My thanks, as always, to ErikThread, who stuck with me and this story to the end. Lots of rewrites and fixes and discussion about what was missing or awkward, but in the end, we got there. It goes without saying, any errors or omissions are mine alone.
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Second Chance: Ch.28
Bonnie Simpson and Brent Gordon were married in the Lutheran Church in Castlegar on a bright, sunny, warm day in late summer. It was the only venue available for the date they wanted; the last Saturday in August. It took a little convincing of the minister, since neither he nor Bonnie was Lutheran. A generous donation to the church's building fund obtained the man's agreement.
Scott was named Best Man, Andrea, Maid of Honor, and Tim, the ring bearer. Tanya volunteered to be the flower girl. She was also elected unofficial sister to Andy, Scott and Tim. The women wore gold dresses instead of gowns. The men wore navy blue blazers, tan slacks and a gold tie matching the women's dresses over a white shirt. Sam Fiorento was designated official photographer, and as the results proved later, was a brilliant choice. The newlywed's album would be full of excellent pictures of the wedding party at the church, and the reception afterwards.
Bonnie's parents came from Calgary for the much anticipated wedding of their only daughter. The Verriers were invited as well, and stayed on for a few days as a vacation. Their son, Nicholas, roomed with Tim at the Gordon's. Their airfare was provided by Brent and Bonnie. It was the least they could do for them considering all the care the Calgary family had provided for Tim in years past.
Brent's parents were also there, of course, but almost unexpectedly, the O'Learys accepted the invitation. It was one of those happy moments that made both Brent and Bonnie feel very good. Brent was delighted to see Kevin and Kelly again, and the three did a lot of catching up over the days before the wedding. The O'Learys were very kind and supportive of Bonnie as well. The grandparents wanted to spend some time with Andrea and Scott. They marveled at just how much Scott had matured in the past months.
Henry, Lloyd and Johnny all came with their wives. Adam was unable to attend when his father fell ill and was hospitalized. "The Castlegar Gang" as Charlie called them, attended in force. Altogether there were over fifty people stuffed into the aging, wood-frame church. The service was mercifully short as the temperature was quickly rising toward triple digits in the crowded space.
The lively reception was held in the Forester's Hall near the church. With perfect late-summer weather, most of the guests gravitated outside to enjoy the sun's warmth and the afternoon breeze from the mountains. Mrs. Dubrinski had organized the food preparation, so it was a given that there would be more than enough. The crowd didn't disperse until it was almost dark. Bonnie and Brent had long since said their thank-yous and goodbyes. They were driven to the airport by Scott, with an escort of Andy and Tim.
The two newlyweds enjoyed the late summer weather on the sandy shores of Canon Beach and the luxury of the Inn at Otter Bay. They took day trips to Tillamook, Newport, Astoria, and the surrounding back roads, relaxing from the excitement of the past weeks. It was the break they needed before starting their married life as a working couple.
When they returned from their honeymoon, they began the task of preparing Bonnie's sales career. A company lease car, laptop, laser printer, cell phone, digital camera, and corporate credit cards had all been arranged in their absence. It only remained for them to find a suitable place for Bonnie to live during the week. It would prove more difficult than at first expected. Apartments for rent were few, particularly in the downtown core and surrounding area. In addition, the ones in the heart of the city were hideously expensive.
They decided on a six week rental at the Residence Inn, City Center. It would be expensive, but it would give Bonnie time to look for something more affordable and permanent. She would have until the end of October to find a suitable apartment.
Bonnie began her new job with enthusiasm. She met with Tom Blanton, giving him her card, and telling him where she would be staying for the next six weeks. She let him know she was looking for an apartment to rent, and if he heard of anything, please let her know. In the meantime, Tom had two jobs for Bonnie to quote, both for windows and kitchen cabinets.
Her evenings were usually filled with laboriously taking down the details from borrowed plans, then e-mailing the specifications to the estimator in Castlegar. If nothing else, the work helped keep her from becoming too lonely. Every evening, shortly after dinner, she would phone home and talk to Tim and Brent. Each Friday afternoon she would board the plane to Castlegar with pleasant thoughts of her being reunited with her new family. On Monday, she would kiss them goodbye at the airport, pushing away thoughts of the coming four lonely nights.
Brent planned to be in Vancouver once a month, and would stay with Bonnie. It was their only continuous time together, and they would make the most of it. They seldom went out to dinner, preferring to stay in, watching some TV before they retired.
If Brent were honest, he didn't need to be in Vancouver that often. Bonnie had launched her new career with polish and professionalism. She was indeed, a natural. In the first month she had established five significant contacts with architects and design houses. She had arranged plant tours for two builders, one of them from Whistler. When Brent was in town, they called on their key contacts together. They were building on the new relationships and cementing the V.C.M. logo in the customer's mind.
It was near the end of September and Bonnie was calling on Tom Blanton to present her quote on a new home that was to be built the next spring. She had found him where he always was, on the jobsite.
"Hi Bonnie, how are you," Tom called affably.
"Great. I brought you the quote on the Azanabi house," she said, handing him the manila envelope.
"I'll have a look at it tonight. I don't expect any problems though. These people seem to have little concern for the cost. As long they get what they want, it should be a lock," he said confidently.
"That's terrific," she smiled.
"By the way, have you found a place to live yet?" he asked.
"Not yet. To be honest, I haven't had a lot of time to look. I'm going to have to make time, I guess," she said.
"My wife reminded me that some friends of ours have a place in Park Royal that's empty right now. The fellow that owned it bought a house that we renovated and moved in a few years ago with his new wife. He kept the apartment as an investment, but no one has lived there in the past year. I think he's pretty fussy who he'll rent to. Would you like me to ask about it?" he offered.
"That would be great. Park Royal would be fine for a location. Is it a two bedroom?" she asked.
"Yes, on the eighth floor in that big concrete building behind the North Mall. I hear it has a great view."
"That would be perfect for me. Thanks again for thinking of me," she enthused.
Two days later, Tom called Bonnie.
"Bonnie, the Inhalt's are willing to rent the apartment we talked about, but they'd like to meet you first. Like I said, they're careful about who they rent to," he reminded her.
"Fine, should I call them?" she asked.
"Yah ... I'll give you their number, and you can take it from there. Good luck," he said.
"Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate your help," she gushed.
"No problem. Glad I could help. Let me know how it goes," he said, signing off.
The next evening, Bonnie met with Steve Inhalt and his wife, Ingrid Solberg at their home in West Vancouver. Steve was a financial consultant, and apparently a very successful one. Ingrid was an interior designer. They both worked out of their lovely home, high on the mountainside, overlooking English Bay. The trio met over a glass of wine while Bonnie told them a little about herself and her new job.
