Oh, yeah. I could see that.
There were a few snickers from people nearby, but thankfully the commotion was not enough to draw anyone’s attention from the second floor balcony. The casual stroll was taking forever, but finally CeCe made it to the children’s section under the balcony. She immediately flattened herself against the wall, put her hand to her chest, and flashed me a Whew, I made it! smile.
I smiled back. You gotta love her.
CeCe suddenly started making all these wild motions with her hands. She was pointing and waving as she mouthed something. What IS she trying to say? He must be up there, or what’s up with all the wild motions? But what IS she saying? I couldn’t stand it. I had to know. So I decided to just take my own little casual stroll and ask.
I checked out the balcony. All clear. I was going in. My stroll was swifter but every bit as casual as CeCe’s. I was doing good. Definitely pulling off inconspicuous. Cool as a cucumber. About halfway to CeCe I glanced back up at the balcony, and there was Luke standing at the rail, staring right at me. All my casual immediately left me, and I turned into super dork. I froze to the spot and just stared at him. I hoped my mouth wasn’t open, but I honestly couldn’t tell you.
My brain was supposed to be working on the calm, cool, casual image I wanted to project, but instead it was thinking that he had changed his clothes. Now he was wearing jeans and a green t-shirt that said Smile, trees love you. Where does he shop? Because his shirt is incredibly flattering, my brain continued as it disobeyed me. I can never find anything that fits me that nicely. Wow, he must work out or something. His navy shirt this morning didn’t really do justice to his muscles, but they’re kind of hard to miss in that t-shirt. Which reminds me, maybe I should join a gym. He’s in really good shape. I mean, that is an awesome flat stomach. Of course if I joined a gym my stomach could be flat like that. Yeah, that’s all I was really thinking when I looked at him. I needed to get an exercise program and build a little muscle. Probably not as much as him because he has LOTS of muscle. LOTS.
As he leaned over the rail, he waved and smiled. I should have lost the deer-in-the-headlights look I knew I was sporting. I should have fluttered my fingers and grinned back at him, but hormones are powerful things. Who was I, Superwoman? I sensed that if I looked up swoon-worthy in the dictionary, I’d see his picture smiling back at me. I just stood there and stared until he motioned something to me. It appeared to be “wait there, while I come down.”
He turned and walked away from the railing toward the stairs. My hormone induced paralysis quickly turned to panic. Oh no, oh no, oh no! Just please don’t humiliate yourself, Maggie. Take a deep breath, turn on the charm, and use your words. You can do it. Whatever you do, don’t pee yourself or drool. Fortunately, that little pep talk went on inside my head and didn’t leak out of my mouth.
Before I knew it, he was standing right in front of me. I didn’t know how he could smile as if he were glad to see me after the lovely impression I’d made earlier. It must be my imagination.
“Hi,” he greeted me warmly.
Well, some people can say ‘Hi’ more warmly that others, so I’m going to take his ‘Hi’ any way I want.
“Funny running into you again today. Well, not literally this time,” Luke said with a quick little, quiet laugh. “Are you feeling okay? I didn’t hurt you this morning, did I?”
“Oh, no,” I assured him. “I’m tougher than I look.” I managed to flash a smile, since I was pretty proud of myself for using my words. So far, so good.
“Well, that’s a good thing,” he said sweetly. “So what are you looking for?”
“Nobody!” I answered too quickly. Then I remembered the cover story CeCe and I had dreamed up just in case. “I mean, we sell pregnancy books at the shop, so we’re here scouting out new possibilities to add to our list.”
“Oh, that’s right. Fry told me he works for you and CeCe at the Big and Blessed Maternity Shop. You’re very successful business women, the way he tells it,” Luke smiled as he remembered.
Fry’s getting a big fat raise for that one. I opened my mouth to say something, but then I made the mistake of looking him right in the eye. Those brown eyes. His warm, sparkling pools of rich chocolate. Holy crap! I quickly looked away.
