Death by Fountain

by Jennifer S. Alderson

  “Whoa—we only moved in together a few months ago. There’s no need to rush things. Please don’t give him any ideas.”

  Lana turned back to the rest, hoping Gloria would let this nonsense about getting engaged go. “Hey—nice jackets!” she exclaimed.

  “We have one for you, too,” Randy said as he presented her with a small bag. “Welcome to the Straight Up club.”

  Inside was the same coat. She pulled it on, reveling in the silky softness of the fabric against her skin. It wasn’t warm but loose and roomy with a water-resistant coating. “Excellent, this is perfect for the weather here. My winter jacket is way too warm.”

  “That’s great. And this way everybody will know we’re a group,” Heather laughed. The petite blonde was one of Randy’s oldest friends and the definition of a bubbly personality. Lana knew they had known each other since childhood and also worked together at Straight Up, where Heather was responsible for the climbing equipment and supplies.

  “Oh yeah, I should check mine,” Gloria said, pulling on the same jacket, albeit one that was more worn than Lana’s new one. “Phew—mine still fits! I wasn’t certain it would, to be honest.”

  It took Lana a moment to process Gloria’s comment. “That’s right—I forgot you that you and Randy met when you both worked for Straight Up. Why did you leave the company?”

  Randy’s smile faltered, but Gloria’s remained in place. “Shortly after I started working there, a girlfriend of mine made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” She chuckled at her Godfather reference as Randy groaned.

  “She started an all-woman guide team, and working with them is fabulous! If you ever want to base yourself out of Seattle, you should apply for a job there.” Gloria turned to the partially bald man sitting next to Heather. “Hey, Craig, let’s see how your jacket looks. I hope we picked the right size for you.”

  “Gosh, let me check.” Craig stared at his for a moment before tentatively sticking one plump arm into a sleeve. He was the only one of Randy’s friends not dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. Considering he was an architect, Lana figured he was more used to wearing the suit and tie that he had on than the casual clothes the rest were wearing. Lana had briefly chatted with him a few times before, but he was quite subdued and rather shy, meaning she hadn’t gotten to know him as well as the others. When he did finally slide the jacket on, Lana noticed that it was a bit too big for him.

  Randy pulled out a chair for Lana. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “A latte would be heavenly right now.”

  “Coming up. Gloria, darling, would you mind assisting me for a moment? I want to get everyone another round.”

  “I’m happy to help, but I’m definitely not your assistant,” she teased as she slapped Randy’s backside and sauntered off to the coffee machine.

  “I do love that woman—she’s so feisty.” Randy gazed adoringly at his wife-to-be before joining her.

  Lana really liked Gloria, too. She was laid-back, yet not a pushover, and quite funny when she wasn’t stressed out. She took her seat and turned to Katherine, an administrative assistant at Straight Up Climbs, and her boyfriend, Bruce.

  “Hey, there! It’s been a long time. I haven’t seen you two since Randy’s birthday back in May. How are you?”

  “We’re doing great,” Katherine said softly, making sideways eye contact with Lana. As nice as she was, Katherine was one of the shyest and most withdrawn people Lana had ever met. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, was gregarious and always smiling. In their cases, opposites really did attract.

  Bruce leaned forward to better make eye contact with Lana. “We bought a cabin on Bainbridge Island a few months ago. It’s tiny, but the views of the Seattle skyline are incredible at night. But we’ve been so busy fixing it up, we haven’t had much time to party.”

  “That sounds wonderful. Bainbridge Island is one of my favorite places to paddle.”

  “You and Alex will have to bring your kayaks over and we’ll all go out on the water together,” Bruce said as he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder and pulled her close. “What do you say, Kat?”

  “That sounds great. I’ll take any excuse to get out on the water. That’s why we wanted to move over to the island,” she said as she smiled up lovingly at her boyfriend.

  “We aren’t quite used to the ferry system yet, but luckily my boss has been pretty relaxed about my tardiness, so far,” Bruce guffawed. “He’s even letting me work from home twice a week, at least until we finish renovating the cabin.”

