League of Her Own

by Faith O'Shea

  “Then I accept.”

  “Would you like to see your lab?”

  “More than I want to take my next breath.”

  Dr. Michaels talked all the way to the basement, informing her about the other occupants in the building, who they were and what they taught. It was obviously the science building, with professors from all over the world teaching chemistry, physics, geology, and astronomy. When they got to the end of the last hallway, they came to a locked door. She was trembling with anticipation. As soon as he opened it, he handed her the key, which she gripped as if it were a sacred icon. And when she walked across the threshold, she entered her place of worship, the hum of the machines her choir, the scientific ritual her High Mass. Her fingers skimmed the surfaces of desk, tables, deep freezer, and auto clave with reverence. This would be her escape hatch, where she’d find refuge when things were overwhelming, when her energy was sapped by the students she’d teach. She’d have the best of both worlds. Connection and introspection.

  “I take it you’re satisfied with the space.”

  She nodded and met his question with one of her own. “When can I move in?”

  “How does next Monday sound? It will give us time to get the contract in order and for our janitor to clean it up.”

  In five days, she’d be able to take possession. She could hardly believe it had been that easy.

  Right. Easy-peasy. All it took was five years of hard work. A regular walk in the park.

  Michaels turned to go. “I’ve got to get back. I have another appointment scheduled. Can you lock it up for me?”

  Before she knew, what she was doing, she asked, “Can I sit here for a little while, take it all in, mentally dress it, jot down what I’ll need?”

  He gave her a wide smile. “For as long as you like. You can drop the key off when you’re done and pick up the syllabi you asked for.”

  The ebullience almost carried her away before she remembered.

  “Oh, and I have an assistant in mind. Can I offer him a position?”

  The smile dimmed when he said, “The university is unwilling to hire anyone else to work here. However, if you can find a way to fund his or her salary, you can do anything you want.”

  She smiled to herself and said, “Good to know.”

  “Jenny will give you a call when the contract is ready for your signature.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Michaels. You’ll never know how much I appreciate your trust.”

  “It’s an honor to have you on staff, Fiona. And the name is Kurt.”

  With that pronouncement, he left her alone.

  Her eyes sought out every inch of the room, which was larger than she’d expected. This would be her haven, where she’d regroup, regenerate, repair her emotional armor. She was sure there’d be dents in it at the end of every day. Terror swamped her but she’d never felt so invigorated. She sat down on the stool and pulled out her phone. She wanted to share her news, but with whom? There was one person she would have loved to tell, if only to hear his voice, but she knew Enrique wouldn’t be interested and probably far too busy to listen. His incoming texts had stopped, and she was sure he’d already moved on. Izabella had called this morning, before the funeral, asked her to drop by for the money owed her for the two-week stay. She mentioned that Enrique was leaving for Brazil right after the mercy meal. Nothing had changed. Well, maybe one thing had. Her heart was a bit more tattered than it had been.

  She opted for the one person who would share her news with the same kind of exuberance. As the cell rang, she tried to modulate her excitement.

  When Bohdan answered, she asked, “Can you start Monday, or do you need more time?”

  She didn’t know how she was going to pay him, but she was willing to share her salary with him until she figured it all out.

  There was no mistaking the tremor in his voice. “You got it? You got it.”

  She looked around, the tingles making this seem more like a dream than reality.

  “I did. I’m sitting in our lab right now. It feels…it feels…” She took a breath and admitted, “There’s no word in the English language that describes it adequately.”

  One of the reasons they got along so well was they approached life the same way, in a direct and concise manner. He got right to the crux.

  “The guy knows where you’re going?”

  “I laid it out for him, bullet by bullet. I was afraid he’d shoot them down. But he didn’t.”

  Michaels knew every tee she meant to cross in her quest for answers. She began to chew on her thumb nail. “There is a down-side.”

  She heard the hesitation before he asked, “Oh, and what’s that?”

  “I have to teach.”

  He chuckled in the face of her trepidation.

  “I thought you knew that. It comes with the territory.”

  “I forgot.”

  She’d been so focused on the lab, all else had fallen away.

  “You’ll be great. You’re engaged and technically skilled. You’re also passionate about the material and you’re newly minted. You’ll understand their pain.”

  She was young enough to be one of them.

  “Kurt, that’s Dr. Michaels, said that he wanted to enlist some doctoral students. You could be the first.”

  “Or the last. I’m not ready, Fiona. You know what it feels like to be pushed. Please, don’t do it to me.”

  He’d been along on many of her mother’s bulldozer rides and had helped her find her way out from under it. She didn’t like the reference to Clare or the truth behind it.

  “You’re right. I won’t mention it again.”

  “Good. Then I can accept the position you’ve offered me.”

  A feeling of relief rushed through her. She wasn’t sure she could do this without him.

  “I’ll call as soon as I know the details.”

  “Congratulations. You deserve this.”

  She swiped off and put the phone away. There were several people she’d have to call later, her mother for one, but the woman would talk her to death. She wanted to hold her victory close and celebrate on her own for a while longer.

