“That’s probably very close to how it was,” Ginny mused, loading the mess from the sink into the dishwasher.
“So, guess what?” Mia changed the topic.
“Hmm?”
“Dad has a girlfriend.” Mia hopped on top of the counter, calculating how long she had before she’d be officially running late.
“Mmm-hmmm.”
“And I’m going to meet her.”
That got Ginny’s attention. “Really? When?”
“We’re going to Seattle on Friday. I’m driving down after school.” Mia pulled a loose thread on her jeans.
“That’ll be nice. Are you excited?”
“Kind of. Interested, curious. This Kris lady is apparently very important to Dad.” Mia mimicked her Dad’s tone.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, that’s what he said. He tried to do the whole ‘she’s my friend’ thing ... but I saw through that real quick.” Mia added the quotation for good measure.
“And you’ll remember to be nice? Even if you don’t take to her quick?” Ginny adjusted her glasses and pulled a bunch of tomatoes from the fridge.
“Of course! At least I’d try,” Mia amended, wondering for the first time how she’d feel if this Kris woman wasn’t what she was imagining.
“Good. You can’t go runnin’ around with bad manners.” Ginny pulled a knife from the carving block and turned the faucet on ice cold.
“But, what if I don’t like her or what if she doesn’t like me?” Mia worried.
“Honey, you are who you are … she is who she is and if your father picked her, I’m sure she’s a good person. You’ll take it as it comes, that’s all anyone can ask of you.”
Mia nodded in agreement, hoping off the counter. “I’ve gotta go to school.”
“Okay sweetness, your lunch is in the fridge.” Ginny gestured the sharp knife to the fridge.
“Thanks Ginny, see you later.” Mia kissed her quickly on the cheek, gathering her things and made her way towards the front door.
December
The drive into Seattle was easy. Mia had enjoyed the way the Jeep took the curves and rolled over the empty, winding roads. Her nerves jangled hard; she wasn’t sure how this was supposed to go. Was she supposed to hug Kris or could she just shake her hand?
As she pulled into the restaurant, she mentally steeled herself for whatever.
“Mia?” Gabe walked across the damp parking lot towards her, Mia’s eyes darted around the parking lot looking for any hint of Kris.
“Hey Dad.” Mia gave him a quick hug, looking over his shoulder.
“How was the drive? Okay?”
“Super easy. Am I late?” Mia glanced at her watch.
“No, not at all. Kris is over there.” Gabe gestured towards the sloping green canvas awning illuminated by soft spots of light bleeding from the restaurant's entry way.
Mia spotted her. She wasn’t what she had been suspecting. Beneath the awning stood an average looking blonde clutching a small leather bag nervously gnawing on her lip. Mia caught her eye and raised an arm meekly in hello.
“Ready?” Gabe linked his arm over Mia’s shoulder, guiding her towards the door of the restaurant.
“Sure.” Mia inhaled through her nose.
Soft music pooled out the door, greeting them as they walked across the sodden parking lot.
“Mia?” Kris smiled.
Mia took her in. She had thick buttery blond hair that snaked over her shoulders and heavily fringed bangs, hauntingly bright green eyes, like backlit emeralds, silky tan skin and full lips that spread into the most glorious smile. She wasn’t thin, curvy and fuller, dressed in an amethyst silk sheath that hugged and flowed in all the right places, raw stones hugged her wrists and neck and a tiny diamond glinted from her exposed lobe. Her nails were cut short and buffed to a high shine. She was manicured and feminine and pretty, but just short of beautiful. Her eyes were close set and her button nose just a tad too large for her face. She smelt like freshly cut grass, sweet and organic.
“Hi.” Mia walked over and extended her hand.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you! Thank you for coming Seattle.” Kris grasped her hand; she was warm and soft.
“No problem.” Mia hesitantly smiled.
“Shall we go in?” Gabe tugged open the door and held it while they passed through.
“This is my favorite place, the seafood is delicious ... Do you like seafood?” Kris conversationally inquired as Gabe wandered to the host’s podium to give their name.
