She kissed him on either cheek.
He shook Fetsko’s hand and said, “I’ll be in touch soon.”
Fetsko nodded, and Lucas grabbed his bag and walked out.
# # #
“Miss Woodrow?” the woman standing in front of her said, and Audra looked up quickly from the magazine she was reading. Luckily, she was getting used to hearing the name. The first interview she’d had, she kept waiting to see who would stand up until they repeated it using her first name, as well.
“Yes,” Audra said, standing, giving a warm smile, and reaching out with confidence to shake the woman’s hand. “Elise Woodrow.”
The woman, who introduced herself as Rachel Drummond, spoke animatedly as they walked down the hall.
“I love your portfolio, Elise,” she said, “as well as the comments from your CAD instructor. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you,” Elise said, smiling widely. She hoped the woman wasn’t just being effusive.
They walked into a corner office with nearly floor to ceiling windows around two sides overlooking Elliot Bay. It looked directly out over Pier 57 where she could see both Pike’s Place Market and Seattle’s giant Ferris wheel.
“What an amazing view!” Audra exclaimed.
“You should see it during the other half of the year. I can see all the way to Bremerton.”
“I keep hearing that all sorts of things appear out of the fog once the sun comes out again.”
“Oh, you’re that new to Seattle, are you?”
“I came just before Christmas.”
“Well, a lot of stunning sites await you, then,” Ms. Drummond said.
Audra sat down in the chair the woman indicated.
“So tell me something about you,” the woman began.
Audra was beginning to realize that this was the standard dumb question at the beginning of every interview. After several other interviews, she knew what to say, but it still made her uncomfortable. Hmmm…she wondered, was that why the others had put her off so quickly? She needed to get it right this time.
“Well,” Audra began, “I distinguished myself in high school in my CAD classes, and my primary extracurricular activities were the school newspaper and the yearbook.”
“That’s in your portfolio,” the woman said, still warmly. “I want to know something about Elise. I know since this will be your first real job that it’s tough to say what your strengths and weaknesses are, but dig deep. What would you say they are? Since you’re not in the workplace yet, how about in life in general?”
Good god. What was this woman fishing for? How was this relevant to becoming a design assistant? Elise wondered.
“Well,” Audra began, hesitantly, “I would certainly say I’m resilient.”
“And what makes you say that?” the woman asked.
Audra was breathing in and out evenly, trying not to be reactive. “I’ve had a lot of trauma in my life, and I’ve weathered it and am coming out on the other side of it.”
“Oh?” the woman asked. “What kind of trauma?”
Jesus! Audra thought. “I’ve lost several family members tragically.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman said, clearly startled. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay,” Audra said. There were a few seconds of silence that Audra desperately wanted to fill, but she simply didn’t know what else to say.
In the seconds that passed, the woman studied Audra’s face. “I think ‘resilient’ is a good description. You seem genuinely warm and at ease. That tells me a lot about you.”
Audra wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad, but she felt the words indicated the former.
“I’ve had to be pretty intrepid. I grew up in the Southwest, but have always longed to see the Northwest. After my grandparents passed away this last summer, I just decided it was time to make some big changes—despite what they say.”
“They?”
“The therapy community seems to think too many changes in a short time aren’t good, but for me it was an imperative.”
The woman nodded slowly. “Then to ‘resilient,’ I’ll add ‘flexible’ and ‘not easily daunted.’
Audra chuckled. “I think that about covers it.”
“All right, then, let me word my next question more specifically,” the woman said. “Do you think any personality trait that you may have acquired might negatively impact your work?”
Wow. What a loaded question. But suddenly Audra realized what she was doing and smiled.
“If you’re asking me whether I have deep-seated fears or anxieties, I do. But they are relegated to very specific situations which I sincerely doubt would ever occur at work, so I would have to answer ‘no’.”
“That’s a good, and obviously truthful, answer. I like you.”
Audra beamed at the woman. This was going well.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here, Elise. I need an assistant, like, yesterday. I like your work; I like your demeanor; I like your honesty; and, I like your intelligent face. I’d like to hire you. Can you start the first Monday after New Year’s?”
Audra’s eyes flew wide. “Yes. Of course!”
“You understand the parameters of the job?”
“I do. The description was well laid out.”
“Good. We’ll start you out at forty thousand a year, and, if you are as big a help to me as I think you’re going to be, I’ll move you up quickly. After six months, we’ll reevaluate. After a year, if we’re both in sync, I would like to offer you both a salary and a percentage of each project.”
“Thank you, thank you so much,” Audra said.
“I think this job will allow you the creativity and innovation you desire and of which you appear capable.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you. Maybe I’ll be able to get some stress off of myself and actually enjoy the holidays knowing I’ll have help soon. I’ll show you to the personnel office, and they’ll get you started on your paperwork.”
It was Ms. Drummond’s turn to stand. She came around the desk and took Audra’s hand. “Welcome aboard, Elise.”
