Part 13 (1/2)
”Yeah, well, it beats eating the inventory,” Samantha retorted, then sighed. ”I need a new vice.”
”You wanted to take up drinking. Why don't we go over to Zelda's?”
”I'm too broke to take up drinking.”
”Don't worry. I'll buy. I still have money in savings.” Cecily walked to the coat closet and got her jacket. ”Let's go cheer you up.”
”The only thing that could cheer me up would be winning the lottery,” Samantha muttered, and followed her out into the cold.
Zelda's wasn't packed, but Friday night had brought out a few more warm bodies. A retired couple finished up their meals with coffee and pie. Several younger families were still eating, the parents digging into their smoked salmon chowder while their kids devoured gourmet burgers and sweet-potato fries.
Samantha saw p.i.s.sy and one of her underlings from city hall at a table by the window and feigned blindness. Instead, she went to say h.e.l.lo to Heidi Schwartz, who sat toward the front with her new husband. Baby James was in a high chair, slapping the tray in excitement at the sight of a spoon loaded with mashed potatoes.
Cecily came over, too, and Heidi greeted them both enthusiastically. ”Sit down. Join us.”
”No, you guys go ahead and enjoy your meal. We're heading to the bar, anyway,” Samantha said. ”Girls' night.”
”Sounds like fun,” Heidi said agreeably, but from the way she'd been smiling at her husband, Samantha could tell she wouldn't trade her former single life for the one she had now.
A little ping of jealousy hit Samantha-but she brushed it off. Yes, it would be nice to settle down someday, if she could have the kind of happy ending Heidi had found. But there were no guarantees. She could as easily end up with a loser like Charley had.
Blake Preston, with his big shoulders and his small heart, came to mind, giving her a ping of a very different kind. Oh, no. Men like Blake Preston were why she was single. She was happy with her life just as it was. Well, just as it was going to be once she got everything back on an even keel.
”Are you here for the festival?” Heidi asked Cecily.
”I am.”
”That's so cool that you can take time off to come up.”
Cecily nodded, offering no other information. Samantha couldn't say that she blamed her sister. She wouldn't be announcing it all over town if she'd closed up shop. That thought led to more sobering ones, which she quickly shoved aside.
”Well, enjoy your meal, guys,” she said again, and turned to leave. That was when she discovered that while they'd been visiting, Charley had seated some new customers at a table they'd have to pa.s.s en route to the bar. Crud. There had to be a way to skirt around that table. More fake blindness required. They should've stayed at Mom's and watched a movie.
”Samantha,” Ed York called, smiling and waving at her.
She could have pretended blindness, maybe even deafness, too, but with her sister standing right next to her, smiling in Ed's direction, that would have been pus.h.i.+ng it. She swore under her breath, pasted on a smile and waved back at Ed, who was seated a few tables over with her nemesis, Blake Preston.
”Charm,” Cecily said under her breath, and led the way to their table.
”Samantha, this is becoming our second home, isn't it?” Ed greeted her. ”And, Cecily. What brings you back to town so soon?”
”I'm here to help with the festival,” she said.
”We'll take all the help we can get, won't we?” Ed stood and pulled out a chair. ”Join us for a drink ladies. We can talk.”
That was what Samantha wanted to do, all right, sit down for a chummy little drink with Blake Preston, business killer.
”Maybe they have dates,” Blake said. He probably didn't want to get cozy any more than she did. Or was he insinuating she couldn't get a date?
”If not, you could join us for dinner,” Ed offered.
”Oh, no. We've already eaten,” Samantha said.
”Well, a gla.s.s of wine, then.”
”A gla.s.s of wine sounds wonderful,” Cecily said, making the decision for them and instilling in her sister a desire to throttle her. Blake stood to pull out another chair and she held out her hand for him to shake. ”I'm Cecily Sterling. I was a few years behind you in school but-”
”I know who you are. Everyone knows the beautiful Sterling sisters,” Blake said gallantly.
Blech. This man was wasted in banking. He should've been a salesman. On a used-car lot. Or at a fair, selling overpriced kitchen gadgets.
”So I think we're making real progress, don't you?” Ed said heartily.
”Absolutely,” Samantha agreed. ”Everyone's on board with this,” she added, practically daring Blake to even hint otherwise.
At that moment, Charley walked by with Samantha's downstairs neighbor, Lila Ward, and another older woman in tow. Lila was a retired teacher, skinny as a pencil, with short gray hair and thin lips. She told everyone she was widowed. Samantha didn't believe it. She suspected the former Mr. Ward had run away.
Tonight Lila wore gray slacks and a heavy fisherman knit sweater-a scarecrow bundled up for winter. At the sight of them seated all together, her lips pursed and Samantha braced herself for an unpleasant encounter.
Sure enough. Lila stopped at the table, leaving her friend and Charley to move on without her. ”I hear you're planning some kind of festival, Ed,” she said, ignoring his tablemates. Lila obviously hadn't taught manners.
”As a matter of fact, we are,” he said jovially. ”If all goes according to plan we should have a town full of people next month.”
”And there goes our peace and quiet,” Lila snapped. ”I didn't retire up here to see the place overrun with yuppies and hoodlums. I don't know what you're thinking.”
”We're thinking it'll give our town's economy a boost,” Samantha put in, unable to resist entering the fray.
”You're a smart woman, Lila.” Ed spoke in a soothing voice. ”You understand economics. No business, no town. And then where will you buy your groceries?”
”We don't need crowds and crowds of people to stay in business,” Lila said.
Ed sobered. ”You didn't notice? We haven't had any crowds this winter.”
”Of course I noticed. And we're all still here, aren't we?”
”Not all of us,” Ed said, his smile completely gone.
”This won't help. It's foolish and silly.” Lila shot a disapproving look at Samantha. ”Chocolate festival, indeed.” And with that parting shot she took her skinny self off.
”Well, almost everyone's on board,” Ed murmured.
Just then Maria arrived to take their orders, ending the conversation.
”I'd love a gla.s.s of pinot grigio,” Cecily told her.
While Samantha had been busy being a stellar overachiever, her sister had been learning the art of sophisticated social drinking.