Like it would be that easy. She was so preoccupied with thoughts of Nick as she pulled into her driveway, that she didn’t see the bouquet of long stemmed red roses sitting at her front door until she was standing right in front of them. Beautifully arranged in a crystal vase, the flowers stood almost to the doorknob. Juggling her briefcase, purse and keys, she unlocked the door and carefully picked up the vase.
The card attached to one of the stems revealed a handwritten note that was practically a scrawl. ‘Till we meet again’ was the only message. The lovely arrangement suddenly seemed ominous, reminding Kris of the events preceding Nick’s arrival. Wait a minute, she thought, maybe these were from Nick. He could have forgotten how much she disliked roses; they reminded her of the too-many funerals she had attended growing up. First her father’s when she was five, and then her mother’s when she was twelve and then both sets of grandparents during the summer before college. Kris loved daisies, pansies and calla lilies, all happy flowers that did not remind her of death.
Nick would have signed the card, wouldn’t he? The Old Nick would have, but she didn’t know about the man next door. Oh well, I’ll find out soon enough, she thought.
After feeding a very vocal Pegasus, Kris decided to take a short walk on the beach to clear her head before the dinner performance. Several couples strolled hand-in-hand in the distance, each couple indistinguishable in the slant of the late afternoon sun. The gulls were circling here and there, and Kris welcomed the noisy distractions as she strolled along the water’s edge. The wind was also welcome as she faced the warmth of the soon-to-be-setting sun. She tried to clear her mind, no Nick, no flowers, no funerals and no creepy strangers. As she breathed in the salty air, she felt her muscles release the tension that had plagued her for weeks. This stretch of beach truly was her own private slice of heaven.
As she turned to walk back toward home, a reflection from the sea grass lining the sand dunes caught her eye. It was gone in a flash, so Kris didn’t give it a second thought. She picked up the pace; the sooner she got to Nick’s, the sooner the evening would be behind her.
~~~~~
Damien lowered the camera as soon as Kris turned around, but only after taking one last close-up. She was so beautiful, he could hardly wait to make her his completely. She looked right at him, or seemed to, but he was well hidden in the tall grass and knew how to be still. She was walking faster now; he continued to take pictures as soon as she passed his hideaway. He had captured her reaction to the roses from his vantage point in the car, and then quickly set up in the dunes to get shots of her evening walk. She was finally back on schedule. As soon as she went inside, he could maneuver his way to the pilings beneath the porch, so they could have dinner together.
The man moving in next door had caused him to rearrange his nest beneath the porch, but Damien was confident that his secret remained safe. The lattice encircling the pilings made for good cover; Kris never went under the porch so the screen he had in place would remain unseen. It would also block the view of Damien’s setup from a nosy neighbor. He waited long enough to give Kris ample time to get inside before following the path from the dunes to the porch. His path. In the month or so since he’d found this Beauty, he had worn a hidden trail among the sea grass covered dunes from the beach to her sanctuary.
He heard the sliding door open and Beauty walk back outside. He opened his napkin and prepared to dine with his lady love. Instead of moving to the table, as was her custom, Kris kept walking through the screen door and across the deck. Where the hell was she going? They had a date, how dare she stand him up. He listened as her footsteps crunched across the gravel, heading away from the house. He peeked around the screen and saw her walking up the steps next door, carrying a bottle of wine.
“That bitch,” he growled. “She’ll pay for this.”
~~~~~
Kris rang the bell and pasted what she hoped was a genuine smile on her face. If the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach would just settle down, the smile might look more real. Just get through it, she told herself for the fourteenth time. It’s only a dinner.
Nick opened the door and caught his breath as he saw Kris. She had gotten more beautiful with age, if that was even possible. She stood smiling at him in a simple layered tank top, long full skirt in some kind of gauzy material and flip flops. Strands of colorful beads and large hoop earrings were her only accessories. Simple, casual, perfect. He smiled back at her as he welcomed her into his home.
“So glad you could make it, I hope you still like lasagna.” Nick gestured her inside, never taking his eyes from hers.
“Thanks for inviting me. Yes, I still love lasagna. Mama Stouffer’s recipe?” She handed Nick the wine as she entered the foyer.
He laughed at their private joke from college. Anniversaries and special evenings in college were marked by frozen lasagna dinners. As semi-broke college students, going out to a nice dinner was a rare treat. Instead they lit candles and dined in style on frozen pasta.
“Actually, no. My recipe. Mama Stouffer’s hasn’t held the same appeal in years. Thanks for the wine, it’s perfect.” Nick placed the wine on the counter and poured Kris a glass from a different bottle. “This has been breathing for a while; we’ll open yours later.”
Kris took in the room as she took the glass. Boxes were still piled high around most of the walls in the living room, but the kitchen seemed reasonably organized. A huge screen television hung above the fireplace and one recliner sat opposite in an opening between boxes. Otherwise, there was very little furniture. Candles flickered on the table set on the porch, just beyond the living room. “I love what you’ve done with the place,” she quipped. “I see your priorities are still intact.” She nodded at the T.V. then looked pointedly at the recliner.
