The Corporate Escape (13 page)

“Come on,” he said finally. “This is Tuesday. Don't you have something to do with your church on Tuesday nights?”

“Oh, no,” said Lynn. “I'm going to be late to the Bible study at my house.”

*****

Lynn struggled about what to tell her friends at the Bible study. They knew of her heartbreak, and had been praying for her to have strength and understanding. How could she explain all of the things that had happened today? Pastor Wilson would notice as soon as she opened the door. She didn't know if she could talk about it yet. She knew so little. Something was very wrong, but she didn't know what. She had no idea what to do. Silently she prayed again for patience and understanding.

The road blurred, as the tears fell.

“Stop it!” she told herself aloud, “A wreck is just what you need to add to the joy of today.”

As she expected, Pastor Wilson was waiting for her when she arrived home. Lynn told him what she could, before the others arrived.

“He sounds like a Jeckle and Hyde to me,” her Pastor said calmly. “The man you fell in love with is not the angry man you saw today. I wonder what could have hurt him so badly, to react so cruelly?”

The comment only brought Lynn closer to tears. They prayed together for a moment before the doorbell rang and the others began arriving. Lynn was leading their study of Ephesians. The group was small, as there was a choir concert being held that many of the regulars were attending. She was thankful for the small group, as it was her closest friends. She felt she needed that loving support.

About a half an hour into their study, Lynn was laughing with her friends. She was amazed to hear the sound coming from her, for only moments before she had wondered if she would ever laugh again.

The doorbell rang, signifying a typical late arriver. Pastor Wilson opened the door, expecting one of the group from the concert. The laugher choked in Lynn's throat as she saw Paul standing in the doorway.

“Paul,” she said softly.

Pastor Wilson reacted with his usual grace and calm, “Paul. Welcome, I'm Pastor Wilson.” He took Paul's hand and lead him into the house, “We're right in the middle of Ephesians, I'm so glad you could join us.”

The others followed his lead, and all quickly rose to introduce themselves. Pastor Wilson lead Paul over to the chair opposite Lynn.

“I was just going to make some coffee,” he continued, “Would you care for some?”

“No,” Paul replied. “I came to speak with Lynn.”

Paul's eyes were filled with confusion. He looked around the room, and felt his anger rising.

“We can go into the study,” said Lynn with all the courage she could muster.

“That will be fine,” Paul replied cautiously.

“You all go on without me,” Lynn said to the group.

“But you are the leader,” one of the girls replied.

“I think Pastor Wilson has read the book before,” smiled Lynn patiently. “Perhaps he can handle it.”

“Of course. You kids go on,” Pastor Wilson smiled. “You have a lot to talk about.”

Lynn lead Paul into the study and shut the door. She prayed for a moment as she went to sit behind her desk. She tried desperately to draw from it's strength and familiarity. Paul continued to pace. He stopped pensively by the fireplace, and leaned on the mantel. Lynn continued to stare at his back. Quietly she pleaded for him to say something. Anything.

“Quite a charade you have going,” he said calmly, finally breaking the silence. “At least I'm glad to see I'm not the only one you have fooled.”

“Excuse me?” Lynn asked. “What do you mean?”

“That Bible study group in there,” he said with vehement. “Do they know about your affair with Bruce?”

“What affair with Bruce?”

“Oh, don't pretend with me Lynn,” he said exasperated. “I know all about why you came to Australia, and just ‘happened to meet me.’ I know that you are having an affair with Bruce and that he paid for your trip. You were sent to ensure I was tied up with you while that unfair contract you wrote got solidified.”

Lynn sat in a shocked silence.

“Don't play that innocent Christian act for me anymore,” he said sarcastically. “An adulterous affair, mixed with devious stealing, lying and cheating, quickly disproves your commitment.”

Lynn could not believe what she was hearing. An affair? With Bruce? Lying on the contract? Cheating? Where did he get those ideas? She was angry, yet, she felt suddenly relieved. His erroneous information explained so much. If he truly believed the lies, he would react with the disgust she had been feeling. But how could she convince him he was wrong?

“Don't you even have the decency to ask for forgiveness? Are you just going to sit there?” asked Paul.

