Page 12 of The Attraction File

SIX

Evaleen

My mom swept my hair out of my face in soothing strokes. Her fingers acted as a comb helping to put me at ease.

“It’s not easy, Evaleen. Having feelings for a man who doesn’t even know you exist.”

I rolled my eyes but allowed her to continue pampering my head. “I think every man you have ever met knew you existed, Mom. Even the ones you didn’t want to know.”

“You’re right. There have been a few bad apples, maybe one in particular, but I’m talking about my big crush in high school. Anderson Carroll. He was tall with jet-black hair and loved Blondie. I even cut my hair shoulder-length like Debbie Harry, but he never noticed me. He ended up dating some cheerleader. So, I understand how hard it is to want someone you can’t have.”

I had seen pictures of my mom when she was in high school, and she could have been Debbie Harry’s sister. She was gorgeous. Somehow knowing my mom couldn’t snag the attention of a teenage boy looking like a hot rocker chick made me feel worse.

My crush, ugh, even calling him that made me seem like a dopey high schooler instead of a grown woman. He knew I existed but didn’t care. I was only a worker to him. Sometimes I thought he didn’t even see me as a human. Based on how he acted last week, he couldn’t wait to get away from me.

“I have to work with him, Mom, so he knows I exist. He is always polite to me. But, it’s just—”

“Like you aren’t even a woman to him. Almost like you are androgynous? That if you were completely naked in front of him, he would yawn?”

I cringed at her words but gave my response, a garbled whisper, “Yes.”

But there was that one time when he didn’t yawn.

“I wish I could give you some secret to getting a man to be interested in you, but most of the things women do to get men to take notice just get them used. If he was worth it, Evaleen, he would be knocking on that door right now with flowers in hand and begging to take you out. I know I am your mother, but I’m not exaggerating when I say you are a gorgeous and wonderful person.”

I sat up and smiled. As I wrapped my arms around her to thank her for being wonderful too, there was a knock at the door.

We both pulled away and stared at each other. My mother’s bright blue eyes widened whereas mine narrowed. I pointed at her. “Did you do that on purpose?”

“No, I swear. Oh my God, maybe I’m psychic?” She laughed.

I got up and shook my head as I walked to the door. “If you can predict what will happen, then imagine me winning a million dollars,” I yelled back over my shoulder as I opened the door.

A man in a Cubs cap and puffy navy coat stood there with a large bouquet of red roses in a glass vase.

“Flower delivery for Bechmann.”

I took the flowers and signed the paper on his clipboard before my mother showed up. She handed him some cash which brightened his spirits.

Once we closed the door and brought the vase into the living room, I set it on the coffee table.

“Are you sure you didn’t order these flowers?”

She shook her head before grabbing the card. “No, I swear. I can’t seem to find an envelope. Oh well, at least we have the card.”

“What does it say?”

My mother cleared her throat in dramatic fashion. “To the woman I can’t stop thinking about. That’s it.”

I took the card out of her hand and flipped it over. “Nothing about who it is from or who it is for? Maybe if I find the envelope?”

I dug around in the flowers and saw a small cream-colored envelope pushed near the neck of the vase. Taking it out, I read the envelope. “To Lucy, from an old flame.”

My smile faltered for a moment. I was happy for my mom but for those few minutes, I thought my mom was right. That maybe those flowers were for me. Perhaps Edgar didn’t just see me as an HR manager only there to help him hire people and discuss missing employees.

It’s my own fault for letting my emotions and hope get the better of me. Facts don’t lie. He avoided me and when he was around, he couldn’t seem to get away fast enough. Why was he the only man that made my brain throw logic out the window?

Evaleen, you are smarter than that.

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