What was wrong with me? I know I was going to say something. What was it? When I looked back, careful to avoid the chocolate pools – I mean eye area – he had his arms folded, and he looked deep in thought as he stood there staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking,” he said softly, because we were in a library, you know. “The pretty girls in high school don’t always become beautiful women, but I’d say you were very successful in that area, also.” He was still smiling sweetly, and it certainly was getting awfully warm in here.
No! Don’t sweat, Maggie! I hoped my warning to myself would put my brain on notice, but mostly it just made me feel a little weird to be threatening myself. He was standing about two feet away from me, but I could swear I felt the heat coming off his skin. I doubt that’s even possible. Maybe it was coming from me? I wonder if he can feel heat coming from me. I took a step back just in case. It’s bad enough to come off as a goober. A goober in heat would be unbearable. I very calmly announced, “Life seems to have treated you well, also.”
“Thanks,” he responded a little shyly.
Come on, Maggie! I forced myself to breathe deeply and focus on the conversation. “Fry said you were in charge of the expansion here,” I commented casually. “How’s it going?” His face darkened a little at that.
“Well,” he said, “it’s going behind schedule, is how it’s going. I hired a guy that I knew really needed the money instead of the most qualified. I figured I could take up his slack. Hopefully, I won’t end up regretting that decision. Well, let me rephrase that. I hope the library won’t end up regretting my decision. I’m not sorry for helping someone who really needed the job, though. You know how it is. Nature takes it course and pow. Baby on the way. Babies are damn expensive.”
“Hey, you should send his wife over to the shop. We can work her a deal,” I said.
“Oh, that’s nice of you, thanks,” Luke nodded. “I’ll do that.”
“It’s no problem,” I assured him and tried to match his smile, but avoided looking directly into the chocolate pools where his eyes should be, which were making me crave a Hershey bar real bad.
At that moment, I saw CeCe sidling up behind him, obviously trying to sniff his shoulder. When she was inches away, Luke sensed something over his shoulder and turned to look. CeCe looked like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar, and Luke just looked confused.
“Luke, this is my cousin CeCe. She’s the one I own the shop with. CeCe, this is Fry’s friend, Luke,” I explained as I introduced them.
“Oh, sure,” he said as light dawned. “I recognize you now. Sorry, but high school was a long time ago. It’s nice to see you again CeCe.”
CeCe smiled and chirped, “You know it.”
Why did she have to use her super-cool line? Anything but the super-cool line. This would be a good time to exit.
“Well, we should be going,” I began the wrap up. “We’ve still got an errand to run for our mothers, and we’ve got to get back to the shop to relieve Fry.”
“Yeah,” agreed CeCe. “We need to go by the sheriff’s station and get some advice from Deputy Ben on starting a neighborhood watch. He is an expert in that area, you know.” CeCe nodded her head slowly up and down like we should be impressed. After a couple of beats, Luke and I realized what was expected.
He started the “ahs” and other impressed comments, while I nodded in agreement.
Luke started to back up, looked at me, and said, “See you around, I hope,” and then to CeCe, “See ya, CeCe.”
“Bye,” we said in stereo. We turned and walked toward the door. My legs did not feel normal. I hoped it looked like I was walking normally, because I ju
st couldn’t seem to get a smooth stride going. What’s with that? Nobody has ever hit me this hard, not even in high school when you’re supposed to be all emotional, vulnerable, overreacting and stuff. It was starting to make me a little nervous. I needed to sit down.
On the short drive from the library to the police station, CeCe primped feverishly. “You know,” she said excitedly, “that girl at the makeup counter was right. If I put this gloss on over this red lipstick, my lips look much fuller. Don’t you think?”
I turned to check it out. They looked fuller, yes. They were also so wet it looked as if she’d been drooling all over herself, and it was about to drip on her chin.
How could I put this nicely? “Yuck,” I said. “Too goopy-gloppy.”
“Really?” cried CeCe, all shrill and panicky. “Oh, no. Get it off! Get if off!”