Paul stared at Lynn sitting so quietly. She fingered the heart that hung from her neck. When her silence continued, he spat at her, “I can't believe you have the gall to wear the necklace I gave you. It was given out of love and trust. You don't deserve either.” Paul started to walk towards her. Intuitively Lynn held on to the pendant. Her anger reached it's peak.

“Get away from me,” she yelled. “How dare you! You come into my home, and throw accusations of that magnitude at me. I have never, and I repeat never, had an affair with a married man. I have never even dated someone I work with. And I have not, and will not, ever be involved with a married man I work with. Is that clear?”

Paul came to a dead halt as she began her speech. Now he continued to stare at her. Visibly questioning the validity of his statements in light of her adamant stance.

“Sandra showed me the information,” he replied suddenly defensive. “She received it from one of your former co-workers. The information explained in detail your affair with Mr. Carradine. It documented the affair as the reason for your sudden rise to the V.P. ranks and even included the expenses that he paid for. Including your trip to Australia.”

“Stop!” she snarled. “I can’t believe you could accuse me of a trashy story like that. I am a V.P. because I am an excellent employee. Not because I slept with someone.”

“But you are so young to be a Vice President,” he hissed.

“As are you to be a President!” Lynn replied calmly, sensing the violence in Paul's voice. “Yet, you are a President because you deserve it. And I am a V.P. because I slept with someone? Do you realize what you are saying?”

Paul was suddenly pale. What if he truly was wrong? But he couldn't be. He had the letter and other information in his pocket which Sandra had given it to him. He knew the other sources had been verified.

“I have the proof,” Paul countered.

“Oh ye of little faith,” Lynn continued sadly. “How could you believe something like that? About me? After all we have shared together. I am really disappointed in you Paul.

“Explain this then,” Paul said, as he threw the letter on the desk in front of her.

Slowly Lynn picked up the envelope. Paul sat in the chair across from her. Lynn read the letter carefully. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she read the lies filled with hate and revenge. It was so painful to know someone hated her that much. Quietly she prayed for strength, and asked God to forgive the woman who had written the letter. She prayed for Sandra, who had delivered it so maliciously. She prayed that they would find solitude, joy and an end to their hate. She folded the letter and carefully placed it back in the envelope.

“So?” Paul probed.

“Are you truly going to listen?” asked Lynn.

“I promise,” pleaded Paul.

“Did you ever question why it was a former co-worker?”

“I figured that since she knew of your affair with Bruce, you two fired her.”

Lynn felt the knife twist. He thought so badly of her, that he had even rationalized the reason for the dismissal.

“Well, you are half right,” said Lynn carefully. “I did fire her. She is currently in prison for embezzlement. She worked for Steve. We found that she had developed her own method of accounting.”

Paul waited for her to continue.

“Once we were even friends,” Lynn said sadly. “She is a very confused person. She may even truly believe the information she told to Sandra. And I am certain that Sandra found her, hoping for some information just like that.”

“What?” said Paul. “You think that Sandra dreamed all this up?”

“She thinks she is in love with you,” said Lynn softly, “People sometimes do very hurtful things, when they think their love is threatened.”

“She doesn't love me,” said Paul. “Now you are imagining things.”

Lynn took a deep breath and proceeded to tell Paul of her encounters with Sandra. She told him all the sordid details. When she had finished he was speechless.

It all started to make sense to him. Sandra was the one who told him of Lynn's early departure. Since then, he had learned from Katherine, that Lynn returned on the flight she had been originally scheduled on before she left America. He had also learned that the reservations for Lynn’s trip had been made by Susan, Lynn's secretary. Not by Bruce, as Sandra had implied.

Paul remembered his meeting with Steve in San Francisco last month when Steve had bragged to Paul of the surprise trip he had arranged for one of their best V.P.'s to visit New Zealand and Australia. He told Paul how the Company gave their V.P. a month off and sent them on a dream vacation.

Now Paul realized, that employee had been Lynn! Lynn sat in silence, as she watched the emotions change on Paul's face. It was as animated as the night they had spent in Canberra. That evening she had been able to read almost every thought on Paul's face as he experienced it. She still loved him deeply. Despite all the pain and longing and lack of trust. If only he had confronted her. If he had only listened two months ago.

“What about the phone call?” Paul asked suddenly.

“What phone call?”

