Delayed Reaction

For all intents and purposes that ended the meeting. There were some wrap-up comments from John, but it was past five before the now-enthusiastic sales staff would let Doogie, Clary or me go. We were bombarded with questions, most of them relating to when they would see the results in the field. We stuck to our original answers that it would be a year in the making but it would be worth the wait. I could see the impatient looks on their faces, but thankful ones as well.

There was a wrap-up dinner planned for seven o'clock and I debated going home and changing, but decided against it. We had arranged a hospitality suite upstairs in the hotel and I decided I should make an appearance. Siobhan went home to change and Doogie went home to pick up Sassy. She had been invited along with some of the other executive wives. Wray's wife Marion, John's Gwen, Clary's Jeanette, and Lynda's Darren would be joined by Siobhan and me.

I stood in the hospitality suite listening to the now noisy group talk. I heard the excitement and anticipation of the group and that was really heartening. We had energized our people with our plan and it was a shot in the arm for me and I know it was for Doogie as well.

This was my seventh or eighth meeting of this kind; I couldn't remember which, but my first as vice president. I had been uptight knowing what was at stake and now I was coming down from that. I warned myself not to get too far into the Scotch. It wouldn't do to get drunk right now, no matter how much the idea might have appealed to me. I wasn't much of a drinker to start with and I knew my limit.

I was half listening to a conversation between two salesmen when they turned to me.

"Do you have any idea how important that one thing is to us?" he asked.

I wasn't sure exactly what he was referring to, but I assumed it was Doogie's plan.

"We needed something to grow with and yes, we know how important it is," I smiled.

"No ... I mean having everyone on board with it. It's the first time I can remember that everyone was solid with the strategy. I mean Hoffer, Henderson, Clary, you, Powell, the whole works. Man that felt good."

It hadn't occurred to me how that resonated with the staff people, but now I knew. It wasn't just the "Chinese Solution," it was the idea that everyone from top to bottom was marching the in same direction. When I thought about it, he was right. It was something to savour and remember. It may have been an unplanned side effect, but it was an important one. I wondered how many others realized it.

Siobhan arrived just before we were to go down to dinner and declined a glass of wine. There would be some at the table she said. It would have been a tight fit around our table but Wray's wife was a no-show. Apparently not feeling well, he said. Everyone else was feeling just fine it seemed. I had met them all before, but it was always nice to see Gwen Hoffer and Darren Powell. They were two of my favorite people.

We were sitting closely together and as the dessert plates were removed and coffee was offered, I leaned back in my chair and relaxed. John and Gwen were circulating among the group acknowledging all the visitors from near and far. Doogie and Sassy were holding court at the Manchester table, renewing old acquaintances. Wray had disappeared and I wouldn't have been surprised if he had left since his wife wasn't there. He'd had more than a couple of drinks I noticed.

I'm not sure what prompted it, but I did something completely unexpected. Siobhan was sitting with her hands in her lap, talking to Lynda and Darren. To this day I don't know what came over me, but I put my right hand on her left and squeezed it gently. When I realized what I had done, I almost jerked it away in alarm, but before I could act, she put her left hand on top of mine and gave it a gentle squeeze as well.

She was still talking with the Powells and hadn't reacted when I touched her. It was as if it was an everyday occurrence that she expected. I couldn't very well pull my hand away even though it was hidden beneath the tablecloth. The truth was, I didn't want to. I sat, turned slightly toward the other three and listened to the conversation, all the while with my hand captured by hers on her thigh.

When Siobhan shifted in her seat and removed her hand from mine, I took the opportunity to withdraw and hope I hadn't offended her. I didn't think anyone had seen the little drama, but Siobhan certainly was aware. When John and Gwen returned to the table the conversation switched and neither she nor I were involved in it. It wasn't a minute later than I felt her hand on mine again, this time on my thigh.

It was such a gentle touch that it was no difficulty to turn my hand over and clasp hers. I squeezed it softly and she returned the gesture. I couldn't blame it on the liquor. I'd had one Scotch before dinner and one glass of wine during the meal. I didn't have any excuse. What part of me was thinking it was okay for me to violate one of my hard-and-fast rules. I didn't get involved with women at the office. But tonight, I'd stepped over the line. Why?

