Drive and Determination (12 page)

 crossed her mind, but she chose to be more civil.
            “The lifestyle was too crazy for me down there. I like being able to get out and walk and breathe in fresh air. I like knowing my neighbors and feeling as though they are watching out for me and care for me and I do the same for them.”
            “And you didn’t find that in LA?”
            She narrowed her eyes at him. “Can you find that in any large, metropolitan city?”
            “There are other benefits to the big city.”
            Elyssa only shrugged. She went on to talk about her work at the library, her meager attempts at interior design, and her friends. She laughed as she told him how Charlene, who was very successful doing set designs in the movie industry, faithfully
handed out Elyssa’s business card to people she met anywhere. Elyssa had never picked up any business that way, but she appreciated her friend’s efforts to help her business. When the meal had come, she realized she had been doing all the talking.
            He had barely spoken a word and she wondered whether it was because he really didn’t want her knowing about him or because he merely felt obliged to listen to her.
            They ate their meal with an occasional comment about the lake, or the clouds that were accumulating, or the sound of thunder off in the distance.
            As the thunder grew louder, Will suggested they finish eating as soon as they could and get back to the car.
            The sudden downpour of rain outside proved Will’s suggestion to be a little late. They watched as people grabbed whatever they could - plastic bags, purses, and coats, to cover their heads as they ran for cover. Elyssa had never seen such a sudden onslaught of rain before.
            He relaxed in his chair and looked out. “Or… we can stay here and wait out the storm.”
            They slowly ate what was remaining on their plates all the while keeping an eye outside. The rain did not seem inclined to let up and the thunder roared mercilessly.
            Looking at his watch, Will noticed that their two hours were almost up. “Manuel and Luis are likely back at the car. Do you want to go outside and make a run for it?”
            Elyssa smiled. “A little bit of water never hurt anyone.”
            “Did you bring an umbrella?”
            Elyssa shook her head. “I have one in my suitcase. Did you?”
            “Conveniently packed away
in mine.”
            After paying the bill, they stepped outside and couldn’t believe what they saw. The street was like a river, with the water at least three inches deep, rushing down toward the lake. They stood underneath the awning of the restaurant as they both contemplated what to do.
            “We have to cross that street,” Will said. “But I don’t like the looks of it.”
            “It can’t be that bad,” Elyssa pointed in the direction of some people running across.
            “Let me carry you.”
            Elyssa put up her hands. “Thanks, but no. I’ll do fine.”
            “All right,” he said, taking her arm without asking first. “Let’s go!”
            They both stepped into the water and found crossing the street easier said than done. It was deeper and more forceful than they both anticipated and each step was a difficult maneuver.
            They were almost half-way across the street when Elyssa screamed, “My sandal!”
            One of her sandals slipped off and was now floating down the street in the current. Before she could even react, Will adeptly swept her up in his arms and began running to the other side of the street.
            “Wait here and don’t move!” he said as he put her down and set off running in the direction of the wayward sandal.
            Elyssa sought shelter under another awning while she waited. Why, she didn’t know, as she was already soaked through. She watched in gleeful amusement as Will jumped out into the street several times in an attempt to retrieve her sandal, but it was obvious that he wasn’t having any luck. The street made a curve and soon he disappeared around the corner.
            This was so ridiculous that she couldn’t help but laugh. And she laughed with no restraint.
            She wanted to go find him, but didn’t dare walk on these streets in a bare foot, so she stayed where she was, hoping he would return soon -- with her sandal! If he was unable to retrieve it, however, she might just be forced to allow him to carry her. She folded her arms tightly across her as the thought of his arms going around her and lifting her up suddenly seemed very appealing.
            When she finally saw him turn the corner, she saw that he somehow had captured the sandal. She chided herself for the initial sense of disappointment that overtook her in seeing that he had been victorious.
            As he walked toward her, his hair was wet and matted down, his shirt was soaked through and she couldn’t help but think he looked like a drowned rat. But a well-toned and handsome drowned rat! That thought brought a sparkle to her eyes and made her laugh some more.
            He held out the sandal to her and gave a mock bow. “Shall we slip this on, Madam, and see if it fits?”
            His eyes brightened as he looked intently at Elyssa. She easily caught his reference to Cinderella. He may be handsome and he may have just returned her lost sandal, but he was far from being her Prince Charming!
            Then why did a shudder course through her?
            She took the sandal from him and lifted up her foot to slip it on. As she began to wobble, she steadied herself with her other hand by reaching out and grabbing Will’s arm. At the moment her fingers wrapped around his arm, she felt his muscles tighten as he placed his hands up around her shoulders to straighten her.
