Memories Read online

  Catherine Jamison was delighted to see her dearest friend. "Oh Dani, it's been so long!" she exclaimed as the two hugged in the doorway. Dani took off her light coat and hung it in the hall closet while Cathy talked a blue streak. "How was your drive? Isn't the weather gorgeous? Oh, I wish you had stayed with me instead of at a hotel, there's so much to catch up on!"

  Dani laughed at her friend's barrage of questions and comments with no chance for her to reply. Cathy looked refined in her red silk blouse and cream trousers, her three-inch heels giving her five-foot, three-inch frame added height. But her bubbly nature defied her appearance, changing her into the college girl Dani remembered so well. Finally, Cathy steered Dani to the plush cream sofa, sat down and simply asked, "How have you been?"

  Dani answered her friend's questions one by one as the two visited easily in Cathy's comfortable living room. "I would have loved staying here with you," Dani told her. "But with my meeting schedule, I thought it best to be at a hotel."

  Cathy nodded. "I understand how buying trips are," she said. "More meetings and paperwork than there is time."

  "Speaking of which," Dani raised her eyebrows at Cathy. "Tell me about this new love in your life. All I know is his name is Michael, he owns Regal Coats and he's your boss."

  For the first time since Dani arrived, Cathy was quiet, her eyes pensive. Pushing back a strand of her thick, auburn hair, she began. "Michael is...different. Not in a bad or strange way, he's just his own kind of person. He's a great boss to work for and a much respected businessman, and he's very kind and attentive," Cathy's words trailed off.

  "But?" Dani asked as Cathy hesitated.

  "Well, sometimes he seems so far away, distant, hard to get close to. And then his mood breaks and he's warm and loving again."

  "Do you think he's 'the one'?"

  "I don't know," Cathy answered honestly. "For a while I thought we were becoming that close, but lately things have been different. Like something is missing. I wonder sometimes if he just doesn't want to commit to anyone, now or ever." Cathy sighed. "Guess I can't blame him though. He's already been married once and has a grown daughter. He's even a grandfather!" Cathy made a face and both women laughed, their mood brightening again.

  "Not that it matters," Cathy continued. "I don't know if I would want to start a family now, at this stage of the game. Children are so much responsibility and I'm not sure I'd have the patience to raise any now..." Cathy stopped mid-sentence, realizing what she had said. "Oh Dani, I'm so sorry. Here I am blabbering on about children. I mean of all people, I should know better."

  Dani placed her hand softly on Cathy's arm. "It's okay," she assured her friend. Cathy was the only person, besides Dani's parents, who knew about her inability to have children. Dani had confided in her late one night in the dorm room they shared in college after their conversation turned to the future and having children. Cathy understood how much it pained Dani not to be able to have a child of her own, and that's why she stumbled over her words now.

  Dani changed the subject back to Michael. "I'm sure he's just hesitant about the relationship," she consoled her friend. "Most men are, you know. I'm sure he'll change his tune in time."

  Cathy smiled hopefully. "You're probably right." Looking at her wristwatch, she gasped. "Oh, oh, it's getting late. I'd better finish making lunch." Cathy hurried toward the kitchen with Dani at her heels.

  "I couldn't decide whether to have lunch or brunch. It drove me crazy just thinking about it." Cathy rolled her eyes, making Dani laugh out loud. "But I decided lunch sounded better. Michael will be here any minute; will you set the table Dani? Everything you need is sitting on the sideboard."

  "Sure thing." Dani began setting out the place mats and silverware on the oval glass-topped table as Cathy banged and clattered in the kitchen beyond. A centerpiece of fresh flowers rested on the glass, its colors matching the cream and blue tones of the china. As she completed her chore, the door chime rang and she saw Cathy hurry to answer it.

  Cathy's apartment was small, but stylish. Her decorating style was as elegant as the way she dressed. The dining room opened up into the living room and the entryway was beyond that. Dani stole a glance in the gilt-framed mirror above the sideboard, checking her make-up and smoothing her hair. Beyond her, the mirror reflected a man with a trench coat and brief case in hand, leaning over to place a kiss on Cathy's cheek.

