Friday Night Flights

by Susan X Meagher

  “Um, I couldn’t help but notice you didn’t answer my question,” Casey said. “If you don’t want to talk about your job that’s fine, but if you do…”

  “I’d love to talk. Actually, I’m desperate to talk about everything that happened in the last couple of weeks.” She put her hand on Lisbet and tickled the back of her neck. “But I should probably get her home. I’ve been trying to put her down by seven or eight, and it’s already ten.”

  “Do you go to bed that early?”

  “No,” she said, laughing a little. “A woman’s work is never done. Once she’s down, I try to catch up on everything I didn’t finish during the day. Takes hours.”

  “So we haven’t hit your bedtime yet, right?”

  “We definitely haven’t hit mine.”

  “Then why not send her home with your parents? We can hang out for a while, then I’ll run you home.”

  “But you don’t live in Hudson. You’d have to go out of your way to take me home.”

  She stood, continuing to pat the baby as she started to walk. “Since you didn’t say ‘I don’t want to,’ I’m going to take that as a ‘yes.’ So kiss your little girl goodnight and send her on home. You’re going to stay up with the big kids.”

  ***

  By the time Lisbet was on her way home, and they’d walked back outside to the makeshift stage, the crowd had thinned. Casey counted thirty people, all gathered around the band, who still seemed fresh and energetic.

  “Want to walk around the fields? Or would you rather grab a table in the pub? I don’t think I’ll be able to hear you if we stay out here. The band’s gotten a second wind.”

  “Let’s go inside and sit.” She put her hand on Casey’s arm and squeezed it. “Don’t let me drink another beer, though. I can still taste how delicious it was, but my days of drinking to get a buzz are over.”

  “Maybe they’re just on hold. You can have a buzz when Lisbet’s not nursing any more.”

  “That seems like a long way off, but I suppose it really isn’t. I just wish there was a way to breastfeed like once a day,” she said, chuckling. “I love the bond we have, and I feel like I’m doing something remarkably important when I’m giving my baby life-sustaining nutrients.” She rolled her eyes. “But enough is enough! Six times a day is eating up my time, my energy, my sleep. That’s what happened at work, by the way. I actually fell asleep, only to have my boss shake me awake.”

  “Oh, shit! I think I’d be fired on the spot if I did that, and my bosses are crazy about me.”

  “Mine likes me a lot,” Avery admitted. “But she’s got every right to be sick of my act. I chose to have a baby, and because of that choice a lot of my work just isn’t getting done. My boss should pay me about half of my normal salary, because that’s about how much work I’m doing.”

  “Jesus, Avery, don’t make that offer! She’ll take you up on it.”

  “Oh, I won’t. But I’ve got to figure something out. I guess I have to ask my boss for ideas. She’s legitimately the brains in the office.”

  Casey started to shake her head while Avery was still speaking. “Not a good idea. Much better to offer an option or two yourself. She’ll respect you if you come up with a way to get the work done. That’s all good bosses want, right? Just get the damn work done.”

  “But I can’t do my job the way I did it before. And I can’t do it at all from my childhood bedroom.” She put her head in her hands and just held it for a minute, acting like it was too heavy to stay up on its own.

  “What part of your job do you like the best?”

  She sat up and gazed at Casey for a moment, with her sharp gaze revealing her bright mind. “Acquiring the stories for Short Shorts, and producing the podcast. I’m really good at both, by the way.”

  “Great. What part’s giving you trouble?”

  “Mmm.” She seemed to think for another minute. “Going out and scouting new venues, which I’ve barely done at all since Lisbet was born. And showing up in the office—awake. Both parts are mandatory, and I’m sucking at both equally badly.”

  “Is there anyone in the office who could do the scouting thing?”

  “Interesting idea,” she said slowly. “There’s an editorial assistant who’s bright, and hard-working, but she’s very introverted. I suppose Victoria could do it, but she’d have to push herself.”

