Chapter 47
A Toast


There's just no accounting for happiness, or the way it turns up, like a prodigal who comes back to the dust at your feet.

“Thank you sir and you have a nice evening,” the waiter smiled as he returned the bill to Urs for his signature. What a change from that anxious gentleman who had come in alone an hour ago. When she walked in his smile could have lit the room. They hadn’t been able to take their eyes off one another all through dinner. Ah young love.

“I see you’ve been practicing,” Urs said as pulled her chair out and helped her with her coat, then shrugged into his jacket.

“Yes,” Annie Joy giggled. “I’ve been doing it since I was a little girl. Right arm in the arm hole, left arm…”

“No, I mean with the chopsticks, you silly woman.”

“Ohhhh yes, the learner chopstick. That was so funny! Syd was there when I opened it and she cracked up when I told her about the flying bean. You’d make a good spy. You know that? The way you snuck back and opened my suitcase. I was totally surprised when I got home.”

Urs smiled happily as his right brain congratulated his left brain with a high five.

“I don’t think I told you in my thank you letter but I found the necklace first. I reached in to show Syd…to get something and that’s when I found it.” She touched the necklace reflexively and smiled up at him. “You knew it was just what I needed to keep me going didn’t you? You always seem to know what I need,” she said softly.

They allowed the quiet truth of her words to settle on them as he wordlessly handed her the beret and she put it on.

“Even this,” Urs said as he tenderly adjusted the hat just so, letting his fingers skim down her soft cheek.

“Yes, even that,” she agreed as she tucked her arm around his and they walked out of the Ming Garden.

They stood on the sidewalk breathing the crisp fresh air, feeling wonderfully refreshed after the warmth inside. “So HL where to now?” she asked lightly giving his arm a squeeze. Whoa, that was impressive. He must have spent a lot of time in the gym over Christmas. Even through his jacket and hoodie she could feel the play of muscles as he zipped up his jacket. Maybe just one more little squeeze; she licked her suddenly dry lips as she imagined her fingers on his warm smooth skin.

Her reverie ended abruptly as Urs flexed his bicep. She let go of his arm like a shot. He looked down at her and grinned cheekily, “Penny for your thoughts.”

Look at that grin. He knows exactly what I’m thinking. She lightly whacked his arm and drawled, “Oh Urs what big muscles you have,” with an accent that did Great Minnie proud.

“All the better to hug you my dear,” he said slyly and proved it by wrapping his arm around her. “C’mon. There’s something up this way I want to show you.” His smile deepened, reaching all the way to his hazel eyes.

As they walked, his hand was warm and strong around hers. His gentle attention made her feel protected and cared for, even as it prompted a severe case of butterfly belly from the sheer joy and excitement of being with him. At times their words overran each other, as if they needed to tell everything of these past weeks in one breath. Then they would fall silent, awed by the serendipity of finding each other again, supremely contented to merely touch a shoulder, kiss a cheek or walk with their arm around each other.

Urs stood behind her as they looked across the harbor. “Over there,” he pointed over her shoulder at the brightly lit building. “That’s the Grand Hotel where we stay when we’re here for a concert. It has a beautiful Vinterträdgården or winter garden with a high glass ceiling. If you like I’ll show you tomorrow.”





Annie Joy turned to face him. “I’d love to see it,” she said as she gave him a touch and go kiss. “I’d love to see any place with you.”

“Great answer, Annie Joy,” he chuckled at the thought of kissing their way around Stockholm’s major and minor points of interest.

“I thought you’d like it HL.”

“Do you need to be back any special time…I mean will your friends worry? I thought we might go for a drink,” he suggested hopefully as they crossed the street and began retracing their steps.

“They have a friend coming for dinner. I told them I wanted to do more shopping and then I’d get something to eat and maybe go to a movie. I have my key. Don’t worry.”

“It’s kind of late but we could go to a movie if you want.”

“Lord no, I just used that as an alibi. An after dinner drink is perfect. Just like we used to do on the ship. So where is this place?”

“Two blocks over,” he said as they waited for the light to change.

