The Moongate Wish: Chapter Twelve-If Stupid Were a Disease, They'd Have Terminal Cases

Since it's Tony's last day in Bermuda, Erika agreed to go out with him. Just to be clear, it's just once, not going steady and switching class rings or anything like that. They go to some cool looking caves, but the important part comes when they have coffee afterward.

Tony asks if they'll get together again and Erika is non-committal. After replying to that, Tony continues with, “When I arrived at the Moongate and found you there...well, I guess I thought it was fate at work.” Erika gets his drift and turns him down flat. Tony says a career isn't a life, and he's had an emptiness since someone (I'm assuming his wife) died. Then he says to Erika, “Even if you're not interested right now, Erika, don't close your mind to the idea of marriage.” Wait. What? Isn't this the third time they've seen each other, and he's already talking marriage? I mean on a scale of weeks, not dates, by the way.

Erika tells Tony she's sorry and he's a nice man. Tony replies that he'd better not tell Erika what he thinks of her or she'll accuse him of being pushy. Too late, I already did. Erika says she wishes nothing but the best for Tony (too?). He replies that he'll only get second best. Aw. I guess he's the counter-love interest who would probably be better for her, but is not as difficult as the primary love interest, so he has no chance. Right? You'd think by now I'd have a formula for romance novels.

Anyway, Erika gets back to her office to find she has a message from the owner of Glenbrae Castle Hotel, Richard Mackenzie. Yes, it's in Scotland. Richard's daughter got in a car accident in New Zealand and he needs someone to manage his hotel while he's down there being with her. Also, Douglas and Catrina Montrose told him Erika would be an awesome pick for the job. How fortunate that they know him. So, Erika negotiates salary and such, and it's an awesome deal, so she takes it. This gig starts right after her time at the Moongate ends. Oh no! That means she has to leave Glen!

Bruce Oldfield gets back that day and he and Erika have dinner together so she can catch him up on everything that's happened in his absence. Erika tells him that she won't stay the extra week because she's accepted this other job, and Bruce commends her determination. But does it matter anymore? A life without Glen is no life at all! God forbid she should say so, though. Oh, Erika also tells Bruce about Lalla's advance and recommends a raise. Also, maybe Frankie could get a better job. You know, whateves.

Erika and Bruce go over books and such, and fix their schedule for the next day. Erika's free by ten o'clock. She takes a long time showering and deciding what to wear so she can put off this penultimate encounter. As part of her dilly-dallying, Erika stops by the moongate and thinks about what to wish for. She thinks about wishing that her final encounter with Glen would be bearable, and other things like that. She gets so close to mentally verbalizing a wish for them to be together forever when Glen shows up.

You see, Glen has Erika-ESP. He says, “I can scent you, taste you, breathe you. I feel a tingling on my skin if you're anywhere within a hundred yards.” Really? Let's test this... Also, he smelled her from the villa of love? Also, also ew. Apparently, Glen felt restless waiting for her, so he went for a walk the way he knew she'd be coming and was able to pick out her silhouette in the moonlight. I mean, sappy romantic reason. Yeah, that.

Then they kiss in the moongate. Well that's it, then. The superstition has to be proven right. They'll totes end up together. For now, they saunter back to the villa of love. On their way, Glen asks Erika if she'll be staying for her possible vacation. She tells him that she'll be managing another hotel very soon. Glen is annoyed because if she hadn't lined up another job, she would have caved and stayed. Erika debates the point, but Glen seems pretty sure of himself. Oh, you want her to stick around, Glen? Maybe you should say so. No, that would be too easy. Do you see where my frustration comes in with these people?

Glen asks if Erika will see Tony again. She gives a vague answer and Glen wants to know if she's made plans with him or not. Kind of possessive for someone who's not willing to give his future, aren't you? Erika could tell him that she's not interested in Tony, but it's much more constructive to snap at him and say she warned him not to get so nosy. Glen asks if he can see her tomorrow and she says she'll be too busy. “Too many last-chance emotional encounters would be more than she could take.” I can see that...I guess.

Glen pours himself a drink and Erika notices that he looks gaunt and rumpled. She resists asking him about Gossip because that won't help anything. Then Glen says that Erika's last day should be something special. He asks about going back to their island. Okay, you guys, if you're going to claim every place you've had sex, you own a lot of Bermuda. Erika remembers the talk Glen gave her about his father there, but the sex had been great, so it all balances out.

Meanwhile, Glen isn't really sure this is the best choice. He wants to feel like they're the only two people in the world, but he also remembers that the island isn't the best place ever. He asks Erika if it's okay and they get into a passive aggressive snipe-fest. 'It's fine!' 'Fine!' Unsettled with this vibe, Glen sits on the couch and offers his hand to Erika. Then he asks her about the hotel she's going to manage. Apparently Glen stayed there for a bit. It won't be a total escape from Glen, then. His aura will still be hanging around. Maybe his person should be hanging around instead...

They trade a few comments about how Erika's moving up in the world, and then start furiously pawing at each other's clothing. The villa of love earns its name once again. In the afterglow, when Glen is asleep. Erika mouths the words, “I love you,” and is depressed that she can never say them out loud to Glen. She shifts to look at what time it is, and Glen wakes up. Erika says she should go, but Glen convinces her to stay a bit longer. Finally, at dawn, Erika walks back to the manager's rooms. Bruce let her finish her stay in them. Erika sees the dawn not as a beginning, but as the, “end of something beautiful and precious and irreplaceable.” Interesting omen. What could it mean?

Erika gets all packed before her day trip with Glen, and she says goodbye to folks who will be busy when she gets back. She and Glen hop in Bruce's car and head out to the boat-rental place. Too bad the only boat there is a smelly, beat up dinghy. Should have called ahead and reserved one. They throw in the scuba gear anyway and head out to their island. Oops. Should have called ahead and reserved it. There's teenagers running amok there. Other islands have junk on them, or a dinghy with no sign of the people on it. Erika assumes those people are having sex somewhere. I assume they're dead.

Also, Erika is suddenly not okay with finding a place for having sex. It seems dirty to her. What with not finding an island around Bermuda and some stormy clouds, Erika asks to go back to shore. Glen says, “An island is our best bet.” Erika's immediate thought: “Best for sex!” Clearly, there's nothing else on Glen's mind and he's a pig. Never mind that Erika wanted it too, a moment ago. Also, maybe he wants to tell you something privately, Erika, without people being distracting.

So, Erika upset Glen and he turns the smelly dinghy around. They go to Warwick Long Bay, wherever that is, and pick at their food. Glen suggests going back to the villa of love, but Erika is having none of it. Erika says they should cut their losses and just end their time together. She wants their last farewell to be good, but it's just not turning out that way. Bruce will take her to the airport. He's offered, anyway, and Erika's planning on going with that now.

So, they drive back to the hotel and Glen suddenly realizes that he's going to have to say goodbye to Erika forever. Fueled by desperation, Glen says, “...this doesn't have to be the end for us.” Erika, hopeful, asks what he means. Glen says something about keeping in touch, seeing each other when possible, vacationing together when their schedules allow it. Erika will have none of this, either. She wants a clean break or forever, but she doesn't explicitly say the last part. Glen tells Erika that she's special and that he can't bear saying goodbye to her, but neither of them makes that last little push into a commitment.

Erika asks Glen to kiss her one last time. He does and they both want to hold each other, but neither does. Then Glen gets out of the car and Erika drives away with tears in her eyes, little knowing that Glen's eyes are full of tears too.

What if this was the end of the book? I mean, it's not. We've still got two more chapters. ...but just ponder that for a moment.

My prediction for the next chapters? Erika discovers a hotel that specializes in sundaes. They give them out to all of their guests and have them on every surface. There's a whole team of people who are there just to replace the melting sundaes. Erika gets sick of the hotel business after this and quits. She goes to look up Glen one day to see if they can recapture the magic, but just before she calls him, she sees an article in the newspaper and his latest conquests and she puts the receiver down. Across the ocean, Glen is yelling at someone about spreading lies just to sell papers, and the newspaper writer shrugs and tells Glen that he's made his reputation, now he's got to lie in it...or something. Tony, however, has found his true calling in life, something to fill his emptiness: carpentry.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Eleven-More Tension!

