The Second Chance Supper Club

by Meier, Nicole

  Ginny reached a hand across the table’s surface and patted the wood. The heat was picking up and beginning to warm everything not covered by shade. Soon they’d need to go inside. “Don’t worry,” she said. Julia glanced up with a sad expression. “Something will work out. You’ve come too far in your career to be cast off by a single bad judgment call.”

  “I wish I had your confidence,” Julia said. “Because right now I’m really not sure. About anything. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go freshen up.” Julia scooted back and stood. Clearing her food, she turned her face away and scurried back through the glass doors.

  “Jeez. Didn’t see that one coming,” Olive said.

  “Me neither.” Ginny worried, as she stared back at her daughter, about what else she’d missed. With everything she was dealing with, she hadn’t realized she wasn’t the only one who needed help. Maybe it wasn’t Julia who was self-absorbed. Maybe it had been her all along, and she’d been too blind to see that. Now that they were all gathered under her roof, she wondered what else she would be forced to admit.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  JULIA

  That evening was a mad dash. Orders and dishes and frantic exchanges passed between the three women as they welcomed twelve excited guests into the dining room of Mesquite. Conversations from earlier that day had been put on hold for the sake of Ginny’s business. Julia understood the three of them would likely revisit some difficult topics. It had been clear that Olive still harbored a fair amount of negative feelings, though they’d been tempered, and Ginny had more questions. Julia knew her sister well enough to know she wouldn’t be let off the hook so easily.

  The little home’s kitchen swept them up into a fog of aromatic steam. Ginny tended to pan searing dozens of garlic-infused scallops with great care. The pleasing scent wafted up and into Julia’s nostrils, causing her stomach to gurgle. Her sister’s cooking never failed to tempt her palate. Being around such elevated fare had reawakened her otherwise-suppressed appetite. Working for GBN had caused her to give up so many food indulgences that she’d once adored. If only she could stop and sample a bite before moving into the other room.

  There wasn’t any time, however. Ginny urged the women to gather up a chilled first course and deliver it to the now-seated revelers.

  The fabric of Julia’s blouse dampened under her arms as she sailed around the dining room, making quick work of filling water glasses and then passing out plates of delicate quail egg and asparagus salads.

  Olive was even quicker. She slid past Julia, their shoulders grazing, and expertly uncorked and poured the wine. Julia couldn’t help but stare at the transformation her otherwise-blasé niece had undergone. Just minutes before the doorbell rang, Olive had come breezing into the foyer with her hair slicked back into a ballerina bun, wearing a starched white button-down rolled at the sleeves and tucked neatly into a slim pair of cigarette pants. Olive looked quite grown-up and beautiful. It was most likely that Ginny had instructed her to wear the polished work attire, but nonetheless, Julia was impressed with Olive’s ability to pull it together seamlessly.

  As wineglasses were filled, Julia had to catch herself from tipping a helping of creamy lemon aioli into a woman’s lap. She was still trying to perfect her serving skills. Thankfully she righted the dish just in time, apologizing out loud as glossy buttons of black caviar wobbled atop miniature egg yolks. Olive stared down her nose but said nothing and continued to pour. Guests oohed and aahed as Julia used her practiced reporter voice to announce the first course.

  “We haven’t seen you before,” a bald man in a jaunty bow tie exclaimed to Julia. “I see Ginny finally got our girl Olive here some extra help!” He grinned and raised his glass in a salute to a beaming Olive. Some of the other guests murmured their approval. Olive acknowledged each one of them. It was obvious this large table of diners were regulars.

  Julia set down a water pitcher and addressed the room. “Hello, everyone. I’m Julia. I’ll be one of your servers tonight.” Olive sent a conspiratorial wink in Julia’s direction. This was a good sign. Her niece was warming to her. “I hope everyone’s enjoying themselves?”

  “Of course!” piped up another woman. “But, Julia, I recognize you. You’re on the news—isn’t that right? I’ve watched your morning show. You’re Julia Frank!”

