Chapter 32
Kendall looked up and down the beach until she saw him. Zach was sitting on a blanket, with a picnic basket sitting next to him. He was staring out at the water. The smile that spread across her face couldn't have been any wider. She had to restrain herself from skipping over to him. When he saw her, he stood up. It was really too bad that there were other people on the beach because she wanted to jump him right then and there. She kissed him instead. "This is a fabulous idea, Zach. I really need something like this after the day I had." They sat down and Zach started taking items out of the basket.
"What stressed you out? The testimony or Fusion?" Kendall waved her hand. "The testimony was a breeze. I've been on the witness stand so many times that those sharks couldn't take a bite out of me if they tried. Afterward, I had lunch with my mother, and surprisingly enough I didn't get raked over the coals. I think she's up to something, so you might want to wear some bulletproof armor. Then I spent most of the day at Fusion. Zach, I'm so sick of that place. I really feel like I need to move on from Fusion, but I don't know what else I would do." Zach rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "I can relate. When I moved to Paris, I figured I might start up another business, since its what I do best. I certainly didn't expect to play saxophone in a jazz club. I don't know why I thought I needed come up with a plan for a career. I certainly didn't when I became a casino owner. If you recall, I won my former business in a poker hand. I think a lot of times what we end up doing with our life is not something we plan, but something that just happens."
Kendall laughed. "That's true for my previous nanny positions. I'll tell you about that some other time. Fusion, however, was a plan. It was a plan to create a cosmetics business to rival my mother. Can you believe it? Greenlee and I built an entire corporation in order to get back at Erica Kane because she wasn't taking us seriously." Kendall shook her head. Zach popped the cork on a bottle of wine. "Lets have a toast to new beginnings, whatever those will be." Kendall started laughing. "What's so funny?" She continued giggling as she held out a plastic wine flute. "New Beginnings is the name of my mother's television show." Zach chuckled. "Right, I forgot." They clinked their flutes together.
Kendall sipped her wine. "So, I'm dying to know what you did today, and how it related to Ethan and Paris." Zach handed her some cheese and french bread. "First I have to tell you about Etienne. You remember Etienne? The baker you chewed out for not having chocolate croissants?" Zach explained about the homeless shelter. Kendall's eyebrows shot up. "You've been volunteering at a homeless shelter? And playing saxophone at night? I think you're better at reinventing yourself than my mother. You sound like you are pretty close to Etienne. I wish I hadn't been so mean to him." Zach grinned. "Are you kidding? He fell in love with you. Frenchmen love women who are both beautiful and have a fiery tongue." Kendall blushed. "So what does this all have to do with Ethan?" Zach told her about dragging Ethan to the shelter.
Kendall laughed so hard that she flopped backwards on the blanket. "I could just see the look on his face when you told him where you were going. Priceless! So was that where you were when I called about the wedding with JR getting moved up?" Zach nodded soberly. "I wanted to call you back, but a food fight broke out. By the time we got everything sorted out, I was exhausted and I figured it was too late anyway. Funny, the next day I saw that there was a voice mail message from you, but I didn't listen to it because I didn't want to hear that you had married that creep." Kendall smirked. "Instead it was me telling you that I didn't marry him. Could have saved you a transatlantic flight." Zach pulled her close and kissed her. "Despite being embarrassed in front of JR, it was all worth it." Kendall ran her finger down his nose. "It certainly saved me a transatlantic flight. I was planning on coming back to Paris after my testimony. On the pretext that I just had to see my niece again."
Zach kissed Kendall again, this time longer and hungrier. When he pulled away, they were both breathing heavily. "You would have put off working on the Fusion ad campaign just for me?" Kendall ripped off a chunk of bread and threw it at him. "Alright, I can't stand it any longer. Now that I know about the shelter, and about Ethan… What was it that you did today?" Zach told her about visiting the Miranda center at Ethan's suggestion. Kendall groaned. "I haven't really been there since the grand opening. Shameful of me. How is it doing?" Zach paused and sipped his wine. "It seems to be doing great. I even offered to volunteer there. They have a desire for men to serve as positive role models for the children that come through the center." Kendall put her hand on his cheek. "You amaze me!" Zach shrugged. "Its just something to do to pass the time." She shook her head. "And modest, too!" He held up a finger. "Now modesty is something on which I will admit to being an expert." She laughed and leaned in for another kiss. She was interrupted by a voice saying, "Kendall?"
They glanced over and saw Reggie and Dani staring at them. Kendall smiled. "Hi Reggie. You remember Zach?" He gave her an incredulous look. "Uh, yeah. Kinda hard to forget Zach Slater. Also kinda hard to forget how most of this town hates his guts. Supposedly that included you, Kendall." Kendall smiled. "You mean most of this town hates my guts, too? I'd have to agree with that. In my case, though, I earned it. Zach didn't." Reggie rolled his eyes, but before he could speak, Zach's cell phone went off. He grabbed it. "I..um…have been expecting a very important call. I'll let you guys hash this out."
Zach went off a distance and answered his cell. It was Julia. "I was able to get ahold of Maria. She had nothing but good things to say about you. My sister is very intelligent and intuitive. If she can trust you, then so can I. I appreciate anything you can do to help me found out who murdered my husband." Zach glanced over at Kendall, who was talking animatedly with Reggie. "I will get on it immediately and let you know as soon as I find out anything. I think I should also help you find a different place to stay." There was static on the line, but he could make out her response. "Maria has found a place where I can hide out near her. I'm heading there now." Zach was pleased. New York City would definitely be big enough for her to hide. They said their goodbyes and he disconnected. He thought for a minute about how he should go about making contact with the mobster he told Julia about. He no longer had the telephone number he had been given. It seemed unlikely he could find it through directory assistance. It was probably better to talk with him in person, anyway. He would head to the guy's town and figure out how to hook up with him from there.
Zach looked over at Kendall again. She gave Reggie a hug and waved goodbye to he and Dani as they turned to leave. Reggie shot him a look of warning, then sauntered off. Zach approached Kendall, fiddling with his cell phone. Kendall smiled. "Don't look so nervous. I talked Reggie down." Zach pocketed his phone and reached over to massage Kendall's shoulders. "I'm not nervous, just disappointed. I have to go on a business trip tomorrow. I'll be gone a day or two." Kendall's eyebrows rose. "Business trip?" Zach nodded, choosing his words carefully. "I need to do a favor for a friend and at the same time wrap up some old casino business." Zach really wanted to tell her everything, but he felt like they weren't his secrets to tell. There was also the fact that if he told Kendall, she would be in the middle of it and therefore in danger. He hated to do it, but the best thing was to keep Kendall out of the loop entirely.
Right now she was giving him a thoughtful look. "That was all very cryptic. Where are you going?" Zach decided it wouldn't hurt to tell her that much. "Port Charles, New York." Kendall frowned. "Sounds vaguely familiar. Is there a casino there?" Zach's lips quirked. "Actually, there is a floating casino, because gambling is illegal in Port Charles. But that is not the purpose of my visit. It's a long story." Kendall shrugged. "Well, I'll miss you." Zach pulled her to him and kissed her long and hard.