by B J Phillips
“Well, hi there, Kelly. Great to see you again. It’s been awhile. How are you?” Tracy ran her fingers through her long auburn curls, southern belle written all over her. “Waiting for someone, sugar?”
“A friend,” Kelly said. “I sure wouldn’t want to hold you guys up.”
Tracy smiled. “Don’t worry, you aren’t. Oh, by the way, this is Reagan.” She looked up at her date, smiling sweetly. “Reagan, honey, this is my friend, Kelly.”
Kelly put out her hand to shake hands and Reagan extricated her hand from Tracy’s to do the same, eyeing Kelly but smiling.
“Nice to meet you,” they said at the same time.
“You two enjoy your evening,” Kelly said. All she wanted to do was get them to move on. Andi would be there any minute now.
“You, too.” Tracy tried to reclaim Reagan’s hand, but Reagan reached for the door instead and in seconds they were out of sight.
“Friends of yours?” Andi said from behind her as the door closed behind Tracy and Reagan.
Kelly turned quickly and grinned. “One of them. The redhead. The other one’s her flavor of the month.” Kelly shook her head. “Water under the bridge. How about some pie? It’s my treat.”
Andi grinned back. “Thanks, I’m in.”
They opened the door into the bakery, which took up the front section of Perkins Restaurant. The sweet, fruity pie aromas were mouth-watering as they made their way to the hostess to be seated. Kelly had to stop on the way to gaze at the display case with nearly every kind of pie on their menu, along with several varieties of chocolate chip cookies, just sitting there waiting to be admired and hopefully taken home. Out of habit, she scanned the case for her favorite strawberry pie, even though she knew it was out of season.
Kelly felt herself relax once they slid into a booth with Tracy and Reagan nowhere in sight. She knew Tracy would make a big deal out of anything she thought she might’ve seen, and later she’d call her and ask all kinds of questions about Andi, as well.
“I didn’t see you drive up,” Kelly said.
“Oh, I changed cars. I decided to ditch the Mercedes and get something I’d enjoy driving more and worry about less. I got…don’t laugh…a Camry.”
“Really? As you can see, I’m not laughing. What made you decide to change cars?”
“It's pretty comfortable and I don’t have to worry as much about where I park it. I found myself worrying constantly driving that rental Mercedes and parking it in the mall parking lot or at the beach. I was afraid it was going to get door dings and I was going to get charged with it when I turned it in.”
“You’re planning to be here for a while?”
“I’m going to be here for a while, yes. I’m not quite sure how long, but for long enough to change cars. I blend in more here in it. I liked that Mercedes, but to tell you the truth, it was more what I was expected to drive than what I actually wanted.”
“Well, you’ll feel more comfortable in that Camry than the Mercedes.” Kelly pulled the dessert menus out of the table holder and handed one to Andi.
“I already do. It’s easy and fun to drive and I like it. Now, on to some dessert?”
“Oh yeah…this place has a great menu of sweets, especially pie. All kinds of pie. What’s your favorite?” Kelly asked, looking at the menu.
Andi opened her menu. “Hmm…I think chocolate is my favorite. How about you?”
“Chocolate pie, huh? My friend Carrie makes the world’s best chocolate pie. Just ask her wife, Shawn. Since they got together, it’s a wonder Shawn hasn’t gained 20 pounds. I love her chocolate pie, too, but I think my all-time favorite’s fresh strawberry pie. You know, the one most places only carry part of the year?”
“Oh yes, I know that pie well. I’d say that runs a close second to chocolate pie, for me.” Andi continued her scan of the menu. “You have actual friends, huh?” Andi peeked over the menu. Kelly looked up to find Andi grinning from ear to ear. “You know I’m kidding, right?”
“Yes, I do have actual friends. And yes, I do know you’re kidding.” Kelly grinned back. “It’s nice to see you having a good time. You have a wonderful smile, by the way. You should wear it more often.”
“Why, Kelly, are you flirting with me?” Andi peeked at her over the menu again.
