Mirror, The (12 page)

"Have you thought about a major?"

"I'd like to get into marketing or public relations."

Steve chuckled.

"You should. You'd be a natural. With your face and personality, you could warm the image of even the coldest corporation."

"You really think so."

"I know so. I've met a lot of women in similar positions working for my dad. Most are very good at what they do, but none have a smile like yours."

OK. I surrender.

"Thanks for the encouragement," Ginny said. "I really do want to enroll. When I get the chance this summer, I'm going to spend some time on the campus and investigate the possibilities."

"Why wait until this summer? Why not do it now while school is still in session?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't know where to start. I just got here, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Steve said as he broke into a smile. "Listen. When is your next day off from the grocery store?"

"I'd have to check the schedule, but I think it's next Wednesday. Why?"

"Why? I'll tell you why, Miss Smith," Steve said. "I'm giving you a tour of the campus."

CHAPTER 20: GINNY

Sunday, May 10, 1964

Ginny Smith, mesmerized, watched with unbridled awe as the young blond woman, wearing a cashmere sweater, pencil skirt, and pearls, sang and swayed in a New York studio. Even through the dusty screen of a flickering black-and-white television, the time traveler could see that this lady had it.

"I want her hair," Ginny said.

"You want what?" Katie asked.

"I want her hair."

"You have her hair, Gin. It's just as blond and just as loaded with hair spray."

"Yeah, but it's not cut that way. I want mine cut that way."

"Then go to a salon," Katie said. "I'm sure Dusty Springfield went to a salon."

"Don't be silly. Ed Sullivan would never let a salon do a performer's hair. She has a bouffant bob, Katie. You don't throw that together at a salon. I'll bet Ed flew in a team from Paris. It's the only thing that makes sense."

Katie sighed.

"Paris? Really, Gin. That would be insanely expensive."

Sitting upright on Room 17's only bed, Ginny turned to her left and looked at her sister like she had just made the dumbest comment in history.

"Of course it would be expensive. That's the point. Perfect hair is priceless," Ginny said. "I'm sure Ed did the same thing for the Beatles."

Katie smiled and shook her head.

"Speaking of the Fab Four, I saw them on a poster the other day," Ginny said.

"So?"

"It was a
concert
poster, Katie. The Beatles are playing here in August."

"Really?"

"Really. Getting tickets might be tough though. Paula Benson is a big Beatles fan, and she said the only way people will be able to get tickets is if they have money, connections, or a desire to camp for two days outside the box office."

"You don't want to camp on a sidewalk for two days?"

Ginny smiled.

"Not unless I can choose my camping buddy."

Katie laughed.

"I take that to mean you had a good time last night. You still haven't told me much."

"I may not either," Ginny said. "I like to keep some things private."

"Oh, please," Katie said. "You're the most open person on the planet. If we were still in 2020, you'd have pictures of dinner posted on your blog already."

"OK, Miss Nosy Nelly. What would you like to know?"

Katie looked at her sister thoughtfully.

"I'd just like to know if you had fun."

Ginny smiled and reddened.

"I think I'm in love."

Katie's eyes grew large.

"What? Love?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's lust. What's the difference?"

"Plenty," Katie said.

"All I know is I can't stop thinking about him. He's perfect! He's kind and thoughtful and forgiving too. He even forgave you for calling him a serial killer."

"What?"

"It's no big deal. He knew you were kidding," Ginny said. "What's important is that he wants to see me again. He's giving me a tour of the campus on Wednesday."

"What if you have to work?"

"I don't. I already checked."

Katie cocked her head.

"Where did you go after dinner?"

"We drove around," Ginny said. "We considered going to his fraternity house but didn't go because workmen are painting the inside this weekend."

"So why didn't you come back here?"

"We didn't, Katie Lou, because I wanted to give you and Mike some time alone."

"We just went out for ice cream, Gin. What did you think I was going to do? Sleep with him on our third date?"

Ginny smiled sheepishly.

