Cafenova

by S. Jane Scheyder

  “Thanks,” Maddy replied, glancing at the letter.

  “Are you okay?” Otis asked gently, standing at the door.

  Maddy looked at him warily. “I’m fine.”

  “How’s John?”

  “Keeping busy with the roof.”

  Otis nodded. “Has your mother arrived yet?”

  “Oh, you didn’t hear.” Maddy told him about her dad’s accident and her mom’s change of plans.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I know how much you were looking forward to her coming.”

  “I really was,” Maddy replied. “Well, Otis, I don’t mean to run you out, but I think I’ll go see if it’s my turn for the shower.”

  “I won’t hold you up.” He looked at her meaningfully. “You take care.”

  Maddy watched him walk slowly past the kitchen window, touched and a little troubled by his concern. The last thing she needed was sympathy. She’d moved over three thousand miles to escape it before; there wasn’t much further she could go. She turned with a sigh and almost ran into John, who had entered through the dining room door. How had she not heard his boots?

  She stopped and stared at him, and then looked down at her see-through dress. She quickly backed around the counter.

  “You’re still here? I thought you’d left for the day.”

  John tried not to stare at Maddy’s see-through dress, though the fact that she was trying to hide made him absurdly determined to see it. She looked wonderfully sun-drenched and smelled like some sort of tropical oil. John’s unprepared senses overloaded.

  “We finished early,” he explained. “The sun was pretty brutal, so I sent the guys home.”

  He wanted to follow her around the counter and tease her about her silly “cover-up,” take her in his arms and break all the bans they’d needlessly made. He tore his eyes away from her and focused on the countertop.

  “Tomorrow’s supposed to be even hotter, so we’ll probably only spend the morning on the roof.” He paused and looked out the window before turning back to her. “Willie will be back to work on your bathroom down here, so we need to know whether you want a tub or a shower.”

  “Oh, that reminds me. You can’t have two in the shower at once.”

  John raised an eyebrow, and Maddy almost choked.

  “I mean, only one person can shower at a time.”

  John continued to regard her. “Really.”

  “I mean,” Maddy repeated, exasperated, “Becky’s showering right now, and I have to wait, because there’s not enough hot water for two showers to run at once.” She blew her hair out of her eyes. “It doesn’t really matter now, but later on…”

  John nodded. “Right. I’ll talk to Willy.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What do you want to do about the bathroom down here? Do you still want a tub?”

  “I guess I can do without one,” Maddy decided. “There really isn’t enough room, and I can always use the one upstairs when I don’t have guests.” She continued with more resolve. “Just have him put in the shower we discussed. That will be fine.”

  John nodded, wishing she’d fight with him and insist on a bathtub the way she had the day before he left for New Hampshire. He walked around the counter toward her, and Maddy seemed to freeze, crossing her arms to ineffectively cover her mid-section as he approached.

  John stopped in front of her, unable to keep himself from taking in the full effect of her ensemble. It was more of Maddy than he’d ever seen, and he willed himself to remember that she was absolutely off-limits to him.

  Maddy couldn’t breathe or form a coherent thought. Feeling vulnerable and frustrated, she placed her hands on her hips, and demanded, “Do you stand this close to all of your sunbathers?”

  John rocked back in disbelief. “I’m sorry you felt so threatened. I just need my pad; it’s on the counter behind you.”

  Maddy quickly moved around the counter, embarrassed but ready to fight. “I’d hardly feel threatened by you, John.” The words were harmless enough, but the delivery was clearly not complimentary.

  John picked up his pad and slowly turned to her. “Meaning?”

  Maddy shrugged and looked at him petulantly.

  “Maybe you were hoping someone more interesting was going to walk in just now? Someone who might act with a little more resolve when he saw you in next to nothing?”

  Maddy wasn’t ready for that. “You think I’m hoping Phil will show up?” She looked at him, incredulous. “That’s what you think of me?”

  John passed up the opportunity to retract the damaging remark. Maddy, having given him plenty of time to do so, walked into her room and locked the door.

  twenty-two

  Maddy’s sunburn had a deleterious affect on her mobility the following day. She had been looking forward to getting the bedrooms put together, but she could hardly lift her coffee mug to her lips. She groaned and wondered why she’d been so stupid. Feeling silly and irresponsible and sore, she moved slowly back into her bedroom, thinking she could work on her computer. With a sigh, she remembered that Willy would be starting her bathroom.

  Burt began to whine in the kitchen, and she mustered the energy to greet the men and pretend that she didn’t feel like burned toast.

  There was no need to feign bravado. Everyone else was sunburned, too. Maddy commiserated with the less than cheery crew as they moaned their way into the kitchen. She wished that she shared their fate for a more noble reason.

  John, the responsible one, seemed to be the worst off. Al-though she was more than a little angry, and had been ready to continue their fight at the least provocation, Maddy still felt worried as her contractor slumped onto the bar stool with his coffee.

  She looked up at the rest of the men. “I feel so bad for you all,” she said. “Can you do something besides the roof today?”

  The guys looked hopefully at John, who shook his head, and winced. “We’ve got to finish stripping this morning before it gets too hot.” He continued, a little louder, over the groans. “We’ll work inside framing the shower this afternoon.”