“Um, no. Well, maybe a little bit.” Kelly looked directly into Andi’s eyes. “I hope that’s okay.”
“Yes, it’s okay. It’s very much okay.” Andi smiled again and looked back down at the menu.
Kelly felt a little flutter in her stomach. Oh, no…not falling for this beautiful woman. She’ll return to wherever she came from soon and you’ll never see her again.
She made a point of staring at the menu, telling herself she was looking for the strawberry pie that wouldn’t be there. She knew it wasn’t, but she kept her eyes there for another minute. She decided to settle for lemon meringue. She put the menu down and found Andi looking back at her.
“What?”
Andi grinned at her. “Nothing. You’re cute when you get a little flustered.”
Kelly felt a flush begin in her cheeks and picked the menu back up to hide behind. “I’m sure I’m not flustered.”
“Fine. You’re not, then. Maybe you’re just cute.”
“Now you’re giving me a hard time,” Kelly put the menu back down and laughed. “Guess that’s fair.”
The waiter appeared and began removing the two extra place settings on the table. “Ladies, what can I get you today?”
“Chocolate silk pie and coffee for me,” Andi said.
“Lemon meringue and I’ll have coffee, too.” Kelly put her menu back in the table holder.
“I’ll be right back with your order,” the waiter said, then disappeared.
Andi crossed her arms and leaned over on the table. “So…how did you get into the woodworking business? That isn’t a common occupation for a woman.”
“My grandfather let me hang out with him when I was little. I was the second oldest grandkid and I loved following him around. He bought me a scaled down set of tools and taught me how to make things.”
“That’s so sweet. Not every man wants a little girl in his shop. Seems like they’re like automotive shops–bastions of masculinity.”
“Grandpop was happy I was interested. None of the rest of his grandkids—boys or girls—ever were. He spent time with me and taught me to make stuff. I loved both the time I spent with him and making the things he showed me. He was a wonderful man.”
“He sounds like he was. Do you remember the first thing you made with him?” Andi leaned forward, her chin in her hands.
“Of course. I even still have it. He helped me make my own toolbox and my child-sized set of tools that he gave me is still in there.” Kelly smiled absently. “Sometimes I pull it out to look at it and feel close to him again. It sure brings back a lot of great memories.”
“That’s wonderful. I’d love to see it sometime, if you wouldn’t mind showing it to me. I didn’t really know my grandparents on either side. After my mom died, her parents didn’t want much to do with me. I don’t know if it was them or if my father pushed them away, like he did everyone else.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. What about your dad’s parents? Elise is your dad’s sister, right?”
“Right. Their parents were distant people anyway. They were busy doing their own thing traveling all over the world even when Aunt Elise and my dad were growing up. Aunt Elise tried to fill in that gap for me after Mom died, but no one can do that entirely. Aunt Elise became more than my aunt and more like a mom. I couldn’t have made it through losing my mother and having my father go off the deep end into work had it not been for her. She saved me. She raised me herself after my mother died giving birth to my little brother. My brother died shortly after that. I was only six.”
“So…did Elise adopt you?”
“Oh no, she wouldn’t have done that, even though I would’ve been fine with it. She always hoped my dad wou
ld come around one day and realize that he needed me as much as I needed him.” Andi looked down and traced the wood grain on the table with her finger absently and let out a little sigh. “But it never happened. Kind of late, now, for him to figure that out.”
Kelly fought the impulse to hold Andi in her arms to console her. She settled for saying, “That sounds like a sad childhood.”
“Honestly, it sounds worse than it was. Aunt Elise made my life much, much nicer than it would’ve been if I’d been living with my dad. She’s truly amazing. She always managed to balance a very hectic career with making sure I was taken care of and had quality time with her. She made time to come to nearly all my school events and to the teacher conferences. I couldn’t have asked for a better surrogate parent.”
“That sounds nice. You’re lucky to have her. Did you see your father much?”
“Not really. I was only sad that he wasn’t there when things like Father’s Day rolled around and he didn’t show up at all sometimes. You can see why Aunt Elise is my favorite person in the world. I’d tell you she’s a wonderful woman, anyway, even if she was only a friend and wasn’t my aunt. She’s just so down to earth and loving.”
