by Thomas, Thea
She sighed. The phone rang.
"Soooo... what do you want to do now?" her friend Tina asked as if they were in the middle of a conversation.
Sage shrugged. "I don't want to do anything."
"Uh-uh, wrong answer. It's time to par-ty! We gotta get your blood circulating again, girl!"
Sage giggled. "What are you getting at?"
"Either you start getting in motion or moss is going to grow on you."
"I'm not that bad."
"No, no, she's not that bad," Tina announced to an omnipresent audience, "she's not that bad! When was the last time you went out?"
"Last night!" Sage answered. "Touché!"
Tina was quiet for a moment. Then, "oh yeah? What'd you do?"
"I went to an opening at the Newport Harbor Art Museum."
"Hmm. Okay. That's a little more 'out' than going to the grocery store. But who'd you go with? What'd you wear? Where'd you go after?"
"I wore the blue velvet."
"Ohhh! And?"
"And the blue velvet pumps."
"You know what I mean...."
"And I think it was enough that I got out."
"Okay, okay, you didn't go with anyone, you didn't go anywhere after, you just lugged that awful limo from the canyon to Newport and back again."
"That's right."
"And you're proud of yourself."
"Not proud, not ashamed. There's nothing to be either about. But..." Sage got up and started to wander about.
"But? There's a but? But what?"
"Well, I had quite an adventure."
"Really? What?" Tina's curiosity crackled.
"A motorcycle gang tried to steer me off the road."
"No!"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"I'm trying to tell you. I was frightened to death. I really was. It made me... makes me angry to have been so weak, but...."
"Of course you were frightened. I shudder to think what they would have done to you! So then what?"
"So they heard a car coming and they left."
"That's all?" Tina sounded disappointed.
"A moment ago you were worried about me."
"Certainly. But you're still in one piece, so...."
"Anyway, that's not really quite all. The limo was stretched dangerously across both lanes of the road, heading into the ditch. I couldn't handle it. I couldn't back it up. I just kept going further into the ditch. Then this sports car came over the hill. A man jumped out, pulled the limo out onto the road, then drove me up to the house."
"No kidding! How exciting. You weren't afraid of him?
"No. He was so nice. I mean, at first he was really angry and sounded mean. Then when it was clear that I was helpless – and I was, I hate being that way, but there it is – he turned so sweet. So, no I wasn't afraid of him in the least."
"And then what happened?"
"And, and, and!" Sage exclaimed, "And that's all." Sage found herself in the kitchen, standing in front of the trash. She pulled out the crumpled note.
"Oh." Tina sounded deflated.
"Except he came in and had some warm milk with me."
"And?" Excitement again.
"And then he went down and got his car and brought it up to look at it. Meanwhile, I went up to bed. I was wiped out and, anyway, he certainly didn't need me hovering over him while he's being all mechanical with his car." Sage held the phone with her shoulder and smoothed out the note. "He turned out the yard light and locked the door when he left. And that really is all."
"Hmmm." Tina was silent for a moment and Sage couldn't read her. "You let him have run of all the valuable stuff there and just went to bed?"
Surprised, Sage retorted, "Stuff? I don't care about this 'stuff.' Besides, he maybe saved my life. He's just not the sort of person who takes 'stuff.' "
"Ohhh – sensitive. Okay. White-hearted, honest guy. I suppose there's a couple of them left. What'd he look like?"
"He was – he is sort of... gorgeous."
"WHAT?!" Complete incredulity from Tina. "Sage calls a man gorgeous? Never! Never even 'nice looking.' Who is this masked marauder? When do I meet him? What's his name?"
"Michael. You don't meet him. I'll never see him again."
"Augh! You meet a man you think is gorgeous, and you know nothing about him!"
"Except that he writes terse notes on yellow-lined paper."
Sage ran her finger over his scribbled signature.
"But why didn't you find out more about him?"