  “I’m jealous. Straight Up isn’t as accommodating. But I haven’t been late to work once,” Katherine rushed to add as she made eye contact with Heather, who worked for the same company.

  “That must be so wonderful to wake up to the sounds of waves and seagulls,” Lana said dreamily.

  “It is, though it took us a while to get used to the quietness at night,” Bruce replied. “We lived on the Seattle waterfront for so long I actually miss hearing trolleys, cars, and buses driving by at all hours.”

  “I found a store that sells samples of traffic noise recorded in different cities. It’s really helping us both with the transition,” Katherine said, adding with a laugh, “We’ve found New York to be the best one so far.”

  Heather burst out laughing. “What do you mean, like taxis beeping and pedestrians cursing?”

  “Exactly. It’s pretty funny, actually,” Bruce said, “and really effective. I’m glad Katherine found it.” He squeezed his girlfriend’s shoulder, getting another tender smile in return.

  “Watch out—hot drinks coming through!” Gloria called out as she set the first of two teas down in front of Katherine.

  Heather jutted her elbows up onto the table, jostling their drinks, before resting her chin on her hands. “Gosh, I would love to visit New York one day. It’s too bad I hate to travel. It took all of my nerve and lots of Dramamine to fly over here. But I couldn’t miss my best friend’s wedding. Gloria, you are one lucky girl.”

  Randy grabbed Gloria’s hand as a grin split his face in two. “Yes, she is.”

  Gloria swatted his hand away. “Ha! Randy is the lucky one.”

  “After all the trouble you had with Rachel last year, I’m glad you found a nice, stable woman to settle down with,” Craig said.

  Gloria paled at the remark as Randy glowered at his friend. “What’s wrong with you? Why would you bring her up?”

  Craig slapped his hand against his forehead. “What am I, a doofus? I’m sorry about mentioning your ex. Lucky for you, she’s ancient history. Cheers to Gloria and Randy,” he said and hefted his cup up in the air. “After everything horrible that happened last year, you two deserve happiness.”

  Lana raised her glass, too, wondering what ex-girlfriend Craig was referring to. Randy had never mentioned anyone named Rachel.

  Before she could ask, Craig continued, “Speaking of ancient history, Randy, do you remember Tammy Swartz? I ran into her at the airport! I hardly recognized her, but she recognized me.”

  “Oh, yeah, Tammy from college, right? Gosh, I haven’t heard that name in years,” Randy said before taking a swig of coffee and looking away.

  Lana had a strong feeling that Randy was attempting to end the conversation, but Gloria wasn’t ready to let it go. “Who is she? Randy’s not mentioned a Tammy before.”

  A wave of irritation passed over Randy’s face.

  “She was my high school sweetheart. We were still dating when we started college, at least until she met Randy. She dumped me to date him,” Craig said brightly as he looked to his friend, then shrugged. “Tammy and I had been drifting apart, anyway.”

  Gloria glared at her fiancé. “Why did you steal his girlfriend?”

  Randy glowered at Craig. “I didn’t know the two of them were dating until Tammy and I had already gone out a few times. We’d just started college, and I didn’t know Craig that well yet. I stopped seeing her as soon as I found out.”

  “Yeah, but
by then it was too late, wasn’t it?” Craig snickered. “It doesn’t matter. She’s happily married with two kids and a dog. I guess neither of us was the right one for her. Luckily, you’ve found your soul mate.”

  Yikes, Craig is in a nasty mood, Lana thought. Was he jet-lagged or perhaps a little jealous of Randy’s luck with love? Fortunately, no one else seemed to notice.

  “Say, Gloria, what can you tell us about this wedding?” Heather piped up. “From what Randy’s said, it’s costing him a fortune.”

  Gloria glared at Heather as Randy turned redder than a fire hydrant. Lana cringed at the young woman’s callousness. Heather is definitely not afraid to speak her mind, she thought.