  Oh great. Here we go. A substantial stone of dread materialized in Julia’s stomach. Not more than five minutes in the room and Julia had been identified. She had hoped wearing nothing more than mascara and securing her usually blown-out hair into a low ponytail would make her slightly less identifiable, but she’d been wrong.

  It figured. This group was a bit more youthful than the previous guests. Estimating by their faces, she guessed the average age to be around sixty. Save for one nice-looking man in the middle, who was the least dressed-up of them all, with his checkered shirt and ruffled dark hair. He was tan and slightly scruffy, and his smile gave off an air of relaxed nonchalance, like he’d skipped shaving for a few days. Julia thought he might be closer to forty years old or thereabouts. And then, like a jolt of lightning, it dawned on her.

  She knew him. Isn’t that Shane Hemsley from high school? In Ginny’s living room?

  Her mouth opened to utter a greeting to the old acquaintance from so many years ago, but then Olive, unaware of Julia’s surprise, interrupted.

  “Aunt Julia is on the news. You’re correct, Beverly,” Olive said to the still-gawking woman. “But since she’s family and out here on vacation, we’re lucky enough to have her help for the evening.” Olive delivered her explanation so easily; Julia felt a surge of gratitude.

  “Well, that’s a big deal! You’re on GBN.” Beverly tapped the table with a red nail, her eyes brightening. A dull chatter rose from the crowd.

  “Yes, that’s me.” Julia eased away, hoping to exit the room before the conversation went any further. She felt oddly nervous.

  Beverly’s eyes flashed. Something like confusion followed by disappointment moved in and clouded her expression. Julia could practically see the wheels of her memory turning over. “Oh, but you had a tough time of it last week, didn’t you? I saw the show. That Rossetti fellow was hard on you. Was it true what you said? Is he a criminal?”

  The others all ceased their chatter and focused on her. Shane turned and met her awkward gaze. She blushed. The silence in the room was suddenly stifling. Even Olive appeared at a loss for words.

  “Oh yeah. You saw that, did you?” The stone in Julia’s belly flipped over and caused her to hug her middle self-consciously. “That was an unusual segment. It’s all part of reporting the news, I’m afraid. But I’ll let you folks get back to your salad. Enjoy!” With the last word, she curled her lips into an artificial smile and backed swiftly out of the room.

  “We may have a problem,” Julia whispered to Ginny as she entered the kitchen. Olive was right on her heels, carting an empty bottle of wine.

  Ginny broke her concentration momentarily. “What is it?”

  Julia hesitated. Should she tell her sister about Beverly or Shane first? Plus, she wasn’t sure whether it was the right time to disturb Ginny. Her sister was currently stooped over the counter in concentration, making slow and methodical movements. Julia watched as she meticulously placed the second course of pan-seared scallops onto plates containing artful brushstrokes of pea puree and bacon trimmings. To Julia, it was a work of pure perfection. Ginny took plating food to a whole new level. This was a skill Julia never could master even if she tried. Ginny just had an eye for these things. She’d clearly gotten the creative gene in the family.

  “Well, one of the women out there recognized me,” Julia said, deciding on the potentially more obvious problem. “She saw the Rossetti interview.”

  Ginny straightened and drove a knuckle into her lower back. “Hmmm.”

  “It was Beverly Moorehead.” Olive came in and leaned a hip against the counter. Casually, she popped a nearby breadstick into her mouth.


  “Beverly, huh? I wouldn’t worry too much about her. She’s a local—harmless, even if she is a busybody.”

  Julia relaxed a bit. She supposed she didn’t care much about being recognized from TV, although for the sake of appearances it didn’t do much for her newscaster career to be caught busing food in a semilegal speakeasy. The thing she feared was running into New Yorkers, especially when caught off guard. This Beverly woman was just being curious. Nothing more. If Ginny didn’t worry, then Julia supposed she wouldn’t either.

  “And, um . . .” Julia trailed off, not sure whether to trust Ginny with her other discovery.

  “What is it?” Judging by Ginny’s deepening scowl, it was clear she was growing more annoyed by the minute. Ginny did not like to be knocked off her schedule.

  Julia’s gaze shifted to Olive and then down to the floor. She wasn’t sure this was an admission she wanted everyone to hear. “Um, do you remember a guy from high school named Shane Hemsley? From the baseball team?”

