A Long Wait

This is a story I started, and my editor, Ray, finished. I wont be writing anymore, because of something someone said. This is one of my last two submissions.

No Prom for Stella

"You can't leave before the Prom!" Kirk exclaimed as he stared at Stella incredulously. "Everybody goes to the Prom."

"Well everybody won't be going to this Prom," Stella replied mildly, as she continued stowing her books into cardboard cartons. "Anyway, I haven't got a date," she added matter-of-factly.

"You could have," Kirk protested, "There are plenty of guys who'd have fallen over each other to take you."

"Then they'll have to fall over each other, won't they."

"I'm going to miss you, Stella," Kirk said regretfully, "it's been a long time...er...how many years?"

"Fourteen," replied Stella.

"That long? It seems like only the other day we met."

"Kindergarten," Stella laughed, "we were all told to get into pairs and hold hands and you held mine."

"Fancy you remembering that."

Stella glanced up from her packing and said, "There are a lot of things I remember. Hand me that pile of books please."

He handed her the books saying, "You know, I'd forgotten."

"Yes, I thought you had...I'm going to need another carton."

"Look Stella, there's still time for you to change your mind and come to the Prom. You don't really need to be in New York so soon."

Stella sighed with exasperation, "I've told you Kirk, my flight is booked and it'll only be four days before my course begins as it is. Now stop talking and find me another carton."

Kirk persisted; "Why do you have to go to New York anyway? You could have done the same course here."

"Okay Kirk, let's get it clear for this one last time; point one, my sister has gone to live in New York and so I can stay with her; point two, it's not the same business management course as the one here, the New York course is world class, and that's what I want. Got it?"

"Yes, I've got it," Kirk said sullenly."

"Now, are you going to find that carton for me or...oh by the way, can you pick me up to take me to the airport?"

"What time is the flight?"

"7-30 a.m."

"My God, that's the middle of the night!"

"For some it is. Do you pick me up, yes or no?"

"Yes ma'am," said Kirk, giving her a mock salute. "Have I not always obeyed your slightest command?"

"No, and make it 6 a.m."

Farewell

At 6-05 a.m. Kirk arrived to pick Stella up.

"You're late," Stella snapped, "and I got these for you because I'm damned sure you wouldn't have thought of them."

She presented him with a corsage of flowers in a box.

"What...what's this for?" Kirk said.

"For Courtney."

"Courtney?"

As if speaking to an idiot child and almost putting hyphens between the words, Stella said, "You are taking Courtney to the Prom tonight aren't you."

"Er...yes..."

"Then give her these flowers to pin on her dress, and make sure she has a good time."

"Oh yes...yes...I will."

Kirk grinned, "Let's hope she gives me a good time after the Prom."

"Is that all you can think about?" Stella asked, exasperated.

"Yes." Kirk replied with a grin.

Stella looked at him morosely but said nothing.

They drove to the airport in silence. Despite all their recent talk about, "We'll keep in touch," they both sensed that this was a turning point in their lives; Stella taking a demanding management course far away, and Kirk his no less demanding architectural course at their local university.

When if ever would they see each other again?

Kirk helped Stella check in her baggage and then hung around with her in the departure lounge. As he looked at the waiting people he couldn't but help contrast them with those in the past he had seen in the arrival lounge.

In the arrival lounge people waited with eager anticipation, hugs, kisses and laughter; here there was the despondent atmosphere of people about to part from their loved ones.

He and Stella sat silently waiting for her flight to be called. Fourteen years of companionship, of fun and sometimes tears and although their hearts were full of words, they could find nothing to say.

The flight was called and Stella gave Kirk a quick kiss on the cheek and saying, "Thanks for everything Kirk," she turned and left him almost at a run.

Kirk gazed after her until he could see her no more, and then went to the viewing platform and watched the aircraft take off. He stood there for a while after the aircraft had taken off as if by doing so she would be with him a little longer, then turned and went despondently to his car.

Flight and Arrival

Stella clipped on the seat belt as the aircraft taxied to its take-off point. Looking through the small window she tried to see Kirk, but failed.

For a few moments the aircraft waited as the pilot received instructions for take off. Then the ferocious roar of the engines, a jerk as the brakes were released and then it thundered down the runway gathering speed.