“The delivery van was here first thing this morning; I’m surprised you missed it. Let’s take our wine on the porch.” Nick led the way, and then stepped aside for Kris to pass through the doorway. Inhaling her sweet scent as she passed him, Nick felt the old hungers stir.
Kris noted the two place settings as she tried to calm her racing heart. So Marla wasn’t here, yet. Time to clear the air. “Won’t your wife be joining us?” She nodded towards the table as the question hung in the air.
“Wife?” Nick was stunned; he thought his intentions were clear. How much more romantic could he get. The dinner, the wine and the candles should have clued her in, but apparently not. “I’m not married, Krissy,” he said softly as he came to stand behind her. She turned and looked into his eyes.
“Oh.” It was all she could think to say; the liquid fire in his eyes was melting her resolve to keep her distance. The years faded as they stood facing each other, both afraid to take a step towards the other, but neither one could move away. Kris finally lowered her eyes and moved towards the table, taking a sip of her wine. Nick took a deep breath as she broke the connection.
“So where’s the cat? Petunia, was it? I bought three kinds of cat food and special kitty treats. It’s more than welcome to join us.”
Kris almost choked on her wine when Nick called Pegasus ‘Petunia’. Thankfully, Peg would never know his masculinity had been in question. “It’s Pegasus, and he would be here if I thought you were serious.” She couldn’t help but grin as she visualized Nick offering treats to Peg. Peg was not a man’s cat, he preferred the company of women, though he may make an exception for a man bearing food gifts.
“We can go get him, if you like.” Nick watched as Kris’s smile finally made it to her eyes. She had such an expressive face; her emotions were never far from the surface. That was another reason he was so blindsided by her affair. That was then, this is now, he reminded himself. Let the past s
tay in the past.
“No, I’m sure he’s fine. He’s already had dinner and he’s probably stretched out on the sofa, sound asleep. It’s time for his pre-bedtime nap. Besides, as soon as he smelled the lasagna, he wouldn’t settle until his belly was full. Dinner or no dinner. That cat could give Garfield a run for his money.” Kris settled into the chair. “So why aren’t you still married, what happened to Marla?”
The question came out of left field; Nick choked on his wine. “Marla?” he managed to say between coughs. “I was never married to Marla. Whatever gave you that idea?”
“She did. The day before graduation. She showed me the ring and told me about Montreal. Actually, I appreciated the fact that one of you had the guts to face me.” So much for a casual evening. Kris was surprised with the intense turn in the conversation. She was even more surprised that it came from her.
Nick stared at Kris as if she had suddenly sprouted wings. He couldn’t have been more surprised if she had. “The guts to face you? What about you not having the guts to face me? I had to hear about your affair with that bastard from Marla. And by the way, I never gave her a ring. The only ring I had any interest in was the one I had on layaway for you.” Nick’s heated words struck Kris like a blow.
“Affair? What bastard? What ring?” Kris was reeling from Nick’s accusations as much as from the fact that he hadn’t been engaged to Marla. As the truth slowly dawned on both of them, the anger simmered lower and shock set in. After a time, Kris spoke first.
“You didn’t leave me for Marla?” She asked softly.
“No, of course not. You didn’t have an affair with Professor Scanlon?”
“No, of course not. That conniving bitch.” Kris’s anger took a new direction. “She told me that you had been seeing her for months, that her Daddy had offered you a job and that you had proposed. I couldn’t believe it, but she showed me the ring and pictures of you together in the jeweler’s. You suddenly stopped answering my calls and went out of your way to avoid me that last week of school. What could I think?”
“She showed me a photo of you and Scanlon. Your arms were around each other and you were both laughing. Marla told me that you had been together for months. She said that she overheard you two talking about moving in together after graduation, laughing about what a surprise it would be.”
“How could you believe that? You knew how much I loved you.” Kris shoved her chair back, stood and began stalking around the porch. “She played us both. And for what? What did she get out of it, Nick?”
Nick stood and grabbed her arm as she passed by, twirling her to face him. “I don’t know, Krissy, but I do know that I’ve missed you for ten long years.” He pulled her into his arms, she went willingly.
They stood as one for several long moments. Kris pulled away and looked into his eyes. “I’ve missed you, too. How could we let her do that to us?” Tears started to flow as the realization sank in. She stepped away from him. He dropped his arms and just looked at her.
“It was my fault,” he finally said. “I should have known better, but I let stupid stubborn pride get in the way. If I had answered any of your calls, we could have cleared this up back then.” And shared the last ten years together, he thought, but didn’t say.
“I’m just as guilty. I believed that you chose Marla because she had money and connections, things you needed to become successful. Things I couldn’t give you.”
“You gave me so much more than that; you gave me the confidence born out of unconditional love. No one had ever loved me the way you did. That’s why your affair hurt so much. It shattered my confidence as well as my heart.”
“I could never cheat on you. I thought you knew me better than that.”
