Reunion for the First Time (8 page)

He bent his arm and offered it to her.

****

By the time Jack arrived with his lady in red at the hotel that fronted the Boston Harbor, the open-air cocktail hour was winding down. He got them each drinks before the bar closed and steered her through the sea of round tables, heavy with china and crystal, to find seats next to Kay and Mick, who rose to greet them at table number one.

Jack shook Mick’s hand warmly. Next he grasped Kay’s hand and pressed it to his lips. “You are the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world.”

Kay blushed at his attention. “Mostly belly, that’s me.”

Jack surveyed the folds of sapphire silk that hung from straps of sparkling jewels. The gown draped her body beautifully and showed off her shapely arms. Her lovely face glowed in the candlelight.

“No, you are not mostly belly. You are one exquisite beauty.” He kissed her hand again, and then held the chair next to hers for Beth as Mick held Kay’s chair. “Mick, every man in this place is jealous of you tonight.” Jack sat down next to Beth.

“Charmer.” Kay squeezed Beth’s hand. “I’ve got to get up there in a few minutes, and I’m a nervous wreck.”

“Don’t worry,” Beth soothed her. “Jack’s right, you look beautiful.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” Kay smoothed a hand over her short blond hair. “And you look sensational, Liz.”

At eight sharp the orchestra stopped playing background music.

“There’s my cue.” Kay pushed out of her chair and walked to the front of the room. She turned on the regulator of a lavaliere microphone clipped to the strap of her gown.

“Welcome Class of 1997. I’m your reunion committee chair, Kay Lynch—back in ’97, Katherine Adams.”

Kay’s yearbook picture appeared on a huge wall screen behind her.

“As you can see,” she looked down pointedly at her pregnant shape, “things change in the ten years after graduation.”

She smiled. “We are an auspicious group. We are scientists and astronauts. We built buildings and bridges, and served our country in the military and the Peace Corps. We have become husbands and wives and fathers and mothers.”

Kay shuffled the cards in her hands. “Some of us lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. Some of us departed earth that day.”

Pictures of classmates who died in the Twin Towers rolled on the screen.

“Others died fighting battles in war or against disease.”

The collage of photos continued.

“We honor their memories.” Kay paused.

“In ’97 we dreamed our dreams. Today we celebrate those realized and those we still reach for. Ladies and gentlemen, I present our class, now a decade better.”

The lights dimmed and a video played on the wall screen. Kay sat down next to Beth and held her hand. The video ran highlights of their graduation ceremony and the achievements of their classmates.

Then, one by one, Elizabeth Moran’s published photographs displayed on screen. A voiceover explained the disturbing images of the world’s children orphaned by war, famine, disease, natural disasters and neglect. Her yearbook picture flashed up next and the narrator listed her credentials as a Peace Corps veteran, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, NewsWorld Magazine associate and member of the International Press.

On to the next classmate in alphabetical order, Prescott soon followed with a blurb on Wallace’s successes as an architect.

“Beth, yours is bigger than fathead, Wally’s,” Jack whispered behind his hand.

Beth gulped water as the video ended to thundering applause, the apparent signal for the wait staff to serve the salad course.

“Are you mad at me, Liz?” Kay’s brow pinched together.

“Of course not.” Beth patted Kay’s hand. “Maybe a little embarrassed. But I am proud of those photos because they changed things for those children. So on second thought, thanks Kay. Somebody here might open their wallet because you did this.”

“I, for one, am mighty impressed.” Jack picked up the wine glass a waiter had just filled. “Here’s to the only Pulitzer Prize winner I’ve ever known.”

Beth swatted Jack’s arm as if such an awesome accomplishment were no big deal. “Eat your dinner.”

Jack dug into his meal, his mind racing, more than impressed with his dinner date.

****

Kay seemed relaxed and busied herself striking up dinner conversations among the other people at the table, while she nibbled on her own meal.

Lizzie enjoyed the food, and noticed Kay’s barely touched plate. She touched her arm. “Shouldn’t you be eating?”

“Water gives me heartburn these days,” Kay assured her. “Don’t worry. I’m taking my vitamins. I demo’d that box of chocolates for lunch.” She leaned closer to Lizzie and whispered in her ear. “Wallace at three o’clock.”

