The Eyes Have It

by Julie Allan

  Without a word Lizzie stepped out the back door and shook off all that she could. Why did it seem that every time she had an encounter with Bennett, losing her dignity was par for the encounter? She returned to see Bennett had even gotten out the vacuum to finish the job.

  “Thanks, Bennett, I promise to be a more responsible tenant and be more careful with the alarm,” Lizzie said as she kept her eyes on the counter, again afraid to look him in the eye.

  “No worries, it looks great around here. I can’t believe how much you have accomplished in such a short time. I will definitely be at the friends and family trial run next week. Thanks for including me.”

  Lizzie looked up at him briefly and saw he was smiling at her and she relaxed a little. “Since you’re here, do you want some iced tea, while I finish baking this tray of benne wafers?” Lizzie offered.

  “Thanks, but I was on my way to meet someone. I’ll take a rain check though,” he said.

  Lizzie followed Bennett to the front door to lock it behind him, promising him that she would set the alarm before she left. She watched from the dark storefront as he pulled away. I wonder who the someone is he's off to meet? Immediately, Lizzie chided herself for caring. After all, I've already declared that my relationship with Bennett is not to be resurrected beyond friendship. Then again, why did I make that declaration?

  She felt her cheeks burn as she remembered the night they had broken up a decade ago. She had informed him that now that she was off to college and he was staying home to go to college here, they needed to end things. She was off to find a man with a plan, who had some ambition. She felt guilty as she recalled how judgmental she had been of Bennett and now look, he was a successful business man and she had little to show for investing in a “man with a plan.”

  Lizzie sighed and went back in the kitchen and finished baking her benne wafers. Her mind wandered back to Bennett and curiosity or ... was it jealousy that he had gone to meet “someone,” a girlfriend perhaps?

  When she got home and took the dogs out she checked her phone and found two text messages. One from M.A., they were set for Tuesday night to double date and the other message was from Bennett. It said, “Lizzie you are one of the most responsible people I know. The Biscuit Box will be an instant success.”

  Lizzie smiled and texted back a simple, “Thanks.”

  The preparation days were a blur of vendors, printers, and planning for the friends and family trial run on Wednesday and the grand opening on Friday. So, pleased that all was finally in place, Tuesday late afternoon she locked up and set the alarm and headed home to get ready for the promised double date, grateful for the distraction and the knowledge she would have friends along.

  She chose a pair of white capri jeans and a royal blue cotton tunic trimmed in green piping and she went with a silver sand dollar necklace and silver drop earrings. Once again, she slipped the emerald cocktail ring over her wedding ring indentation, which seemed to be getting less pronounced, or was that wishful thinking she mused as she slipped on her sandals and went down to chat with Aunt Dorothy.

  The two enjoyed a few moments while waiting on M.A. and Jim to pick her up. Aunt Dorothy was making a list of what she still needed to get for her trip and kept Lizzie entertained with details of the itinerary she had just gotten from the travel agent. Lizzie made her promise to leave a copy for her, to which Aunt Dorothy assured her she would. Their conversation turned to Lizzie’s second foray into the dating game.

  “Have fun, and remember to look at his eyes; that will tell you what you need to know,” Aunt Dorothy called after her as Lizzie dashed out to Jim’s car.

  “The eyes, got it,” she hollered back, although she didn’t quite buy into Aunt Dorothy’s long standing belief that a person’s eyes could reveal the contents of their character.

  As the four settled into their table and gave the waitress their drink orders, she was relieved when Coleman ordered an adult beverage without batting an eye or breaking out into a sweat and as they all looked over the menus she took a moment to study him. He had dark hair that was thinning a bit at the top and he had long eyelashes. He was tanned and fit.

  He glanced up at her over his menu and as she briefly looked in his eyes, she was startled by what she saw, or correction what she did not see. His eyes seemed veiled, lacking any emotion.

