Chapter 3
The invitation was simple, but that's what Stacy liked about it. She had found it sitting in the furthest corner of the window ledge. She couldn't help but smile as she read its message. It was written in a loopy long-form script.
'My dearest Station Mistress, please allow me the pleasure of taking you out to dinner this evening.'
Replacing the signature was a nickel taped to the bottom of the page. If that didn't make the sender's identity absolutely clear then she didn't know what would. The note must have been sincere, she decided, as Schemer did not readily part with his nickels.
She supposed that she could say that going out to dinner was still considered to be 'moving slowly'. They went out to dinner all the time, and they spent time at each other's houses. The difference was that usually Billy or someone else was present. Yesterday it felt easier to commit to dating, but today she felt a little more anxious. It was unknown to her how long this could last. As much as she enjoyed his company, both as a friend and romantically, she was worried their friendship would be negatively affected should anything go wrong. She didn't regret the decision she had made, but she worried that she might have promised him, and herself to an extent, something that could not last forever. She suddenly felt like she needed someone to talk to, so she moved into Billy's office, trying to mask her frown. He was seated at his desk doing some paperwork when she appeared.
"Stacy," he greeted her warmly as he put down his pen, "What can I do for you?"
"I need to talk to you about something," she said, biting her lower lip.
He frowned, looking slightly worried. "Oh? What's that?"
She sighed. "It's about Schemer. Well, no, it's more about what's going on between Schemer and I," she confessed, smoothing her skirt to prevent her hands from fidgeting.
He smiled and his eyes danced with a sudden spark of interest. "Ah yes, I was wondering when you'd bring that up."
She almost rolled her eyes, everyone around here loved to gossip, speculation was the town's past time. She swore that if she looked up the definition for 'gossip' beside it she would find a picture of Shining Time, and Midge Smoot.
He laughed heartily. "Oh Stacy, you two couldn't be any less discreet to me. I was at the event last night. Or have you already forgotten about me?"
Instead of sharing in his humour she looked moderately horrified. "Do you think anyone else has noticed?" she asked with worry evident in her voice.
"Easy Stacy. And no, I don't think anyone else has noticed. You know Midge Smoot would be the first to know, and then everyone else in town immediately after her."
She sighed with relief. "Good. I mean, I guess it's good. Good in some ways, but not good in others. Am I making any sense or just rambling?" she asked as she started to pace, gesturing with her hands wildly.
He shook his head with a slight smile. "I understand on some, strange level. Though I just want to clarify, the 'not good' has nothing to do with him, right?"
She nodded. "No, all the 'good' has to do with him. I'm very afraid that the 'not good' will ruin our friendship in the end though. I'm not sure to what extent this relationship can go."
She explained, biting at her fingernails.
"What do you mean?" he asked thoughtfully, hoping she would explain further.
She averted her eyes. "Well, it's just that with everything that has happened between us, and everything that happened in the last year, I'm still not sure if we're both ready for a real and serious relationship. I keep worrying that one of us will panic and back out. Or worse yet, what if we just don't work? Where does that leave us?"
Billy looked thoughtful. "Well, did either of you enter this under any duress? Do you feel like it was forced, or that it feels uncomfortable?"
Stacy shook her head, "No, not at all. I feel like we both acted on our feelings, it was sudden, but not entirely unexpected. We did agree to take it slow, whatever that ends up looking like."
"You're never going to be sure if you're ready unless you try. And if he entered it with the promise of taking things slow then it sounds like he's being just as cautious. It sounds like neither of you want the relationship to end, so why worry about breaking up when things have started on a good note? Unless you're getting a bad feeling about it now, of course," Billy suggested.
"No, not at all! I don't want it to end already," she said with a small smile.
Billy smiled in return. "Good, because I'm positive that he doesn't want it to end either. It's an adult relationship, as long as everyone is consenting and equally involved, you can get the most out of your relationship. There's a risk to everything, but you'll never know if it can grow into something more if you don't take that risk."
Stacy smiled. "Thanks Billy, I feel better already. I think it's been awhile since I've felt this way, and it didn't end too well the last time, so I'm cautious but optimistic."
Billy nodded, and immediately knew whom she was walking about. He didn't dare bring up Ned's name however, as he didn't want to add to her confusion.
Suddenly, a sound that sounded like a harp on high speed rang out in the room, accompanied with by a shower of gold dust appearing over Billy's desk.
