Chapter 2 of 3 : The meet
Looking at his watch, Henry saw he was running a couple of minutes late.
What am I doing? I can't believe I'm meeting Bethany. Eliza's sister. Without Eliza present. Why do I even feel guilty?
Henry stepped into The Coffee Room, and glanced at the faces in the café. A woman with long red hair raised her hand and waved to him. With hand gestures, he indicated he was buying coffee first. With a steaming mug in hand, he moved to the table where she sat.
The resemblance is unmistakable, Henry thought. Red hair, pale complexion, a hint of freckles: definitely the Dooley genes in action. I wonder what they were like as kids …
"Hi, Henry. Thanks for meeting with me." Bethany stood and shook his hand.
"It's no trouble, Bethany; thanks for reaching out. However, I must admit I was surprised to receive your call."
"Why is that?"
"We've only met the one time, where we didn't exchange many words beyond 'hello' and 'goodbye'. But it is good to hear from you and to meet with you. Truth is, I'm not sure what Eliza says about me, especially to her family."
"When you say all of that out loud, I suppose that makes sense. You should know she doesn't talk badly about you, but we'll get back to that. I want to assure you that what I have in mind is important."
"You mentioned the help you require has something to do with Eliza?"
"Absolutely. Before I get to that, she may have told you I'm pregnant with my first child."
"Yes, she did! Congratulations!"
"Thank you ..."
"If I may ask, do you know what the gender is?"
"Yes, we're going to have a baby girl ..."
Henry immediately thought of a redheaded Korean girl running around the house. A house he would share with Eliza, a home where they raised their daughter, a place filled with women and laughter. "I'm happy for you and your husband."
"I wish Eliza was, too ..."
"She'll come around; trust me. Once she sees the baby, she'll likely go all out and spoil her niece rotten. I think she'll be the best aunt in the world."
"I hope so. So, a big reason why I need your help is my baby is due October 18, which is a week before Eliza's birthday on the 25th."
"She mentioned that to me, too. She was irritated by the timing, but I told her there was no way you got pregnant just to spite her."
"Right! We have a lot of issues to work out, and I think there'll always be a part of her who believes it's just her against the world. I'm trying to help her through that, and a way to do that is we've been able to talk more of late."
Henry nodded, her assessment in accord with his observations. "That's what I've been trying to tell her, too."
Bethany twisted her lips. "And I'm sure I haven't come across in exactly a positive light."
"What did Eliza say about you? 'Straight As, class president, pretty crier.' I'd say you come across as 'perfect.'"
"I'm nowhere close to 'perfect'. I may be great - ask my husband - but being my best made my sister feel inferior. That was never my intention. Well, okay, in high school, maybe that was my intention, but that was years ago. We aren't kids anymore."
"No, we're not. Over time, I've learned the truth lies somewhere between perception and reality."
Bethany nodded. "I wanted to ask two questions."
"Please ask away."
"I want to begin making plans for Eliza's birthday, but here's my dilemma. With the baby due a week before Eliza's birthday, the timing and being able to do both get very interesting. Yet, I want to ensure we celebrate Eliza's birthday."
"Eliza filled me in some of the history between you two, and why she first told me her family was lost at sea."
Bethany chuckled. "She's been using that line and story for years ..."
"Actually, it explains a lot and why she takes 'selfies' non-stop. She told me she never saw pictures of herself when she was a kid. It's like she's making up for lost time, as if she's trying to ensure no one forgets about her."
"It's true. I don't know how much she's told you, but our parents' marriage began to unravel around the time Eliza was born. They got a divorce, and our mom took care of us and held it all together. Looking back, mom did an incredible job, but one of the consequences of the divorce was that Eliza never got as much attention as I did at the same age."
"Despite her bragging about her followers on social media, Eliza wants to be ahead of the pack. She doesn't want to be a follower; she doesn't want to be left behind."
Bethany nodded, amazed by how well Henry read the situation. "It's why I began following Eliza on Instagram. But what she doesn't realize is when we were kids, I got a little sick and tired of getting all the attention. Sometimes, I wanted to hide away; sometimes, I envied what it would've been like to be a little more anonymous."
Henry nodded, another new insight into the Dooley family learned. "Whatever happened in the past, I'm glad she's talking to you and to your mom again."
"I am, too. I missed her. We're family, and it's something I've been reminding her over the years."
"As have I very recently."
"It's a big reason why I want to shine the spotlight on her. It's been a long time since I took part in Eliza's birthday."
