Kurt saw Cory’s shoulders relax and nodded at him. It was a small boon, but it was progress. “Come into the kitchen and join me. You haven’t taken a meal with me since I returned.” He shoved aside the pang of hurt that wrought.
Instead of snapping in annoyance, his voice conveyed sad resignation that both frustrated and saddened Kurt as Leland replied, “No, go away, son.”
“I’ll get your tray, Mr. Wilcox.” Cory followed Kurt out, saying, “Don’t give up. He’s changed since you’ve returned, but he’s wrestling with something I can’t get out of him.”
“I’ve noticed the change, but I’ve also seen the surliness I’ve come to expect. He blows hot and cold.” Slapping him on the back as they reached the kitchen, Kurt said, “You deserve a raise. Let me look at the books…”
Cory shook his head. “Thank you, but your dad just gave me a hefty pay increase. Yeah,” he added when Kurt’s eyes widened in surprise, “caught me off guard too.”
In the past, Kurt always had to go to battle for wage increases and charitable contributions as Leland tended to hoard his money close. He always won the battles, but he’d never known his father to increase anyone’s salary out of the blue, on his own, no matter how deserving. “So, another change we’ll have to consider. At least it’s a good one.”
“Oh, it was very good.” He didn’t ask, but Cory’s wide smile proved how pleased he was with it.
“There you two are.” Babs pulled a large bowl out of the refrigerator. “Come have some potato salad and meatloaf. I was just getting ready to fix Mr. Wilcox’s tray.”
“I’ll be in after I shower, Babs. Thanks.”
Now, Kurt pondered as he went to his room, stripped and stepped under the hot spray, if only he could talk his dad into picking up the pace on therapy, get one blonde haired woman with lonely blue eyes out of his head and get caught up on paperwork, things just might settle down into a pleasant routine around here.
“Bye, Ms. Collins.”
Leslie smiled down at her second grader who never failed to give her a hug on his way out to the bus. “See you tomorrow, Timothy.” She ruffled his bright red hair, her heart turning over when he gave her a gapped-tooth grin and finger wave before scampering down the front steps of the school.
For most people, Wednesdays signaled hump day and the downslide to the weekend they were looking forward to. She viewed mid-week as getting close to spending another weekend alone in self-imposed isolation and wrestling with her plaguing thoughts. Pivoting, she went back inside to gather up her take-home work, thinking for about the tenth time what a mistake it was to turn tail and leave before entering the club last weekend. The past four nights since, her dreams were not only invaded by a dominant stranger sharing her bed but taunted by her cowardice in being unable to get back into the groove of visiting her favorite social hangout.
I’ll just keep going back until I get over this funk, she decided as she returned to her classroom and started pushing in chairs and straightening desks. A knock on the open door drew her attention and when she saw Alan coming in, she prayed it wasn’t to ask her out again.
“Hey, how’s your week going?” he asked, leaning a hip against her desk as she walked behind it.
“Good. How about yours?” Picking up the stack of papers she was taking home to grade, she reached down to grab her satchel.
“Here.” He beat her to it, their fingers brushing. A fleeting flashback of the hot flush that had jolted her the moment Kurt’s hands wrapped around her arms to assist her up from the sidewalk shook Leslie. As usual, with Alan there was no spark, which was both sad and a relief. “A few of us are stopping in at Chelsea’s on the way home. Care to join us?”
The hopeful expression on his face kept Leslie from accepting the invitation. “Thanks, but I have a lot to do and would rather go straight home. Maybe next time.”
He shrugged but disappointment clouded his eyes. “Sure. Have a nice evening then.”
Maybe I should request a move, Leslie thought as she watched Alan walk out and then locked up her desk. A new city, maybe in a different state might be what she needed to move forward without so many regrets. But as she drove to her apartment, she realized she would miss the familiarity of Billings and the teachers she worked with as much as she would miss visiting the club and the minimal socializing she’d allowed herself to enjoy. Speaking of which…
As soon as Leslie slid out of her car, Nan pulled into the slot next to her, beaming as she, Sydney, Tamara and Avery all converged on her. “What are you doing here?” Leslie asked, perplexed to see them in front of her apartment.
“I brought Chinese.” Nan held up a large bag of take-out that smelled wonderful.
“And we each brought a bottle of wine.” Sydney gripped a sacked bottle by the neck, the same as Tamara and Avery.
Tamara cocked her head toward Leslie’s apartment. “Are you going to invite us in or did we make this trip for nothing?”
Flustered, pleased and curious, Leslie smiled. “Sorry. You just took me by surprise. Please, come in.” Unlocking her door, she held it open, saying, “I don’t have much room but we can squeeze around my table to eat. How’d you know I love Chinese?”
“We didn’t.” Nan set the large bag on the cozy round table in the corner. “But, really, who doesn’t?”
“We can wait if you want to change and get comfy,” Avery offered as Leslie laid her satchel of papers on a small desk next to her laptop.
“I would, thanks.” She pointed to the cupboards next to the sink. “Plates and glasses are in there. Help yourself. I only have one set of wine
glasses.”
Sydney shooed her toward the bedroom. “That’s all we need, now go get changed then come join us. We have questions.”