Howdy there, folks. Glen and Erika have certainly had enough time to solve their problems. I doubt that's happened, but let's see what they're up to.

The hotel manager, whose spot Erika is filling, calls up the hotel and tells Erika that he'll be back at work in a week. He's hoping they can work together for a few days before she leaves. This means Erika's and Glen's time will be cut short! Maybe someone will be pushed into making a decision! Maybe.

The permanent hotel manager, Bruce Oldfield, offers Erika a paid vacation for the rest of her contract there, but Erika declines. She and Glen would still have to say goodbye at the end of that time, you see, and clearly it's better for her not to linger for too long. Or something.

When Erika tells Glen that Mr. Oldfield will be coming back in a week, Glen looks on the bright side: Erika can stay at the hotel and spend more time with him, or just stay in his villa so they can get up to more hijinks. Erika, however, seems to be operating under that assumption that if Glen likes it, he should put a ring on it. She says she has an appointment in England so she can't stay. Does anyone else foresee Glen “dropping by” to see Erika in England soon after she leaves?

Glen is annoyed that Erika is so bland about leaving, and Erika is annoyed that she can't just say “forever”, but she realizes that Glen would freak out if she suggested such a thing. She's gotta let him get the idea, then he'll think it's wonderful and they can get married and live happily ever after. ...but if she suggests it, then they will break up and end up bitter and forever alone. That seems like an intense contrast, but clearly I don't know Glen as well as Erika does.

So, of course, they have sex again and all is well for the present, with a stormy future looming in the distance. So...you remember that tension I mentioned in the title? That's not what I was talking about. This next paragraph is.

Hello, Tony Sutton, a man whom Erika has met several times previously and turned down being having relations with, but does not do a good job of continuing to make that clear this time. How's it going? Oh, you're still totally into Erika. Well, you'll just have to get in line. The consequences of Tony showing up are a bit funny, in a “dear God what are you doing?!” kind of way.

Tony is Mr. Smooth, trying to work in time with Erika and she, thinking that a friend will “help keep her sane” when she has to leave Glen, says she might spend time with Tony. Because clearly Tony's given up on getting with Erika. No, wait that other thing. He makes a remark about ambition being something he likes in a woman. You know, since it's the “nineteen-eighties”, that's unusual that a man would appreciate that. I guess. Also, the two of them are totally flirting.

So, in the spirit of poorly outlined friendship, Erika agrees to have dinner with Tony, breaking her rule about eating with guests. Of course, while they're having cocktails, Glen walks in and gets territorial. Erika, desperate to make Glen think she'll be fine (just fine!) when they go their separate ways, kind of over does it with Tony and Tony is no help by being vague about what, exactly, their past relationship was...which Erika appreciates. What?

Both men talk about what they do, Tony's some big wig in a bank or something, “a captain of industry” as Erika calls him. Glen casually mentions that Tony's company could sponsor him. Tony uneasily says they're already sponsoring one artsy thing. Satisfied that he won, Glen stalks away before dinner.

Dinner is tense because Erika can't forget Glen. Afterward, Tony asks if he can hang out with Erika again the next afternoon, and he slips a compliment in there. Then, as Erika walks away, she realizes that she accidentally encouraged Tony's interest in her because she was trying to make herself seem less dependent on Glen. I mean, it seems a little obvious that this would happen, given what Erika was doing, but they've got to fill the next four chapters somehow.

Glen calls Erika and asks if she's alone. Of course she is! Harumph. Glen says he needs to see Erika. She says she's not at his beck and call. He double checks they're still on for the next night. Then Glen makes a remark about how a “captain of industry” is a good catch, and Erika gets pissy. Glen apologizes and admits that he wanted to hit Tony. Jealous much, Glen? Maybe you're kind of invested here. I'm just sayin'...

Erika says neither of them own each other, they're both free, blah blah. Glen says he can't leave her alone, with better phrasing, but that he can't really explain because he doesn't understand himself. He sounds so depressed that Erika wants to run to him and comfort him, but then she'll have lost everything she gained tonight. Excuse me? So, is it a plan to hurt him until he realizes that he totally wants you by his side forever? Or is this like a friend picking a fight before she moves away so neither them have to be sad? Some people.

Anyway, back at the villa of love, Glen is annoyed at himself for pissing off Erika. He pours himself a strong drink, then furiously writes music until the wee hours of the morning. Then next morning he walks down to the piano and looks at the music he wrote hours ago. Crying out in terror, he throws it all in the trash.

So, marrying someone kills your creative outlet (in theory), but wanting someone and being frustrated kills your creative outlet (in practice). My prediction for the next few chapters? Glen is screwed, Erika realizes that Tony is much easier to deal with and falls for him and the couple we all thought would get together doesn't. That would probably take three chapters. The last one is shifts between Erika and Tony getting married and spending a happy life together and Glen spiraling downward, no longer able to write his snappy music and realizing he possesses no other marketable skills. The romance becomes a tragedy.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Ten-A Pic-a-nic

Erika and Glen are off to have a picnic on a island near Bermuda all by themselves. This chapter is almost entirely fluff. Although, it does include the important line, “Hi, sexy.” Anyway, Glen rented a boat and some snorkeling gear. Then he took Erika out to a random island for a picnic. On the boat, they were talking about how they wanted each other, so they make out for a bit once they beach the boat. Then it's time for snorkeling.

They spend a paragraph looking at the pretty fish in the tropical sea. Erika is quite enthused about them. Soon after Erika's mask and flippers come off, so does her bikini top. They're engaging in some hanky-panky (what a great word) when Erika says she's so glad it's just the two of them away from everyone else and that she wants it to go on forever. Nope. No commitments here. Move along. Glen decides it's time for lunch.

Glen watches Erika get lunch all spread out. She's a strong, independent woman, so of course she's setting up the meal by herself. Sorry I couldn't resist. Anyway, while Glen is watching Erika, he thinks about how he wants to tell her he loves her. Then he clamps down on that thought. True, every time he's thought about his future it's included Erika, but that's no reason to think he should commit. Le sigh.

They nibble at lunch and pack most of it away again. Then, after an awkward silence, Glen starts talking about his father. I like to imagine this next sequence in sepia with that too-happy old time-y piano music. Glen's grandpappy barely had the money to send his son to music college, blah blah blah. Anyway, after some hard work and luck, Glen's dad makes it big. One day, he's walking down the road when he hears someone playing one of his songs on the piano. He pokes his head in the window and it's a pretty lady playing. Well, instead of going to dinner, Glen's dad stayed with that lady for the evening. They got married three or four months later. By the way, that lady was totes Glen's momma. Anyway, a whirlwind romance didn't really have staying power and they fought a lot. Also Glen's dad couldn't write good music anymore. Glen's dad killed himself when Glen was nine and his mom struggled to support them. She died by the time he was sixteen, so he had to work his own way up in the musical world.

Erika realizes that Glen's story is a warning to both of them not to get too involved. Because of Erika's parents' marriage fail, she's already wary about that, but still... Glen breaks their contemplative silence by sprinkling sand over Erika's foot. The sand is pink-gold, by the way. I wonder if it really is pink in Bermuda. Anyway, Glen says again that he wants Erika and she says, “Yes. Yes, yes.” She was not only agreeing that they could have sex, but she was agreeing to their relationship on his terms. That doesn't sound like a good relationship to me, if it's entirely what one of the people wants.

So, they have sex on the beach again (although on a different beach) and it's fantastically amazing. Erika fights the urge to cling to Glen and tell him how much she loves him. The chapter ends with her wanting to cry for joy at how awesome the sex was and for how sad she'll be when he leaves her and Bermuda in a couple of weeks.

