What Happened to Goodbye(37)
Author: Sarah Dessen

“The what?”

“The model,” she repeated. Then she cleared her throat, her face pink, and said to the councilwoman, “That’s Gus. He’s—”

These words, however, were drowned out by the sound of my dad stomping up the stairs. Fee-fi-fo-fum, I thought, and then he appeared on the landing, face red, expression annoyed. “Leo!” he said. “Didn’t I tell you fifteen minutes ago I needed all the vegetables prepped ASAP? We’re opening the doors and half the side work isn’t done. Who the hell is supposed to be setting up in the dining room?”

“That would be me,” Tracey said cheerfully. He glared at her, and she directed her attention back to the model, quick.

“I thought these were youth volunteers? ” the councilwoman said to Opal.

“Gus,” Opal said, her voice rushed, “this is Councilwoman Baker. Remember, I told you that she was helping us with the parking….”

My dad glanced at the councilwoman, then back at us. “Jason, get down there and finish the vegetable prep. Leo, I need the pots boiling and the carts stocked for service, now. And Tracey, if that dining room isn’t set up in fifteen and spotless, you’ll have more than enough time to volunteer for any project, I promise you.”

“Hey!” Tracey protested. “How come I’m the only one you’re threatening to fire?”

“Go!” my dad barked, and she did, tossing down the house she was holding and going to the stairs faster than I’d ever seen her move. Leo and Jason followed, in equally rapid time, leaving just me and Dave. I picked up the house, walking back over to the model, while he focused on assembling another building, his head ducked down.

Opal gave a helpless look to the councilwoman. “It’s game day,” she said, trying to explain. “Our cooler broke, and . . .”

The councilwoman ignored her, instead breaking out that big smile again as she walked over to my dad. “I’m Lindsay Baker,” she said, holding out her hand. “You’re Gus Sweet?”

My dad, distracted, shook her hand. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“I believe you left me a message yesterday,” she replied. “Something about having no room for this project?”

“Actually, I said it was a complete and total nuisance and I wanted it gone,” he replied. Then he looked at me and said, “What are you doing here?”

“Just needed to talk to you about something,” I said. “You were fixing the cooler, though, so I didn’t want to interrupt.”div>

“Smart girl.” He sighed, then ran his hand through his hair. “I gotta get back down there. Come down in five or so?”

I nodded. As he turned for the stairs, the councilwoman said, “Mr. Sweet?”

My dad paused, looked back. “Yeah?”

She was still smiling at him, totally unfazed that he was barely giving her the time of day. It was obvious she was the kind of woman who was used to getting attention not just from men but from women, children, even animals. I knew the type. I’d been raised by one who came from a family of the same. “Concerning the model, I’d love to talk to you about it further. At a more convenient time, of course. Maybe we can set up a meeting at my office later this week?”

Opal looked at her, then at my dad. “That would be great,” she said quickly. “We would love that.”

My dad, however, just grunted, then went downstairs without comment. A few moments later, we heard him start yelling again. But Councilwoman Baker, hardly bothered, was looking at the space where he’d been standing with an intrigued expression, like someone had told her a good riddle and she was enjoying figuring out the answer. Uh-oh.

“Look, Lindsay, I really appreciate you coming by,” Opal said to her. “If you want to just tell me a good time to get together, I’ll make sure we can—”

“Oh, dear, I’ve really got to run,” the councilwoman said, glancing at her watch. “But I’ll come back in a week or so. By then you’ll have more volunteers and a bit of progress, don’t you think?”

Opal swallowed again. “Um . . . of course. Yes.”

“The truth is, for now, this project has to stay here,” she continued, heels clacking. She was coming right toward me, and I felt this urge to jump out of the way, which was crazy. This woman was nothing to me. “It’s a good space and you did offer it, if I remember correctly. Maybe you can communicate that to Gus? I don’t think he realized it when he called me.”

The reporter let loose with a nervous cough while her photographer, for some reason, chose this moment to snap a shot of Opal. I pictured it in my mind, with the caption below: SCREWED.

“Oh, it’s going to really look like something when I come back, I just know it,” the councilwoman continued. Then she stopped, right in front of me, and stuck out her hand. “We haven’t met, I don’t think. I’m Lindsay Baker.”

To say I was surprised to be addressed was an understatement. It wasn’t just me either: behind her, Dave looked up, raising his eyebrows. “Mclean Sweet,” I said.

“Do me a favor.” Her hand, closed around mine, her grip strong, once I extended it. “Tell your dad I said it was really nice to meet him. Okay?”

I nodded, and she smiled. God, her teeth were bright. It was like she traveled with her own black light or something.

“Maureen? ” she said over her shoulder. The reporter jumped. “Walk with me. I want to give you some of my thoughts on that article. Bye, Opal! See you at spin class!” And then she was moving as if she knew even without turning around that the reporter would fall in behind her. Which she did, scurrying past me, the photogrpher loping in her wake.

We all watched them go, none of us saying anything until we heard the door at the bottom of the stairs swing shut. Then Opal exhaled, collapsing against a nearby table. “Oh my God,” she said. “Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like they just had a stroke?”

“She is kind of intense,” I agreed, walking over to the directions Jason had left behind and picking them up.

“Kind of intense? Did you even see that?” she demanded. “The way she comes in and rolls over everyone and everything ? God. It’s exactly the way she was in high school. And she’s so nice, at least to your face. All the better to hide her dark, evil soul.”

Dave looked up at her, eyes wide. “Wow.”