The party was starting to break up. Some of the people were heading back to the hospitality suite and some were on their way home. I looked at Siobhan and saw something that told me where we were going. Her eyes were shining and she was smiling and I was lost. Right then and there, I was lost. I rose, still holding her hand, said our "good nights" and walked out of the room, still holding her hand. This time, I didn't give a damn who noticed.

There was a cab stand in front of the hotel and luckily there were a couple of unoccupied units. I held the door for Siobhan and slid in behind her. I was about to give the driver her address when she gave him mine.

"Are you sure?" I asked, not positive I knew what I was asking.

"Very sure," she smiled, that special look in her eyes still there. I didn't know how to interpret that look then, but I do now.

I paid the driver when we arrived at my building and I helped her out of the car, holding the door for her as we entered the lobby. There hadn't been a word said beyond my question and her answer in the cab. We rode the elevator to the ninth floor and again I held the door for her as she walked into my apartment. I helped her with her coat and after hanging it up I turned back to her only to find her standing right in front of me.

It was that "look" again. It was searching, almost pleading. I bent my head slightly and kissed her softly on her lips. I drew back, saw her eyebrows rise, and I kissed her again. This time her arms went around me and held me tightly. This one wasn't going to end so soon.

We stood there in each other's embrace for several minutes, kissing and holding each other, but not saying anything. I had no idea what to do next until Siobhan spoke.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do this?"

"Do what?" I asked like a dummy.

"Hold you, kiss you, have you make love to me."

"Tell me. Tell me how long," I said softly.

"Since the day you went to Wray's office and yelled at him about making me cry."

"Oh ... that. I thought it might be something more romantic than that," I kidded.

"Nothing is more romantic than a man risking everything to protect his woman."

"What makes you think you were my woman then?"

"Your eyes. The way you looked at me. The way you talked to me. The way you treated me. It was very possessive," she said in a sexy murmur.

"I had no idea."

"I know. That's what nearly drove me crazy. I was falling in love with you and I couldn't get you to respond."

"I'm not supposed to fall in love with my staff."

"Says who?"

"Says me. It's one of my rules."

"Well, your rules are out the window now, Cameron MacDonald. Now that I've finally got you to admit you love me, I'm not letting you go."

"Who said I was in love with you?" I teased.

"You did. You did it every way except with words."

"You are taking an awful lot for granted Ms. Mulcahy." I wasn't trying to torture her, but I wanted everything out in the open.

"Tell me you don't love me," she challenged.

"No ... I won't. I can't," I grinned.

She flew into my arms once more. This time there were tears and I began to think I might have pushed her a bit too far.

"I love you, Siobhan Mulcahy. I'm breaking every rule I ever had about office romances only because I love you," I said, looking at her as the tears continued to trickle down her lovely cheeks.

She buried her face in my chest, nicely dampening my shirt in the process. I couldn't have cared less. I had finally admitted to myself that I was in love for the first time in my life. If someone had asked me yesterday if I'd ever been in love, I'd have told them "Sure, a few years ago." Now I knew that I was wrong. This was the first time and it was the only one that counted.

As much as I had fantasized about what she would look like naked, my imagination was no match for the reality. She was amazing. Her five-foot nothing height was composed of every flawless female curve that an artist could conceive. Vargas would have spent hours trying to recreate her perfection. Now, I was using my hands, my fingers, my lips and tongue to trace every line.

We were perfect together. I'm sure every guy says that about his woman, but I don't think they could ever find two people more compatible than we were. We made love twice before we succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep in each other's arms. I awoke once in the middle of the night to find her curled up to me, holding me closely to her and snoring softly. I'd forgotten how peaceful and wonderful that felt. I was asleep again soon afterward.

When I awoke Saturday morning, our positions had been reversed. I was tucked up behind her, my arm around her with my hand on a soft, warm breast. My reaction was automatic as I felt my erection grow, tucked as it was between the cheeks of her magnificent ass. She must have felt it because she stirred and stretched and yawned and rolled toward me, pulling me close to her.

"G'mornin' lover," she mumbled.

