The second is a silver bracelet of linked sunflowers hiding beneath my cuff. I learned as an undergrad that suffragists in Kansas had adopted it as their symbol. I’ve always loved sunflowers. Vibrant. Resilient. Helpful. Things I want to be, so I adopted sunflowers for myself.
I take a long look around the library. I’ve decided to hold the meeting in here because the board currently has five members, and this is a good-sized space to feel cozy but not snug. This is also where I feel most grounded, sure of the work I’ve spent two straight weeks doing both behind that desk and all over the estate.
We’re meeting at 5:30, a half hour from now, because some of the board members have regular work hours at their own jobs and businesses. Sandwiches, fruit, and pastries wait on a catering platter from Serendipi-Tea so no one will have to listen to me present over the sounds of their growling stomachs. Soon I’ll set out fresh carafes of coffee and tea.
The chairs are grouped efficiently, I’ve brought in the large TV from the main bedroom to use as a screen, and I couldn’t forget the key points of my presentation now even under Russian Cold War tactics.
“Ready to make them feel like the luckiest trustees who ever trusted?”
At the sound of Jay’s voice, I glance up and smile as he stands in the doorway, hands in the pockets of well-tailored brown slacks. His summer-weight dress shirt in off-white with a muted brown check pattern shows off those baseball shoulders on its way to tucking in at his slim waist.
“You’re early,” I say.
He heads toward the refreshments. “I had a feeling you’d be feeding us, so I’m here for dibs on the good stuff.”
“Go ahead, Mr. Vice Chair.”
He snags a turkey sandwich on a dinner roll. “If we have to be addressed by our titles, I’m resigning immediately.”
I set up the food at the back of the library, positioning it near the Victorian camelback sofa so the board members can relax as they eat. The sofa is an antique, not a reproduction, but Foster’s catalog noted that he’d had the stuffing and upholstery replaced twice since inheriting the house. If someone spills, the sturdy wood frame will survive it.
It even survives Jay when he drops onto it like a teenage boy at the end of a long day, landing in a slump as he downs his sandwich in three bites.
“You good?” I ask him.
“Fine.”
This is not a sincere answer, but I sense frustration more than stress, and it doesn’t seem to be aimed my way. “Work?” I guess.
“Freaking Sammy. I’m starting to loathe that guy.”
It’s absurdly cute that he takes his research so personally. I wander over to the food tray, looking for the right antidote. “There’s a chocolate chip cookie on here somewhere. You should eat it to wash away the annoyance.”
He perks up, straightening slightly. “As you may know, Martins are into home remedies.”
“This is one of the best.” I’ve left my hair down but pulled out my rarely used flat iron this morning, and some of the sleek pieces slip into my face as I study the platter. I like the straight look. It’s polished, and that’s what I want to project.
Jay doesn’t say anything, so I look up to find him watching me. He’s got the same look he wears when he’s thinking about the Smitten Kitten clues.
“What?” I tuck the rogue hair behind my ear. I forget that sometimes trying a new hairstyle for a confidence boost can backfire if you’re distracted by it the whole time. I neverremember this until I’ve forgotten long enough to do it again for the next big event, when I promptly remember why it’s been so long since the last time I did it. The circle of stupidity.
“You’re going to do great, Phoebe,” he says. “The board won’t know what hit them.”
“Jay …” I inject a note of caution in my voice even as I smile at his encouragement. “The board is supposed to be pro-museum, not pro-Phoebe.”
“Nah. If the board is truly pro-museum, they’ll have to be pro-Phoebe. I’m going to enjoy watching them realize it. Especially this Catherine lady.”
I snap straight up. “Why would you bring up Catherine?”
His eyebrows rise. “Because you react like this every time someone mentions her name. She’s obviously a stress point for you.”
Right. “I don’t have a great poker face, do I?”
“Your face comes with subtitles. I like it.”
“You like my subtitles?”
“I like that you’re transparent.” I grimace, and he tries to correct himself. “Transparent in the good way, like …” He pauses, then snaps his fingers. “Like forthcoming. Forthright? Pick a synonym you like, and that’s what I meant.”
