by Kenna White
“Dana, listen. Don’t make the decision now. Give yourself some time to weigh your options. Try to imagine all the possible consequences. Let’s say you decide not to meet her.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t?”
“No, just imagine you didn’t. What would the repercussions be if you told Shannon no, you couldn’t meet with her right now? Then imagine what they’d be if you said yes.You have to remember there are two separate and distinct types of ramifications. Short term and long term. Both represent a completely different set of alternatives. The decision you make and can live with today might not be the one you can live with further down the road.”
“You certainly don’t make this easy.”
“If it was easy, would you have called me and asked my opinion?”
“But now you’ve given me a whole new set of things to think about. I called with one simple question. You’ve raised some issues I hadn’t even considered.”
“The short-term outcome versus the long-term outcome, right?”
“Yes.” Dana groaned.
“Okay. I’ll tell you what. You give it some thought and call me later if you need a sounding board.”
“IF!? If I need a sounding board? Dr. Hughes, that is going to be an absolute necessity. I should have just moved to Alaska and lived on an ice floe with the Eskimos.”
Jamie chuckled at her.
“You’ll be fine, Dana. You just need to be practical about it.”
“Since when is practicality a factor in relationships? If I was practical, I would have joined a nunnery right out of high school and avoided this whole business.”
“Are you even Catholic?” Jamie asked, trying not to laugh.
“No.”
“Then I think you are on your own to figure this out.”
“No, I’m not. I have a very insightful college professor to give me advice.”
“Dana, I’m sorry but I have to go. I’ve got to pick up my clothes at the cleaners by five,” Jamie said, noticing the clock on the wall. “I’ll be in town later. Give me a call on my cell phone if you need another pep talk.”
“Thanks, Jamie.”
Jamie hated to cut her off but she knew Dana was capable of making her own decisions. Granted, Shannon was playing on Dana’s sympathy by calling against her wishes but this was one of those times when Dana needed to make a stand. And Dana didn’t strike Jamie as being unable to do that. If she was, it was time she learned.
Jamie drove across town and picked up her cleaning then stopped at the grocery store. She strolled the aisles, searching for something to call dinner. She was next in line at the deli counter when her cell phone rang.
“Hello, Dana,” she said with a laugh. “Any decision yet?”
“Yes. You’re terrible. Why did you do that?”
“Do what? Make you think?”
“Yes. You had no business making me think.”
“What have you come up with?” Jamie waved the next person in line to go ahead of her.
“I have no idea. I thought I did. I had decided to call Shannon and tell her no, I wasn’t going to meet with her. I was going to insist whatever she has to say she could do over the phone.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“But what if I’m being unreasonable? Maybe the only way we can really work things out is by sitting down, face to face, and talking.”
“Dana, you are making this way too difficult.”
“But you told me to think through every conceivable outcome. Short term, long term and everything in between.”
“I didn’t mean overanalyze it. Where are you?”
“On the houseboat about to walk the plank.”
“I’m hungry. Would you like to meet me for a sandwich someplace?”
“How can you eat at a time like this?”
“Even we primordial sages need sustenance.”
“There’s a new place downtown near the courthouse. Steve told me about it. He and Gary went there for their six-months anniversary. It’s a bar slash grill slash nightclub slash cute place. At least that’s his description. Great burgers, if that helps?”
“Bartolu’s?” Jamie said.
“Yes and if that is okay, I’ll need thirty minutes,” Dana said. “I have to get dressed.”
“Sure. I’ll meet you there.”
Jamie drove through downtown, looking for a parking spot close to the restaurant. It had just started to rain. Bartolu’s was so new in town that their sign was still a vinyl banner strung between the building’s upper floor windows. Two weeks ago the restaurant had been nearly empty, but business seemed to have picked up. Most of the highback booths and intimate tables were occupied.
“Good evening, miss. Table for one?” a woman said, greeting Jamie at the door. The woman was smartly dressed in a black pantsuit, sling back heels, and earrings long enough to be fishing lures.