"Last night I was... I felt weird, confused... because of the motorcycle gang. So, it was just, he did this good Samaritan deed, and that's all. Then this morning I woke up with a terrible dream about Aunt Vicky."
"Oh, Sage, I'm sorry."
"Well, I'm all right. But, you know. Anyway, and then I remembered him."
"Tell me more about the gorgeous Michael."
"There's nothing more to tell. He's thin, he has a mop of curly sort of auburn hair, sincere eyes, hazel I think, a wonderful mouth, wonderful cheekbones. Straight, perfect teeth."
"Jeez, again with the teeth, Sage! But, anyway, he sounds wonderful. But poor Sage, everything is so...."
"No, not poor Sage," Sage said. "What the earth-angel Michael did for me was to let me see that I'm still alive, that I can have a pleasant, positive emotion. For awhile I wasn't mourning. And, just when you called, I was thinking about him, and realized that again, I had a moment when I wasn't missing Aunt Vicky. And, you know, like I said, he opened the door in me where I remember that I'm still alive."
"Of course you're still alive!" Tina said. "Look at you! You're incredible! You're beautiful, you're intelligent, you're educated, you're talented, you're rich...."
"No, I'm not."
"Okay, scratch rich, who needs it anyway? But anyway, you're all that and not even bitchy. I mean, you're really sweet and nice. You're the kind of woman women love to hate."
"What a waste of their energy if that's true."
"Well, I don't hate you! You're my best friend, and friends like you are hard to find. But now I have a mission. I can do something for you, for a change. I'm going to help you find Michael."
"Are you crazy?" Sage folded up Michael's smoothed-out note and tucked it in her pocket. "I've never chased men, and I'm not about to start now!"
"You don't have to, I'm going to do it for you."
"I'm not desperate, Tina." Sage felt peeved.
"That's for sure," Tina answered quickly. "Every man wants you. The point is, you've never been interested in anyone."
"I'm not interested in Michael either. I mean, I don't know anything about him. I just liked his looks and he was kind. That's all."
"Phooey, Sage. Tell me another story! I've never even seen you look at a man unless there was something besides his appearance and first impression that caught your attention."
Exasperating, Sage thought. "It's just exasperating how well you know me, Tina," Sage shook her head in frustration. "But please don't embarrass me by stalking after some man."
Chapter 3
Michael sat staring at the computer chip architecture, but he couldn't find the bug. Couldn't see, for that matter, anything but a pair of diamond-sparkling-pale-turquoise-blue-eyes. Why was this strange woman taking his mind, how was she taking his mind? Why indeed, he thought, trying to shake the vision of her.
But he couldn't let someone he didn't even know interfere with his work. A woman who looked like that, who lived in a place like that, who wore clothes like that and yet who drove a limo... well, she surely must be living a complicated personal life. And he'd be unwise to get anywhere near it. It was definitely not his style, on the basis of simply knowing her first name and where her driveway was, to chase a woman.
Anyway, she probably wasn't actually as stunning as she'd seemed. And, what's more, since when did he base his opinion of a woman on looks alone?
True, he continued silently. But no one would overlook her looks. She was
as mysteriously beautiful shrouded in the black cape in the dark car as she was shockingly beautiful in the bare-shouldered blue velvet gown, as she was home-spun beautiful in blue jeans, work shirt and bare feet.
But she wasn't just beautiful. He'd really liked her.
In the six-months since he came to California he'd gone out with several women. But he hadn't met one that he liked. He didn't dislike anyone. He just hadn't... he chuckled, thinking of the shock that passed between them... he hadn't had a shock pass between him and any of them.
Yes, something about this woman called to him. never mind her cover-girl beauty. Her earthy seriousness, and her slightly sad energy attracted him. He wondered where she grew up. There was country-side and heartlands in her somewhere, just as there was in him, transplant that he was. She had said her mother was Zuni.
There was a small knock at Michael's door and a pixie face with buck teeth peeked through.
"Busy?" Millie, the mail-girl, asked.
