Things had grown quiet. It was going to be a very long night if we didn’t talk. “How did you know something was wrong?” I asked.
“I was the one who took Lisa and Phoebe home. The first thing Phoebe did when we got inside was run upstairs to your room to tell you about the big snow storm that was coming. By the time Lisa and I reached the house she was standing in the entry waiting to tell us you weren’t home. Lisa’s phone pinged a few seconds later, it was your text message telling her…”
“...telling her I was on my way to pick them up and asking them to stay put.”
“Lisa sent several texts to your phone, I called around and found out you had been in town and stopped by the coffee house. When there was no sign of you after an hour, I came looking for you.”
“Thank you.”
McKinley might have muttered something that sounded like “You’re welcome.” I couldn’t tell.
Having trouble deciding where to go next with the conversation I let things fall silent for a bit, spending time sipping coffee and stealing periodic glances across the room. I found myself playing a game I invented not long after my mother died. On Saturday mornings I would pop into one of my favorite coffee houses and as I enjoyed my rich, highly caloric caffeinated indulgence I would look around the room and try to guess what trope the other patrons might be if they were a character in a romance novel. McKinley was still sitting at the table he made the radio call from. He wouldn’t look at me. Holding a cloth in his hand, he appeared to be cleaning it. The radio didn’t look dirty from my vantage point.
I thought about the animated charm I had watched him exhibit with other people and the distant rigidness he was exhibiting with me now, all I could come up with was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing which did not fit the bill. Jekyll/Hyde was a character for horror stories. They aren't my genre. He didn’t fit the grump trope either.
Grumps tended to be rude and standoffish with most people only warming to one or two not the other way around. Even Mr. Darcy was abrupt in his interactions with people in general not Elizabeth Bennett and only Miss Bennett in particular. A proud, aloof character was a “No” as well.
“What are you thinking about over there?” He asked.
“I find myself wondering why a man who seems to be so sociable and likable with others extends so little of his kindness to me.”
He looked directly at me, “I saved your life. Twice.”
I turned my attention back to my mug and its contents. “King Kong saved a life too but poor Fay Wray had no idea what was happening to her. It was terrifying to her as well as everyone who witnessed it.”
“Ann Darrow.” He responded.
“What?”
“Fay Wray played a woman named Ann Darrow in King Kong...the 1933 version.” He said. “Do I terrify you?”
I studied McKinley, he was no longer looking for invisible dust on the radio, he was looking at me. “Not at this moment. But you are rude.”
“Some men aren’t like the ones in romance novels. We’re complicated.”
“Clearly.”
“You seem awfully sensitive about my abruptness. Do I remind you of someone?”
“You pulled me into a house, pushed me across a room, lectured me and not long after that sent children over to my table in a public place to ask ridiculously personal questions. Why would I be sensitive?”
“There was a bear. You’re deflecting.” He said pointing to me.
“Pointing is impolite.”
McKinley paused, I had seen that pause before, he was taking a moment to decide how he wanted to answer. “The questions the children asked you were some of the most frequently asked yet unanswered questions listed on a fan site for your books. I was trying to show you I made an effort to find out more about what you write.”
“Oh.”
“I found them after I made the mistake of asking Mrs. Kroft, the librarian, about your books. She’s a fan. I was given an overview of the series including summaries of each individual book along with commentary on why her favorites are the best in the series. I also had the entirety of what has been posted on Wikipedia about you read to me. To finish our lesson she guided me through two of your fan sites.”
It was difficult not to smile. “That might have been torture for you.”
“It was a morning I will never forget.”
I looked at McKinley as I made a poor attempt not to smile. He continued his story.
“Why you may ask will I never forget my introduction to romance novels? Because Mrs. Kroft won’t let me. She sent me home with a stack of books like this.” He said holding his up his hands. The gap between them reaching from one shoulder to the other.
“I haven’t written that many books.”
McKinley stood up, picked up his coffee mug and sat down on the chair directly opposite. “You aren’t the only romance writer out there. Mrs. Kroft made sure I went home with a wide range of quality romance novels to peruse so I would get an accurate impression of the genre.”
“I don’t know many men who read romance novels on purpose. I might feel a little bit sorry for you.”
“You should. My hobbies and interests don’t extend to romance novels much less what the characters in them are doing. So tell me…” he says as he sits back relaxing into his seat, “...why are the women in these books so deeply focused on finding a boyfriend or a husband or a happily ever after?”
“Because society looks at us like there’s something wrong with us if we aren’t attached to someone. Women are made to feel as if we are defective in some way for not being someone’s plus one.”
“I’m single and I don’t feel that way.” McKinley says.
“It’s different for men. I know it sounds like a cliché but it’s true. Men are given a different timeline. If you wake up twenty years from now with no home, significant other or children the questions will begin coming your way. Trust me." I shifted positions on the couch turning to face him, "My turn to ask a question. Why are children so willing to ask probing questions for a cookie?”
“Cookies are sweet, portable, and easy to hide from Mom. Mothers are the anti-sweet. The trick to getting children to do your bidding is finding children with really strict mothers.” He said.
I shook my head.
“You don’t use forbidden goodies to your advantage? Lisa works for you, isn’t Phoebe around all the time?”
“Phoebe’s around here and there. Lisa and I schedule our meetings while Phoebe’s at school or otherwise occupied as much as possible. Children need their mothers. I do what I can to make it possible for Lisa to be there for Phoebe. I may pay her salary but Lisa doesn’t work for me. She works with me.” I continued talking giving McKinley a bit of background regarding my less traditional working relationship with Lisa. “The first time I met Lisa Paget she was dressed impeccably, had an impressive academic record and a solid CV. She was also pale, had dark circles under her eyes, and was so nervous her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.”
“Lisa?”
“Yes. I could tell something was wrong...it turned out she had not eaten for a day or two. Her boyfriend left suddenly. She was without a job and had just given birth to Phoebe the week before. I invited her to take a minute before our interview started while she was in the restroom I called an associate to run a background check on her. A thorough one. When Lisa returned we had lunch and discussed her CV. I told her that I knew it would be difficult then asked her to do me a favor and promise not to interview with anyone else for 48 hours. I wanted her to go home and enjoy her baby. Within 24 hours the initial background check was done.Once I knew that she had no criminal record or record of any substance abuse I had a courier drop a check by her apartment that I hoped would cover her expenses for the next two months along with a contract for employment with one stipulation.”
“Being?”
“The start date would not be for eight weeks. I wanted Lisa to have the six weeks anyone would have while on maternity leave to bond with her baby along with a couple of extra weeks to make up for the time lost due to the undue stress of Phoebe’s father leaving them.”
“That seems like a lot to give someone you barely know.”
I took another sip of my coffee. “I was raised by a single mother. We missed a lot of special moments because she was working. Besides, we all need help sometimes. Some days we need more help than others. Having Lisa’s assistance over the years, having her and Phoebe in my life has given me much more than I gave her on that day. Many times over.”
“They’ve kept you from feeling alone.” He said.
“Something like that.”
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