Chapter 10: Something Old, Something New

RRRRiiinnnnnggggg! RRRRiiinnnnnggggg!

The piercing sound of the telephone broke the silence in Kimberly's darkened hotel room, waking her from a dead sleep. It had taken her a long time to nod off the previous night, but she convinced herself it was simply because she was in a strange bed, not because she was excited about going to the wedding with Tommy. For a few foggy seconds, she thought that it must be him on the phone, and then she realized that it was just the wake-up call she asked for. Shit, that must mean it's eight o'clock already. Throwing back the burgundy paisley bedspread, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up to stretch. Her bare feet padded the few steps to the window where she pulled back the matching heavy paisley draperies, immediately regretting doing so when the blinding California sun shone into her sleepy eyes. At least it is going to be a nice day. I won't have to worry about my hair getting ruined by rain.

She had planned her day out down to the minute so as to have enough time to shop, eat, and be ready to go when Tommy arrived at a quarter to five. That meant she would have to be at the mall exactly when it opened at nine-thirty. Since it was Saturday, there should be some great sales, but that also meant that she would have to fight the crowds. The schedule she devised allowed her until two, two-thirty at the latest, to find the perfect dress complete with shoes and jewelry. That wasn't a lot of time, not unless she got really lucky. Her goal was to render Tommy speechless, so she had to look perfect. One look in the bathroom mirror told her that she had a lot of work to do to accomplish that. The charming fluorescent lights cast a greenish pallor to her complexion and her hair was practically standing on end. Yuck!

During her shower, she thought a lot about her expectations for the evening, and tried to figure out exactly what she was feeling. The very real possibility existed that Tommy simply asked her to the wedding as a friend, and that he had no other motives. Kim found that disturbing, but she wasn't exactly sure why. Is it really possible that I've fallen in love with him at first sight AGAIN? Well, stranger things have happened, but since he may not reciprocate her feelings, she had to be very careful not to pressure him or scare him off. She wanted to leave Reefside with at least a renewed friendship. OK, stop freaking yourself out and get ready to go. You have a mission, take no prisoners. By nine she was dressed in her most comfortable power-shopping clothes and was out the door.

Tommy's natural circadian clock woke him at his usual time, seven o'clock. He always considered himself lucky that he didn't require a lot of sleep. If he got five hours, he was perfectly fine. The aroma of coffee wafted up the stairs to his room, the one indulgence that he allowed himself in his otherwise very healthy lifestyle. That one-cup Mr. Coffee with the automatic timer was one of the best investments he ever made, when he remembered to set it, that is.

As usual, after brushing his teeth and having his Starbucks, the first order of the day was his workout. He pulled on a royal blue gi over his underwear and ventured out to the backyard. There was a large lawn beyond the wraparound porch that he used as his own private outdoor gym. When the weather was bad, a corner of the basement command center was set up with weight machines and a few mats, but on days like this, he took full advantage of his beautiful property.

A couple hours later, he climbed back up the stairs, hot and sweaty, but feeling revitalized and renewed. His workout was his drug of choice, the epinephrine and serotonin it released into his blood just as addictive as anything illicit. He knew he was in excellent shape, but that never stopped him from pushing himself even harder the next day.

The shower was his final step in preparing himself for his day. He knew he would have to take another one later in the day before dressing for the wedding, but he couldn't leave the house smelling like he did. Haley and the Rangers were probably at the café already having their morning cappuccinos, so he threw on a pair of black cargo pants and a red shirt, grabbed his keys and took off for the Cyberspace.

Tommy's morning ritual had occupied his mind well enough that he temporarily forgot about Kimberly and the wedding, but now that he was in the Jeep driving down the country roads into town, he couldn't think of anything else. What do you think is really going to happen tonight? She probably agreed to go with you because she was here and didn't have anything else to do. Don't scare her away. The last thing he wanted to do was go insane from over-analyzing and making predictions about what was going to happen that night. He resigned himself to the fact that the only thing he could do was be mature and realistic, letting things run their course. Second-guessing the situation would only make him nervous, which wouldn't go very far towards making the idea of a relationship appealing to Kim.

