by Lynn Murphy
They were having dinner before a debate in Philadelphia when a woman approached their table.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt, but aren’t you Skip O’Brien?”
“Yes, I am,” Skip replied.
“My name is Maggie Lucas. Leah was my sister.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“No, it’s nice to meet you. We didn’t know she was dating anyone seriously but Mom found her journal, and while most of what she wrote tells us she was deeply depressed, everything she wrote about you was positive and good. You were clearly the only light at the end of her life. She obviously loved you very much.” She smiled at him. “Well, that’s all. I just wanted to say thank you.” She leaned over and gave Skip a kiss on the cheek and left.
Before she had taken more than a few steps away from the table Skip had left. John and Kel waited for a few minutes and then went to find him. There was a park across the street and he was sitting on a set of steps that led up to a fountain. Kel sat on one side of him and John on the other.
“I hadn’t thought about her all day,” Skip said. And then he bent his head and started to cry.
John put an arm around his nephew. “It’s okay to think about her Skip.”
“I’d rather not, John, it hurts too bad.”
Kel said, “You may not believe it now, but one day you’ll be able to think about her without falling apart.”
“I hope so.” He wiped his eyes. “Don’t we have somewhere to be right now?”
“Yep,” Kel said, standing. “I get to go discuss my lack of a wife and my health one more time. Then you get to turn whatever the rebuttal is into something positive and inspiring.”
“At least I have something to live for,” Skip said.
Tara complimented Mary Katherine on the dinner and Evan replied, “She can order in with the best of them.”
“Evan, you know good and well I cooked this dinner,” Mary Katherine said. “He’s just jealous. He can’t even make coffee.”
“True,” Evan said. “ I practically starve when she goes out of town.”
“Not true,” Mary Katherine said. “He eats Chinese and pizza every night.”
Tara laughed at them as they bickered back and forth light heartedly.
Evan cleared the table and they settled in the living room to talk before watching the debates.
“You said very politely that you wanted an unbiased opinion on the subject of Kel and Alise. I take it you’ve been talking to Debby.”
She realized that Evan was even more in tune with the entire O’Brien clan than she had thought. “Bobby seems intent on a story about their relationship and I keep getting mixed signals.”
“I didn’t ever really know Alise, so I’ll have to let Evan handle this one,” Mary Katherine said. She was on the sofa beside him and leaned against him. Tara knew she had only been done with her first chemo treatment for a week and was scheduled for another in two days. Evan put his arms around her and his feet on the coffee table. “The first time I ever saw Alise was the day before Kel woke up from his coma,” Evan said. “He had had pneumonia for seven days at that point and been in a coma for four and she was just bothering to get there. She’d been in Florida with the man she was having an affair with. When she got there, she didn’t cry, she didn’t ask questions, she didn’t sit by his bed and hold his hand. She just didn’t seem to care or feel anything. And when he woke up, there was almost no interaction at all between them. She would come to watch us play polo and never say a word and she never seemed very interested in the children at all. I’ve heard Debby ramble on and on over the years about what a perfect couple they were, but I never saw any evidence of it.”
“Why won’t Kel talk about her? We’ve talked about so many subjects but he never wants to talk about Alise.”
Evan said, “ My impression is that Kel was very much in love with her when he asked her to marry him. In fact he was until the day he met a client for lunch and looked across the room and saw her kissing another man. He was just about to run for office then and the children were little, so even though she wanted a divorce they stayed married. I think after she died he didn’t ever think he could trust anyone again in that kind of relationship. From what John says, he was devastated by her infidelity.”
“I can’t write this story. I can’t hurt him and I absolutely won’t write something that isn’t true.”
Mary Katherine said, “Then don’t. What’s the worst thing that could happen if you don’t?
“Bobby could fire me.”
Evan said, “I seriously doubt he will. Right now you being involved with Kel and writing about him is selling magazines and newspapers for him.”
“Is that what I am, Evan? ‘Involved.’?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
“I think I’m in love with him.”
“Are you prepared to take him on, if it comes to that?”
She knew what he meant. “ I got a little taste of that last week. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed so much in all my life.”
“I put in some extra time myself,” Evan said. “If this is a serious relationship, then we need to have a serious talk sometime. Anyone who is close to Kel needs to be able to handle an emergency.”
“When I’m with him I feel like it could be forever. People keep putting doubts in my head. Debby and Bobby, my father.”
“Your father?” Mary Katherine asked.
“For reasons he won’t say he really dislikes Kel and thinks this relationship is terrible idea.”
“Take your time,” Evan advised. “It might be easier to evaluate things after the election. Speaking of which, the debate is on.”
The potential candidates had been narrowed down to three, with the southern governor still in the running. He continued to press Kel on the same issues.
“I don’t get him,” Mary Katherine sad. “Nothing he attacks Kel for has anything to do with real issues.”
