Between Land and Sea (8 page)

Chapter 14

Barbara spent the afternoon cleaning the apartment and organizing her closet. Afterward, she stood back and admired her new and improved wardrobe. She looked forward to wearing her stylish clothes. She made herself a cup of tea and sat down to relax. She thought of the possible meals she could have that evening and smiled. There was still a lot of food left over from last weekend’s cooking marathon.

She was startled by the sudden ringing of the telephone. She looked over at the call display and recognized Graham’s home number. She reluctantly picked up the phone. “Hi, Graham. Welcome back. I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

“Hello, Bella. I decided not to go to Montreal. I’ll wait for the sculptor’s next showing in Toronto.” He lowered his voice. “And I wanted to see you again. Do you have plans for tonight?”

“I was trying to decide what to have for supper. Last weekend, I cooked up a storm. How does lasagne and a salad sound? Do you want to come over?

“Sounds great. I’ll bring the wine and dessert. I’ve got to go over to the shop for a while. I’ll come over around six.” He said goodbye and hung up.

Barbara looked about the apartment in approval. It was sparkling clean and everything was in order. She took out the lasagne and put it on the counter. She assembled the salad and set the table. She showered and decided to wear her new jeans with one of the fitted blouses.

Graham arrived fifteen minutes early. His eyebrows rose in approval and he greeted her with a warm, passionate kiss. Afterward, he stepped back and said, “You look good enough to eat, Bella. Shall we skip supper?”

They stood awkwardly for a few minutes, continuing to devour each other with their eyes. Barbara finally spoke. “No, we’re eating first.” Barbara looked questioningly at the pastry box. “Do I need to refrigerate that?”

“Oh, yes. I forgot.” He followed Barbara into the kitchen.

“I sent out the final draft of the book,” Barbara said. “I made an extra copy for you.”

Graham shook his head. “I can’t believe you finished it that quickly. I read the rest of the pages you gave me last week. It was great night-time reading and helped to take the pressure off.” A sad tone had crept into his voice.

“The lasagne should be ready in a few minutes,” Barbara said. “Let’s sit in the living area and talk for a while. Did something go wrong with your family?”

Graham followed and sat next to her on the sofa. “I hadn’t planned on dumping any of this on you tonight.”

Barbara rubbed the back of his neck gently with her fingers. “We don’t have to spend all evening talking about your family. But I think you need to unload some of those feelings. It’s not healthy to keep all that stress inside.” Barbara was momentarily surprised by her own words. Although she had confided very little of her own past to Graham, she spoke freely with Gillian and, to a certain degree, even Lisa738. Barbara thought affectionately of the Numbers mermaid who wanted a closer connection with her.

“You haven’t been all that forthcoming with your own past, Bella.”

“It’s still painful to talk about Carl. It’s been a little over a year.” She added, “It sounds like your situation is a long-standing one.”

“Almost fifty years.” He smiled when he saw the shocked look on Barbara’s face. “I’ve had strong feelings about my father since he left me and my mother all those years ago. Marjorie tried to bring us closer. Whenever we visited, she and the kids acted as buffers for me. Now, I have to deal with him by myself.”

“Why don’t you limit your dealings with him?”

“I do. It’s down to two days a year. And even that is too much. Those conversations with him are unbearable.”

“What do you talk about?”

“My life or, more accurately, how he thinks my life should be. He never approved of my art or the shop. He’s still waiting for me to give it up and take over his business.”

Barbara was reminded of her own relationship with Annabella. Her grandmother had expected Isabella to follow in her footsteps and assume the role of first elder in the mermaid kingdom. When that had not happened, Annabella had retaliated and stripped Isabella of her beauty and powers. Barbara chose her next words carefully. She did not want to add fuel to Graham’s anger, nor did she want to malign his father. “He’s not going to change, Graham. Not at his age. You have to find some way to stop reacting to him so strongly. You have a whole year now before your next meeting.”

Graham’s face darkened. “I’m not that lucky this year. He’s coming to Toronto in the spring, and he wants to meet with me again.” He looked speculatively at Barbara. “Maybe you could come with me.”

The spring seemed so far away. Anything could happen between now and then. Barbara hesitated to commit herself, but she did not want to arouse any of Graham’s suspicions. “Of course.” She squeezed his arm reassuringly and was rewarded by the grateful look in his eyes. His body relaxed and he moved toward her. The oven timer buzzed. Barbara welcomed the reprieve and headed toward the kitchen.

