by Robin Shope
In fact, all morning long, Lucy kept checking the driveway for his vehicle. She thought she heard the slamming of a car door a half dozen times, but each time she looked outside all she saw was an empty drive. Now Lucy was sure she heard the rumble of an engine. She opened the blinds in time to see Joe’s car roll to a stop. Joe came—even after her brother’s nonsense. He said he would, but now that he was physically here, she finally allowed herself to believe it. Seeing him, her heart welled with happiness. Lucy bolted through the door and leaped over the snowdrifts, quickly realizing she is only wearing her socks.
“Yeah! You’re here!” Lucy greeted him. Shivering badly, her feet were soaking wet and cold to the bone, so cold they actually hurt.
“Shouldn’t you be wearing a coat?” he asked. “And shoes?”
“What was I thinking?” She playfully knocked herself in the head. “When I saw your vehicle in the drive, I just ran out.” Lucy hopped on one foot and then the other. “Wait right here while I go back inside for my coat and boots. Then I can help you carry your stuff up and get settled in. The door is already unlocked. Mom is trying to find the key.”
“I think I better help you first.” And just like that, Joe swept her up in his arms.
Lucy couldn’t believe his grand gesture but the feeling of being in his arms was amazing. She felt perfectly weightless and wouldn’t have minded one bit if he carried her all the way around the waters of Turtle Creek. He carried her over the drifts, back toward the cabin, depositing her gently on the rug inside.
“You better change into dry socks.”
“Okay! I’ll be right back out!” Lucy called as she sprinted up the steps to her room hitting every squeaky board this time. “Oh, did I tell you the door to the apartment is open? You can walk right in.”
Joe stopped in the doorway and called up the stairs. “Yes, you did. Let me handle carrying up my stuff alone. All I have are a couple of boxes and one suitcase. As soon as I drop them off, I’ll be right back out. I’d like to get right to work.”
“You mean you don’t want to take a day to get settled in?”
“No. I can do that on my own time. Right now, I am anxious to get started.”
“Sounds good to me. Come on over when you’re ready.” Lucy leaned over the railing and smiled at him. After he left, she did an about face and headed back to her bedroom where she peeled off her socks. Her feet were numb with cold as she rubbed them with a towel. The bottoms of her jeans were even wet.
Lucy opened her closet door trying to figure out what to wear. This was the first time in years she had cared so much about her appearance. Joe brought it out in her.
Lucy changed into a navy-blue pair of slacks but kept on the sweater she was wearing. Yesterday, she had purchased the new top just for this occasion. Lucy grabbed her brush and ran it through her hair. When she was done, she still had a bit of a wild look since the curls went every which way. Lucy raked through her make-up drawer. No need to add any color since her face was already blushed with excitement of seeing Joe again, but she did find a tube of lip-gloss. Lucy was applying it when she heard Joe downstairs.
“What’s taking you so long to change a pair of socks?” he called up the steps.
Lucy dropped the lip-gloss back into the drawer and ran down to him.
The Christmas Edition
The Christmas Edition
Chapter Five
“Here we are!” Lucy spread her arms wide as they walked into the office.
“Well, look who’s here,” Ulilla put both hands on the desk and then hoisted up. She stretched her legs a bit and then toddled across the room to Lucy and Joe. “You must forgive me. I have arthritis in both my knees and it takes me a moment to get going after sitting so long.”
Joe greeted her with a half hug. “Hello, again. By the way, are you taking anything for your arthritis?”
“Aspirin.” Ulilla answered as though she hadn’t ever considered anything else.
“There’s a new method for easing the pain of arthritis called cold laser treatment. You should look into it.”
“I haven’t ever heard of that. What does it do?”
“Since it’s a cold laser, it freezes the tissues in and around the knee that are inflamed. The inflammation is what causes the pain. I’ll get you some information on it.”
Ulilla looked at Lucy quizzically.
“He was a file clerk at a hospital,” Lucy explained.
“Oh how convenient.” She smiled and chuckled a bit, “I may call on you for more medical advice then.”
“That’s not a good idea since I’m not a family physician,” Joe stated.
“But you’re handier so you’ll do.” Ulilla walked normally back to her desk. “See? All better now. It’s just the first couple of steps that are hard.” Then as she went to sit down her knee gave way and she fell back in her chair. She waved her hands in the air. “I’m fine! I’m fine!”
Carol gave Joe a greeting from across the room. Abe walked up and shook his hand as Harold came from his office. “Hello, hello Joe!” Harold grabbed both of Joe’s hands. “I can’t express how grateful we all are to have you here.”
“I am the grateful one. I only hope you still feel the same way in a few weeks.”
“Oh? Why wouldn’t I?” He scratched his belly.
“I hope my editorials meet your expectations.”
