Responsibilities
by Layne
Chapter Three
Anna's meeting with Tina had gone well. Beej had sat in with them since, along with Tina, she was one of the women who had spent the most time in Crowe's Point. The three of them had kicked around a lot of ideas. Tina wasn't quite sure yet of the direction she wanted the women's group to take. Support group, education group, maybe a bit of both.
Anna had given her some topics to think about. Tina and Beej were going to mull them over, talk about them with a few of the other women at the Point. They had left it with Anna spending the rest of the weekend here as a sort of vacation, and coming back in two weeks to help them sort out all the details and get to work on the planning.
Despite the fact that it was actually business for her, Anna had found herself enjoying their meeting. It wasn't often that she got to meet with other girls just to talk. Between work, raising Katie, and graduate school, there weren't enough hours in the day to do what she had to do, let alone anything just for enjoyment.
And she couldn't remember the last time she'd actually had a vacation. Letting the heavy backpack she's just dragged up to her room fall to the floor, Anna flopped down onto the TV lounger and stretched out. She couldn't believe she actually had the rest of today and tomorrow to herself! Checking her watch, she saw that she couldn't call and talk to Katie yet. She wouldn't be home from kindergarten for awhile.
Anna sighed and rolled over, looking at the offending backpack full of books. She really should study. But she couldn't resist at least a few minutes to just relax. The backpack and it's weight made her think about how easily Richie Roberts had carried it from the tavern up to the hotel. The man had muscles to spare! He must work out.
Huh, uh, Anna, she told herself firmly. Don't even let your mind go off in that direction. Tina and Beej had both been excited for her, when she told them she had a date for dinner that evening. But when they'd found out that it was Richie Roberts, their looks at each other-and at her-had been a little more reserved.
"Is something wrong?" she'd asked them, noticing the change in their attitudes.
"Well- No-" Beej had answered rather slowly.
And then Tina had chimed in. "It's just that Richie- Well, he's sort of-"
"You're not gonna tell me he's gay or something, are you?" Anna had asked.
They'd both burst out laughing, and had literally laughed until they cried. Anna hadn't been able to resist joining in, since it was obviously so funny to them.
Finally, as they were wiping their eyes and taking long, deep breaths, Tina had said. "No! Absolutely not! The idea of Richie being gay is just-" And she threatened to burst into laughter again.
While she was wiping her eyes with a tissue, Beej said, "No. It's definitely not that Richie doesn't like women." She gave another glance toward Tina. "Actually, maybe it's that he likes them too much. He's- How should I put this? He dates a lot."
"An awful lot," Tina added. "I mean, Richie's a nice guy. He's great to talk with and everything but- It's like Beej says. He dates a lot."
Anna finally picked up on what they meant. "Oh. Well- It's just dinner, guys. It's not like it's going to turn into some big relationship or something. I did like talking to him, and I just thought dinner would give us a chance to talk some more."
As she lay there on the TV lounger, thinking back over everything they'd said, Anna sighed. It was just her luck. The first guy she'd met that she was interested in for the past several years was some sort of womanizer.
Oh, well, she thought to herself. It's just as well. Like I told them, it's not going to turn into a relationship or anything. I mean, he lives here at Crowe's Point and I'm out in the real world. And where would I find any time anyway?
She laughed at the direction her thoughts had taken her. The idea that she had actually met someone she liked who used to be a movie character in a place like Crowe's Point! An imaginary man! That was just what she needed anyway, since she didn't have time for anything real.
Anna understood fairly well how things worked here at Crowe's Point. It was all just a little too fantastic to believe at times! Tina had first contacted her after finding Anna's website online. In order to be able to work around her school schedule and time with Katie, Anna did lots of freelance work. Counseling by appointment, leading groups and classes. It was the best way she had found to earn a living and still be able to manage everything else in her life.
Thinking about everything that was going on, and about dinner with Richie, Anna drifted off to sleep on the lounger. That was one thing that never changed. She was always so tired, and there was always so much to do...
When she woke, she saw to her surprise that it was 4:00 pm. She'd slept on that lounger for three hours! And, as usual, that left her with way too many things to do in the two hours she had until dinner.
Splashing some water on her face to help her wake up, she picked up the phone and called Katie. When the little girl had come to the phone, Anna said, "Hi, sweetheart! It's me! How was school today?"
