Dating, Dining, and Desperation (A Dear Daphne Novel)

by Carlson, Melody

  Of course, as often happened after her coffee was gone, she would notice a new weed that had popped up or a plant that needed some attention, and soon she was down on her knees with her hands in the dirt.

  “Yoo-hoo?” called a cheery voice that sounded an awful lot like her new neighbor.

  “I’m back here,” Daphne called out. “In the garden—go through the little green gate.”

  “What’re ya’ll doing?” Sabrina asked as she found Daphne getting back to her feet with a trowel in hand.

  “A little weeding.” Daphne pushed a curly strand of hair from her eyes, wiping her dirty hands on the front of her baggy khaki shorts.

  “Oh, my goodness!” Sabrina’s eyes lit up as she looked around. “What a beautiful garden. Did you plant all this yourself?”

  “No way. But I try to help with the upkeep.” Daphne dropped the trowel into a bucket. “Only I have to admit, it’s getting a little overwhelming.”

  Sabrina pointed to Daphne’s hands. “And just look what it’s done to your nails.”

  Daphne looked at her short, dirt-filled fingernails.

  “Which is exactly why I came over.” Sabrina beamed at her. “I made you an appointment for both a pedicure and manicure. Today at two. Does that work?”

  “Uh, sure . . . I guess so.” Daphne frowned at her hands. “That is, if you really think they can do anything with these. Might be a lost cause.”

  “I’m sure they can improve them, but my mama would scold you for going into the garden without your gardening gloves. A lady doesn’t do that.”

  “You’re probably right, but this whole gardening thing is pretty new to me.”

  “Hello in the garden,” called a masculine voice.

  “That sounds like Mick,” Daphne told Sabrina. “He’s The Garden Guy.”

  “Good day, Daph.” Mick smiled at her, then glanced curiously at Sabrina. “Thought I heard voices back here. What’s up?”

  She introduced him to Sabrina and couldn’t help but notice the nod of appreciation he gave as he shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet you. And welcome to Appleton.”

  “Thank you,” Sabrina said eagerly. “I was just admiring your fine handiwork, Mick. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful garden in my life. It’s like a living work of art. Did you really do the whole thing yourself?”

  “I set most of it up, but I send my workers ’round to help with it sometimes.” He nodded to Daphne. “And Daph here tries to do her part.”

  “I was just confessing to Sabrina that it can get a bit overwhelming.”

  “That’s because it’s the first year and all the beds were in great shape. As a result they’re producing bumper crops. Plus we’ve had the perfect weather. Hard to complain about that sort of success. Even so, we might want to cut back a bit next year.” Mick gave Daphne a slightly quizzical look, almost as if he was seeing her from a different perspective. But without saying anything more, he turned back to Sabrina. “So tell me where did you get your accent? You don’t sound like the rest of the Yanks.”

  She told him about being from Georgia and then inquired about his accent.

  “I’m an Aussie. From Down Under.”

  She told him about a trip she’d taken to Sydney a few years ago. “My ex had been just dying to go down there. But after one day on the beach, he was stuck inside the hotel with a horrible sunburn. So I spent most of my time exploring on my own. I even learned how to drive on the wrong side of the street.”

  “You mean the right side. It’s you Yanks that drive on the wrong side,” he teased. But now they started comparing notes about beaches and weather differences, and eventually Sabrina was making plans with him to create a garden for her next year.

  “Not as big and fancy as this one. But something sweet and intimate might be nice.” Was Sabrina actually batting her eyes at him?

  Mick started shooting ideas to Sabrina, and suddenly Daphne realized her presence in this conversation was completely unnecessary. In fact, she doubted they would miss her if she vanished into thin air. “Excuse me,” she said quietly. “I need to check on something inside.”

  As she scampered away, she could still hear them cheerfully chattering. Probably relieved she was gone. As she went into the kitchen, she felt slightly put off but wasn’t even sure why. What was wrong with Sabrina making plans for a garden with Mick for next spring? Mick would get a new client and Sabrina would get a great garden. Daphne should be pleased for both of them. Except she wasn’t. Certainly she wasn’t jealous. That was ridiculous. Mick was just a friend. Wasn’t he?

