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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Dorthea stood on the sidewalk in front of a single story
stucco house painted a pale shade of blue with white trim. A silver Ford
Pinto was parked in the driveway that ran past the side of the house to a
small garage at the back of the property.
“This is it,” Kim said after comparing the numbers painted
on the front door to the ones on the piece of paper she held. “Let’s go,”
she urged Dorthea who hung back.
“What if no one is home?”
“There’s a car in the driveway and I can see someone moving
around inside. Come on. We haven’t come this far to stop now.”
Dorthea took a hesitate step toward the house. “Gawd, I
hope this isn’t a mistake,” she murmured.
“It isn’t,” Kim said confidently, walking up to the front
door where she waited for Dorthea to catch up. When Dorthea joined her on
the concrete stoop, she pushed the button for the doorbell.
#
Diane Hartling pushed the oven door shut, the casserole
having been placed on a shelf inside moments before the doorbell rang. “I
swear I’m going to sew the house key into that boy’s pocket,” she muttered
as she walked out of the kitchen. She crossed the living room and yanked
open the front door. “Peter, how many times—.” She stopped abruptly when
she saw not Peter but two women standing on the porch. “Oh, I’m sorry,”
she stammered, embarrassed by her less than friendly greeting. “I thought
you were my son… he forgets his key a lot,” she explained to the
strangers. “Can I… um… help you?” she asked after neither woman made an
effort to explain their reason for ringing her doorbell.
Dorthea started to speak then froze, unsure as to what to
say.
“Are you Diane Hartling?” Kim asked, allowing Dorthea time
to gather her thoughts. Diane nodded. “My name is Kim Chadwick and this is
my friend, Dorthea Sanborn.” Diane smiled tentatively as she acknowledged
the introductions. “This is going to sound rather strange,” Kim continued,
“but we are looking for the man who sold this house to you.”
“May I ask why?”
“This is the strange part,” Kim said nervously. “We believe
he may be Dorthea’s father.”
Diane studied the women for several moments then stepped
back from the doorway. “Please come in.”
Kim nudged Dorthea forward before following her inside.
“Please,” Diane said indicating they were to sit on the
couch at the side of the room. “I just made a fresh pot of coffee, would
you like some?”
“I’d love a cup,” Kim readily agreed. “I’m sure Dorthea
would, too.”
“Cream? Sugar?”
“Sugar, please.”
“I’ll be right back.”
As Diane walked into the kitchen, Kim turned her attention
to Dorthea. “Hey,” she said softly, placing a concerned hand on Dorthea’s
leg. “You okay?”
“Yes. Just super nervous.”
Kim laughed. “Me, too.”
“At least, you managed to say something. I just couldn’t
get my tongue to work.”
Kim squeezed her leg with a reassuring touch. “It’s working
now.”
“Do you think she knows where he is?”
Kim shrugged. “I don’t know. But I doubt she invited us in
just to sample her coffee.”
Diane returned with three empty mugs, a sugar bowl, and a
coffee pot. She set the mugs and sugar bowl on the coffee table in front
of the women then filled the cups. “I believe the formal way to serve this
would be on a silver tray,” she said lightly, “but we’re a little more
laid back out here.” She handed a mug of steaming coffee to Kim then slid
the bowl of sugar toward her. “Please help yourself,” she said as she
handed a second mug to Dorthea who smiled her appreciation in return. She
set the pot on the table within easy reach of the pair and picked up the
third mug to carry it across and sit in a comfortable chair positioned
opposite the couch.
Kim looked quizzically at Diane. “Please don’t take this
wrong but you’re being awfully accepting of… well, of us.”
Diane nodded again. “I guess you could say I’m not
surprised by you appearing at my door.”
“You were expecting us?” Dorthea asked.
“Me? No. But Poppa has always been expected something… Or
someone.”
“I’m confused,” Kim admitted.
“Let me see if I can explain,” Diane said settling back
into the thick cushions of the chair. “I met Paul Bingham a little more
than twenty years ago. I was nineteen, living on the streets, and I had a
baby. Paul worked in a bookstore in Torrance—that’s not too far from here.
I spent a lot of time there. The owner had a few chairs and couches in the
store and encouraged his customers to enjoy their comfort as they
considered books to purchase. I had no money to buy books but being inside
where it was warm and dry was a lot better then spending the day in some
alley.” She laughed remembering her long days amongst the book shelves. “I
did a lot of reading back then. Anyway, to make a long story short, Paul
took an interest in me. He offered to help me get back on my feet… but his
offer didn’t come without conditions.”
Diane paused to enjoy another sip of coffee.
“He said if I would go back to school and finish my
education he would take care of me and my baby. Give us a place to live
and provide food, clothing, and proper medical care. I agreed and moved in
here with Paul. Don’t get any wrong ideas, it was strictly platonic. Paul
was never less than a gentleman and he treated me and my son better than I
could have asked. He even paid for both of us to go to college.”
“You bought the house from him?” Dorthea asked.
Diane smiled as a memory rushed forward. “That was the only
time we ever really fought about anything. Poppa wanted to give me the
house but I told him I could pay for it and I was determined to do just
that. After all he had done for me and Peter, I felt it was only fair to
give some back to him. It took a lot of convincing but he finally relented
and agreed.”
“You call Paul Poppa?”
“He was the closest I ever came to having a father.”
Diane’s smile faded, replaced by a look of sadness.
Disturbed by Diane’s sudden change in demeanor, Dorthea
asked, “What happened to Paul? Did he move away?”
“No, he’s still here. The exchange of ownership of the
house didn’t change the fact that over the years, we had become almost as
close as a real family.”
“Almost?” Kim asked.
“There was always a… I’m not sure how you would describe it
but a sense of distance between us. It’s was more so between him and
Peter—not that he ever mistreated Peter; he just never seemed to want to
get too close with him. I think it must have had something to do with what
happened before he moved here.”
Dorthea’s and Kim’s interest immediately perked up. “What
happened?!” they asked in unison.
Diane gazed questioningly at the pair. “Where did you say
you were from?”
“Iowa.”
“Oh, my god!”
“Please!” Dorthea cried out. “Is Paul here?”
Diane placed her cup on the table beside the chair then
stood. She beckoned for Dorthea and Kim to follow her. “He’s probably
awake by now,” she said quietly. “Please keep your voices low, loud noises
can startle him,” she whispered as she walked into a hallway. She led them
to a door then carefully pushed it open. “Did you have a good nap, Poppa?”
Dorthea stood on her tiptoes and craned her neck to see
over Diane’s shoulder and into the room.
“Is it time?” an elderly man asked when Diane entered the
room. He was lying in a bed covered by brightly colored quilts. The room’s
window was open a few inches, its curtains fluttering on the cooling
breeze that sneaked through the gap.
“Not quite time for dinner, Poppa,” Diane said as she
walked to the window and closed it. “It’s getting a little too cool in
here, don’t you think? Don’t want you catching cold.”
“Who are you?” Paul asked Dorthea who was now standing just
inside the room.
“Her name is Dorthea,” Diane answered. “She has come to see
you.”
Uninterested in Diane’s comment, Paul said, “I want to go
for my walk.”
“Peter isn’t home yet,” Diane told him. “He must be working
late.”
“I want to go for my walk,” Paul repeated, this time more
forcefully.
“You will, just as soon as Peter gets home. I’m sure he’ll
be home soon. He knows how much you like your walks, Poppa.” Diane
motioned Dorthea and Kim out of the room.
“Who are you?” Paul asked Dorthea again.
“Dorthea,” she replied and moved a step closer to the bed.
“Are you from the bookstore?”
“No. I’m from Iowa. Do you remember Iowa?”