"Well . . . maybe."

"Ugh! I don't believe you sometimes."

"Why? It's not like you've never done it before."

Katie glared at her sister.

"This is different, Ginny. The time is different. The circumstances are different.
Mike
is different. He's a nice guy, a really nice guy. What don't you get?"

"Don't get so defensive. I thought I was doing you a favor."

Kate gave Ginny a softer glance.

"Thank you," Katie said. "I know you meant well, but trust me when I say you didn't need to stay away last night. You won't need to stay away any night."

"Why do you say that?" Ginny asked. "I thought you liked Mike."

"I do."

"Does he like you?"

"Yes. He does."

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that we're going home in four months. You said we don't have time to get serious with anyone – and I agree. We don't. We also don't have the right to disrupt any lives. If I start something with Mike, or anyone else, I will be disrupting a life. I don't want to do that."

Ginny looked down.

"I don't either," she said. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, Gin. You were right the other day when you said we should have fun here. I'm trying to have fun. I really am. But I refuse to be irresponsible. I made a promise to myself when we got here that I would leave this time exactly as I found it, and I intend to keep it."

Ginny could see from Katie's hard stare and folded arms that she meant every word. She could also see from a subtle frown that her sister was troubled.

"Is something wrong?"

Katie lowered her eyes and nodded.

"What is it?"

Katie paused.

"Well?" Ginny asked.

Katie looked away. When she returned to Ginny, she seemed lost.

"I'm having a difficult time keeping my promise."

Ginny studied her twin again. The defiance was gone.

"I recognize that look, Katie. What happened last night?"

Katie did not reply.

"Katie?"

"Mike kissed me on our walk."

"So? Boys do that, you know."

"I know. But …"

"But what?"

Katie looked down.

"I kissed him back."

She glanced at Ginny.

"Hard."

CHAPTER 21: KATIE

Monday, May 11, 1964

"We have a spill on Aisle 11. Can a courtesy clerk please report?"

Katie scanned the front of Greer's Grocery from her temporary post at Checkout 3 and saw two things: the absence of other courtesy clerks and Pete Benson, the manager in charge, holding a public-address microphone at Checkout 1. He looked at the new hire and smiled.

"Thanks, Katie," he said.

Katie finished loading a small sack of groceries for a middle-aged man, nodded to Paula, the checker, and started walking toward the back of the store and a broom closet. She didn't mind cleaning up messes on Aisle 4 or Aisle 12, where piles of flour or puddles of milk usually awaited, but she did mind cleaning up messes on Aisle 11. Spilled soda meant broken glass.

When she reached the broom closet, she was surprised to see that the bucket and the mop had already been taken. So had the broom and the dustpan. She stepped out of the back room, walked to Aisle 11, and saw a sight that brought a smile to her face.

"Want some help with that?" Katie asked. "It's quiet up front. I don't think Pete and Paula will need me for a while."

Mike Hayes answered the question without looking up. With a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other, he focused on scooping up the remains of a cola bottle that had succumbed to a tragic fall.

"No. I think I've got it."

"Are you sure?"

Mike looked up.

"Katie?"

"You were expecting someone else?"

"I thought you were Ginny. You talk the same."

"Twins tend to do that."

Mike grinned.

"You definitely have the same sass," he said. "I thought she was stacking soup cans."

"She was until about five minutes ago. She's on her break."

Katie smiled sweetly and raised an eyebrow.

"Would you like me to get her instead?"

"No, thank you." Mike said. He laughed. "She'd just boss me around."

"She's not that bad."

"Yes, she is."

Katie laughed.

"OK. She is."

Katie watched as Mike, crouched near the floor, tried to sweep glass into the dustpan while holding the bottom of the broomstick. The stick moved back and forth like a golf pin in a stiff breeze.

"Let me at least hold the dustpan," she said.

"Be my guest."

