Cross Roads

by Fern Michaels

  “Join the club, my friend.” Myra reached across the table to take Annie’s hands in her own. “I’m in the same place you are. I am bored out of my mind. When Charles isn’t around, I cry. I miss the girls, I miss the mountain. I miss all of our missions. My God, Annie, what happened to us?”

  “We got old. We can’t accept change. No one needs us. At least you had the good sense to get a dog. You have to take care of a dog. The dog depends on you. I don’t even have a dog.”

  “But…we have Charles and Fish, so in a way that doesn’t compute,” Myra said.

  “Myra, they don’t need us. They can function on their own. We’re talking about causes and missions where we used to make a difference. No matter what you say, we got off on taking matters into our own hands and making things right. I wish to hell those damn pardons had never come through. There, I said it!” Annie cried.

  “Oh, Annie, I just said the same thing yesterday to Charles. He said he understood, but he doesn’t. He’s a man. So now what?”

  “I checked in at the Post. I’m going to take a stab at screwing that up. You want to help me? You can bring the dogs along. We’ll each have an office, and we can text back and forth. We can take turns walking the dogs and writing editorials that will set Washington on its ear! The best part is, no one can fire us.”

  Myra started to laugh and couldn’t stop. Finally, gasping for breath, she said, “Let’s go for a walk and work off this liquor.”

  Annie grabbed the bottle of bourbon and headed for the door. The two old friends walked aimlessly around the farm, stopping from time to time to sip from the bottle.

  Charles, a frown building between his brows, watched the women as they walked toward the barn. He felt an itch settle itself between his shoulder blades. Then he shivered.

  With the sun beating down on their heads and necks, Myra and Annie headed straight for the barn, where they walked the entire length of it, stroking the horses and speaking softly to them as they walked along. The barn cats clustered around their legs, purring loudly. Myra led the way to where Charles had left two bales of hay near the door. The women settled themselves.

  “So, Annie dear, what part of your dissertation was true and which part was false?”

  Annie laughed, but to Myra’s ears it sounded forced. “Sad to say, Myra, it’s all true.”

  “Fish?”

  “Fish is…I don’t know, something is off-key there. I care for him a great deal. No, let’s just say I more or less like him. He would like to get married, but I am not ready for marriage. I doubt I’ll ever be ready. I don’t know…I think…the second time around someone always gets cheated. I loved my husband heart and soul. I meant it when I said to death do us part. I know he meant it, too. I think he would be okay with Fish. I say think. I’m not sure if I know he would be okay. That…ah…one episode, I’m not sure if I regret it or it was just not for me, no one else. I was trying to prove something to myself. Whatever it was, it didn’t work. I’m still not sure about that tattoo episode, either. It’s all negative, Myra. That’s my life, a sack-ful of negatives. Except for Fish; he’s a negative with a little plus sign. I have to be honest, I think he’s getting fed up with me, and I know I’m getting fed up with him. I wasn’t like this on the mountain. On the mountain, my adrenaline pumped daily. I looked forward to getting up in the morning and never wanted to go to bed at night. I counted for something up there. We all did. It’s gone now, and, goddamn it, Myra, I want it back. Do you hear me, I want it back. And another thing. If you think that dog back at the house, and her pups, is your answer, then you are crazier than I am. We aren’t crazy, are we, Myra?” she asked fretfully.

  Myra burst into tears. Annie followed suit.

  “You never called, Annie. Maybe once a month.”

  “Because I would have started to blubber the minute I heard your voice. You didn’t call, either. Why?”

  “For the same reason. We have to get a life, Annie. It’s been a whole year and a half. Look at us. We haven’t moved forward one step. We’ve regressed. Even I know that is totally unacceptable. Do you see Lizzie much when she’s in Vegas?”

  “No. She invited me to dinner one night, and I went. The baby was about two months old. She let me hold him. All I did was cry, so I left and never went back. He is a gorgeous little boy, Myra. How many times did you see him when she was here?”

  “Twice. But he was asleep the second time. Lizzie and Cosmo have their own lives now. That’s the way it should be. I didn’t want to intrude. I didn’t go to the christening or the shower at the White House. I thought…well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. I hope Lizzie understands.”

