Childless: A Novel

by James Dobson

  Julia considered herself lucky. She had never had more work. One assignment after the next flowed to her independent writing business, most of them lucrative feature stories for a variety of online journals.

  Maria was feeling the pinch more than her sister. But at least she had work. Only five employees at her salon remained full-time. A dozen others had had to leave without severance or accept a downgrade to part-time status.

  “Dark zones,” Julia whispered.

  Maria strained to hear. “What’s that?”

  “Oh, something Troy mentioned the other day. He said we have so many dark zones in this economy that it makes the bright spots stand out more.”

  “Bright spots? Remind me.”

  “Kevin’s proposal for stimulating the economy. Find pockets of growth to copy their patterns. You know, bright needles in an otherwise dismal haystack.”

  “Oh yeah. I thought that proposal got killed.”

  “Not killed. Just ignored. Senator Franklin’s austerity committee set it aside when the crisis hit. But Troy and Kevin seem to think there may be a window to resurrect the idea, especially since Franklin needs something positive to offset his slash-and-burn reputation. People won’t support a presidential candidate whose chief accomplishment has been further pummeling a battered economy with one draconian cut after the next.”

  Maria appeared uninterested in matters so far removed from her own world.

  “Anyway,” Julia added quickly, “Troy suggested I should write stories on both.”

  “Both what?”

  “Both dark zones and bright spots. You know, sections of the country in decline contrasted with those on the rise.”

  “Are any on the rise?”

  “Troy says there are,” Julia explained. “He thinks I should publish a series of features that would show how current policies touch everyday life. But I can’t imagine who would pay me for the stories, and my plate is pretty full right now with the column and paid assignments like the series I owe Bing Media.”

  Julia shifted her concentration while easing the car onto the interstate, allowing Maria to steer the conversation to more pressing matters.

  “I got an interesting message this week.”

  Julia recognized the lilt in her sister’s voice. “Did you?”

  “A guy. He seems interesting. Kind of mysterious.”

  “How’d you meet?”

  “The usual.”

  “Not another one of your secret admirers! I thought you swore off—”

  “I said I was taking a break, not that I’d sworn off exploring possibilities.”

  Julia stared straight ahead while motioning for Maria to spill the juicy details.

  “He says we knew each other in high school.”

  “They all say that.”

  “Stop it.”

  “Sorry,” Julia said sincerely. “I just worry about you, Sis. There are a lot of nutcases out there. And the sane ones could be driven nuts by the images you post. You need to be careful.”

  “I will be careful,” Maria said glibly. “Besides, I haven’t agreed to anything yet. But I am thinking about meeting him.”

  “When? Where?”

  “Haven’t decided yet.”

  “Promise me it will be during daytime and that you’ll meet someplace besides your apartment or office. A public location in a different part of town.”

  “Of course.”

  “And bring a—”

  “Can I please finish telling you about him before you knit my straitjacket?”

  “Sorry,” Julia said. “I’m listening.”

  “He said we knew each other in high school and that he asked me out.”

  “Who didn’t?”

  “Julia!” Maria shot daggers in her sister’s direction.

  “OK, I’ll stop. But you do still hold the record for prom invitations at Littleton High.”

  Maria’s glower morphed into a self-congratulatory smile. “Anyway, he has business in Littleton and wants to connect while in town.”

  “What kind of business?”

  “Didn’t say. But any man who has managed to keep a business going in these times must have his act together, right?”

  Julia thought of her husband Troy. Difficult times had forced him out of Washington back to Denver to try salvaging his own business. He had been working day and night to keep things afloat.

  “I guess he gets points for that,” she said. “Would I have known him?”

  “I think he signed the note with an online handle rather than his actual name. I checked the class annual. It wasn’t in there. The closest I found were Mansfield and Manchester.”

  “Hip Manchester?” Julia asked with a laugh. “I remember him. What a goof!”

  “I think that was our exit.” Maria pointed to a passing Colfax Avenue sign.

  “I’m taking Speer,” Julia said. “It’s a bit early for lunch so I thought we could stop by Troy’s office to say hi. He could use the interruption. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all. As long as you promise he won’t call me Lady Maria. It makes me feel old.”

  “I told you. I outlawed the chivalrous lingo.”

  “Good.”

  They took the next exit onto Speer Boulevard, five minutes away from Troy’s office, where Julia intended to grace her gallant gentleman with a much-needed kiss.

  Chapter Eight

  “Floor?” asked a thirtysomething gentleman, appreciating Maria’s skirt and heels. His tailored suit and silk tie made the perfect package for a visible confidence.

  “Ten, please,” Julia replied.

  “Me too,” he said, tossing a wink toward the younger sister.

  “Are you here to see Troy?” Julia asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. Troy Simmons of TS Enterprises. You?”

  “I’m Julia, Troy’s wife.” It felt good to say it when standing beside Maria. Her kid sister still turned heads like few other women. But Julia had managed something even less common, a committed relationship.

  “Nice meeting you.” A slight nod in Julia’s direction finally acknowledged her presence. “Robert Wilkie.”

  “Hi, Robert. This is my sister.”

