Everywhere: Book 3 of the Nowhere Trilogy

3. Torn

Nothing's fine, I'm torn - Natalie Imbruglia

10:14 a.m. Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Nervously, Chele paces in the small library, twisting her hands as she occasionally glances at the letter on the table. Her phone is carefully placed on top of the paper, and she feels her heart pounding louder in her chest every time she approaches. But it's getting late in London, and if she's going to make this apology call, it needs to happen soon.

Finally, she grasps the phone and dials the number listed for Amanda Allendale. It's an international call, so perhaps it should take a while for it to connect, but it doesn't. Almost instantly, it rings.

"Dawbell. Amanda Allendale's office. How may I direct your call?" A mellifluous British voice asks.

Oh. A secretary. To be expected, right? It's not like anyone in Nowhere has someone answering their calls, but Chele has seen movies and television shows. She knows how this works.

"Um, hi. I mean, I'm Michele Moore, and I got a letter, and I was supposed to call Ms. Allendale back a month ago, but, um..." she pauses in her rambling, knowing she must sound like a lunatic.

"Ms. Moore? Yes, of course. I recall your name as you are the only one who did not respond."

"That wasn't my fault!" Chele yells, then scales back her voice. "I mean, I apologize deeply. The letter just arrived yesterday. It was torn and the address was smudged, so it took awhile. I'm really just calling to say how sorry I am for not replying. It must have seemed quite unprofessional of me. But, anyway, if there are any future projects that I might be a fit for, I would definitely be interested. And I'll give you my phone number so you can call this time instead of sending a letter." The pleading in her voice hurts her pride, but she's truly embarrassed at this turn of events. What must they think of her?

"Give me your number -- in case we get disconnected," the disembodied voice asks.

As soon as Chele has shared the digits, the secretary says, "Hold please." Classical music floods the phone line, and Chele sits at the table. Why do they still have her on the phone? They should have thanked her for calling and hung up. Three minutes later, she's still tapping her foot in time to the rather anxiety-inducing 'Symphony No. 11' by Shostakovich. When seven minutes have passed and the music has moved on to 'Tocata and Fugue in D Minor" by Bach, Chele considers hanging up. It's been forever; plus she's calling internationally.

Just as she's about to click off, a new voice comes onto the line. "Ms. Moore?"

"Yes?"

"Ms. Moore, this is Amanda Allendale. I apologize for the wait. Currently I'm in the United States, and my assistant had to forward the call. She explained to me what happened, but would you fill me in please?"

"Sure. I was calling to apologize for not acknowledging your letter. You see, I didn't receive it until yesterday due to an issue with the address. I wanted you to know that I wasn't ignoring you. It's simply that I didn't know you had sent me an invitation." Chele calmly explains things to this second British woman.

"You're housed in the United States. Is that correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I recall you sent us a piece on small towns in America. You interviewed some residents, pointed out some local places to eat and shop?"

"That sounds like my writing. Yes."

"Your writing was crisp, and I recall that you didn't use a lot of flowery description. Clarity is what I remember most."