The Seaside Café

by Rochelle Alers

  Kayana put her arms around Cherie and Leah in a group hug. “We have to promise to do this again next summer.”

  “Yes.”

  “Of course.”

  Cherie and Leah had spoken at the same time.

  “My good friend from Atlanta is staying with me for a few days, so she’ll be joining us this afternoon.”

  Kayana led them to the patio and introduced them to Mariah, who’d rearranged the place settings to make room for the platter of crispy fried chicken. “Mariah, I’d like you to meet Leah Kent and Cherie Thompson. Ladies, this Mariah Hinton from the ATL. Mariah and I go way back to when we were in college together.”

  The three women exchanged pleasantries before sitting down at the table. Meanwhile, Kayana removed a chilled punch bowl from the fridge and emptied the jar that held a blended mixture of pineapple juice, triple sec, brandy, and black-raspberry liqueur into the bowl and then added chilled ginger ale and dry champagne. She ladled the punch into cold mason jars and took a sip after serving everyone.

  “Wow! That’s delicious, Leah. When you told me what you were going to use to make the punch, I never would’ve expected it to taste this good.”

  Mariah smiled at Leah. “It’s sneaky as hell. First, you think you’re drinking some fountain fruit drink—until it goes down and detonates in your chest.”

  “Word,” Cherie drawled. “This punch is crazy good. But I’d better eat something, or I’ll find myself on my hind parts.”

  The platter of Cajun honey chicken was passed around the table, followed by a bowl of collard greens with pieces of smoked brisket, the chef’s legendary macaroni and cheese, and generous slices of buttery cornbread. Conversation was minimal as everyone ate and drank their fill.

  Mariah, moaning, pressed a napkin to her mouth. “Damn you, Kay. If I keep eating like this, I’m going to gain back the forty pounds I lost.”

  Cherie patted her flat belly. “I’m ready for a nap right about now.”

  Leah sighed. “I’m with Cherie. Kayana, do you mind if, after we clear the table, we go upstairs and veg out until our food digests?”

  Kayana shared a look with Mariah, who gave her a barely perceptible nod. Mariah was now staying in the apartment, and she’d learned years ago that her friend tended to be less than tidy, while she was obsessive about neatness.

  Mariah pushed back her chair. “I’m going upstairs for a few minutes.”

  Kayana knew Mariah wanted to straighten up the apartment before the others went up. “Go on up. We’ll be there directly.” She picked up the platter with several pieces of chicken. “Leah, Cherie, do you want me to pack up the leftovers for you?”

  “Please,” Leah said. “Even though Cherie doesn’t have access to a refrigerator, she can come over to my place to eat. There’s no way I’m going to be able to finish everything when I’m leaving in a couple of days.”

  Cherie pantomimed bowing to Leah. “Thank you, Auntie Leah.” She sobered quickly. “I know I’ve said things to you that were out of line, and if you were offended, I’m sorry.”

  Leah waved a hand. “Honey, please. I’ve had a lot worse said to me, and I’m still here.”

  Cherie lowered her eyes. “I have a habit of saying hateful things to people who’ve never done anything to me, while I give the SOBs a pass. Maybe I should have a couple of sessions with Kayana.”

  Kayana slowly shook her head. “That’s not going to happen. I can talk to you like a friend, but not as a client. The days when I had to counsel folks are over, and I don’t want to resurrect them.”

  “You don’t miss it?” Leah asked Kyana, as she stacked plates and flatware.

  “Not now. When I first handed in my resignation, I spent several weeks second-guessing myself, while wondering if I was doing the right thing giving up everything I’d worked for. But then I realized I couldn’t continue to work for the same hospital where my ex and his mistress were employed.”

  “Why?” Cherie asked. “Were you afraid you would confront them in public?”

