Renewed Love

“That’s my girl.” Lucas gave her an encouraging hug. “But you’ll soon find someone else. I can’t understand why there isn’t a lineup of young men begging for your hand, never mind sales firms.” They both laughed. An awkward few minutes had been negotiated.

Lisa picked up the suitcase Richard had dropped near the door. “I’ll go and freshen up,” she said, refusing Lucas’ offer to take the suitcase. “I presume I have a room?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact it’s right next to mine. I’ve turned the other bedroom into a study.. That way I can forbid Mary to touch anything. She tidies everything away so that I can’t find anything,” Lucas groaned. Lisa knew however that he wasn’t serious. He thought the world of the woman.

The apartment was a large one. The balcony stretched over thirty feet and extended over the arch leading to the front door. There was an extensive living room, and three bedrooms, one of which, as Lucas had said, he used as his study. There was however a rather inadequate bathroom, and the modern style of the kitchen was Mary’s pride and joy.

“Lucas never married. The love of his life had died before they could be married so Lucas at the age of 50, had always looked upon Lisa as the daughter he might have had.”

His interior design business was his life. It required a great deal of careful research. It had been a blow to him when his salesman had left so suddenly, but he was delighted to have Lisa in his place.

One evening, a week or so after her arrival in Edmonton, Lisa and Lucas were enjoying their coffee after an excellent meal lovingly prepared by Mary, when they heard hurrying footsteps on the stone stairway leading to the apartment. Lucas looked annoyed for he was tired and had thoughts of retiring to bed early for a change.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone,” he commented. He got up and crossed over to the living room just as they heard the outer door opening. Before Lucas could open the door it swung open revealing a man who, by any standard could only be described as strikingly handsome.

“Oh, it’s you!” Lucas exclaimed darkly.

Lisa was surprised at the rather less than enthusiastic greeting, for the apartment had always been open to all. But Lucas stood aside to allow the man to enter.

Lisa studied the newcomer with interest. There was something vaguely familiar about the velvety dark eyes and the provocative lift of the prominent chin. She felt a strange stirring in her heart.

Without a word to Lucas, he strode to where Lisa was sitting, coffee cup in hand. With gentle deliberation, he took the cup from her hand and placed it on the table. Then, taking both of her hands in his larger ones, he pulled her to her feet.

“I do declare, that tom-boy Lisa has grown into a real beauty.” He eyed her from head to toe.

“But those tousled curls so fair, are as unruly as ever, I can see. But she doesn’t remember me.”

He was addressing Lucas but his eyes never left Lisa’s face, except to take in her slim figure clad only in a thin t- shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans. He still held her hands. Suddenly Lisa’s eyes shone with recognition.

“Jason!” she cried with undisguised pleasure.