Invitation to Love (19 page)

“I
know, Mummie. Don’t go off with a stranger no matter what; Do what the flight
attendant tells us. And, I’ll take care of Remi and make sure she behaves.”

“No,
you won’t ,” Remi turned on her. “I’ll take care of myself. I’m no baby.”

“Just
behave, girls. And, hug your mother good-bye,” said Michael.

They
were at the gate entrance and after handing over their tickets, she hugged and
kissed them, promising to call as soon as they got to Nora’s. She held back the
tears to appear brave for them as the flight attendant led them down the
passageway with their smiling faces and excitable waves.

“Are
you all right?” Michael touched her shoulder.

“Yeah.
It just feels strange. They’ve never been away from me for such a long period
of time.”

“It’ll
be okay. Come on, we’ll watch the plane take off.”

“Thanks
for coming with me,” she said as they drove away from the airport. “I know
you’re losing valuable time not being at the office.”

“Did
you really expect me to do otherwise?” he glimpsed her way. “I took the whole
day off.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.
I thought you might need the company; Help you get over the mother-child
separation thing.”

“You’re
teasing me, aren’t you?”

“Just
trying to lighten the mood.”

She
hadn’t heard his deep laughter in so long. (What a sweet sound)

“I
do have to check on a couple of sites, though.” They were stopped at a red
light when he looked at her and said, “Listen, if you’d rather be alone, I’ll
drop you off at the house.”

“Oh,no,
I’d love the company. Besides, I’m eager to see your work.”

He
sent her an appreciative smile then concentrated on steering the vehicle toward
their destination. Taryn couldn’t help feeling excited that he had taken the
day off just for her. She didn’t know what to expect after that last incident a
week ago. Although, he’s been cordial enough since, she expected him to say his
good-byes at the house and head off to work.

The
drive took them an hour out of the city pass a small town. He turned onto a
secluded road that curved through forests of trees, until it opened up to an
exquisite green lawn with a Victorian styled mansion standing right in the
middle of it. After he switched off the SUV, she got out and followed him
across the yard.

“Is
this your design?” she was impressed by the high, angled roof, and scalloped
borders emboldened in colors of chocolate-brown and pale-yellow.

“Yeah.
The contractors finished it yesterday. The owners will be moving in next week.
Come on, I’ll show you the inside.” He led the way up the white-wash stone path
and unlocked the door to the greenhouse built on the side of the house.

“Wow,”
she looked around the cozy room that was waiting to nourish the new plants soon
to arrive; The smell of fresh pine filled the air. “What are those?” she was studying
the ceiling.

“Those
are glass panels that draw in the sun, and the slate-covered slabs,” he pointed
to the floor. “Stores the heat. The French doors over here open into the living
area, and allow warm air to move inside by natural convection. It’s what we
call a passive solar system. By now, you may have guessed this is an
eco-friendly structure. Our message is, if you’re going to build a big home,
build it and live in it responsibly.”

“That
makes sense.”

“This
entire house is built largely with recycled materials complete with a 23,000
gallon rainwater collection tank buried in the back yard.”

“Where
it’s stored for use in the laundry, toilet, and irrigating the lawn.”

“Well,
you do know something about it, huh?”

“Not
a lot. But, I watch home shows quite a bit.”

“Then
I better not slip up in any of my information, or you’ll correct me sternly,”
he laughed. “Let’s go inside,” he held the door open for her to enter the
enormous family room and kitchen layout.

“It’s
beautiful,” she circled around, inspecting every detail of the recycled oak
floors, energy efficient windows, and the glossy marble decorating the kitchen
with its silver appliances.

He
explained how the lighting-control system reduces energy use; And that the
house is tightly built to eliminate air leaks.

“Must
be expensive.”

“It
is somewhat,” he replied. “But, with the eco-friendly features, it costs less
to heat and cool than a conventional home of similar size. Come on, I’ll show
you upstairs.”

Walking
through his creation, and learning about his world of architecture made the
passing of the day rather pleasant; The void of Remi and Rachel was well
compensated by his company. At times, when he was looking off and explaining
some part of the house to her, she would steal a glance at him and smile at the
odd fact that they were talking like adults, with jokes and laughter included.
(How about that?) He told her of the cabin he built in the Monterey Mountains,
and promised to take her there one day where the girls could explore the
forests to their hearts’ content.

The
next house he took her to sat on ten acres of farm land. It was manufactured
out of western red cedar with river rock columns. He explained that this family
was also concerned about the environment and wanted to help preserve the
planet. Taryn admired his talent for design. It’s obvious he loves what he does,
and is very good at it.

They
decided to eat lunch at a cozy diner in a small town before heading back to the
city. Only a few other people occupied its homey interior where they were
promptly served. Taryn noticed a young couple seated at the table next to them.
The dark haired woman with smooth brown skin, and a very round stomach, started
giggling when her husband leaned over and began talking to the
soon-to-be-arrival. Taryn smiled, though her eyes warmed with sadness. How
wonderful it would be to carry Michael’s child—to give him a son. And, although
she kept a tiny light of hope on in her heart, she knew that light wouldn’t
glow for long. The circumstances surrounding them makes that an impossibility;
That light will eventually fade out. He looked up from his meal and followed her
gaze.

“What
a wonderful way to start the human race, huh, Taryn?”

The
tender way in which he regarded her, made her throat tighten, and she could
only nod in return.

By
the time they inspected the last two sites, which were some minor
reconstructions of some apartment complexes, it was late evening. Michael
suggested they buy a couple of steaks so he could show off his genius on the
grill. They enjoyed their meal out on the patio soothed by a warm breeze.