Mary Katherine was so fierce that Tara and Evan both laughed at her. As usual, Kel handled the attacks with grace and always turned the non-important back to something that mattered. Tara cringed when the governor brought her into the debate. He asked outright if Kel thought it presented good family values to demonstrate public displays of affection with a woman to whom he was not married. Kel responded that if he was married and kissing someone else, no, but since he was not he did not see how whether or not he chose to date someone should be up for discussion in a debate over the issues of this campaign. Some of the audience laughed at his reply, which eased the tension somewhat.
She wondered what her father was thinking at that very moment and steeled herself for the conversation that would come tomorrow as she had planned to fly from Washington to Atlanta for one night before going to meet up with the campaign in New York. When the debate was over, they elected not to watch the discussions afterward and called it a night. Mary Katherine and Evan had graciously offered their guest room for the night, and she settled into what they affectionately called “Casey’s room,” which was more feminine than the other bedroom across the hall, which Tara assumed had been decorated with Seamus in mind. As she tried to fall asleep, she replayed what Evan had told her about Kel and Alise and contrasted that with Debby and Bobby’s perspective. She wanted to believe that Evan was right and that Kel was open to a long term relationship. With her.
Tara sat with her parents and brother at PittyPat’s Porch, the Atlanta classic restaurant where everything on the menu celebrated Gone With The Wind. It was her mother’s birthday and they always celebrated it at PittyPats. Despite its name and what could be cheesy homage to Margret Mitchell’s epic novel, the food was quite good and the atmosphere made it a nice quiet place to talk over dinner. Tara had ordered the low country shrimp and grits, her parents had both chosen steak. Without asking, Tara knew they would all have to have a serving of Southern Belle cake for dessert-a chocolate confection smothered in chocolate sauce and topped with ice cream.
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“They called you by name in the debate last night,” her father said.
“I know Daddy, I was watching.” She had known he would bring it up eventually. She just hoped they wouldn’t argue and ruin her mother’s birthday dinner.
“I assume that, and all the photographs, means that you are still going out with Kelly O’Brien.”
“Yes, although it is very much a long distance relationship.”
“One newspaper reported that he took a week off campaigning to go on a vacation with you.” Michael took a sip of iced tea and looked pointedly at her, waiting for confirmation.
“Dad,” Jack said, laughing. “That was The National Enquirer. The same issue had a story about an Elvis sighting and an alien abduction. Surely you don’t read that trash.”
“He was home for a week because he wasn’t feeling well,”
Tara said. “If you are asking me if we’ve run off to some island paradise, the answer is no. If you think he’s trying to seduce me, the answer is also no. He is very romantic, but he is a complete gentleman.”
Julia said, “Of course he is. James was too.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Michael said.
“Michael, don’t act as if you never met the man.”
Jack thankfully changed the subject, but Tara did wonder how well her parents had known Kel’s. She knew that her mother, having been Lily’s best friend, would have known James-and Kel as a child-well and she knew Lily had introduced her parents, but she wasn’t sure how her father had come into the whole story. She was certain that her father was still very much against the idea of her pursuing anything, temporary or permanent with Kel.
Their waiter took away her plate and replaced it with the Southern Bell cake. Her mother interrupted her thoughts by asking her what her work schedule would be like for the next few weeks.
“I’m meeting them in New York tomorrow, and then I go back to Newport. I’m going to do an interview with some of Kel’s polo team, write about some of his more notable architectural projects and cover a charity event Lily is hosting. There will be a debate in Boston, and then I guess they work on the convention.”
“Have you toured Kel’s own personal house? It was written up in every decorating and architecture magazine when it was first built.”
“I have. It’s beautiful. Different from most of the houses in Newport.”
She and her mother spent the rest of the time they were at the restaurant talking about Newport and Julia’s friends there.
When they got back to her parents’ home, she went upstairs and laid out her clothes for the next morning and packed up what she wouldn’t need before she left. She sat on the upholstered window seat where she had daydreamed so many times as a child and looked out the window. She was looking forward to seeing him the next day. Things were so much clearer when they were together.
She got to New York very early in the morning. Kel was opening the stock market and then talking on CNBC about economic issues. She took her own photographs, as Mary Katherine was starting another chemo treatment the next day. The shots wouldn’t be as creative, but they came out well enough. Finally, he had a chance to talk about some things that were important to the campaign and to voters-not one of the questions was about her or his own health. From the interview, he went to speak to an educators conference and then to a mid -day town meeting event. They were joined for lunch by campaign contributors and then, finally, the campaigning was over for the day. John had learned to build in some down time; Kel’s hospital visit had changed their strategy on scheduling.
