They greeted her enthusiastically, doing their usual doggie, happy dance. Allie dashed across the room to retrieve her ball, but Marcia shook her head. “We’ll have to play later, sweetie,” she told her. “I have to go to work.”
The Dachshund looked crestfallen as she dropped the ball to the floor and walked forlornly from the room. Tootsie followed close behind her.
“I’ll be right there,” Marcia called, as she detoured to her bathroom.
Soon, she was ready for the day and the girls ensconced comfortably in the sunroom at the back of the house. A doggie door allowed them access to the yard whenever they wanted outdoor time.
Marcia grabbed a bagel from the fridge, stuffed it in her mouth, and hurried to snatch her keys from a hook beside the door to the garage. Soon, she was in her car and driving the short distance to work. She checked the clock on her dash, noting she was making good time.
She was first to arrive, but Angie soon entered, calling out a greeting. “Hello! How was your weekend?”
Marcia crossed the storeroom floor to meet her at the register. “Um, okay,” she told her.
“Do anything exciting?”
“Not really. I have a new neighbor who’s apparently going to renovate the house beside me.”
“Not Dan and Tammy,” she said, frowning. “Their house is perfect.”
“No, no, not their home. The other one.”
“Oh, right. You said new neighbor,” she remarked, remembering the dilapidated bungalow on the other side. “Well, hey, that’s great news, isn’t it? It certainly won’t hurt property values.”
Marcia conceded the point with a nod.
Angie frowned. “Has the new owner considered tearing the place down? If I remember right, it’s a real eyesore, isn’t it?”
“It’s in pretty rough shape,” she agreed. “But apparently it’s been in the family for some time.”
“Well, good luck with the renovations then,” she said, smiling. “Frankly, I’d bulldoze it, but that’s me.” Suddenly, she angled a suspicious glance her way. “Hey, is this new neighbor a ‘he’?”
“Don’t even go there,” Marcia said with a sigh. “I’m not in the market.”
“Is he cute?”
She took a deep breath and counted to three. Her assistant manager was forever trying to fix her up with eligible men. She wasn’t ready to date, and couldn’t begin to speculate when she might be. Maybe never. She found she rather liked being alone.
“Earth to Marcia,” Angie said, studying her intently. “Where’d you go just then? He must be cute, since you were just light years away.”
“No, no, it’s not that,” she assured her with a dismissive wave. “I was really just thinking how happy I am living alone.” She cocked her head to the side. “You know what, I am happy being alone. Wow, I think I’ve just had an epiphany.”
“Yeah, whatever. But is he cute?” she persisted.
“He’s all right,” she said noncommittally.
She wasn’t about to tell her friend that the man was drop dead gorgeous, since Angie would never drop the subject if she did. But, the truth was, she wasn’t the least bit interested in another overtly handsome face. And this guy was apparently about as helpless as Jay. She was done with good looking, helpless men. That awareness on her part didn’t rise to the level of epiphany, since five years with her ex had already cemented that particular resolve.
“Well, what does he look like?” she persisted. “On a scale of one to ten…”
She shrugged. “Uh, tall, dark. He’s maybe a … six—seven tops.”
“Above average,” she mused. “Could be worse.”
Marcia was relieved when the bell rang, indicating a customer, and she hurried away from her assistant. She got busy, keeping up a hectic pace until lunchtime. She didn’t take a break until Angie’s daughter, Collette, walked into the store. She greeted the pretty teenager, noting immediately that the girl’s face appeared crestfallen and her shoulders slumped.
“Collette, are you okay?” she asked with concern.
Angie, who had just stepped out of the back room, said, “Oh, didn’t I tell you? She and Chad broke up.”
“Oh, Collette, I’m so sorry.”
She shrugged. “It’s … okay.”
Marcia could see by her trembling lips that the teenager was devastated. She wrapped an arm around her. “It’s going to get better. I promise.”
