Where the Light Glows

by Dena Blake

  “They’re the original lanterns on the building.”

  “Really?” The excitement rang in her voice. Mel was a big fan of keeping history in place no matter where it happened to be. That passion often got her in trouble with the planning commission because she was never cautious with her tongue.

  “Yeah, my pop was in the navy. That’s one reason my folks chose this old building for the restaurant.” Izzy leaned against the wall under the lantern. Her face took on the soft romantic glow of the light, and Mel was lost in the depth of Izzy’s sapphire eyes.

  Izzy cleared her throat. “So tell me…why is a woman with such good family and friends…” She waited for confirmation, and Mel answered with a nod. “All alone on a Saturday night?”

  “I’ve just got a lot on my plate right now.” She knew Izzy could see right through her, but she couldn’t very well tell this woman, whom she barely knew, about her marital problems.

  “Is that all?” She frowned. “What about the argument between you and your husband the other night?”

  Mel took another drink of wine. “I’m afraid that’s par for the course these days. I’m in a relationship with a man who’s in a relationship with his job.”

  “If I had a girlfriend as beautiful as you, my job would never come between us.”

  Mel shuddered. She’d waited so long to hear someone tell her that. The only thing was, she’d thought Jack would be the one to say it.

  “What about all those people who were here on your birthday? Aren’t they any help?”

  “My family? I can’t talk to them about Jack. They would all say ‘I told you so.’” She took another swig of wine, emptying her glass. “I’ve been putting on the façade for too long, trying to make them think everything between us is perfect.”

  “Okay…but it’s not, is it?”

  Mel shook her head, and Izzy took the empty glass from her hand. “Come on.” She grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the kitchen. “Let’s get you something to eat before that wine kicks in.”

  She didn’t need the wine to kick in to make her dizzy. Her head started spinning the moment Izzy touched her.

  Izzy pulled a stool over to the long metal table in the center of the kitchen. “Sit,” she said, sliding a basket of sliced sourdough bread and a butter knife in front of her. “Butter’s in the fridge.”

  Mel searched the Sub-Zero and found a plate with an industrial size hunk of butter on it among the steaks, fish, and veggies.

  Izzy refilled the wineglass and took a drink before dropping a basket of angel-hair pasta into the hot water. “You like shrimp, right?”

  “Love it.”

  “Light on the garlic, right?” The pan sizzled when she tossed in a handful of shrimp.

  “Yes, please.” She smiled at Izzy remembering her other favorite order.

  Angie came bursting into the kitchen. “I need a chicken parm and a piccata.” Her face dropped when she saw Mel. “What the hell is she doing in here?”

  “Angie, don’t.” Izzy started across the kitchen to intercept her.

  “It’s okay.” Mel stood up and moved closer to Angie. “I’m sorry about the way I acted the other night. I was upset with my husband and took it out on you.” Mel could see the skepticism in her eyes. “I hope you can forgive me.”

  “Yeah, sure. I understand.” She broke eye contact. “I’ve had nights like that myself.” She seemed stunned as she moved to the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of salads. “You know, you really need to dump that guy.”

  “That seems to be the consensus.”

  “The what?” Angie asked.

  “Everyone agrees,” Izzy said, heading her back through the door in the dining room. “Sorry about that. She has no filter.”

  “No. I’m the one who’s sorry.” Mel remembered how her husband had gawked at Angie and cringed inside. “Jack was inappropriate with her, and I was an ass about it.” Izzy gave her a look she couldn’t quite read.

  “I’m sure she appreciated the apology. Honesty goes a long way with her.” Izzy turned back to the stove, and in a matter of minutes she’d set a plate of scampi on angel hair in front of Mel and taken another for herself. Mel hadn’t realized how hungry she was until her stomach growled at the marvelous aroma that floated to her nose.

  “So you gonna tell him how you feel?” Izzy said, pulling up a stool and sitting across from her.