Lizzie tried to avoid any telltale head movement and glanced to the right. His hair slicked back with glossy gel, resplendent in an Armani tux, Wallace pushed back from his table.

“It looks like he’s coming over here.” Lizzie swallowed against the clench of nerves.

“Places everybody,” Jack muttered as he reached for Lizzie’s hand and pressed it to his lips.

Undaunted, Wallace soldiered on and approached their table. He held a checkbook in his hand.

“Good evening, Kay. I enjoyed your presentation. Good job.” Wallace gave a smile to the table at large, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Lizzie knew this unreadable look. It had always prompted guilt in her, a vague sense she had done something wrong and spurred her to apologize. For what? She had never been sure. Jack still held Lizzie’s hand, a now familiar stronghold against the barrage of self-deprecating emotions Wallace invoked.

“Elizabeth, you look intoxicating tonight.” Wallace ignored Jack. “I was touched by your photos.” He waved his checkbook in Lizzie’s direction. “I thought perhaps I might make a modest donation to your cause. Would ten thousand dollars make a small difference?”

“Oh.” Flustered, Lizzie pried her hand loose from Jack’s, linked both her hands together and forced them to be still in her lap. “That’s very generous of you, Wallace. I’m overwhelmed.”

Wallace angled between Lizzie and Kay and leaned his checkbook on the table. He filled out the check and signed it with an audible flourish. Handing the check to Lizzie, a self-satisfied smile brightened his face. “I left the payee blank for your discernment of the worthiest cause.”

“Big word discernment, Wally. Good job,” Jack quipped.

Unsteady, Lizzie looked up at Wallace.

Did he know how much this meant to her? Finally he cared about something that was deeply important to her?

Her heart leaped, hopeful. “This is wonderful. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Of course.” He slipped the checkbook into his jacket’s inner pocket.

Wallace stared at her, a soft, pleading expression in his brown eyes.
What does he want from me?

“Well, then.” His tone was as soft as his unspoken plea.

He shuffled his weight back and forth on his feet. “I’ll get back to my table. Perhaps you’ll save a dance for me?”

“Of course, I will.” Touched, Lizzie couldn’t believe his behavior. In her past fantasies, he would be generous, giving and he would want her again. Maybe she was dreaming now.

“Better get back to your date, Wally.” Jack dismissed him in a monotone.

“I came stag.” Wallace bared his teeth in a frozen smile at Jack, excused himself and walked away.

He’s alone? Maybe he’s not serious about that woman?

The lights on the crystal chandeliers dimmed low, and the banquet hall glowed with flickers of candlelight reflected in a mirrored wall to Lizzie’s left intensifying the dream-like nature of the evening so far.

Through the wall of French doors on her right, strings of white lights dotted trees and foliage. The orchestra played something sweet, melodic and heavy on the strings.

“First dance with me, Beth?” Jack pushed his chair back and held out his hand.

She placed her hand in his. Lizzie loved fairy lights and dreamy music. Jack’s warm hand covered hers so completely. He pulled her to her feet. She moved, light and graceful, to the dance floor and he took her in his arms.

Resting her head against Jack’s chest, the solidity of him, she closed her eyes and let him take her wherever he chose. Grateful for her bodyguard, who fortified her with his strength, she was safe.

When he whispered, “Is tonight going the way you wanted?” His warm breath on her hair sent shivers coursing down her body.

“Yes, so far it’s perfect.” She looked up at him and savored the special intimacy of the slow dance. His deep blue eyes smoldered with an emotion she couldn’t read.

“Wally seems to be coming around,” his voice gruff.

“He does seem to be interested in me.”

She rested her head against Jack’s chest again.

“Want him to make his move?” Jack shifted his hand higher on her back as he turned her in the dance.

“I suppose.” Curious about Jack’s intentions, she raised her head. His eyes blazed with a fierce and seductive power.

His hand never left her back and pushed her closer to him. Heat pulsed from him, spiking her heartbeat. He bent his head and with one fluid motion tightened his hold even more. His soft lips pressed against hers.

Embarrassed from the public display in the middle of a crowded dance floor, she wanted to pull away. His lips teased, the kiss deepened and the impulse to disengage evaporated. Lizzie didn’t care that people swirled near and she didn’t hold back. She couldn’t. Her lips answered his.