“Sure.” Mia shrugged, feeling awkward and out of place alone with her, wishing she’d insisted Ginny came. This must be somewhere they go often, feeling for the first time that her father had a whole separate life she knew so little about. That truth smacked like an ugly secret, festering at the seams of Mia’s composure.
“Your Dad says the crab cakes are the best here, but I’m not so sure—too much cake, not enough crab. I like the salmon, or the tuna steak ... those are both really good.” Kris smiled brightly.
“Okay,” Mia shrugged indifferently.
“Our table’s ready.” Gabe made his way back to Kris and Mia, holding his hand out for Kris.
“Great,” Mia followed behind slowly, feeling slightly sick at the easy way they moved with the practiced poise of a well honed couple.
“So Mia, how was school?” Kris asked, opening the thick leather folder, letting her eyes slide down the specials.
“Good, happy it’s Friday.” Mia opened her own menu, wishing she were home in the comfort of her bed with a pizza box and a stack of movies.
“I remember that feeling.” Kris laughed, closing the menu, reaching over to brush Gabe’s arm. “Tuna steak tonight for me.” She smiled.
“How’s Bryan?” Gabe interjected, closing his menu and turning his attention to Mia.
“He’s good. Camping and hiking this weekend, so that should be fun.” Mia chewed her lip trying to decide a seafood salad or a simple lobster bisque.
“How fun!” Kris seemed genuinely enthused. “Where about’s?”
“Just the rainforest, they go there all the time.” Mia decided on her meal and placed her menu on top of the others on the table.
“Wow, it’s cold this time of year,” Gabe chimed in.
“I think that’s part of the fun, honey.” Kris smiled and winked at Mia.
The waiter wandered over, offering a bottle of wine which Gabe approved and Mia ordered a soda.
“So, I’m going on assignment over the holidays,” Kris announced, sipping on her wine.
“Really?” Gabe’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes, I was hired on to take the photos for a Best Holiday Destination piece, and they want photos from the actual holidays there.” Kris shrugged, as if it were nothing more than common sense.
“Well that’s great. Where are you going?” Gabe asked, picking at salad of leafy green and cherry tomatoes drizzled heavy with blue cheese.
“St. Kitts.” Kris spooned a little soup into her mouth, dapping the corners with a thick cloth napkin.
“That should be fun,” Mia interjected, imagining the sky blue surf and sun warmed sand.
“Have you ever been?” Kris asked, fixing her eyes on Mia.
“No, we usually do Hawaii or California, sometimes Cabo.”
“You should absolutely go sometime, it’s wonderful.” Kris smiled again and dipped a piece of crusty table bread into her soup.
Gabe and Kris dissolved into conversation and Mia watched them, the way Kris would rest her hand lightly, affectionately on Gabe’s arm when she spoke or how Gabe would casually rest his arm across the back of Kris’s chair. She noted the way Kris’s eyes would flash when she smiled, and the way her father would work hard to make that happen, as though her happiness was his reward.
“So, Mia. Your Dad has a meeting tomorrow, which shouldn’t be long, so he says, but I was thinking we’d take advantage of that and go get pedicures or manicures or, oh, maybe facials!
” She was excited, Mia could tell; it didn’t seem forced or put on for the benefit of Gabe. It was genuine anticipation.
“I’ve never had a facial,” Mia replied, glancing down at her nails. She had painstakingly painted them last night under the light of her desk lamp, the sparkly red was the latest OPI color from their holiday collection, but it looked sloppy and undone to her now under the romantic light of the resturant.
“Then facials it is! I think I have the spa menu at home somewhere, you can pick whatever you’d like—my treat.” The smile again, winning and endearing and sweet, it was hard to look into something so warm and not smile back.
“Can we go to Pikes Place?” Mia asked, remembering her list of Christmas gifts.
“Of course! Your Dad told me, Christmas shopping. We can do whatever you want, we don’t have to do the spa—” Kris began catching herself, back sliding.
“No, the spa sounds great. I just thinking in addition too, not instead of,” Mia cut her off, not wanting hurt her feelings.
