Devil Mail (16 page)

             
“That gentleman from yesterday is here again asking to speak to you,” Kerry whispered.

             
“Tell him I’m not here,” Angela said tartly, without raising her head. Kerry retreated and shortly after, Angela cringed as she heard Aiden’s raised voice.

             
“I know you’re here, Angela, I see your car out front. I’m not going anywhere until you speak to me!” His assertiveness left Angela in no doubt that he meant what he said. She was mortified! Had the earth opened up and provided her with a hole to dive into, she would have obliged, but it hadn’t, and Aiden’s behavior called for damage limitation of a professional kind. She sprang out of her chair and raced to the reception area, only to find Sharon already there.

             
“How may I help you?” Sharon’s address was terse, commanding silence in the reception area.

             
“I’d like a copy of my deposition from Angela,” Aiden said firmly, taking a ‘you don’t scare me’ stance.

             
“I’m sure you were apprised of the proper procedure for obtaining transcripts when you attended the deposition, were you not? Coming into my office and disrupting my staff is not going to get it to you any sooner.” Sharon was calm, but firm.

             
“Well, I wouldn’t need to come here if Angela would talk to me like a normal human being.”

             
“I gather we’re talking about two different things here,” Sharon continued. “Your request for a transcript must be dealt with in accordance with the set procedure, and your personal issues somewhere other than my office. Now, are you willing to leave the premises or are you choosing to become a trespasser?” Sharon made it sound like any other casual choice.

             
“Listen,” Aiden’s voice mellowed, “I don’t want any trouble, I just want to talk to Angela.”

             
“Angela?” Sharon turned to look at her.

             
“I have nothing to say to him,” Angela said softly.

             
“Good day to you, sir.” Sharon moved to the door and held it open for Aiden to leave. “Please be mindful that if you do this again, I will call the police.” Aiden gave Angela a lingering look as he stepped through the doorway. He was out of control, but in the pit of her belly she felt sorry for him. She certainly didn’t want him to get into any trouble with the police because of her, and he wouldn’t be acting this way if she’d just speak to him. She became cognizant of a gut-tingling sensation. Was this Aiden’s odd way of showing her that he was prepared to make a fool of himself for her and risk getting into trouble for it? Was this what it felt like for someone to be fiercely pursued by the one who truly loved them? If so, it was a bittersweet feeling.

             
Sharon breezed by Angela uttering three words that caused her to clamp down on her lower lip - “In my office!”

             
Angela emerged ten minutes later with a very clear picture of where she stood. It would only take one more incident for her to receive a written warning. The countdown to her dismissal had begun, thanks to Aiden. She returned to the privacy of her office where she was able to sob in peace. Sharon’s words, in a tenor sterner than she had ever directed towards Angela before, reverberated in Angela’s mind as she tried to get on with her work. “
I can’t help you if you don’t want to be helped. You say you’re not in trouble then I have your boyfriend, or whatever he is, causing a commotion in my office after doing the same at our client’s office. He’s bad for business, and if you’re connected to him, it means you’re bad for business too. I’ve worked too long and hard to sit back and watch you single-handedly bring this firm into disrepute with your drama.”
Sharon didn’t labor any of her points; they were all very clear and succinct, as was her request that Angela get the transcript done, so that Aiden would have no future excuse to show up at the office.

             
The pity that she had felt for Aiden dissolved into grievous bitterness. This man was ruining her life! Giving him the chance to ‘explain’ would be giving him the platform he sought to further his lies and cover his tracks. She would not let him do this.

             
Generally, after such a stressful day, Angela would have gone home, taken a hot bath and gone to bed early after sharing her sorrows with whichever friend was available to act as a listening ear. Tonight, though, she was motivated to get to church. She regarded it as a potentially cheery end to a crummy day.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

             
P
eople had already begun funneling into the church by the time she got there. It had been a while since she had been to a mid-week service, and as she parked her car towards the rear of the parking lot, she was conscious of her longstanding Wednesday night absences, and guessed that the people looking at her must be regulars who were critically conscious of her absences also. With the proceeds from a previous fundraising event, a small pavilion had been erected at the entrance of the church building. It was primarily for the elderly and disabled congregants to be safely dropped off or picked up, but it also served as a refuge for those waiting out the rain, preferring not to become saturated by the time they scampered to their cars. The weather was one of the joys of living in Orlando – one could feel a few drops of rain in one instant and be caught in a deluge in the next.

             
Like a ray of sunshine, sent specifically to brighten her day, Kieran walked up behind her, catching up to her as she stepped under the pavilion.

             
“Nice car,” was all the greeting she received from him.

