by Tonya Kappes
“Your aunt?” she says, reading the confusion in my face.
“My aunt?” I question. And it clicks. “My Aunt Grace. She called you?”
“Yes. She helped me get my start in fashion years ago.” She pulls a frame from her bookshelf of a much younger Aunt Grace, sporting a vintage Gucci. If I know Gucci and I know Gucci, she is holding the 1960s pale taupe calfskin bag. “We were sad to lose her when she had to quit and take custody of her twelve-year-old niece.”
My heart is breaking. I can’t believe she had a life like mine and gave it all away for me.
“I’m that twelve-year-old niece.” I feel shame.
“Yes, I know.” Judith took the frame and put it back on the shelf. “I must say, I was taken aback when I heard she passed last week.” Judith pulls that 1960s bag from a Gucci dust bag, “Grace sent me this just a few days before her passing.”
Judith hands me the bag. I open it to find Aunt Grace’s letter to Judith and a few Beadnicks sample bracelets she must’ve taken when she stayed with me. The letter told Judith my life story, about Gucci and my jewelry line.
“She loves you.” Judith props herself on the edge of her desk and crosses her arms. “And I love your work.”
I think Prudence is as shocked as I am. She doesn’t even try any lawyering.
“I went ahead and showed your line to corporate. I know you have a couple seasons with Saks, but we want to jump on with four seasons.” She gives the paperwork to Prudence.
Prudence gives her approval. With papers signed and the 1960s Gucci on my arm, I can’t believe it. Aunt Grace completely stuck her neck out for me. She is the reason I am sitting here with Judith making the deal of a lifetime.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
That night, everyone gathers at Flatwater to celebration by beading success. I even invited Monk, since he gave me wonderful advice.
Next week, and, for the next twenty-plus years, my life begins and ends with beading.
Staring out at the boats coming and going from the canal, I look up at Al Capone’s mysterious office and get a calm feeling blankets me. Three months ago I would’ve never dreamed I’d be standing here with my three best girlfriends celebrating my new hobby that’s turned into a big success.
The least successful of the four has become the most successful. Talk about irony.
“Congratulations,” Monk says, leaning over the balcony.
“Thank you. You up for the task of being my accountant?” It is the least I can do for all the advice he’s given me. “Wait, how did you hear?”
“Bo.” He looks around. “You know he’s not the same since you’ve been gone. Actually, I’ve never seen him so wiped. It’s funny not seeing him at the bar every night.”
“What do you mean?” I don’t want to hear that he’s been spending all his time with Piper.
“Since he came back from Cincinnati, he doesn’t come to work at night. He hired a night shift manager. Something I’ve been trying to do for months.”
“There you are.” Piper, of all people, walks up behind us. I wince at the thought of Bo following behind. “Congratulations, Hallie. I was telling Monk about it.”
What? My brain that’s going one hundred miles per hour has slammed into my skull.
I bend down and pick my bottom lip off the Flatwater patio when Monk leans over and kisses Piper on the cheek.
“Didn’t you know Monk and I?” Her finger wiggles between the two. “Didn’t Bo tell you?” She laughs and rubs her hand along Monk’s chest.
“No.” I’m blown over, I’m so floored. “I thought you and Bo….”
“What?” She looks appalled at the thought. “What gave you that idea?”
“The day you were in Gucci, you had on Bo’s Wednesday t-shirt and you wanted me to go to Cincinnati .…”
She interrupts me. “You think I sent you away? Hallie, I was going to quit Gucci to be with Monk, but they asked me about a replacement and I suggested you. It was their final decision. As for the t-shirt, I’d stayed the night with Monk at the bar and the only thing there for me to wear was Bo’s t-shirt from his laundry basket.”
Oh my God. I faintly remember Bo telling me that he and Monk do their laundry at the bar, using the washer and dryer there.
“I wondered why you were so mean to me that morning.” She is satisfied, while I’m still miffed.
“Piper, I am so sorry.” I can’t believe how shallow I was, and how stupid I’ve been. Talk about crazy.
“I think you have some explaining to Bo,” she says. and Monk agrees before they walk off hand and hand.
“What was that all about?” Prudence points in Piper and Monk’s direction.
“I think I really messed up.” I can hardly eat my favorite braised short-rib dinner.
“What are you thinking?” Georgia suspiciously takes in my face. She sees my wheels turning. “Don’t do anything to make it worse.”
I have a hard time falling asleep. I really need to talk to Bo, and explain my side of the story. I only hope he can forgive me. I must’ve fallen asleep from worry, because I jump up as soon as my alarm goes off. Quickly, I get a shower and put my hair in a low pony. I put on my forever 21 short running shorts and Bo’s Sunday t-shirt. Since it is Sunday, I might as well keep up the tradition.
Looking in the mirror, the t-shirt is a little long. I tie a knot in the back just above the elastic band of my shorts. I think I’ll start down by the fountain where the real race is going to start.