So, at least in this book and No Love In Return, the women know what's up and the men are deluding themselves about their relationship. I doubt this exists, but I wonder if there's a romance novel where the dude realizes they're in love and the lady doesn't. I dunno. I have the feeling that the only romance novel where a guy knows they're in love would be one that's between two guys. Anyway, for the next chapter, I predict more sex, perhaps not on a beach, and some more tension-filled silences. Also, a fruity drink with an umbrella. There haven't been enough of those in this book.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Nine-The Talk

A family staying at the Moongate has a delayed flight, so Erika has to be at work longer so she can be there to greet them. She shows them to meany-poo Walter's suite and says food service will send up dinner in a bit. Anyway, around midnight, Erika finally makes it over to the villa of love.

Glen offers Erika a drink, but she declines it. He pours himself a whiskey. Then they start talking: “Girl, what's the matter with you? Why are you all mad at me?” Erika's response is basically, “You know what you did.” No, Erika, he doesn't. That's why he's asking. Anyway, Erika finally reveals what she heard Glen say to Felix and Joni about them. Glen explains that he didn't want Erika's face all over every newspaper. Yeah, the other girls got that treatment, but they wanted it. Also, since Glen is breaking tradition by having a fling while he's writing, the media would make even more of it.

So, Glen was just trying to protect Erika all along. Like I thought. Erika thought that Glen was ashamed of her and that's why he didn't want Felix and Joni knowing. She sees herself as plain and whatnot. Glen assures her that he totally wants her, otherwise he'd just ditch her. Even if he could count on Felix to keep this affair hush-hush, Joni knows too many gossip scouts for her silence to be certain. Erika asks how she can be sure Glen isn't lying to her now. He tells her to look inside her heart. Trust your feelings, Erika. Glen asks for forgiveness and Erika gives it. She asks where their relationship is going, and Glen basically tells her not to worry about that.

Man, they just keep talking. Erika brings up how Glen's blocked on this show and wonders if she should leave him. Glen replies that it's worse without her. Remember when he went to New York and he told you it was worse than ever there? Remember, Erika, you were there when he told you? Anyway, Erika realizes that they're totally gonna have sex again, but she's not happy about it. Apparently being together brings them closer to the time they'll have to part than not being together. Whatever.

Anyway, Glen realizes that he just needs to have Erika near him. The sex can wait until she's ready. Aw. True love. They cuddle a bit and Erika almost tells Glen she loves him. They cuddle some more, until Glen suggests they go upstairs. There's an upstairs to the villa of love? I've been picturing it wrong this whole time. Anyway, they get on the bed and have some more foreplay. Glen is about to promise Erika something, when she stops him and says, “Promises tie knots that shouldn't be tied.” Wow. She wants commitment, but she's not going to let him say something he doesn't mean. This is fiction.

Anyway, Glen reflects on how he should be glad that Erika has enough sense for both of them. Erika reflects on how she totally wants a commitment. She wants to hear Glen say, “I love you,” but it wouldn't mean what she wanted it to. She wants it to mean, “I'll love you forever,” but she knows it'll mean, “I love you now.” According to Erika, that's not real love. (Most girls want a man with the bling bling. I got my own thing, got the ching ching. I just want real love.) Anyway, Erika's willing to sacrifice her dreams for the future for what she's getting now. I mean, kind of. It's not like she's getting another offer with the future guaranteed.

Oh, by the way, Erika has a mole under her left armpit. Apparently, Glen never found it. Glen called her perfect, so she had to retaliate. She lists off her flaws, Glen licks her chin and asks how she tastes so yummy with such ingredients. Erika replies that she's the flavor of the month, then regrets it. Glen realizes that Erika wants a stable future with him, but that would make him just like his father and therefore a failure, so he can't do it! Glen sees it as a “pleasing, cosy, stifling concept.” Interesting. I hope we actually get the backstory here and not just hints of it forever, but it'll probably be anti-climactic like the story behind his scar.

Erika realizes she's spoiled their mood, so she's got to make it better. So, sexy time! In the after glow, Glen says he can never remember quite how awesome it is. Erika stops herself from saying, “I love you,” for the second time. You see, I think the way she thinks Glen is feeling is that he wants her, he needs her, but there ain't no way he's ever gonna love her. She's trying not to be sad because two out of three ain't bad.

Then they go skinny dipping. The villa of love has a private beach, you see. They play in the water, and then have sex on the beach. Not the drink, there's not a bartender in sight. The chapter closes with them intertwined on the sand.

Hm. Not all of their issues are resolved, but I suppose that won't happen until the end of chapter fourteen, the last chapter. So, in the next chapter, I think we'll hear something about the Moongate wish again, but Erika still won't make one, Glen will charm her pants off again, and the new guests will have some drama. Also, a shark will start attacking swimmers, but the mayor will refuse to close the beach because it's the peak of tourist season. Then Glen will have to join with a sea captain and some other guy and go out to shoot the shark.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Eight-You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone

So, while the men are out perhaps fatally piloting a boat, the ladies are chilling in Erika's room, being cold, and sad that their menfolk are gone. Catrina seems to actually like Douglass again. Eh, my prediction was close enough, then. (Spoilers: Only one person gets injured.) Other than that, the women are boring.

Several hours later, a light heads toward the jetty. It's still pouring down rain, by the way. The women dash down the burglar-friendly stairs of Erika's rooms out to the jetty to see if it's their menfolk. Oh hey, it totally is! Frankie's injured, so Erika calls an ambulance for him. When the ambulance gets there, Douglas and Lalla pile inside and ride to the hospital. Wait! What about the free drinks Erika promised everyone when they got back?

Now that Lalla's gone, Erika asks Glen for more details about Frankie's injuries. Because, she won't find out at the hospital? Apparently, Frankie ripped open the bottom of the boat he borrowed and he ended up lying on the beach probably almost the whole time he was missing. He had a bad gash on his head from something to do with this. When Glen and Douglas showed up in a boat, Frankie took off for the other side of the island and dove into the churning water, and ended up nearly drowning himself. Douglas saved Frankie's life, swimming him back to land and getting the water out of his lungs, even though the kid was freaking out. That's damn impressive.

Anyway, after praising Douglas, the group scatters. Catrina goes back to her rooms, Glen goes to use Erika's shower (the cure for rain? More water!) and Erika follows Catrina to get some of Douglas' clothes for Glen to borrow. Erika walks back into her room to find Glen wrapped in a towel. Oh hay der! However, Erika does not engage in any of the usual romance novel behaviors (taking off his towel, other sexy-time activities, or even really talking to him). Instead, Erika says she doesn't have time to talk about their relationship now, and does not agree to go talk to him tomorrow night, after Felix and Joni leave. She says she's going to treat Glen like any other guest now. Hah!

Erika makes sure Lalla got home okay and gives her all the time off she needs, and Douglas makes it back to the hotel okay and has room service send up some food. Then, I assume, everything settles down for the night and they all sleep. Well, maybe not all of them. We find out the next day that Douglas and Catrina have made up. He looks “sleekly contented” and she is “radiant”. I mean, I'm not saying anything, but I'm just sayin'...

Oh, also, they made a Moongate wish. That morning. Anyway, they're off to see Frankie in the hospital one last time before they take a plane back to Scotland. After she sees them off, Erika looks for the Lichtmans, the couple whose dinghy Frankie trashed. Glen has already talked to them and taken care of getting them a new one. Because Glen is paying for the boatyard to get a new boat, they won't level charges against the person who stole the boat, Frankie. Glen's so kind and generous, and confusing since he's a playboy too. Erika reflects on how she doesn't think she'll ever understand him fully. Then she thinks that she won't get the chance to. No, Erika, you're not giving yourself the chance to understand him. There's a difference between fate taking him away and you driving him away.