  “Okay. There’s one suggestion for your boss. Do a sales pitch to Victoria first, and convince her that she’d raise her standing in the office if she did the scouting.”

  “She really would,” Avery said, looking at Casey like she’d just split the atom. “Helena’s worried that she’s not assertive enough to ever be able to move up. This could show both of them that Victoria has potential.”

  “Excellent,” she said, starting to feel like they were getting somewhere. “How about going into the office? Why do you need to be there?”

  “I work from home a few days a week with no trouble. But we have an editorial meeting on Wednesday that everyone goes to. I even had to go when I was on maternity leave, which I think was illegal to force me to do.”

  “Is anyone ever out of the office? Like at a conference or something?”

  “Um, yeah. But they always call in.”

  “Does that work?”

  “Pretty well,” she admitted. “It can be annoying if they’re on a cell phone, but if they can call in via video it’s fine.”

  “Another solution,” Casey said, proud of her problem-solving capabilities. “You’ll figure out how to do video calls from home. All fixed,” she said, slapping her hands together. “Look how easy that was. You’ll live at home for a while until you figure things out, you’ll work from home, and you’ll have Lisbet with you every minute.”

  “But I’d have to go into the city to do Short Shorts,” she said, looking up at Casey like she fully expected another solution.

  “How often?”

  “The first Tuesday of every month.”

  “Then you’ll go into the city one day a month. You can even go in early and stop by the office just so they don’t forget what you look like. Now we’re done,” she said, once again clapping her hands together and shaking them out.

  “I think that might be a reasonable work-around for the short term,” she said slowly. “But I truly don’t want to live at home again. I’ve been gone for years, Casey. If we move in, I know my mom will unconsciously take over, and I can’t have that. Lisbet is my responsibility, and I’ve got to be in charge.”

  “Then you’ll find an apartment around here. But that’s stage two,” she decided, so certain of herself that Avery seemed carried away by her confidence. “Stage one is making your case with your boss and getting her to sign-off. When’s your lease up?”

  “Not for another two months, but Freya’s willing to pay her half until the lease is up, even though she’s sleeping on a friend’s sofa.”

  “She’s your real friend, right? Not just a roommate?”

  “Up until now we’ve been good friends. Go on vacation together kind of friends. But I’m afraid our bond might be fraying…”

  “Then give her the whole apartment. You move out now and pay your half. She’ll be grateful for your thoughtfulness, and that might help get your friendship back in good shape.” She held up her hand. “Stage one will last a few weeks to a couple of months. We’ve got some time to come up with stage two.”

  “It sounds so easy when you lay it out like that.” Some of the worry lines that had creased her forehead started to ease when she smiled. “You’re very good at this.”

  “I’m the brewmaster,” she said. “Emphasis on master.”

  ***

  While Casey made sure everything was buttoned up for the night, Avery sat on a stool, watching the bartenders clean. A woman caught her eye, and her attention was immediately locked in. The woman clearly worked there, but Avery hadn’t seen her earlier. She was pretty sexy, with a snug, vibrant pink shirt and even tighter jeans that showe
d off her very voluptuous body. She was probably in her forties, and had that kind of “I know who I am, and I’m not interested in your opinion,” vibe that Avery didn’t see nearly often enough.

  The woman started to pitch in with the clean-up, but she was also directing everyone else, splitting her attention to do several things at once. Her dark hair and bronzed skin hinted that she was Latina, and when she spoke to one of the guys in rapid-fire Spanish, that confirmed Avery’s guess.

  Watching her, Avery had an idea for a short story, something that definitely hadn’t happened since she’d gotten pregnant. Maybe even earlier than that. She was the kind of writer who needed quiet, a cleared schedule, and nothing on her mind to be able to create, so this shocked the heck out of her. But a story about a super sexy, larger-than-life Latina who ran the show in an almost all white environment really tugged at her creative instinct. She was sure she was smiling like a fool, but getting a creative zing made her whole night. Maybe her week!

