Chapter 58

Allegra was attempting to recover the document she’d just lost on her computer when Sister Mary knocked.  Some days she felt perfectly computer competent.  Other days she wanted to straighten David’s hair for leading her down this horrid path.

“Come on in, Sister.  What can I do for you?”

“Actually, I think it’s more what I can do for you,” the Sister said, taking a seat and looking expectantly at the woman seated behind the desk.  Her posture was straight, and her hands rested lightly over the keyboard until she turned to give her full attention to the Sister.

“Okay, then.  What can YOU do for ME?” Allegra asked with a congenial smile.

“I have some of our materials that I’m sharing with the office in Detroit.  They’re being shipped to arrive there on Tuesday, but I’d like someone from this office to review the materials with them, and give them some insight on how we use the information here.”

I’m being sent on a business trip?  After three weeks? 

“And you want me to do it?  Wouldn’t it be better suited for someone who’s had more time with the Foundation?”

With an expression of barely contained tolerance, the nun informed her, “Yes, it would.  Unfortunately, everyone else’s presence is required here in the office, as we have auditors coming next week.  You won’t be of any use to the auditors, and I assumed you could handle this with a fair amount of competency.”

Allegra supposed that meant she could be trusted to walk and chew gum at the same time. 

“Yes, Sister.”

“I would also like you to meet with the director there.  She can provide you with some additional insight and training with regards to housing applicants and some other outreach projects.”

“That sounds wonderful , Sister Mary.  Thank you so much for this opportunity.”

Rising from her seat, Sister Mary placed a manila file folder labeled ‘Detroit’ on Allegra’s desk. “You may thank me by helping this Foundation flourish.  The travel arrangements have been made– except for the hotel.  You will probably wish to handle that personally.  Your flight leaves very early Tuesday morning, and your presence is expected in the Detroit office on Wednesday.  I’ve included everything you’ll need in there.”  She indicated the file folder.

Not wanting to appear stupid, Allegra ran everything through in her mind one last time before asking, “It seems… odd… that everything has been taken care of except hotel arrangements.  Is there a particular reason?  Something that I’m not aware of?”

“Evidently so,” the Sister informed her dryly.  “Ms. Castanelli, I’m surprised.  One would think you’d be more well-versed on the tour schedule of your boyfriend’s band.”

“What?”  Allegra’s eyes darted to her desk calendar where she had the concert dates listed.  Hastily scanning next week, she saw that on Monday they were in Kansas City and on Wednesday…  Detroit.  She beamed with scarcely contained excitement.  Richie would be in Detroit at the same time she was!

“Sister Mary, you’d better be more careful.  Someone is liable to think you have a little soft spot for me,” she teased.

The sister squared her shoulders and wrinkled her brow in mock offense.  “Nonsense!  I’m not going to stand here and be accused of such things!” she huffed, striding regally from the room – but not before tossing a subtle wink over her shoulder.

Allegra was still grinning a few minutes later when a young man appeared in her doorway bearing a large arrangement of purple and white flowers.

“Allegra Castanelli?” he asked.

“Yes?”

“These are for you.”  He set the vase on the desk and produced a small clipboard, shoving it toward her.  “Sign please.”

“Oh.  Uh… sure.”  She took the pen and scribbled her name.  Returning the clipboard and pen, she thanked the young man.    

Cupping the vase in her palms she slowly rotated it until she’d seen the arrangement from every possible angle.  Then, unable to resist, she leaned forward to inhale the fragrant blooms.  Gardening had never been one of her hobbies, but the Sisters who kept the cloister garden had consistently tried to enlighten her about the blossoms they were tending.  She’d picked up enough to recognize the purple blooms as hyacinth, and thought the white were chrysanthemums.  They made for a striking combination.

Locating the small card among the petals, she removed it from its holder.  Allegra leaned back in her chair and slipped it out of the envelope, curious to see who her benefactor was.  Her parents had sent her flowers on a couple of different birthdays, but her that had already passed.  This didn’t resemble those bouquets in the slightest, anyway.

Richie was her first guess, but hyacinths and chrysanthemums weren’t exactly romantic red roses.

Focusing her gaze on the card, she saw that it was type-written and said simply, “Richie”

Her guess had been right, but she thought it would be a little more… elaborate.  She flipped the card over to see if there was something else on the back, but it was blank.  No explanation, no sentiment.  Just his name.

How very odd.

The opportunity to wonder at it was cut short by the vibrating of her cellphone against the desk.  Attention still focused on the flowers, she unconsciously slipped into automatic pilot, answering her personal phone as though it were her work phone.

“Allegra Castanelli.”

“Well, I hope so since that’s who I called.” 

She’d know that deep, rough voice anywhere.

“Smart aleck.  I was preoccupied with the mysterious flower delivery that just arrived.”

“Mysterious huh?” Allegra could hear the smile in his voice and she couldn’t help but smile herself.  This was the man she’d been missing.

“Mm-hmm.”  She leaned over the card on her desk, lightly tracing his name with her fingertip.  “Care to explain what I’ve done to deserve flowers?”

“Now that’s a loaded question if I ever heard one,” he chuckled.  “I COULD do the whole romantic thing, telling you that any man worth a damn would send you flowers every single day so that you know just how special you are.

She grinned.  “I like romantic.  But I also like the truth.  Do you have something with a combination of both?”

He pretended to give it some serious thought.  “Hmmm…  How about-   Nope.  That won’t work.  Ummm….” 

“Don’t hurt yourself,” she laughed.  “If you’re in a pinch, then the truth is fine all by itself.”

“Yeah?  You’re sure?  Because it may take me a minute, but I’ll come up with something.”

