by Ruth Hay
* * *
Ascending in the elevator that arrived right in front of her parents’ condo apartment, Megan drew herself together and prepared for the fray. She was momentarily distracted by the superb view straight through the apartment from the opened front door to the sky and the lake beyond. It was breathtaking and so different from any place she could ever have imagined for her parents.
Her mother looked relaxed and happy and her father seemed to have grown taller. Perhaps it was that the weight of his previous problems had been removed from his shoulders. The couple certainly seemed to be content with this new style of living.
Megan accepted the offer of tea and went to the kitchen area to help prepare it, only to discover a tray set with a selection of cut vegetables, dip, and several packets of teas beside a carafe of boiling water.
The usual pastries and biscuits were missing. It appeared the new accommodations came with a new healthier lifestyle also.
She sat down, as invited, in the seat with the best view out to the terrace and her father wasted no time in getting down to the topic of conversation.
“I am sure you are aware, Megan, that I have been monitoring Maurice’s progress over these months.
I don’t want you to be concerned about his desertion. It is between the two of you and unless you require my advice, I will stay well out of it except to say that your mother and I have been both shocked and disappointed in his behaviour. What we want to ask you about is whether or not you are still of the same mind with regard to Portia returning to her family home again?”
This was such a relief that Megan had to put down the piece of cauliflower she had been toying with and sip some herbal tea to hide her reaction. This topic was one she had considered carefully and on which she felt secure. She looked over at her mother, who was sure to be an ally in this, and received an encouraging smile.
“Well, father, it’s no secret to you how hard I have been working to repair the damage I caused to my daughter. I can say with assurance that I am ready to welcome Portia back home. I understand her desire for meaningful work and I can support her in that. I will be mindful of the need to be present when she arrives home and to be involved in her life in a way I never really was before.
We both need this new beginning but I have not heard anything positive from Portia on this subject.”
Marian Beck took over the conversation and her encouraging smile proved Megan had given the right answers.
“My dear, you must continue with your own work and give space to Portia as she develops more confidence. She is truly a different person now. It will be not so much a mother and daughter situation but more like two working women in the modern world. Of course you will need to monitor her progress with respect to social situations and I am confident Devon is watching over her at work in the Tech Hub.
Don’t feel all this is your responsibility only. Your father and I bear some of the blame for Portia’s breakdown. It is a sad case of family neglect and it will take the family working together to mend the breach.”
“Your mother is right, as usual. Just know we are on your side, Megan, and we have great confidence in your ability to make this work.”
Megan gulped and closed her eyes to gather her emotions into control. It was a trick she employed in the courtroom. Her mind was racing. All this was so positive but there was still a missing element.
“I am so delighted by what you are both saying and I thank you profoundly. Have you heard from Portia about her decision?”
Marian and Aylward exchanged a glance. Aylward continued.
“We have been working on your behalf, consulting with Abigail, Jillian and Devon. A situation has arisen which means Portia is likely to welcome the idea of returning home. I have asked her to contact you soon and she is more than willing.”
Megan sent a prayer aloft. There’s hope! I can begin to make amends at last!
Kevin Osbourne had just listened to his flat-mate Rob’s account of a recent seduction conducted in his girlfriend’s apartment. It made Kevin all the more anxious to fast forward his campaign to escape his present unsatisfactory accommodations and move in with Abigail Beck. He suspected she was the beneficiary of some wealthy relatives which made her all the more appealing in his mind. After all, there were not many females who actually lived in a downtown space, no matter how small, with only one other person. Abi had a secure job and the strange girl who shared with her was a relative of some kind. He didn’t mind the girl. She was a mousy little creature who kept out of his way and he had the sense that she would soon vanish if he ever took over the bedroom with Abi on a permanent basis.
He glanced at his watch. Abi had said she was busy this evening. Too bad. Was it possible to make an unexpected booty call to Abi this late? No. It was probably not a good idea to presume too much this early in the relationship. Since he had a longer term plan in mind, caution was a good watchword.
None the less, it was worth a call to see where she was at.
He looked around the grungy apartment for a private space where he would not be overheard. The television was blaring, Rob was still ranting on about nasty sex to an avid Andy and the tiny galley kitchen had no door.
He sidled out to the washroom and decided it was the least objectionable spot in the place. That lasted until he actually entered and saw the mess in there. The bath was ringed with grime, the sink layered in spit and toothpaste, and the tiles stuck to his shoes when he navigated around the wet towels on the floor. I have to get out of here! Abi’s place is a palace compared to this dump.
He opened the front door and stepped into the hallway, shutting the noise of the apartment behind him.
“Hi Honey! Where you at now?”
“Is that you, Kevin? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you tonight. Didn’t I say I was busy?”
The discussion with her mother was still very present in her mind and she was not going to give Kevin Osborne any chance to think he was her only option. She heard the surprise in his voice as he responded.
