Legacy of Love (11 page)

“W
here have you been? I've been calling you for two days! I started to come over there, but then I figured I might interrupt something,” Sharlene said. “I should be pissed that you didn't call your best friend in the whole world and tell her every intimate detail.”

Zoe bit back her grin. “If you give me half a minute I'll tell you.”

“Did you actually turn off your phone?”

“Yes.”

“Damn. It was like that?”

“All that and more,” Zoe said dreamily. “I don't know where to begin.”

“At the beginning!”

Zoe laughed. “Over lunch.”

Sharlene huffed. “Fine. I'll see if I can squeeze you in.”

“You betta. Two o'clock. I'll meet you at your office. Gotta run.”

“See you later.”

Zoe hung up the phone and it rang again. “Zoe Beaumont,” she said without checking the caller ID.

“Baby.”

“Mom?” She sat up. “What's wrong? Is it Nana?”

“Nothing's wrong. She wants to talk to you and she insisted that I call your job. Hang on.”

Zoe briefly closed her eyes in relief and her racing heart slowed.

“Zoe.”

“Nana. Hi. How are you?”

“I'm fine, better now that I hear your voice.”

Zoe relaxed against the chair. “This is a treat. You never call me at work.”

“He's in your life now, sweetheart.”

Her pulse kicked up again. “How do you know that?”

Nana chuckled. “The same way I know everything. I got the gift, just like you. When you gonna bring the boy to see me?”

Zoe's eyes widened. “Nana, I just met him. Can I get used to him first before I spring the family on him?”

“Don't wait too long. There's not a lot of time. Your birthday is coming.”

“I know. And I'll turn thirty just like anyone else.”

Nana chuckled. “Here's your mama.”

Zoe listened to the shuffling, clicking and back ground noises as the phone was passed to her mother.

“Hey, sweetie, listen I wanted to do something really special for your birthday.”

“Ma, really you don't have to. I—”

“No, I do and I want to.” She paused for a beat. “There's so much that I've missed in your life, Zoe. So many birthdays and school trips and first dates. It would mean so much to me if you would let me do this one thing for you.”

It was true. Everything that her mother said was true. For years their relationship had been less than ideal and for most of her growing up years her mother played no real part in her life. They'd made amends to a degree. She loved her mother but there was a part of her that still resented that her mother thought of her second instead of first. It made it even more difficult for her to feel secure in any relationship.

“Please, Zoe. It will be fun and tasteful.”

“Nothing too extravagant,” she said finally conceding.

“Of course not.”

Zoe shut her eyes and laughed lightly. She knew what that meant—horse-drawn carriages, fire
eating entertainers, magicians and acrobats. “Don't embarrass me,” she playfully warned.

“I wouldn't dare. And you are going to bring him with you.” It was more statement than question.

“Him?”

“We all talked about it.”

“We? Who is we?”

“Your grandmother, your aunts and me.”

“What did you talk about?” she hesitantly asked.

“That it had taken all these years and four generations, but this time, this time the legacy will be fulfilled—by you.”

“Ma,” she breathed. “I don't want to be the one responsible for everyone else's happiness. I can barely manage my own. And I don't want you and Nana and Aunt Fern and Aunt Flo to depend on that and then be disappointed.”

“We won't be,” she said, confident in her pronouncement. “Well, you get back to work. And I'm going to start preparing for a party! Goodbye, sweetheart.” She disconnected the call.

Zoe flopped back in her chair. “A party.” A slow smile tugged the corners of her mouth.

 

“What happened to you Friday night?” Jackson asked, striding alongside Levi as they headed down the corridor toward their respective classes.

“Man, I had every intention of coming. I went home, sat on the couch and that was the last thing I remember. Out like a light.” He chuckled.

“Not as young as you used to be, man. You can't be burning it on both ends.”

“I know. As soon as this dissertation is presented on Wednesday I can take a breather and the semester will be over. Think I'll take a trip somewhere and just chill.”

“You're gonna need it.” As much as Levi pretended to be a hound with a laundry list of women, he was really a hardworking, driven man who was actually pretty old-fashioned when it came to relationships.

“So how was it?”

“Crowded. I think the class enjoyed it, though. I'll find out in a few.”

“You look like you have an extra pep in your step this morning. What's up?” he asked conspiratorially. He lightly nudged him with his elbow.

“It's all good,” he said evading the real question that he wasn't quite ready to discuss.

Levi shrugged. “Cool.”

They reached the fork in the corridor.

“Catch up with you later, man,” Levi said.

“Yeah, have a good one. Listen, Lee, I was thinking about throwing some steaks on the grill this Saturday. Why don't you swing by?”

He grinned. “Free food. I'm there.”

“We can celebrate your new PhD. Dr. Dr.”

“Thanks, man.” He adjusted his designer glasses. “Let me know what I need to bring.”

“Just bring yourself. The night's on me.”

“Cool. We'll talk.”

They gave each other some dap and turned off in opposite directions.

It had been a while since he'd had real guests at his place or thrown a party. He would definitely have to get Michelle involved. Dinner parties were right up her alley and it would give her something to do and keep her mind off of Travis.

At some point, he was going to have to go down there and deal with Travis and so was Michelle. He cringed every time he thought about the whole sordid mess. And to think that at one time he actually thought he was going to marry Carla and make a life with her. He didn't even know her.

Jackson approached his classroom and was surprised to see Victoria standing in the hallway. She was busy talking on her cell phone and he didn't think she noticed him. So much had happened over the weekend that he hadn't had a chance to process what she'd told him. He started to approach her but she started off down the hall and was quickly swept up in the rush of students heading to classes. Meanwhile he didn't know who she was talking about and he still needed an assistant. He opened the door to the lecture hall and took his place at the head of the class.

