The Corporate Escape (8 page)

Throughout the evening, they found themselves the center of attention. The couple so noticeably in love, with an excitement that was the envy of all. The couple that glided across the dance floor with the grace and confidence of Astaire and Rogers. Lynn was at her best, and found it second nature to follow Paul. Paul was again impressed with Lynn's grace and ability. Paul and Lynn danced every dance. The mirrored ball reflected prisms around the palm filled room and the dream continued. The applause as the band announced they would return after a short break, was almost deafening. Much to Lynn's embarrassment, they found the crowd on their feet, not for the band but for Lynn and Paul.

Paul's smile showed no embarrassment or arrogance. Only pride for his partner. Lynn found herself doing a grand curtsy as Paul bowed at her side. They both were laughing and giggling along with the crowd. Lynn couldn't remember feeling such pride in a man, or such gratitude for a group of strangers. Throughout the break, couples seemed compelled to introduce themselves to Paul and Lynn. By the time the band resumed, it felt as if the room was one big happy family.

They had met people from all over the world. People smiled and waved from around the room for the remainder of the night. Lynn was dancing on a cloud, as her love for Paul deepened. The band dedicated a song to them, and they were alone on the dance floor, as the sounds of 'Hello, Young Lovers' enveloped them. The round of applause this time even included the band. Again Lynn found herself dipping into a giggling curtsy.

“No wonder I love you,” Paul laughed in her ear, as they stood on the dance floor. “You light up a room, and command it’s attention, all at the same time.”

Lynn smiled up at him and kissed him gently. He just told her that he loved her! But then she thought, ‘No, he was just joking around...’ She was unaware of the truth of the statement, and thought it simply a teasing comment.

“I just danced right into your heart,” she retorted. “You didn't even have a chance to run.” Their eyes locked, and Lynn wondered if he might have been serious.

“I don't want to run,” Paul said. “Unless, of course, it is chasing after you.”

“You don't have to chase, Paul,” Lynn replied. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“Not yet,” he challenged.

“Not yet,” she conceded.

They continued to the table in silence. The reality of two lives which spanned the globe, once again engulfed them. The joy of the experience on the dance floor just moments before, was shrouded with the seriousness of their feelings, and the impracticality of the logistics. Each searched their minds and the faces of the other, for the answers. For reassurance. But, they only mirrored their desperation and despair.

The band continued to play, the mirrored ball continued to flash prisms on the palm trees, and the crowd continued to engage them in conversation. Yet, their minds were preoccupied with the foreboding of finality. Their special moment was gone. Reality had shone it's cruel head, and the fantasy was exposed.

Lynn prayed most of the night. Unable to sleep, she continued her quest for answers. She had two more weeks. Her dream vacation was half over. Tomorrow was the last day of January. Somehow Lynn felt hopeful. Two weeks could change a lot, just look at what had changed in the last two!

*****

The morning was beautiful. Lynn and Paul shared the special event of church. Sitting in the service, Lynn felt closer to Paul than in any of their previous days all put together. They both sensed the Lord's presence.

It was a time to reflect, a time to look forward, and a time to pray, that the path ahead, was the one the Lord wanted for them. Lynn sang the songs with enthusiasm, and was pleased to note that Paul's voice was deep and strong. He sang with intensity and dedication. Paul was impressed with Lynn's devotion and was again reminded of her inner strength.

After church, they left for Sydney. They stopped for lunch in the revolving restaurant on the way, and resumed their trip. Lynn drank in the scenery and Paul began to prepare his mind for work the next day. He was perplexed by Sandra's behavior of late, and was not looking forward to confronting his secretary. They continued up the the Highway until they arrived in Sydney. Paul pointed out some of the sights as they turned off onto Highway 1. The drive over Port Jackson to Manly was breathtaking.

Lynn's hotel was ten miles north of Sydney across the street from the Manly Ocean Beach. Her balcony overlooked the ocean and she could feel some of the tenseness of the last two days pour out of her.

“It's quiet relaxing, isn't it?” Paul asked beside her.

“Yes,” she replied. “I've often said that someday I'll live on the beach again. I would love to have this kind of serenity on my doorstep.”

Her simple statement generated concerns in Paul's mind. He knew she had said her statement innocently enough, yet, he wondered if she understood the significance of it to him. He thought of his beautiful home on Palm Beach. Overlooking the ocean from it's massive plate glass windows. He thought of sharing that house with Lynn, and his emotions leapt. Lynn didn't notice his silence. She presumed he too, was drinking in the power of the ocean.

They ate dinner at Lynn's hotel and sooner than either wanted, it was time for Paul to return to his home further north. They made plans for the following evening after Paul got off from work. They said a solemn good night, tentative and serious.

Lynn felt tense when Paul had left. Lynn went to the small gymnasium in the hotel, and worked out, for the first time in over two weeks. The exercise felt good. Her exhausted body helped her to forget her fears and enjoy a solid night's sleep.

Lynn spent the morning shopping and left for the beach around two. She had a good base tan now, but recognized the Australian sun was hotter than she was use to.

