The Dark Proposal (The Claire McCormick Trilogy)

by Megan Cashman

  “You could say I am agnostic. The idea of a God existing sounds great, but it’s almost too great to honestly believe.”

  “I hear you,” she said. “I don’t think much about God and religion. Twelve years of Catholic school can do that to you.”

  The night wore on and they learned more about each other. Besides being a freelance writer, Daniel also wrote short stories and plays. He had a few produced in small theaters around the country, but nothing yet in New York. Not that he was aiming to be a famous playwright; he simply enjoyed another form of expression. Claire talked to him about her school’s literary magazine, where she was its editor during her final year.

  The conversation between them was like a duo of musicians, two different lives and experiences coming together to form a melody. She felt her earlier unease sweep away and be replaced by calmness she hadn’t felt in a long while. Her laughter was more genuine since before graduation, back when the realities of the real world were dawning on her.

  It was a while before she realized how dark the coffee shop had become. Glancing outside, Claire saw the sky was a shining dark blue.

  “Wow!” she exclaimed, checking her phone for the time. It was nearly 8:30 PM. “It’s later than I thought.”

  Daniel didn’t look the slightest bit daunted. Checking his watch, he asked if she had somewhere to go.

  “Not right away,” she said. “I have to meet with my roommates later, but no rush. How about you?”

  “Unfortunately, I have some friends to meet up with soon.” He looked at her with those blue-green eyes that seemed so deep and wise. “I’ve been enjoying our conversation. Is it possible we could continue some other time?”

  “Sure.” She smiled. “When is it good for you?”

  “Next Friday? Since I teach at night.”

  “Okay, that works. What time? Same place?”

  He smiled a bit. “No. How about a dinner? I’ll find a place and let you know about the time.”

  An electric shock went through Claire as she felt a surge of excitement, but made sure she didn’t show it. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  Daniel’s smile grew wider, but not too wide. “Good. I’ll let you know by early next week the time and place.”

  She nodded enthusiastically. They got up from their seats and Daniel walked over to the hostess to pay for the drinks.

  “Do you have to go far?” he asked her once they were outside.

  “No, the train is a few blocks away.”

  “All right then.” He fixed his eyes on her. They looked more beautiful by the minute. Giving her a slight smile, he placed his left hand on her left shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll see you next week, Claire. Take care.”

  “Yes, you too!” she smiled. He nodded and walked away. She watched him go, though not for long because he turned the corner within a few yards and he was gone.

  Alone, she let herself smile wider. A dinner in the city, he likes art, he was interested in what she had to say, they had great discussions – almost too good to be true!

  Late the next morning, after finishing up breakfast, Claire brought her laptop out into the living room, placed it on the coffee table, and turned it on. She was going to chat with her parents via video.

  As she waited for the video program to load up, she thought about what specifically to tell them. She would certainly mention how the professor helped her get into contact of the magazine editors, but would stop there. She knew her parents would be livid if they figured out she going on a date with a much older man, let alone someone whom she had professional ties to. The last thing she wanted was lecture from them on how men were.

  When the video completed loading up, she saw her parents were already online. Claire clicked the appropriate buttons, and they appeared on the screen, with the old kitchen in the background.

  “Hi, dear!” her mother’s singsong voice sounded.

  “Hey Mom! Hi Dad!”

  “Hi Claire,” her father said in his stern fatherly voice.

  “How are you two?” Claire asked.

  “Fine, fine,” her mother said. “So, what is the good news you have to tell us?

  “I finally got a break in my freelancing. I found the names of some editors at major magazines, and I am going to contact them and start pitching stories.”

  “Oh, that’s good. That’s a step,” her mother smiled.

  Her father nodded. “Okay, but do they know anything about you? Meaning, have they heard of you before?”

  “Not yet, Dad.”

  “Well, how could you be getting anywhere if they haven’t met you or heard of you yet?”

  Claire sighed. Here was her father putting down everything she said or did. Never failed.

  “Before I didn’t have any names or emails,” she said. “But now I do. And I have a portfolio to show them.”

  “All right then. So, we’re moving forward here finally.”

  Her mother nodded and said, “Anything else? How’s Staten Island? How’s working at Richmond going?”

  “Same as before,” Claire said. “How’s Zach and Kristina? What’s up with Ava?”

  She chatted with her parents about the loads of photos her sister-in-law kept sending via email. Like any first time mother, Kristina got elated whenever her five month old baby smiled, giggled or made milestones in development, and is quick to share photo with everyone in the family. Claire didn’t mind since it always brightened her day.

  She and her parents talked for fifteen minutes before she signed off. As she started to lazily browse online, she heard the grinding sound of a garage door opening. The Palermos’ were going off somewhere. Claire and her roommates were amazed that Vincent and Theresa allowed them to rent their apartment despite being recent college graduates. They did have good credit and made their rent on time. But it was Monica who suggested perhaps the couple desperately needed to pay off their mortgage, like so many other families, and took them in.

