Solid Stone: Choices

by E. G. Patrick

  §

  Ninety minutes later I’m packing up to leave. Mike comes back into the room. “You did really well.”

  “Thank you. It was a good meeting and the questions were thought-provoking. It’s clear this museum means a lot to all of you.”

  “It does, we’re not a paid board so our time is voluntary. I’m sure Adam Stone told you that?”

  I avoid his question and pick up my bag getting ready to leave. I say politely, “Thanks again, I should probably go in case you have another candidate.”

  He stands in front of the door. “We don’t, you were the last one. We saved the best till last.” He grins and it’s unappealing to me.

  I make small talk, feeling uncomfortable. “Mike, it really is nice seeing you again, but I should get back to work now.”

  “He bought out your firm didn’t he? I’m surprised he’s willing to let you go. You’re very talented Violet.” His eyes look me up and down.

  I now understand why he mentioned Adam. “Yes, a few months ago we merged. He knew I was a history major.”

  “Do you have time for a coffee?”

  “I wish I could, but I’m late, I really need to get back to my office.” He stands aside, but I feel his eyes follow me down the long corridor. Creepy guy comes to mind as I walk down the stairs.

  Outside, I breathe a sigh of relief, hoping that Mike Cottons isn’t going to pose a problem for me getting the job. The next step is to meet with the curator. Crossing my fingers, I look up at the sky. When I turn back to look at the museum before I leave, Mike’s standing behind one of the large old doors. I pretend not to see him and quickly run down the steps.

  §

  Violet: Hi, I’m back. I think it went well. Guess who was on the panel? xoxox

  Adam: Hi sweetheart, I knew you’d do really well. Mike Cottons?

  Violet: Yes, but he was a gentleman. I’m not going to tell him he asked me out for a coffee. The last thing I need is for Adam to say something to him now.

  Adam: He’d better be. Step two is to meet Marjorie Martin, she may be tougher than the board, I’m kidding. You’ll do great, I can feel it. Love you.

  Violet: What time will I see you on Friday? I can’t wait! Love you too!

  Adam: Around four at the office, I have an appointment with Dr. Kramer at two.

  Dr. Kramer is the psychologist he’s started seeing. His doctor recommended her. Taking my advice was a big step forward for both of us and it means a lot to me.

  Violet: Oh, okay, see you then. Are we going out?

  Adam: I’ll call you later and we can figure out what we want to do this weekend. I’ve got to run to another meeting now. See you soon Beautiful!

  I swoon; he says Beautiful like it’s my name now.

  I delve into work feeling just a little guilty. I’m so glad I’d given Paul a lot of notice. He starts interviewing next week and asked me to meet with the short list. It’s the least I can do.

  Paul comes over to see me. “So, how did your interview go?” I told him about the job, it felt right.

  “I think it went well.”

  “You’re impressive so I’m sure you impressed them. I’ll be meeting with four candidates next week. I’ll send the top two to you. If we’re lucky you’ll get at least a week with one of them before you leave me.”

  “You meant, leave the firm, right?”

  “Yes, that’s what I meant, sorry.” He walks back to his office. Things between us have been different since I resigned. He’s still polite and respectful, but there’s a change in him. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is precisely.

  Just before five I say good night to Paul. He seems like his old self when he says, “Have a great night Violet,” followed by his familiar warm smile.

  “You too, Paul, see you tomorrow.”

  §

  On my way to the train station I check my cell phone, nothing from Adam. He’s probably still in meetings. I don’t feel like going straight home so I call Ann, and I get her voicemail. Strolling along the street I decide to have dinner out on my own, a first for me. I find myself at the steakhouse Adam took me to once. The hostess greets me and seats me at a booth near the front of the restaurant, away from the bar, which is getting crowded now. It’s a Thursday night. I feel like an executive dressed in my suit and with a laptop bag. I chuckle to myself, hopeful that one day I’ll be the curator of the museum. Dream big! I say to myself.

  The waiter comes over with a menu and wine list. An assistant waiter puts bread on the table and pours water in a glass for me. Both nod as they leave me to look over the menu. I make my selection quickly and the waiter returns to take my order. I order a glass of a Rioja, a new wine I learned about from Adam, and a filet steak with a baked potato and broccoli. Satisfied, I lean back in the padded booth, looking around the ornate restaurant that just all seems to work. There are more business people around me now having dinner as well.

  My steak is perfect. I sip my wine between bites enjoying my own company. I mull over some of the questions during the interview earlier today and feel good about my responses. The waiter comes over with a small crystal glass. “Oh, sorry, that’s not for me, I didn’t order that.”

  The waiter leans down and says, “Miss, someone from the bar sent it over to you. It’s sherry, an after dinner drink.”

  “Oh, but I don’t want it.”

  “I can return if you wish.” He seems a bit uncomfortable.

  “It’s okay, leave it.” I just won’t drink it. I can’t help myself when I try to scan the bar area, it’s behind me, making it hard not to be obvious. The idea of dinner alone has lost its appeal so I ask for the bill.