  Okay, this train of thought is ridiculous. I’m inferring way too much and probably unfairly due to Aunt Dorothy’s parting words. She smiled at him and he smiled back revealing perfectly even, (braces in the past), and extremely white, (must use bleach) teeth. She turned her attention back to the menu and told herself she would give Coleman a fair chance.

  As the evening progressed they discussed their work, the changes to the area since Coleman and Jim had graduated from the Citadel and even ventured into politics. He was looking more and more promising and Lizzie relaxed even more.

  “So Lizzie, Jim tells me you are getting divorced ... ” Coleman was saying as they were left alone at the table; Jim and M.A. had not so discreetly excused themselves one to the restroom and one to call the babysitter to check in on the girls.

  “Divorced! I’ll tell you who is filing for divorce, me,” shrieked a woman with a baby strapped to her back and a toddler clutching her hand, looking like both were ready to cry.

  “Lucille!” Coleman began to try and calm the woman, but she continued her tirade and the surrounding tables had gone pin drop quiet.

  “A business dinner, I don’t think so. I read your email about your double date. This is the last straw Coleman. I forgave the fling with the babysitter, I took you back after you hooked up with that bimbo on our beach trip, but no more ... ”

  Lizzie sat shell shocked, and Jim and M.A. who had returned to the table as they heard the commotion, stared open-mouthed at Coleman and the woman who was apparently his wife and the mother of his children. Coleman stood and mumbled an apology and corralled Lucille and, by this time, his crying children out of the restaurant.

  M.A. said, “Jim, how could you not know he was married?”

  Jim began sputtering, “I took him at his word.”

  Lizzie looked from one to the other and slowly put her head down on the table, getting some of the sauce from her plate in her hair.

  M.A. patted her on the back. “Sit up, Lizzie, people will stop staring if we just act natural,” M.A. coaxed.

  Lizzie quietly sat up and said, “Get me a bourbon and ginger and we are definitely getting dessert.”

  “Ah, Lizzie, tonight is on me and I guess I am paying for Coleman too,” Jim added.

  “Let’s not mention that name again sweetie,” M.A. shot Jim a look that told him he was going to hear way more about this when they got home. The three ate dessert, paid the bill and Jim and M.A. took her home.

  Aunt Dorothy looked at her as she walked in the door and said, “I guess he was another dud.”

  “You could say that,” Lizzie replied, “You were right about one thing, his eyes were a good clue.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Aunt Dorothy sat back in her chair, setting the stack of response cards she had been reviewing on the table next to her. “Well, child the feedback is overwhelmingly positive but that is no surprise to me considering the passion you have poured into The Biscuit Box,” she said as she smiled at Lizzie.

  Lizzie was stretched out on the sofa responding to the emails and texts she had gotten from many of the guests at her friends and family trial run. “Yes, things went really well today and several people ordered take-away casseroles for pick up on opening day. I just hope I get customers off the street on Friday,” Lizzie yawned.

  “I reckon you best get to bed early tonight. You will have a lot to do tomorrow to get ready for Friday,” Aunt Dorothy commented.

  “I don’t think I could sleep a wink. I am still buzzing from today. I think I’ll take the dogs for a wa
lk down to the old bridge and back.”

  “Alright child, I will most likely turn in while you’re gone. I want to start that book Marie McGantry gave me on the Fourth of July.”

  Lizzie leaned down and gave Aunt Dorothy a kiss on the top of her head as she headed to the kitchen to grab the leashes.

  “Take your phone with you,” Aunt Dorothy called after her.

  “I will,” Lizzie hollered back and she looped back into the den with the dogs in tow and scooped the phone up off the sofa. With the dogs eagerly pulling her out the front door as she headed down the street.

  The dusky light of early evening cast long shadows through the majestic oaks that dominated the yards, the storybook moss gently dancing in the breeze. The streets were lined with charming cottages and stately homes, graced with inviting porches.

