The Coffee Shop (27 page)

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he called after her and turned, staring at the kitchen before him. “Um…okay, Derrick, you are not a complete imbecile. You can do this.” Rummaging through the cupboards, he found everything he could possibly need. Heating the pans, he got the bacon going and then put the eggs into a second pan. “See, this isn’t so hard.” Letting the eggs cook for a bit, he then scraped the pan with a plastic spatula. Flipping the bacon, he listened as it sizzled. “I could actually get good at this.” Waiting until everything seemed cooked, he then scraped them from their pans out onto two plates. “Annie, it’s ready,” he called in the direction of the bedroom.

“Yes, I see that.”

“Oh, God! You startled me. How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because I was enjoying watching you cook. You really are quite good at it you know. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“Well, the few times I tried, it was such a disaster it was decided I’d best stop because I was wasting the food.”

“Who decided?”

“My mom, girlfriends, me.”

“Your mom told you to stop?”

“No. She would never say anything like that, but I could see the look on her face when I had to throw the food out. It wasn’t like we could afford to waste it, so…”

Annie nodded in understanding. “And just how many girlfriends are we talking about?”

“Ah, as soon as I said it, I wondered if I should have mentioned it.”

“You never answered my question.”

“Not as many as you would think. I have been kind of busy over the years, concentrating on creating my success. I never had time for a relationship. At least not a real one.” He hadn’t given her a number, but she seemed satisfied.

“We’d better eat before it gets cold. Considering all the work you went to, to make it.”

He held her chair, and she sat as he pushed it in for her. He was trying to make everything as normal as possible, doing everyday things, and it meant a lot to her.

“So? How is it?”

She took a bite, and slowly chewing, she smiled at him.

“Are you telling me you actually like it?”

“This is good. See, I told you, you couldn’t screw up scrambled eggs.” Taking a bite of the bacon, she smiled again. “It’s perfect. Just the way I like it, not too underdone and not too crisp”

“Well, now that was a fluke.”

“So, you are telling me you won’t be able to duplicate this?”

“Well…”

“Tell you what, from now on we’ll make the coffee and the meals together. How does that sound?” He was relieved, and she laughed at him

“Yes, I think that’s a great idea. I have a feeling that between the two of us, we just might be able to make this work.”

“Me too.” But then she shrugged. “Or we could pick up something already made, you know, those things you just warm up. Hey, or even take-out.”

“Are you suggesting that two grown adults aren’t capable of doing this one simple task?”

“Now I never said that.”

“Sounds like you are to me.”

“Well, this way we won’t be so stressed out about eating, something that should be enjoyable and relaxing.”

He thought on what she said. “You’ve got a point.”

She laughed and took another forkful of eggs. “These really are good though.”

“You’re just worried I won’t be able to do those again either.”

“I didn’t say that.”

He grinned, and they ate the rest of the meal in silence, each enjoying the moment together, and after putting the dishes in the sink, they walked along the beach, the way they did every morning, holding hands as Annie leaned against Derrick’s shoulder.

“I like it here. It’s so peaceful and quiet. I can actually hear myself think.”

“I thought you would.” He turned to face her, and taking her into his arms, he held her to him, looking down into those eyes that stared up at him without expectation. Kissing her, he then hugged her to him. “Have I told you I love you yet, today?”

“No.”

“I love you, Annie.”

Holding him close, she memorized the moment. “I love you too.”

Moving over to the dunes, they laid out a blanket and sat upon it watching the waves. Annie in Derrick’s arms as he held her while they sat.

The next few weeks seemed to pass quickly, much more quickly than Derrick had hoped. But the time they spent together was precious to him, and he wouldn’t have changed it for anything in the world. They walked on the beach and watched old movies in the DVD player, and Annie would always cry at the sad endings. But she never cried for herself. Oh at first, the idea of losing Derrick was painful, but knowing that he would continue after she was gone gave her a kind of peace, just knowing he was still here in the world, living and breathing and feeling the sun on his face. It made her happy to think about it as she would lean back into his arms.

“I am so glad we came here.” Resting her head back upon him, she stared out at the sunset as the waves washed up upon the beach. Their rhythmic rush was not unlike that of her heart as she closed her eyes, listening to its hushed rise and fall, coming to her on the wind. “I love you, Derrick Sloane.”

Bringing his lips close to her ear, he whispered. “I love you, Annie.”

She patted his arm tenderly. “Hey, it’s Mrs. Sloane to you.”

He grinned, and lacing his fingers with hers, he held her hand up, looking at the simple gold band upon her finger. “I’m glad we came here too.”

