Emily's Calling

By Laura Albright

When Emily graduates from Cal West University she discovers a career with great opportunity and status, the promise of something special with not one but two men, and friends and family at every turn. For Emily, things seldom stay the same for long...what challenges and choices will her career and relationships bring? Who’s a friend, who’s a lover? And will the watchful eyes and opinions of everyone who means anything to her get in the way? Out of college and into the “real world” tests Emily’s biggest choices so far.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura Albright
• Release date: Nov 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9780985700522

Laura Albright

Laura Albright, a California native and graduate of California State University Sacramento lives in northern California with her husband and son. Call Me Emily is the first in a four-book series: Emily Calls It, Emily’s Calling and Meet Emily.Visit Laura's blog at http://laura-albright.com/

Book preview

ONE

A New Day

When I woke up the day seemed ordinary. I heard my roommate Trish in the kitchen making coffee and I knew the aroma would find its way to my room in minutes. I rolled onto my back and pulled the covers up to my chin. The sun streamed around the edges of the Roman shade. Everything seemed status quo. Then I remembered. It was no ordinary day. It was graduation day.

I sat up and let the sheet fall from my chest to my waist. I wiggled my toes and lifted my knees in excitement. It was a fine day indeed. Then I got a little nauseous. Oh, no! I leaned forward. Nope. I’m OK. False alarm. Why was I so nervous? Yes, it was a big deal, but really, Emily, calm yourself.

Then again, there were quite a few people coming to witness this day. Mom, Hunter, and Grandma would arrive together, and soon. Dad said he would meet us there. He’d probably arrive late, but he’d be there. Ethan would be there, too. Of course he would. He only lived minutes away. And it’s not like he’d miss Allison’s graduation. They were in love. I pretended to gag. When did I become so cynical? Oh yeah, I remember. After my near-death experience. Well, not really. But my heart did break into a million pieces after my turbulent relationship with Graham. But that wasn’t something I wanted to think about right now. Now was the time to celebrate. And, at that, I got up and went to the kitchen for a celebratory cup of coffee.

Good morning, graduating class of 1994. Trish lifted her cup in my direction. Her long, auburn hair was pulled into a ponytail, and in even the most casual shorts she still could easily have passed for a model: tall-thin-beautiful. A combination you would hate about her if she weren’t so completely likeable.

"It is a good morning, isn’t it?" I said as I approached the kitchen. She handed me a cup and leaned against the countertop. I poured quickly and lifted it to my lips. It was a ritual that began my first day of college, which now seemed long ago. Trish rolled her eyes as she usually did every morning but did so with a smirk.

So when’s the family getting in? She held onto her cup with both hands.

Mom, Grandma, and Hunter should get to Ethan’s house… I looked at the microwave clock. …in a couple of hours. What about your family?

You remember. I have to pick them up at the airport. She looked at her watch. Now! Crap! I heard the slam of the coffee cup as she grabbed the keys from across the counter, then the door shut before I had a chance to say anything.

Bye, I called after the door closed. Then I heard a knock about two seconds later. At her fierce pace, I was sure it wasn’t Trish.

I opened the door and fresh beach air rushed over and past me. Joel. Hey. I moved aside for him to enter. He was dressed in his running gear.

Hey Em’ly. You forgot again, didn’t you? Joel’s thick Louisiana accent still held true though he’d lived in southern California now for years. I could always hear it best when he said my name. He pronounced it like no one else. And yes, I had forgotten.

I’ll be right back. I ran to my room to change and when I turned to close the door I saw him pick up one of Trish’s Cosmopolitan magazines briefly then toss it back on the table as if simply holding it would make him a little more feminine. Guys!

In no time I was in my running clothes and on the familiar path Joel and I found a couple of years earlier. It followed the side of a hill that rose abruptly from the sandy beach down a bit from the house Trish and I rented. The weeds were tall on the hill for this early in the summer, but the path remained clear; a sign that we weren’t the only ones who used it regularly.

I let Joel lead and fell into his pace fairly easily considering that his stride was much longer than mine. We talked, keeping our voices above the sound of the crashing waves below. As if he didn’t know I would have trouble talking through my breathing on our climb up the hill, he started asking questions. Sue and Hunter will be gettin’ in soon, huh? And your dad, right?

Two things were funny about those questions. One, my mom, Susan, only let Joel call her Sue. Otherwise, she hated the nickname. Two, he knew when they were getting in. He and Ethan had been best friends for years now. And, as my friend too, he knew I knew. I responded briefly anyway. Yeah.

So, you excited about tonight?

Seriously Joel? Can’t we wait until we reach the top? I thought to myself then repeated. Yeah.

We reached the top and I stopped, bent at the waist, and rested my hands on my thighs searching for breath.

Is that fun for you? I tried my angry face but behind it was a joking one, so it didn’t work.

What?

You know that hill kills me. I stood up and stretched my arm across my chest. Yet you always force me to talk on our way up.