“Yes, you big goof, I’m sure!”  Never had she been so happy to be a part of his silly banter. 

“Oh!  Oh, wait, I’ve got it!” he exclaimed, pretending to be excited. 

“This oughta be good…”

All evidence of excitement was gone when he solemnly acknowledged, “I haven’t exactly been Mr. Relationship lately, and you very patiently put up with my scatterbrained shit all week.  That is, until I lost my mind this morning and snapped.  I’m sorry.  That’s what the flowers are for.  I didn’t know what you liked, so I went traditional.”

Thoughts tumbled randomly through her mind, and she wasn’t sure which one to pursue.  Was he sorry he snapped, or was he sorry for being unavailable?  Or better yet, was he sorry Nikki was in his room?  And the flowers were anything but traditional.  Florists of America probably didn’t schlep a lot of hyacinths due to lovers’ quarrels.  Mothers’ Day or Grandparents’ Day, maybe.

When it was all said and done, she didn’t really care about the flowers so much as where his head was.  Scouring her mind, she searched for a tactful way to draw the information from him.

“Well, it was a lovely surprise.  Thank you.”  With no amazing conversational manipulation springing to mind, she remained silent, struggling with what to say. 

“So you’re still pissed at me.”

“No!  I was never pissed,” she denied, admitting to herself that the only way she knew to ask was point-blank.  “But I’ll admit to wondering what exactly you’re apologizing FOR.”

“What do you mean?  I’m apologizing for being so busy and putting you off.”  Now HE was starting to sound pissed.

Remembering her conversation with David, she determinedly avoided the subject of Nikki Lund.  “Rich, you don’t owe me an apology for working, but I love the flowers.  Mainly because they’re proof you were thinking about me.” 

“So we’re okay then?”  His easy acceptance and distracted tone let her know that she’d lost him again.  The distracted tone of his voice let her know that he was immersed in his other world again. 

Probably an email or text message from Niiiiik-ki.

There was no point in trying to tell him about her plans for the evening – or Detroit for that matter.  Hopefully he’d be happy to see her, but if not, she would just share a room with one of the other guys.

“Yeah, we’re okay.”  For her own sense of self-worth, she ended the call before he had a chance.  “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go sweetie.”

“Yeah, me too.  Have a good day, Sunshine.”

She disconnected the phone and put it down, instead picking up an ink pen and doodling absently on her desk calendar.  Today was Friday, and she would be in Detroit on Tuesday.   Once they could actually be in the same room, he wouldn’t be so easily distracted.  She’d make sure of that.

“Somebody’s really sorry.”

A voice from the door startled her.  Her eyes flew up in alarm, but it was only Nadine hovering at the entrance to her office with some envelopes in her hand.

Nadine was the administrative assistant that looked after everyone’s clerical needs at the Foundation.  She was a short, slightly rounded young girl – about twenty-five, by Allegra’s estimation.  A pleasant disposition allowed her to interact easily with anyone who came through the offices, and she’d been incredibly helpful to Allegra during her short tenure.

“Excuse me?”  Allegra asked blankly.

Nadine flipped her waist-length coppery curls back over her shoulder with her free hand, gesturing to the vase on the desk.  “The flowers.  Somebody’s sorry.”

“How did you know that?”

Approaching the desk, she explained, “My grandmother has a flower shop.  I spent a lot of time there when I was younger, and she taught me the traditional meanings of all the flowers we kept.”  She pointed to the hyacinth.  “This means ‘I’m sorry’ or acts as an apology.  The white chrysanthemum means ‘truth’.  So whoever sent the flowers is either very sincere with their apology, or wants you to believe they are.”

‘I didn’t know what you liked, so I went traditional.’

That made a whole lot more sense now, and she was suitably impressed that he’d gone to the trouble.  She smiled appreciatively at Nadine.  “That’s very interesting.  I didn’t know that, but I’m guessing my boyfriend did.  It makes me appreciate them even more.  Thank you.”

Nadine’s eyebrows rose and Allegra would almost swear her ears perked up.  In addition to being a very efficient administrative assistant, Nadine also had the reputation of having an avid interest in her co-workers.  Simply put, she was nosy.

“Oh yeah?  I didn’t realize you had a boyfriend.  How long have you been dating?  Is it someone here at the Foundation?  Anyone I know?”

“We’ve been dating a few weeks, and no, he doesn’t work here at the Foundation.”  She avoided answering the last question, finding it better to omit information than to outright lie.   So far, not many people knew she was Jon’s cousin.  The fact that she was dating Richie Sambora didn’t need to make the rounds either.

“What’s his name?”

Allegra was trapped.  She’d been asked a direct question, and there was nothing she could do other than supply a name.

“Richard.”

“Oh.”  Evidently Richard didn’t sound like anyone of interest, because her next comment was, “ I think it’s great when women your age aren’t afraid to date.”

Allegra laughed out loud, trying to decide just how insulted to be.   She arched her eyebrow and tried to look highly affronted.  “Women my age?  Did you just call me old?”

A flush crept into Nadine’s cheeks, and she mumbled, “I was just dropping some mail off for you.”  She handed Allegra the envelopes and scurried out the door before she put her foot any further into her mouth.

Allegra never thought of Richie as a celebrity.  As a matter of fact, it surprised her when she’d seen him on television the other day doing an interview.  But after being called old, she didn’t have any trouble parading that notion around – even if it was in her own head.

That’s okay.  You just go ahead and think of me as old.  This old woman knows there are a million women YOUR age infatuated who are with MY boyfriend.  Put that in your pipe and smoke it!