Glen is trying to get Erika to go visit Frankie in the hospital with him, but Erika doesn't want to go with him. Whatever. We know she totally does, deep inside where she still likes him, so she ends up going. On their way over, Denver (Head Chef) hands a radio to them for Frankie. The staff had a bit of a whip-around and they used the money to buy that for him. On the ride over to the hospital, Glen is bitter and Erika tells him that she genuinely wants his work to succeed. It's not a personal thing. Glen retorts that making music has a lot to do with his emotional state, which totally makes it a personal thing. So there. Erika doesn't answer this because they're at the hospital. Quick ride.

They find Frankie and Glen greets him with, “How's tricks?” ...What? You just...What? It probably meant something different in the '80's. At least, I hope so. Anyway, Erika and Glen talk Frankie out of his depression over what cranky Walter said to him. Probably. Oh, hey! Scar discussion! Remember that scar on Glen's face that didn't mar his beauty but only added to it? Well, he got it being dumb. The story is that when Glen was younger, he picked a fight with a bigger boy, but Glen left his mark on that kid too. Yup. That's the whole story. What a let-down after the dramatic scar in The Devil Earl, but I suppose not every book can be that dramatic.

On the car ride back, Erika confides that she knows what Glen did, as far as the dinghy, and it makes her think he's generous. Glen replies that he didn't have to spend much money for her to think that, and she tells him that he didn't buy the boat for her good opinion. She just knows it, okay? Glen suggests that they just keep driving, and don't go back to the hotel, but Erika's got work to do. Glen says she needs to come talk to him at the villa of love later (yes, I'm still calling it that). Erika finally agrees to talk to him, if only to stop keeping her pain to herself and throw it at his head instead. Well, I guess it's better than continuing to avoid the subject. Erika says she doesn't know when she'll be over, but Glen promises to wait for her. Forever. ...I made that last word up, but it's implied. Sort of.

Another exciting chapter! We've made it over the half-way point. I guess that means things are going to ramp up. I guess I'd better do the same for my predictions. All right, in the next chapter...Erika will take a shower and debate about what clothes she wants to wear to talk to Glen. She'll put on one outfit after another, discarding one because it's too slutty and another because it's not slutty enough. Finally, she'll settle on a favorite sundress, do her make-up to match, and agonize over her hair. She'll decide to put it up and away from temptation. Then, she'll leave to go see Glen and the chapter will end there. ...but only if the author is a troll.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Seven-Time for Drama

Glen calls Erika, saying that he's got the run of the villa of love all day, since Felix and Joni are out seeing the sights. Erika says she won't be coming over and she doesn't want to see him. She acts all cold to Glen and gives her reason as, “You wouldn't understand. The Glen Hunters of this world see things differently from ordinary people.” Erika hangs up the phone and broods. How dare Glen say they were nothing to Felix and then try to carry on like they were before! It's so rude of him! That's why Erika won't ever let a man play an important role in her life. She doesn't want to marry anyone anyway....except Glen. Crap.

That afternoon, Walter Ephron is yelling about something, so Erika has to leave her office and find out what it is. Amid a slew of slurs about mentally handicapped people, Walter says that Frankie should be fired. Also, he started yelling about this to Lalla...Frankie's mother. Erika leads him into her office, then tells him to get out and find another hotel. Walter, upping the ante, says he'll just leave the island, so there! Erika tells him there are planes leaving all the time, so it should be simple for him.

You see, apparently, Walter was playing croquet with his wife when he tripped over a hoop, stumbled around for a bit, and fell into a rosebush. Frankie came over to help Walter out of the bush, but Walter shook him off and swore at him before stalking into the hotel. I know Walter's supposed to be a jerk, but seriously? That's a huge reaction for something like that.

Anyway, while Erika's in the lobby learning about what really happened, Glen walks in and wants to talk with her. Because Trixie, the clerk at the reception desk, is there, Erika agrees to let him into her office for a quick chat. Glen wants to know why Erika's being a bitch, and she basically tells him, “You know what you did.” She also mentions that their relationship isn't important, and Glen counters that it is special. Erika says they got too deep and she needs to end it now because she doesn't have time for this and neither does Glen. Glen replies that he was completely wrong about her, but he supposes it's good that she called this off now before he “made an all-time idiot” of himself. Marriage? What?

Then Lalla bursts in to say that Frankie's disappeared. He didn't go home and she can't find him in the hotel. Glen gets the details and volunteers to look for Frankie and deal with Walter. Erika says Walter's already been dealt with, and Glen consoles Lalla that they'll find Frankie. Glen goes out to the gardens to look while Erika coordinates a search team for inside the hotel. Lalla goes home to double check Frankie's not there, and she calls Frankie's friends, but they haven't seen him either.

You get it, he ran away. Erika asks Glen if they should call the police, but Glen says the men in uniform would probably just freak Frankie out. Erika remembers the motorcycle incident and wonders how Glen knew to leave the cops out of it. I'm guessing that was just a shot in the dark from Glen, but you never know.

This unsure drama lasts for awhile until Catrina and Douglas come into the lobby and tell Erika she's got to have a drink with them since it's their last night there. Erika explains about Frankie and they reveal they saw Frankie start a motorboat at the jetty and leave. According to Glen, if you know how to operate a lawn mower, you know how to operate a motorboat. Well, he took a boat, but where would he have gone?

So, there's this island that he loves. He went there on a school trip once and Lalla takes him there every year on his birthday. That's probably where he went. Lalla points the island out on a map. Glen poo-poos the idea of involving the police again. They know where Frankie went, but the police would take more convincing and there's no time! Also, it's started pouring outside.

Glen can apparently hot-wire a motorboat and Douglas has sailed the Scottish loch in all kinds of weather. Catrina tells her hubby to be careful and they share a look for a moment. They all head outside and the two men get in a boat and shove off to go looking for Frankie. Erika would rather be with them looking, but she doesn't go. She also realizes that she still loves Glen and she really doesn't want him to die. That would just ruin her day. So, she offers free drinks all around when they come back.

We've gotten half-way through the book now. The “I don't love you anymore” phase didn't last long for Erika, but maybe Glen won't just fold and take her back. I dunno. It is handy that the day Erika started giving Glen the cold shoulder is the same day something momentous happened that caused her to remember her love for him. I realize it's fiction, but it's also very convenient timing.

For the next chapter, I predict that Frankie will have found a cave on the island he hadn't explored before and he takes shelter from the rain in it. While wandering around inside, he finds a treasure trove left there by pirates. Too bad these pirates are still active, and it's not a treasure trove from long ago. Events conspire to make Douglas duel the captain for the boy. Douglas wins, but is badly injured enough for Catrina to remember her love for him. That's how that works, right? Also, Glen manages to capture, or lead to the capture of, the pirates. Because of the capture, Glen is inspired to finish writing a Broadway show that has nothing to do with pirates, and he finishes ahead of schedule. Then he and Erika can have time to canoodle and discuss their true feeling for each other. ...Okay, that might take more than one chapter.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Six-Party Poopers

The chapter opens with Erika leaving her office in a stunning sun suit. It's a one piece low-neckline, high hemmed, cotton garment; it looks like the bottom part is a pair of shorts. I'm telling you this because I had to ask google. Anyway, Erika, Glen, Catrina, and Douglas (the Montroses) are going sight-seeing. Also, Glen is an awesome lover, they've had a few nights together, and person at night, but during the day he is gloomy because the show is not coming along well. This upsets Erika too, but she doesn't know how to help.

The first sight the group sees is a replica of Deliverance, the first boat that brought some English people to Bermuda because of a storm. Erika read up on it, so she knows more about it than anyone else. Earlier Glen taunted her that she didn't know anything about Bermuda. She sure showed him!

After they leave the ship, they go to the ducking stools and stocks to take some pictures. Nothing like some torture/disciplinary bits of history as a backdrop for a picture! When Glen hands off his camera, Douglas protests that he is at “aim-and-press-the-button” level of cameras. My first thought: “Yeah, point and shoot cameras exist. A lot of people use those.” Then Glen says that the film automatically advances. Oh, yeah. This book was published in 1985. So, Glen and Erika take a picture, and then Erika takes a picture of Catrina and Douglas. They can at least look like a happy couple, I guess.