"Sodor has been terribly busy lately," Mr. Conductor said with a sigh as he brushed his suit off.
"Yes, so has Shining Time Station," Billy said slyly. Stacy gave him a gentle smack on the arm.
"Oh? How so?" Mr. Conductor asked curiously.
Stacy gave Billy a mock glare for trapping her. She sat up straighter and regained her dignity.
"I'm in a new relationship," she said simply and in a stately manner.
"With who?" Mr. Conductor asked, interested in this new development.
"With our arcade manager. Schemer."
Mr. Conductor's eyes widened as he registered this. "Schemer? Wow, I never would have thought-", he didn't finish that thought as Billy gave him a pointed look. "I mean… uh… I never would have thought either of you would have acted on your feelings! Good for the both of you!" he said hurriedly.
Stacy frowned at him, deflating slightly. "You don't see us being together?"
"No, that's not it at all. I just never thought you, in particular, reciprocated his feelings. He was always a little more obvious. But I'm glad you're both happy. You are happy, right?" he asked sincerely.
"Well it's all very new, but I'm happy to see where it goes," she said with equal sincerity.
"Excellent! Now, if you don't mind me changing the subject, I did bring some important news from a colleague. I daresay it's nothing to worry about, but… there's been recent chatter about sporadic usage of dark magic."
Stacy and Billy exchanged worried looks. It had been a long time since they had seen dark forces at work, let alone hear of them.
"Are you sure?" she asked, worry was etched into her features.
"Yes, Mr. C, and if so, is the Station at risk?" Billy added.
Mr. Conductor shook his head. "I don't believe so, but it is just whispers and rumours at this point. The Conductors, like myself, will be keeping a watchful eye out. Please, let me know if you notice anything strange at any point and I'll make sure the Station is safe. Nothing bad will happen under my watch," he promised.
Stacy smiled gratefully. "I know. We're safe as long as we have you."
Schemer strolled into the station, whistling happily as he stalked up the stairs to the arcade. He was so lost in his own thoughts as he opened his arcade for the day that he didn't notice Stacy, who had silently walked up behind him and was currently leaning against the arcade railing.
"Have any song requests?" she asked, smirking as he startled to the sound of her voice.
"Ms. Jones!" he gasped, mockingly clutching at his chest, "Song requests? Is that what was so important that you had to sneak up and give me a heart attack?"
Still smirking, she sauntered over and pressed the nickel into the jukebox slot. "I figured you might want this back in the form of a song."
He cocked an eyebrow. "I see you received my invitation." He leaned in closer, resting an arm against the jukebox, feeling his heart quickening again, and not from the fright she gave him.
"I did, and I accept. But the question still remains, do you have any song requests?" Stacy smiled coyly.
He scoffed playfully. "You know this thing doesn't listen to a single thing I say."
"Well, then I'll leave it to chance." She allowed the nickel to fall into the machine. Unbeknownst to either of them, the jukebox band had been listening to their conversation, and quickly decided on a fitting song.
The song 'I Dream of Jeannie' began to play, and it reminded them of something that they couldn't quite place, but it felt like the right choice nonetheless.
"Shall I pick you up at 6?" he asked, reaching for her hand gently.
"Sounds good to me. Where are we going?" she asked with a smile.
"There's a restaurant in Chubby Corners, it's new and I figured it would be far enough from the prying eyes of this town," he explained.
"That works!" she agreed.
The sound of passengers quickly filled the atrium and they immediately broke apart and parted ways, pretending that nothing had happened.
Later that same day Stacy was in Billy's office, working with him on the latest schedule. They often collaborated on work and, despite working on very different aspects of running a train station, they valued each other's opinions and experiences. The companionable silence was suddenly broken by a commotion from just outside the door. They looked at each other quickly before poking their heads outside to look for the source. Out in the main hall of the station they found Schemee essentially playing keep-away with a piece of paper from Schemer, who was desperately struggling to get it back. Schemee, being much younger and considerably more nimble, could easily outmanoeuvre his uncle, and was currently doing so while chuckling mockingly.
"Hey! Would you two stop it? This is a train station, not a playground!" she chastised them, but was only half serious. Rarely did their antics last, and usually they brought at least some amusement.
Schemee stopped, but still tried to keep the paper out of Schemer's reach, who was still trying to grapple him for it. "Oh, Ms. Jones. I didn't see you there," Schemee said casually.