  Claire was still browsing online when a door behind her opened, followed by a noisy yawn.

  “Good morning,” Samantha mumbled.

  “Good afternoon,” Claire corrected.

  “Oh, yeah. Right.” She rubbed her eyes. She was wearing her bathrobe over her nightshirt. Samantha had clearly a long night bartending at the nearby sports bar.

  “Where’s Monica?” Samantha opened the refrigerator.

  “She’s food shopping. It’s her turn this week.”

  “Ah.” Samantha was about to pour herself some juice, then stopped.“Hey, how did last night go for you? With that guy?” She plopped down on the couch.

  “Better than I expected. He wants to take me out to dinner next week!”

  “Oooh! Awesome!” she clapped in her girlish manner. “Did he kiss you good-bye? Was it good?”

  “Uh, no. He didn’t,” Claire suddenly realized.

  “He didn’t,” echoed Samantha. “Okay. Maybe he’s taking it slowly, nothing wrong with that. He’ll probably give you one next time.”

  “I hope so.”

  “So tell me! What did you two talk about?”

  Claire described their long conversations, how the professor hung on her every word, and had so much to say about deep topics. “He’s really intelligent. That’s so hot.”

  “Hell yeah! Who wants someone shallow? So, where is he taking you?”

  Claire shook her head. “I don’t know. He said he’ll let me know in a couple of days. All I know is the date is next Friday.”

  “Okay, Friday? You better get over to the mall and spend a few. A dinner in the city means getting all dressed up.”

  “But I barely have any money!”

  “Then Monica and I will loan you something. Really, you can’t look poor on this date, not when its in the city.”

  Claire smiled and then told Samantha about the contacts Daniel gave her and how she will contact those editors later in the weekend. This way by Monday morning, her emails would be among the first the editors would
see. Her roommate again squealed and gave her a tight hug. Ever since the two met in their freshmen year, Samantha had always been one to give the best of hugs, during good times or bad.

  Late Sunday night, Claire sent six separate emails to the editors. Each message had links to her articles, specific to each outlet; her art articles went to the art magazines and her social issues went to the magazines or newspapers that focused on those topics. She made a mental note to call the editors the next afternoon to make sure they got her messages.

  The next day, late in the morning, she was typing up a cover letter for a freelancing job at a Brooklyn blog when she heard her email chime. When she checked the new message, she saw it was from one of the magazines that specialized in New York lifestyle. They had liked her two articles related to their content and also her pitch about speed dating in a bad economy. The editor wanted to meet with her this week to get to know her more.

  Ecstatic, Claire grabbed Monica, who was sitting alongside her at the kitchen table. At first she was annoyed that Claire interrupted her essay writing, but when Monica saw the editor’s email, they both started screaming happily. That’s when Samantha came rushing out of the bedroom she shared with Monica, where she had been gathering laundry. When Claire showed her the laptop screen, she also got into the excitement.

  Later that same day, another editor – this time from a well known arts and culture magazine – accepted one of her pitches about an original theater production in Brooklyn. Her friends decided to splurge and treat her to their favorite Japanese restaurant to celebrate that night.

  Before they left, she sent Daniel an email about the great news and how grateful she was for his help. “I think you’ve changed my life for the better!” Claire wrote. After she hit the Send button, she wondered if she had made a huge mistake putting that part in. Maybe that would scare him off.

  As the three of them rode the bus down to their celebratory dinner, she saw his response on her phone:

  No problem. I am delighted to hear this news

  Best of luck.

  P.S.. I reserved a spot for us at Les Lumières in SoHo Friday 8 PM

  Claire didn’t know if her day – or life – could get any better.

  Claire told all this to Nancy as she worked the afternoon shift at the college the next day. She was still flying and excited to meet the magazine editor Wednesday, and dining with Daniel at the fancy French restaurant at the end of the week.

  But as she gushed over the new direction her life was taking, Nancy was not impressed. She reminded her about Daniel’s reputation as an arrogant, difficult person. “It’s the second week of the semester and already he has lost seven students in one of his 101 classes. They say he was impossible to deal with.”

  That made Claire pause. “Well, I should go meet him anyway. He is helping me.”

  Nancy slightly raised her eyebrows. “Just be careful, dear.”

  Friday evening could not have been more lovelier. The sky was clear, the breeze was neither too cool or too warm, and Claire couldn’t shake off her elation. She had so much to tell Daniel, and so much to thank him for.

  She arrived in SoHo about ten minutes before eight. Coming to street level, she tried to inhale the New York City air, but she had trouble doing that because the nerves in her stomach were tingling from nervousness. Here she was on a date with a man whom she owed so much to and he was giving her a taste of the New York lifestyle. What did she do to deserve so much luck?

  Claire noted the aqua colored polyester top she borrowed from Monica, her black pants, and her hair resting comfortably on her shoulders instead of in a ponytail, and mentally gave herself points for looking sophisticated. She would definitely fit in at this upscale nightspot.

