by Jo Goodman
The dealers closed early on Sunday so after the doors shut behind them at the Ford showroom, Mitch decided they should retire to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner and discuss their favorites. The kids were willing to negotiate every aspect of the car purchase except one: they wanted a black car with smoked windows.
“We’ll look like drug dealers,” Mitch protested.
“Nuh-uh,” Emilie said. “Movie stars.”
“James Bond,” Case said.
Grant got to the point. “We can make faces and no one can see us.”
Thea bent her head, ignoring Mitch’s plea for help, and began constructing her fajita. She smiled to herself while Mitch argued a little longer, but she could tell he was doing it for show. He wanted the kids to think they had won a big point when the truth was he was so happy they didn’t want a yellow car that he could scarcely contain himself.
The kids did justice to their dinner, though Case drank too many Cokes and had to make an extra restroom run. They all passed on fried ice cream, sitting back in their chairs and examining their slightly distended bellies instead. Over their heads, Mitch and Thea exchanged amused glances, and without a word passing between them, mimicked their behavior.
We’re just like a real family. The errant thought brought Thea upright and back to reality. She felt Mitch’s eyes on her, watching her, almost as if he were privy to what she was thinking. Her stomach turned over and for a moment she thought she might be sick.
“Excuse me,” she said, rising from the table. Without a word, she hurried to the restroom where she could look in the mirror and confront herself with the truth that she didn’t belong.
Chapter 7
Mitch called Thea late in the week and asked to meet her for lunch on Friday when he would be in town. He could sense her hesitation, that almost infinitesimal pause as she searched for a plausible excuse. Before she came up with one, he dangled the hook: “I’ve decided on a vehicle,” he said. Then he baited it. “I could use your help.”
She bit and he felt guilty for about a nanosecond. He still didn’t know what had gone wrong last Sunday, but he could almost pinpoint the moment when things tanked. He hadn’t missed the look of panic in her eyes as she jumped up from the table at the restaurant and disappeared into the restroom. The kids hadn’t thought there was anything odd about it, putting down the quick escape to a potty emergency. They were used to Grant waiting until the absolute last minute to announce he needed to go NOW, but Mitch doubted that Thea’s hasty retreat was prompted by anything so simple as a call of nature.
When she returned to them, he sensed the change. She participated in their conversation, even seemed to enjoy herself, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was forcing herself in some way. She shied away from meeting his eyes, but when he caught her unexpectedly, the look he saw in hers was no longer panicked, but wounded and determined, the look of someone toughing it out. He did not have an opportunity to glimpse it again. Thea made sure of it.
He asked her to choose the restaurant and she picked a grill not far from her work. They purposely chose a late lunch in order to avoid the crowds and have a measure of privacy. Thea ordered a salad with oil and vinegar dressing; Mitch had a burger with everything. They merely shook their heads at what passed for each other’s idea of a good lunch.
With the pleasantries and orders behind them, Thea pressed the purpose of their meeting. “So what kind of car are you getting?”
“Black with smoked windows.”
She didn’t smile. The line of her mouth even thinned a little. “That’s a given.”
Mitch realized he was in serious trouble. Thea wasn’t simply tense; she had her shields up. “The Ford.”
Thea nodded. “The SUV.”
“Yeah. It fit us, the price is the going rate for one of those, it meets the kids’ requirements, and it’s not a minivan.”
“How can I help?”
“They don’t have the exact car that I want on the lot so it has to be driven in. I think they found one in Cleveland with a manual transmission. Apparently manual’s a big deal. Not many people want one.” He shook his head, mystified that people didn’t want to really drive their car. “The first chance I’ll have to pick it up is next Saturday, but I need a ride to the dealer. Mum and Dad are taking the kids that weekend—it’s been planned for a while now—and Amy and her husband aren’t available. I tried a couple of—”
“I get the idea that I was way down on the list.”
“No,” he said quickly. “Not exactly. I mean, you were, but that’s because I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Right. You didn’t want to bother me, but we’re having lunch together because you couldn’t possibly have asked me this on the phone. I think you better tell me what’s really going on, Mitchell.”
Mitchell? Oh, boy. “Have you been talking to my mother?”
Thea gave him an arch look. “No. But it’s tempting.”
He surrendered, holding up both hands, palms out. “I wanted to see you again. That’s all.”
His honesty almost disarmed her. Thea said levelly, “You might have simply said that.”
“Then you and I wouldn’t be having lunch now.” He lowered his hands. “You would have said no and I would be licking my wounds for a fifth time.”
“This isn’t a date.”
He ignored that. “Anyway, I really do need a ride to the dealer.”
“Mitch, you could have the dealer drive the car to your house. They’ll do that for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
Mitch leaned back in his chair and studied her, his head cocked to the side. “So,” he said finally, “I can’t get a ride from you?”
“I’ll call the dealer for you and have them deliver the car.”
He shook his head. “Don’t bother.”
