[[ wheelsy, south carolina ]]
[ "so, monday, huh?" ]
"Hello?"
Kate cradles the phone against her shoulder as she finishes rinsing the coffee pot.
"You have been holdin' out on me," Sarah says, and Kate can hear the teasing smile in her voice. "How long've you known?"
"I -- what?"
"Don't play dumb, it don't suit you. Dave just told me the good news."
The good news.
Right.
She forces a smile, even though Sarah can't see it.
"Not long. Bill just told me this morning. He doesn't want it to be a big deal -- "
"But it is a big deal. Dave's over the moon, I can tell."
"He is?"
"Why, yeah. Much as he loves the job, these past few months ain't been easy on him, tryin' to keep everybody organized an' -- well, he'll be happy to have Bill back. We all will."
"Yeah."
Kate's voice is soft, thicker than she'd like.
"You're ... you're happy about this, too, aren't you?"
"Of course." She blinks hard as she scrubs at an invisible spot on the side of the glass with her thumbnail. "He can't wait to be back."
"I'm not gonna quit, Kate. It's what I am."
"Then I think we should get everybody together this weekend, give him a proper homecomin'. Er, office-comin'."
Kate turns off the water and places the pot upside-down in the drainer.
"Sarah, I don't know -- "
"It'll be great, everybody'll -- "
"But what if he doesn't want -- "
"Of course he does, who wouldn't?"
"He already told Rudy he doesn't want people flooding the house -- "
"Who says it has to be at the house?"
Kate goes quiet, and she can practically hear Sarah thinking.
"We could rent out the lodge for Saturday night. C'mon, Kate, say yes. I'll make a cake an' everything."
"But -- "
"Nope, no buts."
"Sarah -- "
"I'll make two cakes."
"Sarah -- "
"Say yes, y'know it'll be good for Bill, too, seein' how much everybody's missed him, an' how excitin' it is to have him back on duty."
"Well ... "
"Three cakes, an' I'll even give you the number, I bet Mary's there right now."
Kate hesitates as she dries her hands.
"He's going to hate me for this -- "
"Oh, he won't. That man couldn't hate you if he tried, an' we both know it."
With a small smile of concession, Kate shakes her head and rummages in the junk drawer for a pen.
"Give me the number."
"Hello?"
Kate cradles the phone against her shoulder as she finishes rinsing the coffee pot.
"You have been holdin' out on me," Sarah says, and Kate can hear the teasing smile in her voice. "How long've you known?"
"I -- what?"
"Don't play dumb, it don't suit you. Dave just told me the good news."
The good news.
Right.
She forces a smile, even though Sarah can't see it.
"Not long. Bill just told me this morning. He doesn't want it to be a big deal -- "
"But it is a big deal. Dave's over the moon, I can tell."
"He is?"
"Why, yeah. Much as he loves the job, these past few months ain't been easy on him, tryin' to keep everybody organized an' -- well, he'll be happy to have Bill back. We all will."
"Yeah."
Kate's voice is soft, thicker than she'd like.
"You're ... you're happy about this, too, aren't you?"
"Of course." She blinks hard as she scrubs at an invisible spot on the side of the glass with her thumbnail. "He can't wait to be back."
"I'm not gonna quit, Kate. It's what I am."
"Then I think we should get everybody together this weekend, give him a proper homecomin'. Er, office-comin'."
Kate turns off the water and places the pot upside-down in the drainer.
"Sarah, I don't know -- "
"It'll be great, everybody'll -- "
"But what if he doesn't want -- "
"Of course he does, who wouldn't?"
"He already told Rudy he doesn't want people flooding the house -- "
"Who says it has to be at the house?"
Kate goes quiet, and she can practically hear Sarah thinking.
"We could rent out the lodge for Saturday night. C'mon, Kate, say yes. I'll make a cake an' everything."
"But -- "
"Nope, no buts."
"Sarah -- "
"I'll make two cakes."
"Sarah -- "
"Say yes, y'know it'll be good for Bill, too, seein' how much everybody's missed him, an' how excitin' it is to have him back on duty."
"Well ... "
"Three cakes, an' I'll even give you the number, I bet Mary's there right now."
Kate hesitates as she dries her hands.
"He's going to hate me for this -- "
"Oh, he won't. That man couldn't hate you if he tried, an' we both know it."
With a small smile of concession, Kate shakes her head and rummages in the junk drawer for a pen.
"Give me the number."