“It’s more likely that I’ll be broke before I get there.”
Smiling that charming smile again, Toni said, “I guess that’s a possibility.” Her voice took on a more enthusiastic tenor when she said, “The other thing I wanted to talk to you about is my idea for the side yard.” She jogged over to a bare patch of lawn to the right of the porch. “If you had a pretty arbor here and a couple of nice chairs, you could serve wine and cheese out here at night. People love that.”
“You keep forgetting that I’m not going to be serving anyone anything. If I come to Rehoboth Beach this summer, it’s going to be to look at women and lie on the beach. In that order.” She started to walk around to the driver’s door of her car.
“I’ll have Roxy send you the estimate on the paint job. And I’ll toss in an estimate on building an arbor.”
“I’ll entertain Roxy’s estimate,” Noel said, smiling tightly. “But not yours. I hope the weather stays warm for you. Bye-bye.”
Toni waved goodbye to the departing car, quietly saying, “Bitch.”
***
A few days after her visit to Rehoboth Beach, Noel received a notice from her postal carrier that a package was waiting for her. She wasn’t able to get to the post office until Saturday, and had to wait in a tediously long line. The return address read “Hooper, Rehoboth Beach, DE.”
Grousing to herself, she got into her car and opened the heavy box which contained nearly every possible device for recording information—note cards; spiral notebooks; two Rolodex of different vintage; greeting cards, some with notes enclosed; two ancient floppy disks of a type that hadn’t been used in years and one of a more recent time. Some of the material was organized, assumedly by Toni, but most was held together at best by rubber bands. A piece of paper from a spiral notebook lay atop the mess. Toni’s bold hand had written, “Most of Max’s regulars don’t know about her death. Heidi thinks it would be a good idea if you notified them. I can help out if you have trouble sorting through this stuff. I know it looks like a mess, but the latest floppy disk is pretty current.” The note was signed with a very large T.
Noel stared at the note for a long time, then calmly wadded it into a ball and threw it against the windshield, while uttering a sharp expletive. Toni might think she held the cards, but she’d never played against Noel. She’d do things in her own way, on her own time. Max’s so-called regulars were of no interest to her, and if Toni wanted to communicate with them, she was more than welcome. Noel would make sure she had the addresses by dumping them on her head the next time they were compelled to be in contact.
***
The next Sunday afternoon Noel and her sister April entered an attractive diner in Rehoboth Beach. Toni was sitting in a booth, and she stood up and waved when they entered.
“Hi, there,” Toni said, smiling at April, who returned her smile with matching enthusiasm. “I didn’t know Noel was bringing anyone. I’m Toni Hooper.”
“This is my sister, April,” Noel said.
Toni extended her hand and she and April shook. “It’s very good to meet you,” April said.
They all sat down and Toni kept smiling, looking from Noel to April and back again. “You look a lot alike.”
“I guess we do.” April took a quick look at her sister. “Kinda.”
Toni looked at April’s hair, which didn’t share the shine or texture of Noel’s, even though it was roughly the same color. Her eyes were brown, and her face was a little rounder and more open than Noel’s. Still, there was something about them that suggested they were related. “Do you live close to each other?”
“Not very,” April said. “Do you know the DC area?”
“Not well. I’ve been to Baltimore a bunch of times, and to all of the monuments and memorials in DC, but that’s about it.”
“Well, my husband and I live not too far from where we all grew up. Suburban Maryland. Our brother is a little closer to Noel in Baltimore.” She made a face. “None of us are crazy about Noel being where she is. I don’t think it’s safe for a single woman.”
“It’s fine,” Noel said, clearly having had this discussion before. “I’ve been there for twelve years, April.”
“But you were in a house before. Now you’re all alone in that old place.” She shivered noticeably. “The hallways are so dark.”
The waitress approached and put her arm around Toni’s shoulders. “You guys ready?” she asked, leaning against Toni as though she were a wall.
