|
Everything Your Heart Desires Chapter 19 Cheryl opened her new office with the key the receptionist had given her upon welcoming her to the company. This would be the first time she’d ever had her own office having shared or suffered through working a cubicle all the times before. She shuddered upon remembering the aptly named “Bull Pen”. But this was hers. Her own space. It even had a window that overlooked the building’s meticulously landscaped lawn and the Mickey Mouse-topped fountain. Cheryl sat at her desk and booted up her computer. While she waited for the desktop to appear on her screen, she reached into her attache bag and withdrew some personal effects and arranged them on her desk. A photo of her family – then whole – at her high school graduation. A framed plaque inscribed with Lao Tzu’s wisdom: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” A hockey card signed by her alma mater’s greatest player – Chris Drury. And lastly, two more recent snapshots, one of her roommate and new group of friends proudly wearing their mouse ears and one of she and Howie taken that same afternoon. She sighed as she gazed at the latter wondering what he was doing at that moment. A knock on the open door startled her from her thoughts. “Hi, Cheryl, glad to have you on board.” “Thanks… Rosa, right?” The two had met during the final phase of interviews. “Right. We have a few meetings so you can meet everyone this morning and get the general idea of how we run the place. We’d like to take you to lunch too.” She smiled. Leave it to Disney to be so friendly. “That would be great.” “Oh, before I forget, Geoffrey has something for you at the front desk.” She grinned and whispered. “And I want to hear all the details later.” Cheryl stood and followed her back down the hallway. As she approached the front desk, she noticed the floral arrangement sitting on the corner closest to the Walt Disney logo on the wall. “You have something for me?” Geoff nodded. “These just came for you. Someone certainly wanted to brighten your first day on the job.” Cheryl couldn’t help but smile and blush. “Thanks.” Whomever had sent the roses – and she could already surmise who that was – had gone through some trouble and an interesting thought process. There were three yellow to symbolize friendship; three white for innocence; two peach for romance. As she set the vase on her desk, she noticed the one red rose tucked into the middle of the arrangement. ‘Love? What did you do now, Howie?’ she thought and opened the card.Sparky – Her heart swelled with emotions she didn’t dare label yet. ‘If he isn’t careful. I’m going to start falling heavy for him.’ She decided to give him a couple hours of sleep before calling to thank him for making her day. In reality, she wanted to thank him for making her lifetime. Kristy was still pinching herself as she walked through the doors of the Orlando Medical Center. Taking in every detail with her eyes, she also took a few calming breaths before opening the glass door that separated the pharmacy clinic from the well-traveled main hallway. “Good morning, Dr. Butler,” the receptionist greeted. Kristy smiled. “Good morning, Sarah.” She knew she would be grateful for her acute ability to remember names and faces that week. “Your office is down the hall to the right. I believe Jonathan is already there... oh, and something was delivered for you this morning. It’s on your desk.” “Thanks.” Kristy started down the hallway, found her office and, after introducing herself to Jonathan, spotted a silver-wrapped box her desk. Lifting the lid, she examined the box’s contents and knew who sent it without reading the card conveniently shoved to the bottom. There was a small bag of tulip bulbs; a blue golf ball that read Fantasia Gardens champion; a toy moving truck; a porcelain figurine with two young children ice-skating; what used to be a blank compact disc that now had tunes by Usher, Marc Anthony and a variety of Disney songs burned onto it; and a lei of plastic flowers. Lastly, she found a smaller velvet box. Upon opening it, her breath caught in her chest and her heart began to race. Inside was a black opal pendent on a gold chain. She reached for the card and carefully tore open the envelope with shaking hands.Princess, Kristy could feel her eyes start to tear. All through the week she'd asked herself how she could have been so lucky, but this time she stopped wondering. It was obvious to her now that luck had nothing to do with what she had found with Kevin. Call it fate. Call it destiny. She was going to call it a blessing. Cheryl had returned from lunch and was sitting at her computer composing some of the press releases for the millennium celebration media kit when Geoff buzzed her. “I’ve got a Mr. Dorough for you on line one.” She pressed the bright red intercom button. “Thank you.” She heard the distinctive click and picked up the phone on the first ring. “D…” “How did you know it wasn’t John?” “I don’t believe I gave your brother my work number. Speaking of which, let me give you my direct line then you won’t bug Geoff when you call so many times a day.” Cheryl rattled off the seven digits. “Now down to business. Thanks for the roses.” Her eyes were transfixed on the beautiful buds as she spoke. “I understand completely.” “I knew you would and you’re very welcome.” He paused to compose himself. “Listen, I wanted to know if you were free tonight. A friend of mine is playing a piano bar downtown and I thought you might like to join me.” “How can I say no?” “Is that a yes?” he teased. “No, it’s an I’d love to.” Cheryl could feel the warmth of his smile through the phone line. “Okay, Sparky, I’ll pick you up at, say 8?” “You got it. I’ll be ready and waiting,” she added suggestively. He groaned. “Stop it. Be nice to me and maybe I’ll let you in on what we’re doing Friday night.” “Why? What’s Friday?” “I’ll say this…I send my zoot suit to the cleaners this morning.” ‘Zoot suit…what does that mean?…wait a minute.’ “D, isn’t Big Bad Voodoo Daddy in town that night?” “Hmm, maay-be,” he drawled and smiled at the obvious excitement in her voice. The little trouble he’d gone through that morning to get tickets and backstage passes was going to be worth it. “I’ll see you tonight.” “Bye, Sweetie.”Kristy had just finished with one of her patients and walked into her office to hear a page coming from her phone. “Dr. Butler, please pick up line two.” “Thanks, Sarah,” she said, then clicked the correct line. “This is Dr. Butler.” “Dr. Butler, I have a bad case of loneliness that I think you might have the prescription for.” She had to stifle a laugh at Kevin’s joke. “Okay, that’s enough. No more hanging with Howie for you.” Hearing him chuckle made her feel flushed. She rolled the black opal between her thumb and forefinger. “Kev, thanks for the gift. It was so sweet…” “Anything for you, Spunky. So how is work?” “Already pretty busy. They don’t give you much time to get acclimated. I just finished with my fifth patient of the day.” “Sounds like you might need a bit of stress relief tonight and I nominate myself to be the person to help.” “Kevin…” “Uh-uh, we’re doing this.” “What is ‘this’ exactly?” “You know, we haven’t gone out on a real date? Just the two of us. What do you say?” Kristy thought of the romantic dinner. Kevin dressed impeccably in a blazer and slacks. Resisting that type of image was too difficult. “Well?…,” his deep voice prompted. “Of course."Next: Chapter 20 |