“I’m expecting someone,” Jamie replied, scanning the room for Dana.
“Would you like to be seated while you wait?”
Jamie was about to say she would wait when Dana came through the door, holding a newspaper over her head as an umbrella. She was out of breath and flushed.
“Am I terribly late?” she gasped, shaking the water from her hands.
“Nope. Right on time. You’re out of breath. What did you do, run all the way here from the marina?” Jamie joked.
“I’m just a few blocks away. Why drive?” Dana patted the rain from her face.
“Table for two?” the hostess said and led the way to a booth in the rear.
Jamie noticed the woman inspecting them from head to toe. Dana seemed to have noticed as well and allowed her hand to discreetly check the buttons on her blouse.
“Can I bring you anything to drink while you look over the menu?”
“Dana?” Jamie asked, giving the menu a quick scan.
“Iced tea, extra lemon, please.”
“Make that two. What is your special tonight?” she asked, pointing to the spot on the menu.
“Spaghetti marinara. That comes with a salad and bread sticks. The soup of the day is chicken gumbo. I’ll give you a minute to decide.”
Dana ordered soup and a Caesar salad. Jamie ordered vegetarian lasagna.
“Are you a vegetarian?” Dana asked.
“No. But Dean Hansett had their veggie lasagna at our meeting and said it was good. I thought I’d give it a try. Are you a vegetarian?”
“Yes, except for the chicken, fish and beef I eat,” Dana said with a straight face.“As a woman of science,I would have thought you’d eat healthy.”
“As a woman of science, I don’t have time to be that careful. Besides, I like meat. Seafood, steak, barbeque. You name it. The things I like aren’t all vegetarian.”
“Me, too. But I do like vegetables.”
“Which ones?”
“Almost all of them. Broccoli, squash, green beans, tomatoes.”
Jamie looked down, smiling at the floor, trying to act nonchalant.
“What?” Dana asked, noticing her expression.
“Technically, tomatoes are a fruit. So are squash and green beans.”
“No, they aren’t.” Dana laughed at her. Jamie didn’t smile back. “You’re kidding, aren’t you? Green beans can’t be fruit. They’re green.”
Jamie nodded.
“Okay, Dr. Hughes. Explanation, please.”
“Botanically speaking, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a flowering plant, including the seeds. All fruits have seeds. Vegetable is a culinary term. Not a scientific one. Vegetables are generally considered all parts of herbaceous plants eaten as food by humans, whole or in part.”
“What other vegetables—slash—fruit do you like?” Dana said, carefully squeezing three lemon wedges into her iced tea.
“Anything but lima beans and asparagus,” Jamie said without hesitation.
“I agree. Lima beans are disgusting. They look good. Nice color. Nice surface texture, but the interior texture doesn’
t match the expectation.”
“That sounds like an artist talking.”
“It’s a bean lover talking. Lima beans are the black sheep of the family.”
“So…here’s the question of the hour. What have you decided to do about Shannon’s call? Are you going to meet her?”
Dana took a long slow sip through her straw, as if planning her answer.
“I’m going to tell her.” She suddenly gasped, staring at the group of women coming through the door. She sat frozen by what she saw, then lowered her gaze, hunching slightly in her seat.
“Tell her what?” Jamie asked, noticing Dana’s expression change.
“Hello, Dana,” a woman said, striding up to the table. She gave Jamie a quick glance before concentrating entirely on Dana. Even with rain dampened hair, this was a beautiful woman. The snug top tucked into her low-rise jeans showed off her trim abs.
“Hello.” Dana swallowed and looked up.
“Well, what do you know? I didn’t expect to see you here.” The woman smiled broadly. Jamie watched her carefully. Behind the woman, she could see a small group of other women at the bar who were watching their table. Probably this woman’s friends? wondered Jamie.
