CHAPTER TWO

 

August 2000: Meeting Aaron Mills

 

BEFORE MEETING AARON Mills, Beth Kern was happy with her life and solid career. She was the quintessential modern professional woman, working at an advertising firm in San Francisco. She successfully climbed the corporate ladder, becoming an executive director at the Gillis Advertising Agency within eight years. Friendly and outgoing, Beth was popular with her fellow employees, and counted many of them as casual friends.

She lived with her mother in a two-story house in the South Beach residential area, overlooking San Francisco Bay. Beth and Paula Kern were more like sisters than mother and daughter, achieving a degree of comfortable companionship. Beth’s father had been killed in an auto accident when she was thirteen, but Paula never remarried.

By the time she was thirty, Beth enjoyed few serious relationships with men but had yet to meet anyone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She knew she was fairly attractive, with shortly-styled auburn hair, a creamy complexion and dark blue eyes. She was tall and slender, moving with an agile grace that came naturally to her.

Then she met Aaron Mills. It seemed unlikely that an ad executive and a coal miner from Ivytown, Oregon could ever meet in a social setting, but by a coincidence of fate that was exactly what happened. It was late summer in San Francisco, seven long years ago, when she first laid eyes on him. Little did she know then it would be a vision that would haunt her forever.

One Friday evening, Beth agreed to join friends from work at Jester’s Lounge inside the Argent Hotel. The dark and somewhat exotic lounge setting blended with her attire that night, when she wore dark dress slacks with a silky blouse tucked into the waist. She found her friends at a rear table, and soon the group was talking and laughing together.

She was seated next to the firm’s receptionist, Maxie Daniels, a small, dark-haired woman with round, luminous amber eyes and an infectious smile. Beth and Maxie were friends, spending time together at work-related events as well as in their leisure.

Next to Maxie sat Morgan Bailey, the rather mousy executive assistant of Gillis’ president Carl Gillis. Although he made a habit of associating with Beth and Maxie, and gravitated toward them at the agency during coffee breaks and lunch, Morgan rarely had much to say unless it had to do with work or his vast knowledge of computer programs. He was a tall and painfully thin young man, with long, greasy brown hair and light brown eyes peering out of thick, black-rimmed spectacles. He looked much younger than his twenty-five years, the blemishes on his face reminiscent of teenage angst and raging puberty.

Beth liked Morgan; she found him to be intelligent and kind, although his serious-minded approach to life and work left little room for humor. He always addressed her with a reverent respect she found amusing – as he never seemed to treat other employees at Gillis the same way – but she accepted him as he was and he appeared to be grateful for it.

Over the din at Jester’s Lounge, Maxie spoke into Beth’s ear: “I have a friend meeting me here. Do you think anyone will mind?”

Beth shook her head. “I doubt it. The more the merrier. Who’s your friend?”

“He’s someone from my hometown,” Maxie replied. “He’s in San Francisco with some of his buddies to see the sights. His pals have tickets to the football game, but Aaron’s not one for contact sports. So he’s sort of on his own tonight…”

Beth would recall Maxie’s statement for many years to come. Aaron was not one for contact sports on television or on the playing fields, but he was a big fan of pummeling women – especially his wife – over and over again…

“Is Aaron an old boyfriend of yours?” Beth asked, more for polite conversation than curiosity.

Maxie laughed. “Good Lord, no. We went to school together in Ivytown, but whereas he stayed to work in the mine, I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. I rarely go back, so I haven’t seen Aaron in years.”

“Ivytown? I’ve never heard of the place. You once mentioned you came from Oregon, but I thought it was somewhere like Portland or Salem.”

“Ivytown is a small mining community in Oregon, near the border of Washington,” Maxie told her. “Not hard to miss, actually, so there’s not much to tell. It’s an ephemeral community for the most part. I rarely mention the place, but its so-called rustic community ambience is one of the reasons I left.”

Beth sipped her drink. “Good for you.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when she saw him for the first time. He was approaching the group’s table tentatively, as if reluctant to intrude. She took in his rather shaggy blond hair, the five o’clock shadow that somehow seemed attractive when worn by him, and the bright green eyes that found hers almost instantly.

He was tall, certainly taller than she was, with a fit bulk that bespoke regular physical activity. Another remarkable attribute was his hands, unusually large and lightly furred with the same color of hair that spiked from his head. She had no inkling then that she would come to know those hands most intimately.

Maxie introduced Aaron Mills to the group, and they greeted him with enthusiasm except for Morgan, who barely nodded in the man’s direction before returning his attention to a tall gin and tonic.

Aaron seemed relieved by the reasonably friendly atmosphere, pulling up a seat between Maxie and Beth. Soon the group was chatting amongst themselves again, and Beth felt Aaron’s attention rest on her.

At close range he was strikingly handsome. He had a naturally ruddy complexion, the emerald of his eyes alert with interest.

Beth didn’t remember what they first talked about, no matter how hard she tried to recollect the moment. She did recall being impressed with his physique, intrigued by the deep timbre of his voice and his over-large hands.

