by Lia Kane
“What happened?” I asked. “Why did they leave and put all of those people out of jobs?”
“The same reason why any big business would close and relocate. Some other location had something more attractive to offer.”
I frowned. “It doesn’t seem fair.”
“No, it doesn’t,” he agreed. “Once Wainright pulled of Blue Sky and laid off those thousands of people, the whole town suffered. The mass loss of income meant that people couldn’t go buy dresses anymore from Marcelle’s, and couldn’t send their kids to hang out at Duffy’s. So those businesses – and hundreds of others – closed their doors.”
“I guess it’s a reflection of what’s going on throughout the rest of the country, unfortunately. The economy is troubled. These are hard times. We just feel it more so because we’re a smaller community.”
“I don’t know about that,” Victor said in a serious voice. “I think that Blue Sky has endured more than its fair share of devastation.”
“Maybe you’re right. I haven’t been home in so long I wouldn’t know.”
Victor cast a quick glance about me. “Tell me a little bit about your family,” he said. “What about your father? You mentioned that he worked at Wainright. What happened? Did he find a job somewhere else before it closed?”
“Actually, he died.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you,” I said. And added as an afterthought, “I’m okay. It was a long time ago.”
He paused for a moment. “What about the rest of your family? Does your mother still live here? Do you have any siblings?”
“No siblings,” I said. “My mother still lives here.”
“I’m sure she’s happy to have you home again.”
I didn’t respond. As I stared out the window, more closed businesses zoomed before my eyes. “This just doesn’t look anything like the Blue Sky I remember from my childhood.”
“Hopefully the town will bounce back. Sooner rather than later, I hope.”
Moments later, we arrived downtown. Victor parallel-parked the Humvee on the street. Although it could not have been an easy feat, he pulled it off with skill and grace, and quickly bounded to my side of the car to hold the door open for me. He took my hand as I stepped down from his massive vehicle. I caught a whiff of his cologne and thought my knees might buckle under me. I stole a sideways glance at him as we stepped away from the Humvee. I had no idea what he was like as a politician, but if the elections had been influenced in any way by his good looks, it was no wonder he had been in office for as long as he had.
Victor took me to Molly O’Malley’s, an Irish pub on the corner. He held the door for me. The hostess seated us at a table for two, handed us menus and sent a server to take our orders.
“My usual,” he said.
The waitress, a cute, blonde twenty-something, smiled and shamelessly batted her eyelashes. “Ice water, no lemon, fish and chips, no coleslaw,” she recited.
He turned his attention to me. “Jerrika? Have you changed your mind?”
“No thanks,” I said, noticing that our server’s eyes were still on Victor. “Just ice water for me too.”
The server sauntered away, throwing a slight glance over her shoulder to see if he was still watching her.
“Well,” he began, “I’m really glad I could talk you into stepping out of Hope House for some fresh air this evening,” he said.
Upon hearing his words, the server stopped short, turned around and gave me a dirty look. She shook her head and made a hasty retreat back to the kitchen. Victor and I both saw it, but chose to ignore it.
“Thanks for the invite,” I said. “Sorry I’m not hungry.”
“Don’t apologize,” he said. “I’ll take a rain check on dinner.”
I nodded, wondering what kind of credible excuse I could come up with next.
“How do you like it at Hope House so far?” Victor asked.
“I just moved in today, and my orientation is scheduled for Friday, so I’m not officially working yet. Get back to me next week and I’m sure I’ll have more to tell you.”
“Well, we’re all very thankful that you decided to accept the position. It wasn’t an easy one to fill.”
“I can imagine.”
“May I ask, why did you decide to take the job?”
“Two big reasons. I like helping people – especially kids – and I needed a paycheck.”
“Do you have any concerns about working with VAM-infected children?”
“No,” I said, a little too quickly. “There’s no good reason to be scared. VAM can only be passed from one person to another by sharing blood or other body fluids, neither or which I plan to do with the children.”
He gave a firm nod. “As you may have already seen, there are people here who are very fearful of the VAM disease.”
“I know. That’s their problem.”
“Indeed it is. But I don’t want it to become your problem as well.”
“Why would it?”
“People who are afraid do stupid things sometimes.”
“I’ve seen the anti-VAM billboards. And I caught that little death stare that our waitress just gave me when you mentioned my connection to Hope House. I know it’s not the last time anyone will look at me like that. People can stare and post signs around town all they want, but it would take a lot more than that to scare me.”
Victor frowned. “There’s a new guy in town – Bill Jeffries is his name. He’s a lay minister with an anti-VAM agenda. He started up a church called the Blue Sky Believers Fellowship. There’s no proof, but the word around town is that’s where all of the signs are coming from.”
“I’m not surprised. It’s certainly not the first time in history that people have used Christianity to divide rather than unite.”