It rose, there was a soft clunk as the wheels came up, and it seemed to Stella that fourteen years had been left behind, never to be picked up again. The tears she had fought down ever since Kirk had arrived to pick her up now came.

"If only he had known, if only he had seen," she thought, "but he never has and never will."

The aircraft banked and the buildings far below looked like minute dolls' houses. "I'll never see this again."

"Excuse me, are you all right?"

A stewardess stood looking at her, concern showing on her face. Stella took a handkerchief from her bag and wiped her eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said shakily.

The stewardess looked at her for a few more moments and then passed on.

Stella looked down at the passing scene below wondering why she had never told him -- had never spoken to him of what was in her heart.

"Tonight he'll be taking Courtney to the Prom, and knowing Courtney he'll probably get what he wants; why has he never wanted that with me? He never even asked me to go to the Prom with him."

So many times he had failed to ask her to go out on any proper date with him.

It had been fine -- fun -- until that teenage boy-girl thing started to become important, and while Kirk always wanted to play the field she had only had eyes for him. It wasn't that she was unattractive; heaven knows she'd had enough offers of dates - and other things - but it was Kirk, always bloody Kirk, and he couldn't have cared less who she went around with.

"Too late now," she thought, "the die is cast and I'm on my way to another life."

As if to protect herself from more depressing thoughts she dropped off to sleep, not to wake until they were being told they were about to land.

The wheels clunked again then touched the runway. Brakes squealed, the aircraft slowed and then taxied towards the arrival lounge and came to a softly whining halt.

Her sister Anthea was waiting for her and in the excitement of greeting each other Kirk faded from Stella's thoughts.

The next few days kept her fully occupied. She had the final details about her course to settle, and she had never been to New York before, and Anthea delighted in showing her the sights.

Kirk continued to linger in the back recesses of her mind as during the following years she threw herself into the business management studies. Kirk may have remained only in the back of her mind, but he was nevertheless there.

This became obvious when, during vacation times, she had the opportunity to revisit her old haunts and she chose not to. Although she tried not to admit it to herself, she dreaded seeing Kirk, and having the old hurts rise up again.

And so the years passed. She got her degree and began to climb up the promotional ladder.

The Prom Night.

As Kirk left the airport he felt emptiness inside him. The departure of Stella had been like having a chunk of him self torn from him.

"Why did I never tell her how I really felt," he asked himself. He knew the answer, it had been fear of commitment; a youthful desire to experience, uncommitted to any one particular relationship.

"Too late now," he thought, and tried to visualize how it would be with Courtney at the Prom that evening, the noise, the laughter, the realization of freedom from high school at last, and then afterwards...yes, afterwards.

Courtney was a good looking, buxom girl with large luscious breasts. For the moment Stella faded from his mind.

"Better make sure the back seat of the car is clear of junk," he grinned in anticipation.

His moment of mild euphoria over Courtney did not last for long. He visualized Stella in flight, gradually being drawn farther away from him. It was rather like the experience at the death of a loved one; the unbelief, the desire to hold on to dead loved one, the widening time gap between life and death that nothing could reverse.

"She'll be landing in New York by now," he thought. "She'll be meeting her sister, and then...and then..."

It was like a mini death, and he was grieving for her.

By the time he went to pick up Courtney he was in no mood for an evening of revelry.

Courtney, who was very aware of herself, and who believed that any male would have been over the moon about dating her, was quick to pick up his mood.

"What the hell's the matter with you," she asked petulantly, "You look like a funeral director who hasn't been paid."

Kirk shrugged, "I saw Stella off this morning," he said abstractedly.

"Oh dear," Courtney responded sarcastically, "You poor boy, the fair princess isn't going to be at the ball and she's left him. Well you've got me, so brighten up because I'm not going to put up with your post-Stella blues."

And put up with it she did not. She had no difficulty in picking up dance partners and soon she was dancing with everyone but Kirk, who sat gloomily in a corner.

There were those who did not know of Stella's departure who heaped further misery on Kirk by asking him where she was.

