CHAPTER 7
"Coming!" Alero yelled as she dashed for the door wondering who could be leaning on the doorbell so early in the day. She swung the door open ready to tackle the person on the other side verbally only to see that it was Maggie, Maggie almost bursting at the seams with excitement. She brushed past Alero buzzing the air beside her cheeks as she stepped into the living room.
"Oh wow! Like these new furnishings." she said as she went over to a sofa and sat down.
"Good morning Maggie. Yes, I slept well in case you were about to ask." Alero chided as she shut the door and came over to join her friend in the sitting area.
"Good morning Ally." Maggie responded in dulcet tones. "And why wouldn't you sleep well?" she asked seemingly nonplussed.
"Have you really stayed so long in America or are you just being deliberately obtuse?" Alero asked coming to a stop beside the sofa Maggie had chosen.
Maggie made a dismissive wave with her hand. "I have gist!" she said excitedly motioning Alero to take the vacant seat on the sofa. Alero sat down curious as to what had Maggie so excited, not that it took a lot to set Maggie off.
"What's the emergency?" Alero asked.
"Banjo broke up with Emily." She announced with all the pizzazz of a journalist giving a Nobel-prize winning performance.
Alero squinted at her and cocked her head to the side. "And this is world changing news because?" she asked in befuddlement.
"What do you mean it isn't worl...okay, so not world changing but...IT'S A BIG DEAL!!!" she said as she stood up in agitation, paced a few steps and slumped back down on the seat. Alero shook her head in consternation at her friend.
"Why? People get together and break up all the time?" she said in bewilderment.
"Yes, people. But Emily and Banjo have been together for so long! I think they started dating as far back as secondary school! Everyone thought they would be thinking of heading to the altar any moment now and instead Banjo is breaking things off with her?" Maggie sounded as bewildered as Alero felt. She turned to look at Alero for confirmation that perhaps all was not right with the world. Alero stared back at her in confusion as to how she was supposed to react.
"Maggie," she began in a quiet, soothing tone. "It might have escaped your notice that I don't really know these folks all that well. At least, not as well as you do!" she defended at Maggie's raised eyebrow. "It's sad, I'm sure, what has happened but is that why you drove all the way from the Island?"
"Not exactly." Maggie sighed. "It was Olly who mentioned it last night and he said a few things that have me a bit bugged."
Alero settled into her seat. "Bugged? How?" she hugged a throw pillow to herself.
"Did something...? Olly thinks...argghh!!" Maggie groaned.
Alero burst out laughing at her friend's discomfiture. "Okay, out with it already." she said gently pushing at Maggie's shoulder with the throw pillow.
"Olly...you do realize he has always had this crush on you?" Maggie blurted out. Alero could feel her jaw drop in shock. "Really? You had no idea? And you'd call me obtuse!" Maggie chided.
Alero shook her head as if she hoped the action would unclog her brain somehow.
"Well Olly says that Banjo had just been coasting along in the relationship for awhile. That he had not known how to break things off with her. Okay so, he did at my welcome party. But now, Olly says he has been asking questions about you. You didn't tell me that Patricia was coming to work with you guys." she accused.
"It didn't come up." Alero defended even as her brain seemed to become even more clogged with confusion. "Why would he be asking after me? Did his sister say something to him?"
"I don't know. I thought you would have some answers." Maggie threw back at her.
"What sort of questions is he asking?"
Maggie eyed her cynically and said "What other sort? Is she seeing anyone? Did she used to date so and so? Those sorts of questions. Did you guys talk about anything like that that night of the party?" Alero shook her head in the negative her confusion mounting even as she felt a thrill go through her body.
Okay. So she was still as mind-bendingly attracted to the man as she had once been to the boy. Still did not make sense why he was asking after her.
"Ally?" Maggie called out. "Did you hear me at all?"
"No. What were you saying?"
"Do you think that he might want to ask you out?" Maggie repeated her question.
Alero stared at her friend in confusion. "I have no idea." she replied.
"Hmm!" Maggie frowned in thought. Just as suddenly her expression cleared. "Well, there's no need borrowing trouble. Let's see what is happening. It might actually be nothing at all." she said her voice getting more cheery as she went on.
"What do you mean, borrowing trouble?' Alero asked.
"Ah! Family issues. You know how these old moneyed people behave. They act as if their children can't ever, fall in love and marry outside of their clique. You should hear some of the remarks I have heard about Quinn. What do his parents do dear? Oh! Where exactly do they live? We met some really nice folks at the Polo club we stayed at when we last were there!" she mimicked the tones in which those questions had been asked. Alero did not know whether to be amused or dismayed. She knew Maggie well enough to know that she may have skin as tough as a rhino when it came to herself but for her friends and loved ones, her skin was as soft as a newborn baby. And she loved Quinn. Alero needed no further convincing on that score.
"So you think that should he be planning on asking me out, they would have a collective heart attack?" Alero asked her nerves thrumming with a tension that she did not want to examine too closely.
Maggie waved her hand dismissively. "Not all of them. But seeing as how they've been the sweetheart couple for so long...like I said, we are not even sure why he's asking those questions. It's just Olly thinks he might be interested? Don't know why I pay him any mind!"
"Because he's your brilliant big brother?" Alero teased at which Maggie scoffed.
"What's for breakfast? I left before I could have some and I'm hungry!" she said as she got up and walked towards the kitchen.
"I'm surprised you were able to drag yourself away from Quinn to get here this early." Alero said as she followed her into the kitchen.
"Wash your mouth! You want to give my mother a heart attack?!" Maggie jokingly rebuked.
"You can't honestly believe that your mother thinks that you and Quinn are not shagging?" Alero asked a naughty note in her voice.
"Hiahn! She doesn't know o! And we'd like to keep it that way please." Maggie finished on a mischievous smile. "I can see ripe plantain there in the store. Do you have the makings for egg sauce?"
Alero shook her head in wry amusement as she set about making breakfast. She figured she could as well make enough for everyone for when they eventually woke up.
"You don't get to stand there and order me about. Get your knife!" she commanded to which Maggie responded with a cheeky salute and a search for a suitably sharp knife among her mother's collection.