Package Deal (19 page)

“It was my pl
e
asur
e
. Sh
e
’s a
smart
kid
,
and v
e
ry w
e
ll-
mann
e
r
e
d
.
You’re doing
a gr
e
at job
with h
e
r, y
ou should be proud
.
”

Warmth flooded through her.
“
Thanks for the compli
ment
. Som
e
days ar
e
e
asi
e
r than oth
e
rs. Would you li
ke to stay for dinner
as
payment for the ride home?
”
Say yes, Marcus. Let me cook for you.

“You don’t have to pay me.
I was happy to do it
.”

“Ok
ay
, then,
how about staying for dinner
because I invited you.”

“On those terms
,
I accept.”

Cecelia
talked
between bites
of dinner
. Amanda was quiet,
as
Marcus bantered with
her daughter
, answering her seriously and then asking her questions that made her think before replying
,
or laugh when he told her a joke
.
They are getting along so well. I’m glad of that.

Marcus helped her clear the table.

“Your homework, Cece? Is it done?”

“Almost.”

“Finish it up. It’s almost time for bed.”

“But I want to read
Sea Star
,
so Marcus can ask me questions about it
.”

“After you finish your homework. Go and get your books and show me what you have to do.”

“Ok
ay
.”
Cecelia brought
her math and social science book
s
into the kitchen and sat down
, making a face
. “I hate this stuff.”

Marcus looked
over her shoulder
at her assignments.
“Hey, don’
t say that.
How are you going to be a famous doctor if you don’t know how to do math?”

“I’m not going to be a doctor.” Cecelia grinned at him.

“
Then h
ow are you going to be a famous lawyer if you don’t know all about social studies?” He ruffled her
blond
curls
.

“I’m not going to be a lawyer.”

“
Well,
what are you going to be?” He leaned down next to her chair.

“I thi
nk I’ll be a reporter,
like you.”

“Then you have to know
both
math and
social studies. Get to it, kid,
or I won’t tell the editor to hire you.” He clapped his hands for emphasis before turning to l
ook up at Amanda. “I need to go,
so you can
get back to whatever you were going to do after dinner.”

“Grade
papers and plan for tomorrow.” S
he walked him to the door
, reluctant to see him go, wishing he would stay longer in spite of the work
that was waiting for her
.

He pulled her outside and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
“
Are
you into fr
e
sh fish? A n
e
w r
e
staurant op
e
n
e
d
at th
e
marina. As a flatland
e
r, you d
e
s
e
rv
e
to b
e
introduc
e
d
to
Pacific Ocean
seafood
,
the good kind
. Will you hav
e
dinn
e
r with m
e
Friday?”

“That would b
e
lov
e
ly. Wh
e
n should I b
e
r
e
ady for this introduction?”

“How about
seven-thirty
? Th
e
lights will b
e
on around th
e
marina by th
e
n.” H
e
looked like he
was about to say mor
e
wh
e
n C
e
c
e
lia
came out on the porch
.

“I’m done with my homework.”

“Good for you. Show it to your mom so you can get back to reading
Sea Star
.” H
e
turn
e
d
back
to Amanda. “I’ll s
ee
you at
seven-thirty
.”

“Thanks
again
for th
e
rid
e
, Marcus. You mad
e
C
e
c
e
lia’s day.”
And mine.

Marcus
beamed
at her and waved.
“Thank you for the dinner.”

“Do I hav
e
to wait in your offic
e
again
?”
Cecelia
walked with her mom
toward her classroom
the next morning
.

“Y
e
s, you do. I hav
e
a
n important
m
ee
ting, and I don’t want you going hom
e
by yours
e
lf in th
e
dark. You can r
e
ad your books or do your hom
e
work whil
e
you’re waiting
.”

C
e
c
e
lia sigh
e
d
. “Will
that man
b
e
in your offic
e
?”

“
No.
H
e
should be at the
same
meeting
I’m going to
.
I know you don’t like him, hon, but I won’t be long
.
You have a book to read, right?
”

“Yes.”
C
e
c
e
lia sigh
e
d
again. “
Can I hav
e
a snack
while I’m waiting
?”

“Y
e
s. Promis
e
you won’t
spill
, especially on
any of
Carlton’s
thing
s
.”

“I promis
e
.”

After school,
C
e
c
e
lia
walked across the field separating the Campus School from her mother’s building. She
e
ntered the departmental office and
wav
e
d
at
Beatrice
, who
smil
e
d
at h
e
r
.Cecelia
sat down in th
e
big swiv
e
l chair
and
was nibbling on
e
of th
e
cooki
e
s
her mother had left for her
wh
e
n
Professor Icky—her private name for him—
walk
e
d
in. H
e
point
e
d
to th
e
smalle
r chair.

C
e
c
e
lia slid out of th
e
big chair
and sat in the other one
.

H
e
hand
e
d
h
e
r th
e
bottle of
juice
next to his desktop
and
leaned over her
, stopping
to pop
her other
cooki
e
into his mouth
.

“That was my cookie.”

“
If you had one
already
, it was time to share.
It was good, too.” He started to type, stopped, then turned his head
and star
e
d
at
her. “W
hat brings you to my offic
e
today?”

“It’s my mom’s offic
e
.” Sh
e
decided to
star
e
back at him. “Sh
e
’s in a m
ee
ting.
Aren’t you supposed to be there, too?
She said you would.
”

“
You’re a
nosy
one.
Do you lik
e
to typ
e
?”

Sh
e
nodd
e
d
. “
I don’t know how y
e
t
—especially on a big machine like yours
. I’m still l
e
arning wh
e
r
e
all th
e
l
e
tt
e
rs ar
e
—so I don’t have to look
.”

“If you want to sit on my lap, I’ll show you.”

Sh
e
shook h
e
r h
e
ad
then craned her neck to
look at
the
computer
as his fingers raced over the keys.
She
climbed
out of the chair.
“M
ayb
e
if I stand n
e
xt to you,
I could watch, and
you
could
show m
e
?
I’ve always wanted to
see how it works
.
”

“
Com
e
on
over here
, then. You’ll have to
get
close
r
if you want
to reach the keys
.
”

Sh
e
sidl
e
d
ov
e
r to him, h
e
r int
e
r
e
st in th
e
computer
ov
e
rcoming h
e
r distast
e
for th
e
man.

H
e
mov
e
d
his chair back
from th
e
d
e
sk and pull
e
d
her
b
e
tw
ee
n his kn
ee
s. “You
do it
lik
e
this.”
He
place
d
her
finger
s
on the keys, t
hen
his hands
slithered
up her arms and
on
to
h
e
r should
e
rs. “Now, pr
e
ss down on
the
key that says enter
,
”
he instructed.