Inglath Cooper - A Year And A Day

Audrey started to turn, but he glanced up just then and caught her gaze. Her cheeks went warm, the blush spreading across her whole body. He didn’t look away for several long seconds, and she could have sworn she saw a flicker of interest in his laughing blue eyes.

She moved toward his end of the table and placed the spoons in each bowl, feeling his eyes upon her still. Gripped with shyness, she could not bring herself to glance up again.

A few minutes later, she escaped to the kitchen. Once there, she wet a paper towel with cool water and pressed it to her cheeks. She’d spent the week fantasizing about a guy she’d never met, had only seen a picture of. And now that she’d seen him in real life, with an infatuated girl beside him, she felt… What? Disappointed. The ridiculousness of the admission did not escape her.

Mary returned to the kitchen a few minutes later. “So what did you think?”

“Of what?” she asked, continuing to scrub the pot in the sink without looking up.

“Young Jonathan, of course.”

“Oh. He’s very handsome.”

“And as usual, he’s got a new young lady with him tonight.” Mary shook her head. “I don’t think he’ll ever settle down. He’s too busy sampling.”

It was after 1:00 a.m. by the time the two of them had everything washed and put back in place.

“That should about do it,” Mary said, wiping her hands on her apron. “You go on home now. Will you be all right by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine,” Audrey reassured her.

“See you at eleven tomorrow?”

“Okay,” she said, letting herself out the kitchen door. Getting in her mother’s old green Falcon, she turned the key in the ignition. An awful grinding noise rang out like gunshots in the quiet neighborhood.

She tried it again, but this time the noise was worse. A knock sounded at the window. Audrey jumped, one hand to her throat. Jonathan peered down at her, smiling. Her heart started pounding in her ears.

“Mind if I give it a try?” she heard him ask through the closed window.

This wasn’t exactly how she’d envisioned the two of them meeting. But grateful for his help, she nodded and got out. He slid behind the wheel. When the same thing happened after two tries, he said, “I don’t think it’s going anywhere tonight.”

“I think you’re right,” she said, forcing herself to meet his gaze. His face had relaxed into a kind smile, and she noticed that he had a smudge of red lipstick on his collar. Apparently, he’d just gotten back from taking his date home.

“I don’t think we got properly introduced,” he said. “I’m Jonathan Colby.”

“Audrey Williams.”

He looked at her and said, “Audrey. I’ll be glad to give you a lift. You can leave the car here tonight.”

Something inside her thrilled at the thought. But she didn’t want him to feel obligated to take her. “I can call a cab.”

“It’s not a problem.”

She hesitated, before saying, “If you’re sure you won’t mind.”

“Not at all.” He smiled at her then, looking exactly like the man in the photograph she’d been fantasizing about all week.

AUDREY’S HOUSE was approximately twenty-five minutes away, on the other side of town. For once, she was glad of the distance. Sitting in Jonathan Colby’s BMW with late-night radio playing in the background was like something she might have dreamed. The tan leather seat felt like butter against her skin, and he had the sunroof open, leaving a square of stars visible above them.

“How long have you been working for my parents?” he asked as they backed out of the driveway and then sped down the tree-lined street.

“A few months.”

“I thought you must have started since the last time I was home. I would have remembered you.”

The words made her heart beat a little faster. It would be foolish to read anything into them, but his smile made her think he’d meant them as a compliment. “Your mother’s very nice,” she said, looking down at her lap.

“Yes, she is,” he agreed, the smile suddenly disappearing. “Are you in college?”

“I’m a senior. In high school,” she said, flattered.

He slowed for a stop sign, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the gear shift. “You could have fooled me.”

Again, the remark found its spot in her heart, and she smiled at him. “You live in Atlanta, don’t you?”

He nodded. “I’m running an arm of Dad’s business there.”

“Do you like it? Atlanta, I mean.”

“Yeah. It’s a great town. There’s a lot to do.”

She didn’t want to tell him that she’d never been even though it was only four hours away. Her family hadn’t traveled much. Neither of her parents liked to stray too far from home.

They chatted for the duration of the drive to her house. She told him where to turn when they reached her street. He stopped in front of the driveway, flicking the car lights off.

“Thank you so much for the ride,” she said.

“You’re welcome.”

Audrey wished for a reason to linger. None of the guys she’d dated came close to this dark-haired, confident man.

“You have a boyfriend, Audrey?” he asked.

“No one special.”

“That’s surprising.”

She shrugged. “I’m going to college next year. And I work part-time. There’s not much room for anything else.”

“You’re smart to keep it that way for now.”

In that moment, Audrey was glad there was no one else. She sensed that if she shifted in his direction, he would have kissed her. But she didn’t have the courage to try it.

Unnerved by the awareness between them, she looked down at her lap and said, “Thank you for the ride, Jonathan. I really appreciate it.”

He put a hand on the steering wheel, and said, “No problem.”

“I’ll get my dad to come over in the morning and take a look at the car.”

“Will you be coming with him?”

She nodded. “I have to be there for work at eleven.”

“Good. Then I guess I’ll see you at lunch?”

She smiled. “I guess so.”

THE NEXT MORNING, Audrey’s father drove her to work and called a tow truck for her mother’s car. The Colbys came in from church just before twelve-thirty. Audrey’s stomach fluttered at the sound of their voices in the foyer. She could hear Jonathan’s low tones and felt a fresh rush of anticipation at the thought of seeing him again.

She followed Mary into the dining room, carrying steaming bowls of mashed potatoes and cream-style corn. Her gaze immediately found him, seated again at the far end of the table. The same dark-haired young woman sat next to him. Audrey’s heart dropped to the floor.

She tried not to look at him again and went about the business of putting food on the table, wanting only to finish so she could escape back to the kitchen. Once there, she ran her hand under the cool tap water and splashed a little on her face.

It was after three o’clock when the kitchen door swung open. She looked up from wiping the counters. Jonathan stood in the doorway, and she could not deny the gladness she felt at the sight of him. “Hi.”

He smiled at her. “Did you get your car fixed?”

She shook her head. “Dad had a tow truck pick it up.”

“Will you need a ride home then?”

“I’ll call him when I’m through here.”

“I’ll be glad to take you. I’ll be on my way out of town anyway. I’m heading back to Atlanta in a little while.”

Audrey hesitated, recalling Mary’s earlier warning. But even though she knew the woman was probably right, she found herself saying, “If you’re sure it won’t be too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all. I’ll go upstairs and pack up the rest of my things. How much longer will you be?”