Not Perfect(93)

“Oh, thank you,” he said, smiling big. He blushed a little and looked down. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“It is my pleasure,” she said, before waving and walking out. If she did that once a week for a year, she would have paid everyone back and then some. Next, she would do something for Julie, though she would be a hard one to repay. She’d have to think about that. Tonight she would make a new list of all the people she wanted to thank—of course Holly would be on the list, and the rabbi. And one day, when she had more control of her finances and maybe even had some to spare, though she wasn’t sure when that day would come, she would do something to repay Nora. That would be a very good day.

As Tabitha entered her lobby her phone pinged. She looked at it and saw she had missed two calls from Rachel, but there was a text.

I have good news! it said, with the emoticon of a baby face. Tabitha looked up, she wanted to tell someone, she wanted to be with Rachel. She would see if she was free for lunch. Today, Tabitha would treat her. She would recreate the lunch they had at the Dandelion, minus the champagne and plus the kids—present and future. And then she decided this day, the one right here, was a very good day.



As soon as the kids were out the door with Stuart for dinner, Tabitha walked to the corner of the lobby and called Toby. The discussion with Stuart and the kids had gone surprisingly well, they were just so happy to know the truth, she realized. And now she wanted more than anything to speak to Toby. She thought he might not answer—she would deserve that—but he did, on the first ring. Or at least someone did. The phone was answered, but nothing was said.

“I need help,” she said, hoping she was speaking to Toby. “I need your help.”

“Well, that’s a coincidence,” he said. “Because I could use some help myself.”

As soon as she heard his voice she knew she wanted to be with him more than she had ever wanted to be with anyone.

“I’ll help you,” she said. “What can I do?”

“For starters, you can agree to see me,” he said.

Tabitha laughed.

“That’s easy,” she said.

“And you can spend another hour at a hotel with me someday,” he said.

“Easy again,” she said, smiling so big she thought she must have looked like a clown.

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

“Well, you can start by coming over,” she said.

“Done.”

“And I need you to call someone for me,” she said, not smiling anymore. “I have to find out what happened to my customer. The one with the allergy who ate the peanut oil.”

“I will gladly make that call,” Toby said. “And I hope what we find out is good news. If it isn’t, I will be there for you. I will always be there for you.”

“When can you get here?” she asked. She thought she’d run upstairs and change, maybe shower. She’d blow-dry her hair. There was a long pause, and she wondered if he was reconsidering. And suddenly there he was, walking into the building holding his cell phone to his ear.

“Have you just been waiting out there all this time?” she asked, confused. “Were you stalking me?”

“Let’s just say I’ve spent a lot of time at the Fox & Hound lately, hoping you would show up.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, ending the call and talking directly to him. “I just needed some time to think and work things out, and I think I have, or at least I have begun to.”

“I am so glad to hear that,” he said.

They went upstairs together, and without a word, Tabitha dug out her file. She went right to the number she had as a contact for the couple. She handed it to Toby. She did not want to change her mind. He took it and dialed, slowly, then let it ring.

A man answered, Tabitha could hear his deep voice. She held her breath.

“I’m looking for Ethan, is he there?”

“That’s me,” the voice said. Tabitha could hear it through the phone.

She eased herself to the ground.

“I’m calling from the Food Allergy Association to see if you would be willing to take an important survey,” Toby said.

“Sure,” she could hear Ethan say on the other side of the call.

“So, this is the right Ethan, the one with the peanut allergy?”

“That’s me,” he boomed again. “Hey, how did you get my name?”

“There’s a data bank,” Toby said in his own kind tone. Nobody would ever doubt him.

“Oh sure,” Ethan said. “Now?”

“Hang up,” Tabitha whispered giddily.

Toby pointed to the phone as if to say, “Are you sure?”

She nodded her head enthusiastically.

“We’re just lining up participants now,” Toby said. “I’ll have someone call you to set up a good time.”

“Sounds good,” Ethan said.

“Thank you so much,” Toby said, and ended the call. He eased to the floor next to her. She didn’t say anything for a full thirty seconds, and she could see Toby was looking at her, ready to explain what just transpired, as if she needed it to be explained to her. She felt so much building up, a sigh, tears, laughter. It all came out at the same time, and as they sat there, mostly laughing, Tabitha could feel her worry and fear slipping away. She hadn’t quite realized how much that had weighed.