A few weeks later Holly reluctantly sat behind her desk, working at a fevered pace. She moved through the files that graced it in with manic methodology. "Damn it" she swore. Grabbing the phone she dialed an extension. "Gilly" She said when a connection was made. "Well where is she?" Holly asked determinedly. "Fine, tell her I need to see her in my office the second she returns!" Holly went back to her files and tried to concentrate. Ed had been gone for only a week. She was taking care of Michelle who fortunately was so involved with school activities that she was still able to work a normal, if not over time schedule. Even Blake seemed to be more attentive, though Holly still had yet to tell her about her sibling, or why she and Ed weren't married. She looked at the photo of Blake that adorned her desk and smiled. She made a note on the edge of her calendar that the pair needed to have dinner, and soon. A knock on the door broke her reverie.
"Come in" She said, leaning back in her chair expecting Gilly.
"Hello Holly."
Her face twisted and her eyes narrowed shen she spied Roger standing in front of her. He was dressed as always in a three piece suit, holding a wrapped bouquet of her favorite flowers.
"Roger," She greeted tartly.
"Hello Holly. I just got back to town and wanted to give my congratulations to the newlyweds." He grinned. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
"I do, but I know you will anyway. Look, Roger, I'm busy and this is a place of business."
"I'm aware, and in case you've forgotten I do own one half of this fine establishment" Before he sat he pushed the flowers towards her. When she subtly refused them he shrugged, and lay them on the corner of her desk. "So tell me, how is married life? I'm actually surprised you're here. I thought Marcus Welby would take you on a month- long honeymoon" Roger snapped his fingers then "Nah, he never took Maureen further than the backyard pool, so why would he leave Cedars now?"
"It's none of your business Roger. Besides, I'm quite busy here." She noted the files on her desk.
"I see that. Maybe I should stick around and help. It looks like you've got a backlog going here."
"I've been a little distracted, but I haven't put the station in jeopardy."
Roger tsk'd. "Remember what happened the last time you got distracted. I had to replace you" He reminded her.
Holly leaned forward, lacing her fingers beneath her chin. "Yes, but you can't do that this time can you?"
"No, but I could make it a point to be here more often" He looked around the office. "There's room enough for two in here."
Holly's cheeks turned crimson. "You better get back to Jenna, Roger. I don't want her sending out the bloodhounds After all, I hear she has you on a pretty tight leash as of late"
"Jenna and I have an agreement. She doesn't ask me about my whereabouts and I don't complain about the Visa bill when it comes in. Plus, I make sure to be available whenever she wants me. My God, she is insatiable."
With that Holly jumped from her chair. She grabbed the flowers from the edge of the desk and shoved them at Roger. "Get out. We're done here." Her hand flew to the door.
Roger stood. "I'm sorry, did I offend you? I just came by to see how you were doing."
"Out Roger, now!" She screamed.
"Alright, alright. Don't get upset. I don't want to have to rush you to Cedars. Why? Would Dr. Ed blame me if something happened to you?"
Holly's blood ran cold. "What do you mean by that? What could happen?" Her hands unconsciously touched her abdomen.
Roger shrugged. "I just meant you look like you're going to have a stroke. So I better go. Tell the family I said hello. No need to show me out. Keep the flowers, Holly." He turned and left the office leaving Holly standing there confused as to why he had come at all.
When Holly regained her composure she picked up the phone, angrily dialing Blake's extension at Spaulding.
"Blake Thorpe," She said, answering on the third ring.
"Blake, it's Mom. Can you meet me for lunch?"
"Oh gee Mom, what day did you have in mind?" Blake asked, fingering her date book. "I've got a lot to do before the wedding, and with Dad and Jenna back I feel like they are holding my nose to the grindstone."
"That is exactly who I want to talk about, your father."
Blake sighed. She knew Roger had gone to see Holly, and from the sounds of it, the meeting didn't go well. "Ok, Mom, how about Thursday. I can meet you at the club around 12:45." Blake offered hopefully.
