13
Friday, April 25th
Accomplishments: Perform an anonymous good deed; Ask for forgiveness; Tell someone you love them
“COMMISSIONER DAVIS, you’re in early this morning. And you’re…Pink.”
Rei smiled at Mary Alice and twirled to show off her coral and white floral blouse and dark peony skirt. “I’m making a few changes.”
Mary Alice nodded. “Change can be good. It keeps life interesting.”
“What’s on the docket for today?”
Her court services clerk thumbed through the files in her arm as she rattled off the morning’s cases. “We’ve got a couple of divorces, an abuse case and several custody disputes.”
“Another fun-filled day, huh?” She shoved her purse into one of the desk drawers. “Before we get started, I need to take care of a couple of things.”
Mary Alice shifted the files again. “Sure, Commissioner. You’ve got about a half hour before I call the first case.”
“Perfect.” Rei picked up the phone and dialed P.J.’s number. She spun her desk chair toward the window, once again making a mental note to try the opera sometime soon. Her friend answered on the third ring.
“Hi, Peej. It’s me. How’s the Queen of the World today?”
“Hm, sounds like you’re buttering me up for something. What’s going on?”
“I need to talk to you about taking a risk.”
Ten minutes later, she hung up the phone excited. P.J. had a good head for business and bottom lines, but she was also a romantic at heart. Rei knew she could be counted on to come through with this favor. She bounced out of her chair and prepared to ask for another one.
As she walked along the hallway, she came across the supervising judge, going the other way. “’Morning, Judge Orr.”
His bushy white brows shot up in response to her outfit, but he nodded a greeting as he passed. “Commissioner.”
Rei smiled to herself. Little did Judge Orr know that she was about to shoot his “zero-tolerance policy” straight to hell. She remembered how it was to be an emotionally neglected child, to feel unwanted and ignored. She knocked on the door to her friend Commissioner Whitney’s chambers and stuck her head inside.
“Hi, Sarah. Have you got a moment? I’d like to discuss the Russo case.”
THE AFTERNOON HAD dragged on endlessly, until finally Chris had made the decision to send Lara home early. The dining room had served fewer than a dozen people all day and it closed at three anyway. There hadn’t been any potential new clients to meet, and he didn’t have any private consultations tonight.
It was a situation that he might have to get used to unfortunately.
By four-thirty, Chris was pretty much alone. There were two people in the computer café, checking and sending e-mails, so he’d left the entrance doors unlocked. He sat in his office looking through his files, making a stack of the clients who had demanded either refunds or compensation so he could go over them with his accountant.
The short-term losses were going to seriously cut into his cash reserves. Long term? He had no idea what effect Grant Bronson’s article would have. He’d truly appreciated Eric and Marvin’s kind words on TV this morning, but he wasn’t sure their endorsements would be enough.
Chris had to face the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to expand Lunch Meetings anytime soon. He hadn’t lost as many clients as he’d feared he might, nor had new applications fallen off significantly. But he’d have to wait out the negative publicity before he could start the venture capital process over again with another firm.
Although his parents had generously offered to put together some kind of loan and he’d been touched by the gesture, he was unwilling to let them take the risk. They had their own future to save for.
He’d thought, now that the dream of having his parents reunite had come true, the empty feeling in his chest would have gone away. Instead it felt as if it had grown. His mother had once cautioned him not to confuse success with fulfillment. Now that Rei was gone and the business was failing, what did he have? Nothing that mattered.
The e-mail program on his computer beeped, indicating he had a new message. His heart skipped a single beat when he saw who it was from.
TO: DCL3
FROM: [email protected]
SOMEONE LISTENED
Yesterday you said you wanted for someone to offer Gabriel a second chance. He’s going to get one.
I spoke with the commissioner who’ll be hearing Gabe’s case. She will, of course, have to read the file and hear testimony from both sides. But she said she’d consider my suggestion of psychotherapy as well as family counseling. I don’t know whether she’ll be able to dismiss the charges, but at least Gabriel won’t be facing incarceration.
Rei
As Chris read the last sentence a second time, his mouth curved into a smile. His sense of relief was indescribable. So his was surprise. After the way she’d spoken to him at the courthouse, he couldn’t believe what she’d done and told her so.
RE: ACTING AS WELL AS LISTENING
I don’t know what to say, Rei. I’m stunned and incredibly grateful. Thank you very much. Thank you on behalf of my family as well.
I hope your intervention won’t cause you trouble at work.