“I have no doubt. Joe, now that you’re here, I think Margaret and I will be able to take a break for a few weeks until the first of the year. Lucy, show Joe to his editor’s desk.” Harold went back into his office.
“Right away, Dad. Follow me, Joe.”
“Wow, I get the editor’s desk. Sounds important,” Joe smiled.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Ulilla warned with a lift of her eyebrows. She looked back at the computer to the story she had been writing and let out a blood curling scream “Oh no!” Ulilla took hold of the computer monitor and began shaking it.
“You forgot to save before exiting again, didn’t you?” Lucy asked.
Ulilla grimaced. “I am so bad!”
“I’ll see what I can do about recovering the document,” Carol said stepping in to help.
Lucy led Joe toward the back corner of the room where someone had all ready hung mistletoe. Initially she didn’t like the location of it, but now that Joe would be working directly under the mistletoe, she found the placement to be fortuitous. “The only private office in the building belongs to Dad, and since he just said he is taking a bit of time off, I am going to use it. The large closet off the office has been made into my dark room for photography.”
“That will be convenient for you.”
“Very convenient, plus it means Mike can use my desk.” Lucy turned and pointed. “And there is your desk. Back here in this corner.”
“Yes, I see it. Right there by the bathrooms.” Joe said.
“I told you he’d notice!” Ulilla blurted.
“Yea, but that’s not the worst of it,” Monica said walking up to them. “The light is bad, too.”
Joe looked around. “Bad? It’s downright dark. I think I may need a flashlight.” He did his best to make light of it.
“Don’t worry; we’ve all ready thought of that. Mom is bringing a lamp from home,” Lucy added a bit too cheerfully.
Right on cue, Margaret arrived through the front door. She carried the ugliest lamp Joe had ever seen. Not only was it huge, but it was something out of the seventies with a wooden base and a brass faux scale.
“Let me help with that.” Joe rushed across the room and took it from her. “Now that’s what I call a lamp!” He held it out examining it. Then he set it on the upper left corner of his desk, plugged it in and turned on one of the brightest indoor lights he had ever experienced. “Wow, it’s everything one could ever ask for in a lamp.”
“You’re so sweet.” Margaret patted his chin. “I forgot until I was halfway here that the bulb is really a bug light. I’ll have to remember to br
ing a regular bulb next time I come to the office.”
Joe looked up inside the shade at the bug light. Then he counted out the steps between the bathroom door and his chair. There were three. “At least, I have my own computer,” Joe said as he sat down at the desk.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s yours until advertising needs it, which would be me. But that’s only once a week,” Carol smiled as she let Joe know how things worked around here. “Other than that, it’s all yours. But I am hopeful you will let me check email on it everyday.”
“You know, I think I’ll bring my laptop to work. It’ll simplify things for everyone.” Joe winked.
“I’ve seen those laptops advertised on TV,” Ulilla said excitedly. “They’re so small and thin, actually kind-of cute.”
“You really need to get out more,” Carol scoffed. “Even here in Turtle Creek, they’ve been selling them for years.”
“Electronics aren’t my thing,” Ulilla defended herself.
“I agree. You have a full page of notes written out just to turn on your computer and bring up Word to write your articles,” Carol sighed.
“Enough, ladies,” Margaret scolded.
“If advertising doesn’t need the computer for today, I can get started on my editorial.” Joe turned on the desktop and waited to connect to the internet…and waited. “You should really get cable.”
Lucy looked hurt and turned away.
“Hey.” He shot up from his chair and caught Lucy by the wrist. “That computer is going to be a while; how about you show me a good place to have lunch? My treat.”
“It might not be good for morale if we have lunch together,” Lucy demurred looking around at the others in the room.
“What about a working lunch then? It’s done all the time in Chicago,” Joe did his best to persuade her. “I offended you right away. Normally it takes a few days for that to happen. Please, I need to make it up to you.”
Lucy laughed. “I guess that it would be all right.”
****
They took the red vinyl booth in the back corner of the restaurant where the walls were covered with local historical pictures. The jukebox played quietly in the front.
“A place like this in Chicago would be considered retro,” Joe said approvingly. He started to beat out the rhythm of the music with his hands.
“And here in Turtle Creek, it’s our one restaurant. Ma’s Diner has been this way for the last fifty years.”
“Really? No updates?”
“My folks came here in high school, and according to them, nothing has changed but the waitresses.”
“I like that; it makes this establishment unique.” Joe looked over the menu. “Wow, look at these prices, would you?”
“Kinda high, huh? Don’t worry. I’ll pay for both our meals,” Lucy quickly offered.
“All the lunches are under six dollars—with dessert. I would call that anything but high.”