He took her to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was fairly empty of visitors and they strolled through the galleries virtually unnoticed and talked about the works hanging on the walls and any other subject that came to mind. It was only after they were leaving the museum two hours later that the paparazzi caught up with them as they came down the front stairs holding hands. Unlike when they were in Newport, the photographers got alarmingly close, annoying even Kel who usually took them in stride. They ducked into a cab and considered just going back to the hotel and calling an end to their afternoon together, but Kel changed his mind and they went to Central Park instead. He took her hand as they got out of the cab and said, “Let them take photos. I planned to spend this afternoon and evening with you and I’m going to.”
They managed to evade them for a while but they were clearly being followed and it did take away from Tara’s being able to totally enjoy her first time walking through Central Park. Each time she had come to the city it had been too cold to enjoy the outside attraction. He stopped a couple of times as they walked to kiss her, and except for the photographers no one else seemed to pay any attention.
After a while he suggested they go back to the hotel and hailed another cab. It surprised her that a handful of the reporters still followed them, but didn’t go inside the hotel itself. He walked her to her room and said, “I’ll pick you up at 6:45. You’ll want to be dressed up.” He gave her a slow romantic kiss and went to his own room. When she opened the door, she was greeted with a bouquet of multi-colored roses. She didn’t need to read the card to know they were from Kel, but she opened it anyway. The card read “Look to the rainbow.” Then a thought occurred to her. He’d said she needed to be dressed up. She had brought nothing with her for a dressy date. She looked at the clock. She had less than two hours to find a dress and get ready. She called the concierge for a recommendation close to the hotel and hurried across the street to a unique boutique with several dresses in her size to choose from. She settled on a form fitting cocktail dress in a shade of purple that accentuated her lavender eyes with a deep V in the back and beaded applique scattered over it in random pattern. On a whim she also bought a beaded evening bag, a jeweled clip for her hair and a pair of to die for black heels with purple jeweled butterflies on the toes. Excited, she went back to her room, took a bubble bath and got ready for her date.
She looked at her reflection and was pleased with how her hair turned out, in a French twist held in place with the clip and tendrils curling about her face, and added a diamond necklace her mother had given her before she left, in case she needed it for any event in Newport. Kel knocked on her door at little before six forty five and the expression on his face was worth the effort of going to get the dress at the last minute.
“That’s some dress,” he said, twirling her around so he could see the back.
“Just something I threw together at the last minute,” she said, noticing that he also looked very nice in his tux.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said as they went downstairs. They went to a lovely restaurant where they were ushered to a table in the back without waiting. After dining by candlelight, they left the restaurant and Kel said, “I hope you’re a Phantom fan.”
“We’re going to see Phantom of the Opera?” She loved the show and said so.
“I wanted something romantic,” he said. “And for some reason, I knew it would be a show you’d want to see.”
As the cab stopped outside the theater, Kel said, “I’m pretty certain we’re being followed, so smile pretty and let them get their shot. At least they can’t follow us into the theater.”
As soon as they stepped on the side walk the flashes from camera started popping. She took Kel’s arm and he led her inside and to their orchestra level seats on the third row center. The show was every bit as beautiful as she remembered and they both enjoyed it. The paparazzi had given up waiting on them by the time the musical was over and Tara was glad that the end of the evening would be between just she and Kel.
“Do they follow you everywhere, even when I’m not here?” she asked as they walked down the hall to her room.
“No, they cover the events where I’m speaking or appearing, but it’s not like this. That’s all for you.”
“I feel like Princess Di today,” she said.
“You certainly look like royalty tonight.”
He stepped in her room with her and closed the door. Her arms went around him as he kissed her. When he held her like this she could feel his heart beating next to hers and she could forget everything but the two of them. Standing here alone with him, sharing his intoxicating kisses she knew she was in love with him and that she’d be willing to put up with almost anything to be with him forever.
He pulled away and smiled at her. “I have to go, this is too much of a temptation. Meet us for breakfast? We’re getting an early start and I know you have to catch a flight.”
They agreed on a time to meet and with one more quick kiss, he was gone. She closed the door and kicked off her spectacular shoes and crossed the room to the table in front of the windows where the roses sat in their rainbow colored profusion. She inhaled their sweet scent and thought that the only thing she wanted at this particular moment in time was to follow the fellow who followed the dream.
Chapter Fifteen
Mary Katherine tried to tell herself that this was nothing she hadn’t done before and that once the next couple of days were over she only had two more chemo treatments. At this particular moment, it wasn’t helping to know there was an end in sight. Evan’s words to her were always positive, he was unfailingly comforting and gentle throughout each ordeal. Casey had told her how hard the first round had been on Evan and had come to sit with them through the second one, offering support and looking out for both of them. She leaned against Evan and let him hold her in between the bouts of throwing up, but she worried about him more than herself. He looked tired and they had only been back from the hospital for two hours. She had all her appointments early in the morning. For Mary Katherine, the nausea started almost as soon as it was over and came hard and heavy for about a day and a half and then she was over it. Her hair had thinned a little, but so far she had not had the horrifying experience she heard others in the oncology unit talking about of having it fall out in huge clumps. She took that as a positive sign.