Page 28 of Summer Longing
“Jaci, you know your family needs your help.”
“Yeah, well, I’m dealing with that. I mean, they can’t build their whole business model around me. I’m not moving back here after school.”
Elise and Fern exchanged a look. Fern spoke first. “Well, you might change your mind. In the meantime, try not to upset your mother.”
“It’s such a special place,” Elise said. “You’ll appreciate it when you’re older.”
“I’ve been here my whole life. You two already had the chance to live in a city. Fern, you had that big finance career. I mean, this is a great place to settle down. But I want to experience other things. My family is just going to have to get used to that idea. But anyway, I didn’t come here to talk about all that. I told my friend about this place and your amazing tea—Mom’s been brewing it nonstop—and my friend said you should come sell it at the Boston Seaport farmers’ market.” Jaci handed Fern a card.
“Well, thanks, Jaci. That’s an interesting idea. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to expand beyond the physical store. We won’t have enough foot traffic in the off-season.”
This had been a conversation they’d had since the beginning of the tea-shop endeavor—how would they sustain the business during the winter months, when the town’s population was a fraction of what it was in the summer? Fern said they would have to branch out into wholesale, getting restaurants to carry their tea blends and other retail shops to sell their brand, or develop a brisk online business. All of the scenarios involved finding a customer base beyond Provincetown.
“I’m happy to help. Just e-mail her.” Jaci smiled. “See? I’m a value-add already. Imagine if I worked here every day.”
Fern put her hands on her hips, her head tilted to one side. Elise recognized it as her thinking mode.
“I have to clear it with your mother. Maybe just a few hours a week.”
“Thank you!” Jaci said, hugging her. “I’m so excited. I could start now if you want! You can show me how the magic happens.”
Fern started to suggest another time but Elise jumped in. “That’s a good idea,” she said. “Why don’t you let Jaci help out behind the counter and I can go home to…take care of that other business.”
“Yes! It’s a plan!” Jaci said.
A few customers trickled in. Fern greeted them and took care of their orders. She hadn’t said yes, but she hadn’t said no, and Jaci was already behind the counter. Elise headed for the door. She caught Fern’s eye and gave her a wink that said,See? We’ve got this.
Fern looked away.
Ruth, on a mission to speak to Fern, climbed the porch steps of the pale yellow, two-story Colonial that housed Tea by the Sea and opened the front door.
Inside, she was met with gentle music, whirring overhead fans, and floor-to-ceiling shelves of silver tea tins. To the left, two armchairs were arranged in front of a large picture window. Fern Douglas, rattling a metal cocktail shaker, noticed her come in and greeted her with a smile.
“Hello there, Ruth,” Fern said. She was dressed in mint-green linen with shiny jade beads around her neck. Her dark braids, showing just a hint of silver strands, were piled on top of her head and held there with a mother-of-pearl clip.
“It smells so good in here,” Ruth said.
“That’s our masala chai. Would you like a cup?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Hot or iced?”
“What do you recommend?”
“I find the flavors of the teas are more potent when they’re hot, but considering the weather…” The door opened, tinkling with bells, and a thin, small woman dressed in black and trailed by a Yorkie on a leash took one of the seats by the window. “Bianca, we can’t have the dog in here. The health department. There’s a water dish right outside at the base of the stairs. Just tie the leash to one of the chairs.”
The woman waved her off. “I’m just catching my breath. It’s a hot one today.”
Fern shook her head and turned to the business of brewing Ruth’s tea. “It will take about five minutes,” Fern said. “I like to let new customers know. Sometimes people think it’s like a coffee shop where you order and we just pour. But everything we do is custom-prepared. I think that’s part of the fun,” she said.
“I’m not in a rush,” Ruth said. “I actually wanted to speak with you.”
“It’s about us being in the house,” Fern said quietly, glancing at the woman in black.
Ruth took a breath. “I don’t mean to be intolerant. I understand that you two are dealing with something…unexpected. But my daughter is coming to visit, and frankly, I need some privacy.”
“I understand,” Fern whispered. “I’ll work on the situation. I apologize, and thank you for your patience. I hope this hasn’t completely upset your enjoyment of the house.”
