“There’s not a day goes by without I think of her,” Megan said sadly. She had given generously and often to cancer charities over the last three years, taking part in fundraising walks and volunteering occasionally at a phone bank to drum up donations. The swiftness of Mary’s illness had been just heartbreaking but, perhaps, a blessing; those who loved Mary, which seemed to be everyone she had ever met, were spared the painful indignity of watching her waste away. Megan recalled it as having been a matter of only days, though in truth it was ten quick weeks; hardly had the dreadful news sunk in, Mary was gone.
“What about you?” Megan asked, happy to move on from painful memories. “All I’ve seen of you, apart from a couple of ten-minute appearances at birthday parties, is you opening shiny, new factories in exotic locales.”
Jake smiled. “The price of being the public face of Goliath, I guess. Still, it keeps me on the road, which is the way I like it.”
“No settling down for you, then?” Megan asked, but regretted it immediately. He’ll think I’m finding out if he’s seeing someone. That I want a date. And I don’t.
Do I?
“’Settling down’ hasn’t really been in my vocabulary recently,” Jake admitted. “Too much travel, too little time.” There was a gale of laughter from the TV room as Andrea found one of her favorite cartoons. “What about you? Did you find Mr. Right?”
Megan grunted, not the most attractive sound, but an honest response. “Between classes, ward hours, teaching piano and trying to stop my body turning into a mound of flab, there isn’t a spare moment.”
Jake chuckled gently, nodding as if he completely understood. “It’s hard. I tried the online thing too, but mostly I seem to meet people randomly.”
“Yeah,” Megan remarked, “that special someone tends to come along at the least likely moment, so they tell me.” God, shut up, you idiot. “Guess I should try to create a bunch of really unlikely moments and see what happens.” Hey, Megan? You know that big, flapping thing on the front of your face? Close it, right now, before you sound like a demented spinster.
“Keeping an open mind serves us all well,” Jake philosophized aloud.
Next topic, dummy, before this becomes uncomfortable. “How’s the business going? The media seems certain you’re going to take over the world.”
Jake laughed easily, more than used to accounting for journalists and their hyperbole. “They fixate on novelty, and can see only a future where today’s new inventions dominate. But,” Jake cautioned, “what about tomorrow’s inventions? No-one can imagine the future with any accuracy.”
Megan marveled at him. Who on Earth is this guy? She hurriedly discarded, piece by piece, the Jake McMahon she had known in high-school, and began assessing this newly grown-up, slightly mysterious young man. Somewhere along the way, he had managed to gain some depth. Megan wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or intimidated, whether to keep him at arms’ length, or to...
“Look, I’d love to catch up more, but Andrea needs to get home in time for dinner.”
“Sure,” Megan replied, a little relieved that her mouth wouldn’t be given too many more opportunities to embarrass her, but somehow loathe to see him leave. “You’ve been busy, I can tell.” It was a flippant comment which hid much.
“You too,” Jake said, glancing around the house. “It suits you here. Just the one roommate?”
“Yeah, Erica is great,” Megan told him. “Best finder of lost keys you could imagine.”
Jake watched Andrea gradually detaching herself from the TV. “Cool... Look, Megan?” His confidence vanished briefly, providing the first flash of a younger, less certain Jake McMahon. “How about grabbing a drink with me on Saturday?”
Oh, shit. “Saturday? Well... I’m not sure.”
“One drink?” It was a cute, enquiring, hopeful expression which gave his handsome face a pleading, almost submissive air.
Before she could answer, Andrea made her entrance. “Spongebob!” she declared. “I found the new episode!” This victory eclipsed all else for the moment, and was still being celebrated as Jake guided the chattering girl to Megan’s front door.
“I’ll be right out,” Jake assured her. “Did she play well today?”
Megan pursed her lips. “Not bad, but there’s always more room for practice.”
“I don’t know how she fits everything in,” Jake said. “Her schedule is fuller than mine!”
Something made Megan say, “Not Saturday evening, apparently.” Why did that come out?
“So, you’re reconsidering?” Jake asked. Megan stared at the ceiling, a playful smile growing as she made a show of weighing up her options. “One drink, I’m serious.” Jake raised his palms in sincerity. “Then I’ll drive you wherever you need to be.”
Megan scrutinized this handsome, tall blonde. God, he looks good in that shirt. She wavered, but then her grin spread and she found herself looking away, a little bashful.
“Is that a ‘yes’?”
Megan nodded slightly. “Just like when you’re practicing the piano,” she said. Jake’s confused frown was one of the cutest things about him, she quickly decided. “Persistence is rewarded,” she explained. “Saturday at seven?”
“I’ll pick you up,” Jake promised. Andrea called from outside, so he quickly took Megan’s hand and said, “So good to see you. I’m glad we’ll have some more time together.”