The girl looked doubtful and suddenly cried, “Oh, Marcia, what did I do wrong? Things were going so great. We went out on Saturday night, and then yesterday, out of the blue, he texted me that he doesn’t love me anymore.”
“He texted you!” she said, incredulous. “He didn’t tell you in person? Or at minimum, call you?”
She shook her head. “No, and I’m soooo…. confused!” She burst into tears.
Marcia led her to the paint section on the north wall of the store. She pulled two stools from a low shelf and patted one for the girl to sit on. She sat down on the other, her back to the front of the store.
“Honey,” she assured her, “you didn’t do anything wrong.”
When she heard a customer come in, she was preoccupied and didn’t turn around to see who it was. Instead, she continued to focus on the grief-stricken girl.
“But I must have done something wrong,” she insisted. “I mean, one minute, things were great. The next minute, he erased me from his call list. He said that Marcia. He said, ‘we’re done and I’m going to erase you.’” She gave a shudder. “It’s like I never existed at … allllll!”
Marcia patted her arm. “Collette, why do you think you did anything wrong? Isn’t it possible he’s the one in the wrong here?”
“But, he’s so good-looking and popular. I mean, I was so happy when he noticed me. I still can’t believe he picked me.” She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment, but finally roused herself. “What did I do?” she implored. “Maybe I can fix it. Maybe he’ll give me another chance.” She gave an anguished sigh. “Oh, what did I do wrong?”
Marcia sighed loudly. Why did Collette automatically assume she’d done something wrong? What was it about girls—well, females, in general—that prompted them to assume guilt so readily?
She wondered, should she give the young girl the wisdom of her thirty-two years on the planet? Should she point out the error of her ways? In truth, it wasn’t what Collette had done, but what she hadn’t done that Marcia suspected was the problem.
Should she dole out advice?
Yes. She should.
“Collette, you made the same mistake I made when I started dating Jay,” she declared.
“What’s that?” the girl asked with interest, blotting at her eyes with the heels of her hands.
“You picked him,” Marcia said crisply, leaning closer and fixing her with a penetrating gaze, “instead of the guy standing beside him.”
“What?” she asked, shaking her head in puzzlement.
“Listen, when you met him, was he alone?”
She sniffled. “No, he was standing with his friend Drew.”
“And what is Drew like?” Marcia asked with interest.
“What do you mean?”
“Tell me about Drew?” she said crisply.
Collette sniffled again. “Well, he’s not quite as tall as Chad, and he’s a little bit on the heavy side. He has dark hair.” She cocked her head to the side, thinking. “He’s uh, kind of cute, and nice. I mean, he actually told me in school this morning how sorry he was for the way Chad treated me. He said I didn’t deserve it.”
“There you go!”
“I don’t understand.”
“Yes, you do. When you met Chad, Drew was standing right beside him. Drew was Chad’s sidekick, his wingman, as they say. Chad is the tall, blond, handsome guy who gets the girls easily and who doesn’t appreciate them, or the fact that he has that kind of power. He doesn’t use that power for good. He uses it to get the girl, and then to discard her like a piece of tissue.�
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Collette watched her, mouth agape. “But…”
“You know it’s true. You overlooked Drew because you wanted the hot guy—the one who inspired envy in your friends. The guy who upped your cool factor.” She shook her head sadly. “You didn’t give the good guy a second glance.”
“But…” Her face crunched in contemplation. “I guess you’re … right. I’ve actually known Drew for a long time, and he really is a great guy.”
“See there! Don’t go for the ‘it’ guy. Go for the guy standing beside him. I promise you, nine times out of ten, he’s the better man.”
“Okaaay,” Collette said, frowning. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I was being as superficial as Chad.”
“There you go,” Marcia said, clasping her hands together. “But don’t feel bad, honey. You’re seventeen. I was twenty-four when I fell for Jay, and I should have known better. I should have gone for the guy standing beside him too.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. Ted is sweet, devoted, and a wonderful husband to his wife. But, I overlooked him in favor of Jay. And look where it got me.”
