California Dreaming: Four Contemporary Romances

by Casey Dawes

  “Yes, I work for JCN in South San Jose.”

  “But not much longer,” Elizabeth added, returning from the restroom.

  “Well, not much longer in San Jose,” Annie corrected. She looked at John, suddenly reluctant to tell him about the move. It’d be fun to date, even if it was only temporary. Maybe they could have one of those commuter relationships she’d read about.

  “I’m taking a transfer to New Jersey,” she blurted. And immediately regretted it.

  “Oh.” He frowned.

  “It’ll only be for a year or two. Then I’ll be back!” She smiled.

  “A lot can happen in a year or two,” he said, frowning more deeply.

  “Yes, it can!” Annie called on every perkiness gene she owned — all three of them. She pushed her salad plate toward the candle in the middle of the table.

  “I’ve never been to the East Coast,” he said. “I know nothing about it. What’s it like?”

  “Well, it will be a change, that’s for sure. But there’s a lot to do and I’ll be able to take my son to museums and events in New York. It’ll be good for him.”

  “Isn’t there something around here you could find, rather than New Jersey?” he asked, his eyes staring at a spot somewhere over her left shoulder.

  Her determination to be in control wavered for an instant. “No,” she said. “I have too much in seniority and benefits to leave. I … I … have a teenage son that I have to think about. When you’re the only support of your child, sometimes you have to do things that you don’t want to do. I’m sure you can understand that.”

  John nodded slowly. “How’s your son taking the idea?”

  “She hasn’t told him yet,” Elizabeth said.

  “Oh.” John looked thoughtful. “What is New Jersey like?” he asked again.

  “It’s industrial in parts — that’s what everyone always thinks about — the New Jersey turnpike. The corporate offices for JCN are down near Princeton. I was there once and it’s much more rural. Very pretty with a whole lot of history.”

  “Doesn’t Springsteen come from New Jersey?” he asked.

  Annie nodded. “Bon Jovi, too.”

  “And ‘Old Blue Eyes.’”

  “Who’s that?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Sinatra!” John and Annie answered together. They glanced at each other and grinned.

  “Seriously,” John said. “I do understand. When you have responsibilities, you can’t always make the fun choices. I wish you weren’t going, though. It would have been nice to get to know you.”

  Annie’s heart thudded to her stomach. She looked into his eyes for a few moments, wishing that life were different, that she wasn’t moving. He held her gaze. Finally, she looked away from him.

  He stood up. “It’s been entertaining, ladies, but I’ve got to go.” He waved for his check. “I’m still sorting out the best way to keep Ocean Reads in the black. I have some reports I need to read tonight.” He glanced at the check and put a number of bills on the tray. “That should cover it.”

  “See you again, I hope,” he said to Elizabeth and turned to Annie. “When will you be coming back to the bookstore? I want to make sure I treat my loyal customers well.”

  “Um, I’m not sure,” Annie said, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

  He looked at her steadily. “I’ll be watching for you. And if you decide not to move, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee in celebration.” He waved and walked out of the restaurant, his boots ringing against the stone floor. Annie stared at his back, feeling emptier than she had before they sat down for dinner, as if her happiness was walking out the door.

  Mandy whipped by their table to collect the dishes. “Who was that?”

  “New bookstore owner,” Elizabeth replied.

  “He’s … ”

  “Uh-huh,” Elizabeth and Annie said at the same time.

  “Pie?”

  “Uh-huh,” the women repeated. Mandy rapidly reappeared with a generous slab of strawberry pie covered with a dollop of whipped cream.

  “He could be right for you, you know. He seems interested,” Elizabeth said as she took a bite of pie. “I know you don’t want to discuss it, but are you sure that moving is the right thing to do?”

  Annie laughed. “You’re always an optimist! I just met the man. And I’m not going to make life decisions based on a guy I’ve met twice.” Annie savored a bite of pie. “Remember, ‘a man is not a plan.’ I need to run my own life.”

  “Didn’t you ever believe in the knight in shining armor rescuing you?”

  “My knights don’t look so good when they take off their armor.” Annie chuckled. “Remember when I tried online dating? The ‘five-foot five-inch forty-five-year old’ who was really a five-foot one-inch sixty-year-old? And he smelled like baby powder. That’s the kind of knight I get!”

  “They do background checks of knights now. You can x-ray the armor and see what’s under there before you go out with him. That way you can be sure he’s a real knight.”

  Annie laughed and shook her head. “It would be nice to live in a world where wishing made everything come true.” She took another bite of pie. It really would be nice to believe in pixie dust and magic wands again.

  “This is great pie,” she said. “But I have to stop eating it, or I’ll need to do another hour of exercise tomorrow.” She sat back. “Now that we’ve dissected my love life to bits, how’s Bobby?”

  “Bobby’s great. I wish he’d get off this marriage kick, though.”

  “Why not marry him and make him happy? You could get free pizza at George’s place if you were part of the family.”

  George was one of Bobby’s brothers. His mother had taken the church’s words about procreation to heart. There were seven children — all boys who doted on her.