Time had no meaning as they stood and stared at one another, close enough to touch, but not touching. After a while, Nick broke the silence.
“Where do we go from here?”
“I don’t know that we go anywhere. I need time to process this. Can we just have dinner, and get to know each other again? I’m not the same girl you once loved, and I’m sure that you’ve changed too.”
It wasn’t what he wanted, but he would take what he could get. “Dinner it is, assuming the lasagna’s not burned by now. Wanna give me a hand in the kitchen?” He tried to make his voice casual. Inside he was still reeling. Maybe time to process was a good thing.
“Sure, I’m starving. We can always order pizza, if we have to.” Kris breathed a silent sigh of relief as Nick dropped the subject. She couldn’t believe that the past ten years had been a lie. Everything she had thought about Nick and their relationship was wrong. His defection had soured her on men in general, making other relationships next to impossible. But he hadn’t deceived her. He had missed her. It was too much to think about all at once. Grateful for the distraction, she followed him inside.
~~~~~
Kris put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher as Nick stored the leftovers. She couldn’t believe how comfortable the dinner had been, after such a shocking start. Nick was a wonderful host, funny, sweet, engaging. All of the reasons she fell in love with him came flooding back. But, by mutual consent, neither of them spoke of their past together.
“I still can’t believe you can cook so well.” Kris smiled up at him as he handed her a container of leftover lasagna.
“And I don’t believe you can’t cook. How do you feed yourself?”
“Lots of take-out and too many sandwiches. And leftovers from well-meaning friends, thanks.” She grinned as she took the container.
“Would you like another glass of wine? We never opened your bottle.”
“I’d love to, but I have an early day tomorrow. We can open it another time.”
“So they’ll be another time? Good to know. When?” Nick looked almost irresistible as he leaned against the kitchen counter, twirling a dish rag and looking at Kris like he wanted her for dessert. “How about tomorrow. I’ll make you my famous grilled chicken.” He smiled at her hopefully.
Kris laughed. “I’ll have to take a rain check; I have plans with Cassie tomorrow. We’re going to the firing range.”
Nick’s eyebrows shot up. “The firing range. As in guns?”
“No, silly, as in missiles. Of course as in guns, what other type of firing range do you know of?”
“None, but that just seems like a strange thing for you two to be doing on a Friday night. It could have been the name of a club.” He fake popped her with the towel. “Since when are you into guns?”
“Since Cassie gave me one when I moved out here to the boonies. Her words, not mine.” Kris didn’t want to end the evening on a sour note, so she opted not to tell Nick about the reasons behind her learning to shoot. They had covered the whole Cassie-Roni subject during dinner; Nick knew that the three were still best of friends. He wasn’t surprised. They were thick as thieves in college, he was glad they had been there for Kris when he wasn’t.
“I can see that. You are somewhat isolated out here, or at least you were. I’m here now; we can be isolated together.”
That sounded unbelievably good to Kris, but she didn’t comment. “Thanks for a delicious dinner, and a lovely evening.” She began walking to the door.
“You’re most welcome. Hold up, I’ll walk you home.” Nick tossed the towel onto the counter and followed Kris out the door. “You never know what might be lurking in the dark.” He laughed.
Kris didn’t say anything, but she felt a sudden chill. Since the April temperature was hovering around sixty degrees, she knew it wasn’t the night air. Nick’s innocent words reminded her of the roses.
“I’m sorry I
waited so long to mention it, but did you send me roses today?”
“No. I would never send you roses. I remember how much you hate them. Someone sent you flowers, should I be jealous?” Nick did look a bit concerned.
“No, it’s not like that. The card wasn’t signed, but I didn’t really think it was you. It could have been a florist error. I’ll call them tomorrow.” Come to think of it, the card had been blank. She didn’t have a clue who to call.
The sounds of the surf rolling to shore provided a serene background for the short walk to Kris’s house. Nick took a deep breath, loving the salt air. “This is what I’ve always wanted. Beach front home in a private spot. I can’t believe I found you again when I found my dream home.” He turned to Kris at her doorway, gently smoothing a strand of hair away from her face.
“I’m glad you did. Goodnight, Nick.” The temptation to lean into him was strong, but Kris resisted it. She stepped back and unlocked her door. The sound of the television broke into the natural serenity of the night. She had left it on to keep Pegasus company while she was next door.
“Goodnight, Krissy.” He waited as she closed the door and locked it behind her before walking back to his house. The evening had gone better than he could have dreamed. Kris was back in his life. This time, for good.
Nick was too far away to hear the snap as Damien broke a piece of driftwood in two. “Stupid slut,” he muttered. What was she doing with that joker? Now they would both have to pay.
The nightmare came again that night, but Nick was now part of the ensemble burning as she ran towards them. Kris woke with her heart pounding, shortly after two in the morning. Forcing herself to think of calm, beautiful places and good memories shared with all of her loved ones, she managed to fall back asleep before three. The nightly routine was either a habit or her precognition was working overtime. She didn’t want to know which.