"No, that won't work. I want to meet you now." Holly demanded. "I am leaving WSPR now, I will be at the club in twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes, Mom, I can't just drop everything on my desk on a whim. Daddy will kill me."
"It's a good thing you've already got the church rented then. It will make planning your funeral all the easier. Twenty minutes Blake"
Holly dropped the phone and grabbed her purse. At Spaulding Blake held on to the receiver long after the dial tone began. "What the hell?" She said under her breath when she hung it up. From her drawer she grabbed her purse and headed for the door, stopping when she saw that her fathers door was open. She paused another moment before barging in, not even giving him a chance.
"Dad, I need to talk to you"
"Chrissy, I am not in the mood" Indeed he wasn't. He had shoved the crushed flowers he had taken to Holly in his wastebasket. He had thought about giving them to Jenna only to find that she was out, probably with that grease monkey Buzz Cooper. "Whatever you need, take it up with Jackie."
"If I wanted to talk to your secretary I wouldn't be standing here, Daddy"
Roger growled in annoyance. "Fine, what do you want?"
"Did you see your mother today?" Blake asked but already knew the answer.
"Yes, I saw your mother. She kicked me out of her office. You told me that she and Ed weren't married, that she was available, but she is even more closed off to me than ever. Damn it, that woman."
"Well that explains it then."
"What Chrissy? I've got work to do, and so do you."
"I've been summoned for lunch." She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows.
Roger leaned forward and patted the blotter on his desk. "Have a seat." He told her, his mood suddenly improving. Blake looked at her watch, but complied. "Where are you having this pow-wow?"
"The club, and mother will be there momentarily. I should go."
"Yes, yes you should. Listen, do me a favor. Tell her how positively happy Jenna and I are. Tell her our trip to London was not only business but pleasure too. Yes, that's it, make her jealous, would you?" He leaned back in his chair, his fingers forming a point under his chin. "And of course, you will report to me when you get back." A grin formed across his lips. "I'm going to get her back Chrissy, you mark my words."
"Daddy, as much as I would love to see that happen I don't think it's going to. She won't admit it, but I know she is still very much in love with Ed. She dotes on Michelle in a way she never did me." Blake shook her head. "No, whatever happened is temporary. I have a feeling that when Ed gets home from his conference that they will be getting married." She walked around her fathers desk and wrapped a single arm around his shoulders. "Oh Daddy. When will we ever give up the idea that we can be a family?" She sighed and then kissed his temple. He met the gesture with a pat on her hand.
"Never my girl, never. I want your mother back. I shouldn't have lost her again in the first place to Ed Bauer. No, history is not going to repeat itself again.. You better go. She wasn't happy when she kicked me out of her office" He volunteered.
At the club Holly was shown to a table on the patio. It was remarkably empty, but considering the lateness of the house it wasn't surprising. They had missed the paddle tennis crowd, and most of the businessmen had gone back to the office. Holly looked out over the golf course and towards the pool. A young toddler and his mother caught her eye. She cocked her head and watched as the plump hands smacked the water, causing the little blond to laugh with every tsunami he created. A smile crept across her face.
"Mom, there you are. I'm sorry I'm late. I got called into a brief meeting on my way out the door." Blake leaned in and pecked her mother on the cheek.
"It's fine, I haven't been waiting long," Holly shared. Blake sat across from her, flinging her purse under the table. When the waitress came she stared at her as if she had intruded. The pair ordered their drinks, iced tea for Holly and a glass of white wine for Blake.
"Staying sober for Ed?" Blake tartly asked. "I'm sorry," She offered. "I have nothing against him. I love Ed. I just don't understand why you are living in his house with Michelle, but that you didn't get married."
"I'm staying at Ed's, not living there. Michelle is too young to be left alone, and it's easier for her to be there since school started. What would like me to do Blake, send her to boarding school so I can go back to my house?"
Again the waitress intruded, dropping off their drinks and asking if they were ready to order. Blake ordered from memory, while Holly pretended to read the offerings. When the order was finally placed Blake pounced. "You sent me to boarding school when I was Michelle's age, remember?"
