Her Lifelong Dream (16 page)

"I think he runs at lunch sometimes," she said, with a
shrug. "There's a gym in his office building with a treadmill. Maybe he gets a few miles in on that."

"Oh," Leedy said, thoughtfully. "Do you want to check
at the sports store for another pair of running shoes?" She
was pleased with herself because she had managed to ask
a question that didn't involve Terry.

"That's a good idea," Deanna said, and they took to the
mall. Leedy promised herself she wouldn't mention Terry's
name again. Even if she was dying. But, on the other hand, if Deanna should happen to bring up the subject of her
uncle, she wouldn't stop her.

No, Leedy told herself. You're not to bother Deanna with
your childish games. If you want to find out if Terry is
seeing Krissy Montgomery, then you just have to ask him
yourself. Don't drag Deanna into this! Then she sighed. Of
course he was seeing her. Hadn't Leedy seen with her own
two eyes how Krissy had practically given him a lap dance
in his car!

"Your uncle told me he was having some sort of problem
at work," Leedy asked, all reservations thrown out the window. "Is everything all right?"

"I don't know," Deanna said with a shrug. "He had some
kind of date on Saturday night and I went to the football
game on Sunday. I have not seen Uncle Terry since Saturday"

A date! Leedy's heart sank. "Oh," she mumbled.

"You'll see him when you drop me off at home," Deanna
said. "Maybe we can have Chinese food again."

After that Leedy couldn't think of much more to talk
about with Deanna. She asked her about school and her
studies, but something seemed to be lacking from their conversation. So preoccupied with Terry, she didn't feel the
usual spark of enthusiasm she always felt when Deanna was
around.

Leedy sighed and tried on another pair of shoes. "I don't
know," she said to Deanna. "I couldn't wear these to work,
that's for certain. Not and be able to walk properly. What
do you think?"

"I love impractical shoes," Deanna said, a giggle in her
voice. "There's nothing like the feeling of pinched toes and an aching instep to make a girl feel pretty. That's what I
always say."

Leedy smiled. It was no use. She had to find out the
truth about Terry. "I have an idea," she said. "Let's go to
the Nail Jail and get a manicure ... and a pedicure. My
treat." Deanna's eyes lit up. Surely there was nothing
wrong with two friends having a juicy gossip session while
they were having their nails done.

A few minutes later, Deanna and Leedy were seated next
to each other in the pedicure chairs, bottles of Mocha Frost
Kiss and Autumn Burgundy Creme waiting for them
nearby. Leedy closed her eyes, waiting for the right moment, and enjoyed the gentle but firm massage provided by
the woman in the pink smock.

"This is heavenly," Deanna sighed. "I've never had my
feet massaged before."

"I have only done this once myself," Leedy admitted.
"But I think I'm going to start to make a habit of it."

"Yeah," Deanna chirped. "We could do this once a
month together."

Leedy's mood lifted at the thought of their shopping trips
becoming a regular occurrence. Even if Terry had found
someone else, there was no reason why she couldn't remain
friends with Deanna.

"Tell me about Chris," Leedy asked, trying to take her
mind off her thoughts.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" Deanna asked.
Her face flushed at the sound of her boyfriend's name. "I
better warn you. I get all goofy when I talk about him. My
friends say it's so gaggy ... But I can't seem to help myself."

"I want to hear every detail," Leedy said, sliding back
into the seat.

"I met him in my English 101 class," she began. "He
asked to borrow a pencil. I thought he was pretty much of
a bone head not to have a pencil on the first day of class,
but I gave him one anyway. And just as I gave him the
pencil, he dropped his bookbag and a case full of pens and
pencils dropped to the floor."

Leedy smiled. "I think he wanted to meet you."

Deanna smiled back and nodded. "Ah, yeah! You think?
He kind of started talking to me after that. Just the usual
questions. He asked me about my major and my roommate
in the dorm. Was she a geek or cool? Where was I from?
All the normal stuff you talk about. But it was as if he was
hanging onto my every word. I've never had a guy so interested in my life ... except for Uncle Terry, of course.
Chris waited a couple of days and then he asked me to go
to a movie."

"He sounds great," Leedy said. "What movie did you
see?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't even remember. All I know
is that he held my hand and we went to get a slice of pizza
afterwards. It was the best pizza I've ever eaten!"

