by Elicia Hyder
“It was nice. Yours?” I asked as I walked inside.
“Quite lovely. The whole family gathered here.”
“I hope Sylvia was feeling better for the holiday. Marie said she needed another iron infusion on Friday.”
He stopped walking and looked at me. “Really?”
“That’s why she had to cancel lunch with me,” I said, my head tilting to the side.
A thin smile spread across his face. “OK.”
“What?”
“My mother lies. I told her you didn’t sound like you were interested. I don’t know anything about another iron infusion.” Laughing softly, he started walking again.
I sighed and shook my head.
Sylvia was waiting for us in the dining room, where the food was already on the table. More color was in her cheeks than I’d seen on her face in weeks.
“Merry late Christmas, Sylvie,” I said as we crossed the room.
“You are supposed to say happy holidays during the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day,” she replied.
I sighed and unbuttoned my coat. “Whatever you say.”
Ben laughed. “You’re learning, Ms. Evans.”
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Sylvia asked as Ben and I sat across from each other. “Grace, have you made a decision?”
“I have, but I’d like to hear what you propose.”
Sylvia and Ben exchanged a glance. Then Ben spoke first. “Regardless of your decision, our company is going to pay for and donate a full lineup of jerseys for the Music City Rollers Junior Derby team. Our proposition to you is this. We will rent all the equipment necessary for a period of one month for you to complete the twenty jerseys necessary for the team. We will also provide the fabric, which we’ve already begun the process of creating.”
“You’re creating new fabric?” I asked.
“That’s right. It’s a special blend of spandex and polyester that will help with the Velcro-sticking issues. Antimicrobial agents have been incorporated into the fibers to help control odor, and it features wicking to help the athletes stay dry,” he explained.
I waved my hand. “You had me at controlling odor. Continue.”
“We will also pay you a small amount per jersey for the work,” he said.
“It seems like doing it this way would just cost you more in the long run. We’re all business people here. What’s in it for your company?” I asked.
His head tilted from side to side. “We’ll be able to expand this fabric into new markets, as well as get the tax write-off for helping the nonprofit.”
“But you’d do that anyway if you already used a manufacturer that was up and running in this line of work. Why me?”
He looked at his mother.
“Because I like you, Grace. You want to do something new? Here’s your chance,” she said.
Ben opened a notebook in front of him. “I’ve done a lot of research this past week. There are thousands of teams around the world. Once word of this new fabric starts to travel, other teams are going to want it.”
He handed me a sheet of paper. “After the trial run with the juniors’ team, should you choose to stick with it, this contract states only you and your company will be allowed to use our fabric in the world of roller derby.”
I cradled my head in my hands. “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”
With a huff, Sylvia leaned toward me. “You say thank you, dear. Goodness, Grace. It’s really not that complicated.”
By the end of the week, arrangements had been made for the jersey project. The first week of the new year, all the equipment and a few extra sewing machines would be moved into my brother’s storage building behind Battle Road Brewing.
In exchange for the use of the building, I agreed to help drive the girls to and from junior-derby practice. Like I wouldn’t have done it otherwise. (Eyeroll.)
Mom also agreed to help out wherever I needed her. She’d said to me in private that Garrett was right—but not to tell him that.
Still, I didn’t hear from Jason.
On the morning of New Year’s Eve, I skated the park with Monica, and that night, I took an Uber alone to Lettuce Eat for the party.
Olivia was with the hostess near the door when I walked inside. “Grace, you made it!” she said, coming over for a hug.
“Ready to ring in the new year and all that. This is a great idea.”
“Thank you. I knew the restaurant had to be open, and I wanted to celebrate with my friends, so this was a nice compromise.” She turned toward the hostess, a bubbly redhead with a lip ring. “You can mark Grace Evans off the list. Where’s your beau?”
“I have no beau.”
Her face fell. “Tell me later?”
“Yeah.” I reached for my purse. “Do I pay here, or will you bring me a bill?”
Olivia waved her hand. “No way, José. My guests are on the house.”
“Olivia, that’s really not necessary. There’s no telling how much I’ll end up drinking tonight.”
With a laugh, she looped her arm through mine. “I fully expect it. In fact, it’s mandatory. You are my new favorite person to get drunk with.”
“How are things with you and Styx?”
“Things are good. She’s around here somewhere.”
“Good. I’m really happy for you.”
“What happened with the guy?”
My nose scrunched. “Nothing good. I did, however, punch my ex-husband in the face last week.”
She laughed and gripped my arm. “Well that, sure as hell, is something to celebrate. Come on. Monica and Lucy aren’t here yet, but Zoey and Maven are.”
“Maven?”
“Yep. I hear Medusa might be coming as well. Styx invited them.”
“That’s cool. Are Lucy and West still coming?”
Olivia smiled. “Yep. This might get interesting.”
I followed her through the maze of old wooden tables with mismatched chairs. The exposed rafters were draped with white twinkle lights and silver streamers overhead. Near the back wall, two rectangular eight-tops were pushed together. Zoey and Maven were sitting at the end of it.