"Awful," came the gloomy reply in Katie's rather small five-year-old voice. "I had to sit next to Brian Williams at lunch. He's goofy and he pulls my hair all the time."
Anna grinned, having heard all about Brian Williams and the hair-pulling before. "Did you just ignore him, like I told you last time?"
"Yeah." Katie was still gloomy. "And he pulled harder. But Miss Jo changed my seat and let me sit next to her. Oh-!" Here, the little girl's voice became immediately more excited. "I almost forgot! We're going on a field trip next week. To a museum! Miss Jo says there's gonna be dinosaurs and everything!"
"That sounds terrific, honey!" Anna smiled at how easily Brian was forgotten.
The two talked for about thirty minutes before Katie decided it was time to have a cookie and watch TV for awhile. When they had said their "I love you's" and hung up, Anna smiled to herself. As hard as it was to work, go to school, and be a full-time single parent, she wouldn't trade Katie for anything.
Noticing the time, she headed for the shower. She found herself actually humming as she bathed, thinking about Katie and about the dinner ahead with Richie. Much as she loved Katie, it would be nice to at least have dinner with another adult for a change.
When she finally had her hair dry and had applied some light nail polish, Anna looked at her almost non-existent supply of makeup. Should she wear some tonight? Maybe cover up her freckles, so that she looked a little older, more sophisticated?
Since Tina and Beej had talked to her about Richie's fondness for dating, Anna had been wondering about the type of women he usually went out with. Probably all sexy and sophisticated, like the two women she'd seen eyeing him in the tavern at lunchtime. Maybe he'd be more interested if she looked more like them.
Then she caught herself. What the hell was she thinking? As she'd told Tina and Beej, this was just dinner--nothing more. She didn't normally wear makeup and she wasn't going to do it now! After all, there were plenty of women around here, but it was her, Anna, that Richie had asked to dinner.
With a little defiant shake of her head, she went to the closet to find something to wear. She hadn't been on a date in so long, she'd forgotten how to dress, she thought ruefully. And, even if she could remember what to wear, she probably wouldn't have any of it.
She tended to wear casual pants and tops to work in, and comfortable jeans for school and running after Katie. Dressing for men and dates hadn't fit into her life in awhile. Finally, Anna picked out the only skirt she'd brought with her--a long layered one, and a sleeveless wrap top to go with it.
When she was finally dressed and ready, she noticed that it was still ten minutes until 6:00. She started toward the sofa to sit down and wait for Richie when there was a knock at the door. He was early.
Opening it for him, she found him still dressed in jeans, although he was wearing a white shirt and a brown leather jacket with them. He looked casual. And very nice. There was a lock of hair falling over his forehead that she had the urge to push away, but she controlled herself.
“You look pretty,” Richie told her, looking her up and down.
Then, to Anna’s surprise, he held out a single red rose. Not knowing what to say, she managed a slightly bemused, “Thank you.”
“I think I’ll just carry this with me, if that’s okay with you.” She indicated the rose, as she came out and closed the door.
They went down the stairs to the lobby and Richie led her into one of the several restaurants that were part of the hotel. It was a bar and grill, which pretty much suited the way they were dressed and the kind of mood she was in, Anna decided.
After taking their drink orders--beer for Richie and a simple white wine for Anna--the waitress moved off to give them some time.
“Your meetin’ with Tina go okay?” Richie was trying to be on his best behavior--for the first part of the evening at least.
“It went great,” Anna answered. “I think this group will be something the women will enjoy.”
“That’s good.” Richie was perusing his menu and being casual. “How about your afternoon? Do anythin’ excitin’?”
Anna laughed a little. “Only if you call taking a nap exciting.” She was somewhat embarrassed to admit she’d fallen asleep. “That’s usually what Katie does during the day, not me.”
The waitress returned with their drinks and took their dinner orders. As Richie took a gulp of his beer, he said, “You must get tired. Got a lot on your plate, don’t you?”
The wine was wonderful, but she had to watch it, Anna warned herself. She wasn’t really used to drinking. “It’s a lot, but it’s all worth it,” she replied. “What about you? What do you do here at Crowe’s Point?”
“Legal stuff, mostly. I can’t really practice law out in the real world, but there’s another lawyer here at the Point. Stephanie. She’s doc Anthony’s wife. I can do a lot of stuff, but she’s the one who actually has to go into court with everything. And then, Cort’s gonna be startin’ a retreat pretty soon. There’s gonna be some legal issues with that that’ll have to be dealt with.”
