Second Chances (98 page)

Evan stepped closer.  He was still smiling, maybe even a little more broadly now.  This was not the effect she had expected.  “First of all,” he began, “I am only going to be a student for one more semester.  Then I will graduate with a degree in business and a starting salary from my father’s company of approximately $300,000.”  Sarah’s eyes bulged slightly at the figure he quoted.  His eyes twinkled wildly.  He took another step closer.  “Second, that you are in the process of getting a divorce means that you are essentially single.  And finally, kids love me.”

Evan was very close now, but Sarah refused to give him the satisfaction of backing up.  She decided to hit him with a barb instead.  “Kids love you because you are one,” she said, hoping to hide her nervousness.  She crossed her arms over her chest.

He laughed at her.  “I may be younger than you are, but I would doubt it is by many years.”  He passed behind her to walk out the door.  He brushed against her, paused, and whispered in her ear, “You can’t be a day over twenty-five.  And if you are, your looks are a tribute to how well you take care of yourself.”  She shivered.  “See you tomorrow, Professor,” he said coyly.

Sarah was excited to see the answering machine blinking upon her return to her house.  She was certain it was Brian calling to talk to her about the funeral and ask about his class.  She had convinced herself that he was over his hurt by now.  Unfortunately, the voice on the answering machine didn’t belong to Brian.  On the bright side, it didn’t belong to Tessa either.  Jamie had returned from her semester at sea as a cell biology instructor.

Jamison Stratford had been a friend of Sarah’s all through high school.  They had gone to separate universities after graduation.  While Sarah had stayed close to home, Jamison had gone as far away as her parents would pay for.  Florida was apparently as far as they felt she could safely venture from home.  Somehow, Sarah and Jamie had managed to keep in touch through the years.  Sarah had even considered it one of the perks that they had ended up getting hired as professors at the same university.  Jamison, the adventurer, took every opportunity that came her way to try new things in both her career and personal life. 

So when word leaked out that there would be an opening for a professor to teach on board a ship for a semester while traveling the world, Jamie applied immediately.  She wowed the powers that be during her interview, and was quickly offered the position.  Jamie never settled for less than she felt she deserved, and she held herself in very high regard.  Also, Jamie had never settled down period.  She had yet to find a man who could keep up with her without holding her back.

Sarah suspected that the beauty of their friendship was that Sarah kept her grounded to an extent.  Jamie could come and visit, or offer to baby-sit, or help out in the garden for a bit.  She would get her fill of children and the domestic life and be on her way.  

Now after seven months of nothing but the briefest of post cards, Jamie had returned.  Actually, Sarah had nothing to complain about.  Jamie’s parents had called Sarah out of concern, since Jamie hadn’t even dropped them a note. 

Holding the phone in her hand, Sarah planted herself at the kitchen table.  They had some serious catching up to do.  The phone rang three times before Jamie answered.  “What?” She asked huffily.

“Is that any way to talk to your oldest and dearest friend?”  Sarah chided.

Jamie squealed.  “Oh, I’m so glad it’s you!  My mother has called five times since I walked in the door to beg me to come to dinner.  You know I’d rather inject myself with Ebola than dine with the Stratfords.”  She used her snobby voice when she said her family name.

Sarah laughed.  “Then come over here.  I won’t be serving a seven course meal, but then again you’ll be away from your phone.”  She could tell Jamie was considering it.  “It’ll be a date with our favorite men.  You know...Ben and Jerry.  Then after Chloe goes to bed I’ll whip up a pitcher of margaritas with Jose.”

“Augh!  You’re playing dirty.”  She sighed.  “And where will Josh be?”  Jamie and Josh shared a mutual dislike.

“At work, or working on Tessa, or maybe both.”

“Excuse me?”  She squealed.  “I’m intrigued.  Tell me more!”

“Nope.  You have to come and get the gossip.”  And with that Sarah hung up.  She glanced at her watch.  If she knew Jamie, and she was sure she did, then she would be here in thirty minutes.  That would give her just enough time to order a pizza, run to the store for two pints of ice cream, and stop by the liquor store to get the tequila.  She giggled.

