Lillian's Love

by Laura Marie Henion

  Down the large winding staircase, throughout the whole first floor, she decorated the walls with pictures from famous movie scenes. Other areas contained enlarged photos of famous book covers, authors who had visited her store or had book-signing events there.

  Her historic use of three-floor high wainscoting around the walls of the principle rooms was for both visual interest and protection. It was a three-part horizontal treatment of wall surface. The ceiling division included a wainscoting or dado at the bottom of the wall, a cornice at the top, and a field between the two.

  The mahogany front door had an oval of etched glass. As she passed by it, she noticed Justin, already attending to the hanging flowerpots that decorated the front porch. The front porch welcomed its every visitor with rocking chairs, cushioned benches, and gorgeous colorful floral hanging baskets. Lillian loved sitting out on the porch summer nights or on her day off. She loved walking outside, her senses would fill with the aroma of fragrant flowers.

  Justin helped out with little jobs like that as well as assisting people find the books they were looking for or ordering hard-to-get ones direct. Kelly ran the front desk with Lillian.

  Lillian had the store sectioned off in different areas. The mystery and romance section had a huge fireplace with wall-to-wall couches. During the winter months, her patrons flocked there to enjoy the warmth and ambiance of the fire.

  It was the largest, most spacious room in the house.

  Floral and solid colored couches were located in sections throughout the room. They were both solid and firm. She tried to accommodate her patrons as best she could, offering single lounge chairs.

  The kitchen area opened into a little café where Lillian sold specialty coffees, teas, fresh baked cookies, biscotti, and cannolies. All baked by her aunt. The gardens’ back, wrap around porch, could be accessed through the double intricately etched sliding glass doors. Lillian's aunt, Mabel McCoy, did all the baking, preparing as well as running the register. She lived right down the street in a small house next to the post office.

  Lillian's Love had a reputation for its relaxing, peaceful, quiet setting as well as enticing aroma. When her family asked her, 'Why move to New York of all places? Why open a bookstore?’ her answer was simply, “I love books.” That's how she came up with the name Lillian's Love.

  * * * *

  "Good morning, Lilly. Are you ready for Friday night yet?” Aunt Mabel asked as she entered the kitchen.

  "I think so, I'm a little nervous, though. Miss Thomas is sincere, such a good-hearted person. I hope we have a big turn out. I figured if the weather is unexpectedly warm as predicted, that maybe Miss Thomas could do her reading outside on the patio."

  Lillian began to prepare the first batch of coffee.

  "That would be lovely, we could scatter a bunch of votive candles around the railings, place some extra chairs out there and the candles would give it a dim romantic setting. You could have Justin set up the large whicker chair right below the porch light. I'm sure it will be bright enough to read under.” Mabel washed her hands, turned on the oven, and lined up the ingredients to prepare her first batch of biscotti.

  "I didn't think of that. That sounds perfect. Let me go run it by Justin."

  Lillian left the kitchen in search of Justin. She found him outside, still watering the front porch flowering baskets.

  "Good morning, Justin! I have one last favor to ask of you.” Lillian watched him reach up high toward the planter. His muscular arms immediately caught her attention.

  To Lillian, Justin appeared to be a few years older than she, average-looking with a perfect body. He always wore blue jeans, a tee shirt, and styled his blonde hair with gel. He was definitely aware of his good looks and presented himself professionally. His blonde hair, blue eyes, and shy personality made him pleasant to work with. He was however, a bit on the nerdy side. He obviously found it important to take care of his body. By his physique, Lillian assumed he lifted weights.

  When she interviewed him for the position, he presented himself as some kind of computer geek, a world history expert who expressed his desire to work in a relaxing setting, like an independent bookstore, during his free time. His hours eventually turned into full-time, but Lillian had learned to respect his expertise. Justin became an asset to Lillian's Love.

  Lillian explained Aunt Mabel's idea to him.

  "That sounds like a nice idea, Lilly. I'll take care of everything. I'd say we're just about set up for Friday night,” Justin stated as he leaned against the front post smiling at her.

