Rachel story, part 2

Sara Rose was at her desk bent over a document when David approached. She had slid her glasses up onto her head, holding her reddish hair out of her face so that she could read. One hand held the corner of the page, ready to flip to the next. The other held a paper clip. It was turning and turning in her fingers.

“Hey,” he said, interrupting her.

She looked up impatiently.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But did you get my email?”

“No,” she said, looking down again. “I haven’t checked my email. I’m kind of busy.”

“It’s kind of interesting,” he said, mocking her tone. “I think you’ll want to see it. We just got a message at the webmaster’s address for you.”

It didn’t take long for that to register in her mind, and she looked at him again.

“At the webmaster’s address…” she repeated. “Someone on the web page?”

“Apparently. Check it out.”

She turned to her computer and opened the message in her inbox and read its contents. To the beautiful Sara Rose. She sat staring at it, wondering who would do such a thing. All of her friends either had her personal email address, or the one at work.

“Why would someone do this?” she wondered aloud.

“Beats me,” said David. “Who is it?”

“No clue,” she said quietly. “Thanks, Dave.”

He chuckled and walked away, leaving her even more irritated than before. She opened a browser and brought up her Hotmail account, trying to think of how to reply.

“It was so embarrassing,” she said to Katie at lunch. “How many people saw that?” She took a bite of her sandwich and opened a can of soda. Katie was looking at a copy of the message that Sara had printed. “Well, since David is the webmaster, probably just David,” she said. “I don’t think he cares. He might tease you, but he won’t tell your dad.”

“I hope not. What is that?” Sara asked, pointing to some smooth syrupy substance in Katie’s lunch container.

“Oh, it’s honey-butter. I wanted it for the corn bread, but it spilled. So who do you think it is?” She put the page down on the table.

“I don’t know,” Sara said, chewing. “Do you think maybe it’s Seth? He likes to play pranks.”

“Why would he send it to DRA’s web site? He has your email address.”

“To throw me off. I don’t know.”

“Maybe it’s really a secret admirer. Maybe it’s someone you don’t know.”

Sara was not in the mood for this today. Thoughts of Daniel and the argument they had the night before were swimming around in her mind.

“Do you have a lot going on today?” Katie said, sensing the need to change the subject.

“Yes. That grant application is a thousand pages long. I’m not in the mood, and my dad wants it back this afternoon with my recommendation.”

“When did he give it to you?”

“This morning.”

Katie smiled in sympathy, her dark eyes seeing more than what was on the surface.

“Sara,” she said.

Sara looked at her.

“What else is bothering you?”

“Danny,” she said thoughtfully.

“What’s going on?”

“He’s having second thoughts about moving to New York. He’s having second thoughts about us.”

Katie looked down at her uneaten lunch. “I’m sorry. Do you want to vent?”

Sara considered that. “I probably should. I’m just snapping at everybody today. Let’s go for a walk.”