“I’m surprised she never had any children of her own, since she obviously was a great mother figure in your life.”
“Well, she’s not the having kids herself kind. She did a great job with me, but didn’t want any of her own.”
“I’m glad you had someone in your life who made it easier. I can’t imagine my childhood without my parents. I guess I was lucky in having them both around while I was growing up.”
“You’re very lucky.” Andi let out a small sigh. “I guess that makes us both lucky in our own way. Do your parents live here?”
“No, they moved up to Ohio to be near my mom’s sister after she had a stroke. Mom and Dad keep an eye on my aunt and help her out with things. Although they love me very much, my parents have never been very comfortable with who I am. So, having some distance between us works very well. By the way, I must admit I was surprised to see Elise out in the yard trimming her own trees. I’m sure she can afford to hire someone to do that.” Kelly leaned back in the booth, her arm across the seat back’s blue tapestry upholstery.
“Yes, she can. And she does, if it’s something she can’t do or doesn’t have the time to do. But she likes doing things herself.” Andi looked briefly out the window and then back at Kelly. “You know, she likes you. That means something in my book.”
“I like her, too. I told her I don’t take on every job that comes my way. If I don’t hit it off with the customer, I just politely turn down the job. I usually tell them the job’s more than I’ve got time to do right now. But, you know, the day I met Elise I knew I could work with and for her.”
“She said she trusted you right away, too. The woman at the construction company that she uses gave her your name and told her you were an amazing woodworker. Aunt Elise told me she was prepared to say she’d wait till someone from the company could get to it, but she said she decided to meet with you and see what you were like. She figured she could always change her mind, then call the office back and say no, she’d wait for them to come do it. She told me last night she was glad she decided to meet you.”
Kelly smiled. “I think it’s going to work out well for both of us. She gets her bookcases the way she wants them and I get to work with some great people…you included.”
Andi grinned back. “And I get a new friend. Works for me.”
Their waiter arrived with pie and coffee for two, then with a cheery, “Enjoy,” he left them to devour their desserts. Other than an occasional ‘mmm…this is so good…’ or a smile over a sip of coffee, neither of them said much. By the time the waiter brought the coffee pot over for refills, both were finishing their respective slices of pie and only crumbs remained on their plates.
“Now that was good,” Andi said. “I wish I could bake like this.”
“It’s a good thing I can’t. I’d bake pies all the time and be big as a house,” Kelly said. “Not good.”
“That’s probably true for me, too. Pie’s one of my biggest weaknesses, right up there with rocky road ice cream.” Andi reached for the coffee creamer.
“Ah, then pie with ice cream would be the ultimate decadence for you.” Kelly laughed. “I’m right there with you on that one.” She took a sip of her coffee, leaned back in the booth, and gazed across the table. “I do need to introduce you to my friends Shawn and Carrie. Carrie’s chocolate pie will put what you just had, good as it was, to shame.”
“I’d love to meet them, especially Carrie. I admire people who can bake. I’ve always thought of baking as an art. Although I can take care of the basics, I’m not a very good cook, I’m afraid.”
“Lots of people aren’t much for cooking. It’s either something you enjoy or you don’t. I had a friend who never even turned on the stove in her house, and didn’t plan to.”
Andi smiled a little sheepish-looking smile. “It wasn’t that I didn’t like it. I just never did any cooking growing up, so it doesn’t come naturally to me like it does to some people.”
“Really? You never did any cooking at all?”
“Nope. We had a cook. That was one thing Aunt Elise always had help with while I was growing up. I guess she was afraid I wouldn’t get enough nutritious food if someone else didn’t take care of us. Aunt Elise can cook, but she was too busy to plan meals and make them when she got home from work. After I moved out on my own I found myself either ordering in or eating out a lot.”