They all ordered and, as soon as the waitress left, Noel handed Toni the client list she had cobbled together. It had taken an hour of persuasion from April, her brother Andy, her mother, her father and her grandmother to get Noel to do the work. Andy finally won the point by convincing her that being able to present a new owner with an up-to-date client list would handsomely pay off. Toni spent a few minutes going over every name, nodding occasionally. By the time their drinks arrived, she was ready to launch into her pitch.
“I know you’re not going to like this, but I’ve put a lot of thought into this and I think you have to open for the summer.”
April pinched her sister’s shoulder and said, “That’s just what I’ve been telling her. I’ve never known anyone who owned a B&B. I’d love to come down here for a few weeks with my kids.”
Looking very interested, Toni fixed her gaze onto April and said, “You have kids? Tell me about ’em.”
Sulking, Noel sipped her soda while her sister told Toni all about her two sons. When she had the opportunity, Noel interrupted. “I guess I haven’t made my position clear. I’m a teacher. I’m happy being a teacher. I only want to be a teacher. There is no part of me that wants to run any sort of hotel. That includes B&Bs, inns, hostels, campgrounds, and shelters.” She looked at Toni to make sure she was listening. “Do you understand that?”
Giving her a sharp look, April said, “Noel, you don’t have to be rude.”
“I’m not.” She looked at Toni again and the determination in her eyes softened along with her tone of voice. She’d been reminding herself on a daily basis that Toni was clearly well-intentioned. To be hanging in after having her offer shot down either indicated intense loyalty to Max’s wishes or a wide masochistic streak. “I’m not trying to be rude. I’m just trying to be clear. You act like you think I want to be convinced. I don’t.”
Toni leaned back against the red leatherette seat which squeaked noisily as she settled into it. A half smile covered her handsome face and her dark eyes focused intently on Noel. “I know you don’t want to do this. But I also know you’re willing to do a lot of work to maximize your profit. Am I right?” She smiled with ill-disguised satisfaction when Noel reluctantly nodded.
“I’m only trying to tell you my opinion of the best way to do that. I know a lot of the people on your list.” She rolled the list up into a tube and slapped it against the table a few times. “Most of them have been coming here for years, and they’re not a flexible bunch. They like things the way they’ve always been.”
“I think many people are like that,” Noel said. “But things change. People die. Businesses change hands. People adapt.”
Toni’s smile had less gusto when she replied, “True. But if you want to hand the new buyer a list full of satisfied customers, you’ll reconsider.”
“No, thank you. I’ll send the notice out when I get home. I’m going to make it clear that The Sandpiper is for sale, and if it’s open this summer it will be under new management.” Noel tried not to glare, she really did, but she wasn’t very successful. Toni was so ridiculously persistent!
They were interrupted with the delivery of their food, and Toni effortlessly changed the subject, making the sisters laugh with her tale of a raccoon who’d decided to move under the new porch, and her ultimately successful quest in evicting him.
***
After lunch they drove over to The Sandpiper. The new porch made the dwelling look much sharper and more cared for, and Noel and April were effusive in th
eir praise of Toni’s workmanship. Noel pointed to the vertical boards Toni had nailed in to hide the empty space under the stairs. “Did you have to put those there to keep the raccoon out?”
“No, but I would have. I thought it looked nicer with a little skirting. I hate it when you can see underneath a porch.”
“I’ve got your check for the rest of the work, and April helped me pick out a color for the clapboards.”
Toni looked at the paint sample and nodded sagely. “This will look very good.” She smiled that charming smile at April. “You have a very good eye. What do you think about using a contrasting trim?”
“I think it’s a must. Noel thought you wouldn’t have to paint the trim, but I told her it would look silly if you didn’t.” She scowled at her sister. “See? I told you.”
“You could get away without painting it,” Toni conceded, “but I think this pale yellow would look great with a dark green trim.” She turned and drew her index finger across the landscape, dotted with inns and B&Bs. “None of the other places have that color scheme. The Sandpiper would look fresh and clean, and I know that’s important to Noel.”
