Intrigue: The Night Muse Trilogy
Chapter 10: Camelot
I was happy that I had little time on Sunday to dwell on the previous night’s dance. In addition to our usual family routine, I had to finalize all four of my presentations: Superintendent, School Board, PTA, and volunteer group. They all needed the same information, but the sales pitch that I would use for each group had to be different. My parents made me give each pitch to them after I practiced it in the mirror with my laptop. Yes, that is how lame I was and how badly I wanted to get this right. Rafe called me for a pep talk and some last minute brainstorming. I asked him how the evening with Siena turned out.
He answered, “Probably like yours ended. Frustrating and wanting to get away from your date.”
I scoffed, “I didn’t want to get away from Thrace……that badly.”
“True. You are probably used to his drinking and tactics by now,” Rafe commented.
“Yeah. Apparently, the arrest had little impact on him. He did always suffer from short-term memory loss. I would rather focus on the presentations than Thrace’s issues.” I remarked.
“I can see why you would want to focus on working with me than Thrace. We do make a perfect team. I think I should probably drive you tomorrow since we are just going to head to the GAR after the School Board Meeting anyway.”
I reluctantly agreed to the ride, but I cut Rafe’s flirting short as I said, “You’re definitely gonna a need your beauty rest to be at your most persuasive, Sparky, so I will let you go.”
The next morning I was a bundle nerves when Rafe picked me up a half hour earlier than I usually left. I sent Thrace a text letting him know that I was already on my way to school. I had put my hair up in a twist and actually had on my glasses instead of contacts to look more professional.
Rafe looked slightly taken aback by my appearance, but laughingly announced, “Love the sexy librarian persona.”
I snapped, “Since we have no choice about the uniforms, the least I could do was look a little more professional.”
“Yes, but it’s going to put ideas into all the guys’ heads. We all had at least one fantasy about the tempting teacher that whips off her glasses and shakes her hair out of her bun. You just turned yourself into a walking talking male fantasy,” Rafe explained with a devilish wink.
I shot him an icy look back and snarled, “Hey! Get your mind in the game and out of your little dream world. Flock! I haven’t had enough caffeine to deal with you yet.”
Rafe nodded down to the cup holder. It had a fountain Mt. Dew in it.
I smiled at him and announced, “If I said, ‘I could kiss you right now’--it would only be an expression. So I am just going to say, Thank you.” I took a drink and sighed in pleasure.
“That would be three kisses you owe me. Don’t worry, I am still counting, and I will collect when the time is right.”
Although the thought of kissing Rafe made my stomach churn, it wasn’t going to happen. However, I could tease him in another way. “Would you trade the three kisses for me taking off my glasses and shaking down my hair at the GAR building after the school board meeting?”
Rafe’s hazel eyes felt like they actually burned into mine as he huskily whispered, “I would consider that payment in full.”
My lips twitched in a smile and I replied, “Deal, but only if the Superintendent, Principal, and School Board goes for our idea, so you better be persuasive,” I announced just as we arrived at school.
Flirting with Rafe definitely took my nerves away from the presentation. As we walked into school, we headed straight toward the conference room. Superintendant Torres and Principal Wakefield were already in the office, but they gave us time to set up. I pulled my handouts and laptop out of my borrowed briefcase. Rafe and I had sectioned out each portion of our presentation. I was going to start the pitch because our audience was more familiar with me than Rafe. Rafe then took over the explanation of the DUA and its mission and our potential partnership for a service-based learning class. I took over to explain the financing and fundraising needed to purchase and renovate the Grande Ballroom. Rafe finished up with the historic contribution and good press this would create for our school. Both Superintendent Torres and Principal Wakefield seemed impressed and said they would support our efforts tonight when we presented to the School Board. I think it helped that both were natives of Detroit and had been to the Grande Ballroom in its heyday.
I flew threw my classes on cloud nine. However, I definitely got some odd looks at my glasses and attire from more than a few guys as well as several snide remarks from Siena. Thrace noticed this as well as whom I got a ride from today. He chose to snap at me all day. I couldn’t figure out if it was more for the outfit or the ride. Jazz and Key were supportive and put Thrace in his place as needed. Rafe and I debriefed and prepped for the board meeting during study hall. As much as I could handle speaking to authority figures in a small group, I hated speaking in a large group, so my nerves were back in effect.
