Page 38 of A Breeze Over Rosewood Beach
The reply came almost instantly.
VIVIAN: Absolutely. Meet you at the Salty Spoon in twenty minutes? I’ve been craving their grilled cheese.
Sally smiled, feeling relieved. Vivian was always there for her in a way that she appreciated with all her heart.
Twenty minutes later, Sally walked into the Salty Spoon, and the familiar sounds of clattering dishes and the smells of fryingpotatoes and pancakes bolstered her spirits. Vivian was already seated at a booth in the corner, and she waved when she saw Sally.
“Hey, you,” Vivian said, sitting up a bit straighter. “How’s everything going? How was your date?” She leaned forward impishly, as if Sally’s response was going to be as elusive as a frog and she was determined to catch it.
Sally slid into the seat across from Vivian. “It was good. It was very good. And it was definitely a date, which I hadn’t been sure about, really.”
Vivian squealed.
“But don’t get too excited,” Sally protested, groaning. “I’m all tangled up in knots. I don’t know where to go from here, you know?”
“Tell me everything.”
A waitress came by to take their orders and they both ordered grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon and fried onions along with French fries. As soon as the waitress walked away, Vivian leaned in, her elbows resting on the table.
“Okay. The floor is yours, Sally Lipton.”
“Ah, I don’t know what to think.” Sally sighed, twisting her napkin in her hands. “Part of me feels like I shouldn’t let this continue, even though I want it to. What if he doesn’t stay in Rosewood Beach? And he’s such a grump. Do you really think someone that grumpy could date a person as cheerful as me?”
Vivian studied her for a moment. “You know, Terrence was a bit of a grump when I first met him. He was so fussy and rigid about things.” She laughed. “He was giving ‘stay off my lawn’ energy, as Samantha would say. But he just needed to loosen up a little.”
Sally laughed. “I see what you mean.”
“And look at him now. He has just as much fun as the rest of us, as long as health code violations aren’t part of the equation.Sometimes people just need a little love in order to blossom into a fuller version of themselves. Sometimes they don’t even realize that they need it until they find it.”
“That’s not exactly a foolproof formula, though. Oscar might be a grump no matter what.”
“Of course not. I’m not saying you should dive headfirst into anything. But if you feel drawn to him—and it sounds like you do—what’s the harm in getting to know him a little more?”
At that moment, the waitress arrived with their two golden and gooey grilled cheese sandwiches and two heaping piles of fries. Vivian wasted no time digging in, but Sally sat back, her appetite momentarily forgotten as her mind churned with uncertainty.
“I told myself I wasn’t going to do this again,” Sally admitted, her voice softening. “I’m scared of romance, Vivian. I know it can be wonderful, but I know how painful it can be too. I don’t want to feel like that ever again.”
Vivian nodded sympathetically and then paused thoughtfully as she stirred a French fry in her ketchup. “You also love adventure, though, don’t you? You love the spark of something new. And I think you’re a lot braver than you give yourself credit for.”
Sally smiled, though the ache in her chest lingered. “It’s not about being brave. I know I’m brave enough to try dating Oscar, but I’m worried that it’s the wrong choice.”
Vivian smiled at her friend, a hopeful expression passing over her face. Sally could tell that Vivian hoped very much that a true romance would blossom between her and Oscar. “But you could also find something really beautiful. You could find someone who actually sticks around. Someone who chooses you, every day.”
“But I don’t want to get my hopes up,” Sally said, wincing. “That sounds too good to be true, so it probably is.”
Vivian reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It is possible, Sal. And you don’t have to figure it all out today. Just give yourself permission to explore it. That’s all. I don’t want to push you into something you don’t actually want, but if you feel drawn to him, it couldn’t hurt to get to know him better.”
Sally nodded slowly, her heart relaxing a little. Vivian always had a way of helping her see things more clearly, of gently pulling her toward what she already knew deep down. She picked up her grilled cheese and took a big bite out of it. She sighed as the gooey warmth helped settle her nerves. She and Vivian ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, and then Vivian tactfully changed the subject, steering them toward discussing details about their restaurants.
But in the back of Sally’s mind, Oscar’s smile flickered like a candle she couldn’t quite blow out. She had a great deal to think about, and process. She still didn’t know what she was going to do about him, but maybe she didn’t need all the answers yet. Maybe it was enough to admit that her heart was curious again, and taking some baby steps forward was the right thing to do for herself.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Oscar slowly wandered along the aisles of Harvest Market, wondering what to buy for himself. He wished that he knew how to cook better, since he was getting incredibly sick of frozen dinners and cans of soup.
As he turned a corner, he saw someone standing in the aisle in front of him, and his heart skipped a beat. It was Sally. She had a basket looped over her arm and a bright yellow knit hat on. She was examining a bundle of fresh herbs, her brow crinkled in thought, and he thought to himself that even when she was concentrating, she somehow still looked optimistic.
For a moment, he just watched her, content to simply observe her. His heart fluttered a little as he realized how fascinating he found her. Then, feeling pleased about the opportunity to surprise her, he strolled over and peered into her basket. “So,” he said, a teasing edge in his voice, “what’s on the menu tonight?”
