Off the Beaten Path (11 page)

“Took you long enough to get here.”

Sam Barked in agreement. Kristin started walked slowly down the staircase with Sam right beside her. Although Jack knew that everyone in the building was watching the two of them he never took his eyes off of her as she came down the stairs and crossed the lobby. As Kristin closed the gap between them Jack reached over and placed his hat on the reception counter he could tell that he would need both hands for what was coming. Kristin landed against him with almost as much force as Sam had ran into her; however Jack remained on his feet. What followed was a kiss that resembled two people alone on a hillside in Montana with no one within a hundred miles. When they finally leaned away from each other Kristin said without taking her eyes off of Jack,

“Everyone, I would like you all to meet Jack Evans.” Jack kept his eyes locked on hers and said to no one in particular, and everyone.

“Nice to meet you.”

After a second shorter but just as passionate a kiss they were interrupted by a voice from the second floor.

“For crying out loud, get a room.”

The voice belonged to Becca; she was coming down the stairs to meet the man that had captivated her best friend.

“So this is the cure for depression, sadness, and misery?” Becca teased.

“Whatever ails you,” Kristin added.

Becca stuck out her hand but Jack let go of Kristin just long enough to grab hold of Becca and give her an embrace like two old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. Becca was mildly surprised and momentarily taken off of her game, for the first time in her life. When she regained her composure Becca growled in a low voice, “Do you have any brothers?” Becca asked.

“Sorry Becca, just two sisters.” Jack answered.

“Damn, Just my luck.” Becca said.

Kristin spent the next half hour introducing Jack and Sam to everyone in the building. She was not sure who was a bigger hit with her staff and clients, Jack or Sam. When they made their way back to Becca’s office Kristin excused herself and asked Becca to give Jack the grand tour, she had a couple phone calls to make. Becca grabbed on to Jack’s arm and said,

“Gladly K, I might even return him in one piece.”

Kristin looked at Jack sympathetically as she gave him a peck on the cheek,

“Prepare for the third degree, Becca style.”

Kristin headed for her office with Sam right behind her. Becca grabbed Jack by the arm and led him away in the direction of the Gym. She showed him around the first floor and they did not stop at Kristin’s office on the way to the second floor, they just waved to Kristin as they walked by and Becca pulled Jack a little closer like she wasn’t going to let him go. Kristin stuck her tongue out at them and went back to work. After Becca finished the tour of the second floor she escorted Jack over to one of the massive windows where they stood looking out at the skyline. After a few minutes of silence Jack sat down on the edge of a leather couch, looked up at Becca and asked,

“What’s on your mind Becca?”

Becca did not hesitate for a second and she did not have any trouble finding the right words.

“I don’t know how much Kristin has told you, but she been through a lot in the last few months.”

“She has said very little, but anyone with half a brain could tell that she has been deeply hurt.”

“That Mr. Evans is a gross understatement.”

“And you don’t want to see her get hurt again?” Jack interjected.

“I am grateful that you understand that.”

“Becca, I understood that from the first moment I saw her sitting on the hood of her car on that dirt road.” Then he added,

“Becca, there is nothing I can say that will convince you that I am good for Kristin; you will have to decide that for yourself.”

Becca stuck out her hand and said, “Jack, I think I like you.”

He shook her hand just as they heard Kristin call out,

“Hey, what’s going on up here, are you trying to steal him away?”

“Naw,” Becca said. “He’s too smart for me, you know me I like the dumb ones.” As Becca started walking toward Kristin she gave Jack just enough of a shove so that he fell backwards onto the couch and rolled onto the floor. The shove was not that hard it had just surprised Jack. Jack stood up from his trouncing by Becca and said,

“Sam, are you going to let her get away with that?” Sam barked but did not move from Kristin’s side.

Becca said, “Jack, you are in estrogen central honey, girls rule here.”

There was plenty of daylight left as they walked out into the afternoon sun. Kristin opened her car door for Sam and suggested to Jack that he leave the truck parked at the agency, she added,

“We have a security service that watches the property, besides, traffic and parking uptown is a bitch.”