  “I already get free pizza. And I like things just the way they are. Bobby and I have our time together and I have my time alone. Why can’t he be satisfied with that?”

  Annie shrugged. “Beats me.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to get going. Fred should be dropping David off about now.”

  “What do you think David’ll do when you tell him?”

  Annie twirled her fork. “He’s a lot like me. He figures out what needs to be done and then he knuckles down and does it. It’s what makes him such a good soccer player and why he’s getting straight As. I think he’ll be upset at first, but then he’ll make the best of it.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Mandy stopped at the table, a black folder in her hand. Elizabeth reached for it. “My treat.”

  • • •

  “Damn!” A bright pink envelope was tucked under the wiper blade of Annie’s car. “I could have sworn I put in enough quarters.” She grabbed the parking ticket and tossed it on the front seat. Ugh! One more thing to add to her list: 11. Pay parking ticket. Reality was back with a vengeance.

  Wouldn’t it be nice to hope that love was possible? Could someone like John be as good as he seemed to be? That would be a true knight — someone who was exactly what he appeared to be. No lying, no game-playing. And good-looking on top of it all. She shivered as she thought of the touch of his hand, his thumb rubbing on the top of hers, sending electricity to the marrow of her bones.

  The waves crashed beyond the breakwater. Annie stared out the car windshield at the inky blackness beyond the shoreline. What would it be like to date a good man? Could life actually turn out like one of her favorite novels? Or was a solid relationship only an illusion — smoke and mirrors at a carnival show?

  She’d never find out. John didn’t seem interested in seeing someone who was leaving. He’d definitely chilled after she told him she was moving. Besides, she knew what she had to do. Her life was in her control. If everything went the way she planned, they�
�d be in New Jersey by summer.

  And John would still be in California.

  She pushed aside the fantasy and started the car.

  The thump of loud bass greeted her when she opened the front door to her house. Annie went straight to David’s room and pounded hard on door. The thud of sneakers hit the floor. A second later, the stereo volume fell to an adult level. She grinned. David always cranked up the music when she was gone, just as she’d done when she was a teen. She rapped on the door and heard a faint, “Come in.”

  David was sprawled on his bed, studying a labeled diagram of a human body in a thick textbook.

  “How was your night?” she asked, stroking his head with her hand.

  “Okay,” David replied.

  “Where’d you and Dad eat?”

  “Usual place.”

  “Hungry?”

  “No.”

  “Okay. If you are, I think there’s still some Top Ramen left. You have a biology exam?”

  “What’s with all the questions, Mom? It was a normal Wednesday with Dad. I’m full. Yes, I’ve got a test tomorrow. I’m fine.”

  And testy, Annie thought to herself. The moodiness was new. Elizabeth had told her that teenagers exhibited some strong emotional swings. All those hormones. This mother-of-a-teenage-boy stage of life was not going to be easy.

  “If you need anything, I’ll be in the kitchen,” she said. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too, Mom,” David mumbled.

  She quietly closed the door. She missed the days when words spilled out of him, when he couldn’t wait to tell her every detail of his life.

  When she got to the kitchen, she checked the message machine. No blinking light. No handset, either. Where could she have left it? She hit the retrieve button and listened for the answering beep. Silence. Maybe David had it. If he was studying for an exam, he didn’t need to be on the phone.

  She trotted back down the stairs.

  The rumble of David’s low voice came from behind his closed door. She rapped and heard him say, “Gotta go,” followed by, “What?” Taking that as a signal to come in, she opened the door.

  “I was looking for the phone. Who were you talking to? I thought you were studying for a biology test.”

  “I was talking to Larry. I’m done studying.”

  “It’s a little late, isn’t it?”

  “Mom, everyone talks on the phone all night. I’m not a baby anymore, you know.”

  “Do I know Larry?”

  “Mom, what’s with the inquisition? You’ve met him.”

  Annie thought about David’s friends but couldn’t come up with anyone named Larry. “Which one’s he?”

  “You met him at the mall last week.”

  “The one with the grungy shirt and big pants?”

  David nodded.

  “Isn’t he a little old for you to be hanging out with?”

  “He’s fun to be with.”

  “How old is he?”

  “He’s 19. He’s in a band and sometimes he works at the mall. He’s okay, Mom.” He stood up, handed her the phone and gave her a hug. “G’night, Mom.”

  Carrying the phone, Annie slowly closed his door and walked back to the kitchen. The move to New Jersey was sounding like a better and better idea.

  • • •

  The following Saturday, Annie roused David early for the soccer tournament. He sprang out of bed, but the energy disappeared the moment he flopped into the car. He clicked the seat back and closed his eyes.

  She took the southern route over the coastal mountains, climbing the switchbacks to Hecker Pass on Highway 152. The road always soothed her, even though its twists and turns required concentration. Glimpses of Watsonville’s morning-lit strawberry fields framed by the curve of Monterey Bay lifted her heart as she ascended. The early spring air was clear, washed clean by the rain of the previous two days.