            When her sandal was securely back on her foot, she let go of Will’s arm, but he kept his hands upon her shoulders. She looked at him with a lively quip ready on her lips, but his eyes silenced her. Their eyes locked and Elyssa felt incapable of any sort of response, let alone a rational thought.
            Will seemed to search her face for something and Elyssa’s eyes traveled from his eyes down to his mouth, which suddenly seemed far more attractive than she would have liked to admit. The thought of him leaning over and kissing her had unexpectedly too much appeal and she quickly turned away.
            “Perhaps we ought to return to the car.” She hoped he didn’t notice her faltering voice.
            She began walking quickly and Will followed. Raking his hand through his hair, he knew that he only had three days to change her opinion of him. He wondered if she had been aware how much he had wanted to kiss her just now. Did she find the thought repulsive? Did she… would she… always direct her anger at him and blame him for her sister’s death?
            His long strides easily caught up with her as they made their way to the car, oblivious of the rain soaking them; each lost in their own thoughts.

Chapter 11

           
W
hen they reached the car, Manuel and Luis were already there. Seeing them approach, Manuel jumped out and opened the back door, letting them in quickly to get out of the pouring rain.
            He returned to the front seat and turned towards them.  “Looks like you got caught in the storm!”
            Staring up front at Manuel and Luis who were both fairly dry, Will commented, “Obviously. And how did you avoid it?”
            Manuel laughed. “You get to know the sights and sounds of an approaching storm. We grabbed something to eat and came back to the car immediately to eat and wait it out.” He looked slyly at Will. “I tried to call you on your phone to warn you, but was surprised to discover that you had turned it off.”
            “Oh,” Will reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Looking at it, he said dryly, “It appears I did.”
            The sudden storm caused a brief drop in the temperature, and in her drenched state, Elyssa shivered and brought her arms about her.
            Will noticed and reached behind him, pulling out a light jacket. “Here, put this around your shoulders, Elyssa.” He turned to Manuel and asked, “How long do you suppose the storm will last?”
            Manuel looked out across the lake and at the solid sky of clouds. “My guess would be that it will be here for most of the rest of the day.”
            “Perhaps we ought to find a hotel here for the night instead of taking the boat. You said we could leave first thing in the morning?”
            “Yes. I’ll make the arrangements.”
            Manuel started the engine. “There is a very nice hotel only a few blocks away. I’ll have you there in no time!”
            They drove to a hotel that overlooked the lake. It was about ten stories tall and looked quite nice from the outside. Manuel drove up to the covered front entrance and stopped the car so they could get out. A porter was there right away to open the doors and gather their luggage.
            “I’ll park the car while you check in and also see about leaving it here while we’re out at the village.”
            “Thanks, Manuel,” Will said. “Call me on my phone and let me know what time we should be ready to leave in the morning.”
            “Yes, Sir. See you tomorrow. Good day, Elyssa.”
            Elyssa murmured a soft farewell and as Manuel and his son drove off, she looked curiously at Will. “Will they not be staying here also?”
            “Manuel and his son?” Will laughed. “Hardly.”
            Her eyes narrowed. “And why not? Why shouldn’t your own chauffeur be entitled to stay in the same hotel as you?”
            Will looked down at her, recognizing the blaze of injustice in her eyes. He put up a hand to calm her. “Elyssa, Manuel has a company credit card and he is entitled to use it while in my employ however he chooses. How he chooses to use it is of no consequence to me. But I am quite convinced this will not be his place of choice.”
            “Why not?”
            “Because he feels more comfortable in places that cater to the local people.”
            Elyssa put her hands on her hips. “Perhaps I would prefer that as well.”
            Will folded his arms in front of him and met the determined glower in Elyssa’s eyes. “Are you always this stubborn?”
            “No,” she said, and turned to follow the porter with their luggage towards the front desk. “Sometimes I’m worse.”
            Will’s feet remained planted in one spot as he watched Elyssa march away. “I can well imagine that!” he said softly, an amused smile forming on his lips.
            Elyssa marched determinedly up to the desk and began talking with the clerk. Will came up behind her and listened as she asked whether there was a moderately priced room available. Remaining behind her, Will began speaking in Spanish to the clerk. The clerk’s attention abruptly shifted towards him.
            Elyssa opened her mouth to protest Will’s taking charge, but it was too late. The clerk quickly secured two keys as Will produced his credit card.
            The transaction was quickly and efficiently completed, and when they stepped away from the desk, Elyssa vocalized her feelings. “You did not need to do that. He understood my English perfectly and I was wholly capable of securing my own room.”
