Part 21 (2/2)

Chris, getting no response from Lynn, quickly walked to the bedroom and slammed the door. She again paced across the floor. She needed a response. She needed it now. She opened the bedroom door and started down the hall when she heard Lynn on the phone.

”Yes, Peter Hadley, please* Lynn Gregory.” Lynn was speaking quietly. ”Peter, Lynn. I just had a visit from Chris Newman* the tuition I paid out* yes. Peter, how did those funds get sent on a company check accompanied by instructions on letterhead?” Lynn paused and lit a cigarette, listening for a moment before raising her voice, ”Always a cas.h.i.+er's check, Peter, always a cas.h.i.+er's check, and my G.o.d, Peter, letterhead?” She paused again, Listening, and continued, ”If she's s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up my account, she's got to be s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up other clients' accounts. Fire her, Peter. I mean it, fire her a.s.s, before we lose a really big account over it.”

Listening again, she replied, ”I'm really happy to know that you can still see that I can be a coldhearted b.i.t.c.h. See what this business does to me?”

Lynn ran her fingers through her hair, then covered her face and started again calmly. ”Look, what's done is done. Before I forget, that check for Miguel's hospital bills just wasn't enough. Send another five thousand, would you? And Peter*no company check!” Lynn slammed down the phone and turned to find Chris standing there.

”I thought that Matt didn't like you to smoke in the house,” Chris remarked.

”It's my house, I'll do what I want,” Lynn said, the ice crystals forming on every syllable. Then, seeing the look on Chris's face, she clarified her statement. ”Yes, this is my house. I own it, and the cafe.”

It had never occurred to Chris that Lynn might own the house. ”And Matt?” she inquired.

”He needed a place to stay. I liked the company, so he moved in,” Lynn explained coldly.

Chris nodded in bewilderment. She was having a hard time processing all these new revelations.

Lynn looked Chris straight in the eye. ”Look, I'm sorry that you could even consider that this was a game for me, or that I would try and buy you like that.” Lynn broke eye contact and lowered her gaze to the ground. ”I'm sorry if you ever felt pressured to*” She paused for a second, and continued, ”I'm sorry if I've made unwelcome advances. I thought something was happening between us.”

Chris crossed her arms against her chest. ”I'm not a lesbian, Lynn!” she stated loudly.

Lynn felt the blade turn in her heart. ”I really apologize. Your little charade is almost over. I'll just stay out of your way until you leave.” With that, Lynn took her keys from the table and walked out, closing the door, and their relations.h.i.+p, softly behind her.

Chris changed into her running gear and began jogging through the soft sand toward the harder surface. She started out slowly, letting the cool breeze blow through her hair, watching the people taking advantage of the longer days. She saw the families, with their blankets stretched out, their children building castles from the sand. She watched as young men played a game of football. She stared as she pa.s.sed a couple of women, arms interlocked. She quickened her pace, and before long she was at a full run. She ran at foil speed until she doubled over with pain in her side. Her knees collapsing into the sand, she felt the tears running down her face. It didn't matter how fast she had run, she could not run away from her feelings for Lynn. She sat down on the gritty surface and covered her face with her hands. What had she done? Did she really mean those things that had spouted from her own mouth? She had pushed Lynn away so hard. Now she was gone.

Chris sat in the sand, watching the sun as it shone a brilliant red, then began disappearing into the sea. She felt like the setting of the sun closely correlated with the last week. She had seen the brilliant red*then saw it disappear before her eyes. Standing, she began jogging back, not really caring that it was probably past the time they were supposed to meet Matt's parents.

Lynn wandered into Matt's shop and leaned against the hood of the car that he was repairing. Matt looked up to find eyes hill of pain.

”Hey, are you all right?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

”It's over between me and Chris.”

”I tried to warn you. You didn't answer the phone.”

”I guess I didn't hear it. So she came here first?”

Matt nodded. ”I tried to explain. She just wouldn't listen.”

Lynn shrugged. ”Yeah, she wouldn't listen to me either.”

”What did you say to her?” Matt asked.

”It doesn't matter. She had a right to be angry. I should have told her,” Lynn mumbled as she stared off into s.p.a.ce.

”Just let her cool off, then you two can talk it out.”

Lynn shook her head. ”No, too many things were said. It's time for me to bow out.”

”Bow out? You mean you're giving up?” Matt asked in disbelief.

Lynn nodded, then turned to Matt. ”I'm through messing with her life, Matt. She's frustrated, I'm frustrated. I can't deal with it anymore.”

”Wow. Stupid me, I thought you were actually in love with her.” Matt acted disgusted as he cleaned off his hands.

Lynn felt the tears well up in her eyes. ”I do love her. That's why I have to walk away.”

”Lynn.” Matt took Lynn's face in his hands and looked into her eyes. ”She's in love with you, too, she's just fighting it.”

Lynn backed away from her friend. ”No more fighting, no more hurting, no more* love.”

Reaching the edge of the building, Lynn stopped and ran her fingers through her hair. ”I won't be around for a while, but if you need me, you know where you can find me.”

Chris slowed her pace to a walk as she approached the house. Matt was dressed for the evening and was leaning against the railing watching her approach.

”She's gone,” Chris said, not raising her eyes as she climbed the stairs.

”I know. Isn't that what you wanted?” Matt asked softly, still staring into the fading light.

”I don't know what I wanted,” Chris replied.

Matt nodded, took a swig from his bottle, and looked back toward the water.

”Is that all you're going to say?” Chris asked, wanting some kind of rea.s.surance that everything would be okay.

Matt turned around, leaned back onto the railing, and shrugged. ”What would you like me to say? ” Matt paused, shook his head, and slid open the door, stopping only to say, ”I called to tell my parents that we were running late. They're expecting us at seven.”

Matt turned over the ignition as Chris slid into the car next to him. She reached over and pulled the door shut and remembered fondly how Lynn had always opened the door for her. She had tried to push the day's events back in her mind during her shower. Unfortunately, just having this one memory made her eyes fill with tears.

”Oh G.o.d, Chris, please tell me that you're not going to be like this all night!” Matt groaned.

Chris sighed. ”Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm sure the concert will take my mind off of it.”

Matt laughed. ”You do remember that we're going to a cla.s.sical music concert, right?”

”Yeah. I like cla.s.sical music. I just hope it's mostly upbeat.” Chris paused, then began again, ”Matt* about Lynn*”

Matt cut her off sharply. ”Chris, I don't want to hear one more word about it, not tonight, maybe ever. Okay?”

Chris nodded and dried her eyes.

Although Chris found it unbelievably difficult, she was able to make small talk all through dinner. At least the dinner conversation kept her mind occupied; the concert did not. During the first hour, no matter how hard she tried, Chris could not keep her mind from wandering. She relived the past two weeks, then the events of that day. By intermission, Chris was sitting on the edge of her seat. As the lights were turned up, she immediately excused herself to use the bathroom.

Chris rushed to the pay phone, tore open the phone directory, and searched frantically for the number for the bar. Locating it, she dialed* one ring* two rings* three rings* come on, come on.

Someone answered, ”Rainbow Room,” the voice yelled over the music in the background.

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