“I’d love green,” April said, excitedly. “I’ll pick a color out and send it to you, okay?”
“Do I get a vote?” Noel asked.
“I’m lending you the money for the paint job, so I should get to pick the color,” April said, giggling.
Rolling her eyes, Noel said, “I don’t think Toni wants to know how I’ve had to grovel for loans to do this.”
“Oh, I do. If April has the money, she’s the one I have to impress.”
“You already have,” April said, nearly batting her eyes.
Possessively, Toni put her hand on April’s shoulder and guided her to the side lawn. “Maybe you’re the person I should talk to about my idea to put either an arbor or a gazebo in right here.”
This time, Noel didn’t try to hide her scowl. She tried to make it fiercer. This was seeming more and more like the times April would flirt with Noel’s boyfriends just to see if she could make them notice her. It had been almost thirty years since that had last happened, but Noel wasn’t quite over it. Almost, but not quiet.
***
They were thirty miles from Rehoboth before April had exhausted her list of superlatives for Toni—her skills, her charm, and her ideas. Peevishly, Noel said, “I hope you’re planning on giving me the arbor, because I’m not paying for it. I’m tapped out.”
April patted her leg in a motherly fashion. “Consider it a gift from me and Ed. And I think it’s gonna be fantastic when we sit out there this summer. Toni was thinking just what I was when it comes to planting. She really knows her plants.”
“There’s one species she doesn’t know, and that’s Determined School Teacher. It can be dangerous.”
“Oh, don’t put that face on. Toni’s remarkably charming and you know it. You just don’t like sweet-talking women.”
“I have nothing against sweet-talking women. She’s just not my type.”
“She’s my type,” April said, her laugh almost giddy. “Men don’t show me that kind of attention any more. I loved how she looks you in the eye and acts like you’re the most important person in the world.” She looked at her sister’s face, watching her reaction. “Come on. You can’t say she isn’t attractive.”
“Not to me. She’s too butch.”
“Right.” April’s voice betrayed her suspicions. “You hate butch women. That’s why you wanted to move to California to track down that woman from Terminator 2. The one with all the muscles.”
“It was her acting that attracted me,” Noel said, a guilty smile starting to show.
“Why do you stop and stare at every female cop or firefighter?”
“Respect for public servants.”
“Military personnel?”
“Patriotism.” Noel made a face. “I might be attracted to butch women, but not to Toni.”
“I can see how you’d think that. Her broad shoulders and strong hands must be a real turnoff. And that thick, dark hair. Ugh! Who could stomach that? Not to mention those bedroom eyes and adorable smile. Yuck.”
“I didn’t say she was ugly, April. She’s too pushy. And she acts like she knows it’s only a matter of time until I do just what she wants. I don’t find that attractive.”
“Well, I do, and if Ed leaves me, I think I’m gonna turn to the dark side.”
“I’ll mention that the next time I talk to my personal handywoman, a position I’m itching to make redundant.”
Part Two
Two weeks after her last visit to Rehoboth Beach, Noel reached Toni on her cell phone. “I don’t know what kind of people visit B&Bs, but someone should make sure that they’re not licensed to carry handguns.”
“Hello, Noel,” Toni said, her voice nearly purring with pleasure. “When can we expect you?”
After a long exhale, Noel glumly said, “School’s in session until Memorial Day, and it starts up again after Labor Day. I can’t change the schedule, and I have to show up every day, even when some idiots I don’t know are crying about their vacations.”
“When’s your first reservation?”
“At the end of April. The guy threatened me with a lawsuit!”
“That doesn’t surprise me. People are very territorial about their vacations. When’s your last one?”
“The second week in October. Why anyone would want to go to the beach in October is beyond me, but two women from Vermont are going to be there over my dead body if it comes to that.”
