by Julie Allan
She gave Aunt Dorothy a quick peck on the cheek and retrieved the pimento cheese spread from the fridge and a basket of crackers to go with it. She gave Lucky and Ella a treat and headed out the door. It was a short drive to Scott and Amy’s; although both of them had grown up in the Old Village, they had bought a house in a golf course development called Snee Farm. Their house was in a cul-de-sac, perfect for their four kids and only blocks from the club house and pool.
Lizzie was a little surprised to see how many cars seemed to be there and when she approached the door she could hear the promised small gathering was much larger than anticipated. Although as the door opened and Bennett welcomed her in, she was grateful for the crowd.
Amy came towards her. “Lizzie, so glad you could make it! This party has taken on a life of its own! We kept running into people all week and the guest list kept getting bigger and bigger,” Amy offered, almost apologetically in her explanation. She seemed to sense Lizzie’s unease.
“Sounds like it’s going to be fun,” Lizzie replied, as if trying to convince herself. Bennett had disappeared as fast as he had appeared and Lizzie found herself looking around for him. She spied him just as he stepped out onto the back porch. “Um ... here is the pimento cheese spread as requested.”
“Great! Let’s put that out on the dining room table. I’m keeping the food in there so we don’t have to worry about bugs or heat,” Amy replied. “You won’t believe who I ran into at the farmer’s market this week; your one and only best bud, M.A.! She and Jim are in town through the weekend and they are coming tonight, just as soon as they drop off the girl’s at Jim’s parent’s house. M.A. says they have spent the past couple of days just chauffeuring the kids between her parent’s house and his parent’s house for equitable visitation. The grandparents apparently are very jealous of each other,” Amy continued.
“I’m not surprised,” Lizzie said. “Their Christmas card this year in those smocked dresses was too cute. I can’t wait to catch up with her.”
Amy went off to attend to some of the other guests and Lizzie went in search of the wine. She thought about her friendship with M.A., Mary Ann to the majority of the world. They had been friends for as long as she could remember. She had been M.A.’s maid of honor and M.A. had been her matron of honor. M.A. had married her high school sweetheart Jim and the two couples, M.A. and Jim and she and Bennett, had been tight. When Lizzie and Bennett had broken up it had been hardest on M.A. and Jim. M.A. had been supportive of her relationship with Mark, but Mark had been critical of her friendship with M.A. and when they had left to go to Columbia for Mark’s law school, he had discouraged close contact between the friends. Despite his efforts, they had done a good job staying in touch at first. Then Jim, a Citadel engineering grad, had gotten a job offer with a firm in Richmond, Virginia and with M.A., who had earned her nursing degree from the Medical University, had pulled up their roots and relocated. In the past six years they had doubled their family with two beautiful girls, Elizabeth (Lizzie’s namesake and god child) and Rebecca. So over time the friends had been caught up in their separate lives, talking on the phone occasionally and exchanging Christmas cards. So it came as no surprise to Lizzie that she had been unaware the Huttos were in town for a family visit, or that M.A. was unaware she was still here after the funeral or the circumstances that brought her home to stay.
Lizzie took a moment to scan the crowd. She recognized a lot of faces and a few new ones. People smiled at her and she smiled back. At first she chose to chat with the new folks who would know nothing of her, then slowly made the rounds to old acquaintances as she gained confidence. All her old pals graciously offered condolences about Uncle George and inquired after Aunt Dorothy. All were careful to avoid mentioning Mark or inquiring to his whereabouts, which told her the community grapevine was alive and well.
She appreciated the fact she did not need to explain and enjoyed that a few souls dared to make a brief comment to the effect of good riddance, you deserve so much better, all indicating they believed her to be in the right and Mark in the wrong. She needed to feel accepted and not judged and her friends were accommodating that in spades. It was also enjoyable to learn how the past few years had passed for these acquaintances and she regretted she had not done a better job keeping in touch.
