Danielle Engle - Lavender Excursions

Kimberly thought about her friend's advice and wished she had time to change her mind. However, it would not look good to cancel a meeting only two hours prior to the scheduled time. She sighed and poured herself a cup of coffee. After sorting her messages in order of priority, she started returning calls. The two hours passed without notice. She was so intent on her work that Michael's sudden appearance in the doorway startled her.

"Didn't mean to scare you," he said. "I'm getting ready to go to the training center for my class in the new software program. All set for your meeting with Camarin Knight?"

"Not really, but it's too late to back out now," she replied.

"Need me to come along?" he asked.

Kimberly smiled at her secretary. "No thanks, Michael. I'll be okay," she assured him. Michael seemed more like a brother than a secretary to her. She remembered his fondness for Italian breadsticks.

"We're lunching at Tony B's. Want me to bring you back some breadsticks?"

Michael smiled. "Would you?" he asked, his voice sounding shy and uncertain.

Kimberly smiled. "Of course," she replied. Michael was very athletic, his body as finely tuned as his desk and office space was organized. "How do you keep everything running so smoothly?"

she'd once asked.

Michael had winked, a coy expression on his face. "Kimberly, I do things outside of work. Fun things like spending time with my lover.

Perhaps you need to spend more time doing things to work off the stress."

Kimberly smiled, watching Michael leave. His effeminate gestures and polite elegance hinted to others that he was gay. To Kimberly's knowledge, he confided in no one other than herself and a friend who worked in the legal department. Kimberly found herself wondering about Michael a lot lately. What was his life like outside of work?

Did he keep his personal life private because he wanted to do so? Or was it a necessity borne of the negative stereotyping that took place when people learned someone was gay?

By the time Kimberly returned all her calls and caught up on her mail, it was time to leave for her meeting. She sighed and checked herself in the mirror. "Could be worse," she muttered.

Camarin Knight prided herself on being punctual. When she arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes late, she was not a happy person. Rudely pushing her way through the crowded lobby, she snapped at the hostess. "Has Kimberly Justin arrived yet?"

The elderly couple waiting in line to be seated seemed totally unperturbed by Camarin's aggressiveness. They stepped back and smiled, as if to say, "Go ahead. We have all the time in the world."

Their patience added fuel to the fire already kindled in Camarin Knight. She looked over her shoulder and glared at them.

Kimberly saw Camarin following the hostess to the table. She noticed right away that something was seriously wrong. With all the other things going on, Kimberly was determined to keep her cool with Camarin. She stood and extended her hand. "Hello, Camarin."

"Hello, Kimberly. I'm sorry I'm late," she began. "My taxi got tangled up in a traffic jam caused by road construction on Lakeshore Drive. Doesn't it sometimes seem that winter and road repair are the only two seasons we have."

"Doesn't it though," Kimberly quipped. "I've told myself several times that I should move south. Unfortunately, I just keep saying it rather than doing it." She smiled at Camarin who was now sitting across from her. She didn't look at all like Kimberly imagined. Pat's depiction of her as the ruthless reporter seemed an injustice.

"What keeps you here?" Camarin asked. She smoothed her skirt and leaned toward Kimberly. "Someone special in your life that you don't want to leave behind?" she asked in a conspiratorial tone.

Kimberly smiled again and bit her tongue. "I can't say it's any one thing," she replied. "How about you, Camarin. Anyone special in your life?"

Camarin blushed. If you only knew , she thought to herself. Ah, but the possibilities are endless , said the little voice inside of her. To Kimberly she replied in a somewhat teasing voice, "Hey, this interview is about you!" She spotted the waiter and signaled for him to come over. "A half bottle of zinfandel, please." The waiter nodded and left.

Although she didn't like to drink so early in the day, Kimberly needed something to help her relax. Perhaps if she only had one, she'd be okay. Meantime, she wanted Camarin to explain why she had decided to interview her, of all people. She leaned back in her chair. "So, Camarin, what is this feature article you're wanting to do?

I can't imagine how anything I do would be interesting enough for other people to read."

Camarin smiled and reached inside her briefcase. She handed Kimberly a copy of the phony outline Lisa had written. When Kimberly finished reading, she held up her recorder. "Okay if I tape?"

she asked.

"Of course," Kimberly replied, feeling a little giddy at the prospect of being featured in an article that would appear on the worldwide web.

"Kimberly, I hear some women complaining that we've sold out.

We're mimicking the male world of corporate politics. What's your response to this?"

The waiter returned with the wine before Kimberly had a chance to respond. He poured a sample for Camarin to taste, waiting tactfully as she tested the aroma and flavor. "Excellent," she informed him. She waited while he poured a glass for each of them. When he left, she settled back with her wine. Kimberly was obviously nervous. She was concentrating on the menu selection, allowing Camarin the freedom to cast her eyes appreciatively over her body.

Camarin eyed her smooth breasts and pert nipples hungrily. The tips were pressing against Kimberly's blouse, teasing Camarin through the fabric. How could she possibly follow the script when the star character was so delectably sexy! She reached for her water glass, trying to quench a thirst she knew had nothing to do with water. Um, um , she thought. Although she already knew what she was going to order, Camarin fastened her eyes on the menu – anything to deter her dangerous thoughts.

Kimberly sensed Camarin watching her. Thinking she was scrutinizing her for purposes of the article, she tried to appear calm and indifferent to her gaze. She was focusing on the menu very intensely, reading the descriptions over and over and not registering anything she read. When she felt Camarin's foot brush against her knee, it startled her. She looked up and saw Camarin's tongue moving over her lips, her eyes half-closed and her expression unguarded. If Kimberly hadn't known better, she would have thought Camarin was flirting with her.

Camarin's breath caught in her throat when she saw Kimberly returning her gaze. She took another sip of water, then returned to the menu. "All set to order?" she asked.

Kimberly nodded and took a sip of the sparkling white wine. When she thought about her life, it really didn't make very much sense.

From the time she became an adult, Kimberly's life had undergone many changes. Now she felt stagnated in a relationship she did not understand. Yet, she could not bring herself to end it. How could someone like her be interesting to someone of Camarin's caliber?

Camarin indicated to the waiter that they were ready to order. Pad and pen in hand, he hurried over to their table.

Camarin ordered first, then mused about the woman sitting across from her. After Kimberly ordered and the waiter left, Camarin posed a question. "Kimberly, what can you tell me about your life?" She smiled as Kimberly eyed her quizzically. "Things like how you got started in business and what prompted you to leave the university where you were teaching." She waited for Kimberly to answer, noticing the way her eyebrows drew together as she thought about Camarin's question.