II
A few weeks later…
The trio caught the earliest flights available to get from John F. Kennedy airport in New York City to Grand Junction Regional Airport in Colorado. They were lucky enough to get straight through flights without layovers. Since they had convinced Gregory that this was a business trip, the firm foot the bill to upgrade them to first class. He got them a limo to the airport and a luxury SUV was waiting for them in Colorado when they touched down. He even was willing to expense the price of the hotel stay for the weekend. However, he didn't know about the retreat so they paid for that out of their own pockets which was fine by them.
The scenery was beautiful as they drove the seventy minutes from the airport to the Callies Wilderness Lodge in Gateway, Colorado. The highway was carved out, deeply embedded in lush, mountainous sweeping landscapes. Slates of layered red flat rocks where no greenery grew gave way to tall trees that hid the stony terrain. As they drove, the view of the clear blue sky was obstructed every so often by soaring red sandstone peaks.
When they pulled into the olive and khaki valley with a couple small lakes, they were awed by the log cabin style structure with the magnificent mountain backdrop. Picnic benches and hammocks were still present, even though it was winter. People walked along the trails, some leading horses towards the bush in the distance.
The car stopped in front of the grand entrance and the driver opened the door for them to climb out. He removed their suitcases from the trunk and placed them on the ground while they stood gob smacked.
"Enjoy your trip, Ladies."
"Oh, thank you so much." they all turned to the man who smiled before he got back in the vehicle and pulled off.
They each grabbed their suitcases and pulled them up the ramp to the sliding front doors. There was a big poster board on an easel sitting off to the side of the entrance that was a near replica of the flyer for the retreat. No one was at the front desk when they walked in but it didn't matter, they were too busy looking around at the vaulted ceilings with wood beams. The huge fireplace that sat in the great room with rocking chairs setup around it. Plush leather seating was situated near the glass windows that looked out on the valley and barn. There was a glassed in courtyard visible with a now closed pool, hot tub and fire pit.
Eventually, Andrea walked over to the desk and rang the bell. An older woman with a scarf tied on her head came scampering out the back.
"Oh, lord! I'm so sorry I wasn't out here to greet you ladies."
"It's okay, we were just marveling at this place." Michonne smiled.
"Why thank you and welcome to the Callies Wilderness Lodge. I'm Tammy Rose, I'm assuming you have reservations."
"Yes, three suites. We are here for the wellness retreat." Yumiko informed.
"Oh yes, you will have a great time. I've done it once or twice myself, me and my husband Earl. He's the handyman around here so if you see anything out of wack, just let me know and he'll fix it right up for you."
"From the way this place looks, we doubt we'll see any of that." Andrea charmed.
"Well, let me get your I.D.s and a credit card for incidentals then I can give you your room keys and send you off to relax before your event begins. We have some coffee, tea and pastries set up for you in the breakfast area around the corner. I will give you a map of all the facilities so you can familiarize yourselves with the layout."
"That would be great. Do you happen to know when the retreat starts today?" Michonne asked.
"I sure do. They keep it light the first night so there's a meet and greet later this afternoon. Followed by a trip into town to see some of the sights, dinner tonight will be on your own though."
"That will be fine, we'll get something in town." Yumiko replied.
"Alright, sign here." she presented them each with guest agreements and key cards to their individual rooms. She circled their rooms on printed maps.
"You are all on the second floor, just take the elevator over there." she pointed. "And I hope you all enjoy your stay."
"Thank you." they replied and picked up their keys.
They pulled their luggage down to the elevator bay.
"No, bell hop?" Andrea complained.
"Really?" Michonne gawked.
"Yes, I just got my nails done."
"I think you will manage. We will be doing a bunch of pretty hands on activities this weekend." Yumiko reminded her.
"When did I agree to that?"
They both turned to stare at her but before they could say anything the elevator dinged. A tall cute guy stepped out and smiled at them.
"Oh, need any help ladies?"
Before Andrea could open her mouth, Yumiko spoke up making Michonne snicker. "No, thank you. We've got it."
