Blessed Twice Page 5

  “You guys!” I admonished, rushing past the thankfully few people in the hallway to contain the humiliation. Too late. Several of my associates opened their doors to get a gander at their newly over-the-hill colleague. Thirty-nine, gadzooks! After a few more half-hearted birthday wishes, I finally reached the offending duo.

  They stooped to wrap me into a group hug, smiling widely, no doubt tickled that they’d managed to embarrass me.

  I turned to unlock my door and minimize their exposure to my colleagues when Quinn called out, “Hi, M. How ya doing? Long time no see.”

  “Hello, Quinn,” M spoke from her distant point at the end of the hallway. Had I passed by her without even noticing? No, she must have just arrived. I hoped even the sight of two beautiful giants with birthday treats wouldn’t have districted me to the point of walking right by her. “Hi, Jessie,” she greeted, advancing cautiously toward us.

  “Hey there, M,” Jessie offered in her usual friendly fashion.

  M shifted her attention to me, glancing briefly at the balloons and other goodies in my friends’ hands. “We can do this another time. I didn’t realize it was your birthday.” Decked out in a tailored pantsuit, she looked both poised and ridiculously uncomfortable to be standing here with us. Unlike at the department meeting, her light brown hair was moussed or pasted into a style that perfectly complimented her beautiful triangular face. At the meeting, she’d let the three to four inch strands lie flat on her head without any product. The eyeliner and dusting of foundation had also been absent as had the small gold hoops she wore in her earlobes. I’d been too shocked by her outgoing behavior in class to notice any difference last week, but I found it interesting that she dressed and wore her hair differently in class than for department functions. Where she’d looked overtly androgynous in the meeting, her femininity was entirely present today, taunting me again with its allure. Today, however, I was no longer certain about her sexuality. She didn’t seem to have the comfort level one would normally enjoy when among like-kind people.

  Curiosity compelled me to find out how they all knew each other, but before I could ask, Jessie offered, “You haven’t been at the gym in a while. Been busy?”

  “Always.” She didn’t meet Jessie’s gaze. So, it wasn’t just me that caused her shyness. Good to know. “I’ll come back tomorrow?” She directed her question to the two taped birthday cards on my door. Javier and Alexa strike again.

  “No, stay, please,” I implored, hoping to use her as the lever to pry these two from my office. Hastily, I reached back to grab her elbow, but it wasn’t where I’d grabbed for it. She now stood two steps to the right, waiting to follow Quinn inside as soon as I opened the door. Well, at least she wasn’t going to bolt on me.

  “Didn’t think you’d make it through the day without a birthday wish from your friends, did you?” Jessie goaded. The relaxed tone that I’d heard on the phone when I’d called to welcome her back from her honeymoon was so apparent on her face today.

  “I was hoping,” I muttered and slung my laptop case onto the cluttered desk where stacks of research and copies of proposals reached to nearly my height. This was the reason M and I were meeting today.

  “C’mon, Bri, since this is the last birthday we’ll be able to acknowledge truthfully, we couldn’t let it slip by. Willa made me promise no more birthdays after thirty-nine. For the big 4-0 this year, we draped everything in black to have a somber little event. That really chapped her.” Quinn spoke fondly of her partner. I’d been out of town, giving me the perfect excuse to miss the party.

  Now, I almost wished I’d been there.

  A soft laugh turned my attention back to the open doorway.

  M hadn’t tried to crowd into the office with us. The full smile she wore said that she also knew Willa, which made at least three of the group that she knew. Interesting that we’d never been introduced seeing as we both worked at the university.

  “Thanks for giving me up.” I feigned annoyance at Quinn. I didn’t really care if anyone knew my age, but it might help deter them from their course.

  “Oops.” Quinn clapped a hand over her mouth and winked a blue eye at M. A faint tinge of pink painted M’s cheekbones before she seemed to will it away.

  “This is so nice of you guys.” I brought their attention back to expedite their departure.

  “We want to take you to dinner if you’re free,” Jessie said.

