Meanwhile, Vincent adjusted his sore, huge muscular frame in the chair, in an attempt to find a more commodious position,
Mary noticing his discomfort, worriedly said to him, "You look uncomfortable Vincent!"
However before Vincent could confirm or deny, she then anxiously asked Jacob, "Father, don't you think it is time Vincent get settled back into bed?"
Jacob astonishingly said, "Oh yes of course! We were all having such an enjoyable time, I had forgotten we have a patient to be considerate of! Thank you Mary for your intuitive insights."
Mary modestly admitting, "I suppose it is my motherly instincts..."
Mary suddenly stopped as she reflectively thought about the personal losses she has endured as a Mother. Maybe it was because of losing her own, that she did feel Motherly to the children here, and watchful over all the people of the tunnels.
Jacob seeing the sadness in Mary's eyes, shakily smiled as he placed a kind hand atop Mary's, knowing the personal tragedies of her life, and wanting to let her know how much her loving care was appreciated.
This gesture from Jacob sweetly overwhelmed Mary, and helped her to rally around back to her protective nature, as she turned on Jacob and sternly said, "And you too Father...you should get a good night's rest too!"
Vincent smiled as Mary scolded Jacob, and as he painfully stood up, he admitted, "Yes, Mary is right, I am ready to lie back down."
Rebecca and Catherine stood on each side of Vincent, to help him back to his bed, as Lisa fluffed the pillows and pulled back his covers for him.
Vincent settled in and as he looked up at his three beautiful Florence Nightingales, he said, "Thank you lovely gentlewomen."
Rebecca stepped up and touched his hand and said, "Sleep well Vincent. See you in the morning."
Vincent closed his eyes to enforce his affection for her and said, "Goodnight Rebecca."
Lisa and Mary stepped up together and took turns saying goodnight to Vincent and after Mary gave him a gentle goodnight kiss on his cheek, Lisa bent down to hug him, when she remembered herself, and she then lightly embraced him instead.
She softly told him, "I may not see you in the morning Vincent, because I have to leave very early, however, I will be back for the children's dance class on Saturday."
Lisa then unexpectedly started to cry as she said, "Vincent I still cringe when I think what could have happened to you and Father...to all of you."
Vincent with a smile in his eyes, looked up at Jacob, Mary and Catherine and back toward Lisa as he assured her, "Lisa...all is well. We are back...safely home."
Lisa exaggeratedly nodded as if to say, "I know, I know!"
Unsure herself, why she was so emotional. She then took a deep breath, and through her tears, she smiled, and reminiscently recited:
"For this relief much thanks:
'tis bitter cold, And I am sick at heart."
Jacob tipped his head, and astonishingly inserted, "Lisa...you are quoting Hamlet...all these years later, you can still recite it!"
Lisa looked up at Jacob and as she wiped a tear away she said, "Vincent helped me study Hamlet Father...I often recall a quote in my mind when an appropriate situation may arise. Ah yes I do remember Hamlet, for Vincent made it so easy for me to grasp..."
Then dreamily she looked at Vincent as she took his hand in hers, and said, "...you were always there to help me Vincent."
Vincent for a moment let himself look back to those days, when they would sit together and read their assignments... correction...when HE would read their assignments! He always sensed Lisa was off dreaming...of being somewhere else.
Until that one day, as they were coming of age, she took his hand. That old feeling came back and hovered only for a moment in his heart, until it was banished by an amusing thought. Vincent smiled as he realized how surprised he was himself, Lisa had absorbed any of Shakespeare's Hamlet!
Catherine looked downward, feeling not awkward exactly, but maybe a little intrusive as Lisa sat at Vincent's side.
She maybe too, felt a little amazed that she did not feel more threatened witnessing their closeness.
Catherine instead felt warmed by their history and by their friendship, that after much resolve, Vincent and Lisa had managed to salvage.
Lisa then stood, and said, "Well...good night Vincent sleep well."
Jacob then concernedly asked, "Lisa did I understand you correctly? You will be spending the night in your chamber?"
Lisa answered, "Yes Father, I thought I would since it is so late, however I will have to leave before breakfast, so I may not see you until Saturday."
Lisa also hoped that by staying below in the tunnels tonight, that she may get to see Ronald!
Jacob smiled pleasingly and said, "It means so much you came to check on us."
She lovingly replied, "I had to check on my family Father...I could not stay away."
Jacob warmly said, "Yes, well yes indeed...this is so. Sleep well Lisa."
Lisa replied, "You too Father."
Mary and Lisa said, good night to Catherine, and they both then exited together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Jennifer hung up the phone with her Mother, and turned to Ronald and said, "Well now she is at ease. Apparently, she had been trying to get a hold of me all day! Oh if she only knew that I was deep beneath this city, in the bowels of Par-a-seltzers Lair, hitting drones with paint cans, getting drugged, and giving a psychopath counseling...she would flip!"
Ronald laughed and said, "Jenny...you certainly paint a picture."
Jennifer then quizzically asked, "Are you hungry?"
To which Ronald admitted, "I am starving!"
Decadently, Jennifer then suggested, "Let's see what Cathy left me to nosh on!"
After they enjoyed a plate of Nachos to go with their beer, they talked for hours, about everything. It was after letting go a huge yawn, Ronald began to realize how exhausted he was. And so he said, "I guess things are catching up with me. I am pretty tired."
Sweetly, Jennifer said, "Me too. And tomorrow is moving day, so I guess I better get to bed too."