“Caesar salad and chicken gumbo,” the waitress said, bringing their order to the table. “And vegetarian lasagna. Will there be anything else?” she asked, awkwardly reaching around the woman standing at the end of the table.
“Could I have a little parmesan cheese, please?” Jamie said. “And she’d like more tea and lemon. Thank you.”
“You should have gotten the Cobb salad if you were salad-hungry, Dana. It’s great. Lots of veggies and the bacon is nice and crisp. Just the way you like it,” the woman said. She paid little attention to Jamie. Her conversation was directed at Dana and only Dana. “That blouse looks good on you.” She looked Dana up and down. “And I see you wore those pants anyway.” The woman frowned.
Dana clenched her jaw and averted her eyes. She was uncomfortable and Jamie could see it.
“Would you like to join us?” Jamie said. Dana instantly looked up at her as if objecting to her invitation.
When no one introduced her, Jamie stood up and extended her hand to the woman.
“I’m Dr. Jamie Hughes. How do you do?”
“Hello. Doctor? What’s your specialty or are you family practice?”
“I’m not a medical doctor. I’m a professor at Capital State.”
“So it’s a PhD doctor, right?” She shook Jamie’s hand firmly.
“Yes.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. I was afraid Dana was sick or something. I’m Shannon Verick.”
“Shannon? Well, well.” Jamie looked down at Dana who was picking at the tablecloth. “We were just discussing the differences between scientific analogy and artistic interpretation. Please, join us.”
Shannon hesitated, looking down at Dana.
“If you two will excuse me,” Jamie said, sliding out of the booth. “I need to find the little professor’s room and powder my microscope.” She smiled and went in search of the ladies room. She had seen the desperate look on Dana’s face as she excused herself but knew they needed a few minutes of privacy, or as much privacy as they could find in a restaurant filled with fifty people. I don’t want to get in the way of whatever Dana needs to say to Shannon. Perhaps this is exactly what she needed. No time to think about it. No planning. No appointment with destiny. Just face to face. Here and now. Jamie looked back in time to see Shannon sliding into the booth next to Dana. Jamie gave Dana a thumbs up and disappeared around the corner. She was dying to stay and watch but this was Dana’s situation. She had no right to interfere.
Jamie took her time in the ladies room. She decided if Dana and Shannon were still talking, she would pause at the bar and ask some question about which wine they should have with salad. But Dana was alone in the booth, administering more lemon to her iced tea. She looked up and smiled at Jamie.
“I thought you fell in,” she said as if nothing was wrong.
“I was giving you and Shannon a few minutes.” Jamie sat down and started on her lasagna.
“You didn’t have to do that. Nothing was said you couldn’t have heard.”
“I thought the two of you might need a little privacy.”
“The conversation was short. She asked if I’d meet her for dinner. I told her I’d meet her for lunch instead.”
Jamie took a bite and thought a moment.
“Okay, why lunch instead of dinner?”
“I took your advice and thought of the long-term and the short term consequences. Dinner with Shannon may be short term but it definitely has long-term consequences. It’s two or three hours of drinks, talking, waiting for food, eating the food, waiting for dessert, eating the dessert and more talking. Suddenly, evening leads into night. And the night is what I’m sure Shannon has in mind.”
“And you aren’t ready for a night with Shannon, I take it?”
“No, I’m not. So I cut her off at the knees. I said lunch, twelve-thirty, at Capital Deli. A nice neutral territory.”
“The sandwich place on Fifth?”
“Yes. No mood lighting. No long waits. No back booth with candles on the table. It’s boom, boom, boom. Order, eat and be out of there by one, one fifteen at the latest.”
“And she agreed to that?”
“She did.” Dana stabbed a piece of lettuce. “Not willingly but I told her it was that or coffee at the supermarket’s espresso stand.” She grinned devilishly.
“Good for you. You made a decision that gives you options. I’m proud of you. If it works out, you can move on to dinner. If not, you left yourself a way out.” Jamie shrugged.
