Part 9 (2/2)
GM and I worked on dinner after that, and before long, I was running up the stairs to get ready myself.
I changed my clothes quickly and pulled a brush through my hair. Then I stood before the mirror surveying my reflection.
I was starting to get nervous now, and I ordered myself to be calm.
I really wanted this evening to go well.
As I turned away from the mirror, I thought I saw a flutter of movement out of the corner of my eye.
I turned back quickly and searched the mirror, but there was nothing in it that shouldn't have been there.
I turned away again, but as I did so, I got the strangest feeling that someone in the mirror had turned away also.
I resisted the urge to look at the mirror again and shrugged off the feeling-surely it was just my nerves getting the better of me. Or was it just nerves? A horrible thought occurred to me, and I resolved to ask William about it.
I hurried downstairs.
I found GM in our seldom-used dining room, lighting candles. The table was set and all the food was out-GM had made a few extra dishes that she hadn't told me about.
”It looks beautiful, GM,” I said.
”I used to do a lot of entertaining once,” GM murmured, almost more to herself than to me. ”I gave a lot of big parties. I know how to turn out a good table.”
I was caught by the tone of her voice-it was faraway, even wistful. I was on the verge of asking her a question when there was a knock at the front door.
I glanced at GM nervously.
”You will give William a chance, won't you?”
”Of course I will give him a chance. I've done all this, haven't I?” She waved a hand at me. ”Now, go. Say h.e.l.lo to your young man.”
I hurried to the door and opened it.
William gave me his crooked smile.
I stood for a moment just looking at him-I had a strong desire to throw my arms around him, but I figured that really wouldn't help my case with GM.
GM walked up behind me.
Suddenly I felt strangely shy.
”Katie, aren't you going to invite your friend in?” GM said.
”Won't you come in?” I said to William.
”Thanks.” He stepped in, and there was a bottle in his hand.
GM glanced disapprovingly at the bottle-I imagined she thought he was sixteen as I was. I supposed I should have warned him not to bring something like a bottle of wine.
”GM, you remember William Sursur from Russia,” I said.
”Yes, I remember him,” GM replied shortly.
”It's good to see you again, Mrs. Rost,” William said. He held the bottle out. ”This is for you.”
GM accepted the bottle and glanced at the label. The corner of her mouth quirked up.
”Sparkling apple juice. Thank you.”
The three of us went into the dining room. William held GM's chair out for her. Then he did the same for me. GM seemed amused.
William sat down, too, and we started on dinner.
”So, William,” GM said, ”do you attend school with my granddaughter?”
”No, I don't.”
GM seemed surprised. ”Where do you go to school, then?”
”I don't go to school,” William replied simply.
GM shot me a disapproving glance. ”I see. What do your parents think about that?”
”My parents are no longer with us.”
I glanced at William sharply. GM, no doubt, would a.s.sume from that that William's parents were dead-I wondered, though, if he actually knew anything about them. It seemed to me that William might not know where, or even who, they were.
But I could hardly question him about that in front of GM.
GM herself seemed momentarily stunned by William's reply and something like sympathy flickered in her eyes.
She soon shook off the emotion and returned to her questioning.
”Do you work?” GM asked.
”Yes.”
”What do you do?”
”I work freelance. I'm a software engineer.”
”You are quite young to have a job like that.”
”A lot of computer geniuses started young.”
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