Katherine fell in beside her as they walked toward the entrance, where a woman with long, wavy brown hair greeted them. “Don’t tell me Zach chickened out.”
“He had a legitimate excuse to bail—or so he told me.” Stephanie’s eyes began to twinkle. “I assume from your comment that male customers are in the minority.”
“A vast understatement. The few who do get roped into coming generally finish eating in fifteen minutes flat and stop for a burger en route home. Most women, on the other hand, linger for a couple of hours and leave with a box of leftovers.”
Stephanie huffed out a breath. “How stereotypical. Eating isn’t the main goal of tea. It’s more about taking a respite from the hectic pace of our crazy world.”
“Amen to that.” Jeannette held out her hand and introduced herself as Katherine returned her firm shake.
“Sorry.” Stephanie completed the formalities, and after a few more pleasantries were exchanged, Jeannette showed them to a table beside a large picture window.
“We’re at the height of the bloom season.” She handed them tea menus. “I’ll be back to take your tea order in a few minutes. In the meantime, enjoy the view.”
“This is gorgeous.” Katherine scanned the lush beds filled with purple flowers.
“I agree. As lovely as Provence.”
After another sweep of the gardens, Katherine focused on her companion. “From what you said the day we met, I take it you’ve traveled a lot.”
“Enough for two lifetimes. I’ve been to every continent, and most of the big cities in the world.” Her comment was matter-of-fact. No trace of bragging.
“Your job must have been exciting.”
“More in theory than in reality.”
She’d made a similar comment the day they’d met—but Zach’s appearance had sidetracked that conversation.
Jeannette came by for their tea order, but as soon as she retreated, Katherine returned to their previous topic. “So there was a disconnect between the reality and the theory?”
“A huge one.” The older woman’s lips tipped up. “Let me put it like this. My job was like going to a carnival as a kid. At first, the fast rides and games of chance and unhealthy food are exhilarating. But if you did that day after day, every day, the thrill would fade. While there were parts of my career I loved—like working one-on-one with clients—the endless meetings and constant travel and corporate politics got old.”
“I hear you.”
“Your career has a similar downside?”
She was saved from having to answer by Jeannette, who delivered a three-tier stand filled with scones, finger sandwiches, and pastries. After giving them a description of each offering, she left them with a promise that their tea would be ready soon.
But Stephanie repeated her question as soon as the woman walked away.
Katherine smoothed a crease in the linen napkin in her lap, scrambling to come up with a reply that wouldn’t give too much away . . . or shut down this topic.
“To some degree. That’s why I’m taking a break to reevaluate. It’s been very stressful—and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this relaxing interlude to temporarily leave it all behind.”
Once again, Zach’s aunt proved to be as astute as her nephew. You didn’t get into the executive ranks of a global company without learning to read signals and discern messages hidden within diplomatic phrasing.
Including ones that said back off.
“Then I’m extra glad we ran into each other today.” She helped herself to a cucumber sandwich. “I always start with these. Dig in.”
Katherine followed her lead. While Stephanie had respected her message that her own situation was off-limits, would she be willing to share more about her experiences? A woman who’d remained in a profession that appeared to have had as many downsides as acting, albeit of a different nature, could have a few insights to offer.
“May I ask you a question about your career?” Katherine took a dainty bite of her sandwich.
“Of course.”
“If there were parts of your job you didn’t like, and the travel got old, why did you stick with it?”
Before she could respond, Jeannette approached with a teapot, poured their Earl Grey into delicate cups, and again retreated.
Around them, the tinkle of silver against china, the muted conversation, and the strains of classical music created a soothing ambiance, and the tension that was always present in her shoulders—except while she was making candy—eased.
“That’s a question I asked myself often early in my career, when I was working sixty-hour weeks, living out of a suitcase, and had no personal life.” Stephanie took a sip of tea and selected another sandwich. “The answer finally came to me. I didn’t want to disappoint my father.”
Katherine stared at her.
That wasn’t what she’d expected to hear.
“You’re surprised, aren’t you?”
Katherine fiddled with her cup. “Honestly? Yes. You come across as a strong, independent woman.”
“I am—thanks in large part to my father. He was an early proponent of equal opportunity in the workplace and believed women had been given short shrift in many industries—including mine. From day one, he pushed me to excel and break barriers. He also encouraged my brother, but he always felt it was tougher for women to get noticed and rise in the ranks.”
Katherine spread lemon curd on a scone. “To tell you the truth . . . you don’t strike me as the type to make major life choices in order to please someone else.”
“Love is a powerful motivator.” Stephanie dropped a sugar cube into her tea and stirred the hot liquid to dissolve it. “And I loved and respected my father. But I could have switched careers after he died. The truth is, I always had a hankering to change course, like Zach did. The creative fields were a passion of mine—writing in particular. Between you and me, I have a couple of fiction manuscripts under my bed, gathering dust.”
“Why didn’t you pursue that?”
“In the beginning, I didn’t have the time or energy to juggle two careers—and as I began rising in the ranks, I enjoyed my success. I’d learned to live with the parts of the job I didn’t like . . . and I’d been bitten by the ambition bug. I wasn’t doing it for my father anymore. I was doing it for myself. It was all-consuming, but I liked the challenge of making my mark in a male-dominated industry.” A brief shadow passed over her features. “You can put up with major inconveniences and disruptions . . . and give up a lot . . . if you’re satisfied with what you’ve accomplished at the end of the day.”
“Do you miss it?”
She shrugged. “Too soon to tell—but I don’t think I will. It was a fascinating chapter of my life, but I’m looking forward to turning the page. To savoring experiences I always had to squeeze in before. Enjoying a theatrical performance or dinner out without being interrupted by urgent calls or texts. Sleeping late if I want to. Answering to no one but myself. Getting reacquainted with my brother and nephew. Broadening my horizons.”
“How are you ladies doing?” Jeannette stopped beside the table and refilled their teacups.