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“I am sure it was a simple error…” I say mindlessly, my eyes still stuck on the window, looking at the dark clouds. Because there is no other explanation. Someone missed something accidentally. It happens. The doctor is fine.
“A simple error that could have literally had you embroiled in a murder investigation,” Oscar mumbles, blowing the entire event up into something it isn’t. Accidental manslaughter maybe…
“Thank god Beth knew what to do,” Eddie says, and he is right. The rest of us just stood around watching Doctor Warner go into shock and struggling to breathe. Like useless statues, we all were rooted to the spot, and Beth was the only one to jump into action. My lucky charm. She always comes to my rescue.
“Beth always knows what to do…” I murmur, frustrated that she isn’t picking up my calls and hoping that she is alright. I have thought of nothing but her all night. I want to see her. I have to see her. My brother Tennyson is also strangely quiet and not taking my calls. Although I know he often works late on our international construction projects, often in conference calls with China.
“I can’t say your mother was any help with the entire situation. Are we going to have a problem there? Any more fires that may pop up in the next few days that I might need to manage?” Oscar is sitting, flicking through his cell phone, no doubt running defense on the high number of media enquiries we are now getting.
Eddie snorts. “Wherever our mother is, be assured that there is always trouble that follows her.”
“She was totally out of line today. Her tone with Beth will not be tolerated again. If anything like that happens in public again, you need to remove her immediately because I will stand up for Beth. I won’t be walking away again like today,” I say, my stomach feeling heavy, angry that Beth didn’t want me to stand by her today and angry that my mother put us in that position at all. But mostly angry at myself for listening to either of them. I should have grabbed Beth and gotten us both out of there, and the fact that I didn’t makes me feel sick to my stomach.
“We have the photoshoot tomorrow, for her friend at that women's magazine, and then I will tell her to stay home and lay low until election night,” Eddie says almost on autopilot, as my eyes continue to roam the dark sky.
“Tell me why we are doing a photoshoot for a women's magazine again,” I ask, confused about seeing that on the schedule.
“I wish I knew the answer. It was something Mom raised early on in the campaign, needing you to do the shoot to help her friend who runs the magazine publishing company. At the time, we thought it may help garner the votes of older females in the outer suburbs,” Eddie relays, the whole conversation now coming back to me.
“It will help us promote a positive picture of Harrison. It might be the thing we need to lift his profile in these last few days. Hopefully, it covers any negative media attention that may come out from the luncheon today,” Oscar contributes, making sense as per usual.
“Oscar, we all know that Harrison doesn’t have a problem winning the female vote.” Eddie’s snide remark does little to lighten the mood in the room.
“Getting back to your mother. She doesn't seem to like Beth at all… did they have some type of disagreement that I don’t know about?” Oscar asks, and I see his eyes lift to me in the reflection of the window.
“No. It is just Mom and her rich pretentious way of trying to control Harrison, her first born favorite child.” Eddie has malice in his tone.
I leave them to continue their conversation with each other behind me. My eyes remain focused on the clouds as their banter is blocked from my mind, and I watch the dark gray sky continue to darken and swirl, almost hypnotically in motion. I sip my whiskey slowly, feeling the burn in my chest and I rub my eyes, willing the headache and tension to disappear.
I think about the election. Polls are positive, but these last few days matter. I need to get things right and back on track for the campaign. But I also need to get things back on track with Beth. I feel like I am being pulled in two directions. I was expecting the final week of campaigning to be long and stressful. Meeting lots of people, shaking hands more and more. I just need to get through the next few days, and win both the polls, and the girl.
It is then I hear it. Startling me from my thoughts is the deep rumble of thunder, before a sharp flash cuts across the sky, lighting up the thick voluminous clouds that now shroud the city, and I know that there is only one place I need to be.
“I need to go,” I say suddenly, sliding my empty whiskey glass onto the kitchen bench, and grabbing my keys and jacket as I walk and call my elevator.
“Where are you going?” Eddie asks, concerned as both he and Oscar stand up from the sofa looking at me.
“It’s a storm,” I say as I fix my collar waiting for the elevator.
“And?” Oscar asks, his eyebrows rising as if I have lost my mind.
“And Beth needs me,” I state, just before I step in and hit the button for my basement. The lift doors close on both of them looking at me as though I am crazy and perhaps they are right. I am crazy.
Crazy about Beth.
31
BETH
The house is dark, cold, and quiet when I step in the door. My hair and clothes are wet, the rain teeming down around me, soaking me as I was walking home from the bus stop. My cell phone has been vibrating nonstop in my bag, but I was so focused on getting home safely, I have ignored it all evening. Stepping inside, the house doesn’t give me the automatic warm reprieve I was expecting. It is empty, silent, and makes me shiver.
I immediately switch on every light in the house and get undressed, putting on my warm jumper and my baggy track pants, ready for a night of curling into myself. I check each room, ensuring the windows are locked and the back door is secure. As I retrace my footsteps along the small hallway to the front living room, my body stills as all the lights go out.
“Shit,” I curse under my breath as my hand instinctively shoots out to my side, and I find the wall and take a few more tentative steps toward the living room. I am almost to the sofa, where my blanket is waiting, and then it hits.
The largest roll of thunder claps right over my house. The windows rattle and my knees give way. I fall to the floor and curl up into a ball, making myself small as I shuffle my body to the wall until I feel it at my back.
My breathing is fast, my heart rate explosive, and a quiet tear slips from my eye. I hate being like this. It happens every time there is a storm. My general good sense flies out the window and I feel like I am that small young girl again, stuck in the back seat of the car, with the storm raging around me.
