Free Spirits

by Linda Wisdom

  “Everything is fine!” Jason snapped, his usual cool composure strained to its limits. “Could we just have our check, please?”

  The man held out his hands. “Please, Mr. Palmer, you have suffered enough this evening.” He snapped his fingers. “Miss Cassidy’s coat.”

  Jason’s face was a bright red as they exited the restaurant.

  “I can’t believe this,” he said between clenched teeth as they waited for the parking valet to bring up his car. “They were damn right they weren’t going to charge me for that meal. This will be all over town by morning. It will take me weeks to live down.” He glared at the valet who bounded around the driver’s door as another valet opened the passenger door for Alex.

  “Jason,” she murmured. “It wasn’t their fault.”

  He shot her a look that suggested she keep quiet about the entire episode.

  The silence during the drive to Alex’s apartment was so thick it could have been cut with a knife. For the first time she could remember, Jason raced through three yellow lights and cut off another car so sharply she was certain she’d end up in the emergency room again. For a man who rarely allowed his emotions to show, he was doing an admirable job of displaying them tonight.

  “I was made to look like an idiot in front of the Gladstones,” he muttered as he waited impatiently for a red light to turn green. “How can I hope for him to turn over those funds to a man covered with brandied cherries? That idiot waiter. I’ll make sure he loses his job over this.”

  Alex was stunned. This was a side of Jason she’d never seen before and she didn’t like it.

  “Jason, it was an accident. It happened after the waiter left, so you can’t blame him,” she insisted.

  “Yes, I can,” he gritted, gripping the steering wheel with white-knuckled fingers. “He set the bowl too close to the edge of the table.”

  “No, he didn’t! The bowl was just pushed onto your lap by some gremlin!”

  Jason turned his head, looking at her as if she had lost her senses. “I can see I shouldn’t have brought you out so soon after your accident. You’ve obviously not recovered yet. It would be better if we didn’t speak of this again.”

  Alex slumped back in her seat. She knew when it was time to stop. Besides, she had to shore up all her energy for her confrontation with her parents. She had been prepared for them to pull a few tricks at her apartment. She hadn’t expected them to go public.

  Jason stopped the car in front of Alex’s building and got out, opening her door for her. After they rode the elevator upstairs and halted in front of her door, he took her key from her and inserted it in the lock.

  “Would you like to come in?” She asked more as a courtesy than because she wanted to prolong an evening that had gone from bad to worse.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Her smile froze on her lips. “I’m afraid you were interrupted at the restaurant when you were speaking about something important.”

  “The mood is gone.” He brushed a cool kiss across her lips. “Good night, Alexis. I’ll phone you later.”

  The moment she had the door closed between them, she leaned against it. Her parents were sitting on the couch, watching television, looking like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Marian looked up with an expectant smile.

  “Have a nice evening, dear?”

  “You know very well I didn’t. Why did you do it?” She pushed herself away from the door. “Floating spoons, moving drapes, wisps of smoke in a dining room that has no smokers, and then the fiasco with the Cherries Jubilee. Why?”

  Patrick looked confused. “What are you talking about, Alex?”

  “You know very well what I’m talking about!” Her voice rose with her agitation. She held up her hands and took several calming breaths before recounting the evening.

  “Alex, we told you before. We can’t leave the apartment,” Marian explained. “We can’t go any farther than your doorway. It was one of the conditions of our coming back.”

  “I could only get your newspaper that morning because your paperboy left it against your door,” Patrick spoke up. “We can’t cross the threshold.”

  They looked so sincere Alex felt her anger ebbing, although suspicion still lingered. “Really?”

  “Really.” Patrick got up and walked over to her. He reached around and twisted the doorknob. He waited for Alex to move aside as he opened the door and walked outside. Or tried to. He seemed to come up against an invisible wall. He turned around. “See?”

  Now she didn’t know what to believe. “But the things that happened at the restaurant. They couldn’t have been some kind of crazy coincidence.”

