First Class to New York (9 page)

“I don’t agree with you Matthew. Children are a glorious
blessing. I should know; I have seven blessings.” Maureen smiled with all the
love she had for her son. “But I do understand how you might feel that way. But
that has nothing to do with Janie. She got married and had her boys over twenty
years ago, on the other side of the country. What on earth does that have to do
with you?”

Matt shrugged, acknowledging his mother was right.

“You like her,” she continued. “You like her a lot. I knew
that the minute I saw you on Sunday. You couldn’t take your eyes off her.”

*****

Matt,

I
wanted you to know that I had a really nice time at the fundraiser the other
night. It was very kind of you to take me, as I know you are an extremely busy
man. I had never dreamed of being able to attend anything quite like that, as
my life is obviously very different from yours. But now I can cross that off my
bucket list, so thank you again.

I
also wanted to thank you for dinner and the carriage ride. It was kind of you
to take pity on a naive nobody like me and let me glimpse a part of ‘your New
York’. It wasn’t on my to-do list, but I am certain that it will end up being
one of the highlights of my trip and certainly an experience I will remember
fondly in years to come.

Please
accept this gift as a token of my gratitude, and please use the thermos so you
might spare any more unsuspecting victims in airport lounges.
J

Goodbye,

Janie

Matt folded the card and placed it back in the envelope. He
was totally baffled by Janie’s meaning.
Kind of me to take her? Obviously
very different from her? Take pit on a naïve nobody? Goodbye?

Well, he would give her naïve. She really was, but in a
sweet, refreshing way. And yes, their lives were probably very different. But
it wasn’t
kind
of him to take her. He had wanted to be with her,
anywhere! Hell, he went to one of those horrid benefits where everyone puts on
a show and gives air kisses, for God’s sake, just as an excuse to see her
again.

And she certainly wasn’t a ‘nobody’. His dad was right; she
was marvelous. Did she think otherwise? Did she really believe he had taken
pity on her? She really was fragile. His mom was right. He had left her in her
room because he didn’t want to just fuck her and leave her. He didn’t want to
mess her up, screw with her trip, give her anything to regret later. He had
tried
to do the honorable thing.

He ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his
chair. Women were complicated and he wondered what he should do, but he was
interrupted by Angela’s voice through the phone.

“Excuse me, Mr. Latham? What should I order for lunch?”

Matt had asked her repeatedly to call him Matt, but she
refused. She had told him that he was the owner of the company and her boss and
he deserved the respect of her addressing him properly. She had been his
secretary for over ten years and she’s the one that deserved the respect. She
kept his life in order, a feat he would never have been able to accomplish
himself. He trusted her with all of his business affairs and had never been
made to regret that trust.

“Angela, can you come in for a moment please?”

“Certainly, Sir.”

The door opened and Angela stuck her head in. “What can I do
for you?”

“Come in. Sit down.” Matt pointed to the leather chair in
front of his desk.

Angela hesitated for a moment and then took her seat, a
slightly puzzled expression on her face.

“I need to ask you a question and it is going to cross the
lines of professional to personal. Would that be okay?”

“Well, yes, of course. What is it?” Angela’s face showed
extreme surprise.

Matt didn’t quite know how to ask her, so he just laid it
all out there. “I met a woman on the plane last week, the one I needed the
number for?”

Angela nodded so he kept talking. “Well I took her to dinner
a couple of times but then I discovered that her husband had died and…”

“When?” Angela blurted out.

“On Sunday evening.”

“He died on Sunday?”

“No! God, no!” Matt clarified. “I found out on Sunday that
he had died.”

“So when did he die?” Angela was confused.

“Over a year ago?” He recalled Janie’s words to his mother.

“Ok, so, what’s the question?”

“Well,” Matt began. I don’t know if I should see her. She
seems…a little…fragile.”

“But you’ve asked her to dinner a couple of times and she
has said yes and gone?” Angela was still confused.

“Yes.”

“So what’s the problem?”