“Excellent, then it’s set ... Pikes Place and the spa ... We’re going to have so much fun.” Kris reached across the table and cupped Mia’s hand in her own, squeezing it lightly.
~ * * * ~
“So, Mia, did you decide what you want?” Kris asked, munching on a pineapple slice at her white washed kitchen table.
Mia had hovered over the menu for a solid ten minutes. The description of each facial was better than the last, it was hard to decide. Honey blossom, chocolate and seaweed, and twenty-four karat gold bounced off the page, offering pure luxury and total indulgence. Catch phrases like “soothing” and “pamper” danced in her mind.
“What do you normally get?” Mia asked, looking up.
“Um, let’s see … last time I did the Chocolate Lovers, it was nice but I left smelling like a Hersey’s bar,” Kris broke into carefree laughter, her head tilting back, flashing her perfect teeth with abandon and Mia couldn’t help but laugh along. “The twenty four karat is pretty awesome, my skin was literally glistening. Can you believe they actually massage gold paste into your skin? It’s unreal, all the rage in India.”
Mia glanced down at the price and immediately disregarded the three figure facial. The cheapest on the page was a teen facial, simple and to the point—wash, scrub, mask, polish—and that was still pricey.
“Maybe the teen one?” Mia closed the pamphlet and slid it away back towards Kris.
“Are you kidding me?” Kris laughed. “Oh no way! You’re getting the twenty four karat and so am I! That teen stuff isn’t worth it and you know what? We deserve the good stuff.” She pushed her chair away reaching for the phone that sat on the counter.
Mia listened while Kris made the appointment for late in the afternoon, adding on two pedicures last minute.
“We’re all set! Why don’t you go get changed, and we can head over to Pikes?” Kris suggested, gathering the tray of fruit and depositing it back in the fridge.
Kris’s apartment was an amazing pre-war historic, with wooden ceilings and thick moldings, heavily knotted scuffed plank floors, everything was clean and soft and sparse with framed photo’s cluttering most of the white walls and built in bookcases dotted with treasures from faraway places. Kris had explained that her art was her focus, which, she reasoned, explained the lack of color elsewhere. The guest room, or Mia’s room as Kris referred to it, was small but tidy and filled with comfortable things. Kris had put a mini fridge beside her bed and stuffed it with soda and water, the bed was made up with a bright pink quilt she probably found in some secluded beach town, Mia figured. There was a phone, which Kris encouraged her to use if she needed to call anyone, a closet with extra pillows and towels. An en suite bathroom which was unexpected surprise and nicely finished with a huge claw foot soaking tub and marble surfaces of heavily veined white and grey.
Gabe had left earlier, kissing them both goodbye before slipping away to work. Kris had fixed a small breakfast of fresh fruit and muffins, laughing about her lack luster cooking abilities and apologizing.
“Okay, thanks.” Mia stood up and pushed her chair in carefully.
Kris settled back down with a thick manila folder and the portable phone, giving Mia a small wave as she padded out of the room down the long, narrow hallway towards the guest room.
Rain pelted the thin panes of old windows, the sky was smothered with thick, low clouds and Mia suddenly lost all motivation to get changed, spying the plush bed with its disheveled warm quilt and well washed flannel sheets. It was comfortable. Laying down in the warm bed, Mia reached for her cell phone, punching in Ginny’s familiar number.
“‘Ello?” Ginny’s voice burst on the line.
“Ginny, it’s Mia,”
“Oh hiya sweetness, how’s Seattle?”
“Good, not bad. We’re going to the spa today and Pikes Place, I’m going to grab us some of that jam.” Mia settled back against the pillows in the unfamiliar room, suddenly feeling homesick.
“Oh fun!” Ginny enthused over the line. “And Kris, she’s nice?”
“She’s nice,” Mia bit her lip, holding back tears that threatened, burning behind her eyes.
Hearing Ginny’s voice reminded her of home. Her bed, her things, her mother. This walk up apartment was lovely and just right, but it felt bittersweet and she longed for what was hers.
“What’s wrong honey?” Ginny voice peaked with audible concern. She was reading Mia across the line.