“Relax. There’s time to redo before we get to the station,” I, the voice of reason, said calmly.
“Slow down,” CeCe begged.
I tried to ignore all the impatient drivers and their not so nice comments as we crept across town. I guess there actually isn’t much I wouldn’t do for CeCe. By the time we coasted into a visitor’s parking spot at the sheriff’s station, CeCe’s lips were supermodel perfect. She was ready to wow Deputy Ben.
“Now remember,” I told her, “we’re here to get information on a neighborhood watch program for the sisters, not just to scope out Deputy Ben. Understood?”
“I know, but we can squeeze in a little stealth stalking too,” CeCe pointed out. “It won’t hurt.”
“Of course we can check up on him,” I agreed. “It’s not like anyone has taken out a restraining order or anything – yet. Just remember we’ve also got to get the information we came for,” I reminded her.
“Absolutely,” CeCe said flashing me that excited, conspiratorial smile for the second time today.
We entered the main doors to the station and asked the young woman at the front desk if Deputy Ben was available to speak to us about neighborhood watch programs. The young officer asked us to have a seat for a minute. We sat on the chairs she indicated, which were up against the outside wall.
CeCe immediately grabbed my hand hard.
“Ouch,” I whispered loudly.
“Sorry,” she whispered back, “but did you see that new officer at the desk? I’ve never seen her before. She’s very pretty. Too pretty. He sees her every day. This is bad. This is very bad,” CeCe practically hissed.
“Calm down,” I said softly and soothingly. “A police officer would never want to marry another police officer. Deputy Ben would want someone at home or in a maternity shop waiting for him to return safely. Besides she’s too young for him. Probably still wears a training bra.”
“I hope you’re right,” CeCe said. “Our relationship is at a very vulnerable stage right now. He doesn’t need the temptation.”
I never realized nonexistent and vulnerable could mean the same thing. Huh.
Deputy Ben Simpson walked into the waiting area looking very much like the actor Jenson Ackles in a blue police uniform. He had sandy blonde hair, blue-green eyes, broad shoulders, and a small splatter of light freckles on his cheeks. He smiled at us and said, “Good afternoon, ladies. You can follow me back to my office.”
It turned out his office was a desk in the corner of a big room with five other deputies’ desks. We sat in the two chairs in front of his desk.
“How can I help you today?” he asked as he attempted to straighten his desk by shuffling papers into a consolidated stack.
I smiled and said nothing. This was all CeCe’s show.
“Well, our mothers live in The Lakes subdivision. You may already be aware that about 90% of that community is of retirement age.”
Deputy Ben nodded to show that he was aware of that fact.
CeCe continued, “After the recent murder in town, our mothers are feeling kind of vulnerable and a little nervous. They asked us to check into how to organize a neighborhood watch program for their area. I happen to know that you’re an expert in that area,” she said coyly. “So here we are. Can you help us?”
I was so proud of her. Not one stumble, stutter, or incoherent sentence, but why was she squirming like that? She must have changed positions four or five times already. I got a sinking feeling when I realized those were poses meant to have an alluring effect on Deputy Ben.
Deputy Ben smiled. “You came to the right person. Setting up a neighborhood watch program in The Lakes would be my pleasure. It is definitely needed there. I’m surprised they didn’t organize one before now.” While Deputy Ben was talking, CeCe was still striking poses. “If that chair is uncomfortable for you, ma’am, I can get you a different chair.” Ben suggested.
CeCe froze, realizing she’d been too obvious. “No, no,” she assured him. “These shoes are just hurting my feet, but it’s so kind of you to offer. You’re quite a gentleman.”
Speaking of too obvious. She could just throw herself at his feet and be done with it.
Now hold on. Do my eyes deceive me, or is he eating up these compliments? This is like a bad old movie. Oh well, this is what she wanted – things to go well with Deputy Ben. Behold her success.
“You can tell your mothers to rest easy. Our crackerjack team of deputies is hot on the trail of this murderer, so he’ll soon be behind bars,” Deputy Ben declared with a warm smile for CeCe.
