by Morgana Best
Mandy stopped smiling, retrieved a tissue from her Louis Vuitton purse, and dabbed at her dry eyes. She sniffled.
“Her ex-husband has just passed away,” Lucinda said in a bored tone. “One of her ex-husbands, that is. She never kept husbands for long, once she took them from their girlfriends, or wives for that matter.” She glared at Mandy.
I saw Mandy shoot her an angry glance in return, and then I had an epiphany. Mean girls are mean to each other, not just to those less fortunate than they.
“He blew up,” Mandy said.
I put two and two together. “Was that the accident that happened the other day?” I asked her.
“Yes,” Lucinda said for her. “Guy Smith. He was married to Mandy about ten years ago.”
“We were only married for a few months,” Mandy said. “I realized he wasn’t a nice person.”
I had to bite my tongue. “Do the police know what happened to him yet?” I asked her.
Mandy shrugged. “I know that he had lots of enemies.”
The two women shot me another appraising look, and then left abruptly.
After they left, I was quite shaken. They had made my life an utter hell, as had all The Populars. And to think that Mandy had married Guy. Just as well they hadn’t had kids—at least I hope they hadn’t. Imagine the monsters that they would be.
Had I done the right thing in opening a store in my old town? Perhaps I should have picked another town, where no one knew me from my past. Yet Carl was my dearest friend, and Carl lived in this town. Come to think of it, he was my only friend. I had missed Carl so much in all my months in the hospital and I couldn’t imagine living in a town away from him.
Oh well, if the town got too unbearable, then I would still be able to move out. It wasn’t as if I were tied to this town forever. I was a wealthy woman now, although I did have to live on the settlement payout for the rest of my life. I had to make a success of the business and I was familiar with this town. It seemed to me to be a good business decision to stay here where I had support. During my time in the hospital, I had even contacted suppliers, and told them I was intending to open the chocolate shop. I had done quite a lot of legwork.
I was surprised that Lucinda and Mandy had been so polite to me. They had both denigrated me on every opportunity. Now their attitude was entirely different. I expect it was because I now I looked like someone they would consider their equal. It was a horrible thought.
It was lunchtime, and I had told Carl I would take him some lunch. I locked the store and walked home to fetch the chocolate cake with triple chocolate frosting that I had baked the night before. Despite my accident, I loved chocolate just as much as I always had.
I retrieved my cake and walked on further to Carl’s house. Just as well I lived in a country town. Otherwise, I would have to buy a car. I knew I’d have to bite the bullet and buy one soon. I hadn’t driven since the accident, but I would need a car to get around. It wasn’t fair to rely on Carl all the time.
Carl’s place was quite cute. It was a beautifully renovated Victorian home. Carl liked a minimalist style, and this was reflected in his garden. He had beautifully manicured lawns, which he paid someone to cut, and there was a row of standard roses in front of his white picket fence and also lining the pavement to his front steps.
I rang the brass doorbell, and Carl finally opened it with a glazed look on his face. I knew that look from when he had spent far too long at his computer screens. “Chocolate cake!” he exclaimed. “I forgot that’s what you eat for lunch.” He chuckled.
I followed him into his kitchen and placed the chocolate cake in the middle of his round cedar table. The deep red wood was a sharp contrast to the rest of the house, which was pristine and white. Every wall and ceiling in the entire house was painted white, and although the flooring was comprised of floorboards, they were pale polished pine.
Even Carl’s huge Persian cat, a huge former show champion by the name of Louis the Fourteenth, was white. Louis the Fourteenth was impeccably groomed and had the biggest golden-orange eyes. He was the most beautiful cat I had ever seen, and he had a temperament to match. Louis loved human company, although he seemed to love sleep even more.
Carl fetched two delicate white bone china plates and placed them in front of us. “I’ll cut,” he said, and then proceeded to cut two huge pieces of cake.
“I can’t eat that much,” I protested.
Carl looked up, shocked. “I’ve never heard you say that before!”