Victoria pushed through the exit doors and stepped outside, heading for the parking lot.

“I said I'm done. It's not right. I should have never agreed in the first place. You need to move
on.” She used the remote and unlocked the car door and got in. Victoria took one look back at the campus, stuck the key in the ignition and drove off.

 

“Hey, Mike!”

Mike stopped halfway up the staircase then came back down. He crossed the main floor to where Zoe was walking toward him.

“Hey. I hope we are proud of ourselves,” he said with a grin.

“
We
certainly are. I wanted to thank you for all of your help. The opening was spectacular.”

“Just following directions, boss. I gotta check on a delivery. Need anything?”

“No. Back to writing some grants. So I'll be in my office most of the day.”

He nodded and started to walk off.

“So how is everything with, uh, you and Linda? Things working out with the scheduling and all?” She held her leather portfolio up against her chest.

He eyed her for a moment. “Yeah, everything's good. Why? Did she say something?”

“No,” she squeaked in a voice she didn't quite recognize. “I was only wondering.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway, let me get busy. See you later,” she said a bit too quickly and walked off.
That went over well. I should have simply confessed what I knew for all the subtlety that moment lacked
.

Her cell phone chirped. She took it from the tiny
pouch on her waist and checked the lighted face. Her heart leaped. “Hey, Jack,” she said, her voice taking on a husky tone.

“Just finished up with my class and I wanted to hear your voice. How's your day going so far?”

“I'm glad you called.” She opened her office door and closed it behind her. “How glad?”

She giggled. “Hmm, maybe I can count the ways later this evening.”

“Those are the kind of numbers I like to hear. I'll go home, grab some things and come by around seven?”

“Perfect. I'll see you then.”

“Enjoy your day.”

“I already am,” she said softly. “See you at seven.”

 

Zoe floated through her morning with a smile on her face, breezing through the painstaking details needed for the grant that she was working on. By the time she looked up she realized she had about five minutes to meet Sharlene. She saved the data on the computer and shut it down, grabbed her purse and just as she was on her way out her office phone rang. She started to let it go to voice mail, but at the last second she picked it up.

“Zoe Beaumont.”

“Good afternoon, Ms. Beaumont. This is Eric Lang.”

“Oh, Mr. Lang.” She came back around her desk and sat. “What can I do for you?” she asked, hoping that it was anything other than what he'd asked about the other night.

“I was hoping you could make some time in your schedule to meet with several members from the Guggenheim. They want to talk to you about the exhibit and what your responsibilities will be.”

“
Will
be? I haven't agreed that I would go to New York,” she said with caution. “I thought I was going to have time to think about it and make a decision.”

“The Guggenheim members are very anxious to meet with you. They'll only be here until tomorrow afternoon. I told them that tomorrow morning at ten would be fine. We can use the conference room.”

“Mr. Lang, this isn't what we discussed.”

“There is a lot on the line here, Ms. Beaumont. I'm sure your job and the work you do is just as important to you as it is to the High.”

She flinched. What was going on?

“Looking forward to our meeting tomorrow.” He disconnected the call.

Dazed, Zoe returned the receiver to the base. Was Lang trying to tell her that she had no choice in the matter? What if she decided that she wasn't going? Would she lose her job?

Her cell phone chirped.

“You still coming?” Sharlene's voice and the background noise of the street came through the phone.

“Sorry. Something came up. I'm walking out of the door now.”

“Hey, what's wrong?”

“I'll tell you about when I get there.”

 

“Move to New York? Why you?”

“I have no idea. But he made it sound like I didn't have a choice.”

Sharlene set her purse down beside her on the bench. “Doesn't make sense. You're doing a great job. Aren't you?”

Zoe threw her a look.

“Sorry,” she droned. “I'm just saying…if you're doing a good job, why hand you off to another museum?”

Zoe dipped her spoon into her yogurt and took a thoughtful mouthful. “That's the million dollar question.” She sighed. “Not much I can do about it until I hear what they have to say tomorrow.”

They were quiet for a moment.

“Guess your mind isn't on telling me about your weekend,” Sharlene hedged.

Zoe grinned. “Well, since you twisted my arm…”

She left out some of the intimate, intimate details, figuring she'd leave those up to Sharlene's very vivid imagination. But she did share the mind-blowing experience of feeling transported back in time.

Sharlene stared in stunned amazement. “Wow.”

“Yeah, wow. I don't know what to make of it.” She took another spoonful of yogurt.

“You talk to Nana about it?”

“Sharl! Do you really think I'm going to tell my ninety-something-year-old grandmother about my sexcapade with a man I just met?”

“I'm just saying.”

Zoe slowly shook her head. “My mother wants to throw me a birthday party,” she said switching gears. “Wait,
your
mother, Miraya Beaumont?”

“Can you believe it?”

“Maybe she's trying to make up for all the ones she missed. This
is
supposed to be the big one for you.”

“Maybe.”

“Gosh, it's hot out here today. Imagine what the summer is going to be like. We'll have to be in bathing suits at your birthday party.”

Zoe laughed. “Weather is crazy all over. I wish my mother would convince Nana and my aunts to move farther inland. They were lucky these past few times with the hurricanes and the flooding, but some of their neighbors weren't.”

“You know good and well that Nana is not giving up that house. And neither will your aunts. Besides, that house has too much family history, Zee.”

“I know. But I just worry about them.” She checked her watch and jumped up. “I gotta get back.”

Sharlene touched Zoe's hand. “Everything is going to work out. See what they have to say tomorrow and take it from there.”

“Yeah,” she conceded. She leaned over and kissed Sharlene's cheek. “I'll call you.”

“When am I going to meet Mr. Wonderful?”

“Soon.” She winked and hurried off.