by J. S. Cooper
“Oh boy, let me guess, oil and jelly.”
“Oil and jelly?”
“You know what I mean. Massage oil and KY jelly.”
I groaned in response. “Lucy, sometimes you’re the most immature person I know.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” She laughed. “And I’m not really the most immature, am I?”
“No, you’re not.” I agreed. “You only wear that crown half of the year.”
“And you wear it the other half.”
“Not something that I’m proud of,” I admitted ruefully. It wasn’t that we were immature per se, it was just that we were young and impressionable and very, very goofy. “I’m excited to see you. Do you want to go to an open mic night?”
“Do you think we’ll have time?”
“Hopefully. I mean, there’s not much else going on up here.”
“Asides from you doing Wade Hart.”
“Yes, asides from that. And that can’t happen right now anyway because he’s disappeared.”
“And because he’s holding a deep, dark secret. Don’t forget the deep, dark secret.”
“How could I?” I began looking for a parking spot. “I have to go, Lucy, I just got into the village and I’m going to park and meet up with Gordon. I’ll speak to you later?”
“Yes. Can’t wait to see you.”
“Can’t wait to see you, too.”
I smiled into the air and the music started playing again as Lucy hung up. I was excited to see Lucy and Jolene again. I wanted them to see where I lived, what I’d been doing, and I wanted to hug them both. I could feel the buzz of excitement in my veins. It would be so comforting to have a piece of home here with me.
I found a parking spot and then headed to the diner. I walked in and looked around but I didn’t see Gordon.
“Howdy.” Beryl walked over to me, a pen in her hair and a curious look in her eyes. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, my friend and I would like to grab lunch. He should be here soon.”
“Hmmm.” She pursed her lips and then mumbled something under her breath.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“You’ve been making all sorts of friends since you’ve been here, haven’t you?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that, no.” I shook my head and followed her to a table. “Do you have any specials today or can I get anything on the menu?” I looked up at her as she placed two menus on the table.
“We always serve everything on the menu.” She took her pen out from behind her ear and tapped it on the table. “Mr. Wade going to be joining us?”
“No,” I shook my head. “He’s out of town.”
“Is he now?” She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm.”
“Do you know him well?”
“Mr. Wade?” She shook her head. “Not really. We knew his father, though. He used to come in here all the time.”
“Oh really? With Wade and Henry?”
“Not so much.” She shook her head. “T’is a sad thing what happened.”
“What happened?”
“You know with his wife, and the business.” She shrugged. “Nearly lost everything, they did.”
“Oh?” I asked her curiously. “But I guess he worked it out?”
“He worked it out, all right.” She nodded. “Yup.”
“Wade and Henry seem like nice men.” I decided to see if I could prod some information out of her. She had to know something. Hadn’t she been warning me at the pub that the Hart men were no good?
“They seem to be fine.”
“Were they close with their father?”
“Not really.”
“Did they have a big funeral for him?”
“A funeral?” Her eyes widened and she stared at me for a few seconds without blinking. “Death is a funny thing, isn’t it? It can bring so much heartache, and in other ways so much joy.”
“Joy?” I blinked. Who would be happy that someone died?
“You’re meeting that boy Gordon?” Her face grew tighter as I nodded. “You be careful, you hear.”
“Careful of what?”
“There’s a lot of secrets in this town.” She leaned forward and looked me in the eyes. “There’s things that people don’t want to get out. And there’s people that will use you to make sure that—” Suddenly she stopped talking and straightened up. Her gaze flew to the door that had just opened. Gordon was walking into the restaurant, a big smile on his face as he headed towards me. Beryl looked at him and then back at me. “You just be careful, Ms. Savannah,” she said softly. She walked away from the table, and seconds later Gordon was sitting across from me.
“What did that old biddy want?” He glared at Beryl’s back.
“Oh, you don’t want to know.” I faked a laugh, feeling slightly uneasy. Why did he make me feel uncomfortable? He was my friend. A supportive person I’d met in this small town. I needed friends, and I needed to stop being so suspicious.
“I probably don’t.” He laughed and picked up a menu. “Let’s see what they have. I’m starving.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah, I missed breakfast.” He nodded and then leaned forward. “So, heard anything from Wade? He’s not back already, is he?”
“No, he’s still out of town.”
“Okay, so where did he go? Was it for business? Fun?” He paused and then chuckled. “I sound like the FBI, don’t I? Sorry for grilling you. Sometimes I get a bit intense. I guess it’s the thespian in me.”
“Yeah, that must be it.” I smiled and I looked over to the counter to see Beryl staring at me with a blank expression on her face. She was starting to get on my nerves. If she had something she really needed to get off of her chest, then why didn’t she just tell me? Who did she think she was? The head of the CIA or something?
“So, what’s new with you?” Gordon asked.
I just shook my head. “About the same as last week.” As much as I liked Gordon, I didn’t want to tell him about me and Wade. It felt too special to talk about, at least with people I didn’t really know. Plus I didn’t want Gordon judging me. “What about you?”
“Not much.” He looked down and I could see that he appeared nervous.
“Where did you end up going?”
