Alvarado Gold by Victoria Pitts-Caine Page A

you take us to Barnesville then.”
    “That’s great. That’s exactly why I called this evening. I have an assignment in San Francisco the week before Labor Day. I’d like to see you when I’m there.” His velvety voice settled somewhere in the limbic system of my brain.
    Perspiration rose on my lip. I felt weak. I sat down in the bamboo chair next to the oriental black lacquer desk in the living room. Is this it? Is this what Mel feels around Richard? I’d never felt like this before. Jim certainly never made me dizzy.
    “I could come into the city, I guess, early in the week before I leave.” The words slipped out before I intended. I couldn’t take them back.
    “Mind if I call you now and then before my trip?”
    Mind? He could call me every day and I certainly wouldn’t mind. “No. That would be fine.” I could hear myself talk but I certainly wasn’t thinking. I’d clicked on autopilot.
    “Talk to you soon, then.”
    “Sure. Soon.” I let the receiver slide back into the cradle. I must just be hungry. That was it. That’s why I felt faint. He’d come to the west coast; we’d go to dinner. That will be it. What had I done?
    ****
    As I drove into the parking lot the next morning, nerd boy stood right where I’d left him. Except for a change in clothing, it appeared he’d stood there all night.
    “Hi. Addie!! How are you? Did you have a good evening? I can’t wait until Friday. It’s going to be so much fun.”
    Oh! I looked around for someone else to talk to. Maybe I’d just deck him so he’d shut up. “Hey, Mitch. You know I’m no good until I have my first cup of coffee. Jack usually brings it in about eight. Why don’t you and Sherry show up in my office at nine? We’ll get started then.” A few hours of respite from him and Sherry-sugar-lips. Hopefully, it would be enough to decide the course I wanted to take on this project.
    When I opened the door, the aroma of the air filled with sweet perfume from the flowers, just as beautiful as they were yesterday, overpowered me. The carnations, my favorite, were holding up the best. I made a mental note to take a few home to preserve. I could dry them myself in silica sand or I could take them over to the lab and have them freeze dried. Now, why would I want to do that? My mind was filled with more questions than I could handle.
    Around eight, Jack’s hand, holding a cup of coffee, was all I saw sneak around the doorjamb.
    “I’d be afraid to come in here, too, if I were you.” I kidded him. “Where did you get those two kids? Career day?” I could tell by the look on his face that was exactly what he did. He nodded, but didn’t say a word. “Jack, you didn’t.”
    “I was desperate. You were gone. Two people quit. I had to get this project out if I was to be the lead myself. I’m so glad you called me. I was scared to death you wouldn’t come back. I really need you here.”
    Did I hear him right? He said he needed me. The phrase, that last night, I thought no one would ever use in connection with me. Someone actually needed me.
    “Jack, it’s just for the summer. Remember? I wasn’t going to stay forever.”
    “What are you going to do with yourself?” I could hear the father voice kick in.
    “I don’t know right now. I’m inheriting a little money. You know how I love to travel so that’s an option. Plus, I could teach when I came back or go back to the museum. Right now…I don’t know.”
    “There’s going to be a management change here in the fall. I wasn’t going to say anything but I want you to hear this now. Geller is selling the company.” Jack looked at me, expressionless.
    We were probably all going to lose our jobs. At least, now, it wouldn’t affect me, not like it would have a couple of months ago. “Jack. What are you going to do? Will you be able to stay on or did he sell it to some faceless corporate company?”
    “No. It was bought up by a private. My job will change. The only real difference is