  When Gloria opened her mouth to respond, Randy laid a hand on her arm. “It’s okay. Heather must have misunderstood me. The wedding you want is the one that will make me happy, too—end of story,” Randy soothed his fiancée before turning to the others.

  “It is going to be a big wedding, but I’m not paying for all of it—Gloria’s family and friends have done most of the work. They’re making all of the decorations, food, and even the wine. All that’s left for me to do is some grunt work—putting together the party tents and hanging up the lights, that kind of thing—and we’ll be ready to go.”

  “That’s incredibly kind of them! What can you tell us about it?” Lana asked.

  Gloria’s focus remained on Heather, but she answered Lana nonetheless. “Where to begin? My sister-in-law is making flower wreathes for the maids of honor. My aunts and grandmother have sewn their dresses, as well. Dad already bottled a Chianti Classico years ago that was meant to be served on my wedding day. I laughed at him at the time, but it’s ripened quite nicely since then,” Gloria chortled. “I only hope there is enough for all the guests.”

  “How many people did you invite?” Craig asked.

  Gloria and Randy looked to each other and grinned. “Between our families and friends, we’re expecting about two hundred people to attend,” she said.

  When Randy’s friends’ jaws dropped, he quickly added, “Gloria’s granddad is active in his village and invited almost everyone who lives there. And both of our parents have several siblings with children, all of which are flying over. Luckily, Gloria’s grandparents own a vineyard and are letting us transform their garden into an outdoor hall. It’s a massive space, so we will have plenty of room to set up the tables and tents.”

  “Wow, I didn’t realize you had invited so many people,” Heather exclaimed, showing no signs of shame at her previous remarks. “It sounds like it’s going to be a fun party.”

  “It should be, once we get everyone out to the vineyard. That will take a lot of taxi and bus rides, I bet.” Randy winked at his fiancée.

  “What is the name of this mystery village, anyway? I assume it’s somewhere in Tuscany if we’re getting out at Florence,” Craig asked.

  Randy stiffened, and his tone became guarded. “Why does it matter? You know we’re keeping it a surprise until the big day.”

  When Craig threw his hands up, Randy’s expression softened. “I have you all booked into a local hotel close to the vineyard. It looks really quaint; I think you’ll like it. I just hope they have enough room for all of our out-of-town guests.”

  Gloria laughed. “They don’t. Grandpa already talked several of his friends into taking the bigger families into their homes for the week. It seems like everyone on my side of the family has at least five kids.”

  “Watch out, Randy. Before you know it, you’ll be stuck in Seattle changing diapers instead of traveling the world,” Heather joked, or so Lana thought. Yet, the younger woman’s tone and expression were quite serious.

  “How are you two going to earn a living if you have kids, anyway? You’re both guides working irregular hours. And Randy, you are abroad more than you’re home these days,” Heather pondered aloud. The rest stared at her with their mouths agape.

  Heather threw a hand over her hers when she noticed the rest staring at her. “Did I say that aloud? I’m sorry—my mouth sometimes runs when it should not. I’m going to go to the ladies’ room.” She jumped up and scampered away before anyone could respond.

  “Great friend,” Gloria growled at Heather’s retreating figure. “Why did you invite her if she hates the fact that you’re getting married?”

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s never made any offensive remarks about you before. She means well, though she often forgets to filter what comes out of her mouth. The jet lag probably isn’t helping.”

  “No wonder she’s still single,” Gloria huffed.

  “Why don’t you two give Heather a break? She just needs a little more time to get used to the idea of you two getting married, that’s all,” Craig said.

  Randy stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

  “Come on, Randy, she’s been in love with you for years. Have you seriously never noticed?” Craig asked.

  “What? No, she’s like the little sister I never had. We’ve always had each other’s backs, but there’s never been any romantic tension between us.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe it’s one sided,” Gloria said.

  “Do you really think that she is? Why haven’t you said anything before?” Randy asked.

  “What was I supposed to say? I had asked if you two had ever been in a relationship, and your emphatic no convinced me that you had not. But I never found the right moment to ask Heather if she was interested in you. And she does call you pretty much every day.”

