“You mother-hen the boy. I swear, he could rob us blind and you’d still be hanging up his coat for him when he walked in the door.” Aunt Jackie sniffed.
“That’s not true.” Well, it was a little true. I did hang the guy’s coat up more times than not because he had a bad habit of throwing it on my desk when he arrived. I went with the safe response. “He’s a police officer. He would never steal from us.”
“Trust the person, not the role,” my aunt muttered. Then she turned toward the window and watched the scenery as we drove into the city. I wondered if she was considering whether her act of kindness for a friend would get her ten to twenty. Part of me wanted to believe everything would be all right. The other side made my guts clench when I thought of the woman spending even a short time in jail. She wasn’t made for rough living. Aunt Jackie thought camping was driving up to Palo Alto and staying in a bed-and-breakfast.
Finally, I thought of a subject that didn’t lead back to her life of crime. “So, what’s going on with you and Josh? At the Business-to-Business meeting it looked like the two of you were cooling the relationship.” I turned down the stereo that had been blasting my all-Dixie-Chicks, all-the-time mix CD that I’d made last weekend.
“We’re taking things slow. He’s been hinting about making the situation permanent, but I’ve told him I have no interest in getting married again. Once was enough.” Aunt Jackie didn’t turn to look at me when she answered.
Whoa. That wasn’t what I’d been expecting. The thought of calling Josh Thomas, uncle anything, made my skin crawl. Thank goodness my aunt was still sane and not leaning toward making it legal. “I thought it was just fun. You two don’t seem to be compatible.”
Now she did turn toward me, her gaze accusatory. “Now you’re just being rude. Josh and I have many interests in common. Did you know he collects rare coins?”
“I didn’t know you collected rare coins.”
Aunt Jackie’s cheeks bloomed pink. “Well, I always wanted to, and now I do.”
“What else do you have in common?” Since she’d brought up the subject, I wasn’t going to let her off with just a mutual love of sorting through change drawers to find a lost prize.
She waved a slender hand, her nails done in a classic French tip and small age spots dotting the skin weaved with visible veins. “We both enjoy antiquing. I mean, it’s his job, but I’ve been very successful in finding several rare items in the last few trips we’ve taken.”
“That sounds riveting.” I turned the car onto the street where my old firm was located. I hadn’t been back to the office since I’d cleaned out my desk that last day, and for a minute, I regretted not picking a more formal outfit. More upscale to show I had made the right decision to leave. But my clothes didn’t signify my status, not anymore. Back when I was a lawyer, I spent hours getting the right brand of suits, the right shoes, and even the right briefcase. Now those hours were spent reading books, hanging with friends, and enjoying life. Yep, I’d made the right decision, no matter what my former coworkers thought about my worn but clean jeans.
After parking, we walked into the reception area. The young woman sitting at the desk with a Lady Gaga headset had been hired after I’d quit and was a stranger to me. When I explained who we were there to see, she nodded and asked us to take a seat to wait.
“You never would have guessed you used to spend eighty hours a week in this joint,” Aunt Jackie fake-whispered. If the receptionist heard, she ignored the jab at what my aunt deemed a lack of hospitality.
“Shh.” I picked up a magazine. Business Journal was doing a series on the trends of Generation X walking away from the rat race. I decided I didn’t need to read the article since I’d been living it. Flipping through the pages, I wondered who actually bought and wore all the watches advertised. Phones had gotten smaller, but watches had become huge. Especially when they were matched with a huge price tag.
“Jill, how are you?” A man in an expensive black suit stood in front of me. My gaze traveled up the impeccable fabric and landed on the blue eyes of John Bristol. We’d both started at the same time, but John had rocketed upward to partner, while I’d worked as an associate for way too long. He pulled me up into a hug that lasted a bit too long and then looked down at my left hand. “No wedding ring, so I guess I still have a chance.”
Bristol had always seen me, not as a peer but more like a quick roll in the hay. At least I didn’t have to play nice with him anymore. “Hey, there.” I stepped away from him, trying to rebuild my personal space bubble, and pointed toward my aunt. “I’d like you to meet my aunt, Jackie Ekroth. We’re here to meet with—”