Calendar Girl

by Georgia Beers

  Keeping her phone near her lap so Addison might not see—though why that would matter at this point, given the big fat nothing she’d been handed to do all day, was beyond her—Katie typed back.

  No, but I’m bored out of my skull. She gives me hardly anything to do. #ControlFreak.

  Sam, always one to see the bright side, responded with Just keep thinking about the money…

  Katie hadn’t told anybody but Sam and her mother how much this job was paying. She actually wondered if Addison even knew, as she hadn’t been the one to hire her. Another email beeped through, and as if he’d sensed Katie’s thoughts, it was from Jack Saunders—the one who was signing her paycheck. Like Sam, he’d noticed her email address pop through and wanted to see how things were going, though he was more to the point and less personal. He asked what Addison had given her to do so far.

  Though she felt a bit like she was spying on Addison—or at least being a little bit sneaky—she understood that Jack was technically her boss, so she answered honestly. She’d gotten coffee several times—she didn’t think reporting the exact number of times was necessary—she’d contacted I.T. to set up her email, she’d run off 500 copies of a flyer about upcoming parking lot sealing for one of the complexes and 250 of another regarding tenants cleaning up after their dogs. She’d also spent over an hour studying the Fairchild Enterprises website, which she’d already done in preparation for her interview with Jack, so she didn’t tell him that. Instead, she proofread her list, signed the email in a professional manner, and sent it off to him, feeling oddly guilty about it, as if she’d tattled.

  “You can go.”

  Addison’s voice surprised Katie. She snapped her gaze up to find those icy blue eyes watching her. “I’m sorry?”

  “It’s after five. You can go home.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Katie gave a nod of understanding and began gathering her things. Addison didn’t look up again until Katie was good to go and said, “See you tomorrow.”

  Addison made a sound of some sort.

  “Have a good night.” She shrugged as, this time, there was only a nod. With a sigh, she left Addison sitting at her desk, just as she’d been five hours earlier when Katie had arrived.

  “Good night, Katie,” Janie said with a cheerful little wave as Katie passed by her desk.

  Katie waved, glad to have a friendly face follow an entire afternoon of little to no eye contact and conversation that never consisted of more than three short sentences at a time, most of them directives of some sort.

  Despite the overall pleasant atmosphere of the Fairchild Rentals offices, the crisply chilly fall air outside felt new and clean, and it washed over Katie like a gentle shower of refreshment. She inhaled and felt like it was the first full breath she’d taken since she’d gotten there. Standing next to her car for a beat, then two, she simply breathed. Took air in, let it out, and felt herself relax. Which was weird because she hadn’t actually realized she’d been tense until that moment.

  “Wow,” she muttered as she rolled her shockingly stiff shoulders and then got in her car.

  A text from her mother told her they needed milk and apples at home, so Katie stopped at the store. When she finally made it home, she knew immediately it had been a rough day for her mom, who greeted her, nevertheless, with a tired smile. Katie pretended not to notice that she was unshowered, her sandy hair hanging limp, and she was still in her morning sweats.

  “Hey, Mom.” She kissed Liz on the cheek, then flinched as she heard her father slam down a butter knife as he sat at the kitchen table. Her eyebrows went up, her gaze moving to her mother, who closed her eyes as if summoning strength.

  “Take your time, honey.” She picked up the butter knife and a slice of toast from the plate in front of her husband and spread raspberry jam on it. “See? Like this.”

  One of the things that Katie found hardest to absorb about her father’s deepening illness was the speed with which his moods changed. He’d been angry as he slammed down the knife, his eyes flashing, four seconds ago. Now he looked like he might cry as his wife handed him a slice of toast with a tender, exhausted smile. He took it gently, moved it to his mouth, and took a bite, his eyes never leaving Liz’s as they shimmered with unshed tears.

  Katie swallowed hard as she watched the exchange, and not for the first time, she wondered how her mother did it, how she went through every day this way, knowing there was no relief, that it would never get any better, only worse. Her own eyes welled up and she quickly turned away, not wanting either of them to see.