He leaned toward me. I know.

Brat! He’d definitely earned that title after our three years running together. He was a good friend. The best, really. But, still a pain in the you-know-what. Did you talk to Ethan today? Is Allison excited about graduation?

No, I didn’t call. You know how those two are. I’m sure they were still staring into each other’s eyes over breakfast or something.

Probably.

I sighed then took a drink from my water bottle before we started along the path again. That was one thing we both agreed on. Allison, once only my college friend, started dating my brother at the end of our freshman year and they’d been inseparable ever since. As much as it made me happy that they had each other, it was still a little sickening to me, a single girl. Joel, on the other hand, was in a long-standing, long-distance relationship with his high school sweetheart. I imagined his annoyance with their cooing love glances had to do with how much he missed her.

We turned and headed back. It was heating up and promised to be a warm day. I felt the perspiration on my neck and forehead and wiped my face with the back of my hand. I looked at Joel and saw his sandy-brown hair growing darker on the sides, a true indication he too was working hard. Thank goodness it wasn’t just me. I knew he was the stronger runner, but I didn’t always like to admit it. We looped around and were back on the path that hugged the side of the hill overlooking the beach. Cars were already lined up, parallel parked with their trunks popped, full of beach chairs and towels. I heard the surfers shout to each other over the crashing waves. I couldn’t make out what they were saying but knew their ramblings were probably full of bro and dude. I smiled as I relished how content I felt running the last stretch of trail before it opened up to the beach. Physical exertion combined with the salty and crisp scent of the ocean air spelled perfect for me.

Joel smacked my back gently as he came to a walk beside me. Sorry I’ll miss tonight. You better tell me all ’bout it.

I nodded. It was a bummer he couldn’t come to my graduation. We’d had such a blast when he and Ethan graduated a couple of years earlier. But I understood. He was leaving for Louisiana in a few hours, visiting his girlfriend for the week and probably trying to talk her into moving to LA next year when she graduated. I wondered how that discussion would go.

So, next Tuesday. Our regular night run? Em’ly?

Sure, I replied out of breath and pissed off in a funny kind of way that he had no trouble reinstating a jog all the way to his car. He was pulling out of his parking spot and waving to me before I even crossed the street to get to my house.

Trish wasn’t back yet with her parents so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to hurry and get cleaned up. Mom, Hunter and Grandma were going straight to Ethan and Allison’s apartment so they’d be there around noon. I didn’t have long, but long enough to take a decent shower. On my way I admired the view through the picture window that looked over the lush garden. It still amazed me that I lived in such a cute place. And right across from the beach. You can’t beat that.

I lathered up, ridding myself of the unruly hairstyle that sweat and the night left me. The shampoo made a colonial-looking pompadour before I rinsed it and felt it slide down my back. One of my favorite things about having long hair. My least favorite being of course, that I couldn’t get ready in ten minutes.

I dried off. My tan showed promise but was still pale in comparison to most of southern California. I wear sunscreen. Lots of sunscreen. And even when I do tan there are little freckles on my shoulders and across my nose. I’ve been told they’re cute by a few people. I don’t think so.

I opened the door, listening for Trish and her parents. Nothing. Clear. I darted to my bedroom and closed the door as if they might walk in any second. I combed my hair and looked for my favorite jeans. They were hanging right next to my black graduation gown. Pressed and ready to go, it hung there like it was waiting to jump off the hanger onto my shoulders. Just wait, little one. Your time will come soon enough. I pulled on my jeans and a white tee shirt, sliding my feet into some yellow flip-flops before I twisted my hair up and secured it with a clip. Good for now, I thought. I’d get all pretty later for the commencement this evening. As I walked into the living room, the door opened.

Hi, Mrs. Hudson. She stepped toward me and I met her with a hug.

It’s good to see you, Emily. I’d only met Trish’s parents once before but they were warm people, and always accepted a hug or two.

Emily! Trish’s Dad came in.

Mr. Hudson, it’s so good to see you. He pulled me into his arms tightly.

I told you to call me Leonard, he said in what I presumed was a shot at scolding me.

Sorry, Mr. Hud… I mean Leonard. I put my hand over my mouth to mime my blunder.

Trish’s parents weren’t at our place long. They insisted on staying at a hotel even though Trish and I both separately offered our rooms. There was a nice couch, after all. But they said they didn’t want to put us out. I think they wanted their privacy. How can you argue with that?

Shortly after they left I took off for Ethan and Allison’s apartment. Ethan was picking up everyone at the airport—they were staying at a hotel, too. But first, they would be back at Ethan’s place, and I would be there to greet them.

I parked in front of their apartment and turned off the rumbling engine of my very old and very loud classic Oldsmobile. Constant teasing by my friends didn’t bother me. I continued to love my distinctly Emily car. The door creaked before it slammed solidly shut. I ran my fingertips over the turquoise paint along the fender.