  Maria offered her hand to formalize the handoff from married to available woman. “Maria Davidson. A pleasure.”

  Julia marveled once again at the subtle movements and voice inflections that made her sister irresistible to the opposite sex. In less time than it took an elevator to climb ten floors she had turned a complete stranger into a promising romantic prospect.

  “What time is your meeting?” Julia asked as the doors slid apart.

  The man glanced at his watch. “Eleven thirty. I’m a bit early.”

  Maria’s eyes met Julia’s. Both seemed to imagine the same scheme.

  “Listen,” Julia began. “I need to pop into my husband’s office for a quick conversation. Do you mind keeping my sister company in the lobby for a few minutes? I won’t be long.”

  Robert smiled at Maria, releasing Julia to approach a vacant assistant’s desk in front of her husband’s closed office door. She paused before entering at the sound of muffled conversation within. After a few moments she discerned a solitary, agitated voice.

  “I understand you took a big hit last month, Marcos,” Troy was saying. “Times are tough for all of us. But we moved forward in good faith assuming you would deliver your part of the funding.”

  Julia turned the handle to peer inside. She found Troy’s eyes. He eagerly motioned her to enter but seemed a bit embarrassed by her sudden presence, as if she had stumbled upon a messy room in his otherwise tidy life.

  He moved toward Julia to position himself for the expected embrace. Both waited impatiently while Troy listened to a voice apparently making more excuses or offering inadequate apologies.

  “Listen, Marcos.” He broke the silence. “All I need you to do is buy us both a few more days. I’m meeting Wilkie from Peak Capital for lunch in five minutes. I can’t ask him to invest in a de
al you plan to abandon or the conversation will end before we order appetizers. It’ll be better for both of us if you hit the pause button until I can raise more cash. Two days.”

  Troy resumed listening while Julia reached for his left hand to pull it down from his forehead and place it around her waist. Then she removed the chewed-up pencil from his right hand to place it on the desk before forcing clenched fingers open onto her other hip. His frame seemed to welcome the soft distraction from beleaguered tension.

  Julia didn’t like or recognize the look in her husband’s eyes. Troy’s habitual confidence appeared shaken. Whatever deal he had made seemed very important. It also seemed to be unraveling.

  “Fine,” he said curtly. “I’ll talk to you after three.”

  Troy took a deep breath after ending the call. Julia rose on tiptoe to offer her lips. He accepted them less enthusiastically than she had expected.

  “Let’s try that again,” she ordered. “Only this time imagine I’m your wife rather than your sister.”

  He released a reluctant smile before accepting the invitation.

  “Much better,” she responded afterward. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  She knew he did even as his head shook from side to side.

  “No, thanks. I’m good. Especially now. This is a pleasant surprise.”

  She slid his hands upward until they cupped her face as if to frame a message she wanted him to hear.

  “Troy Simmons,” she began. “It’s me, Julia, your wife. Talk to me.”

  He appeared reluctant, as if ashamed at her discovery of a chink in his masculine armor.

  “A big deal?”

  “One of the biggest,” he explained. “I’ve called in every favor on this one. I’ve also met with most venture capitalists this side of the Rocky Mountains. They all like the concept but seem skittish. Everybody’s nervous about another dip.”

  “I’m sure you’ll make it work,” she said reassuringly.

  He fixed intently on her eyes while gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. “Don’t worry your pretty head, my lady. Everything will be fine.”

  He gave her another quick peck on the lips that told her he didn’t buy his own propaganda.

  Julia let a momentary silence linger between them. Then she hesitantly asked a question he wouldn’t like. “Have you talked to Kevin about it?”

  She braced for impact. Troy took pride in his ability to navigate complex situations and in protecting his longtime partner. Kevin Tolbert had too much to worry about already, he insisted. That’s why Troy had volunteered to move back to Denver in the first place. He missed the excitement of Washington DC and the influence of serving as Kevin’s chief of staff. But somebody had to shore up what remained of their business holdings.

  “No need,” he lied. “Besides, I can update him in person tomorrow.”

  She decided to retreat.

  “Are we still meeting at the Beltway Bistro?” He seemed eager to turn a corner. “I could use a good power-broker steak.”

  “Afraid not,” she explained. “I got a message from Angie saying the baby is sick and asking if we mind coming to the house instead.”

  “Leah’s sick?” he asked with concern.

  “Not Leah…Ricky. Nothing serious, just a cough. Angie doesn’t want to take any chances. I said we’d come over after we settle in at the hotel.”

  “How old is Ricky now?”

  “Let’s see. He was born about six weeks after our wedding.” Julia began tapping fingers while running a mental tabulation. “Almost five months old.”

  Troy moved back toward the desk, his mind clearly someplace else. Capitol Hill, Julia assumed. She knew that Troy loved his visits to Washington DC, where he breathed the air of an influence he’d held before the economic crisis forced him to reassume the reins of TS Enterprises. The company he and Kevin had birthed and grown together had been hit hard during the prior twelve months. They had majority interests in seven distinct small businesses. Two had since gone under. A third was starting to sink. The money that had enabled Kevin to run for Congress and that allowed Troy to serve as his friend’s loyal general was drying up. Now, rather than help steer the ship of state, Troy Simmons seemed to spend his days bailing water from leaky budgets.

