Chapter 3 Annabelle
Annabelle
I’m having dinner at Marco’s but for some reason the menu says Blue Fig.
The tablecloths are different too. They have a French Country look—yellow and blue.
I take a sip of my iced tea and hand the menu back to the waiter.
I smile at my client. “Thank you so much for trusting us with your business. I’m excited to develop a social media plan for you.
Can you tell me a little more about your dreams for your business, your reach-for-the-stars vision? ”
She begins to speak, and my phone vibrates with a text.
I apologize as I glance at the screen. James.
Again. He knows I’m at a business dinner.
Why does he keep texting me? She resumes talking,and not five minutes later my phone buzzes.
But instead of a text tone it plays a weird song I’ve never heard, with the line “Just because you’re crazy doesn’t make you crazy.
” I grab the phone and silence it, looking at my client in embarrassment.
“Sorry—my kids must have changed my text tone.” I glance at the screen.
The message simply says PICK UP! “I’m so sorry. This is my husband.”
She murmurs her understanding, even though she looks annoyed, and I go to the restroom and place the call.
He answers right away. “You need to come home.”
“What’s the big emergency?” I ask, not bothering to keep the hostility from my voice. I surprise myself with my tone.
“I’m sick of looking at your empty chair every night. This is getting out of hand. I’m a doctor, and I don’t work as much as you.”
“I’ll be home when my client dinner is over. And don’t text me anymore.” I disconnect before he can say anything else and turn off my phone. We don’t normally talk to each other like this. Why is he being such an asshole?
“Babe, wake up.” James gently nudged her shoulder. “You slept through your alarm. I’ll take the girls to school. My first appointment canceled on me.”
Annabelle’s eyes flew open and she startled at the sight of him, still feeling the residual anger as she came fully awake.
What was it with these damn dreams? At least this one was banal.
No homicidal husband in it. “Thanks,” she said as she jumped out of bed, trying to shake it off.
She had a meeting first thing this morning and would have to be fast or she’d be late.
“Maybe we should turn in earlier. This isn’t like you. Is it too much screen time at night?” James said.
She didn’t have time to discuss her sleeping habits. “Sorry, honey. I’m late. Gotta get going.”
“Okay, have a good day.” He leaned down and kissed her.
She skipped her morning affirmations and thought about her dream.
James had never behaved in the way she was dreaming.
Sure, he could be a little overprotective, but it was only because he cared so much.
It made him happy to look out for all of them.
Sometimes it was annoying. But he was always good-natured about it and backed off when she told him to.
He was the one who made sure everyone took their vitamins, got their flu shots, and were never a day late for annual checkups.
It was freeing in some ways since she didn’t have to worry about those things.
She supposed it came with the territory of being married to a doctor.
She did wish that he’d let his hair down a little bit more.
And she could do without the disapproving looks she got when her second glass of wine at a party turned into a third.
James rarely drank, only on special occasions, and then never more than one drink.
As a neurologist, he said he knew too much about the brain to subject his own to the effects of alcohol.
But all his fussing was because he loved her so much.
And he never tried to prevent her from working or placed traditional gender roles on their relationship.
He respected her career and knew it meant as much to her as his did to him.
And despite the fact that he earned a lot more than she did, and had a nice trust fund from his parents, he never once suggested that she stay home since they didn’t need the money.
Before going downstairs, Annabelle stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked their front yard and inhaled the crisp air.
The maple trees were magnificent, their leaves turning gorgeous shades of red and green.
Fall was her favorite time of year; she made a mental note to remind James that they were going apple picking that Saturday.
She reluctantly returned to the bedroom, grabbed her phone, and went downstairs.
—
At the office, Annabelle’s morning passed quickly in meetings. Her boss, Madeline, popped her head in around noon.
“Do you have time for lunch? Something I’d like to discuss with you.”
Annabelle picked up her phone and scrolled to the calendar. “I’m free till two. Where should we go?”
“Marco’s was sold and it’s under new management. A friend of mine knows the new chef. It’s called Blue Fig now. Today’s the first day it’s open.”
Annabelle’s head snapped up. “What did you say?”
“Marco’s is now called Blue Fig. Just reopened.”
“Did you mention that to me yesterday?”
Madeline gave her a strange look. “Uh, no. I was off, remember? I just heard about it yesterday myself.”
“Oh, someone else must have told me. Okay, I’ll meet you at the elevator in five.”
Annabelle leaned back in her chair, momentarily stunned. She’d dreamed about this. So strange. She must have read about the name change somewhere.
She grabbed her purse and walked to the elevator where Madeline was waiting.