At the door I knocked, two short, a pause, and one more. Allison always knew it was me by my knock.

Hey Emily. She opened the door and shooed her cat away. The addition of the cat is one of the many things I found hilarious about the transformation Allison had made in Ethan’s apartment. When Ethan lived here alone it was a cry for help. Macaroni and cheese was his favorite meal: you could tell by the empty boxes lining the countertop. His furniture taste… well he didn’t have any. Now, the counter tops were spotless and little oven mitts hung on the hook next to the oven. The furniture they had together resembled something you would actually find in a furniture store and not the garden center of a big box store. And when I opened the door I was greeted with the fresh scent of some kind of flower instead of… something I didn’t recognize and wished would go away. She’d made some changes and added her touches, and it suited him now in so many ways.

How long ago did Ethan leave for the airport?

Oh, like twenty minutes or so, she said glancing at the clock.

Cute top. I studied her outfit noting its sharp contrast to mine. She looked neat and put together. I looked like I just got out of the shower with little or no concern for my appearance.

Thanks. She looked down and smoothed her shirt. It was light blue with tiny crystal buttons. It accentuated her green eyes and even complemented the blond curls hanging in spirals from her temples to her shoulders. You know I’d rather be in my pajamas, but…

Yeah, I know—family. I said it with slight exasperation. I was really excited to see them, they were my family. Like I had to dress up. Really. When does your family get in? I wondered if she was a little nervous about our two families spending time together. She appeared a little reserved, but not really nervous. Then again, she was always the picture of perfect calm. Compared to me.

They’ll be here this afternoon. She walked toward the couch and plopped down. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. She smiled to cover up that she was just the slightest bit annoyed.

I joined her on the couch. I figured we could continue this nondescript logistical, pretty meaningless conversation, or I could get down to the nitty-gritty. That’s what I did. Are you nervous about your family meeting ours? I wasn’t really in the equation, but Ethan and I did share family.

She sighed and looked more relaxed. Yeah, I guess I am a little. She looked down at her hands and fidgeted.

It’ll be fine, Allison. I meet her gaze. Really. You know my family. They’re… I didn’t want to say simple; that didn’t seem like the right word. They’re easygoing. Then it occurred to me that my family might not be what worried her. She’d met them a few times now. Ethan had met her family as well, but the families together might be a whole different dynamic.

What are you worried about? I asked, trying to get to the bottom of it.

She shrugged. Nothing. It’s probably nothing. I opened my mouth to probe further but we both heard the key in the lock and turned toward the door.

It flung open. Grandma! I jumped up, happier to see her than I imagined. She opened her arms for me as Hunter and Mom followed, waiting to greet me. I wrapped my arms around her, thinking they seemed to wrap even further than the last time I held her. She couldn’t have been smaller, but it sure seemed that way. The scent of Dove soap mixed with soft powder created a fragrance that was perfectly Grandma. I breathed it in.

She clasped her hands on the top of my shoulders and squeezed. You are too thin, Emily.

Grandma, I said, inside a sigh. She moved ahead to greet Allison, who was accepting many compliments from my mom. Mom loved Allison. She always said she couldn’t have picked a better girl for Ethan. We all agreed.

Mom pulled me in for a hug and Hunter tapped my shoulder before he and Ethan went into the kitchen, presumably to find some lunch. Hunter graduated from high school a couple of weeks earlier and was a strapping eighteen-year-old. Food was always on his mind.

What are you wearing tonight? Mom asked, obviously not happy with my casual but freshly showered appearance.

Not this, relax, I responded, fairly confident that I would choose something appropriate.

I know, she said, then looked at Grandma. From her purse Grandma pulled a small, black velvet box. All eyes turned our way as we closed the distance between us.

Open it, she said. A huge smile lit up her face. The box made a little creak as it opened. Inside was a pair of cream-colored, pearl ear-drops. Each earring had three pearls that gradually got bigger as they dropped from the post. They were something I recognized immediately. I’d seen them on Grandma many times. I’d already planned to wear the pearl necklace she and Grandpa had given me years earlier. And these would look beautiful with it. Then I remembered the last time I’d seen them on her. It was at Grandpa’s funeral. For a second that made me sad, but I tried to focus on the joy of the occasion and reached for my grandmother.

Thank you. They’re lovely.

You recognize them?

Yes. That was all I had to say and Grandma knew what I was feeling. She stroked my shoulder and pushed back the few pieces of hair that had come loose from the clip and flopped around my face.

TWO

Graduation

Ethan drove Mom, Grandma, and Hunter to their hotel while I went home to prepare for the evening ahead. I walked into our little cottage half expecting to see Trish and her parents rearranging the furniture or something. But their energetic souls weren’t there. It was quiet and I was alone for what I was sure was the last time this particular day. I don’t know what it is about college graduation that makes you reflect on your high school graduation. They were different in so many ways. But that’s what happened to me that afternoon. It