She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "May I see what's currently got you both so wound up?" She said before lunging at him as well. Schemee was not prepared for her as well, and certainly didn't expect the usually mild-mannered Stacy to join the fray. She moved too quickly for him and soon had the paper clutched in her grasp.
"No!" Schemer half-shouted.
Stacy stopped short of opening the folded piece of paper. He seemed to genuinely not want her, or anyone, to see it. After a moment of internal conflict, she decided to hand it back to Schemer, who immediately pocketed it.
"Thanks," he said, and she could hear the gratitude in his voice.
"Oh for the love… Uncle Schemer!" Schemee cried, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "What is the big secret?"
Schemer shot him a glance that clearly indicated they would talk about it later. Schemee rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Fine, whatever. Enjoy whatever scheme you're trying to run, without my help I might add!" Schemee said dramatically as he stalked off, attitude dripping off his words.
Three watched him leave, before Billy and Stacy turned to Schemer.
Schemer gave a melodramatic groan. "Teenagers. Can't live with them. Anyways, I'll be off."
He too began to leave, as Stacy and Billy exchanged glances.
"So, what exactly was that about?" Billy called at Schemer's retreating form.
He stopped in his tracks. "It's nothing."
"Any schemes we should know about?" Stacy raised an eyebrow.
Schemer turned back around. "It's not a scheme! Besides, it's just… Okay, here." He grabbed the paper from his pocket and shoved it towards them.
Stacy accepted it once more and carefully opened it.
"The Indian Valley Railroad board of directors application," she read aloud, "What exactly were you two doing with this?"
"I was filling out an application," Schemer confessed.
She gave him a deadpan expression. She alternated looking between Schemer, who wore a similarly unreadable expression to her own, and Billy, who seemed to be struggling with words.
"You do realize that only serious applicants are accepted?" she finally said, not unkindly.
He suddenly looked offended. "So what if I am?"
Billy finally broke his silence. "Schemer, there's nothing saying you can't apply. But, have you considered the size of this role? Do you know what you could potentially be getting into?"
Schemer went silent again.
"I have. I mean, I think I have. I don't think it's anything I can't handle! Besides, all applications have to be handed in and considered!" he declared victoriously, taking the application back.
"Schemer, I second what Billy says, but you also have to consider your audience. Do you mean to tell me that I have to actually look Mr. King dead in the eye and say, 'Oh, by the way, here's Schemer's application. Wouldn't running a railroad together be fun?'" she pointed out.
"Yeah sure, I don't see what the problem is," he said nonchalantly.
She slowly nodded and without breaking eye contact reached for the application and placed it in Mr. King's inbox. Billy shook his head in the background.
"Schemer sitting on the board of directors for the Indian Valley Railroad? What's next? Actually, never mind, I don't want to know. I'll be in my office if anyone needs me," Billy said before leaving.
"Schemer, please tell me now, is this some elaborate scheme to take over the station again? I thought we were beyond this now," she pleaded.
He looked offended at the accusation. "No, it's not. And besides, given that you, Billy and Schemee all seem to believe that I don't have a chance in hell I guess it doesn't really matter if I send it or not. According to you all, Mr. King would rather pave over every inch of this property then put me on the board of directors."
"It's not like that, we all just want you to be realistic about this. This affects us too, Schemer. This is a small station, but it takes a great deal of work to run. Billy and I have to be extremely careful and work together to make sure it runs successfully. I just never really saw any past indication that you were interested in working on the operations side of things," she explained carefully.
He shrugged, taking in her concerns. "Look, I get it. But I wanted to apply, I wanted to do something different. And it's more of a business job from what I can see."
She nodded slowly. "I understand. I'm glad you've thought this through anyways. I'll make sure Mr. King gets the application," she said politely.
"Thanks, I appreciate it," he replied civilly.
Both were suddenly aware of the cooler tone that had settled in between them, a sharp contrast from the tenderness of the morning.
"So I'll see you tonight?" she asked, suddenly feeling a bit guilty.
"Of course," he said softly.
She gave him a small smile and walked back to Billy's office after he retreated back to his arcade.
It was hard, she realized after the talk of applications, to try and separate the romance from the friendship from the job. There wouldn't always be times where the three would perfectly meet. This concerned her, but she tried to ignore it the best she could. They'd deal with things as they came up, she told herself, they always did.
