Eliza dismissed his apology with a kiss on each cheek. “Not at all. I didn’t think you were going to make it. Lincoln was freaking out that he would have to chase you for money.”
Lincoln pulled him into a backslapping man-hug. “So glad you could make it, man! You really were cutting it fine.” He raised a hand to the flight attendant behind the counter. “Now that we’re all together, I’ve got a surprise. I’ve arranged upgrades for us all at the gate.” Bree squealed as Eliza smiled. So that’s what he was angry about. Still . . .
“I wanted to mark our reunion with something special. When I get back, I’m going to be made a partner in my stockbroking firm, so it’s the least I can do.”
Bree’s eyes welled. “Lincoln, you don’t have to—”
“But I want to. Think of it like Andy helping Bree get to her audition in New York.”
Eliza again put her hand on his arm. “That’s a lovely gesture, thank you.” Bree winced, and Eliza shook her head. Bree’s audition might have been fifteen years ago, but clearly the nerve was still raw. Lincoln led them to the counter and handed over their boarding passes with a beaming smile.
Lincoln turned to Andy. “You’re a hard man to track down.”
Andy scuffed the floor with the toe of his dirty Converse sneaker. “What makes you say that?”
“The fact you aren’t on social media and you never answer your cell. Where have you been hiding all this time?”
Andy’s eyes narrowed. “Chicago.”
A point of connection. Eliza stepped forward for her upgraded boarding. “I’ve got family in Buffalo Grove. Where are you working?”
Andy’s fingers fumbled his new boarding pass. Eliza had seen enough fidgeting from colleagues hemmed in by the final sweat-extracting days of a financial quarter to recognize a drug habit when he saw one.
“I’m working in sports . . .”
Eliza leaned into him. “Fantastic! Bears? Blackhawks? White Sox?”
Andy’s fingers kept fidgeting, a man obviously keen to shut down this conversation. “A bit of each, Lize. I’m a consultant.” He yawned with an extravagant stretch, his jowls wobbling.
Lincoln elbowed him. “Playing hard to get, hey, buddy? That’s okay. We’ve got a long flight over and ten days to catch up.”
“Yeah, sure.” Andy’s gaze flitted around the gate as if to completely contradict his words.
“Pacific Australia flight 8779 welcomes all passengers to our flight to Sydney, Australia. We welcome those in first and business class to board now.”
Lincoln reached for his suitcase. “That’s us. Let’s get this reunion kick-started, eh?” He lowered his upper body in a deep bow, ushering the others to join the queue.
Bree scanned her boarding pass and waited for Lincoln before they strolled down the Jetway, anticipation of the Holy Grail of business class bubbling with each step.
Eliza made way for Andy as the queue inched forward and another flight attendant in a green-and-yellow uniform held out her hand. “Your boarding pass, sir?”
Andy handed it over and waited for her at the entrance to the Jetway, but he looked beyond her, frowning at the crowds in the airport. Eliza placed a hand on his back. “Looking for someone?”
Andy snapped out of his daydream. “No. It might be the last trip I go on for a while, so I’m taking it in.”
Eliza threw an arm around Andy’s shoulder—which took more of her arm than it used to. “Lincoln told me you needed to borrow some money to come with us, so I just wanted to say thank you for still coming. It must be hard. Listen, we’re flying back through here, so it’s not like this is the last time you’ll see LA. Why don’t we talk on the plane about how we can get you back on your feet and back to where you were?”
Andy grunted under his breath as he shuffled down the Jetway. Eliza was sure she heard that Andy didn’t want to go back there.
Six
Their circle of friendship closed back into shape more with a slide than a snap; fifteen years on from a lost connection past and forty thousand feet above the Pacific.
Lincoln raised his glass to the curved, shuddering ceiling as he rode minor turbulence on the balls of his feet. “To our graduating class and the chance brilliance of Professor Snowden for introducing us in anthropology. To our combined success and rekindling old friendships!”