            “I have no doubt of that.”
            “I truly believe you are even more stubborn than I am!” She reached out for the keys. “Now which one is my room?”
            “You are not in a room. We are both in a suite.”
            “A suite? Different ones, I hope!” The remark escaped Elyssa’s lips before the thought had barely entered her head.
            “Rest your little head, Elyssa. We are in different suites. Next door to one another, but different suites.”
            “Well, I certainly don’t need a suite. I am used to small hotel rooms and they are more within my budget. So if you don’t mind, I’ll get my own room!”
            Will looked at the porter, who was waiting with their luggage, and whispered, “Un momento,” gently wrapping his arm through Elyssa’s and ushering her off to the side.
            “Look, Elyssa,” he said, as they made their way away from the listening ears of the porter. “I am paying for this hotel since it was not in our original plan and I would rather you not be six or seven floors down from me. You never know what may happen here, even a place as reputable as this.”
            “But a suite is really not necessary and I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself!”
            Will took in a deep breath. “It may not be necessary, but that’s what we’re going to stay in tonight.”
            They stared at each other, Will practically holding his breath to see what Elyssa would do. It was true, he was looking out for Elyssa in wanting to keep her close by, but he was also hoping to provide an atmosphere that would offer some sort of chance at redemption with her.
            When she didn’t answer, he finally said, “Look at it this way. How often do you get to treat yourself to a little luxury? Besides,” he said as he drew in closer. “You most likely could use a little pampering right now with everything you have been through. Allow yourself this one little comfort.”
            Something inside Elyssa wished to fight him. She felt her defenses wearing down the longer she was with him. As he stood only mere inches from her, he stirred feelings within her that she felt she could only combat by challenging his every word and his every action. At every turn, Will was becoming nothing like the man she believed responsible for Janet’s death.
            Finally, seeing he was not about to budge, she acquiesced. “All right, but don’t you get it into your head that I have to stay at some premiere hotel at the village. I’ll be perfectly content staying at Janet and Chad’s home. If she felt safe there, I shall feel safe there, too. You can find yourself somewhere else to stay.”
            “I will gladly do that,” he replied, “however, I am quite sure there aren’t any premiere hotels anywhere near the village. Manuel has given me the name of a pension close by.”
           
Too bad for you,
 Elyssa thought to herself and smiled as she wondered how he would fare in less than exceptional accommodations.
            They turned and walked quietly toward the porter waiting for them; Will nodding his head to him that they were ready to proceed.
            They rode the elevator up to the ninth floor. From the sign on the wall when they stepped out, Elyssa noted that there were only four rooms -- that is, suites -- up here, two on either side of the hall.
            They walked down the hall on a plush carpet. Textured wall coverings with Guatemalan artwork canopied around them. Locked curios filled with Guatemalan treasures stood on each side of the hall. Elyssa didn’t know whether the whole hotel was this elegant, but she had the notion that their suites would be unlike anything she had ever seen.
            They stepped up to Suite 9A and the porter opened the door. Will stepped back to allow Elyssa to step in first and her eyes widened and her jaw dropped at the sight she beheld.
            A huge open room welcomed them. She was sure it was larger than her whole house back in the Santa Ynez Valley. Large pieces of furniture gave the room a masculine feel, but the colorful pieces of artwork on the walls added a liveliness that was quite appealing. Fresh cut flowers filled several vases. Elyssa walked in and admired the interior decorating in the suite. While done in a Guatemalan style, it had flourishes of American and European design.
            Will tipped the porter and sent him away with some final words in Spanish. He turned to her and smiled. “Is it to your satisfaction?”
            “Yes. It is quite nice.”
            “Good. The two suites should be comparable, but you can check out the suite next door and choose the one you want. I’ll take the one you don’t want.”
            She silently admitted to herself that staying in a suite such as this was much more preferable than a small room.
            Will walked over to a door on the wall next to the one they came through and opened it, revealing a completely different suite. Thinking it was still part of the one they were in and he was merely showing her more of it, she walked over to take a thorough look. When she saw that it was arranged exactly as the one they were standing in, her eyes widened.
            She turned to face Will, her eyes were glaring.
            “You said we had two separate suites!” she said, accusingly pointing her finger at him.
            Will took a few easy strides and stood before her, wrapping her pointed finger in his hand and gently closing it as it joined the others into her fist.
            “I wouldn’t do that here in Guatemala, Elyssa. It is very rude to point.”