The four of them look at a few more things and get lunch. After lunch, Erika and Catrina leave the men there and they go look in some stores. On the way back from buying stuff, they see a shady spot and take a rest. Then Catrina starts grilling Erika about her relationship with Glen. Catrina lets us know that Erika is in love and speculates on Erika's and Glen's life together. She says if Erika starts dreaming about it too much, she can just remember that Glen would be a terrible husband and that Erika could never trust him. Yet, he does really seem to like her... Thanks a lot Catrina. You know just what to say to comfort a girl.

After Catrina's poorly executed reassurances, the women rejoin the men, I assume. The book jumps from Erika telling Catrina to forget it, and standing up, to Erika driving them all back to the Moongate just before cocktail hour. The three civvies can go in their everyday clothes, but Erika has to go change since she's the manager. While she's putting on a favorite dress that she knows Glen will like, Erika meditates on their relationship for a bit. She thinks that she's drawn like a moth to the flame, and continues with, “She shrank from the thought that eventually the moth brings about its own destruction.” Wow, I'm impressed. This metaphor lasted for two stages. Well done, Nancy John. I mean, Erika being in love with Glen will work out for her at the end of the book, but things might get pretty bad before then.

Oh hey there Felix and Joni. What are you doing here? Oh, cock-blocking Glen so he can get his work done. I see. Most of the conversation is Catrina gushing about feeling like she's part of this show and wanting to know how the process works. Glen composes and writes lyrics in any order, by the way. So, while most people head in for dinner, Erika goes to her office to get some work done. By the way, Mr. Ephron is a dick. He's a hotel guest who's way too picky about everything to show that he's got money and expects the best. I mention this only because I think it'll come up again.

Dinner ends and Erika hears people wandering around the hotel, having fun. She's waiting for a call or an appearance from Glen, but neither materializes. Eventually, she decides to just go visit him in his villa. She starts sneaking there, all sneakily, when she hears Glen and Felix arguing. She stops and starts to turn around, when she hears her name. Glen says it's none of Felix's business if he has a thing going with Erika. Felix says he doesn't care, it'll make great publicity for the show. Erika's “a classy English rose”, so she's different than his other women. Joni says she she totally sees that there's something between Glen and Erika, and that Erika seems to think so. Glen says that he just sees her for drinks sometimes, and went sightseeing in a group with her today, and that's all, no matter what Erika thinks. After hearing this, Erika runs across the lawn, pissed off and wanting to weep.

Glen was protecting her from the press, but I'll bet he didn't want her hearing that. He's totally into her, but I guess she doesn't trust that. So, my prediction for the next chapter... Erika will call Glen a big stupid-head and burst into tears. Glen will try to soothe her, but she won't believe him and then she'll run away. Also, someone will have used the power of the Moongate to wish for world domination and, as part of that, Bermuda will be drowned in a tidal wave. I think this one's right on the money.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Five-The Banquet

So, the dude who called about the banquet looks harassed, still. He's adding four more people to the banquet numbers as it's happening. Erika tells a waiter and he heads off to the kitchen to let them know. Erika is kind of freaking out, but she hides it and boosts this guy's morale instead. They're moving everyone to the banquet room and it's all going fine...until Erika sees Glen standing in the hotel lobby. He says he has to talk to her and getting the keys to the villa from her office will give them a bit of time.

They go to her office and Erika doesn't let him touch her because then she'll be all kinds of distracted during this crazy banquet. They both say that they missed each other, but Erika tells Glen she's got no time right now. She legit is run off her legs, but Glen just sees the usual excuse. He gets a promise from her to see him later that night, but he's not really satisfied.

Erika returns to the banquet, which happens smoothly, and sees the guests off to their plane. The guy who called her says they'll be back next year, which prompts Erika to think about how she doesn't know where she'll be next year, and about how her time with Glen will be too short. Anyway, she's gotta go see him.

It's 11:30 PM and the hotel is getting quieter. Erika sneaks out by taking the stairs from her private balcony to the gardens. That's a security risk, having a staircase like that. Anyway, Erika relives a scene from a secret agent novel on her way to Glen's villa, sneaking through the gardens with the moonlight as her guide, and such. When he lets her in, he pulls the shades down. Glen wants to pull her into his arms, but Erika demands some words first.

Glen explains that he came to Bermuda to get work done, and wasn't, so he went to New York. He really couldn't get anything done there, and he was worse than before, so he came back. Then, after Erika demands the truth, Glen admits that he's never felt this way about any woman before, never let one interfere with his work. He says that she's special and he can't get her off his mind, but he mixes that with worries about his work. Erika just hears the second part, apparently. She says she wants a reasonable explanation, and Glen says he's given one. Erika starts to leave, but Glen grabs her wrist and she stops. She says she won't listen to him any more, but even after his grip loosens on her, she doesn't move.

There's a bit more back and forth, Erika with herself and Erika with Glen, before he pulls her into a kiss and she thinks about how it's her decision. She's a strong, independent woman, you see. I mean, it is her decision to kiss him, but he started it. After the kiss, they talk some about how they missed each other, and how Erika wants Glen to be able to work on Gossip. She also finds out that his deadline is mid-September, which is soon, so I assume she starts to understand his predicament. ...but that's boring.

Glen takes out the pins and whatnot from Erika's hair and tells her she smells like flowers while nuzzling her hair. She replies, “And you smell of man.” Hah. Okay, Erika. Way to sweet talk. Anyway, they start comparing bodies, and Glen gets to whatever base under-the-clothes groping is. Then Glen says they should get naked and asks if Erika has any moles in intimate places. She doesn't know and Glen offers to tell her. Apparently Glen's got an interesting birthmark somewhere. Then he starts taking off Erika's dress and her underwear follows soon after.

Glen stares at her and tells her she's beautiful. Then he spends a long time playing with her boobs. Eventually, they get around to taking off all of Glen's clothes as well. After his clothes come off, they just stare at each other for awhile. It's totally not weird, though. For example, “...she gazed on his tall, naked figure as if through a swirling mist.” See? Not weird at all.

Then they run into each other, Erika moved second but it was totally her choice, and they start grinding. They both obviously want to have sex, so Glen sets Erika on the couch and they do. One thing I've noticed in these romance novels, the guy spends a long time playing with the girl's boobs, or generally doing things for her, like smelling her hair. Generally, she doesn't do anything, or as much, for him. What unequal treatment.

Anyway, after their wild, passionate lovemaking, Erika reflects on how Glen will have a lot more women after her and she is sad and whimpers. Glen asks her what's wrong and she says she's fine. It's kind of a big deal to her, so she should probably tell him. Glen thinks about how she wanted sex too and it was great for both of them, so he is confused about why she withdrew from him, which happened just after the whimper. As he's lying there staring at her, he resolves not to let what happened to his father happen to him. We don't get to know what that is because Erika's got to leave.

She has Glen let her up and she goes into the bathroom to put her clothes back on. Glen said that he hadn't found any moles, and she says he'll have to take a rain check on that. Oh hey, this'll happen again. Aw ye-ah.

Once he's got his pants on again, Glen offers to walk her back but Erika says they can't be seen together. It's best for both of them. Why is that, exactly? Anyway, Erika leaves and Glen stays in the villa of love. As she's crossing the garden, Erika sees the shadow of the Moongate and considers making a wish, but she knows it won't last with Glen, even though she wants it to. So, I guess the Moongate is going to come up again in an important way. Anyway, Erika walks up the burglar-friendly stairs to her room and goes to sleep.

Well, that only took them five chapters. We're not even half-way through the book. I guess there will be some of that “emotional growth” I've heard rumors about. ...either that or just pages and pages of sex scenes. Anyway, for the next chapter, I predict that Catrina will realize that she wants to have a baby, but not her husband's, and she'll ask Erika for help picking out a baby-daddy. Erika will facepalm so hard, she'll fly into the atmosphere and the island will sink.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Four-So Many Crises!

