Enemy Mine

Chapter 68

Our quick stop at Trinity Church turned into a monumental fail, with construction vehicles leaving the site in a mass exodus, detouring traffic to hell and back, so we decided to hit MegaMag first. The receptionist gushed her welcome and congratulated us enthusiastically on our engagement, making me think she was fishing for an invite to the wedding, but it probably had more to do with some naked encounter she had with my fiancé.

She ushered me and Vincent with a deliberate sashay to the desk of Sam Martin's personal secretary, a petite blonde named Mandy. Mandy offered us a hot beverage while we waited for Sam's afternoon meeting to end, and when the businessmen and women spilled out of Sam's office, Vincent shook hands with all of them, introducing me as his fiancée.

In a hushed voice, I heard one man say to Vincent, "Are we still traveling to Sweden next year? Heidi is one hot stockholder."

"Heidi is on a three month walkabout in the Andes, and I am very much engaged," Vincent said resolutely. The darling.

As soon as Sam arrived on the scene, I went from the old ball and chain to assistant to the director of project design, a title he'd come up with at two in the morning. My tour continued with show and tell, during which I met several people who either worked for Vincent previously or had been involved in a business deal with him. It didn't surprise me that many of Sam's employees appeared to be sitting quite comfortably in Vincent's back pocket.

All in all, the visit went well, and only one person asked about my battle wound, to which I replied that I cut myself shaving. My joke was well-received, and when I had been thoroughly overwhelmed by the names of all the people I was supposed to call-on for favors, Vincent and I returned to Trinity Church.

"So, tell me about Heidi," I said as we maneuvered through rush hour foot traffic. "A Swedish lover?"

Vincent grinned behind the lapel of his jacket, which he'd turned up against the artic wind blowing down the street. "I wouldn't call her a lover. She and I hang out with a group during my annual visits to Sweden. The foundation has an investment there and I like to keep an eye on things."

"Heidi works for you?"

"Yes, now she's trying to find inner peace elsewhere."

"Non-disclosure agreement?"

"No, just sex."

I chuckled as I grabbed his hand and tugged him toward me for a kiss. "It's never just sex with you, Vincent, you know that."

We arrived at Trinity to find no trace of the construction chaos. Not even Charles was around, and his make-shift office had been cleared of all evidence that a blossoming young architect had worked there. A man in a robe quietly walked behind the main alter then disappeared into a room, but other than him, we appeared to be alone.

"The quiet in here feels eerie now," I said. "Of course, this is how it normally feels in a church."

"I know what you mean." Vincent agreed as we made our usual rounds, checking out the finished restorations and talking about the excellent workmanship. The project appeared to be a success, and Vincent wore a contented CEO smile as we approached the wall where the font had returned to its proper place.

"No more ankh on the wall," I said, staring forlornly at the stone reservoir hanging on the freshly-painted wall. I walked up to it and looked inside the well. "It's empty. I wonder if they're brewing up a fresh batch of holy water."

"I don't think the priest would appreciate the term brew. I doubt they use a cauldron."

I grinned at his joke as I tentatively reached out and brushed my hand over the curves of the font, admiring the aged details. A statue stood at the back of it. A saint, no doubt. He held a basket filled with wheat, which gave me no clue as to which saint he was. There were too many to keep track of them all. During my inspection, a vibration started up under my feet, and I glanced at the floor as the hidden door began opening.