“In that case, the meal is on you,” Lucy quickly changed her mind.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Feel free to pick whatever you want!” He set the menu down with a smile.
Someone dropped coins into the jukebox and the music changed to Silent Night. A woman in her forties wearing thick-soled shoes and a pink uniform came up to the table, a pencil was pursed on her green order pad. “What will you two have?”
“I’ll have a salad with a side of blue cheese and water with lemon.” Lucy slid her menu between the ketchup and the paper napkin holder. As Lucy nervously touched her cross, Joe noted that she touched it as if reconnecting with a higher power. He found this interesting and made a mental note to ask her about it sometime.
“I’ll take the double cheeseburger with fries, Grace.”
“Have you eaten here before?”
Joe looked from the retreating waitress to Lucy, “No, why?”
Lucy sat twisting her napkin. “Well, you called her by name.” Lucy seemed a bit nervous or maybe still upset.
“Actually, I try to notice things about people because I’ve found that everyone seems to work better that way. So, I read her nametag.” Joe smiled trying to ease the tension around the table.
He noticed Lucy had really gotten quiet after those few words. Was she quiet because she felt uncomfortable with him? Or was she quiet because she was still mad at him about the Internet connection comment? Joe picked the latter. He had to do something to snap her out of it and get back on her good side. The quickest way Joe knew to do that was by being helpful so he took a pencil and a small spiral notepad from his shirt pocket, flipping it open in the process.
“Tell me, what is your vision for the newspaper?” It was always good to ask people for their opinions. It helped you know a bit about what made them tick and helped to ease a tense situation.
“It’s a double-edged sword. If the population doubled, we could hold our own financially, but our heads would still be barely above water.”
“What are you saying, Lucy? Is the newspaper in danger of going under?” Joe felt totally alarmed. This was a wrinkle he hadn’t counted on back in Chicago.
Lucy gave a moment of serious reflection. “There is a chance for it to happen. I guess I should have told you that right up front, but there is an equally good chance that we will flourish.”
“Two questions. First, why do you think the newspaper might go under?”
“Our circulation the last few years has stagnated and sales aren’t increasing while the cost of producing the paper keeps going up.” Lucy played with the saltshaker, tipping it over. She set it back up. “What is question number two?”
“What are your ideas about increasing circulation?”
“As much as I like the town the way it is, small and friendly, it cannot support us anymore. All the surrounding towns are resorts and they take in their high-dollar income during the summer months. It’s more than enough to last them all winter until the new season begins. Somehow Turtle Creek, although even more desirable, gets passed up. People look for homes on larger lakes where they can fish, ski and drive their boats. In this area, that means Lake Geneva, Lake Delavan and Lake Whitewater.”
“But that is fine with you as the town retains its charm?”
At Lucy’s nod, he continued, “I would suggest making your paper so unique that the residents in other towns couldn’t resist subscribing.”
“Great. That is my thought, too. We must be on the same wavelength.” She brightened. “My first plan of action is to do a piece on a variety of towns by looking into their special customs and holiday spirit in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Today, Mike is checking out Christmas decorations in the area. I’ll go back later this week to take photographs.”
“It’s a brilliant idea. Here’s another…have some kind of a drawing for dinner. What’s the fanciest restaurant in town?”
“We’re sitting in it.” She blinked with a smirk on her face.
“Oh. That’s right, you’ve already told me.” Joe looked around. “Talk this place up. The uniqueness; how it has retained its appeal. After that offer a gift certificate for a dinner here for a family of four. It can be a drawing, but it has to be signed up for via the mail-in coupon that can only be found inside The Turtle Creek Newspaper.”
“I knew my instinct to hire you was right!” Now Lucy seemed excited. Happy again.
“You hired me on instinct? I thought it was because of my editorial skills.” His smile was slow and easy.
“That, too.”
Joe picked up the pencil and began jotting down ideas. “Right now with a small circulation and just a couple of pages per issue, the space in your paper is valuable. Every word has to count. No fluff. No more obits about dead pets.”
“Oh. I see you’ve read our paper.” She bit her lower lip and then crossed her arms, one over the other.
“I’ve studied it for about two…” Joe caught himself. He had read the paper for two years but if he continued with his sentence it would make Lucy mistrustful of
him and he couldn’t let that happen. “For not too long. But long enough to know what it’s about.”
Grace set their plates in front of them. Joe squirted ketchup followed by mustard on his burger and then squished the bun down. He tossed the onions to the side and took a big bite. Lucy gathered a few dark green leaves on her fork and brushed them over the top of her dressing. Another song played.
“I’m sorry about the location of your desk. I’ll try to come up with something better. Maybe you can use Dad’s office and I’ll share my desk space with Mike. Or Mike can sit at that desk in the corner. We’ll work something out.”