NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
45 Wrong place, wrong time for the Hendersons
When we left off last time, rehearsals for the spring musical had turned steamy as Deborah and Doug locked lips with the newly appointed co-director enthusiastically offering encouragement.
Chronicles BOB COLLINS
Deborah Henderson and Doug McLeod drew away from one another stiffly. The spontaneous kiss lingered on their lips. Val Zimmer stared from one to the other. “Wow! I can’t imagine how we could make that any better. Keep singing it that way and you’ll bring the house down.”
Deborah looked briefly into Doug’s eyes, then dropped her head and looked into the wings. Worry crossed her face. Doug stared across at her. The moment was becoming awkward.
“So, are we done here for now?” asked Doug.
Val glanced at her watch. “Yes, I think we can leave it here for now. I’m expecting Mrs. Eberhardt and Mrs. Lundgren to discuss the sets any minute.”
“We’ll be off then,” said Doug. “Thank you, Val. Give us a shout when you get the rehearsal schedule sorted.” “Thanks, Val. I’ll be in touch,” said Deborah. Deborah headed for the door. Doug followed her to her car.
Apologies
“Deborah, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.” “Don’t be sorry. I could have stopped you. Did I seem unwilling?”
Doug shook his head. “No.”
“Maybe it’s like the song says: “You deserve a gal who’s willin’.” But you know there’s nowhere for this to go, right? I’m not going to complicate the kids’ lives.”
“What about you?” Deborah shook her head. “I can’t complicate my life and leave the kids out of it.” “And Kenneth?” Deborah chuckled.
“Yes. What about Kenneth? Everything about Kenneth is complicated enough already. All the more reason to avoid any more.”
“You’re right. Do you think we can make it through this musical?”
“I think things might be more complicated if we don’t
make it through. But we’re going to have to forget about the hugging and kissing; agreed?”
The Woodshed
“Agreed,” said Doug. They went their separate ways but were each in the other’s mind for the rest of the
afternoon. Deborah relived the squeeze of Doug McLeod’s powerful arms and the firm and ardent pressure of his lips.
She thought of Kenneth’s passive embrace and tried to remember how long it had been since he kissed her as passionately, or if he ever had. Doug could still feel the electricity that tingled in his spine when he put his arms around Deborah and the smell of her hair and how she’d stiffened and forced her lips against his when they kissed. Each of them silently cursed their timing and circumstances and stared apprehensively at the complicated emotional voyage that lay before them.
Obsessed
Kenneth was chafing uncomfortably in his office. Nothing of any importance crossed his desk and his interactions with Erica Swift verged on outright hostility. Janice Newberry was seldom in her office and was unavailable to him when she was. He made a habit of taking late lunches and drinking Scotch all afternoon. He was obsessed with Janice and increasingly desperate to plead his affection to her. He left his office in the middle of a Thursday afternoon after a terse exchange regarding the time of his return with Erica Swift. He walked sullenly to the
elevator and hammered the down button. When the elevator door opened 20 seconds later, he found himself face to face with Janice.
“Janice.” “Hello, Kenneth. You look tired.”
“I need to talk to you.” “Here in the hallway?” “How can I see you
somewhere else? Swift won’t even tell me when you’re in the office and you don’t answer any messages I send. Can we go somewhere and talk now? For a few minutes even?”
Janice glanced down at her phone.
“I have a meeting in 15 minutes. Come back to the office and I’ll see you now. And remember, through that door, I’m Ms. Newberry.” Kenneth nodded and followed her back into the office.
Erica Swift saw them both at the same instant. She looked perplexed.
“Hello, Erica,” said Janice. “I will be in Mr. Henderson’s office for a short meeting. Please let me know when Mr. Shaffer arrives.”
“I have a message for you,” said Erica.
Janice asked Kenneth to wait for her in his office, then asked for the message. “It’s not really a message. I just thought that if it’s something important with Mr. Henderson, you might want me to schedule something formal.”
“There is no need for that, thank you. Mr. Grimwood has brought your concerns about Mr. Henderson’s office hours to my attention and I am taking the opportunity to discuss it with him. The sooner
we deal with this sort of thing the better, correct?” “Of course,” said Erica, chagrined that Mr. Grimwood had shared her tattle.
Irregular hours
Janice walked through Kenneth’s door.
“Mr. Henderson, it has come to my attention that you have been keeping irregular hours.” She put a finger to her lips to halt Kenneth’s reply and shut the door.
“So there’s a reason for this. You must be aware that you’re in a fishbowl in here? She reports everything to
Grimwood. What is it you need to talk to me about?”
“You must know what it is. I can’t stand us being this way. I want a chance to make things right again.”
He sounds pathetic, thought Janice.
“I won’t do this and you can’t do this unless you want everything to blow up in your
face and you can bet I have no intention of being collateral damage if that happens. You look dreadful. There’s nothing you’ll have to attend to for the next couple of weeks. Why don’t you take some of the background reading home tomorrow and work from there? I can square that with Grimwood.”
Kenneth nodded. “Alright, but there’s
something I need to know. Are you seeing that guy you were with at New Years?” “Oh, for heaven’s sake Kenneth, have you heard a word I’ve said? Forget us and go home and get some rest.” “I need to know.”
Janice shook her head in disbelief as she walked to the door. She opened it, then turned back to him.
“Oh, one more thing, Mr. Henderson. The answer to your question is a definite no.”
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