Providence Ch. 08

SEPTEMBER 2023

"Yes, ma'am. Any breakout sessions you'd like to attend will be in this program. Welcome to the conference and we hope you have a wonderful time," said Mari.

Conference season was here. Most of the work she and the rest of the staff had done culminated in a week-long conference, with attendees from all over the world. Nine months had flown by, thanks in no small part to the amount of work required to pull off this event.

Of course, she deliberately ensured her days were occupied. She made sure her family's final affairs were squared away, which took her a month. Normally, she'd be impatient and restless within that timetable, but this time she'd welcomed it. Then, she'd asked for her old position back, then busied herself in car research.

Afterwards, she'd gone ahead and packed up the house even before she listed it. Then, house hunting and moving. All of these endeavors took up all of those eight months. Her wedding anniversary in July was all but forgotten as she was knee-deep in conference preparation.

She hadn't realized it until a week later, during which she promptly asked for a day, then sat in her new house and cried for what seemed like the entire weekend.

Now, she was here, working on her birthday weekend. She didn't feel the need to celebrate; besides, all her birthdays before were filled with Kenzo and the kids, and she didn't want to dwell on that loss any more.

"Ma'am...?" a man looked quizzically at her as she snapped back to her current station.

"Oh, sir, I apologize... Good morning! What's the name on your registration?" she asked sheepishly.

The man, imposing and tall with broad shoulders, was dressed casually in a sport jacket and slacks. He had dirty blond hair, dark green eyes and an easy smile. A smile which disarmed Mari for a minute.

"It should be under James Kuyper. I guess we all need some coffee, huh? 7:30 am is a little early for a conference," he chuckled, smiling at her.

She looked down at her watch. "Well, it feels like noon to me. I've been here since 4:30. Ah... here we go, James Kuyper," she said, handing him his badge.

He glanced at her left hand as he received his identification, and glanced back up at her.

"Have you had coffee, Ms. Foster...?" he asked, looking at her name badge.

"I've had two cups, already, James Kuyper," she smiled at him distractedly, glancing behind him at a growing line of people.

"Oh, my apologies, I'm holding up the line. Well, it was nice to meet you, Mari Foster. See you around!" he quipped, standing out of the way.

He walked away just as Natalie leaned over and stage whispered, "I think he likes you!"

Mari looked at her, horrified. "Wait, what? No! I was just giving him his badge!"

Natalie shook her head as she searched for an attendee's badge. "Mar, I know you're clueless when it comes to these things, but trust me... he liked you. You didn't see the way he was positively BEAMING at you?"

She shook her head. "No... I thought he was just being nice. Lots of people are that way in here, Nat. It is a Christian conference, y'know."

"Okay, whatever you say. Just know two things: he's not the first one to flirt with you. You're just in work mode and too busy to notice or care. Two: watch. He's coming back with a cup of coffee. Don't know when, but he will," Natalie asserted.

Mari just sighed. It's gonna be a long day, she thought.

Sure enough, at 11:15 that morning, James came back with two cups of coffee. Natalie nudged her friend in the rib as a heads up.

"Ms. Mari Foster, hi! I figured you could use a break. We're all going into our breakout sessions but I needed a coffee break. Care to join me?" he asked.

"Well..." she hesitated.

Natalie took the opportunity to snatch the iPad from her. "You know what, you're right, James. She does need a break. Go on, Mar. We got it from here. Promise we'll be just as professional as you," she said, winking.

Mari glanced at the other volunteers at their stations. They all smiled and winked at her. One even mouthed, "GO!" and shooed her away with their hand.

Outnumbered, she rose and took the cup from James' hand, then headed to the lounge area.

**

'Good morning! Hope you're not working too hard. Praying for a good first day of the conference!' the text read.

Mari looked down at her phone and typed out a response: 'Hey! Back at ya. Thanks! It's not too bad. Busy busy, but we've got good people over here. On a coffee break right now.'

Isaac received her text message then immediately responded: 'Oh yeah? What are you having? Eat a donut for me! :-)'

She smiled. 'A red eye. 3rd cup already. An attendee brought it for me which was very thoughtful. He's with me right now talking about Newfoundland. Did u know Vikings landed there?! Crazy.'

Isaac frowned, but replied back. 'Nice. Does he look like a Viking? ;-)'

'Yep. Much nicer though.' Said her text. He sat back and ran his hand through his hair.