“I don’t know, I was fine. I was, really. I guess I just feel kind of thrown.” Mia gritted her teeth, willing herself not to cry.
“Where’s your Dad, honey?” Ginny asked.
“Working. He had a meeting, last minute I guess, I don’t know.” Mia rubbed her eyes.
“And you’re with Kris, alone?” Ginny’s voice sounded oddly judgmental, a tone she rarely used.
“Yeah.” Mia felt like a little girl again, away at sleep over camp, calling home to feel a connection.
“You’re gonna be fine, Mia, just fine. Let me guess. You’re still in your jammies, snuggled up in bed?”
“Mmm-hmm,” Mia smiled, Ginny knew her so well.
“All right, that’s the problem. You’re trapping yourself. Go get in the shower, wash your face, put on something comfortable and go shopping. You’ll feel better on neutral territory.”
“Okay … ” Mia resolved, knowing Ginny was probably very close to the truth.
“I’ll be around all day, doin’ nothing but watchin’ TV, so you call me if you need me, ‘kay sweetness?”
“Okay.”
“Good girl, now go get cleaned up and try to be optimistic, you promised me,” Ginny reminded her.
Mia hung up the phone and wandered into the bathroom, turning on the water as hot as it would go, testing it with her finger tips, she stripped off her nightshirt and bottoms and stepped into the foggy inferno. The water was soothing and healing as it ran rivers through her hair, down her back and arms and legs. She lathered and conditioned, brushed her teeth and shaved her legs. She felt better as she wrapped herself in one of the bright, overly fluffed white towels hanging on a chrome hook.
Mia slipped into a pair of worn out jeans and a soft jersey knit long sleeve shirt, pulling her damp hair back into a knot. Padding back down the hall, she found Kris sitting at the table still, putting her folder away in a worn leather messenger bag.
“You look cute.” She smiled and tucked the bag under her built in desk. “Ready to go shopping?”
“Sure.” Mia smiled, stepping into her shoes and pulling on her rain coat.
“Great.” Kris looped her arm through Mia’s and pulled her towards the door.
Kris chirped the locks on a silver Escalade in the parking garage and gestured for Mia to climb in.
“Nice car.” Mia settled into the waxy black leather seats, looking around the massive cabin.
“Thanks, it’s probably a bit much, but it was so pretty.” Kris laughed as she started it up and pulled skillfull
y out of the tight spot. “So, you probably have a lot of questions for me, huh?” Kris smiled as she flipped the wipers on, heading out onto the main street.
“Yeah, kind of,” Mia admitted.
“Okay, the floor’s yours ... ask anything you’d like.”
“How long have you been seeing my Dad?” The question slipped past Mia’s sensor before she could stop it. She’d been wondering since last night after watching their obvious comfort with each other.
“About a year, maybe a little bit longer. We were friends first.” Kris glanced over at Mia, waiting for her reaction.
“Wow,” was all Mia could say. She felt like a visitor to another planet where there was a whole other world of people she thought she knew.
“That feels weird, right?” Kris offered.
“Honestly? Yeah, it does. It’s like my Dad, the guy who lives in my house with me, who hangs out and eats dinner with me, who I should know better than anyone in this world, has this whole double life three hours away ... ” Mia looked out the window as the buildings slid past her.
“I can understand that,” Kris nodded her head, biting down on her lower lip before continuing. “But, I think it came from a place of love. I felt kind of felt the same way, you know? Here’s this guy, who I love, and he had this whole other life that I couldn’t be a part of—I mean, of course, I knew about you, and Ginny, but it was off limits to me. But, honestly, it was only to protect you. He loves you so much and he didn’t want to give you more than you could handle.”
Mia sat quietly thinking about Kris’s words. “Protecting me from what?” Mia asked
“Well, I think he didn’t want you to get tangled up in a relationship that wasn’t a sure thing.” Kris tried to explain. “I think your Dad wanted to know me first, make sure I was a good, solid person, someone you should get to know ... and also, figure out how he felt about me ... before bringing you into our relationship—before you and I could build a relationship. He doesn’t want to take people away from you.”
The Milestone Tapes Page 24