  “Earth to Troy,” Julia teased.

  “Sorry, babe,” he replied. “Five months old. Wow.”

  She drew closer. “Are you sure you’re OK? You seem worried.”

  “Just tired.”

  “Do you want to skip tonight’s session? We fly out pretty early in the morning.”

  “Not a chance.”

  Troy definitely liked their Exploring Christianity class more than Julia. The weekly ritual took place in Reverend Ware’s living room, where a half dozen lapsing pagans tried to understand the fine print before buying faith. Troy had insisted they attend together. Julia had reluctantly agreed, unsure whether she was ready to dive deeper into the religion she had recently come to admire from a safe distance. Christ appeared far less demanding from the sixteenth row on Sunday mornings than he did when she read his specific words. She wouldn’t have minded skipping now and then, but Troy refused to miss a single session.

  “I’m fine, babe, really.” He reached for a blue blazer hanging on the arm of the desk chair. “I’m expecting a lunch appointment to arrive any—”

  “Robert Wilkie,” Julia interrupted. “He’s in the lobby with Maria.”

  “You’re kidding. He knows Maria?”

  “No. Well, he does now. We met him in the elevator. He seemed smitten.”

  “Good.” He chuckled. “I need every angle I can get with him. Maybe he’ll make a deal if I offer to set him up with my sister-in-law.”

  “I think she’s probably beating you to that punch right now.”

  They shared a laugh.

  “Eating at Panzano?” Troy asked.

  “Vesta.”

  “My next guess.”

  Troy retrieved his tablet from the desk and placed it in his jacket pocket. “Did you finish your column?”

  “Nearly,” Julia said, tightening her husband’s tie. “It needs a few tweaks. I’ll get it done after lunch. I might even have time to outline the Bing Media story they requested about—”

  Julia cut herself off when a hint of tension returned to her husband’s torso. While Troy had often said how proud he was of her journalistic resurgence, she feared it also spawned other feelings. Her rising notoriety highlighted his descent into obscurity. He had done the right thing by voluntarily leaving the circle of power to mind the shop. But such things could emasculate even the strongest male ego. Even though Troy hid it well, Julia felt his struggle.

  “Oh, never mind about that. You have far more important things to think about right now. What do you say we go rescue your lunch partner from mine.”

  They left the office hand in hand. Julia noticed the still-vacant assistant’s desk.

  “Where’s Maggie?”

  “She left the third week of July.”

  “You haven’t had an assistant for over a month?”

  “Nope.”

  “No wonder you’re feeling stressed. Any prospects?”

  “I haven’t really tried to find one,” he admitted. “Can’t afford the salary just now. I’m doing all right.”

  He placed his hand on her lower back to usher Julia away from another uncomfortable conversation. She refused to take the hint, pausing to glance at the adjoining office.

  “Wait a minute,” she said. “Wasn’t that Steve Reynolds’s office, your controller? Is he gone too?”

  A sheepish nod. “Since late June.”

  “Then who’s been managing the books?”

  Troy bowed his head while raising his right hand like a schoolboy caught cheating in class.

  “So you’re doing Steve’s job on top of everything else, and all without an assistant?”

  “Look, Julia—”

  “Why haven’t you told me about this?” she i
nterrupted. “No wonder you’ve been working such long hours and feeling so stressed!”

  “I didn’t want to burden you with—”

  “Burden me? What about you?”

  “I can handle it, babe. It’s only temporary. You’ll see.”

  She crossed her arms like a girl threatening to hold her breath.

  “Please,” he said. “I might be just one lunch meeting away from the solution. Let’s talk about it later, OK?”

  Julia forced herself to soften, unwilling to further upset Troy before an important meeting. “OK. But I want us to talk about it tonight.”

  “Deal.”

  As they rounded the corner Julia saw an all-too-familiar sight. Her sister sat cozily close to a man she had met minutes earlier, who was now enthralled with chatter about nothing in particular. Julia smiled at the couple, then halted her advance and faced her husband to cut a different deal.

  “No, I don’t want to talk about it tonight,” she whispered. “I want you to tell Kevin what’s going on when we see the Tolberts tomorrow. You shouldn’t have to carry this by yourself. I don’t care how busy he is, Kevin is still your partner.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll discuss everything with him tomorrow.”

  “Promise me,” she insisted.

  “I promise,” he said in a hushed voice. “Now can we go? I really need the time with Robert if I’m going to make this deal work.”

  Satisfied, Julia squeezed her husband’s hand. Then she turned toward the lobby to greet the potential investor with the most charming voice she could muster.

  Chapter Nine

  “We’re gonna miss you,” Sarah said while Matthew placed a chair on top of the table she had just finished cleaning.

  “Thanks,” he replied, forcing an upbeat grin. “Back at’cha.”

  The thud of the last wooden stool settling onto the flat surface created a disquieting sensation in Matthew. He had volunteered to stay and help Sarah close up shop, buying him a few extra minutes in a job he had never really liked but that had given him a place for nearly ten years.