He took a sip of coffee, savoring the flavor. As he did, his eyes fixed on Claire.
She didn’t say anything, but didn’t fail to catch the expression in his eyes as he gazed at her. She knew that look, the look of more than platonic admiration. Adrian had looked at her that way, too, before they married.
“Thank you for coming with me tonight. I had a wonderful time.”
“I wouldn’t have dreamed of missing it, George. I like dressing up and going out. I’ll have to thank Oma when I see her Monday.”
Claire studied him, allowing their eyes to deadlock for a moment. Tonight she wished he didn’t have to go back to his house. She wished for either going with him or having him stay with her. What would it be like sharing a bed with George, his warm body next to hers? Would it be as wonderful waking up next to him? What if things were different and not only he slept beside her, but Anna slept tucked away in her room across the hall? How nice it would be for such a routine, waking up in the mornings, seeing Anna off to school. She and George would go to the store for a full day’s work, only to come home together and all of them be together. And the nights could be hers and George’s.
“Would you like another piece of cake?” She broke herself away from her thoughts and saw his empty plate.
“I’d love another piece, but I think one will do. I’ll take another cup of coffee.”
“I’ll get that for you.” Claire got up from her chair.
“So what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Don’t know yet. It’s getting colder, so I’ll likely do some more looming. The soap-making is coming along. I’ll soon have some of it out. I found some really pretty paper and twine I can use to wrap up the bars.”
“I love your creativity. You’re so smart, Claire. I love the way you and Anna get along so well together. I love . . .”
Claire’s heart fluttered in her chest. She brought him a new steaming cup of coffee. “And there’s a lot of things I love about you too.” She hoped her voice sounded cool and casual, though she swore it came out a bit shaky. “I think you’re also smart. You’re kind and caring toward Anna. You respect Edna. You’re kind to the folks at the store. You’re nice, but you set the limits between boss and employee. That’s important, you know.”
He grinned back at her, his eyes with that far-off dreamy look again. She let the momentary silence play between them. Silence usually made her uncomfortable, but she’d learned through the women’s magazines that sometimes a woman needed to be quiet and let the man dream a little, give him time to think about her and the situation. That’s what she forced herself to do now.
Let George think about why he might want her, what life would be like without her, or what Anna might think if they might never see each other again. Would Anna’s heart break? Would George’s? How would she feel if darkness shut out the light, sending the small world they’d made for themselves, perhaps if only by accident, spinning into oblivion? What if she’d found herself once again in that realm of the unknown, where uncertainty would be her shroud in a slow, silent death of virtual non-existence?
With George and Anna, life made sense again, gave her a taste of what a true family life could be. What she and Adrian could have had if everything hadn’t gone so horribly wrong. Anna exuded joy and life, reveled in it the way happy children seemed to do when they had everything they needed and more. George had managed to keep himself from being the deserted ship tossed on an open stormy sea. Maybe men had an advantage over women, only because they identified with life in different ways. Fatherhood may have been a part of their personal backdrop, but it didn’t wrap them up in a tight cocoon like motherhood did women.
She a certain joy in freedom now that it was hers. Making her own living brought out a more self-sufficient side she’d never known before, especially indulging her creative side. All had been squelched because of her ties to a man and potential family. This would change if she and George became more than what they were now. In one moment of clarity, she enjoyed an epiphany, of fully knowing that her existence right now revealed much of what she was, and how much more she could be when left alone with her own devices. But it also revealed a desire to have it all, or as much as she could in this life while she was living and breathing.
She couldn’t control George or anyone else, that much she knew, but she could make her way and hope that someone like him saw great value in having her around and would love her until his last breath. Anna needed a mother, and Claire knew she’d love that little girl as if she had given birth to her. Would she and George have more children if they somehow stayed together? There were so many possibilities at this moment that she felt a rush of emotion, happy to be alive, glad that the tables had turned in her favor.
At the touch of a warm hand on hers, Claire snapped out of her dream world. George still had maintained that sense of wonderment toward her, his face glowing with emotion. His fingers wrapped around hers, infusing his energy straight into her.
“I wish I didn’t have to go,” he whispered.
“I wish you didn’t have to, either.”
In a remarkable display of feelings from the heart, George got up and moved in front of Claire, taking her head between his hands. She didn’t know why but she stood up, a reflexive action that took her by surprise. Or was it instinct?
He turned her face up toward his, pulling her close until their lips met. George kissed her with a passion that nearly took her breath away, if not frightened her just a little. His touch warmed her with an intense heat, and the hint of the remaining cologne on his skin stirred up a deep attraction. She wrapped her arms around him, allowing herself the intoxicating joy of being in a man’s arms again. She’d sensed a connection the day they met. Now she knew it for sure.
The kiss ended, and George stood gazing down at her. “I need to go.”
Claire just nodded, still reeling from what just happened.
They walked to the door. He grabbed up his coat and hat, and turned around once more, gracing her with another quick kiss. In a flash, George stepped into the darkness and into his car, driving off toward his home. She had never felt her solitude more acutely than now. The kiss, however, still burned with a heat she hadn’t felt in a while.