“Going?” He looked up with a frown. “What do you mean?”
“I mean last week when I’d text you, didn’t you say you were out of town?”
“I don’t remember.” He looked around. “Waitress, can we order, please? We’re hungry.” He looked back at me and rolled his eyes. “You just can’t get good service these days, can you?”
“You just got here, so it’s not that bad,” I said lightly, wondering when he’d become so entitled and rude. Had he always been like this?
“I know.” He gave me a rueful smile. “Sorry, I’ve just had a lot on my mind recently.” His expression had turned thoughtful and the light in his eyes had dimmed.
“Are you okay?”
“Am I okay?” He repeated my question and just sort of sat there as if he didn’t know how to answer. And then within a few seconds, a bright smile spread across his face and he nodded. “Of course, I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be?” He reached over and touched my hand lightly. “Thanks for asking, though. What about you? How’s it been going with the Wolf of Herne Hill? Has he gotten his claws into you yet?”
“The wolf?” I laughed, hoping to change the subject. “Why do you call him the wolf?”
“Most probably because he likes to eat—”
“What would you like to order today?” Beryl interrupted his sentence and I was glad for it. I was pretty sure that if Gordon continued with his line of conversation that my face would give away the fact that Wade was now much more than just my boss.
“Lasagna?” I asked only half-jokingly.
Her eyelid didn’t so much as twitch. “We have burgers today.”
“Maybe I’ll have a grilled cheese,” I said with another smile and then suddenly it dawned on me
: white bread, butter, and cheese. Those are the makings of a grilled cheese sandwich. Wade wanted me to make him grilled cheese? He hadn’t acted like he was a huge fan when we were eating them in this very diner. But why then had he created a grocery list for the same ingredients?
“No grilled cheese today.” Beryl looked at me then. “We’re all out.”
“Oh, okay. Then just a burger.” I sat back and looked at my phone, hoping to see a call or message from Wade, but there was nothing. Where was he?
“Expecting a call?” Gordon looked down at my phone.
“Not really. My friend Lucy’s coming to stay, so just thought she might text me or something.”
“Oh, so you’ll have some company.” Beryl suddenly smiled. “That’s good, very good.” And then she walked away. I looked over at Gordon who had a small smile on his face, and I could see that he was trying not to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“I don’t think that lady likes me much.” He rolled his eyes. “Nosey old busy body. Old people are always in everyone's business.”
“I think she means well.” I found myself growing prickly on Beryl’s behalf. It wasn’t like she’d even said anything about Gordon to me. It was Wade and his brother she’d been warning me about. She definitely seemed to have some sort of dislike for the Hart men.
“Yeah, people always say they mean well.” He rolled his eyes. “Usually they only mean well when it benefits them in some way.”
“You sound cynical.”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “Not more than most, anyway.” And then he sat back and laughed. “Well, I’m a struggling actor, I guess I’m allowed to be a little cynical.”
“I guess so.” And then I really looked at him, as if really seeing him for the first time. His bright eyes glittered with an inner turmoil and the smile on his face seemed forced. “How is that, by the way? I suppose it takes a toll on you? Trying to make it in such a competitive field.”
“Do you want the honest answer?” He half-smiled. “Or the one I give to people that don’t know how to deal with the truth?”
“The honest answer.” But even as I said it, I knew I was half lying. It was hard hearing about people’s struggles. It was hard hearing about people’s hurt and it was hard to know how to respond. I wanted the truth, but I also knew that it could be very painful to hear.
“I feel like a loser.” There was no smile on his face now. “My whole life, I’ve never felt quite good enough, and now ...” He looked out of the window for a few seconds. “There’s nothing like not making it to confirm that what you’ve thought your whole life is true.”
“You’re not a loser, though. You’re so talented.” I leaned forward and squeezed his hand. “I’ve seen you perform and I wouldn’t lie to you. You’re really talented.”
“Thank you.” He looked back at me, his green eyes shining, and I wondered if he was close to tears. “I don’t tell many people this, but I suffer from depression. I guess it goes back to my childhood.” He shrugged. “There are some days that are so dark that I can’t get out of my head, and I just want to be anywhere but here.”
“Here as in Herne Hill Village?”
“Here as in my own body.” He tapped his fingers against the table. “I guess I’ve always been searching, hoping, wanting more.” Suddenly he stopped and his eyes sought mine, searching and connecting. I stared back at him, feeling the emotions pass through us. “You’ve got a kind soul, Savannah. You’re a warm person. You don’t deserve to be messed up in this.”
“Messed up in what?” I smiled. “You’re my friend and I’m here for you, Gordon.”
“I know.” He chewed on his lower lip. “I just don’t want you to think ...” His voice trailed off and he took a deep breath. “Man, I’m hungry. Where’s this food?”
“They can be a little slow here.” I grinned. “The first time I came here with Wade, I was wondering if I was in the Twilight Zone.” I laughed. “I asked for lasagna, ordered a burger, and was served a grilled cheese.”
“Oh shit, that means today we get pickled herrings or something.”
“Eww, gross!”
“Not if you’re Scandinavian. They love that stuff.”