Mike stood up and got out of the way as Katie moved toward a small pile of glass, lowered herself to the floor, and grabbed hold of the metal dustpan. He quickly swept the pile into the pan, stepped back, and rested the broom against a shelf loaded with six-packs of cream soda. He then grabbed the mop and went about mopping up the puddles on the floor.

"I called you yesterday," Mike said.

"Oh, yeah? When?"

"It was around six. I left a message with the clerk in the motel office. I guess he never gave it to you."

"He didn't," Katie said.

"Did you go somewhere yesterday?"

Katie shook her head.

"No. We watched TV most of the day. The only time we left the room was to eat lunch and dinner. We were gone at six. I'm sorry I missed your call."

"That's all right. I didn't have anything urgent to say. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed Saturday night. I can't stop thinking about it."

Katie stood up, placed the dustpan on top of a stack of wooden crates, and turned to Mike. A hundred mostly conflicting thoughts swirled through her mind.

"Neither can I," she said.

"Did you have fun?" Mike asked.

"You know I did."

Mike cocked his head.

"Then why the glum face?"

Katie sighed.

"It's complicated."

"Complicated?"

"Yes, complicated."

"Do you have a boyfriend back home?" Mike asked.

"No. It's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

Katie looked away for a moment and stared into space. If she had known that a trip to Aisle 11 would mean having a conversation she wanted to avoid, she might have asked Ginny to clean up the mess. She simply was not prepared to answer Mike's question – at least in any detail.

"I can't really talk about it."

Katie glanced at Mike and saw both hurt and confusion. She wanted to tell him the truth but knew that the truth would only invite even more problems.

"Does it have anything to do with me?"

Yes.

"No. It's a personal thing. It's just something I have to work out."

"You can tell me anything, Katie. I won't bite. I might kiss your head off, but I won't bite. I promise."

She laughed.

"I believe you."

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" Mike asked.

"I'm sure."

Mike scanned the aisle, as if checking for customers or coworkers, and then returned his full attention to Katie. He placed his hand on hers, which she rested on the stack of crates.

"I don't know what's bothering you, Katie. I wish I did. I just know I want to see you again. I want to see you tomorrow and the next day and the next."

"I know."

"Can you at least answer one thing?" Mike asked.

"I'll try."

"Do you want to go out this weekend?"

Katie pondered the question. Of course she wanted to go out. She wanted to enjoy this gentle soul's company as often as she could for as long as she could. The issue was whether she should use this opportunity to set boundaries or let the spring and summer run their course.

"Let me think about it. OK?"

Mike nodded.

She pulled her hand from his just as a figure approached from the back of the store. The person wore an expression that made Katie glad that she and Mike had finished their business.

"I heard there was a messy situation in the pop aisle," Ginny said. She grinned. "Anything I can do to help?"

CHAPTER 22: GINNY

Wednesday, May 13, 1964

The first thing Ginny noticed was the stares.

The friendly stares weren't hard to find. Frequent, lasting, and usually accompanied by smiles and whispers, they were delivered in droves by the men of Zeta Alpha Rho. Steve Carrington's fraternity brothers appeared to approve of his special guest.

The unfriendly stares were harder to spot and sometimes more difficult to decipher, but they were no less unnerving. The women of Kappa Delta Alpha who considered Ginny a prospective pledge saw her as a curiosity. Those who considered her as competition saw her as a threat.

Perhaps sensing her discomfort around groups, Steve guided Ginny through his palatial fraternity house to a patio and lawn in back, where thirty to forty more collegians ate barbecued hamburgers and danced to "Do You Love Me" by the Contours. He stopped when they finally reached a relatively quiet spot on the edge of the patio.

"So what do you think? Are you ready to enroll?" Steve asked.

Ginny smiled and nodded.

"I was ready two weeks ago."

Ginny laughed to herself as she considered the statement. Two weeks earlier she was ready not only to enroll in this university but also to attend it in the seemingly distant year of 2020. She had found almost as much irony and nostalgia on her campus tour as she did now at this Midweek Mixer, where her father's fraternity entertained her mother's sorority.