“Is he a stalker?”
“No. Said he was here on business and saw me sitting alone on the bar stool then panicked when I heading for the elevator. He finished his meeting zip-speed then asked the clerk to ring my room. He’s under my spell, pure and simple. Claims he never saw such a mass of strawberry blond hair and blue eyes the color of turbulent sea water.”
“Sounds like you fell for overused lines,” Megan said.
“He was a perfect gentleman. Turns out he works at the castle as a consultant or something. This is as close as I’m going to get to royalty and I’m grabbing it.”
“Still think you should find the baker. You might have more in common,” Megan said as she nibbled on her sweet cake while still mowing down on her sandwich.
“Phooey! Well, we have a date tonight so you can find a lonely guy or eat alone for supper.” She looked at the smirk on Megan’s face. “What? We’re not glued at the hips, are we?”
“Certainly not,” said Megan. “I also have a dinner date.”
“You do!” Suzanne cried loudly, gaining the attention of diners close by. She ignored the onlookers and reached to cover Megan’s hand. “I am super excited. Tell me all the juicy details.”
“Nothing to tell. I met him at the ruin and he captured my interest, so I accepted his invitation to picnic tonight.”
“A picnic, under the stars? How romantic,” Suzanne swooned.
“At six o’clock I doubt we will find stars overhead.”
“Well, as my friend always warns me; be careful. I’ll have my cell phone close by if you need a quick escape from the date.”
“Vise-versa. Call me if Mr. Consultant turns out to be a dog and I’ll come running,” said Megan.
The girls laughed and finished their lunch. The day ended with not enough arms to drag the purchases back to the hotel. Some stores agreed to deliver to the hotel, and in other cases, Meg opted to send the bigger breakable items directly to New York.
And this was their routine for the next five days. Sightseeing in the day and dates in the evening. The village offered products that touched influences world-wide, but it was the Christmas and Island-themed shops that sparked Megan’s interest. The detailed works of stone, the seasonal stores, and items flavored from this retreat paradise. It all screamed buy-me. The hikes, museums, live theatre in the parks, a day at the beach, and a new spot to dine for every meal, all fought to place first on her trips-favorite-list.
But Ryan topped the list without even trying. A man of many faces; sometimes hidden but always polite and charming. The same drawing she’d felt that first glance through the binoculars continued to grow. All had progressed perfectly – the two of them tucked away in their secret refuge – and perhaps that should have alerted Megan. Today the air in Edstrom village was filled with undeniable apprehension, and even chalking the mood off to a frenzied crowd preparing for the inauguration of the new King, did nothing to settle her nerves.
Tonight, Megan and Ryan would enjoy another picnic at the ruins, similar to previous dates. Megan chose yellow capris to avoid the embarrassment of sitting on the ground in a dress. A flowery blouse of summer colors set the outfit off perfectly. After French-braiding her long locks she added sprigs of tiny white blossoms that she found in the flower bouquet the hotel apparently provided fresh each day. Minimal makeup suited the comfortable level she liked to portray, and a quick spray of a mild fragrant perfume finished her preparation. Slipping on matching sandals, with a low heel easy for strolling in the ruins, she grabbed her designer bag and walked out the door. She stopped by the hotel diner and they boxed two portions of today’s most popular dessert choice – a raspberry torte smothered in whipped cream and drizzled in sugary red stripes of sinful pleasure.
Megan began the trek, scolding herself when realizing the futility of keeping her pace down to a respectable walk. Her mind swam with thoughts of the upcoming date and it pushed her forward at a betraying rate of speed. From a distance, she waved and her heart did a flip-flop when he responded with a boisterous motion of his arms. Excitement was written all over his face and she was pleased to see the attraction was not one-sided.
Megan made her way inside the walls and watched from the opening as he stretched a fluffy blanket on the ground in old soldier barracks. Food stretched along one of the cement bunks.
“It all looks so delicious,” Megan said. “I’m curious if you are a chef on the side, or if you order these remarkable picnic meals pre-made every day?”
“I must admit, I order take-out. I want to make a good impression, and poisoning you in the first week would not be wise.”
Megan laughed. “Cooking is not my forte either. I work full time and find myself resorting to frozen dinners from the grocery store or delivery at the condo.”
He motioned to the blanket. “Shall we indulge? I wish to hear all about your work. You’ve been ignoring the subject thus far and I’m insanely curious. Let me guess; you are a lawyer.”
“Not even close. I gave my word to Suzanne that we would never mention work, but I suppose I can indulge you since she is off on another date with Mr. Consultant.” She laughed at his quizzical look. “Never mind. We don’t compare dates or guys.”
“Glad to hear that. So, if not a lawyer, perhaps a clothes designer?”
She roared. “Are you kidding? I need to ask the sales person to put outfits together before I purchase it.”
“Well
