“I… about the Z, thing…” Elaine softly chuckled. Embarrassment. It did things to her. “Like I said, my real name starts with a Z. Elaine is my middle name. My mom named me Zareah because she liked how it looked and sounded, but I couldn’t say it when I was a little kid, so I always went by Elaine. My mom didn’t like that very much.” More chuckling. “I’m sorry,” she said when she finally got her voice to calm down. “I decided to go by Z online because I thought it would make it harder for people to know who I was. Meanwhile…” she glanced at Frankie again. “Fran, huh? Does anyone actually call you that in real life?”
“No,” she admitted. “You know by now I’m not super creative. My real name is Francis. Everyone calls me Frankie. That’s how it’s always been. I guess I thought that by going by a nickname of a nickname I would somehow protect myself online. Ah, I can hear my brother now. He’s yelling at me, somewhere.”
“He seems like a good guy.” Elaine suddenly had a new thought. “Was he the one who…”
“Keeps butting his nose into us? I didn’t mean for him to find out, but he saw my phone after you kinda revealed who you were. Ever since, he’s been trying to figure out your real motives.”
“My real motives?”
“I mean, forgive me, but my first thought was that you were some stalker who not only located where I lived, but moved here and opened a damn business… and now that I say it out loud, I realize how stupid it sounds.”
I could see how it would come across after she realizes the great coincidence of our lives… Elaine didn’t know how she would react had the roles been reversed. Then again, she wasn’t as cautious as Frankie, who probably thought she’d have to pack her bags in the middle of the night and make a completely clean getaway before Elaine murdered her in her sleep.
“It’s not stupid. I’m sorry I freaked out like that. But… what kind of crazy coincidence is this, anyway?” Elaine snorted, her breath instantly turning to gray in the cold November – no, wait, it was the first of December, wasn’t it? – air. “I had no idea you lived here. You had no idea I was coming. Yet two people, from two different parts of America, met online and eventually lived in the same tiny town together. What are the damned odds?”
“Pretty good, apparently.”
Elaine snickered at such droll humor, that translated better in real life than it had online. “So you’re not mad at me?”
“Why in the world would I be mad at you?” Frankie shrugged. “I’d only be mad if it really did turn out that you were a stalker. Because I don’t have a lot of time for that.”
“No, I suppose not. You’re a really busy woman, huh?”
“You have no idea,” Frankie muttered. Then, “Not as busy as you might think. I do a lot for work, but once I go home at the end of the day, I mostly sit around and watch TV and text would-be stalkers, I guess.”
“I sorta guessed you did.”
“Really, now. What gave me away? How promptly I responded to your texts?”
“You could say that.” Elaine bit her lip before looking away. “You know… I could still really use your expertise with my business. You were always generous about opening a business in a small town, but now that it turns out we’re both in the same one… well, you know a lot specifically about this one, huh?”
“Guess you could say that.”
“You said so yourself that you don’t have much to do outside of your store hours. Doesn’t it get lonely watching those TV shows by yourself?”
“I don’t watch them by myself,” Frankie said with a huff. “I’ve got Dominic watching while he plays those games of his.”
“Sounds super exciting.”
“You don’t know half of the fun I have around here.”
“Maybe you should have someone new join you sometimes. You know, if you ever get bored watching those shows by yourself. I mean, with Dominic watching with you while he plays some games.”
Frankie shuffled where she sat, as if it were warm enough for her to need to air out her thighs. Isn’t she cute when she’s embarrassed? I always loved people who were easily embarrassed. It’s so easy to mess with them a little. “My brother does his best to keep me company,” Frankie said, keeping her eyes away from Elaine’s, as usual. Was this a preview for what it might be like to be in a relationship with her? Perish the thought. I better not get ahead of myself. Although the more Elaine contemplated it, the more alluring the thought of having a girlfriend like Frankie became. She really is something else. Really pretty, too. Elaine didn’t usually hand out compliments like those, so when she thought someone looked good, she really meant it. Now, how could she tell Frankie that without freaking her out?
“We can take things really slow, you know.”
Ah, yes. That would do the trick. Like it would help knock Frankie over with the brunt force of being asked out by the new girl in town.
“I don’t know… what are you…”
Elaine chuckled. “You trying to tell me we don’t have any chemistry?”
“I don’t know nothing about no chemistry.”
“Uh huh.” That only made Elaine laugh harder. “You’re a treat, you know that?”
“I’m sorry. Back up. Were you asking me out just now?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Elaine asked. “You’re already my best friend, even if you didn’t know it. How about we, you know, hang out a bit more? You tell me your secret business tips, maybe I accidentally bend over in front of you while wearing a short skirt…”
“This is very silly,” Frankie insisted. “The absolute silliest.”
“So I’m coming home to hang out with you and Dominic right now, right? Because it’s freakin’ cold out here, and I’ve about had it.” Elaine stood, motioning for Frankie to follow her. “Now that we’ve got the hard stuff out of the way, I could really use a drink. You’ve got some stuff at home, right? Or should we swing by the store and pick up some ciders?”
