Timing Is Everything

by Steinsiek, Sabra Brown;

  “I think it sounds like a good thing, Laura. It would be worth trying. It’s only for a couple of months to begin with.”

  “I think I’ll go try logging on now,” Laura said as she got up from the table.

  Beth was relieved to see her go. Lying to Laura wasn’t something she’d ever tried before, and it wasn’t something she wanted to do now. But, if it helped Laura to recover from all of this, the risk would be worth it.

  * * *

  Taylor got home a little after midnight. It had been a long day. Closing the door behind him, he dropped his bag by the stairs. The message light was blinking, probably Annie, he thought. She was due back today. He poured himself a glass of wine, then listened to the message.

  He was startled to hear Laura’s voice instead of Annie’s. She must have called right after he’d spoken to her. Hopefully she hadn’t put things together and figured out that he had been there. She wanted Christine’s number, a good sign that she was seriously thinking about accepting the job. He went to the computer and logged on.

  Laura,

  Sorry I missed you. I just got in, and I don’t want to call and wake you, so I thought I’d send you Christine’s number this way. Since I’ll be at rehearsal tomorrow by the time you get up, I thought this would be better than playing phone tag.

  I hope this means you’re seriously thinking about taking this on. I need you.

  Taylor

  He added Christine’s phone number and address, then logged off. He was suddenly tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep.

  Chapter 32

  Laura looked at her watch. The plane would be landing in Tampa in less than an hour, and she would begin a new phase of her life. She could hardly believe it was happening. So much of the last month was a blur in her mind. A few things stood out with clarity, but everything had happened so quickly. At Christmas, just a month ago today, she would have laughed at anyone who told her she would be leaving the Herald and taking on the job of Taylor Morgan’s assistant. Yet, here she was.

  After Taylor had asked her to take the job, she’d called and talked to Christine, who had been delighted that Laura was considering taking her place.

  “Taylor can be a bit difficult if things aren’t up to his standards, Laura, but most of the time that has to do with problems that crop up with the venues or with someone in the ensemble not carrying their weight. Those wouldn’t have much to do with you. Most of the job requires acting as receptionist like I did when you interviewed him. I also took care of keeping him caught up on his correspondence, making sure he remembered birthdays and special occasions for the cast, occasionally running out to find a new shirt or the like. There was some public relations stuff, but you’ll be perfect at that. Really, Laura, it can be a lot of fun if you don’t mind living out of a suitcase.”

  She’d asked Taylor numerous questions by email, talked with him by phone, and, finally, at the end of that week, accepted the job for the length of the tour.

  As she’d planned, she found a new apartment in a high-security complex. She’d seen a therapist twice a week for the last three weeks until they had mutually agreed that Laura would have to do the rest of her healing on her own.

  The morning her period had started was the roughest day since she had been raped. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how scared she had been that she might be pregnant, despite her doctor’s assurance that the “morning-after” pill had taken care of any risk. If she’d been pregnant, an abortion would have been the only answer. But, as a practicing Catholic, it would have gone against everything she had been raised to believe. With the threat of pregnancy removed, she finally had let herself rage at Cary, screaming at him in the empty apartment, telling him all the things she’d wanted to say. When she had screamed herself hoarse, she cried for all he had taken from her. Finally, she’d pulled herself together, and promised that he would pay someday. Then she’d put her anger aside and never looked back.

  Her parents had been surprised at her decision. Calling them in Ireland, she’d told them what she was doing, never mentioning why. They were supportive, as always, torn between pride in her decision and grief that she would be away from them so much. She had promised to wait to leave until they came home. She smiled at the thought of the farewell dinner her mother had fixed last night—all of her favorite foods, from green chile stew to chocolate cake with mocha icing.

  The pilot announced they would be landing in Tampa in ten minutes. All of her hard-won confidence that she was doing the right thing disappeared as panic moved in to take its place.

  Taylor had decided to meet her himself, leaving rehearsal in the hands of the director. As he drove to the airport, he felt a rising sense of excitement. He knew he couldn’t let her know his true feelings yet. Just having her near would have to be enough for now.

  Beth had kept him posted on Laura’s progress. He knew it had been hard for her, feeling like she was betraying Laura. She swore it hadn’t affected their friendship, but he still wondered if it had in some way, or might in the future.

  When he’d told Annie that Laura would be taking the job as his assistant, she’d given him one of her looks, the ones she saved for when she was wondering if he’d lost his mind. The last time he’d seen one was when he’d asked Janis to marry him. Then it had been deserved. This time it wasn’t. Annie hadn’t pursued it, and he certainly wasn’t going to bring it up.

  As her flight arrival was announced, he suddenly wondered if, maybe, Annie was right, that this was a stupid idea. Maybe he should have left her alone. Then, all of his doubts disappeared as she came through the security gate. She looked thinner, more fragile, than he remembered, but he wasn’t sure if it were true or if it was because he knew what had happened to her.

  “Laura!” Taylor waved at her, then stepped forward. Taking her carry-on bag from her, he gave her a hug. He was momentarily surprised when she seemed to pull back from him, but he released her and smiled. “I don’t think I really believed you were coming until you came through that door.”

