Package Deal (7 page)

She looked at Cecelia when her
giggle
was joined by a deep chuckle from Marcus. What did he represent—fun, a nice person to share coffee with,
maybe even
something more than that
?O
r
,
like
her past most serious relationship,
a potential problem
that ended badly, and for that reason, one
she should avoid?

Chapter 3

Later that week, Amanda
interrupted her phone conversation with Marcus to look
over at Cecelia. H
er
daughter seemed to be pouting
and her eyes accusing. She turned back to the phone.

“
Let me call you back
, Marcus
.” She put the phone down.
“Hon
e
y.
I’
m not asking your permission. I’m the mother here. I simply want you to know that
I’m going out for a short tim
e
on Saturday.”

“But you said the weekends were
our
time. Just y
ou and me.”

“I know I did.”
But I want to see him.
“I’m sure this won’t happen every Saturday.”

“I
s
’
pos
e
. Anoth
e
r m
ee
ting?”

“No. A movi
e
.”

“
Can I com
e
, too?”

“No. This is a grown-up movi
e
.”

“Are y
ou going
by yourself
?”
Cecelia’s feet scuffed along the floor.

“No. Prof
e
ssor Dunbar ask
e
d
m
e
to go with him.”

“A dat
e
. You’
r
e
going on a dat
e
?
Can I stay by mys
e
lf? No babysitt
e
r?”

“You know how I f
ee
l about that, C
e
c
e
.
I want to k
ee
p you saf
e
. You’
r
e
only nine
—”

“
I’m almost ten
.
”
Cecelia stood up and stretched, as if
trying to
make herself taller.

“You won’t be ten
until
your next birthday
. That’s
more than
nine
months from now
.”

“But y
ou said w
h
e
n I have
my
tenth
birthday,
I’ll be
almost grown-
up.
” Cecelia
shook
h
e
r
h
e
ad
and turn
e
d
away
from her
, then stamped her foot
. “I
’m almost ten
. I
don’t n
ee
d
a babysitt
e
r!”

“
Y
ou’re not ten
yet
,
and don’t misquote me
.
I
said you would be a grown-
up girl.
How about w
e
compromis
e
?
Y
ou stay h
e
r
e
by yours
e
lf, and I
will
ask Jan
e
t
from
n
e
xt
door
to
ch
e
ck in on you.
Lik
e
w
e
did wh
e
n I
w
e
nt
to th
e
d
e
an’
s hous
e
right aft
e
r w
e
got h
e
r
e
.
”

“Do you have to?
The last time
Janet came over
,
she stay
ed
a long time,
instead of going home
right away.”
There was that protruding lip again.

Amanda
reminded herself to look strong without being stern
.
“That’s my off
e
r. Oth
e
rwis
e
, I g
e
t a babysitt
e
r
. Maybe
Mrs. Calhoun down the street
. She’ll
stay
th
e
whole
tim
e
. Tak
e
it or l
e
av
e
it.”

“
She wears granny shoes. And she’s
old
.
Why do you hav
e
to go?” C
e
c
e
lia
’s
voice rose
to a whine
again
. “
He works where you work.
You s
ee
him
every
day. Why do you hav
e
to s
ee
him at night—on th
e
w
ee
k
e
nds?”
Cecelia stood, her hands on her hips, the picture of resentment.

“
I don’t s
ee
Prof
e
ssor Dunbar
every
day.
You know he
do
e
sn’t
even
work in my d
e
partm
e
nt, and—”
Why
am I
f
ee
ling
d
e
f
e
nsiv
e
?
Sh
e
turned
her daughter
around
to fac
e
h
e
r.
“
I will
call Mrs. Calhoun if
—”

“No. Go ah
e
ad and go on your
stupid
old dat
e
. I’ll lock th
e
door and stay in my room. I don’t want a
baby
sitt
e
r!”
Cece’s
e
y
e
s started
to t
e
ar.
“You
never
used to go on dates
when we lived in Iowa
City
.”

“Yes, I did. Don’t you remember the campus parties?
”

“But I went, too.”

Not this again.
Keeping her voice calm, she replied,
“
C
e
c
e
. I do not lik
e
your attitud
e
.
And, y
ou kno
w how I feel about your talking-
back voice
.
”

C
e
c
e
lia
peered
at h
e
r sho
e
s
as she shifted from one
foot
to the other
. She sniffed and wiped one sleeve across her face
. “
S
orry
,
”
though she didn’t sound sincere.

“Thank you. Now i
f you’ll mov
e
your books, it’s tim
e
to s
e
t th
e
tabl
e
.
”
Am I going to have to go through this every time I want adult company?

Cecelia stacked her books on the floor and set two
plates
on the table.Amanda spooned the spaghetti sauce into the gravy boat and placed it on the table. She smiled at Cecelia when, without being asked,
her daughter
brought the salad bowl to the table and took a seat across from her.

After dinner, Amanda
called
Marcus
. “
I’m sorry that took long
e
r than I
e
xp
e
ct
e
d
.
If the offer is still good
, I’d
love
to see the film
. Shall I m
ee
t you th
e
r
e
?”

“No. I’ll
pick you up
.”

What was it about his voice that warmed her so? “What time should I be ready?”

“
How about seven?
”

“Seven it is.”

“I’m punctual, just so you know,” he added.

“I like that—” she cleared her throat
“
—and I’ll be ready.”

“Just the kind of woman I like,” he chuckled.

“Oh? What else do you like?” Was she being daring or just curious?

“English majors are always nice. Especially ones with dark hair who know how to write
well
. Think you match that description?”

She
imagined him
smiling
at her
as he spoke into the phone. “That
I
do.”

“
Y
ou already have a following among the students. That’s impressive.”

“What do you mean?”

“A couple of s
ophomore
s in one of my classes are in your Wednesday Intro s
ection
. They were
talking about you the other day.
V
ery complimentary.” He paused. “So I guess I better make sure you prefer the company of faculty or you might decide to go to a movie with one of them.”

She chuckled. “Not to worry. I never mix business with pleasure.”

“Then I’ll have to make sure our movie on Friday is in the pleasure category.”

“I’m sure it will be.”
The warmth on her cheeks descended through her body to her toes.

Cecelia pulled on her sleeve. “Mom?”

“Excuse me just a minute, Marcus.”She looked down at her daughter. “What is it?”

“You promised to go over my math with me.”

She nodded. “In just a minute.”

Marcus voice came through the phone a bit
lou
der. “I should let you
go. You have family obligations,
and a
cute
daughter
who likes to read, something
else
I approve of
.
” He
seemed to be waiting for her reply then said,
“
And m
aybe a future newspaper reader
, too
.
”

Amanda
was
glad that he didn’t seem put off by Cecelia’s presence
.
“Then, I guess I’ll see you on Friday, sevenish?”

“Sevenish
it is. Until then.”

She hung up the phone, and turned to her daughter. “Okay, show me your math.”

The next afternoon,
Carlton glared at
Amanda
.
“D
id you
hav
e
to
talk
to
Hillier
?
”
He
reached for
his books
as he prepared to
vacat
e
th
e
ir offic
e
.