“I’m sure we have a book about that. You should look in the
travel section.”
Diane stepped beside Dorthea and placed a hand on her arm.
“He’s getting confused. We should go,” she said persuasively.
“Is it time for my walk?”
“Soon, Poppa, soon.” Diane gently moved Dorthea toward the
door.
“Esther!”
Dorthea spun around. “My, god,” she exclaimed. “He knows
me.”
Diane gave Dorthea a sympathetic look before returning to
the side of the bed. “Poppa, you shouldn’t yell like that. You’ll frighten
our guests.”
“I want to go for my walk, Esther.”
Diane sat on the edge of the bed. “I know you do,” she said
soothingly. She turned toward the door where Kim was supporting a shocked
Dorthea, her face drained of all color. “Please,” she whispered, “wait for
me in the living room.” Kim nodded then gently but forcefully guided
Dorthea out of the room. “Poppa, why did this have to happen to you?” she
asked more to herself than to the unaffected man in the bed. She sighed
and lovingly brushed Paul’s hair back off his forehead. “Rest now,” she
murmured as his eyes closed.
#
Wrapped in protective arms, Dorthea was leaning against Kim
when Diane returned to the living room. “He knew me?” she asked in a shaky
voice.
Diane shook her head. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you.
Ever since he started having problems, he calls me Esther.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Kim asked.
“The doctors call it dementia. They say his mind is messed
up, he doesn’t know the difference between now and memories anymore.”
“He said Esther,” Dorthea insisted.
“I always assumed it was his wife’s name.”
“His daughter,” Kim corrected.
“But your name is Dorthea?”
“It’s the name I was called by the woman who raised me. I
don’t think it’s my real name.”
“Then you are his daughter?” Diane asked with more
than a touch of disbelief in her voice.
Tears flowed down Dorthea’s cheeks. “I don’t know,” she
cried, covering her face with her hands as Kim tightened her hold.
Diane was taken aback by the emotional response. “You don’t
know?”
“We were hoping Paul would tell us,” Kim explained as she
comforted Dorthea. “Could we have a wet cloth?” she asked.
“Of course.” Diane hurried back down the hallway then
reappeared several minutes later with a wet washcloth that she handed to
Kim before retreating back to her chair.
“What do you know of Paul’s life before you met him?” Kim
asked Diane while Dorthea wiped the tears from her face.
“Not very much, he rarely spoke of it. I know he was from
Iowa and I’m sure he must have been married but something happened to
separate them. I asked him once why he insisted on staying here… in this
house. He said he wanted her to be able to find him. I got the
impression that this address was known to someone and that’s why he was
always expecting a letter.”
“From?”
“My guess was his wife. What happened? Do you know?”
Kim nodded.
“He did have a wife… and daughter. They lived in Cedarwood,
that’s a small town in Iowa. In 1938, a tornado destroyed most of the
town. Paul’s wife disappeared in the storm. It was assumed that she had
been swept up by the tornado. Her body was never found.”
Diane looked stunned. “That’s awful. Poppa must have blamed
himself for not being able to save her.”
“I’m sure he did,” Kim agreed. “But there was little he
could have done. When it happened, he was several miles away at a store he
owned in another town, Kalona.”
“His daughter survived?”
“We think so,” Kim answered, loosening her arms from around
a now composed Dorthea.
“I don’t understand.”
Dorthea picked up the story. “A young girl, no more than
five years old, the same age as Paul’s daughter, was pulled from the
wreckage of the house and taken to the closest hospital which also
happened to be in Kalona. She was treated for her injury; a piece of wood
had punctured her leg, and was put into a room to wait for her family to
claim her.”
“Didn’t Paul do that?”
“Ah,” Kim said, “that’s where the story gets really
confusing.”
“Before Paul could get to her,” Dorthea continued, “she was
taken from the hospital by two men who claimed to be her uncles.”
“They weren’t”
Kim shook her head. “We don’t think so.”
“Who were they?”
“No one knows for sure but one of them was identified by
someone working at the hospital that day as a goon who worked for the
local mobster.”
“Goon? Mobster?”
“It was the nineteen thirties, every town in the mid-west
had someone who thought they were the next Al Capone,” Kim explained.
“Of course,” Diane said, not quite believing what she was
hearing. “What happened to the girl?”
“She was never seen again,” Dorthea answered. “At least,
not in Kalona.” She rubbed her temples in what she knew to be a useless
attempt to stave off the migraine building inside her head.
Diane peered at Dorthea. “So what makes you think you’re
this girl?”
“I think,” Kim cut in, “we need to shorten this up or we’ll
be here all day.” She smiled understandingly at Dorthea who made no effort
to regain control of the story. “Dorthea was raised by a woman who claimed
to be her aunt but wasn’t,” Kim stating as she held up one finger on her
left hand. “This woman’s maiden name is the same as the goon that
kidnapped the girl from the hospital.” She uncurled a second finger. “The
goon was the muscle for a man who, it was rumored, Paul owed money.”
Another finger uncurled. “Dorthea is the same age Esther would be today if
she were alive.” A fourth finger was raised. “And,” Kim unfurled her
thumb, “Dorthea has a scar that matches the description of Esther’s
injuries.”
“Sounds convincing,” Diane said half-heartedly.
“But,” Dorthea interjected. “We still don’t know for sure.”
“And you were hoping Paul could fill in the blanks,” Diane
offered. Both women nodded. “I’m so sorry. Maybe a few years ago he might
have been able to but now… most of the time he doesn’t even know who he
is.”
Kim and Dorthea slumped back against the couch.
“All this time,” Dorthea muttered, “wasted.”
Kim’s feelings reflected her friend’s frustration. She sat
up and reclaimed her coffee cup taking a swallow of the now cold liquid it
held. She set the cup down then looked at Diane. “I know we have no right
to ask but does Paul have any mementoes or papers from before?”
Diane took a moment to think back over all the years she
had shared a house with the man in the bedroom. “There’s a picture,” she
finally said. “I saw him holding it once, years ago. He told me it wasn’t
of any importance but I knew it had to mean something to him. I could tell
by the way he was looking at it. I thought he had gotten rid of it but I
found it recently when I was going through some of his old clothes. Let me
get it.”
Kim looked back over her shoulder at Dorthea. “What are you
thinking?” she asked seeing the contemplative look on the face she loved.
Dorthea looked up at Kim and smiled. “I’m thinking what
Aunt Faye is going to say when we tell her all we found out was a bunch of
nothing.”
Kim grinned and leaned back to sit with her shoulder
touching Dorthea’s. “She’ll probably say that we should have used the
money this trip cost to buy her some more magazines.”
Dorthea chuckled. “She does love her magazines.”
“Almost as much as I love you.”
Dorthea blushed but was preventing from responding by
Diane’s reappearance.
“I don’t know if this will help,” Diane said apologetically
handing the framed photo to Dorthea.
Dorthea held the fragile wood frame in her hands. The black
and white photograph showed a man and woman standing in front of a house
still under construction. The obviously pregnant woman stood slightly in
front of the man who had his arms wrapped around her waist, both were
happily smiling for the camera.
“When I saw that I thought maybe that was why he took me
under his wing,” Diane said. “She probably isn’t much older than I was
when I met Paul. I must have reminded him of what he lost.”
Dorthea turned the frame over. “Do you think it’s Paul?”
she asked disappointed to find the brown paper on the back of the frame
blank of any writing.
“It sure looks like a younger version of the Paul I met.
Today, you can’t really see the resemblance but back then…”
“They must have had it taken when they decided to buy the
house,” Kim offered.
Dorthea handed the picture back to Diane. “Thank you for
showing it to us.”
“Do you want to keep it? He won’t know it’s gone.”
