Drive and Determination (5 page)

            As he opened the door, Elyssa steeled herself to walk into the room. She knew it would be a reflection of her sister and she needed every ounce of courage to walk in.
            George watched her as she slowly stepped inside. Even though she had never been here before, she knew immediately that it was her sister’s home. When she walked in, she almost expected Janet to step out from the kitchen and greet her.
            Her eyes glanced upon the wall and lit upon an enlarged portrait of Chad and Janet at their wedding.
            Elyssa suddenly felt a wave of dizziness pass over her and began to sway. George quickly reached out both hands and grasped her shoulders to steady her. “Elyssa, are you OK?”
            She took a deep breath. “I… it…” She was unable to say anymore. George grabbed her as she fell against him in a flood of tears.

*~*~*

            William Denton walked into his outer office at the end of a very busy day and greeted Mrs. Reed. She handed him his messages as he walked past her, opening the door to his private office. He collapsed into his chair and put his head back, not wanting to move. He had been up practically the whole night before, getting ready for the board meeting he just returned from and although it went very well, he was exhausted. He casually looked down at the messages, making mental notes of whether he needed to respond with a call, a letter, an email, or not at all.
            Suddenly his head came up abruptly. “What…!”
            He stood up and walked back out to the outer office. Mrs. Reed looked up, “Yes, Mr. Denton?”
            “Mrs. Reed, do you know why Westham has taken matters into his own hands with Miss Barnett? I thought the Walkers were seeing to her needs.”
            “I understand the Walkers had guests come visit and George offered to do it for them.”
            “I’m sure he did. Why would they allow him to do such a thing?”
            Mrs. Reed narrowed her eyes in response to his question. Was he actually displaying a rather protective stance regarding this young lady? “I do not believe they know Westham as you do, Sir, and therefore they had no reason to question his ability nor his integrity in helping Miss Barnett out.”
            “I don’t question his ability either… his ability to deceptively charm and worm his way into a young lady’s confidence, woo her and flatter her with his puffed up attention, all with purely selfish, lascivious motives.”
            Mrs. Reed sat quietly, allowing him to vent his anger. Very softly, she said, “You could always fire him.”
            Will closed his eyes tightly. “Perhaps I should have and someday I will. If it weren’t for the promise I made to my father to take care of him, he would have been gone long ago! At the moment I feel like I have more of a pulse on him if he’s in my employ… in Guatemala.” He took in a ragged breath, “and as far away from Gina as he can possibly be!”
            “I’ll take care of it for you, Sir, with a quick phone call.”
            He turned abruptly to enter his office but stopped short in the doorway.
            “No… no.”
            Still looking at the message, he uttered a very concise directive to Mrs. Reed, “Cancel all my appointments for a week. Reschedule them for… no, just cancel them. We’ll set them up again when I return.”
            “Excuse me?” she asked, completely surprised by this impulsive and unusual request.
            “I’m going to Guatemala. Find out how soon the jet can get me there. I’ll be ready in the afternoon immediately after my meeting with Jenkins. Let me know what time it’s available.”
            He walked into his office, never really looking at the woman who had served him and his father so faithfully for well over 25 years. He knew this was out of character for him and he was not even sure why he was doing it, but he did not want George Westham anywhere near Elyssa Barnett. He only hoped he would
get there before he did anything to tarnish the name of Pemberleo Coffee!
            Or take advantage of Elyssa Barnett in any way.

