by Lyn Gardner
“Jamie!”
Startled from her thoughts, Jamie looked up. “I’m sorry, Linda, what was that?”
“I asked if you needed anything else.” Linda said, cocking her head to the side. “Are you okay?”
“What? Yes, I’m fine. Why?”
“You just seem a bit…um…distracted.”
“Sorry. Just a few long days, that’s all.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Linda said, “Okay, well if you don’t need me for anything, I’ll go get those contracts sorted.”
Standing at the door, Linda waited for a response, but when none was given, she simply shrugged her shoulders, walked out the door and quietly closed it behind her.
~~~
“I can’t thank you enough for coming up.”
“What do you mean?” Diana asked as her aunt came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. “I wouldn’t have missed Joanie’s baby shower for the world. It’s been planned for weeks.”
Sitting next to her niece, Brenda Clarke handed Diana one of the cups. “I know, but you’ll be here for Christmas, and what with your situation, I wasn’t sure that you could afford to make the trip twice.”
Puzzled, Diana stared back at her aunt. “What in the world are you talking about? Flights from New York to Burlington are cheap enough.”
“I just thought, since you don’t have a job…”
Realizing what her aunt was worried about, Diana rolled her eyes. “Brenda, exactly how many piggy banks did I have as a child?”
“What?”
Laughing, Diana reached out and touched her aunt’s knee. “I’m fine. I have plenty in savings to see me through. Honest.”
Studying her niece, the woman asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes!” Diana exclaimed with a laugh. “Trust me, I’m fine.”
“Well then, what’s been on your mind for these past two days? You’ve been preoccupied since you got here?”
“Have I?” Diana asked, taking a quick sip of tea.
“Oh, sweetheart, you know you have. You sit by the window most of the afternoon pretending to read, but instead, you spend the entire time staring off into space. You remind me of your father when he—” Brenda’s mouth snapped shut as a memory came rushing back, and looking at her niece, Brenda’s smile grew wide. Sitting up straight, she stated, “You’re in love!”
Nearly dropping her cup of tea, Diana blurted, “Excuse me!”
“I said, you’re in love.”
“I am not!”
“Yes, you are.”
“Oh, you’re deranged,” Diana muttered.
“Maybe so, but you’re still in love.”
“Will you please stop saying that?”
“Only when you stop denying it.”
“I’m denying it because it isn’t true,” Diana said, getting to her feet. Grasping for straws, Diana said the first thing that came to mind. “You said it yourself, I’m unemployed and—”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Brenda said, waggling her finger. “You just told me that your finances would carry you through. And you and I both know that with your background, you won’t have any problem finding another job, which leads me right back to the fact that you’re in love.”
“How can I convince you that I’m not?” Diana said, eyeing the woman who had raised her.
Thinking for a moment, Brenda asked, “Did I ever tell you about the first time your father met your mother?”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“Um…no, I don’t think so, but you never talked about them that much. I wasn’t sure if it was to ease my pain or yours.”
“A little of both, I suspect,” Brenda said quietly. “You were so young and so confused. It didn’t make sense to dwell on the past and keep the wound open, so I didn’t. I’m sorry.”
“No worries,” Diana said with a soft smile. “You always answered my questions when I asked about them, and besides, if I remember correctly, I was quite a handful back then.”
“You most certainly were!” Brenda said with a snicker. “I’m glad you grew out of that when you hit your twenties.”
“Hey!”
Both women began to laugh remembering their arguments over clothing, boyfriends and curfews. After a few minutes, Diana asked, “So what’s a story about my parents got to do with me convincing you that I’m not in love?”
Patting the cushion next to her, Brenda said, “Come. Sit back down and I’ll explain.”
Returning to her spot on the sofa, Diana pursed her lips as she eyed her aunt suspiciously. “So, enlighten me.”
Amused by her niece’s defensiveness, Brenda said, “When your father was sixteen, your grandparents insisted that he go to the final school dance of the year. He was a very smart young man, and involved in every sport there was, but when it came to social gatherings, he avoided them like the plague.”
“Why?”
“He was shy, and even though he was an extremely handsome, he felt totally uncomfortable around girls. He managed to come up with excuses for all the other school dances, but by the time the last one rolled around, he had run out, so reluctantly he went.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night. Mom and Dad had gone to bed, but I had stayed up to read for a while. Ross walked in just after ten, and I swear, when he came through the door, it was as if someone had turned up the lights.
His smile was so bright it was almost laughable.”
“I’m not smiling like that,” Diana stated.
“No, you’re not, but there’s more to this story, if you don’t mind,” Brenda said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Leaning back into the sofa, Diana crossed her arms and said, “Fine. I’m listening.”
“Like I was saying, your father appeared to be in a very good mood when he came home that night, but after changing his clothes, he came back downstairs, sat down, picked up a magazine and proceeded to stare off into space for over an hour without saying a word. Of course, I was a bit confused because one minute he seemed happy and then the next…the next he seemed almost mystified. Beyond curious, I finally asked him what had happened at the dance, and he told me that he had met a girl. I think his exact words were…a wonderful, beautiful girl.”