Chapter Twenty-One
Claire stood in front of a shelf in the cosmetics department. In another week, her hand-crafted soap line would go right here, and then would be the start of a new additional product line for her. She needed a catchy name for the labels, instead of simple merchandise descriptions on the hand-cut paper she’d created, cleverly edged with a set of pinking shears.
In the back of the same closet holding Anita’s fur, she’d prowled in more detail and found several sheets of flowered paper lying on top of a shelf. It looked similar to the designs lining the dresser drawers in her bedroom. In the basement, she’d managed to dig out some fine twine in an old wooden box. This wrapping style and her special tags would be good until her new wrappings arrived.
“Did you and George have fun seeing the play this past Saturday?”
Startled, Claire whirled around at the sound of the voice beside her. “Excuse me?”
Ruby stood by, eyeing Claire with a light grin on her face. “I saw you two outside The Bijou.” She touched Claire lightly on the arm. “You looked really pretty in Anita’s fur and jewelry. I guess that’s a big deal when a man lets you wear his dead wife’s trinkets, don’t you think?”
This announcement by her co-worker stunned Claire so badly, all words failed her. Worse, the blood nearly seemed to boil inside of her. If she lacked propriety, she would have slugged the woman who stood close to her, ripping out every bleached-blonde lock of her hair. In all probability, she might have beaten her to a bloody pulp. All this talk and the way Ruby angled her head, the way her lips curled back when she made her jabs reminded Claire so much of Grace at Hatchie River.
“Oh, and Claire, I was talking to my aunt about you. She’s here on vacation for several days and she’s
coming to the store to see me.”
Claire said nothing, but kept her eyes fixed on Ruby, fists clenched at her sides.
“I’ve told her all about you and all the fine work you’ve done here. She’s very interested in meeting you.”
With a racing pulse, Claire fought for the right thing to say or do. Why would some aunt have any interest in meeting her? Should she just walk away and say nothing? Or tell Ruby to mind her own business, and that she had zero interest in meeting anyone in her family?
The front door of the store opened, letting in a cold gust of wind. Both ladies turned in the direction of a woman dressed in a long black wool coat. Her hair, which was probably curled and pinned neatly in place earlier, had been lightly tossed by the wind. She had briefly turned away, sweeping back a lock of hair behind her ear and quickly grabbing a handkerchief out of her pocket. Before the lady finished with a few quick pats on her forehead and face, Ruby rushed over, calling out an animated, warm greeting, which ended with a hug. In a matter of seconds, the woman turned fully around, and Ruby propelled her straight to Claire. Beaming, Ruby proudly announced, “Claire, this is my aunt I was just telling you about.”
Claire grabbed the shelf for support. The room spun for a moment, and she breathed deeply to keep from fainting.
The woman in front of her, Ruby’s so-called aunt, was none other than Greta Shultz.
Both pairs of eyes locked onto each other, and without missing a beat, Greta held out her arms.
“Claire, how wonderful to see you again! I just knew from Ruby’s description, it had to be you.” The nurse from Hatchie River stepped forward, with a wide smile on her face, taking Claire in her arms for a warm hug like a long-lost friend. She even gently patted Claire’s back for added effect. “You didn’t tell me you were leaving Ash Grove. We could have had coffee one last time, at least.”
Wide-eyed with the biggest smile she could muster, Claire fought for control of her voice. “Wonderful to see you too, Greta. Yes, coffee would have been nice, but I simply had things come up, and time … well …” Claire managed a light chuckle. “Time just got away from me. You know how that is.” She rubbed Greta’s arm in mock affection, the smile plastered on her face so hard she swore it may never truly leave again.
“Are you liking Knoxville? I always love it here when I visit my favorite niece.” Greta wrapped her arm around Ruby.
“Enjoying it a lot. Don’t miss West Tennessee that much at all.” Claire’s eyes darted toward Ruby, who stood transfixed, watching everything going on between her and the aunt. “So how is everything back home?” Claire managed another nod of feigned interest.
“No changes, really.” Greta presented herself in the most convincing casual manner that would have rivaled the characters in the play Claire and George saw the other night. “All the girls are still around, chatting, still getting together and sewing a couple of times a week. It helps them pass time and makes them feel productive.” Now Greta managed a light chuckle.
Ruby piped up. “There’s nothing Claire can’t do, Aunt Greta. You should have seen the Halloween costume she made for Mr. Parker’s daughter. And look at these gorgeous towels she made for the store. She loomed them, each and every one.” Ruby picked up a hand towel and handed it to Greta.
“How beautiful.” Greta cooed, turning the towel in her hands. “Too bad you weren’t able to teach our sewing circle this skill. The girls would have loved it.”
“I’m sure they would have. But you know that time thing I mentioned.” Claire fluttered her lashes a little, hoping she sounded as convincing as Greta. This showdown had to end before she vomited from a huge anxiety attack. “Greta, if you’ll excuse me a moment, there’s something I need to do in the back.”
Overcome with a new strong wave of nausea, Claire turned and sped toward the back of the store, where she headed for the break room. If she hadn’t cut out then, she surely would have fainted dead on the spot. She considered losing herself in the storage room and quietly skedaddling out the back door.