"Does a slave wear chains?" Michael answered.
Millie grinned, exposing more and yet more teeth. She came in and closed the door. "I got some mail for you."
"No kidding? And I thought you just wanted to talk to me!"
Millie rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "Don't I always, and don't you know it! And by the way, can I take you to lunch today?"
"Not on your salary. But I'll take you tomorrow or Wednesday. Today I don't get to have lunch. I've got to make some sense out of the errors in this chip. What have you got there, flyers about the company picnic?"
"No, that's a ways away yet. This looks real jazzy!" She handed him a square pale grey envelope. "An invitation to something!"
Michael looked at the return. "It's from my great uncle."
"Bless your great uncle! The saint who got you this job and brought a few moments of happiness into this girl's dull life," Millie answered, folding her hands in prayer and looking skyward.
"Hmmm..." Michael said. "Well, the one who got me this job, anyway."
"I reiterate, bless his heart. Or bless him where he wants it. Bless his bank accounts and stocks."
Michael laughed, his furrowed brow relaxing. "You've never even met him, and you know right where to bless him!"
"Yeah, I've met a couple of rich folks."
"I wonder why he sent this to the office?" Michael said, puzzled, still not opening the envelope.
""Because you've moved four times since you've been in California," Millie pointed out.
"Good point." He pulled out the square invitation.
"So what's the occasion?"
Michael looked at the curlicued script. "it's a 'no-occasion dress party.' "
"Oh, come on!" Millie challenged.
"That's what it says." Michael handed her the invitation.
"Yeah, that's what it says." Millie gave the invitation back to him. "Anyway, it sounds like fun," she added wistfully.
"I almost stopped by to see my great uncle last night. I went for a drive on the Canyon Road, but my carburetor gave me so much trouble I passed him by in order to hurry home. I drove a couple miles further and there was a limo stretched across the whole road."
"What?" Millie returned from fantasizing about a no-occasion dress party. "What was across the road?"
"A limousine was stretched across the road."
"See, that's what I thought you said! What was it doing there?"
"Not the back stroke."
"Corny, Michael."
"Sorry! Turns out the driver was a woman. Apparently a motorcycle gang had been harassing her, trying to get the limo in the ditch when I came along and scared them off."
"Not much of a driver, huh?"
"My thought exactly. In fact, everything about her was pretty curious."
"Such as?" Millie prompted.
"Well, she was driving the limo but she was the most unlikely limo driver I ever saw. Of course, here in southern California...."
"So she was beautiful...."
"Quite stunning, quite, yes."
"Ugh," Millie said, leaning against the closed door. "I already don't like this story."
"Silly Millie! So let's say she's a limo driver."
"Yes, let's."
"But she walked into the house – I mean, mansion – as though she owned it."
"Into the house? You did make progress!"
Michael smiled. "You little conclusion jumper! She was so discombobulated that she asked me if I'd drive the limo up to the house."
"If someone as wonderful as you came out of the night and rescued me, I guess I'd be discombobulated, too! I'm discombobulated, just bringing your mail." Millie perched on the uncomfortable arm of the office chair. "There are times when you get more than one piece of mail, that I think of keeping a piece back, just in case you don't get any mail the next day so I can bring you something every day. Just, you know, the junk mail. Of course, I haven't ever really done it, but I have thought about it."
"What a wit!" Michael chuckled.
"Without beauty, I have to make up where I can. Maybe that's an edge I've got over the beauty you met?"
"Look Millie, you don't have to take a back seat to anybody! You're great, you're funny, and you're a good friend."
"Oh, well," Millie answered philosophically, "better friend than foe."
"Indeed." Michael paused, then went on, "that's another interesting aspect about this woman. After getting over being terrified, she had this light, easy-going nature. Not at all spoiled or even self-centered."
"I hear wedding bells."