Although Frankie looked at her as if she had lost her mind, she didn’t hesitate to stand up and follow Elaine to the edge of the park. “Is this how it’s gonna be? You gonna boss me around, new girl?”
“Only if you need bossin’.”
“I’m older than you! I have more business experience than you!”
“You also can’t make eye contact with me without losing your shit, so I say I have the upper hand here.”
Frankie looked at her as if she had unlocked a minor mystery of the universe. One that would hopefully continue to expand around them as they explored this crazy corner of the world called “complicated relationships.”
They left the park in the nick of time. As soon as they crossed the street, it started to rain.
Chapter 17
FRANKIE
For the first time since opening her deli, Frankie was hard at work at somebody else’s shop.
It had only been a week since she and Elaine had sorted out their business, but in that week, Frankie had decided that if she wanted her new (old?) friend around, she better roll up her sleeves and get to work in Tea & Thyme.
Didn’t it carry an extra incentive, anyway? Elaine worked on the weekends, since logic dictated that was when people were more likely to go out and have a fancy tea party with their friends and family. I have to hand it to her, she’s done a pretty good job creating a brand. Elaine’s biggest hindrance, beyond her limited audience, was getting the word out. Frankie did what she could throughout the week, from putting fliers up on the door to her deli to handing out coupons to Tea & Thyme with every order over $5. When Heaven stopped in to pick up some ground beef, she balked at the coupons and wondered when she could strike up a partnership with Frankie. How long had they been operating their businesses across the street from each other, anyway?
Although Frankie knew that was a sarcastic suggestion, she couldn’t help but choke on the mint in her mouth when Heaven said it.
Yeah, it was pretty obvious that she and Elaine had something going on, huh?
They decide
d to come out with it. Maybe not with a romantic relationship on the table, but at least with their having known one another before Elaine moved there. “Frankie wasn’t the one who convinced me to come to Paradise Valley,” Elaine told a blogger for a regional food and drink site. “I had already been visiting off and on for a few years. Starting a business here was purely because I wanted to be around likeminded women. Like Francis, I suppose!”
She had given that interview at city hall, and more than one person overheard her saying Frankie’s real name. The double takes and laughter had been enough for Frankie to tell them to yuck it up now while she tolerated it.
Dominic was the one most on cloud nine, though, and he wasn’t the one in a relationship!
Yet that was how he ended up putting on an apron that following weekend, when Christina got the day off to go join her mother in California for a fun birthday weekend with the new girlfriend. When Frankie pointed out that Dominic never willingly put on an apron in a deli, he pointed to the platter he carried and said, “You got fancy stuff like this in your deli, Sis? No? Just raw meats doused in chiles? That’s what I thought.”
“You hear how he sasses me?” Frankie muttered to Elaine, who waited for a couple to sniff the tins of tea leaves and make their ultimate decisions. “Can you believe the disrespect?”
Elaine snorted into the back of her hand. When she realized Frankie was only half-joking, she twisted her smile into a neutral frown and said, “Oh, you’re serious? Because I think he’s absolutely darling.”
“You would. You don’t have to live with him.”
They glanced at Dominic, who placed the plates of cookies and pot of tea on a table for two. His animated hands gestured to the water dispenser in the corner. When he was satisfied that the customers were happy, he walked back to the counter, grabbed a rag, and with a wink to the women at the register, went to wipe down a few of the other tables.
“Yeah, must be so hard,” Elaine said. “By the way,” she put a hand on Frankie’s arm, “are you still coming upstairs tonight to watch that movie I was telling you about?”
“I don’t understand why we can’t watch it at my place. Way more room. I can tell Dominic to scram if it’s privacy you’re worried about.” Privacy! Like they were gonna start making out! We’re taking this so slowly that we haven’t kissed yet. I’m not in a hurry, either. Frankie was fine with calling this a tentative introduction to dating again, but it was still an adjustment for her. She wouldn’t get mad if people implied Elaine was her girlfriend, but she also wouldn’t scream it from the rooftops, either.
“You don’t have Hulu,” Elaine pointed out. “It’s a Hulu original.”
“I could like… download it… you know…”
“Admit you’re not ready to come up to my place yet. Although it’s right there.” Elaine pointed overhead.
Frankie was saved from having to respond by the sudden onslaught of rain hitting the windows. The few customers in the shop glanced outside and shuddered. While it meant they would probably hang around a little longer, nobody would be in a hurry to come inside, either.
“Well,” Elaine said with a sigh. “The customers were nice while they lasted.”
Dominic looked up from his cleaning. Not at the rain, but at the clock hanging on a post in the middle of the bright room. “I have a good feeling,” he said.
“What? If we brew it, they will come?” Frankie asked.
He shrugged. “Sure.”