Leedy smiled. It was a cute story of young romance, but
Deanna told it in such a way that it seemed to take on the
feel of an epic love story.

"I'm a little taller than he is," she said, her face clouding
with worry. "But just by an inch or two. And he's still
growing. Uncle Terry once told me it takes boys longer to
finish growing. He says I won't always be taller than all
the boys. He says they'll catch up."

"I've heard that too," Leedy said. "And even if Chris
doesn't grow any taller, so what?"

"Yeah. I know. I know. I like being tall most of the time,
but it scares some guys away."

"I understand how you feel," Leedy said. "I'm five foot
nine. It doesn't sound as if it bothers Chris though."

"No," Deanna said. "Not in the least."

"Does it bother you?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But not always."

"If it doesn't bother you and it doesn't bother him, then
it doesn't matter who's an inch or two taller. Does it?"

Deanna nodded and sank back into the pedicure chair,
shutting her eyes wearily. "I don't care about the height
thing," she yawned. "Chris is there on tennis scholarship."

"Oh, he's an athlete? That's good."

"Yes, but he isn't into it as much as he used to be. He
enjoys it, but he doesn't think he can make a career of it.
He's studying to be a mechanical engineer, with a minor
in astronomy. He's teaching me about the constellations
and the planets. I know it sounds silly, but it is really interesting."

"Watching the stars sounds romantic," Leedy said.

"It is romantic," Deanna sighed. "But that isn't all we
do. We both enjoy bike riding and we go to all the football
games. We have a lot of fun together!"

"He sounds great," Leedy said.

"I finally told Uncle Terry about him," Deanna admitted.

The sound of Terry's name made Leedy's heart skip a
beat. "Really?" she said.

"I thought he'd be mad at me for getting all goo-goo
eyed," Deanna said, her voice rising in excitement. "But he
said he had a feeling I was dating someone. He said he knew I was a level-headed young woman and would make
good decisions." She was beaming.

"That's good," Leedy said. "See, you didn't have anything to worry about after all."

"I guess I didn't," Deanna said. "Uncle Terry says he
wants to meet Chris, but that's so lame! I can't take him
home to meet my family yet! Chris would think I'd gone
goofy on him."

Leedy only halfway listened while Deanna chattered excitedly about her new-found romance. It wasn't that she
was disinterested in her young friend's life, it was just that
her thoughts were far away. She remembered Terry in the
restaurant parking lot with the expression of longing and
confusion on his handsome face. Things had gone so well
between them that night. What had happened? Of course,
Leedy knew the answer had been the telephone call. One
stupid, little phone call had kicked her dreams right in the
teeth, almost as certainly as the bank's loan approval committee had done only a few short weeks ago.

"Is your uncle seeing someone?" Leedy asked suddenly.

Deanna's eyes popped open wide and she looked at
Leedy with surprise. "No," she said. "At least, I don't think
so. I don't see him all week and we keep our weekends
open for each other. He had a date on Saturday. I think.
But it may have had something to do with work. He didn't
seem too excited. Uncle Terry would tell me if there were
someone serious in his life, and he hasn't mentioned anyone." Leedy felt a rush of relief. And disappointment. Terry
had not told Deanna about another woman. But he had not
mentioned her either.

"Why do you ask?" Deanna asked, her face full of interest.

Leedy blinked a few times, not wanting to make a full
confession. "I don't know," she stammered. "I was just
curious. You had mentioned his date on Saturday. I was
just wondering if it was anyone I know ..."

Leedy hoped Deanna would volunteer some more information, but she didn't. "I went to a party on campus," she
said. "He didn't tell me anything about it but he was home
by the time I got home that night. But, like I said, it may
have been a business meeting and not a real date."

Deanna was watching Leedy intently, her face was
bright, her eyebrows raised. She waited for Leedy to explain her questions regarding her uncle's love life, but it
soon became clear that nothing more was forthcoming. Finally she spoke. "Are you interested in Uncle Terry?"
Leedy blushed, then shrugged. "Come on," Deanna prodded. "Fess up! I told you about Chris."