Audra walked out with an immense sense of relief and excitement. Now she, too, could think about something else. Above all, she was looking forward to spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Joy’s family.
45
Lucas had taken some of his final check and traded his bike for a pickup. He paused in the parking lot before pulling out onto the road. Close to the border, it was easy to forget what time of year it was. He realized he wouldn’t be going east and north at all. He would have to avoid Colorado.
The only places that really appealed to him right now were quiet, out of the way places like Northern California or southeastern Oregon. The West Coast was nice, too, but unless he could find some little snug cabin with lots of firewood, it would be pretty cold and rainy this time of year.
He finally pulled out of Calexico, heading north on Hwy 86, away from Blanco, away from difficult memories of Audra.
# # #
Audra gave Joy the news about her new job—although it still seemed unreal at the moment.
“I am so excited for you…and a little bit envious,” Joy had said. “I still have three more years of school to slog through.”
“Well, check with me in six months to see if I’m still excited,” Audra said.
“You will be. This could be your dream job. Who gets a dream job the first time around?”
“Exactly,” Audra retorted.
“Why don’t you come over tomorrow afternoon, so you can meet the whole gang and get acquainted? I have seven brothers, you know.”
“What? Why are you just now telling me this?”
“Because I didn’t want you to back out. Actually, I’ll pick you up. It would be tough to navigate buses to get here. Don’t forget to pack a bag because I’m keeping you overnight. Oh, and bring something to wear to Mass.”
“Mass?”
“Yeah, you�
�ll have to go to Midnight Mass with us.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
When the call ended, Audra started looking in her closet. Her new v-necked black velvet dress with pearl buttons down the front would work for Mass; it was a bit more conservative than the holiday outfit she had chosen. How could I have known I’d have seven men to impress?
However, she couldn’t have chosen better: a taupe-colored lace-over-cream sheath dress with cap sleeves and matching Sergio Rossistilettos. The pumps were pricy, but she also had indulged herself with a pair of garnet cascading drop earrings and a matching rosette clutch. All of this she would top off with her new cream-colored wool overcoat with the to-die-for cowl neck. I’ll make a smashing entrance!
As she dressed the next day and admired herself in the mirror, she thought how amazed Lucas would be at how she looked. He wouldn’t even recognize me! The next second, she had to sit down. Her face flushed, and she felt mildly nauseous.
Lucas! She realized how hard she had been pushing him to the back of her mind. It had always been her way—stuffing and denying instead of allowing herself to work through her emotions. I hadn’t even been honest with my therapist about how deeply I missed him. Hell, I hadn’t been honest with myself. Suddenly, she wanted just to get back into bed and cry, but she couldn’t. It was almost time for Joy to be there, and she didn’t want to let her down. Even one tear would ruin her makeup. She swallowed several times and blinked it all back. It will have to do. No time to be sad now.
“Va-vavoom!” Joy said out the window when she saw Audra walking down the stairs. “You put me to shame! I hope you brought something casual. Believe me, with all the horseplay that goes on around my house when the boys are home, you won’t want to wear that the whole time.”
Audra grinned as she got into the car. “Well, I have to impress these seven brothers in a hurry then,” she said.
46
Joy had barely prepared her for seven brothers, let alone four wives and twelve children. Luckily, the McCrearys had a huge home, so all twenty-seven of them didn’t have to occupy the same room at once.
The entire family, except for Joy’s father, had varying shades of red hair, from the deepest auburn to ginger.
“Aidan, Brendan, Colin, Conor, Eamon, Michael, Neil, everyone, this is my friend, Elise,” Joy recited.
“Did you just say them in alphabetical order?” Audra asked.
“Yes, and birth order as well. With that many, if you’re going to reel them off, it’s the easiest way.”
“All Irish names, but yours is not in order, Joy, either by alphabet or by birth order.”
“No,” Joy’s mother piped up. “I called her Joy because after seven boys, she was my little joy.”
Some laughed, a few rolled their eyes, having heard that line a thousand times.
“And I’ll leave it to each of them to introduce their wives and children.”
Eamon, Michael, and Neil, Audra thought. The three youngest boys. She smiled broadly at Neil who reminded her so much of a young Eric Stoltz in her favorite teen romance of all time, Some Kind of Wonderful.
“What a dazzling smile,” he said. “Oh, just to set the record straight at the beginning, the only ones of us that are available are myself, Michael, and Conor. I didn’t want you to think Eamon was on the market.”
Eamon was nearly as handsome as Neil, but he quickly moved to the other side of the room, putting his hand on his wife’s back.
“So glad you cleared that up right away,” she said. She had removed her overcoat and was holding it in her arms, and her bag was sitting on the floor beside her. Neil relieved her of her coat, and Joy grabbed the bag.
“I’ll put this in my room,” Joy said. “In fact, let’s go up there right now. I want you to listen to this new group I found.”
“All in good time, my dear,” Mother McCreary said. “I need help in the kitchen right now.”
“Aw, Ma. You have four daughters-in-law. Can’t Elise and I get a bye this time?”