  “Mom,” she said a few minutes later and cleared her throat. Her father was now calmly eating his toast and gazing off into the middle distance. “Why don’t you go take a shower, relax a bit, and maybe go to a movie or something?”

  Liz’s expression registered several emotions, one right after another. First came protest, then surprise, followed by gratitude, relief, and finally, hesitation. “Are you sure?” she finally asked.

  Katie smiled, dropped her bag, and shed her coat. “Absolutely. I bet Laura would love to have some time with you,” she said, referring to her mother’s best friend. “Give her a call. I got this.” She pulled out a chair and sat down next to her father. “Right, Daddy?”

  He continued to stare, to chew, and didn’t seem to notice her presence.

  She pretended not to notice that.

  Chapter Six

  Tuesday morning did not welcome Addison with open arms. It was her own fault, she knew, but still. She’d prefer not to feel like warmed-over pea soup. She’d stayed up way too late and slept fitfully, and her stomach was giving her all kinds of signs that it was not happy with her. She knew she should eat something that wasn’t made of chemicals, but she just didn’t have much of an appetite. Nothing sat well. Instead, she poured her coffee into a travel mug and headed into the office, mentally listing all the things she needed to get done.

  The morning flew by, as it always did when she was crazed, and before Addison even registered the time, Katie Cooper walked in the door, which meant it was already noon.

  “Hi,” Katie said with her signature smile, and for some reason, Addison found herself unable to look away. Katie’s dark hair was down at the moment, but Addison knew there was an elastic band on her wrist and she could whip her hair into a ponytail or messy bun in the span of seven seconds. There was something kind of endearing about that. Her clothes were simple and not at all flashy: navy-blue pants and a pale yellow sweater. The energy she gave off was palpable, somehow invigorating and cheerful, and Addison found herself feeling a little melancholy around it, though she couldn’t pinpoint why. Katie unpacked her bag, setting her laptop on the round table as she glanced up at Addison. “How was your morning?”

  Shaking herself back to reality, Addison refocused on her computer screen as she replied, “It was okay.”

  “Good. Let me give my email a quick check and then you can let me know what I can do for you today.”

  The phone rang, saving Addison from any more small talk, which she despised. Or staring, which she apparently enjoyed a little too much. As she answered, a sharp pain hit her belly, as if some creature was trapped inside and trying to fight its way out. With a knife. Or maybe a sword. Possibly a machete. She grimaced and did her best to swallow a groan, noticed that Katie was looking at her over the top of her screen. Half listening as one of her complex managers told her in a panicked voice about a leaking roof, she clenched her teeth and willed the pain to subside.

  The Universe, apparently feeling a sense of humor rather than sympathy, instead sent Addison’s mother breezing into the office. She stopped in her tracks the second she was through the door.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Addison heard her ask Katie.

  “I don’t know. She just got really pale all of a sudden.”

  Addison squeezed her eyes shut, trying to follow the conversation in her office, the panic on the phone and her own pain proving to be too much. Through gritted teeth, she sai
d, “Let me call you back,” then replaced the handset without waiting for a reply. With one hand, she pushed her chair back from her desk so she could lean forward, doubling over against the stabbing in her stomach.

  Her mother was by her side in an instant. “Addison. What is it?” Addison could feel the warm hand on her back, rubbing in soothing circles. “Your ulcer? Have you been taking the meds?”

  She didn’t answer, waited out the stabbing pain, and after a few more moments, it eased up. She opened her eyes and sat up. “I’m good. I’m okay now.”

  “No, you are not okay. Damn it, Addison, you need to take better care of yourself. I don’t understand you.”

  While they’d had this same conversation more than once, Addison was again surprised by her mother’s expression. It was in her eyes. Worry. Fear. Big-time concern. The snarky comment Addison had ready died in her throat and the fight went out of her like air from a leaky balloon.

  “You should go back to the hospital.”