Chris
RE: TROUBLE
I can trust Commissioner Whitney’s discretion, though she was as surprised by my request as you are. Some people are worth the trouble, though, as you showed me yesterday. You stood up for your belief in Gabriel. I couldn’t do any less.
Rei
RE: SECOND CHANCES
This means so much, Rei, but you know that. Thank you again.
Chris
RE: A FRIEND IN NEED
I’m not the kind of person who asks for what she needs. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need anything. You once told me that the deep questions are the hardest to ask, but they’re important. So I’m asking, will you give me another chance?
Rei
RE: DEEP QUESTIONS
We can talk about it, sure. Where are you now?
Chris
The security system magnet above the entrance buzzed. Chris turned to look through the two-way mirror to see who was coming in. As Rei walked through the door, she held up her text pager. She’d been just outside the whole time. He got up from his desk and went to meet her.
Late afternoon sunlight sparkled on her dark hair as she stood waiting for him. The pastel colors of her outfit added a soft femininity to her exotic looks, emphasizing her intelligent eyes and sensual mouth. He’d forgotten how beautiful she was, but not how much he loved her.
A sense of déjà vu hit him in the gut. The day she’d walked into Lunch Meetings, he’d claimed her as his own, just like he had on the dance floor at Divas. But, as she’d proven the last two times they’d seen each other, he had no more of her heart now than on that first day.
Rei offered him a tentative smile, obviously unsure of her welcome. “It’s, uh, not very busy in here.”
Chris’s laugh was devoid of any humor. “It was plenty busy on Monday when people started demanding their money back.”
“I think it will be okay. Like you told me after the Grayson case, the media has a short attention span. Things will be back to normal soon.”
“I hope you’re right.”
They looked at each other in awkward silence. Chris stuffed his hands into his pants pockets while Rei twisted the strap of her purse. He hated this. He wanted everything back to normal. No, that wasn’t true. He wanted it to be better than before.
Her lips parted but it was another second before the words came. “I have a problem, Chris, and I’m hoping you can help me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“You always do, don’t you?” She gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “The problem is that Lunch Meetings matched me with the perfect guy. He’s smart and sexy, passionate and caring. However the relationship has hit a barrier and I don’t know what to do.”
In Rei’s chocolate brown eyes he saw his own insecurity reflected as well as a flash of longing. But he saw something else in her face, a kind of determined hope. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her tight as his protective instincts kicked in at the sight of her vulnerability.
“I guess I wasn’t really ready to find the love of my life.” She took a step toward him and touched the back of his hand. “But I am now. We’ve shared things about our lives, but haven’t had a lot of the open communication discussed in the Lunch Meetings brochure. So I’ve come to ask you for some courtship counseling.”
REI WANTED to work things out.
Chris instinctively turned his hand to grasp her fingers. The tiniest flame of hope began to melt the layer of ice that he’d wrapped around his heart when he’d thought they were through. “Why don’t you go wait in my office while I show these clients out? I’ll be right there.”
He was as diplomatic as possible, but he still emptied the computer café in under a minute. The instant the front door closed behind his clients, he locked it and went to Rei. He walked into his office to find her standing nervously in the middle of the room. “Would you like to sit down?”
Rei shook her head and began to pace the floor, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. She’d taken off her coat and since she’d set her purse down, she was twisting her interlaced fingers instead. He didn’t think he’d seen her so unsure of herself before.
“So, you’d like professional advice. I usually don’t offer counseling unless I’m certain the client is genuinely interested in a lasting relationship….”
“You’ve given up on me.” Rei’s voice was no more than a grief-stricken whisper. She wrapped her arms about her waist, hanging her head.
Chris raked a hand through his hair. “I didn’t give up, Rei. I let go. It was crystal clear that, despite your agreeing to be more than lovers and becoming friends, you didn’t want to risk letting me be a real part of your life.”
She stopped before him and reached out to touch his arm. “That day Dr. Solís called—”
“Was one of the worst days of my life.”
“I’m sorry. I looked at your face and immediately thought I saw rejection, so I rebuffed you first.”
“How could you think I would turn away at a time like that? I wanted to be with you, to comfort and hold you…but you wouldn’t let me near you.” His voice broke and he looked away. “I thought, if you’d shut me out at a time like that, there’s no hope of a future with you.”
“I’m sorry, Chris, I really am. I’ve been so afraid to be vulnerable, to reach out only to have my hand slapped away, to trust anyone too far inside where they could hurt me.”