“A couple of them will join us, but some have to watch the children.”
“Did you bring something more casual to wear?” Joy asked.
Audra raised her eyebrows. “I did.”
“Well, better get changed, then,” she said. “C’mon up.”
“Such a shame to lose that ruby red vision so quickly,” Neil said, standing at the bottom of the stairs.
It was Joy’s turn to roll her eyes this time.
“So what’s Christmas like at your house?” Joy asked.
Immediately, there was a catch in Audra’s throat. She swallowed hard. “Since I’m an only child, and my parents were only children, there weren’t a lot of people around. It was just quiet.”
“Well, that’s all about to change,” Joy said. “I was going to ask why you didn’t fly home for the holidays.”
“Oh, with my job starting right away, I just decided it would be better to stay here. I’m still just getting oriented to things, it seems.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Joy said.
“And so am I,” said a voice from behind them.
“Neil Patrick McCreary, get away from my door,” Joy said.
“It’s this strange magnetism,” he said. “I was inexorably drawn to follow this vision up the stairs.”
Joy threw a stuffed animal from off her bed at him. He put his arms in front of his face and retreated. She closed the door.
“Boys!”
They both broke into giggles. Audra realized that the youngest siblings probably always retained some of their childhood rivalry, something she had clearly never experienced. She also realized that she had been forced to grow up much too early. It was fun to be able to be silly for a change. Even with Lucas, everything had been so serious.
Helping in the kitchen, with several women working together, was something else she had never experienced. It seemed like complete chaos at times, and yet everything came together seamlessly.
The immense table was lavishly set with red linens and a creamy yellow-gold table runner with sparkling crystal candle holders and pale yellow candles tied with sparkling bows. The center of the table held a huge prime rib surrounded with a tureen of oyster stew and dozens of sumptuous side dishes. The table seated eighteen, so thirteen adults and the five eldest grandchildren were seated at the main table, with the other seven children and one of the couples seated around a smaller table nearby. Apparently, the supervising of the “kid’s” table was relegated to a different couple each holiday.
Neil forced his way to sit next to her, displacing one of the brother’s wives and causing amused looks among the siblings. Joy rolled her eyes. Once the meal was begun and there was a quiet buzz of animated talk among them, Neil struck up a conversation as he passed the dishes to her.
After answering the requisite questions as to how she knew Joy, what she was doing, and where she was from, they were silent as they began to eat. He looked up at her with a crooked smile that made her pulse quicken. She quickly looked back at her plate.
“You have such beautiful green eyes,” he said. “Are they real?” She gave an inaudible gasp, and her face flushed scarlet. “I mean they are absolutely a stunning color of emerald. You must make any Irish mother happy.”
She forced herself to give him a grand smile but said nothing. She calmed herself by assuring herself that the blushing would be interpreted as just finding it difficult to take a compliment. A second later she realized that the fake eye-color was something she would never be able to keep from a partner. However, she wasn’t about to out herself at this point.
“You are Irish, aren’t you? Woodrow is an English name.”
“My mother’s people were McDonough’s,” she lied. “And my father was Irish but was adopted by the Woodrows.”
“Ah. What was his family name?”
Damn, she thought. So much for trying to keep it simple.She knew she would have to recall it again at another time.
Neil nodded his head.
“Were you raised Catholic?”
“Pretty much agnostic,” Audra responded.
“Oh, so you’re not familiar with the pomp and circumstance of Midnight Mass?”
“No,” she grinned. “Joy was trying to prepare me, I believe.”
“Ah, Joy,” he said in a mock-Irish accent. “Ye’ve brought a hay-then amongst us.”
“You’re the only heathen among us, Neil McCreary, you and your atheist philosophies,” Joy retorted.
Neil faked a shocked look.
“Wha-a thing t’ say. I’m just sayin’ it’s nice o’ you t’ bring someone I can converse with without every oother thing bein’ about ‘the Lord.’”
Joy made a disgusted sound and looked at Audra.
“You have my permission to ignore him, Elise,” she said.
She simply smiled at one and then the other, but her stomach was already churning.
Audra helped clear the dishes and put out platters of ginger cakes and fruit breads, along with Irish coffee for those who wanted it. Audra sipped ginger ale to try to calm her stomach, but she began to wish she had taken some of the whisky-laden coffee in hopes of calming her nerves.
It was time for the family to retreat to the great room, with the beautiful white-flocked Christmas tree and the wide brick hearth, to read stories to the children and tell tales of Christmases long ago, but Audra felt flushed and ill. She went to the bathroom and replenished her lipstick. This was a huge mistake, she thought.
She found Joy. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to stay,” she said.
“What? Why?” Joy asked.
“I really do not feel well.”
“Is it that brute of a brother of mine?”
“No, no, not at all. I’m just feeling really nauseous and lightheaded.”
“Do you just want to lie down in my room?”
Audra looked at her for a second, considering. “It’s kind of difficult feeling comfortable with so many new people and feeling ill just compounds it.”
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