Maxie appeared tickled by their instant spark of attraction. She had always liked Beth, and in her memory she knew Aaron to be a hard-working, honest and considerate person. She had never seen any evidence to convince her otherwise.

 

***

 

THEIR COURTSHIP WAS a veritable whirlwind, but Beth was so swept away by Aaron’s apparent charm that she ignored the warning signs.

Aaron remained in San Francisco for an extra week to woo her. He was a gentleman: soft-spoken, courteous, and respectful of her mother. Paula Kern seemed to like Aaron at first sight, charmed by his subtle flattery and good looks.

Little things didn’t seem to matter then. The angry red flush on Aaron’s face when a server mixed-up his order at a local burger joint; his sudden impatience and subsequent moodiness when she demurred his initial sexual advances; his habit of drinking an extra beer or two at lunch, or the faint smell of alcohol on his breath in the morning despite his clear eyes and crisp speech.

They went to dinner, to movies, for walks on Ocean Beach. They toured old clipper ships at Fisherman’s Wharf, ate fish and chips on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and kissed endlessly in the moonlight. She couldn’t have read a better romance than they were living it, and sometimes she wondered if she was dreaming.

She learned about his life. He was born and raised in Ivytown. He had worked in the Misty Canyon Mines since graduating from high school, where his father and younger brother also toiled. However, a few years after he started his job a tremendous underground mine collapse took the lives of his father and brother. Aaron told Beth he had no surviving relatives and that he managed without family for many years.

“But what about your mother?” she asked him.

“She left us when I was ten years old,” Aaron said bitterly. “She just up and deserted us one day and ran away with another man. I never knew what happened to her.”

Beth was not inexperienced sexually, but she was so head over heels in love with Aaron she did not want to appear too eager, or God forbid too easy. Yet as their romance proceeded at breakneck pace, she found herself unable to resist his charms.

Their first time together occurred in his small room at the Cartwright Hotel on Sutter Street. It was the night before he was to return to Ivytown. He had taken her to the cozy Sutter Café for dinner, where they held hands and enjoyed a plate of Americana meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Afterward, he asked her to come back to his room and she agreed, sad at the prospect of his departure the next day.

It never occurred to her that she might not see him again after he returned to Ivytown. Rather, she envisioned long weekends together, maybe some holidays back and forth, and regular telephone calls. Their attraction was too intense, too breathtaking, to be over just like that.

That he wanted her in his bed desperately was obvious – but she wanted him, too. With the hum of traffic on Sutter Street muffled by their passion inside the darkened hotel room, Aaron and Beth came together in a flash of joy and astonishment that left them both stunned.

He smoked a cigarette as they lay in the dilapidated bed – which had been heaven on earth just seconds before – as she rested her head on his chest. They were quiet and languid, content in their moment.

“Marry me,” he said, turning his head on the pillow to look at her. “Marry me, Bethany. Come and live with me in Ivytown, be my wife and the mother of my children.”

She was not as shocked as she should have been. In fact, she had almost expected some sort of declaration from him before he left. She sensed he did not want to leave her, that he wanted to continue their relationship in an exclusive vein. But marriage?

She tried to be practical. “Aaron,” she said gently. “Today marks seven days since we first met. How can you be sure you want to marry me? We barely know one another.”

He doused his cigarette in an ashtray on the nightstand, and then turned in the bed to face her. She was touched by his sincere expression, the earnest look in his eyes. “I know all I need to know,” he told her strongly. “I want to marry you. I feel it in my bones, to the depths of my soul – you are the woman I’ve waited for my whole life. Why waste time when we could be living as husband and wife now?”

She was quiet for a long minute, avoiding his eyes. He was right. Why wait when the inevitable outcome would be the same? She had fallen in love with him, of that there was no doubt, but some inner sense of caution and rationality told her that marrying him after seven days was simply foolhardy, and perhaps dangerous.

“But why side with caution?” she thought, finally looking into his green eyes. “I’ve never been rash in my life – instead I’ve plodded along doing the expected. I’ve always been stable and dependable. It’s time I took a plunge for my own happiness. Throw caution to the wind and let the chips fall where they may. Aaron loves me, and I love him – marriage will let us love each other every day for the rest of our lives.”

Aaron mistook her lengthening silence as rejection. Tears sprung into his eyes, and he began to move away from her. Beth took her hands and cupped his face, raining kisses on his nose, his mouth, his cheeks…

“I’ll marry you,” she whispered against his lips. Her own tears of gladness fell from her eyes, and he laughed as he gently kissed them away.

“Oh Bethany,” he exclaimed, hugging her tightly to him so she could no longer see his face. “You won’t regret it. I’ll devote my life to making you happy. You’ll see. We’ll have our own family, a wonderful life together. I promise you’ll never want for anything…”

She silenced him with her mouth, their kiss deepening into a spiral of passion that was more frantic than before. A life-changing decision had been made and they were euphoric because of it, determined to go forward and never look back.

In that moment, Beth didn’t think about life as she knew it before Aaron Mills came along; she didn’t consider her career or her mother’s reaction to the news. Full of boundless hope, she was convinced everything would work itself out in the end.

