Finished with Nina’s bag, Lu moved into her room to get her things together. As she dragged her suitcase off the top shelf in her closet, her phone rang. She raced for it because in the middle of the day, the possibility of a call from Nina’s school loomed large. Skidding to a halt in front of her desk, she picked it up but didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello,” she answered.
“May I speak with Dr. Knight?” said the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Either you’re looking for my mother or you are a week early.”
“Ah, a week early?” he paused. “I was hoping to speak with Louisa Knight.”
She laughed, “This is Louisa Knight.”
“Good. Louisa, I am calling from the EPL.”
Lu paused. “EPL?” she questioned.
“The English Premier League.”
“Oh,” Lu answered. She should have known those initials. “How can I help you?”
“I should probably introduce myself. My name is Malcolm Helms. I happen to know Michael Ziegler,” he said, matter-of-factly.
“Ah,” Lu responded. “He told me that he’d passed my name along to a couple of people. He just didn’t tell me who.”
“He pointed me in your direction and after reading some of your papers, I’m interested in your work. I was hoping that we could meet so that I can discuss it with you.”
“Mr. Helms, I’m flattered, but if you are familiar with my work then you know that it is specific to football,” Lu explained patiently, “American football.”
“Yes, yes, I understand. But I had assumed that you would want to continue your work. And there is no American football here in England,” he pointed out.
Lu paused, suddenly struck by that statement. Was this how Dorothy felt? She wasn’t in Kansas anymore. How long was she going to be here? She hadn’t even thought about that. Did Lex think that they would stay here forever? It was at that precise moment that she finally felt all of the indignation that Willa had expected of her six months ago. She had uprooted her entire life without so much as a peep. It was fucking amazing what good sex could do to your brain.
“Miss Knight?” Mr. Helms said, bringing her out of her stupor.
“Yes. Um, I am headed to the States on Friday for my graduation. Why don’t we plan on lunch sometime next week?”
“You’ll be back so quickly?”
“Yes, sir. We’ll be back on Monday evening.”
“Let’s say Tuesday, then, shall we?”
“Perfect. Where would you like for me to meet you?” Her phone beeped, indicating she had another call. Pulling it away from her face, she saw the number for Nina’s school. “Hold on one moment, please. I have a call coming in.” But as she went to make her pick between her three iPhone options, she hit the wrong one and ended up hanging up on the school.
“Mr. Helms, I apologize, but I have to go. Can you email me the arrangements and I will make sure that I am there.”
“Yes, that works well. What is your email?”
“It’s
[email protected].”
“I will get that to you promptly.”
“Thank you,” Lu said before disconnecting. She wasn’t sure if it was the accent, but it all seemed so proper to her. Who used the word promptly in everyday conversation?
Quickly dialing the school, Lu waited to be able to talk to someone, her stomach in knots. Immediately, she was put on hold. Finally, after waiting for five minutes, her call was answered.
“This is Louisa Knight,” she said. She’d long ago learned that in any nonsocial situation, her full name got her places that her nickname just couldn’t reach.
“Oh, Miss Knight, please hold. Our headmaster has been trying to contact you.”
Again she waited, but this time, her nerves made her rusty mother’s intuition sharpen. In her mind, her daughter had been seriously injured. She’d never had the headmaster call her.
“Miss Knight, this is Mr. Seddon. Nina is fine.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, she responded, “Hello, Mr. Seddon.”
“I’m afraid I am going to need you to come in and collect her from school today.”
“I thought you said she was fine,” Lu said, confused.
“She is physically fine. Are you able to come now?” he asked, his tone rather short.
“Yes, sir. I can be there in twenty minutes.”
“Wonderful. Mr. Pellitteri said the same.”
“Ah, Mr. Pellitteri?” she asked apprehensively.
“Yes. When I was unable to reach you, I called her emergency contact. So I’ll see you shortly?”
“Yes, sir. Thanks so much.” Lu disconnected the phone and fell heavily into her desk chair. Without realizing it, she took inventory of what she was wearing and tried to remember if she’d put on any makeup or done her hair. Realizing the foolishness of the sentiment, she stood up, gathered her coat and purse, and headed out the door. The rolling that had started in her stomach the moment the school called churned up so that she could almost feel the acid sneak its way into her throat. Her newfound hostility chose that moment to lodge itself, right alongside her worry over Nina. Aside from her daughter having to be picked up in the middle of the day, she was about to see Lex for the first time in seven months.