Conner's vintage red Mustang was parked as expected right behind Haley's Cyberspace. Tommy had made his mind up last night that he wasn't going to mention Kim's visit to the team. It was bad enough having the Rangers forever ragging him about Principal Randall. The last thing he wanted was to add more fuel to the fire, especially since nothing may come of it anyway. Randall. Kimberly had me perfectly distracted from what happened in her office yesterday morning, so why did I have to go and remind myself? Forget about it, you can deal with it Monday. Focus on tonight. For a minute,Tommy did consider telling Haley, but then realized that by discussing it with someone, he would be doing the analyzing and predicting he promised himself he wouldn't do. Acting as if there was nothing out of the ordinary going on was the best way to ensure that something did.

The cybercafé was still relatively empty. His team was lounging on the comfortable sofas Haley had placed in front of a widescreen TV near the main door. As he approached them, he could hear the animated sounds of Saturday morning cartoons. Conner sat enraptured watching the adventures of Tweety and Sylvester while Kira and Ethan had their textbooks open, studying for one test or another. Sometimes Tommy felt guilty that because of their Ranger duties, the kids often had to cram their schoolwork into late nights and weekends. He knew that he, as well as many other veteran Rangers, had to deal with the same problem during their high school years, but having a hand in both the academic and Ranger aspects of their lives made him feel like he was dishing out twice the work.

"Good morning, Dr. Oliver, coffee?" Trent noticed him first, since as Haley's employee, he was hyper-aware of the comings and going of customers.

"Hey, Trent, no thanks."

"Dr. O, come sit down." Kira called to him.

Tommy took a seat on the arm of one of the couches and turned his attention to the TV. As always, Tweety was outsmarting the stupid cat. Finally, Conner, who had yet to acknowledge his teacher's presence, piped up. "One of these days, Sylvester is going to get that annoying bird. I just know it." He said it as if it were the most profound statement in history.

The rest of the team should have been used to the Red Ranger's dim-witted pronouncements, but just when they were sure that Conner couldn't get any denser, he would say something so idiotic that it surpassed all their expectations. It was rare for them to even react to him anymore.

Tommy opted to change the subject to lessen Conner's embarrassment. "So, what are you guys doing this weekend?"

"They just released the new Master of Disaster game. I'm booked for the entire weekend." The enthusiasm in the Blue Ranger's voice sounded like a kid on Christmas morning.

Ethan's plans elicited a groan from Conner. "Dude, how could you spend so much time sitting in front of a computer? You need to get a life." The two of them were as different as night and day.

"I do have a life. It's gaming. At least I'm using my mind, not just kicking a stupid ball around."

"It's not stupid. Some fresh air and sunshine would be good for you. Besides, girls are attracted to jocks, not geeks." Conner was popular with the ladies, despite his dingy-ness.

"Speaking from an actual girl's point of view, I'm attracted to neither of your types. Give me an artist or musician any day." Kira's automatic reaction to all the testosterone generated by her teammates almost gave her crush on Trent away. She considered him the perfect guy: a handsome, quiet artist who's had a tragic life. All the angst and drama built strong character.

"Yeah, well you're a freak." Conner's fragile ego couldn't handle any female rejection, even Kira's.

"Guys, relax. Stop bickering." Tommy was used to hearing his Rangers squabble. He realized that it was going to happen since they were from such different worlds, but he discouraged it, though, in an effort to build teamwork.

Thankfully, Haley blew in the door just then with two large shopping bags. She often used Saturday mornings to go to the specialty market and pick up exotic ingredients like wheat grass and alfalfa root for her famous smoothies while Trent minded the café. "Good morning, guys!"

"Hi, Haley," almost everyone said in unison. She handed her bags off to the White Ranger and took a seat with the group. Trent joined them a minute later.

"What about you, Dr. O? What are your plans? I've got a gig here tonight, can you make it?" Kira knew that her teacher and mentor was a great supporter of each of his Rangers' passions. He regularly attended her concerts, Conner's soccer games, and Ethan's video tournaments. Once, he even helped arrange a showing of Trent's drawings at a small gallery in Little Italy.

"Uh, no, I can't. I'm sorry, Kira. I have to go to a wedding tonight."

"EEwww, boring. Who's getting hitched?" Conner said with his usual classy way with words.

"My cousin. I haven't seen her in at least ten years since she joined the Navy. We were really close as kids, so my mom is making me go."

"Man, you have to go with your parents? That's even worse."