“On Valentine’s Day,” said Paul. “Bruce called your room and told me that he missed you and couldn't live without you. He wanted you to hurry home.”

“So?” said Lynn.

“So!” reacted Paul. “The man told me to tell you to hurry home.”

“I had been gone a month,” said Lynn. “He missed me because no one else gives up their entire social life for their job.”

“But he said he couldn't live without you!”

“If it was Valentine’s Day, he probably felt he couldn't. Remember, you had been a nightmare about the contract because you were too busy with some chick on vacation.”

Paul sat for a long moment, taking it all in. He stared first at his hands, then into her eyes, then back into his hands. The knock at the door startled both of them.

“I hate to interrupt,” said Pastor Wilson. “But, I just wanted to let you know we're all on our way out.”

Lynn got up to hug him good bye, and he asked, “You O.K.?”

“I think so,” smiled Lynn weakly.

“I heard a bit of yelling in here.” He then teased Paul, “You're not the violent type are you?”

Paul looked up at him wearily, “In this case I could have been. I don't think I have been this angry in my life. Or for this long.”

“Two months is a long time to breed hostility,” said Pastor Wilson. “You give the devil just a little foothold and he'll level off the top of your mountain.”

“He sure will,” said Paul standing to shake his hand. “Thanks Pastor Wilson. It was nice meeting you.”

“Forgive yourself Paul. And you try too,” he said turning towards Lynn. “And for God's sake, don't dwell!”

In the distance a door shut, and Lynn and Paul were truly alone. Both were silent. Simply looking at one another in the awkwardness.

“He's right Lynn,” Paul said finally. “I gave Sandra just a little of my trust in you, and before long the dwelling had destroyed all the trust. All I have been thinking about for two months was how stupid I was to fall in love with you. Revenge sounded sweet. I wanted to find a way to expose you, to cancel the contract, to hurt you as much as you hurt me.”

Lynn was shocked to hear all he was saying, but remained silent. Her heart was being ripped in two. She could not face him as he shared his painful thoughts. She turned and looked out the window, waiting for him to finish.

“My pride was injured,” Paul continued. “I felt you had lied about your Christianity. I felt you lied about your convictions because you were doing a con job and wanted me to fall for you. I believed you were really sleeping with Bruce. My insecurity and male ego took over, in place of my faith and love.”

Lynn still did not know what to say. He had believed a lie about her. But he had also told her that he was in love with someone else. It seemed that had not changed.

“That is why I lied about Christine,” Paul continued, almost as if reading her thoughts. “I didn't use you to get to her, I used her to get to you. I have caused us so much pain. I have shattered your trust in me, and I've destroyed our closeness.”

Lynn turned to face Paul again and saw the remorse in his eyes.

“Can you ever forgive me?” Paul asked.

“I forgive you. And the Pastor is right, you need to forgive yourself Paul,” said Lynn quietly.

“You forgive me?” Paul said softly.

“I do,” Lynn replied. “Really. It won't be as easy to forget, but I do understand. You had the forces of hate, jealousy and fear working on you.”

Paul watched Lynn as she turned and once again stared out the window. God, how he loved her! The woman of strength, patience, kindness. The real Lynn. He believed in her. He trusted her. He knew he could never doubt her again.

“When are you leaving America?” Lynn asked continuing to stare out the window.

“I was scheduled to fly out this afternoon, but I couldn’t leave without confronting you. Now I’m not leaving until we've worked everything out between us,” said Paul. “I think perhaps it is time for me to take a vacation.”

Lynn turned to him and smiled encouragingly.

“Can we start over?” he asked timidly, coming up beside her.

“And who would I be starting over with? “Mr. Dillard?” she teased, “Or Mr. Thompson?”

“Mr. Dillard-Thompson to you!' he replied.

“Explain that one to me,” she chided, as he enveloped her in his arms.

“Tomorrow,” he said as he kissed her cautiously. “We can't take out all the mystery in one night!”

*****

The next day, Lynn felt like herself again. She had fallen into an exhausted sleep, after one last thought of the joy on Paul's face earlier in the evening. He loved her. She loved him. It had simply been a misunderstanding. Like a bad soap opera. Lynn hummed on her way up to her office. The elevator seemed friendly, instead of confining. What a glorious day God had provided. She passed Steve in the hall and flashed him a winning smile.