Goosebumps appeared on Diana’s arms, and quietly she asked, “My mother?”
“Yes,” Brenda said in a whisper, looking at her niece. “Oh, he must have rattled on for a good hour about Kathleen, telling me everything he could remember about this girl he had just met.”
“Wait, it was a school dance. Wouldn’t they have known each other already?”
“No, your mother had been visiting her cousin for the weekend, and apparently the girl’s date became ill, so Kathleen agreed to go in his place.
Safety in numbers, I suppose, but the point of my story is that the look on your father’s face that night, when he fell in love with your mother, is the same look you’ve been wearing for the past two days.”
“Oh,” Diana said softly.
“Are you still going to deny it?”
Refusing to make eye contact, Diana played with a loose thread on her sweater for a few moments. Finally, with a shrug, she said, “Is there any point?”
Sensing that something was troubling her niece, Brenda asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not. It’s a bit confusing.”
“I’m here to listen, and you never know, it could help.”
Letting out a long breath, Diana said, “I don’t even know this person. I mean, we met at a party last week and only talked for a few minutes, but I can’t seem to get them out of my head.”
“Or out of your heart, I suspect.”
Nodding her head, Diana said, “Yeah, but…but it’s more than that.”
“How so?”
Pausing, Diana chewed nervously on her lip. Glancing at her aunt, she took a deep breath and said, “It’s a woman.”
Brenda�
�s jaw dropped open and then closed just as quickly. Staring at her niece for a few seconds, the thinnest of smiles appeared on Brenda’s face.
Reaching over, she patted Diana on the knee and then rose to her feet. “I’m going to fix some more tea. Would you like some?”
“What? Um…sure,” Diana said, handing Brenda her cup.
Heading to the kitchen, Brenda said, “Be right back.”
“Wait. Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“About what, dear?”
“About…well, about what I just said.”
“Oh, that,” Brenda replied, stopping by the doorway. “What would you like me to say?”
Dumbfounded by her aunt’s casual attitude toward something Diana believed would be tantamount to a bombshell dropping, she shook her head.
“I don’t know. I…I just thought…I just thought that you’d have something to say.”
Debating for only a second, the grin Brenda was trying to hide finally emerged. “Actually, I do.”
Swallowing hard, Diana said, “Okay.”
“The niece apparently doesn’t fall far from the aunt.”
Brenda watched for a few moments while Diana slowly caught up, and when she did, Brenda burst out laughing at her niece’s flabbergasted expression.
Without saying a word, Brenda turned on her heel and headed to the kitchen, her laughter continuing to echo through the house as she went.
~~~
After rapping lightly on the door, Linda walked into Jamie’s office. “I was going to order some lunch. You hungry?”
Oblivious to Linda’s existence, Jamie sat behind her desk with her chin resting on her hand as she focused on what she was writing.
Accustomed to Jamie’s ability to concentrate when she was working, Linda merely rolled her eyes at being rebuffed. Walking over to the desk, she had intended to quiet until Jamie noticed her, but when Linda saw what Jamie was scribbling on, she shouted, “Jamie! What in the world are you doing?”
Startled, Jamie looked up. “What?”
With a sigh, Linda pointed to the stack of papers on the desk. “Can I ask why you’re writing all over those contracts? I did as you asked, and I’m fairly certain, I didn’t miss anything.”
Confused, Jamie lowered her eyes and when she saw her scrawl all over the cover page of one of the contracts, her shoulders fell. “Oh, shit.”
“Oh, shit? Is that all you can say? I spent the better part of the morning getting them perfect.”
“I’m sorry,” Jamie said, sliding the papers in Linda’s direction. “But it’s only the top copy.”
Unable to resist Jamie’s charming pout, Linda let out a snort as she picked up the contracts, but when she saw what was written all over the cover page, she began to laugh. “What in the world is all of this?”
“I was just doodling.”
“I’ve known you for almost thirty years, and have worked with you for nearly five, and in all of that time, you have never once doodled.”
Tickled by Linda’s motherly tone, Jamie asked, “How do you know? I could be a closet doodler.”
“You’re not a closet anything, and who’s Diana?”
“What?”
“Diana,” Linda said, pointing to the papers in her hand. “You’ve scribbled it a hundred times, along with what appears to be a…” Taking a moment to decipher Jamie’s artistry, Linda said, “What is this? Holly?”
“No, mistletoe.”
“Mistletoe?”
“Yes, mistle—” Stopping when she saw the befuddled look on Linda’s face, Jamie began to laugh. Rocking back in her chair, she ran her fingers through her hair. “Christ, I’m acting like a goddamn teenager.”
“What’s going on? I’ve never known you to be so distracted at work, and I don’t care what you say, you don’t doodle.”
“Can we please drop the doodling subject? It’s becoming annoying,” Jamie asked with a grin.
Chuckling, Linda nodded her head and sat down in one of the chairs opposite Jamie’s desk. “Okay, out with it. What’s got you so bothered that you doo…um… draw on freshly printed contracts?”