  “No,” Addison protested, probably louder and more vehemently than necessary. Lowering her voice, she repeated herself as she scratched the side of her neck. “No, Mom, I’m okay. It’s just a pain. I get them all the time. It’ll pass. I just need a minute.”

  “If you won’t go to the ER, then you’re going home.”

  “Mom…”

  “Do not argue with me, Addison Elizabeth.” Meredith’s tone left no room for interpretation, and Addison knew it. “Either you go home or I call an ambulance right now.”

  Addison clenched her jaw, irritated by the ultimatum even though, deep down, she knew that she hadn’t rested quite enough after her hospital stay, and this relapse was most likely the result. “Fine.”

  “I want you to take her home,” her mother said, and it took a couple seconds for Addison to realize she was talking to Katie. “Her things are over there. Her laptop is in her attaché. Once you get her there, you make sure she is in bed, not on the couch.”

  “Mom. Seriously?”

  “I know you. If you set up on the couch, you’ll sleep there.” Meredith turned back to Katie. “The bed. Understood?”

  “Absolutely.” Katie widened her eyes for a split second, but then she gave a firm nod and zipped around the office, gathering up Addison’s things as well as her own.

  Addison’s mother helped her into her jacket, and Addison felt like a child again. Which wasn’t awful for a few seconds.

  “Ready?” Katie asked.

  With a nod, Addison followed her out of the office and through the open area. The handful of people at their desks stopped to look. Addison kept her head down, shame heating her face.

  Before she could say anything to Janie at the front desk, Meredith spoke up. “Ms. Fairchild will be at home for the rest of the day, Janie. If you have any issues, direct them to Katie.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Janie said, brow furrowed. “Feel better,” she called as they exited the lobby.

  “My car or yours?” Katie asked, once they were in the parking lot. Before Addison could answer, Katie chuckled and said, “That was a dumb question. I have an eleven-year-old Honda, you have a new, sporty Mercedes, and your assistant is not a stupid woman. Yours it is.” The lightness of her tone caused the corners of Addison’s mouth to tug up just a bit as she stepped off the curb.

  “Ready?” Katie asked, standing next to the driver’s side door.

  With a nod Addison moved to the passenger side, in no mood to argue about who would drive.

  God, this was going to be a painful afternoon.

  * * *

  Watching the dynamic between Addison Fairchild and her mother had proven beyond interesting to Katie. Not only because it was so different from her and her own mother, but because watching the woman who was used to barking orders have orders barked at her was almost surreal. And oddly satisfying.

  That being said, Addison was in obvious pain, and Katie didn’t like seeing it. She might not have registered it if she hadn’t already spent some time with Addison, but Katie was a pretty observant person. Addison’s normally determined stride was just a touch slower today, her not-so-healthy pallor even less healthy, drained of almost all color until her complexion was the same hue as the skim milk Katie had poured into her cereal that morning. She said very little as they made the trip from the Fairchild Rentals office to Addison’s loft—even failing to grunt or make her usual noncommittal sounds in response to things Katie said—and the elevator ride up was a silent one.

  The loft was warm and cozy, and yet again, Katie was surprised by how somebody so cool and remote could have a space that was the exact opposite. She set everything down and shed her jacket, hanging it on the coat tree. She held out her hand for Addison’s jacket and put it on top of hers, then watched as Addison kicked off her heels, walked across the thick area rug to the couch, and plopped down with a huge sigh. Head in her hand, she massaged the forehead with her fingertips.

  Damn it.

  “Um…you’re supposed to go to bed.” Katie did her best to keep her tone strong but wasn’t sure she was successful.

  “The couch is fine.”

  “That’s not what your mother said.”

  Addison shifted her gaze to Katie’s, and if she’d felt better, Katie was pretty sure her voice would hold a lot more venom. Instead, she just sounded irritated and tired. “I’m a grown woman.”

  “I’m aware of that. You’re also in pretty bad shape today.” Katie did her best to stay matter of fact. “Your mother—”

  Addison stopped her sentence with an upheld hand, a habit of hers that was getting on Katie’s nerves. “Like I said. Grown woman. I no longer have to do what my mommy tells me to, okay?” This time, there was a definite bite to her words.

