reason and making me get in the car and go to the airport. If you hadn’t been there, I would’ve tried to talk Lucius into postponing so I could work. And I really worried on the flight that I wouldn’t be able to stay away from work when we got there. But I was wrong. It was so beautiful and tranquil, I just wanted to goof off and be with Lucius. I thought I couldn’t get any closer to him, but I was wrong about that, too.”
Already, his daughter was better at being married than he’d ever been. The thought warmed his heart, since he’d managed to play a tiny role in her epiphany. Being able to dole out a bit of real-life guidance felt good. “You really needed it.”
“I did. And now I get to see everything you guys have been up to while I was gone.” She took a seat at her desk. “I just looked at the sales numbers and holy cow, it has totally exceeded my expectations.”
“Things were cooking before Good Day USA, but that really blew the doors off the barn, so to speak.”
“I was able to watch it on their website after it aired. Lela not only looked amazing, she was amazing. I loved everything she said.”
Thoughts of that day had been running through his head non-stop. It wasn’t easy to stand in the shadows of the television studio and hear her talk about how she’d turned his regrettable actions into a positive. It didn’t matter that it had ultimately worked out well for her. It didn’t matter that his gaffe brought them back together. It only underscored that he needed work.
The moment that stuck with him the most though was when she’d talked about feeling insecure. It was the first time he understood that the way he’d seen her thirty years ago and the way he saw her now, were not the way she saw herself. And that made his heart ache. It made him want to kiss her, and tell her that if she saw herself as lesser in any way, it wasn’t what he saw. It had put him so close to blurting that he wanted to try again, if she could ever see beyond his mistakes. But then the stupid pain in his chest returned and reality got in the way. “I need to talk to you about Lela.”
A worried crease formed between Echo’s eyes. “Sounds serious. Is there a problem?”
“Not necessarily. And it’s more personal than work-related.” Donovan shut her office door so they could have some privacy. Lela was bringing her parents by the office at some point today. It was the tail end of their visit and they wanted to meet Echo.
Echo plopped down on the couch. “Tell me what’s going on.”
He didn’t even know where to start, but he reminded himself that this was Echo, and he could tell her anything. “I have feelings for Lela, honey. A lot of feelings. And something at the wedding ceremony told me that I want to try to have more with her.”
“Is this because Uncle Austin was flirting with her?”
That was a separate issue, but he felt confident it was one-sided, even if at the time it had truly bothered him. “No. I’ve been feeling this way for a while. Really, ever since we brought Lela B on board. I tried to ignore it, but it’s not going away.”
“Are you asking my permission?”
“No. I mean, that would be weird.”
Echo sat back in her seat and folded her arms across her chest. “Yeah. It would. Although I suppose I didn’t really have any place telling you from the start not to get involved with her. You are a grown man.”
“And you’re a grown woman trying to run a business. That’s not a small concern. Romance gets in the way at work. There’s no question about it. It’s half of the reason HR departments exist.”
“So now what?”
He shrugged. “Lela and I need to have a conversation, which means I need to find the right time. I guess more than anything, I want you to know that I won’t get myself into a situation that could hurt you, the company, or Lela.”
“There are no guarantees, Dad. I don’t expect you to promise me a particular outcome. Plus, what about you? Did you stop to think about whether you might get hurt?”
However unpleasant it was to think about, he didn’t really care about that part. He was concerned with shielding everyone else from any collateral damage. “I did. But that’s just part of the bargain when you put your heart on the line, isn’t it?”
“I suppose so.”
Donovan made his way for the door, but remembered that he had one more thing to tell her. “Also, you should know that I’ve been having some chest pains, but I saw a doctor and everything checked out. Just to be safe, I’m seeing a specialist next month.”
Echo popped up out of her seat. “Dad. Oh, my God. Are you okay?” She stepped out from behind her desk.
“I’m going to be just fine. But I messed up by ignoring it and I want you to know that I won’t do that again.”
“I worry about you.”
“Don’t, honey. I’m just a work in progress. Like every
one else.”
Donovan left Echo’s office and disappeared into his own, diving into work for hours. Scaling Lela B was still a little rocky, but the trouble spots were smoothing out. Manufacturing had ramped up, retailers were breezing through inventory, and website sales were up 450%. Lela B was a massive success.