I shrugged. “It’s because of what they had to do to my insides. Don’t ask me to explain it because it gives me the heebie-jeebies. Anyway, I can eat as much as I like without putting on weight, but the catch is that I don’t seem to be able to eat too much at once. Now I’m forced to nibble on chocolate throughout the day.”
Carl looked as though he were debating with himself whether this were a good or a bad thing, but he clearly decided not to comment. “Oh well,” he said, “tuck in. Anyway, how are you feeling now, Narel? You look pale.” He leaned down to stroke Louis the Fourteenth who was awake for once, and purring loudly.
I rubbed my back. “Even walking here was an effort. They said I have to exercise, but even just walking from the shop to my house and my house to here has left me completely exhausted.
“Well, that makes sense,” Carl said. “You were lying in a hospital bed for many months after all.”
I nodded. “Yes but I did have a lot of physical therapy. Still, they did warn me that exercise would make me very tired, but they also told me I had to exercise.”
“Why don’t you start walking along the park? It’s nice and private down your end and if you only walk to where the official walking track starts and back again, and you did it on a daily basis, that would be a good start to your new fitness regime.”
“Would you walk with me?” I asked hopefully.
Carl laughed so much I thought he would choke on his chocolate cake. “Are you kidding me? I don’t believe in mornings. And the best way to do any exercise is to make it a habit, and since you’re opening the store, it’s best that you get into the habit of walking early in the morning. You won’t catch me dead doing anything early in the morning!”
I chuckled. I knew how much Carl dreaded the mornings. Even pumping him full of coffee didn’t help much.
We didn’t speak again until we had polished off the entire cake. “Yum, that was so good,” Carl said. “Will you be selling cakes in your store?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll just be selling all different types of chocolate.”
Carl appeared confused. “How many types of chocolate are there?” He frowned.
“There are millions of different sorts of chocolate,” I said gleefully, but then amended it to, “Well, there is dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, boxed chocolate, chocolate bars, chocolates with hard fillings, chocolates with soft fillings...” I would have gone on, but Carl held up a hand to stop me.
“Too much information,” he said. “Are you going to make them?”
I shook my head. “I might start making some once I get the business under control, but that would be too much work first up while I’m getting used to running the business. I have enough to worry about without making chocolates, although I really would like to do so at some point. Right now I have to order the shop fittings, organize supplies, and all the rest of it.”
“Well, you know I’ll help with much as I can,” Carl said.
I jumped up and gave him an impulsive hug. “You’re the best! I can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.”
Carl smirked at me. “Does that mean I get free chocolate?”
“Yes, of course you get free chocolate.” I thought for a minute, and then added, “I suppose that depends on how much you eat. I’ll have to monitor the situation.”
Carl pouted. “I was going to suggest that we both go to the store now and I’ll help you all afternoon. Plus I’m going to buy you a lovely Welc
ome Home gift this afternoon.”
I sighed. “Okay, you win. Free chocolate.”
This time Carl and I drove back to my store. It certainly was a help to have someone to hold the other end of the tape measure. Then I drew diagrams of all the display case placements. I showed Carl the images of the cabinets I had ordered online on my iPad.
He was impressed. “Wow, Narel,” he said, “this is going to look amazing.”
“I only hope I get enough customers to keep it afloat,” I said. “It will be my livelihood.”
“Oh, but I thought you made enough to live off. I thought the settlement was big enough that you could live on it?”
I shook my head. “No. I know it seems like a large sum of money, but my lawyer explained that I wouldn’t be able to live on it forever. I need an income from the business. I want to be independent of the settlement. Sure, I’m going to use it to set up the business, buy a house, perhaps even a car at some point, but I need to be making my own income.”
Carl nodded. “That’s wise,” he said. “When do you order the chocolates?”
I laughed. “Just before the store opens.”
Carl looked crestfallen.
“Well, I suppose I could order some samples for us to try.”
