Love on Tap

by Karis Walsh

  “Are you hungry?” she asked as she hesitated just inside the house.

  “I just need a bed,” Berit said. She sounded smaller somehow as her voice dimmed with exhaustion.

  Tace shouldered the duffel’s strap again and pushed Berit’s chair down the hall. Luckily, the halls and doorways had been widened when she refurbished the house after her father died. Instead of the maze of small rooms, the house now had an open floor plan and two bright downstairs rooms instead of four tiny, dark ones. Tace’s bedroom, a bathroom, and a den opened off the short hallway. Chris and Kyle slept upstairs when they came to visit. Tace had done a lot of the demolition work herself, as well as some of the finishing touches like paint and laminate floors. Anything to save money, but she’d also felt a real sense of accomplishment while doing the project and she’d enjoyed her new rooms since she’d done so much on her own. Now she was giving them away to a stranger.

  She set the duffel within easy reach of Berit on her king-size bed with its blue and gray comforter. “The bathroom is right through here,” she said, opening the door leading into her master bath. “Do you need help?”

  She was as embarrassed to ask the question as Berit seemed to be about answering it.

  “No, thank you. I can manage.”

  Tace busied herself by gathering a tank top for sleeping and clothes for the next day. Once Berit came out of the bathroom, Tace went in and quickly scooped up the few items she’d need for an overnight stay upstairs.

  When she came out, Berit was already in bed and looked half-asleep. Tace left the bathroom light on and opened the door just a crack so the room wasn’t in total darkness.

  “I’ll get the rest of my stuff moved out tomorrow, and I’ll clear out my den for you to use as a study.” Tace made sure the wheelchair was close enough for Berit to reach, and then she turned off the overhead light.

  “Major inconvenience,” Berit mumbled. “I’m sorry…not for long.”

  “It’s okay. Good night,” Tace said. She closed the door, guessing that Berit was already asleep before the latch clicked shut. She got a few books out of her den and went through the kitchen and up the steep staircase to the attic rooms. Her few belongings made the white rooms look even more barren than they had when they were empty.

  Tace sat on her childhood bed and thought about her reaction to Berit. She was attracted to her, but that was understandable. Berit was beautiful, and she was sleeping only yards away, in the bed Tace had been in just last night. The intimacy of the situation was naturally and explicably discomfiting. What bothered Tace was her willingness to completely uproot her life for someone she didn’t even know. Was this her purpose in life? The only role she was suited for? She took care of Chris and Kyle just as she had when they were kids. Now she was taking care of Berit.

  As much as Berit claimed the inconvenience wouldn’t last long, Tace saw the reality of the situation. She didn’t know the details of Berit’s injury, but she would undoubtedly need help even as she got stronger. Tace, working at her retail job and spending every free moment at the brewery, would be the one Berit relied on for help with shopping, cooking, whatever. Tace was finally getting a small taste of what it was like to run a business, to do work that mattered to her financially, at least, and Berit’s presence threatened her newfound occupation.

  She couldn’t possibly have said no to her tonight. Not just because of her obvious interest—although it played a part in Tace’s decision—but also because she felt drawn to her. She was clearly a strong and intelligent woman, someone unfamiliar with her present circumstances. Unwilling to ask for help, yet needing support and assistance. Tace had been compelled to help her, by what force she didn’t know.

  She got in the narrow bed and tossed restlessly. She was sure of one thing—Berit would likely be an inconvenience to her for a very long time.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Tace was up early the next morning, easy to do since she had barely slept after leaving Berit in her bed. She showered and went downstairs quietly, trying to avoid the squeakier steps, and stood for a moment outside the door to Berit’s room. Her room. She didn’t hear any sounds within, so she busied herself by hauling armfuls of her books and journals up to the attic study. After agreeing to rent the rooms to Berit, she had installed some inexpensive bookshelves and a large table for a desk in the tiny room, and she filled them haphazardly with her own belongings. Once she was finished—and sweaty enough to need another shower—she got on the phone and called every contractor in the phone book until she found one that had both experience and reasonable prices. She’d been tempted to install the ramp herself, but she imagined Berit falling off the side or gaining too much momentum if her slope was wrong, and she decided a professional was the better option. For liability reasons, of course, although the thought of Berit getting hurt worse made her queasy.