  “Since we weren’t there, I can’t tell you how or why they happened. Perhaps it’s a sign.” He patted her shoulder.

  Alex groaned. “He was getting ready to propose. I know he was. Then the Cherries Jubilee hit his lap. I have never seen him so angry. He blamed the waiter for the accident when the poor man had nothing to do with it.” She sighed. “I’m going to bed. This has been an evening I’d really prefer to forget.”

  “Would you like me to run you a hot bath, dear?” Marian asked, motherly concern etched on her face.

  She shook her head. “No, thank you. Sleep is all I want right now.” She entered her bedroom and turned, holding onto the doorknob. “I was so angry that you were behind this. I’m glad to know you weren’t. I’m sorry I blamed you without listening to your side.” She smiled wanly and closed her door.

  Marian turned to Patrick. “We might have been able to swear we weren’t in that restaurant, but we’re very lucky she didn’t ask if we were behind that episode. I would have told her the truth if she’d asked, Patrick. I can’t lie to her.”

  He nodded. “I know. It’s just a good thing I could prove we can’t leave the apartment. At least she’ll never learn that doesn’t stop us from finding someone who can enter the restaurant.” He grinned. “Cherries Jubilee. I imagine that left quite a stain on that fancy tailored suit of his. I bet it won’t even come out.” His chuckle turned into a full-fledged laugh. “I wish I had been there to see it. With luck, this pushes that stuffy what’s-his-name out of the picture. Now if we could just get that doctor into it.”

  “We’ll find a way. We did before.”

  Chapter Five

  “Hey, Mr. Party Animal, you going to join us for softball this weekend?” one of the doctors called out to Michael as he walked down the hallway to the cafeteria for a long-overdue dinner break.

  He smiled and shook his head. “Sorry, I’m still trying to unpack my things, and this is the first weekend I’ve had off since I arrived.” He paused when he noticed the blond nurse standing with the doctor. She smiled and nodded, indicating she remembered him.

  It took a moment for the memory to click in his weary mind…Alex Cassidy’s friend. The one who asked about her and was kind enough to give him her address. “How’s your friend doing?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Fine, I guess. With my crazy schedule I haven’t had much chance to talk to her except for a quick phone call the other night to make sure she wasn’t suffering from any headaches,” Beth replied. She added with a sly smile, “If you want to find out for yourself, you should come to our game. Alex plans to be there.”

  A tiny flicker of something that had been dead for a long time briefly came to life deep within his senses. “Perhaps I will.” His tone was all too casual. He smiled and nodded before heading back down the hall.

  “Why did you bother, Beth?” He could hear the man ask. “He’s not going to come.”

  “You asked him.”

  “Yeah, but I knew he’d say no. He never bothers with any of our activities. The guy is a real hermit. Or did you think those luscious charms of yours will succeed where others haven’t?” he teased.

  She looked over her shoulder to make sure Michael was out of earshot. “No, but I have a friend whose charms just might.”

  While Michael lingered over his dinner he
thought about a pair of exotically slanted ice-blue eyes, a thick mane of sun-streaked brown hair and a lush mouth. Amazing that the memory of a woman he’d only spoken to a short time would linger so long in his thoughts. Especially a woman who clearly didn’t share the attraction he felt.

  “Custard soup isn’t a pretty sight.”

  He looked up and found Beth standing beside him, a tray in her hands.

  “Mind if I sit down?” she smiled.

  He gestured toward the other empty chair. “Be my guest.”

  She arranged her dishes on the table and set her tray on an empty one nearby. “You’ve become the hospital mystery, you know. The nurses complain because you haven’t made a pass at them. Others complain because you don’t react when they make a pass at you. You don’t party, you don’t play golf, you work incredible hours, if someone wants a weekend off you work their shift and as far as anyone knows you have nothing resembling a private life.” She shook her head. “Doctor, you really need to loosen up.”

  Michael shrugged. “I’m happy with my life, dull as it is.”

