Her Best Match: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 1) (41 page)

She had to escape… to get away from everything that reminded her of Steven. It was dark outside, but still early. There were plenty of people on the streets. Surely it would be safe to go visit Mr. Hamilton. She hadn’t even run on the treadmill long enough to break a sweat, so she changed quickly and hurried out the front door, waving at Rayna who was busy talking to another resident. Antonio stopped her at the door.

“Hi Beautiful! Where’re you off to? Should I get you a taxi?”

“No thanks, Antonio. I’m just going a few blocks. And I’ll be back in an hour.”

“Are you sure? It’s already dark.”

“I’ll be fine. Tell Rayna I’ll call her later.”

She walked rapidly, but she didn’t feel any danger on the busy New York City street. Mr. Hamilton’s light was on, but the door was locked. So she rang the door and waited. Soon she heard footsteps and he appeared at the door.

“Come in, come in!” His eyes crinkled in a huge smile. “I’m so glad you came by. I was just making dinner. Would you like to join me?”

“Oh, I don’t want to impose,” she said, but her stomach gurgled at the scent of food drifting down the stairs.

He laughed out loud. “Your stomach says ‘yes’, so come on up.”

She followed him to his friendly kitchen and flopped into a chair at the table. He dished up two plates of spaghetti with meatballs and put a large bowl of tossed green salad on the table. Then he opened the oven and removed a pan of broiled garlic and cheese bread.

“If you don’t like Italian food, you’re out of luck.”

A loud growl answered him before Anne could speak. She giggled. “My stomach and I both love Italian. Thanks!”

She felt the tension melting from her shoulders as she chatted with Mr. Hamilton over dinner. She told him all about the stress of learning about the accident, and not knowing the outcome until arriving in Fort Worth. They discussed her new job and her misgivings about her abilities. But she purposefully avoided the subject of Steven Gherring, the source of a great deal of her anxiety at the moment.

After dinner, they went downstairs and he pulled out a vinyl record of The Lawrence Marable Quartet, entitled
Tenorman
. The sweet sounds of jazz filled the shop. He carved while Anne browsed through the shop. Once again, she was thoroughly fascinated, examining the precise fit where each of the puzzle-like carved figures intertwined. She went back to her favorite carving, Inseparable Love, marveling once again at the intricate pieces carved from a single piece of wood. A new sign,
Not For Sale
, had replaced the seventy-five hundred dollar price tag.

“How come you took the price tag off this one?”

He smiled. “A man actually tried to buy it from me last week. I had to make up a story about saving it for someone else. So, I decided to play it safe, since I don’t really want to sell it anyway.”

“Just out of curiosity, how much would it take for you to sell it? A million? Not that I’m planning to buy it or anything,” she chuckled.

“I don’t think I could ever sell it. I might give it to my granddaughter someday.”

“Wow—lucky girl.” Her cell phone started ringing, and she ran to dig it out of her purse.

“Hey Rayna. What’s up?”

“Oh great, you answered your phone. I called thirty minutes ago, and you didn’t answer. I thought something might have happened. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine—I must’ve left my purse downstairs during dinner. I just had Italian food with Mr. Hamilton. He’s the one I told you about. You know, he lives above his woodcarving shop. You should come and see it sometime.”

“Okay sure. But are you coming home soon?”

“Yes, I didn’t realize I’d been here for two hours already. I’m leaving right now.”

Anne heard muffled voices in the background and Rayna came back on the phone. “You really should take a taxi. It’s dark outside.”

“Maybe. But I’ll probably just walk. I need the exercise. I didn’t manage to finish my run tonight. Anyway, it’s a beautiful clear night, and I have a warm coat and hat and gloves. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Rayna started to protest again, but Anne disconnected the call. She turned to Mr. Hamilton. “I guess I need to go. My friend Rayna has suddenly gotten very motherly.” She bundled up and gave Mr. Hamilton a big hug before dashing out the door.

Making her way down the deserted street, she had some misgivings about her decision. She would have hailed a cab, but there were no cars to be seen. She began to get a little nervous when a man across the street seemed to slow down as she came his direction. He was probably just looking at the street sign, but it appeared he was studying her, instead. She scolded herself for being paranoid and picked up her pace a bit, slipping her hand into her purse to find the comfort of a can of mace she’d had for ten years. Who knew if it even worked after this much time? The streetlights made shadows under the awnings, and she began to imagine someone hiding in every darkened doorway. Perhaps it would have been wise to get a taxi after all.

She saw a figure coming toward her on the same side of the street. He was making rapid time, although he didn’t appear to have on running attire. She stepped into a sheltered doorway to remain undetected as he passed by. But when he got closer, she recognized his face.

