Life's Second Chances: The Show Me Series: Book One

by Anne Stone

  “I’m just sorry our evening had to end so early. Come here.” With that, he drew her into his arms, kissed her, and wished her a good evening. He walked with her to the end of the hallway and headed off to deal with his patient.

  Angelina’s mother was waiting for her when she got home. Since she’d lied to her mother about her whereabouts, she hid her dessert in her backpack. She couldn’t wait to dig into the creamy layers of lady fingers.

  “Angelina. Where were you?”

  “I was at a meeting. Don’t you believe me?”

  “No, actually I don’t. Gabriella called looking for you. She couldn’t reach you on your cell.”

  “Oh,” she said. “Well, I was at a meeting. I’m sorry she didn’t remember that.” Angelina’s face flushed.

  Her mother noticed, but decided against continuing her line of questioning. Whatever Angelina was up to, she was sure she had good reason for keeping it to herself. Eventually she’d discover what was going on with her daughter.

  Angelina rushed to her room and called Alejandro. He answered on the second ring. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. We’ve got problems.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “My mother. She knows I lied to her about my meeting.”

  “Why do you say that? Did she catch you with your dessert?”

  “No, she didn’t.” She informed him of their conversation. “I’m worried what Gabriella’s going to say.”

  “Don’t. I’ll deny anything if she brings you into the equation, and you can do the same. What’s the problem?”

  “I hate lying.”

  “If anyone finds out, we’ll blame it on me.”

  “Alejandro.”

  “Just stop worrying. I’ll handle it.”

  “But?”

  “No buts. Now, do you miss me?”

  “What do you think?” She talked softly because she didn’t want her family overhearing their conversation. “I can’t wait to see you again. Are you on call the rest of the week?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. But I’m off the entire weekend. Why don’t you come over Saturday morning and we’ll talk without interruption? How does that sound? And, maybe by then, we’ll know where we stand with our families.”

  “Give me a call and let me know when you want me to come over. Again, thanks for a great dinner. I really enjoyed it. Goodnight.”

  “’Night. And Angelina? Sweet dreams.”

  “Thanks.” Angelina disconnected the call with the biggest smile on her face. Maybe they were going somewhere. Hopefully their planned talk would settle the true status of their relationship. She went to bed dreaming of what might be.

  *****

  The next morning, Gabriella was waiting for Angelina at the door to her classroom. Angelina saw her and wasn’t looking forward to their discussion—she’d have to lie again. “I called your house last night and spoke to your mom.”

  “I know, she told me.”

  “Where were you?”

  “Shopping.”

  “Shopping? She told me you were at a meeting.”

  “You know, I think she got mixed up. I told her I was going shopping for some materials for my classroom. I’m sure she misunderstood me.”

  “Your mom misunderstood you? Come on, Angelina, where were you?”

  “Like I said, shopping.”

  “Fine, whatever.” Gabriella gave up and walked away.

  She knew Gabriella didn’t believe her. She just hoped that she didn’t put two and two together. She didn’t believe their stories would hold up with Gabriella. She was intuitive, especially when her brother was involved. She was sure Gabriella had already figured out that something was up between them. She’d have to get in touch with Alejandro before Gabriella called him.

  Angelina’s day was an up-hill battle from the moment she entered her classroom. Between dealing with Gabriella, and then having to deal with a student cheating on a test, she thought she was going to lose it. During her morning break, she called Alejandro at his office, but he was with a patient and couldn’t take her call. She didn’t want to leave her name with his secretary, so she called his cell and left a message. “She’s onto us,” she said and then hung up. At lunch, she checked her phone and he hadn’t returned her call. While she was heading off to pick her students up from music class, the school secretary stopped her in the hallway. She was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. “These are for you.”

  “Me?” she asked.

  “Yep. They were just delivered. I wonder who they’re from.”

  Angelina felt giddy with excitement. “Is there a card?”

  The secretary found one and pulled it out.

  Angelina opened it. Two words were printed on it: “I know.” She knew who they were from. She’d call him as soon as school let out for the day. Angelina asked the secretary to take the flowers to her classroom while she picked up her students from music class. Angelina was thankful for the day-ending bell. Her students rushed from the classroom, which was great because she couldn’t wait to speak with Alejandro to thank him for the flowers. Angelina was packing up her backpack when Gabriella stopped by her classroom as she was leaving for the day.

  “Where in the world did you get those flowers? They’re gorgeous!”

  “A friend.”

  “Who? Let’s see the card.” Angelina tried to keep the card from her, but Gabriella snatched it.

  “There’s no name. Just, ‘I know.’”

  Angelina was getting very frustrated with Gabriella’s interference.

  “Well, I know who they’re from and that’s what counts.” Angelina snapped at Gabriella. She turned away from her and walked to the back of her classroom.

  “Angelina, what’s going on here?”

  “Nothing. Why?”

  “Why are you mad at me?”

  “Can’t I get flowers from a friend?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “That’s enough Gabriella. Just leave it alone, okay?”

  “Okay… I’ll stop bothering you.” Gabriella was perplexed by Angelina’s attitude towards her. “See you tomorrow.” Gabriella said as she marched from her room.

