Secrets, p.19
Secrets, page 19
“She seems interesting.” Abeo watched the whirling dervish exit the atrium.
“Yes, she is. Very. Come, we don’t have a lot of time, and I want to enjoy my lunch.”
They walked through the beautifully landscaped atrium. Abeo looked around in awe. “I can understand why you like it here. The creativity, the openness, the landscaping inside and out. It is a haven for artists.”
“And visitors alike.” Chi-Chi unwrapped her roast beef, cheddar, bacon, and horseradish sandwich. “Ellie wanted it to be a destination point for people to see artists work but also for people to congregate. We have monthly events. Some artists hold workshops. It is truly a work of art in itself.”
“And so is this sandwich.” Abeo grinned with delight.
During the next half hour, they chatted about Abeo’s trip and their parents. Neither of them were married and they commiserated about the underlying pressure they would get from their mother and father. Abeo mentioned that their mother had tried to match him up with the daughter of one of her friends, but Abeo said the woman was spoiled and demanding. “More than usual,” he joked.
Chi-Chi looked up and saw Cullen walking in their direction. He hesitated for a minute, then Chi-Chi waved him over. “This is my brother, Abeo. He was supposed to arrive on Monday, but here he is.”
Cullen was just about to say something when Chi-Chi continued, “But I told him that I had plans for this evening, and he would have to entertain himself.” Now it was her turn to try to flash a message to Cullen: Do not ask him to join us.
Cullen got the message loud and clear. “There is a wonderful string quartet playing here tonight. There will be wine and cheese, and the Blonde Shallot will be serving petit fours.”
“Ah. Those little sandwiches?” Abeo asked.
“Yes. From the same place where you got the big sandwich you are eating.” Cullen smiled.
“Oh, then I most definitely must come back!” Abeo was grinning again.
“I will introduce you to several other artists before I leave. This way you will have people to talk to.”
“Excellent idea. I bet Jennine would love to meet your brother.” Cullen was referring to the pottery artist who was the epitome of Blanche from The Golden Girls.
Chi-Chi laughed out loud.
“What is so funny?” Abeo gave her a look.
“Jennine is what they call a handful,” Cullen added. “She’s very friendly.”
“Yes. Very,” Chi-Chi noted.
“Then I would be very happy to meet her,” Abeo said innocently. He had never seen the television show and wouldn’t understand even if they tried to explain.
Chi-Chi bit her lip. One thing was for certain—Abeo would be very busy fending off the overtures that would certainly be coming from Jennine.
“Then I shall introduce you to her now.” Chi-Chi began to gather the paper wrappers from the sandwiches and the empty bottles of water. “Come.” She gave Cullen a look and shook her head.
Cullen also tried to restrain his amusement at what was in store for Chi-Chi’s brother. “Nice meeting you, Abeo. Enjoy your day.”
Chi-Chi was relieved the subject of dinner did not come up. However, she also realized that Abeo would see Cullen when he came to pick her up, unless she could get Abeo to stay at the center for the duration of the afternoon into the evening. The two walked toward Clay-More, the pottery stall. Jennine was wearing a wild-looking chiffon outfit. Chi-Chi wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be lingerie or not.
“Jennine, this is my brother, Abeo. He brought me wonderful stones from Nigeria.”
“Well, hello there, big guy.” Jennine did not disappoint. She immediately looped her arm through his. The woman had no shame and the twenty-plus-year discrepancy in their ages made not one lick of difference to her.
Abeo became immobilized. His usual outgoing demeanor deserted him. “How do you do,” he replied politely. He gave his sister a frightened look, as Chi-Chi suppressed a grin.
“I do very well. And you?” Jennine was clinging to his arm as if it were a life raft from Titanic.
For the first time Chi-Chi could recall, Abeo had a look of abject fear in his eyes, while Chi-Chi’s were filling up with tears of laughter.
“I . . . I am doing well, too.” Abeo tried to disengage the death grip Jennine had on his arm, but she wasn’t letting go.