“Mr. Gherring?”

“Anne!” He almost fell down as he skidded to a stop. He darted to her hiding place and pulled her into his arms. She sank into their safety and comfort, holding on as if she were drowning.

“You can’t be this stupid. You’re a grown woman—a mother! What would you tell your daughters about being alone on a deserted street in New York at night?”

“H-how did you know?”

“Because Rayna… She happened to be talking to you when I was walking out the lobby door.”

“Well, you didn’t have to come,” she said stubbornly. “I only had another block or so. I would’ve been fine.”

“Really? And that’s why you were hiding in that doorway when I came by?”

“I have my mace.” She pulled the can out of her purse.

“You should keep that, but you should never put yourself in a place where you need to use it.” He kept his arm around her and started guiding her back toward the apartment building.

She began to shiver.

“Are you cold?” He pulled her closer.

“No,” she confessed. “I think it’s that adrenaline thing, like what happened after Jeff made that pass at me. I suppose it’s
possible
I might have gotten a little afraid when this huge thug came running toward me at a marathon pace.”

He chuckled. “I’m a huge thug now?”

“When you’re alone on a deserted street at night, everyone is a huge thug.” She sighed. “You’re
right
. I should’ve taken a taxi.”

“You could’ve called me. I would’ve gone with you.”

“I didn’t want to… to inconvenience anyone.”

“How do you know Mr. Hamilton, anyway? Wait, Gram introduced you. Of course.”

“I love his shop. His carvings are amazing.”

“I should visit the old guy. I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

They arrived at the apartment building. “Thanks for walking me safely home. You really are
sweet
, just like I said. I’ll see you later. Where was it you were going?”

“Oh—you mean where was I going before?”

“Yes, when you were going through the lobby?”

“I, uhmm, I was just headed to the drug store down the block, uhmm, to get some aspirin. But come to think of it, I have some in the apartment.” He walked into the lobby with her.

Rayna grabbed her arms and squeezed, scolding, “Anne, you mustn’t go anywhere again without talking to me first.”

She stared at Rayna as if she had two heads. “What on earth has gotten into you, Rayna? You never used to worry so much.”

“I just, uhmm, you know. I don’t know. Aren’t we friends?” Her voice was distressed as she cut her eyes toward Steven.

“Oh sure we are. I didn’t mean anything by it. Thanks for caring.”

But secretly, Anne was baffled by her friend’s sudden excessive controlling behavior.

Gram called to take Anne to lunch on Tuesday. “Time for another emergency meeting.”

“Everything’s an emergency for you, Gram.”

“That’s because I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be alive. I’ve got to get things done as quickly as possible.”

She laughed. “Okay, what’s the emergency this time?”

“This time the emergency is you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, I’ve decided it’s time you married again.”

“But Gram, I’m fine alone. I’ve already had the love of my life—ten wonderful years. And I’ve been fine for fifteen years without anyone. You should understand. You’re just like me. You’re single and happy and independent.”

“Well, I have Steven to take care of me. And who knows, I may not stay single for the rest of my life.”

“What?” Was Gram contemplating marriage at the age of ninety-five?

“But we’re here to talk about you. You’re always taking care of other people. You’re taking care of your dad and your girls. You have to take care of my Steven at work. And now, you’re taking care of Henri even though he’s in France.”

Anne looked startled at her last statement. “Gram, what—”

“Steven told me about Henri’s niece. What is her name? The poor dear…”

“Her name is Anna-Laure. But why would Steven tell you—”

“Last night on the phone, I was discussing you with Steven, and complaining about Henri.”

Anne felt her cheeks redden. “Gram! Why would you discuss me with Steven? I really don’t want y’all to discuss me.”

“Steven seemed to find it amusing we were discussing you, instead of you and I discussing him.”

“I’ll bet he did,” she retorted with dripping sarcasm.

“Anyway, my point is you take care of everyone else, and there’s no one to take care of you.”

“I have my family—”

“Pish-posh. Your family doesn’t live here. And your girls are grown. They have their own lives. They’ll probably be married soon.”

“Well my dad is kind of a wanderer. He never lives in the same place very long. But he always comes when I need him.”

“But you need someone to take care of you every day. You need a husband. And I intend to find one for you.” Gram crossed her arms, and Anne knew she had a battle on her hands.

“Gram, I have plenty of people here who care about me. There’s George and May, Rayna and Antonio, Katie, Ellen, Sam, and you. And Mr. Hamilton has been very sweet to me as well.”

“And Steven?”

