Coming Attractions (17 page)

“No.”

Katie waited for more words. “That’s it? No? You think I did the right thing?”

“I do. What you did was messy, yes. But it was honest, and if there’s one thing I do know about you, Katie, you don’t fake
anything. I can’t see how you could have maintained the relationship with Rick after your heart changed toward him. You did
the right thing. Besides, what if you had gone along pretending all the way to the graduation party, and everyone was there,
and then Rick proposed in front of everyone?”

Katie sobered instantly. “That would have been tragic.”

“I’m not saying that’s what he was going to do.”

“But it definitely is the way he does things. The café in Redlands was scheduled to open April 27, but I received a generic
email from Rick’s company saying the opening was delayed until May 25 or something like that. I felt all along that he was
waiting until after the café opened before turning his attention to our relationship. He wasn’t going to propose until he
had the café checked off his list. Then he would set up a new timeline for us. That’s how his brain works. One goal at a time.
Me, I’m all over the place all the time.”

“Talk to me about your classes and how things are looking for you now that it’s crunch time.”

“Disastrous. Next question.”

Julia pulled out a notebook and flipped it open to a blank page. “I know how you feel about lists and schedules, but I’m going
to ask you to put aside those negatives feelings for the next half-hour. You need a plan of attack, and I’m just the person
to give you one.”

For the next twenty-five minutes, Julia helped Katie to walk through a step-by-step schedule to complete her work in the few
remaining weeks. To Katie’s surprise, the process was a lot less painful than she thought it would be. In the same way that
Julia and John’s love story gave Katie hope for her future love life, the plan in front of her gave her hope that she might
pull off all that was required of her before graduation day.

Julia pulled out the paperwork Katie needed to complete for her position as RA, and together they organized Katie and Nicole’s
list of responsibilities for the Spring Fling.

“I can’t believe this year is almost over.”

“Don’t start saying that now,” Julia said. “Wait until we’re in the final week. When I hear students becoming nostalgic before
we’re even into the last month of classes, it’s like hearing Christmas music the day after Halloween. We’re not there yet.”

Katie looked at the list in front of her. “Thanks for helping me think though all this. It’s a lot.”

“Yes, it is. But you can do it, Katie.”

“You know what? I believe you.”

They left Bella Barista, and Katie realized she really did believe it. She believed she could not only accomplish all the
work and class responsibilities on the list but she could also find her way around to the other side of her relationships
with Rick and Nicole.

“What are you going to say to Nicole?” Katie asked Julia as they drove back up the hill to Rancho Corona.

“Say about what? Her responsibilities for the Spring Fling?”

“No, about Rick.”

“Nothing. Why?”

“You don’t feel that you should tell her it’s okay to call him or maybe even ask him to the Spring Fling?”

Julia looked surprised. “Why would I tell her something like that?”

“I don’t know. You’re her RD.”

“Katie, that would be like my telling you to call Eli and ask him to the Spring Fling. Why would I do something like that?
You’re capable of making your own decisions about your love life, as you made clear in your relationship with Rick. I mean,
who am I, besides your RD, to try to help you to see all the common ground you have with Eli Lorenzo? Why would I pelt you
with the obvious evidences of the guy’s interest in you? What would be the point of reminding you of the way the two of you
worked seamlessly on the fund-raiser for water for Africa? Why would I do that?”

“Yeah, why would you?”

“Exactly. And why would I remind you of what happened when you had the flu and Eli brought you medicine on Valentine’s Day?
Not to mention the New Zealand glacier water.”

“Did I tell you about the New Zealand glacier water?”

“Yes, you did. You told me when I was checking in on you when you were sick. If I remember correctly, all you wanted to talk
about was Eli and the way he prayed for you.”

“And how he told me not to operate heavy machinery.” Katie felt her defenses lowering.

“Just pay attention to what God is doing, Katie. That’s all I’m saying. Just pay attention and respond appropriately.”