  “Not hardly, Cherie. There is no way I would embarrass myself like that. And if I did act a fool, that would just serve to inflate my ex’s ego, and no man is worth that. Think of it. Males in the animal kingdom fight each other over a herd of females, while in the human species, women fight other women over a man. I’ve watched women go out to eat with men who spend the entire time on their phones, and when it comes time to pay the bill, he’ll either get up to use the restroom, or she’ll go into her handbag and push money across the table, so it appears he’s paying for dinner. And the real ballsy ones just sit there while she signs the credit card receipt.”

  Leah went completely still. “Should I assume that it’s a pet peeve for you when a woman assumes financial responsibility for a man?”

  “Yes and no. If the man is able-bodied and just too lazy to work and support himself—then yes. But if he’s been with you and holding his own and happens to fall on bad times, there’s nothing wrong with helping him until he’s back on his feet.”

  Cherie picked up serving pieces. “What happened to ‘for better or worse’?”

  Kayana gave the young woman a sidelong glance. “That’s for folks who exchange marriage vows.”

  “What about people who live together?” Cherie had asked another question.

  “That turns the relationship into a different dynamic. The two people are not legally bound to each other, and therefore it’s not as complicated.”

  A beat passed before Leah asked, “What if they have children together?”

  “Then they’ll have to deal with child support and visitation.”

  “That’s why it’s easier to stay together.”

  Kayana wanted to ask Leah who was she kidding. She had convinced herself it was better to stay with a cheating husband than go through a divorce. “That brings us to Ethan Frome. We know Ethan is in love with his wife’s cousin, wants to run away with her, but doesn’t have the money he needs for them to start a life together.”

  Cherie followed Leah and Kayana into the restaurant’s kitchen. “He never should’ve been lusting after his wife’s cousin in the first place.”

  Leah lined up a number of takeout containers on the prep table. “It was apparent that Ethan’s initial attraction to Mattie was innocent enough, but the longer she lived with him and his wife, the more he found himself tempted by her presence.”

  “And you think his wife didn’t notice this when she decided to send her away?” Kayana questioned.

  “Of course, she did,” Cherie confirmed. “The woman may have been a hypochondriac, but she wasn’t insane. It was obvious, although Wharton wasn’t that descriptive, that Ethan’s and Mattie’s body language told Zenobia that something was going on between the two.”

  “Temptation is so dangerous,” Leah whispered.

  “That it is,” Kayana intoned. “Temptation is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. Did not the snake tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when he convinced them to eat the apple?”

  Leah stared at Kayana. “They didn’t have to eat it, because God had given them free will to choose to die or live forever.”

  Cherie rested a hip against the countertop. “A person can be warned that someone or something may not be good for them, but only when they have to deal with the consequences of their actions does it become a reality.”

  “True,” Leah agreed, “but how many folks are strong enough to be able to resist temptation?”

  “Apparently not that many, or our prisons wouldn’t be filled to capacity with people who disobey the law,” Kayana stated. “Ethan knew it was wrong to lust after his wife’s cousin and then felt guilty when he attempted to get a cash advance from a customer for a load of lumber so he would have the money to run away with her. So he wasn’t completely amoral.”

  Cherie sat on a stool as Leah and Kayana busied themselves storing food in containers and putting the containers away and stacking dishes in the commercial dishwasher. “If we’re
talking about morally, then he did sin in his thoughts.”

  “But did he act on them?” Leah questioned.

  “Yes. Didn’t he agree to the suicide pact Mattie suggested so they would always be together?”

  “But look what it got them,” Leah argued softly. “They sled down a hill, hit a tree, and he’s crippled and she’s paralyzed for life. So much for dying together.”

  “Are y’all talking about Ethan Frome?” Mariah asked, walking into the kitchen.

  Leah smiled. “Yes.”

  Mariah sat on a stool next to Cherie. “I read that book in high school, and it wasn’t until years later that I came to realize that karma is a bitch. Sow a bad seed, reap a bad seed. And vice versa with a good deed. Ethan knew it was wrong to hit on his wife’s cousin, but if you were to ask him, he would say he couldn’t help it, and that’s what most men say when they’re caught stepping out on their wives.”

