Even with her disappointment in Patrick, she still couldn't shake her warm feelings for him. It reminded her of her teen years when she got a crush on some boy and walked around with her head in the clouds. Those days were over.
The gentle, caring expression on Patrick's face when he leaned into her car last Wednesday, telling her that he felt the same as she did, but they both had too much at stake to become involved, still rankled her. Guess he figured he didn't need her after all to get his stupid contract. She should have stuck to her guns when it came to getting involved with a man. Served her right.
* * *
“What a hangdog look on your face.” Teal dropped down on the floor beside Dana. “Hand me that bottle of wine. Time to get serious about the better things, like beach, life, and friends.”
Dana filled Teal's glass, smiled, then filled one for herself, held up hers, signaling a toast. “To friends. So what are you thinking as you gaze so intently into the fire?”
“How easy I thought everything was going to be when I moved back to Ashton and how hard it is.”
“I'm sorry I told you about Patrick. Guess I should have minded my own business.”
“No, I'm glad you told me. What are friends for if they can't help cover your back?”
Dana leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “Oh, God, how I hate this feeling. I thought I had control of my life, but each day it gets harder.” With misty eyes, she turned toward Teal. “I feel like such a fool. You'd think I'd know better. It slipped up on me. Every man who's ever meant anything to me had deserted me when I needed him most. You'd think after all this time…”
“Joel's the only one I know of. Honey, they used to crawl at your feet. Hell, you're better looking now. My guess is you don't have to worry. You just need to give yourself a little time.”
“My father left me when I needed him most. Then Joel, now Patrick. How many do I need?”
“Patrick's too slick for you. Besides, he'll be gone soon, and you can get on with your life.”
Dana set her drink down, crawled to the hearth, stoked the coals, and threw on another log on the fire “Mom's home.”
“That's a thrill. Bet you just can't wait to see her pruned face?”
Dana laughed. “You're incredible.” Returning to her position against the couch, she picked up her glass. “I'm looking forward to seeing her. Maybe I'll teach her to buy into Michael. He could use a grandma.”
“Somehow, I don't see Margaret as a granny.” She giggled and reached for the wine. “How are negotiations going?”
“Looks like we may have a strike if my board doesn't loosen up.”
Teal imposed an iron control on her sudden joy. A strike. What perfect timing. Patrick hadn't said a word. Now she had to get Dana to help her. She planted a troubled expression on her face to elicit sympathy from Dana. “It looks like I might be leaving Ashton soon too.”
“Why, for heaven's sake? I thought you said you'd never leave. No matter what.”
“If I want to give up my career, I can stay. What would I do? Fast food?”
“This must be hard for you.”
“You don't know hard. I've never been away from Ashton for more than a vacation or a quick business trip to L.A., but if I don't get two eighty-one off the ground, I'm out. I'll have to move to a bigger city, maybe even out of California. That scares the hell out of me. Oh, and my beautiful condo. I never want to give that up.”
“Your job’s on the line?”
“Right on, honey. No new contracts, no jobby.”
“I'm so sorry. I wish I could be of more help to you, but do you know what that would mean?”
Teal edged closer. “No. Why don't you tell me? What would you have done if you were in my shoes?” Teal placed a finger over her sealed lips. “Let me see. First off, you’d turn the other way when I came on the premises so I could have a little better access to the employees. Then you’d make meeting rooms available, so I could have chats with the employees.”
“You can stop right now. You know I'd lose my job if I ever did something like that.” Dana leaned back with her arm resting on the seat of the couch.
Teal now had a conversation going where, if she played it right, she could get enough interesting bits to help her if she tried for a raid on PNA. “Excuse me,” she jumped up from her seat. “I'm getting us something good.” She left the room and in a few moments returned with clean glasses and a bottle. “I think we should open this high-class stuff with a cork. We need to forget our disastrous lives. What better way than with a little Blue Nun?”
Dana giggled. Her first two glasses were already showing their effects. Teal counted on getting her a little tipsy so she’d lighten up and be more fluid, even loose-lipped.
Teal rose. “My turn to add a log. Want some chips or anything while I'm up?”
“No thanks. It'll spoil the wine.”
Teal stoked the fire and stared at the undulating flames, racking her brain to come up with the right words. If Dana was still her friend, if she volunteered to help her instead of coming off as Miss Prim and Proper, she wouldn't have even considered setting her up. Seven years without seeing or hearing from Dana had put enough distance between them and the friendship they once shared, making the task a smidgen easier.
If only she hadn’t squandered her money, she wouldn't be sinking to this level. She had no backup if her job fell through. The thought of moving in with Joel made her shudder. Her folks had made it clear when she left home after college she could return on an emergency basis. No unpacked suitcases–just a helping handout. What a put-off, especially since she had the ability to take care of herself.
She faced the fire. “I need you more than I've ever needed anyone in my life.” She spun around, a theatrical tear streamed down her cheek. “You're my friend. Templeton is my only hope.”
“I didn't know--”
“Wait a minute. Just hear me out--a talk between two friends. I don't want to use you. Please, just talk to me. I need you so bad right now. If you feel our friendship is a conflict of interest, we'll keep this off the record. Hell, work is our life. If we can't discuss that, what's left? Men?”