Dorthea shook her head. “No.”
Kim was surprised by the response. “But—”
“Without knowing for sure, it’s just a picture of a happy
couple,” Dorthea explained. “Just another reminder of what I don’t know.
Besides, you’re his daughter now.” She pushed herself up from the couch.
“I think we’ve taken up enough of your time,” she said extending her hand
out to Diane. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
“I wish I… I’m sorry Paul isn’t… I wish I knew more.”
“It wasn’t all for naught. We did find Paul. Does he…? Do
you need…?”
Diane held her hands up waving them in protest. “Paul lived
a frugal life. With what he saved and the money I paid him for the house,
we have more than enough to see to his needs.”
Dorthea smiled. “I’m glad.” She turned to Kim who was now
standing beside her. “Shall we go?”
“If you’re ready.”
“I am.”
“Do you want me to… I mean, I’ll be happy to write and keep
you informed—”
“Thank you but no. You’re his family.” Dorthea bent down to
retrieve her purse from the floor. “To be honest,” she continued after
straightening upright, “I just don’t know… I’m so… I just think it’s
better to not know. Thank you,” she said then walked around the coffee
table and headed for the door.
Kim watched Dorthea open the front door and stride out onto
the porch and down the steps.
“Is she all right?” Diane asked.
“She will be. Thank you.”
“I’m sorry it wasn’t what she wanted.”
“Me, too. If something does come up with Paul that you
think she should know, you can reach me at—”
“Hang on, let me get a notepad from the kitchen.”
Kim wrote her name, address, and phone number on the pad
Diane retrieved. Then she bid her goodbye and rushed outside to catch up
with Dorthea who was walking briskly down the sidewalk.
#
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kim pushed the crosswalk button then turned to look at her
unusually quiet friend. The walk back to the hotel had been accomplished
in silence; Dorthea keeping her thoughts to herself while Kim struggled,
but failed, to come up with just the right words of support.
“I don’t want to go sit in the hotel room,” Dorthea
suddenly announced as she stepped off the sidewalk when the traffic signal
changed. “I need to go someplace I can scream my brains out,” she said,
her voice strained with suppressed emotions.
Kim followed Dorthea across the street. “I’m sure we could…
find someplace,” she said reaching into the pocket of her jeans. She let
out a mental sigh of relief when her fingers curled around the set of car
keys. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a proper designation for
Dorthea to do as she wished. A smile replaced her look of concentration
when she remembered something she had noticed earlier when looking at the
maps of the area. “Come on,” she said when they reached the opposite
sidewalk.
Without question, Dorthea followed Kim to the station wagon
and slipped into the passenger seat as soon as the door was opened. She
collapsed against the seat and closed her eyes.
Kim started the engine then turned concerned eyes toward
Dorthea. “Sweetheart, are you okay?” she asked softly.
Dorthea eyes remained closed as she nodded her response.
Not convinced, Kim backed out of the parking space and
eased the car through the parking lot to the street. When a reasonable
break in traffic occurred, she pulled onto the street heading west.
#
Thirty minutes later, Kim was looking for a place to park
the car. Spotting an empty space, she carefully pulled into the slot and
turned off the engine. “Honey,” she said placing her hand on Dorthea’s
arm. “I don’t know if this is what you were looking for but I think it
might work.”
Dorthea slowly opened her eyes to see a wide expanse of
sand in front of the car. She sat up looking first to the right then to
the left as her eyes absorbed the seemingly endless stretch of sandy
beach. Then she looked straight ahead. “Is that the ocean?” she asked in
awe of the brilliant blue that spread to the far horizon.
Kim grinned. “Sure is.”
“How’d you find it?”
“Wasn’t that hard,” Kim answered proudly as she looked
through the windshield at the inviting beach. “I remembered the map showed
the street in front of the hotel was a straight shot to the beach. I just
turned right and drove until we got here. I figured if we’d have to hit
water eventually.”
“It’s so big.”
“How about we get out of the car and get a closer look at
it?”
Dorthea was already pushing the door open. She stepped out
onto the paved yet sand dusted surface of the parking lot then walked to
the front of the car where Kim joined her. She turned to Kim and smiled.
“Thank you.”
“It’s the only place I could think of.”
“It’s perfect.” Dorthea looked across the beach to the knee
high waves crashing on the shore then turned back to Kim. “Come on, I want
to see what the ocean feels like.”
“Think it’ll feel different than any other water?” Kim
asked as they stepped off the pavement.
“We won’t know until we stand in it.”
The women struggled to move through the thick layer of
sand, its fine granules refusing to hold together under their shoes.
“Damn, it’s hard walking on this,” Kim grumbled.
“I refuse to let that stop me,” Dorthea declared as she
fought her way across the beach.
Being late afternoon, they found themselves moving in the
opposite direction of other beachgoers who were heading back to the cars
and home. More than a few of the locals cast the pair looks ranging from
amusement to consternation as they plowed fully clothed through the sand.
Halfway to the water, Dorthea stopped to give her legs time
to rest. She watched Kim continue past her, smiling at the look of
determination on her face. “Oh, am I going to pay for this tomorrow,” she
moaned reaching down to rub her stressed muscles. She straightened when
Kim called to her.
“Hurry up. It’s easier to walk when you get out here.”
Dorthea forced her protesting legs forward. Happy to
discover what Kim already had—the sand that was washed by the incoming
waves was compacted and much easier to walk on than the dry, loose sand.
She quickened her steps to the water’s edge but was quickly forced to back
pedal when a wave deposited its liquid load on the shore. She retreated
only as far as necessary to remove her shoes and socks without getting
them wet then, leaving them on the dry sand, she ran into the water.
“Oops.”
Kim laughed when Dorthea looked down at her wet jeans. She
removed her shoes and socks and placed them next to Dorthea’s then bent
over to roll up her cuffs.
“No fair,” Dorthea protested making no movement to leave
the water even though her pants were soaked almost to the knees. “You
can’t have dry pants when mine are soaked.”
Kim laughed. “Lucky for me, you went first,” she said as
she walked to where Dorthea was standing. “Well? Does it feel different?”
“It feels good.”
“Different?”
“Not really.” Dorthea bent down letting her hands dangle in
the water. She straightened and lifted a hand to her lips, taking a
hesitate lick at the droplets on her skin. “Tastes different,” she said
shaking the remaining drops off.
“I’ll take your word for that.” Kim gazed down the beach.
“Want to walk?”
“Yes.”
#
They had walked almost a mile before turning around. The
sun was starting to set, coloring the sky in deep reds and oranges. And
most of the sunbathers had left for the day leaving the beach to the pair
of women walking at the edge of the surf.
“Sure hope we can find where we parked the car,” Dorthea
commented searching for familiar landmarks but seeing none.
“We’ll just wait until every one else leaves, our car will
be the only one left.”
Dorthea chuckled. “I suppose that’s one way.”
“Don’t worry, we just need to find our shoes,” Kim said
unconcerned.
“Oh, gosh. I forgot we left them. I hope no one took them.”
“They’re only a pair of shoes, honey. Not too important in
the grand scheme of things.”
“I suppose not. What do you think those are for?” Dorthea
asked of the regularly spaced structures that lined the beach. They looked
like small changing huts but were elevated on stilts above the beach and
accessed by a steep wooden ramp.
“It says lifeguard on them so I’m guessing they’re for
lifeguards.”
“Oh, sheesh, how’d I miss that?”
“Maybe you had other things on your mind,” Kim offered
gently.
Dorthea sighed. “I guess I do.”
“Ready to talk about it?”
Dorthea nodded. “But let’s find our shoes. I don’t want to
be looking for them in the dark.”