"I don't mind." Of course, the fact that he was going with Kimberly made all the difference.

Haley listened intently to the conversation. She thought she remembered Tommy mentioning he got an invitation a couple months ago. In the back of her mind, she was hoping he would ask her to go with him. As far as she knew, she was the only female friend he had in the area. Regardless, she had plans for this weekend too. She had yet to work out the details, but before Monday, she would know if he was hers.

"Actually, guys, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm going to be out of the area for the evening. I'll only be about an hour, maybe an hour and a half away, but if there's any trouble, it's up to you guys to take care of it. Unlike the original Rangers, we don't have the benefit of teleportation. Obviously, if things get really out of hand, I'll get here as fast as I can. Just use your judgment. I trust you."

"No problem, Dr. O. We'll only call you if it gets bad. Enjoy yourself. Hopefully, it'll be quiet," Kira reassured him.

"I know I never said it before, but I, I mean we, are really grateful that you trust and believe in us so much Dr. Oliver." Conner wasn't one for sappiness, but underneath it all he had a sensitive side that surfaced every so often.

"Well, the four of you, and Haley, have proven to me time and again that you can be counted on. We're a team. I consider myself no more important than any of you. Hey, I've gotta go, it's nearly eleven-thirty. I'll probably see you all here tomorrow."

"Catch ya later, Dr. O," Ethan spoke for himself and the rest of the team.

Before stepping out, Tommy pulled Haley aside. He wanted to give her the details of where he was going to be, just in case. "Haley, listen. I'm going to be at the Hilton Hotel in Balsam Springs. If for some reason things head south, I want you to know where to reach me. There will be a lot of people around, so only use the communicator if you really have to."

"Tommy, relax. We'll be fine. Just have a good time." One of the reasons she loved him so much was because of his sense of responsibility. As the longest serving Ranger of all time, he has been subconsciously conditioned to believe that the world will stop turning if he didn't maintain a constant vigilance.

"I'll try. See ya later."

"Bye Tommy." Haley watched him leave, more certain than ever that she had to tell him how she felt soon. She knew that she might be putting a huge strain on their friendship with her admission, but as they old adage went, 'no pain, no gain'.

By eleven o'clock, the mall was already packed with people. Kimberly Hart had been shopping for exactly an hour and a half, and she was still no closer to her goal than she was when she set out. At this point, she must have looked at over a hundred dresses, and none of them did anything for her. Most of the problem was that she had no idea what she even had in mind, but she was hoping that she would know it when she saw it. The issue of color was proving to be problematic. Since she didn't know these people, she didn't really know what was considered appropriate wedding attire in their family. Some folks, she knew, didn't even believe in wearing black to weddings. The last thing she wanted to do was stand out and embarrass Tommy.

Still completely empty handed, she sat in the food court, absent-mindedly chewing on a large slice of vegetable pizza. There was probably going to be a lot of good food at the wedding, so she wanted to make sure she had an appetite by dinner, but she needed something now for energy. Maybe it would help her focus better on her mission. After eating three-fourths of her lunch, she just couldn't sit there any longer. It was almost noon, and she only had a little over two hours left before she had to get back to the hotel and get ready. Kimberly walked as fast as she could to Solomon's, a small dress boutique she remembered passing the previous day. A little chime rung upon her entrance, and immediately, a petite old saleslady with a measuring tape around her neck and glasses on a chain came running out from behind the counter to greet her.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to Solomon's. I'm Sylvia. How can I help you, dear?"

"Hi. I'm Kimberly. I need a dress for a wedding reception tonight. I don't have that much time left, and I haven't found anything I like so far."

The kindly woman smiled gently and gave Kim a once over with a professional eye. Then she took her hand and led her to the back of the store to a lavish seating area where she motioned for her to sit down. Sylvia sat down as well. "Now, tell me about this wedding."

Kim wasn't sure what the woman was up to. She felt they were wasting time sitting there when she could be looking around, but she decided to give the lady the benefit of the doubt, at least for a little while. "Well, that's kind of the problem, I don't know anything. An old friend invited me as his guest just last night. It's his cousin's wedding. I don't know the family."

"So I take it you'd rather blend in than stand out?"

"Exactly, but I do want to look special for him."

"This old friend, are you sure that's all he is?" The sweet old lady had a mischievous gleam in her eye.