Carl’s face lit up. “Narel, I’m happy to drive you around, but I think you’d feel better if you bought yourself a car,” he said. “I’ll keep driving you around until you get used to it.”
“Thanks, Carl,” I said. “That’s kind of you. I know I have to get a car soon. It’s just that I’m really scared to drive again. “
“How about you drive my car now and then first, to get used to it before you buy your own?”
“Thanks Carl. You’re always so thoughtful.”
“Well, can you give me a dating reference then?” Carl said sadly. Carl hadn’t had much luck in the dating department, and I had no idea why. He was as good looking as he was kindhearted, but it didn’t help that he worked from home and didn’t get out much. Plus, we lived in a small town and I think he was the only eligible gay bachelor within a large radius.
“Sure. Anyway, guess who came into the store earlier when I was measuring?”
“I hate guessing,” Carl said. “Just tell me.”
“Lucinda Shaw-Smythe and Mandy Makim!” I announced.
Carl pulled a face. “What did they want?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “No idea! Just passing by, I suppose. Guess what; Mandy used to be married to Guy!”
“Come to think of it, I thought I heard that some years ago. I think she married him right out of high school. I heard they divorced soon after.”
I nodded. “Yes, that’s what they said. Anyway, they didn’t recognize me.”
Carl laughed. “Oh, Narel, of course they didn’t recognize you! I wouldn’t have recognized you and I’m your best friend. The difference between how you look now and how used to look is just ridiculous!”
“Okay, okay.” I was afraid he would go into great detail about how I used to look. “Anyway, they were really quite polite to me.”
“That’s because they didn’t recognize you,” Carl pointed out. “You can bet your bottom dollar that they would’ve been their usual spiteful nasty selves if they had recognized you. Anyway, I don’t suppose they knew you were with Guy when he died?”
I shook my head. “No. Anyway I was with him just before he died, not when he died.”
Carl held up his hands. “What does it matter, anyway? It’s a good thing they didn’t know, though.”
“Anyway, I’m sure they’ll be back to their usual selves when the big sign goes up.” Carl looked blank, so I pressed on. “You know, the sign that says, Coco Narel Designer Chocolate Shop.”
Carl chuckled. “Yes, I’m sure I’ll be interested to hear what they have to say then.”
My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. “Well, I for one don’t want to hear what they have to say,” I said mournfully. “I know for a fact it won’t be nice.”
Chapter 7
Carl had called to say he wanted to bring my Welcome Home gift over to my place instead of giving it to me at his place. He had certainly been mysterious about it. He really hated my decorating, so I wondered if it was a large item like a huge coffee table or an enormous painting that he didn’t want to transport from his place to mine.
And so it was with some surprise that I opened my front door to see an empty-handed Carl standing there.
“I suppose you’re wondering where your gift is,” he said with a smile.
“Now that you mention it,” I said. “You said it was a big surprise. For a moment I wondered if the big surprise meant I wasn’t getting a gift after all.”
Carl laughed. “I’m not one of The Populars. It’s in the car.”
“The car?” I repeated. I peered behind him at his car. For a minute, I thought I saw his car shaking. We didn’t live in an earthquake prone area. I shook my head—perhaps disturbed vision was one of the after-effects of my accident. “Why didn’t you bring it in with you?” I asked him.
“No, Narel,” Carl said. “I want you to go into your living room and sit on your sofa, and then I’ll bring in your gift.”
I walked into my living room and turned around when I saw that Carl was following me. “You’re acting really weird. Why did you leave my gift in the car? What’s going on?”
Carl practically pushed me onto the sofa. I leaned back against my cushions. Carl rubbed his chin, a mannerism of his that alerted me to the fact that he was nervous. Why would Carl possibly be nervous about giving me a gift?
“Well, Narel, it’s like this. I haven’t got you a dog. I just thought I’d tell you that up front. I didn’t get you a dog because you eat so much chocolate, and you always have chocolate lying around, and as we both know, chocolate is dangerous to dogs.”