“Are you with somebody, Babe?”
“Not really any of your concern, is it?”
“Well, I thought we had a good thing going and I wondered if we could get together tonight.”
“It’s late, Kev. I need my beauty sleep. Call me tomorrow after work, okay?”
Kevin recognized a brushoff when he heard it. He paused to wonder what he had done to annoy Abi but soon his mind began to range around other prospects and he mentally called up the face and form of Rona. She was good for a late-night booty call at any time and she would be real glad to see him.
“Sure thing, Abi. Sleep tight.”
* * *
Abigail Beck put down her phone. Her mother’s suspicions about Kevin had made her cautious. She really did not know enough about him other than his good looks. The guys he roomed with were a motley crew. Probably the association was not good for her career. She would have to think about this seriously.
Portia had overheard Abi’s side of the phone conversation through the washroom door. She smiled at
Abi’s dismissive tone. Kevin the Creep was in no way good enough for her cousin. Portia’s creep-detector was the one thing she had gained from the assault she had endured at her previous place of work and it was signalling high alert. She owed Abigail a lot for her support. She would not leave her prey to scum like Kevin Osbourne. If she could be sure Abi would reject him, it would be safe for her to leave at last and go back home to live her own life.
Abi looked up to see Portia emerging from the washroom dressed for bed.
“I’ll stay up for a bit, I think. I won’t disturb you, Portia. Sleep well.”
Once the door shut behind her cousin, Abi settled down to think. Her conclusion was that whatever she decided to do with regard to Kevin, she would not act in haste. Even if Portia moved out, she would take the time to think carefully about her relationships of all kinds and really focus on her future, with or without a partner. Her grandfather�
��s gift had given her financial security for the coming years.
On a sudden impulse, she went to the closet by the front door. It was a multi-purpose storage space holding coats and boots or shoes in one-third of its height and with shelves above. Portia had the lower shelf for her items as she was not as tall as her cousin. Abi had stacked boxes and baskets right up to the ceiling but she knew where everything was. She took down a mid-sized box and carefully adjusted the remaining boxes. Haste always meant time spent re-stacking if the piles tumbled down on top of her.
Inside the box lay the few items of her jewellery that had any actual value. The daily costume stuff was in a drawer in the shared bedroom.
She removed a velvet ring box and took it to the couch where she had been sitting. Here, the light from the one table lamp she owned, shed a glow on the contents. It was the diamond ring her grandmother had given her at that last, memorable, family meal in the Mexican resort when her grandparents had dispensed their bounty to the Becks. This was no ordinary ring. It was a large diamond cluster on a gold band. Some might consider it an out-of-date style but to Abigail Beck it held a message more potent than its style or its monetary value. She respected her grandparents’ long marriage and this ring was a symbol of their fidelity and trust. She slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand and found it fit perfectly.
The trick was to find a man who could match the significance of the ring. The very thought of Kevin Osbourne making a commitment to her was obscene when she looked at the ring and remembered all it represented. If she planned to find the right man, rather than the man who was right there for the taking, she had better start raising her standards.
All at once the decision was made. She would give Kevin his marching orders and concentrate on her career goals. When she had attained the anchor position at Zoomer TV that she really wanted, then she would consider her other life options.
Her mother’s words of warning had sunk into her soul and she did not intend to ignore them.
As a timely reminder she kept the brilliant ring on her finger, just for one night. When she saw it in the morning she would be reminded of her promise to herself.
Chapter Six
Saturday.
The weekends were busy at Beckoning Cuisine. Devon’s idea to link into an advanced reservations service had made it possible to ensure full use of the available tables. There were no last-minute cancellations when payment was made up front. Often Saturday and Sunday accounted for the major earnings of the week and made it possible to close the restaurant early on a Monday for the family meal.
On the drive downtown on Saturday morning, Jillian and Terrence Beck finally had a few moments to talk before the demands of the day took over.
“Have you heard from Louise lately?”
“Nope. Not since the last family dinner. You?”
They had developed a conversational shorthand after many years together. The tone alone spoke volumes and Jillian knew her husband was concerned something might be wrong with his favourite daughter.
“As far as I know everything’s good with them.”
He negotiated around a car whose driver seemed to believe he was the only one on the crowded road at this early hour, then he returned to the topic.
“If not Jason and Lulu, who’s in trouble?”
“I had a talk with Abi recently.”
“Oh, oh! Don’t tell me she and Portia have finally got tired of each other? I always thought those two were an odd match but dad figured they were good for each other and I couldn’t argue with him. I thought Abi showed real maturity when she took on responsibility for her cousin, so what’s up now?”
“Take a left at the next light, Terry, and miss this line of buses on this block. The subway must be stopped again. It’s not about Portia, or perhaps it is? Her mother wants her back home again. Your parents think it could be the right time for that since Maurice seems to be AWOL, but Abi has started seeing a guy who Devon and I don’t like the sound of.”