 

***

 

AS MUCH AS she liked Aaron and the idea of Beth dating him, even Maxie Daniels was stunned when Beth told her they were getting married right away.

The two women were in Beth’s office the next day, taking a coffee break together. Although small, the office was comfortable and lived-in yet with a professional touch. Leafy green plants adorned the desk and file cabinets, some hanging from decorative hooks on the ceiling. The square picture window overlooked Montgomery Street in Jackson Square, where the Gillis Advertising Agency was located.

Maxie has been aware of Beth’s floating elation since meeting Aaron, but today she was distracted and more flushed than usual.

“Didn’t Aaron leave this morning?” Maxie asked from the chair across Beth’s desk, sipping her coffee.

Beth nodded happily, oblivious to her own mug of coffee. “Yes. I saw him off at the airport at six o’clock this morning.”

Maxie was puzzled. “Then why are you so happy?”

Beth hugged herself, squeezing her eyes shut. “Because he’ll be back within the week. He’s arranging for time off so we can get married and have a honeymoon.”

Maxie nearly choked on her coffee. As it was, noticeable dribble stained her cream-colored blouse. “Married?” she echoed in alarm, her eyes wide with shock. “Married?”

Beth nodded, her eyes now open and dancing, too riddled with excitement to respond.

Maxie set her coffee cup on the desk for fear of spilling again. “When did you decide to get married?” she wanted to know, then quickly amended her tone. “I’m happy for you, but isn’t this rather sudden?”

“He asked me to marry him last night and I said yes,” Beth blurted out before she was overcome with a fit of giggles. She leaned back in her executive chair, giving into the joy she felt wholeheartedly.

Maxie stared at her friend, now dumbfounded beyond words herself. She thought of Aaron and Beth as perfect for one another, naturally, but she never expected an accelerated version of courtship in their case. It was unlike Aaron as far as she knew, and it was certainly unlike Beth.

Maxie didn’t know what to say. She studied Beth for another minute until she calmed her giggles. Pasting a smile on her face, Maxie asked: “What did you mother say about your news?”

Beth rolled her eyes, wiping tears of mirth from her cheeks. “At first she thought we were crazy,” she managed to respond, her voice still tinged with laughter. “We left Aaron’s hotel and went straight to the house, where we told mother the news. She was surprised, I grant you, but she took one long look at us with our glowing faces and then threw her arms around us, welcoming Aaron to our little family.”

Maxie knew how close Beth and Paula Kern were. She also knew how Paula looked after her daughter and could not imagine her blind acceptance of the happy news without countless questions.

“What about your job at the agency?” Maxie wanted to know. “You worked so hard to make executive director.”

Beth shrugged, as if she had already made up her mind - which of course she had. “Some things are more important, you know? Aaron and I want to get married and start a family. I’ll be moving to Ivytown after the honeymoon.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Maxie repeated, prompted more by lack of something to say rather than genuine sentiment. “When is the big day?”

“We’re trying to set it up for a week from tomorrow,” Beth replied animatedly, leaning across the desk. “Mother is trying to book the Cathedral Event Center on Gough Street. It won’t be a religious ceremony because Aaron doesn’t practice any particular organized religion. We’d like to have a small reception at St. Francis Hall, and after that we’re off to Mendocino for a week-long honeymoon.”

“What about a dress?” Maxie pressed, for some unfathomable reason hoping to find a hole in the lightening-quick plans. “Did you already pick out a wedding dress?”

Beth giggled again. “What do you think I spent my morning doing, aside from giving Mr. Gillis one week’s notice? I have an appointment at the Alexandra Bridal Salon on Post Street this afternoon.”

Maxie’s mouth dropped open. “How do you manage to move so fast?” she asked dazedly. “On top of the planning, you already gave notice to Mr. Gillis? My God, what did he say?”

“He had the same reaction you’re having,” Beth smiled. “Then he said as long as I’m happy, he’s happy. He offered to give me an excellent reference in case I want to work in Portland or somewhere just as close to Ivytown, or he said I could come back here anytime I wanted as well.”

Maxie suddenly thought of Gillis’ executive assistant, Morgan Bailey. “Have you told Morgan yet?”

Beth shook her head. “Not directly, no, but I’m sure he overheard me in Mr. Gillis’ office because the door was open. I’m sorry, I was – and am – on cloud nine. I didn’t stop to speak to Morgan afterward. In fact, I think he was away from his desk by then…”

Maxie felt a twinge of sadness for poor Morgan Bailey. He had nursed a major crush on Beth for a long time but was too shy and insecure to act on his feelings, certain she would never reciprocate. He was probably devastated, yet enough of a class act not to display his hurt and disappointment.

Beth’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “There is one question I don’t have an answer for, though.”

Maxie raised her eyebrows in askance.

“Will you please be my bridesmaid?” Beth inquired sweetly.

Then Maxie began to cry, her doubts and concerns washed away by Beth’s touching request to be her bridesmaid, to be part of the most important day of her life.

She stood up and went around the desk to hug Beth, sniffling and babbling: “I’d love to be your bridesmaid, but what on earth will I wear?”

The two women dissolved into laughter.