“I do believe that would be them,” Kim said pointing a
short distance down the beach. “Yep, that must be them, there’s the car,”
she moved her arm to point across the beach to the parking lot.
They quickly retrieved their shoes then started back across
the sand, passing close to one of the guard towers. The lifeguard had
vacated his post and the tower was locked for the night.
Dorthea stopped and looked up the wooden ramp. “Do you
think we could sit up there?”
“I don’t see why not,” Kim said then shivered, her skin
cooling in the salty breeze blowing off the water. “It’s getting chilly.
Why don’t you go up there and I’ll go back to the car for our jackets.”
“I’ll come with you. I could use a drink of water.”
“You don’t have to.” Kim knew how tired her legs were and
was sure that Dorthea’s were even more so. “I’ll grab the jug.”
“Sure?”
“Sure.”
“Okay,” Dorthea agreed. “Be careful.”
“I will. I won’t be long.”
Dorthea waited until Kim was halfway to the car before she
carefully made her way up the steep ramp which had no handrail. Her
progress was made easier by the cross sections of wood nailed every foot
along the otherwise smooth plank and providing a firm place to plant her
feet as she moved upward. It was only after she had reached the top and
was looking around the corner of the elevated hut to check on Kim’s
progress that she noticed a ladder on the side of the tower. “Probably
wouldn’t have been able to drag my tired butt up that anyway,” she
muttered as she settled on the deck. She was surprised to find the extra
height made the view of the shimmering ocean and setting sun even more
enjoyable. She leaned back against the rough wood siding, glad for the
opportunity to rest her legs—and to unscramble her thoughts and feelings
before Kim rejoined her.
#
“That sucker is steep,” Kim panted after making her way up
the ramp.
“There’s a ladder.”
“Now you tell me. Here,” she said dropping a jacket into
Dorthea’s lap. She set the jug of water down then sat next to her and
began emptying her pockets. “Crackers, what was left of the cheese, and
Oreos. We definitely have to restock before we head home.”
Dorthea pulled her jacket on and zipped up the front
against the cooling air. She leaned back nibbling on an Oreo. “We can do
that in the morning.”
“Tomorrow?” Dorthea nodded. “You’re done?”
“There’s nothing else to do… is there?”
“I thought maybe… We still don’t know.”
“Maybe that’s the way it’s meant be.”
Kim slumped back against the hut. “Is that what you think?”
“Fifty years is a long time to try to untangle in a few
days. It was a long shot at best.”
“But maybe there’s someone—”
“No.” Dorthea pulled a slice of cheese from the plastic bag
and placed it on a cracker. She handed the tidbit to Kim then prepared a
similar one for herself. “I’m ready to go home,” she said after
swallowing. “It’s over.”
Kim scooted around, tucking her legs under her, so she
could face Dorthea. “Honey,” she said as she grasped her hands. “I know it
had to be really tough finding Paul like he is but maybe we’ve missed
something, or someone, who can provide the answers.”
Dorthea smiled sadly and shook her head. “I love you for
saying that but enough is enough. We tried. It’s amazing we managed to
find Paul at all. But too much time has passed. Maybe if I had started
this twenty years ago it would have turned out different. But I didn’t
know anything about Esther or Cedarwood or the tornado back then.” She
turned to look out at the ocean. “Maybe it would have been better had I
never found out,” she said softly.
“I don’t believe that and I don’t believe you do either.”
Dorthea sighed turning her head back and meeting Kim’s
searching eyes.
“You’re really ready to give up?”
“I… We gave it our best shot.” Dorthea tenderly
cupped Kim’s face. “Let’s go home. We have a life ahead of us and I don’t
want to waste another minute of that.”
Kim smiled. “Okay. Let’s go.” She started to push herself
up but was stopped by Dorthea.
“Unless you’re in a big hurry to go fight traffic back to
the hotel, can we sit here for a while?”
Kim scooted back against the hut wrapping her arm around
Dorthea’s waist when she shifted to sit beside her.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sunset,”
Dorthea said.
“Me either. You don’t think it has anything to do with the
company, do you?”
Dorthea laughed. “I think it has everything to do with it.”
“Me too.”
In comfortable silence, they watched the sun drop below the
horizon.
Dorthea didn’t know if it was the constant gently lapping
of waves on the sand or the growing darkness that encased them but she
suddenly felt a need to release all the emotions of the past several
months. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her body shook with quiet sobs.
Kim tightened her hold. No words were needed as she
surrounded Dorthea in love.
#
“I really thought it would turn out okay,” Kim told Dorthea
who had cried herself out some time earlier. They remained snuggled
against the hut in each other’s arms.
“That I would find Paul and he would answer all of my
questions,” Dorthea murmured between sporadic sniffles.
“Yes.”
“Did you really think that?”
Kim was surprised by the question. “Didn’t you?”
“I think I convinced myself that they’d be a happy ending
but deep down I think I always had some doubts. Sort of it’s too good to
be true sort of thing.” Dorthea looked down the beach where a pair of
lights bopped erratically. “That can’t be a boat, can it?”
Kim turned to look where Dorthea was pointing. “Don’t think
so. Looks more like a car’s headlight.”
“Wonder what a car is doing on the beach?”
“Got me.” Kim pulled the last Oreo out of the bag and
carefully separated the cookie. She handed one of the pieces to Dorthea.
“You’re giving me all the filling.”
Kim grinned. “I’m already sweet enough.”
Dorthea leaned forward to kiss Kim. “That you are,” she
said when their lips separated. She entwined her fingers with Kim’s and
placed their joined hands over her heart. “No matter how this turned out,
I want you to know that the past few days have been the best of my life.
Being with you… Seeing the world through your eyes… Re-discovering just
what a wonderful and fantastic person you are… I am so much more in love
with you today than I ever thought possible.” She lifted Kim’s hand to her
lips and tenderly kissed her fingers. “I am so glad that you are in my
life.”
Kim felt a tear trickle down her cheek. “I’m so glad you’re
in mine.”
They sat content to hold hands and gaze into each others’
eyes until the sound of a car engine drew their attention to the beach.
The mysterious headlights had suddenly materialized on the front of Jeep
that was bouncing over the uneven sand.
“Uh oh,” Kim muttered as the Jeep veered toward the
guardhouse.
“Who do you think it is?” Dorthea asked.
The women were abruptly bathed in the beam of a spotlight,
the intense brightness forcing both to raise their arms to shield their
eyes.
“Who are you?” Dorthea called out to the unseen occupants
of the Jeep.
“Beach Patrol,” a deep voice answered.
“Are we doing something wrong?”
“That depends. What are you doing?”
“We’re just sitting here,” Kim responded. “We didn’t think
anyone would mind.”
The spotlight dimmed but remained focused on the guardhouse
and women. A man stepped out of the Jeep and walked to the bottom of the
ramp. Dorthea and Kim lowered their arms and stood.
“Technically, sitting up there constitutes trespassing,”
the man said.
“Oh, goodness. We had no idea. We’re not from here,”
Dorthea explained. With the light lowered to a reasonable level, she could
see that the man wore a uniform with a Beach Patrol patch on the sleeve
and a shiny badge on the pocket.
“I gathered that from the—”
“Accent?”
The guard laughed. “I was going to say clothes—you don’t
see too many people wearing that much on the beach.” Dorthea and Kim
looked at each other then grinned. “Where are you from?”
“Iowa,” Dorthea answered while Kim gathered up their
things.
“That’s quite a distance. First time seeing the ocean?”
“Yes.”
“What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful.”
The guard nodded. “I’m sorry ladies but I am going to ask
you to come down.”
“That’s okay. It’s time we found our way back to our
hotel,” Dorthea said, stepping to the top of the ramp. She froze. From
this height, the ramp appeared to be even steeper and with no handrails
she wasn’t sure she could make it.
