Intentions - SF9 Read Free Page B

to call. I really thought she'd ask me to come to the game to watch her."
    "Is that why you weren't at the party after the game?" Jamie asked, suddenly understanding why Mia had made herself so scarce.
    "Yeah. I thought it would work better to act like I didn't think it was a big deal-but it clearly hasn't worked! I'm really frustrated, James. What does the lesbian rulebook say about this situation? Can I call her?"
    "Hmm…I haven't received my copy of the rules yet, Mia. Why don't you just come down to the game and sit with us? Maybe you can stay with your parents tonight, and since Stanford is so close…"
    "Good idea, James. I'll come down and sit with you." She paused for a second and said, "Oooh, it might be weird to see Conor, though. Jesus! I've gotta start dating outside of this incestuous little circle!"
    "You parted on good terms with Conor, Mia. It should be fine."
    Her friend sighed and reluctantly agreed. "I guess you're right. Gosh, James, if I was anywhere near ready to settle down…"
    "I know, Mia, but you're not. It's really better not even to have the temptation."
    "Yeah, I know you're right. At least Jordan's where I am in terms of being serious. Or even further behind," she added wryly.
    "As I've told you, I don't know Jordan really well, but I'm pretty confident that she's not ready to settle down."
    Mia laughed softly. "I'm not even sure she wants to date, much less settle down!"
     
    "Jamie," Catherine said when they reached the kitchen, "Should we have the O'Flahertys over for a little dinner tonight as well as tomorrow?"
    "Sure, that would be nice. I'm not really sure who's coming tonight, but I can give Martin a call."
    She found him at work and he agreed that he and Maeve would love to come, but that none of the other family members would be able to make it, since they all had to work until at least five. The drive down to Palo Alto was almost always a tough one, but crawling through stop and go traffic after a long day at work was a sacrifice that Ryan didn't expect her brothers to make.
    After having a bite of lunch, Jamie decided that she needed to take care of one little matter and now was the perfect time to do it. Marta had prepared their lunch, but as soon as the women were served she'd gone into her room to allow them to enjoy their meal alone. The servants' quarters were just off the kitchen, and when Marta was not in the kitchen proper she could usually be found in her spacious room. Jamie knocked and heard the softly accented voice reply, "Come in."
    She opened the door and stuck her head in to find a smiling face looking at her questioningly. "Do you need something else, Querida?"
    "No, no, Marta," Jamie smiled. "I wanted to talk to you for a minute. Do you have time?"
    "Si, si," she replied as she motioned Jamie into the room. There were three bedrooms in this section of the house, each with its own bath, and Marta clearly had the best of the bunch. She predated Jamie's nanny Elizabeth by five months, so she had been able to have her pick of the rooms 22 years earlier, when she had joined the staff.
    After immigrating to join her sister in Palo Alto, Marta had come to work for the Evanses as her first job in the States. Jamie had always wondered why she had never shown any interest in men or dating, but Marta seemed content with her life. Her job was only to cook the meals for the family, and since Catherine ate out so often, Marta might only cook once or twice a week now that Jamie was gone. She'd had to cook for quite a few large parties, but she seemed to thrive on running a busy kitchen and appeared to get a great deal of satisfaction from successfully handling a big affair. Her interests seemed to revolve around visits with her sister, and her devotion to her church. She had belonged to a large Catholic parish in San Mateo for over 20 years and was very involved in many aspects of parish life.
    "What is on your mind, Little One?" Marta asked in her flawless English.
    "Let's speak