  “I already have.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Too many times.” She set down her fork and reached for the wineglass that seemed suddenly empty again. “He doesn’t seem to care.”

  “So what’s next?” Izzy picked up the bottle of wine, and Mel slid the glass over for her to refill it.

  “I don’t know.” She took a swallow and pushed the glass back to Izzy, who took a drink. The intimacy of sharing a glass didn’t even faze her. Mel finished the rest of her pasta and realized she’d left her money in the car. “I’ll have to go out and get my purse. What do I owe you?”

  “Dinner’s on me tonight.” Izzy took her plate and set it in the sink. “Can you close up tonight, Tony? Only a few tables are left.”

  “Sure.” He pulled his lip up, and she pushed her fist into his side.

  “Thanks.” She took off her purple chef’s coat, revealing a black tank top with turquoise bra straps peeking out underneath. “Come on. You can give me a lift home.” She tossed the soiled coat into the laundry bin. “You parked in the lot?”

  “On the street.”

  “Close enough.” She took Mel’s hand and led her out the back door.

  *

  They turned the corner, and Izzy observed the three cars parked on the street. A white Chevy Suburban, an ivory Mercedes, and a midnight-blue BMW. She couldn’t see Mel driving the monster SUV, so it had to be one of the other two. The Mercedes was pretty flashy, so she was banking on the BMW. When the car chirped and the lights flashed on the BMW, Izzy smiled.

  As they neared the car, Izzy heard Tony shout from the back door of the restaurant. “Hey, Iz. Dana’s here.”

  “Shit,” Izzy mumbled. “Go ahead and get in. I’ll be right back.” She turned and jogged back across the street and into the kitchen. Dana met her mid-kitchen and slipped her arms around her waist. “Stop.” Izzy grabbed Dana’s wrists and removed her too-familiar arms.

  “I’m going to get a glass of wine from the bar to go with the pasta you’re going to fix me.” Dana kissed her on the cheek and spun around toward the door.

  “I’m not fixing you pasta, Dana. Tony, can you help me here?”

  He shook his head. “She’s your girlfriend. You take care of her.”

  Izzy glared at him. “You can be such an ass sometimes.” She turned around, and Mel was standing in the doorway. “Sorry, I need to take care of this.”

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  Dana stopped when she heard the voice. “Who’s this?”

  “Just one of the customers.” Izzy whirled around and grabbed Dana’s hand. She pulled her through the doorway into the dining room and led her to a table. “Sit and stay.” She threw her hands up in front of her.

  “I’m not a dog, Izzy.”

  Izzy let out a sigh. “Please. Just stay here. I’ll make you some pasta.”

  “Then we can talk?”

  Izzy didn’t answer as she shot back into the kitchen. Mel was gone. Fuck! She raced out the back door and saw the red glow of the BMW’s taillights headed down the street.

  “What the hell was that all about?” Dana said as she came back through the kitchen doorway.

  “How about you tell me.” Izzy turned and Dana stood right behind her. “What are you doing here, Dana?”

  “I miss you, baby.” Dana’s lips pulled together into a pout.

  “I’m not your baby.”

  “Don’t say that. We’re good together.”

  “Stop. We’re neither good. Nor are we together. Now go home.”

  Izzy knew she’d just lost a chance to get to know Mel better and
might never get another. She’d just have to wait and see if Mel Thomas ever set foot in her restaurant again.

  Chapter Seven

  Nancy flipped through a handful of file folders as she strode into Mel’s office. “The web-design class seems to have a few shining stars in it. What do you think about throwing a few of these projects to the students and seeing what they come up with?”

  “That’s a great idea. We might be able to get a couple of interns out of the class. We could have a contest, see how they do. Maybe even give them a little experience and let them in on the pitch to the clients.”

  “Yeah,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “Any preference on which ones? We’ve got a few products, some local businesses, a cruise line, and a couple of restaurants.”