  Angelina also said goodbye, but she was sure that Gabriella didn’t hear her. Gabriella could be Gabriella and when something got under her skin, she didn’t give up until she got her answers. Except this time Angelina wasn’t going to give in—Gabriella would just have to live with it.

  When Gabriella left Angelina’s classroom, she was concentrating on her own thoughts. She uttered under her breath, “I’ll stop bothering you, but I won’t give up on getting my answers from my brother.” Gabriella knew that she could be over the top at times, but that was just her personality. She wasn’t angry with Angelina. She just wanted to know what she was hiding. She assumed she was possibly involved with someone, but Angelina hadn’t shared anything of that nature with her. She hoped it was her brother, but didn’t know for sure.

  Angelina left the flowers in her classroom to avoid the questions that she knew she’d get from her mother. She called Alejandro from her car—this time, he answered.

  “Did you get my surprise?”

  “Yes, they’re gorgeous. Thank you so much. It was a nice surprise… Alejandro, I think we really have a problem. I know Gabriella thinks something is going on between us.”

  “I’ll deal with her. Don’t worry.”

  “But I do.”

  Ignoring her comment, he asked, “So, how was your day?”

  “Other than dealing with Gabriella and a student cheating, it was great. Your flowers really helped turn it around. They’re absolutely beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you liked them and were surprised. I wanted to do something special for you because I know this sneaking around is really hard on you. We’ll talk this weekend about what our next steps are. What’re you doing this evening?”

  “What I do almost every night—grading papers.”

  “I’d love to help, but I’m a little busy h
ere. If I get a chance, I’ll give you a call later on.”

  “Call me after ten o’clock. I should be in my bedroom and my parents won’t hear me.”

  “I’ll do my best. If I get busy, I’ll talk to you sometime tomorrow.”

  Smiling into the phone she said, “Thanks again for the flowers. They made my day."

  Angelina spent the evening grading papers and helping her brother with his homework. She looked at the clock, and it was nearing ten. She didn’t want to miss Alejandro in case he called, but Wyatt was having a hard time with his math, and Angelina wanted to make sure he understood the concept before he went to bed.

  She was so relieved when Wyatt finally understood it and started putting his things away. Turning to her parents, she wished them a goodnight. She rushed to her room and waited for his call. It never came. She decided to grade the remainder of her papers because she didn’t want to go to sleep. Just as she was beginning to doze off, she heard a muffled ring. She’d placed her phone under her pillow so it wouldn’t wake her family in the event that it rang. Grabbing it, she said, “Hi.” It was almost midnight.

  “Sorry I’m calling so late. I had an emergency. I hoped that you were still awake. Did you get all of your paperwork completed?”

  “Just finished. Wyatt was having some problems with his homework, so I helped him.”

  “What a sister.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Any issues this evening with your family?”

  “None especially since I left my flowers at school. Maybe it’s blown over.”

  “Time will tell.”

  They talked a few more minutes and Alejandro got another page. He didn’t mention Gabriella, so she assumed she hadn’t caught up with her brother.

  “Gotta go. Sorry about that.”

  “That’s fine. Get some rest.”

  “I will. You, too.”

  They ended their conversation shortly after midnight. She had a hard time getting to sleep, finally drifting off around dawn. She got about an hour’s sleep when she heard her mother pounding on her door.

  “Angelina, are you okay?”

  When she didn’t answer, her mother entered her room. Angelina was brushing the sleep from her eyes.

  “Guess I overslept.” Looking at the clock, she couldn’t believe the time. She jumped up from bed and hurried to the bathroom. She took a shower and dressed in record time. She was forced to skip breakfast and made it to school just in time for the first bell. What had happened to her? Alejandro, she thought. She just couldn’t get him out of her mind.

  She checked her phone during her mid-morning break. Alejandro had left her a message. He hoped that she’d been able to get some sleep. He told her he’d had a horrendous evening. The page that he took turned into a lengthy surgery. He was tired, but would call her later in the day when his schedule permitted.

  She somehow got through her day and was exhausted when the last bell rang. On the way home, she decided to forgo grading papers that evening and elected to stay in her room. She sat on her bed, trying to relax. Soft music played in the background and her mind kept drifting off. She was dreaming—dreaming of a possible future with Alejandro. She knew she shouldn’t go there because he’d adamantly told her that he wouldn’t enter into a full blown relationship, but time would tell, she thought. She wouldn’t push him. They were fine being friends… But she could hope.

  He didn’t call that evening, and she slept much better. She got up at her usual time and had just finished dressing when her phone rang. It was Alejandro. “Sorry I called so early, but I wanted to apologize for not calling last night.”

  “That’s okay. I know you’re busy.”

  “Another busy night, but I was able to get someone to cover for me tonight. How about coming over for dinner?”

  “I’d better skip dinner. I’ll come over after. I don’t want my mother to get any more curious.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll see you when I see you. Have a great day.”

  “I will. You, too.” Smiling, she hung up the phone, gathered her backpack, and headed off to the kitchen.