             
“Oh, hi.” She spun round to look at him. “You saw me pull in?” She classified it as a dumb question as soon she heard herself. How else would he know what car she drove? This meant that she was already speaking out of an abundance of nervousness. She figured he was just being nice because, although comfortable, her three-year-old Honda Accord was not one of those cars that drew envious stares from people on the road. She was saving up for a newer car, and although a couple had caught her eye, there was no rush. A number of her friends were cruising around in SUVs and cursing them for being gas-guzzlers, yet they wouldn’t give them up for the world. As for her, she was single, of average height and build and simply didn’t need the extra car space that her friends raved about. Neither did she need the extra stretch in her wallet.  

             
“Yes, I was sitting in my car going over some paperwork when I saw you pull in.”

             
“Which one’s yours?” she asked looking back towards the parking lot. He pointed out a black Escalade parked near the entrance of the lot. It was stylish enough, but judging from what she had seen of him so far, it wasn’t quite the brand new flashy car that she expected him to be driving.

             
“Nice!” She sounded more impressed than she really was. What did impress her, however, was his beguiling smell that laced her nostrils, becoming almost tangible in her mouth.

             
“So, how have you been since I last saw you?” Kieran looked directly into her eyes.

             
“Don’t ask! I had a rotten day today.”

             
“I’ve already asked. Tell me why it was rotten.” Kieran came across as a caring, gentle, unselfish person, and since this was the first opportunity that Angela got to unload her cares, she took full advantage of it. They were still outside talking thirty minutes after the church service had begun. Checking his watch, Kieran stated, “We’ve already missed a chunk of the service, do you want to go somewhere?”

             
“Sure.” Her response was delivered hesitantly, but her heart willingly accepted the invitation. They agreed upon the Starbucks on the corner; a short walk from the church. Her uneasiness about walking off the premises with Kieran instead of going into the church, was mixed with the buzz she got from doing something she deemed ‘naughty’ for a change. What would people say if they saw them?  How would she explain herself if word got back to her mother? She’d have to cross that bridge when she got to it, but for right now she was going to enjoy her time with Kieran.

             
Kieran proved to be a good listener; his attractive light-reflecting eyes exhibiting sympathy, but not pity, as Angela spoke at length about how she met Aiden and the impact he was now having on her life. “At the same time, I think it’s touching that he’d go to those lengths to show that he’s not willing to just give up on us,” she said, clearly conflicted.

             
“What? That’s what most of us call an obsession! There’s nothing touching about that, trust me; it can develop into something very dangerous.” His response reminded her that she wasn’t talking to one of her girlfriends who would be able to relate to the sensitivities she was trying to highlight. Kieran inquired as to the location of her office.

             
“I can escort you to work in the mornings and hang around for a while to make sure he doesn’t bother you anymore,” he offered.

             
“Oh, no. I couldn’t ask you to do that. You have your own business to take care of.” Angela was moved by the thought and elated by her vision of Kieran as her alacritous knight in shining armor.

             
“You didn’t ask, I offered, and I want to make
you
my business, if you’ll let me.” His answer was swift and unswerving, striking the intended target with great effect. Angela was speechless, her ears charmed by his words which floated in to flood her heart with jubilance, causing unexpected laughter to burst forth.

             
“You’re so sweet.” Angela reined in the laughter, reducing it to a cute smile, which did nothing to veil just how chuffed she was. “No, he’ll not be back. My boss threatened to call the police if he shows up again; and she’s not one to make empty threats.” Angela’s smile dissolved as she considered her own words, knowing that Sharon really did not make empty threats and her job could soon be hanging in the balance.

             
“Well, you let me know if you need me. I’m here for you. Okay?”

             
“Okay.” The experience was surreal. She had just gone through a rapid mountain-and-valley experience and now she was sitting opposite an enchanting man who was effectively erasing the memory of it all with each passing minute.

             
“I wanted to ask you for your number on Sunday, but I didn’t know if it was too soon, and I didn’t want to ask in front of your sister,” Kieran admitted.

             
“I thought there was something on your mind, because we were talking, then there was this awkward silence.”

             
“Yep, that would be when I lost my nerve. Sooo, since I have now regained it…. can I have your number?” Angela was stirred by the old-fashioned manner in which he exchanged numbers. Kieran wrote Angela’s number in his palm, then gently took her hand and wrote his number on her palm before stroking it, as if to seal it.

             
Among other things, they talked about family, and Angela learned that Kieran was the younger of two brothers. His older brother, Gordon, had moved to Orlando some ten years ago and had established a thriving car rental business. His wife, Vanessa, was a homemaker and their seven-year-old daughter, Sabrina, was in private school.   

             
“Are you close to your brother?” She wondered if he belonged to a close-knit family like hers, believing that strong family values ingrained during childhood would carry forward and play out beautifully during parenthood.