Rafe once again teased and flirted me out of most of my nerves by reminding me that all he had to do was charm the School Board and his private show was on. Luckily, we were first up on our School Board’s agenda that night. Dr. A, Sadie, my parents, Thrace, Jazz, and Key were all in the audience to show support as well. I had a moment of shear panic when Delian walked in the room with Dr. A and Sadie, but he sat in the back so I couldn’t really see him. Rafe just shook his head at me and shot Delian a look that said stay back.
Rafe and I had our spiel down as we presented the second time around to an audience of about 50 people. The School Board seemed impressed and asked us some tough questions about insurance, building upkeep, and maintenance. We had fairly strong estimates from the GAR and the Superintendent. Many of the board members were familiar with the Grande Ballroom and loved the idea of restoring it, but were practical about the business of buying and renovating it. I walked them through the fundraising, and I pulled Sadie up to verify my figures. Dr. A also jumped in with a discussion on the course he could offer us in conjunction with the renovation. It was a unanimous vote to proceed with the project, and several board members expressed interest in helping with the fundraising. The exhilaration that I felt in accomplishing this part of my quest was amazing. It was only tempered down by all the work that would have to follow to raise support and money for the project.
I celebrated with my family, Thrace, Jazz, and Key as Rafe went over to thank Dr. A, Sadie, and Delian for coming. I told my parents and Thrace that I had to run to the GAR to do a little more research for the PTA presentation. Thrace seemed reluctant to let me go with Rafe, but my parents’ presence cut short his sullen routine.
As we pulled into the GAR, Rafe turned to me and urged, “Time to pay up, Siren.”
I looked at him in surprise as I whispered, “In the car? I don’t think you will get quite the full effect in such a confined space.”
Rafe gave me one of his teasing smiles as he pondered, “You’re probably right. I am just afraid Delian will pounce as soon as we walk in the door, and I won’t get my show.”
I laughed and said, “Ok. It’s your loss.” As I reached for my glasses I captured his gaze and sternly commented, “You have been a very disobedient friend, Rafe Hermes.” I whipped my glasses off and released my hair from my clip and shook it down.
Rafe sat completely still and looked flabbergasted. I jumped out of the car and literally skipped to the building laughing all the way. Of course, Rafe was right. As soon as I entered the building, both Dr. A and Delian came out to congratulate me. They asked where Rafe was because he still had not entered the building, and I covered for him, “He must have got a call as I got out of the car.”
I headed up to Dr. A’s office because he had my handouts printed for the PTA meeting. As we entered, Delian finally managed to capture my gaze, which made me blurt out, “I’m sorry, Delian, did you need something?”
Dr. A snorted and asked, “Yes, Delian, is there something you needed? I think that I c
an give Calli her handouts without your assistance.”
Delian’s eyes never left mine as he remarked, “I was planning to carry the box down for Calli. Chivalry is not as dead as you might believe, Admetus.”
Dr. A laughed as I looked on suspiciously, “Ahhh. Chivalry. So seldom is that anyone’s true motivation since the days of Camelot that I did not recognize it. So sorry Delian.”
Now, it was my turn to snort. “Yeah that Lancelot was quite chivalrous.”
Delian frowned at me and remarked, “I am much more like King Arthur than Lancelot.”
Dr. A commented thoughtfully, “Yes, that seems to be your usual role, Delian.”
Rafe finally entered the awkward conversation just in time to make it a little more uncomfortable.
Delian sent a measuring look Rafe’s way as he announced, “Lancelot has arrived.”
Rafe just laughed and said, “I can’t help it if I am charming, Delian. It’s my natural charisma, and you know I have neither the desire nor the drive to be King, but I will give you the number of my charm school if you want to call for lessons.”
Delian just shook his head and shot him a death ray look. “You have never been truly tempted with a Guinevere.”
As I watched them volley back and forth, it occurred to me that I had always thought that I would choose an Arthur over a Lancelot. In books and movies (my favorite was The Mysts of Avalon), I always was drawn to Arthur’s character and honor whereas I always thought Lancelot was a shady, self-absorbed, charming hottie. But faced with a choice between the solemn yet honorable Delian and the charming Rafe, I would choose Rafe. Of course, I knew so little about Delian, it was hard to judge, and I already had a boyfriend outside the realm of Camelot. I finally piped up to end the awkward conversation. “As much as I love discussing the myths and legends of Camelot, I would rather get home to my Prince before he gets any more paranoid. Dr. A, can you give me a ride home?”
Dr. A looked sorta shocked, but he rolled with it and even took the box of handouts away from Delian as he said, “Excuse me, gentlemen, my lady is in need of a carriage ride home.”
Dr. A got a glare from both Delian and Rafe as we passed. As soon as we were out of the room, we both laughed.