They’d been working together at the public relations firm for almost ten years and even though Madeline was Annabelle’s boss, they’d become close friends.
She was in her early sixties, an attractive, vibrant woman who was well-respected by the entire team.
The two of them had closed down a company happy hour on more than one occasion.
When they were seated at their table, Annabelle was disquieted to see that the tablecloths were the same as the ones in her dream.
She ran her hand over the linen fabric. She realized with a start that she’d also dreamt about the blue vase that held sunflowers.
She tried to think about where she may have seen them before.
It was one thing to know the name—it had most likely been advertised and her subconscious picked it up.
But there would be no way for her to know what the new decor was like, unless she’d seen a picture somewhere.
“Madame, would you like a drink?” the waiter asked.
“Club soda, please.”
“Same for me,” Madeline said.
“Am I in trouble or what?” Annabelle joked.
Madeline smiled. “Not at all. I’ll just come out and say it, Derrick and I are moving.”
Annabelle’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding. When? Where?”
“We’ve been talking about Charleston for a while. Kirby and her husband are expecting in the spring, and we want to be close to our grandchild. I’ve accepted an offer with a firm down there.”
The news left Annabelle momentarily speechless.
She’d had no idea Madeline was even considering moving.
She assumed she would stay at the company until she retired.
But if Annabelle’s children lived out of state, she’d be tempted to move too.
“I get it. But I’m going to miss you. Are you going soon? ”
“I’ve given a month’s notice.”
“Do you know who’s going to take your place?”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was thinking that you might want to.”
“Really? Wow, I don’t know. Have you discussed this with Michael?”
Madeline nodded. “Yeah. We both think you’d be terrific. And I can tell you, he’s great to work for. I think you’d do well with him. You love innovating, and he’s very open to trying new things.”
Annabelle was excited at the prospect, but her elation was tempered with trepidation.
“I’m flattered. My heart wants to say yes right now, but I need to talk it over with James.
It’s a lot more travel, which I wouldn’t normally mind, but the girls are still young and his schedule is crazy.
” Her dream came back to her again: James complaining that she was never home.
“I understand. You should take some time and think about it. Discuss it with James. I’m not gonna lie, it’s a trade-off.
Kirby was only a little older than Scarlett when I took the position, and I missed a lot.
But I love what I do, and now she’s all grown up with her own life.
For me, it’s about balancing who I am as an individual with who I am as a mom.
It’s different for everyone. But I wanted to offer it to you first before we start looking at external candidates. ”
“When do you need my answer?” she asked, her mind racing.
“Within a week?”
Annabelle nodded. “I can do that. So, have you guys found a house yet?”
Their talk moved to the personal as they finished their lunch.
Annabelle’s thoughts were buzzing in the background with this new opportunity.
Their arrangement was perfect right now.
She had time with her kids in the mornings, taking them to school.
And then Dylan filled in for a few hours until she was home from work.
If she took this job, she’d need to be in earlier, which meant she’d lose that time in the mornings with them.
And there would be more wining and dining of clients, which meant more nights out, as well as travel every month. It was a lot.
On the other hand, if she turned the promotion down, she was pretty much sealing her fate at this company.
She wouldn’t get the opportunity again. She knew how the corporate world worked.
She wished her mother was here; she’d know what to advise.
She thought of all the sacrifices her mother had made to ensure that she was there for Annabelle as much as possible.
Annabelle was proud to be a working mom, and believed it was a good example for her daughters, but she’d always struggled with the major life choices.
Somewhat of a fatalist, she believed it was the things we gave little thought to that shaped our destinies.
Her whole life could be different right now, based on her selection of an elective back in college.
And then her world shifted again, simply because a class was canceled at the last minute.
What gave her comfort about those instances was that she hadn’t been in control.
Yes, you could agonize over leaving five minutes later or going to CVS versus Walgreens, but living life that way was paralyzing.
Everyone went about their daily activities without thinking how those small decisions could have monumental consequences.
But who you married, where you moved, what job you took—those you could control.
And if you screwed those up, then you would have no one to blame but yourself.
On the drive home, Annabelle pulled into a quick market and walked up to the counter.
“Pack of Marlboro Lights, please.” The minute she was out the door, she tore the pack open and lit one up.
Taking a deep drag, she felt her whole body unclench.
She smoked it down to the filter, then started to throw the pack away, but thought better of it.
She was spending a fortune buying a new pack every time she had the urge.
She stashed it in a pocket in her purse and pulled out lemon-scented hand sanitizer, rubbing it all over her hands.
She got back in the car, rolled down the windows, and popped a mint in her mouth.
James would have a fit if he knew. But what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.