Falling Awake

reassure her by offering to have the conversation in a public venue. Nevertheless, she had a hunch that he would not politely and innocuously disappear if she refused to speak with him.
    “Certainly.” She tightened her grip on the shoulder bag and kept the Desperately Professional Smile in place. “There’s a café outside on the terrace. It has a nice view of the beach.”
    “Sounds good.” He took his sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on.
    They made their way through the high-ceilinged lobby. The large space was lightly crowded with a sprinkling of late arrivals checking in for the week-long series of seminars. Isabel could feel a few curious glances coming from the staff at the reception desk. She ignored them. They were, she was quite sure, aimed at her companion, not her. Ellis Cutler appeared to be oblivious to the attention they were drawing but she was pretty sure he was aware of everything that was going on around them.
    “Got to say I was a little surprised to find you here.” Ellis leaned around her to open one of the heavy glass doors. “Never pictured you as the type to sign up for a course of motivational seminars. Always had the feeling that you were already very motivated.”
    She stepped out onto the long, wide terrace that fronted thesleek, modern facade of the seminar wing. “The Kyler Method is not just about developing a positive, motivated attitude,” she said crisply. “It is also about tapping the creative side of your nature. It’s about exploring options, seeing things in a different light, opening up your personal horizons.”
    “That sounds like a direct quote.”
    “Page one of the The Kyler Method: Ten Steps to Reinventing Yourself. ”
    “By Farrell Kyler, your brother-in-law. The book spent five months on the major best-seller lists.”
    “I see you’ve done your research on me,” she said coolly.
    “You’ve been analyzing my dream reports for a year, Isabel. You probably know me well enough by now to realize that I always do my research.”
    It was a simple statement of fact but it sent another small thrill of alarm through her. He was acknowledging that there was a strong, personal connection between them.
    “Yes,” she murmured.
    All of her senses felt sharp and acute. She was intensely aware of the brisk breeze off the bay and the warmth of the summer sun. The sea was an electric blue mirror that dazzled her eyes.
    She led the way to the far end of the terrace, where several tables shaded with colorful umbrellas had been set outside. There were only a handful of people in the vicinity. They sipped frothy espresso-based drinks or drank expensive water from bottles that bore labels printed in a variety of foreign languages.
    Ellis indicated a table situated some distance from the others,offering a measure of privacy. The low, muted roar of the surf at the foot of the bluff provided a level of white noise that made it possible to talk without being overheard.
    Isabel sat down in the shade cast by the red-and-tan umbrella. Ellis took the seat across from her.
    A waiter dressed in a signature Kyler red polo shirt, tan shorts and high-end running shoes hurried over to take their orders.
    Isabel smiled at him. “Green tea, please.”
    “You got it.” The waiter looked expectantly at Ellis.
    “The same,” Ellis said.
    If the waiter thought green tea was a wimpy drink for a man, he was too smart to reveal it. He dutifully noted the order on his pad and hastened off toward the glass doors of the café.
    Ellis looked at Isabel. She could feel the intensity of his gaze right through the heat shield of his midnight dark glasses.
    Pay attention, she warned herself. You’ve been inside his dreams. You know how clever and subtle he can be, even when he’s in the middle of a nightmare. Keep it cool. Keep your distance.
    “How are you feeling?” she asked on impulse.
    So much for keeping her distance.
    Something about his absolute stillness told her she had caught him off guard. He recovered almost instantly.
    “Much better, thank you,” he said in a mockingly grave tone. “Haven’t had red meat in months. Taking my vitamins. Drinking plenty of green tea. Renting classic screwball romantic comedies. Haven’t actually gone out and bought a romance novel yet, but I’ll get around to it. Been a little busy lately.”

    His obvious amusement disconcerted her. She blushed and hastily sat back in her chair. “What can I do for you, Mr. Cutler?”
    “Make it