jammed in his pockets, and nods at me.
“I know. I know it is. It’s really great, William. Congratulations. So when do you start?”
William turns around and opens the cupboard. “Monday. So, interesting news. Kelly Cho was let go from KKM.”
“She was let go? What happened?”
“I guess they did a major restructuring,” says William, grabbing the flour. “I was only the first round.”
It’s Friday. Tonight, Nedra is throwing a celebratory dinner (for friends and colleagues that won’t be at the ceremony-she even invited Bunny, Jack, and Caroline), and tomorrow is the wedding.
“What are you prepping?” I ask.
“Cheese puffs.”
“Sorry-I overslept,” says Caroline, walking into the kitchen.
Bunny follows her in, yawning. “Please tell me there’s coffee.”
Caroline pours two cups of coffee and sits down at the table with her pad, frowning.
“We’re never going to get all this done.”
“Delegate,” says William.
“I’ll help,” I say.
“Me, too,” says Bunny.
Caroline and William glance at each other.
“How I can put this nicely?” says Caroline.
“Right,” I say. “Our services are not desired. Bunny, should we retire to the deck?”
“I’m really very happy to peel something. I’m an expert peeler,” says Bunny.
“Fine, Mom, I’ll call you when we get to the potatoes,” says Caroline.
Bunny takes a sip of her coffee and sighs. “I’m going to miss this.”
“What? My nearly dead lemon tree? Living with the constant threat of earthquakes?”
“
“You really have to leave?”
“Caroline’s found an apartment. She’s got a job. It’s time for us to go home. Promise me we won’t fall out of touch again.”
“That won’t happen. I’m back in your life for good.”
“Marvelous. That’s just what I wanted to hear, because I’ll imagine we’ll be going back and forth quite a bit on this.”
“On what?”
“I read your pages. There’s some really good stuff in there, Alice, but I’ll be honest. It needs work.”
I nod. “Let me guess.
Bunny chuckles. “Did I really say that to you? Oh, goodness, that was a long time ago, wasn’t it?”
“Is it still true?”
“No. You have a good ear for dialogue now. Now the challenge will be disclosure. Moving past your vulnerability. Your work is autobiographical, after all.”
“Some of it.” I make a face.
“I’m being too nosy? I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t be. I need a kick in the ass.”
“A kick in the ass is the opposite of what you need. What you need is a cupping of the chin,” says Bunny, turning to me and cupping my chin. “Listen to me. Take yourself seriously. Write your goddamn play already.”
“You’re not going to believe it!” says William, an hour later.
I’m in my bedroom closet, attempting to figure out what to wear tonight. I rifle through my clothes. No, no, no. Too fancy, too outdated, too matronly. Maybe I could get away with wearing the Ann Taylor suit.
“I just got an email from Helen Davies.”
“Helen Davies?” I try and look surprised. “What does she want?”
“Do you remember she posted her firm was looking for a VP of Food and Beverage?”
I shrug.
“Well, I didn’t pay any attention to the posting because the job was in Boston, but she just wrote to me and asked if I’d be interested. They’ve decided to move the division to the San Francisco office.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. She thinks I’d be the perfect person to head it up.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Me either.”
“It’s unbelievable timing.”
“Eerie, isn’t it? It feels like fate. Like everything that happened twenty years ago is just circling back around. It feels good, Alice. Good!” He twirls me out of the closet and waltzes me around the room.
“You’re crazy,” I say.
“I’m lucky,” he says, dipping me.
“You’re a kook,” I say. He swings me back up and our eyes find each other.
I bury my face in his shirt, suddenly feeling shy.
“No, you don’t. You’re not allowed to hide,” he says, pulling me away from him. “Look at me, Alice.”
He gazes down at me and I think
“We’re going to be okay. I have to admit I was worried. I wasn’t sure,” says William, tucking my hair behind my ears. “But I think we’re going to be okay.”
“I hope so.”
“Don’t hope so. Believe it. If there was anytime you needed to believe, it’s now, Alice.”
He takes my face in his hands and tilts it up. His kiss is tender and sweet and doesn’t last a second longer than it should.
“Whoa. I’m dizzy.” I untangle myself from him and sit down on the bed. “All that twirling.” And kissing. And gazing. And being gazed at. I feel breathless.
“I’ll need to make a few hires. I was thinking about Kelly Cho.”
“Kelly? Wow. Well, I guess that would be a really nice gesture.”
William goes on, musing out loud. I haven’t seen him so animated in months. He does a two-step around the bedroom. He doesn’t notice when I open my laptop.
From: Alice Buckle ‹[email protected]›
Subject: VP Food and Beverage: William Buckle
Date: August 17, 10:10 AM
To: Helen Davies ‹helendavies@D &DAdvertising.com›
Dear Helen,
You are one class act.
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Alice
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