W
ith uncharacteristic organizational determination, after breakfast with Julia, Katie posted her long to-do list in her room
and systematically went down the list. Instead of check marks next to each task, Katie mixed it up a little. Sometimes she
crossed off the words. Sometimes she drew a happy face or a sunflower at the end of the line. She had other plans for a few
of them, such as her huge year-end project. When she finally finished that, she planned to write “ALLELUIA!” over the task.

Keeping to her list kept Katie from becoming involved in long conversations with anyone other than the women on her floor.
She only interacted with other students who came by the front desk when she was on duty and a few friends here and there who
stopped her as she trekked across campus to her classes.

All in all, Katie had to admit that in one week, under the pressure of checking items off her list, she accomplished twice
what she had expected. But she felt a sudden stab of pain when she entered Crown Hall lobby late Friday afternoon and realized
the weekend was ahead of her. For the past year and a half, her first thought for every weekend was how she might adjust her
time so she could see Rick or at least set aside time for long phone conversations with him.

Thoughts of Rick toppled her off the wave of success she had been riding on in light of her list of accomplishments. Ironically
the list that was making her feel so happy was the very sort of difference that had kept her at odds with Rick. She now felt
as if she understood him a little better. Checking tasks off a list could be a pretty great natural high.

Katie stopped by the front desk to check the schedule for her weekend hours. Jordan, one of the RAs on the guys’ floor, was
on duty. He handed Katie the roster before she even asked.

“How did you know?” she said.

“You’re predictable. Hey, did you and Nicole figure out the decorations for the Spring Fling tomorrow night?”

“Julia delegated the whole thing to Nicole. I’m in charge of the games.”

“What did you come up with?”

“Twister. I picked up twenty of them at Bargain Barn awhile ago. We’ll divide up into teams. Craig is going to run the video
camera while everyone is twisting, then some of the guys will edit it as we eat. The grand finale will be watching the playback.”

“Uh, Katie, you know it’s formal, don’t you? How are you going to convince the women to play Twister in formal wear?”

“It’s not formal.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not. Where did you hear it was formal? It’s not a ball; it’s a fling. Your information is wrong.”

“I think you’re the one who’s wrong. You weren’t at the staff meeting when we discussed the details. I don’t know where you
got your info, but I’m telling you: It’s formal.”

Katie let out a huff and headed to her floor. Nicole would know.

The two of them had managed three neutral encounters since Katie’s grand announcement about overhearing Nicole and Julia’s
conversation. One of their encounters was in the bathroom and two were while passing each other on campus. In each of the
circumstances, they were both in motion when they saw each other. That meant they could keep walking and exchange a friendly
“hello” without anyone around them knowing the trauma they had gone through.

As Katie approached Nicole’s door, she was pretty sure they had both had enough time to mellow and think things through. It
probably would be good if they sat down now for a second round of talks.

With a light-hearted tap on Nicole’s half-closed door, Katie called out, “It’s me. Okay if I come in?”

Before Nicole could answer, the door swung open, and there stood Rick.

Katie’s heart did a flitter-flutter. She stared into his brown eyes and felt as if, for one moment, time had stopped.

Then she blinked, and she was on the other side of the fairy tale. She really was out of love with him. She still loved him
in the deep-soul-friends-forever way, but she knew — somehow knew — that she truly was no longer in love with him.

“Wow,” she said under her breath.
I’m not in love with you anymore, Rick Doyle.

His face was flushed and his jaw clenched. “I was just leaving.”

“You don’t have to.” Katie looked past Rick and realized Nicole wasn’t in her room. “Where’s Nicole?”

“How would I know? The guy at the front desk said it was open dorm hours; so I stepped in and left the box on her desk. Your
box is by your door.” Rick sounded robotic.

“My box?”

“Invitations for your graduation party.”

“Oh, right. The graduation party. Rick, are you sure your mom still wants to do this? I mean, she knows that you and I are
— ”

“She knows.”

“And she still wants me to come?”