  "I think so.” Knowing she sounded unsure as she nibbled on her fingernail, she glanced around the room. She truly hoped she hadn't forgotten anything.

  Justin touched her hand, leading her poor fingernail away from her mouth.

  "You don't want to mess up your manicure, Lilly. Short nails don't look as classy as long unbitten ones."

  She smiled, then laughed.

  "You're right, Justin. I guess I'll be nervous until this whole thing is over. I just want everything to be perfect."

  "I know you do. Everything will be perfect. Just try to focus on the outcome. You'll see what a great job you've done. All that hard work will pay off."

  "What we've done, Justin, and I hope you're right.” She smiled before walking back inside.

  * * * *

  Thirty minutes later, the store smelled edible from Aunt Mabel's baking. The first customers of the day began to arrive with questions about the event and the arrival of Miss Thomas.

  Throughout the day, everyone asked about the premiere entertainment for Friday night. They had sold out of tickets a while ago, indicating the projected sales would be phenomenal. Lillian became more nervous as the day went on. The phone interrupted her thoughts.

  "Hey, Lillian, it's Carla. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

  "No, not at all. What's going on?"

  "I know this is short notice, but for the premiere Friday night, I was wondering if I could bring my brother Michael along. He hasn't seen you in months, Jesse, Tom, Jimmy, and Sally are coming...."

  "Sure you can bring him along. I just hope he doesn't have that same attitude with me. I know you're my best friend, Carla, but your brother is a know-it-all, conceited jerk who acts like he's God's gift to women."

  "I know. I know. Please try to get along with him. He's not so bad once you get to know him."

  "All it took was one encounter. You know what they say about first impressions."

  "Enough said. Listen, you don't even have to talk to him. More than likely, he'll be flirting with some single blonde, blue-eyed bombshell, have her pleading to take her back to his place and out he'll go for the night."

  "That's your brother you're talking about."

  "I know! He's good-looking, he's in excellent physical condition, and he's a detective for the sheriff's department. He has a lot to offer apart from his attitude. Maybe Jimmy and I getting married will help Michael to reconsider his current lifestyle and settle down. He just hasn't found the right woman yet. Someday, he'll look past boobs, body, and bimbos."

  Lillian laughed.

  "That will be something else. You can bring him but don't tell anyone. I sold out weeks ago."

  "That's great, Lillian. I hope you can squeeze your best friend past all the other fans, so I can meet Miss Thomas. I loved her last novel Fallen Hope. It was thrilling."

  "I'll see what I can do. I have to run. I'll see you Friday night."

  "Thanks."

  Lillian smiled as she hung up the phone, feeling thankful to have a best friend. Too bad her brother was a jerk.

  They had started off disliking each other immediately. Lillian had been so busy renovating the store, she hadn't seen him in a good eight months.

  She assumed Michael leaned toward fast, easy, flirtatious women, usually blonde or light color hair, with a fascination toward the authoritative type. At least that was what Carla had told Lillian.

  Lillian glanced into the mirror in the hall
way. She was a complete opposite to Michael's type, with her long, wavy jet-black hair, olive skin, green eyes, and unique sense of style. She didn't consider herself to be a knockout, but she didn't suffer in the dating department, either. She had more trouble in the relationship department. She knew that stemmed from her lack of trust. She feared some man might try to control her, so to avoid that feeling, she only dated casually.

  She had met Michael a couple of times. The two encounters were enough to leave a bad taste in her mouth. He was arrogant and bossy. She wasn't exactly looking her best. The first time, she was covered in paint, her hair tucked under a Yankees’ cap, arguing with the plumber over his outrageous bill. Michael told Carla Lillian was ripped off, the security at the store was a joke, the place was a dump. He had no vision but insisted on making his personal opinion known, so Lillian told him where to go. The argument continued, finally ending when they agreed not to agree with each other.