So, Glen's in New York and he decides to visit his producer and, probably, the future director of the show Glen's writing. You see, they're totally friends. Anyway, Felix, the producer, is worried at how little of the show Glen has written. Felix offers to rent Glen a studio, but Glen says he won't be in New York that long. Glen also warns, “Don't crowd me, Felix.” Then Felix asks why Glen is here if he doesn't want to talk about his problem.

Glen is swept up in memories of Erika, how amazing she is and yadda yadda. Glen can't tell Felix about his problem because Glen always swears off women while he's working, so Felix would think this was something serious and it's totally not. Totally. Glen thinks about how he could have just had sex with her and gotten it over with, but he wants it to be special. Yup, doesn't sound serious at all, Glen.

Anyway, Felix invites Glen to join him and his girlfriend, Joni, for lunch. He needs to be alone, but he doesn't want to brood (any more), so Glen agrees. Glen thinks about how Felix has a string of ex-wives and he still gets along with all of them, as well as the kids he's fathered. It's an imperfect way to do it, Glen thinks, but maybe it's for the best. Then he realizes that he doesn't want to have a life that way. He wants to marry Erika and live happily ever after! Glen finishes eating, makes his excuses and leaves the restaurant. He finds a phone booth, puts in a dime, and calls an airport to get tickets back to Bermuda. Oh yeah, this book was written in 1985.

Meanwhile, Back in Bermuda...

Erika gets a phone call from an obnoxious American looking to have a 53 person banquet in Bermuda. Tomorrow night. Knowing it'll be crazy, but also believing the Moongate can do it, Erika agrees and settles all of the money concerns with this guy. Banquets make more money for hotels than just having guests, you see. She gets off the phone with the American and starts getting twisting arms to get everything arranged. Then there's something weird with the bank statement and her records of money, so she calls Lalla in to talk about it soon. It is difficult, running this hotel, but this fiasco is just a distraction from her feelings for Glen. Life is sad now that he's gone. It was so nice when he was here....

Oh hi, Lalla! So, there's been a discrepancy of over $800 between the bank report and ours, but I'm probably just overlooking something. ...Lalla, you're terrible at poker, aren't you? You see, her son was made fun of because he couldn't ride a motorcycle. It's easier to let him hang out the with boys, even though they make fun of him. So, Frankie borrowed a bike without permission and crashed it. He's fine, but the repairs for the motorcycle were too much for Lalla to be able to pay on her own, and she didn't want to go to court and she meant to pay it all back, and.... Erika says that as long as they keep this between them, she'll be fine with Lalla paying it back as she can. No going to court for them! Hooray!

After dealing with this, Erika wanders out to the garden just to chill for awhile and, of course, think about Glen. Oh, hey there Mrs. Montrose. Her first name's Catrina, by the way. She's got an issue as well and Erika decides that she can listen to this woman's problem's too. As was mentioned earlier, Catrina and her husband, Douglas, have marital problems and there's something about a baby. Well, now we get the story.

Douglas spends about all of his time doctoring or golfing, and he really goes the extra mile for his patients. They had a kid, Alistair, who was the bestest, brightest todler you ever did see, just ask his mother. Anyway, Douglas didn't notice the early warning signs because he was hardly around his kid, so by the time they found out their three year old son had a brain tumor, there weren't a lot of options left. They opted to have doctors operate on him and he died on the table.

Well, that's depressing. Catrina opened her story by claiming that Douglas had killed their son. So, she's got some blame-issues here. I don't know how long ago this happened, but it seems like awhile. Erika advises that Catrina talk with her husband about this and Catrina refuses to. Dang it, she's justified in blaming him! Also, she was pregnant when Alistair died, and the shock killed the baby in her womb, so Douglas is double-bad. There's little chance of making another kid because they're not sleeping together anymore. This was supposed to be a second honey-moon, or a restart for them, but Catrina isn't willing to meet her hubby half-way. Marriages. Then, talk turns to Erika's childhood and she decides to confide a bit about her parents' divorce.

Erika was an only child and very close to her parents. She was spoiled rotten, a bit, I guess. So, she took it really hard when her dad had an affair with his secretary, then left his wife and Erika for this woman. Erika had met and liked the secretary, too. The whole thing just left bitterness and depression in its wake. Mom never got over it, and she died of cancer while Erika was at college. Erika can't escape the feeling that it was her dad's fault. At Mom's funeral, Dad tried to make peace but Erika wouldn't let him. She's totally justified in blaming him!

...Sure, ladies. Your stories sound reasonable. Anyway, Erika thinks about how her life is so unstable since Glen left. Misery and woe forever.

By the way, if you thought the crises were over with, you were wrong. This part happens the next day, but it's still in the same chapter. The company hiring waiters out to the Moongate will be two short, so Erika has to get two more from somewhere else. Today. Also, the motor on the main freezer burned out, so they have several tons of food going rotten. Erika's got to call nearby hotels and ask to use their freezer space. However, the banquet that night will be fine and perfect.

Wow, everything falls apart at the Moongate now that Glen's gone, and he can't write at all since he left Erika. However will they solve their problems? In the next chapter, I predict that yet another woman will try to confide in Erika, but this time Erika will wriggle out of listening to her by screaming, “I CAN'T HANDLE ANY MORE PROBLEMS!” and running away.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Three-Talk About a Baby

So, Erika's seen Glen around in the past ten days, or so, but always in a group. They haven't been alone together, which is why we don't read about those days. Erika's totally okay with it. Totally. Yup. Absolutely...not really.

Anyway, the narrative picks up at another barbeque where Erika is hostessing again. Hey, Dr. and Mrs. Montrose. Oh, you don't want to be left alone together? Well, I guess Erika can sit with you and chat for a bit. Then Glen walks up. We get a look into Glen's mind. Yup, he's pretty much obsessed. He came up for dinner tonight because he wanted to see Erika. Well then, this dinner should be interesting.

Glen talks pleasantly for a bit, then asks if Mrs. Montrose is a mother. She's not and apparently it's a big deal, judging from the look she shoots at Dr. Montrose. Thanks, Glen. Erika distracts them with ordering their food. You're taking a glass-bottomed boat tour of Bermuda? That sounds nice. Oh, no. Erika doesn't want to go if it means going with Glen. She's got work to do, you see. By the way, Mrs. Montrose totally picks up on the vibe between Glen and Erika. During the rest of the meal, Dr. and Mrs. Montrose both drink too much and Glen and Erika manage to keep a conversation that's lighthearted on the surface, but totally isn't. What a great dinner.

Erika leaves the table when the “happy” couple does, to circulate and generally be a hostess. She can feel Glen watching her and it's a relief when he leaves. Ten minutes later, she heads up the steps...and finds him lurking in the shadows. This guy's starting to sound like a certain sparkly “vampire”.

Glen tries to lead her on a side path, she says no, and he reacts by saying he's got to talk to her. Hm. He accuses her of using her job as a shield against him, she says it's not true. He basically says she's got to admit she doesn't think he's hot, and she can't do that. He's too attractive. Or something. She wants his hot body now, screw her responsibilities! Would it really matter if she took the rest of the night off? I kinda doubt it. I mean, she could take a few hours off, anyway.

Then we get to the real emotional deal: Glen's had a string of other hotties, and Erika wants a commitment, but she totally still wants his hot body. Meanwhile, Glen compares Erika to a teenager, with her hot and cold attitude. She doesn't have anyone she left in England, so what's the dilio, yo? He's totally thinking of, “A short affair, or a slightly longer one,” so he can get on with his life and work again. Well, that's going to be a problem. Glen considers how he could totally charm the pants off this girl, but some deeply buried spark of sensitivity warns him not to. How romantic. So Glen does the only thing he can do...

“The Montroses are nice people.” Yeah, that happened. Anyway, their conversation turns to Glen disparaging marriage, and denying that this couple having a baby would solve everything. Erika asserts that a baby would probably help them. ...that was the baby conversation in this chapter. Not a whole lot else happens.

