The False Exit Read online

  “Isn’t he wonderful?” Claire said. She burrowed into him. “He is love and light and joy.”

  Bill leaned into Anna Marie and whispered. “Okay, I didn’t think this day could get any stranger. It just did.”

  “Welcome to my crazy, Bill. You might want to run. If you do, I wouldn’t blame you,” she whispered back.

  “Okay, you two,” no whispering. “If you are discussing who is going to pick up the check. Jonny insists that he is buying tonight!”

  “Oh? Thank you, Jonny,” Anna Marie said.

  “Yes, thank you,” Bill added, “but that isn’t necessary. You are a guest here in Kansas. I’ll treat.”

  “No, sir. If you don’t mind. I’d like to get this one. I just got a very special text—”

  “A half million dollar text!” Claire interrupted. “Tell them,” she said to Jonny.

  Jonny grinned at her. “Yeah, it was a pretty awesome text. I’ve been waiting all day to hear from my business partner. I finally did. It was good news. I’d like to treat this as a little celebration dinner, if you don’t mind.”

  “Goodness, a half million dollar text? I’d like to get one of those. Can you teach me how to do that?” Anna Marie joked.

  “What is it you do?” Bill asked.

  “He sells paddle boards,” Claire answered.

  “Actually, a buddy of mine and I invented a larger, sturdy and extremely lightweight board. The design has been popular with paddle board Yoga enthusiasts. People are starting to take an interest in it now as a mainstream board. It’s designed to be much lighter and easier to manage than any of the other boards on the market. We’ve started to gain the attention of big chain retailers. My partner signed with Sports Addiction today!”

  “That’s very exciting. Congratulations!” Bill said.

  “Yes, congratulations!” Anna Marie added.

  “That was what we were celebrating when you two walked up. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude,” Claire giggled.

  Rude? Anna Marie thought. You didn’t mean to be rude? How nice of you to apologize for a rude kiss. You surprise me with a guest appearance and you are apologizing for kissing him in front of us? She didn’t express her thoughts out loud. Instead she said, “We’re happy for you, Jonny!”

  Bill lifted his wine, and they all clanked their glasses over the center of table. The buzzer next to Anna Marie flashed as they finished the toast. Their dinner table was ready.

  35

  The morning light began to spill into the house. Liz watched Gary walk down her driveway and climb into his car. As he pulled away from the curb, her mind tumbled over what a perfect guy he was. They’d fallen asleep and he’d innocently stayed the entire night. She closed the door behind her and wondered what a night with Mark would be like. She loathed her relentless thoughts. Why was Mark always on her mind? She was falling for Gary, but Mark was right there as soon as she closed the door.

  She looked at the clock and rushed to the shower. She didn’t want to be late for work. She enjoyed working with the theatre both as a performer and an administrator. Anna Marie had hired her for the administrative position and served as her mentor. Her only regret was that Anna Marie was no longer there to advise her. It was a much shorter transition than she’d anticipated.

  When Diane stepped in to fill Anna Marie’s spot, Liz felt like she was training Diane. Diane was in over her head and everyone knew it. The entire administrative staff was doing their best to keep things running as smoothly as possible.

  Liz arrived at the theatre just in time for the morning meeting. Gary was already there. He gave her a smile that reflected his awkward pride in the fact that they’d spent the night together. It was a guiltless night, but nonetheless, it was a milestone in their worlds.

  “Good morning, Liz,” he said as if he’d not already said it a few hours earlier.

  “Hey, Gary. Top of the morning to you,” she said in an Irish accent.

  He blushed. “Top of the—” he stopped. “I’m not even going to try,” he said. She winked at him. She watched his eyes drop to his shoes as he turned red; even his neck flushed. Gary was so easy, she thought. He couldn’t handle it. She found it powerfully amusing to tease him.

  “Did you sleep okay?” she asked. He shot her a serious look. She knew she had to back off. She turned quickly to Bill.

  “Good morning, Bill,” she said.