I nodded. I wondered why Carl was telling me what sort of gifts he hadn’t got me.
Carl was still talking. “No, I didn’t get you a puppy, but I did get you a pet.” He stared at me, no doubt waiting for my reaction.
I clasped my hands together with delight. “Oh, a pet!” Then I thought it over some more. “It’s not a ferret is it?” I asked anxiously.
Carl shook his head furiously. “I went to the shelter to get you a kitten. I thought a cat would be a good companion for you. I thought I’d get you a nice fluffy white kitten like Louis the Fourteenth, but the cat I got you after all wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”
I was excited. “A kitten!” I exclaimed. I jumped off the couch and gave Carl a big hug. “How thoughtful of you! I really wanted a cat. I’ve always wanted a kitten, as you know.” My old cat, Patches, had passed away just before my car accident. I still missed him, and I thought it would be ages before I would be able to have another cat, but now that Carl had been so thoughtful to get me a kitten, I couldn’t have been more happy.
“Well, I hope you like him,” Carl said anxiously. “If you don’t like him, I won’t be able to take him home, because Louis the Fourteenth will hate him. They just won’t get on.”
“Of course I’ll love him!” I said.
“I bought you a cat litter tray, and some kitty litter, and the shelter said he only eats the most expensive brand of cat food, and he refuses to eat dry cat food. He only eats gourmet cat food—you know, the ones in those tiny little, very expensive cans. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll go and get him?”
“I’m so excited, Carl!”
A look of fear crossed Carl’s face. “But you might not like him,” he said. “I have to warn you that he’s not a pretty cat.”
“All cats are pretty,” I said. “Of course I’ll love him.”
“Trust me, he isn’t pretty. I went to the shelter to get you a really pretty kitten, but they said no one would want him and he was going to be put to sleep. So when you see him, please remember that I did go to the shelter to buy you a very pretty kitten.”
“How superficial do you think I am?” I
asked him. “I’m the last one to worry about appearances. Don’t you remember how I used to look? I’ll love him. Thanks so much! I’m just so excited.”
Carl pulled a face, frowned, then hurried out the door, while I sat there grinning. How thoughtful of Carl to get me a delightful kitten. Carl soon returned with the cat litter, the litter tray, and several cans of what did indeed look like a very expensive brand of cat food.
“Carl, I’m so impatient. Where’s the kitten?”
“I’m bringing him in last,” Carl said.
I sighed. I couldn’t wait for the sweet little kitten. In no time at all, I heard Carl walk in, shut and lock my front door, and then he walked into the living room and put a cat carrier basket on the floor.
I at once was alarmed. The carrier basket shook violently and horrendous sounds came out of it. I narrowed my eyes as suspicion dawned on me. “Carl, he’s not a kitten, is he?”
Carl looked shamefaced. “No, I never said he was a kitten. You thought he was a kitten. Oh, Narel, I couldn’t leave the poor cat there. He was going to be put to sleep that afternoon. An old man, a farmer, had surrendered him. He wasn’t able to look after him any longer. The shelter said that people always adopt kittens, but no one ever wants to adopt an old cat.”
“The poor thing,” I said, as a wave of sympathy flooded over me. “What’s his name?”
Carl frowned again. “Mongrel.”
I gasped. “What a horrible name for a cat!”
Carl grimaced. “Mongrel has, err, issues.”
“What sort of issues?” I said sternly.
“It’s not his fault,” Carl said. “The awful farmer treated him badly. The shelter said that Mongrel only attacks people if he sees a piece of rope. The farmer sometimes used to tie him up with a piece of rope, and Mongrel becomes enraged if he sees rope. Lucky you don’t have any rope in your house, Narel.”
I took a deep breath and try to stay calm. “He only attacks people if he sees rope? Do you mean the cat actually attacks people?”
Carl held up his hands in front of him. “No, of course not, Narel!” His tone was far from convincing. “He only attacks people if he sees rope. All you have to do is make sure you never show him any rope, and then all will be well.”