Around four-thirty in the afternoon, Lela appeared in his doorway. His heart lurched, but thankfully, there was no pain. “Donovan, do you have a minute? My parents would like to say hi.”
“Yes. Of course.” He got up from his desk.
In walked Deb and Ben, looking a fair bit older than the last time Donovan had seen them, but still very much the same adorable couple. Ben zeroed in on Donovan, delivering a hearty handshake. “It’s nice to see ya,” Ben said. He’d put on a few pounds and lost some of his hair, but his jovial spirit was on full display. Donovan remembered him always having a huge smile on his face.
“Hi, Donovan.” Deb gave him a sweet hug. She and Lela were the spitting image of each other, except Deb wore her gray hair in a short bob, and was donning a touristy outfit of jeans, sneakers, and an I Love NY T-shirt with a big red heart.
“I’m so glad Lela brought you two by.”
“What a strange set of circumstances that led us to this,” Ben said, eyeing Lela then returning his attention to Donovan.
“I know, right?”
“Oh, totally,” Deb said, her midwestern accent leaning on every “o”.
“What are you crazy kids up to?” Donovan couldn’t ignore how effortlessly hot Lela looked today, wearing a red sundress with white polka dots and a pair of flat sandals. Her hair was its usual glorious roll of pure silver.
“I gave them the tour of the office,” Lela said. “They got to meet Echo and a few other people.”
“Did Lela show you her pile of fan mail?” Donovan asked. “She gets letters every day. From all over the world.”
“No. She didn’t. Lela, honey, why didn’t you show us your mail?” Deb seemed gravely concerned.
“Next time, Mom. We’re on a schedule, right? You guys want to get in your final stops before you fly home tomorrow.”
“That’s true,” Deb admitted.
“What’s on the agenda?” Donovan asked.
“I want to go to that big candy store in Times Square. The one with the little cartoon characters,” Deb said. “Just to pick up a few things for my book club.”
“Oh, sure,” Ben said. “Like you aren’t going to buy a bunch of stuff for yourself.”
“I do love my chocolate.”
“Mom, you can get any chocolate you want in this city. You want that chocolate?” Lela asked.
“I do. I love it. Plus, it’s fun to go there.”
Donovan laughed, but he also sensed Lela’s agony. Doing touristy stuff when you’ve lived in New York for a long time was a labor that only love could make worthwhile.
“After that, we’re grabbing some pizza for their last dinner in town. I was thinking I’d take them to John’s.”
Donovan’s stomach rumbled. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. He’d also been working non-stop. Air and some fun seemed in order. After all, Delia had told him to devote more energy to relaxation, and he’d seen the effects for himself with Echo. “Would you three like some company?”
Pure surprise crossed Lela’s face, but it was her dad who spoke up first. “I was just about to invite you along.”
Donovan knew he’d always liked Ben. “Perfect. Lela and I haven’t been to John’s in a while.”
“Years,” Lela said, arching both eyebrows at him.
“Right.”
The four of them swung by Echo’s office so Donovan could let her know he’d be gone for the rest of the day. The look on her face after he told her what he was doing and with whom he was going was pretty obvious. She knew something was up. He was glad they’d had a chance to talk about it earlier.
In the elevator on the way down to the JTI lobby, Donovan broached the subject of the wisdom of Lela in a large crowd of people. “Lela, are you okay walking around Times Square? Are people going to bother you?”
“I feel like I’m more anonymous in large crowds. It’s when there aren’t a ton of people that I seem to get spotted. I’ll just wear my sunglasses.”
“You do realize they don’t hide your hair.”
“Of course. But hopefully people will just think gray hair is hot now, and won’t know it’s me.”
They strolled up 8th Avenue and then cut over on 48th Street. Inside the store, it was a visual assault of colorful confections and candy characters with arms, legs, and goofy faces, all to be enjoyed while the heavy thump thump of dance music played in the background. Ben and Deb were quickly off on their own, heading up to the second and third floors, which left Donovan and Lela to browse on the ground floor until they were finished.
“Can I interest you in a pillow that looks like a giant piece of candy? I think it would look great with your new furniture,” Donovan said to Lela.
She pretended to ponder the purple velour piece of decor. “You know, I’m worried it will just make me want to eat chocolate all the time. But thanks.”
They wound around a display of snow globes and plastic Statue of Liberty figurines. “How’s your week been with your parents? I feel like I’ve hardly seen you.”
