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6
MATT
Ican feel her withdraw when the subject of work comes up. It’s like the lights in the room dim. As much as I want to know more about her, I don’t want to learn it at the expense of her comfort.
I give Annie the ‘that’s enough’ look that she’s given me plenty of times over the years to reinforce the fact that it would be better to talk about something else, but it doesn’t work. Instead, it seems to spur her innate curiosity because she tries to start in on more questions.
“Annie, she’s had a tough day, and I’m starving. If we keep interrogating her, Al’s going to eat the rest of the lasagna, and I won’t be able to get seconds.” Al freezes with a forkful of food halfway to his mouth.
Annie’s watching the three of us, but especially Lenore. I know she’s making assumptions that I’d prefer to avoid, but I don’t know how to discourage her from thinking something that I can’t even wrap my mind around. I’ve known this woman for a day. It’s too early to start labeling things. I know that she intrigues me, I’m attracted to her, and I feel a deep-seated urge to protect her from all the shit getting thrown her way.
“When’s your mom coming over for dinner?” It’s a peace offering from Annie and a U-turn in conversation. “We haven’t seen her in ages.”
We struggled financially after losing my dad in a car accident when I was ten. Mom took any job that paid a decent wage, sometimes working two or three at a time. When I was fourteen, I started working with a local dealership doing odd jobs for cash on the side until they could legally hire me. The extra income helped keep us afloat. My dad had been a mechanic too, and in a way, it helped me deal with his loss. The constant tinkering and fixing things kept my mind busy.
Once I graduated from high school and enrolled in the local trade school, she sold our big house up the street from Al and Annie’s, and we lived in their basement for a while. She knew I planned on opening a garage and wanted to give me all the money from the sale of the house to get started. I insisted she keep part of it for herself and took the rest on as an open-ended loan.
Between that initial nest egg and the profits she now shares as a part-owner, she spends a lot of her time traveling with a local gaggle of ladies she met through one of her support groups and doing other things she enjoys, like photography. Lately, she’s connected with some travel magazines and has worked for them along with the other random advertising and marketing campaigns she shoots for.
Making sure Mom’s ok is part of the reason I work so hard now; I want to be able to help her like she helped me. Getting the shop, and by extension, us into a financially stable position has occupied my every waking hour for the last twelve years.
Currently, she’s hanging out at a basecamp somewhere in Canada, hoping to get some good pictures of the northern lights.
“I think they’re coming home next week. They’ve had bad reception at their campsite, so she hasn’t been able to give me any updates lately.” I make a mental note to clean up the guest room she uses for her brief stints in Wisconsin. For the last couple of years, it’s felt more like she comes for frequent visits instead of living here full-time.
“Well, tell her she has to come by. I want to see pictures from the trip.”
“Will do.” I shovel another load of lasagna into my mouth. After working through lunch and having breakfast at the crack of dawn, I was starving. If Lenore got jittery again, I’d take a to-go plate and get her home, but I rarely passed up a chance at Annie’s lasagna.
“I have an idea, Matt.”
Here it comes. Annie sets her fork carefully on the side of her plate and folds her hands in front of her, elbows propped on the table. She’s always full of plans and schemes that she usually wants my help with. Typically, I’m happy to oblige, as long as they don’t directly involve me.
“I gather from your not-so-subtle redirect and dear Lenore’s reaction to talking about work that something has happened that may have put her in a difficult situation?”
“Annie.” I try to be firm, but Lenore lays a hand on my knee, short-circuiting my protests.
“You’re very observant.” Lenore’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Matt heard the conversation today when my boss fired me for not making it to work on time.” It’s subtle, so I don’t think Annie or Al notice, but the breath stutters out of her like she’s trying to hold back tears. Self-righteous fury on her behalf makes me want to fill Annie and Al in on the details she’s left out, but I keep myself quiet.
“I’m terribly sorry about that. If they were so harsh over one incident, perhaps you’re better off without them.”
“Thank you for saying that.” Lenore deflates like a punctured balloon, and the grateful tears shimmering in her eyes make me want to shield her from whatever Annie has planned. It makes me think that not many people have stuck up for her in the past with no questions asked.
“Lenore, did Matt happen to mention that he’s in need of some help in the shop?”
For once, I catch on to Annie’s line of thinking and fully support the idea I’d flirted with earlier and then dismissed too quickly. This time she’s struck one scheme I’m happy to play along with.
“He hadn’t mentioned it, no.” Lenore’s response is wary, as if she can sense the neat trap Annie lays for us and is trying to avoid getting me caught in the net with her.
“Well, Matt, why don’t you see if Lenore is interested in the job?”
Lenore glances at me and seems to gather her thoughts. Before she can make an excuse for not wanting to know about the job, I start talking.
“It’s mostly office work—inventory, scheduling, and managing the store. We get a steady stream of customers, so there’s some cashiering and cleaning too.”
“I don’t have experience with inventory, but I have done scheduling and handled some of the office work at the accounting firm. I used to be a virtual assistant, so I’m good at organizing and working independently.” Her words are cautiously optimistic.
“I’m assuming you can start right away too?” Annie sounds like a proud parent as her plan comes to fruition.
