Autumn Leaves by Barbara Winkes Page A

vague direction of the chair, waking Asha in the process.
    “Hey,” her editor said sleepily. “You had fun at your neighbor’s?”
    There were various ways of interpreting her question.
    “It was nice,” Callie sighed.
    “Come on, tell me. You didn’t want to bring me as your date. That means you owe me some juicy details at least.”
    “If only,” Callie laughed bitterly. “There are no details. Hell, I have no idea what I’m doing. She loves her kids and her husband. End of story.”
    “Yet, she keeps wondering what if.” Asha sat up in bed, drawing back the covers for Callie.
    “Don’t do that.”
    “It’s true. Trust me. I’ve had my share of straight-girl drama.”
    “I’m not going for any drama. We’re friends. I just want to finish my book and then get out of here.”
    “Right. Tell me another one.”
    “It’s impossible.”
    “You don’t know until you don’t give it a try,” Asha said pragmatically.
    “I won’t. I can’t,” Callie emphasized. “I don’t want to hurt her.”
    Asha yawned. “All right then. Hurt yourself instead. That’s so much nobler. I hope it gives you good inspiration at least.” Her last words were muffled by the pillow Callie had thrown at her.
    Her best-laid plans were bound to fail the moment Rebecca knocked on Callie’s door the next morning, with leftovers from the barbecue and an offer Callie couldn’t refuse. As usual, Rebecca’s day started long before hers. She was impeccably dressed, looking gorgeous in the dark gray dress. Callie had various moments of imagining what she could do in a darkened movie theater before Rebecca informed her that the girls would be with them.
    It was really ironic, Callie reflected. Betty LaRue thought the worst of her. David Lowman, on the other hand, entrusted her with his wife and children.
    “Sounds like a lot of fun,” she said. “I’m in.”
    Rebecca’s expression was indefinable, before she smiled.
    “Great.”
    Maybe she was thinking about the prospects of a darkened room too. Maybe she just had a lot on her mind.
    “Cal’s very lucky,” Asha called from the inside. “Where we come from, our neighbors aren’t always this considerate.”
    Rebecca tugged on her ponytail, as if Asha’s presence was making her self-conscious.
    “I’ll pick you up later then.”
    “Okay. I’m really looking forward to it.”
    “Me too.”
    When Callie closed the door and turned around, Asha took the bowl from her with a smirk. “The courtship rituals of a small-town girl. She feeds you. She takes you out to the theater. That is so sweet.”
    “Oh, just shut up,” Callie said. She didn’t mean to be this harsh, but she didn’t want to hear any of it. She couldn’t afford thinking, not for a moment, that Rebecca might be just a tad jealous of Asha, that she saw competition there. If she went down that road, she’d risk everything that had righted itself in her life. She had time and a place to work without having to look over her shoulder, without being afraid. She didn’t want to attract the wrong people’s attention ever again. She wasn’t as brave as Rebecca thought she was.
    Nevertheless, they had a movie date. Callie spent a considerable time trying to figure out what to wear that would be appropriate for the afternoon in town. Since the weather was still warm and dry, she settled on a black and white flowered cotton sundress and sandals. As she put on some lipstick, Asha appearing behind her in the mirror made her jump.
    “I’ve got to leave in a couple of days at the latest. Will you be okay?”
    “That’s all right,” Callie said, her hand still shaking. “At least no one will sneak up on me. I’ll call you if I’ve got the urge.”
    “Ouch. I’m serious, Callie. Not only because I’m your friend with benefits, but also because I’m vowing you will come up with that book on time.”
    “When did I ever not come up with it on time?”
    Asha just raised her eyebrows.
    “That was