  "Dani, Michael's here. Come meet him," Cathy called out.

  Dani turned and walked across the living room toward the couple. She stopped short as Michael's face turned in her direction. My God...it can't be, she thought, her heart pounding in her chest. The room swirled around her in that one instant she recognized him. No, this isn't happening. It's not him.

  Michael walked up to Dani, his hand extended in greeting. "It's so nice to finally meet you," he said, unaware of the turmoil brewing inside her. "Cathy has told me so much about you that I feel like..." Michael stopped mid-sentence when he was only inches away from Dani. "Well, I'll be," he exclaimed so softly that only Dani heard him.

  It was him! Dani's mind raced between past and present, as her eyes traveled slowly over the figure before her. His silk suit was impeccable; his dark hair was groomed and neatly trimmed as was his beard. A complete opposite from the shaggy-haired man in blue jeans, sneakers and T-shirt she once knew. But it was the same man. From his wavy black hair to the tips of his polished leather shoes he was every bit the businessman. But to Dani, he was the past come alive. "Miguel," she whispered, and only Michael heard and understood.

  "Yes," he said, his steel-gray eyes searching her blue ones intensely. "Danielle, I never thought I'd see you again." He smiled softly at her, that warm, caring smile she remembered so well, as he reached out to hug her.

  Instinctively, she drew back, away from his touch. Slowly, the shock of seeing him again, after all these years, registered inside her. She stood there, eyes narrowed, daring him yet denying him with her eyes to move one step closer. Michael stopped short; confused by the look of pure loathing she gave him, he made no further attempt to touch her.

  Cathy watched the scene before her, confused. She walked up to Dani, fearful of the look of complete hatred she saw in her eyes. "Dani, are you all right? What's wrong?" Looking from Dani to Michael she asked, "Do you two know each other?"

  The concern in Cathy's voice broke Dani from her reverie. This was no longer her Miguel; this was Cathy's Michael, the man who had made her friend so happy. What had happened to Dani in the past had nothing to do with Cathy's life today. With great effort, she forced herself to calm down, a curtain closing off the hatred in her eyes and softening her expression.

  "I'm sorry, Cathy," Dani began, choosing her words carefully. "I was just shocked to see someone I knew from long ago. Miguel, I mean Michael and I met a long time ago when I still lived in California."

  "Oh." Cathy gave Michael a puzzled look. "You never mentioned California before."

  "That was another lifetime," Michael told her. "One I rarely think about anymore."

  Cathy watched as another strange look passed between Michael and Dani. The emotions in the room were strong and the tension between the two was so powerful it sent a chill down Cathy’s spine.

  "Well," Cathy began hesitantly. "We can talk over lunch. Everything is ready. Michael, please, sit down while Dani and I bring the food in from the kitchen." Cathy quickly headed to the kitchen's swinging door with Dani close behind. Dani took the farthest path possible around Michael.

  "Dani," Cathy whispered once they were alone. "Are you okay? I mean, really?"

  "I'm sorry, Cathy," Dani said, doing her best to control her emotions. "I didn't mean to worry you. It was such a shock to see someone from those days, that's all." She smiled at her friend. "I'm okay." Cathy wasn't completely convinced, but decided to drop the subject.

  Lunch began with a delicious shrimp cocktail followed by a Chef salad and French bread warm out of the oven. The food tasted wonderful but Dani hardl
y noticed. She was too busy trying to ignore her lunch companion, yet at the same time act pleasant for Cathy's sake.

  She listened to the conversation between Michael and Cathy while picking at her food, not hearing a word, not tasting a bite, trying to ignore the memories that threatened to surface. A faint scent of cologne drifted past her, opening the door to memories of the past. He had always worn the same cologne; one that smelled spicy and masculine. It didn’t matter if they were spending a day on the beach, at the playground with Vanessa or eating burgers at the coffee shop where she waitressed, he wore that masculine, enticing scent. She rarely detected it on any other man but sometimes, she’d catch a scent of it in the air on the street or in an elevator and she instinctively looked for him. And now he sat in the same room as she, that same cologne she knew so well drifting faintly toward her.

