EMIT (THE EMIT SAGA) Read online

  That evening we had reservations to celebrate Grammy’s birthday at her favorite restaurant, The Bayview Inn in Jamesport. We sat on the outside deck and as I looked down the street, I saw two dark cars idling nearby.

  “Dad, I keep seeing dark cars with tinted windows everywhere,” I said.

  “So have I. The North Fork is getting very popular and there are a lot of wine tours so there are a lot of car services out here now. I read that it’s a booming business.”

  “It’s better than people driving drunk,” Mom added approvingly.

  “Even with that, I keep reading about many alcohol-related accident,” Grammy said.

  

  Sunday morning, Lily and I joined our dads on the driving range. Lily liked golf, but I only went if she asked me to come.

  “Thanks for coming,” Lily said smiling, knowing exactly how I felt.

  “This is so boring. You owe me.”

  “Fine, how about later we go to the beach and look for your fantasy man.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I shot back, ignoring her sarcastic tone.

  Mom, as pre-arranged, picked me up at the golf course and drove me to Meadow Hill Farms for my hack. There was no one there, so I was alone. When I was almost done, I noticed a black car pull in the driveway. It slowly inched up the path at a snail’s pace, made a K-turn halfway up the long driveway and stopped in the middle facing the riding ring. I really felt uncomfortable being watched and shortened my ride.

  As I brought Milton back to the barn, Carlos, one of the grooms was bringing a horse out to the pasture so I asked, “Carlos, do you know whose car that is over there in the driveway?”

  “No, I don’t know.”

  By the time Mom picked me up, the car was gone. As we exited the farm, I saw that it was now parked outside. I had no idea what was going on with all these cars.

  Back home, I found everyone in the kitchen prepping for the barbeque. By two o’clock, the house was full of company. Grammy had invited some neighbors and it was lively outside.

  I was in the kitchen cutting watermelon when Martin, Marina and Anna walked in.

  I was so shocked. “What are you guys doing here?” I said so loudly that Anna started crying.

  “I’m so sorry Anna. Look here’s Amber,” I said and that made her stop. Marina put Anna on the floor and she immediately crawled after the dog.

  “I see that Dad didn’t tell you we were coming,” Martin said and I shook my head no.

  “Grammy invited us,” said Marina.

  “I’m so happy you made it,” said Grammy as she walked inside from the patio.

  “Happy Birthday.” Martin gave her a big hug. “Thanks for inviting us.”

  “You are welcome anytime.”

  Marina handed Grammy a big gift-wrapped box.

  Grammy carefully opened it and it was a beautiful turquoise ceramic bowl. She loved it and after wiping it down, put the green salad in it.

  While Marina and Martin took their bags to the guest room, Lily and I took Anna outside to play on the beach. She scooped the sand in her hands, but began to cry when the sand got wet and stuck on her hands. I carried her into the kitchen and cleaned her up.

  

  Monday morning, Lily and I found everybody outside. Anna was in the pool with Martin, so I walked in and put her on a raft. As I pushed her around, Amber jumped in to retrieve a ball. Anna was so surprised that Amber was swimming that she almost toppled in.

  Later that afternoon, Uncle Ian drove us to Greenport for the yearly carnival. The adults would meet us in the evening to watch the fireworks. While waiting for one of the rides to start, I looked around at the people and thought I saw him, walking towards the parking lot.

  “Lily, look over there, that’s him,” I said excitedly and pointed.

  Lily looked at me and said, “I was just kidding before about searching for him.”

  “Just look,” I said. She looked reluctantly, but by that point he had disappeared.

  “Forget it, he’s gone now,” I said angrily.

  “I’m sure that it wasn’t him. Seriously, what would he be doing here?” Lily asked.

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “He must have a doppelganger out here because it really looked like him.”

  Lily shook her head and moved up in line and the subject was dropped.

  Around ten o’clock, Aunt Cecile called Lily’s phone and after our parents and Grammy found us, we watched the fireworks together. Martin and Marina stayed home with Anna.

