Christmas at the Restaurant

by Pamela M. Kelley

  “Plus, even though we are closed on Christmas, Gina always likes to work Christmas Eve when all her regulars try to stop in and see her,” Mandy added.

  “Poor kid,” Jill said. “The best part of Christmas is being around family. No wonder she’s not feeling it this year. Lots of people dread the holidays, actually.”

  “I know,” Mandy agreed. “I was chatting with Connie Boyle the other day. You remember, she was Grams’ friend?” Jill nodded. “So, she was telling me that it’s hard for a lot of the residents at Dover Falls. Some of them either don’t have family around or have recently lost their partners so it’s a sad remembrance of what they used to have.”

  “How is Connie?” Jill asked. “She used to come in often and I loved chatting with her at the bar. I hope I have that much energy at her age. She seems to really enjoy life.”

  “She’s good. She still does. She was telling me how she and a few friends are going to be singing carols during the Stroll.”

  “Fun! I told Billy he has to get the full Stroll experience. I thought we might make mugs of hot chocolate, slip in a little peppermint or butterscotch Schnapps and walk around counting all the fur coats.”

  Billy laughed. “Are there really that many?”

  “Just wait,” Emma said. “You’ll see.”

  “It seems like a million years ago that we used to do that,” Mandy said. She smiled at Billy. “Every time we saw a fur coat, we took a sip.”

  “And it’s a good thing I always made a whole thermos of hot chocolate!” Jill added.

  Later, after they finished eating dinner and the kids went up to bed, Mandy opened another bottle of wine and they settled in the living room by the fireplace. She flipped the switch and the gas flames roared to life, filling the room with a cheery glow.

  Once they were all comfortable, Mandy leaned forward and lowered her voice so the kids couldn’t overhear her. “So, I have some interesting gossip. I handed Cory a resume to take a look at yesterday when he dropped off the kids.” She glanced at Emma. “Stacy sent me her husband’s resume. Anyway, once the kids were buckled in the car, Cory pulled me aside and let me know that Hannah, his latest girlfriend, is pregnant.”

  “Seriously? She’s the one that is only twenty-four?” Jill asked.

  “Yes. Twenty-three actually.”

  “Wow. How does he feel about that? What is he going to do?”

  “He seemed shell-shocked, but a little excited too. I think he’s really head over heels for this one. He even mentioned the ‘e’ word.”

  “Engaged? Really?” Emma was not impressed. She’d never been crazy about Cory.

  Mandy nodded. “It will look better for Cory if he’s engaged when she starts to show a baby bump. And having a young wife also looks good.”

  “And Cory’s all about appearances,” Emma added.

  “Well, I hope he gets a good pre-nup,” Jill said. “Actually, on second thought, I hope he doesn’t. Would serve him right.”

  Mandy laughed. “I don’t really know what to think. We’ll have to figure out the right time to tell the kids.”

  “How are you feeling about this? Are you ok?” Jill asked with concern.

  “I’m fine. It was a shock at first, but I’ve moved on. Cory and I are civil to each other and he seems happy. As long as he’s a good father to the kids, and he is, I have nothing to complain about.”

  “How is Matt? Are things still good there?” Jill asked.

  Mandy smiled. “They are. He’s going to join us tomorrow night too. It should be a good time.”

  Chapter 3

  “Oh, good! I was hoping you’d be working tonight,” Connie Boyle said as she settled into a seat at the bar. It was exactly four thirty-five. Connie was right on time. Like clockwork, she came in either Tuesday or Wednesday night, almost every week. Depending on the week, Gina usually worked one of the nights. This week it was Wednesday, but it varied from week to week. She smiled when she saw Connie. She was one of Gina’s favorite regulars. The older woman was almost always in an upbeat, cheery mood and tonight was no exception.

  “The usual?” Gina asked as she set a glass of water and a placemat in front of her.

  Connie nodded. “Yes, please, with an extra cherry if it’s not too much trouble.”

  Gina smiled as she shook the Southern Comfort Manhattan in a mixer with crushed ice and then strained the drink into an elegant martini glass. She added two Maraschino cherries and poured the ice with the leftover cocktail into a rocks glass and set it next to the Manhattan.