The
day she spent with him dominated her thoughts as she lied in bed later that
night, smiling to herself. She really didn’t expect that, but the more she gets
to know him, the less surprised she is by his thoughtfulness. She was all set
to spend the rest of her days and nights completely alone since, as he once
mentioned, he was only keeping his distance so she wouldn’t feel pressured, but,
was taken aback when he announced he was going to take the next two days off to
keep her company. (Her smile grew an extra inch at that)

At
breakfast the next morning, he told her to wear her most sturdiest of sneakers
and leisure pants because he planned to take her on a hike through one of
California’s lesser known parks. First, they stopped at the grocery store and
bought some supplies for a picnic lunch. Cedar Park, a thirty minute drive,
took them away from the palm trees and beaches, inland onto mountain roads
lined with tall pines and spruce trees.

The
park was a small, but beautiful haven. Weeping willows dotted the roads that
cut through it; Retirees were casting and reeling their poles from the fishing
pond they passed. Michael took her on a hiking trail that led up the rocky mountain.
It wasn’t Mount Everest, but it took all her energy just to climb it. With his
help, she managed. Midway up, they stopped to rest beside a cool stream where
they consumed their sandwiches and bottled water from the knapsack he had
strapped to his back.

After a full day there, they
returned home. He advised her to rest up, because that night was to be a
black-tie affair where they would dine at one of L.A.’s elegant restaurants,
and afterwards go dancing. She’d almost forgotten what it felt like to feel at
ease, and not the usual bundle of tension, headaches included. It seemed the
often exasperated Michael had left, and the charming one she befriended in
Florida was back to assure her of his support. Even if she could never show her
love for him, at least they were becoming friends again.

She stood
in her room early that evening smoothing at the black, A-line chiffon dress,
convincing herself that she should stick with this one and not change again.

“Are
you ready, Taryn?” Michael tapped on her door.

She
dropped her brush onto the dresser, took a deep breath then went to open the
door.

An
agreeable smile graced his handsome face. “Wow, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks,
so do you,” she replied, admiring the dark-gray suit he wore.

“Shall
we?” he offered his arm to her.

While
the atmosphere and delectable food at Othellos was beyond enjoyable, it was his
company she enjoyed the most. He had her laughing heartily at his expressive
picture of Remi pulling one of her stunts at her Aunt Nora’s right about now;
And there was probably a message on the answering machine back home consisting
of one word: Help! (If only time would stop at this moment)

We
can walk from here,” he said when they stepped out of the restaurant into the
summery night air. Lights of all colors, advertising the specialties of each
shop, lit the way as couples and families strolled here and there, in and out.
He put his arm around her waist and guided her down the sidewalk. “Our next
stop is just a couple of doors away.”

“This
is a hotel,” she stated the obvious when they entered the immaculate lobby
decorated with deco chairs and palm plants.

“Now,
now,” he teased as he led her to one of the elevators. “It’s not what you
think.”

They
rode up to the top level, then the doors slid open to an oval room glowing softly
from the chandeliers hanging gracefully above. Patrons, decked out in their
best, sat at the small tables centered around a dance floor. The hostess led
them to their seats.

“This
is nice,” Taryn inspected around her. “What kind of place is this?”

“A dance
room that caters to a more sedate crowd than the average night-club. The music
here is contemporary in a classy way.”

“How
did you find it?”

“Actually,
one of my engineers told me about it a couple of days ago. I thought we could
check it out together.”

“Would
you like to order some drinks?” a blonde waitress approached.

“Would
you like a glass of Merlot?” he asked Taryn.

“Yes,
please. Michael,” she continued when the waitress took their orders and left.
“These last couple of days have really been wonderful—thank you.”

“You’re
welcome,” he replied with a slight nod of his head.

“Why?”

“What
do you mean?”

“Why
are you doing all of this? I mean, taking time off from your busy schedule to
entertain me? We haven’t exactly been getting along, lately.”

“Well,
for one, I knew you’d be missing the girls a lot; So, I thought I’d take your
mind off of them for a while. Also, I wanted to make up for the way I’ve been
acting. This is my way of apologizing.”

“You
don’t have to apologize. We were both acting out the stress of being married. I
mean, it’s not like it’s a normal commitment, which makes it even more of a
strain. We’ve only been married for about a month; everything’s still new. I
know our friendship will get us through this phase.”

His
eyes twinkled at her from across the table for a moment before that half-sided
smile appeared. “You’re a wealth of wisdom, aren’t you?”

“I
don’t know about that,” she shrugged shyly. “Just speaking more from
experience, I guess.”

He
reached over and covered one of her hands. “You’re quite a gem, Taryn.”

She
blinked at the warmth filling her eyes. (No one’s ever called her a gem before.
Maybe, that light of hope won’t fade out after all)

“Would
you like to dance?”

She
nodded. He got up, held her chair, and led her to the dance floor. Her heart
thumped against her chest as his arm drew around her waist and enclosed her to
him. They fit like two pieces of a puzzle locked perfectly as they swayed
slowly, their cheeks touching, coupled with the feel of his strong shoulders as
she wrapped her arm around them heightened her desire, causing her eyes to
close. (Is this what heaven feels like?) If only they could take this
further—be man and wife completely. The night would be so perfect then. It will
be a painful struggle going to her own room tonight; Just as it was last night
and the night before. Still, she can’t get up the courage to approach him.
Whether Karen is the reason, or her own fear that once that final step is
taken, her heart and soul would cling to him unbearably, she can’t say. But, he
can’t give her the love she longs for. And, if Karen should one day walk back
into his life, she would be left alone, loving a man she can’t have. After finishing
their glasses of wine and dancing once more, they agreed to call it a night.