Archie of Outlandish

by Lynnette Kraft

  Archie smiled and said, “Well, we are friends.”

  Sybil sighed. “Honestly, I think I’m just a little lonely here in the States and might be trying a little too hard to make those emotional connections.”

  “That makes perfect sense,” said Archie. “I don’t know what I’d do if I had to leave Outlandish and start over. But God will provide those emotional connections you desire. Do you ever pray about it?”

  “Not really,” she answered honestly. “I mean, I know I should. I believe in God and grew up in the church, but I’m much too independent. I seem to want to tackle life on my own. You know what I mean?”

  “Yes, I think I understand,” Archie answered. “But I always feel so much better after I pray about things.”

  “Yes, well, that’s some good advice. I’ll make it a priority.”

  Archie smiled.

  “May I ask why Tallie is in New Zealand?” Sybil asked. “It must be very hard on you both to be so far apart.”

  “Yes, I’m finding that to be very true. She’s studying photography. Her teacher is Gemma Perrelli.”

  “Oh, yes, Ms. Perrelli. Did you know I met her in England before I came to the States? She was there doing photographs for . . . I think, a tourism guidebook. We met at the Sheffield music festival. She was actually my connection for this job. I told her I was a literary agent and was interested in working in the States, and she connected me with the owner of the Camden Street Agency. Nice lady.”

  Not being the hugest Gemma Perrelli fan, but beginning to wonder if he had been a poor judge of character, Archie said, “She certainly has connections, doesn’t she? Evidently I have her to thank for this opportunity, at least in part.”

  “Yes, that’s true, and believe me, I’m as grateful for the connection as you are, Archibald. I know I’m still new in this business, but I’ve never been so excited about a book. Or should I say, books.”

  Archie said, “Books. Yes. My mind still can’t quite comprehend it.”

  “You deserve it,” she said. “I’m just glad I’m the one who snatched you up.”

  While Archie did want to be successful and loved the idea of writing for a living, he couldn’t quite shake what had just happened with Sybil, so his response was less than enthusiastic.

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  “Please don’t feel bad about what happened before,” Sybil implored.

  “I really hope I didn’t do something to give—”

  “No. Archibald, you didn’t. Really, let’s just forget it. Please?”

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful for all you’re doing for me. I’m entirely indebted to you.”

  “No, you’re not,” said Sybil. “You are a talent that I am privileged to work with.”

  Archie knew the feelings left from the awkward exchange wouldn’t resolve in this same outing, so he made the decision to let it go and hoped, in time, it would take care of itself. “Well, thank you, Sybil,” he said with a smile.

  Sybil, intent on changing the atmosphere, said as cheerfully as possible, “Now how about that tea?”

  22

  December came quickly. Archie never did ask Tallie about the photograph. She had been so different in her correspondence that he worried it would only make things worse. They continued writing to each other, but in each letter, Tallie seemed more distant and even a little resentful. They were both obviously suspicious of one another, but neither quite had the courage to come right out and ask or confess anything. Archie continued to sign his letters with “Love, Archibald,” but Tallie had quit using the word completely and was closing her letters with phrases like “See you later” and “Cheers,” which was frustrating to Archie.

  This created a little bit of a dilemma for Tallie when Gemma decided to go home for the holidays. Tallie would have happily stayed on the island through the holidays, but Gemma seemed more at peace with her life and really wanted to visit her family, so she insisted Tallie go home and visit family as well. What Gemma didn’t know was that Tallie didn’t have any family to go to. Besides her unplanned confession of her love for Archie, they’d only spoken of lighthearted matters.

  Tallie, of course, wanted to go to Outlandish to be with Archie for the holidays, but she was worried she’d show up and interfere with something he hadn’t had the courage to share with her; however, there was a small chance she was mistaken about what she had speculated about, and she didn’t want to miss out on spending the holidays with Archie if she was mistaken. So she scheduled her travel and decided to show up quietly in Outlandish and observe for a while before announcing her arrival. If she was wrong about everything, she would probably discover it pretty quickly and be able to surprise Archie, but if she was right, she would just leave quietly and spend the holidays with Patrice.

  She booked her stay in Outlandish for the entire month and would arrive in Outlandish on December 4, which was the day before Archie’s first book signing.

  The day she arrived, she checked into The Lupine and planned to disguise herself with a hat and sunglasses while observing the town’s (and Archie’s) activities from a distance.

  Tallie had never met Sybil and had no idea what she looked like, so when she walked past her on her way into The Lupine, she greeted her with “Hello” and kept walking.

  When she went up to her room, she planned to put her clothes away, freshen up, and head down to the hotel restaurant to get a bite to eat before deciding on her plan. She did get her clothes put away, but after putting her suitcase in the closet, she fell onto the bed exhausted from traveling and before long, she was sound asleep.

  Three hours later Tallie awoke and looked around the room trying to figure out where she was. Once she was awake enough to remember, she sat up and rubbed her face. Her first thought was of Archie, her second of her stomach. She couldn’t believe how hungry she was.

