As Rory basked in the warmth of the morning sun, streaming in through the windows of his room, his thoughts traveled back to the night before and the stage of The Royal Haligonian Theater. There, Shona's expression of all encompassing love and need had told Rory that she wasn't just playing a role. He had seen something in her eyes that spoke volumes about her own pain. Someone, sometime, somewhere had crushed her heart and she was now searching for love. He knew that look so very well and it had long been etched on his own face and heart.
As he showered and then dressed for the day, memories of Shona's remarkable beauty continued to caress Rory's soul. Finally, he reached for the phone and dialed 352, the extension of the hotel's concierge.
"Good morning, Mr. Munro," answered Victoria with a voice equaling the brightness of the sunshine streaming in through the gauzy curtains of Rory's hotel room. "Did you enjoy last night's performance of Brigadoon?"
"Victoria, it was an exceptional evening and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The production was very professional and the music was spectacular. The actors did a magnificent job and I was very impressed by their performances," responded Rory. Munro held his breath and waited for Victoria to reply, hoping she would work Shona's name into the conversation.
Rory's spirits sagged as he realized Victoria was not going to bring up Shona's name. "Well, Victoria, I was just wondering if"
"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Munro, but I meant to tell you. Shona MacKenzie called this morning and asked if you had been impressed with the performance? Of course, she didn't know you by name, but I had told her that a guest from the hotel was the lucky recipient of the ticket she had sent over. She was very interested in knowing whether you had enjoyed the show?"
Rory closed his hand over the receiver and let out a sigh of relief. "She was magnificent and is very talented. She also happens to be a beautiful woman and a delight to watch on stage. And, you were quite right. I believe she would give Cyd Charisse a run for her money! The other actors did a fine job as well." Rory wanted to go on and on about the treasure he thought Shona MacKenzie to be, but held back.
"I told you so! I knew she'd impress you. Have you seen the morning paper? There is a great review of the play. You'll find it on page 3 of the entertainment section and it simply raves about Shona's performance."
"No," said Rory. "I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but will do so. Victoria, last evening was terrific and I really enjoyed it." Rory sucked in his breath and continued. "In fact, I liked it so much, I'm thinking about seeing it again tonight. Would you give me the phone number for the box office and I'll call and see if they can scrounge up a ticket for me?"
"Not at all, Victoria. You certainly aren't being forward and I truly appreciate the invitation. I would love to join you, this evening, especially since you are a true fan of "Brigadoon." Being Shona MacKenzie's good friend was the real bonus, as far as he was concerned, however, he had always found Victoria to be very charming and extremely attractive as well. The prospect of spending an evening at the theater with her was a very pleasant one to Rory.
"Wonderful, Mr. Munro! Why don't you meet me in the lobby at about 7:30 and we'll be on our way. Oh, I forgot to mention! The dress attire, for this evening, is semi-formal. The Premier and his wife will be attending the performance and all proceeds from the evening will be going to a local charity. There will be a cocktail party after the play where we'll get to meet the cast members along with a few local celebrities. Do you think you'll be able to stay for a short while? I should have mentioned it before offering the ticket."
"Hmm, well I do have to give a presentation, early Wednesday morning, but yes, Victoria, I think I can spend an hour or two at the party. That would be great and I'm looking forward to it." Rory struggled to keep the overpowering excitement in his heart from soaring through the telephone receiver. He would get to meet Shona MacKenzie! Perhaps she'd find him appealing and agree to a date, before he had to leave Nova Scotia? Rory could already see himself, sitting opposite Shona in a charming restaurant, just on the fringe of Halifax's Historic Properties.
Victoria's voice coaxed Rory back from the dream he found himself reveling in. "Oh, that's great, Mr. Munro! I'll change, in the hotel, and be ready on time. I know this will be a wonderful evening. Enjoy your day and I'll meet you at 7:30."
"Thank you, once again, Victoria, and please call me Rory. After all, we are going to spend the evening together. Referring to me as Mr. Munro might be a bit embarrassing for you, unless you'd prefer to keep it formal," Rory mirrored Victoria's coyness of before.
Victoria blushed into the phone, "um, well yes, Rory, I suspect it might be a tad embarrassing. Thank you. See you later!"
Rory experienced a subtle sensation of warmth, spreading through his body as he thought about Victoria. Perhaps she had planned to spend an evening with him and his phone call to her, regarding a ticket for tonight's performance, had given her the opportunity she had waited for? He had noted a twinkle in her eye and intriguing smile during previous encounters. She had seemed to be more interested than simply supplying local restaurant information to him. "Mmm," thought Rory, "she is a very sexy woman and perhaps I should have asked her out before?"
As Rory's thoughts continued to entice his very being into a realm of pleasure, the phone rang once again.
"Rory, good morning. This is Peter Sinclair."
"Oh, hi Pete. How are you? What's up?" Munro's thoughts instantly turned from the vivacious Victoria to the powerful voice of his client, the President of International Computer Centers. The company was Canada's most rapidly expanding franchisor and was becoming a serious player in the international markets.