  As she washed her hands in the kitchen sink, she could see how bad her fingernails actually looked. Cracked and dry and dirty, she could already hear the manicurist gasping in horror. For some reason this reminded Daphne of her wild hair from yesterday’s canning. She reached up to touch it. It probably looked even worse now.

  Feeling slightly horrified to imagine her disheveled and unkempt appearance, she hurried to the downstairs powder room to take a quick inventory. She gaped at herself in the well-lit mirror. It was no wonder Mick seemed to look right past her. He was either being polite or just couldn’t bear to see her looking such a mess. Or more than likely, he’d simply found that Sabrina was much easier on the eyes.

  Determined that she could do better than this, Daphne took a long shower and spent nearly an hour relaxing the curl in her hair. Feeling much improved, she dressed casually, then went back downstairs. After the all-day canning session yesterday, the kitchen was in need of a thorough scrub-down, and she was determined to set it right before the appointment at two.

  Daphne had never been to Restorations, Appleton’s renowned day spa, but she’d heard Olivia raving about it before. The truth was, Daphne had never been to any kind of day spa. And she hadn’t had a manicure or pedicure since her early days in New York. It was partly due to financial reasons, but she also convinced herself that she was a relatively low-maintenance girl. Obviously that would not describe her new friend.

  “While you’re getting your nails done, I’ll be having a complete facial,” Sabrina explained as they waited in the foyer. “It’s been more than a month since my last exfoliation, and I’m starting to feel like a wrinkled old prune.”

  “You gotta be kidding?” Daphne frowned. “I can’t see a wrinkle anywhere.”

  “Well, thank you ever so much, honey. Flattery will get you anywhere.”

  “I’m serious. Your skin is absolutely beautiful.”

  “Thank you once again.” Sabrina giggled as she bent down to check on Tootsie. Today he was being toted around in a pale blue carrier-handbag that matched Sabrina’s polka-dotted sundress. Apparently the spa people were not opposed to canines. “I would like to say I owe my complexion to my fabulous genes, but the truth is . . .” Sabrina lowered her voice, “I believe in Botox.” She frowned slightly at Daphne. “Why don’t you give it a try too?”

  “Botox?” Daphne felt a bit alarmed at the thought of hypodermic needles containing toxins poking into her face.

  “Sure. My girlfriends and I used to have Botox parties all the time back in Atlanta. Saved us a lot of money and at the same time it was a hoot.”

  “But I’m only thirty-four and I . . . I mean I realize you’re probably even younger, but I just don’t feel ready for Botox yet.”

  “I happen to be thirty-six,” Sabrina said proudly. “But I’m happy to look like I’m still thirty. And I plan to do everything possible to continue looking this good twenty years from now.”

  “Wow.” Daphne nodded, trying to imagine Sabrina in twenty years. “I just want to grow old gracefully, you know?”

  Sabrina grinned. “Absolutely. Gracefully and with no wrinkles, sags, or bags.”

  Fortunately they were both called in for their appointments because Daphne wasn’t even sure how to respond. She didn’t want to hurt Sabrina’s
feelings, but looking like she was thirty at fifty-six seemed unrealistic, to say the least.

  Daphne barely had her feet in the soaking tub before she apologized to the pedicurist. “I’ve been working in the garden,” she said sheepishly. “Not taking very good care of my nails.”

  “No problem. That’s why I’m here. Now why don’t you just lean back and relax. Let me pamper you a little.”

  “Oh . . . okay.” Daphne sighed as she leaned back into the soft leather chair. Maybe Sabrina was onto something. Getting pampered was rather nice.

  By the time her appointment was over, Daphne not only felt prettier, she felt relaxed. “Thank you so much.” She looked at her fingernails, which looked clean and new thanks to the French manicure. Then she admired her toes, which looked perky and fresh with their shining coat of pale coral. “You’re a miracle worker.”