  “You’re the best,” Connie said happily as she reached to take a sip.

  Another couple came in and Gina went off to serve them. When she returned to Connie, she was ready to put in her dinner order. She shocked Gina by ordering the swordfish special instead of her usual eggplant parmesan.

  “I was here on Monday, so decided to switch it up a bit,” she explained.

  “Well, you can’t go wrong with Paul’s swordfish. It’s the best I’ve ever had,” Gina said. Paul had a magic touch when it came to fish. It was easy to overcook, but he always managed to cook it to the perfect point where it was still juicy and melted in your mouth. Gina overcooked fish, every time, so she didn’t even bother to try anymore. She rang Connie’s order in and went into the kitchen to get her garden salad and a basket of hot rolls with butter.

  When she returned to the bar, she noticed a new customer had arrived. She didn’t look up to see his face until she set Connie’s food down. And when she did, she blinked twice in surprise. The man before her was familiar but she hadn’t seen him in years. He looked just as good, better maybe than she remembered. Alex Scott was a few years older than her, so maybe thirty-six or thirty-seven now. His hair was thick and blond, and he was as tall and trim as ever. He grinned when he saw her.

  “Gina. It’s been a long time. You look great.”

  Connie watched their exchange with interest as she began buttering a roll.

  “You do too, Alex. What brings you to Nantucket?”

  “I just moved here. I’m starting a new job with The Lawson Group. Maybe you know them?” She did. Mandy’s ex-husband, Cory, was one of the owners.

  She nodded. “I didn’t realize you worked in finance.” When she knew Alex, he was a very popular bartender at the same Italian restaurant she’d worked at. He was engaged at the time to Cassie, a beautiful blonde waitress, so Gina along with most of the female staff had just crushed on Alex from a distance. Now that she thought about it, he’d been working toward his college degree part-time.

  “I finished up a degree in finance a few years ago and got a job as an analyst. Cassie and I broke up. She moved back to California and this opportunity came along. I thought it might be fun to spend a year or two on Nantucket and—well, I couldn’t pass up the chance to work with Cory Lawson.”

  “Wow. Congratulations on the new job, and welcome to Nantucket.” Gina was aware that Connie was pretending not to pay attention but kept glancing their way. “Can I get you a drink? Would you like to see a dinner menu?”

  “I’d love a drink. A Sam Adams IPA if you have it.”

  “We do.” Gina reached into the cooler to get the bottle of beer, opened it, poured half of it into a tall beer glass and set the glass and bottle in front of him.

  He reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty and handed it to her. “I’m meeting some friends here for dinner. There’s five of us and they have a reservation. I got here a little early. Just walked over from the boat.”

  Gina noticed a tall, black suitcase against the wall.

  “I’ll keep an eye on that while you eat.”

  He grinned again. “Thanks. My friend said he’ll give me a ride to my rental house. I don’t think it’s far from here, but with the suitcase…”

  “You don’t have a car?”

  “Haven’t had one in years. I lived in the Back Bay and just took Ubers everywhere. Or if we went on a road trip, someone always had a car. Do you think I need one
here?”

  Gina thought about that for a minute. “Probably not, actually. If you’re staying near downtown you can walk everywhere. And there’s Uber here too if you need to get to the airport or want to go elsewhere on the island. Like to Millie’s. That’s a great Mexican restaurant, but it’s on the other side of the island, about a twelve-minute ride by car.”

  “Mexican, huh? Maybe we can go sometime.” He grinned. “You can drive.”

  She laughed, not sure whether or not he was serious. He took out his phone. “What’s your number?” So he was serious. She told him and heard a ping.

  “I just texted you, so you have my number too. I’ll call you in a few days and we can make a plan. You can be my tour guide. Other than a vacation years ago with some college buddies, I don’t know my way around Nantucket at all.”

  “Okay. Are your friends that you’re meeting for dinner from Nantucket?”