“The party is on the calendar. She sent you a box of invitations. Looks like she still wants you to come.” Rick started to
leave.

“Rick, wait.”

He stopped but didn’t look at Katie.

“Are you okay?”

“What kind of a question is that?”

“It’s a sincere question.” Katie’s tone matched the irritation in his. “And here’s another sincere question. How do you feel
about my coming to your house for this graduation party? Because if you’re not comfortable with my being there, I won’t come.”

“It’s not my house. It’s my parents’ house.”

“But you’ll be there, right?”

“I’ll be there.”

Katie wanted to reach over and touch his shoulder in a sympathetic, friendly way. She realized that she was further along
in the bounce-back process than Rick was. He wasn’t moving from the doorway, and he still wasn’t looking at her.

“Hey, Rick, listen.” Katie lowered her voice.

“You don’t have to say anything, Katie. Really. I think both of us have said just about everything we could say.”

“Except I want to say I’m sorry, Rick. I’m sorry for — ” Katie started to tear up. “I’m just really sorry, Rick.”

His shoulders seemed to relax and his expression toward Katie turned more sympathetic.

“You don’t have to say anything, Katie.”

“I feel like I need to say something. I just don’t know what to say.”

Rick ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Look, Katie, I’ve been thinking a lot this week about us. About you. I think
I thought more about you during this week than I have maybe our whole dating relationship.”

Katie’s heart pounded faster.
Is he going to say that he hopes we’ll get back together?

“The more I thought about you, the more I saw why you reached the conclusion you did. I think that’s because I was thinking
about you. Just you. Not about us. Not about me. Not about how you could fit into my life. I thought about you, your dreams
and goals, and your personality. That’s when I knew I had to agree. You and I weren’t going to be good together for the long
term.”

“But as boyfriend and girlfriend, we were really good together.”

“I thought so too.”

They stood awkwardly for a moment, looking at each other and then looking away. In the past this was the moment when they
would hug or kiss or both. Now they just shuffled their feet.

Katie made the first move and smiled up at him. “I loved being your girlfriend, Rick Doyle.”

Rick smiled back. It was a great smile. Just like the ones Katie remembered over the years when Rick was his truest self.
Whether he was being ornery or tender, sincere or cool. This was his best smile.

“I’m glad I ran into you, Katie.”

“Me too. Hey, you should come to the Spring Fling tomorrow night.”

“Is it a date event?”

“Not really. You know how these all-hall events are. People come together but not as actual couples. You should come. Just
come. For old times’ sake.”

He thought a moment and asked, “When do you need a final answer?”

“I don’t. We’re not selling tickets or anything. Just come. Seven o’clock. Here in the lobby.”

“It’s casual, right?”

“Ah, that’s one thing I’m not sure about. I heard rumors it was semi-formal. That’s what I came to ask Nicole. I can let you
know once I find out. How would that be?”

Rick nodded slowly. “That would be good.”

Katie nodded and suddenly felt a little like crying, but she didn’t.

Rick turned to go when Katie remembered one more thing. “Oh, I saw the email about the delay with the opening of the café.
Is everything okay?”

“We had a delay on the pizza oven’s delivery and had to have one of the walls rewired. It made sense to slow it down another
month. Everything else is going good, though. I’m looking to move out to Redlands by the first of June.”

“You are?”

“I was going to wait until… well, you know… until I saw how our plans lined up. But I decided this week to go ahead and make
the move. I really like what I do, Katie.”

“I know you do. It’s what you were created to do.”

“Just as you were created to chase adventure until it catches you.”

Katie’s smile broadened. No one ever had described her so accurately. “Yes, that’s what I was created to do.”

“You weren’t made for the deli sandwich assembly line. You can do it, but it doesn’t fill up your soul.”

Now Katie knew she was going to cry. It was the first time Rick showed he really understood how she was wired. “Thank you,
Rick.”

He gave her another signature, vintage-Rick grin. “I have to give the prize to Eli for naming it.”

“Naming what?” Katie blinked away her skittering tears.