The beach was not overly crowded and she watched the waves pound to the shore. The water was a beautiful color of turquoise blue, and the slight breeze made the sunshine enjoyable. She had brought her Bible and journal, as well as a book to read. She picked up the romance novel, but was only able to complete a couple of chapters. Her own romance seemed more exciting and complex than the one in the book.

She reapplied her sunscreen and laid back on her towel to let the sun bake her body. The warmth on her face was relaxing. The gulls overhead called to one another as if in a melody. The crash of the waves had a rhythm all their own. Together the symphony played, while thoughts of Paul filled her head. She felt a cloud pass over her, as the coolness of it's shadow shaded the sun rays. The warmth of the sun reappeared, the symphony of sounds continued, as she drifted into her private dream world.

Lynn felt her conscious slowly awakening, and noted the coolness of the moment indicating another cloud in the sky. When the warmth of the sun didn't reappear, she raised her arm and slowly opened her eyes. The shadow being cast on her was not one of a cloud, but of a beautiful tall man. His gray suit looked out of place, and he was staring at her with love in his eyes.

She realized she was still dreaming of Paul, and slowly closed her eyes again. But the shadow persisted and Lynn forced herself awake. Paul stood by her towel smiling at her confusion.

“Come on sleepy head,” he said lovingly. “Wake up. I swear, you must be the laziest career woman I know.”

“Paul!” Lynn said sitting up quickly. “I thought I was dreaming! What are you doing here?”

“Just watching a beautiful, sexy, woman, laying on the beach dreaming of an incredibly handsome man,” he teased.

“At least you have the last part right,” Lynn laughed. “But an incredibly silly man as well! You're getting sand in your shoes.”

“You're the only woman I would do that for!” he smiled.

Lynn searched for her watch, and stood up checking the time. “Why it's only 3:00 PM, Mr. President. Do you always work such bankers hours?”

“Only when there is a beautiful woman waiting to hear bad news.”

“Bad news?” Lynn asked. “What?”

“I have to leave tomorrow for Brisbane, and then go on to Cairns for a couple of days. I won't be back till Friday night.”

“Oh,” replied Lynn. “Business should come first.”

“It shouldn't,” he replied. “But it always has, and it hasn't been a habit I cared to break, until now.”

Lynn gathered up her towel and beach bag. “Do you want me to beg you to stay?”

“No,” he said. “Because I truly must go. So, please don't make it harder than it is.”

“Paul,” Lynn said, trying to be cheerful, “It is only 4 days.”

“Yeah, 4 out of 14.” he replied.

The impact of that statement almost brought Lynn to tears. She looked at him with sadness in her eyes.

“Let's not spend all the time we have left grieving over the fact that I must leave,” she stated wisely. “Who knows, in the next 14 days you may find you can't stand me!”

“Or that I can't live without you,” Paul replied.

“Or you can't wait till I am out of your hair, so you can go on with your life,” Lynn retorted.

“O.K.,” Paul smiled “Levity. I know that I am too serious about this. But, it is serious.”

“Serious, yes. Fatal, no.” Lynn laughed, while silently praying she was right.

Paul had wanted to take Lynn into the city and show her some of the sights. But Lynn insisted they spend a quiet evening alone.

Paul went home and changed, while Lynn cleaned up from her afternoon at the beach. They ate dinner at an Italian Restaurant and walked on the beach - hand in hand. They carried their shoes and grabbed a beach towel and sat and talked for hours.

They stared up at the stars, listened to the waves and laughed together about life. They discussed their beliefs again, and Lynn was amazed at the depth of Paul's theological knowledge. They argued a few minor differences and finally both agreed they were minor. They talked, laughed, and cuddled until the early morning hours.

Paul finally agreed he needed to leave. He promised to call her every day, and made her promise to call Duane and his family, to keep herself busy. Their goodbye was painful. Both were thinking of their next good bye, just two short weeks away.

“Fatal, no,” Paul teased.

“Serious, yes,” Lynn smiled.

“See you Friday,” he replied. “We'll go to the Opera House and properly do Sydney all weekend.”

“It's a date,” Lynn said.

“Try not to miss me too bad,” Paul pouted.

“Don't worry,” Lynn retorted, “I think missing you is going to be something I am great at. I promise I won't do it bad.”

“Me either,” replied Paul.

“Be careful, Paul,” said Lynn. “And don't forget your prayers.”

And with a hug he was gone.

*****

Lynn called Duane midmorning. He was delighted to hear from her and insisted that she come to Sydney for lunch. He instructed her on how to catch the Jet Cat Ferry. He promised to meet her at jetty number two at Circular Quay. Lynn dressed coolly, as it was another hot summer day. February in Australia.

The Ferry trip was quite enjoyable. Lynn was pleased to see Duane by his car when she disembarked. He had a beautiful blonde woman with him. She looked about Lynn's age, and height.

“Lynn,” Duane said hugging her hello. “Welcome to Sydney!”

“Thank you very much,” she replied. “It is lovely.”

“That is what you are required to reply,” he laughed. “And now I want you to meet my daughter, Katherine Coleman. Katherine, Lynn Eastman.”

“Dad has told me all about you,” smiled Katherine. She was genuinely pleased to meet her. “I must admit I am flattered that you reminded him of me.”