  “Liz,” was all Bill said. He was busy looking over a design. He hadn’t paid attention to the exchange between her and Gary.

  “Where is Diane?” Liz asked.

  “She should be here any minute,” Bill said.

  “Can I get a peek at your design?” Liz asked.

  “Sure,” Bill said, “It’s only a sketch, but I’m pretty happy with it. Gary had some good input on this one. I might have to let him finish it off.”

  “Really?” Liz said shooting a glance at Gary. “Go Gary!”

  “Thanks,” he blushed.

  Bill started to talk Liz through the design, “There will be three platforms. The middle one is going to have a tunnel—” The office phone rang. Bill nodded at Liz as he answered. “Star Bright Theatre, this is Bill. Hi Diane. Yes, we’re all here,” he looked at Liz and Gary. “Okay, I’ll let them know. No problem. I hope you feel better. Thanks, Diane.” He hung up. “Well, that was Diane and she is not going to make it. Sounds like she has a pretty rough cold. She says she doesn’t plan on being here until this evening’s rehearsal. So, it’s just the three of us.”

  “Just like old times!” Gary said.

  “Well, sort of,” Liz added. “Old times after Anna Marie left. I really miss her.”

  “We all do,” Bill said. “Diane is doing her best.”

  “Well, her best sucks!” Gary said.

  Liz was shocked. It was out of character for Gary to speak out. He always held a professional stance. Gary had also been Diane’s biggest support. Whenever Liz complained, Gary insisted that she needed to be more open-minded about her.

  “Diane deserves our respect and support,” Bill said.

  “I’m sorry, Bill,” he said. “She’s been riding me hard. I’ve done my best, and it is never good enough. It seems like we are always waiting for her to show up. When she does show up, she turns the attention to something negative on me. I’m sorry. I just have to say something because I don’t want to look bad. I feel like my reputation is at stake. I can’t help but believe that she is diverting her incompetency toward me and my work. I feel like I’m being set up for failure.”

  “Wow, is that really how you feel?” Bill asked.

  “I’m sorry,” Gary looked at Liz, “I should’ve called a private meeting with you, Bill.”

  “It sounds like you should’ve called a private meeting with Diane,” Bill said. “I’m going to let that one slide. I think we’re all emotional about the transition with Diane. It’s been hard. Let’s not forget it’s hard for Diane as well. If you continue to feel like that, you need to meet with Diane. Perhaps you and I, and Diane will meet together as well. First, you have to be sure that you allow Diane the opportunity to know how you feel. I always say, go to the source first. Fair enough?”

  “Yes, thank you,” Gary turned to Liz, “I’m sorry, Liz.”

  Liz didn’t respond. She was stunned. She was seeing a side of Gary that she’d never seen before.

  “You two need to get busy on your summer curriculums. I expect to have a proposal ready for the board the first of next month. Do you have any questions about what you need to do?”

  “Do you have any idea what the marketing budget is this year?” Liz asked. “Where can I find that?”

  “Shoot Diane an email—” he stopped. “Actually, that will take too long. Go ahead and e-mail Bob directly. Bob is the board member in charge of the budget. He should be able to get you a figure. Don’t forget to relay the figure to Diane.”

  “Okay, will do,” Liz said. She gathered her things and Gary stood to leave with her.

&nbs
p; “Gary,” Bill said. “You don’t have to worry about your reputation. No one is going to question your work. Your approach to your concerns today could have been a little more professional though. Let’s all try to remember to keep the lines of communication open and in order.”

  “Thanks, Bill,” Gary said. “Again, I’m sorry about that.”

  Liz made sure they were far enough down the hall and out of Bill’s earshot before she said, “Wow, you laid it out in there. I couldn’t believe you said that.”

  “I know. I feel like an idiot. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. When Bill said she wasn’t coming, it just made me mad. She’s been late to so many rehearsals. When she walks in she makes it a point to attack me. She’s so condescending!”

  “True,” Liz said, “I thought you were taking it pretty well. I didn’t know it was eating at you like that.”