  The second time she met Michael, he had some young strawberry-blonde woman with him, who wore a short miniskirt, tight top, and used the word ‘cool’ way too much. Lillian recalled the woman's shallow personality, poor fashion skills, and the fact she couldn't keep her hands off Michael. That was the last she remembered about him. Supposedly, he had made a good name for himself in the sheriff's department, received a promotion to detective, leading him back home again.

  Lillian looked forward to seeing everyone again. The circle of friends hadn't gotten together in a while.

  With thoughts of all the last minute chores to accomplish, Lillian headed toward her office.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter 2

  "Hey, Michael, great job with the disguise. I nearly knocked you on your ass,” Jimmy Morgan stated as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

  "Yeah, I saw the look in your eyes, but nice recovery. You didn't have to slam me down on the ground so hard,” Michael replied as he sat down at the table with his coffee, taking a bite of a fresh muffin.

  "I had to make it look real. I didn't want to blow your cover.” Jimmy laughed. He knew if Michael resisted he could give him a run for his money. They were partners, friends, not competitors. It gave them both a confident feeling that they had each other's backs.

  "Hey, Michael, good job on the Sanchez bust. I heard you guys recovered a good amount of drugs plus guns,” Tom Martin stated as he entered the room, followed by a few other uniformed deputies. Brian from the Bureau of Criminal Investigative Unit entered behind them.

  "Thanks, it was a lot of fun hanging out with some of the local riffraff."

  "Sanchez won't be doing time in the county jail, the judge is sure to send him upstate,” Michael responded.

  "He deserves the state penitentiary. There's no way the judge will believe any lawyer, stating that a piece of shit like Sanchez should stay in the county jail to be rehabilitated.” Jimmy leaned against the table.

  "All it takes is a bunch of fancy words and one liberal juror,” one of the deputies added.

  "Let's hope not,” Tom replied as the others said goodbye before leaving the room.

  "Hey, Mike."

  "Yeah,” Michael responded, half paying attention to his partner.

  "You know I didn't want to say anything in front of the guys, but aren't you worried that Sanchez might find out who you are, send someone after you? I mean you're always taking these crazy chances."

  "Hey, Jimmy, someone's got to do it. I sure as hell wouldn't send my sister's fiancé into a dangerous situation like today's. I'm not worried about it. If for some reason he sends someone, then I'll be ready. I'm always ready."

  "Will you cut that tough-guy, special-forces shit out? You haven't been on a mission in years. This is different. Your sister would kill me if she knew I encouraged this behavior."

  "Every undercover operation is a mission, Jimmy. You shouldn't discuss the job with her or anyone else."

  "Don't start that crap with me. She's your sister and she worries about you."

  "I love her, worry about her, too. She's lucky I let you start dating her."

  "I don't think you had much of a say in that."

  "If I recall correctly, you asked my permission."

  "Bullshit! I didn't ask your permission for shit. I admit we snuck around for the first few dates...."

  "You didn't even have the guts to tell me yourself. You sent Carla to tell me."

  Jimmy started laughing.

  They were both silent a moment.

  "Hey, there's always the B.C.I. Unit. They could use us, you know. The transfer would be a snap. We could still be partners.” Jimmy hoped Michael would consider the transfer. He felt the increase in danger with the undercover work. Today, they both nearly blew their covers. If that happened, they would be dead. Jimmy thought about Carla.

  Tom entered the room.

  "Hey, what time does that premiere at Lillian's start?” Tom asked. Michael rolled his eyes.

  "What? You promised your sister you'd be there. You know how much this night means to Lillian,” Jimmy stated as Tom laughed.

  "I know that. I haven't seen Lilly in months. We just started off on the wrong foot, that's all. I don't want to argue with her on such an important night."

  "You're so full of crap. What? Do you have some hot date that night? You can't cancel. Carla said Lilly has to sneak you in. The tickets sold out months ago.” Jimmy exaggerated a bit, hoping Michael would go.

  "I'm going, don't worry. But you know I don't even know this Laura Thomas author."