  “Do the girls call you, Myra?”

  “About like you did, Annie. Do you think they’re happy?”

  Annie upended the bottle of bourbon, took a slug, and passed it on to Myra, who drank deeply. “I would think so. They have their lives, and they scattered to the four winds. I can’t believe they forgot about us so quickly. It hurts so damn bad, Annie, I want to cry.”

  “You are crying, Myra. Are we saying our girls are ungrateful little shits?”

  Myra pondered the question. “Yes, Annie, I think so. I tried to be fair in my heart. They have husbands and lovers who travel the globe with the girls at their sides. At this point, I am not even sure who is married and who isn’t other than Nikki and Yoko. Then there is the time difference in different parts of the globe. The worst part was when none of them came for Christmas. You didn’t come either, Annie. You all broke my heart that day. Charles and I worked so hard to make it all festive. We decorated and shopped and cooked till we were worn out, and the only guest on Christmas day was Elias. Nellie was recovering, so she couldn’t come. It was one of the worst days of my life.”

  Annie sniffed and blew her nose. Then she sniffed again. “Did you know Yoko has had two miscarriages? I think it’s a rotten shame no one saw fit to tell us.”

  “No, I didn’t know. How did you find out? That’s awful. Harry and Yoko would make wonderful parents. Where are they? Do you know?”

  “Maggie told me last night when I stopped at the paper. They were in Israel. It’s that Jellicoe thing. Harry goes to train the troops or whatever. Maggie said she thinks they’re back at the dojo, but she isn’t sure. Said no one answers the phone. She thinks they came back because Yoko was so depressed about the miscarriages, and if she got pregnant again, she wanted it to be here in the States. Because Yoko said she wanted to have her baby in Washington. That’s all I know.”

  “That has to mean they’re all in touch with Maggie but not us. What does that tell you, Annie? I don’t believe this!” Myra burst into tears again. This time she reached for the bottle and took a healthy gulp. Her throat burning, tears flowing down her cheeks, she said, “Yoko needs a mother figure in her life right now if all that is true. I think we both qualify for that role, Annie. This is unforgivable.”

  “You’re right, it is unforgivable.”

  The bottle changed hands again. “Where do you think Maggie stands, Annie?”

  “I don’t have a clue. She seemed really happy to see me last night. And she didn’t get upset when I told her I was going to work at the paper. What could she say? I own the damn place. She’s been calling regularly to check in. She said she did her best to help you when all your friends shut you out. But something was off-key. I had the feeling something is wrong somewhere, and she’s trying to deal with it.”

  “She did try to help. She really went out on a limb when she published what she called her personal scoop on all those charities. I adore Maggie.”

  “Maggie feels as lost as you and I, and she doesn’t know what to do about it. We both cried a bit. Myra, do you think it’s even remotely possible that the girls were waiting for us to get in touch with them? Like they were taking their cues from us? We did moan and groan about those pardons and what we were going to do with our lives. Is it possible, Myra?”

  Myra upended the bottle and gulped. “Anythin
g is possible, I suppose. What do you think, Annie?”

  “I would like to believe it. If it’s true that Harry and Yoko are back at the dojo, all we have to do is pop in and see what’s going on.”

  “I’m seeing two of you, Annie.”

  Annie laughed. “Ha! I can’t even see one of you!”

  The cats circling the bales of hay purred as they did their best to rub up against the women’s legs.

  “The bottle’s empty,” Annie said.

  “So it is. When was the last time you slept in a barn, Annie?”

  “When I was ten years old. I loved it. It made me feel so grown up at the time.”

  “We’re all grown up now, Annie. And we’re old in the bargain.”

  “Stop raining on our parade, Myra.”

  “How long are you staying, Annie?”

  “Until I get tired of causing trouble.”

  “That long, huh?”

  “Maybe longer.”

  Myra laughed as she teetered toward an empty stall, Annie and a string of cats behind her.

