Whitewater Rendezvous

This client that’s so…annoying. Do you mean annoying as in ‘getting under your skin’?”

“Jeez, Sally. Lay off already, would ya?” Chaz got out of the van and headed toward the lodge.

“I bet I get it fi gured out within twenty-four hours,” Sally predicted as she trotted up the steps behind her friend.

Of course Megan would be the only client in the lobby. She was back in the same chair she’d been in that morning, this time with her attention on a book. They had to go right by her to get to their rooms.

We can’t just ignore her. Chaz dearly hoped her blush wouldn’t worsen with Sally on high alert. And even more than that, she prayed that Megan wouldn’t notice her embarrassment. Get a grip.

Megan looked up as they approached. She glanced at Chaz only briefl y before turning her full attention to Sally. She gave her a big smile. “Hi, Sally. How was the graduation?”

“My kind of ceremony.” Sally paused in front of Megan’s chair.

“Short and sweet and all concerned straight to the nearest Irish pub after. So I heard you did an Eskimo roll today. Congratulations.”

“Yes. Thanks.” Megan glanced at Chaz, but when their eyes met she promptly looked away again and back at Sally. “I’m not entirely certain I could do it again, but I did manage it.”

“You’ll do some more,” Chaz said. “I want everyone to do a few while we’re in the slower water. We’ll have a couple more rolling sessions in the early stretches of the river after we set up camp.”

Megan glanced down at her watch. “It’s nearly dinner time.” As she got to her feet she shot Sally another smile. “I’m going back to my room to wash up. Looking forward to getting to know you, Sally. See you in a few minutes?”

“Yup. See you in a bit.”

“Bye,” Chaz added, but Megan was already heading away from them. She didn’t look back, and she didn’t acknowledge the farewell.

“My stuff still in the conference room?” Sally asked.

Chaz stared after Megan for several moments, bothered by the fact that she’d seemed much warmer to Sally right from the start. She was positively effervescent, compared to how she was when it was only the two of them. What gives?

She suddenly realized Sally was waiting for an answer. “I’m sorry, what?”

• 65 •

KIM BALDWIN

“I said, is my gear still in the conference room?”

“Yeah, do you have your key?”

Sally dug in her pockets. “Nope. Must be in my bag. Can I borrow yours?”

“Why am I not surprised?” Chaz fi shed for her key. Being organized was not Sally’s strong point.

“So which one is the rude one that’s got you all hot and bothered?

You going to tell me?”

“Knock it off.” Chaz handed her the key. “Please?”

“‘Fraid not, chum. This is the fi rst time I’ve ever seen you even mildly interested in someone. It’s especially intriguing that you seemed to be repulsed by her even as you are attracted to her.”

“I wouldn’t say repulsed,” Chaz blurted out before she could stop herself.

“Aha! I knew it!”

“Oh, shit.”

Sally was laughing now. “Okay, who is it?”

“I have things to do,” Chaz lied. “And so do you. I’m going to my room.” She headed off in that direction.

“You can escape for now,” Sally relented. “But we’re not fi nished!”

she hollered after her.

Dinner only served to reinforce Chaz’s growing perception that it wasn’t that Megan was distant and rude. It was that she was distant and rude to her. Megan was chatty and charming and animated at dinner, down there at the other end of the table between Justine and Sally. She had arrived last and had taken the farthest seat she could from Chaz.

Was that deliberate? So she could get away with not having to say aword to me all evening?

Over the next hour while the women lingered over drinks and dessert, Chaz sat brooding, observing Megan and amazed at the transformation. The woman who had spent the previous night staring out the window seemed interested in anything and everything tonight, engaging everyone in sparkling conversation. Everyone, that is, but her. Megan ignored her all evening, ignored her so absolutely and completely that she wondered how it was possible that not a single person at the table seemed to notice.

• 66 •

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14