“What?” Terrence saw a space ahead and dodged around a cab driver and made it into the parking garage before he spoke again. He found their spot and hauled on the brake then turned to his wife.
‘Wait a minute……..you and Devon think Abi should live alone because of some guy you haven’t met? She’s a grown woman, for Pete’s sake. Let her make her own decisions.”
Jillian gathered up her bag with her spare outfit, hoisted her heavy purse, and got out of the car.
“Our daughter has made some bad decisions about men in the past. I don’t want her to do that again. The price is too steep.”
“So what do you expect me to do about it?” Terrence Beck’s mind was already in his kitchen preparing for the day’s covers. Abigail’s partner worries were far from his immediate concerns.
“I’ll have an idea by Monday evening, Terry. Leave it to me, but consider something else if you can. If we lived downtown nearer to the restaurant, we could have an easier life and no parking fees and I could have an extra hour in bed every morning.”
He glanced toward his wife to see if she was serious. She had a habit of throwing out the most important topics of discussion at the most inopportune times. They stuck in his mind like an ear worm and he knew he would be mulling over her suggestion for the whole day, despite everything else on his proverbial plate. He chuckled and took her hand as they crossed the street. “You are a witch, you know?”
“I do know, and you love me for it!”
The day was sunny and bright with a breeze funneling up the streets leading from the Lake so that the smell of spring hovered in the air and made people feel lighter and less harried.
The lunch crowd lingered. Chris advised the later arrivals to take seats at the patio tables to the rear where potted trees cast shade and a mini fountain splashed gently. He calmed their impatience by offering free aperitifs accompanied by a plate of antipasto. Patrons, who had never thought to reserve space in the outdoor area before, relaxed and chatted to their guests and felt a sense of holiday.
Inside the restaurant, Jillian was circling around the tables, smiling and ensuring everything was just as perfect as usual. She tapped the servers on the shoulder as they hustled from kitchen to table and reminded them to stay calm in spite of the busy day. She had inaugurated a Take Five Break idea by setting aside a corner of the kitchen, not far from the staff restrooms, for a wall bracket table, three high seats and a mini fridge holding mineral waters and energy smoothies. There was a mirror on the wall above the table so the servers could see if their hair needed smoothing or their uniforms were splattered with something. A basket full of combs, brushes, antiseptic wipes and breath mints was ready for use. It was not by any means a substitute for the regular work breaks her staff required and deserved, but, at busy times it allowed them to regroup and refresh. Jillian was punctilious about making sure each server got their assigned time off before the day was over. She had a schedule in her mind and everyone knew she was conscientious to a fault when it came to their union-negotiated privileges.
It was five o’clock before the lunch crowd had departed full of good food and praise for the restaurant and its exemplary service. Jillian changed her shoes to slip-on flats and asked Chris to sit down with her for a moment before they began to gear up for the busy evening ahead.
“I hope there’s nothing wrong, Mrs. Beck?”
“Please call me Jillian. We must be past the employer/employee stage by now. It’s far from something wrong, Chris. I want to commend you for dealing with the overflow today. There wasn’t one angry word about being kept waiting and that’s all thanks to you. I hope you know how much I value your assistance at Beckoning Cuisine and I know I speak for Terrence also.”
“It’s very kind of you to say so, Jillian. Of course you are aware how poorly I was treated in my previous place, whose name I refuse to speak ever again. I am so happy here and I want to continue with you and Mr. Beck as long as you will have me. This is the best work situation
I have ever had.”
Jillian raised a glass and toasted Chris.
“I am delighted to hear this, Chris. I want to offer you the position of assistant manager of the restaurant. Now, don’t look so shocked. You have been pinch hitting for me for a year now and you know the job as well as I do. Long term, I want to be able to take some time off with my husband in the quiet seasons and I need someone I can trust to maintain standards.”
“Oh, my God! I couldn’t be more thrilled! This is a dream come true. I will never let you and Mr. Beck down. I love this restaurant like it was my own. It’s my pleasure to keep up your high standards.”
“Good! Keep this under your hat for now. I am hoping to be able to give all our servers a pay raise soon. That will be the time to announce your new position. I don’t believe anyone will resent your good luck. It’s to your credit that you are popular among the staff.”
“We are a loyal team here, Jillian. We really admire what you and your husband have done with this place. I’m sure you won’t have any trouble whether you are here to supervise or away for a time.”
He rubbed his hands together in delight.
“Now, back to business! May I bring you a plate of soup, or a salad? The spinach with strawberries is particularly good today. I have seen the reservations list and you will definitely need something sustaining for the evening ahead.”
“Thank you, but I’ll eat later with Terry. Just a coffee for now. By the way, you live downtown Chris, am I right? If you ever hear of a decent flat in a good building nearby, will you let me know about it?”