  “Lauren and Will can meet us there.”

  “If not, we’re having a dinner party in your honor this Sunday,” Quinn squelched my hope of deterring their intent. I could beg off an impulsive dinner invitation, but their Sunday dinners were a constant. If I didn’t make it this Sunday, she’d do it another Sunday.

  “Really, it’s not necessary.”

  “We know, but we’re doing it anyway. What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t cause you at least some heartburn?” Jessie joked.

  The kind that I’d want to spend my birthday with? Only I couldn’t voice such a snide retort. As much time as I’d spent with them over this past year, they still didn’t know I had a dark, snarky side.

  I found that few could actually handle it without eventually being offended. “Indeed, what kind would you be?”

  “So?” Quinn persisted, fastening the balloons to my chair.

  “I’ve got plans tonight, but thank you.”

  “Sunday, then. What time, Quinn, seven?” Jessie said with finality.

  “Seven, my house.” Quinn sealed my birthday celebration fate.

  “Fine,” I sighed, hoping that I just looked like I was acting bothered.

  They studied me for a moment then took in M’s position in the doorway. “We don’t want to interrupt your workday. Happy birthday, Bri.” Quinn leaned down to enfold me in a hug.

  “You’re different,” Jessie whispered when it was her turn to hug me. “Something about you has changed.” I couldn’t stop the jolt of surprise. Once again, she’d spotted a truth about me almost before I had. The last time, she’d saved us both from a catastrophic attempt at sex before I was anywhere near ready. She’d recognized it and nobly not taken advantage of my vulnerability. For that, I’d always be grateful.

  “I’m glad, Briony.” She nodded sagely when she pulled back.

  “Really glad.”

  I didn’t have a chance to thank her before she and Quinn shuffled out the door, not that I would have been able to without tears. She recognized that I was finally ready to move on after she’d been the only one to understand when I couldn’t before.

  “We’d love it if you could join us Sunday, M,” Quinn offered to the now unseen woman.

  From somewhere in the hallway, I heard M respond, “Kind of you to include me, but I can’t make it. Thank you, though.” The expected response strangely disappointed me. I would have liked to see M interact with that boisterous group.

  “Another time,” Jessie insisted, studying the still out of view woman. “Hope to see you at the gym soon.” With that, they both made their exit, having effectively done their job of embarrassing me on a day that used to be a quiet celebration for Meg, Caleb, and me.

  I waited several moments for my expected visitor to resurface.

  When she didn’t appear in the doorway, I crossed over to the opening and nearly mowed her down. As I was bringing my hands up to stop the expected impact, she jerked back as if we’d collided.

  “Sorry,” I offered because her stance from four steps away told me I’d given her a fright.

  “My fault.” She glanced over at Jessie and Quinn’s disappearing forms like she was expecting them to come loping back to see what happened.

  “Please, come in.” I stepped back into the cubicle-sized office and pointed to one of the chairs.

  She cautiously entered and took the offered seat, sliding it back a bit for a better position at the L-shaped desk. Her eyes landed on every stack of work we were facing then bounced around to take in the remaining items in my office. She didn’t se
em as daunted as I was by the task at hand. Well, good, because I could use a calming influence to settle my own concern over the amount of work left to be done.

  “Happy birthday,” M said softly, her eyes taking in the champagne, cupcakes, and flowers then swinging up to look at the colorful balloons.

  “Thank you.” I gave a breathy laugh at the unexpected but not unpleasant surprise that my friends had managed.

  “I can make it after class tomorrow instead?” She gestured at the stacks.

  “Oh, no, that’s okay. I don’t like a fuss.”

  “You told them you had plans.”

  “Hmm?” I thought back to what I’d said. “Oh, I was trying to—” I cut myself off, realizing that M knew them and might be offended if I told her I’d blown them off. “Just my usual plans,” I finished weakly.

  A familiar ring on my cell phone interrupted us. Caleb didn’t call when I was working unless he needed something. I hated to be rude, but it would be a couple of hours before I could call him back if I didn’t take the call now. “Do you mind if I take this?”