Her face and neck grew hot. “Yes, of course Mr. Gherring has been very helpful and encouraging.”

“You don’t need encouragement—you need a husband.”

“Gram, I don’t think you—”

“Don’t worry, dear. I’ll be very discreet.”

Anne sighed in defeat. “Fine Gram. How about I just keep you informed if anything happens on that front.”

“That’ll be your part, and I’ll do mine.”

“And what was that you said about you not staying single? Are you planning to get married again?”

“It’s always a possibility,” she said evasively. “Or… maybe we’ll just live together in sin.”

“Ms. Best,” said Steven, sticking his head out of his office door. “Would you double-check my tux is being delivered to the apartment tonight?”

“It’s
that
kind of benefit? Mr. Gherring, I’m not sure Ellen owns an appropriate dress for a formal event.”

“She does now. I bought her one.”

“Oh, I see.” Her stomach churned a bit. “And what time do you need the tux?”

“The dinner’s at seven, so five o’clock is fine. Thanks. Oh, and Ms. Best?”

“Yes sir, Mr. Gherring?”

“I want to apologize for getting so angry about lunch yesterday. I’m really glad you introduced me to Ellen.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Gherring. I’m really happy for you.” Her words should have been true. Perhaps if she said it enough, she’d believe it.

The rest of the afternoon, Anne worked alone at her desk. Every time she thought about Steven and Ellen together she had a queasy feeling in her stomach. Why wasn’t she happier they seemed to be hitting it off? Maybe she was second-guessing their compatibility. Ellen hadn’t done much traveling, and she didn’t know anything about business. What would they find to talk about? Somehow that thought made her feel better.

By the end of the day, her body felt drained. Standing to stretch her tired muscles, she heard her cell phone ring.

“Hi, Johanna. What are you doing calling me? Especially at this time? Isn’t it pretty late at night in Germany? Is something wrong?”

Johanna laughed. “If you slow down for a moment, I will actually answer you. Surprise! We are here in New York. We just got in town. I talked Alexander into bringing me to see the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center. Would you like to come with us? They are lighting it tonight.”

Her fatigue vanished. “Oh, I’d love to go—I’m so excited. And I can’t wait to see you and talk to you. To tell you the truth, I was feeling a little glum before you called. And I’ve never even seen the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.”

“I am so pleased. You can come and eat with us, as well. Do not dress up. Just dress warmly.” She hesitated and then added, “Feel free to invite someone along. Mr. Gherring, perhaps?”

“He’s busy tonight. He’s going to a benefit dinner. It’ll probably just be me. Is that okay?”

“Absolutely, dear. It is you I wanted to see. Alexander can talk business another day.”

Anne was practically floating as she walked toward the elevator. There were several other employees leaving at the same time, and all of them greeted her cordially. No one was acting awkward, so she felt relieved. Perhaps everyone had forgotten the rumor about her and Steven. Just as the door was about to close, Steven came running to the elevator and slipped inside. At his appearance, the elevator became stiflingly quiet.

He turned to Anne. “What are your plans for the evening, Ms. Best?”

“I’m going to see the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Rockefeller Center.” She couldn’t hide her growing excitement. “I’ve never been before. I mean, I’ve never even seen the Rockefeller Christmas tree.”

“You’re going by yourself?”

“No sir. I’m going with Johanna and Alexander. They just flew in from Germany.”

He seemed annoyed. “Well that’s good. Sounds like you’ll have a good time. I’m glad you won’t be sitting at home alone.” His voice sounded as though that’s exactly what he wished would happen. Was he jealous of Johanna and Alexander?

“I think they would have invited you as well, sir. Except you have that important benefit dinner tonight.” She added, “With Ellen.”

“Right. We’ll have a fabulous time, I’m sure. Please give my regards to the Kleins.”

“I will, I promise.” At his glum expression she added, “Johanna mentioned something about Alexander wanting to talk business. You should call him tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Ms. Best.” Everyone else in the elevator remained quiet. They all seemed to be listening to their exchange.

In the lobby, Steven exited first, and the quiet tension relaxed as the riders dispersed. One of the women Anne knew from the Personnel Department stopped her before she could leave the lobby.

“Anne. What’s with you and Mr. Gherring? Did you have some kind of fight?”

“No, not at all. What do you mean?”

“Well, aren’t you dating?”

Her face was burning. “No, Lisa, we aren’t dating. We never have. That was just a rumor.”

“Aren’t we just talking semantics here? And there’s no company rule against dating the boss, you know. It won’t get you in trouble with the Personnel Department. I hate to be nosy, but I’ve given up and accepted it as part of my personality. So, you and Mr. Gherring don’t have romantic feelings for each other?”