  Someone turned on some music, and it blared through the speakers attached to the metal hoops that gave the building its structure. The woman started to dance, and she was so free with her body that the other women started to join in. Avery almost got off her stool to get in on the action, but that would have been a little weird, since she was a complete stranger. So she just watched as they threw trash away, and wiped up the tables, swinging their hips and reveling in their bodies.

  Just so she didn’t forget her kernel of an idea, she surreptitiously woke her phone up and angled it so she could get a couple of photos of the woman. Because of the dim light, they wouldn’t be terribly sharp, but that was fine. She just wanted to remind herself of the confident expression the woman bore. She owned the place, even though Avery was pretty sure she was just an employee. Casey was lucky if this woman was one of the brewers. She was a dynamo.

  ***

  An hour later, Casey let her truck idle in Avery’s driveway. “I hate to think of you going back to Brooklyn on Sunday,” she said, staring straight ahead so she didn’t have to see Avery’s expression if she thought Casey was being too dramatic. “I have this image of you and Lisbet, surrounded by millions of people, none of them really caring about you.”

  “That’s not true. Well, it’s kind of true, but a few people care about us. Freya does, even though she’s screwing things up for me right now. And Helena, my boss does, too. Actually, my office is kind of a second home—”

  “Co-workers and bosses aren’t really your friends, and they’re definitely not the same as your relatives.” She took a quick look at her face. “Have you been to your boss’s house?”

  “Well, no, but—”

  “If you were sick, and couldn’t take care of Lisbet, would you call your boss or a co-worker?”

  “If I had too. I mean, it would be weird, but if I had no options…”

  “Right. They’re people you know. You need people you can rely on, Avery. Having a baby is a very big responsibility, and you need support. I bet you have at least ten people in Hudson you’d ask to help out if Lisbet needed them.”

  “Maybe not ten, but definitely some.” She reached over and patted Casey’s knee, making her flinch a little. “Surprisingly, I’d add you to my list.”

  “Yeah, it is a little surprising. I’ve been swinging by the restaurant six days a week ever since we graduated, but I’ve never even seen you in town. Kind of weird, huh?”

  “Uh-huh. But what’s also surprising is that I never knew how kind you were. I had an image of you as a super independent, super confident woman who was only interested in sports. I had no idea you were such a softie.”

  Casey nodded, tempted to say how she’d seen Avery. But this wasn’t the day to tell her she’d thought she was an asshole. “Um, I’m a softie…who’s also a jock. So you were half right.” She clapped a hand to her knee, surprised to feel how warm her skin was. “Go get some rest. Then go make things happen at work. Will you text me after you do? I’m interested.”

  “I will. Put your number in my phone,” she said, reaching into her pocket to pull it out.

  “I’ll call myself. Then I’ll have yours.”

  “I should have been able to think of that,” Avery said, chuckling. “One day my brain will function again and I’ll remember all sorts of things.” She reached for the door handle. “But not soon.” She let out a tired laugh when she fumbled with the door to open it. “Thanks for everything,” Avery added, sliding out to hit the ground with a thump when she missed the rail. “Still alive!” she said, holding her arms up like she’d scored a touchdown.

  Casey watched her shuffle into the house, barely lifting her sandals from the sidewalk. The thought of Avery having to wake up in an hour or so to feed the baby made her tired, and she’d had eight hours of sleep the night before. She didn’t recall a whole lot from the one anthropology course she’d had to take, but one thing had stuck. Humans used to raise babies collectively, and we’d lost an awful lot when we’d decided we could handle just about everything alone.

  ***

  Casey was at her desk before the sun was fully up on Monday. It was a brew-day, and she had twenty things to take care of before she was lost in the process.

  She looked up when Ben sauntered in, dropping two white paper bags on his desk. “Brought breakfast,” he said, giving her a grin.