Ronald then took Jennifer in his arms, and held her guardedly as he interpreted the deepening of their relationship, saying, "This feels nice Jenny, holding you like this feels right."
Jennifer snuggled in deeper, and sighed, "I so agree Ronny."
Ronald then turned to look back at Jennifer, one last time before walking out the door. He smiled at her, and promised to be back around 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Ronald returned to the tunnels, and as he dreamily walked back to his chamber he decided to check on Vincent.
As he popped into Vincent's chamber he told Catherine, Jennifer was safely back above in her apartment. He went on to say she was just going to camp out on the living-room floor in a sleeping bag, since the movers were arriving very early.
Catherine was relieved to hear Jennifer was home safe and sound, and then told Ronald how nice it was of him to see her friend home.
Ronald timidly admitted, "Well there was a little more to it then just seeing your friend home Catherine."
As Jacob busily arranged the unused bandages near Vincent's basin, Ronald seized the moment and quietly told both Catherine and Vincent that he and Jennifer have come to terms with how they felt about one another, and have decided to start seeing each other, on a more deeper level.
Catherine happily said, "That is wonderful Ronald, I know she cares for you very much."
Ronald took in a deep breath and said, "Yes, she has been quite open with her feelings, and that has made it easy for me. There is no game playing, or any second guessing! I know exactly where Jenny is coming from."
Catherine sub-consciously raised her eyebrows, as she had to wonder what that comment meant! Had they done "IT"?"
Jennifer always claimed she would never be able to hold back making love to someone she was crazy about...and she was definitely crazy, perhaps even in love with Ronald.
Vincent looked at Catherine and saw the quizzical look on her face and asked, "Catherine what has you in a quandary?"
Catherine shook her head, and embarrassingly said, "Nothing Vincent...it's nothing."
Then she thought to herself, "I cannot wait to ask Jen what all transpired tonight!"
Jacob then came into the conversation and off-handedly mentioned, "Lisa raced down below to the tunnels as soon as she heard about our escapades here today from Lou. Imagine that, she came just as soon as she could! Oh, she was very worried about us all, and oh yes, she asked about you Ronald as well."
Jacob then continued, "Since the hour grew late, she decided to sleep below in her chamber tonight."
Ronald sighed as he wondered what Lisa was expecting from him. Was she hoping to progress onward in a relationship that was based merely on a mutual budding attraction? Or did she realize like him, there was no future for them since they were so different. Then he thought maybe, she asked about him, merely as a friend might ask about a friend.
Ronald then responded, "Word travels fast."
Jacob agreeably said, "Indeed!"
Ronald then said, goodnight to everyone, and he was going to bathe before going to bed.
As Ronald passed by Lisa's chamber, he heard her soft voice call out to him, "Ronald, I was hoping to see you. I am glad you have finally returned from Jennifer's."
Ronald halted, and turned to her. He could not help but think how beautiful she looked with her hair swept up, and smiling her elegant smile.
He then said, "Hi Lisa."
Lisa slowly stepped out into the more brightly torch lit tunnel, and as she looked admiringly up at him, she said, "I am so glad you are safe, and...I feel I must give my personal thanks as well, for saving Vincent. I heard all about your heroics....and I am very impressed, and thankful."
Ronald humbly looked downward, and said, "I was just in the right place at the right time...that's all."
To which Lisa replied, "According to Vincent...it was so much more than that. He credits you for saving his life. Your strength and fortitude for not giving up."
Ronald smiled and said, "Well, if he said that, I am honored."
He then nervously added, "Yes, well I was just going to the hot springs chamber to bathe before I fall asleep standing up. I guess the day has finally caught up with me."
Lisa in her robe, and towel in hand, sensually said, "I was just going there myself, do you mind some company?"
Ronald was taken aback a bit by her request and by her beauty. He then tried to sound casual as he said, "Not at all Lisa."
As his nervousness rose, he had to wonder why! Had not he and Jennifer just made a commitment of sorts? He then guessed it was just the compliments paid him, from such a pretty woman, that had him a little flustered.
As they walked along, Lisa went on and on filling Ronald in about her latest rehearsal, and that she had happily heard from a former director about doing a benefit.
Ronald smiled as he said, "I am happy for you Lisa. That must be exciting for you."
As they arrived at the chamber, Lisa stood behind Ronald and watched him as he peeled out of his jeans, donning his boxers. His strong muscular body, was powerful, and reminded her very much of Vincent's mighty physique.
As he slid into the water, he assumed Lisa had on a swimsuit or something comparable. However when she asked him to turn his back, as she joined him into the water, he could tell by the water level, on her person, she did not have anything on!
He then nonchalantly washed his hair, and as he continued washing up, he tried to keep the conversation light...and his eyes diverted! And...he very much tried to ignore the look in Lisa's eyes.
She then point-blank asked him, "Ronald...are you falling in love with Jennifer?"
Ronald stammered a little as he said, "I don't know if love may be too strong a word at this point Lisa. However there is something..."
Lisa then smiled at this gorgeous hunk of a man. His warm dark mysterious eyes entranced her, and his beautiful shiny black hair, flowing long and buoyant on the waters surface, definitely caught her attention. She knew no one like him, and the attraction she felt for him could not be denied.
To which she then pronounced, "I still have a chance then."
Ronald tried to look innocent, as he asked "A chance for what?"
Lisa then scathingly said, "To woo, and seduce you."
To be continued
Chapter Seventeen
| A Dream Within a Dream! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Sixteen |