“Tina was telling me that the Point’s really starting to branch out,” Anna told him. “With more of you guys here, and with all the abilities you have.”
Then, Richie got to the question he’d really been wanting to ask her. “Katie’s your daughter?” He wasn’t sure why that interested him so much, but it did.
“Not yet.” Anna’s reply was short. She wasn’t really sure she wanted Richie to know that much about her, despite how easy it was to talk to him.
He shook his head a little, not sure what she meant. Leaned in a little closer. “How’s that?”
Sighing, she gave up. “Katie’s actually my niece. My brother’s daughter. I got custody of her two years ago, and I’m in the process of adopting her.”
“Somethin’ happen to your brother and his wife?” Richie was putting on his best sympathetic look.
In spite of her desire to talk to him, this was not an easy subject for Anna. She emptied her wine glass before she answered him. Richie motioned for the waitress to refill it.
“My brother died. He- He never had a wife. Katie’s mother--her biological mother--has been out of the picture since before Katie was a year old.”
He could tell she didn’t much like talkin’ about all this, but Richie honestly wanted to know. “What happened to your brother?” He reached across the table and put one hand over hers. Soothingly, he hoped.
Taking another sip from her now refilled wine glass, Anna went on. “Well- Trying to make a long story short- Katie’s mother was an alcoholic. She lost custody of Katie to my brother before Katie was a year old, and she disappeared after that. John- That’s my brother’s name. He-” She paused to take yet another sip of wine. “He was a drug addict. Died of a heroin overdose a little over two years ago. That’s when I got custody of Katie.”
Richie was taken aback, and the sympathy he’d thought he was faking just to get her to pay more attention to him suddenly became all too real. Between his own childhood, his days as a cop, and his time as an attorney, he’d seen plenty of alcohol and drug problems. Knew that as bad as they could be for the person who was addicted, they were even harder on the family.
He squeezed her hand now. “I’m sorry, Anna. Really sorry. For Katie, too.” Taking another drink of his beer, he asked, “She have any problems?”
Anna looked at him, a little startled by the question. “What do you mean?”
“I mean-” Richie was trying to put it as carefully as he could, not wanting to upset her any more. “With her mom bein’ an alcoholic-”
So he really did know what was involved, Anna thought. “No. Thankfully, there’s been no signs of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Although some could still turn up. Katie’s only five.”
The look Anna turned on him this time was actually a smiling and happy one. “She’s really looking to be a happy and well-adjusted child right now. She loves kindergarten, loves to learn. She’s really inquisitive.”
It was obvious from the look on her face how devoted Anna was to the little girl, Richie thought. It made him think of Michael again, with pangs of regret and some guilt.
The waitress brought their food and the meal was mostly a silent one, as they ate. Good as the food was, Anna couldn’t help but wonder what Richie thought of her now. Now that she had revealed most of the family secrets to him, and they were not good ones.
But she had almost finished her third glass of wine by now and she was feeling a lot more relaxed and easy-going. She’d forgotten all about her warning to herself to go easy on the drinking. It had been a long time since she’d been on a date and Richie was attentive and very easy on the eyes.
When they finished with their food, the talk turned to lighter subjects like baseball and hobbies and Anna started her fourth glass without even thinking about it. Richie was gratified to see her enjoying herself. The poor kid. Saddled with work, family and school. All those responsibilities a her age. And he hadn’t even been a decent dad to Michael.
But he did like seeing Anna happy. Her eyes were shining and she was smiling a lot, even laughing every once in awhile. He wondered how long it’d been since she’d done that. And that light in her eyes and that smile made her even prettier.
At last, he asked her if she’d like to take a walk in the gardens. He’d never been out there himself, but it seemed the kind of thing a woman would like to do.
“I’d love to,” Anna told him, sincerely, not really wanting this evening to end. She couldn’t remember when she’d enjoyed herself so much, had so little on her mind to worry about. Katie was safe with her friend, Jenny, and work was over until Monday. She could actually have a little fun for a change.
Her mind in something of a whirl from all the wine, Anna found the gardens lovely. And Richie was great company. He rested his arm across her shoulders and once, when she stumbled a little (whether from the uneven ground or the wine, she didn’t know), he moved it down to encircle her waist.
And that was the moment when he turned to her and gave her a kiss the likes of which she’d never felt before in her life.
TBC...