I looked around the room. Crackerjack team, huh? Well, they must all be taking their afternoon naps before the crackerjack team gets crackin’, because there was a definite air of absolutely nothing crackin’ right then.
Deputy Ben reached across his desk and handed CeCe a bag of information on neighborhood watch programs.
“Just have your mothers call to set up a time for me to come out and speak to the community,” he instructed. “In a short meeting I can tell them everything they need to know to get things started. They’ll be feeling a lot safer real soon.” Once again he gave us the reassuring smile. “Oh, and please be sure to tell them that if they ever feel threatened or see any suspicious activity, they should dial 911 immediately.”
“I’m sure it makes them feel safer just knowing you’re here. I know it makes me feel safer,” CeCe flirted shamelessly.
“It’s my job, ma’am.” Deputy Ben said with a smile.
No, really? I have this overwhelming urge to change the channel. I can tell CeCe’s excited, though. She obviously feels this has been going very well for her.
Just then the front desk little girl walked up, flashed Ben a smile, handed him some coffee, and said, “Just the way you like it, Ben.”
CeCe’s jaw hit the floor, and she shot me an I-told-you-so look. When Ben smiled at the too pretty front desk girl and checked her out a little as she walked away, my heart sank for CeCe. She wouldn’t take this well.
When Deputy Ben dragged his eyes back to us, he asked, “Anything else I can help you ladies with today?”
CeCe practically shouted, “No,” and peered at him through slits. Ben looked confused as he could feel the temperature had changed in the room, but he didn’t understand why.
We stood up to leave, and I gave him a small smile and tiny wave. We made our way out of the police station. As soon as we climbed in and closed the car doors, CeCe let it fly.
“Can you believe that?” she shouted.
“No, I can’t,” I said emphatically, shaking my head.
“What a trampy little slut,” CeCe exclaimed.
Oh, she’s going that way with it. I thought we’d be upset with Ben, but apparently we hate Little Miss Front Desk. Alrighty then.
“She’s a disgrace to the uniform,” she stressed while pointing at the building for emphasis.
“Well, look at it this way. Things were going very well for you for a few minutes there. Obviously, he’s not completely under her spell,” I pointed out. That lightened her mood a little.
“That’s true,” she said thoughtfully. “And the love that I k
now will be between Deputy Ben and I cannot be denied. I have faith in our love.”
Um, okay. I’ll let that go, because I will not be the one to break her heart. He’ll have to do that all by himself.
Her resolve back, CeCe said, “Do you want to go shopping? I need a killer outfit to wear to the neighborhood watch meeting.”
“Sure, but later,” I said, “We better get back to the shop. We’ve left Fry there too long already.”
CeCe glanced at her watch. “You’re right. Poor Fry. We better hurry.” CeCe’s phone rang, “Pour some sugar on . . .,” we both started to sing.
“Hello,” she said, “Oh, hi Mother. Eliza’s funeral is tomorrow morning?” She shot me a ‘remember that’ look. “Of course we can make it. Uh-huh that dress would be perfect. I don’t know what I’m wearing. Yes, I’ll make it conservative. I promise. Okay, see you tomorrow. No, we won’t be late.” CeCe, hung up and gave me a ‘did you get all that’ look.
I did.
CHAPTER 4
Before I was emotionally ready for it, Wednesday morning arrived. I’m never really prepared for a funeral.
“We’re meeting the sisters there aren’t we?” I yelled down the hall as I pulled on my stockings under my maroon princess seamed dress. When CeCe and I were teenagers, we began referring to our mothers collectively as “the sisters.” At that age, since girls tend to disagree with parental figures from time to time, there were undoubtedly moments the reference included some negative connotations. At this point in our lives, the reference to our mothers as “the sisters” was not only a habit but also a term of endearment. We were each fond of our aunt as well as our mother and didn’t want to think of a time when they wouldn’t be our team of loved ones, butting into our lives at every opportunity.
NOT What I Was Expecting Page 5