Drawing her feet up beneath her, she pulled her shawl up over her arms. Around them were the ubiquitous white flowers in the sand, their white faces gently bobbing in the breeze.

“I’m happy. Are you happy?”

“Yes. I’m very happy.”

She relaxed into his arms, her head resting against his. “I’m so happy,” she whispered.

He held her like that, as she lay so still within his arms, her face and arms becoming cool as the sun went below the horizon. And kissing her forehead a tear slipped from his eye. “Goodbye, my love.”

Derrick sat up in bed, and wiping the tears from his face, he slowly looked over to see the left side of the bed empty, the sheets undisturbed. The bedside table bare. Grabbing the remote, he turned on the television. He needed something to distract him, noise, talking, discussions, conversations about anything, and everything. It didn’t matter, as long as it was something, the sound of people so it wouldn’t feel like he was alone. He turned the volume up, and stumbling into the washroom, he switched on the light and looked in the mirror. He sighed, and turning on the taps, he leaned down, splashing cold water onto his face. He shook his head and grabbing a towel, he buried his face within its cotton fibers. Tossing it aside, he stared once more into the mirror.

“We bring you the news for Wednesday, January — ”

“January? January! That’s…that’s…five months before.” Rushing to the phone on the bedside table, he picked it up, his hand shaking so bad he had to grip the receiver with both hands not to drop it. “Angela?”

“Derrick? Derrick what’s wrong?”

“I need you to tell me something, if you could please, and this is going to sound like a really stupid question, but I don’t care anymore if I sound stupid, it doesn’t matter, none of it ever mattered, only Annie matters.”

“Derrick?”

“Is Annie working today?”

“No, she has the day off. Everything is all right isn’t it, Derrick? You two did make up last night, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Annie and I made up last night. Last night Annie and I went for a walk on the beach. Thank you, Angela.”

“Okay, Derrick. Talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

The receiver slipped from his hand to the floor as he fell onto the edge of the bed. “What the hell just happened? How did I get back five months into the past?” And then the realization came to him as if a whisper in his ear. “Oh my God! I had a dream inside a dream. I dreamed Annie died in a plane crash and then woke up. Only I wasn’t awake, I was still inside the dream. And then I stopped her from getting on the plane, only to see her die in my arms a few weeks later.” He took a breath. “All of that was a dream. All of it. The plane, the cancer.” A tightness made its way into his stomach. “What does this mean?” He sighed, a tear slipping from his eye. “This means Annie is going to die.”

She looked so normal, so healthy. But the cancer had already been growing for years, quietly killing her, even now it was already too late. Any treatment would only make the time she had left one of misery and suffering. There was only one answer, he had to make the time she had left as normal and happy as he possibly could.

So, he invited her over, where they made seafood fettuccini together. And then a walk on the beach, followed by a night at Incontro
,
where they were served seafood fettuccini just as before. And asking her to come away with him for the weekend, he took her to Ely, where they walked, and skied, just as before, Annie hurting her ankles and Derrick carrying her at last to his room.

It all happened just as in his dream, only he had already set into motion slight alterations that would lead to Annie becoming vice-president, just as he had seen. But she was happy, they were happy. And every moment that he could get with her was a moment he cherished. The months passing by as they lived each day, one after the other, together.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Derrick was already sitting on the couch waiting when Annie walked into the living room.

“You’re dressed.” She stopped and stared down at him.

“I am capable of dressing myself, I’ll have you know.”

“Yes, but at eight in the morning?” She thought on it for a second before continuing. “That’s a first.”

“Hey. I’ll have you know I have been ready like this at eight in the morning plenty of times.” He shrugged. “Just not…recently.”

“Define recently.”

“All right, it’s been years, but you make it sound as if I am completely incapable of such a thing.”

“Ah, I never said any such thing. I just found it — ”

“Careful.”

“Unusual. There, have I soothed your sensitive ego?” She ruffled his perfect hair, and he grabbed her, pulling her down on top of him as she squealed. Pulling the pins from her bun, he ran his fingers through her golden waves and kissed her.

She smiled up at him. “Now I’m going to have to take the time to put my hair up all over again.”

“Why?”

She pushed herself up off him. “Why am I going to have to take the time?”

“No, why do you have to wear it like that? You used to always wear it loose down around your shoulders. I loved it like that.”

“So did I. But it’s not very professional is it? Just how many people are going to take me seriously looking like that?”

“Is it really that bad?”

“’Fraid so. The way you dress, the way you talk, the way you look. It shouldn’t matter I know. But it does.” She sighed. “But you already know all this. We’ve had this conversation before, if I recall. Something about not letting anyone know you were from a small town.” She shook her head. “The day when results alone count…”

“Will be the day you’ll stroll through the front door in jeans and a sweater, your hair loose.”