“How long will you be in town?” Jennine asked demurely.
Abeo’s first instinct was to say, “Not very long,” and try to escape, but he smiled calmly, and said, “I will be here until Monday.”
Chi-Chi could not help adding fuel to this little campfire. “Abeo is interested in attending the music ensemble this evening, but I am not available. Would you mind showing him around and keeping him company?”
She thought Abeo was going to faint.
“I would be delighted.” She patted his arm. “I will take good care of him. Who will be minding your shop?”
“Alex. He finishes his doggie work at five. Ellie decided to close the dog park for the evening, and he was happy to oblige.”
“Ah. Alex. He’s a cutie-pie,” Jennine said, her voice indicating just how man-crazy she was.
Abeo’s eyes grew wider. He was beginning to think he had made a big mistake trying to surprise his sister. Now she was surprising him by letting this desperate woman take charge.
“So, Abeo, I will come fetch you around five. We can have some wine and get to know each other. The music starts at six.”
Chi-Chi was tickled pink. Problem solved. Abeo would not be at her house when Cullen came to pick her up. She would deal with his ire later. After all, Abeo was a grown man approaching his fortieth birthday. Who knows? He might actually enjoy himself.
“Come. We need to get back to the shop.” Chi-Chi pried her brother’s arm from Jennine’s and put it through hers.
“See you later, handsome,” Jennine said, batting her very long, very fake eyelashes.
Chi-Chi hurried them out of Jennine’s grasp. Chi-Chi was having second thoughts about that introduction. Then she reminded herself again, He’s a grown man.
Abeo finally let out a long breath of air. He didn’t realize he had been holding it for what seemed like half a lifetime. He muttered under his breath, “What are you trying to do to me?”
Chi-Chi slowed her step. “Oh, buroda,” she said, addressing him in Yoruba, “she is a very nice woman. Perhaps a little too friendly at times, but you will certainly be entertained.”
“And who knows what else?” Abeo was still trying to comprehend what he had just witnessed. “That woman is a cheetah!”
“You mean cougar?” Chi-Chi snickered.
“I know the difference, dear sister. The jaguar may have the strongest bite, but the cheetah is the fastest animal on land.”
Chi-Chi burst out laughing. “You know they refer to women of a certain age who hunt younger men as cougars?”
“She is still too fast for me.” Abeo shook his head.
Chi-Chi chuckled. “You can take care of yourself.”
“Maybe I need a chaperone?” Abeo’s mood lightened.
“I will introduce you to a few more people so if you need to escape the claws of Jennine, there will be someone you can hide behind.” Chi-Chi was very amused at the situation she had created.
“I hope so.” Abeo fanned himself with his hand. “She is a few degrees warmer than most other women.”
Chi-Chi started to cackle. “And you thought you would have to entertain yourself tonight.”
Abeo gave her a sideways look. “I should have kept my original plan and waited until Monday.”
Chi-Chi elbowed him in the side, then kept her word and made sure Abeo met several other artists and vendors, subtly dropping the news that he had been introduced to Jennine. Vic from the Wine Cellar gave Abeo a knowing look, as did Brian Tucker from the Cheese Cave. The women simply smirked. Jennine was truly a nice person. She would go out of her way to be helpful. But when it came to men, her hormones were like a nuclear missile aimed right at them.
It was nearly five, and Chi-Chi was scrambling to put away the high-end jewelry. Most people who attended the open-house events weren’t interested in spending oodles of cash. Her more moderately priced items, those under $100, were popular. During a fund-raiser, she had a broad assortment because a portion of the proceeds went to the charity. Rather than keep the items that fetched $1000 or more on display, she had large, silver-framed photos of her work throughout the shop. This way she had both ends covered.
Abeo was standing in the doorway, taking in the activities in the atrium. Chi-Chi called out, “Abeo, I am leaving now. You stay out of trouble. I am leaving a key to my house on my desk in the office. Do not wait up for me.”