"You asked to go." Holly said over the edge of her ice tea glass. "Those were the worst years of my life. You were hung up on the idea of Roger being your father. Dietrich was positively unbearable. Why I was happy when he finally decided to marry his secretary and let me off the hook. Of course finding out you were in Mexico with Alan and then hooked up with Phillip wasn't any grand treat, but we survived."
"Do digress mother. After all, I don't have a job to get back to." Blake was unamused by either Holly's mood, or the trip down memory lane. "Why did you summon me?"
Holly's face dropped. "Your father."
"Daddy? What does he have to do with this? Why I didn't think you two have seen each other since summer."
Holly's eyes narrowed, she studied Blake like a bug under a microscope. "He paid me a visit today. Barged right into my office, even brought me flowers." She waited for a telling response, but Blake gave her none. "He congratulated me on my wedding."
Blake wore a look of false shock well. "You're kidding? He came by WSPR to tell you that? Maybe he is softening in his old age."
The conversation was lulled when the waitress brought the entrees. Holly immediately dug into hers. She was as ravenous as she was angry.
"Easy there mother, or you're going to lose your figure before Ed gets home." Blake lay her fork down and dabbed the corner of her mouth. "By the way, when is Ed going to be home?"
"He will be home in time for your wedding."
"Mom, my wedding is in six weeks, are you telling me his conference is two months long?"
"No, I'm telling you he will be home when he gets home, and that I know it will be before your wedding." Holly was eerily calm. It worried Blake. She was used to an emotional Holly, not a calm one, but she was losing her own.
"Alright mother, what is this? I'm tired of these cryptic conversations. First you call off your wedding to Ed with no explanation. Then he suddenly has a conference to attend, leaving Michelle at home to start school without him. Every time I call you, you rush me off the phone whenever the conversation leans towards anything important. Now what is going on?" SHe asked a little too loudly.
"Lower your voice, people are going to stare" Holly warned.
"I don't care, mother." Blake pointed to the pool. "Remember, I'm the one who skinny dipped right over there, not once but twice. Ok, so it wasn't Reva in a fountain, but it was risque enough so don't think a few stares from the citizens of Springfield will scandalize me."
"Have it your way, Blake." Holly motioned for the wait staff to return. "Might you put the check on my tab please." She asked. Blake meanwhile crossed her arms over her chest like a petulant child. "You are obviously not in any frame of mind for this today."
"For what mother? You're the one who beckoned for me. I have no idea what is so urgent that you have dragged us both from our desks. You don't want to talk about Ed, my wedding plans are wrapped up in a tidy little bow, and you look, well, robust" She pointed out.
"Forget it Blake. Your reaction to your fathers little visit tells me all I needed to know." Holly scoffed "I thought maybe that you were spying for him again. I thought that maybe you told him that Ed was gone and we hadn't gotten married."
"Would it have been so wrong if I had Mom? Daddy loves you. I know he's with Jenna, but she is a poor substitute for you" Blake practically whined. "He would give her up in a heartbeat if he thought he could have you."
Holly pondered this for a moment. "Would he? Would he also be willing to give up Spaulding and all the bells and whistles that go with it? Would he be willing to live in my tiny house? Would he be willing to be the family man who comes home to his wife and child?" Holly regretted the last sentence the moment it escaped her lips. She silently prayed that Blake didn't pick up on it.
"This is Daddy we're talking about Mom, but I'm sure he'd be willing to try if it were you. I am however not a child anymore. If you want to hear the pitter patter of little feet with Daddy then you're just going to have to wait for grandchildren and I am years away from that."
"Blake, about that…"
Blake's cell phone rang, interrupting them. She held a finger up. "Blake Thorpe," She answered.
Holly watched Blake's facial expression as she listened. A smile crept up on the corners of her mouth. Her cheeks reddened and her eyes became almost glassy. She could only imagine the caller on the other end of the line was Ross. Trying to not be obtrusive she signed for the bill and grabbed her own purse. She'd tell Blake her news another day.
"I'm going to go" She mouthed to Blake. Blake nodded and continued her conversation.
