One Night With The Boss
CHAPTER 14
They walked without speaking, but were spared the awkward silence by the chorus of birds and the chirping of frogs and monkeys chattering, currently the familiar sounds of tropical forests that always accompany their journey.
Occasionally Elgort glanced over his shoulder and looked at Kate but his gaze did not linger, and Kate was not even sure why Elgort was checking on her, because he was sure that the man would not heed him if he fell into the river that was now bubbling merrily along the way.
Obviously the man wished himself alone in his tropical jungle hideout.
Kate has made the mistake of trying to reach out and touch her depth, dark secrets and, like a wounded predator, the man gives her a warning.
Keep your distance.
Don't get too close.
So Kate keeps her distance, and won't get too close.
They would visit the coffee garden as planned, walk back to the inn and then Elgort would give an answer about his business. Whatever the answer is, he's gone.
And Elgort Downey with his dark secrets and his cynical view of love and life will become part of his past.
That's a good thing Kate told herself while balancing the logs and avoiding deep, muddy puddles, because she will never be the type of woman who enjoys sek$ without feeling and if they pursue this physical relationship then that is what it offers.
And sek$ without feeling means giving up on the dream of something more.
And he's not ready to stop dreaming.
He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he did not even realize that Elgort stopped until he walked straight to the man.
"Sorry." Stepping away from Elgort's hand, Kate stepped back and stared into the trees. "Why did we stop?"
"This is the beginning of the coffee garden."
Those were the first words Elgort had spoken since his response to Kate's question and there was no warmth.
There is no emotion at all. Just a statement of fact. Like a tour guide, trained to convey what is needed information.
Kate looked around in wonder, looking at the dense forest on both sides of the road. "We're still in the woods."
"Coffee is grown in the forest. Owners maintain the land around them. They run their business in perfect harmony with nature. Ecologically sound." Mouth tightened. "And you care about a lot of things like that, don't you, Kate?"
Sharp looks and cynical comments are full of meaning that Kate has not been able to interpret. Gone was the heat and passion they shared amidst the heat of the drenched forest. Lost is intimacy, however shallow.
Something less honest because no one knew each other, so how could something built on such a shallow foundation be so deeply felt?
Away from such dangerous and unsettling thoughts, Kate plays her game. "Yes, I care." He refused to let his tone disturb his calmness. “And I know the history of the coffee garden. The reason we are ready to pay the price we pay for coffee is because it is grown in an environmentally friendly way. If we use cheaper coffee, you might see a return on your investment right now."
Is that why his glamorous and well-preserved wife left him? Because the focus is only on dollars, cents, and profits?
"You care so much, don't you, Kate?" Elgort watched her and Kate saw a now familiar cynical ray return to her eyes. “I suggest we postpone this particular conversation until you look around the coffee garden." They walk continuously through creeks and dammed rivers to preserve the water.
Goats graze, loose chickens and a group of small children are playing.
As they walked towards some buildings, a man and a woman appeared to meet them. Their simple clothes were dusty from the ground and worn out. Physical hard work in the sun weathers the skin on their face and hands so it is impossible to be sure of their age. Kate would have guessed they were in their sixties or could have been younger.
Stretching out both hands, the woman greeted Elgort warmly and respectfully and she spoke in quick Spanish, her gaze occasionally sliding down to Kate, making her have no doubt that she was the topic of conversation.
Aware of her drenched appearance, Kate tidied her hair away from her face and hoped they wouldn't mind the fact that she was so messed up like that.
But they did not seem to notice her wet clothes. They don't seem interested. Instead, they listened to Elgort and glanced at him anxiously, their welcome smile seemingly frozen by what Elgort had said.
Kate sighed. Whatever it was, if the words coming out of Elgort's mouth were related to him, then the one thing he could guarantee was that it wouldn't be something flattering.
Although she did not fully understand Elgort's hostility towards her, she realized that the man was not actually her fan.
Except in the sek$ section, she reminded herself sadly. At that level, at least, he seems to be scoring points for the man.
As Elgort spoke, Kate felt the change in the couple and they looked at her with a mixture of anxiety, trepidation, and anger?
Gaining the impression that her sudden arrival was less than welcome, Kate suddenly felt awkward and touched Elgort's arm. "Was it bothering them, I visited like this? If so, we can just turn straight and go home."
"Come home?" The mockery in Elgort's voice reminds Kate that her beautiful tropical jungle cottage, she has no claim on it.
He is an outsider.
And he had never felt more estranged from others than he was at that moment.
"I mean to your cottage, of course," he muttered, correcting his mistake quickly and wondering why any verbal exchange between them was like negotiating a minefield.
Elgort watched Kate for a moment, his gaze direct and unsympathetic.
"Your visit doesn't make them angry. But of course it troubles them. And worrying."
"Why is that troublesome? Do they know that my business is in trouble?
But Elgort ignored his question and instead turned back to the locals to continue his conversation with them.
And although Kate could not understand what Elgort was saying, she seemed to be so convincing them of something. His certainty seemed to have an effect because the woman grabbed his hand and gave him a look of thanks.