Anyway, they talk about dreams, how they change, Glen wanting to work on his show, blah blah blah. Then Glen grabs Erika, they stare at each other for a bit, and then Erika's inhibitions melt away and they start kissing again. When they're done kissing, Glen starts running his fingers over her face...erotically. Then they're kissing again, with Glen's fingers tangling in her hair. When they stop this time, Glen says that he needs to bang Erika. It's more poetic than that, but not much. She weakly refuses. Glen wants to understand what's going on, and Erika's main explanation is that she doesn't know him well enough to have sex with him. So, he walks her back and they go their separate ways. (Someday, love will find you! Break those chains that bind you!)

Back at the villa, Glen pours himself some whiskey to help him consider his night. He's not really mad at Erika. He can wait...probably. Maybe until tomorrow...or a week. Glen's not used to waiting to have sex, you see. He plays some piano, but it's just sentimental mush. All of his previous shows have been cynical. I'm guessing that Erika's influence will cause him to write romantic shows. I mean...if they end up together. Then Glen stands at his window and looks at the lights in the hotel. He wonders which one is Erika's window. It's much harder to watch her sleep if he doesn't know which window to climb through.

Erika didn't sleep well after she and Glen parted ways, and the weather is stormy when she gets up to do her morning yoga and other stay-in-shape routines. The weather gets better and her mood improves. After her mood improves, Erika realizes she'd be dumb not to have sex with Glen before they both leave the hotel. She'll tell him it's totes cool today. This is gonna be a great day! Oh, Glen's here to visit her in the office. This'll be fun!

Glen, why do you look tired? What's wrong? Oh, you're going back to New York? Now? There's a taxi waiting and everything? Also, he might not be coming back. Ever. He just showed up to say goodbye. Well there goes Erika's good mood!

Yeah, that's how that chapter ends. What a cliff-hanger. I have two predictions for the next chapter. Either Erika starts taking off her clothes and, when he asks, replies, “Well I decided to have sex with you before you left, so I guess it's got to be now.” Or she becomes a crazy stalker and follows behind him, her job obligations be damned! I really hope it's not the second one.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter Two-The (Minor) Misunderstanding

The chapter opens with Erika explaining to us, I mean...to “the newly arrived American couple” what the legend of the Moongate is. Apparently, honeymooners should walk through the gate, make a wish and- The husband interrupts her and we never find out what she was going to say at the end. ...And prepare a ritual sacrifice? And run three laps around the Moongate backward? And never read trashy romance novels? I'm sure we'll find out later and it'll be a big deal with Erika and Glen, but I still wanna know now. The scene with the America couple also sets up that it's really hard to get a license in Bermuda. A tiny island is not a good place for a lot of cars. That's enough set-up of those plot points, let's head downstairs.

Oh, hey there Lalla. By the way, it was previously mentioned that Erika thought Lalla had some troubles in her life, but she didn't know what they were. I mention that purely because it shows that Lalla has a depressed face...no, we totally find out her troubles in this chapter. Just, in a bit, be patient. In this scene, Erika demonstrates her iron will by threatening to tear up the contract the hotel has with their maintenance company if they don't come out and fix the broken elevator within the hour. ...because nothing says “good customer” like threats to push your business a day earlier than it was supposed to be. Shortly after Erika hangs up on them, a little boy named Frankie comes to talk to Lalla. Erika can tell by the look in Frankie's eyes that he's mentally retarded and he's calling Lalla Mum, so that's got to be difficult. However, Erika has a hunch that Lalla's difficulties are deeper than that. Le gasp! Anyway, what kind of book is this? Let's stop looking at the secondary characters and get some more progress on this romance!

Yeah, Erika, I guess you can dress sexy just for Glen at cocktail hour. Go for it. She puts on a nice dress, puts on perfume, does her hair and makeup and...Glen doesn't come to cocktails or to dinner. What a jerk. You see, Erika doesn't go to dinner again, but she leaves her office door open while she's working so if Glen comes in, she'll see him. After dinner, Erika wanders outside and just so happens to go toward Glen's villa. Maybe she can go in and hear his music...Oh wait. There's no music and his villa is dark. Well then. Erika's thoughts? “Darn him...and darn herself for being such a fool.” I would have used more colorful language if I thought a guy had stood me up, he kind of promised to see her that night...just a little bit. Anyway, getting over her almost-swear words, Erika heads back into the hotel.

Hey, Glen. How's that pub treating you? Apparently it's the next day. I'm telling you this now because it took me awhile to catch on. Anyway Glen's drinking alone (yeah, with nobody else) and we get to see his dilemma. He went to Bermuda to remove himself from distractions so he could finish his latest show, Gossip, in two months. So no playing around for him! This is business time! But Erika is such a fun distraction! Glen thinks about spending time with her a lot. Hey, sometimes he thinks about snorkeling or getting to know her better and not just about sex. Although, he seems to think she has a body that's “perfect in every detail”. From a woman's perspective, let me just say, “Hah! Having a flawless body! Hah!”

Anyway, just as Glen is about to take a drink, he sees Erika across the street. Her head's turned away from him, but he recognizes her hair and that body. Also, something about magnetism. Aw. They're using the same words to describe each other. True. Love. Glen's up on a balcony, but he yells down at her and invites her up for a drink. You see, Erika was in town to take her driver's test so she could use the permanent manager's car. Remember how it's difficult to get a license in Bermuda? I guess that doesn't matter if you don't add another car to the island.

Oh, and by the way, Lalla's husband and father were killed in a storm, when Frankie was a few months old, and she's got an arthritic, bed-ridden mother to take care of. Lalla didn't get married again, because men stay away from trouble like that. There ya go, Lalla's backstory. After telling Erika all of this, Glen is a bit surprised at how much she cares. It's so hot. Um, anyway. Erika, you were totally shopping! What'd ya get? (Glen's really bad at not distracting himself with her by the way.) After talking about what Erika got, only vaguely, Glen asks if anyone is missing her in England. What an indirect way to ask if she's either available, or very available. Erika affirms that she's very independent and doesn't have anyone back home....for a given definition of independent. The reader learns/is told that Erika keeps people at a distance because her mother's heartbreak made her a bitter, bitter person. To keep Glen from learning this, Erika questions him on his whereabouts at dinner time the previous day.

Glen says that his plans changed, then wanted to know if his absence made Erika sad. Well, being the strong, independent woman that she is, Erika's going to hide behind bluster. Nope, it didn't make her sat at all! Which, surprisingly, leads to an awkward silence. During this silence, Glen meditates on how she totally wants him and he wants her. She's holding back, which annoys him. If she were a different sort of woman, they could just have sex and be done with it, but Erika is different than anyone else he's ever met. She's not just sexy, but she speaks to something deep inside him... I need some crackers with that cheese. Glen shakes his head to remove the dairy product from his brain and thinks about how Erika's messing with his deadline, but he kind of likes it.

Erika, brooding as well, interprets his head shake as something like, “Wow. I was cool with inviting this girl up here for a drink, but I want her to stop pursuing me. Despite that kiss, which rocked both of our worlds, I just don't want to spend time with her anymore.” This is why people have problems making and maintaining relationships. Acting on what she misread (this chapter's minor misunderstanding), Erika gets up and says she's heading back to the hotel in that car she's now licensed to drive. Glen gets a ride back and this intimacy confuses Erika and makes her driving bad. I know you're thinking of a “woman driver” joke, but this is a romance novel, we all know it's not realistic.

On the drive, Glen tries to find out if Erika's available in the evenings and, when she says she works all the time forever, he tries to convince her that the two of them could spend some time together in the evening anyway. Yup, he's totally not interested, Erika. There's also some talk about Glen's responsibility to his backers, audience, etc and how he's trying to avoid distractions. Oh, also how his life isn't as full of distractions as the press makes it seem.