  “No, you pick. But look at some of the more agreeable clients. We’ll have to let them know what we’re doing, make sure they’re on board with it.”

  “We could pitch it as kind of a work-experience program. I might need to tap your persuasive powers if they’re hesitant.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Mel smiled. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

  “Only one?”

  “Maybe two or three.” Mel grinned while Nancy stood silently as she waited for Mel to continue. “There are those design skills…oh, and that knack you have for advertising comes in handy once in a while too.” She flopped back into her chair. Mel knew her company wouldn’t be at the level it was today without Nancy. She might have been able to provide the financing, but Nancy was a stellar graphic designer and had an inherent creativity when it came to tag lines and slogans.

  “I’m glad you appreciate me for something.” Nancy dropped the files on the edge of Mel’s desk and sat down in the chair on the other side. “So are you gonna tell me about the hot chef?”

  “There’s nothing to tell.”

  “Uh, you need to open your eyes, honey. There’s more going on in that woman’s mind than you realize.”

  “Duh. I’m not blind.” She tossed her pen onto the desk. “It’s not like I can do anything about it.”

  “But you’ve thought about it.” Nancy raised her eyebrows. “Wow. That’s a milestone.”

  Thoughts of her tumultuous relationship with Jack flew through her head. “I have to figure things out with Jack.”

  “Mel, when are you going to start thinking about yourself first? He doesn’t make you happy anymore. He hasn’t in a long time.”

  “It’s that obvious?”

  “Probably not to everyone else. But to me, it is.”

  “It doesn’t really make any difference. She has a girlfriend.” A beautiful girlfriend.

  “How do you know that?”

  “I was at the restaurant the other night when she showed up.”

  Nancy scrunched her face. “Oh, now I’m confused. The way she was flirting with you, I would never have thought she was involved with anyone.”

  “Welcome to the club.”

  Nancy got up and plucked the files from the corner of the desk. “I’ll take a look at these and let you know which ones will fit the best.”

  “Okay. Sounds good.”

  Nancy took a few steps toward the door and turned back. “I still think you should dump Jack.”

  “Got it.” She gave her a backhanded wave. “Shut the door on your way out, please.”

  Mel was impressed with Nancy’s resourcefulness. She would’ve never thought to get the students involved in designing actual client websites. If they could bring in a couple of students as interns, they could teach them the process the way they wanted it done as well as save them money.

  She’d thought about making Nancy a partner in the company more than once but had never acted on it for one reason or another. Maybe it was time to let up on the reins and share some of the responsibility. It would certainly give her more free time.

  *

  Mel sat at her desk, exhausted. She swung her chair around and stared out the window at the streetlights. Another Friday night working late. The sun was beginning to set, and soon it would be another night of fast food and going home alone. She hadn’t been back to Bella’s since last week when she’d found out Izzy had a girlfriend. Tony’s voice still rang clearly in her head. “She’s your girlfriend.”

  That night, Mel had driven around the block and pulled into a different space along the curb, farther away from the restaurant, debating whether to go back inside. It wasn’t long before she saw Izzy and the woman come through the back door and cross the street to a silver Mustang. She watched Izzy open the passenger door for her. Her stomach knotted as the woman gave her a quick kiss before she ducked into the passenger seat.

  How could she have been so stupid? She let her head fall back against the seat. It was plain that Izzy had a girlfriend, and nothing would ever happen between the two of them. She probably had that reality check coming. She was still married to Jack and had no way of letting him know she wanted out until he was back in town.

  She heard a light tap on the door and spun her chair around. “Come in.”

  Nancy entered the office with her purse slung over one shoulder and her laptop bag over the other. “I’m heading out.”

  “How did your meeting go with the new client today?”

  Nancy dropped her bags into one chair and sat in another. “Really well. She seems to know what she wants, and it looks like they have a great menu.”

  “Oh yeah? What kind of food?”

