Graduation day was here. Each walked across the stage under the proud eyes of their parents. Wyatt's parents were hosting a big party in his honor. Jane was of course attending, and Lacey was also invited. Jane had a feeling it was going to be a big night. Her mother had got it into her head that Wyatt would propose to her that night. She took extra care in getting ready for the party, wanting to look her best.
When they arrived, Jane went to find Wyatt but couldn't. His mother was no help either, saying that she didn't know where he was, which was unlikely. Giving up, she found Lacey and hung out with her until she saw him. Their house had one of those sweeping entry staircases with an expanse at the top of the stair. He was standing up there with his mother, in what appeared to be a tense conversation. Jane stayed where she was, not wanting to march into the middle of something.
Most of the party goers mingled, sipping champagne and enjoying trays of hors d'oeuvres that were being circulated, when Mr. Huntington gave a short speech. He thanked everyone for coming and praised his son on graduating, mentioning the school he would be going to in the fall. Once he was finished, Wyatt said a few words, mostly repeating what his father had just said. Towards the end of his speech, Jane held her breath hoping that her mother was right. She was not. Wyatt's speech came to an end, with no proposal.
Hopes dashed, she politely mingled until her paths finally crossed with Wyatt's. He asked her if he could speak to her privately, and all at once, she was sure he was going to ask her to marry him. They went into his father's first floor office, and he shut the door. His breath smelled of scotch, and he molded his hands to her. Not speaking, he turned her around and bent her over his father’s desk.
Unzipping his pants, he pushed her thong to the side and pumped into her. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing he had locked the door. The desk was hard and uncomfortable. She also did her best to not move any of the items that were on it. She had started taking the pill ages ago because Wyatt hated condoms. When he finished, he handed her a couple of tissues from a shelf in the room to clean up. He turned his back to her and straightened his suit. Then asking her to sit, he sat next to her and took her hands in his.
"Wow, I'm actually nervous," he began. Jane beamed, thinking this was it. "I just want you to know that it has been really great dating for this past year," he went on. “I just want you to know that I think you are a great girl.” He went on. She was thrilled, hoping that after he had proposed, they would announce the engagement to all the party guests. She imagined herself showing the ring to all the guests, Wyatt smiling broadly behind her. She would of course leave out the pre-proposal sex, wishing it might have been more romantic. Her hands in his, she sat waiting to hear those four wonderful words.
Chapter 12
Instead, he promptly broke up with her. She blinked and felt her mouth fall open, and she stared at him, unsure if she had heard him correctly. He went on to explain that she was his college girlfriend and that he didn't want to be tied down right now. He knew that they had discussed her moving out to Chicago to be with him, but he really didn't think that was fair to either of them. He thanked her for being a good girlfriend and wished her success in future relationships.
He modestly explained that he understood getting over him would probably take some time, but he believed that she would be okay. He then said that it was all he had wanted to say to her, and he hoped she enjoyed the rest of the evening. He stood, holding out his hand to help her up and then lead her to the door. Once there, he shook her hand and said he needed to get back to his guests. She leaned against the door frame to aid her knees, which she was not sure could hold her up at that moment.
She felt like she was on an airplane descending prior to landing. Her ears felt full of pressure and as though they needed to pop. The lights seemed brighter, like her eyes were adjusting as she was walking from a dark room into the afternoon sun. Her tongue felt suddenly bigger than her mouth, and she wanted to open her lips and pant. She sucked in air like gulps of water on a hot day, her chest rising and falling again and again.
Lacey saw her from across the room and rushed over. "I have to get out of here." It was all Jane could muster. Linking arms, they made their way to the door. Jane turned to wildly look for Wyatt before leaving. She found him, and their eyes met. Then he abruptly dropped her gaze and turned around. Lacey, seeing this, forcefully pulled Jane out the door. Jane would not say a word while they waited for the valet to bring Jane's car around.
Sensing Jane was clearly in no shape to drive, Lacey took the keys from her, motioning her towards the passenger seat. "What happened?" she asked once they were on the way. "He broke up with me," Jane sobbed. This even surprised Lacey, who while no fan of Wyatt, could not even picture him doing this. She did her best to try to attempt to control her temper. There was some strong language being muttered, but that was the best she could do. She drove to their, now almost empty, apartment.
Getting Jane inside, she pulled out a couple of folding chairs from a closet that had been there since they moved in. Jane sat and kicked off her heels.
Lacey pushed her chair next to her, and putting her arm around her, said "I have absolutely no idea what to say to you right now. Do you want me to get you anything?"
"I am such a dumbass. I honestly thought he was going to propose to me tonight."
At that, Lacey sucked in her breath. Wyatt went right back to the top of her shit list. Jane really didn't react much more that night. She seemed numb to what had happened. When she finally did say something, it was just "I thought he was going to propose" over and over. Around 11 pm, Lacey was seriously regretting bringing them to this mainly empty apartment.
Getting Jane back up, she said, "Look, the only way we are getting any sleep here tonight is on the floor, and I'm not into that. My new place is close by. Come on, you are spending the night with me."