“It’s been great, but I’m ready for them to go home. It’s a whole lot of love and family bonding.”
Donovan shrugged. “Sounds pretty good to me.”
“It is. It’s the best. It just makes me feel a little stifled. Like I almost wish they would criticize me for something. I can do no wrong.”
“Is that why you didn’t show them the fan mail?”
“Honestly, I don’t know why I did that. I show it to other people. Maybe I didn’t want them to make a big deal about it?”
“It’s what we talked about at the wedding. It doesn’t matter how old you are. That parent-child dynamic is still there.” Donovan could see how constant praise and adoration might get old, even if there had been times in his life when he’d been desperate for that from his own mother. “I’m glad you had this time with them.”
“Me, too.”
Two women were lurking behind Lela, whispering and pointing. “I think you have some visitors.”
She turned and one of the women blurted, “You’re Lela Bennett, aren’t you? We love your hair. Can we take a picture with you?”
“Of course,” Lela said without hesitation. “Actually, Donovan, can you take the picture? That way all three of us can be in one together?”
“Happy to play photographer.” Donovan took the woman’s phone and watched as Lela positioned herself between her two fans, with her arms around them and an easy smile on her face. Her big blue eyes lit up the frame, and warmth bloomed in the center of his chest, but the sensation wasn’t pain. It was something else. “I got five or six good ones.” He handed over the phone.
“Thank you so much,” the woman said to Donovan, then promptly ignored him as they peppered Lela with questions. The woman’s friend even showed Lela where she was starting to let her roots grow out. She was highly concerned with how long the phase would last.
Lela said, “It’s different for everyone. Take good care of yourself and your hair should grow faster. But sometimes it’s one of those things you just need to tough out.”
The two women said their goodbyes then wandered off, happy and chattering away.
“You’re so good at that,” Donovan said.
“At what? Being nice?”
“I’ve met a lot of well-known people who are not so generous with their adoring public.”
“Women like that are the reason I get to have my job. Plus, I can’t bring myself to be any other way. If the roles were reversed, I would want to be treated nicely.”
Ben appeared from behind a rack of sweatshirts. “Well, your Mom is at the register. She’s about to buy out the store, but there’s plenty of room in my suitcase, so
I suppose it’s okay.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Lela said. “I’m starving. And not for chocolate.”
Outside in Times Square, there was the usual crush of people, and the most direct route to John’s was to wade through all of it until they could cut over on 44th Street. As they navigated the crowd, Donovan had a strong urge to be protective of Lela, even when he knew she could take care of herself. And it wouldn’t be right to put his arm around her in front of her parents. It would only give her something to explain later.
They arrived at John’s to no line—a stroke of good luck. They were seated in one of the booths skirting the perimeter of the room, which gave them a modicum of privacy, and shielded out some of the noise, although John’s was always loud. They placed their orders—pepperoni and mushroom and two diet Cokes for Deb and Ben. Donovan and Lela went for the classic meatball and a bottle of red wine.
“You must be awfully proud of Lela,” Donovan said while they were waiting for their food.
She elbowed him in the ribs, reminding him how nice it was to sit close to her, even if she was annoyed with him. “We don’t need to talk about that.”
“Sure we do.” He turned and peered into her eyes. They traded playful glances, a wordless exchange that went something like: You’re a jerk. I know I am. Stop egging on my parents. Stop being so much fun to tease.
“Are you kidding me? Of course I’m proud,” Ben said.
“It’s all he talks about,” Deb said. “Lela this and Lela that. But he’s always been like that. A super involved dad.”
“You’ve got a real gem of a daughter, too, Donovan. Echo is a lovely woman. And so impressive. Holy smokes, I have a feeling she’s going to do a lot of big things.”
“I have no doubts about that,” Donovan replied, thankful once again to have such a good relationship with Echo.
Their pizzas arrived and Ben and Deb retold every minute of their trip, which Lela noted was mostly all of the same things they’d done the last time they were in the city. Ben had defended their choices by saying that life was too short to not spend time seeing the places and doing the things that you loved. Then the conversation shifted to music when Superstition by Stevie Wonder became faintly detectable over the restaurant’s audio system and Ben declared that the seventies had been the greatest decade for music. Much debate ensued, with Donovan ultimately agreeing, with certain concessions.