Matt rubbed his forehead and frowned.

“Is there really a problem here Matt, or are you just trying
to make one?”

Matt straightened and stared at Angela. “You just called me
Matt.” He grinned.

Angela immediately looked uncomfortable and apologized.
“Yes, well, I wasn’t talking to you as my boss, but rather as a clueless man
who obviously wants something and is too scared to reach out and grab it.” And
with that she stood and walked to the door. “I’ll order you tuna salad on whole
wheat,” she added as the door swung closed.

Angela’s words hung in the air, ‘too scared to reach out and
grab it’. He wasn’t scared; apprehensive maybe, but not scared. Could he just
grab it?

Janie’s life in Oregon had nothing to do with him. Why
couldn’t he take her to dinner, show her ‘his New York’, or anything else? He
wasn’t looking for any kind of relationship, nothing long-term or serious, but
he enjoyed spending time with her and he thought that she felt the same. So
couldn’t he spend a few days with her and then say goodbye when she went home?

*****

The Guggenheim was everything Janie had hoped for and then
some. Cézanne, Monet, Picasso, van Gogh! How thrilling it was to see the
masterpieces in person. Janie wandered up and down and up again, through the
exhibits, each piece just as breathtaking as the last. She was very pleased
with herself that she had ventured out in to the gloomy weather. After she had
left Matt’s office, the rain had stopped and the clouds lifted and if she were
religious at all, she would have thought it was some kind of divine message. Yes,
it had been a divine afternoon. She had walked the streets of New York, been
sprayed with water by a cab, just like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex & the City, and
had seen the magnificent Guggenheim Museum. She had also said goodbye to Matt.
It was good that she had been able to do that. He had helped her create some
wonderful memories but that’s it all it was, all it ever would be. Just
memories. He had probably already forgotten her and she would do her best to
put him out of her mind and focus on enjoying the rest of her trip. She had a
list a mile long to keep her busy and she was going to focus on that.

When Janie arrived back at the hotel, it was dark and getting
cooler. She went up to her room and didn’t even bother turning on the lights,
but went straight to the bathroom and drew a bath. She’d had a late lunch and a
hot bath and an early night after her eventful day was just what she needed.

*****

Janie had dreamed of lying in a flower garden, a bright sun
shining down on her, brilliant colors all around her. She woke rested and
relaxed and stretched as she opened her eyes. Janie froze, eyes focused on the
small table in front of the sofa. She sat up slowly and reminded herself to
breathe; in and out, in an out. Throwing back the blanket, she stood up and
moved cautiously towards the table, stopping and kneeling in front of it. There
sat an enormous, spectacular, beautiful bouquet of flowers; roses, and lilies,
and carnations, and asters, and germinis, and so many more, in an exquisite
square crystal vase.
Stunning!

Janie inhaled the scent and realized that these were the flowers
in her dream.
They must have been delivered yesterday.
She leaned in
close and took another deep breath, and saw the card, just poking out from
behind a lovely pink lily. Her heart was beating a touch too quickly and her
fingers seemed to have difficulty ripping open the envelope.
Who would send
me these?
She wondered. She unfolded a plain white piece of paper and read
the three hand-written words.

Forgive me?      Matt

Forgive him? For what?
Janie was very confused not
sure what to make of the message. It was too early to call him at the office so
she would have to wait. Scratching her head, she took another deep breath,
filling her senses with the amazing floral array. She headed to the bathroom to
take a shower because the hot water always helped her to think.

Matt was at the office early. The Chicago deal needed to be
signed and put to bed before any more surprises popped up. His attorney had
spent all day Tuesday making the needed changes to the contract and Matt was
reviewing it before it was expressed to Ben for signatures from the sellers.