  “One of them is. He’s more a friend of a friend. Not someone I know well, but when my buddy Evan heard I was moving here, he insisted I call his friend Chris, so I did. Chris has a few friends in town for something that’s going on here this weekend, the Stroll. You’ve heard of it?”

  Gina laughed. “Yes, it’s a huge deal here. Should be a very busy weekend.”

  “Cool.” Alex turned at the sound of someone calling his name and Gina saw a group of guys at the front desk. “Looks like that’s my cue to leave. I’ll swing by when we are done to say goodbye and grab my suitcase.”

  Gina felt something in her pocket buzz. It was from the kitchen, signaling that Connie’s food was ready. She noticed that Jared, their new sous chef, was holding two newly-filled sodas and was chatting with Connie. She hadn’t seen him walk up and wondered how long he’d been standing there. He smiled and nodded her way before heading back into the kitchen. She cleared Connie’s salad plate and went to get her swordfish. She returned a moment later and set the plate down. Connie’s drink was almost gone.

  “Would you like another Manhattan?” She asked the question to be polite, but already knew the answer.

  “Heavens no, dear. If I have another, I’ll be plastered! One drink is my limit. Thank you though. Who was that handsome man? Seemed like you knew each other?”

  Gina smiled. Connie loved to play match-maker.

  “We used to work together in Boston.”

  “And he’s visiting for Stroll? Or staying longer?”

  “He says he just moved here. He got a job at The Lawson Group.”

  “Oh, isn’t that wonderful!” But then a cloud passed over her eyes.

  “Is something wrong, Connie? How’s your fish?”

  “Oh, it’s marvelous. It’s just—well, I hope The Lawson Group is still hiring. I think Mandy was going to send Stacy’s husband’s resume over there. He just lost his job, you know. Big layoff.”

  “I didn’t know that.” Gina immediately felt worried for Stacy. They were about the same age, but as a mother of three small children, Stacy’s life was very different from Gina’s. She knew that money was tight even with her husband working. Nantucket was not an inexpensive place to live. If he didn’t find something soon, Gina guessed they would probably have to move off-island. As glad as she was to see Alex, she hoped that The Lawson Group was doing well enough that they could hire one more person.

  Connie ate about half of her meal and Gina packed up the rest to go.

  “I had to save room for tiramisu. Just a small slice please.” They only had one size and it wasn’t small. Connie had no trouble eating all of her dessert though. She was just finishing up when Jared returned to the bar with two empty soda glasses and refilled them. She’d never seen him at the bar twice in one night.

  “You guys worked up a thirst tonight,” she commented.

  He smiled. “It’s hot in there. Busy. That’s a good thing though. Should be crazy this weekend. You ready for Stroll?”

  She shrugged. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.”

  She couldn’t really read his expression as he looked at her thoughtfully before finally saying, “What’s your favorite part of Stroll?”

  That was easy. “I don’t know. I’ve never gone to it.”

  Both Jared and Connie looked surprised and disappointed.

  “Oh honey, you have to go this year. At least come Saturday afternoon to hear us sing. I’ll be caroling with the girls. It’s in the afternoon. You can come then, before you have to go to work.”

  “You really should experience it,” Jared agreed. “Tell you what, why don’t you meet me around noon in front of the Straight Wharf restaurant. I’ll show you all the highlights and then you can let us know what your favorite part is.”

  Gina hesitated. Jared had never said more than a few words to her before. Like the other girls, she’d noticed how handsome he was, but he was so quiet that she hadn’t given him another thought and figured he either had a girlfriend or just kept to himself. But now he and Connie both looked so eager for her to experience the magic of the Nantucket Stroll that she sighed.

  “Okay. I suppose I really should check it out so I can talk to customers about it, right?”

  Connie looked pleased. “Yes, you should. And I have faith that Jared will take good care of showing you around.”

  He grinned. “I will. And we’ll make sure to find you and listen to your carols.”

  “Splendid! Well, it’s getting late for this old bird. Gina, I’m full up and ready for my check.”

  “Have a good night, Gina,” Jared said before he headed back into the kitchen.

  “I like him,” Connie said as Gina set her bill down.