  Dani grew angrier by the minute as the past replayed in her mind. How could she sit here, quietly eating lunch only inches away from the man she'd despised for the past nineteen years? Every fiber of her being wanted to stand up and scream. She wanted to tell him how much he’d ruined her life, but he just sat there, smiling, making pleasant conversation in his most eloquent manner, oblivious to Dani and the rage growing inside her.

  "So tell me Dani, since Michael won't, how did the two of you meet?"

  Cathy's question brought Dani back to the conversation at hand. Dani sent a frigid look in Michael's direction before answering her friend.

  "I waitressed at a small coffee shop the summer after I graduated high school," Dani explained without expression. "Michael used to be a regular customer there." He came there to meet women and ruin their lives, she wanted to say. Instead, she finished in a tart tone. "Except he used to go by the name, Miguel." Dani stared hard at Miguel. Let him explain everything, she thought. Her eyes dared him to.

  "Yes, Miguel is the name my parents gave me," he answered calmly. "But when I took over the family business, it was easier to use Michael."

  Michael studied Dani's face, noting her look of disgust at his reply. Even with the unpleasant expression, she was still beautiful. Her golden hair was tied back in a smooth ponytail at the nape of her neck, giving definition to her square jaw line and prominent cheekbones. Her face had become sculptured with age, making her more beautiful than ever. One feature that hadn't changed was her small ‘ski-nose’, which he used to teasingly call it. Movie stars paid a fortune to have a nose like that, yet she was born with it. In that brief moment he studied her, he thought about the donut fights at the restaurant, the way her hair always smelled of honeysuckle, and Sundays on the beach holding hands, sitting in the wet sand while watching Vanessa jump the waves at the water's edge. God, those were such wonderful times.

  Dani caught his stare and he looked away, not wanting to anger her more than she already was. A thought hit him and he chuckled. "Dani, remember crazy Karen, the waitress who used to get her orders all mixed up and then yell at the customers for confusing her? We never did understand how she kept her job there. I wonder what ever happened to her."

  Dani didn't reply; she only stared at him. Cathy couldn't stand the tension any longer.

  "Who's ready for dessert?" she asked, standing to clear the table.

  Dani seized the opportunity to get away and declined, insisting she had to leave.

  "I have another meeting at two o'clock," she explained as she stood up. It was already one o’clock and she was surprised she'd lasted this long. "I really should go if I want to make it back to the merchandise district on time."

  Dani thanked her friend for the delicious meal as she headed for her coat and the door. If she was lucky, she could get out without having to say so much as a goodbye to Miguel. To her horror, he followed.

  "I should head back to the office, too," he told Cathy. "I also have a meeting at two. Everything was wonderful, Cathy. I'll take a raincheck on that dessert tonight, okay?"

  "Do you want me to come, too?" Cathy asked Michael. "For the meeting, I mean."

  "No, there's no need. Just enjoy the rest of your day off. I'll be back at six to pick you up for dinner."

  Michael turned to Dani. "If you'll wait, I'll go with you to the train. We’re both heading in the same direction."

  No, Dani thought. I don't want to wait. I want to get as far away from you as possible. Once again a look of contempt shadowed Dani's face, but Michael pretended not to notice as he slipped on his overcoat and picked up his briefcase. The look did not go unnoticed by Cathy either, and neither did the tension that still embraced the room.

  Dani stood politely by as Michael kissed Cathy goodbye on the cheek. Then, once again, Dani thanked her friend for the lovely meal, promised to keep in touch and finally was out the door.

  Cathy watched Dani practically run ahead of Michael to the elevator before closing her apartment door. It was quite obvious that Dani did not want to be in Michael's presence, but the looks that had passed between Dani and Michael had also been very obvious to Cathy. Even with the hatred, the underlying electricity was palpable. Michael's eyes sparkled when he first recognized Dani and again when he had talked about the past. They had been more than just friends, she was sure of it.