With any luck, she’d hop the next trolley and be back home before anyone could think twice. Maybe it was time to take The Tennessean and ride it all the way straight to Washington, DC. No one knew her there. It would be time to cut all ties with anyone she ever knew before and truly start from the beginning all over again. The thought wearied her, but this episode that just happened was simply too much.
In the end, she found herself staring out the window of the break room several minutes, praying hard Ruby would distract Greta with something else. She wasn’t sure what her excuse would be. Maybe she’d say a stomach illness had gotten the better of her.
“Claire.” Ruby’s voice filled the room. “Are you okay? You’ve been gone a while.” She strode over to Claire, placing her hand lightly on her shoulder. Her face clouded with concern. “Can I get you a cold cloth or something to drink? You look pale—and you’re shaking a little.”
“No,” Claire answered in a weak voice. “I’m sorry. I’m just not feeling well at all today.” She managed an even weaker smile. “I nearly stayed home. Must have picked up some bug over the weekend.”
Ruby walked over to the water cooler and pulled off one of the paper cone cups, filling it and bringing it back to Claire. “Aunt Greta is so happy she’s finally seen you again. I would have never imagined you two would have been such good friends.”
Claire downed the cup of water, nearly choking.
“When she and I talked before, she said you sounded like someone she may have known back home. I just think this is wonderful that two old friends have met up again.”
“Mmm,” Claire said, choking back another sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“I’m sorry you’re sick. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Ruby, I have to ask you something.” Claire pushed herself off against the wall and squared up her shoulders, sensing some of her old exasperation coming back. “Just why was it so important for you to bring up me and what I do here to Greta? And another thing, why was mentioning the play such a priority for you?”
“Would you have rather I not have mentioned it? I didn’t see any harm with two co-workers sharing their love for a play.” Ruby stepped back, dismayed.
“Really, Ruby? We’re not necessarily the best of pals, in case you haven’t figured that out by now. Personally, I think you couldn’t wait to mention the play. It’s like you wanted to rub my nose in it, like you wanted to make sure I knew you saw me with George.” Claire’s energy regained more momentum, and the old anger flared again. “You saw what you needed to last Saturday. Don’t you think that’s enough? And on top of that, you have to gossip about me to your aunt. What is it with this obsession you seem to have about me, for heaven’s sake?”
Ruby shook her head, grasping at Claire’s hand. Claire stiffened. “I’m not trying to fight. Honest, I’m not.”
“You don’t give up, do you?” Her voice held a charged, frantic tone.
Not loosening her hand on Claire’s, Ruby continued, “Look, you’ve really hurt my feelings lately. I’ve tried to sort everything out in my head that’s been said between us. I’ve decided to try and be a bigger person and not hold a grudge. You said what you wanted to say, and I read you loud and clear. I just don’t want to walk on pins and needles when I’m around you. When it comes to Mr. Parker, I can see it, you’ve won fair and square.” She dropped her gaze to the floor.
“I’ve won fair and square?” Claire arched an eyebrow.
“Look, I’m not going to lie. There was some jealousy on my part at first, because I really tried to get his attention before. But what you said to me last time we talked and then last Saturday … I see that he’s made his choice. That’s fine. Really, who could blame him?”
Claire stared hard at the younger woman in front of her.
“Can you blame me if I want to better myself, Claire? Anita did, and you are, but it seems that you were already the better one.” Ruby turned her face
up to Claire’s. “I admire you. I really do. You’re so pretty, smart, talented. I wish I was like that. I just want someone in my life so I can be that woman people admire. Have someone who’s handsome and successful that adores me. That’s all.”
For once, Claire’s heart softened a little. “Look, Ruby. I can say the same about you. You definitely seem very well-read, quoting Shakespeare and knowing all the classic stories you do. You seem to like the arts. You’ll find what you’re looking for if you just keep at it. Know when to pursue and most of all, please know when to keep moving on. That’s the best advice I can give you.”
“Thank you, that means a lot.” Ruby grinned. “Now that we have that all cleared away, what about Aunt Greta? She mentioned wanting to have lunch with you.”
Claire’s stomach lurched again. At this point she and Greta had acted their parts to perfection. Why not finish with a grand ending and do lunch? “I guess we could grab something at the S & W across the street?”
Ruby winked. “I’m sure Mr. Parker wouldn’t mind you taking a little time on your lunch hour to visit with an old friend.”
Claire’s lip turned up in one corner as she nodded in agreement. “Sure. Always nice to see old friends, yes?”
“I think it’s pretty nice.” Ruby grabbed Claire’s coat off the rack and handed it to her. The two women filed out of the break room and out on to the sales floor. Greta had engaged in what seemed a chatty, friendly conversation with Dahlia and Minnie at the cosmetics counter, where the sales ladies had apparently been offering perfume samples.
“Aunt Greta, Claire wants to go for lunch.”
Greta’s eyes lit up. “Wonderful. All the excitement has given me an appetite.”
“I thought we’d go to the cafeteria across the street. Maybe we can catch up a little.
“I guess they still have the organ player there?” Greta’s lips pulled back in a wide smile.
“They do.”
Escape From Purgatory Page 24