Dr. A remarked, “You need to keep the upper hand with both of those knights, so don’t give an inch to either of them.”
I nodded, “No joke. I like where I am at and who I am with right now, Dr. A, so no worries on me choosing either suitor.”
We were approaching my house as Dr. A replied, “I am relieved to hear that my dear. I will see you on Wednesday. Calli, if you ever need my advice or help, don’t hesitate to call me.”
I thanked him for his support this evening on all fronts and headed into the house. As expected, both my parents and Thrace were waiting for me and noticed the Prius that brought me home. I told them that I caught a ride with Dr. A. Thrace seemed relieved, and my parents were just disappointed that they didn’t get to meet him.
Although my parents seemed excited about the project, my dad looked like something was bothering him. When my mom left the room to grab me a plate for dinner, he finally spoke, “Thrace, have you heard about any fighting clubs or other unusual things going on for kids your age?”
“Calli mentioned something about that to me, but I haven’t heard anything about it. No guys at our school have had issues that I have known.”
Dad nodded, “The police and the mayor are stumped. They have a taskforce, but there is literally nothing to go on. There is something that is not right about this whole situation. It seems like there is a drug angle as well. Most of the kids that have disappeared or that are having issues either have juvie records for either drugs or violence. I don’t want either of you taking any chances and going anywhere alone. Do you hear me?”
We both knew there was only one answer when dad got that tone. We both said in unison, “Yes, sir.”
Mom came in with some lasagna and garlic bread that Thrace and dad had not managed to consume. Apparently, dad didn’t want to worry mom because discussion of the fight club came to an end. Thrace got kicked out soon after my meal ended, but I walked him to the door and let him give me a kiss on the forehead good night. He actually told me that he was proud of me today and that he would support my fundraising in any way he could. I was touched. Volunteering isn’t usually high on Thrace’s list of fun activities, so this was really a stretch. I thanked him and kissed him on the forehead, but told him he wouldn’t get another balloon until he actually pitched in.
The rest of the week flew by in a whirlwind of school, meetings, presentations, and more plans. The PTA loved my idea and even set up a committee to help with the fundraising. We had weekly meeting on Wednesdays to coordinate all the fundraising between the PTA and volunteer student group. Our first fundraiser was well on its way. There were very few times in life that I have truly felt like I accomplished something huge. I thought this was going to be one of them. Meanwhile, my karate and running continued to be my outlet for all my stress. No matter how organized I tried to be, juggling so many activities would drive you crazy. Therefore, running from my problems and hitting things were great stress relief.
As Friday rolled around of Labor Day weekend, Thrace begged me to host a movie night at my house. My house and karate practice were the only places Thrace was allowed since his grounding, except for the dance. I agreed and cleared the guest list with my parents. I invited Key, her boyfriend Tre, Jazz, Justin, Spart, and Rafe over to my house on Friday for a Kung Fu marathon. The same guest list was approved for a Labor Day by the pool with parents in attendance. Rafe seemed grateful that Siena was not included as part of the invitation. I told him that Jazz was no longer with the basketball player and wanted another shot at him—that seemed to scare him. Although Thrace arrived first, he was little or no help with getting the food set up. He did present me with Step 4: A kiss on the cheek. I just smiled and shook my head in amusement. He seemed eager for Step 4 to begin. He leaned down to kiss me and got as far as his lips touching my cheek before my parents walked in. They were leaving for dinner with Thrace’s parents and wanted to lay down the ground rules.
My dad stared down Thrace and said, “Thrace, if you pull another stunt like you did a couple weeks ago, you will have no access to this house or my daughter. Is that understood?”
Thrace gulped and quickly replied, “Absolutely. We don’t have anything like that planned, Sir.”
“Good, because your jail cell would seem like paradise compared to what I would have in store. Now, Calli, same rules as always—no booze, no drugs, no breaking anything, no burning the house down, no cops called because of loud yelling, music, or other noises, and no one except the approved guest list. Understood?”
I smiled as I replied, “Crystal clear. Go enjoy dinner. I got this covered.”