  “Thank you for encouraging me to do this,” Daphne said as she and Sabrina walked out to Sabrina’s car. “It was really nice.”

  “How about if we get a coffee or something?” Sabrina suggested as they got into her car. Like Daphne’s car, this one was a convertible too. A late-model BMW, and Sabrina had put the roof down today.

  “Sure. Sounds good. Have you been to the Red River Coffee Company yet?”

  “No, but I’d love to go there.”

  Before long, they were seated out on the coffee company’s patio sipping iced mochas. “Two girls on the town,” Sabrina said happily. “Isn’t it fun?”

  Daphne smiled. “Yeah, it is.” Now she remembered the few times she’d been able to do something like this with Olivia. But unfortunately, for Daphne anyway, Olivia worked full-time running the florist shop during the week, and her weekends were often spent with her husband, Jeff.

  “Now there’s a pair of good-looking guys.” Sabrina smiled at a couple of men carrying their coffee to a nearby table. “You can have the tall, cool drink of water and I’ll take the blond.” She laughed.

  “They don’t look very old to me,” Daphne said uncomfortably. Hopefully Sabrina didn’t want to try to pick up some total strangers.

  “Age is just a number.” Sabrina smiled directly toward the table, slightly nodding her head as if to draw their attention. Both of the men returned her gaze—and her smile. It was obvious they found her attractive.

  “Sorry to bother you boys,” Sabrina said innocently. “But ya’ll caught my attention. You see, I’m new to town and I’m just so pleased to find that little ol’ Appleton has such a nice selection of good-looking guys.”

  They laughed. “Thanks,” the blond guy called back to her. “Welcome to Appleton.”

  “I like your accent,” the other guy said.

  Once again, Sabrina explained she was from the South, exchanging some cheerful chitchat with the attentive guys. But during their short visit, Daphne felt similar to how she’d felt this morning with Mick. It was like she was left out again, pushed to the side, ignored even. The men seemed intently focused on Sabrina. And why wouldn’t they be? She was captivating, engaging, and cute as can be in her polka-dot sundress with matching dog carrier. Sabrina was sweet and adorable and everyone within twenty yards seemed to know it.

  Meanwhile, Daphne felt invisible. On one hand, she didn’t care since these fellows didn’t even look like they were thirty. But on the other hand, it was disconcerting to be overshadowed by her petite and pretty companion.

  Chapter 5

  When Daphne got home, an apple crate with a little hand-painted sign wired onto it sat on her front porch. “Free Produce” the sign enticed. And yet the box was empty, which was actually a good thing since the last thing Daphne needed was more produce. Still, she was curious as to how the box got there. Then as she went inside the house, she remembered Mrs. Terwilliger. Of course. It had to be from her.

  Daphne wondered about her neighbor’s theory—if she set the crate out there, would the neighbors come? She’d test it by filling the crate with a variety of veggies. Then she set the heavy box in her front yard just a few feet from the sidewalk. As she walked back into the house, she imagined some bored juvenile delinquents utilizing the tomatoes to pelt at her recently painted house. Or her neighbor’s. And if that happened would she be responsible? Or was she just still in a New York state of mind?

  Deciding things like that didn’t happen in Appleton—at least not in this neighborhood—she went into her office and sat in front of her computer. It was late in the day to start working on her novel, but something inside was begging her to write an answer for the column. Now if only she could find the letter she’d read last week—a letter she skipped over because she had no good answer. But maybe she’d given up too easily. First she looked in the Later file. Then the Much Later one. Finally she found it in her Much, Much Later file. And the first line hit her smack between the eyes.

  Dear Daphne,

  I feel like I’ve become invisible when it comes to guys. It wasn’t always like that, but the past couple of years, it seems like whenever I go out with my girlfriend, the guys are drawn to her like bees to honey. Meanwhile I feel like a bad-smelling wallflower. My friend and I are about the same height and weight, and I’ve even been told that I’m better looking than she is. The only obvious difference is she takes more care with her appearance and dresses with more flash than me. But I find it hard to believe that’s really the problem. I’m afraid it’s more due to my own insecurities. Or maybe I’m sending out bad vibes. Or maybe I just need a complete makeover. Please, can you help me?