“It’s no bother. Driving out to your house and then backtracking to the dealer is a bother.”
“You have something planned for that Saturday?”
“That’s not the point. The fact is, I don’t. Joel’s off somewhere that week and I’m on my own.”
“Then why won’t you come out and spend it with me?”
Thea simply stared at him. He appeared perfectly serious. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said quietly. To punctuate her point, she raised her left hand.
Mitch’s eyes did not stray once to her engagement ring but remained steady on hers. “You kissed me back.”
Thea blinked first. “That’s not fair.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s fair. It’s a fact. Am I supposed to pretend it didn’t happen?”
“Can’t you?”
“Are you serious? Thea, why should I? There’s always been something between us. I’ve never understood why you won’t own up to it.”
“But I have: every time you asked me out and I said no.” Not wanting to be defensive, but hating that he thought she hadn’t been honest in her own fashion, Thea let the words lie there.
Mitch’s mouth pulled to one side as he mulled over her response. “That’s why you won’t go out with me? Because there is something there? What the hell kind of logic is that?”
“It’s Thea-logical.”
He couldn’t help himself; he laughed. “God, I walked into that one.” He shook his head in appreciation. “All right, so you’ve admitted to something in a backhanded kind of way. Where does that leave us?”
Before she could answer, the waiter approached with their orders. Thea thought her appetite had fled, but when the salad was placed in front of her, she realized the effect of Mitch’s company was exactly the opposite. She was starving. It was difficult not to look longingly at his burger and fries.
“Live dangerously,” he said, pushing his plate toward her. “Have a fry.”
So much for not giving herself away. Thea chose the plumpest, greasiest fry in the pile and bit into it. Her mouth rejoiced. It was all she could do not to close her eyes.
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Watching her, Mitch found himself grinning. The only thing that would have made the moment better was if he had fed her the French fry himself. “More?” he asked when she’d finished.
She shook her head. “That took the edge off. Thanks.” Thea splashed oil and vinegar on her salad. “Have you thought about letting me help you financially?”
Mitch had his sandwich halfway to his mouth. “You really want to ruin this burger for me, don’t you?”
Thea waved at him to eat up and speared lettuce and a medallion of cucumber with her fork. “What if I pay the first half of your car loan?”
“What makes you so sure I got a loan?”
“Didn’t you?”
“Yeah, five years, but you could at least pretend I paid cash.”
She waggled her fork at him. “Now who’s not facing reality?” Thea got away with her pointed question because Mitch’s mouth was full of burger. “What if I pay the first two and a half years? Before you protest, consider that it’s not even half of your real cost. You still have insurance and maintenance. Did you put anything down?”
Mitch removed one hand from his sandwich to make a circle with his thumb and forefinger. Big goose egg.
“Okay, so you’re financing the whole thing. All the more reason I should help out.”
Mitch swallowed, put his sandwich back on his plate, and took a drink. “Come out next weekend.”
“Or what? You won’t take my money?”
“Something like that.”
Conscious of other diners, Thea leaned forward, her voice soft and insistent. “Where the hell is the logic in that?”
He considered the question. “Nope,” he said, shrugging. “I don’t have a snappy answer.”
“Be serious.”
“I am.”
Exasperated, Thea watched Mitch pick up his burger, take another bite, and chew with evident enjoyment. “The children aren’t even going to be there.”
“So? Didn’t you and I have a conversation about getting to know each other? I happen to think it’s important we do some of that away from the kids. Honestly, Thea, if I thought I could have just laid this out over the phone, I would have.” Yeah, right. “But I figured you were going to take some convincing and it needed to be done in person. What can it hurt to spend some time together?”
Her eyes narrowed briefly, gauging his sincerity. “Then I won’t have to fend off any smarmy seduction thing.”
“I resent the characterization of my seduction as a thing.”
“You’re making me crazy,” she whispered. “You know that?”
“You want to laugh. You know you do.”
“Hah! I want to choke you.”
“Who are you kidding? You’re afraid to get that close to me.”
Thea’s mouth snapped shut.
Mitch’s smile was smug.
They finished their lunch in silence.
She didn’t call him at any time during the next week but Mitch didn’t doubt that she would show up on Saturday. That’s what he told himself. The reason he kept getting up from his drafting board and going to the front window was because he needed to stretch his legs and give the muse a little workout. It was a bald lie, of course, but he had no problem with that.
By the time she arrived, Mitch had finished inking, scanning, and sending his work to his editor. The cartoon skewered a congressional committee’s prurient cross-examination of porn industry entrepreneurs. It had an ironic ick factor, and he thought it was probably good enough to get him some love-it/hate-it mail in the next few days. He considered blog-ging about it, but elected to keep a vigil by the window. When he saw Thea’s car, he rolled off the couch and stepped back so she couldn’t possibly suspect he had been looking for her. If someone was going to have the upper hand, he’d rather it was him.
