Escape with Me

Lana laughed quietly. “Now see, here we are with the same conundrum. I don’t know you well enough to trust that I can take you at your word.” She’d had her fill of charming men. Not to mention, Jeremy, who had a way of making you divulge everything about yourself until you were laid bare.

Her eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you spill your guts to me?” she challenged.

Ten shrugged as if that was no tall order. “What do you want to know?”

“Just the basics,” she said, eyes raking over his face.

“Okay. I’m thirty-five, single, I live in D.C. but I was born in Virginia,” he placed his hand on his chest. “I attended the University of Virginia where I earned a master’s degree in literature.”

“Literature?” asked Lana skeptically. “What can you do with a master’s in literature?”

“Exactly,” said Ten, grinning. “So I parlayed my interest in filmmaking into a career. I love books and writers. I focus on literary themes.”

“Do your parents also love books and writers?”

“Not particularly. Why?” he asked out of curiosity.

“They named you Tennison after Tennyson, the poet, right?”

Ten laughed. “That’s a funny story. Let me preface this by saying my parents really love kids.”

Lana burst out laughing. A ridiculous reason had come to her of why he’d been named Tennison, but she had a hard time believing it. “No,” she interrupted him, “Don’t tell me you’re the tenth son: Ten is son...Tennison?”

“Not the tenth son, but I am the tenth child, and the last. Thank God. My parents have six sons and four daughters. I’m the baby of the family.”

Lana was laughing so hard tears were rolling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry if I’m being insensitive. Just the notion that your parents named you Tennison because you were their tenth child is so...sweet.”

“Nice save,” Ten said, laughing along with her. “But you’re being too kind. It’s my guess that by the tenth child, with two sets of twins among them, they were running out of names and brain cells. Naming me Tennison is an easy way to remember I’m number ten.”

Lana wiped her tears away. “Do you still have all your brothers and sisters?”

“Yeah,” said Ten. “And my parents. Believe me, when we get together for family reunions it’s quite a production.”

“How many nieces and nephews do you have?” Lana asked.

“Last count, twenty-seven,” Ten said without hesitation. “I’m the only one of my nine brothers and sisters who hasn’t had any children.”

“You’re a lucky man to have such a big family,” Lana said, smiling up at him.

They arrived in the lobby. Stepping out of the elevator, Ten glimpsed the same man they’d seen at the airport. He was sitting in the lounge area pretending to be engrossed in a magazine.

Ten didn’t allow his gaze to linger in case Lana, who had recently proven very perceptive, caught him observing the stranger. Then, he would have to explain himself.

“Now, will you let me drive you home?” he asked Lana.

Before Lana could reply, a shrill female scream erupted from the throat of a petite African-American woman bearing down on them. “Lana!”

Ten couldn’t believe his ears when Lana let go with a piercing scream of her own. “Bobbi Lee!”

The two women hugged there in the middle of the huge lobby, their exclamations echoing loudly off the high ceiling and marble floor.

“I heard you were in town,” Bobbi Lee said, her pretty face shining with affection.

She was five-five to Lana’s five-nine and she had a pleasantly plump figure. Her long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was wearing green scrubs and white athletic shoes.

After she’d let go of Bobbi Lee, Lana took a good look at her. “What is this, a new career?” The last time she’d seen her old high school friend and fellow cheerleader, she was working as a receptionist at a dentist’s office.

“I’m a registered nurse now,” Bobbi Lee told her proudly, “as of the first of the year!”

“Congratulations,” Lana said with warmth. “How do you like it?”

“I love it,” said Bobbi Lee. Then she looked up at Ten. “Oh, I’m sorry if I interrupted something.”

“Bobbi Lee Erskine, this is Tennison West.”

Bobbi Lee and Ten exchanged hellos after which Bobbi Lee said, “Yes, I heard you were making a movie about Mr. Aaron.”

Small towns, Ten thought. I’m here for three days and I’m already the subject of gossip.

“Actually, it’s a documentary,” Lana provided.

“Well, you know Miss Gladys can’t get her details right to save her life,” Bobbi Lee said with a laugh. “Momma still works for her and Momma gets the gossip from her and by the time she passes it on to me the facts are a bit screwy.”

“How is Miss Louise?” asked Lana.

“Past the age of retirement and with no plans to retire,” Bobbi Lee quipped. Her facial expression turned sober. “I know Mr. Aaron’s here having tests done on his heart. I’m not keeping you from him, am I?”

“No, we were just leaving after visiting him. He’s going to be just fine.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Bobbi Lee said enthusiastically. “I was heading home myself. Can I give you a lift? It’d give us a chance to catch up.”

“Oh, thanks, Bobbi Lee, but I’ve already got a ride home,” Lana said regrettably.

Ten who had been watching the man who had been watching Lana out of the corner of his eye saw his opportunity to tail him. “Don’t give it a second thought. Go with Bobbi Lee. I’ll call you later to see if you need anything. I’m staying at Miss Gladys’s place, so I won’t be far away.”

“Okay,” Lana reluctantly said. She still wasn’t a hundred percent trusting of Ten quite yet but he seemed nice enough. “Thanks for your help today.”

Ten murmured, “My pleasure,” as Lana and Bobbi Lee walked toward the exit. He then took out his cell phone and pretended to check his messages.