“Well, what are you going to do about Hailey?”
“What can I do? She’s back home by now, probably agreeing to her new job.”
“No, Josie said the meeting was tomorrow.”
“Right, she did say that.”
“Then you have to call her, you have to tell her not to take it.”
“No,” he tossed his towel on the bar.
“What do you mean no?”
Tom went over and refilled the two men’s beers.
“You can’t just let her go on thinking you were with Caroline. She’ll come back here in the spring and be so mad at you. Just like you’ve been with Caroline.”
“I’m not going to, Ash.” Tom crossed his arms with a grin.
“Well then? What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to Lansing.”
Again, a collective gasp came from the corner booth.
“First thing tomorrow.”
“Why wait?” one of the men perked.
“Yeah, you can’t leave her to cry,” the other man added.
“It’s seven already. By the time I get there, she’ll probably be asleep. Besides, I don’t even know where she lives.”
Ash slumped and leaned across the bar.
“But I do know where she works.”
Tom got up nice and early the next morning. He knew traffic would be hectic throughout the city, especially at eight on a Monday. He needed time to get ready to see her, to surprise her. It wasn’t the smartest idea to do so at her job, but he didn’t know how else to find her. He certainly wasn’t going to wait around until spring.
In a clean button up shirt and his newest pair of jeans, Tom looked himself over in the mirror. He could shave, but then he’d need to change his shirt. He messed with his hair for a minute, then brushed his teeth. Then he got into his truck and headed out.
Two hours on the road listening to everything from folk to blues to static, and Tom leaned over and shut the radio off. He could see the city clearly now, hear the hustle and the people as they started their days. Hailey seemed like she’d fit in well in the city. On his way toward the museum, Tom had passed three coffee shops and two clothing stores. One of them had a display in the window with the same sweater Hailey wore the night of the festival. Well, if it wasn’t the exact same one, at least he knew she must have bought hers there.
The Abernathy Museum was on the far side of town from where he came. He’d found directions on his phone, but about halfway through town there were signs everywhere. Tom followed the long drive that had a park on one side and a planetarium on the other, and the museum sat at the end. It was a lot bigger than he’d imagined. Hailey wanting to be the director of that place, in charge of the whole thing, well, it was overwhelming to think about. Sure, the orchard was just as impressive, but in its own way. Nothing could ever compare to the grandeur of a privately funded building brimming with culture.
It didn’t much matter, though. Tom wasn’t leaving Lansing until he told Hailey how he felt. He paid for the parking spot, went in and bought a full pass admission. It was all or nothing now.
“Excuse me,” he stopped a young woman who was typing at the front desk. “Do you know Hailey Holloway?”
“Yeah, sure,” the young woman resumed her typing, pushing her glasses up from the edge of her nose. “She’s in a meeting.”
“Already?”
“They started at seven.”
“Do you know what room?”
“Oh, you can’t go in. It’s for the board only.”
“Miss Martin, is it?” Tom read her nametag. He could use his charm one more time, right? It was all for a good reason anyway. “Maybe you can tell me what floor. I’m supposed to meet her, and I don’t want to be late.” And why not lie a little too.
The young woman looked up with a smile. “Alright. She’s on the third floor, northern wing. I think they’re breaking for lunch around eleven.”
“Thank you,” he said, leaving and heading for the stairs off to the right.
Eleven was still a couple of hours away. He wasn’t going to twiddle his thumbs and pace around until she got free. He had one idea in mind, but after running up three flights of stairs, he needed to take a breather.
“You’re not supposed to run in a museum,” a little girl said to Tom. He had just sat down on the bench next to her.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t.”
“My grandpa can kick you out for running.”
“Who’s your grandpa?”
“He’s the boss here. He’s in there now telling everyone what to do,” she pointed to a door across the hall.
“Is he?”
“Yep,” she nodded.
Tom got up and went toward the door, looking through the frosted glass for any sign of Hailey. He could make out a few people, but nothing more than their silhouettes. If he was going to go see her, he’d have to just walk right in.
“Now we have the matter of the new registrar,” a woman stated. It wasn’t Hailey, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t inside. Tom listened to the people talk. “Have you made your choice, Dr. Vorheim?”
