A Seal Upon Your Heart

Chapter 9

"You sure you don't want anything to eat?" Jane and Dhakiya were walking the short distance to a nearby pub. Her friend had offered to meet her downtown for drinks. Jane didn't want to drink, but she wouldn't mind having a soda or something.

"I am stuffed," Jane said. "I cannot even tell you the wonderful food that I had to eat. I don't know the names of the dishes but they were so good! Tim bought us lunch at a place called Shanghai Mama's and I had no idea what to order, so I had what he had: a huge bowl of noodles with chicken and vegetables in some type of sauce. Then there was an eggroll and lastly sesame chicken wings!"

"You ate all of that?" Dhakiya asked in amazement.

Jane covered her smiling face. "It's bad. I'm a glutton. But I ate every bite."

Her friend smiled. "Tim? You call your boss by his first name?"

"Yes. But he requires it. He says, 'You are to call me Tim and I will call you Jane,'" she mocked playfully. The two friends chuckled.

"What's he like?"

Jane thought about that for a moment. "Well, he's tall, like the men back home, but big too, and very formidable. He seems very … white. Lots of thick white hair that is badly in need of a trimming, and white skin. He frowns a lot, but I don't think it's because he's a bad or a mean person."

Dhakiya squinted. "Why do you say that?"?

Jane shrugged. "Just a hunch." She thought about the picture on his desk and the smile he had for the pretty lady. Maybe tomorrow when things weren't quite so hectic, she would see his more pleasant face.

They sat for only about an hour and Jane spent most of it talking about her job and Jen and how the young woman had told all of her business. Then Dhakiya drove her back to the school and asked her about the books and music. Jane answered honestly that it was difficult to find the privacy to enjoy them. She offered to return them.

"Consider them a small gift," Dhakiya said. "But one thing …"

Jane raised her brow in question.

"Read the poetry out loud. I know you won't be able to find a place to do so in the school but try, okay?"

Jane smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Sister."

They made plans to get together on Friday, and Dhakiya made her promise not to fill up on her rich boss' food. "I'm going to cook for you and you will be able to meet my love, Rodney. You will love him as well. He's absolutely wonderful and has two very handsome brothers …" Dhakiya's brow went up suggestively.

Jane's eyes got wide. "No! Don't invite the brothers—"?

Dhakiya chuckled. "No, just you me and Rodney … for now."

Jane relaxed. "Thank you." She leaned in and kissed her. "Bye, Sis."

"Turongera."?

Jane checked the time and noted that everyone would be gathering in the small church for devotion. She hurried to meet them and added Jen and Tim to her prayers.

II

Tim walked past Jakob Marx's pretty secretary.

"Hello, Mr. Singleton."

"Is the old bird in?"

The girl smiled. "Yes. Go right in."

Tim knocked once before letting himself in without waiting for a response.

Marx looked up from his computer, and Tim took the chair opposite him, leaning back and regarding the ceiling.

"Singleton. And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Tim raised a brow, his eyes still lazily on the ceiling. "Dinner, Saturday, you and your wife. We'll begin with a round of golf at your country club. After dinner we'll have some drinks, casual conversation, then I'll go home and you and Elaina will leave me alone for another month."

Jakob regarded his friend. "Elaina's going to want to introduce you to a 'friend.'"

Tim's eyes moved to the man who had been his best friend for the last twenty-five years. "Absolutely out of the question."

"Elaina calls you a 'wonderful man' and she has a 'wonderful friend' and thinks that you two will have a 'wonderful time' getting to know each other. I've tried very hard to convince her that you are neither wonderful … nor even very interesting." Jakob hid a grin as he spoke. "But for some odd reason she's convinced that you actually are worthy of her attention."

Jakob stood. He wasn't nearly as tall as Tim, and where Tim was brawny, Jakob was more athletically built. Once upon a time Tim had cared about such things and he felt a moment of shame that he'd allowed his once toned body to soften.

Jakob seemed in deep concentration as he paced. "Now the female in question does actually fit into the arena of 'wonderful.'" At this he peeked at Tim who at least continued to watch him. "However, I wouldn't think that sitting down at dinner with her constitutes any pressure for … dating."

Tim almost gagged as he straightened in his seat. "Not the D-word. I don't want to f*****g hear the D-word."

Jakob held up his hands innocently. "I said there is no pressure in that direction. Dinner, a few drinks after, along with some casual conversation."

The muscles in Tim's jaw clenched. It was more reflexive than anything else, and once he realized he was doing it he relaxed. "Remove golfing at the country club, and just dinner with … Miss Wonderful present and we have a deal."

Jakob stood before him, staring down in disapproval. "Have you thought about hitting the gym?"

"What are you saying? That I'm fat?" Now he was becoming offended.

"No. But you will be in about another six months at the rate you're going."

Tim scowled and muttered something about plans to hit the treadmill, and then he stood and left.

"Seven sharp, Saturday."

Tim raised his hand dismissively before disappearing into the elevator.

III

The next day Jane carried her book to work. She planned to go outside and sit in the pavilion and read aloud to herself. Something moved through her that caused her to frown briefly. Why should she have to sneak away to read a book of poems? Why should she be afraid that one of the sisters would see her? She couldn't wait until she had the money to leave the place that was beginning to feel more and more like a prison!