  “He seems nice. He’s new here. I don’t really know him very well.”

  “Well, that will change soon. And that other young man seems pleasant too. I think I prefer Jared though.”

  Gina laughed. “I think Jared’s just being nice. This isn’t a date. I’m not sure it’s really a date with Alex either.”

  Connie raised her eyebrows. “Well, whatever you want to call it, I hope you have a good time with both of them. I will expect a full report the next time I come in.”

  “Okay, Connie. I’ll see you on Saturday then, at the Stroll.”

  Connie beamed. “Yes, you will!”

  Chapter 4

  “You’re really okay with Cory and his new girlfriend having a baby? How long have they been dating?” Mandy and Jill were sitting in the kitchen Thursday afternoon drinking coffee. The house was quiet as Cory had just stopped by to pick up the kids and Billy was upstairs in the guest bedroom on a Zoom call, interviewing a candidate.

  Mandy sighed. “Maybe three months, if that? I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t burst into tears the day I found out. As soon as Cory drove off with the kids, I sat there in my car and cried for at least ten minutes. I don’t even know why I was crying, exactly, but it felt good. I don’t want Cory back, but it’s just kind of hard this time of year—it brings out all the emotions, you know? Remembering what we used to have, when we were happy and the kids were little. It was a magical time of year. And now it will be for him again, with his new baby and maybe his new wife. It was just a lot to process.”

  Jill got up and hugged her. “I can’t imagine. I’m sorry, Mandy. Sorry that Cory turned into such a jerk. I never really liked him all that much though.”

  Mandy laughed. “Emma said the same thing. And I do like Matt. I’m glad that we’re together.”

  Jill took a sip of her coffee and was quiet for a moment. “So, it’s getting serious then, with Matt? I’d hoped you’d have a chance to just have fun and date tons of great men.”

  “Dating tons of men doesn’t sound fun to me. It sounds stressful. It’s easy with Matt. I wouldn’t say it’s serious, but it’s very comfortable.”

  “Comfortable doesn’t sound very exciting, Mandy. Comfortable is what you say when you’re a senior citizen. You’re still young.” Her sister looked worried.

  “I don’t mean boring, just that we fit well togeth
er. He’s easy to be with. It’s hard to explain, but I think it’s a good thing. I like a quieter life than you do. I don’t need a lot of excitement. Manhattan is fun to visit, but I could never live there.”

  Jill sipped her coffee and smiled. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right. I just want you to be happy. You deserve that.”

  “Thanks. And speaking of happy, I’m thrilled for you and Billy. And I’m so glad you guys are here through New Year’s. We’re going to have fun.”

  “We are. So, tell me about this wine dinner tonight…”

  The wine dinner was a resounding success.

  “Paul really outdid himself,” Jill said as they enjoyed the main course, a perfectly cooked filet mignon topped with a rich, wild mushroom demi-glace. They’d started with seared scallops and shrimp over creamy polenta, which was so good.

  Mandy, Jill and Emma had helped the servers bring out each course. Billy had offered to help, too, but they insisted they were fine and he should stay and keep Matt company. Gina and Stacy kept everyone’s wine glasses full, pouring a different Charles Krug wine for each course. Mandy’s favorite was the Generations blend that was so smooth and went wonderfully with the buttery filet.

  The dessert looked amazing as Mandy was passing them out. It was some kind of layered chocolate pastry, with lots of cream, pastry layers and shaved chocolate on top. Mandy was tempted, but didn’t take one for herself. She was much too full. Jill and Emma did though—they both loved their sweets. Emma often checked the dessert list when she went out before ordering dinner.

  Mandy did, however, have a cup of coffee with a splash of Tia Maria which was a perfect dessert. Now that everything had been served, they could relax and take their time finishing up. She noticed that Matt and Billy seemed to be getting along well. Billy could talk to anyone. It came with his job, and Matt was easygoing so she’d had a feeling they’d have plenty to talk about.

  “How’s the dessert?” she asked Matt.

  “Very good. Do you want a bite?” He pushed his dish toward her but she shook her head.