  “Are you married, Mariah?” Leah asked.

  “Not any longer. My ex-husband couldn’t decide whether he liked men or women. I decided to make it easy for him when I told him to go and find himself.”

  Cherie’s jaw dropped in shock. “You never suspected he was bisexual?”

  “Nope.”

  “It didn’t bother you that he also liked men?”

  Mariah smiled. “No, Cherie. And that didn’t make me feel any less a woman. I’ve counseled women who blame themselves for their husband or boyfriend’s infidelity. What most don’t realize is that it has nothing to do with them. They can be the perfect wife or mother, and their man will still cheat.”

  “But why do they cheat?” Cherie asked.

  “Because they can,” Kayana and Mariah said in unison, as they exchanged fist bumps.

  Leah chewed her lower lip. “Do you think women make it easy for men to cheat?”

  Mariah glared at the redhead. “I refuse to accept blame for someone else’s bad behavior. I’m certain if we’d asked Ethan why he wanted to abandon his wife, he probably would’ve said he got tired of taking care of a sick woman. But then I’d tell him that’s what you signed up for when you married her. Did he forget he took a vow to be with her through sickness and health?”

  “He did,” Kayana quipped, “until his sap began to rise. Mattie was young, pretty, and full of life. And because she’d been living with the Fromes for a year, she was a constant reminder to Ethan that she was the complete opposite of his sickly, complaining wife.”

  “I really liked Zenobia,” Mariah admitted, “because she is redeemed, even though she’s not seeking retribution, when the roles are reversed and she has to care for her crippled husband and bedridden cousin.”

  “Didn’t you say karma is a bitch?” Cherie said under her breath.

  “Yes, she is. You don’t have to wish for payback because when she comes with her sisters and aunties, she’s going to even the score. It’s like the Sandman who comes on stage at the Apollo Theater on Amateur Nights with a broom. Bam! You’re done.”

  Kayana knew Mariah, with her outgoing personality, would get along well with her book club friends. They stayed in the kitchen talking and laughing like schoolgirls until she glanced up at the clock. It was time for her to return to Graeme’s house and let Barley out. She dropped Leah off at her rental with a promise she’d come by the restaurant before leaving for Virginia and then left Cherie at the boardinghouse. They’d decided tonight would be their last book club meeting until the following summer.

  Barley greeted her with excited barking when she opened the door. Kayana had become very attached to the tiny dog and constantly resisted the urge to let him sleep on the foot of her bed as she had done with her dog.

  “Well, big boy, it’s time for me to turn in for the night because I have to get up early to go to work,” she crooned to the puppy staring up at her. “I promise when I come home tomorrow afternoon, I’m going to take you on a long walk around the neighborhood so you can get some exercise.”

  Kayana checked doors and windows, making certain everything was locked before activating the alarm. She stripped off her clothes and walked into the en suite bath to shower. It had been a long day, and the bed was calling her name. The first few nights she’d slept alone in the bed, it had taken her a while to fall asleep. But her days were full cooking and spending time with Mariah. Some afternoons, she retreated to her apartment to relax or take a nap to reenergize herself.

  It was only at night that she missed Graeme: their cooking together, sharing meals, and making love. He hadn’t given her a date for when he would return, but Kayana had begun counting down the days, because they had less than three weeks before the mass exodus of vacationers, when Coates Island would settle into the slow, laid-back normalcy long-time locals craved.

  * * *

  Graeme felt as if he had been holding his breath during the three weeks he’d spent in Newburyport. Within minutes of the jet touching down in North Carolina, he’d slipped onto the rear seat of the limo and knew he had come home. Legally, he wasn’t permitted to sell the house in Massachusetts; it was to remain in the family for perpetuity, and if he didn’t assign an heir, then it would go into receivership to the Commonwealth.

