Hot Chips and Sand
Copyright © 2013 Mary Hughes
All rights reserved
Chapter 9Nine
On their way out of the
building, Vickie’s
phone chimed. She pulled it out. “I’ve got a voicemail.” She put it on speaker
and played back the message.
“What
happened?” Vickie was more
hungry than interested. in Jerry Fitzwater was not a good source
of juicy gossip, even if he was president of their companyright then.
But her ears perked up at Tess’s next words.
“Mel
Pinlow just
got canned. today. Not only did he screw up
another big job, but he got a sexual discrimination suit filed against the
company because of his idiotic behavior—remember how Iwe
used to call him ‘His AssHoliness’?”
Vickie
blushed
but. She
felt the
atavistic thrill of revenge. Time
wounds all heels, she thought. “I
feel sorry for him, although I can’t say I’m surprised. I hateMel and hated to
see it happen to anybody, but you and wasn’t totally surprised. Time
wounds all heels. Tess and Phil had been
covering for him too long.”.
“You
too, Vickie. I heard“And when I
thought about the number of times he cut into you andabout
your professional conduct. You, of
all people.” He…” Tess
laughed. “Well, I’d better get on this procedure
so I can get home and monitor it with a glass of beer. Nice seeing you Vickie, CliffI thought
you’d like to hear about it.”
Phil turned to go into the
building. Cliff stood for a moment,
watching Vickie thoughtfully. “Poor Mel.”
Vickie ended the call and put away her phone.
“You feel sorry for that
jerk Pinlow? ?” Cliff said.
“I’d have fired him long before now, or at least put him in rehab
training.
Or maybe I’d have fired him because he wasn’t very nice to you.”
Now
Vickie turned and stared.
Cliff
would have fired Mel long ago? She
had
thoughtremembered thinking they were two peas
in a pod, like‑minded to the point of being twins.
The
sudden incongruity between who Vickieshe’d thought Cliffhe
was and how he was acting crashed into her like a slushball. What was going on here? Who was Cliff, really? slapped her
like a laptop to the face. How had she missed this decisive manager, this
supportive friend?
AgainWell, maybe
she remembered
him in Middle Yemen, her night in shining armor. Or black silk pants. She blushed.
Or
was heconfused by all the
man inother Cliffs
she’d met. The sweet lover at the picnic. In the restaurant, the suave
and cool and sophisticated?
Or
the man. The powerful president and CEO
of a multi‑million dollar company, telling her on the car ride to his corporate
head quarters in no uncertain terms that she couldn’t judge his dealing with a
power‑mad dictator?. And of course in Middle Yemen,
her night in shining armor—or black silk pants. She blushed.
Or
the casually‑dressed, muscular giant who had made love to her in the park?
As it was Vickie had to
consciously reel herself back in. She
simply did not have enough information about him, and she couldn’t trust her
fragile heart to anything less than certainty.
And
if Cliff was anything, he wasn’t a certainty.
He was eyeing
her strangely. Oh yes, and another Cliff, the astute human being. Vickie
knew she had to say something. She remembered her own dismissal, after she couldn’t
handle her breakup with Ron. “Well,
I don’t like to see anyone get fired, although in this case, I supposed it’s for the
best all
around. . Maybe Mel will learn something from
it.”
“I
doubt it. Egos like that seldom learn from
experience.”
This
she could parry. “Oh? How did you learn so much, then?”
“Repetition.” He
smiled cryptically. “Practice.”
Vickie felt there was something
underlying“What does that remark, but Cliff was headingmean?” She was
speaking to his back. He’d headed toward yet another strange car.
She ran to catch up. “My“Let’s use my
car this time, okay?”
He smiled and followed her
to her sedan.
Vickie
openedpopped
the passenger
side first, waited forlocks, watched him to fold his long
frame into the car, and clicked the door shut. Thenfanned herself, then
she slid behind the steering wheel. Her
faithful sedan started up on the first crank, and she pulled smoothly out of
the parking lot.
Cliff
amused himself by futzing with the stereo for a while. After he had rejected
half a dozen or so stations, she took pity on him and showed him the presets. He hit the first one, liked it,
and settled back.