I shouldn't feel this way, he thought. She's more than entitled to go have a cup of coffee with a Viking. What if he asks her to dinner? He mused. What's the best way to ask without asking?

'Wanna grab dinner? My office is only a couple blocks away from the conference center,' he asked after waiting a moment.

'Not tonight -- James invited me to dinner with his church buddies at the hotel restaurant. I know I'm going to be exhausted so I'm glad I can just eat dinner then crash,' she replied.

He groaned audibly. Do something, man! A voice in his head urged him. I don't know what to do! I can't just show up and crash a dinner! He fought back.

At last, sense wore him down. He slept fitfully.

**

On the second day of the conference, Renee Allmuth brought her colleague, Jason Spalding over to Mari's booth.

"Hey Mari, just wanted to stop by to say 'hello!' -- sorry we didn't catch each other yesterday. I'm sorry to hear about Kenzo and the kids. You have my deepest condolences," she said, by way of introduction.

"By the way, bookstore's doing great. Thanks for sending over those volunteers yesterday with Don. The freak storm from Florida stopped a lot of ours from coming.

Anyways, I don't think he's joined us before since he's usually BTS, but I wanted to introduce Jason Spalding. He's in charge of procurement and contracts with the publishers."

Jason waved and shook Mari's hand. "Hey Mari, nice to meet you. Renee's told me all about you. Dr. Nichols too -- apparently you were quite the super woman in past conferences. So nice to finally put a face to the emails back and forth."

"Hi Jason, same here. You're... younger than I thought," smiled Mari.

"What made you think I was older?" asked Jason.

Mari hadn't noticed, but Renee had slowly backed away from the conversation. She figured it wouldn't hurt to introduce her colleague to Mari. She'd worked with her and Kenzo in past conferences, and she knew the girl's determination and work ethic. Jason was single as well, albeit with less baggage than Mari, so it couldn't hurt. She crossed her fingers as she went back to the exhibitor hall.

"I don't know... I'm sorry if I offended you," said Mari.

"Oh, not at all! I'm just curious, is all," answered Jason.

"Oh no... that's okay. I'd rather keep us civil in future correspondence," she deferred.

"No, wait, now I'm really curious... Tell you what. If your answer is because I have an old man name, you have to pay for my coffee. But if it's anything else, I pay for dinner. But I don't want a freeloader, so you have to be honest," he offered.

She blinked. Whoa, she thought. That was pretty smooth. I'll give him that.

"Well... since you told me I can't lie... you just sounded so... I don't know. Restrained. Professional. Millennials I come across who work as assistants for some of the speakers are typically younger-sounding and more... flexible in their language and requests. You're not. You're actually the opposite," she answered.

"Are you saying I'm a jerk without saying I'm a jerk? What a strange way to accept a dinner invitation," he joked.

Caught me there, buddy, she thought.

"Eh, why not. I can go spend my per diem for ice cream instead," she said, relenting.

"Great. I'll swing by after we close the bookstore. Say, seven?" he asked.

"Sure thing. See you soon!" she waved.

What the hell was that, she thought. God, are you trying to tell me something by sending TWO handsome, articulate, successful men? Can we stop, though? I'm just trying to get through this week.

As she finished her thought, a text from James appeared on her phone.

James: Whew! That was a good one from Dr. Rawling! Good morning!

Mari: Good morning!

James: Thanks for having dinner with us last night! My buddies and I enjoyed ur company.

Mari: Thanks for inviting me. Super nice of you to pay for my meal. Sneaky, but nice.

James: Oh yeah, sorry about that. My mom would slap me if she found out I let a woman pay for her own meal after I invited her.

Anyways, I wanted to see if u would join me for dinner tonite again.

Mari: I actually have another dinner invitation tonight, but you should come with!

James: I just might -- my buddies want to get pizza and I think dinner with you won't be as nauseating ;-)

Mari: Ha ha

James: :-) see u tnight!

She returned to her computer to reply to some emails, when a few minutes later her phone alerted her about a new message.

What now, she thought.

A text from Isaac popped up: Hey! R u still alive? Did the Viking take u away?

Mari: Ha ha. Funny. No, I'm still alive!

Isaac: That's good -- glad ur still with us. Got time for dinner tonight?

Mari: Sure thing. A couple of people are coming with -- that ok? 7's the magic number.

Isaac: Not a problem. See u tonight!