  She walked a few blocks before finding Les Lumières. There were a few people – mostly couples – gathered in front of the restaurant, hanging around after a delicious meal and enjoying each other’s company. The tingles in her fired up again. Perhaps Daniel and her would be just like them shortly?

  As she squeezed through the crowd, she saw him. He was leaning against the small wooden divider surrounding the outside dining area. He wore a pale gray button down shirt, the top two buttons undone, black slacks and black shoes. His hands were in his pockets, and his left leg was crossed over his right, as if guarding himself against any other woman approaching him. His facial expression looked calm and laid back. She felt her inner fires burn up more.

  He saw her standing a few feet before him, stood up straighter and uncrossed his leg. His face lightened up a little, but only a little.

  “Claire,” he said.

  “Hi, Daniel,” she said. “Nice to see you.”

  “Same here,” he gave a slight nod. Glancing indoors, he said, “I tried to get an outdoors seat but other people had the same idea, so we’re going to eat inside. Is that okay with you?”

  “Oh no, its not a problem! I wouldn’t mind.”

  “K.” He made an after-you gesture, and she walked inside. Les Lumières was buzzing with many other patrons and staff carrying large trays of French cuisine. Claire had never eaten French food before, so she really wanted to impress Daniel by liking it.

  The maitre d’ escorted them to a table towards the back. It was against a wall, so it gave a semblance of privacy. They slid into their seats and began looking over the menu. As she searched for something that wasn’t too exotic, she glanced up at him. He looked lost in thought, as though something serious was on his mind.

  She chose her dish and drink for the night, put down her menu, and looked around. At their location in the restaurant, the lights were low and there were candles lit in the middle of each table. It was definitely a romantic setting. She felt tingles thinking that Daniel found her worthy to take her here. But why was he being so quiet?

  Finally, he closed shut his menu and took a sip of his water. She decided to be gutsy.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” she said in a flirtatious tone so he wouldn’t be more upset.

  One corner of Daniel’s mouth went up, but he didn’t look at her. “They’re not worth much,” he said in a low voice. He sipped his water again. “It’s been a tough week, I’m afraid. I apologize if I seem a little off right now.”

  “It’s okay. We all have them.”

  Sitting back, he put his curled fingers to his lips, indicating he was deep in thought. After a minute, he suddenly looked at her and said, “How long you’ve been working for Laura Matthews?”

  “For two years, since I was a junior. I started there to help pay for my tuition.”

  “Uh-huh.” Pause again. “Has she ever been difficult with you?”

  “She is tough, hard to please.” Claire was beginning to feel uncomfortable over discussing their boss like this. Was he looking to use her as a spy in the office?

  “Yes, I’ve noticed,” Daniel sat up straighter. “Maybe I have been expecting too much, but I was hoping to be put on the list for a higher level course for the spring semester. But that didn’t happen.”

  Claire nodded, listening to him carefully.

  “That, as you can guess, did not please me. Laura told me it had to do with me only working nights,and not during the day. But there are other adjuncts who could only do night courses. So why am I not given the same chance?”

  “Well, I think those other professors have more experience,” she spoke as diplomatically as possible.

  “But I have taught before. During and right after I got my PhD, I was teaching English at the public colleges here in Manhattan.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. But those colleges were not even giving me the 101 classes. They instead gave me the remedial courses where I was teaching writing to those who couldn’t put together a sentence for the life of them. It got so frustrating that I came to Richmond, where such courses don’t exist. I was also told I would get a 200 level course eventually. But no, I have yet to get one.”

  “It’s nepotism. Like you told me with freelancing, it
depends on who you know and you shouldn’t complain because that’s life.” Claire felt nervous after those words left her mouth. Guaranteed Daniel would be even more upset.

  But he instead nodded slowly, still deep in thought. As he stayed silent for another minute, she quickly thought of something to say.

  “Did you know Colin Willis at all?” She was a little surprised she said that, given the sadness that still hovered over the English department. But it was still worth bringing up.

  He nodded, and blinked a few times to remove the faraway look in his eyes. He cleared his throat and straightened up. “I met him a few times. He was a good man, very friendly. Unbelievable what happened to him.”

  Claire gestured her sadness. “Yeah, he was my favorite professor. It was he who encouraged me to be a writer. Before, I wasn’t so sure what I wanted to major in. But when I took one of his classes, I was so inspired by him that I decided to major in English and be a freelancer once I graduated.”

  Daniel smiled faintly. “Its nice to hear a student, or former student at least, be inspired to write. I try to do the same with my students, but to no avail. However, it is hard to teach those who are only looking to fulfill a requirement. Would someone interested in computer science care about the beauty of writing? No, math and computers are their fields. Same with the nursing and biology students. That is why they couldn’t care less about being great writers. They simply care about passing the class and moving on to what they really like.”

  It made sense to her because even she noticed it with the students coming into the department’s office. English was to them what a mandatory math course was to her. “I like what you say about writing. You are so passionate about it.”