By the time she had made the rounds she felt like she had slipped into a comfortable pair of pajamas. Being social with this crowd was so different from the crowd Mark had insisted they socialize with. Here she was accepted as herself and she genuinely liked the people, her people, around her. Conspicuously absent from each little group she chatted with was Bennett. He always seemed to be moving onto the next group as she would approach. Was he avoiding her? Part of her wanted to share the news about the business with him, but she was a little afraid. What if he thought it was a lame idea? She did mention to a few folks that she was in the process of launching a new business, careful not to reveal too much. She received encouraging feedback that she had a winning concept.
“Lizzie!!!” she turned to see M.A. leaping towards her and the two embraced. Immediately she felt a piece of her soul warm, her friendship with M.A. had been greatly missed. Now she had a chance to rekindle that connection. “Let’s grab some wine and find a spot we can talk. I know just the place!” M.A. took charge, grabbing a bottle in one hand and two glasses in the other while simultaneously hustling Lizzie into the backyard and over to two Adirondack style chairs tucked in the corner. Amy had thoughtfully set up citronella torches thinking guests might like to sit and visit.
“Now before you say anything, I didn’t know you were here, until I ran into Amy at the farmer’s market. I heard about Uncle George of course,” M.A. began and Lizzie interrupted.
“Aunt Dorothy loved the hydrangea bush you sent and had me plant it in the garden immediately.”
“I’m so glad, I’m just sorry I couldn’t be here,” M. A. continued. “The girls were still in school; Virginia had a crazy amount of snow days this year. And before you try and find a way to tell me about Mark, I already know.”
“Let me guess, Amy again?” Lizzie stated more than asked.
“Actually it was my littlest sister, Rachael. Can you believe she is all grown up and working as a paralegal for Mr. Lee? Anyway, she handled some paperwork and although she realizes she should not talk about client’s business, she felt she had to make an exception in this case because she was worried about you. So ... at first I didn’t believe her and I sent a card to your address in Greenville and it came back to me, return to sender forwarding address unknown.”
Lizzie thought to herself while M.A. talked on, I can’t believe Mark didn’t even have the decency to forward my mail! I need to see what Mr. Lee can do about that! I wonder what else I might have missed.
“Then we were coming here this week so I knew I could find out what was going on from Aunt Dorothy, but before I could check in I ran into Amy, and she said you would be here tonight. The tug of war between my parent’s and Jim’s, well frankly it is wearing me out, we need our own turf in this town, which brings me to the best news of all. Jim interviewed with a local firm yesterday and it looks really promising. If it all works out we will be moving back here too!”
M.A. paused to take a sip of her wine and Lizzie chimed in, “I see we are starting in right where we left off, you talking a mile a minute and me waiting for you to drink so I can get a word in edgewise.”
The two friends giggled and looked at each other. That was how you knew if a friendship was lifelong, when regardless of time or place that came between, once reunited there was a natural continuation of what had always been and the time past was but a blink.
M.A. sat back against the chair and let out a deep breath, “I’m going to show you my grown up self. I will sit and sip and you will talk my ear off, starting with how you came to your senses and what are your plans now and why despite my scintillating company I keep catch
ing you spying glimpses of Bennett and tracking his movements.”
Lizzie began to protest, but M.A. held up her hand, “Talk, woman, and don’t leave out any details. Let’s see how accurate the grapevine is these days.”
So Lizzie sat back as well and spilled her soul; what had happened with Mark, her initial confusion and lack of direction and the soul searching and truth facing she had been working through. She told her how she had developed a plan and had even made concrete moves to put that plan into action, at least in the area of her professional life. She admitted she was still floundering when it came to her heart and shared her wish to find a good man.
Although she left out the encounters she had with Bennett, she did not want M.A. jumping on the “reunite with Bennett” bandwagon. M.A. grimaced and tsked while she told the tale of Mark and how their marriage had crumbled. She grinned and nodded as Lizzie shared her plans for a new business and Aunt Dorothy’s plans to take a world tour.
