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Chapter 28
June 15, 2010 | Filed Under Dawn, The Women | Leave a Coment
River rapped her pencil nervously against her ceramic coffee cup earning the annoyed glance of a well-dressed man sitting to her right.
“Why come to a cafe if every single noise is going to get your panties in a bunch?” she thought to herself.
Her anxiety was building up. In ten minutes she’d be negotiating her dream businesses with her new business partner…and good friend, Dawn. The idea of mixing work and pleasure would have appealed to her if she’d felt that she and Dawn were on the same level of savvy when it came to wheeling and dealing. Alas, the only people she’d ever haggled with were vegetable farmers. She felt out of her league.
Just when River was beginning to contemplate jumping out of her seat and onto the next plane to Bora Bora, Dawn fluttered down like a spinning fall leaf, a leaf in a designer pantsuit.
“Howdy partner!” Dawn slurred in the best imitation a native Californian could ever hope to do a of a southern cowboy.
River smiled shyly, as if they’d first met, “Howdy…you’re in a good mood.”
Dawn lifted her index finger to summon the waitress. “Well, how could I not be? I’ve finally gotten my life figured out.” She lowered her voice to “naughty secret” level. “Have you ever heard of a ‘commuter marriage’?
River mimicked her dramatic tone, “No.”
Dawn pressed her back against the chair and resumed a normal voice level. “You’re about to. Rick’s taking an anchor position in Canada, and I’m staying here with Charlie.”
Suddenly River didn’t feel like the incompetent one. “Wow, congrats…wait, are you serious? Does Rick know about this? How will you-.”
The waitress placed a menu on the table, Dawn snatched it up, annoyed.
“Oh calm down. Don’t be so dramatic. It’s actually not that uncommon you know, for families like mine.”
River stared at her friend. “Like yours?”
Dawn shifted in her chair, wondering how a rock and hard place could come out of nowhere. “Families who have reached a certain level of public significance.”
River felt a bit nauseous and was more sure than ever that this partnership was a mistake.
“Anyway,” Dawn continued pulling papers out of her agenda, “I’m not even sure why I brought that up. Overshare! Let’s get these contracts signed and talk shop! Are you excited or what? I wouldn’t call myself ‘eco-conscious’ but I’m almost positive that the homeless take all the cans out of our outside trash. Mail order green catalog- it’s going to be a huge success.”
Dawn was so engrossed in her monologue that she hadn’t seen River pay for her tea and begin packing up her things.
“So do you have the contract?”
Dawn presented it to River proudly and suddenly noticed that her friend was standing. River coolly took the document and folded it before placing it in her hemp tote.
“I’ll have my lawyer look it over and get back to you.”
Dawn stood and turned to on-the-move River. “What? Where are you going? You have a lawyer?
Navigating through the chair and table cafe jungle, River called back, “Yes, those of us with little social significance can have lawyers. Talk to you soon!”
And with that, Dawn was alone.
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