An hour later, Casey rubbed the back of her neck to ease the knot developing. She could feel the pressure building behind her eyes that generally heralded an oncoming migraine. Not something she needed right now. Why did these government Goods and Services Tax forms have to be so complicated? She’d have to call Stephanie; she was an accountant…she’d know what to do. Casey was just reaching for the phone when the door swung open slowly
Andrew’s head poked around the corner. “Hello, anyone home?” He grinned affectionately at Casey as he walked into the room.
“Hey you.” Casey smiled and threw down her pen; she leaned back against the chair- back and raised her head for his kiss. Andrew obliged most satisfactorily.
“You taste delicious.” He murmured against her lips. “Does this door lock?” He growled low in his throat and stepped closer.
Casey raised her arms and, laughing, pushed him back a safe distance. “Sorry sport. Much as I’d love to oblige, I’m swamped with paperwork.” She grimaced. “I probably won’t even be able to take a lunch break today.”
“My poor baby.” Andrew crooned softly. He stepped around behind the chair to rub her aching shoulders. “I’m sorry you’re so busy. We were hoping you could join us for lunch.”
Casey leaned back against his hands, enjoying the feel of his rough skin against her cheek. “There’s just no way today.” His comment sunk into her tired brain. “Who’s ‘we’?”
With a quick kiss to the top of her head he gave her shoulders a final relaxing squeeze and walked around her to lean against the side of the desk. “I ran into Roberta, your friend from the hill, today. We started talking about how well I’ve recovered.” He grimaced. “It was embarrassing but I couldn’t seem to get rid of her, so I invited her to come to lunch with us.” He shrugged and waved toward the store. “She’s out there talking to your new assistant…you were right about Gail…she seems nice, but that hair is wild.”
Casey’s attention had turned back to the paperwork on her desk. She really needed to get this done. “Hmm?” She looked up uncomprehendingly, at his frown she snapped back. “Oh, right Gail. Yes, she’s really very nice.” She ran a hand tiredly through her hair. “I’m sorry; I think I’m going to have to skip lunch today. I’ve really got to get this work done. It’s been sitting here for way too long already.” She hated the thought of giving up any of her precious time with Andrew, but the real world just wasn’t going to let her ignore it for any longer.
Andrew moved closer and twirled a strand of hair around one finger. “Come on Casey.” He coaxed. “Everyone needs to eat. Why don’t you take a break and join us. Maybe later we can go for a romantic drive along the coast. I’ll have you back here before the afternoon rush starts…”
Casey’s patience ran thin. “Look, you of all people should know that when you’re in charge of a business you can’t just run around and play all day. I’ve got to get this done.” The last sentence had the snap of a tired elastic band.
Andrew backed away in surprise. “You’re really serious.”
“Of course I’m serious.” She scowled at the criticism, implied or not. “I’ve built this business from the ground up, it’s mine. Whether it goes or fails is on my shoulders. I’ve neglected it too much this past week and I need to get this done.”
Andrew’s form stilled. “Are you trying to tell me that it’s my fault you’re behind in your paperwork?”
“Of course not.” Casey sighed tiredly. “I shouldn’t have taken so much time off. I usually do my paperwork in the evenings and I haven’t lately.” She threw her pen down in exasperation. “This is my livelihood. I’ve got to start being more responsible.”
Andrew just stared at her; a strange expression flashed across his face and was gone before she could decipher it. “You can’t do it all yourself you know.”
“That would require having people around me that I knew I could trust to do it right.” She laughed ruefully. “I think I’m too much of a control freak. It’s not easy to hand off responsibility to someone else; even if I’m not sure I’m the best person to do it in the first place.”
Leaning over the desk he looked at her for a long moment, and then he kissed her once, hard. Drawing back he said softly: “There’s more to life than work, Casey.” He turned and walked out into the bookstore.
Casey watched him go. With a heavy sigh, she shrugged her shoulders to ease the ache beginning to build, re-arranged the files on her desk and once again reached for the phone to call her sister.
Stephanie answered on the third ring.
“Hey, little sister, Casey here. I’m sorry to bother you about work but I need some help with a GST form.”
“Shoot. I’m just going over some loan amortization tables my assistant set up for me.” Stephanie’s voice was nearly indistinct as the receiver shifted. “He seems to have calculated interest at the end of the month instead of the beginning.” Her sigh of frustration was more audible as she readjusted her phone. “So what’s the problem? I was about to take a break but I always have time for my favourite sister.
“Nothing too important…” Casey’s voice drifted off. “Steph, can I ask you a serious question?”
Stephanie’s tone reflected her curiosity. “Of course.”
“Do I work too much?” Casey scribbled idly on her calendar.
“Compared to me, no. Compared to a normal, healthy person with a life, yes.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Casey stopped doodling to glare into the phone.
“Well, you really have a problem with delegating authority. I bet you don’t even take days off.”
“Sure I do. I have Sunday and Monday off now.”
“Mm Hm.” Stephanie’s tone reflected sarcasm. “And you patrol on Sundays and probably go in on Monday’s just to see if everything’s alright and then you work all night.”
Casey looked at the wall with a chagrined smile. “I guess you’re right.” Her smile grew wider. “I’ve been taking most evenings off lately though….” She knew her sister couldn’t just leave that unfinished sentence alone.
“Who’s the man?” Stephanie’s voice rose excitedly. “Is it the accident guy? It is. It’s him isn’t it? Oh that’s so romantic. How did you find him? How’s it going?”
“Well, actually he found me and so far it’s going really well but he’s only here for another week. He lives in Chicago.” She started doodling again. She tried to keep her tone matter of fact. “It’ll end when he leaves.”
Stephanie tone reflected her surprise at her sister’s tone of finality. “Why should it end? You can just go with him…”
“Don’t be ridiculous” She scoffed. “Besides, he hasn’t offered, and I’m certainly not going to ask.” She cut off her sister’s argument. “Anyway, I won’t follow a man. You saw how lonely and depressed Mom was moving every couple of years. I need roots. He’s a wanderer.”
“Mom was a lot happier moving around with the man she loved than she ever would have been sitting in Ontario alone.”
Another voice echoed faintly on the line. Stephanie covered her mouthpiece to answer it. She came back on the line a moment later. “Sorry Casey, I’ve got to run. What was that GST problem you had?”
Within a minute Stephanie had figured out Casey’s problem for her and had hung up.
Casey sat holding the phone long after the connection was broken. Was it true? Would her mother have been more depressed if she had stayed behind? Casey shook her head. It wasn’t just that, it was how the children would feel as well. She had been unhappy too. Hadn’t she? Would she really have been happier living in one place all her life? Would she be the person she was now if they hadn’t seen so much of the world?
Looking in surprise at the phone still resting against her shoulder she slowly replaced it on the hook. It was a moot point anyway.
Sighing, she returned to her mound of paperwork. Somehow she still had to find time later to look for books. The pounding in her head grew louder.