She
smiled, a bit ruefully, to herself. Since
the episode in the park, Cliff had been the perfect gentleman. Gradually, her feeling of
awkwardness around him was subsiding. And without feeling obliged to remind him of
his moral duties to Prince Kulinahr, she was really beginning to enjoy his
company, to feel comfortable with him. Every day it seemed they found
more things they had in common. Then why did she feel something vital was missing?
Then why
did she feel something vital was missing?
Something personal?
No. Personal was bad. She
should be happy. This
was what she was trying to achieve, right? Aa
good professional relationship. Then, atWhen
the end,project was
over they wouldcould part. No with no regrets,
no hurt on any side.
The
A pang hit her chest at the thought of
parting
withleaving Cliff brought a fierce pang in her
middle. . No hurt indeed.
He
was happier . It might hurt in the short run but it was better this
way. She was happier this way. Just enjoyEnjoy the time you havethey had
together, Vickie,
and then leave. Good
business. No regrets.
“Vickie?
Is somethingWhat’s wrong?”
God,
why did he have to be so perceptive? When
the Deity did not answer her, she said to Cliff, “Oh, I was just thinking.” Then, attempting to side‑trackmade an
attempt to sidetrack him, she added,. “Do you think
John will ever notice Tess as more than just a friend?” There.
Close Which was actually quite brilliant. It was close enough
to theher own
truth without revealing her own feelings.
“Well,
I…I guess
I don’t know, but really,I’d guess she’s afraid to.
John’s so attractive, he must have scores of women after him…” lovesickLovesick,
one and all. “I
imagine Tess just doesn’t want to embarrass herself.”
‘Too
near your own truth, Vickie?’
“Scores“Sure, scores
of women who aren’t Tess. John
would jump at the chance to date her. He
hasn’t asked her out because he says she always seems so aloof.”
Not
so near. She had She’d never
been aloof in Cliff’s arms. Just then
he turned toward her.
“I’m
surprised he
hasn’t discussed it with you, Vickie.
You appear to beyou haven’t mentioned this to him. You’re
close friends.”
Close
friends. She and John had
shared laughs, drinks, even sundaes. But no one
was closer to her now than the man at her side.
She would settle that right now.
But… “Friends,
yes. But never…intimate…friends.”
Cliff’s
eyebrow went up. “I know. John
would have warned me if you two were intimateslovers.”
“Great. So glad we had this
little chat.” Did men share everything? Was nothing sacred from locker‑ -room
discussions? “Well,
good. That relieves my mind on that
score,” she said wryly as
Then she turned onto the street
for The Pizza Place and could practically smell the spicy sauce and melted
mozzarella. As she pulled into a parking space. She pushed the irritation, annoyance
and doubts away, replacing them with the jettisoned in anticipation
of a good dinner. YouShe
always feelfelt
better on a full stomach.
“Your regular table, Vickie?” .
She and John and Tess and JuneBelva
and the others had come often to this restaurant to talk and relax after a long,
hard day’s work. This was
a safe place. Vickie smiled. “Yes.”
This was a safe place. Vickie felt her attitude strengthening and
stabilizing.
Inside,
she beckoned to the hostess. Cliff
entered just in time to hear, “Your
regular table, Vickie?” and receive a
lingering once‑over from the hostess. Then
they were being led to a secluded booth with a window view of the local river.
A waiter, college age, came over waiter zoomed
up as they seated themselves. “Stuffed spinach pizza and diet
cola
tonight, Vickie?” he asked. ?”
Cliff rolled his eyes. Before he could say somethingsnark,
Vickie added, “And two orders of cheese garlic bread, Terry.”
When
the waiter had gone, Cliff waved at the walls. “This is the real reason you’ve
gained weight, isn’t it? Trying
to blame those innocent hot fudge sundaes. Tsk, tsk.” He shook his head slowly.
Vickie
primly unfolded her paper napkin and placed it on her lap. “Nonsense. The crust is whole wheat, spinach is a
marvelous source of several vitamins and minerals, and cheese is a basic food
in the milk group.”
“That’s
an essential component of a very necessary food group.”
“Which
is…?”
“The
diet food group. So
I can eat more hot fudge sundaes.”
“And
brownies.”
“Ha.
Fat lot of them I get with you
around.”
“You
had one just yesterday.”
“We
ordered four. I
thought I
was going toI’d have one for later, but you
gobbled them up so fast, the one I did manage to grab I nearly
got my fingers bitten off for the one I did grab.”
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