  She reached across the table, snatching the spoon out of his hand. “Stirring that custard will only make it worse. The hospital grapevine will tell you that I’m very outspoken and that I tend to make assumptions where they aren’t invited. Probably because I’m usually right.” She eyed him over her linked hands resting against her chin. “So tell me, what did you think of Alex?”

  “She seemed to be completely coherent that night. No aftereffects.”

  “That isn’t what I meant and you know it. What do you think about her?”

  “I don’t know her well enough to give a proper answer,” he evaded, fervently wishing he had something to occupy his hands which now fidgeted with the sugar packets on the table, aligning each one neatly with the print right-side-up.

  Beth watched his nervous gestures. “Ex-smoker?”

  He grinned sheepishly. “Shows, huh?”

  “Only to another three-pack-a-day inhaler. I quit two years ago and drove my friends up the walls with my more than compulsive behavior. My kitchen cabinets were rearranged every other day.” She reached for her coffee cup. “Alex and I have been friends since kindergarten. Our standing joke is we’ve remained friends so long because we have so much dirt on each other we don’t dare split up. I think the two of you would get along very well together.”

  “Is that why the invitation to the softball game?”

  She didn’t flush or show any signs of embarrassment at being found out. Michael had to admire her composure.

  He looked wary. “Is she really attending this game?”

  Beth’s smile was broad and warm. “She will be.”

  “Yes, Simon, I’m listening,” Alex sang out, rolling her eyes. That was what she loved about the phone. She could make all the faces she wanted and the person on the other end never knew her true reaction. Her agent, Simon, was a prime example. The man was a classic worrier and his main bone of contention was Alex’s breezy way of conducting business. His excited chatter rang in her ear. She bared her teeth in a mock growl as she stared in the mirror. “Simon, there’s nothing for you to worry about. Put down the bottle of Maalox and just relax. I’ve got it all taken care of.” While her face looked like something out of a horror film, her voice was a soothing croon.

  “How do I know that?” he fretted, not the least bit reassured by her words.

  “Because I said so. I’ll meet with those lovely executives from that newspaper syndicate, charm the socks off them and show them that Fritzi would be a welcome addition to their Sunday papers.” She leaned forward, looking closely into the mirror, fingering what appeared to be a tiny pimple on her chin, then crossed her eyes.

  “You keep doing that, your eyes will remain like that,” Marian warned, walking past her.

  “Alex, are you listening to me?” Simon demanded in a querulous voice.

  “Yes, Simon, you’re coming through loud and clear. Look, sweetie, I’ve got to go. Call me when they get to town and we’ll set something up,” she told him. “Don’t worry, I promise to behave.”

  “Alex, we need to discuss this!”

  “There’s no need when we don’t even know when—or if— they’re coming. Bye.” She hung up quickly. “The man needs to slow down.”

  “Then why do you stay with him?” Patrick asked.

  “Because he’s the best in the business.” Alex ran her fingers through her hair, pushing the heavy waves away from her face. “And I’m sure I make him just as crazy as he makes me.”

  “Alex, do you realize you haven’t done anything with all these tapes I bought you?” Marian looked up from her crouched position in front of Alex’s videotape cabinet. “They’re all still wrapped in plastic.” She held one up as an example.

  Alex silently wished she had hidden the collection of exercise tapes her mother had given her over the years.

  “I don’t have time.”

  “You could make the time. Some of these workouts for specific parts of the body are only fifteen or twenty minutes. You know, all the experts say it’s harder for a woman to remain in shape after she reaches thirty,” Marian reminded her. “That’s why I went to that exercise studio four days a week. You should think seriously about using them now. You’re not getting any younger, you know.”

  Alex dropped onto the couch and buried her face in the pillow, agitated sounds rising from her smothered lips.

  “No wonder I have so much trouble working,” she mumbled. She uttered a stifled scream when the doorbell rang. “With my luck it’s Ed McMahon telling me I’ve won a million dollars and you’ll show up on the television camera.” She pushed herself off the couch. She peeked through the peephole and opened the door, grateful to see a friendly face. “Hi, Beth.”