  Chapter 3

  The sun was just creeping over the horizon when Myra opened her eyes to see her farm foreman staring down at her. Her mouth felt as if she had just swallowed a pint of glue. She struggled to sit up. “Good morning, Mr. Jackson.”

  “Miss Myra, is everything all right?”

  “I don’t know yet, Mr. Jackson, I just woke up.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw the empty bourbon bottle and Annie sleeping peacefully. The barn cats appeared and eyed the three of them warily. A second later, with the help of her foreman, Myra was on her feet.

  “Wake up, Annie. It’s a whole new day, and I do think we have things to do. Annieee!!!!”

  “What? What? Is the barn on fire! Stop screaming, Myra! What things do we have to do?”

  Myra was busy picking straw out of her hair and off her clothes as the weathered, cranky foreman reached down to pull Annie to her feet. “Take this with you,” he grumbled. “And don’t be littering up my barn,” he added, holding out the bourbon bottle.

  The warm summer morning greeted them with open arms as the two women made their way to the farmhouse. “I slept like a baby,” Annie said as she brushed at the straw covering her clothes.

  “A quart of bourbon will do that to you,” Myra snapped.

  “You drank half of it,” Annie snapped back. “Let’s not do that again for a long time.”

  “That’s what you said when we got those damn tattoos on our asses,” Myra said.

  “Myra, that was forever ago. Are you always cranky this early in the morning?”

  “When I sleep in a barn I am. How are we going to explain this to Charles?”

  Annie stopped in her tracks and almost stepped on one of the cats. “Do you have to explain your actions to Charles? Well! Who knew you were such a wuss, Myra Rutledge Martin Sutcliffe, or whatever the hell your married name is.”

  “And you think I’m cranky? Ha!”

  The screen door banged shut behind the two women. Little Lady was the first to greet them. She nuzzled Myra’s leg, then Annie’s, before she held up a paw in greeting.

  “She’s been out and fed, ladies. Good morning! Did you sleep well?” Charles asked cheerfully.

  “We did, dear, thank you for asking.” Myra plopped the empty bourbon bottle down on the counter, her eyes defying Charles to comment. He didn’t.

  “I’ll wait breakfast for you ladies while you shower. I thought we would have banana macadamia nut pancakes with melted butter and banana syrup, with a side order of Canadian bacon.”

  “That certainly sounds better than a bran muffin with decaf coffee,” Annie said. “I hate bran; it makes your stomach expand and growl, and you get gas.”

  “Thank you for sharing that, Annie.”

  “It’s a standard breakfast in Las Vegas. All I said was, I don’t care for it. I can’t wait, Charles.” And off she went to the staircase at the far end of the kitchen that led to the second floor.

  “Is there anything you’d like to share this morning, my love?”

  “No, Charles, there isn’t. I’ll be down in half an hour. It looks like it is going to be a nice day, doesn’t it? Annie and I are going to go into town to see Maggie. Do you mind?”

  Charles’s eyes twinkled. “And if I did?”

  “Too bad,” Myra called over her shoulder as she made her way to the staircase.

  The moment Myra was out of sight, Charles’s fist shot in the air. “Yessss.” This was the Myra he knew and loved. Thank God for Annie’s visit. It was just what Myra needed to jolt her out of her funk.

  Upstairs, the two women talked back and forth as they prepared for the new day.

  “Annie, I told Charles we were going to town to meet up with Maggie. Did I dream that, or did we really make plans to do that?”

  “I can’t remember, Myra. It does sound like a plan, though. This might be a good time to tell you I suspect Maggie has a secret. Well, maybe it isn’t a secret, but I had the feeling she was holding back on something. It might have to do with her and Ted, but then again, she might be onto something and just isn’t ready to share. By the way, she doesn’t chew her nails anymore, and she has those acrylic things. Her ring is beautiful, and the nails really show it off. She gets French manicures these days.”

  “That’s interesting,” Myra yelled as she stepped into the shower. When she got out ten minutes later, she said, “Let’s not mention your suspicions to Charles, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Dressed in summer linen and sandals and smelling like a flower garden, Annie and Myra descended the steps. Little Lady appeared out of nowhere, circled them, sniffed them, then woofed her approval before she trotted back to her babies.