Jane went willingly and even confessed to being starved. So, on the way, Lacey popped through a drive-through. Nothing like burgers and fries to heal a broken heart, she thought. At her apartment, Jane dove into her food. Once done, she just looked exhausted. Lacey lent her some sweats, and she passed out on her sofa.
Lacey purposely turned Jane's phone off and took it with her when she went to sleep. She didn't want Jane to have the opportunity to send any late night desperate pleas for reconciliation. Jane knew Lacey thought she was asleep, but she wasn't. She just lay there unable to turn her mind off. Part of her just did not believe Wyatt. She knew him well enough to know that he was very fond of his routines. He would probably feel a sense of loss if they did not speak for a week and then end this silly break up.
That seemed like the only logical outcome Jane could come up with. Otherwise, no, she would not even consider the alternative. Happy that this was clearly only temporary, she sank into a deep peaceful sleep. She woke up refreshed the next morning and was enjoying a bowl of cereal and watching some TV when Lacey walked out of her room rubbing her eyes.
"Hey, how are you doing?" she asked, sitting down next to Jane.
"I'm great. It’s supposed to be beautiful outside today. We should go for a walk, maybe look for a sidewalk sale or something," she replied happily.
Lacey furrowed her brows and gave her a sidelined glance. This was not the type of reaction she was expecting.
"You sure you’re okay?" she asked gently.
"Yep," Jane replied. "I have to swing by my parents’ house to shower and change first."
Lacey hopped into the shower and wore a sparkly tank top with some cut offs and hot pink flip-flops. Grabbing her sunglasses, she and Jane headed out the door. Jane hit a drive-through on the way. Lacey got an egg sandwich, Jane helped herself to the hash browns, and they both got iced coffees. It was a bit awkward once they got to Jane's parents’ house. Jane's mother rushed her as soon as they entered the door and asked her if Wyatt had proposed. Jane informed her that he had not, but the party was lovely otherwise. Lacey held in the "HUH?" that she came very close to say
ing at that moment and did her best to just nod and smile.
When they got up to Jane's room, she said, "Why did you tell your mom the night was lovely? When it wasn't."
"I didn't want her to worry. Besides this is obviously just temporary," she replied.
Lacey's mouth dropped open. Jane smiled and grabbed a sundress and headed towards the bathroom. Lacey sat on her bed, thinking this must clearly be denial and wondering: is a bad breakup not unlike trying to end a dependence on a drug? She mused maybe there should be a twelve-step program for breakups.
Jane was finished getting ready in no time.
"It's a bummer we didn't know you would be in town this summer. We could have stayed in our apartment," Lacey said as they were getting back into the car.
"Oh, don't be silly. I won't be here long" Jane answered.
Lacey, concerned, remained quiet after that. They parked downtown and checked out cute little shops and cafes. For lunch, they went to a local deep-dish pizza place. Afterward, they walked along the river then sat for a bit and people watched.
"Lace, do you think Wyatt and I will get back together?" Jane asked after a while.
"I really don't know, babe," Lacey replied, shrugging.
"I think we will," Jane said solemnly.
At that, Lacey reached out and took her hand. "But what if you don't?" Lacey asked.
Jane just shook her head and looked forward.
"Wanna come over for dinner?" Jane asked.
"Free home-cooked food," was all Lacey said in reply, grinning.
Jane called her mom to give her a heads up, and the two headed back to her house. They stopped along the way for Lacey to pick up her car. That way, Jane would not have to drive her home after dinner.
Her mother had made a chicken, rice, and mushroom casserole with steamed green beans. Jane set the table while her mom finished up in the kitchen, and Lacey sat in the den with Mr. Martin. Lacey loved Jane's dad; he was very cool. She sometimes scratched her head at how he could stay so laidback and still be married to Jane's mom. Either way, he gave really good advice, and Lacey had picked his brain often over the years.
She contemplated telling him about what happened with Jane and Wyatt, but in the off chance that Jane was right, she held off. Mrs. Martin's cooking was delicious as usual. The conversation, on the other hand, was very stilted and uncomfortable. Mrs. Martin kept asking about Wyatt and when Jane was going to meet him in Chicago. Jane deflected each question noncommittally.
Her mother gave up and turned to ask Lacey about her plans for the summer. Lacey told them about the show she was in and offered to get them tickets, if they wanted to see it. It was officially starting that Thursday and had a two-month run. It had an evening show Wednesday through Saturday with a matinee Saturday afternoon as well. She was really looking forward to it.
She went on to tell them about her new apartment. Lacey lit up with excitement just talking about it. Jane was so proud of her friend. She was just bummed she wasn't as confident about her own future. After dinner, Lacey hung out for a bit before heading home. After she left, Jane went to her room to unpack a bit more and think about things.
Chapter 13
She could not actually consider an existence without Wyatt. He was all she knew, and she could not bear the idea that the fantasy of their future life together would not come to be. The house they would live in, the children they would have. She lay on her bed and looked around her room, her eyes resting on her childhood state spoon collection. She rose and went over to where the display case was hung, her fingers delicately brushing the porcelain handles.