  “That’s all right, Taylor. I didn’t believe it either.”

  “Let’s go find your luggage and get you settled,” Taylor said. “I’ll need to head back to rehearsal, but I thought I’d take you to dinner tonight, and we can begin to figure out where we go from here.”

  * * *

  As her class ended, Annie realized Taylor must be at the airport picking up Laura. They hadn’t talked about her much, and that worried Annie. Taylor wasn’t usually this reserved unless it was something terribly important to him. Then he liked to have all the pieces in place before he let people know about his plans.

  She was worried, because it was obvious to her that Laura was very important to him. He’d been too quiet after his trip to New Mexico at Christmas, changing the subject whenever the questions were specifically about Laura. Something had happened between them, Annie was sure of it. She just wasn’t sure it had been something good.

  Picking up the phone, she called Taylor’s number and left a message inviting him to come and bring Laura for brunch on Sunday. He’d be leaving again soon and this might be their only chance to get together. And it would give her a chance to see if she could figure out what it was with Taylor and Laura.

  * * *

  Laura looked out the window of the suite that overlooked Tampa Bay. The view was beautiful, the suite equally so.

  Taylor had brought her to the hotel and, true to his word, left her to get settled. They’d decided that he would be back at six to pick her up for dinner. That would give her enough time, she decided, to get unpacked, and take a walk before she had to be ready.

  Being with Taylor again had been easier than she had expected. The only difficult part was when he had hugged her at the airport. She still had trouble dealing with being touched. Even when her father had embraced her at the airport before she left, she’d found herself tensi
ng up. Her therapist had promised her that would go away someday, but nobody seemed to be able to tell her exactly when “someday” would come.

  Sighing, she shook her head, then turned to the task of getting settled in her new “home.”

  * * *

  Taylor arrived back at the hotel a few minutes before six. Afternoon rehearsal had gone remarkably well, and he was feeling very upbeat about everything, including Laura. It was beginning to look like everything was going to work out.

  Laura, wearing leggings and a lightweight sweater that matched her eyes, opened the door. He was pleased to see she was wearing the earrings he’d given her for Christmas. She also appeared to be less stressed than when he picked her up at the airport. Remembering her withdrawal when he’d hugged her, he made no attempt to touch her as he came into the sitting room of the suite.

  “Everything’s all right, Laura? With the suite?”

  She laughed. “It’s wonderful, Taylor. Quit worrying. How was rehearsal?”

  “Today, things seemed to really be coming together. You wouldn’t think that a month off would mean starting over again, but it does. And I’m starving! Are you ready to go?”

  They went down to The Colonnade, where he’d arranged for one of the back corner tables. While the location didn’t offer a view, it would provide some privacy and a quieter place to talk.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Laura.” Taylor said as he met her eyes. There were shadows there, where none had been a month ago.

  She smiled at him and asked, “So, is it to be Mr. Morgan now that you’re my boss?”

  Taylor laughed, “Absolutely not! I don’t think I will ever be ‘Mister’ material. That would mean being a grownup, something I’m not terribly good at. You’ll have to live with calling me Taylor, and, the truth is, you’re the one who’s going to have all the power.”

  “So, where do we go from here?”

  “Well, to begin with, I’d like you to be at rehearsal the rest of this week, at least the ensemble rehearsals. You need to meet and get to know everyone. There will be at least a couple of afternoons that I’ll be doing some solo work, which gives everyone, you included, time off. Then, Sunday, if you’d like to, Annie has invited us to brunch. I’d like you to meet her and Meg, not as my assistant, but as my friend.”

  Annie. Laura hadn’t given much thought to Annie. Carefully, she probed that part of her mind that had been jealous of her, but those feelings were no longer there. They had been carefully shut away with her feelings about Taylor.

  “I’d like to meet them, Taylor, but shouldn’t you spend some time with them without me there, since you’ll be gone for a while?”

  “This was Annie’s idea—not that I don’t think it’s a good one! I may go off with Meg for a while if you and Annie are comfortable with the idea. Meg and I usually have a little bit of private time.” After their meal was served, Taylor turned the conversation back to what her duties would be. “At rehearsal, I’ll need you to make note of any changes or new ideas. I can’t remember everything that goes on. Usually, after rehearsal, Daniel—our director—and I try to go over what’s come up during the day. He’s busy trying to juggle things, too, so your notes will be a big help. And, I’d like your opinion on how things look from the audience point of view; what’s not working, what is.”

  “But, Taylor, you know I have no theatre background.”

  “Which is why you’re the perfect person to do it. The rest of us are too close to it. We need someone with a fresh viewpoint. You can give me that feedback privately if it will make it easier for you, but I really do need it, Laura.

  “Then there’s the fan mail. I have an arrangement with the president of the fan club. She forwards everything to me at particular stops on the tour. I’ll need you to look through it and give me anything you think needs answering right away. I don’t think it will take you long to recognize what’s important and what isn’t.”

  As the waiter cleared their plates before bringing dessert, Taylor looked across the table and said, “I know all this sounds overwhelming, Laura. It will be a learning experience for us both. I’ll be honest with you; the next two weeks will be very busy, and you won’t have a lot of free time. Once we leave on tour, it will settle into a rhythm, and you’ll have a lot of down time, time to work on your own things. And I hope you’ll enjoy being part of it.”