            With her hand now completely encased in his and his most natural, manly scent emanating from him, she didn’t trust herself to look up into his face. She knew his eyes were upon her and felt her heart quicken as if she were a small bird in the clutches of a fierce cat.
            “Now what were you saying?” he asked in a soft voice.
            Elyssa gulped as everything but his close proximity was suddenly wiped from her mind. Frantically searching for her last thought, she finally recollected it. “You said we were in different suites!”
            “Elyssa, these
are
two different suites. This is only a connecting door. You can lock it on your side if you are so worried. Now, which one do you want?”
            Elyssa looked from one to the other, not really noticing any difference. “I’ll take this one,” she said quickly, pulling away and nodding to the suite on the other side of the door.
            “Are you sure?”
            “Quite sure. It suits me fine.”
            Will carried her small bag into the suite and set it down. “After I clean up, I think I’ll go downstairs and inquire about dinner options. Will you want something to eat later?”
            “I’ll have to see. I ate quite a bit at lunch.”
            “I’ll let you know what I find.”
            He turned to leave, but was halted by Elyssa’s words. “I really do appreciate all you have done,” she said as she allowed a smile to appear. “Thank you.”
            Her words stunned him and his heart seemed to swell into his throat, preventing him from saying anything more than, “You’re welcome.”
            He left the room, closing the connecting door behind him. She remained fixed to one spot, her heart pounding. Feeling it was the only way to deal with the turmoil building inside, she turned the lock on the door and said softly to herself, “I am not doing this because of you, Will. I’m doing it because of me!”
            She faced away from the door and leaned against it, looking about her. “So this is what he is used to,” she said softly to herself. “He doesn’t think twice about spending money on the finer things while all my life I’ve had to weigh every purchase and its price before I spend what little money I have.” Then she laughed, “Unless I’m using someone else’s money to decorate their home!”
            She shook her head and began to chide herself. “Don’t go thinking it’s a lifestyle you want, Elyssa. Consider what you would have to give up being married to someone like him!” She bit her lip and wondered what ever prompted her to think of him and marriage in the same sentence!
            She was anxious to get into the shower, so she opened up her suitcase and took out a pair of cotton lounge pants and top. She stepped into the bathroom and openly gawked at the immense room before her. It was tiled in rich inlayed blue and gold tile with a marble sink and tub accented with beautifully polished brass faucets. She couldn’t help but feel regal.
            She gratefully shed her wet clothing and turned the water on in the shower. She tested it a couple of times until it was a soothing temperature and then stepped into the pulsating water. The droplets felt invigorating as they washed over her. Taking a bottle of shampoo, she liberally poured some into her hair and began sudsing it up with her fingers.
            As her fingers massaged her scalp and worked the shampoo throughout her thick, brown hair, she began humming a song. When she realized what the song was, she had to laugh at its implications. It was a song she had sung in her high school musical when she had the lead in
South Pacific
.
            “Oh, yes!” she said emphatically. “I
am
going to wash that man and everything about him right out of my hair!”
            Then she slowly shook her head and said, “But I’m finding it harder and harder.”
            After spending a good fifteen minutes washing and soaking (and singing the song through several times for emphasis), she emerged from the shower and quickly dried herself off. She pulled her hair up and wrapped one of the luxuriant hotel towels around it. She put on her lounging outfit and then released her hair from the towel, letting it flow freely.
            When dampened, her thick, natural curls seemed to have a mind of their own, but they framed her face beautifully. She shook her head a few times and ran her fingers through her hair, deciding she would let it air dry for a while.
            Walking back into the bedroom, her hand swept over the thick, luxurious bedspread. “This is really nice!” She sat down upon it and flopped back. Lying there for several minutes, she concluded that she had never felt a more comfortable bed.
            Turning her head toward the large sliding glass door, she looked outside and noticed that the sun was trying to peek out from the clouds over the lake. She stood up and walked over to the door, opening it and stepping out onto the balcony. A light rain continued to shower down and looking far across the lake, she saw the faintest of rainbows emerging. The slowly strengthening sunlight glistened across the lake. The air was fresh and cool and she watched as the sun and clouds vied for dominance in the sky.
            She gazed out at the scenery before her, and while she didn’t think she could ever live here, she had to admit that it was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen. She even began to consider that Janet and Chad could have been very happy with homes here and in Guatemala City.
            She looked toward the two volcanoes that she had seen earlier. They were both shrouded in a heavy mist. The third was still yet to be seen. Her thoughts went to Will and she laughed as she suddenly thought of how much like these volcanoes he was.
Prominent, yet cloaked in mystery. Firm and solid, yet hiding so much. Ready to erupt at any moment?