Serious Talk

Miss Peeg & Libby

by Atonia & Layne

Hurrying to cross the street before old Mr. Jessup could corner her and start talking, Libby stopped short in front of Richie's office. She was planning to slip her rent check under the door, since it was lunch time. People in the Glen might be talking about her and Richie, but she'd be damned if she was going to give them an opportunity to say that she was sleeping with her landlord instead of paying the rent!

She was about to slip the envelope under the door, when she looked in the window. Miss Peeg was there. Libby opened the door and went in.

“Good morning Libby how are you today?” Miss Peeg smiled at the young woman. “I wanted to tell you what a wonderful job I thought you did reporting on the kidnapping of Abby.”

"Thanks, Miss Peeg." Libby smiled at her. "That whole mess was so terrible. I was so worried about Abby and everyone else here."

She stepped up to the woman's desk and held out the envelope. "I was just dropping off my rent check. I wasn't even expecting you to be here, it being lunchtime. I was just going to slip it under the door, like usual."

Miss Peeg on closer inspection of Libby’s face determined all was not quite right with her, “I’m very glad I was here, won’t you sit for a moment, have you time for a chat?”

"For a few minutes, I guess." Libby perched on the edge of a chair, a little wary. She and Richie had seen each other a few times now. People in the Glen had talked, as they always did, and she hoped Miss Peeg wasn't going to ask her anything uncomfortable.

Libby liked Richie--liked being with him and just wanted the rest of the world to stay out of it. She didn't see the big deal anyway. Toni Roberts was living with another man pending their divorce. Why was it such a big deal for Richie to be sleeping with somebody.

Miss Peeg had heard the rumors about Libby and Mr. Roberts, one did especially as one’s tea resided across the street at Mr. Jessup’s corner store. She had also been linked with Mr. Nova of Andy’s and Mr. Wade’s business manager, Mr. Evans. Libby appeared to be a very vulnerable young woman and very troubled she suspected.

“I believe you are without family here in Australia is that not true? I do hope I’m not out-stepping my bounds but if you ever need someone to talk to or confide in I wanted to let you know that I am here and would of course treat anything you might say with the utmost discretion. I myself have been in foreign lands at about your age alone without anyone I could confide in and I said to myself if ever I had the chance to help someone in that area I would offer myself.”

"That's very kind of you, Miss Peeg." Libby wasn't quite sure how to reply.

"Yes, my family lives in the states." She leaned back in the chair, set her bag on the floor. "I never got along with them too well anyway. But I do have friends here. Abby and a couple of others."

Libby was thinking of Richie in particular, and she smiled as she thought of last night, then came back to the present. "I'm starting to get settled in here."

“That’s very good to hear, that you have made friends.”Miss Peeg wasn’t quite sure how to broach the subject, she was never one to talk about Mr. Roberts and his private life. But his life was no longer private and his name was being bandied about in ways she didn’t like.

“Of course living in a small community as we do, nothing goes unnoticed by someone or another. I should tell you if you don’t already know that you have been associated with Mr. Roberts. This is a particularly difficult time for him and I wouldn’t want people to get the wrong impression of your um friendship with him.” Oh dear had she put her foot in?

Libby lifted her chin and met Miss Peeg's eyes. "Oh, I know that people talk, Miss Peeg. I don't know that there's anything any of us can do about that."

She looked at the woman earnestly. "But I don't want people to get the wrong impression about Richie and me either. We're friends."

Her eyes softened as she thought about him. "I know how rough things are for him right now. How much he's been hurt by everything going on. We've talked about it. The last thing I'd want is for him to be hurt any more by anything I've done."

Miss Peeg watched her face carefully and deduced the rumors were more than likely true. Oh dear.

“Well then my dear, discretion might be the word of the day. Your comings and goings are recorded by that detestable man across the street and while one might not want to believe such things once a story is begun it is hard to turn it around once its grown legs and walked up the street if you get my meaning. Mr. Roberts is a very public figure in The Glen and is running for office. His pending divorce will not hurt him as he’s gained sympathy but an affair during this time might not help.”

"It's not an affair, Miss Peeg. It's a friendship." Libby's voice and the look on her face were almost defiant. She detested all the talk. And why couldn't people believe a man and a woman being friends?

Looking at Miss Peeg's face, Libby decided she could trust her. She seemed to care about Richie too. "I know he's a public figure, Miss Peeg. I've mentioned to him that I don't want to cause any problems for him in the election."

Her look became defiant again. "I don't know why people want to talk about him anyway. It's Mrs. Roberts who left him for another man. Who's living with another man right now. Why doesn't SHE care enough not to hurt him?" Libby hadn't known she felt so strongly about that until all that came pouring out.

Miss Peeg’s eyes rounded at her passionate outburst, “I am quite sure that whatever happened between Mr. and Mrs. Roberts is for them and them alone to resolve. In fact I know that it has been resolved.” She had typed up the property settlement. “I am also quite sure there was pain on both sides there usually is when a marriage comes undone. You say you are friends with Mr. Roberts and that may be so but you are more than that are you not? This can come to no good end Libby.