“Yes, Madam Secretary, I’ve chosen Miss Holloway as our new registrar.”
Tom took a deep breath, then opened the door.
“Excuse me, sir, you cannot be in here. This isn’t a room for visitors,” a woman stopped him before he got too far.
“I just need to see—”
“Tom?” Hailey’s voice caught his attention.
“Hails.”
She got up from her seat and adjusted her blouse. She was in heels; he could already tell before he saw them. The table was full of people, more than he thought when trying to look through the door. Walking around to meet him, Hailey tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled.
“What are you doing here?”
“Miss Holloway, can this wait?”
“Madam Secretary, could we take a minute please?”
“I say, we’ve waited all week for you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Tom spoke up. “And don’t take the job.”
“Mr. um,” a man in a gray suit stood up.
“Porter. Tom Porter.”
“Well, Mr. Porter, it’s nice to meet you, but this meeting is for museum executives only.”
“I see. But I can’t leave until I know what Hailey wants to do.”
“You want your promotion, don’t you?” the man laughed as he asked Hailey.
“Um,” she hesitated to answer. “Dr. Vorheim, I uh…”
“Hailey,” Tom stepped closer to her, but they were still on opposite sides of the vast table. “Don’t take this job. Come back with me.”
Hailey crossed her arms and shook her head. “Tom, if you wanted me to come back, why were you with Caroline?” Hailey tried to speak quietly, but their conversation was on full display.
“She came over to give me her two cents, that’s all. Besides, she and Matt are having a baby.”
A couple of the women at the table made happy noises.
“Don’t get too excited, they aren’t the nicest people.”
Hailey bit the inside of her cheek, “And that’s all?”
“She was just leaving when you must’ve seen us. I swear, Hails, she means nothing to me anymore.”
Hailey rubbed at her arms, hesitating to say something as she opened and closed her mouth.
“I don’t really know if I want to give all this up. It’s a big decision, you know. Starting over, moving.” She had a slight shiver and it made Tom want to dive over that table and hold her tight.
“Well,” Tom took a long, deep breath. “Then I guess I need to find an apartment here in Lansing.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not leaving you, Hailey. I thought I was heartbroken when Caroline left me, but I was just angry at myself. When you said you were packing up and coming back to the city, I about fell apart.”
Again, the women at the table chi
med in with awes.
“You did?”
Tom went around the head of the table, passed the secretary who wanted to get back to the meeting, and met Hailey at the window. Dr. Vorheim took his seat, but the secretary just shook her head.
“This is time wasted, Orlo,” the secretary told Dr. Vorheim, who then hushed her.
Tom looked over Hailey there in the light from the window. Her hair and skin aglow from the morning sun, her skin blushing that perfect shade of pink. Reaching up to feel her face against his palm, Tom brushed her bangs over with his fingers.
“What do you say, Hails?”
Hailey bit her lip as she grinned. “Yeah,” she nodded. “Let’s go back.”
Tom didn’t need another word. He leaned down and kissed Hailey and it didn’t matter what sounds were made or things were said. He had Hailey in his arms, right where she belonged, and she had her hands tight on his shirt.
“Tom,” Hailey leaned back. “I have a problem though.”
“What’s that?”
“I swore I’d never live in that old house alone. I don’t want to be like her.”
“Then I guess I’ll need to come keep you company. I still have my key.”
“I expected as much,” she laughed. Nothing sounded so good as her laugh right then.
“Let’s go.”
“Dr. Vorheim, I’m so sorry, but I can’t take the job.”
“It’s no problem, Hailey. If you ever want to come back, you give me a call.”
“I will.”
Tom took hold of Hailey’s hand and led her toward the stairs.
“There’s an elevator,” she said.
“Now someone tells me.”
“Come on, Tom,” Hailey pulled him around the corner. “Let me give you a ride down.”
Hailey shoved Tom into the elevator and kissed him as she hit the button to the first floor.
When the doors closed, Tom grinned, “Maybe this city life isn’t so bad.”
* * *
[EP1]
Out of the Blue Page 15