Jamie took a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, she said, “I met a woman.”
“Oh, I see, and I’m assuming that her name is Diana?” Linda said, glancing at the papers in her hand.
“Yes. Diana Clarke,” Jamie replied.
“I met her at Phelan’s party on—”
“Jamie, pardon me for interrupting, but you can do much better than those bimbos who date his clients.”
“She’s not one of those. She came with Gwen Fowler.”
“Wait…that doesn’t make sense.
Gwen Fowler is straight, Jamie. She’s got a husband.”
“I know, but he was out of town, so Diana came along as company.”
“And let me guess, you spent the entire evening talking to her.”
“No, it was less than fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen minutes?” Linda said.
Puzzled, she returned her attention to the scribbles Jamie had drawn on the contract. Biting her lip in order to prevent the widest smile she owned from appearing on her face, Linda said, “That may very well be a record for falling in love, I think.”
“Love?” Jamie blurted. “Who said anything about love?”
“You did,” Linda said, holding up the top page so Jamie could see it.
“Unless I’m mistaken, Valentine’s Day is in February. Therefore, the only explanation for all these hearts and arrows you’ve drawn amidst this field of mistletoe is love, unless, of course, you’re thinking of getting into the greeting card business.”
Knowing that Linda knew her better than she knew herself half the time, Jamie shook her head. “I don’t suppose there’s any point in denying this, is there?”
“Not a one,” Linda said, knowingly.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“There’s not that much to say. I met her. We had a drink, and we talked for a few minutes. That’s all.”
“But?”
With a sigh, Jamie said, “I can’t get her out of my head, Linda. I can’t. I’ve tried. Lord knows, I’ve tried, but it’s no use. She’s there to stay.”
“So why do you sound so unhappy? I would think you’d be over-the-top ecstatic about meeting the woman of your dreams.”
“I would be, if I hadn’t been an ass and fucked it up.”
Cocking her head to the side, Linda asked, “Care to explain?”
“Phelan was drunk out of his mind, and when Diana was about to leave, he stopped her at the door. There was some mistletoe hanging over it, and he wouldn’t let her pass until she kissed him, so I stepped in and…and did the deed.”
“And she was offended?”
“Actually, I don’t know,” Jamie said quietly, thinking back to when the kiss had ended. “She didn’t say a word. She just walked out of the house without even a glance in my direction.”
“Oh, I see,” Linda said. “Well, I suppose that you could take it as a good sign that she didn’t tell you off…or slap you in the face.”
“Yeah, I guess. I’m just hoping she’ll accept my apology. She told me that she was going to go to Lillian’s party on Saturday night with Gwen, so that’ll give me the chance to tell her that I’m sorry.”
“Is that all you’re going to say? Perhaps you should try telling her how you feel about her. You never know, she could feel the same way.”
“Linda, the chances that Diana Clarke fell in love with me in a span of less than fifteen minutes is right up there with believing in Santa Claus. It’s a wonderful idea, but it’s hardly reality.”
Chapter Four
You’re not ready?” Gwen asked.
“Now there’s a surprise.”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be long. Come on up,” Diana said with a guilty smile, running back up the stairs to her bedroom.
Sniggering at her friend’s penchant for lateness, Gwen tossed her coat on a
nearby chair, and climbed the stairs.
Entering Diana’s bedroom, she looked around and smiled.
“Someone went on a shopping spree,” she said loudly, seeing several empty shopping bags tossed about.
“No, I just needed a few things,” Diana called back from behind the bathroom door.
Picking up one of the bags, Gwen read the name imprinted on the side and jerked back her head. “Since when do you shop at Saks? A bit out of your budget, isn’t it?”
“I wanted to get a new dress, and they were having a sale.”
Noticing the name on another bag, Gwen called out, “And you needed new shoes because…no, let me guess. They were having a sale, too?”
“Actually, they were.”
Nodding her head at Diana’s answer, Gwen smiled to herself as she picked up another bag, and when she saw the name of Joelliane stamped on the plastic, it was all she could do not to burst out laughing. Already having a sneaking suspicion that Diana’s need for new clothes had nothing to do with bargain shopping and everything to do with a certain attractive blonde lawyer, it was all but confirmed seeing the packaging from the well-known lingerie store.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Gwen tried to compose her mirth along with her next sentence. Finally, she called out, “So, what you’re saying is that none of this has anything at all to do with that lip-lock you shared with Jamie Nash?”
In the bathroom, Diana was leaning over the sink with her face close to the mirror as she applied her last bit of makeup. Hearing the question, she promptly poked herself in the eye with her eyeliner. “Shit,” she said, blinking several times to clear the pain. Groaning at the site of the mess she just created, Diana grabbed a tissue and wiped away the swipe of black pencil from under her eye.
Hearing no response, Gwen said, “You okay in there?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine,” Diana replied, quickly repairing the damage. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
Growing tired of shouting their conversation, Gwen waited until she heard the bathroom door open, and when she saw the dress Diana was wearing, her jaw dropped open. “Wow!”
“You like?” Diana asked as she felt her cheeks heat.