Once they get back to the hotel, Erika drives up to Glen's villa. He convinces her to come inside to hear how the song's changing. She wants to say no, but this strong, independent woman weakly agrees. Sorry, I'll try not to riff on that again until the next chapter at least. Apparently, by “hear how the song's changing”, he meant, “lay out the music and start making a move”. You see, he lays out the sheet music on the lid of the piano and Erika stands in the curve of the grand piano to read the music. Then Glen stands right behind her and starts stroking the skin at the nape of her neck and puts a hand on her shoulder. Erika tries to talk about the music, and stands rigidly, then Glen slides his hand down her arm and onto her hand that's on the piano. Here's the part that ruined the illusion for me: his hands have “the breadth that could span octaves with the greatest of ease.” I'm not sure how familiar you are with pianos, but reaching one octave is difficult, and some people can't quite manage it. In order for one hand to reach two octaves, it would have to be absolutely huge! The author had to have meant that his two hands can span two octaves, but that's weird wording.

Anyway, back to the player wanting to settle down, Glen stands so close to Erika that they're touching and he nuzzles her hair, murmuring her name. Erika says she's got to leave and turns around. Well, now that they're face-to-face this close, Glen starts massaging the tender spots behind her jawbone (by her chin, or her ears? 'cause either way is kinda weird) and moves in for the kiss. Erika totally wants it, but she spins away from him. Glen asks what's wrong and doesn't touch her when she puts up a hand to stop him. Oh, hey, you can read body language. Erika says that she's got to go run the hotel and Glen reminds her that Lalla was totally competent a minute ago. Ignoring that point, Erika tells Glen she's got a barbeque to go to tonight and she totally can't take any more time off today. So there. Then she drives away, threatening the gears in the car and some poor, defenseless hibiscus bush.

All right, this line of trashy romance novel isn't quite as trashy as I thought. It'll talk about sensual things, but I don't think they'll have sex until the end. Also, we're going to need a larger misunderstanding than this one to drive them apart for the main conflict. Well, that and this is only the second chapter. In the next chapter, I predict that Erika will host that barbeque by the pool and Glen will show up and stand behind a bush that's too short to hide him. He'll watch Erika and refuse to talk to anyone until he stage-whispers to get her to come talk to him. After talking for a few paragraphs, she'll throw punch in his face and Glen will go back to his villa to change.

The Moongate Wish: Chapter One-An Intense First Meeting

This book is The Moongate Wish by Nancy John. Before we get to the first chapter, there's something I think you all should know. There's a letter to the reader before the story starts and the important bit tells us that this kind of book, Special Editions, have, “...longer stories, sophisticated style, greater sensual detail and variety...” Hang onto your hats, kiddies. This'll be a step or five above the last romance novel I did.

The chapter opens with a map of Bermuda. That's one way to tell your reader the setting. On the first page of text, we learn that our main character is Erika and that she is jetlagged because she traveled all the way from Yorkshire earlier today. Erika is a relief worker for hotel managers, apparently, and she's filling in for two months at the Moongate Hotel in Bermuda. The Moongate Hotel is terribly fancy and Erika, as acting manager, is taking the effort to learn all of the guests' names. When she's done eating, and after talking with a waiter who pulls her chair out for her (see, it is fancy), Erika goes through to the kitchen to talk to the head cook.

Really, all of that is just fluff and the set up for Erika to take a walk outside and hear Glen Hunter playing something in stops and starts on the piano. He's a composer and lyricist for Broadway, you see. On the sixth page of the story, Erika thinks about how it's amazing that she's encountering Glen again. Wow, that was a quick introduction of the love interest. I guess they have to meet early for Special Editions to have “greater sensual detail”. By the way, he wouldn't remember her, but he's an “attractive, charismatic man”. Yup. Love interest. Or sex interest. I'm not here to judge.

Anyway, Erika's chilling outside in the dark when Glen leaves the villa to think of a rhyme for “sexual mechanics”. The first image that pops into my mind is of people with large wrenches figuring out what's going wrong, but that's not what Glen means at all. The line is, “How long till they're bored with the sexual mechanics...” Anyway, Erika comes up with “passion's galvanics”. Wikipedia's results seem to suggest this is a process for changing metal, or an early battery. Something like that. I can't find it as a noun. Well, I suppose I shouldn't pick at the grammar in a romance novel when there's so much else to discuss.

Erika suggests this rhyme from the dark, so Glen demands to know who is skulking about in the darkness. She steps into the light and he bites back of cry of shock as he sees the perfect woman, fairly radiating love and sex appeal... OK, it's kind of something like that, just without him making noise about it. He's an experienced womanizer, apparently. I had no idea composers got all the ladies, but hey, whatever works. He convinces her to come listen to the song with the lyric she suggested, so they go back to his villa. Throughout this exchange, and the one inside the villa, he keeps touching her. Yeah, definitely going to have sex.

Anyway, the two of them get coffee, Erika drinks it black of course, and she tells Glen her life story. Divorced parents, mom opened a bed and breakfast to make ends meet, so Erika decided to be a hotel manager on the ritzy end. She's temping now, with an eye to full time swankiness in the future. By the way, Glen finds her very attractive. Apparently, she's not “blatantly sexy”, but her dress gives her “a thrilling eroticism”. Then we learn that Glen wants to see her naked, and bang her, but he wants to get to know her first. Aw. True love.

Erika takes a long look at Glen as well. Apparently, he could compete with athletes in their twenties, but he's got to be in his thirties. He's tan and well-muscles, blah blah blah. Then the detail that made me laugh out loud. She's talking about his mouth, when she thinks, “its symmetry broken by a small scar on his upper lip.” I doubt it'll be because of an epic fencing duel, like it was in The Devil Earl, but it amuses me greatly that he has to be rugged enough to have a scar, but it can't be anything seriously deforming, so it's just a little scar on his lip. I'm sure she'll kiss it and make it better.

Then we find out where they met before. Erika was helping at a hotel and there was a mix-up about Glen's reservation. He was with some blond at the time and Erika is totally not jealous. It's a little weird that she remembers his face “so well” if that's all the interaction they had previously. While taking a look at Erika's backstory, we learn that she has steered clear of marriage because her parents' divorce made her bitter. So, she's single, then? It'll be even less time for her and Glen to hook up. Oh, Glen doesn't believe in marriage either. They're perfect for each other?

Erika tries to leave, but Glen says they have to listen to the song with her contribution to it. So, he guides her over to the piano, and pulls her down on the seat next to him. Well then. In the heat of the moment, she comes up with, “The whole Kama Sutra of passion's galvanics.” Okay, Erika, I'm a little worried about why you are bringing the predecessor of the battery into the bedroom. I'm not entirely clear on what “galvanics” means, dictionary.com was less than helpful, but it still seems a little sketch.

Erika tells Glen that she's seen all of his shows, then tries to deflate his ego by mentioning that she loves musicals in general. Oh, apparently, Glen's dad is also a composer and Glen's got some issue with him. No time for that, though, Erika has to get to bed. Jet lag, you know. Glen walks her to the edge of an exterior light the hotel has. Men are apparently more dangerous, and therefore sexy, in dim lighting. Then they stand there and stare at each other.

You see, Erika wants him to kiss her, but she is powerless to move because he's got a “magnetic aura.” The books says explicitly that she can't walk away, but I don't understand why she doesn't move to kiss him. Isn't she supposed to be an empowered, independent woman? Or does his magnetism only work to a certain distance, and then it starts repelling instead of attracting? Anyway, she finally starts to walk away when he pulls her back and kisses her with his hands all up and down her back. When he stops kissing her, Glen holds her at arm's length for a moment and says, “Good night, beautiful Erika.” He walks away and Erika takes a few steps toward the hotel and stops. She waits to stop blushing and for her heart to calm down. Hotel managers need poise and whatnot, you see. When she does finally calm down, she enters the hotel and her heart is “singing with joy”. Egads.

So, given that we got the word “eroticism” ten pages into the story, I'm guessing that the two of them will have sex, probably in the next two chapters or so, be driven apart by some misunderstanding which is made worse because each thought the other was truly committed, solve the misunderstanding, and the book will finish with their make-up activities. They've got 241 pages from start to finish. Let's see what Nancy John does with it.