  It’s dark when I leave. I know I should call Frank, but the train station is so close. I quickly look down to check my phone. There’s nothing from Adam. My body is abruptly jolted backward as someone bangs into me, taking me off balance. My laptop almost hits the ground. When I turn to protest, the hooded figure is no longer in ear shot. I collect myself and hurry down the steps. My nerves are on high alert; I convince myself it was just someone rushing by and nothing more.

  Chapter 36

  “Violet”

  “Dr. Kramer wants to meet you.”

  Twirling my fork I look over at Adam. “Sure, did she say why?”

  “She wants to meet the woman I’m obsessed with. Apparently that’s what crazy people do.” He laughs.

  “You’re crazy in love you mean.” I grin, sticking out my chest.

  “Yes, with those two.” He grins.

  I have to laugh. “So how do I arrange this meeting?”

  “My next appointment is Thursday. You can just call her office and schedule an appointment.”

  “Okay, I’ll call her tomorrow. Any tips for my interview with Marjorie tomorrow?”

  “Well, you’re in the running. She’s only meeting the top two candidates, so you’re definitely one of them. Just be yourself. She’s smart and may come off a bit cool, don’t let that bother you. You both have history degrees so you’re off to a good start.”

  “What did she do that made you promote her?”

  He leans back in his chair thinking, “We promoted her because she cares about the museum, and did a great job as the assistant. She also added more retail products, growing sales.”

  “Oh right, that’s good to know. I was going to talk about retail, maybe I shouldn’t if she’s just made changes?”

  “Like I said, do what feels right, you’ll know. You impressed the panel with your marketing ideas. At the end of the day, the museum still needs to make money to exist. Remember that.” He reaches across the table to hold my hand. Everything just feels so good between us.

  §

  Sitting in the same seat, in the same room, I wait for Marjorie Martin with my blue folder centered on the table in front of me. A woman
about my height with brown hair and stunning blue eyes walks in the room. I stand, shaking her hand. “Violet, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Marjorie, have a seat.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too. Thank you.”

  “So you were referred to us by Mr. Stone,” she drawls his name and touches her hair. Oh shit, does she like him?

  “Yes, I work at his firm, only recently, we just merged.”

  “Yes, I heard about that. He’s a smart man and a great asset to our board. So why would he want to lose you to us?”

  “Actually, I resigned recently and well, he knew about my history background. He’s a big supporter of the museum, but I guess that’s obvious.”

  “Why did you resign?”

  “I wanted to work in a smaller firm or find something related to my history degree.”

  “Okay, I just wanted to understand why. So tell me about yourself.”

  After five more questions she asks me, “Do you have any questions for me?”

  “Yes, what qualities are you looking for in your assistant?”

  “Trust, first and foremost, a good working rapport, and of course, fresh ideas.”

  I nod. “Trust is very important.” I know that better than most. “I do have some ideas around your retail.” Her eyebrows arch, I continue. “Geographically, it’s good to have it where it is at the main entrance, but another good spot would be around the cafeteria where people take a break, just something to think about. It’s easy to set up retail space, perhaps a mobile set-up so we can move it around.” I emphasize the word ‘we’.

  A big smile showcases straight white teeth. “Pretty good, do you have any questions?”

  “Not right now, you’ve answered them all. Thanks so much for your time today.”

  “I’m glad we met, but we’re not done yet, let’s take a walk. You can leave your stuff in here.” I follow her outside. We walk up to the dinosaur exhibit—there’s a huge skeletal display of a raptor. It’s breathtaking from every angle. “It’s impressive, isn’t it? Most of the schools spend a lot of time here. Do you have any ideas on how to get more students through here?” she asks.

  “Kids like to touch things, they like video games, electronics, and gadgets. Most kids by the time they’re ten or eleven have an iPhone these days. An app on dinosaurs, or an interactive area around here would be great, there’s enough space. Perhaps a video game or two, with a dinosaur theme or something like that. I’m sure I can come up with some more ideas.”

  We’re on our way back to the meeting room. We shake hands as I gather my belongings. “I’ll be in touch Violet. Oh and please say hello to Mr. Stone, he owes me a lunch.”

  “I will and I look forward to hearing from you, thanks again.” I’m feeling very excited about the possibility of working here. It’s a dream come true.

  §

  Back at the office I get ready to interview my possible replacements. I smile as I become the interviewer. “Hi Brittany, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Violet Cole, please tell me about yourself.”

  At four, I go into Paul’s office. “You know Paul, I liked both candidates, but I think Brittany is a better fit for you and the firm. She’s easy going, but polished enough to handle the bigger clients. She graduated with honors in her classes and I really liked her.”

  Paul stares at me, I fidget to be obvious, bringing him back to our conversation. “You’re a hard act to follow Violet. I think you’re right, Brittany’s the one. I’ll have human resources draw up an offer letter. She’s temping so I think she can start in a week. And how are you and Adam doing these days?”

  “We’re great, but I do have mixed feelings about leaving, I’m really going to miss you Paul, I hope we’ll keep in touch.”

  “You know you’re going to get that job, they’re lucky to have you. Of course we’ll keep in touch, it’ll give me a chance to try and convince you to come back.” He laughs. “Honestly, you’ve been a pleasure on so many levels.”

