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“I’m guessing Landon?” I hoped my name guess was right. Otherwise, I would be awarded with a fifteen-minute lecture on how I never listened to her.
“Yes!” she squealed again. I had to laugh at her. I wondered what magic words this man had written to cause her to still swoon ten years later.
“Don’t worry, he can’t hear me. I lasted long enough to get his order, and then I handed it off to your dad. They’re talking in the lobby right now. Landon is asking him about a place to eat while we do the laundry. These might be the most important boxers I’ve ever cleaned. Or maybe he’s a tighty-whities man.”
“Mother!”
She giggled again. Goodness. I was glad she was having a good day. While we talked, I unpacked my laptop, plugging it in. Delaying opening my emails, I did a search for Landon Adams instead. I needed to see the man who had my mother all flustered. His name popped up easily, as well as his various book titles and awards he’d won.
I skimmed through several articles. He was quite the puzzle. There were several wild theories as to why he dropped off the radar ten years ago and quite a lengthy timeline detailing his fall before the accident that signaled his departure from the spotlight. Pulling up an article that contained a picture, I could see why my mother was in a tizzy. He was an attractive man. Of course, the picture was from several years ago. Scanning piece after piece, I realized that no one had successfully interviewed him since the accident. He had withdrawn from everything after that, becoming a virtual hermit. And now he was having his laundry done by my mother.
“Tara? Are you still there?”
“Yes, Mom. Sorry, I was reading at the same time. Hey, I think I might come visit you and Dad for a few weeks. Is that okay?”
“Is that okay? Of course it is! We would love to have you here. When are you thinking?”
Exhaling slowly, I finally opened my emails before answering, the one from my boss on top.
I think a leave is a wonderful idea, but I think it should be permanent. This is not the first time you’ve neglected an assignment. Consider this your notice. We will pay you for thirty more days, and then our contract is terminated. I will have an assistant pack up your desk. You can pick your things up from the front desk.
“It looks like my schedule just cleared up. Give me a couple of days, and I’ll be headed that way.”
She relayed the message to my father, who apparently finished talking with my mother’s crush. They were both excited, already making plans for when I arrived. I kept a brave face, not wanting her to hear anything off in my voice. I could tell them when I arrived or at some point during my visit. There was no need for them to worry about me just yet. Besides, she was in such a good mood, I didn’t want to ruin that for her.
We hung up, and I poured a large glass of wine, then opted for the bottle instead. I wondered if a dissolution of my contract was the same thing as being fired. Did it matter? Reading a few more articles on Mr. Adams, a thought came to mind. I knew where he was and had access to him. I wondered if I could get to know him and convince him to give me an exclusive interview. This might be the break I needed.
4
LANDON
After I met the owners of the Foley Dry Cleaning, my anxiety lessened a bit. They seemed nice, down-to-earth, not over-the-top or pushy. The kind of people I’d hoped to meet in Ashford. I wanted to live in a town that felt like a warm hug. Geez, that sounded cheesy. I seemed to have softened in hibernation. If only I could transfer that feeling to my laptop. Even if it was cheesy, it would be nice to get something on the page.
My agent had told me to just sit and type random words, not caring if it made any sense. It reminded me of my Little League baseball coach, telling me to just throw a strike. As if I didn’t know that was what I was supposed to do. Surely, they didn’t think it was that easy. If it was, everyone would do it.
I could tell the wife—I think her name was Beth—recognized me, but she didn’t make a big deal of it. She went in back, I assumed to work on orders, while her husband, Mark, and I chatted about the town. He’d given me the lowdown on the best places to eat, to fish, and who to contact when I got snowed in this winter. I hadn’t even thought about the winters that might come here. I’d never even owned a snow shovel. And as far as fishing went? I’d never been, so I couldn’t knock it. Maybe I would need to try.