  Charles whistled appreciatively as the two women seated themselves at the kitchen table, shook out their napkins, and waited to be served.

  Conversation consisted of the weather, with a possible pop-up storm later in the day; the condition of Charles’s vegetable garden, which was nowhere near as wonderful as the one Yoko had on the mountain; falling gas prices; and his decision to write his memoir that would never get published but was something to do during his off-hours.

  Breakfast over, Charles said, “Since you ladies are dressed so elegantly, I will do the cleanup today. If you’d like to sit out on the patio, I can bring your coffee to you.”

  “Then we’ll have full bladders on the ride to Washington. One must be cognizant of such things at our age, Charles. Thanks, but no thanks,” Annie said. Myra rolled her eyes, and Charles just grinned. Annie was so entertaining, even this early in the morning.

  Outside, Annie pointed to the flashy car she had arrived in. “What do you think, Myra, should I buy it?”

  “It certainly is sleek-looking. What is it?”

  “A Lamborghini. I only took it to piss off the salesman. I could see by the expression on his face that he thought a set of wheels like that would be wasted on an old woman like me. And to add insult to injury, I don’t think he thought I could pay for it. I even had to have my bank call the dealership and tell them I could afford it. Myra, when that weasel came back, he had such respect for me, or should I say for my money, that I wanted to punch him in the nose. I think I’ll take it back and tell him it doesn’t measure up to my demanding standards. I do love it, though.”

  The gates opened, and Annie floored the gas pedal. Myra was jolted backward. “This baby goes from zero to sixty in a second. Whatcha think, Myra?”

  Holding on for dear life, Myra said, “I think you should get a Volvo station wagon. Slow down, Annie.”

  Annie obliged. “You are so negative, Myra. I’m thinking I was built for speed. This is speed!”

  “Yes, well, you thought you were a smoking-hot babe, too, and where did that get you?”

  “Now, that is one thing you are never going to know. Some things are just way too personal to share, and that’s one of them. I can tell you about it but not give details. Besides, you couldn�
��t handle the details.”

  Somehow, Myra managed to look offended. She sniffed. “Details, Annie, do not interest me.” Hoping to change the subject, she asked, “Do we have a game plan for today?”

  Easily diverted, Annie replied, “Not really. I thought we’d play it by ear. Maggie did say that in the summer, the paper pretty much runs itself. All the politicians head off for summer recess, the socialites head for spas around the country, and there is no news to speak of. I think we’re wide open. We could drive to Georgetown, check on Nikki’s house, drive out to where Cosmo and Lizzie live part-time and check that out. Go to lunch and try to pick Maggie’s brain. We could probably go to her house and just hang out. There is absolutely nothing to do in the District in the summer; you know that as well as I do.”

  “I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, Annie, but I have never been to the Post. I have no clue how a large newspaper works. If you plan on working at the paper, doing whatever it is you were thinking about, it might be a good idea to have some working knowledge of how the paper makes its way to the street.” At Annie’s grim look, she added, “I’m just saying. You’re the one who said you screwed up at Babylon. With that kind of track record, you should give this some thought.”

  Annie muttered something under her breath that Myra was glad she couldn’t hear.

  “How fast are you going, Annie? People are looking at us. Are you sure you didn’t steal this car?”

  “I am going seventy miles an hour when I should be doing ninety-five in this vehicle. Not that I would ever drive that fast, mind you. The reason people are staring at us is they are green with envy, because this set of wheels costs over two hundred grand.” She ignored Myra’s gasp of shock and said, “No, I did not steal this car. I’ve decided I don’t want it, and the price tag is outrageous. You’re right, I’m going to get a Volvo station wagon, which means people will still look at us and think we’re stupid for driving such a mundane vehicle.”

  Myra laughed. “I love you, Annie. Please, don’t ever change.”

  “I’ll try not to. Listen, Myra, on a serious note here. The universe is out of whack. I feel such bad vibes that I can’t even describe them. Something, somewhere is going on that involves us. I can’t explain it any better than that. You getting any vibes?”