"Let me guess. Eliza goes to a club to get 'white girl wasted' and plasters pictures of her evening on social media."
"Yeah. And I got married to get out of that scene, and my husband isn't much for the club scene either."
"Since my own birthday, I've been thinking about her birthday, too. Did she ever tell you what she did for me?"
She shook her head. "What happened?"
"In short, she got me concert tickets to see Blues Traveler, a favorite band of mine from way back. She broke into my house, and snuck my friends and colleagues in to surprise me with a birthday party after the concert."
"She did all that?"
"At the time, I reacted poorly; I behaved like an ungrateful idiot. Generally because I can't recognize fun even when it's staring at me in the face. But I realized she put in a lot of effort for my birthday, in a way to help reconcile her own feelings about her own 'forgotten' birthdays. And I understood she wanted to make me feel special on my birthday."
Bethany nodded in approval of her sister's actions. "Wow, that's amazing. But you said she broke into your house?"
Henry chuckled. "Yes, she did. I was furious for about a second, but I realized with Eliza that once she's set her mind on something, she's an unstoppable force of nature."
"How did she break into your house?"
"Technically, she didn't. She'd been going through a little rough patch, and I gave her a spare key to let her stay in my house." At Bethany's look, he quickly added. "While I stayed at a hotel."
"She hasn't returned the spare key?"
"No, she still has it."
These two have a very interesting relationship. "All right then. But do you understand why I'd like to make this year a special birthday for Eliza?"
"Yes, I do. I should warn you I'm not the kind of guy who has a standard definition of fun."
"Which means …?"
"… I'm the kind of guy who likes leaving early to beat highway-traffic."
"I see."
"But," he paused for emphasis. "It's time I made an active change in this regard. I would be happy to help, and I will do my best, but I can't promise my ideas will be best, or if they're any good at all. It's okay if you simply let me know."
"Me giving a last word on planning a party? That's kinda my thing, so yes, I think I can do that." She replied with a little smile.
"Eliza is my friend, and I'd like to repay her in kind." He saw her nod in approval. "But you had a second question for me."
"I do." Bethany paused, momentarily unsure whether she should go with 'gentle' or 'brute force'. She decided on 'direct.' "What's really going on between you and my sister? She breaks into your place, and she still has your spare key. I bring water and bananas to a big race, and you stay away because Eliza forbids you?"
"What? How …?"
"You forget I was standing right there in front of you, and I saw your reaction to her demand. For anyone who was looking and I was looking by the way, it was kinda hard to miss the body language you two had: together yet apart."
Come on! Does everyone and the whole world want Eliza and me together?!
"I think you're mistaken." Henry replied. "First of all, we are not married, and second, we are not even a couple."
"But you want to be? I mean, you want to be with her?"
He sighed. "Bethany, that is a long and complicated conversation." One phone call to a coffee meet, and I'm already unburdening myself to Eliza's sister.
"When I last spoke with Eliza, she couldn't stop talking about you. To quote her, you are 'a sharply-dressed man with ridiculous bowties and an unnatural love of salad'. Frankly, I think it's a little weird."
"Weird? How? That I love salad?"
"Yeah, kinda. But no; it's not that. Isn't she seeing someone? That guy who was also in the mud race? What's his name? Freddy?"
"Yes, that's him."
"Eliza said you're her friend, which means you have her back."
"I admit it's a little more than that, but yes, that's the gist of it."
"So then, what do you think about Eliza and Freddy?"
He chuckled. "Your mom asked me that same exact question."
"She did? You spoke with my mom?"
"Eliza called your mom. As I was passing by, she saw me, and asked me to chat with your mom. I guess I've covered almost all members of the Dooley family. All I have to do now is to speak with your father to complete the set."
A shadow passed over Bethany's face before she masked it again with practiced ease. "Perhaps."
He shelved that look of hers for another time; there was a lot he didn't know about their family, and the Dooley girls would've had a rough time when their parents divorced. He also suspected Eliza had more difficulty adapting than Bethany. But that was for another time, because for now, he had Bethany's question to answer.
"I think Eliza and Freddy seem suited for each other, and they seem to be happy."
"'Seem'? You have to know more; surely you've seen more. You all work at the same company ..."
"I don't get in the way between Eliza and Freddy ..."
"And yet, Eliza spent the majority of our last two phone conversations talking about you. That's weird. If there's nothing happening between you two …"
"I'm also her advisor: did she tell you that?"
"To some extent. But there's no way you're just her advisor."
"There's nothing going on, Bethany. Surely in your conversations, she must be saying more about Freddy …" Isn't she?