"Well, I can at least hold the door open for you." he placed his arm in to keep the doors from closing.
"Thank you."
They rolled their bags on and pressed two while he grinned at them as the door closed.
"See, that is what I call a hands on activity." Andrea joked and they all laughed at her antics. "I just might enjoy this weekend after all."
Michonne, Yumiko and Andrea had received calls regarding the start time for the meet and greet after they took their own walking tour of the property. They walked into the banquet room to find others had arrived as well. There were about thirty other people there mingling.
"What do you have us at Michonne, all these hippy dippy people..." Andrea criticized.
Michonne had to admit to herself, a lot of these people looked to be way out there. From their style of dress, hairstyles and jewelry. But she wasn't one to judge someone who expressed themselves outwardly. As they checked out the attendees, they noticed the guy from the elevator and he hastily made his way over.
"We meet again."
Michonne and Yumiko nodded but Andrea grinned.
"I'm Spenser, I've never seen any of you at this event before. First time?"
"It would appear so." Yumiko smartly responded.
"Yes." Michonne corrected, trying to be nice.
"I've been to a couple of these so I could show you the ropes."
"Hmm?" Andrea quirked an eyebrow up at him.
"See my mom is a career politician, currently a congressperson. I grew up under the spotlight so I come to these retreats to help me stay grounded." Spenser explained.
"You have to misbehave before you can be grounded." Andrea devilishly simpered at him.
To which her friends rolled their eyes and walked away leaving her to her flirting. They ended up by the snack table, each grabbing a cookie to munch on and kept perusing the room.
"Well, at least Andrea will be having some fun this weekend." Michonne smirked.
Yumiko chuckled. "She really can't help herself, can she?"
"He is cute though."
"If you say so."
Michonne nearly choked on her cookie from the jab and her friend patted her back.
"She should put her arms up."
They turned to see a brunette tattooed woman wearing a trench coat over her utility pants and crop top.
"It helps open the airway." she continued.
"Thank you." Yumiko looked flushed even though Michonne was the one that nearly choked.
She still grunted a little to clear her throat.
"Maybe she needs some water?" the woman suggested, pleased that Yumiko was looking her over. "I could show you where it is."
"Lead the way." Yumiko responded and the two walked off leaving Michonne mystified.
"What the hell just happened?" Michonne said to herself now that she was magically friendless.
She turned to see a man and woman coming over with a bottle of water.
"Here you go." the guy handed it to her.
"Thank you." Michonne opened it and took a few gulps.
"Better?" the pretty woman who rocked her natural curls from a fresh twist out asked.
"Yes, thank you again. Since my friends have left me for dead." she glared at the two across the room not that they noticed.
"I'm Glenn and this is my wife Sasha."
"Michonne, nice to meet you."
"You too, we're glad you're okay." they all snickered and looked around.
"So how are you liking this so far?" Michonne asked the couple.
"We love it, we've been to a few of Rosita and Siddiq's retreats." Sasha informed her.
"Yeah, I came the first time with my mom and sisters. I know pretty lame." the handsome Korean man explained.
"It was not, it was cute." Sasha beamed at him.
"This retreat can be life changing if you let it."
"How so?" Michonne asked.
"I was thinking about branching out but I never said anything to anyone about it. I came here and decided to stop being a delivery guy and I opened my own pizzeria."
"Wow, that's inspiring. What about you Sasha?" Michonne inquired.
"I was a firefighter and it was becoming so overwhelming being one of the only women on the job. I came to find my center and inadvertently meet Glenn."
"So you two lived in the same place?"
"No, I was in Florida and Glenn was in Michigan."
"How did you two work that out?"
"We did long distance for a little while, until he found out I could transfer to Michigan. The fire department there was actively trying to recruit more women."
"And you just left, just like that. Gave up everything?"
"Oww, that really hurts Michonne." Glenn clutched his chest before he and his wife chuckled.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." She said, somewhat sheepish.
"It's okay." Glenn smiled.