“I’d suggest the ladder,” he told her but I don’t think
that’s a good option at night. It’s too easy to miss one of the rungs and
it can be a long way to fall.”
“Well, we have to get down someway.”
“Follow me,” Kim said as she stepped in front of Dorthea
then sat down on the edge of the deck. Bracing her feet on a cross bar,
she inched her way down until she could reach the next cross bar.
“That’ll work,” the officer said.
After Kim had worked her way down a few feet, Dorthea sat
and followed her example. Moments later they were standing on the beach.
“We’ll give you a ride to your car.”
“That’s okay,” Kim quickly said. “Our car is just over
there.”
The guard smiled. “It’s good to be cautious. How about we
leave the spotlight on? It can be tough walking on this sand in the dark.”
Dorthea groaned. “It’s tough walking on it in the daytime.”
“You get used to it after a while. Have a nice night.”
“Thank you,” Dorthea said then turned to follow Kim who was
already moving toward the car.
True to his word, the guard left the spotlight on them
until they were securely in their car then it was turned off and the Jeep
moved off down the beach.
“I don’t think I’ll have any trouble sleeping tonight,”
Dorthea said as Kim started the engine.
“Right with you there. Between walking in the sand,
squinting at the sun, and the salty air, my body is screaming for a nice
bed.” Kim backed out of the parking space then steered for the lot’s exit.
“I just hope I can remember how to get back to the hotel.”
“I thought you said it was a straight shot from there to
here.”
“It was until we got here. The last little bit involved a
couple of turns.” Kim stopped at the exit and studied her options. “I’m
pretty sure I came down that street.”
Dorthea chuckled. “Go for it, babe. If we get lost, I have
no problem asking for directions.”
Kim grinned. “Babe, uh.” She eased onto the street and
merged into the night’s traffic. “I like that.”
#
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Dorthea stretched out her back then bent over to rub the
back of thighs.
“Rough day?”
Dorthea straightened and turned toward Char who had
suddenly materialized beside her. “You’re early aren’t you?” she asked
glancing over Char’s shoulder at the clock on the far wall.
“I could say the same for you. I thought you were going to
be gone two weeks,” Char said pulling on her work gloves.
“Things changed.”
“So I see. Mr. Fundley asked me to come in early.” Char
leaned over one of the wire baskets and pulled two pressure cooker lids
out then placed then on the conveyor belt. “He said you were moving a
little slow.” She smiled nervously hoping her friend wouldn’t be offended
by their supervisor’s unusual action.
Dorthea pulled two lids free. “He’s right. I can’t believe
how much I hurt today.”
Char relaxed when Dorthea didn’t seem to be bothered by the
reason behind her early arrival. “Did too much on your vacation?”
“No, I think I just got used to not being on my feet all
day.”
“More reason for you to ask to be transferred to one of the
positions further down the line. You can sit at the grinders; that would
be good for you.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Dorthea agreed again stretching her
back.
Char laughed. “Of course, I am. In fact, I talked to Mr.
Fundley about moving down the line myself. He said there are a couple of
spots available. You really should talk to him.”
“I will. After shift.”
#
Kim made a notation on the inside cover of the file before
closing the folder. “Sheesh,” she said tossing the folder onto the top of
the pile in her out box. “You’d think I’d been gone a whole month instead
of just one week.”
Marge looked up from the page she was reviewing. “I’m sorry
about that mess. I really tried to keep up with it but Mr. Eyler had some
special projects and I—”
“Not your fault. I know you were busy.” Kim reached up to
rub the sore muscles at the base of her neck. “Why didn’t you asked for a
temp from the secretarial pool?”
“Don’t think I didn’t try.”
“Got turned down?” Kim asked. It wasn’t uncommon for
requests to the pool to be denied if the manager of the secretaries felt
they didn’t have the time to take on more work.
“Not in the way you’re thinking,” Kim said as she returned
to reviewing the column of numbers on the paper. “Kapin told Mr. Jackson
there was no need. She said we could handle things.”
“You should have talked to him directly.”
Marge circled a calculation that needed correcting then
dropped her pen on the desk and spun around in her chair to face Kim. “I
did. But he said not to worry about it. He said I should concentrate on
Mr. Eyler’s projects and, if I had time, I could work on your stuff.
Otherwise, I should let it sit until you came back.”
“That’s odd.”
“That’s what I thought. But then I got to thinking about it
and you know what?” Kim shook her head. “I think,” Marge continued, “he
was testing Kapin.”
“Testing her?”
“Yeah. As in, giving her enough rope to hang herself.”
Kim looked at Marge questioningly. “I don’t get it.”
“I think he was seeing how much she would do. Every time he
came out and added something to your inbox he would look to see if she was
at her desk. If she was, he would ask what she was working on. Of course,
most times, she was no where to be seen.”
“What did he do then?”
“Nothing. He just went back into his office.”
Kim reached for the next folder in the pile. “All I can say
is I’m glad I came back early. I can’t imagine how high this stack would
have been by next week.” She glanced at the clock. “I guess I better see
how much of this I can get through by quitting time.”
Marge stood up. “I’ll run down and get us some more
coffee,” she offered.
“Oh, that would be wonderful,” Kim said as she held up her
empty cup.
“I’ll be right back.”
Kim watched her leave then opened the file folder.
#
Dorthea groaned in relief when the buzzer finally signaled
the end of shift. She thanked Char for her help then walked toward the
door that led to the supervisors’ offices. Just inside the door was a
bulletin board and a poster caught her attention. She paused to read it.
#
Kim tossed another folder onto the overflowing stack in her
out box. She stood up and stepped away from her desk. Spreading her arms
out from her sides, she twisted at the waist trying to ease the muscles in
her back.
Marge reached to turn off her computer then stopped. “You
staying late?”
Kim eyed the pile of untouched folders on her desk and
frowned. “I probably should.”
“But?”
She stopped stretching. “I, sort of, wanted to get home at
my normal time tonight.” Before she could say more, a door across the room
opened and her boss walked out of his office. “Good evening, Mr. Jackson.”
Without responding, he walked directly to her desk. “Looks
like you’ve made quite a dent in all this,” he said as he thumbed through
the files in Kim’s out box.
“I can work late,” Kim said unsure if he was pleased with
her progress or disappointed.
“I will, too,” Marge immediately added.
Jackson looked up from the pile and smiled. “No, no, no,
no, no. I think you’ve done more than enough for one day.”
“I don’t mind,” Kim started.
“Well, I do,” Jackson said firmly. “Besides, I know what
the first day back from vacation is like… it’s usually the worst day of
the whole year. No, you go home. You, too, Marge.” He lifted the pile out
of the out box. “Get some rest.” He smiled. “Looks like you’ll need it to
get through that,” he said pointing to the pile still on Kim’s desk.
“Oh, my goodness,” Mrs. Kapin rushed into the office.
“Good, you’re both still here. I expect you’ll be working late to—”
“No!” Jackson interrupted. “I’ve instructed both Kimberly
and Marge to go home.”
“But—”
“This work has sat here for a week, Mrs. Kapin. Another day
will not make much difference.” Jackson turned to Kim and Marge. “Good
night. And thank you for your work today. You managed to get through more
of this than I expected.” He smiled. “Now, go home.”
“Very well, Mr. Jackson,” Kapin said brusquely. She waited
for Kim and Marge to leave then walked to her desk. “After all, those are
your projects being left undone,” she said contemptuously as she leaned
down to retrieve her purse from her desk drawer.
“Mrs. Kapin, may I have a word with you in my office,” Mr.
Jackson said in an even tone.
Kapin straightened. “I am heading out. Perhaps, the morning
would be better.”
