Page 142 of Play With Me

“It’s okay. You can embarrass me just this once.”

The diners look much more mortified than I feel, all except that young boy in the sweater vest. He’s grinning like a little angel. His parents are too.

Jude sees where I’m looking and gives a little salute, and the parents gasp as they must realize who he is.

Then Jude takes my hand, squeezing it tight as he leads me from the restaurant. “Come on, Annie,” Jude says. “You think that was embarrassing, wait till I show you the rest of our lives!”

Epilogue

NORA

SIX MONTHS LATER

The crowd hushes as I take the steps up on stage. Nerves jangle in my stomach like bells, but this isn’t my first rodeo. I know how to breathe through them. I should have worn something lighter, but Jude was looking at me in some kind of way with the corduroy skirt and tights. “You know it’s summer, right?” he asked, snapping my tights against my thigh with a wicked grin.

“Is that why you’re still buck naked?” I asked.

Jude pulled the sheet back and gasped like he hadn’t noticed.

I laughed, but I still had to tear my eyes away from him. “A London summer is hardly summer.”

“Still, it’s warm enough I should probably strip those off of you right now.”

I’d laughed and let him do it, seeing as Cap was still asleep out in my living room in the little bed I’d set up for him. But when we were done, I’d pulled the tights back on again. Good thing, too, since it’s drizzling outside now.

But it’s comfortable in this auditorium. Or at least the people seem to be. Me, I’m shaking a little, but happy.

I’m here to introduce my documentary film,Finding Eleanor,which to my absolute shock, was announced as the jury prizewinner in theLove and Losscontest just last month. I screamed when I found out, then I called Jude, who yelled and hooted nonstop for a full five minutes, running around the Rolling Hills telling everyone he could find.

Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of meetings, screenings, and talks all over London, including a feature in theLondon Times.

This is the last talk I’m doing—tomorrow, Jude, Cap, and I fly home to Quince Valley for the summer. I can’t wait—I’ve missed home almost as much as I’ve missed Jude and Cap. Well, not almost as much, but a lot. Coming back in the fall to finish my degree will be a challenge, but I’m excited to finish and defend my thesis. It’sFinding Eleanorplus a written component I decided to add on, exploring record-keeping in European convents, particularly as it relates to adoptions. I’m doing the extra work partly because I’m deeply interested in the topic—and it’ll go a long way to helping us continue to unravel the mystery of Eleanor’s murder as well as her baby’s adoption. But if I’m being honest, it’s because I need to keep busy being so far away from Jude and Cap. But if it’s anything like the last six months, we’ll survive.

Jude and I texted each other all day over the months, through all our ups and downs. Like when Jude fired his agent. And after that, when he had his first meeting with a non-profit to talk about his idea for an inner-city kids’ tennis camp at the Rolling Hills. When I learned my submission had been accepted into the doc contest, and later, when I’d won. We had video calls both alone and with Cap more times than I can count. Between that constant contact and the two-week stay over spring break, we got closer than ever. And I learned a thing or two about long-distance sex.

I meet Jude’s eyes now as I pull the mic down to the right height. He’s standing over in the aisle, where he’ll help me get to my seat after I’ve finished my talk. I’ve done this before. I can do it again. He reminds me of that in one little wink. Warmth rushes through me and I smile, scanning the audience to give Cap a little wave. My sweet boy bounces in his seat, waving back like he’s delighted to be here, even though this is the third screening of my film he’s been to. Farrah took him and Jude to the last one, on her brief visit back to London. He tried calling me mom the other day. It was strange, but good, but strange, and he said he’d try again next week. It was adorable and perfect.

“Hello, everyone,” I begin. “I’m here today to introduce a film that’s near and dear to my heart. The unfinished story of Eleanor Cleary, calledFinding Eleanor.”

There’s a whoop from the crowd, and my eyes dart to Christian, sitting with Cap and Sasha. This is the first time my brother’s been this way again. I haven’t talked to him yet except to briefly hug hello outside before rushing in to meet the theater’s crew and get set up. It was a quick hello, but long enough I noticed the ring missing from his finger. I’d have to ask him about that later.

As I begin my short talk, where I get the crowd excited for the documentary and describe how it got made, I finally begin to relax. I’m always nervous getting up here, but this is the last of over a dozen talks I’ve done at screenings for my documentary, and the words feel comfortable now.

Ifeel comfortable now. Especially when I talk about my work.

The crowd cheers when I finish. It’s a packed house—my film has the honor of being part of the smaller opening receptions for the documentary film festival starting this week—an amazing sendoff for what might be the last documentary I’ll ever make. After I graduate, I’m planning on going back to the Quince Valley Library and providing online consultation for archival projects around the world.

I might change my mind when we finish Eleanor’s story, though, which it sounds like Griffin is now invested enough to help. With his access to police records and my research skills, I know we can solve Eleanor’s murder…and just maybe find out what happened to her daughter.

When the lights lower and the film comes on, I head down the steps, where Jude’s waiting for me.

But before I can get there, I see Sasha squeezing out of the row, her phone clasped in her hand. “Nor!” she whispers. She’s slow going—she’s grasping an oversized handbag and her coat and a sweater, and though I can’t see her feet, know she’s likely in sky-high heels. She never knows how to dress for weather.

I give a glance to Jude, who steps through the still propped-open doors into the dimly lit lobby. Even from here I can see him leaning against a pillar, his arms crossed over his chest and mouth twisted in a little smile that makes butterflies dance in my stomach.

He’s waiting for me.

And he also knows not to get in front of Sasha when she’s on a mission.

---