Chapter 4

           
Elyssa awoke the next morning and looked around her. She was grateful for George’s calm and reassuring presence last night when she emotionally broke down. He sat with her late into the night as she spilled out her grief. He had been a sympathetic and eager listener as she pointedly put the blame on William Denton for sending Chad and Janet here and ultimately, for their deaths.
            He had been more than willing to stay with her through the night, but she collected herself after a while and told him she would be fine. The guest room in Janet and Chad’s townhome had been cleaned up and prepared for her arrival and she gratefully fell into bed that night, wishing herself to fall asleep and not dwell on the empty bedroom that was just down the hall.
            The sun was now shining brightly into her room and an array of birds could be heard singing outside. She pulled herself out of bed, preparing herself to face the task that lay before her. After showering and putting on some jeans and a short sleeved cotton blouse, she walked back out into the living room. She stepped up to a small table that sat inside the door and fixed her eyes at the items displayed; some that Janet had obviously bought here and others that were from home. Without thinking, Elyssa began rearranging them into a more eye appealing display. When she was satisfied with the way it looked, she went into the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee.
            Last night before he left, George told her that the townhouse complex had a distilled water tank that went to each of the units through a special faucet in each sink. Everywhere else, she had been told, she needed to remember to drink bottled water. She walked up to the sink and saw the small faucet. She pressed the lever and filled the coffee pot.
            George arrived shortly after, with some fresh rolls and the most delicious display of fruit she had ever seen. There was some variety of fruit on the plate that she had never seen in any of the stores in California.
            “Here,” he said, as he held one out to her and slowly brought it up to her lips. “You must try this.”
            Elyssa smiled and took a bite. “Mmmm,” she said and took it from him. “It’s delicious!”
            “They grow the best fruit here! Try the pineapple. Unless you’ve been to Hawaii, you’ve never tasted better.”
            Elyssa was grateful for George’s thoughtfulness and offered him a cup of coffee. The two enjoyed a morning meal together.
            “So what do you think of Pemberleo Coffee, Elyssa?”
            “It is delicious.” She closed her eyes and took another sip. “Very rich,” she added. “Every Christmas, for the past two years, we all received an ample supply from Chad and Janet.”
            “Do you know what makes the coffee from Guatemala so rich?”
            Elyssa shook her head as she spooned out more fruit onto her plate.
            “The volcanoes.”
            “Volcanoes?”
            “Yes, Guatemala has several. Since you came in at night, you weren’t able to see the one that overlooks Guatemala City. If we’re lucky, it will put on a little display for us.”
            Elyssa looked at him in alarm. “You mean erupt?”
            “No, it merely lets out a little steam now and then.”
            Elyssa smiled at him, a little more reassured. “I think Janet may have mentioned the volcanoes in her letters, but I had no idea they were active.”
            “Not all of them are active. If we can get out to Lake Atitlan, you’ll see three volcanoes that surround the lake. None are active, but they make a beautiful sight.”
            “Didn’t Chad and Janet also have a little place there?”
            “Yes. You’ll find some of the best coffee fields in the country there because of the volcanic ash in the soil.”
            “How far away is it?”
            “It will take a few hours to drive there. You’ll want to see it before you leave; not just to go through their things at their home there,” he lowered his voice to a husky whisper, “but because it has to be the most romantic place in the country, if not the world.”
            Elyssa smiled at George, his eyes sparkling as he softly informed her of this, causing her to blush slightly.
            “I would be more than happy to take you there.” He paused, and then added as an afterthought, “Janet loved it there. I’m sure you would, too.”
            Elyssa felt her eyes pool again with tears when a realization hit her. “That is where they were returning from when they had their accident, wasn’t it?”
            George looked at her and then looked down. “I’m sorry, Elyssa. I should not have mentioned it.”
            “No, no, it’s quite all right.” She reached behind her to pull a tissue out of a box and brought it up to her eyes. “It was inevitable that it would come up. I would very much like to go if there is time. My airline return reservation is for Tuesday.”
            “That should give us plenty of time to go up there for a few days,” George assured her.
           