Graham laughed. “Saved by the bell.” He got up and followed her into the kitchen. He breathed in the savoury aroma as Barbara took out the large casserole dish. “It smells heavenly. You have a definite flair for Italian cooking. You must have some Mediterranean blood in you.”

Barbara found it disconcerting whenever Graham made comments about her past. First, he called her Bella, and now he suspected her Mediterranean roots. One thing was certain. There was no way he could even begin to fathom the complete truth about her past.

Barbara sighed as she thought of the advanced mermaid kingdom. She missed the camaraderie of her many friends. Here on earth, she had to watch every word and gesture. She could not afford to leak out any information. Graham seemed to read her thoughts.

“You don’t like thinking or talking about your past. Was it that painful?”

Barbara managed a light laugh. “I’m getting over it.” She turned her attention to the food. “The table is set. I’ll bring over the salad. Can you manage the lasagne?”

They arranged the food on the table and sat down to eat. Barbara steered the conversation toward safer topics. They talked about some of the new art Graham had purchased the previous week and Barbara described her first week as a counselor.

Graham’s eyes widened as she talked about the presentations. “You’re not afraid to get up and speak in front of large groups. That’s a great gift to have, Barbara. Do you have any experience in public speaking?”

It was Barbara’s turn to be surprised. She didn’t think it extraordinary to speak publicly. In the kingdom, she had addressed thousands of mermaid and mermen at a time. But she couldn’t share that information with Graham. “I liked giving speeches when I was in elementary and high school. In university, I presented seminars and did very well. These career presentations are similar. The only difference is that I’m presenting to interested adults instead of squirming children and adolescents.”

“Well, that’s one way to look at it.” He asked, “When are you presenting this week? I could drop by.”

Barbara giggled. “I don’t think you’ll be comfortable with the CWIN group.”

Graham frowned. “Carden . . .?”

“Carden Women in Networking.”

They both laughed and Graham held up his hand. “I’ll pass. Let me know when you speak to a more diverse group.”

“I will. I value your opinion.”

Graham leaned closer. “And I value you, Barbara.”

They kissed for a few minutes. Graham disengaged himself first. “Let’s get more comfortable.” They got up and headed toward the bedroom.

The lovemaking was more passionate than last time. Afterward, they lay quietly side-by-side, saying nothing. It was enough to hear each other’s breaths and feel each other’s bodies. There was a peaceful comfort that surrounded Graham. Barbara knew, in the depths of her soul, that he would never hurt or betray her. She was the one who would do the hurting and betraying.

Chapter 15

Barbara was glad she had joined Janice’s hiking group and looked forward to spending some time outdoors. It also gave her an excuse not to see Graham on Sunday. While she enjoyed his company and the sex, she wanted to slow down the course of this relationship. Everything was moving too quickly, and she didn’t trust herself or her emotions around him. She could easily fall for this kind and considerate man, but she couldn’t see herself spending the rest of her life in Carden.

Barbara looked forward to a full day of hiking on the Bruce Trail. Graham had taken her a few times and she had delighted in each of those invigorating walks along the escarpment. She also liked listening to Graham speak in reverent tones about this unique natural wonder. One of his goals was to hike the entire trail. He boasted that he had already covered over three hundred kilometers.

Barbara found Janice’s friends interesting. They all had executive positions in either profit or non-profit organizations. She listened carefully as they spoke of their daily workplace and family challenges. The group returned to Carden shortly before dusk. Barbara found herself nodding off during the drive home, and she fell asleep as soon as she got into bed.

Barbara approached her second week as counselor with more confidence. She wore her new clothes and received many compliments from her colleagues and clients. She spent Monday and Tuesday evenings preparing for Wednesday’s workshop.

On Wednesday evening, Barbara dressed very carefully for the CWIN dinner. She wore her new black pantsuit with a light grey shell and a strand of pearls. She arrived at the hall early and tested all the equipment. As the women came in, she introduced herself. Celia Crawford, the president of the organization, approached and thanked her for coming. She pointed toward the head table and invited Barbara to join her there.