  “Please.” She brushed her hand toward my bag where the cell phone issued its second ring. She shifted her chair back and started to get up.

  I reached out to stop her, but once again, her arm wasn’t where I’d aimed. “You don’t need to leave.” I grabbed my phone and flipped it open. “Hi, handsome.” My greeting brought on a slight tightening of M’s brow before she ignored my assurance and stepped outside.

  “Hi, Mom. Happy birthday,” Caleb sang through the open line.

  “Thanks, but you already said that this morning at breakfast.” I let a little suspicion filter through.

  “I kinda called for something else, but it’s your birthday.” I knew him too well. “What’s up?”

  “Hank invited me to Kings Dominion as soon as school lets out. Can I go?”

  This was also something I was just getting used to. He was now old enough to go places when he hung out with friends instead of just sticking around their houses. An amusement park with only Hank’s elderly grandmother as chaperone seemed a little precarious. “Let me talk to Lucille about it, and we’ll see.”

  “That’s the thing,” he started. “Mrs. Stewart wants you to come along with us. She thinks it would be better if there were four of us.”

  That made me feel better about letting him go. “Sure, sounds fun.”

  “Way cool! Thanks, Mom, and can we go out to eat for your birthday?”

  “Sure, we can. Make sure Holly remembers I’m going to be an hour later than usual this evening. We’ll figure out where to eat when I get home, ‘kay?”

  “Yeppers,” he confirmed and clicked off.

  Once I’d shut off my phone and stored it, I realized that I’d lost my visitor again. “M?” When she didn’t immediately reappear, I went to the doorway. She was standing on the other end of the hallway, well out of earshot of my phone call. “Ready to start?”

  “Yes.” She strode toward me with the same confidence I’d seen in her classroom. A door banged open and two associate professors spilled out of an office, laughing. The sudden appearance of others in the deserted hallway changed M’s stride.

  So much so that the two men didn’t even notice her as they crossed paths. Almost as if she pulled her entire energy source from her personal space and shrunk into herself to become invisible.

  It wasn’t until she dropped back into the open chair that she spoke again. “I hope nothing happened to your birthday plans.”

  “Oh, no. It was something else. I apologize for the interruption. I don’t usually take calls in the middle of meetings.”

  “It’s okay.” She grabbed the pile of proposals in front of her and handed half to me, obviously eager to get to work.

  “How about a birthday cupcake to fortify us?” I grabbed the plate of cupcakes I assumed Caroline had baked for me. She could do illegal things with flour, eggs, and sugar.

  “Oh, I couldn’t,” M declined with a polite smile.

  “Sure you could, Madeline,” I goaded. “Melisande? Muriel?” No response. Strike three more options from the list. “I shouldn’t have to eat alone on my birthday.” The guilt card almost always worked, and the flash of smile told me it wouldn’t fail this time either. I handed over the plate, and she plucked one of the chocolate treats for herself. “My friend Caroline is a world class baker as you’re about to find out. I’ll have to make sure you get your own supply of cupcakes on your birthday.”

  “Oh, um…” She shook her head and waved off a reply.

  “C’mon, you know mine, when’s yours?” I prodded.

  A frown knitted her forehead, clearly perplexed by my persistence. Well, she didn’t know me very well. She’d better get used to persistence. “I don’t have one.” Now, that’s a first. “You mean you don’t celebrate yours, or you don’t care for them? I was never wild about mine either, but now you know it. So, cough it up.”

  “I don’t have one,” she repeated, taking a small bite from what I knew would be a delicious cupcake.

  As her word choice settled in, I backtracked, “Oh, is it a religious thing?” I seemed to remember that some religion didn’t acknowledge birthdays.

  She chewed pensively, the quiet building to an uproar. “No, I just don’t know when it is.” The soft admission stunned me. Only two reasons why came to mind. I didn’t like either, not for this woman. My worried expression prompted her to offer more. “I was left on a church doorstep when I was a baby. No local birth record and no missing person’s report. I know I’m thirty-seven, give or take six months, but that’s all I know about where and when I was born.”