“You didn't let me finish. What I was trying to say was I didn't know the seriousness of your problem. We can talk about Templeton. There's just not a lot I can do for you without getting myself in trouble.”
“You mean it?”
Dana smiled and nodded. She cleared her throat. “I knew when I got down to the wire you wouldn't let me down. You've restored my faith in womankind.”
With the door now open, she got right to the heart of the matter. “When does the contract expire?”
“Patrick voted a no confidentiality rule, so I guess I can tell you whatever you want to know.” She paused as if weighing her words. “We start mediation in a few days.”
“What's the mood of the nurses?”
“Not good.”
“Think they’ll strike?” She concealed the excitement in her voice.
“Could be close.”
“I don't want to put you on the spot, but if you were me, when would you pull a raid?”
“Teal!”
“This is hypothetical. It's just a what-iffing session. Use one of your other hospitals as an example if you want. Then you wouldn't be divulging any secrets about Templeton. It's just I've never raided another union before. They've just sent me in to organize new places.”
“A raid would be pretty risky at Templeton. Patrick is well liked by the employees.” She held her breath, paused, and then went on. “Now, this is just hypothetical, right?”
Teal felt like she had back in college, like the times when Dana prepped her for a test Teal felt sure she would fail.
She promptly put herself into the lotus position and bit her lower lip to control her excitement, readying herself to cling to every word Dana spewed from her perfect Kewpie doll lips. Her best friend was going to fall right into her little trap.
“You have every rig
ht to raid PNA whenever you want. PNA is not associated with the AFL-CIO. Their contract has just expired. The cafeteria's open to you. If it were me, I'd meet with the nurses who don't want a closed shop and start gathering a strong group together who'd support switching to my union. Since a lot of them don't want a closed shop, I'd tell them that it isn't important to my union. Do the same thing you do when you're organizing for the first time. The difference is you'll be bucking another union for votes. When you feel you have enough support, get signatures on election cards. Bring them to me, and if everything's in order, we'll set a date for an election. If you win, PNA is out and you're in. Then you and I go head-to-head for a contract.”
A shiver of pure, unadulterated joy rippled down Teal's spine. “Would I be asking too much of you for a few key names of nurses I could start with?”
“Yes. I don't think you have a chance of beating Patrick. He's got as much at stake as you.” Dana sipped her wine. “There is another way to go about this.”
“Like?”
“You could go after some of the other employees. Let Patrick keep the nurses. Clerical, aides, technical staff. Come in from the other side.”
“Girl, you’re wild. We should have done this a long time ago. I want the nurses first. They carry more weight.”
Teal leaned forward and tapped Dana on the shoulder. “You seem worried. Are you all right?”
“I didn't want to talk about this stuff. If any of this was taken out of context, I could be in real serious trouble.”
“You’re such a worrywart. I'm your friend. Forget it. Here, have some more wine.”
Dana capped her glass with her palm.
“I've had enough. Too much, I think. My tongue got a little loose.”
“Hey, sugar, we used to sit in our rooms during college and talk about stuff like this all the time. That's what friends do. Now take that hand away and let's have one for the road. There's enough for two small refills. Trust me, you'll sleep better.” She emptied the bottle, got up, and twirled around, giggling; as if she were a little girl that just found out that she was going to the fair.
“Let's raid the fridge. I have the best Brie cheese and the crispiest crackers. Add a little fruit and we're ready for a party.”
Dana rose from the floor and followed her to the kitchen. “You must promise me our discussion tonight is between us.”
Teal turned and smiled. “Promise!”
In the small, compact kitchen, she laid crackers and cheese out on a tray. “When do you go to court with Joel?”
“Oh, Lord,” Dana's eyes rolled skyward. “In a few weeks, if I can break away.
“How much do you have on him?” She tried to make her voice sound casual, no sense in raising Dana’s suspicions.
“Plenty. More than a couple hundred thousand dollars in receipts and canceled checks are in that shoebox.”
“Mercy!” Dana had just given Teal everything she needed to carry on with her mission. With the tray in her hands, she nodded Dana to the door.
“Now, let's party!”
Thirteen
Dana could not shake the niggling feeling something was terribly wrong. Had she just made one of the most terrible mistakes of her career? The glow she felt at the beach had evaporated, sending her mind swimming through a haze of fear and apprehension. Going over everything she and Teal discussed, surely it couldn’t have been that big a mistake. Slowly the haze cleared and she started thinking rationally. Maybe, just maybe, encouraging Teal to come into Templeton and organize an election might give Dana the time she needed to finish her business with Joel. After all, she and Teal had been friends forever. Their conversations were legal, covered in the contracts. All bets were off during a contract expiration period.
Arriving at the hospital Monday morning, Dana had resolved her worries about time away from work to handle personal problems. Gil and Patrick had selected a mediator who wasn't available for a week.
She could meet with her attorney and spend time with her mother. They had been at odds most of their lives. Dana had returned to Ashton to put the past behind them and start over. She needed to make changes in her life, and getting closer to her mother overshadowed her job, Teal and Patrick.
