Message in a Bottle - Nicholas Sparks [73]
“Well, hello, Theresa,” Deanna said happily, striding in behind her. “I thought you’d never get here. I’ve been dying to hear everything that happened.”
“Good morning,” Theresa mumbled, stirring her coffee. “Sorry I’m late.”
“I’m just glad you made it at all. I almost ran over to your apartment last night to talk to you, but I didn’t know what time you got in.”
“I’m sorry for not calling, but I was a little worn out from my week,” she said.
Deanna leaned against the counter. “Well, that’s not a surprise. I’ve already put two and two together.”
“What do you mean?”
Deanna’s eyes were bright. “I take it you haven’t seen your desk yet.”
“No, I just walked in. Why?”
“Well,” she said, raising her eyebrows, “I guess you must have made a good impression.”
“What are you talking about, Deanna?”
“Come with me,” Deanna said with a conspiratorial grin as she led her back into the newsroom. When Theresa saw her desk, she gasped. Next to the mail that had accumulated while she was gone stood a dozen roses, beautifully arranged in a large clear vase.
“They arrived first thing this morning. I think the delivery man was a little shocked that you weren’t there to receive them, but I went ahead and said I was you. Then he really looked shocked.”
Barely listening to what Deanna had said, Theresa reached for the card leaning against the vase and opened it immediately. Deanna stood behind her, craning over her shoulder. It read:
To the most beautiful woman I know—
Now that I’m alone again, nothing is as it once was.
The sky is grayer, the ocean is more forbidding.
Will you make it right?
The only way is to see me again.
I miss you,
Garrett
Theresa smiled at the note and slipped it back inside the envelope, bending to smell the bouquet.
“You must have had a memorable week,” Deanna said.
“Yeah, I did,” Theresa answered simply.
“I can’t wait to hear about it—every spicy detail.”
“I think,” Theresa said, glancing around the newsroom at all the people watching her discreetly, “that I’d rather talk to you about it later, when we’re alone. I don’t need the whole office gossiping about it.”
“They already are, Theresa. It’s been a long time since flowers have been delivered here. But all right—we’ll talk about it later.”
“Did you tell them who they were from?”
“Of course not. To be honest, I kind of like leaving them in suspense.” She gave a small wink after looking around the newsroom. “Listen, Theresa, I’ve got some work to do. Do you think we could have lunch today? Then we can talk.”
“Sure. Where?”
“How about Mikuni’s? I bet you didn’t find much sushi down in Wilmington.”
“That sounds great. And Deanna… thanks for keeping it a secret.”
“No problem.”
Deanna patted Theresa’s shoulder gently and headed back to her office. Theresa leaned over her desk and smelled the roses again before moving the vase to the corner of her desk. She began to sort through her mail for a couple of minutes, pretending not to notice the flowers until the newsroom resumed its chaotic patterns. Making sure that no one was paying attention, she picked up the phone and dialed Garrett at work.
Ian answered the phone. “Hold on, I think he’s in his office. Who’s calling, please?”
“Tell him it’s someone who wants to schedule some dive lessons in a couple of weeks.” She tried to sound as distant as she could, not sure if Ian knew about them.
Ian put her on hold, and there was silence for a short moment. Then the line clicked and Garrett came on.
“Can I help you?” he asked, sounding a little frazzled.
She said simply: “You shouldn’t have, but I’m glad you did.”
He recognized her voice, and