“I was just about to make the same comment, in reverse!” laughed Lynn. “I'd kill to have hair like that.”

“You have just won a friend for life,” Katherine giggled.

And so she had.

Lunch was wonderful. Lynn and Katherine became instant friends. Duane looked almost as pleased as the night Lynn met Paul. Lynn decided to stay in town and sight see and was promptly invited to dinner at the Coleman home in Double Bay. She agreed to meet Katherine at her office at 5:30 PM, and they would ride out together.

Her afternoon went quickly and she arrived a Katherine’s office later than planned. Katherine was relieved, as she was just finishing her work when Lynn arrived. The office was deserted and as Lynn learned that most Australian's rarely, if ever, work late.

On the way to Double Bay, Lynn and Katherine compared notes about their work environments. Lynn's compassion for Katherine grew. Katherine shared that many business women in Australia were still treated much as the outsider. She was currently the only woman in her office that was a lawyer. They laughed together about being assigned the role of coffee maker, when neither ever drank it. Both had been unassigned after making the most undrinkable concoction imaginable. Their friendship grew with the miles.

The Coleman house in Double Bay was grand. The area was considered the 'Beverly Hills' of Australia, and the near by shopping center touted many familiar Rodeo Drive names.

Barbara Coleman, was delighted to meet Lynn and was the first to mention Paul.

“So, I understand that you and Paul Dillard have really hit it off,” she said bluntly.

“Yes, Duane played quite the match maker in Auckland,” Lynn replied quickly. The tension in the mere seconds before her answer was enormous. Duane and Katherine laughed knowingly at Lynn's statement. This time the tension could be felt emitting from Barbara.

“The first time Dad met Paul he knew that we were perfect for each other,” Katherine confessed. “He was quite disappointed when Paul and I never became more than friends.”

“He's been searching for a suitable substitute for Paul ever since,” said Barbara Coleman. “Consider it quite a complement that you are the first Duane has found. And from what the grapevine is saying, you'll be the last.”

The conversation centered on Paul for the next hour. Lynn listened with intrigue as she learned about his many antics and total lack of love affairs. At least those that anyone would take seriously.

“I guess he's always been too in love with his job,” sighed Barbara. “That is until now.”

“Old habits are hard to break,” said Lynn. “Especially when the habit is loving your work.”

“You seem to speak from experience,” said Duane. “Do you have the same affliction?”

“I am afraid so,” sighed Lynn. The next hour was filled with Lynn and Katherine exchanging antidotes and experiences of the working woman, as Lynn tried to keep the confidentiality that Jeff insisted upon. Duane occasionally threw in a business war story of his own, and found that his perspective was not as endearing to them as it was to many of his male counterparts.

It was a perfect family evening. Lynn invited the Coleman's up to the Manly for dinner on Thursday. Katherine insisted to was too late for Lynn to take the ferry and had claimed she would enjoy the drive. On the way back to Lynn's hotel, they made plans for the following evening.

There was a message for Lynn, from Paul at the front desk. He asked her to call him at his hotel in Brisbane. She place the call and was relieved to find he was still awake. They talked for over an hour. She told him about her lovely day and evening with the Coleman's. She confessed she was a bit jealous of Katherine when she found that Duane had tried to set she and Paul up. His laughter was contagious, as he reassured her that Katherine was like a sister to him.

He told her of his busy day, the successful meeting, and the beauty of his surroundings. He promised to call soon, as they both hung up the phone. Each fell asleep thanking the Lord for the other, and dreaming of Friday. Wednesday morning Lynn took the Jet Cat Ferry into Sydney and did a grand tour of Macquarie Street. She saw the State Library, the Parliament House, Mint Building and the Hyde Park Barracks. She ate lunch at the outdoor cafe next door, and proceeded to tour the rest of Hyde Park, including the Archibald Fountain and the ANZAC War Museum. She saw the beautiful St. Mary's Cathedral, and ended her day at the Art Gallery.

She met Katherine at her office and they went to her house in Paddington. While Katherine changed from her business attire she told Lynn that Paddington had been compared to Greenwich Village, and was referred to by locals affectionately as ‘Padoo.’ It was the artistic area of Sydney, which meant they could charge a lot of money for very little space.

But Katherine loved the area. She lived in a beautifully restored Victorian Terrace House. The area was blessed with all types of food. They walked to Katherine's favorite restaurant, which was just down the street. The streets were lined with Boutiques, antique shops, bookstores and art galleries. Lynn and Katherine had a wonderful dinner. They discussed world politics, religion, business ethics and, of course, Paul and Doug.

Doug O'Connell was the love of Katherine's life. They had met in Law School, and he currently worked for another firm downtown. They planned to be married next Summer, around Christmas. Lynn and Katherine spent the remainder of the evening discussing theology

Again Katherine insisted on driving Lynn home. It was late when Lynn arrived back at the hotel, and she hesitated as to whether she should call Paul or not. Then she realized that he was in Cairns, and she didn't know which hotel he would be at. There was not a message, and she felt a sudden dread. She recognized the pain to come. The phone rang as Lynn stepped into the shower. She ran to answer it.