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Across the street, automatic gates swung open, and a woman exited on foot. A maid, carrying a plastic bag of rags and cleaning supplies. She eyed me suspiciously, and I could see her wondering whether she should go back and tell her employers about the woman sitting in front of the neighbor’s house, staring at it. I gave her a smile and lifted my cell phone to my ear, as if I’d pulled over to take a call, then turned my attention back to the house. The one that should have stayed in our family. The one that Ron Ashton stole from us.
***
Cory’s message arrived the following morning shortly after eight. I want to meet you. How about today at four? Rocketman Coffee on Main Street?
The dryers tumbled behind me, my fingers hesitating over the keyboard. Like a song I was just beginning to learn, I let my instincts guide me. And they were telling me to take a breath. To not give him a response within seconds. Sometimes, doing nothing was the most powerful move.
I waited until almost noon. Today at four works for me! I’m looking forward to it. A flash of excitement passed through me, knowing that I’d have the advantage firmly in my pocket from the moment I entered the coffee shop.
When my shift was over, I took a shower and put on a pair of jeans that hugged my curves in all the right places. I slipped on a form-fitting tank top that lowered into a V-neck and layered a soft wrap sweater on top of it. Amelia was a surfer and a student who had fallen on hard times. I wanted to make sure I could slide into the spot she left when she didn’t show up.
***
I parked a few blocks away from Rocketman Coffee and waited in my car, giving Cory time to get there and get settled. Pulling my phone from my purse, I flipped it open and dialed Cal.
He answered on the second ring. “Hey there.”
“Can you do me a favor?”
“Always,” he said.
“In about a half hour, can you call my cell? I don’t need you to say anything or to stay on the line. I just need the phone to ring.”
He laughed. “Got a date you’re thinking of ditching?”
I watched a woman maneuver a fancy stroller down the front steps of her apartment, her toddler strapped in safely. “Something like that,” I told him. “Can you do it?”
“Sure. I’ll set an alarm so I don’t forget.”
“Thanks.”
I disconnected the call and locked the car, my heart pounding. If this didn’t work, I’d be back at the internet café, sorting through a list of men old enough to be my father. I’d be back in the minivan, driving through dark neighborhoods looking for a safe place to park at night. I took a jittery breath and let it out slowly.
I entered the coffee shop and spotted him at a back table, a large mug in front of him, already knowing what was in it. Black coffee.
I felt a surge of power, as if I was the director of a play, calling the shots, controlling the pace. I was a stranger to him, and yet I knew what he liked and didn’t like. I knew what he wanted and what he cared about.
There was a small possibility he’d remember my face from the halls of Northside High. If he did, I planned to lean into it. Confess a crush. So embarrassing!
I ordered my own cup of black coffee and carried it toward him, plastering a hopeful expression on my face as I neared his table.
“Roger?” I said, and held my breath, waiting for a flash of recognition in his eyes.
But there was none. “Sorry, no,” he said with a kind smile. Up close, the golden hazel of his eyes was framed by thick eyelashes, a faint tan line of a wetsuit around his neck.
I sank into a seat at the table next to him. “That’s embarrassing. Blind date,” I explained.
He smiled. “Same.”
“It never gets any easier, does it?”
He offered a noncommittal shrug and I let it sit, sipping my coffee, biding my time.
After about twenty minutes, he began checking his phone more frequently, looking for a missed call or text. I mirrored him, glancing between the door and my own phone on the table in front of me. At one point, I offered him an awkward smile, which he returned. I grew tense, wondering if he’d leave before Cal’s call, and tried to think of a way to keep him there. I was about to turn toward him with a comment about the weather when my phone rang.
“Hello?” I said.
“Here’s the call I promised you. I’ve got to run, but fill me in tomorrow.”