Anne chose her words carefully. “I think I’d know if we had that kind of relationship. He thinks of me only as a secretary, an employee. In fact, I’m the one who ordered his tuxedo for his date tonight with a friend of mine.”

“Okay, I guess we had it wrong after all.”

She was relieved. Perhaps she’d finally put those rumors to rest.

Anne was waiting in the lobby for Johanna, when Steven came downstairs in his tux. Her heart leaped in her chest. He was achingly handsome in a tuxedo. For a moment she tried to decide whether he was more handsome in a tuxedo or in a towel. But the pounding of her heart reminded her this was a dangerous thought pattern.

“You look very sharp, Mr. Gherring,” she said sincerely. “I hope you have a good time tonight. You know, I’m really glad you’re keeping an open mind about this. Ellen could be
the one
.” She wondered at the way her heart clenched when she said those words.

“And that would make you happy? You’d be happy if I was with Ellen?”

“Well yes, I… I really, truly just want you to be happy. Whatever it takes. That’ll make me happy. So yes, I’d be happy if you and Ellen were together, if she’s the one who can do that for you.”

“And it wouldn’t bother you?”

“Of course not. I mean, I’m the one who wanted the two of you to date, right?”

“That’s right. You’re the one who wanted it.” He tightened his lips, closing his eyes for a moment. “Have fun at the Christmas tree lighting.”

“Oh, I will—I can’t wait. Just imagine, a bazillion lights coming on all at once. I’ve seen it on TV, but never in person. I’m going to take a video on my phone and send it to Charlie and Emily. They’ll be so jealous. And the weather is perfect. It’s going to be so beautiful.”

Steven smiled a bit dejectedly. “I wish I could be there to see it.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ve seen it plenty of times. It wouldn’t be exciting for you.”

“No,” he said. “I wish I could be there to see
you
see it for the first time.”

“Oh!” Anne cried with thousands of others as the huge Christmas tree sprung to life with over thirty thousand lights. She joined in the cheers and clapping, forgetting she was taking a phone video as she jumped up and down with glee. Johanna and Alexander seemed to enjoy watching Anne as much as the tree. They stayed for thirty minutes until the show was over and the crowds began to disperse.

“Will you take my picture with the tree in the background? I want to prove I was actually here.”

Alexander snapped several pictures of Anne and Johanna together with the glowing tree in the background. Then they walked a block away to their dinner reservation. Anne was engrossed in the stories of Johanna’s grandchildren, a set of twin boys, aged three, and a one-year-old girl. She totally forgot about Steven and Ellen on their inaugural date. Two glasses of wine also contributed to her relaxation. But over dessert, Johanna asked a few probing questions about her
love life
.

“How is Henri? Are you two still an item? And most importantly, are there sparks?”

Anne hesitated. “Well. I know I emailed you about my dad’s accident and me not getting to go to Paris.”

“Yes, and you told me your father is expected to make a full recovery. I am so glad.” She reached out to touch Anne’s hand. “Did things not go well with your father?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that… well, I didn’t go to Paris. And somehow I feel like something is different between Henri and me. He’s coming here this weekend. I guess I don’t feel those sparks with him. But then I think maybe I would if we spent time together. He’s incredibly good-looking.” She looked up at Alexander. “I’m sorry to put you through this. Your wife is a good counselor.”

He laughed. “Oh no. I am used to this. Back home, Johanna is
die Liebe Arzt
—the ‘Love Doctor.’”

“But what were you going to say?” urged Johanna.

“I just feel like Henri and I will never be anything but friends. But I don’t want to tell him that right now, not when he’s dealing with his niece who has cancer.”

“Oh, I don’t think you mentioned that. How terrible… His niece?”

“Yes. Well his sister and her two kids live with him, so he’s practically her father instead of her niece. And she’s only seven.”

“And they just found out? About the cancer?”

“Yes. So you see why he needs me right now?”

“He is coming this weekend, and you will see him in person? Right? If the sparks are not there, you must tell him the truth. He needs the sparks as much as you.”

“You’re probably right,” she agreed, but she felt like a heel. She couldn’t break his heart at a time like this.

“But you have not told me about Steven Gherring.”

“What about Mr. Gherring?” Blood rushed to her face, and she concentrated on her plate.

“The last time I was here, I told you I thought he might be attracted to you. It was the way he looked at you when you were dancing together. Was I right?”

Anne could feel her pulse in her temples. “No… I mean… It depends on what you mean by attracted. He, uhmm, he—”