“Tell you what, I’ll set something up and see if I can talk Carrie into inviting us over for one of her to-die-for pies.” She leaned over to try to make eye contact with Andi. “As for not knowing how to cook, there are lots of people out there who are in the same boat as you for various reasons. That doesn’t apply to me, of course. I’m a fairly good cook. I’ll never starve as long as I can get to a grill.” She chuckled. “Come on, you probably have lots of other talents.”
Andi persisted in looking out the window and a little tear escaped her left eye. She quickly wiped it away, appearing to pretend it didn’t happen. “You seem to have a good life, Kelly.”
“I do. I’ve had my share of heartache, believe me. But overall, I think it’s good. Someday I’d like to find someone to share it with on a permanent basis other than my dog, but I’m in no hurry. I’ll never rush into something because I’m lonely. I hope you won’t, either, speaking as a friend.” Kelly reached over and patted Andi’s hand once then withdrew her hand.
“I already made that mistake.” Andi turned and looked at Kelly. “Never again. Next time, I’ll make a commitment for the right reasons. The last one was a very big mistake, but I didn’t realize it till I was in pretty deep.”
“That’s a bad way to learn a lesson, but I’m glad you learned from it. I’ve always figured that even a lousy experience is not a total loss if I learn something from it.”
“True. Very true. Unfortunately, it’s sad that we seem to need to get hurt to learn these things.”
“I always figured I was too hard-headed to learn any other way.” Kelly began to chuckle. “And believe me, I can be pretty hard-headed.”
A smile inched across Andi’s face, making its way to her eyes. “I bet you can be, Kelly. But I also bet you have a very tender heart. Tell me if I’m wrong about that…”
A blush crept up Kelly’s neck to her cheeks. “I guess so. I like to think I care about people. If that means I have a tender heart, I guess I do.” She looked at her coffee mug, and then back up at Andi. “I’m guessing you probably do, too. Someone has hurt you badly, but remember, not everyone’s out to hurt you.”
“I know that. But right now, I need to protect myself. I need to regroup and let myself heal. That’s why I’m here, staying with Aunt Elise. She’s my shelter from the storm. My rock. My haven. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Andi stroked her finger around the rim of her coffee mug
absently before draining the last of the caramel-colored liquid.
“She appears to be pretty solid herself. From what I’ve seen of her, she’s very down-to-earth and she certainly cares about you. You’re very lucky to have her in your life.”
“I know I am.” Andi reached for her keys lying on the table. “And I guess I’d better get going.”
“Me too. I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Ah, my knight in shining armor to keep me safe, huh?” Andi smiled. “I like that. Thanks.”
“I do seem to get called that. But it’s really a safety thing…I want to be sure you get to your car all right.” Kelly grinned widely. “Okay, and I want to get a look at that new car you’re driving. Just curious.”
Kelly could see Andi’s rented deep metallic red Camry as soon as Andi clicked the unlock button on her key. Even in the parking lot light, it almost sparkled.
“Nice choice for a ride.”
“I like it. I’m even thinking of buying one after I decide where I want to live.”
“You mean you haven’t decided where you want to live now? You said you have a business to go back to, so you must have a home and friends.”
“Let’s just say I’m not sure any more.” Andi opened her car door, reached over and lightly kissed Kelly on the cheek. “I enjoyed this evening. Thanks.”
“So did I. We can do this any time you like.” Kelly laughed. “You know I like pie now. By the way, how do you feel about miniature golf?”
“I don’t think I’ve played since I was a kid, but I remember it was fun. Why?”
“Well, it’s something that might be entertaining to do some time. My friends suggested it. Anyway, it’s an idea of somewhere to go if nothing else comes to mind and we’re bored.”
“We could do that. Oh, I almost forgot. Aunt Elise said she’d call you tomorrow about the latest options you gave her. I think she likes it even better. I better go. Night, Kelly.”
“Thanks. Night, Andi.” She watched Andi pull out of the parking lot, absently stroking her cheek where Andi’s lips had touched her seconds before. She smiled faintly then grinned as she got into her Durango to drive home. She took a deep breath and started the engine. This Andi could be dangerous. She might be hurt waiting to happen if I’m not careful.