  “Of course it is. I’m worried that I’m going to blow up at the woman one day.”

  “I hate to say it, but Bill is right. You need to have a talk with her. Let her know how you feel.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think it’ll do any good to talk to her. I think it will just make things worse. She seems to be the type of person who fabricates problems in order to prove herself right.”

  “I know what you mean. Still, you need to be able to tell Bill that you talked to her. That would be better than bottling it up and letting it come out all wrong.”

  “You mean like saying, ‘her best sucks’?”

  “Yeah, pretty much,” Liz smiled at him.

  “That was bad! It’s all your fault, you know.”

  “My fault! Why? How did it get to be my fault?”

  “You got my testosterone levels all out of whack. I’m feeling all charged up and manly because of you.”

  “Stop it!” she smacked him with a laugh.

  “That woman challenges my manhood. I can’t let that happen in front of my woman!” He beat his chest comically.

  “You’re a goofball!”

  “That is the root of my problem right there! I’m trying so hard to get away from my goofball reputation.”

  “I’m just joking!”

  “Are you?” he asked.

  “Gary, you are who you are. I like who you are.”

  “So, you’re into goofballs?”

  “If you’re goofball, I guess so,” she said.

  “Ah, shucks,” he teased.

  “You got a lot to do today and so do I. I’m going to work through lunch. I want to have some extra time before we have to be back for rehearsal. I’ll see you tonight,” she said as she turned toward her office.

  “See you tonight, luv!” he said.

  Liz’s shoulders dropped. There it was again. She had to find a way to tell him to drop the bloody accent!

  36

  After the first few days, the disappointment Anna Marie felt in her sister began to fall away. When she discovered that Jonny was a millionaire, she realized that Claire could’ve talked him into taking her anywhere in the world for the weekend. She chose to bring him to her. For Claire, that was a big deal.

  Jonny wasn’t the looser that Anna Marie had judged him to be. Not only was he talented, he seemed to be well educated. He also proved to be rather sensitive and overly generous with his money. He paid for all of the groceries and insisted that he treat every time they ate out. When she described her situation with little Annie his eyes filled with compassion. She believed that he had a sincere desire to help make the little girl’s bedroom special. He was clever and thoughtful in his suggestions. He proposed that they design the room with no regard to a theme because they didn’t know the child’s preferences. He believed the design should simply be one of serenity and comfort. When the girl walked into the room, he wanted her to immediately feel a sense of peace and safety. He even offered to use his connections to design and pay for a custom-made bed. She could not accept the offer but was impressed with his desire and passion to make something special for the girl.

  Anna Marie had an afternoon appointment to meet with Cranston at C.C. and Sons. The meeting proved to be nothing more than a waste of time. He told her that they were still investigating the money situation, and there was no way to determine how much longer it would take. Nothing had changed. She left the meeting completely disappointed. She climbed into her car and stared at the clock on her dashboard with renewed excitement. It was already time to meet with Annie again. Suzanne had agreed to weekly meetings until the final arrangements were made.

  She felt a wave of eagerness as she pulled into Bagel Buddy’s and spotted the blue truck. She walked in and found Suzanne and Annie sitting at a booth. Suzanne was drinking coffee.

  “Good afternoon,” Anna Marie said.

  “Hello,” Suzanne replied. “We were—”

  “Hi,” Annie interrupted, “are we having lunch?”

  It was already two o’clock. Anna Marie anticipated that they might have dessert or a light snack. The woman looked up.

  “She hasn’t had her lunch, yet,” she said.

  “Perfect,” Anna Marie answered, “neither have I.”

  “How about I give you two time to enjoy lunch while I read my book.” The woman pulled a paperback book out of her large hand bag. Curiosity drew Anna Marie’s attention to the title, but she couldn’t make it out behind the woman’s fingers. Annie stood up and took Anna Marie’s hand pulling her toward the counter.

  “Do you know what you want?” the girl asked.

  “I don’t. Do you know what you want?”