  At one time Mount Pleasant had been a small village to the neighboring city of Charleston and even into the early 1990’s it had retained its small town charm. Although the town had exploded in population and sprawl north along highway 17, the Old Village retained the charm one expected from a small southern hamlet. The scenery had not really changed since Lizzie’s childhood, with the exception of the refurbishing of the homes, most owners respecting the history and architecture of their properties.

  The heat of the day had given way to the warm eighties’ and the breeze made the humidity bearable, all in all a pleasant night for early August. Lizzie contemplated the progress she had made since returning home. Her divorce was still pending, but she realized she had not really thought about Mark in any significant way in weeks and if she was really honest with herself she was not even heartbroken about his exit from her life. She had to admit she was angrier and more hurt by her inability to see him for who he really was and she was slowly forgiving herself for that. Uncle George was a hole in her heart that was slowly healing. She missed him terribly. She would have liked him to have been one of the friends and family at the trial run today, but in a way, she felt he had been. She had thought about him and felt him warm her heart.

  She had been touched by the sweet story Bennett’s niece had shared with her about Uncle George teaching her Sunday school class how to mend a shrimping net, it was tied into a lesson on how the disciples had been fisherman. The class had then taken a Sunday afternoon outing down to the old bridge to cast their nets and Uncle George had taught the kids how to shrimp and crab.

  Bennett ... how sweet that he had brought his niece to the trial run as his lunch date. He really was good with kids. Despite her misgivings about him being her landlord, he had been very supportive and had given her a little more latitude with the property than what an average landlord would have, or at least that is what she suspected, not having vast, no correction, any experience leasing commercial property.

  That thought led her mind to The Biscuit Box just as she reached the railing of the bridge. It technically was not a bridge, it used to cross over from the edge of the Old Village to Sullivan’s Island. It actually supported a trolley service, but had been dismantled in the 1930’s. Eventually the town had created a little recreation area that allowed for fishing, crabbing and shrimping into Cove Inlet and had a view across to Sullivan’s. Lizzie had spent hours here with Uncle George as a child and was entertained by the tales her grandmother had told of riding the trolley for beach outings as a child.

  She took in the view which was quickly fading as the night sky took over, but she could make out a pair of porpoises swimming up toward the Inter-Coastal Waterway. Her dream of her own business was becoming a reality. It was still a risk, she would need more than friends and family for customers, but the write-up the Moultrie News had published this week had been a great opportunity for free advertising and she had gotten a call from the principal of the elementary school in the village wanting to place a large order of biscuit boxes to have at the faculty’s back to school meeting for teachers. I should print some coupons to send with the order.

  Lizzie took a deep breath and attempted to put work thoughts on the back burner. The moon had begun to rise and it was almost full. The moonlight shimmered on the water, casting a spell. Lizzie stood mesmerized by its beauty until the dogs, who were growing impatient, began to tug on their leashes. Lizzie began the walk back, the dogs now on an even pace as their excitement about the walk had settled.

  So taking stock, the only part of her life she was unhappy with was her love life. What love life? It was pretty much non-existent and her two dating experiences made her hesitant to hold out much hope that a Prince Charming was going to drop from the sky and sweep her off her feet.

  Poor Tom, he had issues but the one thing she gained from the experience was that she had broken her inertia by going on a date. You can’t swim if you don’t get wet, isn’t that what Uncle George used to tell her when she was afraid to try something? And Jim meant well, he took an old college buddy on his word, it wasn’t his fault Coleman had been a lying, unfaithful bastard.

  So I guess I will have to be open to try again, Lizzie thought, but not until I get this business rolling. She took the dogs in, hung up their leashes and filled the water bowl. Then she went back to read the response cards once more. She lingered over the card Bennett had filled out ... The best shrimp salad I have ever had! That’s saying something, as you have tasted the one my meemaw makes. Can’t wait to be a regular! Do you think you could make those pecan tassies you used to make?