The observation made Kim blush deeply and she realized in that instant that she seriously underestimated the saleswoman. Sylvia knew just what she was doing and was very perceptive. "I don't know. We dated in high school, but I was stupid and broke up with him. I hadn't seen him in almost thirteen years, and then I ran into him yesterday at the bank. I actually live in Florida. I'm just here for a job interview. We had dinner last night, and he asked me to go to this wedding with him."

"Sounds like the two of you might end up rekindling an old flame. Let's find you the perfect dress. You'll knock him dead!" With that, she got up and began rummaging through some of the racks. Within minutes, she emerged with about five dresses in various colors and styles. "You wear a four, am I right?"

"Yes, you are. That's amazing."

"I've dressed up a lot of pretty young ladies like you over the last thirty years. I can size 'em up in no time. Now, take a look at this one," she said as she held up a beautiful lavender dress. It was sleeveless, with a V-neck, curved through the bodice and hips, and flared out slightly at the knees. The satin of the under-fabric was covered with shimmery chiffon, slightly embossed with a delicate floral print. "What do you think of something like this?"

"It's lovely. Definitely understated, but I'm not sure about the color. I guess I never considered purple."

"OK, I have several others here. There's a nice navy blue one in here somewhere. Ah, here it is." This one was a sparkly sheath with a boat neck and short sleeves.

"I like the cut, but I think it's too glittery."

"You're awfully nervous about this young man, aren't you?"

Kim simply nodded.

Sylvia gave her a knowing look. "Tell me about him."

"He's the most beautiful man I've ever seen. Thick, dark hair, dark eyes with the longest eyelashes in the world, an amazing body. Tall, but not too tall. And he has the kindest, most generous spirit I've ever known." The dreamy look in Kim's eye told Sylvia even more than her words.

"Sounds like a keeper. We're going to get you looking beautiful for him."

The next hangar the woman pulled off the rack left Kim speechless. It was an ice-blue, fitted, mid-calf length dress with a straight pencil skirt. The fabric was a matte satin with a subtle sheen, but was not ostentatious. It was strapless, and had a long, sheer matching scarf that could be worn around the shoulders. Very Marilyn Monroe.

"That's the one." As far as Kim was concerned, the sky had opened up and the heavens sang. The dress was exactly what she wanted: elegant and simple, but with enough of a wow factor to knock Tommy off his feet.

"Come on, dear. Let's try it on you." Sylvia led her to a large, mirrored dressing room with a raised platform in the middle.

Kim undressed without any shyness. This grandmotherly woman had put her completely at ease. She stepped into the dress and Sylvia helped her zip it up and arrange the scarf. The fit was perfect, as if it was custom made for her.

"I love it. What do I do about shoes?"

Sylvia took a quick glance at Kim's pink-pedicured feet. "Size 6?"

"That's right."

The lady disappeared for a moment, and then returned with a shoebox. "Try these. They will go beautifully."

Inside the box were the most delicate, strappy silver sandals Kim had ever seen. They had a three inch heel, just right for slow-dancing with a tall man. When she slipped them on she felt like Cinderella. Her prince charming would be stunned.

"I'll take the dress and the shoes. Thank you so much, Sylvia."

"We're not done yet, dear. We still have to find you some jewelry and a handbag."

Kim glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was just after one. She had plenty of time. While she put her own clothes back on, Sylvia covered the dress with a plastic garment bag, and set the shoes aside behind the counter. When she saw that Kimberly was ready, she showed her to a large jewelry case. Inside, a variety of sparkly necklaces, bracelets, and earrings were carefully displayed.

"Now, I think I have just the thing to go with that dress and those shoes." She pulled out a gorgeous necklace. It was a simple silver herringbone chain with a blue topaz emerald-cut pendant about the size of a penny, surrounded on all sides with white cubic zirconias. Even though it was made of completely synthetic materials, it looked incredibly genuine. There were matching earrings, too, with the same rectangular blue stones. The final piece of the puzzle was a silver satin clutch purse that Sylvia found on a shelf under the counter.

"Oh, Sylvia, I can't thank you enough. This is just the look I wanted. I'll take all of it."

"My pleasure, dear. You just go have yourself a nice time tonight with that handsome young man. If you get the job here in Reefside, come back and see me." The saleswoman did her job more for the joy of seeing her customers happy than for the money. She was well past the age where she needed to work.