By the time she returned, Jamie was rocking on the porch.  “Gee, I thought you’d never get back!” She exclaimed exasperatedly.

“I could be faster with a little help,” Sarah hinted.

“Coming, mother,” Jamie joked as she hopped off the porch.

“Now there’s no need to take that tone with me, young lady.”  Sarah quipped, easily settling into their normal banter.

Sarah and Jamie hugged as soon as Jamie reached the car.  Chloe looked on in wonder.  “Will I ever act like that with my friends?”  She asked as they walked into the house.

“I hope so,” Sarah commented.

“Only if you can find the right friends,” Jamie said seriously.

The wholesome part of their evening involved eating pizza on a red-checkered tablecloth laid on the floor of the living room.  Chloe loved a good picnic and Jamie hated bugs, so this was the healthy compromise.  “How can a scientist hate insects?”  Sarah had joked often.

“I like to work in a sterile environment,” Jamie would laugh. 

The entertainment portion of the evening involved watching Chloe’s choice of Disney movies.  Jamie managed to push a little for her favorite, so
Mulan
was wrapping up around Chloe’s bedtime.  “I’ll tuck her in, you work your magic with the blender,” Jamie commanded.  “Go kiss your mother,” she told Chloe, giving her a nudge in the right direction. 

Chloe shot an irritated look behind her.  She was unaccustomed to being treated so roughly.  She saw her mother was watching the exchange with a smirk and wasn’t impressed.  “Make her stop,” she whined.

“You’ll live,” Sarah whispered as she kissed her daughter and sent her up to bed.

By the time Jamie returned, Sarah had dragged out the pitcher of margaritas, the pints of ice cream, and the appropriate glassware and silverware.  They marched out onto the porch, curled up on the porch swing, simultaneously opened their pints, clinked their spoons together and dove in.

“Mmmm,” Jamie mumbled enthusiastically.  “Oh, I missed this.”

“What?  Good ice cream?”  Sarah giggled.

“No,” Jamie said seriously, “good friends.”

They ate for a few minutes in silence then repeated their ritual with the margaritas.  Sarah had the sense that Jamie was just biding her time, waiting until what she believed to be the proper moment to ask the questions she was eager to have answered.  Halfway through her pint of Phish Phood, and after downing her second margarita, she paused, gave Sarah a sideways glance and tried to ask nonchalantly, “So what’s with Josh and Tara?”  She wasn’t sure if it was a sore subject and tried to phrase her question as delicately as she could.

Sarah smiled in spite of herself.  Jamie was trying so hard.  “Her name is Tessa.”  She watched Jamie’s eyes roll and laughed.  “She’s nineteen.”

“Good Lord,” Jamie muttered.

“They work together at the restaurant.”  She took a breath and then told Jamie how she had discovered the Victoria’s Secret bag, the confrontation at Le Cafe, and the agreement they had reached.  Jamie was hanging on her every word.

“I should have stayed,” she said eagerly.

“Oh, you couldn’t have known,” Sarah said, thinking she’d sooth her friend’s regret over not having been there for her.

“No, I mean, I’m sorry I missed all of this.  Damn.”  She leaned back.

“I can’t believe you,” Sarah remarked even though she knew Jamie and wasn’t truly overly surprised by her reaction.

“So now what?”  Jamie had leaned back and was gazing at the stars reflectively.

“Who knows?”  Sarah sighed.  “On top of that I feel as though I’ve lost my best friend.”

“Oh stop being dramatic,” Jamie groaned.  “I’m right here.”

Sarah laughed.  “No, I mean Brian.”

“Brian?  Not Brian Waite!”  Jamie sat straight up in reaction to the mention of their co-worker’s name.

“Yeah.  We grew really close while you were gone.  He wanted more than I was ready or willing to give...and now he’s not speaking to me.”

“How exactly did this come about?”  Jamie queried, shocked that so much change could occur in such a short period of time in this quaint little town.