He smiled sadly. “If you’re looking for absolute assurances that you won’t be hurt, you’re looking in vain.”
“I know that in my head, but in my heart…I’ve always assumed that because my father rejected me, because he’s never been there for me, no one else would be either. So when I found the perfect guy, I blew it by being scared. I pushed you away because by caring, you’d have the power to hurt me the most.”
He rested his hip on the edge of his desk and watched her cross the room again, his voice quiet. “Nobody’s perfect, Rei, especially not me. You’re not the only one to blame for things not working out. I’ve held myself back, too, never letting anyone inside because I knew they wouldn’t stay. When you asked me to leave that afternoon—”
Rei touched her fingertips to his mouth, stopping his words. Her dark gaze compelled him to look into her eyes and see what was in her heart. There he saw tenderness and uncertainty and infinite depths of emotion. “There’s something I need to tell you, Chris. But I’m a little afraid to, even now. I’ve never told any man this before in my life.”
“You ought to know by now that you can tell me anything, that I won’t judge you.” When she still hesitated, he chuckled softly, pointing to his computer. “Do you want to type it into an e-mail and then step aside so I can read it?”
She laughed along with him and he saw some of the tension leave her, though her face was still set in serious lines of doubt. Rei took a breath and huffed it out again. “I’m not sure how you feel, but I love you, Chris. And I’m finally willing to risk being vulnerable, because I’m more afraid of losing you than I am of getting hurt.”
Chris swallowed the lump in his throat. “Like I said before, there are no guarantees in relationships. But if I offer my heart, and all of the love I so badly want to give, and you walk away again, I don’t think I’ll ever get over the loss.”
“I’m not asking you for any promises, Chris. I’m asking you for some time.” Rei cupped his cheek in her palm and tipped his head until he met her gaze. Tears spilled from her eyes and her voice was hoarse with emotion. “Because time is the only way I can prove to you that I’m fully committed and that I’m not going to leave. I’ve spent so many years believing I wasn’t worthy of love, convincing myself that I didn’t need it in my life. But I do, Chris. I love you and I need you.”
He felt the truth of her words touch him all the way to his soul. Maybe Jeanna was right and some times you just had to have faith. “I didn’t get the chance to tell you—the man my mom’s been dating is my dad.”
She laughed in surprise. “You’re kidding!”
“If they can work things out, so can we.” He stood up and gathered her into his arms, knowing he’d never again let her go. “I love you, too, Rei, and I always will.”
Rocking gently from side to side, he pressed his lips to her temple and stroked one hand over the dark silk strands of her hair. Rei reveled in the strength of his embrace, the warmth of his love and the emotional connection that she hoped would bind them to each other from now on.
She tightened her hold on him in happy silence, expressing by the purity of touch her joy at being together with him again. She felt as if time had stopped, like they’d never parted. Rei marveled at her newfound feelings of tenderness, intimacy and love. Chris had unlocked her heart with his quiet strength, integrity and courage.
He picked her up and turned so that she sat on his desk, putting their faces at a closer level. She slipped one arm behind his neck while he hugged her and nuzzled her cheek. Her other fingers skimmed his brow, touched his cheeks, traced the contours of his mouth. She placed her hand on the side of his face and pulled him forward until their lips met.
The kiss was warm, sweet and heartbreakingly tender. Chris tilted his head down and teased her lips apart with his tongue. She opened to him, to the tenderness of his slow, healing kiss, and slid her tongue over his in slow exploration. Heat, warm and penetrating, increased the need arcing between them until the kiss became eager and urgent.
Chris’s big, hot hands pushed at the hem of her skirt, raising it to the apex of her thighs. Then he nudged her legs apart and pulled her to the edge of the desk. His mouth slanted over hers again, and again the kiss was raw and lusty and left her gasping for air. It was hard and hot and hungry and in less than a minute, so was he.
Desire sang in her blood as she felt the hard evidence of his lust through the thin cotton of her panties. She unbuttoned his shirt, kissing his jaw, the base of his throat and then his chest. Chris sought her mouth again and he kissed her wildly, passionately while she shoved the material off his shoulders.
The heavy throb of sexual need stirred in the pit of her stomach as she ran her hands over lean muscles of his bare back. She felt his skin heat beneath her roving hands and her own body ignited in response. Raw need built inside her as she captured his lips and explored his mouth in a hot, greedy kiss.