“Yeah, well this Bill Jeffries, he scares me a bit. He calls himself a Christian, but the things he’s doing in his church don’t exactly fall in line with mainstream Christianity. He does ‘blessings of protection’ rituals, to shield people spiritually from getting VAM. It sounds more like voodoo to me. The church also holds ‘family movie nights’ in which they show vampire movies to scare the wits out of the people who show up, followed by scripture readings and an altar call. He’s built quite a following, and people are so scared of VAM that they’re willing to jump on the bandwagon and embrace his so-called church just out of fear alone.”
“That’s horrible,” I said. “Christianity is supposed to be about love. Love thy neighbor – did Bill Jeffries miss that part? It doesn’t say anywhere in the Bible that you should only love people without VAM.”
“I know,” Victor said. “You’re preaching to the choir, no pun intended. I’m very disturbed by Jeffries and his growing congregation of followers. I wanted to give you fair warning about him as I’m sure you’ll eventually cross paths with him.”
I frowned. “Have they shown any tendency toward violence? Have they tried or threatened to hurt anyone with VAM?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Good. Then let them say and do what they want. I’m not afraid of them.”
“And that’s very admirable. I can tell already that you’re very strong-willed and brave, and I know you feel certain that no one can ever shake your resolve. But these people are afraid and they’re filled with misguided hatred. I don’t know what they might say or do. If you ever get scared or worried at any point, it’s okay. It’s only human to feel that way. I just don’t ever want you to feel like you and the children at Hope House don’t belong here.”
“Is that what happened to Kelly?” I asked. “Did she get scared?”
“We can only assume. She was here one day, gone the next. No one wants to see that happen again.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I insisted.
“I know you’re very committed. I just want you to understand that your job is going to be tough at times. Expect that bad days will come, and mentally prepare for them.”
&nb
sp; “I will.” I wasn’t sure what else I could say.
“I want you to know that you can call on me anytime you like,” he said. “Should you feel upset or worried about anything, call me. I mean it.”
“Okay,” I said.
“And just promise me one thing?”
“What would that be?”
“Don’t resign or leave Blue Sky without talking to me first, okay?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not afraid of anything bad happening to me. I know I’m young, fresh from college, lacking in work experience, but here’s how I see it, Victor. If this position posed any real danger to me, it would be completely reckless for the Hope House board of directors and all of its supporters – the mayor included – to put me in it.”
We locked eyes and he broke into a grin. “Exactly. You’re wise beyond your years, Jerrika.”
“Thanks.”
“I don’t mean to harp on it. I just want you to know that you’re welcome here in Blue Sky and you’ve got a friend in me.”
“Message received loud and clear.”
Our server returned and placed two glasses of ice water on the table. “Food will be ready in a sec,” she said, noticeably less enthused than when she first seated us.
“So,” Victor resumed, “you spent the last seven years in Raleigh. How did you like it there?”
“It was alright,” I said, thankful for a change of subject. “I imagine my college experience would have been the same no matter where I went to school. I spent most of my time studying, researching and writing papers. I didn’t do a lot of partying. I roomed with my best friend the entire time, and she did plenty of that for the both of us.”
“And that would be Whitney MacLynn, correct?”
“Right,” I said, after a brief pause. “How do you know so much about me?”
“Your resume, mostly. After giving it a hard look, I found it to be very impressive. When I sent it to Agnes, I told her that there was no doubt in my mind you were the one for the job.”
I blushed.
“As far as knowing about Whitney,” he continued, “it’s because I’m on the school board. I have input on hiring decisions there also. The principal of the high school sent me her resume yesterday and told me that he was considering hiring her. Her Raleigh address looked familiar and it didn’t take me long to remember where I had seen it before – on your resume. It dawned on me that the two of you were roommates.”
“Wow. I guess Blue Sky really is that small of a town.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
The server returned with Victor’s food.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said, as he removed his silverware from his rolled linen napkin.
“Please, go ahead.”
As I watched him eat his meal, I could tell that he had been born to stand in the spotlight. Everything about him was polished and perfect. His strong hands moved with grace, cutting his food with neat precision. His perfectly trimmed fingernails made me wish that I had gone for a manicure before meeting him. He wiped his napkin over his face every so often to keep his neatly trimmed moustache and goatee clean. It drew my attention to his mouth in a way that was mesmerizing. I caught myself staring and turned away, feeling embarrassed.
“Mmmm,” he murmured through a mouthful of food. “Listen, whenever you’re feeling up to dining out again, let me know and I’ll bring you back here to Molly’s. The fish and chips are out of this world. Of course, everything on the menu is good.”
I could have made things so much easier on myself, and would not have had to suffer through this, had I just been honest. I’m sorry Victor, but I can’t enjoy dinner with you, not tonight or ever for that matter, because I have VAM. I drink blood because it’s the only thing that my body can digest, so unless you know of a place where human blood is served, I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on another invite to dinner with you.
Instead, I smiled politely. “It smells great. Enjoy.”