  The adjuster arrived, noted the damage for his records, and without waiting for receipt of the check, Graeme contacted a company to remove the massive tree and cut it into firewood. Cleaning up the bedroom was a herculean task, as the cleaning crew had to locate hundreds, if not thousands, of shards of glass. The furniture was removed and sent to a factory, where it turned out that many of the pieces could be restored to their original condition. After the windows were replaced and the roof repaired, Graeme felt comfortable returning to Coates Island. Rick had promised to keep him abreast of each stage of the repairs.

  Reuniting and spending time with Rick made Graeme aware of why they’d had a tight bond as young kids. Rick felt comfortable enough to be forthcoming about his on again, off again relationship with a parochial schoolteacher. The fact that he only had a high school diploma made him feel insecure in his relationship with a college graduate. And when Graeme suggested he take online courses, Rick said he would think about it.

  While Rick was thinking about furthering his education, Graeme could not stop thinking about Kayana. He knew he had to tell her about his plan not to return to New England at the end of the summer season, yet he wanted to wait for the right time.

  He opened the door to the house and saw Barley staring up at him. “What’s the matter, buddy? You don’t remember me? Have I been gone that long?” Barley walked slowly toward him before jumping up against his leg. Graeme scooped up the wiggling puppy and held him against his chest. “It looks as if Kay took good care of you.”

  Graeme put Barley down and mounted the staircase. He wanted to shower and change before Kayana arrived. He purposely had not told her when he was returning because he wanted to surprise her.

  * * *

  Kayana opened the door and froze. She hadn’t expected to find Graeme standing in the entryway grinning at her. Her smile matched his. “Welcome home.”

  Graeme extended his arms, and she walked into his embrace. “It’s good to be home.” He rested his chin on the top of her head. “Did you enjoy having your friend stay with you?”

  “Mariah and I had a ball. She left to go back to Hot Lanta last week.”

  Lowering his head, Graeme brushed his mouth over hers, and the scent of mint from his mouthwash wafted to her nostrils. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered over and over.

  Kayana reached up, her arms circling his neck. “Show me how much you missed me.”

  She did not remember Graeme kissing her or sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her upstairs to the bedroom. Her hands were as busy as his when they undressed each other. There was no prolonged foreplay when he parted her legs with his knee, both groaning in pleasure once he was inside her. Not having the layer of latex between them and the ferocity of his penetration sent her libido into overdrive.

&nb
sp; Grunts, groans, gasps, moans, arching, and thrusting punctuated their lovemaking. They strained to get even closer, and together Kayana and Graeme found a tempo where their bodies were in perfect harmony. Waves of desire and ecstasy held them captive until the dam broke and Kayana surrendered to the passion that left her shuddering in a shared released with the man she had been falling in love with.

  Graeme lay heavily on Kayana as he waited for his heart to resume its normal rhythm. He hadn’t meant to make love with her without a condom, but it was too late because he had come inside her.

  “I’m sorry, babe.”

  “What are you sorry about?”

  “I didn’t use a condom.”

  Kayana exhaled an audible breath. “Are you carrying an STD?”

  “No.”

  “Then not to worry, my love. We don’t have to worry about making babies, and because I’m not carrying an STD, then we’re good.” She pressed a kiss to his throat. “Maybe you should go away more often if only to experience this type of reunion.”

  Graeme rolled off her body and stared up at the ceiling. “Is that what you want me to do? Go away?”

  Rolling over her side, Kayana nuzzled his nose with her ear. “No. I want you to stay.”

  “For how long?”

  “I don’t know, Graeme. How long can you stay?”

  “I can stay as long as you want.”

  Kayana rose slightly on her elbow. “What about school?”

  “What about it?”

  “Why are you answering my question with a question, Graeme?”

  “Because I want you to know that I don’t have to go back to Newburyport to teach.”

  She sat up straight, staring down at the man who made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. Had he fallen and injured his head? Was he on drugs? Or had he taken leave of his senses? “Say that again.”

  “I said I don’t have to go back to Newburyport to teach because I retired.”

  Kayana’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. “When did you do this?” she asked, finally finding her voice.