  Cathy had been questioning her own relationship with Michael for some time. She’d wondered if there was a past person who held his heart and if that was why he was unwilling to commit. A thought struck her; what if that person was Dani? She decided she would ask him tonight about his past relationship with Dani and about her and his relationship. As much as she loved him, she knew it was time they came to some sort of understanding. It was time she made him face the future head on.

  Chapter Three

  "I don't need your company back to the train," Dani insisted to Miguel in the elevator on the way down to the lobby. "I'm very capable, thank you." Before he could reply, the doors opened and she stepped out and hurried through the lobby and into the May sunshine.

  Michael did his best to catch up with her, practically breaking into a full run. "Dani," he called softly when he caught up behind her on the street. "Dani, can we just talk a minute?" He reached out and touched her on the shoulder. She turned with a violent jerk.

  "Don't touch me!" she hissed, making Michael stop short.

  "I'm sorry; I just wanted to talk a minute." Michael searched Dani's burning eyes. What had seared such hatred in them toward him? Once, those eyes had been filled with love. "There's something I'd like to explain to you," he said as gently as he could.

  But Dani's stance was unbending, her eyes unyielding. "There's nothing I want to hear from you. Just stay away from me." Her voice cracked and she broke into full flight from Michael. She kept running until she was at the first train she saw and stepped aboard without looking back. As she sat, trying to catch her breath, she calmed herself with the thought that she would never have to see Miguel DeCara again.

  In the end, Dani was late for her meeting. In her haste to flee Miguel, she had boarded the wrong train and ended up on the opposite side of town before she realized her mistake. She fumed at herself all the way back to the merchandise district and barely paid attention to the presentation delivered by the jewelry distributor.

  How stupid I must have looked to him, she thought when she finally escaped the meeting. No better than the girl that fell blindly in love with him years ago. Dani took the train to the station nearest her hotel and walked the last few blocks, easing her anger with each brisk step. She hated him for being so calm and controlled while she was agitated and emotional. Stopping at a deli on the corner, she picked up a sandwich and headed straight to the safety of her hotel room where she drowned herself in paperwork over anticipated purchases. She'd already decided to finish up business first thing in the morning and leave the city. There was no way she wanted to run into Miguel again. Her emotions were running high and she knew she'd be unable to control herself if they met again.

  Michael sat quietly at his desk, looking over various accounts on the computer monitor before him
. The grandfather clock in the corner chimed six times. The clock had once belonged to his grandfather, who brought it from his homeland of Portugal almost sixty years ago. It was the only piece of furniture Michael had brought with him from New York when he'd left Vanessa in charge there so he could build up the division in Chicago. As a boy, the chimes of the carved, maple clock had annoyed him, but with age he'd come to appreciate the clock and the time it represented.

  Michael turned his chair around to survey the view from his twenty-first floor office. An expanse of city bustled with activity before him as his mind struggled to understand what past occurrence had caused such pain today. He tried to conjure up anything that may have inflamed Dani's hatred of him, but the only memories he had of her were happy ones.

  He knew he hadn't been a saint in those days, but he'd never done anything deliberately to hurt her. In fact, he had been very much in love with her. But she'd been so much younger than he, and his life was such a mess then, that he hadn't allowed himself to give in to that love.

  Dani had brought such calm to his and Vanessa's life back then. She was always there when he needed her, her presence quiet and calming. He knew her love for Vanessa had also been genuine. Unlike so many other women he'd known who only tolerated his daughter's presence, Dani truly enjoyed being with both he and Vanessa. Yet, when his father died suddenly, he'd left Dani behind without a word because he thought that was best for her. She was young and had so much life ahead of her.

  As evening settled over the city, Michael was surprised by the flood of memories that enveloped him at the thought of Dani. Memories he hadn't thought of in years. All were warm and strong and he wondered how he had ever let them escape from his thoughts. The first time they'd been alone on an "official" date without Vanessa, the time the three of them rode the roller coaster at the fair and how her hair blew in the wind, tickling his face. The very first time he'd made love to her. Now, she wouldn't even speak to him. Why?