She Said, She Said

by Celeste Norfleet

  “Goodbye, Aunt Sylvia,” Laura said, hugging her and dismissing the conversation. Sylvia nodded, then waved as she got into the packed car and they drove off.

  “Are they gonna be all right?” Tamika asked, hearing them battling about something as they drove away.

  “Sure, Aunt Syl and Roberta are like that. They complain and battle like crazy, but just try to come between them. They’ll be fine.”

  They stayed out on the porch for a while talking. “We got a lot done today,” Laura said.

  Tamika nodded. “What exactly are we going to do with all that other stuff?”

  “Sell it mostly, I guess. Maybe have a huge estate sale or yard sale.”

  “Not everything, though, right?”

  “No, not everything.”

  “I found some letters and a ledger in the attic the other day.”

  “The slave ledger?”

  “Yeah, you knew about it?”

  “Oh yeah, it’s been in this family for a long, long time. I remember my mother showing me it years ago.”

  “Don’t you think we should do something with it? I mean, we can’t just put it out with the trash or anything. It’s history—our history.”

  Laura smiled. A glimmer of appreciation had finally emerged from her daughter. “No, of course not. So what do you suggest?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe we can have it appraised first.”

  “Good idea. Let’s do that.”

  “Cool,” Tamika said readily. “I was online the other day and I found a couple of antique shops and a historical society near Fraser. Maybe we can contact them.”

  “Good idea. Why don’t you give them a call?”

  Tamika nodded. “So what now.”

  “Well, it’s still early,” Laura said, glancing at her watch. “The real estate specialist hasn’t called, so I don’t think she’ll be coming by today. We have a ton more boxes and things to go through, so I guess we could start going through and clearing out the other rooms or attic or basement or maybe take a break.”

  “Let’s take a break,” Tamika quickly suggested. “After boxing up the rest of Aunt Sylvia’s things and her walking down memory lane every two minutes or every time she picked something up, I seriously need to chill.”

  “Okay, you take a break. I’m gonna go for a quick run. Want to join me?” Laura asked, remembering a time when she and Tamika jogged together.

  “Nah, maybe next time.”

  “Okay,” Laura said, then went upstairs to change her clothes. A few minutes later she was out the door running down the street.

  It felt good. She passed places she hadn’t seen in years. Some were gone, some hadn’t changed a bit. She waved at people and even stopped to chat with a friend of her mother’s who lived around the corner. By the time she turned and headed back she was sweating, breathless and exhausted, but it felt good.

  She hadn’t run in a few days and her body obviously missed the strenuous routine she’d undertaken for the past six months. She stopped at the front yard, stretched out her legs, thighs and arms, then slowly went into the house. Tamika, bless her heart, had a large bottle of cold water wrapped in a dish towel waiting for her on the step.

  “I’m back,” she hollered.

  “Dad called. He wants you to call him back.”

  Laura took several swigs of water, then went upstairs as she auto-dialed her husband. He didn’t pick up so she left a message, then took a quick shower.

  When she stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, Tamika met her in the hall. “Mom, your cell was ringing a minute ago.”

  “Okay,” she said, presuming it was Malcolm returning her call. She started getting dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. Her cell rang and a few minutes later she was changed into a low-cut summer sundress and coming downstairs looking like a Hollywood movie star with dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed straw hat. She was checking her scant makeup in the foyer mirror when Tamika walked up.

  “Mom, check you out, where’re you going?”

  “Out.”

  “Out where?”

  “Out to late lunch with a friend.”

  “What friend? Grace Hunter or Keith Tyler?” The last name was said with definite attitude.

  “A friend, Tamika,” Laura said, then saw Tamika’s face instantly change. Her disapproval was obvious. “I’ll be back in a while.”

  “Are you okay? I mean with Dad having to stay longer.”

  “He has to stay longer?” Laura asked. “I called him back earlier but couldn’t get through.”

  Tamika nodded. “He called my cell when he couldn’t get through to you. Are you okay about it?”

  “I don’t have a choice, do I? I’ll be back later.”

  “So, what about the real estate person maybe coming over later?”

  “I doubt she’s still coming, but if she does you can do that,” Laura said as she grabbed the keys and headed to the front door.

  “Mom,” Tamika called out. Laura turned. Tamika opened her mouth but decided it was no use even getting into it. “Never mind. I guess I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thanks, be back soon.”

  “So, what am I supposed to do after that?”

  Laura shrugged. “I don’t know, check out Fraser. There’s a bicycle in the garage out back. See you later.”

  Angry was an understatement.

  A quick twenty-minute drive and Laura was sitting in a small local restaurant drinking iced tea and waiting for her chicken-salad sandwich to arrive. Seeing her friend had made all her drama null and void.

  Now wearing studious eyeglasses and dressed in a very professional business suit, Grace yawned wearily. “I’m beat,” she said, then sipped her sweetened iced tea and cupped her head in the palm of her hand and elbowed the table.

  “It was a great party. Thanks again for inviting us.”

  “My pleasure. I hope Tamika wasn’t too bored by all us old heads out there dancing and clowning around.”