"Truth is, Glenn is the love of my life and I wanted to be with him. He was opening a brick and mortar restaurant and I was the one that could come to him. And I actually love being a firefighter there versus in Florida. Putting out fires down there in those year round temperatures was making my hair constantly frizzy."
Michonne and Sasha both laughed. "I'm glad you two worked it out, you are a beautiful couple."
"Thank you." the both responded and then Glenn pecked Sasha's cheek.
"Hola!" the voice of a woman interrupted them.
The cute maybe Southern Asian looking man and pretty brunette Latina from the flyer had entered the room. They wore joggers and t-shirts with sandals on their feet even though it was winter outside.
"Welcome everyone!" he announced and people clapped. "Thank you for attending our Wilderness Retreat."
"We see some new faces and some veterans in the crowd." the woman added, people laughed and waved.
"We are going to hand out your booklets with the weekends activities, just remember this is your time to reach your inner peace and balance your chi so if there's something the resort is offering that you'd like to partake in, have at it." he continued.
"We are going to play an ice breaker game so everyone gets to know one another. Then we will head out into town, there's an outdoor market in the shopping area to explore. Tonight, dinner is on your own but tomorrow Siddiq will be preparing a delicious meal of chana, chow mein, pholourie and more."
That menu of Guyanese food had Michonne's stomach excited for tomorrow night. The other guests ohhed and ahhed too.
"Come in closer so we can get started!"
As Michonne walked closer to join in the group activity, she was now thinking Andrea was right, what had she gotten them into.
After the game, they all boarded the shuttle bus that drove them all into town. A few members of the group all decided to go to the same restaurant which included Glenn, Sasha, Spenser and the appealing covert woman, Magna. When dinner was finished they all decided to stroll through the shopping area that remained open surprisingly late for a small town.
Andrea and Yumiko hung out with Michonne but she knew they wanted to spend some alone time with the people they'd met and she didn't want to hold them back so she had them go on without her. They asked if she was really sure before they reluctantly split up, promising to meet at the bus if they didn't run into each other before then.
Michonne wanted to enjoy some time alone to explore the community. The few blocks of the square looked to be right out of an episode of Gilmore Girls, even with a gazebo in the middle. Twinkling lights still hung from lampposts even though it was well past the holidays. People chatted on the sidewalks as though it wasn't nippy outside. She passed market stands that sold all sorts of items that were mostly hand crafted or homemade. She came upon a booth that was selling homemade desserts and she couldn't resist stopping.
Once the woman with long grey hair was finished assisting another customer she came over to Michonne smiling.
"Which one are you interested in the most?"
"Honestly, all of them." Michonne and the woman chuckled.
"Well, I'd love it if you bought one of each but let's try to narrow it down." she pointed to different confections. "Caramel, cherry, pistachio, macadamia, chocolate."
Michonne's eyes lit up from the last suggestion.
"Chocolate it is, I'm Carol by the way."
"I'm Michonne but could we make it the double chocolate?"
Carol giggled. "Of course."
"So what brings you to our town?" the woman asked while she packed the slice of cake.
"A retreat at the Callies Lodge."
"Oh, yes. That will be fun. I've thought about trying it out myself, just haven't gotten around to it yet."
"Maybe next time, I heard they hold a few each year." Carol nodded before Michonne went on. "This town is quite beautiful, have you lived here long?"
"Yes, it is. I was born here and I've almost always lived here. I went away to college and meet my husband and convinced him to move back here. It's a great place to raise kids."
"It seems like it. You get a great sense of community." Michonne handed her cash.
"Yes, and my nine-year-old Sophia loves it here."
"That's wonderful." Carol handed her the bag. "Well, it was nice meeting you. Let me finish discovering before its time for me to get back to the bus."
"Of course and I threw in a chocolate chunk cookie as my treat."
"Oh you didn't have to do that, but thank you."
"No problem, enjoy." The woman waved before Michonne continued to wander.
