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.