Unable to stop herself from laughing, Toni said, “Don’t worry about the shoulder season people. We’ll figure something out. If you can be here for the big months, everything will be fine.”
“Easy for you to say! You don’t have people gunning for you.”
Toni’s voice took on a soothing, soft tone. “You won’t either. There’s a woman here in town who house sits for the various B&Bs. I’ll talk to her today and see if she’s available. Don’t worry about a thing.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
There was a lengthy pause while Noel tried to figure out a way to ask her question in a polite manner. “Why do you care so much? Are you just a nice person?”
Toni’s pause was just as lengthy as Noel’s had been. “Yes. I’m just a nice person.”
They hung up and Toni walked over to the window of the house she was working on. The first buds were starting to show on the flowing plum tree just outside, and she recalled how happy Max always was at the first sign of spring. She started to mist up while complimenting herself on at least getting Noel to The Sandpiper for one year. She owed Max an awful lot, but she figured her debt was just about paid. Now it was up to Noel. She either had some of Max’s magic when it came to her guests, or she’d run back to Baltimore at the end of the season. It was on her.
***
That evening, Toni sat on a bar stool, sketching on a pad with a charcoal pencil. Her expression was composed, and slightly studious. But there was a lightness about her that evening that compelled Jackie to wander over and speak to her.
“You look happy tonight. Working on something special?”
Toni’s eyes shifted from her pad. “Yeah. I’m trying to do something a little different with the arbor I’m making for The Sandpiper.”
Jackie laughed, and slapped Toni on the arm. “I had a feeling you’d break her down.”
Toni shook her head. “I didn’t break anybody down. Noel just realized that she’s got to make some smart decisions now to get what she wants in the end.” A thoughtful look settled onto her face, and she said, “She’s not a bad person. I was a little too quick to judge her.”
“You?” Jackie asked, recoiling in horror. She jumped back when Toni tried to grab her.
“She didn’t come across very well at first, but I’m starting to like her.”
“Oh-oh. Next thing you know she’s gonna be on your to-do list.”
Smiling slyly, Toni said, “I could do worse.”
“Did her boobs grow?”
“I haven’t seen ’em lately,” Toni said dryly. “But it’s hard to find a girl who has everything that you like.”
“Last time you talked about her, she didn’t have anything you liked.”
“She must’ve had a bad day the first time I saw her,” Toni said seriously. “When I saw her a couple of weeks ago she looked a lot better.” She made a gesture with her hand, hovering around her head. “Her hair looks a lot better now, and her eyes really are pretty. She’s got a nice mouth too.”
“Maybe she had plastic surgery.” Jackie took another step backwards just in case Toni reached for her.
“She didn’t have plastic surgery,” Toni said, scowling. “She just looks better. She seems nicer, too. I didn’t think she had a sense of humor, but she does.”
“Well, maybe she’ll luck out and get to take you for a spin.”
The look on Toni’s face was almost seductive. “I think we could both have fun on that ride.” She sat there after Jackie left, thinking about Noel. She was actually damned good-looking, and since she neither looked nor acted like Max, it wasn’t creepy being around her. She was feisty, for sure, and there were few things Toni liked better than a feisty lover. And since Noel had to return to Baltimore in the fall, she could prove to be the perfect summer catch. Time would tell.
***
On the Thursday before Memorial Day, Toni was replacing a lock set on a restaurant Heidi was listing. She was rushing, and nicked herself with a screwdriver, making her jump and shake her hand vigorously.
“You don’t seem like you’re in the zone today,” Heidi said.
“Oh, I’ve got a couple of things to finish over at The Sandpiper before Noel gets here tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow night, huh? Is she excited?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Toni chuckled. “I talked to her earlier in the week and she sounded nervous. She and her sister and their mom have been working on recipes that Noel can whip up without a lot of trouble. Apparently she can cook, but she’s not used to cooking breakfast for a big crowd.”
Susan X. Meagher - The Legacy Page 3
