Chapter 16: A Change in Plans

I left Dory to her orientation day with Surgenor's staff. I had made an appointment to talk to the headmaster later that day about our marital status and see what compromises might be worked out. I really didn't want to be separated from Dory again, but I wasn't going to do anything that would jeopardize her new career.

I called Arnold and asked him about any progress on the Valley Farm Market purchase.

"I'm not sure this is going to work out, Steve. Mr. McVeigh has a pretty firm idea of what he thinks the market is worth. He's not anxious to sell and his price is a long way from a bargain. We might have to look elsewhere for an opportunity."

"I was afraid of that," I said gloomily. "It looks like a fairly decent operation and nothing like the Vernon store you bought."

"We'll keep looking, Steve, but for now we're not getting anywhere. What will you do? Have you found a place to live?"

"No, we haven't even started looking. That will be tomorrow. We plan to rent before we buy."

"Good. Keep your options open. You never know what can happen," he said with an upbeat tone.

"Thanks, Arnold. I'll do that. Talk to you soon," I said before hanging up.

Well, that threw a monkey wrench into my plans. So, what was plan B?

I had the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon before I expected to hear from Dory. I wasn't about to spend it in our motel room, so I went out to the car and began to drive. I didn't have any particular destination in mind but somehow or other I ended up on the road to Mount Washington, the local ski resort. I parked the car and got out, immediately noticing the cooler air. The village was over 1500 meters in elevation and the vista out over the valley was incredible.

I walked around for a while, noticing all the new construction. It looked like the resort was just getting underway as a development. It would be years before it would be any kind of rival for Whistler-Blackcomb, but if snow pack was the only criteria, it would succeed. The previous year the snow pack had been almost twenty feet in January and February. As I looked around, I noticed very few services in the area. Was this an opportunity?

I spent the rest of the morning exploring what would someday be the village and wondered just what it might become. I returned to my car and drove slowly down the mountain road until I was back in Courtenay. I found a restaurant on the main street and ordered a light lunch, deciding to talk to the real estate contact that afternoon.

"Most of the nice rentals are in Comox, and there aren't very many right now. How long do you plan to rent for?"

I had been talking to Albert Feller, local real estate agent. He was knowledgeable enough, but not very encouraging.

"With the growth being as fast as it is currently, there's a big demand for temporary rentals until the newcomers can find a house or have one built. You're looking at a sellers market."

"What do you suggest?" I asked, frustrated at that point.

"Look a little farther out," he suggested. "Where did you say your wife would be located?"

"The new Surgenor Academy in Comox."

"Oh sure, I know where that is. You know, you might find something in Bates Beach, or Merville, or even Black Creek. I'll check around. That's a commute of about twenty minutes from Black Creek. If you like country or rural living, you'd be pretty happy up there."

"Okay, see what you can find. In the meantime, I'll drive up there this afternoon and see what it's like." I wasn't terribly excited about the suggestion, but I thought I'd better at least have a look.

Feller had my cell phone number and I had a map of the immediate area I had picked up at the tourism office. If he found something, I could drive by and have a look. Otherwise I'd wait for Dory.

My drive took me from the school area to Bates Beach and after cruising around the village, I thought that Dory would like this area. Right on Georgia Strait, it gave her a great mountain view over to the mainland as well being in what appeared to be a nicely laid out community that was a mixture of both old and new. This would be a great option, only a five minute drive from the school.

It was just after three when my cell phone came alive. I saw it was Dory and smiled. I was ready for a dose of her comfort.

"Hey, Babe, how are you? All done with the orientation?"

"Yes, and I'm even more excited that I was the first time I visited," she gushed.

"I'm glad to hear that. I'm only five minutes away, so I'll be right there. Remember, I want to talk to the head guy about us."

"I didn't forget. I told both Mister Bentley and Miss Yardley that we would meet with them at four o'clock. They want to meet you anyway."

"Okay, see you in five."

I had a better look at the campus this time and I was impressed. It was all new, of course, but the style of the buildings blended perfectly into the surroundings. Georgia Strait was visible through the firs and cedars, the freshly landscaped lawns and gardens looked natural as opposed to the carefully tended grounds you might have expected. I parked in a visitors slot near the entrance and went looking for Dory.

"Hi," she said with her usual big smile as she met me just inside the foyer. "They're expecting us," she said, leading the way.

We entered the office and were met by a receptionist who immediately went to summon one of the people we were to meet. She returned in seconds, followed by a youngish woman dressed in a business skirt and jacket outfit. She was attractive and younger than I expected.

