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I thought about it for a bit. Then, I looked up at him.
“No,” I said. “Look, I’ll see you later Jim. Relax. Have fun. I’m getting married, after all,” I said, as I got up and walked away from the table. I took out my phone and called Lena.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lena
“Lena?”ThemomentIheard his deep, rumbling voice, I felt my heart rate come down a little bit. I was beginning to find the sound of Alex’s warm, rich baritone relaxing and sensual.
“Oh,” I said, “hi.”
“Hi. How are you? The dress looks good?”
“It looks amazing, Alex. Thank you.”
“I guess you’re wondering what all this is about.”
“I am,” as a matter of fact, I said. I didn’t want to seem too excited. Who knew what Alex had planned? But whatever it was, I was excited. I knew that much for sure.
“I want you to take a breath for about twenty minutes, and come up to the roof. You know? With the pool?”
How could I forget?
“Sure,” I said. “Alex, what is it?”
“It’s a surprise, I guess. See you there.”
I went to the window of my suite and looked out, down across the sublime, green gardens of the hotel and towards the sea. What could Alex possibly have managed to cook up since this morning?
When it was time to go, I checked my hair and the dress in the mirror. I’d never felt so confident: never felt so comfortable in my own skin. And for a moment, I let myself believe that things really were going to be all right. I stopped worrying about Jared, stopped worrying about the engagement, and stopped worrying about the baby.
I went out of my room and into the elevator. It was strangely deserted, and I knew there were at least two ways to get up to the roof. Still, something wasn’t quite right, as I watched the numbers glow above the elevator door, all the way to the top.
The elevator bell rang, and the doors slid open.
I stepped out and walked through the flowery trellis which shielded me from the sun. As I did, I opened my mouth in amazement. A champagne cork popped.
“Surprise!” bellowed a chorus of voices.
There were people, all around me. Distinguished men and women in lightweight evening suits and tuxes. Beyond the crowd surrounding the trellis, I could see fairy lights, faint and glowing in the evening sun, casting gentle shades of pink and purple over the roof. There were tables with white cloth, loaded with lavish and expensive-looking platters of food. Roasted ducks, glorious salads, everything piled high and looking abundant.
And beyond them, around by the side of the pool, a man lifted his hand, and the band began to play. The sultry, beautiful sounds of saxophones and a piano’s notes began to fill the air.
Coming out of the crowd, I saw Alex. He was dressed for the occasion, in a beautiful jacquard tuxedo. In his hand, he held two glasses of champagne. There was applause, and cheers, and shouts, as he stepped up to stand next to me, and handed me a glass.
“What on earth is this!” I said, and as I did, an enormous swooping roar filled the skies, and I saw a helicopter circling low over the far side of the hotel’s roof terrace. It was touching down on a helipad, and I could see more people getting out in dinner jackets.
“A little surprise for us,” growled Alex, as he clinked his glass against mine. There was a flurry of pictures, clicking and flashing, as a few photographers captured the moment. In wild-eyed astonishment, Alex is grinning and looking at me.
The band had kicked off with an old Sinatra song, the one which goes “I get no kicks from champagne …” I looked around, and Alex took my free hand and we stepped into the crowd.
“Lena,” said Alex, “meet Arnold Hammond. The governor of Hawaii.”
“Oh, my lord,” I said, reaching out to shake the hand of the tall, greying man in a sharp suit who stood next to me.
“I have to say, Miss Chambers, your fiancé certainly knows how to throw a party.”
“When did you get here?” I said, bewildered. “Isn’t your office in Honolulu?”