  She took off her coat and sat at the desk, opening the file that Jenny had given her. It was an old handbook, and it listed the descriptions of all courses offered. She found the two she’d be taking on and read the short blurb. She’d have to get right to the vitae. Dr. Michaels said he’d need it before the end of the month. They were putting together the on-line application for the summer classes and they’d need the information before it was added to the curriculum guide. She’d seen enough of them to know how to compose the brief description, but she’d never had to plan out a five-week course load. She mentally highlighted the areas she’d want to cover, leaving out the extraneous pieces that the students would have learned in their most basic biology classes. As a student, she resented repetition of her earlier studies. She always thought the professors should be more inventive and offer fresh, new material in her third and fourth year. She glanced at her watch when she felt a chill. She’d gotten lost, like she always did within these walls, but it was time to go home. The sun was going down and without it, the room had darkened and cooled. As she slid the folder into her briefcase, she thought about her small condo and the future. She was going to talk to Izabella about finding a new place, maybe a house to buy, once her signature was on the contract. She’d have the money for a bigger place, and maybe she could find something with a yard. If she wanted companionship, a dog might be the way to go. It would give her a warm body to sleep with at night and wet kisses.

  They wouldn’t be passionate ones, but they’d have to do.

  When she got home, she called to order something for dinner, sat down, and made the call she’d been dreading all day. Her mother answered on the second ring, which meant she wasn’t in the lab. If she had been, the call would have gone to voice mail and it would be hours before Clare would find it.

  “This was unexpected. Something come u
p?”

  She was relieved Siobhan hadn’t said anything. She twirled an unruly curl away from her face and wove it under the clip, snorting to herself. Like her mother would have called her sister just to say hello.

  “Actually, I was offered a job this morning.”

  “And you’re just getting around to letting me know?”

  Thanks, Mom, for the congratulations. I’m happy and relieved about it, too.

  She refused to apologize for the need to savor.

  “I spent a couple of hours in my new lab. I needed to breathe it in, make it mine.”

  “Tell me everything.”

  She did, between stops and starts, her mother intruding the flow with questions and snide statements in an unrelenting drone.

  “I start Monday. Bohdan is coming with me.”

  “Why in the name of God’s green earth would you hire him?”

  “Because he’s good.”

  “He isn’t qualified at this level.”

  “He has more knowledge about genetics and proteomics in his little finger than anyone else I could bring in. He worked with me on my thesis for cripes-sakes. He knows as well as I do where we’ll go next.”

  And he’d get her there one small step at a time.

  Her mother’s smugness gave her the right to offer her opinion, at least in her own mind.

  “I don’t think—”

  “That’s okay, Mom I do, and it’s my lab. I can do what I want. I’ve got to go. Just wanted you to hear the good news before I went to bed.”

  Her mother stuttered out a good-bye and Fiona swiped off, inhaling a deep breath to get her calm back. She hoped one day she could have a conversation with Clare that didn’t drain her or leave her worn out. The woman was like a vacuum cleaner, sucking the life right out of her.

  She let it go and smiled. She had her lab and she wasn’t going to let anyone poo in her field of possibilities.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The mercy meal lasted longer than anticipated. As soon as it was over, and people began to file out, offering the last of the condolences to the family on their way. Rique left Seb talking to Buzz and Mattie talking to Alicia, telling them both he’d be in touch on his return to the city. On the way home, Reid stopped by the real estate office Izabella worked at, as planned. Once the lease was signed, they returned to the house. Rique only had time to grab his carry-on and head back out. He had the key to his new life. Now he just had to find someone to share it with.

  He hugged his sister. “Thanks. I appreciated you letting me stay.”

  “Give everyone a kiss for me. Tell them I’m looking forward to seeing them again.”

  “I will.”

  Reid shook his hand. “You’re doing well, Rique. I hope you can stay the course.”

  “I will. That’s a promise. One I will keep.”

  “Good. See you when you get back.”

  He climbed into his car, and as he drove away, he glanced at them in his rearview mirror. Izabella had her head on his shoulder and Reid’s arm was around her waist. There was love there. A deep, abiding love. It was what he was looking for. He had to believe there was a woman for him out there, but as he flew thousands of miles away from Boston, he couldn’t leave the picture of Fifi behind.

  When he landed in Rio, he walked toward the exit, his carry-on wheels clicking on the concourse floor. He was home and it felt… He glanced around the wide halls trying to decide. Security personnel were visible as they monitored all passengers’ movements. A wheelchair was being pushed along at a fast clip toward the gate area. An airport worker, a mop in hand, was swabbing at a spill on the floor. He could smell the disinfectant, burning coffee, and a whiff of perfume as a woman walked close enough to touch. She’d met his eyes, signaled what she wanted and whispered an endearment in Portuguese, but he wasn’t in the mood for temptations. Though the language was familiar, it wasn’t his anymore. Was this place no longer home? He thought for sure he’d feel a rush of nostalgia when he stepped off the plane but there was nothing…

  He put his head down and kept moving, his thoughts a review of the last two weeks and how Fifi had left him before she’d needed to.