"Good morning to you," I replied, kissing her forehead as she burrowed further into me.

I felt her small, delicate hand wrap around my cock and squeeze.

"That for me?"

"Mostly," I chuckled.

"Whaz that mean?" She really wasn't fully awake yet.

"I need to use the bathroom first. I'll be right back."

"Hmmm. Don't be long."

When I returned she was sound asleep once more. Considering she was an early riser, I made the assumption that she was coming down from a great deal of tension and really needed her sleep. I watched her for a few moments as she lay there, beautiful in every way a woman can be. I stepped quietly to my closet and took out a robe before heading for the kitchen, closing the bedroom door behind me.

I drank some orange juice, made a pot of coffee, had a banana and sat in my favorite chair in the living room. Saturday in Vancouver on a rainy November morning wasn't my favorite scene. It was still quite dark at eight o'clock thanks to the low cloud and a late rising sun. I could still see English Bay, but the mountains were hidden by those clouds.

This particular Saturday morning was different. The gloom didn't get to me. It couldn't alter that feeling of bliss and contentment that overwhelmed me last night and again this morning. I was happier than I can ever remember and Siobhan was the reason. I was in love and I knew now just what it felt like. For the first time in my life, I was really alive.

I put my head back and was almost dozing when the phone rang. I moved to pick it up quickly, hoping it wouldn't disturb Siobhan.

"Hello," I said quietly.

"Cam, it's me, Doogie."

"Yes, Doogie. What are you doing up so early this morning?"

"I got a call from one of my mates on the local constabulary a while ago. Wray Henderson was picked up last night in a raid on some house in the east end. He was caught in possession of some restricted drugs while he was busy buggering a rent boy at the time."

"What the hell is a rent boy?"

"A juvenile male prostitute," he answered with some heat.

"Oh shit," I said, a thousand things going through my mind.

"Oh shit is right. He'll likely be up for bail this morning, but I wonder what charges they might lay. I guess that's up to the crown, isn't it?"

"Yeah ... you're probably right. Oh man, this isn't good, Doogie. It isn't good at all. I wonder what Marion will do?" I asked, almost to myself.

"He'll be lucky if she doesn't nut him," Doogie said with no humour at all.

"What the hell should I do?"

"You might phone John and give him a heads up. He's an early bird like us."

"How did you find out about this?" I asked.

"Like I said, I've got a mate on the VPD. Ex-London copper with the Met. He saw Wray's business card when he took his wallet and did a search. He remembered I worked at Emerald and tipped me the wink. Wray's still in there as of a few minutes ago."

"Okay, I'll call John. Thanks for letting me know, Doogie. I'll get back to you if I hear anything new."

I hung up and sat there wondering what the hell Wray had done. Restricted drugs and a male prostitute? What would Marion think?

I punched in John's home number after looking it up in my company directory.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, John. It's Cam MacDonald."

"Yes, Cam. What's up?"

"I had a call from Doug Cruickshank a few minutes ago. He's been told that Wray Henderson was arrested last night for possession of restricted drugs and ... he was ... having sex with a juvenile boy."

"What! Are you sure?"

"Doug's got a friend on the force and he called him to let him know what was happening. Wray's in the city lockup as of a few minutes ago. There will probably be a bail hearing, but I'm not sure when."

"How did this guy know to call Doug?"

"They did a search and found Wray's business card. It matched his I.D. I guess."

I heard a deep sigh on the end of the phone line.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, John, but I thought you would want to know."

"Yes ... yes, of course. I'll have to get in touch with our lawyers and see what they can find out. I'd better call Marion too. She'll be in quite a state I imagine."

"Is there anything I can do ... or should do?"

"I can't think of anything now, Cam. Let me talk to our lawyers and I'll let you know if there's something that needs to be done. In the meantime, if Doug hears any more, let me know."

"Yes, of course. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens then."

"I'm afraid you're right. But ... this isn't good ... for Wray or for the company."

We signed off and I hung up the phone. I'd barely put it down when I felt two small arms wrap around my waist and a voluptuous body press up to my back.

"What was that all about?" she said, now fully awake.

"Something I'm having a hard time believing," I said, turning to face her.