Later that day, and for the second day in a row, Paul showed up to Shining Time Station. He gave Schemer a friendly wave as he entered before heading over to greet Stacy at her desk.
"Welcome to Shining Time Station, how may I help you?" she asked warmly.
"Good morning! Ms. Jones, is it?" he replied, copying her warm demeanour, "I'm Paul Miller, I wanted to come introduce myself. I believe we missed crossing paths at the staff party. I've met Billy and Schemer already, but knew I still had to come meet the star of the show – the station master."
"Oh yes, that's right, I remember seeing you there. Pleasure to meet you!" Stacy said as realization dawned on her. "Wait, Paul Miller? Aren't you the new stakeholder?"
Schemer's ears perked up. Stakeholder? In the Indian Valley Railroad? That meant Paul wasn't just a corporate lackey, he was high ranking. There were the stakeholders, and the board of directors. The stakeholders were largely displaced from the day-to-day operations, but they were the financial backing of the railroad. They oversaw the appointment to the board of directors, of which Mr. King acted as chairman, in addition to President of the Indian Valley Railroad, and were generally known to be filthy, filthy rich.
Paul gave a smooth grin. "Now, I was hoping my reputation wouldn't precede me. I like to get to know my staff, see them in action without all that stuffiness following me around. I had heard this was the flagship of the Indian Valley Railroad. It's not the biggest station, not by a long shot, but I can certainly see why it's so special." He gave a sweeping glance, taking in the atrium and the mural. "It's magical, almost."
Stacy looked stunned, and while the double meaning was lost on the eavesdropping Schemer, his face mirrored how incredulous she felt. Paul turned around to see Schemer practically hanging off the arcade railing.
"Schemer, wouldn't you agree?" he asked kindly.
Schemer stumbled while trying, and failing, to look relaxed and not as if he was just eavesdropping from across the station.
"Completely, one hundred percent agree," Schemer sputtered as he caught himself.
"I hope you don't mind, I was trying to poach your colleague to come work for me. But I can see how he's a valuable part of this station," Paul said sincerely.
"I… Of course, yes he definitely is!" Stacy confirmed, a blush spreading high on her cheeks.
Paul smiled in response and turned to notice Mr. King's inbox. "Oh, I see there's mail for Mr. King, would you mind if I took it? I'll be seeing him at a board meeting later this week. I'm happy to pass it along."
"Of course, not at all," Stacy agreed.
Paul picked up the stack, and gave a curious glance at the top of the pile, where Schemer's application sat. He didn't directly draw attention to it, but gave a cordial look in Schemer's direction. "I just know we'll continue to all work together. I expect big things from all of you," he said with a parting smile and bid them goodbye.
The two exchanged twin looks of shock once he left.
"He's a shareholder?! Did you know that?" Stacy gasped.
"No, not at all!" Schemer exclaimed in response.
They lapsed into a momentary silence, considering what this meant. "I had heard the name before, Mr. King had mentioned a few weeks ago that a new stakeholder was buying into the company. But I had no idea that they would ever bother with coming to visit any station, let alone this one," she explained.
"He said he had heard about my arcade. I didn't even know the shareholders knew there was an arcade here," Schemer said with a shrug.
"Are you rethinking that corporate job a bit harder now, Schemer?" she looked up and asked him, her forwardness catching him off guard.
"I mean… I don't think so?" he said questioningly, as if asking himself the same thing, "But I feel a bit better about the application now."
She nodded. "About that, I'm sorry how I reacted earlier."
He shrugged. "It's okay, I get it."
"But regardless, you should be thrilled. If that's what you want, it's good to have someone like that in your corner," she said sincerely.
They walked into Billy's office to find him working on a machine. "I overheard part of that, but I was a bit busy working on this part. So this Paul guy is a shareholder?"
"That's right, and he thinks that Shining Time Station is magical and that Schemer should be on the board of directors," Stacy added.
"Huh. Well, I'm not one to doubt anyone's intentions but I do suggest we all take it with a grain of salt. We just met him, and I'd hate for anyone to get caught in over their head. He seems nice, but he is a businessman, and might want something in return. Not all intentions are clear," Billy cautioned.
With that eventful workday behind them, Schemer arrived at her house that evening. He grabbed the bouquet of roses on the seat beside him and walked up to her door to greet her. Knocking at her door, he felt confident for their first date. He hadn't even fallen over yet. With bated breath he waited for her footsteps to reach the door. Finally the door cracked open slowly.