  Maddy left them to their unpleasant task and went upstairs. She spent the next hour unloading her recent purchases and making sure all the room accessories matched up. She heard the crew on the roof and was relieved that the sky had become overcast. Venturing back downstairs mid-morning, Maddy walked into her room and was blessedly overwhelmed by a rush of cool air. Someone had installed an AC unit. Travis? Frank? She didn’t imagine John was kindly disposed toward her this morning.

  She sat down at her computer and her phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Maddy?”

  Her heart began to pound, but it wasn’t a pleasant sensation.

  “It’s Phil.”

  “I know.”

  “You don’t sound too happy.”

  “A pretty fair assessment.” Maddy stood and began pacing.

  “Ouch. Well, you been okay?”

  “I’m great.”

  “It’s been a long time.”

  “Yes, it has.”

  “I was hoping that we could talk.”

  Maddy returned to stand in front of her computer screen. “Go right ahead.”

  “Maddy…”

  “What, Phil?”

  “I want to see you.”

  She paused, confused and angry and overwhelmed. One thing she knew; she didn’t want him near her house, to see where she lived or have any part in her new life.

  If he wants to see me, then, “I can arrange to meet you.” If he was in Boston, then she’d meet him in Portsmouth, or somewhere far from her home.

  “Well, you won’t have to come far.”

  Maddy’s heart stopped. “Where are you?”

  “In your driveway; at least I think I am. Do you have a bunch of guys on your roof?”

  Maddy sat down heavily in her chair. She had no time to collect her thoughts or prepare to see him for the first time in a year and a half. Leave it to Phil to keep her
as defenseless as possible.

  “Maddy?”

  “I’ll be right out.”

  “Can’t I just come in?”

  Maddy didn’t want him in her house, although his necessary path through falling roof debris gave her uncharitable pause.

  “I said I’d be out. Give me a minute.”

  She hung up abruptly and considered cleaning up and changing her clothes. Looking in the mirror, however, she decided that she felt good about the woman looking back at her. Her hair was longer than she normally wore it, and she had on very little makeup. Still, she liked what she saw. She pulled her hair back and put on a little lipstick. Phil wasn’t getting any special treatment, but she knew she looked just fine.

  

  Phil lounged against the silver Mercedes he’d rented, his sunglasses covering eyes that took in every detail of his surroundings. Thirty yards away and two stories up, John and Frank looked down at the new arrival.

  “Who’s that?” Frank asked, leaning on his shovel.

  “I’m guessing Maddy’s old boyfriend,” came the curt reply.

  “No!” Frank looked with new interest at the stranger below, his questions about the tension in the house finally answered. He watched as Phil leaned over and checked the passenger’s side mirror.

  “I don’t like him,” Frank decided.

  John withheld comment, wondering if Maddy even knew that Phil was there. Her voice interrupted his thoughts a moment later.

  “John? Frank?” she called. “Is it okay if I come out?”

  “Hang on, Maddy,” John replied, calling to Bill and Travis to stop their work. “Okay,” he yelled back down. “It’s safe.”

  She turned at the bottom of the steps and gave them a small wave. John raised his hand, feeling helpless as she walked away from him. When she reached Phil, he didn’t have the heart to watch them.

  Frank did. “Maddy doesn’t look too happy,” he said, unashamedly observing the reunion in the driveway. “I wish I could hear them.” He eased further toward the edge of the roof.

  “Frank…”

  “Look at the way he’s crossing his arms; he’s got biceps the size of my thighs.”

  John looked over at Phil and then back at Frank. “You okay?”

  “Just checking out the competition.” he answered, determined to provoke his friend. “Oh look, she’s waving!” Frank almost lost his balance as he returned her greeting a little too energetically. “I think he looks like an ape.”

  “Really, Frank?”

  “Sorry. Do you even know why he’s here?”

  John shook his head.

  “Did you know he was coming? You don’t seem surprised.”

  “I found out Saturday night when Maddy did.”

  “And so you’ve decided to abandon her now that this jerk has shown up?”

  John gave Frank a withering look. “I’m giving her space to figure out what she wants.”

  “Oh, that’s what you call it.”

  “You think I should be out there standing between them?”

  John was starting to get angry, and Frank concluded that Maddy meant more to his buddy than he realized.

  “Of course not. It’s just that you’ve been so distant these past few days, and Maddy seems so sad. I didn’t know what was going on.”

  John turned away, his head beginning to pound. Why was Frank making him look like the villain?

  “She’s coming back. Maybe she told him to get lost!” Frank re-ported with enthusiasm.

  Maddy was walking back to the house, while Phil made a flashy exit in the Mercedes. Maddy shaded her eyes to look up at Frank and John, who waved her onto the porch.

  “Think he’ll be back?”

  “I don’t know,” John answered, his voice tired. “I hope not.”

  

  “He’s here? Where? Why didn’t you get me?”

  Sunburned and irritable, Becky had found her way to the coffee pot and then to the comfort of her sister’s room within minutes of Maddy’s return.

  “He didn’t stay long. Sorry I didn’t think to let you share the moment.”