Jack slowly ended the tantalizing connection. He continued dancing; still holding her, but he kept his distance from her body now and looked away from her over her head.

She reeled and throbbed with the reaction he had stirred in her. “Jack…”

“Ssshhhh. Here he comes.”

“What?” Her mind didn’t seem to be working. “Here who comes?”

“Wally will be cutting in, in three, two…” His voice a low whisper, his breath sent more tingles from her ear down her spine.

Wallace tapped on Jack’s shoulder, and he let her go. Jack, straight-faced, stepped away and allowed Wallace to take his place. Lizzie awkwardly linked her hand in Wallace’s, so smooth and unlike Jack’s, and continued to dance. She didn’t feel safe at all anymore.

****

Jack walked off the dance floor back toward the banquet table where Kay sat alone. Her shoes off, she had propped her outstretched legs on a chair.

He sat next to her, took a swig of warm beer from a bottle on the table, leaned back in his seat and watched the dancers.

“Nice kiss out there, Jack.” Kay’s eyes scanned the dance floor. She sipped some water. “Didn’t seem like the lady minded being kissed by a stand-in.”

“It worked, didn’t it?” Jack shifted, restless in his seat and took another gulp of beer. “Prescott couldn’t get over there fast enough.”

“True.” Kay paused. “Mind taking a little walk with me? I could use some air.”

She shifted her legs to the floor with a little grunt. “I’m not even going to try to put these shoes back on. I hope the stones on the patio aren’t too cold.”

Jack stood, hand outstretched toward Kay. She clasped it, and he boosted her upright then offered her his arm. She rested her hand in the crook of his elbow as they walked through open French doors to the patio. Outside, she leaned on the guardrail and he sidled next to her, the metal cool underneath his elbows.

Water lapped twenty feet below. She shivered next to him in the bracing breeze off Boston Harbor. He removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

“Thanks, Jack.”

He gazed at the harbor lights. The planes landed and took off at Logan airport. The airport water-taxis docked and pushed off the hotel pier. The night hummed, and he tasted sea salt on his lips.

“I introduced Lizzie and Wallace,” Kay broke the silence. “I still feel guilty about it.

“I knew him in prep school. Our families hung in the same social circles. You know, Mayflower descendants and all that? Anyway, Wallace was a bit of a heartthrob our freshman year: rich, smart, and good-looking. Lizzie was so thrilled to meet him. She’s always been a knockout, so Wallace made out in the deal, too.”

“I’d say Wally was the only one who made out on the deal,” Jack opined heavy with sarcasm.

Kay’s hearty laughter was contagious. “You don’t like him at all, do you, Jack?”

He shook his head.

“You’re gonna like him even less in a minute.” Kay heaved a breath and continued, “Liz fell fast and hard. She never looked at another boy the entire four years they were together. Wish I could say the same for Wallace. But she was oblivious to his tomcatting. Didn’t even believe me when I told her. Caused quite a rift between us for a while, actually. During our senior year Lizzie told me that she and Wallace were making wedding plans. She was so excited. The eve of our graduation Liz lost her virginity to him.”

Taken aback, Jack turned his head toward Kay and touched her arm. “Kay?”

“I know, I know. I shouldn’t be talking about Lizzie’s personal life this way, but bear with me okay?” Kay took another deep breath. “She woke up the next morning, and she was alone. She was confused, but so happy about what they’d shared. Figured she’d see him at the graduation ceremony. She didn’t…because he was on a plane to Europe.”

Jack stood back from the railing and turned to face her. “He just left her flat?”

Kay looked into Jack’s eyes. “Yes. I did some sleuthing and we didn’t know that until a couple of weeks later, but yes. Last night was the first time she’s seen him or spoken to him since graduation eve.”

“Excuse me, Kay.” Jack turned back toward the banquet hall. “I need to cut back in on Wallace Prescott the Third.”

“Wait, Jack, there’s more.” She tugged him by the hand. “Lizzie has the chronic habit of forgetting her cell phone. Have you noticed that?”

“No,” he responded with a headshake.

“Well, she forgot it again this weekend. I don’t need a license in psychology to figure out why. The same morning that Wallace left her, she received a call on her cell phone. It was the police from the scene of a car crash. Her parents were both dead at that scene. They were on their way to their only child’s graduation ceremony.”