She resumed typing before I could comment, but her point had been made and taken. Instead of going to the pantry, I went back to my office and closed the door behind me.
Apologizing to Robyn wasn’t only a way to put my new life lessons to the test, it was the right thing to do. I was certain Robyn and Will hadn’t given into their attraction while they were still involved with someone else. I was in the wrong no matter what happened now.
I stared at my phone for a few beats before pressing the call button. I tried to predict Robyn’s reaction. Anne Marie had said she wasn’t too broken up over splitting with Perry and suggested she might be halfway to dating Will. But I had my doubts she’d welcome my call.
“Hi, Sidney.” Her usual singsong voice was flat of emotion.
No pretense was necessary. I got straight to my point. “I’m calling to apologize for what happened with Perry. I should have done it sooner, but I was figuring some things out.” Robyn didn’t respond, and the only evidence she was still on the line was the sound of her breathing. “Robyn?”
“I’m here. I just don’t know what you want me to say. Are you expecting me to tell you what you did was okay or offer my forgiveness?” Once again, her tone didn’t register as angry as much as matter-of-fact.
“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know I take responsibility for my actions and am sincerely remorseful.” I nervously tapped my fingers along the surface of my desk. “For what it’s worth, I’m actively making changes in my life and the way I treat others.” I winced. I was certain the poor girl had no interest in my self-improvement plans.
“That’s good,” Robyn said, this time with a tiny bit more heart. “I wish you the best of luck.” She sounded sincere.
Prompted to keep going, I said, “I can be a bit bossy and selfish sometimes, and, well, I’m a work in progress.”
Robyn let out the smallest of laughs. “None of us have our crap all together. I applaud you for recognizing your issues and working on them. Good luck.”
“Thank you, Robyn. By the way, I don’t want to pry about what may or may not be happening between you and Will, but if you’re together, I do hope you’ll be happy.” My throat closed up and I thought I might cry. I took a deep breath—apologies were hard.
There was a pause before Robyn said, “Um, thanks. Goodbye, Sidney.”
“Bye.” I hung up the phone, lowered my head to my desk, and wept. When all my tears had been shed, I wiped my eyes, grabbed my coat and purse, and headed out.
At Lord & Taylor, I lifted a crème-colored knitted beret from the shelf, placed it on my head, and gazed at myself in the mirror. I liked how the color contrasted with my red hair and brought out the pink in my cheeks. Most women would probably try on several more hats before making a decision, but I didn’t want to waste time when my mind was already made up. My mission accomplished, I paid for the hat and a matching scarf and contemplated my next move. I could either leave the store and take myself for a drink before going home or continue to shop as long as I was already here.
While I was checking out Yelp for wine bars in the area, an announcement sounded over the loudspeaker. I must have heard it wrong because there was no way it said what I thought it said. I put my phone in my purse and waited for them to repeat it.
“Excuse the interruption, but will Cherry Bomb please make her way to the Ray-Ban counter on the first floor? Your party is waiting for you. Cherry Bomb, please head to the Ray-Ban counter on the first floor. Thank you.”
I froze in place with my mouth open. Then I closed my eyes for a second and laughed. There was only one person in the world who would call me Cherry Bomb. Actually, my folks found the nickname quite amusing, but not comical enough to draw attention to themselves or their daughter in a crowded department store. Perry, on the other hand, would think nothing of disrupting a store full of shoppers to get my attention. Simply walking up to me and saying “hi” would be too boring. Perry didn’t do boring. As I made my way toward the sunglasses section of the store, I wondered if Perry thought I’d be angry. Considering the turbulent nature of our relationship over the holidays, I’d bet he hoped so.
When I arrived at my destination, Perry was leaning against a column to the side of the Ray-Ban counter with one hand tangled in his thick dirty-blond hair, grinning at me like the devil himself—if the devil could also win sexiest, if not most infuriating, man alive. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was witnessing a photoshoot. His black jeans and royal blue sweater fit his skin like the designer created the items with Perry in mind. His brown leather jacket was draped across his arm like a supermodel. “Hey. It’s Cherry Bomb. I thought it was you,” he said.
I adopted my most put-upon expression to contrast his sly smile, but as soon as I got within two inches of him, I lost it and burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you had them call for Cherry Bomb over the loudspeaker.” I shook my head. “On second thought, I’m not at all surprised.”
He shrugged. “I was buying a pair of gloves when I spotted you French kissing your reflection in the mirror. I was going to say hi but came up with a less conservative approach instead. I figured you probably had a rough day at work and could use the laugh.”
“I did, and I could. Thank you.”
Perry jerked his head back.
“What?”
“My ears must have deceived me, because I could swear you expressed gratitude. I was positive you’d rip into me for embarrassing you.” In a high-pitched voice, he said, “My name’s not Cherry Bomb.”
I wiggled a finger at him. “I know how much it pains you to be wrong, but let me be the first to say you misjudged me this time.” I smiled. My joy at seeing him was disconcerting, but I would take my time and ease into the emotion. “How did you get them to agree to the announcement in the first place? Cherry Bomb is so obviously a fake name.”