Lincoln clocked a knowing glance between Bree and Eliza as they reclined in business class luxury. Andy leaned against their seats as Eliza gripped her orange juice. “Not joining us for a toast, Lize?”
“This will do.”
Glasses clinked, a starting bell for the rush of memories. Bree was first out of the blocks. “Do you remember when the fire alarm went off in the middle of our second-year exams? Lincoln convinced the dean that not only did we need to take the exam again, but we needed different questions as we’d already seen these ones.”
Andy chuckled as he drained his glass. “What about the lecture rooms in the Schultz building? I can still feel that hard plastic cutting my back in half.”
Bree talked through an extravagant yawn. “The metallic ticking of that clock will never leave me. Remember how its tempo slowed the longer the lecture went?”
The laughs flowed as the years peeled away, and the foursome slipped back into their old friendship, transported back to a time before the comparison trap of social media, adult responsibilities, and extra pounds.
Lincoln leaned against a seat. Eliza had hardly changed much in fifteen years. “I’ve got no idea how you loved that anthropology class. Professor Snowden put me to sleep.”
Bree laughed. “Oh man, she was something else. Do you remember that girl who actually fell asleep ten minutes into every lecture for that entire semester? Kelly something. Whatever happened to her?”
Eliza sipped at her juice, her nose crinkling in the same way it used to in college. The way that would drive Lincoln insane and weak in the knees. “She married some hotshot counselor who wrote a best seller.”
Andy flagged down the flight attendant for a refill. Lincoln’s curiosity needed satisfaction—he needed to chip away at Andy’s mystery, and he wanted to fill in the blanks of the lives Bree and Eliza presented to a social media world. Bree’s lack of music. Eliza’s lack of a partner. But Andy’s story since college was blank. He had to know. “Do you remember at graduation when a certain Mr. Summers bet he would be the biggest success in our little group? Should we collect on that bet, Andy?”
Andy snapped a look at Lincoln—almost too fast—as if a nerve had been sliced open. Curiosity bit deeper into him. There was more to his story—that would be interesting to uncover in the following days.
Eliza cocked an eyebrow. “It’s not all about money, you know, Lincoln.”
“I know, but how else do we measure how well we’re doing?” It was time to play his trump card. “Partner is as high as I can go in my field.”
“So you’re not into helping people anymore?” Andy’s lips didn’t quite reach a smile. The thin line seemed more like a sneer.
Eliza raised her juice. “Congratulations! You’ve obviously worked hard to earn it.”
The thunder cleared from Andy’s face. “I’m pleased for you.”
“Hear, hear!” Bree nodded, then stifled another yawn as she elbowed Eliza.
Lincoln cocked his head. “What?”
“Eliza’s got some career news of her own, and it’s going to top yours.” She nudged Eliza again. “Go on.”
Eliza waved her off. “We’re talking about Lincoln. Don’t steal his moment.”
“Well, if you won’t, Lize, I will.” Bree raised her glass. “To Eliza, who is about to become a corporate CEO.”
Andy grabbed a fistful of sandwiches from a passing tray. “Is that Virgo Fashion? It says on LinkedIn you’re second in charge.”
Lincoln narrowed his eyes. While Andy didn’t appear online, he certainly seemed to be lurking in the shadows.
Eliza shrugged. “Virgo’s a nice place, and I’ve
done very well in fashion. But . . . I don’t know.”
Bree tried to pump the energy back into Eliza’s achievement. “But you’ll be heading up your own fashion label. That’s amazing!”
Why was she being so coy about this? The Eliza from college would have been well up for the competition.
Lincoln mirrored her body language and placed a hand on her arm. “Even if you’re not that excited, congratulations. So what about the rest of your life? You don’t have kids, but what about someone special? Husband? Boyfriend?” He needed confirmation of his suspicions.
She was a stone wall. “No, just me. The planets haven’t aligned on that score.”
The tiniest spark flared within Lincoln, the torch he’d not quite snuffed out after graduation. “I look forward to hearing more about that when we’re on our tour. Speaking of which, I need to update you on a few things.”