Elaine was soon distracted by the customers ready to order. Frankie busied herself with heating up the cookies while Dominic hopped into brewing the tea. Between the two of them, the order was more or less ready by the time the couple sat down along the wall. All that remained was a little more steeping, and…
Frankie didn’t have much time to think about things out of her control, for the door soon slammed open, admitting a small group of people.
A small group that soon turned into a much bigger group.
“What the…” Elaine was prepared to serve the couple their drinks, but had been thoroughly distracted by the dozen or so people shuffling into the teashop, their raingear drenched and their bags soggy from the rain. Dominic stepped in and took the platter from Elaine. “What’s going on here?”
Frankie snorted when she realized who one of the customers was. “Hey, Cindy.”
Cindy Smith stepped forward, shawl coming off her head and fake smile big enough to take up the whole teashop. Behind her, the elderly and middle-aged people dressed in their Sunday best milled about for a decent place to sit. As soon as Dominic was done serving the other customers, he turned to them, offering to help push tables together and to grab menus.
“You work here now, Frankie?” Cindy asked, gesturing to the apron on Frankie’s person.
“Work? Just helping out a friend on my day off.”
“How generous of you! Christ always said we must help our fellow neighbor, after all.”
Elaine’s eyes widened. Clearly, she had no idea what Christ had to do with this, but Frankie had a good idea.
Dominic was the one who voiced it as he stepped by and whispered in his sister’s ear, “Church groups!”
“Hope you don’t mind I brought some of the Forever Young over from church,” Cindy said to Elaine, who was nothing but relieved grins as she stood behind the register. “Denise Forsythe was telling me the other day that this was a lovely place. She was here right after opening weekend, I believe, with her sister Doreen?”
Elaine’s face lit up. “I remember them, yes!”
“Lovely! They’ve been meaning to come back, I hear, but Doreen recently had the flu so it’s been slow glowing. Still, thought it was a good opportunity to bring the folks over! We’ve really been hurting for a place a little bigger than Heaven’s to congregate after service. Most of them eat pretty big breakfasts and only want a light lunch. Tea is absolutely perfect.”
Elaine handed Cindy a menu. “We have lots of tea! In fact, feel free to take any of the samples off the wall and give them to your friends for a sniff.”
“Sounds darling! Will do.”
“Told you so,” Dominic muttered on his way back by. “Jesus probably loved tea, anyway.”
Frankie really wanted to say something sarcastic back at him, but the mirth on Elaine’s face was too sweet to ruin. Look at her. So proud of her business. Yes, church groups would be a huge boon to get Tea & Thyme off the ground. They made up some of the biggest clubs in Paradise Valley, and met at least twice a week if one included Wednesday. Good, solid money that one could count on right there!
“Huh,” Frankie muttered. “Guess I better get my ass busy.” She turned to Elaine and offered to man the register so the owner of the fine establishment could go schmooze her new customers.
Their brief touch as Frankie turned Elaine toward the growing table of customers was enough to put blush on both of their cheeks.
“No mind,” Elaine said with a sweet smile. “You gonna be okay over here?”
One moment ago, Frankie would have merely shrugged. Yet seeing that excitement on Elaine’s face made her say, “I’ll be fine. You go live your dream.”
Elaine charged forward, happily welcoming her new customers over the sounds of the rain slamming against the windows. While others commented on the sheer force of the rain as if it were the most interesting spectacle of the day, Frankie rearranged some of the items on the front counter and prepared to take orders for tea and treats.
Elaine positively glowed against the backdrop of raindrops sliding down the front windows of her newborn baby.
Sometimes, it was nice to be reminded of the sweeter things in life.
THE END
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DECEMBER WISHES
(A Year In Paradise #12)
Almost one year ago Skylar moved to Paradise Valley with her best friend Mik, hoping to recharge and take in some small town life while she’s still young enough to appreciate it.
Unfortunately, the year has not been kind to Skylar. Between a dead-end job, a best friend who is absorbed in her rekindled romance, and being disconnected from her old life back in Portland, Skylar desperately needs something to happen.
The final book in A YEAR IN PARADISE, December Wishes both explores Skylar’s quest to fit in and checks in with our other couples throughout the year. Join us as we celebrate Christmas in Paradise!
DECEMBER 15th
Hildred Billings is a Japanese and Religious Studies graduate who has spent her entire life knowing she would write for a living someday. She has lived in Japan a total of four times in four different locations, from the heights of the Japanese alps to the hectic Tokyo suburbs, with a life in Shikoku somewhere in there too. When she’s not writing, however, she spends most of her time talking about Asian pop music, cats, and bad 80’s fantasy movies with anyone who will listen…or not.
Her writing centers around themes of redemption, sexuality, and death, sometimes all at once. Although she enjoys writing in the genre of fantasy the most, she strives to show as much reality as possible through her characters and situations, since she’s a furious realist herself.
Currently, Hildred lives in Oregon with her girlfriend and dreams of a cat.
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November Rains (A Year in Paradise Book 11) Page 11