Ninety-One

It was SO good to be back to work, Allegra thought happily, filtering through the last of her email before lunch.   

The alarm clock had rung at what seemed like an ungodly hour this morning, but she managed to fight  her way out of the blankets and stumble into the shower without too much trouble.  Her stirring had awoken Richie, who sleepily informed her that he was taking her to work.  The band was leaving for St. Paul this afternoon and he had no intention of wasting his morning sleeping when he could go into the city with her – and sleep in the car. 

He hadn’t actually slept in the car, but they’d spent the time drinking coffee and enjoying the togetherness.  It was strange that they never seemed to run out of things to talk about.  Of course, his life was so busy that there was always something going on, which led to something else, and on and on.

The on and on had included her casual mention of it being time to apartment shop.  She had enough money saved, and this daily commute seemed like a huge waste of time.  Dot and Jon had been more than generous, but it was time for her to move out on her own.

“No.”

“No?”  She was shocked by the abrupt finality of the word, and watched Richie scramble to backpedal into a more diplomatic approach.

“Baby, being alone isn’t such a good idea with this guy running loose.  You need security, and I have a feeling your budget isn’t going to stretch to a high security building.”

He was right of course.  She wanted a nice little apartment, preferably furnished, in downtown Philadelphia.  Just like any normal person would have.  Except she wasn’t normal anymore.

“I’m absolutely sick of this crap,” she fumed, ferociously flipping her ponytail. 

His hand settled on her bare nape, and massaged pacifyingly.  “Of course you are.  We all are.  I absolutely do NOT want you anywhere alone, and would be happier if you stayed put where you are - out at Jon’s.  But I understand that you’re feeling stuck, too.”  He exerted pressure with his thumb to twist her face toward him.  “Fortunately, I have an idea that might take care of both problems – kind of a compromise.”

Allegra immediately knew to what he was referring – his condo. 

“Richie…”

“I know you don’t want to be KEPT, but the damn thing is paid for, furnished, and sitting empty.  It’s a nice apartment in a very high security building, just a couple of blocks from your office.  It’s everything you want plus everything you NEED.”

All valid points, she begrudgingly admitted to herself.

“You’re not going to think of me as some charity case, are you?  Because I would pay for rent and utilities.”

His abrupt laughter filled the car, startling the driver and causing him to check the review mirror curiously.  Richie curled his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close in a hug. 

“Don’t laugh, I mean it!” she said stubbornly, even as she leaned into his side. 

“Baby, you don’t need a damn thing my money can buy you, and I’m very much aware of it.  You could end up lost in the wilderness for days and be just fine.”  His lips dropped a soft kiss on the top of her head.  “This is me trying not to have a heart attack over you living alone.  My gut has me dead set against it, but I know how you are.  If you believe it’s right, you’ll do it just to spite us all.”

“Richie, you can’t believe that.  I don’t do ANYTHING to intentionally spite you,” she told him.  “I just have very … distinct beliefs.”

“I know, baby, and that’s why I want to give you an option that fits those beliefs AND keeps me sane.  It’s all about compromise.”  He tipped her chin so that their eyes met, and nodded his head with an encouraging smile.  “Right?”

Allegra disciplined herself into a more positive attitude.  There was no reason to think anyone was questioning the ability to stand on her own two feet.  It was simply a case of accommodating her ridiculous special needs, courtesy of that twerp Felix.

Sighing softly, she mentally weighed the pros and cons.  Of course she would miss Dot and the kids, but it was going to save her at least two hours a day in travel time.   Then again, it wasn’t like she had any other demands on her time.

“Let me think about it for a couple of days,” she finally relented.  “I can decide if being out on my own is something that I NEED to do, or if it’s just impractical and selfish.”

He nodded with relief.  “Fair enough.  In the meantime, I’ll call the building manager and let them know you’re to have access to the place anytime you want.  Go over and check it out, at least.”

After she’d agreed, they spent the remainder of the commute in a companionable silence, with Richie eventually dozing off until they arrived on Market Street.  She refused his offer to escort her upstairs, but enjoyed a lingering goodbye in the car. 

Instead she relied on the burly security guards in both the downstairs lobby and in the reception area to make sure she arrived safely.  The personal army felt like overkill, but she tried her best to ignore it, understanding it was for the best – at the moment anyway.  She was determined not to let it dampen her happiness at being back.

Even checking in with Sister Mary had been a pleasant experience.  The older woman had greeted her warmly upon stepping into Allegra’s office.  Taking up residence in the guest chair, she chatted amiably for several minutes, bringing her up to speed on the daily activities of the Foundation, before moving the conversation to a more personal level.

“Allegra, I couldn’t possibly know what your life has entailed the past few weeks, but you seem to have weathered it with aplomb.  There is an air of contentment about you that is nothing short of astounding.  You took a detestable situation and refused to allow it control of your life.    I’m proud of you.”

Sister Mary was PROUD of her?  Allegra was flabbergasted.  She’d always felt about half a step above lepers where the nun was concerned.

“That means a lot to me, so thank you, Sister - for everything.”  Discomfort caused her to fidget in her chair.  “I was obviously angry the last time we spoke, but I understand you did what was in the best interest of the organization.”

“And YOU, Allegra.  My concern was as much for you as it was anyone else.”

“I genuinely appreciate that, and I feel absolutely horrible about my behavior that day.  I hope you’ll forgive me.”