Jack grabbed their gear out of the truck and threw it in Kristin’s trunk. Sam jumped in the back seat of Kristin’s car as Jack slid into the passenger side.

Red was already doing 75 mph as they pulled up onto the highway and headed for downtown Seattle. Traffic was very light going north into Seattle this time of day. Kristin explained to Jack that one of the reasons that she had chosen that location besides its amazing lines and character of the old brewery was that most of the time when she was going to work or coming from work the rest of the heard was either going into or leaving Seattle was on the other side of the highway going in the opposite direction and usually all bunched up in a traffic jam.

As they pulled into the underground parking garage Jack looked up at the thirty stories above him and asked,

“This place looks awful fancy, Is Sam going to be a problem?”

“No, the owner is a close friend of mine.” She said casually.

Her reserved parking space was right next to the escalator that took them up to the lobby floor. Jack had to carry Sam up the escalator, she had her reservations about stairs that appeared out of nowhere. When they reached the top of the escalator Jack put Sam down and the three of them walked across the lobby toward the elevators. Kristin heard a voice from across the lobby call out,

“They pulled another one out, Miss K,” the voice belonged to Jimmy the Doorman.

Kristin hollered back,

“Vargas better work on that fast ball, one of these days they are going to run out of luck.”

Jimmy just laughed as he headed toward them with his hand extended to Jack.

Kristin said, “Jimmy, I would like for you to meet a couple friends of mine, Jack Evans and Samantha.”

“Pleased to meet you Mr. Evans, if there is anything you need you just let me know.

Jack said, “Glad to meet you Jimmy, thank you.”

Jimmy gave Sam a good scratch behind her ear and said,

“That goes double for you Miss Samantha.”

Kristin walked over to the front desk and picked up her messages from Marcy. She introduced Jack and Sam to her as well. As they got to the elevators Kristin placed her thumb on a reader pad and the private elevator door opened. When they stepped inside the private elevator Jack noticed that there was only one button for one stop, the penthouse. Kristin punched a code into the key pad and pressed the top button on the console, “P” for Penthouse. The elevator shot up the thirty floors faster than it took his stomach to catch up to where it had been in his throat. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened Jack found himself starring at a one hell of an apartment.

Jack looked at Kristin with his Sherlock Holmes expression and asked,

“I suspect that you are a little more than good friends with the owner.”

She laughed innocently, “We are very close.”

They were barely off the Elevator when Kristin kicked off her shoes and pinned him against the wall before he had a chance to set down his old suitcase.

“I’m going to have a tough time pulling the wool over your eyes aren’t I?” She asked innocently.

They sat in bed facing each other as the sun sank into the western horizon. Sam was lying between them and Kristin was stroking the length of her back. It had been a couple of hours since they had stepped off the elevator and Jack’s bags were still sitting by the elevator door. Their cloths were strewn in piles between the elevator and the bedroom.

“Are you hungry?” Were the first words she spoke to Jack since they had entered the bedroom?

“Starving, what did you have in mind?” he asked.

“There is a great little restaurant just down the street.” Kristin said.

“You’re not going to try and feed me Sushi are you?” Jack asked.

“Nope, they have the best steaks in town.” She assured him.

They spent the next thirty minutes in the shower making absolutely sure that they didn't miss a single spot. Sam laid just outside the bathroom with her nose pressed to the slight crack at the bottom of the door wondering what all the warm smoke was coming out from under the door.

When they walked out of her apartment Sam curled up in the big puffy chair and closed her eyes, it had been a long day for Sam.

Jack and Kristin stepped out of her building to the smell of salt air and the sound of sea gulls squawking down by the pier. There was still a trace of sunlight creeping around the buildings and the streetlights were just starting to come on. Jack’s attention was caught by a two foot by two foot gleaming bronze sign inlaid into the stone facade right
next to the front doors. The plaque read, “The Arnts Building.” Jack asked, “Who is this building named for?”