Collette gave her a woeful look. “I’m sorry, Marcia. But I definitely see your point.” She abruptly perked up. “And, I plan to learn from your mistake!”
***
Ethan quietly perused an aisle nearby the paint section, only a few feet away from Marcia, who was sitting and talking to the teenager. He had heard every word of their conversation. He’d been intrigued by it, and wondered, was he a Chad or a Drew character?
He grimaced. He knew exactly who he was—or had been—and he felt his shoulders slump just thinking about it. He certainly wasn’t the sidekick type. No, not him. He’d always been the center of attention, and he’d liked it that way. He had always gotten the girl, and although he wanted to think he hadn’t been as insensitive as this Chad kid they’d been talking about, he knew better. He had definitely been a cad like Chad.
For that matter, so had his ex, Gwen. He suddenly wondered, did Marcia’s sidekick theory apply to women? Because if so, Gwen hadn’t fit the second fiddle role either. It was definitely something they had in common.
Now there was a revelation, he thought. He and Gwen had been so much alike. It’s probably what had drawn them together—the two up-and-comers intent on making names for themselves in their respective businesses. Unfortunately, he had found his success a hollow victory, whereas, Gwen relished the sweetness of hers in her home décor business.
Why couldn’t he enjoy his business success the way she did? he wondered. Why couldn’t he find pleasure in it anymore? What was the matter with him?
Finding no ready answer to his questions, he shook his head to clear it and glanced over at Marcia, as she finally rose from the stool.
“I have to get back to school,” he heard the teenager say, and she dashed out of the store, with obvious pep in her step. Clearly, Marcia’s talk had done her good.
He was glad, and actually found himself sending the Drew kid well wishes and hoped he got the girl. If not that particular girl, the next one. And he hoped the girl heeded Marcia’s advice. She was right that the guy who was usually overlooked was often the better man.
He remembered his best buddy from high school, Tim Reid. He was definitely a good guy and had always had his back. Tim had had the patience of a saint, and had not only stood back and let him get the girl, he had doled out good advice along the way. He was married now to a woman he’d met soon after graduating college. He had two little girls and was blissfully happy.
Ethan was lost to his thoughts, and hadn’t noticed the store clerk approach him. She was middle-aged, petite, with short dark hair. “Anything I can help you with?” Angie inquired cheerfully.
“Oh, uh, yes,” he stammered, “I’m wondering if you have…” He searched his brain. What was the name of that ant-killing powder Marcia had given him? Earlier, he’d found another colony housed in an old railroad tie at the back of his property, and was eager to annihilate that nest too. “Is Marcia in?” he asked, knowing full well she was, and that she would know the name of the powder.
Hearing her name, Marcia glanced over and waved. “I’m here.” She strode over to him. “Was there something you needed, Ethan?”
He filled her in about the ant colony, as Angie looked on, mouth agape. After finding the powder and ringing him up, Marcia gave him a few more words of instruction and encouragement, and then headed for the backroom. Angie found her there, stacking buckets.
“Who was that?” she demanded.
“Who?”
“You know who!”
“Oh, uh, that’s my new neighbor. You saw him come into the store the other day, didn’t you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I would have remembered him. That’s your ‘six, maybe seven’? Girl, you need glasses!”
Marcia rose up to her full height. “No, I need lunch.” With a mock cheery wave, she grabbed her purse from a hook in the back and hurried out the door.
Deciding on lunch out, since she wasn’t feeling up to an inquisition from her friend, she detoured to a nearby sandwich shop. It wasn’t until she’d placed an order and stood back to wait for her sandwich that she spied Ethan sitting alone in a booth. To her surprise, he gestured her over. She did her best to hide the sigh that escaped her lips, and then dutifully walked to his booth.
“Care to join me?” he asked, glancing around. “There aren’t any other open tables.”