"Good afternoon, you must be Mister Black," she smiled. "I'm Phyllis Yardley, Assistant Headmistress," she said, extending her hand.

We shook and I noticed she had a fairly firm handshake to go with a pleasant smile.

"Steve Black, Ma'am. Nice to meet you."

"Please, we don't stand on too much formality here. Call me Phyllis and if you don't mind, I'll call you Steve."

"Agreed," I smiled.

"Rand Bentley will be right along. He was just looking after some last minute details. The minute we think we've got everything in order is the minute we find something else that needs to be attended to," she grinned.

I was only a minute later that a dignified looking man of medium height entered the office and approached.

"Rand, this is Steve Black, Dory's fiancé. Steve, Rand Bentley is our Headmaster."

We shook hands and I almost immediately got the impression that both he and Ms. Yardley were personable people, and not quite what I expected as the top two people at an "academy."

"Let's go into my office and we can talk there," Bentley suggested. "I haven't got much to offer in the way of refreshments, but I do have some water."

"I'm fine," I assured him.

The office was in keeping with the architecture of the building; west coast modern with large windows looking out over the strait.

"Allow Ms. Yardley and me to congratulate you on your upcoming wedding," Bentley began. "I understand you've known each other for five years."

"Yes ... we met in high school in our senior year. Dory was my math tutor and made sure I learned what I needed and got me through my first year of university too."

"Ah, practicing her teaching skills that early then," he smiled.

"I think she's a natural," I agreed, turning to smile at my lady.

"When is the wedding planned for?" Yardley asked.

"Next June," Dory answered. "Our mothers are in charge of setting the date and location."

"I wanted to make sure," I began, "that it wouldn't be improper for us to live together before the wedding while Dory is teaching. I wasn't sure if that would violate school policy."

I saw the two administrators' look of mild surprise, then the smile that followed.

"We aren't quite that old fashioned," Bentley said. "We have to keep up with the times and while there is a behaviour code for our staff, it isn't restrictive of personal living arrangements as long as it doesn't bring discredit on the school. You can assume there would be no problem of your living together prior to your marriage," he assured us.

"That's great. We've already experienced some separation and it was very upsetting for both of us."

"What are you planning to do for employment, Steve?" Ms. Yardley asked.

"Well, that's still up in the air. I was hoping to invest in a local business, but it appears that opportunity has disappeared. I'm looking for alternatives," I said.

"What business are you interested in?" Bentley asked.

"I've been working for two gentlemen in the retail and wholesale food business. I ran a store for them during the summer a couple of years ago, and we had an agreement that I would get an opportunity when I graduated. Then Dory discovered Surgenor and knew that's exactly what she wanted for a career, and where she goes, I go," I smiled, squeezing her hand.

"That's quite a commitment for two young people," Phyllis Yardley said.

I shrugged. "It was never an option for me," I said, leaving it at that.

"Remarkable," Bentley said with a smile.

"I know Dory is very excited about obtaining a position here," I said, "and I'm excited for her. I think you've got someone who's going to be a great asset to Surgenor."

"Stevie ... please," Dory pleaded, clearly embarrassed with my praise of her.

"Well, we think so too," Bentley smiled.

We made small talk for a few minutes before we excused ourselves. I had turned off my cell phone before I entered the school and I wanted to check to see if Feller had called about any rental opportunities. I turned on the phone and noticed the symbol for a voice mail message.

The message was from Feller and he had a couple of possible rentals for us to look at. I called him right away and he relayed the addresses of three possible units, one of which was in Comox, one in Courtenay, and one, surprisingly, in Bates Beach. I made a note of the address and told Dory. We were only five minutes away, so we decided to have a look while we were in the vicinity.

The address led us to a small bungalow, probably only a two bedroom unit. The main feature of it was a large window-wall facing the straits. I guessed it to be about thirty years old, if not more, but it was in good condition and the grounds were well cared for. I hoped that would mean the inside was in similar condition. Since we hadn't made an appointment to visit, we didn't go any further. I called Feller and left a message asking about the monthly cost, and the possibility of seeing the property. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

Dory was in her continuing bubbly mood that Friday evening. We chose a noisier, younger crowd to share our evening with. There was no dance hall in town, but the restaurant-cum-bar and its postage stamp sized floor and recorded music was lively enough for both of us. Dory got hit on more than a couple of times, but turned them all down, giggling at each attempt by the young guys to separate us. We hung around until eleven o'clock before we called it an evening.

I watched her undressing and getting ready for bed. Every time I saw her I was amazed and just how sexy and lush her body was. The simple act of bending over to tie a shoe, or stretching to put a towel over the shower curtain reminded me just how lucky I was.