His expression had taken on a far off look.

Annie shook her head and grinned. “You’re visualizing it right now, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. You in those tight jeans. You know, the ones with the holes in the…” He glanced up at her, and she crossed her arms

“The way you are looking at me you’d think I was cheating on you, or something.”

“Yeah, with me.”

He laughed. “Good one. So, just to be sure I have this straight, if I were to have a dream about you — ”

“Sharon, is my breakfast ready by any chance?”

“Yes, Miss Maddock.”

“Thank you. You’re a life saver. If I had to listen to one more second of that conversation?” She sat before her bacon and eggs, taking a healthy bite. “So, why are you dressed to kill at eight in the morning? Corporate merger? Multinational takedown?”

He rose, coming over to the table he sat across from her, eyeing her bacon.

“Hey, if you’re even thinking about touching my bacon.”

Derrick laughed. “You’d do Winston proud.”

“Winston?”

“Mr. Schwartz’s bulldog.”

“Excuse me, did you just compare me to an old dog?”

“In a good way. In a good way.”

“Explain to me how there is a good way to compare me to a dog?”

“You’re willing to do what it takes to survive. Besides, I seem to recall you saying something about teaching an old dog new tricks, me being the old dog.”

She was thoughtful. “I did?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Hmm.”

“What?”

“Well if I did, in your case it’s true.”

“Oh it is, is it? So it’s okay for you to call me an old dog, but not for me to call you an old dog?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, really.”

She grinned again as she picked up a strip of bacon with her fingers and took a generous bite, and looked down to her plate.

“What? What is it?”

“Oh.” She smiled to herself poking her eggs with her fork. “You just reminded me of a conversation we had a long time ago.” She saw him watching her. “I seem to recall the words, dog eat dog.”

“Hey, that’s not a bad thing. Knowing what it takes to survive, what it takes to succeed.”

“Yes, but at what cost?”

“You’ll never be like those people that do whatever it takes. You would draw the line.” He reached over caressing her face. “Annie, that will never be you. You’re not capable of that.”

“Well, it’s nice to hear you say it, even if it isn’t true anymore.”

“Okay, name one thing you’ve done where someone has been harmed because of it?”

She thought about what he said.

“There, you can’t can you?”

“Just give me a minute.”

Derrick laughed. “Annie, you can’t and you know it. Now don’t take what I said seriously, please.” She smiled, and he grinned back at her kissing her on the forehead.

“What was that for?”

“Being you.”

“Oh, I actually get rewarded for that do I?”

“Yeah, as a matter of fact, you do.” She relaxed at his words, feeling the tension of a few minutes ago falling away.

“So, you never said, just why are you dressed to kill at eight in the morning?”

“I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“To take you to work.”

She stopped chewing in mid bite, swallowing what was in her mouth. “I’m sorry?”

Derrick shrugged. “Told ya.”

“Wait. You mean to tell me you got all dressed up, at eight in the morning, just to drive me to work?”

“And why not? I’ve done far more for far less.” Closing his eyes, he shook his head. “Okay, that didn’t come out right.”

Annie laughed, and patted him on the head. “There, there dear.”

He grinned, and getting up, he poured himself a cup of coffee.

“Ah, yes, the essential morning coffee, or I can’t function.”

Taking a large drink, he smiled. “Ah, you know me so well.”

Taking her plate to the sink, she then turned to look at him. “Do I?”

“I’d say you do.”

She looked at him. “Hmm.”

He glanced at his watch. “You’d better go brush your teeth and put on your lipstick then, if you want to be on time.”

“Yes, dear.”

“Just the way you say that, you’d think we were an old married couple.”

She laughed, patting him on the face, and then went to repair her makeup.

“Ah, see, nothing a little spit and polish wouldn’t fix,” he said when she returned.

“What?” She looked down at her dress studying it closely.

“Just teasing.” Opening the door, he let her pass through before him, the elevator finally arriving on the ground floor, and as they stepped into the limousine, Mr. Schwartz waved good morning as Lawrence pulled away into the morning traffic.

“Uh, Lawrence, this isn’t the way.” But he just kept on driving. “Lawrence?”

He looked to the rear view mirror. “You’ll have to talk to Mr. Sloane about that, Miss Maddock.”

Annie sat back. “Derrick?”

“Just a little detour.”

“But we don’t have time, I have to be there by — ”

“Actually, we do.”

“What? But how — ”

“Now that you’ll just have to find out when we get there.”

She looked at him, wondering what was happening. “Just what are you up to?”

“What makes you think I am up to something?”