The Sister discounted her apology with a careless wave of her hand.  “My child, you can’t condemn a wounded person for trying to protect themselves from further pain.  I never took it personally. “ 

The nun’s softening attitude toward Allegra was a little unsettling, but in a good way.  If this kept up, she may be able to count Mary as a friend instead as well as her employer. 

She shook her head in wonder.  

The morning firmly behind her, it was time to look ahead to the rest of the day.

Her afternoon plans were to grab some lunch, and then compile a list of tasks to get the restaurant project underway.   A smile stole across her face and excitement bubbled inside.  She couldn’t wait to get started on it.

A knock came at the door, and, after a pause, Nadine stepped into the office with two stunning flower arrangements in tow. 

In one hand she carried a moderate size vase of white calla lilies and pink roses.  The other bouquet was an extravagant variety of spring flowers:  yellow and white daisies, Easter lilies, daffodils, tulips in an array of colors, and a host of other flowers that Allegra couldn’t readily identify.

“Oh my,” she breathed, quickly gathering the loose papers strewn across the desk to make room.  “Those are gorgeous!”

“And they’re all for you,” Nadine informed her in a sing-songy voice, placing both vases carefully in the center of the space she’d created.  “Wonder who your admirer is?”

Her heart plummeted to her feet.  There were TWO arrangements.  Richie wouldn’t have sent more than one. 

Lord, please don’t let Felix rear his ugly little head again.

Then she checked herself.  He wouldn’t have the money to spend on something as expensive as floral deliveries.  No, she was sure that the cards attached to these beauties would do nothing but broaden the smile she was already wearing.

“Well, I guess we’ll find out.”  Her hand reached for the small card nestled inside the large Spring assortment, not wasting any time sliding it from the envelope.

Legs,

Happy Going Back To Work Day!

Love, The Guys

Allegra was touched that they’d thought of her today, even as they were headed back out on the road.  She DID have a sneaking suspicion that responsibility for this wasn’t a group effort.  A quick phone call would confirm that in a few minutes.

“So who is it from?”  Nadine was almost bouncing  in her impatience to hear.

“Just a group of friends wishing me well back at work.”

“Oh.” Disappointment chased the girl’s excitement away for a breath, then curiosity kicked right back in.  “But what about the other one?”

“Let’s see,” she said, stopping for a whiff of the roses as she detached the card from its holder.  While not as mammoth an arrangement as the other, the delicate scent and blooms were breathtaking.  These had to be from Richie.

Richard, she reminded herself.  Nadine thinks he’s a stuffy old man named Richard.   

 Smiling in anticipation, she slid the card from its sleeve.

It’s good to have you back where you belong.

Now get to work!

J

A pang of disappointment dulled the pleasure for a second, and she realized just how excited she’d been at the thought of Richie sending flowers. 

“Well?”  Nadine’s voice prompted her.  “Who?”

She smiled at the girl, tucking the card back into the envelope.   “My cousin, also welcoming me back to work.”

“Oh.  Well, they’re still really pretty.”  And with that, Nadine breezed back to her position at the front desk.

They WERE really pretty, and she couldn’t believe that her seemingly self-involved cousin had taken the time to send them.  She could almost get sappy about it.

But they still weren’t from Richie.

“Oh, Allegra get over yourself,” she lectured.  “He offered you his apartment this morning.  That’s a much bigger deal than a bunch of flowers that will be dead within the week.”

The more she thought about it, the more she realized what a big deal it really was.  It screamed of commitment, even though there had been no pretense of romance in the offer.  There was no doubt in her mind that they were in a ‘real’ relationship, but setting  her up permanently in one of his homes was huge, from her perspective.

Should she do it?

Her instincts were screaming to grab onto the opportunity with both hands.  His list of reasons from this morning still remained valid.  And from a strictly girlfriend point of view, it gave her a way to be close to him when he was physically elsewhere.  He may have never spent the first night there, but it was still his, and that would change if she took up residency. 

All she had to do was decide whether she was being selfish by wanting to go it alone. 

Was it fair to worry her friends and family right now, with all that was going on?  There hadn’t been any new threats or contact, and she couldn’t imagine that Felix was stupid enough to get all their defenses up before he attempted another attack.

Richie said it was a high security building.  Her mouth kicked up in a dry grin.  He’d bought it knowing they had to keep crazed Bon Jovi fans at bay.  Thinking of the way those fans reacted to him on stage…  Well, her one little pest was going to be much easier to control than those women.

She would even willingly subject herself to the personal body guard they’d assigned to escort her when she was off the property.  Gus was an intimidating man, and getting paid more than she wanted to think about to keep her out of harm’s way.

Was she talking herself into this? 

 Whether the immediate ringing of her desk phone could be contributed to Fate, Karma, or Divine Intervention, she couldn’t be certain, but when she saw Richie’s number light up on the screen, she knew the Heavens had just helped finalize her decision.

“Hey, handsome,” she greeted him after clearing the lump that had lodged itself in her throat.  “I was just getting ready to call you.”

“Missing me already, huh?” he teased, with a seductive growl.

“Of course I am, but that wasn’t why I was gonna call.”

“Okay.  Then how may I be of service, lovely lady?”

Eyes closed, she tried to picture him, cell phone tucked into his ear, playing with his pinky ring.  He would have on those blue tinted sunglasses that hid his pretty eyes that were framed by faint character lines.  They intensified every time his even white smile appeared, bringing out the deep dimple in his left cheek. 

It was so easy to visualize, and she knew that smile was for her.  Before she could catch herself, she was smiling right back.   

“You never told me where your condo is.  I think I’d like to go check it out this afternoon.”