Page 50 of Degrees of Acceptance
I groan… “Chase, I have reflectors on my clothes.” I put my jacket on, zip it up and twirl around for him. “See… I have two strips on the back and two on the front. It’s the newest design by Patagonia,” I declare smugly.
“I see you are quite reflective,” he says, with an amused grin.
“I’ll have you know that my shoes are quite bright and visible, too. People can’t help but see me a mile away, now will you please stop worrying?”
“I’d much prefer you run on the treadmill this time of year, but I will admit you seem to have taken precautions, so I’ll try not to worry,” he says as Jay walks in the room.
“We’re all set, Kate,” he says, nodding to Chase.
“Did they install the lights on the lake path, yet, Jay?” Chase asks.
“They installed them a couple days ago when you asked about them,” he replies, smiling and shaking his head good-naturedly at Chase.
“Good,” Chase responds to Jay.
I narrow my eyes at him.
“I’m going to head back to the city and work for a while. There are a few things that came up overnight I need to attend to. Jay will fly you into the city when you’re ready and I’ll meet you later at Bazil’s,” he says, kissing me lightly on the lips. “Oh, and text me when you get home from your run and enjoy your day with Jenny.”
Message:Just in from my run. The lights were fantastic!
Reply:Glad you like them.
Message:You lit up the entire lake path! You’re incorrigible!!
Reply:Probably…
Message:See you at Bazil’s.
We get into the helicopter, and I laugh as Jay hands me a set of earplugs, looking slightly embarrassed. He smiles apologetically. “Sorry Kate, bosses orders,” he says, as I put them on before pulling on my headphones and we lift off towards the city.
Jay assists me out of the helicopter into the awaiting limo, and it’s a short drive to Spazzia’s which is a quiet little coffee shop renowned for its Italian Crème. I spot Jenny at a table towards the back. “Have you been here long?” I ask, taking the chair opposite her.
“No, I only beat you by a few moments. So, I’m dying to know how your conversation went,” she says.
“I apologized, and we’re okay, but he didn’t press me to use the card after that.”
The waitress arrives, and we both order a flavored coffee. “He made reservations for us at The Courtier Le Bien at ten a.m. so we have plenty of time to catch up. So, tell me what’s going on with Ty. I didn’t know it had progressed to the point of you wanting to move in with him,” I say, smirking.
“Well, we haven’t officially moved in together, but I usually end up staying most nights with him. His condo is close to his office, and it actually takes me less time to get to the office from his place.
“You seem happy. I’m excited for you,” I say, taking in the sparkle in her eyes.
“Me, too. You know it just sort of happened,” she says, smiling.
“I don’t know how Chase and I came about so quickly either.” The waitress circles back with oversized ceramic mugs steaming with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. I inhale the scent of delicious roasted hazelnut in my own, and Jenny slips a spoon in hers to sample a few of the chocolate shavings that are sprinkled on her drink.
“I love being at Prestian, but I really do miss the Torzial fun, too. It’s just the office at Prestian saves me so much time running around town, and hauling stuff,” I say.
“Yeah, and he’s right around the corner,” she says, and we both burst out laughing. We spend another hour catching up on all the drama of the week before we get ready to leave the coffee shop.
The Courtier Le Bien is not far away, and we arrive in plenty of time for our reservations. A eucalyptus infused steam room first, a mineral oil pool, manicure and pedi, and then makeup is on the agenda. I explain to the technician that I don’t wear a lot of makeup and am just looking for a little warmer look for fall. She applies a light mineral powder, some matte neutral and brown tone eye shadow, a brown copper colored liner just to the lower lids and finishes with a light brown coat of mascara. “Let me add just a little blush and a soft apricot lip gloss,” she says, applying her finishing touches.
Jenny, being a brunette, went with vibrant colors for fall and winter. I can see them looking fabulous with her extensive collection of colorful scarfs.
“Do you like it?” I ask.
“Yes, I just hope Ty likes it,” she giggles.