"That's just your head ringing from too much romanticizing. I'll never see her again. Anyway, back to this business," Michael pointed at the invitation, "I suppose I'll have to go, although I hate the thought. Maybe you'd like to go? You can help keep me from getting bored, you'll get some incredible food and drink, and who knows, you might even enjoy yourself."
"Really? Seriously? Oh boy! With you I'd enjoy shoveling out a pig pen. Not to compare the two events. I'd love to go – as if I didn't already drop a broad enough hint."
"It's semi-formal are you okay with that?"
"I'm okay with that, I've got stuff. The preparation is not the problem. Getting the event to occur has been the problem."
"It's nice of you to be so enthusiastic. I hope you won't be disappointed by how very boring it's likely to be."
"I'll try and disguise my yawns. Really Michael, this is wonderful. You've made my day!"
"You're too easy, Millie."
"Not as a rule. Well, I suppose we'd both better pretend like we work for a while, huh?"
"True. I've got some pretty serious pretending to do."
Millie gave a little wave as she slid her petite body through the door, running head long into Michael's supervisor.
"Oh, my! You've been working out, haven't you, Mr. Allerton?" Michael heard her say to his boss. He grinned at how guilelessly cute Millie was, and turned his attention back to his work.
Chapter 4
Tina roared her little black convertible VW up Sage's driveway.
Sage happened to be standing at the window watching what appeared to be an exotic bug, black with long wild dark hair and a blood-red scarf flailing about in the wind, tearing up the winding ribbon of the drive.
She grabbed a bottle-green scarf and ran downstairs, opening the front door just as Tina shut off the ignition.
"Ready?" Tina shouted as if the engine were still running.
"Sure, let's go!" Sage hopped in, tying her scarf and slipping on her sunglasses.
"We look like Christmas coming!" Tina started up the engine again, pointing to their red and green scarves.
Sage laughed. "Christmas in May! Why not?"
They wound down through the Canyon Road, then took a back road among a frenzy of construction on all sides.
"No more natural hills," Sage said sadly.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I know I'll miss looking up at the hills and the stars from my little apartment. That was
the number one reason I moved into my place, the view of the hills. They call this progress."
"That's what makes me really unhappy about losing Aunt Vicky's place, they'll do this to her acres, those lovely mountains. It's only fifteen minutes from here. You know they'll do it."
"You haven't lost the place yet! Don't count little deformed chicks before they're hatched."
You have such a way with words," Sage said as They pulled up at Rutabegorz, their favorite health-food-but-not-like-health-food restaurant.
Inside, seated in a cool private booth, they hunkered down over the menu.
"I'm really going to sin," Tina stage-whispered. I'm going to have a tofu peach shake."
"You deserve it," Sage reassured her. "You've been good."
"I know! I've lost five pounds in the last month."
"From where?" Sage asked. "You don't have five pounds to lose."
"I got a hair cut."
"Don't say it," Sage shook her head. "Your hair is wonderful!"
"This from the Hair Goddess."
"I'm serious!"
"Do you know what I'd give to have your hair?" Tina asked.
"Nothing much I hope because I'm pretty attached to it... ha, ha!"
"Funny."
The waitress took their order and when she stepped away, there was a quiet, cozy lull between the two friends.
Finally Tina said, "you forgot to pack luggage."
"Huh?"
"You went far away, but didn't pack any luggage."
"Sorry," Sage turned her attention to Tina. "I did go pretty far away. But the good news is how quickly I can come back now."
"Yes," Tina reached over and patted Sage's hand. "There was no love between your Aunt Victoria and me, but I never wish anyone any harm, and I'm really sorry that her tragedy causes you so much pain."
Sage stared at her hands wrapped around the glass of water. "I've lost the last person in my life who is family. I feel... unmoored. There's my father's mother. I've met her twice, and don't know her at all. There's my mother's people at the reservation. Maybe that's where I'll go. But now I'm so betwixt and between. I know I can go there, but I don't know if I would stay there – because of how I've changed. It wouldn't be the same. I'm not the same.