Sarah tried to explain the intricacies of her relationship with Brian.  Throughout the telling of the night she spent at the old mill, and their trip to Myrtle Beach, Jamie sat and listened in wonder.  “I just don’t know what to do anymore,” Sarah complained.  “I always knew what direction my life was taking.  I always have a plan.  I just feel lost right now.”

“Are you sure that’s not just the margaritas talking?”  Jamie asked seriously.

Now Sarah remembered why it was Brian had quickly become her best friend.  At least they could have deep meaningful conversations.  Jamie was fun, but talking to her did not necessarily guarantee the female perspective or a shoulder to cry on.  She would have to make up with Brian, but how?

When she reached her office door the next morning, she found a plastic grocery bag tied to the handle.  She took it off and set it on the desk while she organized her materials.  At last she settled in and opened the bag.  Inside was a highly polished apple with a card.  With a slight frown, she opened the envelope and glanced at the signature.  It was from Evan.

Sarah sighed.  The card itself was actually quite nice.  It was one of those blank cards with only a generic picture on the front.  Inside he had written an apology.  He claimed to have been carried away the previous day and expressed a hope that they could start over, since he had made a terrible first impression.  She leaned back in the chair and looked out the window, wishing she could see Brian waving back at her.

There was a light knock on the door.  Without waiting for her to respond, Evan had walked shyly over to her desk.  This was a change from the brazen young man he had been only the day before.  Her eyebrows rose.  “I see you found my apology,” he said sheepishly.  She nodded.  “So, um, do you accept?”

With some reservation, Sarah said quietly, “Yes.”

He smiled.  Only this time he seemed sincere.  “Then allow me to introduce myself.”  He stretched out his hand.  “I’m Evan Winters.  I frequently get carried away when I am passionate about something, and I am known for making a fool of myself, especially in front of women.”  They shook hands.  Then he raised his hand as though to swear on a Bible.  “I will try to be better behaved,” he said, looking straight ahead.  Then his eyes met hers.  “I promise.”

She smiled widely.  “Good.  Now get out of here so I can get some work done.”

He paused.  “Actually, about that...
”  Sarah waited.  “The library is too far away, and there is nowhere to study in this building.”  She sat back, imagining where this was going, but uncertain as to how she would respond.  He sighed and dropped his shoulders in defeat.  “Can I please just work in here?”

Glancing at her watch, and the pile of papers on her desk she sighed.  “You have half an hour,” she said seriously, though she felt like a smile might be trying to sneak out at the side of her lips.

Evan saw it.  Inside he glowed.  He’d never had a Mrs. Robinson.  This could be interesting.  He pulled a book out of his bag, leaned back in the chair, and began reading for his class feeling smug.

The day passed quickly enough.  Again, Brian’s directions left little need for interpretation.  The students were well mannered, especially Evan.  They gladly left when she finished the lesson early and rushed off to do whatever it was they would rather be doing.  Again Evan lingered behind. 

“I’ll drop Professor Waite a note on your behalf.  Come to class a little early, or better yet, go to his office before class to get his approval to register properly,” she suggested.

“Thank you, Professor White,” he said with a smile, and shook her hand.  “I’m sorry I won’t have an excuse to get to know you better,” he added.

“Yeah, you were really beginning to grow on me,” she said sarcastically.

He shook his head.  “And just when I thought I was starting to win you over.” 

Sarah ignored the comment, and concentrated on organizing the materials for Brian.  When she looked up again, Evan was gone and she suffered a pang of regret.  Maybe she should have been nicer to him.  On the other hand, that might just have encouraged him.

She didn’t have time to trouble herself with that at the moment.  During lunch she had called Mr. Waite to find out what time Brian had left and get an estimated time of arrival.  Sarah was not going to wait for him to forgive her.  She didn’t have time for him to come around and see things from her point of view.  She needed desperately for him to be her friend, and she was going to be there waiting for him to arrive tonight.

Josh had reluctantly agreed to stay home with Chloe.  It was his night off, so it wasn’t as though it interfered with his work schedule.  For him it was simply a matter of inconvenience.  He would rather be out with Tessa, or in under the covers with Tessa.  She wasn’t sure which.  Regardless, she had a plan.