Andy’s mouth opened to reveal a rolling mix of partly chewed bread, carrot, and sprouts. “Like what?”
“The dangers of Australia. But because you obviously enjoy your food, you need to know about our menu. It probably includes bugs and spiders.” He threw a conspiratorial wink to Eliza.
A huge glob of bread and mashed salad fell onto the back of Eliza’s seat. Bree nearly dropped her glass.
Lincoln chuckled. “No, really, we’ll be in the middle of nowhere for ten days. Totally off grid.”
Eliza placed her hand on Lincoln’s arm, and the torch sparked again. “That sounds great. I’ve been researching and I found this idea of a walkabout.” She turned to Bree and Andy. “It’s a journey of self-discovery and sounds perfect for me. I think I might need to recalibrate.”
Lincoln furrowed his brow. “I’m sorry, Lize, I haven’t booked anything like that.”
“I know, but I could still ask them if I could learn how to do one. I think this trip is going to be significant for me.”
A single word landed delightfully in Lincoln’s ear. Significant.
Andy leaned across their seats, his gaze roaming the iron curtain of business class for more flight attendants. Or food. “What did you mean by the dangers of Australia?”
Lincoln counted the dangers off on his fingers, a recitation he’d memorized to impress recent company over drinks or dinner. “There are spiders the size of your fist, miles and miles of nothing but red desert, prehistoric lizards, and eighteen of the twenty-five most deadly snakes in the world. And if you go hitchhiking along some of their highways, you can disappear into thin air.”
Eliza simply laughed as Bree placed her empty glass on a passing tray.
Andy shuddered as he reached for another sandwich. “So what else will we be doing?”
“I emailed that to all of you weeks ago, didn’t you get it?”
Andy shrugged.
Lincoln shook his head before he gestured to his seat across the roomy breadth of business class. “I’ve got all the stuff in my folder. Give me a minute.” He strode back to his seat, satisfaction settling on him. The trip was going to be significant for Eliza. As he grabbed his leather folder from his armrest, a white envelope fell out and landed on the floor. On it was printed a single word, underlined twice, in familiar handwriting. Lincoln.
Lincoln balanced the folder on top of his seat as he picked up the letter and opened it. As the first few words came into focus in eyes now bleary with the fog of lateness and the fizz of champagne, a chill swept across him as his blood seemed to pool in his shoes. He slumped into his seat.
* * *
Andy chewed his sandwich, glad for the room to breathe. Lincoln was buried in his reading, a stiffer drink than a celebratory one in hand. “Do you think he was serious about our eating bugs and spiders?”
Eliza laughed. “You’ll be fine.”
“He doesn’t look like he’s coming back. I guess he wants to keep it all a surprise.”
She turned to him, her brow crinkled. “So, Andy, didn’t you get all the information Lincoln sent?”
“I must have missed it.” A faint alarm sounded as he sensed an approaching probe. The need to measure his words rose. “Anyway, it will be fun to enjoy Australia with old friends. What are you looking forward to, Bree?”
“All I want to see is a koala. The girls want photos.”
“Girls? Hey, good for you. What about you, Lize?”
“I’m eager to drop off the radar. I think I need to find myself.”
Andy let out a bitter laugh. “That sounds great, but I don’t mind if I’m never found.” He winced, wishing he could reel back in regretted honesty. Thankfully the droning of the engines hovered over the place where an uncomfortable silence should have gone.
Bree’s brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“I’m beyond stressed and need a break, that’s all.” Andy had to move the conversation on. “So, Breezy, how is your music going? I know the audition in New York didn’t work out, but have you recorded anything?”
A tic pulled at the corner of Bree’s forced smile and her slumped shoulders betrayed the bounce in her voice. “Still in Nashville and working for the Rhinestone Recording Studio.”
“That’s fantastic. So what sort of stuff are you recording?”
Bree’s jaw clenched. “Advertising jingles, unfortunately.”
“That’s okay, you’re in the heart of Music City. Do you still pull out the old Gibson guitar to play on Broadway?”