Elyssa quickly composed herself and when they had finished their meal, she looked around her. “I think I ought to begin. Do you think you can find me a medium sized box? I don’t think I’ll need anything too large. From what I’ve seen, there are just a few items I think I may want to take home. But I won’t know until I go through everything.”
            “Your wish is my command.” He bowed as he repeated last night’s words.  George left and a short time later he reappeared with a couple different size boxes. I brought several over so you can have your choice, depending on how much you find.”
            “Thank you, George. I do appreciate all you have done.”
            “It’s nothing.” He stood with his hands folded across his chest, watching her. “I need to go in to the office for a little bit this morning.”
            Elyssa looked up at him. “I’ll be fine.”
            “I have no doubt of that, but what do you say about taking a break this afternoon and seeing some of the sights? I can show you the underground market place that has every Guatemalan handicraft you could ever want to buy. I can take you to the old town of Antigua and see some ancient ruins or we can just go out and take in a delicious Guatemalan meal.”
            “That’s sweet of you, George. They all sound delightful. I’ll let you know when you come back. How about that?”
            “Sounds great. Now if you need anything, the Walkers are next door.” He took out his wallet and pulled out a card from it, handing it to her. “Here’s my business card. My cell, home, and business phone number are all here. Feel free to call. I can return in a heartbeat.”
            “Thanks, George.”
            George left and Elyssa set her mind to the task. She casually went through the kitchen drawers, knowing most things there would be general items that she would have no use for. She found a set of hand embroidered Guatemalan placemats and a tablecloth that she thought were pretty and placed them neatly in the box.
            She spent the rest of the morning finishing going through the kitchen and then moved to the living room. It was early afternoon when she came upon a stack of pictures. She steeled herself to look through them, but upon feeling a terrible weight come upon her heart, she placed them directly into the box after only looking at two of them. As the afternoon wore on, so did the heaviness in her heart. She was about to burst into tears when there was a knock at the door.
            Grateful for a diversion, she went to answer it.
            A vaguely familiar looking couple met her, holding a large steaming pot.
            “Hi, Elyssa,” the woman said. “We’re John and Shelley Walker from next door.”
            “Come in,” Elyssa said.
            “We’re sorry we haven’t come by sooner. We have guests and were just now able to get away.”
            Elyssa smiled at the friendly couple. “That’s quite all right.”
            “I made a pot of chili for you. I wasn’t sure how long you would be here, but feel free to eat this whenever you like. We want to have you over some evening while you’re here, but I thought it would be good for you to have something on hand if sudden hunger pangs hit.”
            “Thanks, Shelley.”
            Elyssa took the pot from her and set it down.
            Shelley clasped her hands together and looked around. Elyssa could sense the awkwardness the couple felt; that they really didn’t know what to say to her. Elyssa decided she would broach the subject, as most people didn’t know whether she would find it difficult to talk about Janet; although George seemed to understand her need to talk about her sister.
            “Is there anything you can tell me about Janet that perhaps I might not know about her? I feel as though she lived this very different life down here and I have no idea how she spent her time.”
            John noticed the tears that began to fill Elyssa’s eyes and he picked up the tissue box and handed it to her. “Apart from being a delightful neighbor and wonderful wife to Chad, she was very much involved in a preschool.”
            Elyssa’s eyes widened. “Can you tell me about it?”
            “Yes, Casa de Esperanza runs a preschool for underprivileged children. She went down three mornings a week to help out. From everything I have heard she was a natural with the children. She loved them and they loved her.”
            Elyssa thought back to her sister’s letters. She had only casually mentioned working with some children in a preschool and Elyssa assumed it was with the children of people working with Pemberleo Coffee. She had no idea they were underprivileged children.
            “Do you suppose it could be arranged for me to visit this preschool?”
            “Yes! They would love to meet Janet’s sister!” Shelley exclaimed.
            Elyssa let out a contented sigh. It made her feel good to know that Janet was doing something that she truly enjoyed and that she was helping others.
            They talked a few more minutes and Elyssa asked them about Lake Atitlan. “It’s a bit more rustic there than here,” John told her. “When Chad and Janet were there, they lived in a very simple, one bedroom home.”
            “George and I talked about it. Do you think I could go there?”
            “Elyssa, if you’re one who is used only to the finest things in life, you might not find it to your liking. It’s a very rural village.”
            Elyssa laughed. “Believe me; I am not afraid of roughing it. I really would like to see it. George thought perhaps he could take me.”
            John and Shelley exchanged glances. “I am sure he would. Elyssa, just make sure…”
            At that moment there was a knock at the door and it slowly opened. George peered his head in. “I’m back!
            He came striding in, greeted the Walkers, and saw the pot sitting on a table. He lifted the lid and sniffed its contents.
            “Mmmm, this smells good. Nothing better than the Walkers’ chili.”
            The Walkers smiled and before long excused themselves to get back to their guests.
            George eagerly turned to Elyssa. “Are you ready for a break? If you are, I have a surprise for you.”
            “You do? What?”
            “When I left the office, the volcano was steaming. We can’t see it from here. We’ll have to drive a few miles to get out to the other side of the hill to get a good view.”
            “That sounds great. Let me put a few things away and then we can be off!”
            George briskly rubbed his hands together. Things were progressing just as he planned!