Whew, it's gonna be a big table tonight, she thought.

The day passed fairly quickly with only little fires to put out. At a quarter to 7, Mari headed up to her room to quickly freshen up, then headed downstairs to the hotel lobby to see Jason waiting for her.

"Oh, hey! How was today?" she greeted him.

Jason gave her a quick hug, which surprised her, but she quickly recovered.

"It was busy, but we made a lot of good connections. It's nice to see your behind-the-scenes work play itself out in the actual space. May have to make more trips like this," he winked at her.

"Well, you won't have to twist Renee's arm! I'm sure she appreciates the extra oversight," she replied.

"Shall we? The steak last night from the hotel restaurant was pretty good," he offered.

"Sounds good. Listen... there's some more people joining us for dinner tonight. You don't have to get them, though. Just a heads up," she said.

At that, Jason's face fell, but he tried not to let his disappointment show.

"Oh, Jason... I'm sorry..." Mari realized. "I didn't realize this was just supposed to be for us...

I can let them know and cancel," she offered.

"No, no, Mari, you don't have to do that! That was my fault -- I should have been clearer. And besides," he said, looking down.

"It would be wise if the first time I took you out on a date, you make sure I'm not a serial killer," he chuckled.

Oh no, Mari thought. What is happening...

"Oh. I... I didn't know you meant for this as a... as a date," she hesitated.

"Oh no, Mari, I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Like I said... I should probably have asked you without making it a bet," he said.

"I think it'll be fun, anyways!" Mari tried to cheer him up.

They walked towards the restaurant as James waved to them.

Oh shittttt, Mari realized. I'm going to dinner with these men. How did I not realize they all wanted to take me out? Shit.

She prayed a silent prayer as Isaac came up and all four of them headed into the restaurant.

Here goes nothing, she steeled herself.

"Hi guys! Jason, this is James and this is Isaac. Everybody, I'm so sorry -- I thought this was a group dinner with far more people involved. I didn't..." she apologized.

All three men waved away her apology.

"No Mari, it's okay -- dinner is dinner. Glad we could tear you away from work. Even if I have to share," said James with a smile.

Isaac smiled at Mari and made his own introductions. A sense of urgency filled him as he observed Mari speaking with everyone at the table. He knew her work ethic and believed she acted without malice -- which made this harder for him to navigate.

She's clueless, he thought. She doesn't even realize the effect she has on men. God help us, she probably doesn't even know those two are flirting with her.

To everyone else, it looked like three men separately trying to salvage what was supposed to be an intimate dinner. James, being his usual charming and gregarious self, lightened the mood and broached broad topics. Jason, the closest one to Mari's age, was easy-going but affected a more serious disposition than James. Isaac, usually the most reserved, found himself being drawn into lively conversation with the rest of his dinner company.

Of course, all of them were there to get to know Mari. She didn't feel overwhelmed, but she did feel uneasy -- stupid girl! She thought. How are you supposed to do this? She berated herself.

Just relax, another voice placated her. Have a good time. If anything, you can make new friends. You've been working hard for the past year -- enjoy tonight.

So, she did. Slowly, the discomfort and uneasiness faded away, and she found herself enjoying the conversations and the banter.

At the two-hour mark, Jason suggested wine for the group. At this point, everyone was comfortable with each other. Why not, thought Mari.

"I won't have to be up until 5 tomorrow. That's a whole half hour improvement -- I think I'll be able to handle one glass," she said.

"Hear, hear! To Mari -- the hardest worker at the table. Thanks for putting this conference together. We may not see the amount of work you've put in, but we're certainly reaping the benefits of it," said James.

They all clinked their glasses in agreement. Jason winked at Mari, which made her blush. Isaac noticed it.

Jason asked the question that was on everybody's mind: "So Mari, have you met anyone special yet?"

Taken by surprise, Mari looked at all the faces around the table.

"Uh... What do you mean, Jase? I've met all three of you!" she joked, trying to avoid the question.

James chuckled. "Nice try, girl."

It was her turn to laugh.

"Honestly... I'm... I don't actually know what I'm feeling right now. Whatever happens will happen, I guess. I'm too tired to try and figure out what God has planned for me -- it's easier if I just let it happen. I'm just along for the ride," she shrugged.

"I know that's probably a lazy answer to your question, but to tell you the truth, Jason, I'm exhausted. I don't want to play games. I don't want to meet anyone online. I don't want to waste my time playing twenty questions with the guy, then invest all that time getting to know them and for us to say, no, never mind.