“Now.”
She hesitated, debating with herself how far she could push
the vice president. “I hope this won’t take long,” she snapped as she
moved around her desk.
“I’ll keep it short,” Jackson told her as he followed her
into his office.”
#
Kim reached for the knob on the apartment door, a smile
spreading across her face. She was startled to see the door swing open
without her touching it.
“You’re home,” Dorthea exclaimed grabbing Kim’s hand and
pulling her into the apartment. She shoved the door shut as soon as Kim
cleared the opening. Then she wrapped her arms around Kim and pressed
their lips together. “I missed you,” she said breathlessly moments later.
“Thanks for the welcome.” Kim grinned, dropping her purse
onto the floor so she could return the hug and continue the kiss. “I
missed you, too. What smells so good?”
“Me,” Dorthea quipped then laughed and tugged Kim to the
couch. “But, seriously, roast beef with potatoes, onions, and carrots.”
“Sounds wonderful.” Kim pulled Dorthea close to her and
began nibbling on her neck. “But I think you’re right, you taste better.”
Dorthea giggled. “Silly, girl.”
“Ow!” Kim cried out when her body protested the awkward
position she was twisted into.
“What’s wrong?”
Kim reluctantly released Dorthea and slumped back against
the couch. “Long day.”
Dorthea slumped back and laid her head on Kim’s shoulder.
“You can say that again. My legs hurt so bad by noon that I wasn’t sure I
could finish my shift. And Mr. Fudley must have noticed because he called
Char in early to help me out.”
“Ouch. Will that be held against you?”
Dorthea reached for Kim’s hand. “You know, I don’t care,”
she said entwining their fingers. “I’m getting too old for that job,
anyway.”
“You are not.”
“Yes, I am.” Dorthea snuggled closer. “You know what?”
“Nope.”
“I spent today wishing we were back on the road.” She
lifted Kim’s hand to her lips and kissed it. “I really missed spending
every minute of the day with you.”
Kim smiled at Dorthea. “I missed that, too.”
“I was going to talk to Mr. Fudley today about moving to
another position on the line.”
“Oh?”
“But, I changed my mind.”
“Oh?”
Dorthea nodded. “I went to personnel and asked set up an
appointment to talk about retiring.”
“Oh?!”
Dorthea laughed. “Is that all you’re going to say?”
“Um… no. But, I’m a little surprised. Isn’t this out of the
blue? I mean, were you thinking about retiring?”
“No, not really. I never really had a reason to before
now.” Dorthea gazed out the window. “Would you mind?”
“Mind what? You retiring? Why would I?”
“Retirement wouldn’t pay what I make now. It’s not a lot
less but it is less.”
Kim shifted to face Dorthea. She reached up and tenderly
cupped Dorthea’s face and gently pulled it toward her. “Honey, I don’t
care how much you make. I make more than enough for both of us.”
“I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”
Kim placed a finger against Dorthea’s lips. “Hush. You’ve
more than earned the right to retire from that job. Thirty years is a long
time.”
“You’ve worked at your job thirty years.”
“But I haven’t done it by standing on my feet all day. If
you want to retire, do it.” Kim kissed Dorthea. “In fact, I think it’s a
grand idea.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I can think of nothing better for my girl then
sitting at home with your feet up, watching TV, and eating bon-bons all
day.”
“Dorthea laughed. “If I did that, I’d weigh four hundred
pounds in no time. What would you say then?”
“I say, the more of you to love.”
“You goober.”
#
Mrs. Kapin sat rigidly in the chair opposite Mr. Jackson’s
desk. She glared at him when he ignored her opening a file on his desk
instead. He took a few minutes to write some comments then closed the
folder and placed it aside. She didn’t bother to hide her displeasure when
he finally turned his attention to her.
“Mrs. Kapin, I am most disappointed in your lack of
execution during Kimberly’s absence. It was at your insistence that I did
not request a temporary replacement from the secretarial pool yet you made
little effort toward accomplishing what you assured me would be done.”
Kapin’s back stiffened even more and her nostrils flared.
“As you are fully aware, Mr. Jackson, I am Mr. Gilroy’s
administrative assistant. And, as such, I must prioritize my work to meet
his needs… not yours,” she said haughtily.
“I am fully aware of your position,” Jackson said, keeping
his tone even. “I am also fully aware of the demands Mr. Gilroy, Mr. Eyler,
and I make on your time. However, seeing as how Mr. Gilroy was away from
the office last week, I would have anticipated you having more time to
assist Marge.”
“Mr. Jackson, I perform my duties to Mr. Gilroy’s
satisfaction. If you have concerns regarding the timeliness of Kimberly’s
and Marge’s work, perhaps it would do you good to remember that I have, on
numerous occasions, requested my staff to be increased.”
“So you have.”
“Indeed.”
“Mrs. Kapin, I think it only fair that I inform you I will
be discussing your performance last week with Mr. Gilroy.”
Kapin abruptly stood. “Mr. Jackson, if you are in any way
doubting my ability to perform my duties, I am sure you will soon discover
that Mr. Gilroy has no such worries. Now you have kept me longer than
necessary.” She spun around and marched toward the door. “Good night,” she
barked as she stormed out of the office.
Jackson leaned back in his chair and sighed. When he heard
the outer office door slam shut, he picked up his phone and pushed a
button. “Good evening, Mr. Gilroy. A moment of your time? I’ll be right
in.”
#
“This is really good,” Kim said with a grin as she helped
herself to another spoonful of potato slices and carrots.
“Glad you like it.”
“You do know I don’t expect you to cook every night.”
“I know,” Dorthea replied as she refilled her glass with
cold milk. But I like cooking.”
“Well, I’m not going to complain. Tell you what, you cook
dinner and I’ll make dessert.”
“Honey, it doesn’t count if all you do is open a bag of
cookies.”
“Hey, that’s not fair… I dish up ice cream sometimes.”
Dorthea laughed. “Yes, and you are extremely good at it.”
Kim smiled smugly. “Yes, I am, aren’t I?”
Dorthea took a bite of roast beef and nodded. “So, how high
was the pile on your desk?” she asked after swallowing.
Kim held her hand a foot above the table. “I really felt
sorry for Marge. She was swapped with special projects for Mr. Eyler last
week and didn’t have much time to spend on my work.”
“Didn’t she get a temp to help out?”
“She tried but Mrs. Kapin refused.”
“Why?”
Kim shrugged. “Who knows why she does what she does?”
“You’d think she would want a temp… if for no other reason,
to make her look good.”
“Marge thinks she was trying to prove having me gone wasn’t
too big of a deal.”
“Then she’s crazy. You work hard and it’s about time they
realize that.”
“Mr. Jackson knows, honey. And Marge works just as hard.”
Dorthea frowned. “Knowing and saying are two different
things,” she grumbled.
“Me thinks you are talking more about Mr. Fudley
recognizing your efforts then Mrs. Kapin recognizing mine.” Kim laughed
when Dorthea stuck her tongue out at her. “Well, if Marge is right, it may
have backfired on her.”
“Oh?”
“She said Mr. Jackson was keeping a close eye on Mrs.
Kapin’s work. Or, on the lack of any.”
“It’s about time.”
“I think he would have gotten rid of her a long time ago
but she does report directly to Mr. Gilroy so Mr. Jackson really can’t do
anything about her.”
“Maybe someday.”
“Let’s hope Marge doesn’t go boncos before they do,” Kim
said with a laugh.
“I’d love to see that,” Dorthea said then yawned. “Dang, I
think the day is catching up with me. If you’re done, I’ll start cleaning
up.”
“I’ll help. Then I think I’ll take a hot bath and crawl
into bed.