  I smile. “You too, Paul, I should get back to work. I only have two weeks left.” He shrugs his shoulders, walking back behind his desk.

  I’m dying to speak to Adam to tell him about my interview, but he’s in meetings all afternoon. My office phone rings, Adam’s name flashes across the screen. I almost drop the receiver I’m so anxious to speak to him. “Hi.”

  “Hi, I’ve been anxious to call you; I even finished my last meeting ten minutes early. So how did it go?”

  “I was going to camp outside your office,” I say and he laughs—I envision him leaning back in his leather executive chair. “It went well and she even walked me around the museum for a bit asking me a lot of questions. I made a few suggestions and I did talk about retail, she seemed pleased actually.”

  “Good, now you just sit back and wait for the offer. You should have your lawyer, ah-hem look over the offer for you.”

  “My lawyer’s way too expensive. I’m going to have to figure out how to pay him.”

  “Oh, I have a few ideas, speaking of which, you said you wanted more choices? Do you still?” He hesitates. “Are you really still interested in them?”

  “Yes of course I am, but why the sudden change, you said we had to take a break?”

  “Dr. Kramer said to face fears is to overcome them; my fear of upsetting you in this case.”

  “I really like Dr. Kramer. I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “She’ll like you too.” He chuckles, it’s throaty and sexy. “I’ll send you some choices then. What time are you leaving?”

  “Around five-thirty, you?”

  “Same time as you, can I drive you home? We should just live together you know.”

  “We can discuss that, but not here at work. I’ll see you later, handsome. Bye.”

  §

  Dr. Kramer’s office is in her house, a sprawling bungalow in a million-dollar plus neighborhood. I look up at the skylight in her waiting room.

  When the door opens, a salt and pepper haired woman appears. Her demeanor is warm and she’s dressed comfortably. She reaches for my hand. “Hello, you must be Violet.”

  “Yes, hi, Dr. Kramer, it’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise, please come in.” Her office is the front room of the house, with a large window and walls lined with bookshelves. The room is decorated with artifacts from around the world. She offers me one of two reclining seats. I pick the one closest to the window. She pours me a glass of water before taking a seat across from me. “Are you comfortable?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Good. Now let’s begin. I hope you don’t mind if I take notes, it helps me.”

  “No, not at all, please feel free.”

  “I wanted to meet the person who seems to have connected with a man who’s had abandonment issues since the age of twelve. I don’t mean to sound harsh, it’s a good thing, really it is.”

  “I didn’t realize he had abandonment issues.”

  “Before you, the closest person to Adam was his uncle, who you know committed suicide. The instant that happened, his childhood stopped. He stopped it with his own hand. He shut it down with an adult promise he made to himself the same night it happened. It’s no coincidence he deals with large corporations. It was a bad deal with a large conglomerate that drove his uncle to commit suicide.”

  She pauses to take a drink of water. “Do you have any questions so far?” I shake my head no. “His behavior is to stifle his emotions, focus on everything else but them. Keep order and never relive that pain again. He was the last person to speak with his uncle before he died.”

  Again I nod my head, just listening, wanting to know more. I hold back tears—it’s hard, but I do. “Adam believes he should’ve noticed something that he didn’t, to prevent what happened. It got worse when his mother shut him and his sister out shortly after. For Adam, it was like losing someone else. S
he’s not a bad mother, she was coping as best she could, but there’s some damage from that too. The people he cares about leave him and hurt him, that’s how he sees it, a simplified version that’s black and white.”

  She repositions herself in her chair, I listen on. “You made Adam feel things again and it scared him. When you left him, it amplified his pain and fear, that sense of loss came back again. You shouldn’t feel guilty about that, I’m helping him understand those feelings are a part of life’s ups and downs. He explained why you left. It’s a normality to feel both sides of the coin. It’s what makes us human and able to cope. Is this making sense?”

  “Yes, completely. I don’t want to hurt him and I hope he knows that. I do tell him.”

  “He does, and that’s why he loves you as much as he does. He went against all his instincts getting back with you. It would’ve been easier for him to walk away and revert back to his old ways—you should know that—but he chose you over everything, even his worst fears.”

  “How can I help him?” I well up and she offers me a tissue.

  “By loving him the way you do. Your love is healing him, helping him feel normal. Listen, I’m here if you ever want to talk, even for yourself. I’m also here to help Adam understand his feelings, and that it wasn’t a twelve-year-old boy’s responsibility to stop his uncle from committing suicide. There are many reasons why people do that, and over time I will help him understand so he can stop blaming himself. Are you going to be okay? It’s a lot to take in.”

  Wiping my eyes I manage a smile, she smiles back. “Thank you Dr. Kramer, you’ve helped me more than you realize. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “I’m glad we’ve met, and I wish you and Adam a very happy life together. It’s possible you know.” She walks me out and waves to me before she closes the door.

  There’s a small park down the street from the doctor’s home. I sit on a swing just thinking. There’s so much to take in. I had no idea how Adam had been suffering in silence all these years. Hearing her say it would’ve been easier for him to walk away than get back together makes my body explode with love for him. I look up at the sky, feeling grateful as I swing back and forth.