Two blocks over turned out to be the Hilton Hotel. It’s bar also happened to stock Urs’ favorite brandy. By the time their drinks arrived Annie Joy had learned two things: the Divos were staying there, albeit on separate floors, while they were recording and she was not as clever as she thought.

Annie Joy was about to compliment Urs on his choice of brandy when Rod Stewart interrupted. She hurriedly put the glass down and scrabbled in her purse for her phone. She managed to flip it open just as he finished, ‘Hot legs you can scream and shout.’

Urs sputtered with almost held in laughter. Annie Joy rolled her eyes.

“Hi Angie.”
“Of course I’m fine.”
“How did your dinner go?”
“Mine?”
“Good.”
“Some little place.”
Annie Joy sighed heavily, shook her head, and looked pointedly at Urs.
”Maybe it was Japanese now that you mention it,” she said through gritted teeth.

She held the phone away from her and mouthed, ‘They know,’ to Urs. He looked thoughtful for a minute then he left her gaping when he motioned for her to give him the phone.

“Good evening. Is this Angie?” Annie Joy stifled a giggle as she imagined Angie sputtering and gasping, drowning in the tsunami of Urs’ sexy voice.
“And you too.” He smiled devilishly. "
GOING…
“How kind of you to check on Annie Joy but there’s no need to worry. It will be my pleasure to personally see that she arrives home safely,” his words flowed like one long musical phrase.
GOING…
“I’m so pleased to know I can continue to count on the discretion of you and your friends.” Now he was the Swiss diplomat.
GONE.
“And you have a lovely evening too.”

“You realize that poor girl is a puddle by now, don’t you? You are wicked, HL!”

He raised his glass and grinned mischievously,” A toast to discretion.”

“To discretion,” clinked Annie Joy. “Aren’t you going to ask me to be discreet?”

Urs took her glass from her, set it down and took her hands in his. “I trust you Annie Joy, just like you trusted that the advice I gave you was right and wouldn’t hurt you. I trust you not to hurt us, to do what’s right for us.” The conviction in his voice and the absoluteness of his faith stunned her and she blinked back tears.

Urs squeezed her hands encouragingly as she regained her composure. She smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.

“Now about tomorrow. Annie Joy Lindstrom I would like to invite you to lunch where we will stuff ourselves and spend the rest of the afternoon wandering the quaint streets and shops of Old Town…”

“Gamla Stan,” Annie Joy interrupted and received a thumbs-up.

“…in hope of working off some of that food,” he continued.

“Then in the evening we could sit in the back row of the movies and kiss each other senseless,” Annie Joy finished playfully.

“You haven’t told me where you live or your phone number.”

“On Hornsgatan. It runs into the street where we met you.”

“Then we don’t live all that far from each other. If you were on that main street and turned west that’s Hornsgatan and if you turn east that’s my street.

“Do you want my number?” Urs asked offering her his phone.

“Yes please,” she answered a little shyly, thinking it would be nice to have just in case of an emergency but no way would she call. He might be working and how embarrassing it would be to interrupt him. Well maybe she could text him sometime.

Urs punched in his number and handed it back with a smile. “So this is the famous ‘berry’ that Andy let out of the bag. You’re in the big leagues now, Petit Papillon, definitely a woman on the way up,” he blinky-winked, sending a flood of happiness through Annie Joy with his light-hearted teasing.

“I want to make one more toast,” Urs said handing her the glass. “Here’s to a second chance for us to get it right.”

Annie Joy repeated the toast, their glasses clinked musically and they drank, reading the silent promise in each other’s eyes.

The house was wreathed in silence as she led Urs to the privacy of the back entrance. He stood close to her in the darkness running his hands lightly up and down her arms. His sense of touch seemed a doubting Thomas that needed one last proof and then he would believe. She stared into his eyes, glittering with sincerity, “I was so afraid I’d never find you again.”

His arms encircled her and he drew her close. His lips moved on hers with a hungry passion. He dragged her against him and hugged her so close she thought she might break. And as she felt their hearts thumping together as one, Annie Joy’s heart soared. She was stunned by the intensity of her emotions as she realized how much she loved this man.