by Colleen and Marie
Colleen waited for Bud White to show up to her office. She checked her
watch. What the heck was she worried about? He wasn't due for another
fifteen minutes. She put a pot of coffee on and sat back down at her desk.
Bud sat outside the office watching. It was still fifteen minutes until his
appointment with this lady reporter. From his times as a cop he'd had to
deal with reporters enough, but this was different. This was personal. Not
like he and Marie had anything to hide. It just was nobody else's fucking
business. He almost started his car's engine and drove home. To where he
should be. He didn't like leaving Marie alone for too long.
The damn office was stuffy. Colleen got up to get herself a cup of coffee
but she stopped to open the window along the way. She noticed the car parked
out front. Was that the man she was supposed to interview sitting there?
Well, hell, the coffee was already made, he may as well come in. She called
out to him. "Mister
White. Yoo hoo. Hey, Mister White is that you?" she flagged the man in with
a wave.
Bud jerked his head up at her call. He might as well go in. The faster he
got this over with, the faster he got home. He climbed out, shut the car
door and stalked up the walk. He stuck his hand out to her.
"White. Bud White. You're Colleen O'Hara?" He shook her hand briefly and
put it down by his side as he stood there and glared at her.
"Yes, call me Colleen, please."
For a fleeting moment she was afraid of him. He was imposing, intimidating
even, but his hand was warm and there was something in his eyes that told
her that he was not the bulldog he appeared to be.
"Please sit down." she directed him to a chair at her desk. She moved to sit
across from him but stopped. "Ah, would you like a cup of coffee before we
got started? I sure could use one. Been at my desk all day and my ass...um,
I'm a bit weary."
Somehow she figured he wouldn't appreciate that much familiarity.
Bud sat down where she directed and slid to the back of the chair. Then he
moved to the front edge next. He was ready. Was it still to late to get
the hell outta here?
"Uh, coffee. Yeah, black." He gave her a smile that was closer to a
grimace.
What was that all about? Did he dislike her already? Maybe Cal should have
done this interview. Damn it, she was already committed.
She fetched the coffee, placed it in front of him then sat down with a sigh.
"We can get started." grabbing her pen and pad she chewed on the end of it
as she looked over her questions. "First off, what brought you here to the
Glen?"
Bud sat there and looked at her. Several seconds of silence that seemed
like minutes. What the hell should he say? He took a quick swallow of his
coffee and nearly burned out the inside of his mouth. He clunked the cup
down on the desk and spilled some of it.
"Sorry," he mumbled. He fumbled in his pocket for a handkerchief to clean
up the spill.
"My wife, Marie...uh she inherited some land so we moved from Los Angeles."
Surely that didn't sound as lame and evasive as Bud thought it did?
"So your wife is one of the cousins. Lucky deal there,huh?" he didn't seem
too amused. "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, Mister White. I'm
just trying to flesh you and your wife out for the residents. With all good
intentions." she drew a breath and let it out slow. "You haven't been here
too long. How do you like Australia so far?"
"I haven't seen much yet. We're just moving in." Bud didn't say he didn't
want to leave Marie alone for that long. He knew this broad was just trying
to do her job.
"Once we're settled I want to take Marie sightseeing." His face lightened
as he spoke about his wife. He wanted to see her smiles regularly again.
"Any suggestions on what to see first?"
"Coffs is really nice; If you like that sorta thing." She should have asked
what his wife's name was in the beginning but now that he offered up the
information, Colleen could fly with it. "How long have you and Marie been
married?"
No matter how long it was, Colleen felt a bit envious. She felt her
biological clock ticking and she wanted to be married and settled. Her
thoughts brought a rather sad look to her face as she thought at this point
it would never happen. Cal didn't even know she existed except for work.
Bud grew more cautious again. He'd do anything to protect Marie from more
harm or pain. "We've been married two years. We're both from LA. Met
there. I was a cop and she a nurse."
"I'll take her to Coffs Harbour then. Marie likes the ocean." He smiled as
he remembered them walking along the beach hand in hand more than once.
"I like the ocean too." she blurted. Quickly regaining her composure she
jotted something down on her notepad. It was the word 'professional' and she
did it as a reminder. Where was her mind today?
"Do you and Marie have any children?"
Bud's expression grew thunderous. She had to fucking ask that question? He
stood up and his chair tipped and hit the floor with a loud thud.
"None. Interrogation's over. I can't do this." He turned and stormed out
of the office.
What the hell did she say to bring that on? Papers scattered as she got up
to follow him. "Wait...wait. I'm sorry if I said something wrong. Please
stop!" Colleen called as she reached for his arm. Latching on to him she was
visibly upset as she tugged to stop him. "Please don't go. i didn't mean to
upset you."
Bud knew he was being a real asshole. She didn't know. He stopped. Could
he trust her? She was a fucking reporter. It was all still so painful.
Being shot had never hurt this bad.
He sat down on the stoop. Sorta dropped like a stone. "Listen. Nothing
about babies. We," he swallowed and became quiet. "We lost a baby
recently. We moved here to get away...start again. No baby questions..."
Bud took a deep breath as the grief washed over him.
She'd deny the tear that came to her eye. It was dust or something like
that. Sitting down next to him she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am
sorry, Mister White....Bud. No questions like that. In fact, maybe we should
just pack this in for today. I'm feeling a bit shitty myself. How bout a
drink? My life's not a bed of roses either. At least you got someone to go
home to."
"A drink's good." Bud could think of nothing he'd like better than ending
this now. He managed to smile at her. "Why don't you come see our new
house and meet Marie. You'd like her. I've got beer and Scotch."
