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“No crowds that way.” He shot me a teasing grin, and a hot wave of desire swamped me.
I sniffed the roses and sighed. “Beautiful. I didn’t know it was possible to buy flowers that had real perfume.”
“Those are from Layla’s garden. She dropped them off as I was getting ready to come and get you. She said I should have something to welcome you home.”
“You’re enough of a welcome.”
“Wait until you see where we’re having a picnic.”
I wheedled and begged but he wouldn’t tell me. He smiled secretively as we made our way toward the valet parking where his Range Rover waited.
I didn’t care about cars, but Simon did, so I had to ask, “Where’s the Porsche?”
“At home but she’s not the right vehicle for tonight’s adventure.” He dropped my bags into the trunk, reached into his pocket, and handed me a rolled- up length of cotton. “Hop in and be ready to put this on.”
In the passenger seat, I spread out the pale blue cotton. “A blindfold?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Huh,” I said and settled into my seat.
Even though we’d talked every day, Simon still had lots of news of his latest business ventures to discuss. I’d almost started to relax, enjoying being his sounding board, when he pulled into Stanley Park and drove the perimeter road. When we reached Brockton Point, he parked the car and said, “Blindfold.”
I glanced at the other two cars and whatever the people inside them were doing, it didn’t involve looking at us. Holding out his hands, Simon took the blindfold and motioned for me to turn away. I sat passively as he robbed me of my sight.
“I don’t want you to know where we are until we get there,” he said and turned on the stereo.
I ordered my other senses to take over from where my eyes left off. I knew when we left the park as the car ramped up to highway speed and the silent forest disappeared. Quickly the asphalt under the wheels gave way to the rattle of the bridge deck which, along with the sound of two-way traffic, told me we were on the Lions Gate Bridge. There were two exits off the bridge I sensed we had taken the West Vancouver one because of the way the car leaned slightly as it curled around the westbound cloverleaf. Soon the car geared down which said we were on the steep ascent of Taylor Way, headed to the Upper Levels Highway. Once there, we raced along, but I couldn’t tell which direction we were headed in any longer. I strained my ears to for the sounds of other traffic around us. A motorcycle roared past but that told me nothing. The windows of the Range Rover were lightly tinted, and it was a dark, moonless night. No one could see me, sitting there like I’d been abducted and was being held hostage. They also couldn’t see that my hands were free, and all I had to do to escape any discomfort was reach up and pull off the blindfold. But that would have changed everything.
It seemed as if we’d been driving forever when we left the highway. The car geared down as we climbed a steep hill. My ears popped at a new altitude. Paved roads were soon behind us and gravel crunched under the car wheels.
“Wait here.” Simon stopped the car. The hand brake creaked on. “There’s a gate.”
The car door opened, and a fresh scent of an evergreen forest permeated the air. A heavy metal gate groaned. Simon came back and moved the car forward. He stopped, got out, closed the gate. A lock snapped shut. As the car nudged forward, its wheels bumped and dipped over uneven terrain. The only sound I could hear was the whir of the tires on the dirt. We were far away from the city.
Finally, he parked, and I lifted my hand to remove the blindfold.
“Leave it,” Simon cautioned.
He opened the back door, and things slid off the seat. His footsteps moved away and back again. He made two trips. Somewhere close, a barred owl hooted a plaintive call. When my car door opened, a welcome rush of cool mountain air embraced me.
Simon led me, sightless, through the darkness. I stumbled once and he caught me. After an eternity he said, “This is a camping chair, use your hands to steady yourself.”
He guided me into the seat, and I sat, waiting for his next party trick.
A cork popped. A chilly glass of champagne was placed in my hand. I sensed him behind me, even as he kissed me on one cheek before removing the blindfold.
I blinked out at the view that spread around us. We were halfway up a mountain, sitting in the middle of a sprawling bare spot where a dense rainforest had once stood. We’d parked at the edge of the remaining forest but, where we sat now, the smell of sap, sawdust, and broken boughs filled the air. Surveyors’ stakes dotted the dark landscape. This area had been recently cleared.
Below us, the city of Vancouver stretched as far as we could see. It was a black carpet sprinkled with millions of sparkling diamonds. I stared, lost for words.
“For you,” Simon said. “This land has just been released by the traditional owners and I got first pick. The lot we are sitting on is a full acre. We can build our dream house here and you’ll have your favourite view every morning when you wake up.”
“Where are we exactly?” I tried to rein the panic out of my voice.