The meeting began promptly at six p.m. Barbara was taken aback by the blandness of the chicken dish and the overcooked vegetables. Her finely tuned sense of taste was the only drawback of the Specialist Skills button. In addition to knowing how to create any dish, she also possessed the ability to critically examine all food put before her. She forced herself to ignore that inner voice suggesting what herbs and spices could have been added to enhance the flavor of the chicken.

After the dinner and a short break, Celia rose and introduced Barbara to the group. Barbara was surprised by the light fluttering in her stomach. Could this be that butterfly feeling that she had read about? She had always been very relaxed when presenting to the mermaids and mermen. Why was she so nervous? As she looked out into a sea of mainly blue and black, she was greeted by many smiles and encouraging looks. The topic was a general one, dealing with goal setting. Barbara added a few personal details and included a couple of anecdotes from her book.

There were many laughs and nods of recognition as she spoke. At the end, the applause lingered for a while. Velia, the treasurer of CWIN, approached and whispered in Barbara’s ear, “That was fantastic.” Velia waited for the applause to die down. “Thank you, Barbara, for a very inspiring speech. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are impressed by how you picked yourself up and moved on with your life. Many of the women in this audience can identify with your situation and will take home many helpful suggestions. We hope to hear more from you in the future.”

The applause started up again. Velia shook hands with Barbara and presented her with an envelope.

Afterward, a few women approached Barbara and introduced themselves. She spoke at length with some of them and was touched to hear their stories about infidelity, bankruptcy, and other private demons. Barbara glanced at her watch and realized it was past nine. She said goodbye to Celia and proceeded to leave the hall.

“Barbara, may I have a minute of your time? I’ve been waiting to speak to you all evening.” Barbara turned around and faced a tall, heavyset woman. The woman spoke breathlessly. “My name is Sharon Clarke. I’m visiting here from Toronto.” She held out her hand.

Barbara was surprised by Sharon’s strong handshake. “Pleased to meet you.” She waited for her to continue.

“Like everyone else here tonight, I’m very impressed by you and your story. When Celia invited me to attend this dinner, I almost begged off. I don’t really like taking the 401 at rush hour. But I’m glad I came.” She took a breath and continued. “I run a number of businesses in Toronto, among them a training organization. I was wondering if you would be interested in speaking to clubs and organizations throughout Toronto and GTA. Later, you would also be traveling across the country. Do you have an agent?”

“This is my first speaking engagement. I work as a counselor for ReCareering and I volunteered to present one of their seminars.”

“This is the first time you’ve spoken? Ever?” Sharon looked at Barbara in disbelief.

“I was involved with public speaking at school. But I stopped when I married Carl.”

Sharon nodded sympathetically. “You lost your voice for a while. But now you’ve got it back, you must use it.” She rummaged through her purse and pulled out her card. “Here’s my contact information. Think about what I said, and call when you’re ready to work for me.”

“Work for you? Do you mean full time?”

“Of course. Once you get on the speakers circuit, I am certain that you will be inundated with offers.” She looked closely at Barbara. “You’re not ready for that yet, are you? You feel grateful to that boss of yours and think you owe her your loyalty by spending the rest of your life here. The day will come, and I think it’s coming soon, when you no longer feel that welcome in this small town.” She gazed at Barbara with intensity. “The universe will shake up your life and force you to leave Carden.”

Barbara trembled as she looked at the tall, blond woman who seemed to see right through her. She would be leaving soon, but she didn’t like the idea of the universe shaking up her life. She wanted to leave quietly, without too much damage in her wake. She tried to control the fear and anxiety that were gripping her insides. “Thank you, Sharon. I will give you a call if I decide to take you up on your offer.” She joked, “Let’s hope the universe doesn’t wreak too much damage.”

“The universe does what it has to do to get your attention.” Sharon swung her purse over her shoulder and walked away. “See you soon, Barbara.”

Barbara hugged her body and stood still for a few minutes. Sharon Clarke had rattled her cage. The woman’s predictions sounded so ominous, so unsettling. She was the first human who had gotten under her skin, and Barbara did not like the feeling.
I don’t want to work for her
. That last thought was even more surprising. A few months ago, she would have leaped at any job offer, and now she was actually thinking of turning one down. But she had to be very careful and not make any hasty decisions. Sharon could open many doors for her. That could definitely help once the book came out.

The book. Everything hinged on the book.

As Barbara walked briskly through the quiet streets of downtown Carden, she focused on clearing her mind of these new, unsettling thoughts.