Chapter 3-2
1316 Words
I"d already sampled one fizzy blue drink and one glass of champagne earlier and was now standing near a portable bar cart, contemplating a third, when my sister approached. “Guess whom I ran into?” she sang in an awkward, jovial tone. “Don"t turn around. I"ll give you three chances.”
I thought I"d met everyone at the party given how often I introduced myself in the last few hours, except of course for Abby, the one person I wanted to come across. Could my luck be changing? “Ummm… The Queen? Meryl Streep?” She"s my favorite actress. A guy could dream, right? “Pink?” I had a crush on her for years, yet it was highly unlikely she"d show up for a retirement party. Now that I"d exhausted my three guesses, the silly game could end, and I could turn around.
“Wrong! It"s Maggie Roarke. You remember her, right?” Eleanor teased while hopping up and down like an overzealous Easter bunny.
The room stood still, and I was transported back a decade. Even the song playing in the background felt like I"d leaped through time and was sitting on a giant comfy couch at The Big Beanery, listening to Michael Bublé croon while Maggie and I sipped cappuccinos and ate biscotti. I hadn"t seen my best friend and former girlfriend since we"d broken up at our college graduation. “Maggie, I can"t believe I didn"t notice you earlier. You look… you look….” I wanted to say fantastic and gorgeous, but after ten years, it didn"t seem appropriate.
“I look marvelous, Kellan. It"s okay, you can say it.” Her luscious straight brown hair was pulled back across one shoulder. There was a radiant shine making her more attractive today than when we were in our early twenties. She looked confident and decisive, traits she"d always envied but struggled to find in the past. “You"re as handsome as ever.”
When I leaned in to embrace her, instinct took over. I kissed her cheek, and my body flooded with an unusual yet familiar warmth. Alabaster skin shined, and deep brown eyes peered back at me, almost making her look like a frozen statue or an elegant piece of porcelain. “I"m sorry. It was a surprise to see you. A welcome surprise.”
Eleanor chimed in, sensing she should give us a moment alone. “Oh, there"s Mom. I"ve been looking for her. I"ll be back.” As she stepped away, a quick pinch at my waist confirmed she"d planned the setup. Retaliation for my earlier comments about her crystal ball search for the future. Score one for Eleanor tonight. At least she joined the playing field.
“I agree,” Maggie replied. “You must be so excited your father is retiring. Will your mother leave next? They should travel the world after working so hard for Braxton. I"ll miss seeing them.”
Maggie and I had separated when we attended different graduate schools. We tried to maintain a friendship, but we were both secretly upset with the other for not trying to make a long-distance relationship work. We"d emailed that summer, yet once she left for Boston, all communication stopped. It suddenly occurred to me what she"d said about missing my parents. “Great seeing you, but what brings you to the party, Maggie?”
“Oh, you don"t know? I started working at Braxton this semester as the new head librarian. I moved back from Boston after the job fell into my lap. Do you remember Mrs. O"Malley?” Maggie announced it was too loud near the rest of the crowd, so we stepped to the far corner.
Mrs. O"Malley had been the head librarian for over thirty years when we"d attended Braxton—a fixture who knew everything and everyone on campus. She"d once caught Maggie and I making out behind the ancient microfiche machine and rather than scold us for getting intimate in a public place, she embarrassed us for picking the oldest piece of equipment in the building as our romantic hiding place. She told us even she had the intelligence to take Mr. Nickels, the cable car"s engineer, to the downstairs reference section where no one had ever gone. Imagine a sixty-something lovesick woman shaking her finger at two college seniors over that.
“I haven"t thought about her in forever. I guess she retired.” I wasn"t a granny chaser, but I"d felt a weird attraction to Mrs. O"Malley after she"d told us about her illicit affair.
“Last fall. I"d gotten the strangest call. We"d kept in touch over the years, and she wanted me to know about her plans to leave Braxton. Mrs. O"Malley was the primary reason I earned my advanced degrees in library studies. She invited me back to talk about the changes happening at Memorial Library, then had me meet with your father to discuss the position. Three weeks later, I gave notice to my job in Boston.”
I couldn"t believe how much Maggie had changed. Gone was the little mouse I used to know and adore. I always wondered what would"ve happened if Maggie and I had decided differently that day.
“That"s awesome. I"m thrilled and also a trifle shocked my father never mentioned it.”
“Or your mother. She and I meet for coffee when I can take a break from the library, or when she needs to get away from prospective students pressuring her for an acceptance decision.” Maggie brushed several bangs from her soft and stunning features. “You know nothing about our weekly walk from South to North Campus along Millionaire"s Mile?”
Behind the main road between campuses were larger estates where families like the Stantons, Greys, and Paddingtons lived. We had nicknamed it Millionaire"s Mile long ago, and it was a key attraction in Braxton for visitors and new students who wanted to learn about the history of the town"s wealth.
I shook my head. “I"ll find out later. Now that I know you"re back in Braxton, let"s grab a coffee. I"ll be in town for a week, maybe more.” We chatted about the last decade, and I discovered her husband had tragically died of a brain aneurysm several years ago. My heart broke for her at having to go through the devastating loss of a spouse, but it was also a moment where our connection flourished like when we"d dated in college. It was in that instant I felt a sense of security about the future, as though reestablishing a friendship with Maggie might help me move forward.
I glanced toward the hall"s entrance, where my father"s assistant dashed into the room. Even at this distance, something looked off. Lorraine"s blue dress was slightly askew, and her eyes darted erratically. She was clearly agitated and looking for someone. In the distraction, I failed to hear Maggie"s response.
“Kellan, where did you go?” Maggie tapped my shoulder. “I"d love to meet at The Big Beanery to catch up on life post-college. Emma sounds delightful.”
My gaze returned to Maggie. “We should do it. Definitely,” I countered and rattled off my cell phone number. “Do you know my father"s assistant, Lorraine?”
“Yes, such a sweet woman. I wonder if she"s retiring now that your father will leave Braxton this semester.”
It hadn"t occurred to me, nor could I remember my father saying anything. “She"s walking this way and looks quite unraveled. I hope the food"s not making people sick.”
Maggie and I turned toward the entrance and waited for her arrival. I spoke first. “Lorraine, it"s so wonderful to see you. Everything okay?”
“Your father… dead body….” Lorraine struggled to respond, then slumped to the floor.
- Writer