  By the time a sleepy-looking yet fully dressed and showered Berit came out of the bedroom, Tace was scrambling some eggs for their breakfast. She had no choice other than to feed Berit since she hadn’t had a chance to shop yet, but Tace worried about the precedent she was setting. She was treating Berit like a guest instead of her tenant. Fine for now, just not for the long term. She had been fretting about their skewed relationship while she cooked, but the sight of Berit made her forget all her reservations, at least for the moment.

  “Something smells good,” Berit said. She rubbed her eyes like a tired child and stopped next to the island. “What a beautiful kitchen.”

  Tace looked around the room she had designed herself. Anything to keep from staring at Berit and wanting to kiss away the signs of fatigue still haunting her face. Tace had refinished the cabinets and painted them a bright, clean white. She’d had the counters installed. Not expensive granite, but a pretty gray-and-cream laminate. The butcher-block island had been a costly purchase, but worth every penny.

  “Thank you,” she said, answering both of Berit’s comments. She carried a tub of butter and some huckleberry jam to the table. “It’s just eggs and toast. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Perfect.” Berit wheeled over to the table, and Tace brought the breakfast on large plates. “I’d been living on trail mix and powdered eggs in Peru. People complain about hospital food, but it tasted heavenly to me after eating canned beans every night.”

  Tace sat in the chair opposite Berit and dished up some eggs. She’d been considering making some excuse and either skipping breakfast or taking her plate upstairs. What the hell would she have in common with Berit? How could she possibly carry on a conversation with her? The quick description of her South American adventure sounded exciting to Tace, though, and she decided to stay. Except on her hikes, she’d never been out of range of a McDonald’s drive-through, and the thought of eating canned food while camping near an archaeology site was intriguing.

  “Peru? Was that where you got hurt?”

  Berit sprinkled a hefty dose of pepper on her eggs. “Yes. Mark and I were running toward a shaft leading down to the tombs because we needed to stop some students from filling in—” She paused. “Let me start from the beginning. We were in the lowlands of Peru, in the rainforest…”

  Berit talked while she spread jam on her toast, stopping now and again to take quick bites of her food. Tace’s breakfast sat untouched while she listened to the story. In her mind, she filled in the sounds of chirping insects and shrieking birds, the discomfort of slogging through mud and rain, the thrill of unlocking the puzzle of the dead woman’s position, the urgency of the sprint toward the endangered tomb. The story was a fascinating one, but it was Berit’s pacing and humor that made Tace feel part of the events.

  “Did they get the baby’s skeleton out in time?” she asked when Berit finished her explanation of her fractured and now fused spine.

  “Yes. It’s tiny and beautifully preserved. Quite a find.” Berit scooped up the last of her eggs and put them on a bit of toast. She popped the bite in her mouth. “Jim, the intern I had just started traini
ng, sent me some great photos. I’ll show them to you as soon as my stuff arrives.”

  Tace sat back in her chair. “Amazing. You must be a popular teacher. I’ll bet your students could listen to you tell stories for hours.”

  Berit frowned. “I haven’t actually taught before. I’ve had some interns on digs and I was a TA for a few classes in grad school, but never anything like I’ll be doing here. I suppose I’ll just be following the textbooks, not talking about myself.”

  Tace wondered what was behind Berit’s frown. She seemed almost unsure of herself and her ability to teach. Tace couldn’t understand why, and she decided she must be reading Berit wrong. She’d enjoyed the tale Berit had just told and had felt, for a moment, part of her huge world. Now that she was done, Tace saw the chasm between them was even deeper and wider than she’d expected. What stories could she share that would ever interest Berit? The other day at Drake’s a customer wanted a pair of Levi’s, but we didn’t have the right size. I tracked some down in the Kennewick store, and they’re being shipped here as we speak!

  Right.