  The sarcasm was ignored. “How’d he look?”

  Maddy rolled her eyes at her sister. “I guess he looked good; still working out.”

  “What was it like to see him?”

  “Strange. I was nervous at first.”

  Maddy lay back on her bed and looked at the ceiling, wondering why she felt so little after this significant meeting. It shouldn’t have been surprising, given her numbness over the past few days. Maybe she was incapable of feeling anymore. When she first saw Phil, there had been an initial rush of nerves and a momentary attraction; old habit, she guessed.

  “Is it possible for someone to look too good?”

  Becky sat down next to her. “Absolutely not.”

  Maddy sighed. “Phil was always careful about his appearance, but he seems to have taken it to a new level. Not a hair was out of place, and he was driving a convertible. I swear he stopped along the road to get his shirt pressed.”

  “That’s a little much.” Becky shrugged. “Maybe he just wanted to impress you.”

  “Hmmm…”

  “So, when is he coming back?”

  “Later this afternoon.” Maddy pulled a pillow over her head.

  “Did John say anything?”

  A series of strange, muffled sounds came from under the pillow. Becky pulled it off Maddy’s face and threw it in the corner.

  “What did you say?”

  “If he did, I didn’t hear him. He’s on the roof.”

  “Did he see Phil?”

  “I guess so. We were just talking in the driveway.”

  “I wonder what he was thinking,” Becky mused.

  Maddy suddenly felt very sad. “We have to clear out of here. They’re starting work on the bathroom soon.” She should have been excited about the prospect, but, predictably, felt nothing.

  “Let’s go waste time downtown. Maybe there’s something new at one of the antique shops.”

  Becky nodded. “I’ll go grab my purse.”

  

  When Phil pulled in later that day, Frank and John had just returned to the roof. They watched as he made his way toward the house, giving them a nod on the way. Frank, closer to the edge, waved at him and then walked back up to join John, knocking a small pile of rubble off the roof in the process.

  “Hey! Watch it up there!”

  “Oops,” Frank grinned.

  “Classy, Frank.”

  “So, are you going to go down and meet him?”

  “I don’t know why I should.”

  “Aren’t you a little curious?”

  John looked at his friend. “Whether I am or not, I’m sure Maddy doesn’t want me down there.”

  “I don’t know about that. We’re done up here anyway.” Frank started heading toward the ladder.

  “Don’t make a scene, Frank.”

  “Come down and stop me.”

  Maddy and Phil were standing by the door as John and Frank climbed down the ladder and up the steps. There was an awkward moment as the group converged and then stopped.

  Frank broke the silence. He reached his hand out. “Hi, I’m Frank.”

  Phil extended his hand in return. “Phil. How’s it goin’?”

  “I’m sorry,” Maddy said. “Frank, John, this is Phil. Phil, these guys are restoring my house with me. John is my contractor.”

  John stepped up onto the porch, and Phil inadvertently took a step back, apparently not interested in looking up to say hello.

  John nodded. “Hello, Phil.”

  Phil crossed his arms. “Looks like you boys are doing a good job.”

  “It’s been interesting.” John looked briefly at Maddy. She didn’t look particularly happy; something about her haunted expression struck a protective chord. He took a deep breath and looked back at Phil. “We won’t keep you.”

  “Don’t worry about us. We’re on our way out.�
� Phil ushered Maddy ahead as they walked down the steps to his car.

  John watched for a moment, and then turned to walk into the house. Frank followed, for once, not knowing what to say.

  

  “So, you spent two hours together and you didn’t talk about why he walked out on you?”

  Maddy stuffed a pillow into its new case. “He’s coming back on Friday; we’ll talk more then.”

  “Why Friday?”

  “He’s doing something up in Augusta. He’ll be back in time for dinner Friday night.”

  “So you had a nice little chat this afternoon?”

  Maddy shrugged. “For some reason, we just spent the time catching up. It was strange, like no time had passed.”

  Becky regarded her sister skeptically while she tucked the coral-colored shell spread into place. “Sounds magical.”

  Maddy scowled. “It’s not like I’m going to let it all go so easily; I’m not stupid. He just caught me off guard. Believe me, I was on the defensive – but he just started asking about my business, and then we caught up on each others’ families. It was surprisingly comfortable.”

  “I’m sure that was no mistake.”

  “Well, he seemed genuinely interested. I’ve had enough conflict around here this week. It was nice to have a civil conversation.”

  Becky threw the last of the decorator pillows on the bed. “He broke your heart, Maddy.” She fluffed a pillow and rearranged it. “Or more like ripped it out and stomped on it.” She turned to her sister. “You’re okay with that now?”

  “Of course not!” Maddy shot back, obstinately rearranging the pillows. “I’m just trying to stay neutral. He came across the country to see me. I can at least hear him out.”

  “You owe him nothing.”

  Maddy looked hard at her sister. She was right, of course. She leaned down to collect the plastic wrappings from the bedding. Why am I defending Phil? She seemed to have no framework for figuring out either Phil or John. The one person she didn’t need to be arguing with was her sister. Preparing to make this generous observation, she looked up and caught a pillow in the face.