  The landscape abruptly changed from sunlit ocean edge to secretive forest when she crested the summit. She always felt as if she was entering a fairy forest. Maybe this was where the mountain knights lived. Maybe that wasn’t a patch of dogwood in the trees, but a white steed, ready for battle. Song of India played on the car radio and she could almost believe in dreams coming true.

  Almost, but not quite.

  But it didn’t matter. She peeked at David. No matter what the difficulties, she was glad she’d had him. He was growing up so quickly. Every moment with him was precious.

  He was stirring by the time they got to Morgan Hill. She was starving and figured he was, too; he always seemed to be hungry these days. She dropped him off at the soccer field to register and then went to the nearby Safeway to stock up on Starbucks, lunch items, a cardboard flat of water, and bag of oranges for the boys.

  By the time she got back to the acres of soccer greens, David’s team was warming up on one of the fields near the tree line. She left the food in the bags and the cooler in the back of the car, grabbed her folding chair and “boredom bag,” and strolled toward the cluster of parents on the sideline. A few of the other parents smiled at her as she set up her chair. They’d been together with the team for years. She chatted briefly with them, settled down in her chair and pulled her “to do” list from her bag.

  1. Tell David

  When was she going to do that? Maybe after the soccer game if they won. Or would that be the wrong time? He’d hate to leave a winning team. Maybe she should tackle something else on her list.

  2. Tell Fred

  As if to answer her summons, her ex-husband plopped his lawn chair beside her and settled his bulk in the protesting object.

  “When do they start?” he asked.

  “I’m not really sure.”

  “Why not? Didn’t you ask David? What about the play sheet? Did you look at that?”

  “Not yet. There are always some last minute changes, so I figured I’d wait.”

  “Hmmm. Someone else must know,” Fred said.

  Annie drank her coffee and looked at her ex-husband, who was already scanning the other parents for enlightenment. His beard is going gray, she mused. She caught the smoky sweet odor of alcohol and cigarettes as a breeze drifted past. Must have been a fun night. Thank God I don’t have to deal with it any more. She took the last sip of her coffee and put it down next to her chair.

  Fred lurched to his feet and ambled over to the referees’ trailer and she went back to her list.

  Skip telling Fred.

  She scanned the rest of her list. Most things would have to wait until Monday. She supposed she could begin sorting things in the garage when she got home — figure out what to put into a garage sale and what to take with her. Who knew what she’d find there? Even if she didn’t get the job, it would be nice to have a clean garage.

  She folded the paper and stuffed it back in her bag. Fred reappeared with two cups of coffee. He handed her a cup. “With milk, like you like it. First game starts at nine-twenty. David’s the starting goalie.”

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “I’ll be back.” He pulled a cigarette pack out of his shirt pocket and walked toward the other smokers huddled at the end of the field. Annie dug through her bag and picked up the news magazine. It was going to be a long day. She’d settle back and enjoy the warmth of the early California spring for a while and gear up to cheer David to victory.

  The day passed as most soccer tournament days did — long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of frenzy. She screamed every time the ball came close to the end zone. The parents chorused long groans when the ball flew into the net inches from David’s outstretched glove, their cheers lifting when he threw himself on the ground to block a goal.

  At the end of the day, his team came in second in the overall tournament.

  “Gr
eat job!” Fred gave his son a bear hug. “I’m really proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” David beamed in his father’s praise. “I’m really working hard with the coach.”

  Annie hugged her son, too. “You’re terrific,” she whispered in David’s ear.

  Fred helped them load up the gear in the back of the car. “See you Wednesday,” he said, giving David a pat on the back. Then he turned to walk back to his car.

  She hopped into her seat and began the long drive home, with David snoring gently in the back seat. What was the best way to tell David about the potential move? When he woke up about halfway home, she thought about saying something before they got there. Before she could start, however, he began reliving the game for her, his arms gesturing as he explained the plays, his voice animated as he reenacted his saves.

  She couldn’t burst his bubble.

  Once they got home, he went straight to the shower. Lugging the leftover groceries upstairs by herself gave her a few more minutes’ respite before she broke the news. She paced the kitchen, opening cupboards, staring at the contents, and closing the doors again. Picking up a used envelope, she began to write a shopping list. After “milk,” she couldn’t think of another thing she needed.

  She had to get this over with. Sooner or later, Elizabeth would let something slip and then David would be angry with her for keeping secrets.

  Once she told David, the next thing on her list was to tell Fred.

  Annie sank into a chair. How would Fred react? Would he fight her? Try to take David away from her? No way. Her ex could barely support himself in this town of high rents and even higher house prices. He wouldn’t be able to support a growing teenage son.

  But Fred loved his son. His reaction would depend on how much he’d had to drink. I’ll pick my time carefully. But is it better to approach him when he’s a happy drunk or when he has a miserable hangover?

  Her son walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, filling the small room with his presence. He wasn’t extra tall or overweight, but over the last few years, he’d reached five-feet nine-inches and filled out. His broad shoulders and thin waist reminded her of how her dad had looked, although her dad had been at least six feet tall.