  Looking at the clock, she said out loud, “My gosh! I slept forever!”

  She freshened up, changed her clothes, and left the room to get some dinner. When she stepped off of the elevator she saw Archie and gasped. He was walking under his umbrella toward the restaurant. She considered abandoning her plans and running to him, but she couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing there. She stayed back but peeked inside the restaurant through an opening in the wall. She watched him walk to a table and set up his umbrella stand. While she stood there watching, someone rushed past her and knocked into her purse.

  “Excuse me,” the redheaded lady said, turning her head for only a moment.

  Tallie didn’t even have time to respond because the lady rushed off so quickly.

  Tallie stayed back out of sight and continued watching Archie through the opening in the wall. Moments later, she saw the same lady who had just rushed past her walk up to Archie. She bent down to see him under his umbrella and said hello.

  Tallie barely heard the words, but she was pretty certain the lady called him “Archibald” and that made her heart drop, not knowing whether it was a sign of affection or merely a formality.

  Tallie watched the lady grab both of Archie’s hands and dreaded what might come next. Knowing Archie was shy, she expected him to pull his hands away but instead he smiled at her in a way that seemed much too easy for him.

  Turning away for a moment she tried to talk herself out of what she was feeling, which was utter fear. Her throat tightened so she swallowed to relieve the pain. Wiping away a tear with determination, she looked back hoping to be able to interpret the situation with less emotion and more logic.

  Archie seemed to be watching eagerly as the lady pulled something out of her bag. When she put it on the table, he put his hand on his forehead and smiled again unreservedly. Tallie knew it was Archie’s book and understood the lady must be Sybil. This little realization made her feel even worse.

  Tallie watched him turn t
he pages of the book with joy she’d never seen on his face. She thought Sybil watched him with too much fondness for a mere business relationship. She carefully observed Archie’s face and gestures and couldn’t quite tell if he was only happy about the book or if there was more to his cheery mood.

  She sat there watching them for a few minutes until someone asked, “May I help you?”

  Feeling she’d been caught doing something forbidden, she quickly said, “Oh no. Thank you. I just realized . . . I forgot something.”

  She quickly turned to go back to her room where she could pull herself together. She’d just have to order room service.

  Archie and Sybil stayed in the restaurant for the next hour discussing the events that were going to take place. Since he wasn’t willing to fly, Sybil planned to drive Archie to a few book signings in the San Francisco Bay area. They were scheduled to leave on December 7.

  Tallie walked back into her room and stood right inside the door. She didn’t even put her purse down. She was angry. She crossed her arms and began talking to herself.

  “He said he loved me. How could he so quickly fall for someone else?”

  As if suddenly struck with conviction she slumped her shoulders and said, “I can’t be too upset. We didn’t exactly commit to each other, and I was the one who left.”

  She dropped her purse onto the floor, walked to the bed, and fell face first onto it. She lay there for a minute then turned over onto her back. Putting her hands on her head, she continued talking to herself.

  “No matter what,” she said with determination, “our friendship shouldn’t be conditional, even if he does have feelings for someone else. I knew when I left that anything could happen. It’s my fault.”

  She stood and put her hands on her hips once again feeling furious. “But if he’s so fickle to forget me so soon, maybe he’s not who I thought he was!”

  Suddenly recalling his gentle manner, she softened. “But I was his first romance. Maybe he just got it wrong. It’s not exactly his fault if he thought it was love.

  “But maybe it is love. Maybe I’m the one that has it all wrong. Maybe they really are just friends.”

  Tallie was glad she was alone. She knew if anyone heard her they would think she was insane with her extreme trails of thought.

  Dropping down to the floor she sighed and shook her head. “He isn’t that relaxed around people. He must have feelings for her. I saw the way he smiled at her.”

  Standing back up, she walked to the mirror and stared into it for a few minutes. “You, Tallulah Z., are an idiot. If you would have stayed, none of this would have happened.”

  She was finally done talking to herself, but she wasn’t done crying. She stood at the mirror and watched herself cry for a full ten minutes then decided to call for room service.

  She ordered much too much food to consume in one meal, but she didn’t care. She needed to eat for more than nourishment that night. She needed to eat for comfort and she hoped to find temporary solace in the New York cheesecake she ordered two slices of.

  Archie and Sybil left the restaurant and went back to his house. His mother was off work and had set tea out on the porch for all of them to have together.

  “Hello, you two!” said Annella, putting the tea tray down on the table.

  Archie walked over and set the book on the table next to the tea tray.

  Annella grabbed it up and said, “Oh my goodness! Look at it!”

  “I had it sent to me at The Lupine and it was here when I arrived today,” said Sybil.

  Albert, who sat smoking his pipe off in the corner, set it down and walked over to Annella. Being a little ornery, he snatched the book out of her hands.

  “Oh Albert!” she scolded.