With Mr. Waite’s assistance, she had contacted Brian’s landlord so that he could let her into Brian’s apartment.  She would be meeting the man...she glanced at her watch, nuts, in twenty minutes.  Sarah was going to cook for Brian, clean, and do whatever else it took to get his attention and forgiveness.

By seven Sarah had finished making dinner.  She was folding the last load of laundry and had laid it neatly on his bed when Brian walked in and nearly frightened her to death.  She jumped and inhaled sharply.  “You scared me!”

He was scowling.  “You’re scared?  You should be.  You’re also trespassing.”

“Not exactly,” she said quietly.  “Your landlord let me in.”  She looked at the floor nervously.

Brian slumped down in a chair at the table Sarah had so meticulously set.  He glanced at the food she had prepared and the candles she was currently lighting.  “What are you doing here?”  He asked weakly, too tired to fight.

Sarah dropped to one knee in front of him and clasped her hands together.  “I’m begging you, please be my friend again.”  She looked sad, a little nervous, and very silly.

He sighed.  “Get up.”  She remained at his feet.  He grabbed her hands.  “Get up,” he said irritably, as he pulled her to a standing position.

Eyes watering slightly, and face turning pink, Sarah said quietly, “I put all of the papers from your class on the counter.”  She pointed to the kitchen.  “And I did all of your laundry so you wouldn’t have to when you came home.  I thought you’d be tired.  And,” she said pulling the lid off the serving dish on the table, “your father said this was your favorite.”  The smell of Coq au Vin wafted to his nose.  Sarah thought he might be melting.  She stood there patiently, waiting for a reaction, some sort of response.

Suddenly, Brian looked overwhelmingly sad.  His eyes watered, his face flushed, he put his head in his hands and leaned over.  “Hey,” she said in surprise.  She gathered him into her arms and hugged him, held him, rubbed his neck, and spoke soft words meant to soothe.  After several minutes he stopped crying.

“I have wanted to call you so many times since I dropped you off at the airport,” he began quietly.  “I missed you, Sarah.  I wanted to apologize for my behavior.  You don’t have anything to be sorry for.  It’s all me.”  He rubbed at his eyes and sniffled a bit.  “Ugh,” he murmured.  “I’m not usually like this.  It’s just...”

“You’ve been through a lot lately,” Sarah crooned.  “I understand.  I just want us to be better again.  Can we be?”

He nodded.  Then he looked over at the table again.  “You cooked enough to feed ten people,” he said.  “Please tell me you’re staying.”

“As long as you want,” she said beaming.

A sly look crossed Brian’s face.  “Really?”

After dinner, they sat in the living room and talked.  Brian told her all about the funeral and how everyone kept asking about her.  “And my father must really like you,” he said.

“Why is that?”  Sarah queried.

Brian laughed.  “He knows how private I am.  He must really want us to mend our relationship if he’s willing to help you get in without a key.”

Sarah leaned back in Brian’s arms.  They were quiet for a while.  Neither one of them had been more relaxed in days.  They had grown accustomed to being together, the sense of camaraderie, the lively discussions, and the closeness.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight,” Brian mumbled.  “I don’t suppose you’d consider staying?”  He had this hopeful look in his stormy eyes, yet he still obviously feared rejection.

Sarah looked up at him and studied his face.  “I don’t have any clothes,” she complained. 

“We can wash the ones you have on.”  He pulled her close.

“Oh, that won’t be too obvious when I come in wearing the same outfit two days in a row.”  She had a grumpy look on her face.

“No one will notice.”  He was desperate.

“Ha!” She exclaimed.  “Evan will.”

“Evan?”  He was suddenly concerned.  How much could change in two days?

“Oh, you’ll see tomorrow.”  She rested her head on his shoulder once more.

He laid his head on hers.  “So, it’s settled?  Or do you have any more objections that I need to shoot down?”

Sarah shook her head.  “I surrender.”

He gave her a hug.  “Good.  Then let’s get you out of these clothes.”