I told her the story and watched her face as it registered shock and bewilderment.

"Are you sure that's the Wray Henderson we know?"

"Yeah ... Doogie's sure. He had his business cards on him."

"Oh my God," she breathed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I never liked the man but I never dreamed he might be a ... pervert."

"I don't think any of us did, dear. I'm as mystified as you are. John is deeply shocked. He's known Wray the longest of any of us and if he didn't know about his private life then none of us would."

"What about his wife?"

I shook my head. "I don't know what Marion will do or think. It will be devastating to her, I'm sure."

We went through the motions for the rest of the morning. I heard nothing more from either Doogie or John, so I assumed there was nothing to tell. I drove Siobhan to her apartment and convinced her to pick up some clothes for tomorrow and stay with me tonight. I didn't have to try very hard for her to agree.

We went to Granville Island Market to do some shopping before returning to my apartment. The sky had lightened a bit and it looked like there might be a break in the weather before too long. There were no messages on my machine when we got back and no one had tried to call me on my cell phone.

"I woke up this morning feeling as good as I have ever felt in my life," I told Siobhan as I held her in my arms that afternoon. "One phone call has completely messed up that mood."

"Does that mean you don't love me any more," she teased.

"You know better than that," I grunted as I began to tickle her rib cage.

"Stop ... stop ... I'll pee myself," she laughed as she fought me off.

I stopped and pulled her into my arms and kissed her passionately. I was trying to make up for lost time. I don't know when I fell in love with her, but I knew exactly when I realized it. When I put my hand on hers last evening and didn't want to remove it, I knew.

"Have I told you today that I love you?"

"No, but you can now if you want."

"I love you, Siobhan. I probably have for some time but needed a kick in the butt to have me realize it."

"What kick in the butt?"

"Okay, it's just a metaphor. What I'm trying to say is that I've been in love with you for a while and just didn't understand it. It's all new, as it turns out. It's nothing I've ever felt before, even thought I thought I had. Does that make sense?"

"I think so. You thought you were in love before, but until I came along, you didn't know what love really was. That about it?"

"Well, that sounds kind of clinical and cold, but yeah ... that's about it."

"Okay ... now that we've got that over with, what's next," she grinned.

"This is the part I'm definitely not going to screw up," I said carefully. "This is the part where we go to the jewellers and pick out a ring and then I get down on one knee and propose marriage. Naturally, you say yes."

"You got it all backwards, Cameron. First you propose. Then, if I say yes, and I do mean if, we get a ring." She was poking me with her finger as she spoke.

Two can play this game, I thought.

"When do you think would be the most favourable time for me to propose?"

"Anytime you want, my darling man, but don't wait too long. Someone else may come along and steal my heart away."

I untangled myself from her, got down on one knee in front of her, took her hand in mine and said, "My dear Siobhan. I love you with all my heart. Will you be my bride and mother of our children?"

I saw her eyes go wide when I mentioned children. I thought maybe I'd put my foot in it.

"Children, huh," she said, recovering her composure. "How many?"

"As many as you'd like, but two at least, please," I said, getting in the spirit of things.

"Mulcahys are famous for large families ... at least that's what I'm told," she said with an arched eyebrow.

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"One of each," she grinned.

"So, that would be three. I think three would be a very nice sized family."

"Then it's settled. We'll marry and have three children. When would you like to start," she said, trying desperately to keep a straight face.

"I thought we already had."

She slipped down off the recliner and into my arms.

"Yes, Cameron MacDonald. I will marry you. I will have our children with you. We will live happily ever after," she finished with her lips now plastered tightly to mine.

Chapter 6 A Soft Landing

Ramona Leiter looked up as I approached John's office.

"He's expecting you," she said without expression.

"Thanks," I said, recognizing she was aware of the seriousness of my visit.

I knocked and entered, seeing the drawn look on John Hoffer as he sat behind his desk. He rose and gestured toward the small table off to the side with comfortable chairs surrounding it. I moved toward it and selected a seat.

"Thank you for coming so promptly, Cam. This is a very distressing situation. I haven't had a lot of time to think about all the ramifications that can fall from this but here's what I know."