As much as she would have preferred to get her lunch to go, she hated to be unfriendly. Besides, it wouldn’t behoove her to alienate a paying customer, and at the rate he was making purchases at her store, and considering the condition of his house, he might be responsible for a sizeable increase in her end-of-the-month profits.
Chapter Four
“The food’s good here,” Ethan observed, biting into the thick turkey sandwich.
Marcia nodded. “It is.” She glanced around, preoccupied.
Ethan dropped his sandwich onto the plate. “I don’t mean to intrude,” he said tentatively, “but you seem worried about something. Are you all right?”
She forced a smile. “I’m fine. Sorry. Just thinking about all the work waiting for me at the store.”
Okay, she thought, she hadn’t just told a lie, since there was always work waiting for her at the store, but it wasn’t entirely the truth. The truth was, she wasn’t the least bit pleased to be joining him for lunch. He was too good looking, too close to home—literally—and potentially a distraction she simply didn’t need right now.
“I don’t mean to get too personal, but is business going well?” he asked her.
She weighed the question with side-to-side tilts of her head. “Well, we have good days and bad days. Typical with a new business,” she added briskly.
“Do you primarily sell to customers with do-it yourself projects?” he inquired.
She nodded. “Yes. Occasionally, we fill an order for a business or construction firm, but our typical customer is the weekend warrior intent on ticking an item or two off the ‘Honey-do’ list.”
He nodded with a sheepish grin. “Well, you’ll probably be seeing a lot of me in your store.”
That’s what I’m afraid of, she thought, but didn’t give voice to her concern. Instead, she did her best to look cheerful. “So, have you made any big decisions relating to your house?”
He snared her gaze and bit back a laugh. “As in, have you decided to tear it down and start over, ‘you big dummy’?”
She gave a sheepish grin, alerting him to the fact that the question had crossed her mind. “Well, okay, yes. Minus the ‘big dummy’ part, of course.” She leaned forward in the seat. “Are you sure you want to take on a big project like that. It might be wise to hire someone to come in and…”
“I have,” he admitted, smiling. “I have a crew coming later this afternoon.” He didn’t mention it was his crew. Should he mention that detail now? He raked a hand through his hair a
nd scrubbed a hand across his jaw.
Marcia watched the emotions crisscross his face, intrigued by the flitting expressions. Something was bothering him. He was probably feeling overwhelmed by the home renovation he was about to embark upon. She would be.
“Well, I think you’re on the right track,” she assured him. “Sometimes it’s just better to go with the experts when it comes to a project of that magnitude.”
He grinned then. “A project of that magnitude? It’s a tiny house.”
“Well, that’s true but…”
“A small house with a lot of problems,” he said, giving voice to her thoughts again.
“Well…” She laughed. “I don’t mean to squelch your enthusiasm. I’ll just … shut up.”
“No, no,” he said quickly. “I don’t want you to do that. Feel free to express your opinions.”
“I think I just did,” she admitted with a chuckle. “So, are you going to gut the place?”
He nodded his head ruefully. “Yeah, that’s the plan. I do know I should just level it and start over, but I just can’t do that. I want to retain as much of it as possible, since…” He gave a sad smile.
“Since the house is special to you,” she finished for him.
He met her gaze. “Yes. It is.”
“Well, as I said, if I can help in any way…”
Good grief, she thought with alarm, I’m my own worst enemy. She didn’t have the time, or the inclination, really, to lend her expertise to the remodel. Besides, she was actually a novice herself in many ways. Indeed, she was a quick learner, but she had so much more to learn.
“I appreciate your willingness to help,” he told her, wondering again, should he tell her now that he was actually an expert in home construction and repair, and that after several years of attending school at night, he had gained the skills to expand both his business and the size of his projects. Instead, he asked, “So, have you done many improvements to your own home?”
She nodded. “I actually gutted the interior of my place too. I took it down to the studs. The place is over fifty years old, so I had to start over with new wiring and plumbing…”
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