  “Angelina, was that your phone that rang earlier?”

  “Ahh, no.”

  “Are you sure? I thought I heard you talking to someone.”

  “No, that was a gimmick on the radio. That’s all.”

  Hurriedly, she ate her breakfast. She needed to get out of the house before her mother questioned her further.

  Her day went well. Gabriella left her alone, and there were no cheating scandals for the day. She couldn’t wait until she saw Alejandro. She ate dinner and helped Wyatt again with his math homework. Her mother noticed that she kept looking at the clock. Right after seven, Angelina decided she needed something for a project she was doing in her classroom the following day.

  “Angelina, that’s not like you to forget to stop on the way home,” commented Wyatt.

  “Well, I did.” Now Wyatt was questioning her behavior. Pretty soon her entire family would know she was up to something.

  Grabbing her purse, she headed out the door. Alejandro lived only a few minutes from her house, and she was there almost before she could take another breath. She was going to be caught, and soon.

  Alejandro was waiting at the door when she pulled into his driveway. He was anxious to see her. He opened the door and pulled her into his arms.

  “Come here,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about this all day.” He began kissing her, then pulled away. “What’s wrong?”

  “We’ve got to talk.”

  “About what?”

  “Us. We’ve got to decide what we’re going to do. I am going to get caught in all of these lies.”

  “Angelina, take a breath and calm down.”

  “Wyatt’s onto me now. I can’t stay long—I told him I was running off to the store to get something for my classroom.”

  “Can you stay an hour?”

  Nodding, she agreed to that. He poured her a glass of wine. He hoped that she’d take time to relax. Handing her the wine, they sat down on the couch.

  “This is good. I’m feeling better.”

  “Good.” He pulled her into his arms and held her. He began to play with her hair. She loved it when he did that. “Angelina, I know we need to talk. I’d hoped we could tonight, but I can tell we definitely don’t have the time. I promise we will this weekend.”

  She nodded and sat wrapped in his arms. She’d drifted off to sleep when he nudged her awake. “Angelina, it’s almost ten. I guess you’d better go.”

  Cringing, she said, “Ten o’clock? Oh my gosh. What am I going to do?”

  “First of all, you’re going to take a deep breath. Then you’re going to kiss me. After that, I guess I’ll have to let you go home.”

  They briefly kissed and he walked her to her car. “Drive safely.”

  “I will. Now I’ve got to make up another story to explain why I wasn’t home earlier,” she said, anxiously.

  “I’m sure you’ll come up with a believable one. I’ll try and call you tomorrow, but I’m not sure how busy my schedule will be. We’ll definitely talk before Saturday.” He kissed her goodbye and watched her as her car lights disappeared around the corner. Where was he going with this? He didn’t know. It felt good, but he didn’t want to betray… He couldn’t think about his issues. He needed to go inside and review the file of a patient he was seeing the following day.

  Angelina pulled into her driveway and saw the curtains in the front window move. She was sure it was her mother watching for her. She was thirty years old—she should be able to come and go as she pleased. If not, maybe she should think about moving out. Her life would be her own.

  “Angelina, where have you been? I was getting worried.”

  “Shopping for my classroom.”

  “At this late hour?”

  “I lost track of time. I stopped by the bookstore on the way home and got a coffee. I got involved reading a magazine.”

  “You’re
sure about that?”

  “Mom, I am thirty years old. If I can’t come and go as I please, maybe I need to look for a place of my own.” Angelina stormed down the hallway towards her bedroom.

  Jackie couldn’t believe her ears. Where did that tirade come from? Angelina never spoke to her in that manner. She wondered what had gotten into her daughter. She’d noticed the change in her around the end of last year. She’d hoped to get answers soon.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Angelina and Alejandro spoke on Friday to set up a time to meet the following day. She was nervous. If he wouldn’t address his issues and allow them to share with their family what was going on, then she’d just have to break it off—she couldn’t continue lying to her family.

  Her parents were attending a hockey tournament with Wyatt, so she didn’t have to worry about them. She dressed and drove over to Alejandro’s home. She couldn’t eat because she feared the outcome of the day.

  The phone rang and Alejandro answered it immediately, thinking it was Angelina. Instead, it was Gabriella.

  “Alejandro, what’s new?”

  “Not much. I’ve been busy at the hospital. Why? What about you?”

  “Oh, not much. Whatcha doing today?”

  “Ahh… I’m going out… And—”

  His doorbell rang. Phone in hand as he answered the door, he placed his finger to his lips, but was too slow; Angelina had already said hello.

  “What was that? Who’s there?” asked Gabriella.

  “Ahh, no one. You just heard the television.”

  “Alejandro, you don’t watch TV. Who’s there?”

  “What do you want, Gabby? I told you I’m busy today.”

  “Well, I want to come over. I need to talk to you.”

  “Gabby. I told you, I’m busy.”

  “You mean you don’t have five minutes for your sister?”

  He looked at Angelina who still stood on the front porch. He stepped aside so she could enter. Pacing, he said, “Fine. Why don’t you come over this evening for dinner? I’ll cook.”