“Star Trek is on tonight.”
Kim yawned. “They’ll have to conquer the universe without
me. I’ll be lucky to stay awake for my bath.
#
Dorthea stepped into her pajama bottoms, pulled them up and
adjusted the elastic waist band. Kim was already in bed and half asleep.
“Did you check the door?”
“Locked,” Kim answered sleepily.
Dorthea sat on the edge of the mattress and turned off the
lamp before swinging her legs up and slipping them between the sheets. She
scooted over beside Kim, sighing happily when she was wrapped in her
lover’s arms.
“Can’t do much more than this tonight,” Kim mumbled. “Love
you.”
Dorthea squirmed closer. “I love you more,” she said,
beginning what had become a nightly ritual.
“Do not.”
“Do, too.”
The women lay quiet, content with the closeness.
“You really don’t mind if I retire?” Dorthea asked softly.
“No. You really plan to do it?”
“Yes.”
Kim shifted so she could kiss the back of Dorthea’s neck.
“Good for you.”
“I hope I don’t get bored sitting here all day.”
“You can always get a part time job at something you like
to do.”
“Like what?”
“Like the bookstore at the mall. Or the library. Or that
little knick-knack store by the park that you like so much. Or—”
“Go to sleep.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good night.”
“Good night, sweetheart.” Dorthea’s eyelids closed as she
listened to Kim breath.
#
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“TGIF,” Marge proclaimed as she walked into the office.
“Good morning to you, too,” Kim said, not bothering to look
up from the papers she had spread out in front of her.
“Don’t you dare try to tell me you’re sorry to see Friday
arrive,” Kim said as she sat at her desk.
“Definitely not.” Kim made a correction to the document
displayed on her computer screen then pushed the print button. “I can’t
wait to get home tonight, change into my jimmies, and spend the weekend
flaked out on the couch.”
“It has been a long week, hasn’t it,” Marge said as she
turned on her computer. “Especially with Kapin pulling another one of her
disappearing acts for most of it. I sure hope Mr. Gilroy doesn’t ask for
any rush jobs; Mr. Eyler is going to skin me alive if I don’t get the
Hansen report finished today.”
Kim stood and walked to the printer. “Wonder where she is?”
“Who?”
“Mrs. Kapin.”
“Who knows? Who cares? We get more done when she’s not
popping in here to tell us what to do.”
“Don’t you think it’s odd we haven’t seen her since Tuesday
morning?”
“I think it’s odd when we see her, not when we don’t. You
want some coffee?”
“I’d love some. If you want I can go after I give this to
Mr. Jackson.”
“That’s okay,” Marge said retrieving Kim’s empty cup from
her desk. “I can use the exercise. Besides, I need some caffeine before I
tackle that report.”
Kim laughed as Marge rushed out of the office. She walked
back to her desk, grabbed a folder and placed the freshly printed pages
inside. Then she walked to a door across the room, knocking before she
entered her boss’ office.
#
Dorthea walked through the doorway that led to the
company’s offices. She walked past her supervisor’s closed door and
continued down the narrow hallway to an open door at the far end of the
building.
“Good morning, Dorthea,” a woman in her thirties greeted
her.
“Good morning, Sharon.”
“Come on back to my office. We can talk without being
interrupted.” Sharon unlatched the half door at the end of the counter
that separated the front of the personnel office from the office staff’s
desks and file cabinets.
Dorthea followed Sharon to her office, smiling a silent
greeting to the other two women in the office.
“Did you have a chance to read through everything?” Sharon
asked as she closed her office door while Dorthea sat in a chair opposite
the large desk in the room.
“Yes.”
Sharon walked around the desk and sat down. “Any new
questions?”
“No.”
“Then all we need is to have you sign the papers. I thought
you might be in this morning so I went ahead and put together your
packet,” Sharon said pulling a thick folder from her desk drawer. She
opened the folder and removed a few pages. “You need to initial the first
three pages then sign the fourth. These are the same as the ones I gave
you to read—I just added today’s date and the special request you made.”
Dorthea nodded as she accepted the papers and a pen Sharon
slid across the desk to her. She glanced at each page before adding her
initials and signature. Then she slid them back across the desk.
“Any plans?” Sharon asked as she placed the papers aside
and removed more from the file.
“I’m sorry?”
Sharon smiled. “Any plans for how to spend your days?
You’re going to have lots of time on your hands.”
“Oh, yes. I have lots of plans.” Dorthea grinned.
“Sometimes, I think I have too many. But, I think first, I’m just going to
get used to doing whatever I want.”
“I envy you,” Sharon stated as she made a notation on one
of the papers. “Okay, here is the breakdown of your benefits. How much
you’ll receive each month and the taxes, etcetera, that will be taken out
of it.” She slid the page over to Dorthea. “Here is the information on
your insurance. This gives contact names and phone numbers if you have any
problems or questions. And you can always come in and talk to me if you
prefer.”
“Thank you.”
Sharon smiled. “Part of my job. Any questions, so far?” She
asked pulling the final items out of the folder. Dorthea shook her head.
“Okay, that just leaves this.” She pushed a pair of checks across the
desk. “Your final paycheck; and as you requested a check for your accrued
vacation.”
Dorthea smiled lifting the checks off the desk. “Thank
you.”
“Are you sure you want your vacation payout in a lump sum?”
Sharon asked. “You know you have enough accrued to get paid for several
more weeks. It might help you adjust to retirement.”
“I think I’ll adjust just fine. And,” Dorthea held up the
checks, “I have immediate plans for these.”
“It’s your money,” Sharon said as she placed all but one of
the papers back into the folder. “Once you sign this acknowledging that
you received those checks, I’ll make copies of everything and you’ll be on
your way.”
Dorthea signed the paper then leaned back in the chair
while she waited for Sharon to return with her copies. She smiled as she
thought about what she planned to do as soon as her business with the
personnel manager was finished.
#
“Ah, Kimberly,” Mr. Jackson said when she placed the file
on his desk.
“This is the final project left over from last week.”
“Thank you.” Jackson reached for the file. “Please sit. I
was just about to call you in.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up,” Kim said
anxiously as she sat.
“I’m not concerned about that,” Jackson said casually,
closing the file and pushing it to the side of his desk. Leaning back in
his chair, he pulled off his glasses and tossed them onto his desk.
“Actually, I’m very pleased that you managed to catch up so quickly. I
know you and Marge had more on your plates than normal this week.
Kim relaxed. “Thank you. I appreciate your understanding.”
“I let it pile up while you were gone so I couldn’t really
expect you to catch up in a day, could I?”
“We could have called the secretary pool.”
“Yes, but you can blame that on me, too. It was expected
that Mrs. Kapin would be more of a presence in the office this week. But,
as I’m sure you noticed, that did not occur.” Kim nodded. “Which brings me
to the matter I wanted to discuss with you—by mutual agreement, between
Mr. Gilroy and Mrs. Kapin, she has decided to resign effective
immediately.”
“I… ah, I had no…” Kim stammered, surprised by the news.
“I’m sure this comes as a shock.”
Kim slumped back in the chair. “A very big shock.”
“But not an unpleasant one, I’m sure. No need to respond,”
Jackson added when he saw the mixed emotions on Kim’s face. “I’ve always
admired your reluctance to speak against Mrs. Kapin.” He chuckled. “I
never understood it but I’ve admired it. Mr. Gilroy will make the official
announcement this afternoon.”
“Of course.”
“Although, Mrs. Kapin did not contribute much to the work
flow, her leaving does present us with a problem. As capable as you and
Marge are, you cannot carry the full weight of Mr. Gilroy’s, Mr. Eyler’s,
and my demands. Nor can we expect you to function in your current
positions and cover what few duties Mrs. Kapin performed. Therefore, it
has been decided that Mrs. Kapin’s position will not be left vacate and,
as Senior Vice President, Mr. Gilroy has placed me in charge of finding a
suitable replacement.”