*~*~*

            William Denton gathered up his briefcase as his meeting with Jenkins came to a close. They had met in his favorite restaurant just across the street from the Pemberleo Coffee offices and he
now anxiously waited for the light to turn green so he could cross the busy street. He looked at his watch and figured if the jet was ready within the hour, he would get into Guatemala at a reasonable time. He hurriedly crossed the street and entered the building, taking the elevator up to his office. He walked in to find Mrs. Reed on the phone.
            He waited for her to finish the call and then asked her when the jet would be ready. 
            “I’m so sorry, Sir, but there is a slight problem.”
            Will listened in frustration as Mrs. Reed relayed to him the news that the jet was having some repairs done. Most likely it would not be ready for his use until first thing the next morning.
            He almost uttered those words he disliked so much, “Book me on a commercial flight,” but thought better of it. He disliked flying commercially almost as much as he disliked attending funerals or social functions with people he didn’t know. No, he would wait one more day and hope that Westham would not have the audacity to do anything reckless!

*~*~*

            Elyssa did not realize how much she would enjoy getting away from the house. It had been an emotionally draining day and she looked forward to seeing a little bit of the city. As they drove along the streets of Guatemala City, Elyssa could not believe the difference from last night, when there had been hardly any traffic. Now, the streets were heavily crowded with cars zooming in and around each other at frightening speed!
            “Driving in this would definitely take some getting used to!”
            “I am sure you would do fine, Elyssa. I would be glad to give you a personal driving lesson if you want to give it a try.”
            “Oh, no! I have no intention of driving these streets! I won’t be here that long, anyway.”
            Elyssa smiled and George returned one. It made him feel good to know that he was able to cheer up someone as grief stricken as Elyssa.
            She could now see the city below her. It was a sprawling city and she was amazed how large it was.
            The area in which the PC complex was situated was in a somewhat hilly area. As they came down the hill, Elyssa was in awe over how green everything was and the variety of flowers that grew everywhere.
            George suddenly swerved to the side of the road and came to a stop. He turned toward Elyssa, putting his right arm on her shoulder and pointing with his left hand across her to her right. “Look!”
            Elyssa turned her head and saw the volcano rising from the edge of the city and spitting out smoke. “That’s amazing!” she said.
            “Just for you!” George laughed. “I ordered it special!”
            “You must have an inside contact, George.”
            They sat quietly in the car, Elyssa’s eyes fastened to the volcano and George’s eyes fastened on her. Finally, he clasped his hands together. “Now! What are you in the mood for? A nice mall to shop for some of the finer things money can buy or are you in mood to do some bartering for handmade items at the marketplace?”
            “I would prefer to see the handmade items, I think.”
            “Excellent! Then to the marketplace we will go!”
            George looked behind him at the traffic and pressed his foot to the gas pedal, quickly placing himself between two cars that were speeding down the hill.
            Elyssa gulped, but did not say a thing.
            “Now, Elyssa, a word of advice. No one expects you to pay full price. Look at the listed price and then offer something lower. They’ll actually be offended if you don’t.”
            “Janet told me that bargaining was something she had a hard time getting used to.”
            “Well if you don’t want to do it, I’m an expert! I can wear down anyone’s defenses. Just leave it to me!”
            They drove into town and along the way Elyssa asked George if he knew about the preschool where Janet helped.