  If she’d had any amount of heterosexuality in her, she would have married the guy. Thoughtful, patient, funny, smart, and a great dad. She could have done a lot worse, but he probably preferred a woman who actually wanted to have sex with him, not just someone who’d toss him a bone when he did something thoughtful.

  “You’re a good man,” she said, standing up to peek in the bags. “I’ll take whatever has cheese on it.”

  “Both do. I’ve got sausage, egg, and cheese, and bacon, egg, and cheese. Your choice.”

  She dug into the bag, tearing it apart. “Three?”

  “I got two sausage, egg, and cheese, since I want one of each.” He smiled at her. “You always pick the sausage.”

  “I’m predictable.” She sat back down, unwrapped the sandwich, which was still pretty warm, and took a big bite. “Ooo. Delicious. Will you let me buy? I know you went out of your way for this.”

  “You can catch up on Friday. I’ve got to leave at two to take Benji to a tournament in Albany. I’ll have to be in here by six to get my hours in, and no place will be open. Don’t forget,” he warned. “You know how I get when I miss breakfast.”

  “Will the tournament be the whole weekend?”

  “’Fraid so. Julie’s coming, so we’re going to make a little vacation out of it.”

  “Damn, Ben, August is slipping away and you haven’t been over for a pool party since June.”

  “I know,” he said, ducking his head down as he took a bite. He hated to be so unavailable, but his kid was obsessed with baseball, so he let him dictate their schedule. “Can’t be helped.”

  “It’s all right. This is the last tournament, right?”

  “The very last. He starts school in two weeks.”

  “Ugh. Seems like he just got out.”

  “Agreed.” They finished eating while they both continued to look at their email. Casey was in the middle of answering a request from a brewer in Massachusetts who wanted to visit and taste what they were currently working on, and she almost didn’t hear Ben when he spoke.

  “How’s the baby?”

  “Lisbet?”

  “Do you have more than one?”

  She laughed. “I wouldn’t say I have Lisbet, but I’d like to see her more often. That might happen, actually. I think I gave Avery ammunition to convince her boss to let her work from home. That would mean that she could move up here. Cool, huh?”

  “Are you interested in her? The mother, that is.”

  Casey wadded up the paper her sandwich came in and winged it at him. “I’m not interested in Avery’s mother!”

  “I meant Lisbet’s mother. Are you into her?
You were out wandering around with her for over an hour the other night.”

  “Are you checking up on me?” she asked, getting a weird feeling from him.

  “Of course not. Valeria was looking for you, but I didn’t want to go searching for you if you wanted to be alone.”

  “Huh.” She stepped back to think for a moment. If she’d had time to get to know Avery, and if she planned on staying in Columbia County, things might have been different. The thought of co-parenting Lisbet was pretty awesome to even consider, but Avery was just as much a prize. When she looked at you with those big, blue eyes it was hard to keep on track. She was still the pretty, brainy girl from high school, only now she wasn’t hanging out with her jerky friends…

  “You still in there?” Ben asked, interrupting her fantasy.

  “Yeah, I’m here. I’m…” She sighed. “I’m a sucker for a pretty face. I’d have to take it slow—for sure. But if she’s as nice as she seems…” She shrugged, more confused than she normally was about a woman. “I might be able to overlook some youthful jerkiness if I could be sure she’d reformed.”

  “She hasn’t reformed,” he said flatly.

  “Huh? You don’t even know her, Ben. I didn’t get a chance to introduce you.”

  “I know who she is, Casey. And I’m not sure what she was going to do with it, but I caught her smirking at Valeria and taking her picture.”

  “What in the fuck…?”

  “Right. What in the fuck. I was behind her, just walking into the greenhouse. I saw Avery focus her phone on her, then I saw her take a couple of pictures. When I passed by, I saw this smile on her face that only made sense if she was thinking about sharing a picture of a fat woman in tight clothes with her skinny friends.”

  “No way! I’ve only spent a few hours with her, but Avery’s not the type—”