  "You remembered her name. That's more than I did,” Tom added.

  They laughed.

  "It should be all right, if not, then duck out early,” Tom said before leaving the room.

  "Your sister really wants you to come."

  "I know. I said I'll be there. I'll meet you in the parking lot."

  They continued talking about the Sanchez case.

  * * * *

  Lillian just finished speaking to Laura Thomas. She was such a humble person who truly enjoyed meeting her fans. She had the reputation for being personable, the result was the fabulous turn out of guests. A long line formed in front of the vintage antique desk Justin had set up in the main romance section of the store. The sun began to set. The temperature was warm with no humidity. They couldn't have ordered a better night. Lillian felt the spring fever just as everyone else appeared to have, as well. They dressed accordingly for the freak, eighty-degree weather, welcoming the warmer summer months ahead.

  A pleasant breeze made its way through the open doorways and windows as many guests gathered around the porch expecting the presentation Laura Thomas had in store for her fans. Some already held seats, wanting to be as close as possible. Lillian ran around overseeing the event, positive that it would be a success. The lines to the registers were long, people were purchasing numerous books. The food was prepared to perfection.

  From across the room, she noticed Carla, Jimmy, Tom, and some other tall man, standing near a few other friends drinking, laughing, appearing to be having a good time.

  She hoped they were having fun. As soon as she had a moment, she walked over toward them.

  "Hey, you guys, thanks for coming,” Lillian stated as everyone greeted her, including the man she hadn't recognized before.

  * * * *

  Michael turned toward the voice. He found himself pleasantly surprised to see the stunning Lillian Baxter, with long black hair, gorgeous green eyes, complete with an aura of sophistication. She looked nothing like the last time he had seen her. All he remembered was an irate woman in a baseball cap, covered in paint, fighting over her security system, which he noticed was currently updated.

  Lillian kissed everyone on the cheek hello, including Michael.

  * * * *

  Lillian gazed into Michael's eyes. He looked handsome in his button-down, white oxford shirt and khaki dress pants. She couldn't help but inhale the scent of his cologne when she gave him a quick spontaneous hug. He seemed to mutually pau
se, then they both parted quickly, awkwardly.

  "You look great, Lilly, stunning,” Jimmy complimented.

  "Thank you. Are you guys enjoying yourselves? Have you met Miss Thomas yet?"

  "Yes, we're having a great time. Everything is so wonderful, so impressive,” Carla stated. The others added similar comments.

  "We haven't met the author yet. By the looks of those lines, it's not looking promising,” Tom added.

  "Don't worry about that. I'll get you guys in to meet her privately. She'll be getting ready for a break in thirty minutes. Why don't you guys grab something to eat, then meet me by the front register in twenty minutes."

  * * * *

  "Lillian, Lillian.... There you are. Brian Gillson is asking a hundred questions about you. Oh, my goodness, Carla, I'm sorry to interrupt. I didn't recognize you. How are you?” Aunt Mabel quickly gave Carla a kiss hello.

  The introductions continued as Lillian scanned the room being sure that everything continued on schedule.

  The candles were lit, the lights shined dimly, and the atmosphere seemed romantic, at least she hoped so. It was the feeling she wanted everyone to have.

  "Don't worry, everything looks great, everyone's enjoying themselves. I'm impressed, Lillian,” Michael whispered to her, leaning closer. The area where they were standing began to fill up with more people.

  Lillian looked up into Michael's brown eyes, as if she had never met him before. He looked different, acted different. She dismissed the sensation she felt at him being so close to her.

  "I can't help it. It's funny how I waited, prepared weeks for this night, worried about every tiny detail, imagining how I wanted it to turn out, never expecting it to be like this. It's going well.” She smiled.

  "It's perfect."

  * * * *

  Michael found himself at a loss for words. All he could do was stare at Lillian, absorbing the natural beauty of her face, her smile. Her shoulders were glistening with what he assumed to be some sort of intoxicating, specialty lotion.