  “She was fine.”

  “Good. So what’s up with you and Keith? He like jumped out of his skin when I said I was gonna take you home. The last time I saw that man move that fast he was on the football field.”

  Laura chuckled, flattered by the comparison. “He’s just being friendly.”

  “I don’t know about that. I hope you know what you’re doing with him.”

  “I’m not doing anything, we’re just friends. He’s harmless.”

  “Yeah, right. I heard that before.”

  “Don’t worry, just friends,” Laura said. “Okay, what’s this emergency lunch that was so important?”

  Grace smiled. “I have a proposition for you.”

  “What kind of proposition?”

  “You know I still work at the newspaper, right?” she began. Laura nodded. “Well, I also freelance for this other magazine from time to time. Anyway, I was telling my magazine editor that I have a friend in town who is a brilliant writer and then I mentioned that you should write something for them like a freelance article. She was very interested.”

  “You did what?” Laura said.

  “I told her that you were the editor of your college newspaper and that you were taking a break from writing an unbelievable women’s lit novel.”

  “You did what?” she repeated.

  “Okay, so maybe I exaggerated slightly.”

  “Slightly? Sounds like you all but handed her my Pulitzer prize acceptance speech.”

  “Now who’s exaggerating?”

  “Tell me you didn’t.”

  “Oh, please, don’t be so affronted. It’s a great idea. You’re not working right now and the magazine will pay you some pretty nice pocket change.”

  “No, absolutely not,” Laura said.

  “Why not?” Grace asked.

  “Because.”

  “Because why?” Grace persisted.

  “Because,” Laura insisted.

  “Because? What kind of argument is that?”

  “Just beca
use I say so.”

  Grace smirked. “I’m a mom too, remember? That doesn’t work on me.”

  “Because,” Laura said, getting more and more agitated. “Because, oh, I don’t know. Because I just can’t. I haven’t actually written anything serious in years.”

  “But you wrote for your advertising agency, right? And you always wanted to write a bestseller, right? Well, this is the perfect time to get started. Writing a small piece for the magazine would be perfect.”

  “Grace, that was a long, long time ago. The last thing I actually wrote was an employee evaluation. When I left I was the managing advertising director. I oversaw ad campaigns and made presentations. That’s radio and television commercials, not full-length, in-depth magazine articles. What would I even write about?”

  “I don’t know, something. Coming back home after so long, the changes you see in the place, your parents’ house, you and your daughter. I don’t know.”

  Laura shook her head slightly, yet considered the idea as Grace looked on. “Come on, it’ll be fun. We’ll work together just like we said we would all those years ago.”

  “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you what. I’ll think about it.”

  “Seriously think about it?” Grace offered.

  “Yes, seriously think about it,” Laura promised.

  “Fair enough. I’ll be out of town on assignment over the next week and a half. You have until then. But you better say yes or else,” Grace said happily and smiled.

  Laura smiled too, and then instantly they both broke out laughing. When the laughter subsided Grace started rubbing her temples again as she yawned.

  “Ugh, whose idea was it to keep Independence Day on a weekday? And what was I thinking, partying all night long on a weeknight? I used to be able to do it with no problem. I swear I must be getting old. I have absolutely no stamina anymore.”

  Laura smiled and shook her head. “Girl, we’re all getting old.”

  “You’re not supposed to say that. You’re supposed to say that our inner youth will never get old or something like that.”

  “Yeah, okay, you keep on believing that.”

  “What, you think we’re getting old?”

  “I know we are. There’s no way we can do now what we did then,” Laura admitted.

  “Sure we can.” Grace smiled. They laughed again. “So, speaking of youth, what’s Tamika up to?”

  “Chillin’.”

  “She’s a sweet girl. You’re so lucky. You have the perfect family.”

  “Where did you get that idea?”

  “You’re married with a teenage daughter who’s on her way to college. You have it all.”

  “I have a husband who cheated on me last summer with a coworker who is probably the same coworker he’s in Tokyo with right now. Plus I have a daughter I get along with like fire and water. I say one thing, she hears another. It’s like we don’t speak the same language.”

  “Men are gonna be men, that’s all I have to say about that. Now, as for you and your daughter, you speak the same language. You just forgot how to listen.”

  “I listen,” Laura protested.

  “Yeah, you listen like a parent. Try hearing her as a person. You remember what it was like when we were teens. Our parents never listened to us. Loosen up, try walking in her shoes. I think you’ll find they fit pretty well. To understand her you need to remember you.”

  “Me?” Laura asked, not getting it.

  “Your mother drove you crazy, Laura. Remember, you complained constantly. We all did. Our parents didn’t know a thing back then.”

  “No, my mom and I got along great. We were best friends.”

  “Yeah, later after you were grown. But before then, when we were teenagers, you complained all the time that she drove you crazy because she was so overprotective because of Deb.”

  Laura frowned in denial, and then suddenly she remembered. Laura looked at her friend and smiled. “Oh my God, you’re right. I guess I just forgot that part.”

  “Sure, we have to because that part, the teenage angst, doesn’t matter anymore. You became friends and that’s all that matters. We had to take one moment at a time to get past all that teenage drama.”