It struck her all of sudden that she did not have a spoon for Illinois. What if she were to take a road trip? She could possibly sell the idea of a right of passage summer trip after graduation to her parents. Jane and Lacey had even talked about going to Australia once. This was clearly an easy sell in comparison. There was a spattering of states across the country she was missing spoons for. Her dad may even get a kick out of the thought that she would finish the collection he started for her.
That was a great idea, she thought. Besides, what cross-country road trip would be complete without a stop in Chicago? Plus, if she was in Chicago, she would see Wyatt. She stopped imagining her future without Wyatt and began imagining his face when she would tell him about her road trip. He would never believe it; it was too independent of a thing for her to do.
If he thought she was forging on, travelling and planning a life without him, of course it would make him want her back. She called Lacey to tell her the idea. Lacey loved it; she asked Jane if she would consider waiting until the end of her show, because if she would, Lacey would love to go too. Jane had not thought of that originally, but once Lacey brought it up, it made a lot of sense. It could be dangerous out there all by herself.
She just didn't know if she could wait two whole months living with her parents. Besides how would she play off not speaking to or visiting Wyatt for that long? Come on. This was Lacey she thought. Of course she wanted to road trip with her.
"Sure," she said. "That will give me plenty of time to plot out our route." Lacey made her promise not to over plan it. She agreed.
The thought of where they would go first and what they would see took her mind off of Wyatt for a while. She planned on running to a bookstore the next day to pick up some travel books. Now that she thought about it, there were places that she would love to see. She had heard there was a place in the Southwest where four states met at one point, and she always wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge.
The next morning, she woke up early and headed to the bookstore. She browsed the racks for a long time before settling on an AAA map book and three travel guides. Growing up in the South, she felt good about checking out other regions. She got a book on New England, the Midwest, and the Southwest. She got an iced coffee and sat outside flipping through her books.
They could start their trip heading west and see the Alamo, the four corners, then the Grand Canyon. After that, they would head straight to the Pacific Ocean, drive along Ocean Drive, and head right up to San Francisco and ride on a trolley. From there, they could go to Las Vegas; she knew Lacey would love that. After Vegas, they would go to Chicago, and she would get to see Wyatt.
She did not plan on telling that part to Lacey. She was going to play it off, as wanting the see the museums she had studied while it was still in the plan for her to move there. Lacey knew how crazy she was about museums. She thought it was plausible. She still could not figure out how she was going to deal with waiting two whole months. She had thought planning the trip would take more time.
Plus, she really did not want too much free time with her mother. It meant she would be asking her questions the whole time, questions Jane wanted to avoid. Also, road trips were not cheap. There would be hotels to pay for and food and gas. It was decided she needed a job.
She called Lacey and asked her where she should work. Lacey said she should totally be a nanny. That way, she could work on her tan at the pool and watch daytime TV all day, and she might even swing more money giving piano or art lessons to the kids. Interesting, Jane thought, but she was not sure she would be that great with kids. Then Lacey suggested temping.
Jane loved the idea because as a temp she could always turn down a position if something else was going on. After they hung up, she called a temp agency and scheduled a meeting with them for the next day. Afterward, she went to go broach the subject of a road trip with her parents. She spun it as sightseeing on her way to meet up with Wyatt and that she wasn't one hundred percent sure about moving in with him right away.
This way she could check out his place and the area in general before making her final decision. She felt bad for stretching the truth, but it was the best she could do. She also told her parents she would be going with Lacey, and depending on how the meeting tomorrow went, would be attempting to raise money for the trip. Her father looked relieved at this news, maybe thinking that she was expec
ting him to fund everything.
The next morning, she showered and dressed in a simple black suit with a teal shell and black flats. She wore her hair in a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. She joined her parents for breakfast and then headed to her appointment with the staffing agency.
When she got there, she completed a standard employment application. Then she took three computerized assessment tests. One test gauged her typing speed, another basic math skills and the last a memory evaluation. She was apparently successful in all, and her employment coordinator had two opportunities available for her that week.
The first was with a company that had a large mass mailing it was putting together, so she would be stuffing envelopes and sealing them all day for one-week time frame. Another was with the same company, just a different department, and it would be the organization of their prior year files into boxes for storage. Both sounded reasonable, so she asked for the coordinator’s opinion. Pleased to be trusted in such a fashion, the coordinator recommended the envelopes, as the filing job had a lot of heavy lifting.
“Sign me up,” Jane replied.
She would start on Wednesday and would be off Saturday and Sunday, returning the next week and finishing on Tuesday. Her coordinator gave her another tidbit. Apparently, this company also had departments that utilized some temps long term. If she made a good impression at this posting, it could offer her the ability to move into one of those roles.
That was great news, Jane thought. What she really wanted more than anything right now was to stay busy and out of her house. Wednesday was still two days away, though. She would have to do something in the mean time. After her appointment, she stopped by the theater where Lacey’s show was playing.
A Bridge of Her Own Page 6