  “Yeah, to check in and see how I’m doing. We haven’t been meeting up as much as we used to, but then again, we don’t work together anymore.” Randy blew out his cheeks and shook his head. “I can’t believe this. What am I supposed to do—go and comfort her? Or will that give her the wrong signal? I don’t want to lose her friendship, but I don’t want to give her false hope that we’ll ever be together, either.”

  Though Randy was looking to Gloria for the answer, Craig responded instead. “Give her a few minutes alone. Lana or Gloria can always fetch her if she’s not back by the time we want to leave.”

  “Craig’s right. Just let her be for now,” Gloria added.

  “I agree with the others that you should give her some space. But I don’t think she’s in love with you,” Katherine said in her quiet voice.

  Lana was momentarily puzzled by Katherine’s assertion, until she recalled that the three of them had worked together at Straight Up Climbs for several years. She would have had more chances to observe their relationship than Craig.

  “Before you met Gloria, you and Heather used to go biking and hiking most weekends,” Katherine explained. “But since you two have started dating, I haven’t heard Heather mention you two taking any trips together. And now that you’re getting married, you’ll probably have even less time for her. I bet Heather just needs some time to get used to how you’re not available to hang out as much. You two have known each other forever.”

  Randy nodded slowly. “Sorry, Craig, but I think Katherine’s pegged this one. Heather does like to keep in touch, but she’s never made a move on me. And she’s had plenty of chances to try over the years.” He stood up, as if making clear that this topic was closed for discussion. “Does anyone want anything else to eat before we go?”

  “I don’t need any more food, but I do have a pressing question for the bride-to-be before we leave.” Lana leaned in towards Gloria. “Randy said your grandmother is making your dress. I’m dying to know what it looks like.”

  Gloria pulled out her phone, Heather already forgotten. “Here’s a photo of me in it during our last fitting.”

  It was an off-the-shoulder gown with a full skirt and long trail of embroidered silk running down the back. Lana could imagine her grandmother had spent weeks sewing the details into the waist and neckline.

  “Wow, that is amazing! You look like an angel. Your grandmother is quite the accomplished seamstress,” Lana exclaimed.

  When Ra
ndy leaned over to take a look, Gloria quickly turned the phone away. “Hey! You’re not supposed to see me in my wedding dress before the big day. It brings bad luck.”

  Randy paled. “Does it? I’m sorry, honey. We sure don’t need any more of that, do we? Not after all we’ve gone through this past year. Look, the dress isn’t finished yet, so I bet me seeing you in it doesn’t count. Right?”

  Gloria glared at her fiancé for a moment, and then her expression softened. “Let’s hope so. We’ve already dealt with enough bad luck for a lifetime.”

  3 Iconic Monuments

  “So what’s on the itinerary today?” Craig asked Randy after Heather returned from the ladies’ room.

  “I figure we should start with the most iconic monument in the city.”

  “Do you mean the Vatican?” Heather responded.

  Randy frowned. “No, I meant the Colosseum, but you make a great point. Lana will take you to the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter’s Basilica later this week. Because Gloria’s parents are arriving in a few hours, I thought it would be better to see some of the archeological ruins instead. You’re going to need the whole day to see the Vatican.”

  “Ooh, I can’t wait to see the Colosseum. I’ve always wanted to get a picture taken with one of those gladiators you see hanging around the entrance,” Katherine said shyly.

  “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but the gladiators aren’t allowed to pose for pictures in front of the Colosseum anymore,” Lana explained as gently as she could. Katherine was one of those people who seemed almost afraid to speak her mind, and Lana felt bad that when she finally did, she had to disappoint her.

  “Oh,” Katherine replied and bit her lip.

  “Why not?” Bruce asked as he wrapped an arm around his girlfriend. He was extremely protective of her, Lana noted, which was probably for the best. She needed a little extra protecting.

  “Apparently many of them were charging exorbitant amounts for a single photo and then intimidating and threatening tourists when they refused to pay. Some were even caught picking their clients’ pockets!”