The Kung Fu marathon was a huge hit, although we didn’t get too far in the series because we had to stop the DVD to analyze and replicate Caine’s moves. If Kung Fu was not entertaining enough, we got to watch Jazz try to make her move on Rafe. He kept trying to avoid her but in the den crowded with kung fu crazy teens, he was destined to fail. Jazz was kinda like a bounty hunter. She always got her man—at least until he bored her. Although it was entertaining watching Rafe try to avoid her, I didn’t know how I felt about her pursuing Rafe. If he had reciprocated her interest, I might be feeling a tad bit jealous, which made me a complete eyas. Rafe dating Jazz would take care of Thrace’s jealousy issue and my crush issue. Thrace noticed my thoughtful expression and kissed my cheek as he said out loud to the whole room, “Who would you bet on in a fight between Caine versus Jackie Chan?” I laughed and immediately threw my vote to Caine as most of the rest the room voted hands down for Jackie Chan. The rest of the night was spent pairing up famous fighters against one another as well as classmates against each other and voting as we finished watching the first disc of the series. My parents got back at midnight, and my dad threw everyone out wi
th a cheerful, “Don’t you kids have curfews and worried parents to get home to?” They took the hint but thanked my parents anyway for the pizza and snacks. As usual, my mother was gracious, and my father was grumbling.
Jazz tried to score a ride home with Rafe, but he said he was already late for his curfew. However, he apologetically arranged for Justin to drop Jazz off. I tried not to smirk. Key and Thrace tried not to laugh, and Jazz shot them both looks of retribution. Thrace hung back to help get the study back in order. My parents thanked Thrace and actually gave us a few minutes alone. Thrace quickly took advantage and planted soft kisses on both sides of my cheeks. The few minutes were up when my dad yelling down interrupted him. “I don’t hear you leaving fast enough Thrace! Aren’t you still grounded?”
Thrace’s head shot up and his forehead leaned against mine as he whispered, “I love your dad, but he is a hater sometimes!”
I laughed, walked him to the door, and replied, “He’s a father of a daughter dating a senior. He’s supposed to be a hater.”
Thrace smiled, kissed me on the forehead and agreed, “True dat,” before he ran home with a few more balloons.
Saturday rolled around, and I headed to DUA to work on my research and put together fundraising. When I parked in the lot, I noticed both Thrace and Key’s cars were already here. I was immediately curious as what would get Key and Thrace out of bed before 9am on a Saturday. I walked in to find most of the GAR completely deserted. I walked the halls, but finally settled down in one of the computer labs to start to list all the promotional materials we would need for the next two months fundraisers. I had most of my lists created when I heard a lot of noise coming from the stairway. (Side note: I love making lists—it’s the only thing that keeps me slightly on track—If I could have written this whole history in list form, I would have done it!) I went out in the hallway and saw about 15 people coming down the stairway, which included Thrace, Rafe, Key, and Jazz. I gave them a skeptical look as Rafe led the way forward.
He stopped in front of me, “Hey, Calli. Thrace, Jazz, and Key decided to help volunteer at DUA.”
“Funny how no one thought to mention it to me,” I remarked with a heavy-dose of doubt in my voice.
Jazz stepped around Rafe and looked me straight in the eye and in a challenging voice announced, “We are now volunteers at the DUA. We just got done with an orientation and prep meeting. You gonna call me a liar?”
I laughed at her best throw down diversion tactic. “Liar? Never. Telling me the whole story—Not so much.”
“Pot this is kettle, you’re black! I learned all my skills from you, Calli.”
Thrace now came forward to further divert me by saying, “Do I now get at least one balloon back? I showed up to volunteer and even went to an orientation meeting at 8:30 on a Saturday.”
I nodded my head and replied, “I suppose that earned you at least one. Did you guys bring your karate clothes with you or do you have to run home before class.”
Key finally spoke and asked, “What do you need, sweetie?”
I smiled. Out of all my friends Key has the biggest problem with creative truth telling or bravado. “I need to bounce some ideas off as many people as possible for the promotional materials. Let me print off the list so I can get some feedback.”
Rafe spoke up again and offered, “Why don’t you go to the board room, and I will try to locate Dr. A and Sadie.”
I went to print off my lists as the others followed me into the computer lab.
Thrace was impressed with the computer hardware as guys generally are. “Wow. This place is flush. I should be set when I want to work here.”
I quickly printed off several copies of my work and gave them a quick tour that was lacking from their “orientation” which I was still not buying. I pitched all my ideas on promotional materials to the group, and we brainstormed until we had to leave for karate class.
The long weekend flew by in rest and relaxation by the pools. My parents finally claimed me on Monday for some Edonides family time. We had a weird family hobby where we put together the most impossible puzzles. Luckily, since we do it in the den, we throw on ESPN or movies. At about dinner time, we finished a rather ordinary 1000 piece puzzle that turned out to be a J.W. Waterhouse painting of the Greek goddess Circe and called for pizza. I finally felt recharged and ready to handle my crazy schedule.