  “Not really. You were four grades younger. It’s not like we always hung out with the same people. Why?”

  Olive stopped chewing and leaned in close, clearly taking a new interest.

  “Well, he’s out there. At your table. That’s all.” Julia swallowed.

  “So?” Ginny’s patience had worn thin. “This is a small community, and we grew up one town over. We’re bound to run into people we once knew. Is that a problem too?”

  “No.” Julia shook her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Olive’s eyebrows go up.

  “Aunt Julia, did you used to hang out with him or something?”

  Julia swallowed again. “Oh jeez. It was so long ago, and we barely knew each other.”

  “And?”

  Julia groaned. “Maybe. I kind of admired him from afar, that’s all. Oh god, this is so embarrassing. It’s nothing. Really. I don’t even know why I brought it up.” Her hand swatted the air. “Just forget I even said anything. I recognized him and was taken aback, that’s all. Don’t worry about it.”

  Ginny chuckled. A trace of condescension was in the air. “We’re not worried about it. Are you?”

  “No. Seriously, let’s just move on.”

  “Gladly.” Ginny threw her a dry glance and went back to her plates. Julia grabbed one and refused to make eye contact. Why did she have to go and say anything in the first place?

  “Now you two need to get back out there and see if they’re ready for the next course. These puppies are hot, and I want them to stay that way.” Ginny shooed the two women from their resting spots. Olive cleared crumbs from her mouth and gestured for Julia to follow.

  For the remainder of the evening, Julia and Olive worked in tandem to deliver plate after plate of Ginny’s creations to the enthusiastic guests. Other than a few sidelong glances, Beverly was thankfully too distracted making sure her husband, Phillip, enjoyed his birthday celebration. None of the others paid much attention to her. That is, until Shane eventually piped up. He’d obviously taken notice of Julia and waited for a quiet moment to say hello.

  “So, newscaster and expert food server, huh? That’s pretty impressive.” He grinned as Julia bent down to retrieve an empty butter dish from the table. Julia could tell by the warmth in his voice that, unlike Beverly, he was offering friendly conversation to ease her jumpiness. He talked with an air of casual restraint.

  “Right!” Julia clutched the dish and inched backward. She laughed softly, shrugging off her embarrassment. “Though I wouldn’t say expert. Not by a long shot. Just helping my sister for a few days, that’s all.”

  He tilted his head. “Well, I’m impressed all the same. Seems like you’ve done big things for yourself.”

  “Thanks.”

  As she turned to go, he stopped her. “It’s nice to see you again, by the way.”

  “Yeah,” she said. She was rather surprised he remembered her. They hadn’t exactly been close friends, but she supposed they’d traveled in roughly the same circles as teenagers. “Nice to see you too. It’s been a while.”

  He smiled. “You could say that.”

  “So, what do you do these days, Shane?” she asked. “That is, when you’re not indulging in underground dining.”

  He chuckled. “Well, I’m a builder. Custom residential homes and such.”

  “Oh.” She got the feeling he was being modest. She wondered if he was responsible for any of the large new southwestern-inspired homes she’d seen nearby. She was curious. “You sound impressive yourself. Have you been here since we graduated?”

  “In Arizona? Yeah, mostly. I lived in California for a short stint, but the cost of living got so expensive, I relocated my business out here almost eight years ago. The market is ripe and I have no shortage of work, that’s for sure. It’s been a good spot for me. And my family is all here.”

  “I see. Well, congratulations.”

  He smiled.

  She stood there a beat, feeling some of her tension fade away. There was an ease in talking to him. One she hadn’t necessarily expected. It was almost as if they’d been friends all along. They chatted for a moment more as she continued to clear.

  When she finally did slip away, Olive was right on her heels.

  “You get any more questions?” Olive whispered, nudging Julia in the arm. Her niece had dropped all previous hostility and now was acting rather conspiratorial. Julia sensed her niece liked being in on the drama. They hustled into the kitchen and deposited the empty dishes near the sink.

  “Not really.”