"I definitely will." Kim handed Sylvia her credit card to pay for the accessories, and Tommy's to pay for the dress. She briefly considered buying the whole thing herself, but she knew he would be very unhappy if she spent that much of her own money. As it was, she dropped over 200 on just her part.

While Sylvia rang up her purchases, she perused Tommy's Visa. "HHHmmm, Thomas Oliver. That's a nice, strong, noble name."

"It should say 'Thomas Oliver, PhD. He teaches science at Reefside High."

"You're kidding? My granddaughter goes to Reefside, and she has been going on and on all year about her gorgeous science teacher. I'll bet they're one in the same. I've never seen her so excited about school before. You'd better hang on to this one, sweetie."

"Believe me, Sylvia. I'd love nothing more. I just hope that after what I did to him in high school, I can make it up to him."

"He did ask you to the wedding, didn't he? Who was he going to take if he hadn't met you?"

"Well, he was going alone, I think."

"See? He wasn't obligated to ask. Obviously, he wants to be with you. If there's one thing I've learned in all my years, it's that time heals all wounds. Everybody makes mistakes, especially when they're kids. It doesn't look like he holds it against you."

"That's exactly what he said. Thank you, again, Sylvia. I'd better run. I have a lot of primping to do," Kimberly explained with an impish grin.

Sylvia returned the smile. "Go get him, dear."

"Maybe I'll bring him to meet you someday. Bye!" Kimberly gathered her things and bolted out the door. It was exactly two o'clock. She decided to catch a cab back to the Marriott so she didn't have to walk with her packages. Just as she stepped outside, a green taxi pulled up to let someone out, and Kim was able to hop right in. My luck is amazing today. I hope it continues into tonight.

After a short nap and a shower, Tommy found himself standing in front of the mirror in his bedroom again, adjusting his tie for the umpteenth time. He vowed not to drive himself crazy about Kim and the wedding, and that meant not obsessing over his clothes like he did last night. So far, he was doing OK. The charcoal grey suit he wore fit well, and paired with a royal blue shirt, a royal, black, and white geometrically-patterned tie, and black shoes, it made a very presentable ensemble. Even he knew that. Besides, his mother always said that you can never go wrong with a good suit. He put the gold hoop earring back in his left ear, quickly adjusted a lock of spiky hair or two, swallowed his nervousness, and checked the clock. Four-fifteen. I'm outta here.

There was no traffic during the late afternoon hours on a Saturday. Tommy easily cleared the road construction that held him up yesterday, and at exactly four-forty, he pulled into the Marriott parking lot. Without a keycard, he had to enter through the main lobby. As he stood there waiting for the elevator, he overheard one young front desk clerk whispering to another to 'check out that totally sexy guy'. After glancing around, he realized that there was no one else around. The girls were talking about him. He pretended not to hear them, but was secretly grateful for the distraction. It quelled his anxiety for the time being.

When the elevator door opened to let him out on the second floor, he took a deep breath before stepping out and heading down the hall to room 243. As he reached her door, he paused for a moment before lightly knocking. The few seconds that it took for the door to open seemed like an eternity. When it did, Tommy was greeted with the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen.

Kimberly's petite, but very female form was accentuated by the sleek pale blue strapless dress. Her hair had been piled atop her head in an intricate updo, some loose whisps framing her face. The curve of her bare neck and shoulders were adorned with a sparkling necklace that hung just below the hollow of her throat. She was stunning.

If Kim's goal was to leave Tommy speechless, by the look on his face she could honestly say 'mission accomplished'. "Hi, Tommy. You're on time, again. You really have gotten over your tardiness problem."

The small joke put both of them at ease. Kim took the opportunity to really look Tommy over. He was better than handsome. He was an Adonis. "Well, shall we go?" She had to say something to keep her mouth from just hanging open.

"Sure," he said simply. She grabbed her handbag and took the arm he extended, allowing him to escort her like a true gentleman. If the electricity she felt between them as they made their way to the elevator was a sign of things to come, she was in for an incredible night.

Author's notes: Huge chapter, I realize. I hope you all are enjoying the ride so far. I truly appreciate the time everyone has taken to read and review. Love to my"PR Sisters"Vanessa, Jeanine, and Kris.