“So what are you going to do tonight?” Anita asked as they drove back towards the city. The evening light had mellowed into a soft, amber glow, settling over the buildings like a diaphanous veil.
“My cousin is taking me out for dinner.”
“Jack? He’s very handsome. Is he married?”
“Yes. He has three children. They live on a vineyard in Franschhoek. I’m going to stay the weekend at the end of my tour.”
“Oh, that’s where you’re going. I knew you were off somewhere. You’ll love Franschhoek; it’s really beautiful.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Once again she nudged Anna to the back of her mind.
“Do you ride?”
“It’s been a while. But hopefully it’s like riding a bicycle—you never forget.”
“I’m glad you’re having time to see a bit of our countryside while you’re here.”
“Oh, I couldn’t just dip in and out, and family’s family. I couldn’t leave without spending time with Jack.”
Anita dropped her off outside the hotel, and she hurried up the steps, two at a time. A pair of uniformed doormen opened the doors, and she burst into the foyer, where Jack stood up to meet her. He dropped his newspaper on the coffee table and grinned broadly, striding towards her. She ran into his embrace without a care for who might be in the room. He kissed her ardently, enchanted by her enthusiasm.
“How did it go?”
“It was amazing. All the children had dressed up as my characters, and they had decorated the restaurant like a big, slimy cave. They had gone to so much trouble.”
“Wow! You’ve hit the big time.”
“I’m a big fish in a teacup.”
“Better than no fish.”
“I’m a hungry fish.” She noticed he had changed out of his suit into a pair of jeans and a green polo shirt. “Where are you staying?”
“Here.”
“No, I mean, where have you put your things?”
“Here.” He shrugged casually. “I’ve taken a room here, too.”
“You’ve got it all planned, haven’t you!”
“A dog needs to know where he’s going to lay his head at night.”
“But you know you’re laying it next to mine.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d want me to.”
“After London?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to take you for granted.”
“That’s very gallant of you.”
“Of course. I’ve managed to entice you here—the last thing I want to do is scare you away.”
He led her into the street, where a taxi awaited them. The sun had dipped behind the buildings, leaving a gentle heat. The African driver got out to open the door, and they climbed in. Jack took her hand. The way he looked at her was almost bashful.
“I’m very happy you’re here, Angelica Garner.”
“I’m happy to be here, Jack.”
“I never believed you’d come.”
“It was a fluke.”
“Or destiny.”
“Perhaps.”
“I can’t really believe you’ve pulled it off. I dreamed of this, but never expected it to come true.”
“Dreams so often don’t.”
“Have you made up with Olivier?”
“No, I’m still angry with him.” She shuffled closer. “Let’s not talk about Olivier, or Anna, or our children. Let’s enjoy this short time we have together. I want to enjoy being this fabulous woman I am when I’m with you.”
“Do I make you feel fabulous?”
“Yes, I feel sensual, liberated, witty, sexy, alive. I feel bigger and better than I do when I’m me.”
“You’re still you, my darling,” he said, laughing at her exuberance. “You are all of those things. They have always been part of you. If you focus on your right arm hard enough, you forget that your left arm exists. That’s all it is. You’re focusing so hard on being Angelica that you’ve failed to notice the Sage beneath.”
“You’ve brought her out. Imagine how many people go through life without discovering all that they can be.”
“We all have the potential to be many things. But life might not necessarily give us the opportunity to play those parts.”
“I’m glad it’s given me the opportunity to play this part, even if it’s just for a week.”
“The secret to happiness is living in the moment.”
“I know,” she teased, rolling her eyes. “It’s all there is.”
Jack took her to a cozy little restaurant in the center of town. It didn’t matter if he bumped into someone he knew for he had already told his wife he was going to take her out for dinner. Angelica didn’t understand their marriage. Surely, no self-respecting wife would allow her husband to fly to another city to take a woman out for dinner. She wondered what story he had concocted and how easily she had swallowed it.