Page 17 of His Best Friend's Wife
Jamie looked like a talker, and I was not in the mood to share. She snapped her chewing gum, which caused me to glare up at her. I hated the sound of smacking gum. She smiled and chomped her gum more, letting me know I had played right into her hand. She had intended to annoy me and draw my brooding attention away from my blackcoffee.
"I like you," she revealed. Her comment made no sense. I had done nothing to deserve her favor, and I must look like someone to avoid. "And you look like you could use a friend," she went on as if I weren't staring at her like she had gonemad.
She set the coffee pot back on the burner and began wiping down the counter with a rag of questionable cleanliness. "You know," she was facing the kitchen pass-through window, but I was the only person within hearing range. The back of the house workers must have taken a break. "We need a reliable griller, if you need ajob."
My looks and demeanor had given her no indication that I might be at all reliable or worthy of offering a job. I felt oddly touched that she had such blind faith in me, but I didn't want to make myself easy to find. Not that anyone would belooking.
She had turned to look at me, obviously expecting a response to her generous offer. "I'm trying to lie low for a while," I revealed toher.
She nodded, immediately understanding. "Oh, Randy won't have a problem paying you under the table. He knows that circumstances sometimes requireit."
I assumed that Randy must be the owner. I hadn't planned to stay in this town. In fact, I didn't have a plan at all––other than to escape and try to curb this enduring pain. Twirling my stool around, I stared out at the sea. The rolling waves were calming in their regularity. I had always loved theocean.
Making a snap decision that this would be a prime location to heal––both physically and emotionally, I turned to face Jamie. "Thank you," I said sincerely. It was the first kind words I had spoken to her. She beamed at me in response. "When do Istart?"
"How about first thing tomorrow morning?" She answered my question with a question of her own. I nodded to acknowledge myacceptance.
I got up, intending to head back to my car. While my Benz was a luxurious and comfortable car, I couldn't shower in it. Turning back to Jamie I asked, "Do you know where I might find some temporaryhousing?"
"Well," she tapped her lip, pretending to think. "Since I know for a fact that you are gainfully employed," she chuckled at her own joke before continuing. "It just so happens that I have a studio apartment at my house that I have been thinking about renting to atenant."
She pulled a voluminous pleather purse from underneath the counter and dug through it. Even as large as the handbag was, I was shocked at the number of items she pulled from its depths to place on the counter––a large makeup bag, an oversized wallet, a full-sized bottle of hairspray, a brush, a checkbook, a cell phone, a book. The items just kept coming andcoming.
"Finally!" she triumphantly held up a giant ring of keys attached by a Minnie Mouse keychain. "They always work their way to the bottom," she told me as she struggled to release onekey.
She messed with it for a bit before handing the entire ring to me. "Will you undo that one, Hon?" She pointed out a small silver key. "Don't want to mess up the nails," she held up her long, bright red, shellackednails.
I released the key for her and slid both back across the counter to her. She slid the single key right back to me, retrieved a pen from her bottomless bag, and scribbled an address on anapkin.
"It's small, but functional, and I won't require a lease." she revealed to me. "Have a look and see what you think," shesuggested.
I was beyond touched by this woman's blind faith in me. Thanks to her, I suddenly felt like I had a short-term plan. I wasn't able to convey in words how much gratitude I felt for her, so I reached out to place my hand over hers. She didn't jerk away, even though she probably should have. Her belief in me made me want to be worthy of it. "Thanks, Jamie." I tried to inject my words withfeeling.
"You bet, Sugar." She smiled, fully trustingme.
"It's Reed," I revealed toher.
"You bet, Reed," she amended before adding, "Welcome to CottageShores."
I smiled at my only friend and mulled the town's name over in my mind. It sounded like the perfect place to try to beginhealing.