  When we got home, everybody sat outside by the pool. Exhausted, I headed upstairs, turned off the lights and stared out the window. Suddenly, I noticed alternating flashes of light coming from Fleets Neck Beach and a boat docked by our beach. It really seemed like some sort of code. It had to be kids fooling around since grownups would use cell phones to communicate, not flashlights.

  

  The next morning, I went for my hack. Thank goodness, I saw no strange cars.

  When I got back, I found everyone snoozing by the pool. Anna was inside taking a nap, so apparently everyone did the same outside.

  After lunch, everybody started packing up to leave. The weekend was ending.

  “Paige, I have to give Anna a bath to get the chlorine off. Come and watch, so you know what to do when you babysit,” said Marina.

  The last time I helped, Anna was just a little blob. Now, there were rubber ducks, a floating frog and a toy whale thrown in the tub. Anna was having a ball.

  “So I hear you’ll be working part-time at your dad’s,” Marina said.

  “Thank goodness. I was getting so bored,” I admitted.

  “You can visit us any time and even stay over. Anna would love to spend time with her aunt.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like fun. I’ll call you. I can take the bus or maybe Mom could drive me.”

  After everybody left, I took Amber for a fast walk on the beach. As I approached a boat, a figure retreated below deck. On my way back, the person was back on deck, but as I got nearer, they went below again.

  When I got back, the car was packed and Grammy looked really sad as we said goodbye. I knew she was lonely out here since Grandpa died four years ago. That’s why in the fall and winter, Grammy visited and stayed with us in the city and also Lily’s in Chappaqua.

  Mom drove and stopped at the Krupski and Wickham farm stands for produce. I listened to music and texted people the whole way back.

  3. MEETING

  “Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.” Einstein

  Monday morning, it was raining cats and dogs. Daphne called and said it was her day off, so she came over and we hung out all day together.

  When Dad got home from work, he said that his office needed me the next day and I had to report to Maria at nine. I was thrilled to finally have something to do and it actually paid!

  Daphne stayed for dinner and afterwards helped me pull together some outfits for work.

  I had trouble falling asleep that night and knew that it was because I was nervous about work.

  

  I woke up way too early and put on my TV. Dad came in to tell me that he had an early meeting and would see me at the office. I found Mom in the kitchen talking on her cell and she waved to me. I still had over an hour, so when Amber barked, I decided to take her for a quick walk. When I got to the corner, I saw him. He entered the park and I lost sight of him. Damn! As soon as the light changed, I charged across the street and saw him walking on a path. As I caught up, Amber started barking at a passing dog. He turned around and his blue eyes looked right at me. I was face to face with my fixation.

  “Hi. Are you following me?” he asked and grinned. If I weren’t so taken aback by the comment, I would have blushed. How arrogant and presumptuous. I was, but he didn’t have to ask me.

  “The last time I checked this was a public park,” I answered testily.

  “I’m sorry. I was just kidding
. Have we met before?” His bright blue eyes glistened in the sunlight and pierced my soul.

  I nodded. “You asked me about movies near the Conservatory Pond,” I managed to say. It bothered me that he didn’t remember me since I hadn’t stopped thinking about him.

  “Oh, that’s right.”

  I stared at his dark skin and had to ask, “Why are you so tan? Tanning salons?” It was the beginning of summer and no one was tan yet.

  He seemed amused by my comment and said, “No. I was in Australia for six months. By the way my name’s Daniel.” I knew his name! That silenced me and I just stared at him.

  “And you are?” he asked smiling. His white teeth were blinding me.

  “Oh. I’m Paige,” I answered nervously and smiled. What was wrong with me?

  “Well, I definitely didn’t see you smile the last time because I wouldn’t have forgotten your dimples.”

  “Oh, those, I can’t do anything about it… sort of born with them,” I remarked dismissively, embarrassed by his comment.

  “You don’t like them?”