  With her back turned to Ginny, who was busy pulling ingredients from the refrigerator, Julia collected a set of stacked serving spoons. “Has Shane come in for dinner before?”

  Olive shook her head. “Nope. Never seen him. I’m guessing he’s here because he’s related to Phillip somehow. Token birthday party guest.”

  “Ah.” Julia nodded. She pressed her lips together and tried to shore up her disappointment. Oddly, she had hoped Olive could tell her more, or that he might be back.

  Meanwhile Ginny thumped around behind them, releasing an armload of small Tupperware containers onto the counter. Olive took her cue to keep the dinner moving along before the next course was ready to go out. She wordlessly snatched an open bottle of wine and then strode back into the dining room. Julia suddenly felt foolish for having held things up with her probing.

  “I can tell you’re losing focus.” Ginny paused her work at the counter and cast a suspicious eye toward Julia.

  “Am I?” Julia’s voice shot up an octave. Not wanting to be caught daydreaming, she smoothed her blouse and did her best to bring her thoughts back to neutral.

  “Well, you were obviously off in la-la land,” Ginny said. She gave her a suspicious once-over. “Are you worried about work? Or something else?”

  Work. Julia sagged. She hadn’t thought about Peter or the office since tonight’s guests had arrived. Once again, she’d been neglectful. Ginny’s probing reminded her of the missed calls she’d failed to return that afternoon. Peter had tried reaching her several times, but Julia couldn’t bring herself to face what else he had to say. There were likely legal documents and mea culpas to deal with. And she assumed it all needed to be handled in a timely fashion. Yet she’d still not taken immediate action. Maybe James was right that she was running away, that she didn’t want it bad enough to break down the doors and demand her job back. If she did, surely she could have been relied upon to return a basic phone call.

  Regardless, she’d dragged her heels all day.

  “Yeah.” She dropped her gaze to the ground. “I am worried about work. I was supposed to return some calls earlier. But we got hectic around here, and now that it’s two hours ahead in New York, I don’t think anyone will be in the office at this time of night. I’ll deal with it in the morning, I guess.”

  Ginny grunted and went about plating food. “Sounds like you’re conflicted. I’m happy to talk things over with you tomorrow. You know, only if you want?”
Her offer came out like a question.

  Julia nodded, a hint of sadness pulling at the corners of her mouth. Ginny was gradually letting her in. It meant a lot. She only wondered if she’d been as open in return. Here she was in her sister’s house, despite their rough past, and they’d somehow picked up much where they’d left off. Awkwardness and animosity excluded.

  It would be nice to know the same could be said for when she returned to James. But Julia had a nagging feeling it wouldn’t be. Tomorrow, she’d have to try to make him understand. But for now all she wanted was for the guests to leave so she could drown her guilt in a feast of leftovers. It had been too long since she’d been around Ginny’s cooking, and tonight she wasn’t going to waste one bit.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  JULIA

  The next morning, Julia decided to tick off her undesirable to-do list, starting with Peter. The fact that she’d avoided his calls the day before had put him in a bitter mood. She had failed to sign the apology letter the GBN lawyers had drafted for her, and now they were scrambling.

  “This is unacceptable!” Peter seethed into the phone. Julia pulled her shoulders up around her ears and cringed. She hadn’t meant to let it all go on so long. Well, maybe she’d evaded her boss just a little. Even though Julia was being pressed, something was stopping her from taking further action. She worried that once the crafted apology was signed and sent over with her name attached, her job would simultaneously vanish. Perhaps the network was just pretending she was suspended and planned to let her go once the mess was cleaned up. It was absurd to try to postpone the inevitable, but she found herself doing it anyway.

  The backlash just kept coming.

  “I’m so sorry, Peter. I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said before, about coming up with any other detail regarding the story.” She found herself on the edge of the back patio, gazing into the distance. Keeping her tone low, she hoped her conversation wouldn’t travel through any open windows. She scanned the vast horizon and struggled to get her bearings. A lizard darted out from under a nearby rock and zigzagged along the dirt. Overhead, a hawk screeched, loud and lonely, reminding Julia how far away from civilization she really was.