“I remember in high school, when you wanted to earn money to get a new surf board and you sold boxes of biscuits door to door around the neighborhood. I do hope you are going to offer those in your café. What are you going to call it anyway?” M.A. asked.
“I’m not sure, but I’m getting a brainstorm here ... what do you think of ... of The Biscuit Box?” Lizzie looked at M.A’s face for her reaction.
“I think that sounds like a place I’d like to eat,” M.A. laughed. “So now that I have sparked your brain on that issue, let’s see what we can do about you and Bennett.”
“Please M.A. don’t start, that relationship ended a long time ago. Besides Bennett seems to be directionless as ever, I can’t even figure out what he does for a living,” Lizzie replied.
“You mean you don’t know?” started M.A.
“Know what?” Lizzie asked.
Before M.A. could answer, though, M.A’s husband joined them.
“I hate to break up the reunion, but mom just called. Elizabeth has been throwing up for the past hour and while Grandma knows what to do, the patient only wants her mama.”
“Well, duty calls,” M.A. said as she stood up and handed her empty glass to Jim. “We will continue this conversation very soon, my love. I’ll call you.”
“Okay, I hope Elizabeth is feeling better soon. Jim, you better drive. M.A. had the lion’s share of that bottle,” Lizzie said, and gave them both a quick hug. They slipped into the house to make their goodbyes to their hostess.
I wonder what M.A. knows about Bennett? Lizzie wondered, but before she could muse on it too long one of the other guests came over, gushing about her pimento cheese spread and wondering if Lizzie could share the recipe. Flattered, Lizzie wrote it out on a napkin and as she finished, Amy who had come up on the other side of Lizzie, said, “Be careful, you don’t want to give all your trade secrets away.”
“How did you know about my new business?” Lizzie asked.
“I happen to be the bookkeeper for B.E.W. Enterprises and the new lease agreement was brought to my attention. I will be noting all your rent payments in the ledger,” she explained.
“Well, I promise to be consistent and pay on time,” Lizzie assured her.
“I have no doubt about that. I can’t wait until you are open. I think you will be an instant hit among the locals and will attract tourist dollars as well,” Amy shared.
“Thank you for your enthusiastic support and thank you for putting this gathering together; it was just what I needed to reconnect,” Lizzie said, giving Amy a hug. Amy hugged her back and whispered in her ear,
“It’s good to have you back where you belong.”
Lizzie enjoyed listening to the tales of friends and their adventures in parenting. After another glass of wine as the crowd began to thin, Lizzie felt emboldened enough to approach Bennett with the intention of confronting him. She wanted to know if he was avoiding her and if so why. She found him standing in the grass chatting with Scott. She walked up and Scott, sensing she was a woman on a mission, made a gracious and speedy exit, leaving the pair standing there.
“I’m just going to lay it out there, have you been avoiding me tonight?”
“Actually I have,” Bennett responded, catching Lizzie off guard.
She had anticipated he would deny her accusation. “Why the hell would you do that?” She blurted out before the truth of his response had hit her.
As soon as she said it, she wished she could take it back. She did not really want him to answer, as much as she had protested the idea of rekindling their relationship, she did not think her ego could handle the knowledge that he had closed the door on the idea before it could even be explored.
“It’s not what you think, I’m sure,” Bennett answered with a hint of exasperation, or was that sarcasm?
Lizzie did not have confidence in her ability to read people these days, least of all people of the male variety.
“It’s just that since you’ve been back, you have kinda told me six ways to Sunday, you really don’t want me around,” he continued.
Lizzie sputtered as she tried to come up with a plausible response. The truth was he had interpreted her correctly, but she didn’t want him to know that.
As she backed away, she managed to mutter, “It’s not that I don’t want you around, it’s just all I’m dealing ...”
“Lizzie, stop!” Bennett shouted interrupting her lame attempt to justify her behavior over the past month and a half. He was too late. Lizzie felt the ground fly out from beneath her as she fell backwards, landing in the kids’ baby pool.
