“God, these kids are soquick to throw me under the bus,” I grumbled under my breath.
“You threw up? Are youokay?” Tess asked, immediately concerned as I helped the driver hoist our bagsinto the trunk. She came to stand beside me and met my eyes with a worry thatteetered on the cusp of friendly and something … more.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” Iassured her, and then admitted, “Just really nervous.”
She laid her palm overmy wrist and exaggerated the upturn of her lips with a gentle smile. “You’regoing to be fine.”
“You’re supposed to saythat,” I teased, returning the smile.
“Yeah, maybe,” sherelented, tightening her grip before letting go. “But you’re amazing and theyalready know it. So, like I said, you’re going to be fine.”
We piled into the vanand set out on our new adventure. I felt like a nervous little kid, sitting inthe front seat with our driver. I fidgeted with my fingers and wedding ring,jiggled my legs and gritted my teeth. Staring out the window at the passinghighway signs, I listened to Tess and the kids in the two rows of backseats.They laughed, played games, and for a short while, she had even convinced themto close their eyes and take a little nap.
She leaned forward andpoked her head between the two front seats. “Hey Jon, you’re awfully quiet uphere,” she prodded.
“Yeah,” I breathed outwith my sigh.
“Still nervous?”
“Uh, just a little.” Ilaughed, and the driver, a guy named Tom, turned to me with a friendly smile.
“I’ve been working forDevin for a while now. There’s nothing to be nervous about, trust me. Guy’s asdown to earth as they come,” he assured me.
“He seems nice,” Iagreed with a nod.
“Then,relax,” Tess encouraged, patting a handagainst my arm.
“I think I’m still justtrying to convince myself that I’m not dreaming,” I admitted. “I was supposedto go on an interview with theflippin’ electriccompany today. Instead, I’m going to Connecticut to see how well I play withsome famous guy. Like, how does that kind of thing even happen to someone?”
What I meant was, howcould that happen tome? How could Ihave such an impossibly horrible string of bad luck, and then wake up one daywith the feeling that things were going to change?
Tom nodded with a slowsmile. “You know what I think when I hear things like that?”
“What?” I asked,interested in anything anybody else could tell me, because I sure couldn’t makesense of it myself.
“You don’t questionthat stuff, man,” he said with the wisdom of someone who has seen this taleplay out a time or two. “Just go with it and thank God you got lucky. A lot ofpeople don’t.”
I turned to the windowagain, just in time to watch theWelcometo Connecticutsign pass by. My eyes lifted to the sky, taking in thepopcorned clouds and the wide expanse of blue, and I pulled in a calmingbreath. I hadn’t thanked God for anything in a long time. In truth, I’d felttoo betrayed and forgotten to be thankful. But this opportunity, and this vanof people I cared about … I suppose I could thank Him for that.
So, I did.
***
Devin’s house was an old Tudor-style homein a small historical town in Connecticut called River Canyon. The house wasclose in proximity to its neighbors, reminding me of my home on Long Island,but there was an age to it that left me inspired and wondering. How many peoplehad walked between those walls? What lives did they lead and how did they die?
“Something tells mewe’re not in Kansas anymore,” I muttered to Tess, standing beside the open cardoor and staring up at the house that made my apartment look like a shoebox.
“We’re only a couple ofhours away from home,” she reminded me.
She was disenchanted,and I couldn’t understand how. Standing in that bricked driveway made me feelso completely out of my league and I realized how I didn’t know all that muchabout her personally. How was her book coming along? What kind of TV shows didshe like? Did she have a boyfriend?
Devin’s front dooropened, tearing me away from the newest betrayals of my mind, and in a t-shirtand jeans that contradicted the value of his home, he jogged toward the van.
“Jon, dude, I’m so gladyou’re here,” he enthused, pulling me in for a one-armed hug and clapping ahand against my back. His eyes landed on Tess, and his lips pulled into asmile. “You must be Tess.”
She nodded, extending adelicate hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Devin. Thank you so much for letting mecome along.”
His chuckle waswelcoming and friendly, as he took her hand. “It’s no problem. Honestly, Iprobably would’ve flown this guy around the world, if it meant getting him overhere.”