She had picked up a few items from different stores when she came across a diner that still sold Slush Puppies. She used to love having them as a child so she couldn't resist even though it was wintertime. As she walked into the shop, she noticed a young boy sat alone on a bench in front but she continued inside, figuring his parents would be along soon enough. She got a rainbow slushie even though she knew the colors would inevitably run together creating a hideous color. When she eventually walked out of the shop, she saw the same boy still sat outside and she wondered if he was okay. She walked over to make sure.
"Hi, are you alone?" the boy turned to face her and squinted at her but eventually nodded.
"I'm Michonne. I could maybe walk with you so you can find your parents." she offered.
The boy looked to be deciding. "Get me a slushie and we have a deal."
Michonne snickered at the kid who grinned. "What's your name?"
"Carl."
"Fine, let's go Carl." he jumped up to run inside smiling with her right behind him.
She got him a blueberry flavored frozen treat and they walked to the door. He held it open for her and she began to walk out but one of her bags got snagged on something on the frame. She stumbled, managing to maintain her step and catch the bags but losing her cup. She was helpless to watch as the frozen liquid flew out of the cup and slashed on the cream, sheepskin coat of the man that was suddenly in front of her.
"Great! Just want I needed to top off this amazing day." the man announced as he quickly pulled off his coat and shook it, trying to remove the ice chunks that clung to it.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." she attempted to search for napkins in her bags.
"What were you doing? And what the hell flavor was that? My coat has at least four colors flowing down it." he still fumbled with the garment so he didn't see that Michonne glared at him.
"I said I was sorry; I will pay for the dry cleaning. You don't have to be rude."
"Now, I have to go home all sticky-"
He finally looked up at her making eye contact and he paused for a moment. His observation of her turned from exasperated to penetrating quickly. Even though Michonne had an attitude, she couldn't deny that this man was very handsome, like feel the shift in your ovaries attractive. But she hastily broke their connection to see that Carl simply stood by with his mitten clad hands, sipping his drink like nothing was awry.
"Umm, I was just helping this lost child wait for his parents…so I got him something to keep him from freaking out." Michonne whispered the end part.
"Carl, did you say you were lost?" Rick put his hands on his hips and stared at his son.
"Not exactly but she wanted to help me find my parents so I let her." Carl shrugged.
Michonne glanced at the child in shock. "But- you're his father?"
"Yes and he wasn't lost. He was on timeout while I ran in the business next door. I came right back and he was gone. I was looking for him when you dowsed me." he frowned at Carl who still sipped his drink that was currently dying his lips blue.
Rick put his coat back on and rubbed his temple. "Carl knows this market, hell this town better than everyone."
"Well, he still shouldn't be roaming around unattended. What is he seven?"
"I'm eight!" Carl interjected.
"Sorry, eight." Michonne corrected and went back to glower at the man.
"Unattended? Everyone knows him, I don't know where you are from but here we watch out for each other."
"New York."
"Well, that figures."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Big city, everyone's out for themselves."
Michonne didn't care how good looking he was; she was fuming now.
"You can make all the assumptions you want about me but-" she riffled through her pocketbook and pulled out two twenty dollar bills and presented them to him. "Here, that should cover the cleaning costs."
"I don't want your money." Rick stepped back to avoid her pressing it into his hand. "Can I have my son?"
Michonne rolled her eyes so hard she thought she would pass out. "Sure." she curtly responded before turning to the boy.
"It was nice meeting you, Carl."
"It was nice meeting you too Michonne." the boy stood up straighter but his blue lips that matched his eyes made it impossible to take him seriously and she couldn't help but giggle.
Then she remembered the father was still there so she scrunched her face back up before turning back to him. "Good night."
"Good night." he scowled.
Michonne took her bags and stormed off back to the location the shuttle bus would pick them up from. She had to shake the memory of the man's enthralled gaze from her mind and remember how rude he was to her. She hoped he wasn't that bad-mannered to his son, Carl seemed witty and clever. But forgetting the father was the plan and it should be easy enough since she wouldn't have to see him again.