Page 37 of Authentically, Izzy
I look forward to tomorrow.
Affectionately,
Brodie
Chapter7
From: Izzy Edgewood
To: Luke Edgewood, Penelope Edgewood
Date: March19
Subject: As Izzy’s World Turns
Penelope and Luke,
My morning started with an email from Brodie and now I’m off to a coffee meeting with Eli and then my first video call with Brodie tomorrow morning. I feel like a rom-com movie with a foreboding disaster nipping at my heels.
I can’t wait to see you both tomorrow night for pizza! Hopefully my impending romantic doom will not happen by then. Usually the doom waits until the heroine is sufficiently entrenched in relationships... or at least that’s been the case with my dooms. There is some safety in distance.
Izzy
PS: For some reason I feel like I ought to watch the last twenty minutes ofAustenlandon replay.
PPS: There’s something very pleasant about the wordaffectionatelyisn’t there?
From: Izzy Edgewood
To: Luke Edgewood, Penelope Edgewood
Date: March19
Subject: Move over, Sandra Bullock
You know those movie scenes where a woman walks through the door of a place, her hair flying around her in dramatic perfection, and all eyes turn to notice her brilliance as the camera pans from her stylish heels upward? Well, that’s never been me, made all the more certain by the way I entered Pages to meet Eli this morning. I came through the same door I’ve entered since the store opened four years ago. There sat Clark Gable at a table by the window looking like he just stepped out of a fashion magazine. (Penelope, I wore the red sweater you bought me for Christmas last year since you said red looks nice on me, but I fear it didn’t help overshadow the next part of this story.) I smiled, pushed my hair back behind my ears, took a step, and then... couldn’t go any farther. My purse strap was hung. Well, I gave it a little jerk and... the head of Pages’ seasonal leprechaun on display went flying through the shop. Almost in slow motion, it hit a book display table in the middle of the room, knocking over the book featured on the top of a precarious stack. Just as my shoulders started to relax, the rest of the books spilled over onto the floor like a literary domino game.
I rushed to the display, apologizing profusely to the owner, who (quite wisely) removed my swinging purse from my shoulder and helped me retrieve all the books and the decapitated leprechaun head without saying one frustrated word. She really is a saint.
Poor Eli stared at me from the table as if he’d looked into the eyes of Medusa. Of course, after watching my blunder unfold before him, turning to stone might have been preferable. At any rate, after the color in his cheeks returned (and the heat in mine lowered to human levels again), we had a nice time. He teachesEnglish literature at the community college with a preference for ancient literature. In fact, his third novel set in ancient history came out two months ago, and he promptly took me to the shelf where his books were.
When Pages’ owner learned he was a local author, she quickly offered to have a book signing for him, since the locals are extremely supportive of their hometown celebrities. He politely refused, but looked ever so pleased when the owner moved a few of his books from the shelf to the local-author table display. I’ve never enjoyed novels set in ancient times, but, as any good reader should be, I’m open to new adventures. So I purchased one of his books and look forward to delving into it later this evening.
He was a perfect gentleman. Even wore a scarf with his classy suit jacket. You know, like something fromDead Poets Society. And he complimented my hair.
I’ll share more with you at dinner. He’s a rather new transplant to the area. He lives closer to White Plains, which gives him ready access to Winston-Salem for a bit of the city life he left in Columbus, Georgia. Josephine would love his accent. A southern Clark Gable! I’m not sure why he relocated to the little town of Mt. Airy. He said he needed a change of pace. Well, I’m certain Mt. Airy provides that! I get my fill of city life when Penelope drags me to Winston-Salem or Charlotte a few times a year to shop.
Despite the debacle with the decapitated leprechaun, Eli invited me for dinner Friday night. I figured after embarrassing him to such tremendous heights, I ought to say yes.
Izzy
PS: I’ll meet you at Larenzo’s tomorrow at six. I’m changing purses so I won’t decapitate anything else. I’m sure Larenzo will be appreciative.
PPS: Thank you both for always listening to me.
Text from Luke to Izzy:Thanks for sending the brownies by Lance. Do you keep breakup anniversaries on a calendar somewhere? Never mind, I don't want to know.
Izzy:It’s important to know you’re not alone and that someone remembers with you. Brownies don’t fix things, but at least they make the moment sweeter. :)
