Life, Etc. -- Sixteen

As they stepped outside Stephen suggested they look in some of the shop windows.  Evening temperatures were beginning to dip into the colder ranges, but the evening was clear.

 

“Stephen, have you set a date for your trip to Italy yet?”  He hadn’t mentioned the travel books since his first time in the shop.

“Let’s just say it’s a dream—but one I hope to fulfill sometime in the not too distant future.  I’ve always wanted to travel.  But I’m not one of the rich televangelists.”  Stephen winked and then said, “My bachelor’s degree is in Art History—and I’ve never done anything with it, but read and dream.  My former wife and I planned to go a couple of times, but something always came up.”

“So Megan, what are your unfulfilled dreams?”

“Actually, I’m living my dream!”  She told him of the bookshop she worked in as a teenager.  “I love the smell, sight and feel of books!  I said that someday I would own my own shop, and now I have it!”

 On the drive home, Megan remained quiet for awhile.  She hadn’t felt so relaxed with a man since the earlier years with Jonathan.  Stephen had an air of intimacy about him, but had made no attempt to hold her hand or touch her in any way except to put his hand on her back as she got into the car.

 

He looked across and smiled at Megan.  “OK, be honest, are you comparing me with Roland Fisher, and if so, how do I fare?”

 

Megan turned to Stephen.  “No, Stephen, you are not Roland Fisher…”

As they drove into Maple Village Stephen offered to pay Lauren’s babysitting fee and take her home.  Megan said she would pay, but she thanked him for the offer to drive Lauren.

That night, as Megan snuggled into her down comforter, she smiled as she thought about her evening with Stephen.  Although she couldn’t anticipate the future in that relationship, she did believe she had a new friend.

The next morning, as she opened her eyes, the first thing Megan thought of was Jonathan’s request to have Emily for Thanksgiving.  She needed to call him back.

 

Emily hated to be awakened in the morning, but reacted far more tranquilly if Gilly kissed her to consciousness.  Megan opened Emily’s bedroom door and Gilly ran in.  Within seconds, Megan heard laughter.

 

“Honey, your dad called to see if you’d like to spend Thanksgiving with him.  What do you think?”

“That would be cool, Mom!”  Emily’s face lit up at the suggestion.

“I think he has a girlfriend he wants to introduce you to.  How do you feel about that?”  Megan knew that inevitably this would take place, but she hurt for her daughter as her life began this new phase.

“Mom, I’m OK with it but I want to decide if I like her or not.  Jessica’s father has a girlfriend and she hates the woman.  If Daddy’s girlfriend is nice, fine.  But if I don’t like her, I’m going to tell him!” Emily said with emphasis.

“Honey, I think that’s only fair.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that Daddy will leave her out in the cold.”

 

Emily giggled as she thought of the woman standing on the sidewalk while she and her dad played board games.  “Yeah, I know.”

                    

 The next week went quickly.  More customers, more book orders.  Business was growing in spite of the recession.  Chris’s knowledge of the business increased each day, so Megan found time to expand the coffee shop offerings.

                      

Since Emily didn’t have school the whole week of Thanksgiving, she flew to her dad’s the following Sunday.  Megan did not like having Emily gone.  The apartment seemed empty, and usually the first night away, she nursed her aching heart with a box of chocolate and a trip to Guilt-Land where all bad parents cry on one another’s shoulders.  In her heart, she knew she wasn’t a horrible parent, but custody, child support and weeks away from her child were not on the horizon when she and Jonathan first held Emily in their arms.

Just as Megan unlocked the shop on Monday morning, Diane opened the door.  They both laughed at their own surprise.  “Wow, you’re out early Diane—and you’re not even in pajamas!”

 

“I need a cup of coffee and a muffin.  The boys are at a play date and I was too lazy to fix a pot this morning.  Besides, I wanted to talk with you about Thanksgiving.  What are your plans?”

“I really haven’t thought of it.  I’ve been traipsing through Guilt-Land.  What do you have in mind?”

“Who else do you know who is single and alone—we could organize a lonely hearts dinner?”

 

“It’s gotta have a more appealing moniker if you expect to gain any participants.”  Again they laughed.  Megan liked the idea, but didn’t know who else might fit into the category.

“How about Stephen Forbes?”  Diane had a glint in her eye as she spoke.

 

“Hey, don’t try to match-make.  I haven’t heard from him since we had dinner together.  He really is nice, but I am not anticipating anything romantic—at least not in the near future.  Besides, three wouldn’t be enough.”

“Look,” said Diane.  “Why don’t you call Stephen and see if he has any friends, male or female, who would like to join us?”

“I don’t know…,” Megan felt hesitant.  Just then the phone rang in the shop.  She went to answer it.

“Well, hello—and speak of the devil!  Diane and I were just talking about you.”

From the other end, Stephen laughed, “I knew my ears were burning.  I thought it was the new after shave I bought.  So, what makes me so interesting?”

“Well, we were just talking about getting a group of singles together for Thanksgiving.  Do you have plans?”

“I do have a friend coming down from Portland.  He’s a minister at an Episcopal congregation there, and he’s single.  He might like a larger get together than just him and me.  Besides, fixing a turkey for two people isn’t much fun.”

“Well, that’s a beginning.  Diane and I will see if we can round up a couple more.  I’m surprised you haven’t had lots of invitations from your members.”

“Actually, I’ve turned down several.  And then once Michael said he was coming, it was easier.”

Megan remembered that she didn’t initiate the call.  “O, Stephen, I took over the conversation.  Why did you call?”

“That’s right, I did, didn’t I?  I found an ad for a book on Italian art history that looks really good.  Could you order it for me?”  Megan took all the information and said she’d get the order out right away.

To be continued...