  “I’m sure I will, Taylor. If I didn’t think so, I would never have said ‘yes’. So, quit worrying so much. I promise, I’ll let you know when you’re becoming a slave driver.”

  * * *

  After dinner, Taylor drove her back to the hotel. As they walked down the hall to the suite, Taylor said, “I want to try to get you oriented a little to Tampa tomorrow, at least so you can find your way back and forth to the Performing Arts Center from here. I’m borrowing a car from my agent and leaving you the Jag starting tomorrow evening.”

  Laura stopped as she was opening the door. “Taylor, I cannot drive your car! That thing’s worth a fortune.”

  Taylor reached past her and pushed open the door. “It’s a car, Laura. A thing. There’s nothing you can do to it that’s going to upset me unless you get yourself hurt.” He stayed in the hall as she went into the room. “Get some rest, Laura. I’ll pick you up about 8:30 tomorrow.” He waved as he turned and headed back down the hallway as she closed the door behind her.

  Chapter 33

  Laura slept better than she’d expected to. Her internal clock tried to tell her it was too early when the alarm went off and she realized that making time adjustments might be the hardest part of this. Still, she was excited about the day and was ready long before Taylor arrived to pick her up.

  On the way, he pointed out various landmarks until he pulled into the vast complex that made up the Tampa Performing Arts Center. Taking Laura to the security desk, he introduced her, got her a security pass, and then led her through a series of hallways that seemed to twist and turn and go on forever. Within minutes, she was thoroughly lost. Finally, they came into a large, mirrored rehearsal hall. Clustered around a piano was a group doing vocal exercises. A couple of the vocalists waved at Taylor as he led the way toward a man seated in a corner, bent over a sheaf of papers.

  “Daniel?”

  The man looked up and got to his feet, “Morning, Taylor. This must be Laura,” He held out his hand to shake hers as he continued, “I’m Daniel Li, Taylor’s director and ringmaster of this circus.” A shrill whistle near her ear pierced the air, and, startled, she looked at Taylor, realizing it had come from him. The room went quiet, and Taylor said, “Good morning, everyone. I want you to meet Laura Collins, my new assistant. She’s in charge of my life now, so you can take all your problems to her, but please, not too soon! I want to keep her around.”

  Taylor turned back to her as everyone returned to what they’d been doing. “Why don’t you sit here with Daniel? Don’t worry too much about taking notes this morning. Just try to get a feel for this.” Flashing her a smile, he went and joined the group warming-up.

  Daniel smiled at her. “He’s right, Laura. Just hang out here for this morning. I think you’ll get an idea of what’s happening pretty quickly. Don’t be afraid to stop me and ask if something isn’t making sense. I’m glad you’re here. Taylor is in desperate need of a keeper!”

  As Laura sat down and got out a notebook from her bag, Daniel raised his voice, “All right, people. Playtime’s over. Let’s get to work!”

  * * *

  The morning passed quickly, and Laura was surprised when Daniel called a lunch break. She had a page full of notes, most of which she didn’t remember writing down. Taylor stayed behind with the pianist as the others left the area they had designated as “stage.” The three female vocalists came over to Laura and one of them said, “I’m Olivia; this is Judy and Lois. Would you like to come to lunch with us, Laura?”

  “Thanks
, but I’d best check with Taylor. I’m not sure what he needs me to do.”

  Olivia turned and called to Taylor, “Taylor! We’re taking Laura with us for lunch, ok?”

  He glanced up briefly, nodded and waved, and then turned back to the discussion he was having with the pianist.

  She turned back to Laura, “There. That’s settled. Let’s go.” They walked to a nearby restaurant, and, once they had ordered, they began to get to know each other.

  “Where did Taylor find you, Laura?” Olivia asked.

  “Actually, I interviewed him when the tour was in Albuquerque a few months ago.”

  “That’s why you look familiar!” Lois exclaimed. “You went to that fund-raiser party with him. But, how did you end up here?”

  “Taylor and I hit it off and have been corresponding since then. I was ready to take a leave from the paper, and Taylor offered me this chance, so I took it. I’ll be doing some freelance writing on my own while we travel.”

  Judy said, “Taylor’s been doing a lot of traveling lately. He disappeared right after rehearsals started. He was gone a couple of days with no warning or explanation. That’s not like him at all.”

  “He must have had his reasons. He’s certainly been working hard enough to make up for it,” Olivia said.

  The conversation turned towards general get-acquainted topics. By the time lunch was over, Laura felt very much like she was a part of the group instead of an outsider.

  * * *

  The afternoon rehearsal flew by as quickly as the morning had. Daniel called a halt at four and reminded everyone to be back in at nine tomorrow. They drifted out a few at a time, and Taylor came over to sit next to Laura as Daniel conferred with the accompanist for a few minutes. The energy that had surrounded Taylor all day was suddenly gone, and he looked exhausted. Still, he smiled at her and said, “So, Laura, are you going to stay, or have we driven you away already?”