“Grace!” Zoey said, getting up from the table. She came over and gave me a hug. Her hair was now long enough for her dark-brown bangs to be pinned to the side. “Happy New Year!”
In my arms, she didn’t feel as frail as she used to. “Happy New Year, my friend.”
Maven smiled across the table as I pulled out a chair. It was the first time I’d seen her outside of the Sweatshop at a non-derby event. She wore a deep crimson sweater with matching lipstick, and her thick black hair hung in tight curls around her shoulders.
I peeled off my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. “Happy New Year, Maven.”
“Happy New Year, Britches.” She raised her glass toward me.
Olivia touched my shoulder. “What would you like to drink? We have a few New Year’s specials, the New York State of Wine and Hoppy Brew Beer.”
I chuckled. “What kind of wine is it?
“Our house red. It’s a cabernet this month.”
“I’ll take that. What are the food specials?”
She pointed to a menu card on the table. “Everything’s right there. Let me know if you have questions.”
“Cool, thanks.” I sat down and picked up the menu.
As she turned, Styx approached our table. They exchanged a quick peck on the lips, and Styx sat down beside me with a full glass of beer. “Hey you,” I said.
“Hey. When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
The specials for the night were: Midnight Toast, which was basically bruschetta; Thyme Square, a flatbread with white cheese sauce and fresh thyme; Auld Lamb Syne, lamb kabobs with grilled zucchini, mushrooms, and pineapple; and New Year, New Meat, beef tenderloin sliders with an orange-cranberry relish.
Zoey had a half of a slider left on her plate. “Do those taste as good as they sound?” I asked her.
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“They’re delicious.”
“The flatbread is great too,” Styx said.
“Good to know. It’s really good to see you here. I was worried about you guys after the Slammy Awards.”
She nodded. “Things have been rough, but I decided there’s always going to be drama, and I’m not going to let that stop us from being happy.”
I thought of Jason.
“Britches, are you ready for the B-Cup?” Maven asked, saving me from a downward spiral of sadness.
“Ready? No. Excited about it? Absolutely,” I said.
“You’re going to kill it out there,” Styx said.
“Thank you.” I split a glance between her and Maven. “Do you really think we might have to skate against Richmond?”
Styx nodded. “It is possible.”
I groaned.
“Don’t worry. The biggest one you really have to watch out for on their team is Demoness, and she won’t be skating because she’s on their A-team. You guys will be fine,” Maven said, picking up her glass.
That made me feel only slightly better.
Styx slapped the table in front of Zoey. “Fresh Meat starts back soon. You’re coming, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Zoey replied with a smile. “Are you guys missing practice yet?”
Styx sipped her beer. “A little.”
“Not me,” Maven said. “I’m thankful for the break this time of year. You know, it’s our busiest season at Hope Haven.”
“I’ll bet it is.” I looked at Maven and Zoey. “Hey, do either of you know a woman named Sylvia Sinclair?”
Maven straightened in her seat. “I do. She’s one of Hope Haven’s biggest supporters. How do you know her?”
“She’s a regular customer of mine. I recently found out she donated some dresses I made to girls in your program.”
Maven and Zoey exchanged a glance. “I know exactly what you’re talking about,” Zoey said.
“I do too. I wasn’t aware that you made the dresses though,” Maven said.
“The light-blue dresses, right?” Zoey asked.
“Periwinkle,” I said with a smile.
“Wow, small world. Do you know how she’s doing? I heard she was in the hospital,” Maven said.
“She’s at home now. I’ve seen her a lot lately.”
“It’s cancer, right?” Maven asked.
“Leukemia. They’re not doing treatment.”
Zoey’s face fell. “I had no idea. Please give her my best wishes when you see her.”
“And mine,” Maven added.
“I will. She’s just signed on as a sponsor for the junior derby team and hired me to make their team jerseys.”
“Jerseys, huh?” Styx asked.
“Yeah. The woman owns a textile company, and they’re developing a stretchy athletic fabric that won’t stick to the straps on our wrist guards,” I said.
Styx and Maven both looked impressed.
“That would be awesome,” Styx said.
“Yeah. Can’t wait to see them,” Maven agreed.
Olivia put a glass of red wine down in front of me. “New York State of Wine for you, my love. Do you want anything to eat?”
“I’ll take the sliders,” I said, smiling back at her.
She scowled. “You have to order them correctly.”
I laughed and picked up the menu. “Excuse me. I’ll have the New Year, New Meat sliders please.”
She winked at me. “That a girl. Anybody else want anything?”
Maven raised her hand. “I have a question for you.”
Olivia leaned on the back of Styx’s chair. “OK.”
“Why the hell are you not skating?” Maven asked.
I glanced back over my shoulder. “Because she’s a quitter.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “I have no time for skating.”
“You’re just as busy as me.” I started counting on my fingers. “I usually skate four days a week, and I’m a business owner too.”
“You need to figure your shit out because you’re too good to not be out there with us,” Maven added.
“Agreed,” I said. “Maven, did you and the other veterans really call her The Prodigy?”
Maven laughed. “Yeah, I think Medusa started that one.”
“Is she coming tonight?” Zoey asked.
