Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
It was like I had hit the pause button and now I didn’t quite know how to hit play again. I thought about my trip to see Chris, and wondered how my parents would react if they knew about my plans. Still, I was looking forward to getting back home, even for a short time. It sure as hell beat having to go into the office and confront Sean. I hadn’t had so much as a phone call from him after my discovery, and it reinforced my determination to accelerate my plans. I’d had enough of my life revolving around Clover House; it was time to make Clover House work for me.
It was in the middle of this daydream that I arrived at the airport. I had purposely not thought about what to say when I saw Effie. She had left so abruptly that I knew instinctively that the best way to play it was to simply act like it hadn’t happened. We had both made a drunken mistake, we were both adults, and we could both ignore it and get on with our jobs. Of course I regretted it, but I was grateful to her for breaking it off so soon. Everything was arranged, and I recognized the flight attendants. It always seemed to be the same two smiling young women who did these trips. They showed me on board and I found Effie sitting reading a book.
“Effie,” I smiled. “Okay, so I’m just going to get this over with quickly. The other night I was in a bit of a state and…”
“It was a mistake on both our parts,” she agreed.
“Okay, so we can move on?” I smiled, relieved.
“Absolutely,” she nodded and went to return to her book.
“Did they show you around the plane?” I asked. “There’s a sleeping area back there if you feel like it.”
She raised one eyebrow and I realized what it must have sounded like, then she said quietly, “It’s a very nice plane. It seems like kind of an extravagance for just the two of us. Not sure you’re going to win any eco-awards…”
I heard the condescension in her voice and decided to play with her. “Ah, didn’t you think that maybe I have an ulterior motive?”
She looked rattled and began to blush. “What kind of ulterior motive?”
I could hear excited squeals outside, and I knew I was going to have the upper hand in a matter of seconds. I got up to welcome the other passengers, and a small tornado of a boy flew up the aisle and straight into me.
“Dermott, be careful!” Olivia shouted as she reached me and threw her arms around me for a hug. “Never mind him, Keegan, he’s just so excited about the flight. His brother is excited too, but he’s playing it cool!” she gestured to a teenager behind her who nodded at me solemnly.
“No worries,” I laughed. “He’s got tall since I last saw him. Is your ma here?”
“She’s fussing outside, but she will be up shortly. Oh, thanks again for this Keegan, it’s amazing! We could not have afforded the trip home at the moment, and so your kind offer to join you means the world to us all.” Olivia hugged me again and then sat down across the wide aisle from us. I sat back down, grinning to myself.
“It’s not just the two of us,” Effie said, a statement rather than a question.
“No, that’s Olivia, and her boys. Her mother and father will be along in a minute, and her mother’s brother too. They’re all taking advantage of the extravagance to go home for a few days,” I said, emphasizing the word extravagance as she had.
“Are they your… family?” she asked, looking doubtful.
“No. You might recognize Beverly; she works as a janitor at the office. She’s a sort of surrogate mother to me in this strange and foreign land,” I smiled.
“That’s really kind of you,” she said, and I didn’t like the note of surprise in her voice.
“Well, yeah, but it won’t win me any eco-awards…” I winked.
As we settled in for the six-hour flight, Effie seemed mesmerized by the endless stream of conversation from Beverly’s family. Beverly had brought a picnic – because she didn’t trust ‘airplane food’ and she insisted that we ate with them. The cabin crew brought us tea and coffee and we all sat together.
“So, I hope this one treats you all right in that place,” Beverly said, nodding at me but looking at Effie.
“I can’t complain,” Effie answered.
“Have you got an eyeful of his girlfriend yet?” she sniffed.
“She’s not my girlfriend, Beverly…” I said, cringing.
“Okay, okay, well whatever she is, have you seen her? Skin and bone she is, nothing to her, just a skeleton with a great big swish of hair,” she persisted.
“I’m not seeing her anymore, Beverly!” I said quietly, willing her to shut up.