“The person at security was a woman,” Perry said plainly.
“I see.” No further clarification was necessary.
He studied me curiously for a moment. “What’s going on with you?” He banged his shoulder against mine lightly.
“The usual. Working hard. I actually took a couple of weeks off and went to Barbados.”
Waggling his eyebrows at me, Perry said, “And how did that go?”
“It was a learning experience. Enlightening.” When Perry regarded me another curious look, I said, “And what about you? I heard you signed with Marshall. Congratulations. I’m genuinely pleased for you.” At least one participant in the boyfriend swap accomplished his goal that week.
“I couldn’t have done it without the support of your parents. I sent them a thank-you note.”
My mouth dropped open. “You did?”
He nodded, looking shy if that were even possible. “I also apologized for embarrassing their daughter at Christmas dinner. I really am sorry, you know.”
“I know,” I said in a soft voice. “I can’t believe you sent them a thank-you note.”
“I wanted to send one to you too but wasn’t sure how you’d take it, considering how I messed things up with you and Will.”
I waved him away. “It wasn’t all your fault. There were two of us in that pantry.”
He pressed his lips together. “Whatever happened with Will?”
“He broke up with me after I confessed what happened.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. We weren’t right together.”
“Neither were me and Robyn.” His eyes locked on mine.
An awkward silence ensued until I said, “Anyway, I look forward to saying, ‘I knew you when.’ Just remember the Bellows when you accept your Academy Award.”
Perry nodded. “I will.” He bowed his head down for a second before meeting my eyes again. “It will probably be a while before that happens. Can I buy you a drink now to thank you in the
meantime?” He shrugged. “You can say no if you want. I’ll understand if you’ve had enough Perry Smith to last a lifetime. I am a handful.” He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“That’s for sure.” I took him in from head to toe and inhaled sharply. “But I’ll still take you up on the drink offer.” I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
Perry’s gorgeous eyes opened wide. “Really? Great!”
I clasped his elbow and allowed him to lead me to the exit.
“Where should we go?”
“Let me see.” With the hand of my free arm, I reached into my bag for my phone. I hadn’t reviewed the results from the Yelp search I’d conducted earlier. As I went to pull up the screen, I remembered the advice of my good friends, Doug and Bobby from Barbados, and returned the device to my purse. “How about you choose?” I said.
Perry stopped walking. “Is this a trick?”
I chuckled. “Definitely not. I’ll go wherever you want, and I promise not to hate your suggestion.”
And it was a promise I intended to keep—even if it killed me.
Chapter 22
Robyn
I peeked through the curtain at the audience. It was a full house. My heart walloped furiously. I was terrified my legs would give out when I led the students to the stage in less than twenty minutes. My fear had nothing to do with the concert, despite having less than four weeks to prepare, and everything to do with one particular showgoer. But as far as my eyes could see, Will wasn’t there yet.
I’d left a message on his voicemail telling him the music program had been saved, I couldn’t be happier, and I wished I could thank the person responsible face to face. Then I invited him to the mid-winter concert and said I hoped he’d be there. I didn’t state positively I knew it was his law firm who donated the funds in case I was wrong. And it also gave him an easy out if his employer had nothing to do with it or if he simply had no desire to see me again. He’d never returned my call. Each time my phone rang or pinged the arrival of a text message, I thought I might go into cardiac arrest wondering if it was him. And then my stomach dropped in disappointment when it wasn’t. Tonight was the big night, and I held out hope he’d show up. But I made a promise not to beat myself up if he didn’t. It would only mean he didn’t share my romantic feelings after all, which was something I couldn’t control. And besides, I was used to it—been there, done that.
“Robyn.”
At the sound of Lynn’s voice behind me, I let the red velvet curtain close. I turned to her with a smile and opened my arms. Pulling her into a hug, I inhaled the vanilla and jasmine scent of her perfume. “I’m so glad you could make it. I didn’t give you much notice.”
We separated and Lynn smirked. “My dance card is usually pretty empty mid-week in the middle of the winter. Most of my ancient friends are hibernating in Florida.” She beamed at me. “You look radiant.”
“Thank you so much.” I chose a simple purple fit and flare dress for the occasion, opting not to add “uncomfortable outfit” or “clothing malfunction” to my list of things to worry about. I still hoped Will would think I looked pretty, but considering he’d seen me when I woke up in the morning, I doubted his attraction to me hinged on what I wore.
“You’re always gorgeous, but can I assume some of the brightness in your cheeks is due to the music program not being in jeopardy after all?” Lynn’s eyes lit up.
“You heard?”
She nodded. “Some law firm saved the day. Kensworth and Associates. Maybe one of the student’s parents works there.”
I took a sharp intake of breath. I’d chickened out on investigating the name of the law firm. Part of me was afraid to find out. What if it wasn’t Will? What if it was? I decided to allow the mystery to be solved naturally. But I’d heard him mention the name of his employer a few times over the holidays and was pretty sure it was Kensworth and Associates. He really did it. He was Prince Charming to my Snow White. I glanced down at the Pandora bracelet on my wrist and at the newest charm, courtesy of Will.
