Part Forty-Seven

"Ferdinand, good to see you again," said Peggy.

It was a full house among Peggy's group on the 5:20 a.m. ferry. Ferdinand had returned from teaching at a jazz camp in Idaho Falls. Peggy sat between him and Kelly Flinn. Facing them were Raoul, Florence and Luke. In addition, Luke brought a new person.

"This is Paula," said Luke.

Paula appeared to be in her late-twenties. She glowed with youth and beamed a bright smile at the group, accompanied by a polite wave. They all introduced themselves.

"Paula just joined our company and she lives in a condo on Bainbridge Island," said Luke.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," said Florence as her eyes gave Paula a quick once-over.

"Where did you move from?" asked Peggy.

"I was living in the Bay Area, where I went to grad school," said Paula.

"Paula's our newest engineer," said Luke. "She just graduated from Stanford."

"A lot of girls are going into that, I hear," said Florence. "The current generation isn't satisfied with making coffee for the boss and typing memos."

"Thank goodness," said Peggy.

"Florence, I don't remember you making coffee when you worked at our firm," said Raoul, lowering his newspaper.

"That's because you weren't the boss," said Florence.

Peggy looked across the Sound. The city looked like it did at night: a cluster of lights glowing against a dark sky. She wondered if it was still raining. There had been a refreshing drizzle when she walked to the ferry.

"...the company's growing, but we can't find local people to fill the jobs," Luke was explaining. "We're having to hire from all over the country." Peggy noticed that Paula gazed at Luke in an admiring way. Peggy had always thought he was handsome and smart, and it appeared that Paula saw the same thing.

"I thought the streets were crawling with technical people out of work," said Kelly.

"That's a myth. Lots of jobs are going unfilled right now," said Luke.

"Not music jobs, that's for sure," said Ferdinand.

"How was your jazz camp?" asked Raoul.

"Awesome. I had some great kids. I was thinking of doing one here next Summer," said Ferdinand.

While the others talked, Peggy noticed that Florence was watching Paula carefully, and she, too, saw the admiring gaze directed at Luke and noted Paula's elegant posture as she sat upright on the edge of her seat, like a new employee trying to make a good impression. She was making an impression on Florence.

"Are we giving you enough room, sweetie," said Florence. "I can scoot over." Without waiting for an answer, Florence shifted closer to Raoul, until her bare knees were almost against his legs. Peggy felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck.

Paula adjusted her position and let her bright plaid skirt drape over her knees.

"Your skirt has a unique design," said Peggy. "Who makes that?"

"I made it myself," said Paula. "I took a design for a kilt and adapted it into a skirt." She looked at Luke with an expression of concern. "I hope it's not too loud for the office."

"It's very nice," he said with a glance of approval in the general direction of her legs.

"But it's got all those pleats," said Florence. "Surely you didn't do that."

"It took a lot of time, believe me," Paula said. Then she turned to Peggy. "The cloth came from Scotland; these are my family's colors."

"That's so impressive," said Peggy.

Florence turned to Raoul and leaned against him. "She's a computer engineer who makes her own clothes. I think the younger generation is leaving us in the dust."

Peggy then had the feeling she understood Florence as a woman who can't stand the thought of being alone. She fears losing Luke to someone younger and prettier and her first instinct is to throw herself at Raoul. Florence must be thinking how convenient it is that Raoul is apparently 'up for grabs.'

Peggy congratulated herself on being stronger and more independent. I don't need a man, she thought. I have too many things to keep me busy as it is, books to read, a garden to tend, a kitchen that needs painting. Maybe I'll do wallpaper.

Then Peggy blurted out, "Raoul and I are taking a cooking class."

They looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. Raoul couldn't wipe the grin off his face. Technically, they hadn't actually agreed to take the class, Peggy had only recently mentioned to him that it was coming up and he had said, 'sounds like fun.'

Florence looked at Peggy through eyes that said, 'you must be kidding me.'

"Raoul made great brownies in Maine," said Peggy, trying to make it sound as though she and Raoul had been kitchen partners for years.

Florence sat up and laid her hand on Raoul's arm. "Really? Why don't you come teach me one day? I have some brownie mix."

"These were from scratch," said Peggy.

"Oh heck, we'll hide the box. That's what I always do."

Raoul laughed. "I've been thinking. We need to have a party. How would everyone like to come to my house this Saturday? You, too, Paula; you're invited."

"She's just getting moved in…" said Florence.

"I'd love to come," said Paula with her winning bright smile.

"Sounds good to me," said Ferdinand.

"Me too," said Kelly.

Luke, Florence and Peggy also agreed.

"Great. I'll give you directions tomorrow," said Raoul. He winked at Peggy. She had the sick feeling that she fell into a trap of her own design.