  She wouldn’t hold Berit’s interest, but she’d help her get some much-needed sleep. Tace stood up and gathered Berit’s empty plate and her own full one.

  “You cooked, so I’ll do dishes,” Berit said as she followed Tace to the sink.

  Tace scraped her food into the garbage. She wasn’t sure how she’d be able to set up the kitchen so Berit could reach the sink or counters. “I don’t mind doing them.”

  Berit set her brake and grabbed the countertop, pulling herself to her feet. Tace hadn’t been at eye level with her since their short walk up the stairs last night. Now, the memory of Berit’s body pressed close to hers made her hot. Berit stepped closer and Tace wondered if she’d need to splash herself with cold water.

  “I’m supposed to be on my feet and walking short distances every day,” she said, “to get my muscles back in shape. I might as well be doing something useful while I’m upright.”

  Tace nodded and backed away from the sink as much to give Berit her independence as to put some distance between them. She put the jam and butter into the fridge.

  “I have some errands to run this morning,” she said. “Do you need me to get anything for you?”

  Berit looked at her and bit her lip. “I don’t expect you to be my personal assistant or chef. Once I’m familiar with the area, I’ll do everything on my own.”

  Even though Tace was aware of the gulf between her and Berit, and all too aware of her attraction’s attempts to span that gulf, she had to laugh at Berit’s momentary transparency. “In other words, you have some things you need me to do. Do you want to make a list?”

  Berit grinned. “I suppose I should look through the texts for my classes. If you wouldn’t mind stopping by the college bookstore, they’re supposed to have a packet of them ready for me. I’ll need to get groceries since I don’t expect to eat all your food, and there’s a reception for new students at the president’s house this afternoon, but I can call a cab to take me there.”

  Tace sighed. She didn’t want to be pulled into the college’s sphere, but she could get in and out of the bookstore unscathed. Hopefully. She had to keep her focus on the big picture here. Berit needed her, but soon she’d be able to live her own life. She could easily get to and from the campus from Tace’s house, and Tace needed the money from her rent. For a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, Tace would help her out.

  “I’ll get the books for you this morning and we can shop for groceries later tonight or tomorrow. Help yourself to whatever you want in the meantime. I’ll drive you to the reception. The campus is only a few blocks away if you feel up to getting home on your own, or you can call me to pick you up.”

  “Are you sure? I hate to—”

  “Be an inconvenience. I know, you told me last night. Let me help you get acclimated until school starts, and soon you’ll be doing everything on your own.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” Berit pulled a folded check out of her pants pocket. “Here’s my first month’s rent.”

  Tace glanced at the amount and handed it back to Berit. “This is more than we’d discussed.”

  “What we discussed was for the smaller rooms upstairs, not your own bedroom and study. When I’m ready to climb up there, I’ll start paying the lower rent. It’ll give me an incentive to get better.”

  Tace wanted to argue more. She didn’t need the extra money, this upheaval in her life wasn’t a big deal, and she didn’t mind carting Berit and her books back and forth from Whitman. None of that was true, though, and Tace didn’t want to admit how she really felt. Berit had already turned back to the sink, so Tace shoved the check in her jeans with a sigh of relief and climbed the stairs to the attic.

  ❖

  Tace parked near the Reid Campus Center and followed signs to the downstairs bookstore. She’d driven past the building often enough and had even considered going inside to look at the books but had never actually done so. She expected to look out of place—worse, to feel out of place—but except for an occasional smile or hello from a passing person, she seemed to be unremarkable in the crowd. She entered the store and came face-to-face with Berit.

  Or, rather, with a life-sized photo of her face. It looked like a model’s head shot, with her face tilted slightly away and her eyes looking up toward the camera. Stunning. Tace read the sign announcing Berit as a world-famous archaeologist and author who was gracing the college with her illustrious presence. Stacks of her books were piled on the table, and a group of students were eagerly picking through them. Tace picked up one with a photo of an intricate bronze medallion and read the back cover. There was the head shot of Berit again, plus a picture of her in rolled up khaki shorts and a white tank, with her foot on the runner of a Jeep and a clay statuette in her hands. The book was about her adventures while on a dig in Lebanon and some stupendous discovery she’d made about the Phoenicians. Tace shook her head. Maybe if she announced that she had the actual, live Berit Katsaros in her house she could charge for sightseeing tours. Or she could collect Berit’s used clothing and auction it off to her adoring fans.

