Page 108 of Ten Years and Then…
“Am I wrong?”
“No, you’re not wrong, Bee. And one other thing …”
Again, she was ahead of him. “Of course you can stay with me. Lucky for you, I just got a bed for the spare room last week. And you said Friday? That’s perfect, I’ve got a friend I’ve been meaning to invite over for dinner. She’s really sweet. You’ll love her.”
He should have expected that. “If this happens and I move to Charlotte, are you going to try and set me up with one of your single friends every week?” Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. He hadn’t had a first date in months; or a second date in two years. And any friend of Bee’s already had a lot going for them just by virtue of her vouching for them.
“Looking forward to it, Bee. I love you.”
Maybe all this really was fate.
Chapter 34
Before the cruise—Boston, MA/Charlotte, NC/Baltimore, MD
Nora, November 5
She and Greg were sitting at her kitchen table, enjoying breakfast before they got on the road. “You never said last night, how was your first day back at the Physics Review?” He was stirring cream into his coffee almost absentmindedly as he talked.
Nora had been too focused on packing to think about work. “I wouldn’t know. I spent the last two days catching Jennifer up on everything. I won’t actually be back at my old job until after we get back from the cruise.”
It was going to be an adjustment; she had enjoyed her time as an interim editor, and she’d been—all modesty aside—damn good at it. It was hard to explain, even to herself. It wasn’t that she liked being in charge; more that she enjoyed being the one people came to knowing she’d have answers—and actually having them. It was almost—as silly as it sounded—kind of intoxicating.
“Good,” Greg said. “I mean, I’m going to be a source again for you. I’d hate it if journalistic ethics made you break up with me before our vacation.” He laughed, but it was something she’d have to address. She’d need to talk to the Ethics Board, and probably also Human Resources. Nora knew there were ways to work around the rules, but she assumed there would be a lot of paperwork involved. And probably a stern lecture from Mr. Brooks, too.
But it would be worth it. She’d been with Greg Sanders for nine months; the longest relationship she’d ever had. And this was their first proper trip together; they’d gone on brief weekend trips—one night, occasionally two, but that was it.
This was nine nights and ten days onboard the Empress of the Seas. That was a serious trip. A serious commitment. And if it went well, it might be just the first commitment of many.
She might even say the words to him that she hadn’t said to anyone since Daniel. And mean them.
Daniel, the same time
“Are you excited yet, Daniel?”
Leanne Butler was. She’d been unable to talk about anything except the cruise for the last two weeks. He’d thought he was obsessive about getting ready early for a trip, but he had nothing on her. He’d gone over to her place for dinner three nights ago, and she led him straight to the bedroom to show off her packed luggage with the same proud flourish David Copperfield used when he made a national landmark vanish on live TV.
“I’ll be excited once we get to Baltimore.” He was looking forward to the cruise, even if he wasn’t quite as excited as his girlfriend. Honestly, he’d be glad to go on any kind of trip with her. Between their work schedules, her family commitments and the two cats she refused to spend more than one night away from at a time, they had yet to go anywhere together for more than one night.
The reason Leanne was willing to leave the cats now was the same reason she and Daniel had met in the first place: Bianca. His cousin had met Leanne in a pottery class in January and they became fast friends—Bianca had a knack for that. Three weeks later, Bianca introduced him to Leanne, and two weeks after that they’d had their first date.
Two months ago, Bianca and Leanne got to talking, and Leanne lamented that there was a great deal on a cruise, and she really wanted to go, but she couldn’t leave Reeses and Hershey alone for ten days. Bianca volunteered to stay at Leanne’s apartment for the duration of the cruise, and that was that.
“Then let’s get going! Everything is in the trunk, I double-checked already. If we start now, we should make it to Baltimore before dinnertime.”
Five minutes later, they were off. Leanne offered to drive, but seven hours on the highway was very taxing, and he wasn’t about to let her start off the trip by tiring herself out. Instead, she navigated, and in between calling out directions, she read aloud from the brochure about all the attractions aboard the Empress of the Seas.
It hadn’t occurred to Daniel at the time, and he only thought of it two hours into the drive north to Baltimore: the day that Bianca agreed to watch Leanne’s cats, the same day she’d booked the cruise, was September 6th.
Nora Langley’s birthday.
Why did that thought hit him now? He needed to be fully present for Leanne. She deserved that—and so much more—from him.
Nora, around dinnertime
She hadn’t really wanted to stay by the airport. Something about it just felt weird to Nora. But Greg had done some research and declared the BWI Airport Marriott the best combination of price, ease of access to the cruise terminal, and amenities.
Who was she to argue, after he’d spent two hours putting together a chart with bullet points?