This guy is in serious denial. "Henry, as Eliza's friend, what do you really think about her relationship with Freddy?"
It was one question he had tried not to examine too deeply. But with Bethany waiting for an answer, the sudden attention directed him to the only conclusion.
"On the road they're tracking, I project they will not last the year."
Now we're getting somewhere, even if he sounded like he was talking about a business transaction. "Oh? So you are hoping for something to happen between you and my sister ..."
"That's not what I said. I meant that ..."
"You haven't completely rejected the possibility of you and Eliza ..."
"That's clever, Bethany. What I'm saying is that they're engaging in a purely physical relationship, and based on the changes I've seen in her, she's going to want more. In their relationship, I mean. And it's unclear if they're going to arrive to the same conclusion at the same time ..."
Afraid she'd completely crossed the line, Bethany softened and stopped her questioning. "I'm sorry for giving you a hard time, Henry. It feels like I just got my sister back, and I don't want to see her hurt."
Henry grinned, partly from relief and partly with understanding. "I get it; I really do. I don't want to see her hurt either."
That's interesting, Bethany thought. Stands to reason he and Eliza are close. But I wonder if he's saying he feels protective in order to avoid examining his reluctance to see how good he and Eliza might be together. Even though I've not spent more than 30 minutes in total with this man, he reminds me of all the bookish nerdy guys I got to meet and know in college. I like him already. So, their relationship is worth checking out, but not today.
"OK, I had some ideas about throwing a party …"
They tossed ideas back and forth for the next thirty minutes. Bethany and Henry agreed to have a big birthday party for her, but neither was sure about the right number of people, or the right people, for that matter. They agreed booking a night club was an option, or better yet, booking a hall with a DJ. No clowns, however; definitely, no clowns. Henry brought up the idea of a big screen with a constant slideshow of Eliza's selfies, in addition to Eliza's best photographed moments when she was young, if Bethany could find any.
"You may have to ask your Mom about that, but I think it's best if we kept the circle to the two of us for the time being."
"I agree," Bethany replied. "Eliza might not be totally on board with that, but it's a good idea all the same. But I just thought of something. If we're doing all of this for her now, what the hell are we going to do for her 30th birthday?"
"I don't wanna know. At least not now …"
Bethany laughed at the crazy thought. At the ringing, she answered her smartphone. "Oh hi, Peter! I'm in Burbank having coffee with my sister's colleague and friend. Yes, I'm on my way to you now. Love you. Bye!" She disconnected the call. "Henry, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to leave ..."
"It's okay, Bethany; I should get back to the office."
They exited The Coffee Room, and as they walked to her BMW, Henry gave recommendations for the best way out of Burbank north to Palmdale.
"OK, thanks. Henry, it was great to meet with you. Thank you for taking time out of your busy work day."
They shook hands. "It's my pleasure. I'm very happy to have taken the time and meet with you. Eliza is important to me and you're her family. We'll talk again, and we'll begin making arrangements."
"Henry, please promise me you won't say anything to her about our plans. If she gets wind of something, she'll be ruthless to find out what's going on. In fact, we may have to set up a secondary plan to throw her off the scent."
"It won't be easy …"
"… because you two spend a lot of time with each other. Did I mention that's weird?"
"Yes, you have. I guess it is a little weird. But it is what it is, Bethany. But please remember that I don't get in between Eliza and Freddy." Much.
"I can see why she likes you."
"Excuse me?"
"I think she feels safe with you. She trusts you. Explains why she tells you everything."
"Did she tell you that?"
"No, she hasn't."
"Well, It's because I'm her advisor."
"I thought we'd gotten past that. You're much more than her advisor."
"Maybe. Well, I like to think so. And I think it's becoming more complicated. Truth is, Bethany, she makes me see the world in a very different light. She can often be exasperating, but I think I'm a better person when she's around."
"That's a good start, Henry. It always is."
He nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "I promise not to tell Eliza. But once we get started, I think we'll have to roll quickly."
"Thanks again for meeting with me, Henry. I'll call you again in a few weeks."
Bethany waved at Henry as she pulled out of her parking spot. Watching her drive away, he had much to contemplate.
I got to meet and talk to Bethany. We had a very meaningful conversation which included a few more details about her family. And out of all things in my life, I can't believe I'm going to plan a party. And not just any party: it's a birthday party for Eliza, and I'm going to work with Bethany! I never thought my life would ever involve so much around one person. But I guess it's never too late to change. And speaking of late, time I get a move on back to work …