“She said she’d stop by, but she’s on a date right now.”
Zoey smiled. “Good for her.”
Olivia sighed behind me. “That might be a good thing. Lucy texted me a second ago with some news. She’ll be here soon with West.”
“What news?” I asked.
“I’ll let her tell you. They should be here any minute.”
Something waving caught my eye out the window. It was Lucy’s arm. “Looks like they’re here now.”
Lucy was waving on the other side of the glass. Her smile was bigger than I’d ever seen it. She pulled West toward the front door.
“I wonder what’s gotten into her,” Zoey said.
Lucy practically skipped across the restaurant to join us. I had turned all the way around in my seat to watch them come in. West took her coat when they reached us, and she couldn’t pull her arms from it fast enough.
Olivia walked over from the bar.
“What’s going on?” Zoey asked.
Lucy looked around. “Where’s Monica?”
“Not here yet,” I said.
“I’m too excited to wait!” Lucy held up her left hand high in the air. A huge, sparkling white diamond glistened on her finger. My mouth fell open. “Shut up,” I said.
She was beaming as she draped her arms around West’s neck. “He asked. I said yes!”
“Congratulations!” Zoey cheered.
“Congratulations,” Maven said, picking up her phone again. I wondered if she was going to text Medusa with a warning.
Olivia grabbed Lucy and kissed her on the cheek. Then she pointed a warning finger at West. “I know where you live, and I know how to use a meat cleaver.”
He laughed. “Warning received.”
I stood and grabbed Lucy’s hand. “Good lord, Lucy. You’d better never go swimming with that thing. You’ll drown!”
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Lucy asked.
“Beautiful doesn’t do it justice.” And it didn’t. It was the biggest rock I’d ever seen on anyone, including Sylvia Sinclair. “Congratulations, you guys.”
Lucy was still hanging onto West. “Thank you. He asked my dad over Christmas.”
“When did he ask you?” Zoey asked, coming around to hug her.
“About an hour ago,” Lucy answered as she hugged her.
“I know it’s fast and some people will think we’ve rushed into it, but I don’t care.” West put his arms around Lucy’s waist and gazed at her, his eyes full of love and happiness. “I’d originally planned to ask her at midnight, but I couldn’t imagine starting the new year with even one second of her not knowing how I feel.”
All of us whimpered at his sentiments.
Tears dampened my eyes, but not just tears of happiness for my friend. And I was truly happy for her. All of a sudden, I couldn’t figure out what the hell I was doing in East Nashville alone on New Year’s Eve when there was a man across town waiting for me to get my shit together and be with him.
Zoey must’ve noticed the shift in my demeanor because she put her hand on my arm. “You OK, Grace?”
I nodded. “What time is it?”
She looked at the time on her phone. “Almost nine.”
I stood and picked up my jacket.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Across town to Crieve Hall. Tell Monica I’m sorry I left before she got here.”
“Everything all right?” Olivia asked.
I laughed through my tears. “Everything’s great. I just figured out where I’m supposed to start the new year. Thank you, West.”
He looked confused. “You’re welcome?”
I hugged L
ucy and Olivia, then blew a kiss to Zoey. “Happy New Year, my friends.”
“Happy New Year, Grace!”
It was the longest ride ever across town to the south side of the city. We pulled into Jason’s driveway at nine thirty behind several other cars and trucks. Jason wasn’t home alone. I gulped as I held onto the door handle.
“Everything all right?” the driver asked, eyeing me in the rearview mirror.
“Yeah.” I forced open the door. “Thank you. Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year to you.”
The sky was clear with faint stars twinkling through the distant neon lights of the city. A wood-burning fire was smoldering nearby, and laughter and men’s voices floated on the breeze from around the back of the house.
Jason’s driveway seemed a thousand miles long.
A small path led behind the house and through a gate in the tall wooden privacy fence. When I opened it, everyone on the other side turned to look. A handful of guys were gathered around the fire pit sitting on camping chairs and drinking canned beer. Jason wasn’t anywhere.
One of the men stood up. I recognized him from the Opryland party. He walked over with a smile. “Grace, right?”
I nodded nervously as I reached to shake his hand. “Yes. Jordan?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good to see you again. Is Jason here?”
He jerked his thumb toward the house. “Inside helping his mom. He’ll be back down in a second. Want something to drink? We have cheap beer and cheap beer.”
I laughed, my nerves beginning to settle. “I guess I’ll have a cheap beer.”
“I knew I liked you.” I followed him toward the fire pit. He gestured toward me when we reached the other guys. “Gentlemen, this is Jason’s roller girl. Mind your manners.”
They greeted me with “hello”s and handshakes, and Jordan handed me an ice-cold can of beer from the cooler.
“Grace?”
I turned as Jason walked out the sliding-glass door.
“Hi,” I said with a small wave.
He looked around. “What are you doing here?”
Chewing on the side of my lip, I looked at his friends and then back at him. “I was hoping to talk to you.”
Jordan loudly cleared his throat. “Party’s over, guys. Pack up your shit, and let’s give them some space.”
“That’s not necessary. I don’t want to spoil the party,” I said.