“Hallie, you’re back.” I’m relieved to see a couple of people from my running group, stretching out. This means Bo is around.
“I am. I didn’t know you would be here.” I lie, yet again with my fingers crossed.
“We’ve been running the route. Looks like you need to catch up.” Bo is standing behind me with a new Sunday shirt on. “Nice shirt. Funny, I lost it in Cincinnati.”
“Funny, I found it in my drawer.”
The group starts without us.
“I heard about last night.” His eyes are much softer at this meeting. “Piper told me everything.”
I can’t bring myself to look at him. It’s hard to face him. Harder than I thought it was going to be.
“I told you that I can’t stand a liar.”
I’ve completely lost him. What a fool I am to wake up and think “Oh, I’ll put on his shirt and run into him and apologize.” I haven’t apologized.
“I know I lied about a few things, but I had good reason to believe you were seeing Piper. She was wearing your Wednesday shirt. The shirt I have ran behind every Wednesday for two years. I show up at your bar several times and you were uninterested. Suddenly you come to Cincinnati and .…” He put his hand up to my mouth. His eyes brighten, dropping his hand, he takes me into his arms and gently kisses me.
“What did we say?” He asks nose to nose.
“Ummm.” I have no freakin’ clue what we said. My mind or body isn’t quite itself right now.
“No commitment until you get back. Right?” He reminds me of the night we made that stupid rule. “You’re back. Can we talk about commitment?”
“Are you saying you forgive me for thinking Piper moved me to Cincinnati to get you away from me and I pretended Wilson was my boyfriend?” I want to make sure I have everything up front.
“About Wilson.” He bit his lower lip.
“I heard you beat the shit out of him.” I fold my hands and put them under my chin, I bat my eyes. “My hero.”
“I thought he was cheating on you with Prudence. I almost hit her, but I don’t hit girls.” He wraps me in his arms. “What about that commitment thing?”
I show him my answer by taking his head in my hands and giving him a million little kisses.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
I carefully wash the china and polish every piece of Aunt Grace’s silver she gave me. With each wipe, I laugh at a new memory I had with her. Things I had forgotten. Good memories. Like the time she took me to Skyline Chili for di
nner when it was my birthday and the time she let me skip school because I stayed up to watch an awards show the night before. She even let me wear one of her furs and a fake tiara during the show. That night, we pretended to be at one of the parties. Good memories. Memories I’ve forgotten about.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Lucy arranges the china in the corner cabinet in our dining room.
“I was thinking about all the good memories I had with Aunt Grace.”
“I think you can look back on all your memories differently and make them good.” She moves the dishes around, trying to situate them perfectly
Lucy is right. All my memories are my memories. They all make me laugh and they all happened to me. I wouldn’t believe the stories unless I lived it.
“What’s going on with you?” I want to change the subject. I heard her on the phone with Beck on several occasions since being home, but I didn’t ask. If she wants me to know, she’ll tell me.
“Well. I haven’t told you, but Beck and I decided to stay in Chicago.” Lucy’s smile says it all.
“Great!” I can tell in her voice she has more to say. “Take it slow and don’t rush.” I smile, thinking of Bo and all the assumptions I let run through my mind over the past three months.
We finish putting the china and silver in the cabinet before Bo pick me up for a real date.
I stand in the window and look over the Chicago skyline, out into the lake. The sun is setting, creating the most beautiful sunset I’ve seen in a long time.
Maybe it’s always been there. Maybe I haven’t taken the time to stop and enjoy. The same holds true for my life.
Something I’ve been looking for all my life actually is my life. At times within the past week, I find myself longing for the late night calls and the crazy situations my aunt put me in. Just like the old saying: family is like chocolate, mostly sweet with a few nuts. Aunt Grace is both, my sweet and my nut.
The End
About the author:
Tonya Kappes is the author of Carpe Bead ‘Em and The Ladybug Jinx (August 2011), her debut women’s fiction novels. She’s also the author of two short stories which can be found in the Something Spooky This Way Comes and Believe Anthologies. Her, co-authored, non-fiction book The Tricked-Out Toolbox, helps writers explore the best promotional and marketing strategies for their career.
Besides being the co-founder of the beyond quirky writer’s grog The Naked Hero (thenakedhero.com), she also is co-founder of The Writer’s Guide to E Publishing (thewritersguidetoepublishing.com).
When she’s not writing about quirky characters and even quirkier situations, she’s busy being the princess, queen and jester of her domain which includes her BFF husband, her four teenage boys and two dogs.
Why write a book with beading elements? Once upon a time, Tonya was the proud co-owner of a very successful beading company, Beadnicks LLC.
Click on the titles below to read more books by Tonya Kappes
The Ladybug Jinx
Splitsville.com
Table of Contents
Copyright
Also by Tonya Kappes
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six
Week Seven
Week Eight
Week Nine
Week Ten
Week Eleven
Week Twelve
About the author:
Click on the titles below to read more books by Tonya Kappes