Chris broke away just long enough to strip her blouse from her. He unhooked her bra and cupped the weight of her breasts in his palms. His thumbs massaged the nipples to sensitive peaks, then he bent his head to take one into his mouth. When he began suckling gently, she exhaled a sharp gasp of pleasure at the wet, tugging sensation.
Her hands raked through his hair, holding his head in place as he gave her other breast the same attention. Rei arched her back and groaned as white-hot bolts of lust shot through her body. Dampness pooled in her feminine center and her vaginal muscles began to quiver with need.
When Chris reluctantly moved away from her to finish taking off his pants, she slid off the desk so she could unzip her skirt and step out of it. Her bra and panties quickly followed, then she looked up to admire his naked body. Desire overwhelmed her in a powerful rush. She wanted him. Very badly.
He magically produced a condom from somewhere, then reached for her. He gently guided her down onto the soft pile carpet, kneeling beside her to once again claim her mouth. She lay back and held her arms out to him. After making sure they were protected, he moved over her and positioned himself between her legs.
She reached between their bodies to take his throbbing penis in her hand. Gliding her fingers along the length of his shaft, she spread her thighs and guided him into her wet passage. Her body clenched, then adjusted and welcomed him as he slowly filled her to the hilt.
Her sigh of pleasure quickly transformed into a moan of desire. Chris smiled at her and held her gaze. Love shown in his eyes as he worshipped her body in the most intimate way. She skimmed her hands along his sides until she cupped his taut buttocks and urged him closer, deeper.
He accelerated the tempo, surging forward and pulling back only to plunge into her again, harder and deeper. Wrapping her legs tighter around his hips, her hands clutched at the sweat slick muscles of his back. The relentless pressure in her womb increased until the orgasm shuddered through her, rocking her to the core.
An eternity later Chris’s body tensed and she could feel the deep pulsating in his shaft that signaled his climax. The contractions ripped a cry from his throat and he pressed his face to her shoulder to muffle the sound. Her body was still clenching with the aftereffects of amazing sex when he finally withdrew and shifted his weight off of her.
They lay side by side, sweating, while Rei tried to catch her breath and slow her heart rate. After a moment, Chris got up and went into the small washroom. He eventually came back and handed her a warm cloth and a dry towel before turning away to find his briefs.
“So, sweetheart, what do you want to do for the rest of the evening?”
“I want to go home, Chris. I want to hold you all night long and rejoice in knowing you’ll be there when I wake up in the morning and every morning after that. Then, tomorrow, I’ve got a very special lunch meeting.”
Saturday, April 26th
Accomplishments: Jump out of a plane on purpose
“OH, MY GOD! Are we really going to do this?” Rei shouted to be heard, not an easy task when the thin air made it hard to breathe and the whine of the propellers droned in her ears.
Chris grinned at her from beneath the protective goggles covering his eyes. “We’re almost at ten thousand feet. It’s a little late to be asking that.”
“I can still change my mind though, right?”
“Not if you want to check this off your List.”
Her stomach had started fluttering as they’d driven out of the city this morning, heading north on Highway 12. It had continued to quiver throughout meeting her tandem instructor, watching the safety video and completing the brief training class. Now, during the agonizingly slow climb to the fifteen thousand feet, her stomach was downright quaking.
All too soon, the plane reached the jump ceiling and it was time to jump. Her instructor tapped her on the shoulder. “Are you ready to fly?”
Rei gave him a shaky thumbs-up. While he connected their harnesses, she watched Chris and his tandem disappear through the open doorway of the plane. Oh, God. Am I really going to do this? In less time than she would have liked, her instructor was holding her and leaping out into empty space. They tumbled once, twice, and then began freefalling.
Her heart thundered in her chest as her stomach tried to join it. The noise was unbelievably loud despite her helmet and the wind shear chilled her even wearing the heavy coveralls. She was hurtling through the air at over 120 miles per hour and screaming herself hoarse. She’d never felt so scared and exhilarated at the same time.
With a sudden, hard jerk, the parachute deployed and almost instantly there was silence. Her heart still pounded, but now it was from the sheer thrill of floating and gliding though the sky. Rei felt tears sting her eyes. There was no way she’d ever be able to describe this sense of peace combined with pure adrenaline rush.
At the sound of Chris howling like a crazed wolf, she looked up to see a huge grin plastered across his face. At this moment, she couldn’t love him more. Rei laughed out loud, a heartfelt genuine sound of joy and triumph. This is for you, Miriam. And for me and for the rest of my life.