The rest of our time in Molly O’Malley’s was uneventful. When Victor was done eating, he settled the bill. He held the door for me as we left the building. We strolled along the river walk for a little while, then took a seat on a bench overlooking the French Broad River. The sun was beginning to set in the sky, casting a pink glow over the rippling water.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Victor asked.
“Yes it is.”
“This is my favorite time of day to walk around downtown, for this reason alone. The sight of the sun setting on the river is hard to beat.”
“I agree.” It struck me in that moment that our outing was feeling more like a date and less like a collegial gathering to talk business. Not that I minded.
“I absolutely love this town,” he said.
“And the town loves you. You’ve been in office since I was in high school.”
“I guess I’ll stick around for as long as I’m welcome, wanted and needed.”
I smiled at him. “So tell me more about the mayor of Blue Sky.”
“What about the mayor of Blue Sky?” He returned my smile.
“You know a lot about me. I don’t know that much about you. What’s your story?”
“Where would I begin? Tell you what… ask any question you want and I’ll answer. Fair enough?”
“Okay,” I nodded. “For starters, if this is rude and too personal, you don’t have to answer. How old are you?”
“I’m 39.”
“So your career in politics started in your early 30s, and you’ve been elected more than once. That’s very impressive. You’ve accomplished a lot for your 39 years.”
“I’ll be 40 in eight months,” he said with a sigh. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
“I hope you don’t mind me asking. I guess I’m a little sensitive about my age. I’m 26 and I’m already an executive director of an orphanage. That’s kind of a scary position to be in when all of my employees not only have a long history with the organization, but are older than me. And my boss calls me ‘dear,’ which makes me feel like a kid. But I’m encouraged by you, Victor. You’re the young, hip mayor of this town that has a very old soul. Seeing how successful you were in your young life gives me hope.”
He laughed. “You don’t need hope. You’re going to do just fine. I understand where you’re coming from, though. You’ve worked hard to get yourself into this job, and now you just want to be respected and taken seriously.”
“Exactly. It’s just difficult when I’m the 26 year-old new girl.”
“You set the example by treating people the way you want them to treat you. At first, you may have to work a bit harder at it. Be just a bit more formal, a bit more punctual, a bit more organized than everyone else around you. Don’t think of yourself as the new girl on the job. Don’t think of yourself as a girl, period. You’re a woman now. You’re a professional. And you’re one who sets the bar high and raises expectations. Think of yourself that way, and soon everyone else around will think of you the same way too.”
“That’s really good advice,” I told him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Hit me with your next question.”
“Alright,” I laughed. “Is this what you imagined your life would be like at the age of almost 40?”
“Yes and no,” he said. “The work part of it – yes, definitely. Like I said, I love Blue Sky, and I love being mayor. I couldn’t ask for a more rewarding career.”
“So what’s the ‘no’ part of it?”
Victor paused. “I just thought I would have a family at this point. Seems I’ve missed that boat.”
“Did you divorce?” I vaguely remembered that there had been a Mrs. Drake in the picture at some point.
“No,” he shook his head. “My wife died.”
My jaw dropped. “Victor, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright,” he assured me. “It’s been a long while.”
“How long?”
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“She went missing almost seven years ago. It’s taken me some time, but I’ve finally accepted that she’s dead. People don’t just disappear for almost seven years and then show up again from out of the blue.”
“Oh,” I said, embarrassed and upset that I had pried too deeply. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“I haven’t had to deal with it alone. The entire town of Blue Sky is my family, and they’ve grieved with me and helped me heal, every step of the way.”
We sat quietly for a moment. I was done asking questions, for fear of dredging up more past tragedies and painful memories.
Victor finally looked at his watch. “It’s getting late,” he said. “Why don’t we go ahead and get you back home to Hope House?”
“Okay,” I said with relief.
We both remained quiet during the ride home. Surprisingly, it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. At least not for me. When we arrived at the orphanage, Victor walked me to the front door.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” he said, and surprised me by opening his arms to embrace me.
“Thank you,” I said, hugging him back. “I’m sorry to make things awkward by asking about your wife.”
“Don’t be,” he whispered in my ear. “I told you, Jerrika, I’ve been able to cope in my own way. Life goes on, even after our loved ones leave us. If we don’t move on, then we’ll miss out when new people come along and want to be part of our lives. And you just never know when that may happen.”
He took me by surprise and kissed me on the cheek. My heart fluttered.
“Good night,” he said.
“Good night.”
Chapter Seven
THE NEXT MORNING, I awoke to find two sets of eyes staring at me. I sat up in bed with a jolt, clutching the bedspread up to my neck. At the foot of my bed, Jonathan and Haley watched me scramble as I woke up and came to my senses.
“Guys, what are you doing in here?” I asked.
They giggled. “We came in to wake you up,” said Jonathan. “You sleeped late.”
“Jonathan was tickling your feet,” said Haley. “Did you feel it?”
“I don’t remember if I did. Maybe that’s what woke me up. Did you guys come in and wake up Miss Kelly like this?”