I didn't do that with my husband -- he made his intentions very clear and I didn't have to guess. That was a blessing. I didn't waste my time trying to figure out his feelings; I just needed to figure mine.

I'm tired. I want to rest and let God handle it. Whatever or whoever He's got planned for me, I'll accept it," she finished.

The mood was somber now.

Isaac nodded. "That's wise, Mari. Why spend all that time fighting when you could just rest in His providence?"

James lifted his glass. "Exactly, brother. I know I need to."

Jason touched her hand. "I'm glad you accepted my dinner request. I'm glad I met you. And you guys," he added.

Another hour passed, and Mari finally started feeling the wine. "Well, gentlemen, this was fun. I'm sorry to be a party-pooper, but I gotta be ready to go at 5 tomorrow, bright and early."

Jason immediately signaled for their check and paid for him and Mari. The rest followed suit.

"Jason, thank you so much for dinner. And for being so easygoing," she smiled.

"Mar, this was really fun. Thanks for putting up with me. Any chance we can get a repeat tomorrow?" he asked.

Mari looked at all three expectant faces. "Well, maybe another time. I'm flattered and honestly, a little bit surprised. I think I've pushed off Isaac's invitation for long enough, though," she answered, glancing at Isaac.

She saw his relieved face and masked disappointment on the others'.

James held out a hand to Jason and Isaac. "May the best man win, gentlemen," he said softly, eliciting a blush from Mari.

Isaac gave Mari a hug then spoke. "I'll hold you to tomorrow. Thanks -- tonight was fun."

He walked away before he said anything else untoward, but not before he saw James give her a parting hug and Jason walk her back to the hotel.

Dude, he thought, raking his hand through his hair. Just then, his phone rang and Bobby's name popped up.

"Hey man, how's it going?" he greeted Bobby.

Bobby: "Nothing much, man. Just calling to check on you. How you doing?"

Isaac: "Honestly, man... I'm glad you called."

Bobby: "Uh-oh. What is it, man? What's going on?"

Isaac: "Well... I just got done having a three-hour dinner with Mari."

Bobby: "And...? That's good, right?"

Isaac: "With two other men."

Bobby: "Oh."

Isaac: "Yeah."

Bobby: "I see. So... tell me. What're you thinking?"

Isaac: "Well... I know she didn't do it on purpose. Honestly, man, I don't think she even knows the effect she has on people. She assumes the best of them -- which is probably what caused this in the first place.

I don't think she knows men are flirting with her and she probably just thought it was a friendly invitation. But I don't get it -- how does a woman not even know something like that?"

Bobby: "Alright man, listen for a minute, okay? Don't think too much about this. It's just gonna mess you up or you'll end up thinking something about her that's untrue.

First of all... there are women who are absolutely like that. My wife's the same way. I had to spell it out for her, and thank God I did. She just thought I was just being nice.

It was a relief, actually. She'd almost given up on me and was about to go out with somebody else. In this case, your 'charming and mysterious' act won't work. I bet you she's the type of woman who's tired of playing these little flirty games.

I get it. Your best bet is to just be honest and upfront with her. Those guys might've gotten that idea too, though, so it's now or never, bud."

Isaac sat deep in thought. He thanked his friend, hung up, then spent the rest of his drive home in thought.

----------

OCTOBER 2023

"It was so nice to catch up with you, Isaac! We need to talk more often! I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Bobby said he'd pick me up so we should be getting there in about two hours," Kate chirped on the other line.

"Yeah, Kate, thanks for taking my call. Glad to hear you're doing well. See you soon," Isaac finished, then hung up the phone.

He sighed and sat back in his chair. That was a good conversation, but he felt conflicted. He knew that there was a chance with her. So why wasn't he more excited about it?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and continued to get ready. Kate and Bobby were visiting and he'd invited Mari as well. He thought she needed company, and in his secret thoughts, wanted to see what Bobby thought of her.

Bobby had since expressed his desire to meet Mari and they were now finally getting to it. Mari, on the other hand, had "no plans for a while," so he took it as a "yes."

An hour and a half later, he heard Bobby's voice as he rang the doorbell. Isaac padded to the front door and greeted his visitors.

"My man!" greeted Bobby as he patted Isaac on the back.

Isaac smiled and greeted him, then turned to face Kate.