“Oh, I don’t know, perhaps it has something to do with the little diversion from my scheduled plans.”

“Oh, that. Yes, I guess I could see where you’d think that.”

The limousine turned into the park, and driving along the road that wound through it to its center, Lawrence pulled up by a clearing on the right. Annie looked out, this was the same place where he’d brought her for hamburgers and cola, and as she climbed from the limousine she stood staring and shrugged.

“Okay. What are we doing here?” She turned to him, only now he was kneeling before her, a gold wedding band held out before her as he smiled up at her.

“Annie Maddock, will you marry me?”

She swallowed, her mouth open, but no words came out.

“Okay, I don’t know if your sudden inability to speak is a good thing or a bad thing.”

“What…how…you…”

“You can do it. Just move your mouth and form your words.”

“Yes,” she finally said.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“Oh, thank God. For a second I thought — ”

“For God’s sake, stop talking and put the ring on her finger already, before she changes her mind!”

Annie heard Brian talking, but she was too focused on hugging Derrick to notice.

“Brian’s here?” She turned to see Brian and Angela, stepping from the woods, a man dressed like a minister following closely behind them.

“All right, you can set it up now.”

No sooner than Derrick had finished speaking, people appeared from every direction, carrying what looked like parts of a building and a tent. And she stared as a small gazebo was erected within in minutes before her. Streams of white silk draped down and around it, bouquets of white lilies appearing as if on cue.

“Um, actually, I’m going to need that,” Brian said looking at the ring.

Taking it from Annie, Angela handed it to Brian, who disappeared with a grin. “You come with me.”

Taking Annie by the arm, Angela gently pulled her along.

“Huh?” Annie managed to mutter, her eyes glued to the organized chaos before her.

Drawing her inside a tent, Angela pulled Annie’s suit jacket from her shoulders.

Angela unzipped the back of Annie’s dress, and Annie turned grabbing Angela’s hands. “Whoa, what’s happening?”

“Do I need to explain it to you?”

Annie just shook her head in disbelief, and Angela took Annie by the shoulders, turning her so that she would see the dress. The dress that Annie had shown to Angela whenever they would wander past the store.

“That’s…”

“Yep. It is. Now if you’ll just let me help you to get into it.”

“But?”

“But what?”

“But how did he know?”

“Well, he asked for my help.”

“Of course he did.” She scratched her head. “I guess that explains the lilies.”

Angela shrugged, and helping Annie slip on the simple, white, silk dress, she undid Annie’s hair, letting it fall loose down around her shoulders. Taking Annie by the shoulders, she smiled. “Are you ready?”

Annie nodded, and the flap to the tent was drawn back, a three-piece orchestra starting to play Canon in D as she stepped out onto the grass. Derrick was standing in the gazebo next to the minister, Brian at his side, as they all turned to look at her.

“Just take a breath and follow me, and you’ll be just fine.”

She heard Angela talking to her, but it was as if the words were coming from some far off place. And watching Angela step up onto the gazebo, Annie followed her, climbing the step until she was standing beside Derrick.

If anyone were to ask her what had happened next, she would be hard pressed to remember. The vows and words were like some dream, and looking at the ring now upon her finger, she gazed up into Derrick’s eyes as he smiled down on her. And then he kissed her, as all clapped, smiles and congratulations being offered.

“I hope you won’t kill me, but…”

Brian slapped Derrick upon the back. “Oh, not the best words to start off a marriage, buddy.”

Derrick flashed Brian a look, and Brian grinned backing away.

Annie frowned.

“I arranged for you to have the entire week off.”

“You what?”

“Trust in yourself, Annie, and know that you did an excellent job preparing and training those under you. They’ll be just fine without you for a few days.”

“But the business trip?”

“That’s not until this weekend. You already know it forward and backward. Hell, you could conduct that meeting in your sleep. We both know that.” Derrick lowered his eyes trying to look into her face. “Hey, you do trust me, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then trust me in this. I didn’t get to where I am not knowing a thing or two about people. And I know you, Annie Sloane.”

“Sloane? Oh!” She laughed sheepishly. “That’s me, isn’t it?” She shook her head. “God, that sounds strange.” She gazed up into his eyes and smiled.

“Strange?”

“Oh, but in a nice way.” She reached up, caressing his face. “A very nice way.”

“Glad to hear it. Considering you’re stuck with me.”

She laughed. “I guess being stuck with you isn’t all bad.”

“Well it better not be. Because I’m telling you, now that we’re married you are stuck with me for life. No gettin’ out of it now. It’s a done deal. Signed and sealed. All over but the shoutin’.” She kept grinning up at him. “What?”