  Katie bristled, and she felt her anger bubble up. “That is totally true. I, however, am not a daughter but an employee who gets paid not by you but by her and her people. If she tells me to do something, I do it. Know why? Because I need this job.”

  They stayed like that for what felt like several very long minutes to Katie. Addison on the couch, icy blue eyes flashing, Katie standing in the entryway, one hand on her hip. A standoff of sorts, which Katie had never been good at, so she blinked in shock when she actually won.

  “Fine,” Addison said with another sigh, and it was obvious that, more than feeling Katie was right, she was simply too tired to argue. She pushed herself to her feet. “Give me ten minutes to change and then come on in with my bag.” She padded off toward the other end of the apartment without waiting for a response.

  Katie stood still for a beat, absorbing her victory, and finally allowed the smile to creep across her face and make itself known. As she was taking things out of her own bag, Addison called to her from the bedroom.

  “There’s a bottle of Chardonnay in the fridge. Can you bring a glass for me when you come?”

  “Sure,” Katie called back, and headed into that enormous, beautiful kitchen. The wine was easy to find, the glasses, not so much. It took her five tries opening different cupboards and taking in the set of heavy, stoneware dishes in all its pieces. They were all a deep, rich blue with black bottoms, somehow both elegant and simple at the same time. Plates, smaller plates, bowls of three different sizes, coffee mugs, all stacked neatly in the roomy cabinets. Katie envisioned a dinner party featuring them laid out on the large dining room table, tall candles in the center, wineglasses sparkling in the light of the overhead fixture that hung from a black cable.

  Wineglasses.

  Katie snapped out of her reverie and found the wineglasses, took one down, filled it. Then she carried it back into the living room, scooped up her things, and headed slowly down the hallway toward where she assumed the bedroom must be.

  Addison’s loft actually contained three bedrooms. The first one Katie passed she assumed was a guest room. It held a queen-size bed, a dresser, and a TV, but nothing personal of note…at least not from what she could see as she walked past. The second bedroom contained exercis
e equipment. A treadmill, a stationary bike, a yoga mat, some free weights. Katie had a quick vision of Addison running on the treadmill, reddish-brown hair in a cute ponytail that flounced back and forth with her strides, face and chest glistening with perspiration…

  A quick shake of her head dislodged that image quickly and Katie cleared her throat loudly as she reached the third bedroom. “Okay to come in?”

  “Yeah.”

  Addison’s bedroom fell into the same category as every other setting in her life that Katie’d been allowed to see. Warm, inviting, comfortable. The walls were a relaxing color Katie had trouble describing…sort of a light purplish gray. The bed was enormous and covered in a deep purple down comforter with cream-colored accents, the headboard and footboard twisty pieces of art made from wrought iron, incredibly elegant to look at. The same hardwood floor in the living room ran through the entire loft, and a huge, thick area rug was laid out at the foot of the bed, part of its ivory-colored softness disappearing underneath.

  On one side of the bed, Addison was perched, several pillows behind her, propping her up. She now wore gray sweats tied at her stomach and an oversized red sweatshirt with the Under Armour logo splashed across the front in silver. Her feet were bare and crossed at the ankle, and it wasn’t until she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers that Katie remembered she was holding the wine.

  “Shouldn’t you be having tea or something?” Katie asked, before she could catch herself.

  “Probably,” was Addison’s reply. She took the glass and sipped. “Aren’t you having any?”

  Katie blinked. “Me? Oh, no. No, I just…”

  Addison made a pffft sound and waved a hand at her. “Please. We’ve got some work ahead of us, so it’s not like you’ll be driving any time soon. Besides, I don’t want to drink alone.” She moved her hand in a shooing motion, so Katie obeyed and returned to the kitchen to get herself some wine. Which was very, very good, she discovered upon the first sip. Her phone beeped then and she read a text from Meredith Fairchild asking Katie to remind Addison to take her meds.