Lynn studied me with concern. “Are you all right, Robyn?”
Before I could respond, I saw Aimee Clay approaching me and my worries were temporarily forgotten. Wearing her red hair in an updo with a few curly pieces left out for the “messy” effect, she looked adorable and every part the junior production assistant. Since she’d helped me pick out the songs for the concert and even assisted in stage direction, her role was not in name only. She was trying so hard to make the best of the situation, but I’d caught her gazing longingly at the students during rehearsal a few times. I knew she missed being front and center and still held out hope she’d be able to sing again after her polyps completely healed.
She looked timidly from Lynn to me. “Are we almost ready, Ms. Lane?” Pointing to the rowdy students behind her, she said, “They’re getting restless and won’t listen to me when I tell them to keep their voices down and line up.”
I put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll see about that.” It occurred to me I’d completely abandoned my duties in favor of scoping out the auditorium for Will and then talking to Lynn. Regardless of whether Will was here and if his appearance meant I could finally kiss him again after ten years, this time without spinning a bottle in his direction, there were more than a hundred people waiting to hear their nine- and ten-year-old daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, granddaughters, and grandsons sing their little hearts out. It was my job to make that happen. I turned to Lynn. “I need to tame the lions. You know how it goes.”
She winked. “I sure do.”
I hugged her again. “I’m sorry we couldn’t talk more, but I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Wouldn’t miss it. Break a leg.”
My pulse raced in a mixture of usual pre-show jitters and renewed anxiety over seeing Will again. “I will.” I only prayed my leg wouldn’t take my heart along for the ride.
The students’ performance of “Rhythm of Life” was flawless, and I was still riding the high when I turned around to face the audience, who were on their feet. My cheeks ached from the smile I couldn’t remove while I waited for the applause to die down so I could announce the intermission. Aimee had already led the students backstage with the help of Lance and the fourth- and fifth-grade teachers. “Thank you,” I said into the microphone over the clapping. “Thank you so much.”
After a few moments, everyone took their seats. “I’m so glad you’re enjoying the concert so far.” Since I faced the students while conducting the songs, I hadn’t had an opportunity to look for Will. At first, I was very conscious of the possibility he was there and watching me, but I quickly got lost in the music. But now, I allowed my eyes to sweep the crowd while I spoke. “The students worked diligently to learn all the songs in a very short amount of time and I’m so proud of them. Although this is the only school I’ve worked at, I can’t imagine another one with more talented, hardworking, enthusiastic children than the ones here, and their passion for music warms my…” My pulse raced as my eyes locked on Will sitting third row center. He came. He smiled at me and my quivering lips curled up in response. My next words escaped me and I struggled to remember where I’d left off. Oh, yeah. “Their passion for music warms my heart.” I paused. “Which brings me to another subject. We are so very lucky to have music education as part of our curriculum. And I’m not just saying that because I’m the music teacher.” The audience chuckled, and I giggled with them before continuing. “Music education is not a given in many schools across the country, and I’m so very grateful to be able to help provide it to your children.” I focused my attention on Will. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
As the audience clapped, my eyes remained fixed on Will. He winked at me and my knees wobbled. I cleared my throat. “We’ll be back for another few songs in fifteen minutes. Take the time to snack on one of the delicious desserts available from the bake sale going
on next door. All proceeds go toward the athletic program.” I placed the microphone back on the stand. “Thank you,” I said one more time before heading backstage.
The other teachers always covered for me during the majority of the intermission to give me a short break, but I would catch up with them as soon as I caught my breath. I kneeled behind a chair, put my head between my legs, and breathed in and out. I smelled him, rich lavender combined with cocoa—masculine but clean—before I heard his voice.
“You all right, Snow?”
I brushed my long hair out of my eyes and looked up at him. He was standing over me with his brows furrowed in concern. “Um, yeah. Just taking a breather.” I swallowed hard and slowly raised myself to a standing position. “Hi, Will.” I cursed my voice for shaking like someone was pounding on my back while I spoke. Even though I’d pictured his face every night as I settled into bed (and nearly all day), I’d forgotten the small details, like the sprinkling of light brown freckles around the bridge of his nose. I wondered how many there were, but figured it wasn’t a good time to count.
His eyes danced merrily. “Hi back at you. Security is pretty weak here. I managed to sneak backstage. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I’m glad you made it.” I smoothed out my dress.
“So am I. The concert is great so far.”
“Thank you.” I bit down on my lip. “Was it you?” I couldn’t bear going back onstage without hearing it from his lips.
Will studied my face. “Was what me?”
I swallowed hard. “Did you ask your law firm to rescue the music program?”
He nodded his answer.
Even though I only had the tiniest of doubts by now, I was overwhelmed by the admission. “I can’t believe you did that for me. It was…” I gulped. “I don’t even know what to say or where to start thanking you.”
Will waved me away. “It was nothing, Snow. The firm has a charitable foundation and needs to donate a certain amount of money each year. I merely proposed they consider helping a local public school out and they agreed. Turns out, the managing partner has a soft spot for education. His wife is a retired schoolteacher from a lower-income district.”
The Boyfriend Swap Page 27