  Albert laughed and read out loud, “Archie Underneath by Archibald Plumby!” He grinned from ear to ear, handed the book back to his wife, and took Archie into a fatherly hug under Archie’s umbrella. When he stepped back he held Archie’s arms in his hands and said, “Didn’t I tell you there would be something right around that corner?”

  “You did, Father, and it presented itself rather quickly, didn’t it?”

  Albert welled up, which was unusual for him. “Yes, it did, Son.”

  Archie wasn’t used to seeing his father cry, and he felt a sudden rush of emotion.

  Annella stepped forward with her own tears, but that wasn’t too unusual for her. She took Archie’s face in her hands and said, “I am so proud of you! I always knew that umbrella would lead you somewhere wonderful.”

  Archie kissed his mother’s cheek and looked over at his father (who was still struggling with emotion). “If it hadn’t been for your and Father’s faithful advice and encouragement none of this would have ever happened. I love you both so much.”

  Annella hugged Archie, and in a valiant effort to gain composure said quickly, “Now let me have a closer look at that book of yours.”

  They all sat together drinking tea, talking about Archie’s future, and eating Annella’s delicious, raspberry and white chocolate scones.

  23

  Tallie woke up the next morning with swollen eyes. She was grateful to be all cried out, but still felt miserable. She had hoped to spend the month with Archie, walking on the beach and reminding him of her love for him. She wanted to congratulate him over and over on his book and buy copies for everyone she knew, but instead she decided to leave Outlandish without seeing Archie at all. She knew she was giving in to her fear. She also knew there was a small chance she was wrong about things, but above all, she was afraid of being rejected.

  Ultimately what helped her make this decision to leave was her love for Archie. Everything was going so well for him, and she didn’t want to taint his joy by asking him to think of her, especially when his affections seemed to have been transferred to the one who had made his dream of becoming an author come true.

  She made the decision to go back to Portland and write to him in a couple of weeks. She wouldn’t mention she’d been in Outlandish. She wanted to do everything in her power to let him off the hook. She knew it wasn’t his fault. She reminded herself over and over again that she was the one who left. She had subjected both of them to the possibility of finding someone else.

  She called her mom’s friend, Patrice, to see if she could spend at least some of the holiday with her. She knew it would be too hard to be alone, especially considering the circumstances.

  Tallie made a plan to leave Outlandish the next day. She was so tired from her long trip that the thought of getting back on an airplane without at least a day to recover sounded like more than she could handle. Of course, being in Outlandish, and apparently staying in the same hotel as Sybil, she would have to be careful. She knew there was a big risk of running into Archie and his parents if she left the hotel, but she also knew part of recovering from her trip would require she spend some time outdoors, so when she went out to get lunch, she wore a low hat and quickly scanned the area before stepping outside.

  After purchasing her pretzel and latte, she sat down by the fountain to eat. She couldn’t help but wish Outlandish were her own hometown. Not only was it a charming place with so many unique things to see and places to go, but she had also built some wonderful memories she would never forget. Everywhere she looked reminded her of Archie.

  When she was finished eating her pretzel, she decided to take a stroll on the beach, but when she stood up to throw her wrapper away, she saw Luke Pindabrook walking toward the fountain. She had only met him a couple of times and didn’t expect him to recognize her, but she felt her heart go into a panic when he seemed to quicken his pace toward her.

  When he was close enough, he said, “Hello,” but she didn’t respond. She just turned to walk away.

  He hollered “Hey! Tallie, is that you?”

  She pretended she didn’t hear him and kept walking. She had n
o idea where she would go, but she really hoped he wouldn’t follow her.

  When she had walked all the way out of the circle and into a little neighborhood, she finally looked back and was very glad to see he wasn’t behind her. She sat on a curb and finished her coffee hoping he would be gone when she returned to the hotel.

  It was the day of Archie’s book release, and he was attending his very first book signing. It took place at the dinner theater, and a surprisingly large number of the residents of Outlandish stood in two lines. One line was for those purchasing Archie’s book. The other was for those waiting to have their book signed. Because everyone wanted to talk to Archie, the line that he was at the end of was longer and moving much slower.

  The theater was decorated with a colorful display of umbrellas, because Archie’s publisher thought it represented the book’s theme in an appropriately fun way, and Archie sat underneath an extra-large, orange umbrella with the title of his book printed on it. While Archie certainly wasn’t comfortable with all the attention, he was enjoying himself. Sybil didn’t sit with him, but instead walked around visiting with the people who came to see Archie.

  Flavors of the Earth catered the event with a beautiful display of hors d’oeuvres, so people also stood around in little groups eating while they visited with each other. Albert and Annella were proud of their son’s achievements and moved around the room thanking people for coming and sharing this special day with them.

  Luke had already come by to support Archie and had secured his own copy of Archie Underneath, so Archie was surprised to see Luke walk back into the theater. Luke, of course, had come back to tell Archie about Tallie, but every time he leaned over to talk to him, someone would step up and steal his attention, so Luke would step back and wait. This happened over and over again.