In her attempt to back away from Bennett she had inadvertently in true Lizzie style, made a less than gracious exit. Lizzie sat stunned, the water sloshing around her. Amy and Scott came running.
Scott helped her up, while Amy scolded him, “Didn’t I tell you to empty that and put it away before the party? I knew something like this would happen. I’m so sorry, Lizzie!”
“Oh, no big deal, at least I didn’t melt like the Wicked Witch of the West,” Lizzie replied and found herself laughing at her own mortification, which instantly put the hosts and the remaining guests at ease.
Despite the warm air, Lizzie felt a chill as her wet dress clung to her and she made a lame attempt to wring it out. Bennett had found a towel and handed it to her. She wrapped up and took Amy up on an offer to borrow some dry clothes from her. After a plate of food to make sure she was sober enough to drive, with her wet clothes stowed in a plastic bag, she said her goodbyes assuring Amy and Scott, no harm, no foul.
Later as Lizzie drove home, Amy’s words came back to her, glad to have you back where you belong. She smiled as she realized Amy and M.A. were again part of her life and they genuinely wanted her in their lives. She felt another piece of her life slide back into place.
Chapter Eight
Lizzie stood outside the location for The Biscuit Box in anticipation of getting started. The heat was already building despite the early hour. The Carolina blue sky had barely a cloud in sight and the sunlight was almost blinding as it bounced off the white exterior of the building. Lizzie was grateful that the small back parking lot was heavily shaded by a mature live oak tree, its Spanish moss barely stirring in the thick air. Hopefully the sea breeze would kick in later to bring some relief.
The Biscuit Box ... leave it to M.A. to be the inspiration for the perfect name. She had a knack for saying just the right thing to get Lizzie on track. So why didn’t she listen to her about Mark? Thinking back she couldn’t recall talking to her much about him until after they were engaged. M.A. had been so busy in nursing school and keeping up with Jim at the Citadel, and Mark had always tried to get her to be friends with his hand selected acquaintances. Plus just like Aunt Dorothy and Uncle George, she probably thought Lizzie knew what she was doing. Lizzie knew she wouldn’t have listened to M.A.’s misgivings about Mark any more than anyone else’s.
The sound of a motor jarred her back to the present.
A work truck and van pulled into the parking lot, both bearing the logo for B.E.W. Enterprises, and a crew of seven men got out. Bennett was one of them. He wore a t-shirt and shorts, but he had work boots on his feet. He also had on a ball cap, something he had worn religiously as a teenager.
“Good morning Lizzie,” he said as he handed her a large brown envelope with B.E.W. Enterprises’ logo on it and a set of keys.
“My, my Bennett, you sure put your handyman skills to good use,” Lizzie replied, taking the keys up to the door and unlocking it.
The men unloaded some equipment and Bennett pulled out the plans and asked Lizzie if these were indeed the plans she had submitted and when she gave the acknowledgement that they were, he said, “Alright men, let’s get to tearing out that bar.”
“I see you are elevated to foreman on this job,” Lizzie said. Bennett just grinned and tipped his cap to her and jumped right into the demolition.
Lizzie headed to the kitchen and began a fresh inspection of her equipment, making a list of supplies she still needed to get. She also got down to the business of giving everything a serious scrubbing. Over the next several hours the crew worked out in the front and Lizzie worked in the back, although through the door Lizzie could see Bennett stepping out to take phone calls quite frequently and leaving the bulk of the work to the other men. By lunch time the space was cleared of debris and cleaned up, ready for paint. Lizzie looked around the kitchen, now gleaming and ready for use. Her arms ached but her soul soared.
The men left for lunch and Lizzie went down the street to get a sandwich at the deli and some iced tea. She walked despite the heat. It was not very far and she realized that on some days she would be able to ride her bike to work. It gave her the feeling of living in a small town, despite the growth and sprawl that had come to Mount Pleasant in the past few decades. Another nice thing about the Coleman location was that folks heading out to Sullivan’s Island would pass her way. At the deli she ordered a sub sandwich and then introduced herself to the shop owner.