“Ah, and sister, do not wait up for me either!” He had the widest grin of the day on his face.
* * *
Tori was proud that she had remained calm and cool since the unexpected result of her evening outside Ringo’s. Her husband had been reasonable and more attentive than usual. He had even brought dinner home one night. Tori figured it was guilt, which was fine with her. She was much more relaxed knowing she had something on him. But it didn’t make her any happier. Powerful? Yes. That was better than where she had been a few short weeks ago.
She climbed out of bed and got ready to head back to Stillwell. It was her day to attend the origami workshop. It dawned on her that he hadn’t noticed the crane until she mentioned it to him a few days before.
“I’m going to take a workshop this weekend,” Tori announced.
His head jerked back when she told him. It was the first time she made a decision without consulting him first. “Oh?” He sounded much more surprised than annoyed.
“Yes.” She brought the crane into the kitchen where he was sitting. “Origami.”
“That Chinese or something?” he asked.
“No.” She stopped herself from saying, “You idiot.” “It’s a Japanese paper-folding art form. Thousands of years old.”
“What? That thing is a thousand years old?”
Cripes, could you be any stupider today? she thought.
“Yes. I got it from an archeological dig.” She sneered.
“Ha. Oh, I get it. A little snarky, are we?”
“Sorry. I made this when I went to the art center. Doing origami is very interesting and relaxing. The woman who owns the shop is having a workshop today, and I signed up for it.” Tory was standing her ground, and she wasn’t about to divulge either of her secrets.
“Well, good for you, I guess. What are you going to do with your newfound talent?”
“Who’s being snarky now?” She put her hands on her hips.
He put up his hands. “I give up. You go and fold your papers. I’m going to shoot pool.”
“Ringo’s?” Tori waited for his reaction.
“No. A new place. It’s an arcade in Chester.”
Chester was a town about eight miles north of where they lived.
“Who are you going with?” Tori again waited for a reaction.
“Jack and a few other guys.”
“Well, OK. Have fun.” The chill was gone from her voice, and she headed out the door.
“You too!” he called after her.
Tori knew she was going to have to confront him soon. She was starting to feel a bit puffy, the way pregnant women look before their bellies start to bulge.
Two major things to discuss was going to take a lot of strength. I’m pregnant, and you’re cheating. How does one start that conversation?
Tori plugged the address to the art center into her GPS. She knew the way but she liked to know if there were any detours and how long it would take to arrive. According to the calculation, she should be pulling into the Stillwell parking lot in forty minutes. There was very little traffic, and she cruised along to the sounds of country music singer Miranda Lambert. Not only was she beautiful but she had a lovely, lilting voice. Tori remembered the humiliation Miranda had suffered when the tabloids were all over the Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani affair. Who knows when it had started, but it was clear Miranda was devastated. Speculation was that he chose being a judge on the show The Voice over his marriage.
Tori took comfort knowing that if someone like Miranda Lambert had marriage problems, anyone could. Plus, if Tori’s personal issues became public, at least they wouldn’t make it to national television.
The drive to the center took less time than she’d thought. She had over an hour to spare before the workshop began. Tori decided to get another one of those excellent sandwiches and do a little more window-shopping.
As she passed the Jimmy Can-Do Shop, she stopped abruptly. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she spotted something that resembled a double-wide trailer. Chills went up her spine. She was drawn to it and repulsed at the same time. She cautiously moved past large metal palm trees, an assortment of animals, both wild and domestic, vases, sundials, and weather vanes.
She moved closer to the three-foot replica of the trailer-style house. It gave her the spookiest feeling. A major flash from her past. She peered at it intently. Even the details looked familiar. More goose bumps went up her spine and down her arms. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough. If she weren’t pregnant, she would have run to the wine shop and bought a bottle. Instead, she bolted to the Namaste Café for a cup of chamomile tea. A young woman greeted her at the door. “Welcome to the Namaste Café. How can I make your day better?”