Closing the portfolio, he was satisfied with the contract
and opened up his laptop to check emails. Perusing through the list, he found
one from his mom. The subject line said ‘the lovely couple’ and his interest
was piqued. Double clicking, the email opened and a photo appeared on his
screen, a beautiful image lay in front of him; soft light brown curls, big
innocent blue eyes, a faint smile on soft pink lips. Her head was tilted
slightly downward, giving her a look of insecurity, maybe? She was dressed in
dark blue silk that hugged her breasts and allowed a glimpse of the soft mounds
underneath. Sitting just above them was a single diamond pendant; simple yet
elegant. Standing next to her he saw himself, an arm possessively around her
waist, resting on her hip, and his eyes transfixed on her, a goofy grin on his
face. Yes, Janie Anderson was one of the most breathtakingly beautiful women he
had ever seen.

The caption underneath the photo said simply,
Your father
took this with his cell phone. Quite a clever man, isn’t he? Thought you’d like
a copy. A genuinely marvelous girl, one worthy of my handsome boy. Love, Mom.

A quick knock and the door opened, Angela delivering a
coffee. She placed the cup on his desk and paused.

“Morning Angela.”

“Good morning Mr. Lathem. Um, I was just curious how the
flowers were received yesterday, if I might be permitted to ask?” Angela
waited.

“Of course you may ask.” Matt smiled kindly but shook his
head. “Haven’t heard from her.”

“Oh! Well, I’m sure …” Angela didn’t know what to say.

“It’s all good, Angela. Thank you for the coffee.”

She quickly retreated from Matt’s office and his eyes
immediately returned to the innocent eyes looking back at him. Had the flowers
been enough?

*****

It was
finally
9am. Janie had been sitting on the
sofa watching the clock on her cell phone for the last 13 minutes, willing time
to go faster. She scrolled through the last few incoming calls; past Katy and
Adam, Mom, and Tyler and stopped on
New York, NY
. She pushed the ‘place
call’ button and waited. After she heard a click, the phone began ringing and
anxiety washed over her. What would she say when he answered?

A familiar woman’s voice brought Janie back in the moment
and she asked to speak to Mr. Lathem. The woman on the other end asked for her
name and Janie responded quickly.

“Oh, Ms. Anderson, one moment please and Mr. Lathem will be
right with you.”

There was recognition in the woman’s voice, and, maybe, relief?
Janie was momentarily wary, but was immediately distracted with the deep,
smooth voice speaking to her through the phone.

“Janie. What a pleasant surprise.”

“The flowers are lovely. Thank you. Forgive you for what?”

Matt chuckled, “Always refreshing, you are.”

“Matt, you don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’m sure it
was me,” she whispered.

“What was you?” The smile had left his face and he wasn’t
sure where she was headed.

“Whatever it was that you felt the need to apologize for
with a million flowers.”

“Janie, you haven’t done anything wrong. You have been
perfect. I’m the ass.”

“No!” Janie was horrified by his confession. “Absolutely
not! You have been the perfect gentleman!”

 Matt leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. “No,
it’s me. Janie, I’m the master of the game. The women I date are also masters.
But you’re not.”

“Masters? Of what? What game?” Janie was totally lost.

Matt sighed. ”It’s like a dance, Janie. Two people come
together, each knowing exactly what the other is after, each understanding the
rules. They play, dance if you will, and when the song ends, they both walk
away, each having gotten what they each wanted, no regrets, and just move on to
the next partner.” Saying it out loud made him feel like a bigger ass.

Janie was still confused. “So, we danced and now the song is
over?”

“NO! No Janie, I’m not talking about you! I’m talking about
me, about how I, um, date. The women I date know exactly what they are getting
up front, no pretexts, all out on the table. It’s just sex, Janie, it doesn’t
mean anything, no commitment, no relationship. They know what they’re getting
up front and still want to play.”

Janie cringed at his blunt words. “But we haven’t, didn’t…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence.

“I know. It’s different with you and I didn’t realize that
until I…” Matt stumbled, trying to find the right words. “Janie, I don’t want
you to be just another, another notch on my bedpost, so to speak. I would
prefer to have you as a friend rather than just one more conquest. I don’t have
many friends. I need more friends.” He hoped that didn’t sound like begging.