“I care a great deal about Mr. Roberts and have the utmost respect for him but I also know him to be very human and he does not always make wise decisions where his private life is concerned” Miss Peeg couldn’t believe she was actually talking like this about Mr. Roberts, she had never in her time working for him spoke about him.

“You may not think you are having an affair but it walks and talks like one to me and to others as well. It is for this very reason that his marriage has failed, you are not the first Libby and I daresay you won’t be the last.”

To her dismay, Libby burst into tears. "I know there's pain on both sides, Miss Peeg. Believe me, I know that!" The tears were running down her face and she didn't seem to be able to stop them. Thoughts of Dan kept running through her mind. "I've been hurt by someone before too."

"Richie and I-" She could hardly go on. "We make each other feel better. All right, so we're having a sexual relationship! But we ARE friends! We talk; we watch movies and laugh together-"

Libby looked at Miss Peeg, hoping she could understand. "The sex could end tomorrow, but we could still be friends, Miss Peeg." She was a little embarrassed to be talking like this to the woman, but it was Miss Peeg who'd started this. "Haven't you ever been friends with a man?"

Miss Peeg brought out a box of tissues and handed them across to Libby, “I have indeed been friends with a number of men and I count Michael Stanley as my friend. I have also been in love and he was my friend and my lover we would have married had he lived. I have never taken a ‘friend’ as a lover and I had the opportunity to do so but it would have changed our friendship; it would have become something else and I did not want that. Once you introduce sex into the equation you have stepped over the line of just friendship.”

Miss Peeg came around her desk and sat on the chair beside Libby placing her hand over hers, I am sorry if I have distressed you I do tend to speak my mind. I believe you have been hurt and perhaps recently and therefore you should be very careful not to set yourself up to be hurt again and I am afraid you are doing that with Mr. Roberts, not that he would intentionally hurt you but he is who he is.

"He's told me that, Miss Peeg." Libby had herself under control again and was embarrassed now. "He's been honest and up-front with me, and I have been with him. I'm not looking for a romantic relationship. They hurt too much. What I need is a friend, and Richie says he needs one too."

She wiped her eyes and went on. "I think, as long as we're honest with each other, we really can be friends."

Miss Peeg had her doubts about that and sighed, “Do be careful Libby I would hate to see you hurt.” Miss Peeg was beginning to wonder who it was that had turned this young woman against romance; Mr. Nova, but surely he wasn’t that kind of a man. She’d never seen Libby with Mr. Evans only Mr. Nova from Andy’s and he’s always seemed to be such a gentleman. But of course one never knew and now Mr. Jessup suggests he’s moved on to Jean Robinson.

“Is there someone else in your life Libby?”

Dan flashed into her mind, and Libby pushed him out hard. "No," she said shortly. "Not any more."

"Miss Peeg-" She looked over at the woman again. "You know Richie. Don't you think he's capable of friendship? He's told me he wants to try and he seems to be trying hard."

“Capable of friendship of course he is, he has many friends here in The Glen, he’s an outgoing social man but whether he can be the kind of friend you are hoping for I cannot answer. You have stepped over that line of just friends. I am no expert in these matters of course but I do believe that some men use sex as a balm, a cure all for everything that is wrong in their lives. And while that may build up their self esteem for awhile it also may do so at a cost to others and eventually at a cost to themselves.”

Miss Peeg knew he’d taken Jan McGee to Coffs and she also knew about Jean Robinson because she’d seen them together in Coffs as she came out of the post office one day walking hand in hand down the sidewalk. She loved Mr. Roberts dearly as one would an errant nephew but she’d never spoken to him as an aunt. She wondered if she’d lose her job if she did for surely someone needed to talk to him.

"I know what you mean," Libby told her seriously. "I've noticed that about Richie." She actually blushed a little, when she'd already told Miss Peeg practically everything! "He- He uses sex instead of talking. But he's started to talk to me. A little."

Libby's mind was on the night they'd spent in Coffs. They'd spent part of it watching movies and, over the somewhat muffled noise of the TV, Richie had told her about Jan and Jean. Had told her how his first marriage had ended because of his sleeping around too.

"I'm hoping he'll go on with it. I like talking to him, Miss Peeg. Strange as it may sound, we do have things in common."

Suddenly, Libby noticed the clock on the wall. "Oh, geez, I need to get back to work! Miss Peeg-?" She looked at the older woman questioningly. "You won't say anything to Richie about this, will you? I think this friendship is something we need to work out between ourselves."

"You said before that what was between Richie and his wife was for them to resolve. Well, isn't the same thing true of Richie and me? That our friendship is something for the two of us to resolve?"

“Oh my dear I would never say anything to Mr. Roberts about our conversation, that is between us. I have said all I can about friendship Libby that is for you to discover on your own now.” Miss Peeg rose with her as she gathered up her bag. “I do hope you feel you may talk with me if you need someone.” She smiled at the young woman.

"Thank you, Miss Peeg." Libby returned her smile as she headed for the door. She halted a moment before opening it. "People do grow and change. I think maybe Richie and I just might be able to help each other with that."

Miss Peeg shook her head but said, “I do hope so my dear,” How much change did this young woman hope to make in a 36 year old man whose habits had not changed since he got out of college. She walked to the door and watched her off down the sidewalk. Once again she thought nothing good would come of this so called friendship.