If At First

Part 15 - Chapter 14

"Great. I have some papers for you to fill out, would you like to do that when you get here, or should I send them?"

"Oh, I think I'll do it when I get back if that's alright."

"That will be fine. I look forward to meeting you Miss Bridian, and I will see you on September third."

"Thank you Clarissa," I hung up the phone once more, but this time I stood there, staring at my hand on the receiver.

So this was it. I would leave Townsend, go to Danni for a little while, and return home where I belong. These past few months will all be like a very long, very specific dream and in five minutes no one will remember I was ever here. Just as it should be.

The difficult part might be tearing Andy away. I hadn't seen or heard from him in two days. I could only guess Doug was showing him the best ways to find trouble, and silently thanked him for keeping Andy entertained.

My grandmother's elation at my unsuspected ability to participate in social engagements without her urging must have been what kept her from the twenty questions I more than expected when she discovered my evening plans.

To Beverly's dismay, however, it also kept Nana from any distraction in her mission to prove Beverly's inevitable guilt for whatever mystery crime was most recently committed around the house. Apparently there was a crack in a flowerpot that she just noticed and the inescapable wrath of my grandmother was enough to encourage me to wait outside for Mira to arrive.

From the moment I entered Mira's car, she looped her arm through mine and there it remained. I was an accessory. Like a Chihuahua. I looked around wondering, in fact, if her Chihuahua minded that I had usurped its position. Ellie and Amanda joined us, looking askance at Mira's arm.

When we reached Castlereagh, I couldn't help but notice an inordinate amount of people walking the oddest looking dogs through town. It was as though the nearest Humane Society just opened their doors and anyone who happened to be carrying a leash gained an instant pet. The scene was a disturbingly odd contrast to the purebred, perfectly groomed specimens who usually paraded their owners here.

"What's with the weird dogs?" I asked.

Mira smiled knowingly "Oh, it's the hottest thing! Mutt is the new purebred. Everyone has one now."

"Oh." I answered cleverly, "why?"

"It just is." She said, never one to question the direction of the newest fad, but always the first to follow it.

Under normal circumstances the streets of Castlereagh were a bold contrast to those of Townsend, but at this time of night it was most animatedly evident. Townsend was vacant at any given point after about six O'clock, but Castlereagh was teeming with people, and it appeared that this was the place to be seen if one were to desire such a thing. I did not wish it, and hoped the town's sociable occupants were too consumed with being seen themselves than who they were seeing.

We never went to the movie. I never even spotted a theater in town. And neither Ellie nor Amanda seemed fazed in the least that the night wasn't going according to plan. But they both did look peeved that Mira was making a show of our new friendship. The idea that Mira might have been allowed into my confidence effectively caused their time to be spent speaking only to each other, and only in whispers.

Earlier in the day it stopped raining again, so we basically strolled around Castlereagh, pausing frequently to chat with another fashion plate, or occasionally stop in to a particular shop for some excuse, just to be seen there. And through it all, Mira kept her arm in mine, paying no heed whatsoever to my pace or personal bubble. Once I tried scratching my nose and I thought she would strangle me for trying to get away.

Ellie and Amanda having discovered a pair of shoes that demanded their attention, darted across the street as Mira admired herself in the reflection of a store window. Her eyes widened suddenly and she stood straighter, going up on her toes in her already high heels. She had just seen Haven further up the street we'd been patrolling and spun to get a better view. She pulled me closer to her side with the looped arm and started waving with the other.

"Haven!" She repeated until he was within a distance acceptable for conversation. "Haven! I can't believe we ran into you here!"

"No?" he answered, raising an eyebrow, "I was pretty sure when your driver asked Greenleigh for my evening plans, you might have had an idea."

"My driver? No! Don't be silly," she giggled, touching his arm. "Oh! Oh Haven, how rude of me; do you know my good friend Tabitha?" She nudged and looked imploringly at me.

I tried to hide a thoroughly amused smile. "We've met." I replied, but she wasn't interested in what I had to say.

Haven's eyes found mine, and brightening surreptitiously, said, "I can't think of a better," and then added for Mira's benefit, "–or more random – coincidence than to have run into you here."

Mira finally let go of my arm, and slipped it immediately through Havens. She turned with him so that their backs faced me. I waited, watching Mira make an admirable effort to guide Haven in the direction of her choice. "Oh, and Haven!" she twittered, "I took your advice and bought that convertible you recommended for me. She's just adorable, I think I'll name her after you."

"If you do that," he answered politely, "I'll make sure the car is never seen again."

"Oh Haven, you're so funny!" She turned toward him, arching her back in the most uncomfortable looking stance, "Isn't he funny Tabitha? We joke like this all the time." She beamed up at him, but Haven wouldn't notice. He had on his politely tolerant smile, which meant he was getting annoyed.

"I'm sorry Mira, you'll have to excuse me, I need to get going." Haven turned to me. "Tabitha, I'm afraid you may have been misled in why you were invited here this evening."

"D'you think?" I smiled sarcastically.

"Oh Haven!" Mira said, deliberately touching his arm again, "You say the quirkiest stuff!" She giggled hysterically, "I have the best idea. Daddy's had to run to New York this evening. Why don't we all go to my place, and I can show you the convertible, and then we can take a dip in the pool."

"Not tonight Mira." Haven replied brutally.

"When then?" She pouted, "And I want a real answer this time Haven, don't say you'll call me because you never do." She sidled closer to him and shot a sly look at Amanda, who was just returning from her shoe purchase. "I could give you a private tour of the pool."

Haven smiled absently, unwrapping her hands from his arm and holding them away from him in a sort of handshake. "You're very kind. But I've already made plans for the evening and now I'm late." He let go of her hands, backing away, "And if you don't mind, I'm going to have Greenleigh give Tabitha a ride home." He looked at me, having immediately understood the situation and rescuing me once again from the awkwardness of my big, fat lie. Without hesitation he slid his arm around my shoulder, leading me away from Mira's stunned face before she could recover her tongue, and toward the driveway where Greenleigh waited.

I bit my lip to make myself not laugh at Haven's irritation. Mira may not be a saint, but she probably didn't deserve quite such treatment. "I'm Sorry," Haven said quietly, "Mira has a rampant love of the spotlight and her ambition knows no bounds. Once she discovered you were connected to me, it was only a matter of time before she got aggressive."

I'd been about to make some snarky comment, but what he said stopped me. "She thinks I'm connected to you?"

"Aren't you?" He said quickly, "Greenleigh, would you mind taking Tabitha home? She's being stranded here."

"You don't want to join her, Sir?"

"I want a lot of things. But I already have plans tonight."

"Yes Sir." Greenleigh answered. He opened the back door, and moved discreetly into the front seat.

Haven caught my hand in his, holding it for just a moment before handing me inside. "Haven, we have to talk." I said, finding a rare moment of clarity and knowing I would come clean with him.

"Nottonight, Tabby. Tomorrow, I promise." Heclosed my door and tapped a knuckle on Greenleigh's window. "Take care of herfor me Greenleigh, I won't need youanymore tonight."