As usual, Evelyn’s sense of time slipped away, and she was halfway through her fourth shelf when the Lounge door swung open.
“Breakfast was a complete success,” Sonya said as she sank into an armchair. “The guests are back in their rooms, probably in food comas by now.”
Evelyn nodded, dusted a copy of King Lear, and placed it on the shelf. “I’ll keep working in here, then. Could you and Tammy sweep the patio and Gazebo?”
Sonya leaned forward, a sly grin on her face. “You can’t stay here. You need to give a tour.”
Evelyn shifted on the ladder to face Sonya. “But I thought you said the guests were in their rooms.”
“Not for a guest. For a visitor.”
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. “We don’t do visitor tours in the morning. You know that.”
Sonya stood and took the feather duster from her manager. “I think you’ll make an exception for this visitor.”
7
If the other employees saw Evelyn running like a preschooler at recess, she’d lose every ounce of their respect, so she waited until she was inside the secret hallway before breaking into a run. Sonya hadn’t told her who was waiting for her in the lobby, but her body language spoke louder than words. Reaching the doorway marked “Lobby,” she pulled on the iron ring. From inside the lobby, it would look like a section of wall had suddenly vanished, but the visitor was facing away, so he didn’t notice. Evelyn pulled the secret door shut by gripping a section of black walnut trim and tugging. The well-oiled hinges didn’t make a sound.
Smiling, Evelyn crept toward the visitor. She stopped less than three feet away, then cleared her throat to get his attention.
Alek jumped like a startled cat and spun around. He gripped his chest with his right hand and said, “Jeeze, Evelyn, you could kill someone, sneaking up like that.”
She liked the way he said her name, as if they’d known each other for years. With her confidence bolstered by the familiar surroundings, she said, “I’m sorry, it’s just my natural poise and grace—it makes me float on the air like a dove.”
Alek chuckled and dug his hands into his pockets. “Thanks for coming to see me. I hope it’s not weird for me to show up unannounced.”
“It’s not weird at all. We get visitors all the time. Although, we don’t normally give tours in the morning.”
“That’s okay.” Alek scratched his neck and studied the cherrywood floor. “I actually came here for two reasons. One was to apologize. I shouldn’t have made things weird on Saturday, and I definitely shouldn’t have run out like that. The second was to ask you if you would still like to be friends. I promise I won’t get between you and Donny, and I think we could—”
“You can stop right there,” Evelyn said, holding up a hand and turning crimson with embarrassment. “Donny and I are not a couple. We never have been.”
Alek’s mouth hung open, and his brow furrowed. It took him a long moment to get the words out. “You’re not? I mean…you’re single?” He pinched the bridge of his nose and scolded himself under his breath. “Are you single?”
Evelyn’s heart danced in her chest. She had thought she would never speak to Alek again, and then he had appeared in the lobby like a gift. “Yes. And I’d like to be friends, too. For starters, anyway.”
“That’s—that’s great. Wow, I feel like an idiot, and an even bigger jerk for leaving you at the restaurant.”
A small crowd had gathered at the borders of the lobby. Employees pretended to admire the decor while they secretly eavesdropped on the juicy conversation taking place at the center of the room.
“You shouldn’t,” Evelyn said. She nodded toward the back of the room. “Come with me, and I’ll explain everything.” She led him across the lobby, down a hallway, and into a sun room at the rear of the mansion. The air was thick with humidity, but the sun had yet to heat central Kentucky into a sweltering sauna. Evelyn offered a wicker chair to Alek then sat on a porch swing across from him.
“Donny and I go way back,” she explained. “He’s like a brother to me, which can be good and bad.”
Alek nodded to show he was listening, though his gaze roved the immaculate courtyard.
“He’s normally supportive, and he’s never done anything like he did at the restaurant. I think he panicked when he heard I was meeting someone from the city, and he lashed out.” She shook her head. “He was trying to protect me, but he crossed the line.”
Alek met her gaze and offered a sympathetic smile. “Have you talked to him about it?”
“I talked to him Saturday night, and he didn’t even apologize. He gave a few lame excuses and said he was protecting me from myself.” The memory of the conversation made Evelyn burn with anger, and she crossed her arms.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Alek said quietly. “I hope you two can work things out.”
“Maybe later. Right now, I don’t even want to talk to him.”
Alek’s face fell. “I’m so sorry. Good friends are hard to find, and the last thing I want to do is jeopardize your relationship with Donny.”
“No,” Evelyn said, reaching out and placing her hand on his, “you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a grown woman and I make my own choices. Donny needs to respect that.” She leaned back, and the swing began to sway. “I’m the one who should apologize—I invited him to dinner.”
“For what it’s worth, I was having a really nice time for those first…” he squinted. “Ten minutes or so.”
Evelyn’s let out a warm and genuine laugh. “I was, too. Do you think we could try it again some time? Without Donny or Vanessa, of course.”
“Or Mark,” Alek added. “He’s a mess. He called me this morning to complain about having to sleep on the couch.”
“Really?”
“Yep. And I told him if he doesn’t want to sleep on the couch, he shouldn’t drool over another woman in front of his wife.” He stared out the screened window for a moment, watching a goldfinch at a bird feeder. Then he jolted in his seat and looked at Evelyn. “Sorry, I’m a bit out of it today. Yes, I’d love to.”
Evelyn frowned. “What?”
“Yes, I’d love to have dinner with you again.”
Her frown vanished, and she twirled the hair dangling beside her ear. “When are you free?”
“For you, every day. The clinic closes at five, so I’m free any time after that. How about you?”
She thought for a moment then shrugged. “I work odd hours. I get here around sunrise and stay until ten o’clock some nights, but I can take as many breaks as I’d like between mealtimes.”
Alek surveyed the sun room and the courtyard. “What if I met you here for dinner? I can’t think of a nicer place to spend my free time.”
The suggestion warmed Evelyn’s skin from head to toe, like settling into a warm bath in winter. She loved the Kensington Estate, and she regularly spent time roaming the halls while off-the-clock. “That would be wonderful. Are you sure the drive out from the city doesn’t bother you?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. It’s worth it to be in the presence of such beauty.” Grinning, he added, “By that I mean the architecture, of course.”
She felt her cheeks turning rosy. “Of course.”
Alek stood and offered his hand to Evelyn. “Would I seem desperate if I came here tomorrow evening?”