She picked up the phone and placed the call with hope in her heart.
“Hello?” came the familiar voice that could send Dana's spirits soaring, or spiraling downward with the slightest inflection.
“Hi, Mom, it's Dana. So, you've finally decided to come home.”
“Dana, darling, how delightful to hear your voice. Did you get settled in all right? I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you.”
Her mother did sound different, like she might even be happy to hear from her. “Yes, I'm settled in for now.”
“When can you come for lunch? We have a cafeteria with food to die for.”
The enthusiasm in her mother’s voice made Dana feel buoyant. “Would today be too soon?”
“Is Michael with you?”
“He's here in Ashton, if that's what you mean.”
“No, dear, I meant at home.”
“No, Mom. He's at the day care center with a sweet woman who's truly special.”
“Why didn't you bring his nanny with you to take care of him?” Her mother had no idea of Dana's financial status, nor the fears of her divorce settlement. She didn’t have the heart to tell her what a bastard her perfect ex-son-in-law turned out to be. “That's a long story. One, that we can discuss when we have more time.” Dana checked her watch: 8:30. She could clean up her desk and be free by noon. Tomorrow she had an appointment to see John Meyer, her new attorney. The rest of the week would be in his hands.
“I'm dying to see you.” Dana paused. “I'll pick up Michael after we're through. It'll give us a chance to catch up.”
“Bring him with you.”
She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in shock. Had her mother just asked her to bring Michael with her to lunch? I wonder what she's on. Dana laughed. Maybe she caught some strange disease on that cruise ship. “Let's just you and me get together first.”
“Nonsense! I want to see my grandson.”
Dana shrugged. “See you at noon.” She hung up the phone, bewildered by her mother's invitation. Never had her mother wanted to be close to Michael. She considered him emotionally fragile; he would probably break if she’d touch him. When she and Joel first started having problems with their marriage, her mom took Joel's side and encouraged her to put Michael in a home. Following the split, it had taken her mother three months before speaking to her, and then all she uttered were negatives about Michael ruining Dana's life, her career and a chance of meeting another man, as if that’s all it’d take to make Dana feel complete. She thought of Patrick. Without anyone's help, she’d almost jumped back into the fire.
She needed family now, not a man!
That warm, sunny afternoon, birds chirped in the Modesto Ash trees. A clement breeze blew as Dana led Michael up the front steps to the Markham House, an elegant retirement center on the tonier side of North Ashton.
Scanning the graceful, sand-white three-story building, she wondered if her mother would
consider leaving to live with them in a nice home outside of town. They might be a family again if her mother could see Michael’s progress, and play a part in his growth.
Wishful thinking. As far back as she could remember, her Mom liked being a loner. She encouraged Dana and her father to do as many activities without her as they wanted. She liked her independence and freedom from family outings. Teal provided her the perfect escape. They could play sisters and her mother could do her thing with volunteer organizations and her bridge club.
Dana, tired of vying for her mother's attention, turned to her father and Teal for companionship. When her father died, she tried to win her mother over, but too much time had lapsed to develop a relationship. It seemed Margaret couldn't wait to sell their home and push Dana out of the nest.
Why she wanted to esta
blish a relationship now hadn’t set in yet. She had to keep on trying. You only have one mother, and hers wasn't getting any younger.
Dana squeezed Michael's hand. She crouched down and looked into his vacant eyes. “Remember, Grandma’s very nervous. Do your best, tiger, but don't sweat it, okay?”
Michael stomped playfully up the steps beside her. His thick, dark curly hair flopped onto his forehead. She felt a rush of love for him, her little boy isolated within himself.
Inside the main lobby, the refrigeration and the plethora of pastels and understated elegance overwhelmed her. At least her dad had left her mother with enough money to lead a comfortable life. Still, Dana couldn't help missing her home where she grew up.
On the second floor, they strolled down the quiet hall to her mother's apartment. She hesitated a few moments before knocking.
The door opened. Margaret Moran, Dana’s mother, arrogant, handsome, ten pounds overweight and still wearing her same big mound of coifed gray hair, smiled, then reached out and hugged Dana.
“Hello, Mother.” Dana patted her mother on the back as if burping a baby.
Her mother withdrew and glanced at Michael. For a brief moment, she hesitated then leaned down and loosely embraced him before kissing the air next to his cheek. Dana gritted her teeth. Why couldn't she see Michael as a whole person? If he'd been normal, she would have grabbed him up in her arms and smothered him with kisses.
“Well, don't just stand there. Come in. I thought you were never going to get here.”
“Traffic was bad to the day care center.”
“You look wonderful, dear. A little on the thin side.” She turned Dana around, checking her over. She took Dana's arm, directing her into the compact apartment, fanning her hand to point out the expensive accruements throughout the room.
Dana noted the bed in the alcove with its pale blue and white striped bedspread, a small kitchenette all yellow and white, and an adjoining terrace big enough for two. She couldn’t find a thing out of place. Not a speck of dust anywhere. “This is lovely.”
Conflicts of the Heart Page 13