  “I do,” she said. “I always get mac and cheese with a bagel.”

  “A carb feast, huh?”

  “A what?”

  “Never mind,” Anna Marie said.

  “You should get tomato soup with grilled cheese.”

  Anna Marie froze. How did she know her favorite order? “What made you say that?” Anna Marie asked. The line moved slowly in front of them.

  “I don’t know,” the girl said. “I just think that I know what you like.”

  “You certainly do. How did you know that I like that?”

  “I just knew,” the girl said smugly. “I think my dad told me.”

  “Really? Did your dad tell you a lot about me?”

  “He did,” she said.

  “Did he tell you who I am?”

  “He told me that before I met you. He said you were a very pretty lady and that he named me after you because you were special to him.”

  “When did he tell you that I like grilled cheese and tomato soup?”

  “Just now, I think,” she said.

  “Just now?” Anna Marie repeated.

  “Sometimes I just know stuff because of him. He said I should go home with you. He doesn’t like Ms. Suzanne’s house.”

  Anna Marie felt short breaths starting to creep up on her. She pulled her finger in front of her face. She tried not to be obvious in her gesture. She thought of Bill. Up, breathe in; down, exhale. She managed to grab her breath.

  “It’s our turn,” the little girl said as the line in front of them disappeared.

  “How about you handle the order. You seem to have it down.”

  “Okay,” Annie said.

  Anna Marie listened to her rattle off the order perfectly while she continued to concentrate on her breathing.

  At the end of the order, the woman said, “Will this be for here or to go?”

  “This will be to go—to go to her house,” the little girl said.

  “Oh, not yet, Sweet Darling,” Anna Marie said.

  “Darn!” the little girl said. “We have to eat it here,” she said to the woman behind the counter. The woman handed Annie a buzzer and they walked away from the counter.

  “I’m sorry,” Anna Marie said. “We have to wait. I want you to come and live at my house. I want you to live there until your mom can come and get you, I really do. But, I still can’t take you there, not yet. Not today.”

  “I know,” Annie said pulling her eyes
to the ground. She suddenly looked up again, “Can you come live with me at Ms. Suzanne’s house?”

  “I wish I could, but I can’t do that either,” she answered.

  They made their way to a booth. Annie set the buzzer directly in front of her.

  “So, has your dad been talking to you a lot?” Anna Marie asked.

  “Kind of. He keeps telling me to go home with you. I guess he doesn’t know that you can’t take me, yet.”

  “I guess not,” Anna Marie said.

  “He doesn’t want me to cry like yesterday.”

  “Were you crying yesterday?” Anna Marie asked.

  “I was. I was crying because I got scared of Jeremy.”

  Anna Marie felt her face flush with concern. “Why were you scared of Jeremy?”

  “Remember? I told you that he pokes at me, and he is mean. Yesterday he said he was going to light my hair on fire, if I didn’t kiss him.”

  “What? He said that?”

  “I hate him, I would never kiss him,” she said.

  “No, you wouldn’t! You don’t kiss boys!”

  “I know, he is gross,” Annie said. The buzzer lit up. “It’s ready!” She bounced out of the booth with excitement. Anna Marie felt the weight of her body fighting to move. She glanced over at the woman reading the book. She wanted to grab the little girl and run out the door with her. She tried to calm herself. There was no need to overreact. The boy could be harmless. Little Annie could handle herself.

  Anna Marie set the tray on the table and slid the mac and cheese in front of Annie. What if the boy wasn’t harmless? What if the woman wasn’t paying attention? She made a decision. “Can I tell you a secret?” Anna Marie asked as they slid back into the booth.

  “Okay.” Annie said. She’d clearly lost the girl’s attention to the mac and cheese.

  “Do you know what to do, if a boy ever tries to do something to you that you don’t like?” she asked.

  Annie looked up from her plate. Her eyes were wide with interest. “You mean like—if he tries to kiss me?”

  “Yes, or anything else that you don’t think he should. Do you know what to do?”

  “What?” the little girl said.