Tori was caught off guard. Her first thought was Get that thing out of there! But she knew that her guilt was getting the better of her.
Chapter Fourteen
The weekend
Luna mapped out her route to Charlotte and entered Gaines’s address into her GPS. She broke up the scone in several pieces so she wouldn’t be messing with it when she was on the highway. The GPS gave her two choices, and she decided would take Interstate 40 to 321 South. Route 74 was more scenic, but she wanted to get there by the most direct route. Today she wasn’t interested in the flora and fauna of the countryside. She was nervous enough. The sooner she got there, the better. If all went well, the trip would take two hours. She picked a playlist of music to listen to on the way. It occurred to her that she didn’t know much about Gaines’s taste in music. She knew he wasn’t into heavy metal or rap, but she wondered what he listened to when he was home. She guessed she would find out soon.
Between verses of “Love Shack” she chewed happily on the sweet dough.
The ride went without a hitch and she was soon pulling into Gaines’s driveway. It was exactly how she pictured it, with large shade trees and a meticulous lawn. The driveway was wide enough for two vehicles, so she parked next to his. As she unlocked the cargo door, Gaines appeared in his doorway. He hurried to the car to help her with her bag. This time there was no debate about a welcome hug. And it was a good one. Luna thought he just might swing her around.
He still held her close. “Good to see you.” His smile and eyes were like neon welcome signs. He could not contain his delight. “Wow. You’re really here!” He finally let her loose and took a step back.
“I am indeed.” Luna could hardly believe it herself. Luna popped the tailgate as Gaines moved to the back of her car.
“Let me help you with your things.” He grabbed her weekend bag. “You pack light.” He chuckled.
“Oh, you should have seen what I started with!” Luna was surprisingly relaxed now. When she first got in her car, she was gripping the wheel for almost an hour. Now that she was finally at his place, she felt she could breathe normally. Just be yourself, she kept telling herself. “Your trees are magnificent.” She gestured toward the red maples and the willow oaks.
“Wish I could take credit, but they were here long before I bought the place.” Gaines smiled. “Come on.”
He led the way to the front door.
It was exactly how she pictured it. A small step down into a living room that ran from the front to the back, with a large picture window that looked out onto the yard. A fireplace was on the left and a wall on the right separated it from the kitchen. The dining area was to the right of the living room, in front of the kitchen area. To the left was a hallway that led to the bathroom and two bedrooms. For its modest size, it had an open feel to it.
“Welcome to my humble abode.” Gaines set down her bag.
“It’s great. The way you made it sound, I was expecting a tumbled-down shack!” Luna replied. “But I see what you mean about brown.” The old walnut-colored paneling was a throwback to the 1950s.
“Wait until you see the kitchen.” Gaines chuckled.
“What’s left of it, that is.” He walked through the living room, skirting the big ugly brown sofa, and turned the corner into the dining area.
Luna set the pastry boxes on the makeshift table. “What a beautiful setting.” Luna noticed the flowers immediately. “Don’t tell me you arranged them yourself,” she taunted him.
“I arranged for them to be delivered. Does that count?”
“Most definitely.” Luna peered through the skeleton walls where he had ripped down the Sheetrock.
“A little renovating?”
“Yes. This is where I’m stuck. I have to remodel this kitchen, but I’m not sure how to approach it.”
“My first suggestion is to eliminate this wall if you can and put an island with a snack bar on this side.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking, but it’s a load bearing wall, so it would need to be supported.”
“Put decorative columns on each side of the island.” Luna pointed to the two-by-fours. “Then you can put a cabinet with glass doors if you wanted over the island. Or some cool lighting.” Luna was still holding her tote bag and pulled out her sketch pad.
“Hold on there, missy. Let’s get you settled first. Follow me.” Gaines led her to the other side of the house and into Carter’s room. That, too, was just as she had pictured it. Single bed with pennants and posters; a bookcase with trophies; and an assortment of Power Ranger figures; a small desk and a bean bag chair.
