It wasn’t until John had dropped them both off back at the house that Kate remembered he still hadn’t told her what the third “thing” was.
“Well, unless you’re still mad at me,” he playfully replied, “I was hoping maybe I could talk you into a picnic dinner and a walk on the bay tonight.”
A rush of feeling that was both elemental and alien at the same time swept over her. “Uh,”
His blue eyes shot her an irresistible look. “I’m sensing some hesitation here.”
“It’s just that, oh, I don’t know, you don’t think it’s moving too fast?”
John chuckled. “You mean because I just broke up with a woman I was never dating in the first place and now you think I’m on the rebound?”
He was playing his game with a purpose, daring her to admit that she was relieved the rumors about him and Gabrielle had all been false. “You’re never going to let me forget this, are you?” she said.
The staggering challenge of his nearness as he took a step closer made Kate feel even more off-balance. “In 14 years,” he remarked, “I haven’t forgotten anything else about you. Why should this be the exception?”
The unbidden pressure of awareness, invitation, and acceptance became a swirling blur punctuated only by giggles from Jimmy who was now running circles around them.
“It’s all kind of short notice,” she heard herself murmur, conscious of how lame it came out. She could feel the giveaway heat in her face and welcomed the diversion of pretending to watch what her nephew was doing.
John, however, was not so easily distracted and seemed to relish putting her on the spot.
“Hmm,” he replied. “So does this mean that you’re one of those girls who want someone to ask her out three days in advance in case she already has major plans like washing her hair?”
Kate smirked. “There’s nothing wrong with giving someone time to organize their calendar.”
“There’s nothing wrong with spontaneity, either,” he countered. “Although technically I suppose it probably shouldn’t count as off-the-cuff if I’ve been thinking about it since last week.”
“Last week?”
“Maybe longer. So are you free tonight or what? Rumor has it that I throw together pretty good grub.”
She tried to explain that it wasn’t fair to ask her mom to watch Jimmy while she went out for the evening but John already had an answer to that one, too.
“I meant the both of you,” he said. “That way, it doesn’t really count as a ‘date’ if that’s your only hang-up.”
“I don’t have hang-ups,” she shot back, embarrassed that it sounded more defensive than she intended.
“Good,” he replied, “because unless you’ve got someone who’s been flying under the Avalon Bay radar the whole time you’ve been back here, I’m going to guess you don’t have a boyfriend.”
“And what if I do?” she teased, determined to engage in this sweet banter of warfare for as long as he did.
John shrugged. “Then I suppose I’ll just have to chase him up a tree and never let him come back down.”
Lydia wanted to know what they’d been talking about on the porch. “It looked important so I didn’t want to interrupt,” she said.
Kate laughed. “Who are you and what have you done with my mother?” In the next breath, she explained that John was treating her and Jimmy to a bay picnic that night and would be by to pick them up when he got off work.
“So the two of you are a couple, now?”
“I have no idea, Mom. I really don’t. On the one hand, it feels like we’re falling back into old times.”
“And?”
“And, on the other hand, I remember how the old times ended and I just don’t want to go through it again.”
“Understandable,” Lydia agreed, “but that’s still not a very good reason to turn down a picnic.”
“This from the woman who’s been chasing him away?”
“No, this from the woman who finally looked at him and saw something I think you should appreciate.”
Kate listened with a vague sense of unreality as her mother reminded her of all the nice things he’d done to show her that he cared. “Okay, is this reverse psychology?” she interrupted. “That if John Neal’s suddenly the greatest thing since sliced bread I’m going to run screaming in the opposite direction?”
“Oh, I hope not,” Lydia casually replied, “because I forgot to tell you that he’s having dinner with us on Sunday.”
As if the day hadn’t already packed enough walloping surprises, an afternoon call from her friend Maria delivered yet another.
“Aren’t you the sneaky one?” she exclaimed when Kate picked up the phone. “I had no idea you were gonna go for it!”
“Go for what?”
Maria laughed in response. “And to think you have me to thank! You should buy me a beer. Maybe two.”
“Which I’m sure I’ll gladly do if I had any idea what you’re talking about.”
“Honestly, girl, did you really think you could keep it a secret?”
A confusing rush of dread swirled to the surface. Is the whole neighborhood bugged or what? Kate glanced at the kitchen clock, noting that barely four hours had passed since she’d agreed to go out with John. There’s no way anyone could have found out about us that fast. Not even Maria.
“So,” Maria playfully pressed.
If she feigned ignorance, it would only make her high school pal even more aggressive and, further, make it look as if there were more to the story than just a picnic with an old friend. An old friend who coincidentally happened to be her ex-boyfriend and who, with very little encouragement, was making it clear he wanted to change his status from past-tense to present. Kate decided to take the offensive and ask Maria, “How did you find out?”
“Well, it’s the funniest thing but I went by the newspaper office on my lunch break to place an ad for this yard sale I’m having next week,”
Oh great, it’s worse than I thought. It was humiliating enough that Cliff had teased her about the mix-up in envelopes but now he was apparently using it in his repertoire of stupid anecdotes.
“and Yvette was just blown away and told me she couldn’t be happier for you,” Maria was babbling on.
“What was that again?”
“Yvette,” Maria said. “I mean it’s not like the whole town won’t be talking about it by tomorrow!”
“I’m actually surprised anyone’s even talking about it today.” Have we replaced Reality TV as everyone’s favorite entertainment?
“Oh, don’t be so modest! I think it’s great. Anyway, Yvette said they’re going to run your old yearbook picture ‘cause they don’t have a current one but I think it’s a cool idea.”
“What?”
“What part are you saying ‘what’ to?” Maria asked, startled by the sudden volume of Kate’s interruption.
“All of it, actually. What’s this about yearbook pictures?”
“For the front page of the Gazette.” Maria giggled. “Oops! You mean you didn’t know they were going to do that?”
Kate was fuming. “I hardly think it’s front-page news,” she informed her, “much less anybody else’s business.”
Maria was silent for a moment. “I’d have thought you’d be happy about it. I mean you’ve gotta admit it’s the most perfect thing that could have happened to you.”
“I don’t know that yet, Maria. And until I do, I’d rather not have everyone second-guessing it like they did the last time.”
It was now Maria’s turn to sound confused. “I thought you loved it,” she said. “Isn’t that why you majored in Journalism?”
“What does my majoring in Journalism have to do with my going out with John?”
“Oh my God!” a squealing Maria blurted out. “When did that happen?”
The shock of realization that she’d jumped to entirely the wrong conclusion about Maria’s latest gossip hit Kate full force. “Maybe we should just start this conversation over,” she awkwardly proposed amidst Maria’s new barrage of questions about her love life. “What exactly have we been talking about?”
An impatient Maria was happy to accommodate her if it meant they could move on to an obviously juicier story. “Cliff’s putting a thing in tomorrow’s paper that you’re going to be his new editor,” she replied.
Okay, so I guess that settles the question of whether I got the job.
“Your turn,” Maria said. Even over the phone, Kate could tell that her friend was smiling in anticipation of her answer.
“I’ll tell you over a beer,” Kate promised.
“Tonight?”
“Tomorrow.”