“I tried to imagine what you would say if you had been in that situation. You wouldn’t have been pressured into anything you weren’t comfortable with and that’s exactly what I did. I told Shannon I needed time to think things over and insisting I meet her for dinner before I was ready wasn’t going to help me do that.”
Jamie was proud of Dana. It was a start. If nothing else, she let Shannon know she could make decisions without intimidation. That may have been the best thing she could do for their relationship. Jamie also knew she would have to stay strong. Whatever the problem, Dana couldn’t expect to undo it in one day. But progress was made.
Jamie looked around the restaurant for Shannon and her friends but didn’t see them.
“Where did Shannon go? Into the lounge with those other women?”
“I think so.” Dana pointed to the placard on the table. “Tonight is half price wells.”
“Ah. Brings out the upper crust of society when you can get drunk for under five bucks.”
“Shannon doesn’t drink that much.” Dana frowned. “She may have one or two but she doesn’t go to bars to get drunk. She’s with a bunch of friends, out for a little fun. More often than not, she’s the designated driver.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Jamie saw something she didn’t expect. Dana still had deep protective feelings for Shannon. She may not have chosen to go out to dinner with her, but she wasn’t willing to let Jamie run over her either. When she went to bat for her ex-lover, it spoke volumes about her dedication. Shannon was still in Dana’s life and in her heart. Jamie was absolutely positive of that. It gave her a whole new insight into how she should handle any advice she offered Dana. That was something I needed to see, she thought, and was surprised when her stomach twisted slightly.
“Let me give you a ride to the marina,” Jamie said, tossing her credit card on the dinner bill.
“You are not paying for my dinner, Dr. Hughes.” Dana quickly pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and placed it on the tray.
“Okay, Dutch treat. But it’s raining and no one will call you a charity case if you take a ride from me.”
“I accept.” Dana smiled.
The temperature had dropped. It was raining so heavily they were both soaked by the time th
ey reached Jamie’s car.
“I’ll have some heat on in just a minute,” Jamie said, starting the car. She used a tissue to wipe her glasses as the engine warmed up.
“I’ve lived in Washington all my life. You’d think I’d learn to wear a raincoat.” Dana hunched her shoulders and shivered.
“Are you cold?”
“Yes. Aren’t you?”
Jamie reached into the backseat and found a blue chambray shirt. She gave it a shake then placed it over Dana’s shoulders.
“Use this until the car warms up.”
“Thank you but are you sure you don’t need it?”
“Nope. I’m fine.” Once they reached the marina, Jamie pulled to the curb next to the security gate.
“Thanks for the shirt,” Dana said, handing it back.
“Take it with you. It’ll keep you warm until you get down to the boat.”
“Are you sure?” Dana said, looking out at the torrent of water running down the window.
“I’m sure,” Jamie reached over and held the sleeves while Dana slipped it on. “Good night.” Her hands brushed the soft strands of Dana’s hair.
“Good night, Jamie.” Dana climbed out and looked back in the car before slamming the door. “Thank you for listening.”
“My pleasure, Dana. Take care.”
Dana closed the door and disappeared into the deluge.
Chapter 12
“Ahoy, the Kewpie Doll,” Jamie shouted, shielding her eyes from the morning sun.
“Ahoy,your own damn self,”Ruth Ann said with a hearty laugh as she came bursting onto the deck. “Come on. Climb aboard.” She waved with both hands as if signaling a commercial airliner up to the gate. She was dressed in what the locals laughingly considered standard summer apparel for Washington: sandals, shorts and a navy blue fleece jacket. Connie had a matching fleece jacket, as well as matching shorts and sandals. Many of the things in their lives were matching. Their coffee mugs, fanny packs, TV trays, and even their recliners were identical right down to the guest towels pinned to the armrests. “We didn’t expect to see you today.” Ruth Ann gave Jamie a hearty handshake and a slap on the back, dislodging her glasses.