  The Invisible Woman

  Dear Invisible Woman,

  It does sound as if you’re suffering from some insecurity. And that in and of itself can send out “bad vibes,” as you call them. Meanwhile, it’s not helping that your friend is on top of her game, but I’m glad you’re not faulting her for this. First of all, I’d encourage you to remember all your good inner qualities and strengths. Maybe even list them on an index card that you keep handy. After that, you might want to consider doing a little makeover. Sometimes a small thing like a manicure or a new outfit can work wonders for your confidence. Keep in mind that most good guys are looking for the complete package. Not just the wrappings, but what’s inside too. However, some good guys might not discover what’s on the inside if the wrappings look too uninviting.

  Daphne

  As Daphne hit Save and stored these letters in the Keep file, she felt like she’d hit the nail on the head. It was time for her to take more care with the wrappings of her package. She’d gotten some Appleton-friendly clothes while shopping with Olivia a couple of months ago. But that was simply to replace her stiff-looking business clothes from New York. The items she’d purchased hadn’t exactly been geared toward getting male attention. And it wasn’t as if she was ready to start running around in strapless gowns or miniskirts, but perhaps she could do something to spice things up.

  Daphne picked up her phone and called Sabrina. “Hey, neighbor. Are you busy?”

  “Not too busy for you, honey.”

  Daphne explained her makeover idea. “It’s not that I want to completely reinvent myself. But I think I could make some improvements.”

  “You most certainly could.” Sabrina laughed. “Sorry, I don’t mean to insinuate that you’re a big ol’ mess. Honestly, my first impression of you was that you have good bones. Your eyes are lovely and your hair color is fabulous. I suspect it’s natural, right?”

  “Yeah . . .”

  “I know a lot about hair. I went to beauty school and actually worked in a salon for a spell. But it was hard work. Standing on my feet all day—and my shoulders got so sore. That’s when I decided to become a legal secretary instead.”

  “Oh.” Daphne was having second thoughts now. Maybe she would be wise just to leave well enough alone.

  “Anyway, you’ve got great hair, but some highlights might take it to the next level. And you’re very pretty
too. Well, once we get the garden grime off of you and put you into some attractive clothes, that is. I honestly think you could be a real head-turner, Daphne.”

  She held up her hands. “The problem is, I really don’t know where to begin. I’ve never been that much into my appearance. I think of myself as fairly low maintenance and no-nonsense and—”

  “And you’ve come to the right place, honey. I would love to be involved in your little ol’ makeover. And considering you’ve got to catch yourself a man, I say we’ve got no time to waste.”

  Suddenly Daphne felt worried. This was crazy. Handing herself over to Sabrina like this? What was she thinking?

  “Let me do some research, okay? I’m still not quite acclimated to our little town and according to the Realtor, the best clothing stores are in a town called Fairview. Are you familiar with it?”

  “Yes. There’s a nice outdoor mall there.”

  “Does it have some big stores? Like Nordstrom or Macy’s?”

  “I . . . uh . . . I’m not sure.”

  “Never mind. Leave it all to me, honey. When it comes to shopping, no one does it better than Sabrina Fontaine. I am a force to be reckoned with. Trust me. We can do this.”

  “Okay.” Daphne nodded with uncertainty. “I will.”

  “Oh, I’m so excited. This is going to be a real hoot.” Sabrina promised to get back to her tomorrow with a detailed plan.

  “You don’t have to be in that big a hurry.” Daphne was backpedaling. “Just take your time and we can—”

  “Are you kidding? My mama taught me to strike while the iron’s hot. If we’re going to snag you a man in time to plan your big ol’ wedding before May. If I’m helping you with this, you gotta be ready to jump when I say jump.”