“Not really, I’ve got two girls now who take up most of my time.”
“So you said. Do you have any pictures?”
Bree scrambled in the seat pocket for her phone and thumbed an album into life. She handed it over, displaying a series of toothy and toothless smiles from two young girls in princess dresses and cowboy boots holding an oversized guitar.
Eliza leaned in. “Beautiful girls. Charming little bundles of energy. And very creative, like their momma.”
Andy handed back the phone. “Lovely.” He looked into Eliza’s searching gaze.
“So what about you, Mr. Summers? You said at the airport you’re into sports.”
A jolt rippled through the plane and Andy reached out a hand as he fell onto Eliza’s seat. He steadied his feet against the turbulence. “Yeah, I’m a consultant. Risk management.”
“How long have you been doing that?”
“On and off for a while.”
Eliza’s eyes narrowed. “Great. It must be exciting to work in sports. What sort of risk management do the Chicago Bulls or Blackhawks need?”
A waft of heavenly cuisine drifted down the aisle, curling its finger to Andy’s not-yet-sated hunger. He looked back into the gaze of not one but now two sets of cocked eyebrows.
Eliza spoke for them both. “Is everything okay? Be honest with us.”
Another jolt cannoned Andy into the seat across the aisle. A flight attendant dashed toward him as the Fasten Seat Belt light chimed. “Sir, it might be best if you return to your seat.”
“Thanks, ma’am, will do.” Andy shrugged. “Better go back.” He padded down the aisle and buckled in. He let go a huge sigh of relief.
Thank goodness for turbulence.
* * *
Eliza fastened her seat belt. Across the cabin, Lincoln angrily shuffled papers, a freshly topped-up drink on his tray. He may have won many battles in business in the years since college, but his compassionate nature had been a casualty.
Bree turned to Eliza as she tightened her seat belt. “What do you make of Andy?”
Eliza pursed her lips as the plane shuddered again. “He’s definitely hiding something.”
“He didn’t stay in touch with us after the ten-year dinner, did he?”
Eliza shrugged. “Not really. We stayed in touch over the years, but other people don’t necessarily need to.”
“Or maybe want to? What about Lincoln?”
Eliza exhaled hard. “He’s changed. The Lincoln I remember was so excited about helping children in Africa, but he seemed to brush off that memory of it, didn’t he?”
“That watch screamed money.” Bree wriggled closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Do you know the other thing I noticed? No wedding band.”
“So?”
“But there was an indentation on his ring finger as if he’d been wearing one.”
Eliza studied her old friend. “Will you stop?”
Bree grinned. “Stop what?”
“You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all moved on since then. We had a thing in college, then I went off to start the rest of my life.”
The seat belt warning chimed again, extinguishing its warning light, and the cabin again became a hive of activity. A flight attendant leaned across Eliza, surfing a small jolt as she neatly placed cutlery in front of Bree. “I could get used to this.”
The flight attendant unfolded a napkin and swirled it across Bree’s lap. “Have you had a chance to look through the menu?”
Bree almost burst out of her seat belt. “I’ve all but memorized it. To think the girls are probably having grilled cheese. I stocked the freezer so they wouldn’t live off it until I got back, and we can’t afford for them to live at Jack’s Bar-B-Que.”
The flight attendant placed a stout wine glass on the tray with a sweet smile. “You have girls? How wonderful. Do you mind if I ask how old they are?”
Eliza settled back in her seat as the gushing conversation about Bree’s domestic bliss passed overhead. Was Eliza living in denial of biological clocks and a family who relied on her? When Bree talked about her girls, it was as if she was talking about her reason for living. Perhaps Eliza hadn’t found hers yet.
* * *
Eliza woke refreshed, as if emerging from a warm bath. She stretched in the cabin’s half-light and pressed the in-flight entertainment screen into action. Their plane hovered over a sea of black—the middle of the Pacific—but they still had seven hours to go. Australia was a long way away, but this was ridiculous. She’d woken from a good night’s sleep, only to find there was enough time for another one.
Where the Road Bends Page 3