Claire needed to text Tony a meeting location. She wondered where she wanted to meet him. Her first thought was nowhere. But, that was unacceptable. She remembered a cute cafe in Redwood Shores. It wasn’t far, and it wasn’t Palo Alto. She Googled the cafe and forwarded the information to Tony, with a text:
I MIGHT BE LATE. HAD AN ISSUE THIS MORNING. THINGS ARE IMPROVING.
Claire knew he wouldn’t be happy about her possible tardiness. Nonetheless, remembering the overwhelming sickness, she decided Tony’s darkening gaze ranked below projectile vomiting and keeping Amber’s toast down on her current list of concerns.
Covering her now cold body with blankets, Claire felt her stomach growl. How could she possibly be hungry after what she’d just experienced?
AT 9:51 AM Claire eased her Honda Accord into the parking lot of the Patio Cafe in Redwood Shores. She wasn’t late. Her reflection in the rearview mirror frowned back through the glass. Even the blush and lipstick didn’t disguise her pallor. On the bright side, she’d kept Amber’s toast down, plus a banana. And despite the paleness, she really did feel better.
During her drive to Redwood Shores, Claire fought the urge to turn around and miss this mandatory meeting. Once again, it was fear which propelled her. This time it wasn’t the fear of physical punishment. It was the fear of Tony showing up at Amber’s. He was right; Claire’s concern for others was her weakness. While she dreaded seeing him, she wrestled with fleeting positive thoughts regarding her ex-husband.
She reasoned it was because of their charade last night. During the evening, as much as she hated to admit it, Claire actually relaxed and enjoyed Tony’s company. Guiltily, she thought of the picture Harry printed: the one of Tony kissing her hand after his speech. The look on her face exposed her momentary ease and affability. No wonder Harry was upset.
Upset or not, Harry’s words still hurt. They may have been brought on by a combination of jealously and liquor, but that didn’t make them any less painful. How could Harry honestly feel Claire’s affections could change so dramatically in six hours?
The thoughts of Harry turned to thoughts of Emily, John, and Courtney. Her magnitude of missed calls and messages on her iPhone were mostly from Harry, Amber, and Emily. There was also one from Meredith. Claire decided that should wait until after she spoke with Tony. Her work phone held missed calls and text messages from Courtney. Since she and Harry spoke last night and Amber wanted to wait, Claire spent a good part of her morning talking to Emily, John, and Courtney.
Apparently, Tony’s press release hit the airways last night at approximately 7:30 PT. Emily and John saw it around 10:30 in Indiana. Courtney said Brent read it on his news feed about 9:30 in Iowa. Needless to say, they were all relieved to hear from her this morning. That being said, once the relief passed indignation reigned.
Courtney remained the most supportive. She understood Tony’s persuasive nature and promised continued support. Claire appreciated Courtney’s constant concern despite her stress regarding her son’s upcoming wedding. Understandably, she and Brent weren’t happy about Tony’s claims of ensuring Claire’s pardon. Claire assured Courtney she didn’t believe him, and she’d never tell him, or anyone else, who her actual saviors were. Even Jane Allyson didn’t know.
Claire repeated her honest account of the entire evening with everyone. There were a few omissions. Courtney was the only one to hear about the kiss. And no one learned about her dream – that wasn’t. She wasn’t ready to admit that reality to herself.
After everything she’d been through, Claire believed honesty, no matter how difficult to face, was her greatest ally. Remembering the isolation of Iowa and being Mrs. Anthony Rawlings, she vowed, despite the forced charade, she would not allow Tony to distance her closest supporters. Publically, she would do whatever was necessary to keep her loved ones safe, as well as their businesses. Privately, she promised never again to deceive the people around her.
Despite, or possibly because of, Claire’s truthfulness, Emily was livid. A few times during their tense conversation Claire considered hanging-up on her sister. After all, Claire wasn’t feeling top-notch after the whole food poisoning thing and having her sister’s condescending and accusatory voice ringing loudly through her phone didn’t aid her recovery.
Walking along the sidewalk toward the cafe, Claire lifted her face to the breeze. Wisps of loose hair blew around her face as she inhaled. The fresh air coming off a small inlet from San Francisco Bay was cool. Her blue jeans and blouse were perfect for the late spring air. Yes, if she were in Indiana or Iowa this late in May it would be much warmer. Nonetheless, she was slowly acclimating to west coast weather.
Parked three cars down, Claire saw a gray sedan with a man inside reading a paper. She hadn’t spoken to Phil since San Diego. Now seeing him she decided with Tony near, this wasn’t a good time to chat.
Phillip Roach was another of Tony’s intrusions. Somehow over the past three months, she’d come to accept him. Was she being too compliant, as Emily said? Claire didn’t believe so. She truthfully felt she was resisting Tony’s control much better than she ever had. Not staying with him last night and not allowing him to visit the condominium this morning were two examples of her noncompliance. Claire contemplated her strength, or lack of, as she stepped into the busy restaurant.
The large glass doors led directly to a counter. The Saturday morning crowd filled the bustling cafe, with people waiting to order food. The hum of voices filled her ears as the various aromas filled her lungs. She tried desperately to ignore the returning nausea as she made her way to a tall two person table near the window. A ceiling fan above the table provided a continual cool breeze, calming her queasiness. Moments later, she glanced toward the doors and saw Tony walking casually toward her.