Kristin answered casually as if she was responding to a question about the weather, or if she wanted another glass of wine, “My Father, Bill Arnts.” Jack could tell that she didn’t want to make a big deal about it, she would tell him about it when she was good and ready.

Most of the people that worked in the downtown area were gone and the Friday night crowd was starting to appear in the bars and restaurants. Jack and Kristin were not as dressed up as most of the Friday night bar hoppers and the “Dress to Impress” crowd. Kristin was wearing a pair of new jeans and an expensive top, Jack also had on a pair of blue jeans and a nicely pressed shirt that he had ironed himself while he waited for Kristin to dry her hair and put it up in a French braid.

As they crossed the street toward the restaurant that Kristin had bragged about Jack noticed a line of people waiting outside the restaurant, most of them were dressed to the nines.

“Looks like there might be a bit of a wait,” Jack observed.

“Let’s go in and see how long the wait will be,” Kristin suggested with a devious look in her eye. They walked past the crowd of people and Jack held the door for her. They were barely inside the restaurant when Jack heard someone call out her name. The Maitre’d rushed from around the podium and past a dozen other people waiting in line to greet her. He graciously took her hand and said with just the right amount of sincerity,

“Miss Kristin, it has been too long, it is good to see you again we have your table ready.” The waiter turned his attention to Jack at the exact moment Kristin turned to introduce him.

“Edward, I would like for you to meet Mr. Jack Evans.”

“Pleased to meet you Mr. Evans, and Thank you for bringing our favorite customer back to see us, I am eternally in your debt.”

“You’re welcome Edward, my pleasure.”

Edward swept his arm in a gesture of parting the crowd and escorting them to their table. The people that were patiently waiting to be seated watched the couple that had clearly been given V.I.P. Treatment. They craned their necks to get a better look and whispered who they thought the celebrities might be.

Edward led them across the main dining room and up a staircase to the second floor to a table that had an uncluttered view of Puget Sound. When they reached the table Edward pulled out Kristin’s chair for her to be seated and their waiter was already standing by with a bottle of wine and two chilled glasses. Jack noticed that he was the only man in the restaurant not wearing a suit coat and that Edward had not bothered to mentioned it or provide one. Jack understood the courtesy that was being extended to the friend of a very special patron. The waiter respectfully suggested two New York strips medium rare. Jack thanked him and nodded at Kristin, “So they know you pretty well.” she gave him a little kick under the table and blushed a little.

The waiter excused himself and walked away as a large gentleman in a tailored tuxedo appeared from nowhere with his hands extended. The man had a huge smile on his face as he swept Kristin out of her chair and greeted her,

“Miss Kristin, it is wonderful to see you again.” As he released her from his embrace he immediately turned his attention to Jack and extended his hand,

“A pleasure to meet you Mr. Evans.”

Kristin said, “Jack, this is Andre’ the owner of this overpriced bistro. Andre laughed and put his finger to his lips, “Shhh, don’t tell anyone.”

Jack asked, “Does she come here just to insult your Restaurant?”

Andre’ turned to Jack and placed his hand upon Jack’s shoulder,

“Mr. Evans, I will gladly take Miss Kristin’s insults over the best restaurant critics’ praise any day.”

He thanked them again profusely for coming and hurried off to make his rounds.

“I always wondered what it was like to be a celebrity,” Jack teased her.

She kicked him again a little harder this time under the table.

The steaks were done to perfection and the service could not have been better. When they finished the meal and the bottle of wine Jack nodded at the waiter to bring the check. The waiter leaned down and said in the perfect tone of respect and gratitude,

“Mr. Andre’ would be honored if you would be his guests this evening.”

Jack understood the translation, it meant on the house. Jack asked the waiter to thank Mr. Andre’, and he did not think that Kristin noticed as he slipped a fifty dollar bill into the waiters hand as he thanked him for the excellent service and wonderful meal. She noticed.