  Laura nodded. “I guess I need to take a step back and start enjoying the little moments with my teenager. So, since when did you become a shrink?”

  “Since I raised two sons,” she said jokingly. “Remember, I had my kids a lot earlier than you. I’m through with all that teenage drama.”

  “Remember all the things we said we’d do?” Laura said.

  Grace looked at her strangely. “Like what?”

  Laura leaned over and began whispering. “Like we said that we’d go to the high school and get that stupid moose head and rip it down off the wall.”

  “What moose head?”

  “Principal Kilmore’s moose head. The one he hung up in the school office. We always said that we’d go back and rip it down one day, remember?”

  Grace cracked up. “Girl, I forgot all about that thing. But we can’t do it anyway. Kilmore retired and took that stupid thing with him when he left.”

  “Well, something else, then. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

  “You are crazy, break into the high school and take something. I don’t know, but maybe we could—”

  “Well, well, well. Hello, ladies.” Laura and Grace both looked up, with extremely guilty expressions on their faces. Keith stood at their table, smiling down at them. “This must be my lucky day,” he said, looking directly at Laura.

  “Hey,” Laura said, smiling.

  “Keith,” Grace said, then sipped her drink.

  “I thought I’d grab a quick bite,” he said, looking around the crowded restaurant, then at the seat next to Laura. “May I join you?”

  “Well…” Laura began.

  “Actually, we were just finishing up,” Grace said as she tossed her napkin on her empty plate and stood. “I need to get back to work.”

  “Pity…Are you sure?” he asked as he sat down beside Laura.

  “Well, maybe just for a quick refill…” Laura said.

  “Help yourself. I’ve got to get back,” Grace said. “Call me later, okay?”

  Laura nodded. “Okay, I will. Bye.”

  The waitress arrived and handed Keith a menu. He looked it over quickly as Laura observed his face.

  “You know what, let’s get out of here.”

  “I thought you were hungry.”

  “I am, but not necessarily for food. Let’s go.”

  “Where?” she asked, not budging.

  “There’s a nice place I know not too far from here.”

  “But I’ve already eaten.”

  “It’s not a restaurant.”

  “What is it?”

  “Trust me,” he said easily with that smile.

  “Keith, I don’t know what kind of game we’re playing here, but I think I might be in way over my head. I’m married and I don’t cheat on my husband,” she said, opening her mouth to say more but deciding against it.

  “Why not?” he asked simply.

  “Because I don’t,” she said.

  “Interesting.”

  “What?”

  “Well, you didn’t say because you were in love with your husband. So how about because you haven’t found someone interesting enough to be with, or someone you’re comfortable with or maybe someone you’re attracted to?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “But that’s what you meant.”

  She shook her head. “You’re putting words in my mouth and I should go.”

  He smirked slyly and licked his lips. “I could answer that remark in so many different ways,” he said, raising his brow provocatively. Laura instantly blushed and looked away, knowing exactly what he was thinking. “I’ll tell you what,” he began, then reached over and took her hand. “Tomorrow morning I have to go out of town on business for a couple of days. When I get back we’ll talk.”

  “Kei
th, I’m not who you think I am. I can’t—”

  “Laura, you’re exactly who I think you are and if ever you find yourself…tempted…” He smiled openly, then slid his business card into her hand.

  She stared at him, then at the card. Tempted. The word had hung in the air between them like a giant boulder. There was no getting around it. Huge and heavy in meaning, the implication was clear and had far exceeded her stray fantasies.

  Tempted. Of course she considered Keith. She’d considered Keith ever since she was in high school. She wondered and fantasized and even wished on occasion, but that was as far as she got. Now the offer had been made. One she’d fantasized about for years.

  She slowly slid her hand away from his, nodded, stood, then walked out. She finally caught her breath halfway down the street to the parked car. Tempted.

  She looked at the card, then pulled out her cell. “What are you doing this evening?”

  Chapter 17

  Tamika

  “Great, super, another exciting adventure in Fraser,” Tamika muttered to herself as she stepped outside onto the porch and watched her mom drive off. Again. This was getting ridiculous; her mother was hanging out and having more fun than she was.

  She tried to call Lisa, but she was at work and couldn’t talk. Then she tried to call Sean, but he didn’t pick up. And she didn’t want to leave a message. After their last conversation she wasn’t even sure what to say anyway.

  She looked around. Obviously she’d been stuck in the house for too long. Thankfully the weather had cooled down after the storm to somewhere south of hot as hell, but at least it was bearable and she could breathe again. She walked to the sidewalk and looked both ways, trying to decide which way to go. Then she remembered seeing a small strip mall just around the corner and a few blocks away, so she decided to check it out.

  She went inside, grabbed her camera and was headed to the front door just as the doorbell rang. It was the Realtor specialist her mom spoke about. Damn. Of course she’d pick now to show up. Tamika considered not answering, then just telling her to go away and come back later, but she realized that if she wanted to go back to Boston she needed to get all this over with as soon as possible. That meant dealing with this herself.