  Do you blame her?

  He‘d offered her nothing but a few nights in bed. He inwardly moaned at the memory. There was no inhibition in her. She gave fully, and he could do nothing but give the same in return. Sex had always been enjoyable, but with Fifi it was mind-altering. Beneath that serious exterior was a wild cat who was capable of reaching intimacy in a way he’d never experienced before.

  He scanned the area, hoping to see his father, hoping to get his mind off the woman who intrigued him. He was here to find a wife and having another woman on his mind would not help his cause. The problem was, he missed her and couldn’t seem to shake the emptiness that had come with her absence.

  He heard a voice call out his name, then saw the welcoming smile that greeted him. His father was a good man, who held family above all else. It’s where Rique had learned the value of love, devotion, and duty.

  Paolo grabbed him in a bear hug, kissed both his cheeks.

  “We hear you are doing well.”

  That would be Reid’s assessment and he felt a flicker of pride in his new work ethic.

  “I’m working my ass off, Papi. It’s long overdue.”

  “This is good to know. I am proud of you for turning it around so quickly. Come. Your mama is waiting to see you. Leia and Felicia are with her. They both flew in so we could spend time together. They’ve missed their brother.”

  “I’ve missed them, as well.”

  They began to walk toward the exit. There was no need for baggage claim. Rique wouldn’t be here for more than a couple of days and he had everything he needed in the small case. At the moment it didn’t seem long enough.

  “When will you and Mama go to New York?”

  “We are leaving earlier than usual. With Leia there now and you in Boston, we are thinking about another home, perhaps in Connecticut. According to Izabella, it is a half-way point so we would only be an hour away from both of you. Oh, and Felicia has been accepted at the University of New Mexico. She has sent in her form and will be attending come fall.”

  That came as a surprise. His sister had cut her teeth dinosaur hunting in this country.

  “Why there and not here?”

  “They have an excellent paleontology department, with many excavation sites. She tells me that it was the home of the T-Rex before the meteor hit and she wants to investigate a new environment. We can visit her when we travel west to see you play.”

  His father had groused when Rique chose baseball over soccer, but now that he’d become knowledgeable about the sport, he was a dedicated fan and followed his team all over the country. Rique loved seeing him and his mother in the stands of the various ballparks, each one unique. The well-worn faces made each one feel like home. He’d let this man down over the last year with his sub-par performances and he promised himself he would never do it again.

  “All your kids are in America now. Does that sadden you?”

  “Why should it? You are all doing what makes you happy.”

  “But this is your home, Papi.”

  “Home is where my family is. Where Livia is.” Paolo tapped a loose fist against his chest. “Where my heart beats strongest.”

  Rique wetted his lips. Was that why he felt the foreigner here? Did his heart beat stronger somewhere else now? It was a question he’d need to answer before he made a mistake concerning his future.

  Once they reached the car, Enrique put his suitcase in the trunk and took a seat on the passenger side, putting his window down, the temperature a balmy seventy-nine degrees. This was something he missed.

  “I want to know about the team. Your chances to win it all are good, are they not?”

  “They are. I met with the new manager this past weekend. He seems like he knows what he’s doing and we’re all hopeful he can pick up where Farina left off.”

/>   “Reid says he will be better.” He winked at him, said conspiratorially, “But that is between us.”

  When his father’s attention was back on the road, Rique began to study the profile. It would be his profile when he reached his sixties and it jarred him that they looked so much alike. Would his own son inherit the same looks, or would his wife contribute more to his features than he would? Did it matter? What he wanted was the kind of relationship he had with his father. It was easy, open, and affectionate.

  He jested back, “I won’t tell anyone, besides he said pretty much the same to me the night they got back.”

  He appreciated the in-depth analysis about the upcoming season. He’d been having them, every other night with Fifi. It was one of the things he’d miss. Did miss.

  He shook thoughts of her out of his head, but they boomeranged back. He looked back at this father and asked, “What drew you to Mama?”

  “I believe I’ve already told you. It was her sweet nature.”

  The warmth of the smile told him everything. Paolo was still in love with his wife. He wanted to be able to say that about himself thirty years down the road.

  “That was important to you?”

  “It was. Julianna had a more acerbic nature and we fought a lot. I wanted something different and I found it all in Livia. You, my son, need someone different.”

  “What? Why?”

  His father paused, as if considering his words.

  “You are…spoiled. My fault and I will apologize to whomever you marry. Someone sweet could not stand up to you. You need more assertiveness in your wife.” His father took his eyes off the road and met his. “Have you found someone?”

  He narrowed his eyes. His father’s tone suggested he knew…what? Had Izabella said something about Fifi? Did she think there was more there than there was?

  “No. I’m here to do that. I want to settle down, Papi. Find a woman so I can have what you have.”

  “And what do you think that is?”

  A small smile played at the corners of Paolo’s mouth. He’d found humor in Rique’s line of questioning. Did his father think he didn’t know what held value?