  “Not really,” I confessed. It sounded silly, but it was true. Everybody always commented on them and it was annoying. When friends stuck their fingers in them, I was mortified.

  “Well, I think they’re great. Who’s your four-legged friend here?” he asked.

  “This is Amber.”

  Amber, who usually hid behind my leg whenever I talked to people she didn’t know, was actually wagging her tail and sniffing Daniel’s leg. He bent down and started petting her. Amber, who always shied away from strangers, sat there and let him. This was so out of the norm that it was weird.

  “She’s a field spaniel right?”

  I was impressed. “Wow. Nobody ever knows what kind of dog she is! Most people say cocker spaniel.”

  “I’ve spent a lot of time in England, so I know the breed.”

  “What a nice dog,” Daniel said, as Amber kept nuzzling him.

  “Yes, she is,” I agreed. “This is really bizarre because she never lets strangers pet her.”

  “She must know I love dogs.”

  “Do you have one? Maybe she smells yours.”

  “No, I travel too much, maybe one day,” he answered.

  I didn’t know what else to say, so I just stared at him.

  “Do you live around here?” he asked. “I live on West 72nd Street.” He lived only three blocks from me!

  “Really, I live on West 69th Street.”

  “We’re neighbors,” he said, smiling.

  As he scratched Amber under her chin, I noticed three black dots on the palm of his left hand. The way they were spaced it could’ve been a triangle if lines were drawn to attach them. “What’s that? A triangle?” I asked motioning to his palm.

  He laughed it off and said, “No, it’s just a silly tattoo.”

  I didn’t want to leave, but knew that dad would be angry if I was late. “I have to go. Today’s my first day at work,” I said.

  “No problem, I have to run too. I’m meeting a friend at the Bowling Greens. It was nice meeting you."

  “Okay, bye,” I remarked. Okay bye… what was wrong with me? Well, what else could I say? I was still reeling from the fact that he lived only three blocks away. Maybe, that’s why he looked so familiar.

  Now that I had actually seen him, talked to him and knew his name, Lily might be more interested. I called and it went to voicemail. I left a message for her to call me.

  Arriving at my building was actually quite surreal because I couldn’t remember the walk back. I rushed Amber into the apartment and went to tell Mom that I was leaving. She was at the kitchen table and still on the phone.

  “Mom, I’m leaving.”

  She mouthed, “one second.”

  I sat down on the counter stool to wait and since Mom’s laptop was on, I quickly checked Facebook. There were over ten notifications, so I checked my wall to find postings from friends congratulating me. What were they talking about?

  Comments like ‘It’s about time’, ‘Finally’ and ‘How cute! Paige has a boyfriend!’ What was going on? The last comment was written by Eden and it said, ‘Reed’s so nice.’ Why would she write that?

  I checked Reed’s status and saw that he posted that he was in a relationship with me. WHAT? Didn’t he think we should be actually dating before he posted that? In spite of my anger, I had to deal with this later since I had to get to work.

  I logged off and pushed the laptop away. “Mom, I have to go,” I yelled in an annoyed tone just as she was ending her call.

  “Good luck today,” she said. She walked over and kissed me on the cheek, not realizing how mad I was.

  “Yeah, great luck,” I muttered, angrily.

  “What’s the matter?”

  Ignoring her question, I said, “I have to go to work. I do want to kill someone, though.”

  Mom said, “Paige, don’t be so melodramatic.”

  I reached for my bag and ended up knocking it off the counter. Everything fell on the floor. I was so annoyed. The joy I had felt over seeing Daniel was now clouded with the Reed problem.

  I arrived right on time and was ushered to Maria’s office. She was an older lady at least sixty years old, with blonde highlighted hair and she was extremely professional. She had me fill out employment forms and told me that I’d be helping Todd Madison with clerical duties today. She picked up the phone and asked him to come to her office. Todd appeared quite quickly. He had brown hair, was wearing a bowtie and had on wire-rimmed glasses. I noticed that his fingernails were painted black, which seemed extremely strange at a law firm. Maria introduced us and when Todd heard my last name, his eyes opened wide.