            “Sure! It’s a few miles from the marketplace. If you like, we’ll go there tomorrow. The preschool only has classes in the morning so there would be no use in going now.”
            “I would really like to if you don’t mind…”
            Placing a hand again on Elyssa’s shoulder, he said, “Elyssa, whatever you want, I’ll do.”
            “Don’t you have work to do?”
            “I have stuff I have to do, but as long as I get it done, it doesn’t matter when I do it. We’ll do that tomorrow morning and then in the afternoon you can get back to work going through your sister’s things while I go in to work.”
            “That sounds like a plan,” Elyssa smiled.
            “But…” George quickly glanced at her and then turned back to the road. “Tomorrow evening, we go out to eat. There is one restaurant that I really want to take you to.”
            “I’d love it!”
            George thought it would be a good time to press his luck. “The next day, we can visit Antigua. If you like history, you’ll find the monastery ruins fascinating!”
            “I do love history. I would really enjoy that.”
            “That’s settled, then. On Friday, I thought we’d drive out to Lake Atitlan. I have the weekend off and would love to show you around.”
            “I really don’t want to inconvenience you, George. Don’t you have to work on Friday?”
            He leaned in towards her. “Like I said, I have work to do, but as long as I get it done, it doesn’t matter when I do it… or where. Besides, I have contacts there. I’ll do a little work and can write off the expenses!”
            They arrived at the market place and walked around the large square before going down the steps that took them inside. People bustled about everywhere.
            “Now stay close to me, Elyssa. I don’t want us to get separated.”
            He put his arm about her, drawing her closer. They walked in and she saw booth after booth of people selling their wares. There were things made of leather, ceramics, and brightly embroidered fabric. She loved the carved wood, hammocks, and the wide variety of jewelry.
            Just as George promised, when she found something she liked, he put his persuasive powers to work to bargain down the price. Elyssa took him at his word that the seller would be insulted if they didn’t try to talk down the price, but she felt uncomfortable doing so. She would have willingly paid the price as it was such a reasonably marked price in the first place.
            When they finished shopping, her goods included a beautifully embroidered vest, a leather purse, a pair of earrings, and a carved wooden box.
            Upon returning to the apartment, Elyssa was tired. George suggested a swim or some time in the hot tub, but Elyssa turned him down. “I think I’ll just have some of the chili Shelley made me and call it an evening. But I do appreciate all you’ve done for me today.”
            George smiled. “I’ll come by tomorrow and we’ll go to the preschool. Let’s plan on getting there around ten thirty. I have an early morning appointment, but we should still have plenty of time to see what they do there.”
            “Thank you, George.”
            “Then don’t forget tomorrow night, I’m taking you to dinner.”
            “I won’t. See you tomorrow, George.”
            “Yeah, tomorrow. Good night, Elyssa.”
            Elyssa was grateful to spend the evening by herself. While George was fun and certainly well acquainted with Guatemala, she was beginning to feel that he was getting a little too friendly. There was something about him that made her hold back a little, although she couldn’t figure out what it was.
            She sat down on the large sofa and looked about her. She shook her head and let out a breathy chuckle as she considered how Janet could have arranged the furniture in a much more efficient and eye pleasing way that would have given them more room and had a more fluid movement to its look. She was tempted to get up and make the changes herself, but held herself in check. There was no sense in doing that, she told herself. Janet was gone. For the first time that day, she gave in to her tears.