Martucci grimaced. ‘ Your fifth-grade science project?’
‘ It’ s so I can demonstrate the freeway race. See, I’ ll take the cars and go vroom-vroom like this’ -I took two toy cars and set them on my model-’ and the one in the carpool lane will win.’
Martucci was silent, which had me worried. He wasn’ t one to hold back.
‘ What?’
‘ Nothing.’
‘ Tell me.’
‘ All right. That is the stupidest thing I’ ve ever seen.’
Slumping, I groaned, ‘ It’ s the best I could do. Troy Jones was supposed to help me do a live race on real freeways, but he bailed.’
‘ Why didn’ t you ask me to do it?’
Good question. Why hadn’ t I asked? Maybe it was because he didn’ t have a spiffy race outfit like Troy said he’ d wear.
‘ Oh, it would be wonderful if you could-’
‘ Too late. I didn’ t drive in today, and the motor home’ s off getting washed.’
‘ Then I’ m back to the science project.’ I sighed. ‘ Because I’ m sure not going to stand there and talk about my idea.’
‘ Why not?’
‘ Phyllis told me that I had to wow Bigwood. She said that’ s what he expects-wowing.’
‘ I agree, but a race is a race. You can describe it in a sentence-only a moron wouldn’ t get it. You’ re missing the point. A race isn’ t what you’ re selling Bigwood.’
‘ Oh yeah? What am I selling?’
Martucci crossed his arms and leaned on the edge of my desk. ‘ You.’
‘ Then I’ m doomed.’ When he rolled his eyes at me, I said, ‘ I’ m serious. I already tried that before-I wrote a big proposal with all kinds of ideas saying why I was so great, and he gave my job to Lizbeth.’
‘ I doubt Bigwood ever read your proposal. Even if he did-and don’ t take this the wrong way-I don’ t blame him for skipping you over before.’
‘ Thanks a lot!’
‘ It’ s true. Frankly, you didn’ t seem that excited about anything-like you were just going through the motions. I always got the impression that you were only here because you didn’ t have anywhere else to go.’
‘ Well, that’ s not how I felt. You didn’ t know me.’
‘ Except for Susan, I don’ t think anybody knew you.’
It was hard to have a comeback for that.
‘ So what you need to do,’ he continued, ‘ is make Bigwood aware that June Parker is a force to be reckoned with. That you’ ve got a track record. You’ ve got ideas. You’ ve got balls.’
‘ I don’ t know if I can do that.’
He slapped my arm. ‘ Sure you can. Take him out for drinks-he’ s a bourbon man, by the way. Show him the clips of your interviews from the gas giveaway.’
‘ You want me to remind him about that fiasco?’
‘ I want you to show him that you’ re cool under pressure.’
‘ Well,’ I hedged, ‘ I guess I could get the interview files from Brie. And she has a portable DVD player. I could pack it up and take Bigwood to the Brass Monkey.’
‘ That’ s the spirit. And whatever you do, don’ t let him pick up the check, however hard he tries. Wrestle him to the floor if you have to. Paying is a sign of dominance.’
‘ Got it.’
‘ Good. But out of curiosity, why is this promotion such a big deal to you now? I’ d figure with you about to be on the mommy track, you’ d be laying low.’
‘ For one thing, you’ re being sexist,’ I admonished. ‘ A woman can have both a career and a family. Secondly’ -I picked an imaginary piece of lint off my shirt so I didn’ t have to meet his eyes-’ I’ m not going to adopt the baby after all.’
‘ Sorry, I didn’ t realize. Something go wrong?’
‘ Only that I changed my mind.’
‘ Then it’ s a good thing, right? You can go back to your wild single ways.’
‘ Yeah, well, as far as that goes, the rumor that I was going to be a mom scared off my major prospect,’ I said glumly. When Martucci looked at me confused, I said, ‘ Troy. As soon as I told him that I was going to adopt a baby, he took off.’
‘ Ah. I see.’
‘ It’ s so frustrating. I felt as if the list were helping me figure out my life. I thought, Aha! It’ s a relationship and kids that have been missing. But it must not be those things-otherwise I wouldn’ t have let my chance for them get away.’
‘ Come on. There are plenty more chances.’
‘ I suppose, but I’ m still bummed. Deep down, I’ d hoped the list would have a bigger impact& that it would help me identify what I truly wanted.’
‘ At least maybe you’ ll realize what you deserve.’
‘ Such as& ?’
‘ Sure as hell more than a guy who’ d bolt the second you brought up the idea of a baby.’
‘ Yeah, Susan said pretty much the same thing.’
‘ She’ s right. You deserve better& somebody who gets you for who you are-whether you have a kid or not. Or a dozen kids, for that matter. Believe me, some men would find it very sexy all that you’ ve been taking on.’
‘ Aw, garsh, Martucci,’ I said. Laughing, I grabbed him in a hug. As his arms closed around me, I glanced over his shoulder, and-knock me over with a feather-who should be standing in the opening of my cubicle but Troy.
‘ Hey, June,’ he said, holding up his hand hesitantly in a wave. He was dressed in a racing jacket over a shirt and tie.
I pulled away from Martucci, flummoxed. What was Troy doing here?
‘ I-I thought you couldn’ t make it,’ I sputtered.
‘ You didn’ t get my message?’
He and Martucci shook hands hello while I tried to dredge up the memory of Troy’ s phone call. I’ d been listening to it when my brother showed up at the door. It had seemed so obvious that Troy was canceling, I’ d never bothered to play the whole thing.
‘ It got cut off,’ I said, aiming as close to the truth as I dared to get. ‘ So& what did it say?’
‘ That I’ d be here today unless you called to let me know you didn’ t want me to come. And also’ -he glanced self-consciously at Martucci-’ I tried to explain why I left Vegas so fast.’
‘ Oh.’
Did Troy just say there was an explanation for his hasty retreat-or was that the sound of the two sides of my brain opening and clapping shut?
Martucci, hands in his pockets, ambled away toward the hallway, pausing by my cubicle opening. ‘ Well, Parker, guess you’ re back to plan A. Good luck.’
I glanced at my watch. Fifteen minutes to go until my meeting. The race would certainly be flashy-especially with Troy looking every bit the pro-but Martucci’ s words rang in my mind. What was I going for? Did I want to sell Bigwood on the idea of a race& or did I have the guts to pitch myself?
Turning to Troy, I said, ‘ I feel bad making you come all this way, but I’ ve decided on a different plan.’
‘ No race, then?’
I shook my head.
‘ Oh& okay. Not a problem. But‘ Again I saw his eyes shift toward Martucci. ‘ If you’ ve got a second, I’ d like to talk about& a few things& .’
I wanted to hear what he had to say, but not with minutes to go before my presentation. I needed to find Brie and burn the files of my interviews onto a disc. I needed to eat something bready if I was going to be drinking bourbon. After that, without anyone watching, I could scurry home and play the message to find out what Troy’ s reason was for letting me down. Maybe it was a valid one-and if it was, well, then who knew?
‘ I wish I could,’ I said, ‘ but right now I’ ve got to run.’
‘ I’ ll let you go, then,’ Troy said, and it seemed he wasn’ t surprised by my reaction. Even though he was standing there in his race regalia, he looked as though he’ d expected it. He added worriedly, ‘ You still coming to the party on Tuesday?’
‘ Wouldn’ t miss it,’ I assured him. ‘ Martucci’ s coming, too& and Brie& and a few other friends who’ ve been helping me with the list. Your mom said for me to invite as many people as I wanted, so I invited.’