  “I’m not disturbing you in the middle of your work, am I?”

  Alex shook her head. “No, come on in.”

  Beth entered, halting to see Suzi Q seated on top of the couch tapping at something and yowling away. “If I were you, I’d take that cat to a feline psychologist. She’s definitely gone over the edge. Who knows, maybe her mother didn’t nurse her enough as a kitten or something.”

  “She’s not the only one going over the edge,” Alex muttered. “How about some coffee?”

  “Sounds good.” Beth seated herself at the counter overlooking the kitchen. “You have any plans for Saturday?” She traced the design in the tile with her fingernail.

  “Not really.”

  “So, Jason hasn’t called you since your exciting evening out?” Beth had heard the story the night before when she called Alex.

  Alex handed her a filled mug. “Not yet.”

  Beth sipped her coffee. “Do us both a favor, Alex, admit he acted like a first-class jerk. You said it wasn’t any of the restaurant staffs fault, yet he blames them. He even wanted the poor waiter fired, for God’s sake! He got a free meal out of it and he’s probably even found a way to gain sympathy from the whole deal.”

  “So he overreacted. He expected to enjoy a lovely romantic evening when it went up in flames.” Alex looked over Beth’s shoulder at Marian and Patrick. She still couldn’t believe they had nothing to do with it. She even wondered if there wasn’t a gang of ghostly parents roaming the earth helping each other so their poor, misguided children would get married to the people they deemed proper.

  “A bunch of us are getting together Saturday afternoon to play softball and go out for pizza afterward. Thought you might like to come along. I know you’ve enjoyed the other times you’ve joined us.”

  Alex looked impressed. “How did you ever get a Saturday off? You once said you couldn’t get a Saturday off if you were dying, that they’d just hook you up with an IV and portable oxygen that you could drag along behind you as you finished your duties.”

  “Somebody must have done something crazy with the budget, because they actually allowed us to add two nurses to our floor and one of them will be taking my Saturdays. She i
sn’t too happy about it, but I told her after she’s worked there for a hundred years or so she’ll get a Saturday off, too.” Beth chuckled. “Come on, Alex. You know you’ll have fun. You always do. Besides, you’re the only decent shortstop we’ve got.”

  She considered the offer. “I don’t know. What if Jason calls?” Inwardly she was appalled at her dithering. Alex never dithered. Who never believed in sticking around the house to wait for a phone call from the opposite sex. Who always went merrily her own way.

  Beth slammed down her mug on the counter. “So what? Alex, you’re losing your old edge. You’ve never allowed a man to walk all over you the way you allow Jason. The old Alex would have told him to get lost a long time ago.” Her voice softened. “Sweetie, I know how much Craig hurt you, and the death of your parents was another hard blow, but this crazy idea of yours that marrying Jason will make everything right is only going to end up hurting you more, because you’re doing it for all the wrong reasons. Be honest with yourself. You only latched on to him because he was the exact opposite of Craig. Fine, he’s served his purpose. He got you over the rough spots. Now it’s time for you to move on.”

  Her smile softened her words. “Believe me, Beth, I know what I’m doing.”

  She sighed, recognizing it was time to back off. “So will you come to the game Saturday?”

  Alex wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know.”

  “You know Dennis will beg you to play shortstop and we just love to hear him beg.”

  She took that under consideration. “Who all is going?”

  Beth knew she had her hooked. Now all she had to do was reel her in slow and easy. “The usual. Although I did ask Dr. Duffy in Emergency if he’d like to join us. He’s new there and doesn’t know many people.”

  Alex couldn’t miss her friend’s all-too-casual tone. “The last time you tried that tactic with me was the homecoming dance our junior year. You wanted to go with Neil Harris and needed a date for his cousin.”

  Laughter danced in her eyes at the memory. “Neil told me Derek looked like a movie star!” Beth defended herself between laughs.