  Tace walked away from the display without putting Berit’s book back. She’d loved hearing the story about Peru this morning and she thought this one sounded even more interesting. Berit would lose interest in her boring landlord after she’d made friends and was more mobile on her own. Tace could at least read about her.

  Tace approached the counter in the textbook section with more confidence. “Hi. I need to pick up a packet of books for Dr. Katsaros.”

  “Awesome,” the young woman said. “I’ll be right back.”

  She went through a swinging door and came out only moments later, with a box full of books. “Do you want to make sure everything is there?” she asked.

  “Um, sure,” Tace said. She had no idea what she was supposed to find in the box, but she pulled the books out one after the other. She meant to just go through the motions of checking the contents, but she stopped and looked through each text. A Greek language book. A small, plainly covered paperback of one of Plato’s dialogues in Greek. Tace opened to the first page and glanced at the unfamiliar shapes of the Greek letters. At first they seemed to be merely squiggles on the page, but after only a short scan, she began to see patterns and repeated words and phrases emerge. Socrates, Crito. A common word that might mean and? Tace was tempted to use the Greek textbook to decipher the puzzle, but the girl was watching her, so she moved on.

  A basic archaeology text. Tace skimmed the index and found several references to Berit. A book of poems by Pindar, translated into English. Tace opened to a random page and read about a charioteer being honored after winning in the ancient Olympic Games. She got caught in the rhythm of the words, but the student helping her couldn’t seem to contain her enthusiasm any longer.

  “Are you a friend of Dr. Katsaros? I’m so excited she’s here, but I couldn’t get any of her classes. I’m a transfer stu
dent, so I got last choice during registration. Her archaeology intro filled up right away, of course, but I was going to take Greek just to hear her teach. No luck. Her books are fantastic. Have you read them? Maybe you could get her to sign one for me?”

  “I don’t know her well, but I’ll tell her you want one autographed. Maybe she can stop by.” Tace said. She repacked the box except for the one about Pindar. “Do you have another copy of this one?”

  “Sure, right over here.” She showed Tace where the Classics section was and handed her the paperback.

  Tace paid for her own two books and carried the box out to the car, relieved to get away from the president of the Berit fan club. She’d known Berit was smart and educated since she was teaching at the college, and this morning’s story had proven her to be somewhat of an Indiana Jones, but she hadn’t realized Berit was some sort of intellectual superstar. For the time being, she’d probably be having meals with Berit and driving her around. What would they talk about? Tace didn’t have a clue how she could add to any conversation. Maybe Berit could bring along some books on tape when they were in the car.

  Berit had said she’d be able to handle the contractor when he came to install the ramp, so instead of going straight home after tackling the college bookstore, Tace stopped by the brewery. She walked over to the woodpile without needing to climb through weeds since this had been the first area she’d cleared after sending Joan on her way. She put a bowl of fresh cat food near the pile. She heard the kitty yowling at her from under a shrub, but he wouldn’t come out to eat until she was a few yards away. Progress. The brewer—she’d learned his name was Joseph—waved at her from the doorway before disappearing into the shadows. Yet more progress.

  Tace got the trimmer from a small toolshed she’d unearthed during her first cleaning expedition and started wreaking havoc on the mess behind the main warehouse. The feel of the plastic string zinging against the metal siding made her clench her teeth, but with every pass, she felt her body and mind relax. Somehow, the brewery had become her one safe haven, and she needed this respite after spending the morning in Berit’s out-of-reach world. Work at Drake’s was mind-numbing, and she didn’t have the time or money to go out as often as she had before, so she had welcomed physically demanding chores at the brewery because they released stress. Now Berit had come into her home, bringing with her a list of chores and a need for assistance.