to the room?”
“No, I’ll be up in a minute.”
“What kind of snack would you like? I’ll order it before I get in the shower.”
“Surprise me,” he said abruptly.
She stopped jogging and stepped off the track, her hands on her hips. “Okay!” she muttered. The man was determined to be difficult. Fine, she’d please herself.
Once she’d reached her room, she checked the menu. They had a sampler tray of various hors d’oeuvres. Surely something on the tray would tempt Dr. Myerson, assuming he ever allowed anything to tempt him!
They promised delivery in fifteen to twenty minutes, so she hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower. With time to spare she was dressed in a blouse and tailored slacks, her hair already dried and curled with a curling iron. She’d learned to dress quickly when she was in college and constantly overslept.
The waiter delivered the sampler tray and several sodas. As soon as he’d left the room, she knocked on the connecting door. There was no answer.
“Great!” She didn’t know if he was there and in the shower, hadn’t come back yet or wouldn’t answer because he wanted to be left alone.
She walked over to the windows to stare at the city and bay. It was impressive.
Surprisingly, there was a knock on the connecting door. She spun around and hurried to it.
“Dr. Myerson, come in. Our snack is here.”
He too was already dressed, in a dark suit with a blue shirt. “I was dressing when you knocked on the door. Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said.
There was no smile, but at least he had developed some good manners. “No problem. I ordered a sampler tray to be sure I found something you’d like.”
“Thank you.” He helped himself to a drink and poured a diet soda for her.
She thanked him and sat on the sofa opposite his matching chair. They ate in complete silence. Finally, when Tabitha could stand it no longer, she asked, “Are you nervous about the interview, Dr. Myerson?”
“No.”
“Have you been to San Francisco before?”
“Yes.”
Tabitha sighed. Talk about hard work!
“When were you here?” she persisted, hoping to find some topic to talk about.
“I was here four years ago on my honeymoon.” This time his voice was steely, daring her to continue.
“I see. I didn’t realize how difficult this trip would be for you. We’ll need to leave in about half an hour. If you’ll excuse me, I need to do a little work before we go.”
She stood and moved to the table where she took out her files and thought about calling Mona. This tour was a disaster before his first interview!
Alex knew he’d been difficult. After she moved to the table, he stood and walked to the window, his hands in his pockets.
He needed to get himself under control. His behavior wasn’t going to bring Jenny back. Had he really thought if he didn’t share her death with anyone, it would be easier? If that was true, then he was worse than his patients.
If he kept his cool and did good interviews, more people might buy his book and understand about Jenny. He wanted people to know his wife, to appreciate the kind of person she was.
He didn’t want them to know how devastated he was.
After a quick glance at Miss Tyler, he went to his room. He needed to make sure his mind was organized.
And he needed to stop making Miss Tyler the enemy.
She’d done as Mona promised, made his trip more comfortable. And he hadn’t been very appreciative. For Jenny’s sake, he owed her an apology. But it was difficult. She was extremely attractive and he felt some kind of reaction when they touched. And when he watched her exercising.
So he didn’t want to touch her. But he could be more cooperative. He could use good manners, at least…couldn’t he?
Alex sat on the edge of his bed. He’d hidden away from the world since Jenny died. The only contact he’d had was with his publisher and then Mona, and a few patients he still had.
It wasn’t healthy. He knew that, but he’d shoved aside what he’d learned in his studies, as if none of it applied to him. But he’d been wrong.
One day spent in the real world was an awakening he didn’t welcome. But if he continued on the tour, he had no choice.
He had to come to terms with the reality that Jenny would never come back.
With her makeup applied and her jacket on, Tabitha drew a deep breath, prepared to face the dragon in the next room. Every time he spoke, she saw an imaginary flame come out of his mouth, warning her not to approach him. If he continued to behave in such a manner, she didn’t think his interviews would go well.
When she knocked on the door, Dr. Myerson opened it at once.
“We need to leave now to be sure we get there a little early.” She smiled, even though she expected no smile in return. Turning on her heel, she led the way to the door.
When they reached the elevator, she kept her distance, remembering his remark that he didn’t like to be touched. It still amazed her that he could’ve written that inspired book. She intended to reread it after the tour.
When they got in the taxi, she looked at her notes once more. “The interviewer is Helen Wilson, a life-styles reporter. I’ll give her the questions we worked on and talk to her about the limitations you want her to follow.”
“Thank you. I want to apologize for my behavior, Tabitha. And I hope you’ll call me Alex. It’s…unfriendly to remain so formal.”
Tabitha turned to her companion. He was staring straight ahead, his features devoid of emotion. She wondered if she’d imagined his words. “That will be fine…Alex.”
“I appreciate the patience you’ve shown.”
He was like a ventriloquist, speaking without moving his lips. She blinked several times. Then she said, “Perhaps you’ll tell my sisters that. Though I doubt they’d believe you.”
That response actually made him turn his head to look at her. “Your sisters? The other two of the triplets?”
“Yes. I’m the most impatient of the three of us.”
“I’ve thought about doing a study of multiple births,” he said slowly. “But most people don’t like to be studied.”
Tabitha smiled. “That’s because they’ve been stared at too often. We enjoy each other’s company, but when the three of us appear together, we have to deal with a lot of surprise and questions.”
“Do