Kim grinned knowing how much her boss disliked choosing
staff. “Lucky you.” She laughed at the mock glare she received in
response. “Anything I can do to help… as always,” she offered.
“I’m glad to hear you say that because I already have
someone in mind for the job.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I’m hoping you’ll take it on.”
“Me?”
“Why not you? You’ve covered for Mrs. Kapin for years and
managed to keep up with your own duties.”
“But the office manager works directly for Mr. Gilroy.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Mr. Gilroy. It’s just that I like working for
you.”
“Wait. Before you talk yourself in or out of anything, let
me explain the whole situation. What was Mrs. Kapin’s position will be
changed. For one thing, Mr. Gilroy is scaling back his level of day-to-day
involvement so he will no longer require an administrative assistant.
Second, the office manager will serve more in that function as we will be
adding two more secretaries to this office. They will not be assigned to
any one vice president but will receive their daily assignments from the
office manager. This will be more of a challenge since Mr. Gilroy’s
functions will be spread between Mr. Eyler, Mr. Martin, and my self. We’ll
need someone to take charge and make sure the work gets done. And, just so
you know, the office manager will report to me.”
Kim thought over the possibilities of accepting the offer
of a promotion. It would mean more work but would also mean a generous
boost in pay.
“Well?” Mr. Jackson asked after several minutes.
“I’m flattered,” Kim started. “I really am and if you had
presented this opportunity to me a couple of months ago I would have
jumped at it.”
Jackson looked quizzically at Kim. “Don’t tell me there’s a
but at the end of that.”
Kim nodded. “I’m sorry but I don’t want the job.”
Jackson frowned. “I have to admit I’m as confused as
disappointed. Can I ask what changed in the last few months?”
Kim smiled. “My priorities.”
“Well, I guess that’s as good of a reason as any. If you’re
sure…”
“I am.”
“Then you better ask the personnel office to send over any
resumes they might have.”
“I have a better option.”
“I’m listening.”
“Marge.”
“Marge?”
“She deserves the chance and she’ll be better at it than I
would.”
“I doubt that.”
“She’s earned it.”
“So have you.” Jackson studied Kim for several moments. “I
can’t change your mind?”
Kim shook her head. “It’s a wonderful opportunity but it’ll
mean more hours in the office and I’m just not interested in doing that.”
“Marge, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I doubt Mr. Jackson will have any objections. But it
will be up to Mr. Gilroy to give the final say, so please keep this under
your hat for now.”
“I understand.”
#
“I’ll be back at six. Are you sure it’ll be ready?” Dorthea
asked the man standing in front of her making notes on his clipboard.
“I promise. We’ll get it nice and shiny for you.”
Dorthea grinned. “Thanks. I’ll see you in a couple of
hours.”
#
Kim pushed the apartment door open then kicked it shut
after walking into the apartment. Dropping her purse on the coffee table
she headed toward the kitchen.
“Hey, cute stuff.”
Kim spun around to find Dorthea walking out of the bedroom.
“Hi,” she said as she retraced her steps across the room. “I thought you’d
be in the kitchen,” she told Dorthea just before wrapping her arms around
her. “How was your day?”
“Much better now that you’re home.”
“Did you do the deed?”
Dorthea nodded. “I am completely and officially retired.”
“Plan to be a kept woman, do you?” Kim asked with a grin.
Dorthea chuckled then pressed her lips to Kim’s.
“Absolutely,” she agreed breathlessly moments later. “I have a surprise
for you.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” Dorthea gently pulled out of Kim’s embrace. “So go
change into something comfy so we can get going.”
“Go where?”
“That’s part of the surprise. Go on. We need to get
moving.”
“Give me a hint.”
Dorthea pushed Kim toward the bedroom. “You’ll like it.”
“That’s not much of a hint,” Kim grumbled unbuttoning her
blouse.
“Hurry up. You’re moving like an old lady.”
Kim stopped then slowly turned to face Dorthea. “I’ll have
you know that I am an old lady,” she said as indignantly as she could.
Dorthea laughed then smiled sweetly at her pouting lover.
“Please… for me.”
“Anything for you, my love,” Kim said then spun around and
skipped into the bedroom.
#
“You turned it down?” Dorthea exclaimed, sitting next to
Kim on a seat near the middle of the bus.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“It would mean more work.”
“And a big raise.”
“And more hours at the office.”
“Oh. I guess I didn’t think of that. But,” Dorthea lowered
her voice, “honey, we could work around that.”
“No. I want the time with you. And Marge really should be
the one to get the job. She’s been there longer and she’s worked just as
hard as I have. Plus,” Kim paused grinning. “It’s a form of poetic justice
in a way. Mrs. Kapin wasn’t very nice to her and now she’ll have her job.”
“She wasn’t very nice to you, either.”
“It was worse with Marge.”
“Well, as long as you’re happy…”
“I am.”
“Then I’m happy, too.”
“And I’m really happy that they’re going to bring in two
more secretaries. Then I won’t feel so guilty about asking for time off
and we’ll be able to take some long weekend trips. As long as we can
borrow the station wagon from Thomas, that is.”
“Here’s our stop,” Dorthea said reaching up to pull the
cord to alert the driver they wanted to get off.
Kim looked out the window. “What’s here?” she asked
recognizing an area of town they generally didn’t visit.
“Your surprise.” Dorthea stood when the driver eased the
bus to the side of the street.
Kim used the seat back in front of her to pull herself
upright then she moved toward the front of the bus to catch up with
Dorthea.
They waited for the driver to open the doors then they
stepped down to the sidewalk.
“This way,” Dorthea said as she headed down the street with
a bewildered Kim following.
After they had walked almost three blocks, Dorthea came to
a stop. “We’re here,” she announcing excitedly.
“Dorthea, this is a car dealership.”
“I know that.”
“What are we doing here?”
“You are so impatient.” Dorthea took Kim’s hand and led her
through the multitude of cars parked on the property. She walked up to the
doors of the showroom and pushed them open.
“Ah, Miss Sanborn, right on time,” a silver haired man said
as he rushed to meet them. “We have everything ready for you.” He led the
women back outside to where a brand new 1988 Chevrolet Caprice station
wagon sat shining in the late afternoon sun. “Here are your keys,” the
salesman said with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new car.”
Dorthea took the keys then dangled them in front of a
stunned Kim. “Care to drive?” she asked temptingly. “It’s ours.”
Kim said at the car. “Is this a joke?”
“No.”
“How?’
“All those years of never taking a vacation finally paid
off.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll explain later. Now, are you going to drive this or do
I have to try.”
Kim snatched the keys out of Dorthea’s hands. “I’ll drive,”
she declared and slid into the driver’s seat when the salesman opened the
door. She twisted to look behind the seat at the large cargo area then
turned back to check out the dashboard. “Damn, this is nice,” she told
Dorthea as soon as she settled onto the passenger seat.
Dorthea grinned. “And it’s all ours.”
Kim put the key in the ignition and started the engine.
“Where would you like to go?”
“I have a list of places as long as this wagon is… but,
tonight, I’ll settle for dinner.”
Kim slipped the car into gear then eased it away from the
showroom. She carefully maneuvered it across the lot and onto the street.
“Any place in particular?”
“As long as you’re with me, I’m happy.”
“Then Jack-In-The-Box, it is.”
Dorthea laughed. “I was thinking more along the lines of
someplace with cloth napkins.”
“Ah, me lady is wanting a fancy diner. All right, I know
just the place.”
THE END |
