Gherring made a sound behind her. Was he laughing? She whipped around, but Gherring’s face was unreadable. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. You’ve seen me shirtless before.”
“Yes but… it’s different… you’re in a towel.”
“You can’t see through it, can you?” He looked down, as if inspecting the towel for holes.
“No, it’s just… Please go get dressed.”
Gherring smiled enigmatically. “As you wish.”
And he disappeared into the bedroom.
With Gherring properly attired, Anne was once again able to focus on what she really loved—food. They had eggs Benedict—her favorite. And it was the best eggs Benedict she had ever tasted.
“Wow.” Gherring’s dimples peeked out as he watched her eating. “I’m not sure I’ve ever made a woman look that happy before. All that effort and all it took was eggs Benedict.”
“This is not just eggs Benedict. It’s the best ever. I don’t know what they did to it, but… wow!”
“I guess seeing the glacier at Jungfraubroch will be a letdown after the eggs Benedict.”
“What time are we leaving? I need to brush my teeth.”
“The train leaves at eight a.m., and we’ll be gone all day. Dress warmly. Bring gloves and a hat.”
Anne rushed downstairs to pack her day bag.
“This is amazing! It’s so beautiful!” Anne felt like a broken record. She couldn’t help herself. She kept exclaiming about the scenery from the window of the train as it sped along the railway. “What’s the name of this lake?”
“That’s Lake Brienz. Our first stop is Interlaken, which is on the lake. But we won’t tour there until we’re on the way home. I want to get you up to the top of Jungfrau before the afternoon clouds roll in. Hopefully, we’ll have an incredible view.”
Anne smiled so much her cheeks hurt, still mesmerized by the scenery. The grass was still green, and the Alps had a sprinkling of snow on top.
Gherring said, “You should come back in the winter. It looks like a picture postcard, especially up in the mountains.”
Gherring shifted a bit to point out the window, and she suddenly became aware of his leg pressing against hers.
“What did you say? I… I missed it.” She tried to concentrate on his words, but she could only hear a distant sound in her head. Why did he still affect her this way? She’d tried to make herself see Gherring objectively. It worked for her brain, but her body just wouldn’t listen. She could still picture him wearing nothing but a towel. What was he saying?
Anne nodded her head and fabricated an all-encompassing answer. “I see.” She hoped that comment would make sense with what he had told her. It was probably some factoid about the geography or the history of Switzerland. He seemed to be a walking encyclopedia.
“You see?” Gherring looked at her quizzically. “I asked if you’d like to take a hike along the lake this afternoon. What did you think I said?”
Anne’s face burned. “I was thinking about something else.”
“Are you worried about Henri’s family member? Have you heard anything yet?”
“I don’t expect to hear anything soon.” Her heart hurt. “It’s so depressing. Let’s talk about something else.”
Gherring studied her with narrowed eyes. “Sure. What would you like to talk about?”
Anne racked her brain. She needed to think objectively about Gherring. “Let’s talk about you. When was the last time you went on a serious date?”
“I don’t think I care for this topic.”
“How about something more general. What characteristics do you think make the ideal woman?”
“A woman who minds her own business.”
“No seriously, this could be fun.”