Entertaining, energetic, and funny story of 25-year-old Maria Beaumont’s emotional healing and balancing today’s workplace challenges, fuzzy dating rules, and her own dreams. Engaging characters, thoughtful story.
Excerpt
“Whoa, you’re talking so fast, you must be pretty excited about this. How about I do it for a free rib eye? And I have to be done by 6:30 ‘cuz Amy and I have a date.”
“Serve steak to a bunch of women? Are you crazy? I was thinking more of tilapia with citrus salsa.”
“What part of a cow does tillpappa come from?”
“You’re hopeless. I’ll have a rib eye for you, Jack. Thanks. I gotta run. Bye.”
Maria took the back stairs two at a time, unlocked her door, kicked off her sandals, and tossed her purse on the bistro table. Mr. Becker had just okayed her use of his grill for the following weekend. She revved up the laptop to e-mail four girlfriends she’d enjoyed from her art history classes. Checking her inbox, she noticed an unfamiliar sender: bilberry@aol.com.
“Bilberry?” She envisioned gaunt Pilgrims writhing in pain in the hold of the Mayflower. “No, that’s beriberi. No wait””that was scurvy. Bilberry . . . hmmm,” she mused aloud. She vaguely remembered giving someone her e-mail address recently. Curiosity bested caution, and she opened the e-mail.
Hi,
Remember me? from blueberry picking last weekend? I know I said I wanted to continue our conversation electronically, but I have a better idea. I’m coming to Chicago next weekend on business. I’ll be free after 3 on Saturday. Could we get together?
Bill Berry
Maria’s heart raced. She got up and did a little jig around the ottoman. She could invite girlfriends over another time.
Hello, Bill,
It’s nice to hear from you. I’d be glad to meet you Saturday. Where in Chicago will you be?
Maria
Her phone rang.
“Oh, hi, Mom. No, I don’t think church will work for me tomorrow. Thanks anyway. Glad you liked the blueberries. Say, is Jack there?” A momentary guilt pang reminded her this was the umpteenth gentle invitation to church she had refused in the last year, but she squelched the guilt to focus on the pleasure of next Saturday.
“Jack, m’boy, you will be relieved to know the barbecue’s off.”
“What, no rib eye reward? To what do I owe this grand disappointment?” Maria could picture the mock shock on her favorite ham’s face. She told him about her date with Bill.
“You’re meeting a stranger? Alone? You’re not telling him where you live, are you? Are you meeting him in the city? Maria, I don’t like this. He doesn’t even live in our state. I’ll exchange my chef’s toque for a chauffeur’s cap.”
“Jack, you’re sweet to be protective, but you’ve got a date with Amy. I’ll be okay. I’m twenty-five.” She was tempted to remind him what a good judge of character she was, but then she remembered Travis and said instead, “I’ve dated more than a few men.” The Travis travesty had damaged her confidence more than she cared to admit, so when Jack suggested they double-date, she agreed.
Copyright 2008 Jane Hoppe. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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