  Lizzie took it out of the stack and headed upstairs to get ready for bed. She rummaged in her desk drawer and found some transparent tape. She affixed Bennett’s card to her mirror, just like she used to do with ticket stubs and pictures when they were still a couple. She crawled in to bed making a mental note to add pecan tassies to her baking agenda.

  Friday seemed to arrive in a blink of an eye and Lizzie arrived to unlock and bake up fresh biscuits at seven o’clock. At nine o’clock she had a steady stream of customers that did not let up until ten-thirty. She barely had time to work with her new cook Zoe, to make up some tomato pies and shrimp salad before a lunch crowd began and when the next lull occurred around one-thirty she had accumulated a stack of take away orders for the next week along with some gift baskets.

  She was glad she had hired a few helpers, but if this pace kept up she would need to hire at least two more. She was also glad she had opened on a Friday, which gave her Saturday to be open, but closed on Sunday so she could regroup for the six day week to come.

  Mr. Lee had brought a client for lunch and Mr. Smith had gotten biscuit boxes to take to the office in the morning. Bennett and his sister had come in and had brunch and M.A. had brought the girls in for the pimento cheese plate and to order a casserole for tomorrow. Even Mrs. McGantry had come with some of the ladies from the altar guild. Plus quite a few people had read about the opening in the paper and come to check it out.

  When the day was done, Lizzie realized she had been on her feet for over twelve hours. It would not always be like this, but she wanted to be there for her seven to six business hours at the beginning, coming in before and staying after until she was confident in her staff and how things were running.

  She had locked up after she had posted the cooking tasks for the morning and she took a list home of supplies she needed to order, thank goodness she could do so on-line and also that her receipts were electronically filed. Lizzie sank down into the recliner and sighed in relief as she elevated her feet.

  “Here child, I made you a fried egg sandwich,” Aunt Dorothy said as she placed a small plate in Lizzie’s lap and gently pushed Lizzie’s hair away from her eyes.

  “Thank you, how did you know I hadn’t eaten?” Lizzie asked.

  “I know you child, you were too caught up.” Aunt Dorothy smiled and then with a look of concern in her eyes added, “I hope you don’t intend to keep this pace and these hours, you need to have some balance in your life too.”

  “I know Aunt Dorothy,
I definitely will need to hire a few more workers. I think I need to find an accountant to help me keep track of the books also. I don’t want to do paperwork, electronic or otherwise every night,” Lizzie answered.

  “Why don’t you talk to Amy? I think she was an accountant before she had her third child. She might know someone,” offered Aunt Dorothy.

  “I’ll do that,” Lizzie yawned. “She did tell me she did books for some businesses and I know she does Bennett’s.” Lizzie yawned some more. “I better take the dogs for a walk before I fall asleep.” Lizzie and the dogs went for a short walk around the block, then realizing she was too tired to tackle the computer work, she quickly crawled into bed.

  The first few weeks kept a similar routine but as Lizzie was able to hire a few more part-time workers and got the rhythm of the rushes and lulls of the customers she began to feel comfortable coming in at seven o’clock and leaving between three and four. The dining spaces were only open nine to one with the other hours for pick-ups and sale of products only. She had decided to put off the cooking classes, realizing she had enough on her plate for now. As August rolled into September, she had cultivated a core group of regulars and had new customers discovering her place every week.

  It was also time for Aunt Dorothy and Maggie to go off on their around the world adventures. Lizzie perched on the end of Aunt Dorothy’s bed and watched her finish her packing on the eve of her departure. “I know you will have a great time, but I am sure going to miss you,” Lizzie handed Aunt Dorothy a stack of blouses.

  “I am so very excited,” Aunt Dorothy replied. “But with the Skype you set me up with on that tablet you insisted I take with me, we can see each other now and then and I promise to email at least every other day.”

  “I am reassured by that, I have been spoiled though with you having dinner for me every night since I opened the business,” Lizzie said.