"There's nothing to confess to," Leedy said. The manicurist was painting her toenails and the color looked too
dark. But Deanna was looking at her, clearly skeptical of
the denial. "Oh, all right," Leedy said. "I'll tell you, but
it's got to stay between the two of us. Deal?"

"Deal."

"I didn't like your uncle at first." Leedy admitted with
an embarrassed smile. "It wasn't his fault though. The bank
rejected my loan application and I just about burst into tears
during the meeting. I think I made a fool out of myself."

"He told me about that," Deanna said. "He didn't mention your name, of course, but he told me the whole story.
He came home from work and told me he'd made a beautiful woman cry in his office that day. I didn't realize it
was you."

"He said that?" Leedy exclaimed, her face turning pink.

"Yes. He also said he was thinking about calling you but
he said you were so sad when you left the bank you would
probably just hang up on him."

Leedy gulped, taken aback by this startling new information. "He really said that?" she stammered. "I never
knew! I wonder why he never called."

"I don't know," Deanna said. "I guess because you were
embarrassed. But, if it means anything to you, it was his
idea to go to Mr. Hobo's for dinner that first night I met
you. And he gave me ten bucks for finding out that you
were going to be running in the race the next day ..."

"He did that?" These revelations were almost too much
to take in.

"He gave me ten dollars!" Deanna said again. "He told
me I was a good detective and he should bring me with
him all the time. I guess that was when you signed up for
his class." While she talked Leedy nodded to her every
word. Her heart was pounding with happiness and her mind
was racing with things she wanted to tell Terry when she
saw him. After she covered his face with soft, tender butterfly kisses.

"He really said all those things?"

"Yes," Deanna said. "But don't tell him I told you. I'm
usually really good about not telling my uncle's business,
but this time I think it's best that I butt in."

That was enough for Leedy. She could hardly wait for
the manicurist to finish painting her toenails. When they
finally left the Nail Jail, Leedy practically dragged Deanna
through the mall to finish the rest of their shopping. Every
few moments, she'd look at her watch. The day went by
slowly until it was finally time to go.

"Do you have anything else you need?" she asked, trying
to hide her restlessness.

"This should do it for the week," Deanna said, holding
up two shopping bags.

"Great!" Leedy said, and pointed Deanna toward her car.
Of course, they had to make a few unplanned stops along
the way out of the mall, but Leedy happily acquiesced to
anything the teenager wanted to do.

Leedy had to control herself to keep from speeding as
she drove Deanna home. She couldn't wait to see Terry.
Couldn't wait to get him outside on the patio where she
could finally, at long last, tell him the way she felt about
him. She would tell him that she liked him. Really, really
liked him. It sounded sophomoric, but they were words that
had to, at long last, be spoken. And if he should happen to
kiss her again, that would be perfectly fine with her.

She turned the corner onto Terry's street, slowing down
only slightly as she rounded the curve. She could see his
house from a block away. She could see the black Corvette
in the driveway. He was home! But wait, there was another
car there too. A bright red BMW sports car squatted in the
driveway next to Terry's Corvette. It looked, to her at least,
decidedly out of place in front of his house.

Just then the front door opened, and she saw two figures
standing in the doorway. They paused a moment, as if in
deep conversation. Leedy carefully coasted her Jeep up to
the curb and slowed to a stop.

"Aren't you coming in?" Deanna asked as she gathered
her bookbag and packages. "I thought we were having Chinese food with Uncle Terry?"

"I don't know," Leedy said, glancing at the shadows in
the doorway. "Maybe I shouldn't. It looks like you have company. Come to think of it, I should go in to work tonight. The new assistant chef is there by himself. The regular chef has the night off." It was a lie, but one she
couldn't help making. She tried not to look at the entrance
of the house. If she could just let Deanna out of the car
before anyone saw her, maybe she could get away without
interrupting Terry and his ... guest.

He was standing in the doorway to the house. He had
not noticed when Leedy pulled up. He was talking intently
to a woman who was facing him, her back to the street.
That back looked uncomfortably familiar. It was a woman's
back. A woman who wore a pair of tight designer blue
jeans and a long pumpkin-colored sweater coat that looked
as if it cost the proverbial pretty penny. She had long, perfectly coifed blond hair. Leedy's mouth dropped open when
she realized the woman was no other than Krissy Montgomery.