             
“Not talk-every-day close, but we get along. My parents are divorced, but both still live in New York where I was born and raised.” Angela was itching to ask the reason for his parents’ divorce, but she knew better. That would be too personal a question at this juncture of their platonic relationship.

             
“Your parents must be so proud. Your brother owns a business and you’re setting up a business that will be just as successful, I’m sure.”

             
“I appreciate your faith in me. You seem to be pretty successful yourself; don’t court reporters know the law backwards and make good money for it?”

             
“You can do okay if you’re good at it. You’ve got to be accurate and reliable.”

             
“And I’m guessing you are all three.” Mutual compliments were tossed back and forth across the table and the couple savored every moment, right up until the staff notified the few remaining customers that they would be closing shortly. How could it be ten o’clock already?

             
“Time flies when you’re in good company,” Kieran opined as he pulled out Angela’s chair for her to rise.

             
“You can say that again.”

             
“Time flies when you’re in….” She gently smacked his arm causing him to chuckle before he could finish the sentence. They walked back to the church parking lot, taking in the bracing air. The stillness that enveloped them brought virtual audibility to their thoughts, making them loud enough to forge a somewhat spiritual connection between them. It was just the two of them walking back from Starbucks along a dimly lit street. Kieran slipped his hand into hers, his tightened grip and gentle tug halted her steps. As she turned to face him, he planted a delicate kiss on her left cheek.  It was more than Angela had expected, but less than she had hoped for in the moment. The rush of blood in her lips caused them to tingle and swell, but they would not find what they sought on this evening. Kieran continued walking without saying a word, compelling his actions to speak on his behalf.             

             
As they arrived at the church, Angela’s heart skipped a beat as she looked, in horror, at the padlocked gates of the church parking lot. Kieran released her hand, walked up to the gates and rattled the lock.

             
“What the…?”

             
“They’ve got to be kidding,” Angela groaned in disbelief.

             
“No, I don’t think they are.” Kieran rattled the lock again.

             
“I think it’s locked, Kieran.”

             
“Okay, let’s problem solve,” Kieran remarked, ignoring Angela’s terse sarcasm. “Who has a key?” Angela knew the church secretary had a key, and she also knew of a deacon who would probably have a key, but she would need to get their home telephone numbers from her mother; and she wasn’t about to make that call.

             
“This can’t be happening.” Angela began to fret and pace as the reality of the situation dawned on her. She needed her car to get home and then to work tomorrow. She couldn’t afford to take another day off work right now.

             
“Don’t worry, it’ll work out.” Kieran held her to comfort her. “Is there anyone you can call?” Angela’s quick mental run-through came up blank. She could call Julia, but then she’d have to either explain or lie to their mother; both choices were unacceptable. She could call Judith, but she had her reservations about Kieran and would see nothing wrong in picking up Angela and leaving Kieran effectively marooned at the church gates. She could call Rachel, but she didn’t want to ask her to drive all the way from Westhampton to the church at this time of night. It would be really late by the time she dropped both of them off at home. Angela was in no doubt that Rachel would do it, but she’d most likely bring her husband with her; how embarrassing would that be!

              “No, no one. How about you? Could you call your brother?”

Kieran checked his watch. “No, it’s a bit late for that.”
He pulled out his cellphone and called a friend who he was sure would come and get them. The call went directly to his voicemail. He pulled Angela into a warm embrace, his consoling voice serving to calm her frazzled nerves. “Listen, we’ll get a cab home tonight. What time do you think they’ll open the gates tomorrow?”

             
“I’m not sure; I think the church office opens at nine.”

             
“Then we’ll get a cab back in the morning….”

             
“But I have to be at work by that time. Well, I guess I could call in and tell them I’m working from home, so I’ll be in late. I can get my sister to drive me back in the morning.”

             
“Great. Solved!” Kieran seemed pleased with himself. “There’s no one I’d rather be stranded with than you,” he said softly. He called a cab, stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her and did not let her go until the cab arrived.

             
The cab dropped Angela off first, and Kieran insisted on picking up the tab later, when he was dropped off. He walked her to her door and waited to see that she stepped safely into her apartment.

Angela closed her eyes but was unable to sleep. The way the evening had ended reminded her that she could scarcely get away with anything. Surely this was the hand of God exacting punishment for her having skipped the church service to go off with a man. Or was it His early warning to her that she was embarking upon a forbidden path? But being with Kieran felt so right. The way he dealt with an adverse situation was in stark contrast to the way Aiden had. Kieran was patient and throughout the evening acted like a gentleman, having made no untoward comments. She got up to put his number in her cellphone before it could fade from her hand, and then went back to bed.