He walked into the kitchen to get himself something to drink. It was all part of his plan to appear casual, not overconfident. He’d go to the door twenty or so seconds after she rang the bell, Pepsi in hand, and affect ... what? Warmth? Mild surprise? Enthusiasm? He decided on mild surprise as the least threatening response. Pretty darn good plan.
There was a last-minute change of Pepsi to Dr. Pepper, but Mitch was flexible on these details. He popped the top, wiggled the tab free, and threw it into a plastic container on the countertop with the rest of the twins’ collection. The elementary school was collecting them to help kids visualize the enormity of a million, and Mitch promised the boys he’d do his part, though he wished the school had decided to collect beer caps.
Okay, where was she? The doorbell should have rung by now. Switching soft drinks was one thing, but she was playing hell with his timing. Mild surprise could easily evolve into mild annoyance.
Mitch watched the clock on the microwave advance another minute before he sidled into the living room. He could see her car through the sheer curtains, but he couldn’t make out whether or not she was still in it without parting them. He caved to curiosity and knelt on the sofa, inching the curtains open with his free hand.
She was talking on her cell.
Rolling his eyes, Mitch let the curtains fall in place. He turned around and dropped into a half-reclining position on the sofa, resting his head on the curved back and stretching his long legs out in front of him. He held the cold can between his palms at the level of his belt buckle and wondered how long he might have to wait her out. The question of the identity of the person on the other end of that call occupied Mitch’s thoughts for a while.
The likelihood that it was Joel Strahern did not bode well for the smarmy seduction thing he’d been contemplating.
Thea pressed the phone closer to her ear. “What if this is a mistake, Rosie?”
“What if it is?” came the practical reply. “How you gonna know if you don’t give it a shot? Anyway, isn’t this a little late to be asking the question?”
“I’ve been asking it the whole way here,” Thea said. “I just couldn’t reach you until now.”
“Robby was on the phone, and he never answers call waiting. That’s another reason I’m going to divorce his ass one of these days. But back to you. Since this is the first I’ve heard about this trip and we’ve been on the phone about three times already this week, I’m thinking you don’t really want to be talked out of it.”
“Then why I am calling you?”
“You want my blessing.”
“You think so?”
“Honey, I’ve been there. You’re setting me up to take the fall if this doesn’t work out.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“Sure you would. But you’d be real nice about it. I’m giving you a gift here. You decide. You live with your decision. You live with the consequences. And no matter what happens, you don’t beat yourself up or reach for the pills. It’s just life happening to you, honey. Nothing more.”
Thea took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Just life. She would rely on herself, not emotional painkillers. She would. “Mitch is going to be wondering what’s keeping me,” she said, glancing toward the house. At least he wasn’t staring at her from the living room window.
“Let him wait. It won’t kill him. And if it does, he’ll die happy.”
“Is that what Robby tells you?”
“No, that’s what I tell him.”
Thea laughed and the timbre of it was only a little shaky.
“See? You’re sounding better already. What did Joel say when you told him about going up to Mitch’s today?”
“What makes you think I told Joel?”
“Because as much as you don’t mind foolin’ yourself, it pains you to deliberately fool other people. So what did he say?”
“He said I should do what I need to do.” There was a pause, and Thea could imagine Rosie was screwing up her face in disbelief. Her next words verified it.
“He really said that?”
“He really did.”
“Then there’s something’s wrong with him, honey.”
“He’s trying to be supportive by giving me time.”
“Time to step out on him? Supportive of you with the other guy? I don’t think so. That man’s whole life has been mergers and acquisitions.”
“What are you saying?”
“Me? I’m not saying anything. You still wearin’ that rock?”
Thea looked down at her left hand lying over the center of the steering wheel. “I took it off Tuesday after I talked to him.”
“Then I guess you know what I’m not saying.”
Perhaps she did, Thea thought. Joel hadn’t put up much of a fight when she told him about Mitch’s request. Thea hadn’t really wanted to think about that. Rosie was right about her being willing to fool herself. “I didn’t leave it at home. It’s in my purse. I could still put it on.”
Rosie snorted. “Sha-zaam!”
Silence followed. “I get your point,” Thea said finally, quietly. “The ring doesn’t have any magical properties to protect me.” Or at least it didn’t anymore. If she put it back on now she would know how self-serving it was, even if Mitch didn’t. She couldn’t do that. It wasn’t just that it was dishonest to Mitch, but that it meant using Joel so dishonestly. “Maybe I should put it in the glove compartment.”
“Leave it where it is. You can’t find anything in that purse of yours anyway.”
Thea smiled. “I’m hanging up, Rosie.”
“Have fun!”
Trust Rosie to get in the last word before she ended the call. Have fun. Easy for her to say. Thea turned off her phone and dropped it into her purse. She looked over at the house and tried to remember if she had ever known how to have fun. The fact that nothing specific came to her mind wasn’t at all encouraging.