At the end of the revelries Kirk walked without Courtney to his car. Passing Frank Dodd's car he heard squeals and groans emanating from its back seat. He glanced in at the window and the startling red dress Courtney had been wearing told him who it was on the back seat.

He was surprised at how little the sight affected him.

Ten Years Later

"We've done it Stella; they're coming across with the money."

"All of it Nick?"

"All of it...all five hundred million."

"God that's a relief; I honestly didn't think we'd ever raise the finance to start the project. Three cheers for Venture Finance Corporation."

"And three cheers for McGregor Constructions," added Nick.

Nick Zenaphon as CEO of McGregor Constructions and Stella as finance manager had been negotiating for months to get a capital loan to redevelop a prime city site the company had bought. They had thought that they would have to accept the money in small parcels from several investment companies, so for Venture to pick up the whole tab was an enormous relief.

"There is a proviso," Nick continued.

"Aha, I thought there'd be a catch somewhere and they'll have more than one proviso if I know the chairman of their board," Stella said cynically, "What is it?"

"Old Abrahams, yes a shrewd operator," Nick grinned wryly. "I've got copies of the contract, take a look at it and you'll see, but the proviso I had in mind is that they're insisting on choosing the architect."

"Oh, I suppose they've got someone in mind."

"Yes, a fairly new kid on the block, the guy who designed the state administration building they're all raving about."

"I haven't heard the rave," Stella said, "What's his name?"

"A guy called Kirk Matthews."

It didn't register for a few moments, and when it did Stella felt the blood drain from her face.

Kirk Matthews! It had to be the same Kirk because he'd been studying architecture.

"Are you okay," Nick asked, "you've gone quite pale."

"What? er...yes I'm fine. It must be the relief at getting Venture on board."

"Never known you to react so strongly before," Nick grinned. "Abrahams has called a meeting for 10-30 Wednesday next week. Take a look at the contract and watch out for the detail, there's sure to be some fine points we don't want to overlook, knowing him."

"Where's the meeting to be held?"

"Venture board room."

"Trust him to have it on his own territory."

"Yes," Nick shrugged, and saying, "I'll leave you with it," he left her.

The Finer Points

Stella picked up the thick wad of paper that constituted the contract. She knew that there would be lots of sub-clauses and fine print in a Venture contract, and she tried to concentrate. It wasn't easy because Kirk was looming over her thoughts.

After she had left for New York , she had lost touch with him. The truth was that she had not returned any of his emails, letters and numerous calls. After a couple of month of this, he had stopped. Ridiculously this had hurt Stella tremendously, but somewhere in her troubled mind she had decided that the only way to get over Kirk was to completely exclude him from her life, and she had done just that.

Once she had been in love, but that was over now, or so she thought. She had made her way in that hard business world still dominated by males. Love, emotion, played no part in that world and she had eliminated those soft and profitless things from her life. She was efficient and respected, and that was enough.

Lust, yes that could have played a part; the guys who said however nicely, "Come across for me and you'll be up the next rung of the promotional ladder." had been refused. Stella had chosen to make it the hard way by sheer ability and thus had kept her knickers on; that way complications were avoided.

And she had made it, so why had she felt so startled when Kirk's name was mentioned as architect?

She had been quite religious in her youth, but that had been dropped in the struggle towards the top, but now she prayed, "Don't let it be my Kirk, let it be some other Kirk."

She made an effort and dismissed Kirk from her mind, "I'll deal with that later," she told herself, and focused on the contract; she eventually found the clause that bore the imprint of old Abrahams.

Oh how sweet it sounded on first reading, no interest on the $500 million loan, incredible!

She soon found the catch. Venture was to have fifty percent of the building and its rental from the office space.

"Crafty bastard," she thought, "he knows damned well they'll be fighting to get office space in the building and Venture will reap far more than the fifteen percent interest rate that was usual. That will have to be challenged."

The Meeting

"Mr. Abrahams, I think you know our finance manager, Ms. Reynolds," Nick said.

"Yes...yes...of course, a pleasure to meet you again Ms Reynolds."

Mr. Abrahams glanced at his watch. "Our architect hasn't arrived yet, but I think we should make a start."

"Typical Kirk," Stella thought, "always late."

The welcome and other preliminaries of a formal meeting were over before Kirk arrived.