  “Oh my.” The information snatched the breath from my lungs. I knew there were others with a similar background, but that knowledge didn’t lessen the effect.

  “So, no birthday,” she rushed to cover the tension.

  Instinctively, I knew she hadn’t shared that with anyone in a long time, if ever. A small grin appeared before she said, “At least I don’t have to worry about people trying to embarrass me on my birthday.”

  A burst of laughter slipped from my mouth. Her tease felt good. Really good. Maybe she was loosening up a bit. I could get used to that.

  Chapter 9

  On the last day of break before summer classes began, Caleb and I headed over to his best friend’s house. Today was the big amusement park day. I was almost as excited as he was. It’d been years since I’d been on a rollercoaster. I knew I’d mostly be keeping Lucille company and making sure the boys didn’t run her ragged, but I expected to get on a few screamers before the end of the day.

  Most of my time off this week had been spent with Caleb whose own summer break had started three days ago. Because I now had work to deal with, he’d been given a choice for his summer. He could stick around to hang out with friends and have our part-time sitter, Holly, go full-time for the summer while I worked, or he could think about summer camp. He chose the latter, spurred on by two of his cousins who would be going as well. Unfortunately, it was a sleep-away camp in Vermont, and my heart clenched at the idea of him being gone for six weeks. He was too young for that, but my parents along with Meg’s parents and sisters would alternate taking him on the weekends. He’d be so busy being the treasured guest of every household and playing with his cousins at camp that he probably wouldn’t even notice I wasn’t around. I tried not to dwell on that.

  As I shut off the engine in Lucille’s driveway, the front door burst open and Hank stepped out onto the porch. His bespectacled face beneath a mishmash of brown curly hair smiled widely at us. “Hi,” he boomed out as we approached. He wore the standard kid uniform of shorts and a wrinkled t-shirt. Caleb had on the same thing.

  “Hi, Hank.” I tapped my fist against his. Caleb told me this was the preferred greeting from now on, or until they decided on a different greeting, probably next week.

  “I can’t wait to get there.” Caleb followed his friend inside, leaving me to shut the doo
r.

  “Hello?” I called out, not wanting to startle Lucille if she hadn’t heard our car drive up.

  “In here, Briony.” Lucille’s voice wavered uncharacteristically.

  I walked through the house into the family room and found her propped up in a reclining chair. Her face looked pale, the shiny cap of white hair a bit dull. “Are you feeling all right, Lucille?” I rushed to her side.

  “A touch of the flu bug, I’m afraid.” She moved to get up, but I pressed my hand to her shoulder. “I don’t think I’m up to an outing today.”

  “Of course not. I could take the boys on my own, or we can wait for a day you feel up to it.” I felt disappointed that she wouldn’t be there to keep me company. The boys tended to speak in abbreviations that only they could decipher.

  Worry etched her face, which was understandable. Lucille had been Hank’s legal guardian for four years since his mother’s neglect had brought him to her. She always had a finger on where he was and what he was doing. “I had something else in mind.” Before she could tell me more, a voice called out from the mudroom beside the kitchen. “Okay, I replaced the hinge on the shed door, checked your brakes, and took down that failing limb on the dogwood near the back fence. What was the other thing you needed me to do, Luce?” Two thumps sounded as the person dropped her shoes by the back door before she proceeded into the kitchen.

  My mind was just clicking the voice into place as M appeared, more relaxed than I’d ever seen in the weeks we’d been working together. When she caught sight of me, she snapped into perfect posture, a shield of armor now in place. The look on her face probably mirrored the surprise I showed on mine.

  “M, dear, come meet a friend of mine.” Lucille held a hand out to her. “This is Briony Gatewood.”

  “Yes, we’ve met,” M stopped her as she took one cautious step toward Lucille. “Briony’s the other professor assigned to the venture project with me.”