  “Kind of nouveau Italian. I know you’re partial to Bella’s, but it looks good. We should try it sometime.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Mel didn’t relish the idea of going somewhere else, but after acting like such a fool, she didn’t want to go back to Bella’s in the near future.

  “Well, I’m leaving.” Nancy pushed out of the chair and pulled her bags onto her shoulder. “I don’t have anything going on tonight. You want to grab a burger?”

  “Really? Another burger?”

  “I’m up for anything. Let’s go.”

  “No. That’s okay. I’ll just grab something when I get home.”

  Nancy let her bags slide back into the chair. “Call the order in. I’ll go pick it up.”

  Mel drew her brows together.

  “At Bella’s. Do it now or I’m leaving.”

  Mel smiled. She really missed Izzy’s cooking. “Do you want anything?”

  “Get me a chicken Caesar salad, extra dressing.”

  Mel picked up the phone and called. “Twenty minutes.”

  “Finish up, so you can go home when I get back.” Nancy grabbed her bags again and rushed out.

  *

  Izzy pushed open the bar door and peeked into the dining room. Mel hadn’t been in for dinner all week. She was disappointed but kind of knew it was too good to be true. It wasn’t smart to set her sights on a married woman unless it was just for a good fuck. Even then, it was a bad idea. She was already way past that stage. Mel had gotten into her head and was slowly seeping into her heart. Not smart, Iz.

  It was just after ten o’clock and the restaurant was slowing down, when Angie came hustling through the kitchen door. “Hey, I need an order of shrimp scampi on angel hair to go. Light on the garlic.”

  Izzy swung around and took the ticket from her hand.

  “Yep, it’s the bitch.”

  So she would get a chance to see her again, after all.

  “She’s not a bitch.”

  “Not to you.” Angie growled. “She said she’s been swamped at work.” Angie took a large Caesar salad out of the refrigerator and transferred it to a Styrofoam container before she wrapped some sourdough in foil and put it in a paper bag. “This needs a chicken breast.” She pointed to the salad. “I told her it would be ready in twenty.”

  Izzy had it all packed up and in the bag waiting for Mel. She’d told Angie to leave it in the kitchen and send her back when she arrived. She was cleaning the grill when she heard the door open.

  “Hey, stranger. I’ve missed seei
ng you this week.” She didn’t turn around.

  “If I’d have known that, I would have come by sooner.”

  Izzy spun around when she heard someone else’s voice. She must have noticed the surprise in Izzy’s eyes.

  “I’m Nancy. Mel’s at the office.” She smiled. “She’s working on a project. Deadlines, you know.” Nancy rummaged through the bag and pulled out the salad and dressing. “Can I have another bag?”

  Izzy pointed to the shelf behind her with various to go containers stacked on it.

  Nancy reached back into the bag, found some plastic utensils, and moved them to the separate bag with the salad. She must have sensed Izzy watching her. “The salad is for me.”

  “You’re not working late tonight?”

  “God, no. I’ve had enough for the day. I’m just going to drop this off before I head home. She’ll probably be there for a few more hours, and if I don’t take her something, she won’t eat.” She tilted her head slightly. “Hey, do you guys deliver?”

  Tony spoke up. “No delivery, only takeout.”

  Izzy raised a hand, motioning Tony to be quiet. “I think we can make an exception.” Izzy took the bag from Nancy’s hand.

  “Are you sure?”

  Izzy nodded. “You go on home. I’ll make sure she gets it.”

  “Wait. Are you going to take it?”

  “Probably.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll do it.” She grabbed the bags from the counter.

  “It’s not a problem. I got it.” Izzy ignored the intensity of her stare and took the bag from her hand.

  She narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips together tightly before she spoke. “Don’t flirt with her if you’re not available.”

  “Okay.” Izzy let the word slip from her lips slowly.

  “Are you? Available?” Nancy rolled back onto one heel, crossing her arms across her chest.

  “Last I checked, I am.” Izzy was confused. First, why would Mel’s friend think she wasn’t available? Second, why would she care?