“It’s a good thing I’m not then, isn’t it?” I grinned. “Though I think Lucy, my best friend, has some Swedish in her. I’m so excited for you to meet, Lucy. I think you’ll get on really well.”
“Wade’s okay with her coming?”
“He doesn’t know.”
“Oh.” Gordon’s smile widened. “What the captain doesn’t know can’t hurt him, huh?”
“Captain?” I laughed. “I guess he does think he’s the captain of his ship, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, he does.” Gordon spoke with so much knowledge that suddenly it struck me that he seemed to have a lot of opinions about someone he’d never even met. And once again a sense of foreboding hit me.
I shivered as I looked down at the table, repressing the urge to scream. How the hell had I found myself in some sort of scary thriller type situation? I was the romantic comedy girl. You couldn’t pay me to watch a horror movie and yet, here I was, in the middle of some sort of low-budget Lifetime movie, and I was as clueless as all of the heroines.
I truly had no idea who in my life was good and who was bad.
Chapter 4
“Welcome to the Hart house.” I held my hands up in the air as Gordon got out of his car and walked towards me. It was silly to sound so proud, as if it were my house, but for some reason I wanted Gordon to like it.
“Amazing. It’s big, isn’t it?” Gordon looked around. “Though I’d expect nothing different from Wade Hart. It must be grand to be him.”
“Indeed it must.” I nodded and walked toward the door. “Come in and I’ll give you a tour.”
As I opened the front door, my phone beeped. I waited for Gordon to walk inside before I checked it and my heart leaped when I saw Wade’s name on the screen. So he was still alive, was he? I wanted to put the phone back in my handbag. I wanted to ignore him and let him sweat. Let him feel how angry I was. Maybe my feelings would drift through the air to him as if through osmosis.
“That’s not osmosis,” I chided myself under my breath. But then I smiled, not because I was happy but because Wade had texted me. He hadn’t forgotten me. He wasn’t ignoring me. He had thought about me and he had texted me. That had to mean something, right?
I knew what Lucy would say. I knew what I would say if it were Lucy in my position and I was giving her advice. I’d tell her that one simple text meant nothing. Actions spoke louder than idle texts. But, of course, that didn’t stop the butterflies or the hope that surged through me. He’d texted and even though I was still pissed as hell at him, I was now feeling just a little bit less anxious. I would let him wait until I was ready to respond.
I had the patience of a flea though, and before I could stop myself, my fingers were flying across the keyboard.
“I’m hanging out. What’s up?” Did that sound cool, calm, and collected? Did it sound like I couldn’t care less that he had left me the morning after taking my virginity? Did it sound as though I didn’t think he was a pig?
“Hanging out?” His reply text came back right away. “With whom and where?”
I stared at his response and smiled to myself. Yeah, I think I’ll let you wait for a further response from me, Wade Hart. I followed Gordon into the house and ignored the twinge of guilt that I felt. This wasn’t my house and I hadn’t even asked Wade if I could have people over. I didn’t think Gordon would trash the place or anything, but it almost felt like I was invading Wade’s privacy by letting other people inside.
“This place is absolutely amazing.” Gordon walked down the hallway, his fingers grazing the wall. “Man, everything must have cost so much money. I wonder how much Wade is worth?”
“I have no idea. I would assume he’s a millionaire, though.”
“I bet he’s a billionaire.” Gordon murmured
. “I bet he’s the richest man in Herne Hill Village. I wonder if he has a safe in here.”
“Why?” Nerves hit my stomach again.
“Just curious. I bet he does have a safe hidden in here somewhere with millions of dollars in cash. And I bet he has a secret hiding spot, one of those panic rooms.”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t told me about either of those things.”
“What would you do if you had a million dollars?” he asked me as he stopped to stare at what I believed to be an original Rembrandt painting.
“If I had a million dollars, I’d buy a house and a car and go on vacation.” I paused for a few seconds. “Though, I’m not sure a million dollars would buy me a house in Manhattan. I’d have to move to New Jersey or something.”
“Or you could come upstate.” He grinned. “You could move to Westchester.”
“That sounds like my worst nightmare.” I laughed. “So okay, maybe I won’t buy a house. Maybe I’ll buy a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn for me and my best friend to live in.”
“That sounds nice.”
I turned towards the library, Gordon following closely behind me. “What would you do if you had a million dollars?” I asked over my shoulder.
“I’ve thought about that often.” His voice was soft now. “I think I’d invest in some decent camera equipment and make a film.”
“Oh, yeah? My friend Lucy wants to make films as well.” I looked back at him. “I thought you wanted to act.”
“I do.” He grinned. “But I want to do it all. I want to write, act, direct, produce, edit. I want to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, a Nobel Peace Prize.” He laughed. “I want everyone in the world to know my name and to love my work.”
“I know you can do it. You can do anything you set your mind to. Plus you have the talent. You’re definitely going to be a star one day, Gordon.”
“Thanks! All I need is the money now.” He sounded wistful. “Did I ever tell you that my dad was rich?”
“No, that’s awesome. Wouldn’t he lend you some money or back you?”
“No.” He sounded bitter. “As far as he’s concerned, I don’t even exist.”