  “Well, well, welcome,” he said enthusiastically and took me to a machine at the back of the office. There were files placed in two sections on a long table.

  “These all need to be photocopied. This group has to be done today and when you’re finished bring them to me. I’m in the room to the left of Maria’s. If you have any time left, you can start this second pile.”

  All morning I copied and thought mostly about Daniel, but the Reed mess always brought me back to reality.

  Dad came downstairs around lunchtime and asked me to join him in his office. Sonia, his secretary, ordered us sandwiches. While we ate, he talked about a big case he was working on. I wasn’t really listening, but did hear that he was going to Paris on Monday.

  After lunch, I went back to photocopying and felt like I was being watched. When I heard a noise behind me, I turned around. There was a tall guy with glasses and curly brown hair leaning against the wall.

  “Hi, can I help you?” I asked.

  “Do you have a lot to do?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll be here for awhile, sorry,” I apologized. “I still have all of that.” I motioned to the piles on the table.

  “Wow, no problem. You’ll be here for weeks,” he said chuckling. “I’m Jared by the way. Are you new?”

  “Yeah. Today’s my first day. I’m Paige.” I didn’t volunteer my last name because of the nepotism factor, but Jared hadn’t shared his last name either.

  “Oh… you’re a real newbie. You poor thing,” he chuckled. “This is my third summer interning. It’s not all bad, just be careful, there are some crazy people that work here.” I wasn’t sure if he was serious or just kidding. I wondered if he was one of them.

  Jared had a large bandage wrapped around his left hand.

  “What happened to you?” I asked motioning to his hand.

  “Oh…I had a fight with a copy machine. Be careful they’re quite temperamental and they fight back,” he joked.

  Everything that came out of his mouth was really funny. He must keep his co-workers very entertained when he wasn’t annoying them.

  “If you need any insight on anything, come find me.” Jared whistled as he walked away. Dad said I was the only high school intern, so Jared had to be in college or law school.

  I went to find Dad,
so we could walk home together.

  “Are you leaving soon?” I asked.

  “I have a few things to finish up. I’ll see you at home.”

  As I turned to leave, Maria said she’d call when the office needed me again.

  The entire walk home, I worried about the Reed not knowing what to do.

  Mom was in the kitchen, busy cooking dinner and it smelled great. Whenever Mom had time, she loved to experiment and Dad and I were her guinea pigs. Usually, she wasn’t happy with a cookbook recipe so she’d find another one online and then combine the two. Mom loved spices and she’d double or triple the amounts with mixed results.

  The kitchen walls were painted pale green and the cabinets were white. In the back of the kitchen, there was an oak cabinet filled with colorful pottery.

  “Hi honey. How was your day?” she asked when she saw me standing in the doorway.

  “It was okay.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I just photocopied.” I plopped in a chair at the round table that my parents found at a garage sale in Long Island years ago. It had been painted white, so they stripped it in Grammy’s garage and refinished it.

  “That’s good. Sweetie, get me some cilantro, please.”

  I jumped up and went to the herb garden container on the windowsill.

  “Are you okay?” Mom asked. “You’re very quiet.”

  “I’m fine just tired. I’m going upstairs to change.”

  In my room, I struggled with calling Reed. I didn’t want to call his cell. At his party, he said his cell was broken, but what if he got it fixed and he was with his friends? I also didn’t want to text anything since Dad always said to be careful what you email or text people. I guess it was the lawyer in him.

  I found the student registry and called his house. Chad answered.

  “Hi, Chad. It’s Paige. Is Reed home?” I asked nervously.

  “He’s out. Did you try his cell?”

  “He said it was broken.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that. I’ll leave him a note that you called.”

  “Thanks, Bye,” I said and hurried off the phone.

  Glancing on my wall, I saw a post from Daphne. It said, “I’m happy for you two” written half-an-hour ago. I’m going to kill her.