"I'm doing great, especially after that presentation you delivered yesterday. You had our franchisees spun into a state of frenzy! I've never seen a group of business owners so worked up over a marketing seminar. You really know how to turn on a crowd, Rory. Look, I'm still searching for a VP of Marketing. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider and join my team? You could spearhead our expansion into the European markets. Hell, you'd be a natural. I'm sure you wouldn't mind opening our planned London and Edinburgh offices, would you? Let's get together over a few glasses of The MACALLAN, tonight, and talk about it!"
"Pete, thanks once again for asking me to join your firm. You know how impressed I've been with the growth of the system and unquestionably it is a very attractive offer, but I'm booked solid for the next six months. After I've completed the work, perhaps you and I could talk about a future with the company? Oh, and I'd love to join you, tonight, but I've got a commitment and can't get out of it. Let's get together at lunch, today, and talk about a concept I've come up with for Thursday's presentation."
"Pete, you are incorrigible, but I really do appreciate your interest in my services. Okay, a meeting, tomorrow, sounds great. We can get together right after the morning seminar. Oh, by the way, I went to a play, last night, at the Royal Haligonian. I'd never seen a stage production of, "Brigadoon," but this one was exceptional and"
"Yes, so I've heard, Rory," interrupted Peter Sinclair. "In fact, my wife and I are going to get away from the franchisees, for one evening, and attend tonight's presentation. There's a cocktail party, after the show, and it should be a great evening!"
"Oh terrific, Pete, then I'll see you there. A friend has invited me to join her and this is the prior commitment I spoke about. By the way, you are really going to be impressed with Shona MacKenzie. She plays Fiona, in, "Brigadoon," and is fantastic. Just wait until you get a look at her. I don't believe I've ever seen a more beautiful woman."
"Rory, I know all about Shona Leigh MacKenzie. Our master franchisee, in this area, is a good friend of hers. Well, not really a friend. MacKenzie is his veterinarian and has done wonders for his dog's heart condition, but I don't want to bore you with the details. The way you talk about Shona MacKenzie leads me to wonder if you aren't only impressed with her talents? Anyway, I've got to get going. I'll join you in the meeting room in a few minutes."
"Okay, Pete, I'm on my way. Bye for now." Rory began to stuff his briefcase with the day's material and then stopped in front of the room's gigantic mirror in order to check his appearance. While removing a few flecks of lint from his Dior suit jacket and tightening his tie, he saw a vision of Shona MacKenzie reflected in the mirror. Her extraordinarily beautiful eyes seemed to gaze inside of his soul and, for a moment, he smiled back with a warmth that raised the temperature of the room more than just a few degrees. In an instant, however, she was gone and Rory headed for the door. Thoughts of Victoria had vanished from his mind.
"Hi, Susan, may I speak with Shona," asked Victoria?
"Oh, sure, I'll put you through. Have a wonderful day! Hold on for a minute."
"Hello, Victoria. I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Have you received the two tickets I sent over to the hotel?" Shona Leigh MacKenzie sounded tired, but her honey coated voice still caused Victoria to blush in envy.
"Yes, I did, Shona, but only found one guest who could attend the theater this evening. I really tried to interest someone else, as well, but everyone seems to have made prior plans for tonight, so, guess what? I'm finally going to see you in action, on the stage. I'm going to use the other ticket and, well, I don't want you to get the wrong impression, but, I'll be joining Rory Munro at the theater."
"Oh, Vicky, that's great. It's about time you attended the show and threw catcalls at me from the audience," laughed Shona. "But, my friend, just who is Rory Munro? Oh wait, is this the man who you have been hinting about for the past few months? Isn't he the guy who used the ticket I gave you for last night's performance?
"Yes, that's him, Shona, "cooed Victoria in a voice that was much more coy than she'd used on Rory, during their conversation, earlier in the morning. "This guy is so handsome and very, very successful. I want you to meet him and tell me what you think? I'll just bet you'll agree with my opinion of him!"
"Yes, I know you've been very lonely, since your divorce, Shona, but, in time, you'll meet the man of your destiny. He is out there, somewhere, my friend. Perhaps he is waiting for you in Brigadoon?"
"Yes, well, I haven't found that magical place yet, Vicky. Mind you, with my luck, I'll end up at The Brigadoon Bar and Grill where the steaks will taste like they are one hundred years old and, oh, never mind. Vicky, I've got an emergency case on its way in, so I'll have to run. I'm looking forward to meeting the mysterious Mr. Munro, at the party, this evening."
"Oh, you'll like him, Shona, and this will be a magical evening for me. What am I saying? Gee, this guy only comes into town every once in awhile! I am truly shameless, aren't I? Okay, I'll let you go. Have a great day and I'll see you tonight."
Shona MacKenzie hung up the receiver, closed her eyes and allowed her imagination to transport her to Brigadoon. She knew there was no such village, but had, once upon a time, come to believe that it was a place in the heart, full of stunning peace, truth and the glory of love. Now, Victoria may have found what Shona had spent such a long time searching for.
(Gary loves to hear from his readers so please email him)
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