"Hey Stacy! I brought these for you. This time they're not 'fresh-yesterday' flowers," he said with a sheepish grin.
She gave a small smile. "Thanks Schemer, that's sweet of you. Why don't you come in for a second?" She turned and brought the flowers to the kitchen.
He quickly followed, admiring the way her hips swayed back and forth. Pretending that nothing was happening between them at the Station today felt difficult, and putting on pause the affection he wanted to show her at times was even more so. He had been feeling intoxicated by her since the night before, and a professional setting only heightened it. Still, it was very new so he wasn't going to publicly push it. In private, however, he had no qualms walking over to her at the kitchen counter where she was arranging the flowers, and wrapping his arms around her tightly and burying his face in her neck to kiss her. She shivered in response, feeling excited by the sudden display of passion. She turned around in his arms to press herself against him and kiss him back properly, tightly gripping his back. They broke apart after a prolonged moment, foreheads touching.
"Should we head out on our date now? Before things get too heated, I mean," she suggested.
He feigned disappointment. "I suppose we should," he said as he straightened his suit jacket and let her get back to filling the vase with water. "Mainly because we have a lot to celebrate. Our first big date... Our first reconciled fight..." He gave her a smirk.
She rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove. "Shut it, you."
Dinner was going well, until Stacy ducked down without warning. "Mr. King and that Paul guy just walked in," she hissed.
He gave the slightest turn of his head, until he could see them from the corner of his eye. "Just act casual, I'm sure Mr. King won't suspect anything."
"And Paul?" she asked.
"Well, about that..." he started to say before trailing off.
"He knows already?! How?" she asked quizzically.
"Okay, so, he maybe was responsible for pushing me into… confessing my feelings for you," Schemer slowly confessed, "Don't get me wrong, I still did it because I wanted to, not because I was told! But I swear, I think he's trustworthy. He doesn't seem to be interested in getting involved in other people's business."
She exhaled the breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I suppose that's fine, people will find out in their own time."
"If you'd prefer, we can either move tables or try to keep a low profile," he suggested.
"No, it's fine, it's lovely here and like you said, we can act casual."
He was relieved. He didn't really want to have their first real date turn into a circus. Besides, he didn't really care if Mr. King knew; if anything it would help him feel like he was 'good enough'. But he also knew that it would bother her on a professional level.
Fortunately, as he hoped, the rest of dinner went smoothly. At one point, Schemer crossed paths with Paul in the hallway near the bathroom.
"Do you need me to cover for you? To Mr. King, I mean?" Paul asked quickly.
Schemer was taken aback. "If he asks, it would be best to keep it under the radar for now. Just friends, out to dinner," he suggested, trying to keep disappointment from edging into his voice.
If he noticed it, Paul didn't question it. "Say no more," he said with a confident smile. They parted ways and Schemer knew Paul would follow through for him.
As Stacy and Schemer were leaving, they briefly made eye contact with Mr. King, and exchanged waves. To both their credit, Schemer felt that neither looked panicked or 'caught' and they exited casually. Though they did slightly hurry to the car, so as not to draw too much attention to the fact that they were taking one vehicle, in case Mr. King did notice.
"Thank you Schemer, I had a great time," Stacy said sincerely, "And thanks for being understanding about Mr. King."
"No problemo," he said, smiling at her general happiness, "Thanks for sticking it out with me."
They arrived at her house, and she turned to kiss him this time. "I'd invite you inside, but it's a bit late for me unfortunately. I've got an early morning tomorrow."
"And I have a teenager at home to check on," he said with mock regret, "I'll see you tomorrow."
Earlier that evening, Paul and Mr. King finished their working dinner.
"Goodness, I'm a bit surprised to see Ms. Jones and Schemer out together in a place like this. Seems awfully romantic," Mr. King said with a sidelong glance.
Paul shrugged. "I didn't get that impression, they seem close, but not involved," he lied.
Mr. King mulled it over. "Horace Schemer would do well to find someone, anyone, even remotely close to Stacy Jones. No matter, how are you settling in with the other stakeholders?"
"Quite well," Paul smiled widely, "I'm finding we have much in common. But to your last point, I like Schemer."
Mr. King looked slightly shocked. "Yes, that's right, I remember you two were conversing at the party. Well, perhaps you see something I don't."