Barbara Levenson - Mary Magruder Katz 03 - Outrageous October by Barbara Levenson

Catherine although she was speaking softly.
    “I couldn’t talk to you out at my desk. I’m in your office with the door closed.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because Carlos is out there for the third time since you left. And when he’s not here in person, he’s on the phone. He’s driving me crazy. He just threw an envelope with your season tickets to the Panthers hockey team on my desk. He said, and I quote, ‘tell Mary I’m giving her these tickets. She wanted them. I couldn’t stand to use them without her.’ I looked at them and they’re great, six rows off the ice. Can I use some of them?”
    “Have you let anything slip about where I am?”
    “Of course not. But you should see him. He looks like he’s going to cry.”
    “I wish he really felt that sad, as sad as I do about how things ended between us. I just can’t trust him again after that terrible lie. I can’t count the times he told me how unhappy he was married to Margarita. Then I catch him having a secret cozy dinner with her when he told me he had a business meeting. How can I ever believe him again?”
    “I hear you,” Catherine said. “It’s just hard to think that there isn’t a good reason for his actions.”
    “I can’t imagine what that could be except another lie. I just don’t want to talk about this anymore. What else is new?”
    “Well, your mother has called several times to see if I’ve heard from you. And both your brothers called. Then Chicky called and said she wanted to talk to you. I said I didn’t know how to reach you.”
    .”What about client calls?”
    “You’ve got some new referrals that I sent on to Joe Fineberg. He said to tell you he accepted two new cases for you. One concerns some athlete. I think he said a football player who got arrested for rape or something. He’ll handle it ‘til you get back. Aren’t you reading your e-mails? I’ve been sending you these updates.”
    “I haven’t even opened my laptop in three days. I’m really trying to get away from the pressure-cooker I’ve been living in. Anyway, sounds like you’re doing great. Call my cell if you need me. It doesn’t always work so just leave a voice-mail, and the phone at Lucy’s isn’t connected. I’ll keep checking in with you, and I promise to start looking at the e-mails.”
    “Mary, I miss you. It’s not so much fun without you to laugh with. I’m beginning to feel sorry for Carlos. Maybe you should come home and hear him out.”
    “I miss you, too, but Carlos is not in my future. Gotta go. Bye.”.
    My heart was pounding just hearing about Carlos. Talking to Catherine brought back all the pain of seeing Carlos with Margarita. I stood staring out the window of the store.
    “Mary, are you okay?”
    I turned back to the counter, now free of new customers. Riley came around the counter and perched on a wooden stool “Mary, I’m glad you waited. Is everything okay?”
    “Oh, sure, just office problems.”
    How long will you be visiting? I’d be glad to show you around over the weekend. As you can see, I’m pretty tied up here at the store during the week. My dad owns this and the gift shop down by the Gorge, so he keeps me busy.”
    “I really don’t know how long I’m going to stay. I’ve needed a vacation from work and stuff at home. I’d love to have you show me around. By the way, I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation before. What’s the Select Board?”
    “Oh, it’s like a town council. See every town is made up of a group of villages. I was elected to represent the village of High Pines.”
    “That sounds different. But I guess it’s like our County Commission in Miami-Dade County. Each area has a commissioner and then there’s a mayor from any district.”
    “Oh, we don’t have a mayor; just one member who kind of runs our meetings, but we Vermonters aren’t shy about speaking up. As the saying goes, ‘put two Vermonters in a room and get three opinions.’”
    “That sounds like lawyers.