Brenda sits back in her chair and flexes her shoulder muscles a little.
“My mom is sick, and I have to visit her in Ontario.”
“Oh my,” I say with a soft gasp. “Is it serious?”
“She has cholelithiasis and may need to undergo surgery,” Brenda says with a sigh. “Although the doctor assures me that it’s nothing major, I still think I have to be there for her.”
“I’m sorry about that,” I say, and Brenda waves it off.
“We leave in a couple of hours. Ella and I,” Brenda says. “I have drawn out the work plan for all the workers for our homes. My assistant, Keller, will oversee things while I’m away, but you know how I like to be thorough with these things.” She retrieves a sheet from the open file in front of her and holds it out to me. “Here’s your work plan. There are no unoccupied houses at the moment, so you just have to go in and work at the assigned times. The tenants like you, and I trust you’ll do a good job while I’m away.”
“Yes, ma’am!” I reply with a mock salute.
Brenda laughs and shakes her head. She reaches into her desk drawer and takes out a familiar key which she holds out to me with a smile.
“Here, it’s the key to the house on the hills. You have to clean it every day, but I don’t want you to go through the stress of having to come in to pick up the keys and return them every day. So keep them with you till I get back from Canada.”
I take the key from her and drop it carefully in my bag. I raise my eyes to hers with a cheeky smile.
“So...,” I drawl. “How was the date with Daniel Rooster? It was the main topic at the hairdresser’s shop yesterday. Mrs. Smith kept talking about how good you two look together.”
“There are no secrets in this town, are there?” Brenda says, shaking her head bemusedly.
“Cons of living in a small town,” I say with a small shrug. “So, how are things with Daniel? It seems to me like you’re trying to avoid the question.”
“Always so direct, Mel,” Brenda says with a breezy laugh. She sighs and lowers her eyes, a small blush grazing the smooth skin of her cheeks. “Dan is a good man, and he cares deeply for me. I guess I care about him too, but I need to take my time. I need to consider Ella in all of my decisions. It’s not just about me anymore. It’s about what’s best for my baby and me.”
“I guess I understand,” I say with a small nod. “I wish you’d find love again.”
“What about you, Miss Harley?” Brenda asks with a smile. “Since you’re such a romantic, has anyone caught your fancy yet in all of Hudson?”
Like anyone would want a curvy girl like me.
I shake the unwelcome thought away and smile up at Brenda.
“No. Like you said earlier, I haven’t been out much.”
“That’s what you tell yourself,” Brenda counters, her eyes regarding me seriously. “You’ve kept your heart so guarded that you don’t even stop to look around you. Tomorrow is the weekend. If you don’t mind, I could set you up with Chase, Dr. Collin’s assistant at the vet clinic. He’s quite a hunk, you know. And guess what, he’s had his eyes on you for a while now. He was asking me about you the other day.”
“Tomorrow,” I repeat with a shaky laugh. “What a shame. I promised to help Mr. Aber man the counter in the convenience store tomorrow. His part-timer caught the flu, and you know how busy it gets during the weekend.”
Brenda quietly studies my face for a long tense moment. I lower my eyes to the desk, unable to withstand her probing gaze.
“What are you running so desperately from, Mel?” Brenda asks, finally breaking the tense silence. “You are young and beautiful. You should be living...making mistakes is part of growth. But you’re wound up so tight, always too careful.”
It never hurts to be careful, though...
I know very well the cost of carelessness. My existence is enough evidence of that.
Every day till I turned eighteen and made a run for it, my mother reminded me that I was a result of her mistake.
Every day, she drove the point home with her every action until I couldn’t bear to look at myself in the mirror.
“I guess I’ll get to that,” I say to Brenda with a small smile. “At some point.” I push my seat back and stand up. “I need to go now. I have to start my classes at four.”
“Bye, Mel,” Brenda says with a meaningful smile. “I guess I’ll see you when I get back.”
* * *