"Sorry to be late," he said, "got held up on the freeway."

"My God is he still using that old excuse," Stella thought.

"Mr. Matthews, I don't think you know Mr. Zenaphon and Ms. Reynolds of McGregor Constructions."

"No I don't think..."

Kirk seemed to freeze in mid-sentence as he looked at Stella. Without finishing his sentence he shook hands with Nick and Stella and Mr. Abrahams said, with a reproachful look at Kirk, "Shall we continue?"

Stella sat looking at Kirk. "He's changed," she thought, remembering the somewhat gauche youth she had known. "He has the look of a mature man, a confident professional."

The talk went on around her but she was not concentrating; it was a distant buzz of half heard phrases; "Tenancy..." "Rental space..." "Estimated profits..."

"Stella, I think you had something you wanted to say about...Stella..."

"What?"

"The question of rental revenue."

Stella gathered her thoughts and said, "Oh...er...yes...we find that Venture's claim for fifty percent of the rental floor space in lieu of interest on the loan to be excessive. We are confident that the building, located as it will be right on the river front -- a prime position, and given the amount we have already invested when purchasing the site and the anticipated one hundred percent occupancy we expect to attain very quickly, it would..."

"Ah, but we must recoup our loan within reasonable time," Mr. Abrahams said, with the light of battle in his eyes.

Nick, trying to avoid an outright confrontation nearly brought about the confrontation when he said, "Surely twenty five percent would soon cover the loan with an excellent profit margin for Venture, given the going interest rate."

"And who will finance you if Venture does not?" asked Mr. Abrahams, threateningly.

The verbal battle raged for half an hour, and finally Stella suggested a thirty three and a third percent for Venture, to which Abrahams with pretended reluctance agreed. She had known that fifty percent was only financial kite flying by Venture, and that they would settle for less rather than lose the lot.

The discussion turned to the design of the building, and Kirk stepped in with his preliminary draft drawings.

"Beautiful...beautiful...murmured Mr. Abrahams, but all this landscaping round the building, we shall be losing so much floor space if..."

And so the battle raged on a new front; "Public responsibility," "Streetscape," "Harmony," "Official acceptance of the plan," "Minimal loss of floor space," "Minimization of public opposition..."

Stella, the hard nosed woman of business, seemed to hear it all through a thick fog, almost as if she was not the one hearing, but someone else.

The meeting ended with the signing of the contract, and Stella appended her signature without knowing fully what she was really agreeing to.

"Well that's that Stella," Nick said as the meeting broke up, "We got a good deal."

"Did...did we?" Stella asked vaguely.

"Well of course we did," Nick grinned, "What about dinner tonight."

"Dinner!" Stella thought, "He never gives up trying."

"No thanks Nick," she replied, "I've got things to do."

She knew what Nick really wanted, and on the one previous occasion they'd had dinner together, he had almost got it afterwards in her apartment.

It was only as he tried to remove her panties that she had rebelled; "No...no Nick...go home to your wife...don't...don't..."

He had been angry and frustrated, but he didn't love her, only lusted for her, and she had no time or desire to engage in a one night stand with Nick.

He had recovered from his anger at her rejection a few days later, but had never given up trying. He was irritated now by her refusal of his invitation. He shrugged and said, "Suit your self," and stalked off.

She and Kirk hung back as the others departed, and when they were alone Kirk came to her and said, "A long time Stella."

"Yes Kirk, a long time; fourteen years."

She felt vaguely that she had spoken similar words before.

"As long as that?"

"Yes, as long as that. You've changed."

"So have you." Kirk said, still not able to digest the fact that he was talking to Stella, someone he thought he'd never meet again.

Both of them stood there, looking at each other. It was as though they were frozen in time.

"Stella." Nick called sharply, breaking the spell. He was standing at the door of the conference room, looking at the two of them with a strange expression on his face.

"Must go, Kirk," Stella said, turned quickly and went to Nick, feeling shaken.

Kirk stood there and watched her go, also feeling agitated.

Old Feelings Never Die

After their reunion Kirk needed to have frequent contact with Stella regarding finance for the project. Both were determined to maintain a professional stance, but there was constraint during these contacts even a tinge of hostility.