Chapter 18

Monday morning at the office felt sunnier. Roy greeted Brian at the door, clapping him on the back. “Nice weekend? Ready for a new week of fun?” he joked. Brian rolled his eyes good-naturedly. During a team meeting, Roy gave Brian credit for learning the ropes so quickly. As they stood overlooking the site plans, Roy told Anne, “Honestly, I don’t know what I did to deserve you two. You’re keeping this place running without me half the time.” Anne smiled. “Just a good team,” she said.

On Wednesday night, Roy arrived at Sonia’s house with a healthy dose of butterflies. Sonia’s parents were staying there, and she had moved temporarily from Celia to be with them. She greeted him with a calming smile and guided him to the lounge. Initially, there were nerves on both sides. Roy knew that this was going to be an audition, and if the parents did not approve of him, it could severely dent his hopes. Sonia tried hard to show she was also apprehensive, as her feelings for Roy were strong. Though she had not said it, she had tried to show it in their times together, and she was now at the point that even if her parents were not completely happy to have Roy as a son-in-law, she would be willing to stand up for him. Though she had not said it, she had tried to show it in their times together, and she was now at the point that even if her parents were not completely happy to have Roy as a son-in-law, she would be willing to stand up for him.

Professor Sweet stood as Roy entered, offering a firm handshake and a courteous nod. “Please, join us,” the professor said politely, leading him to the dining table. The warm smell of spices filled the air. Sonia explained that one result of their sojourn in Singapore was that her mother had become enamoured with Asian food, particularly curries. So the first course this evening was a fragrant lamb curry with rice and naan bread. Roy sampled it and offered a compliment sincerely. “This is wonderful — you must have spent hours preparing this,” he said.

Over the meal, Professor Sweet spoke about linguistics and Roy surprised himself by finding the subject intriguing, and managed to ask some intelligent questions. Roy might have been a building contractor, but he was accustomed to negotiating with high officials. While he was no linguist, men from more than half a dozen nationalities were part of his work force, and he had taken the time to learn more about their cultures, and had been in their homes to meet their families. He was not only comfortable with them, he regarded them more as family than employees, and he was frequently invited to their celebrations. He had sponsored many to get their permanent residency visas, which was vital if they were to build a life in New Zealand.

As these bits of information were teased out, Sonia’s parents relaxed, until by the end of the evening there was a warmth in the atmosphere. By the time he left, he felt warmly accepted. Professor Street quietly clasped Roy’s shoulder and said, “You’re good to her, Roy. That means a lot to us.” Roy replied earnestly, “Thank you, sir. I promise you I’ll do everything to make her happy.”

Outside, Roy slid an arm around Sonia. “Someday soon,” he said softly, “I want us to make that happiness a promise.”

Monday morning, the start of a new week.

There was a welcome sense of rhythm returning to Reliabuild’s workplace — calls flowing, tasks assigned and met, laughter gradually filtering back into the tea room. Brian, still fresh and earnest, was proving a fast learner and a solid addition. He didn’t have Roy’s larger-than-life presence — but in a way, that helped. The team could breathe again. Roy, too, seemed calmer. Or perhaps just more focused.

Roy retired to his office to think. Having a bit more free time to “stop and smell the roses”, he had begun noticing more about the city environment. Outside of his field of business, he had never taken much interest of what was happening in Christchurch. But his relationship with Sonia had developed to the point that he now admitted he was in love with her. When it struck, it was a revelation, and in some respects he didn’t know what to do about it. He’d never been in love like this before, and he wanted on the one hand to do nothing that might turn her off, but on the other was lacking in experience to lock in her affection. The touch and kisses between them were now frequent, and Roy was fairly sure it was totally genuine on Sonia’s part. He finally knew that he wanted to ask her to marry him, but should he make a grand romantic gesture, or just do it quietly over dinner one evening? When Roy had come up with the plan to rout the boy racers, he showed the little larrikin side of his character that others had commented on. Did this give him a lead?

His imagination had been fired earlier in the week when he spotted an advertisement for a coming event, a bridal expo. This sent his thoughts into overdrive. Now, he tossed and turned in bed with possibilities that occurred to him. Deciding on a plan, the next day he phoned Sonia’s TV station and asked to speak to her producer, Deidre Knowles.

Trading on his reputation, Roy asked whether she could spare time to meet him the following day, as he had an idea that would be a sure-fire ratings hit. He was pushing the envelope hard, and of course he didn’t know what the repercussions might be. But he had finally decided that “faint heart never won fair lady”. He also asked that the appointment be confidential, and not be leaked to Sonia. And he asked Deirdre to bring along Gloria Simes, the director of the upcoming Bridal Expo.

He booked a quiet table at the George and arrived early. His notes were neatly typed, bullet-pointed, annotated — uncharacteristically meticulous. When Deirdre and Gloria arrived, he was already halfway through a long black.

As he laid out his plan, Gloria’s expression shifted from cautious curiosity to gleeful disbelief.