Page 69 of The Singing Trees
The bus driver came from inside the station, straightening his navy blue cap. “All right, lovebirds, time to go.”
“Keep writing me,” he said. “Promise?”
“I promise.” Emptiness swelled inside her.
“And pick up your brush.”
“Yeah.” She wondered if those might be his last words to her ...pick up your brush. The thought traveled like a snake’s venom through her body.
Tremendous emotion and thousands of words silently passed between them in their last look. She almost told him she loved him, but she couldn’t muster the courage to say it.
Instead, she replied, “Goodbye, Thomas Barnes. I’ll see you when you get back.”
He pressed his lips together and gave a nod. “Goodbye, my incredibly talented and beyond extraordinary friend, Annalisa Mancuso. You keep being one of a kind, and I’ll see you in a year.”
Her heart felt dusty and barren.
He turned like a soldier pivoting to a command, and the door folded closed. Black smoke belched from the back of the bus as it began to pull away.
Thomas appeared in the back window, waving at her. She returned the wave, and then he drew a heart on the window, framing himself. She choked up as she stared through the heart into his brave eyes until the bus was gone.
She should have kissed him. She should have told him she loved him. What if she never saw him again and this had been her chance? Sharon Maxwell’s words about finding connection stung her as the image of Thomas waving at her drifted away, like a smoke ring disappearing in the air.
Chapter 25
WHOISWE?
That Thursday, after a visit with the girls in the Bargain Bin, Annalisa rode back up the escalator and went into the small kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. She was debating whether or not to even attend Sharon Maxwell’s art show in three months, as Annalisa had not once spoken to her since walking out of her studio. She wasn’t even sure if she was welcome and knew an apology was long overdue.
Annalisa was painting, though. Armed with a newfound resolve—no doubt spurred by Thomas’s visit—she was back at it with an almost vitriolic assertiveness. If she couldn’t have him, she better damn well keep chasing her voice.
As she passed through the hall of offices leading to the Advertising Department, coffee in hand, Ted Miller appeared.
She still avoided him at all costs and was mid-pivot in an attempt to escape when he said, “Ah, there she is. We haven’t seen you in a while.”
Annalisa’s first thought was,Who iswe?She couldn’t stand it when people did that.
Stalling her retreat, she flattened the disgust on her face and let out a happy, “How are you, Mr.Miller?”
“I’m very fine,” he said. His shirt was moist with sweat near his underarms, and she sipped tiny breaths so as not to smell his body odor.
“What are you working on today?” As he asked the question, he unabashedly ran his eyes up and down, inspecting her.
Swallowing her disgust, she said, “We’re trying to wrap up all the Demi Flores stuff now.” Flores was whom everyone in fashion was into right now. She sidestepped and started toward her destination. A group of managers was huddled in a circle, chatting farther down the hall.
“Now hold on,” he said. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Lots of work to be done, Mr.Miller.”
“I’d like to ask you something.”
She stopped, closed her eyes, took a long breath, and then turned back to him.
“My nephew just moved to town from Boston—a smart kid—and he needs someone to show him around. I thought a good-looking broad like yourself would do the trick. Care to meet him?”
Annalisa shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t have time for anyone right now. I’ve got so much going on here and outside of work.” Not that he cared, but if he only knew how heavy Thomas was on her mind, he wouldn’t be wasting his time.
Mr.Miller dipped his chin and looked at her hand. “Still no ring, though, huh? Shame a girl like you hasn’t found anybody yet.” Oh, she had, and that was the problem.
