by Jessie Olson
“Thanks.”
“I’ll be sure to spread the word. Your food is excellent. I know a few people who are looking for a caterer.”
“Give them my name,” she smiled and made her way to the table, satisfied with the gratitude from Melissa’s father.
Elizabeth came behind him, seeing Sara talking to another woman she hadn’t seen since the reunion. She rested her hands on his shoulders and listened to the discussion that probably bored Ben to tears. She was surprised none of the other men at the table broke away from the discussion of potty training.
“Sara,” Elizabeth greeted when there was a pause in the conversation.
“Lizzie,” Sara exhibited her extra effort towards friendliness. In their brief emails about the event, Elizabeth didn’t tell Sara she and Ben were together again. She imagined the increased push to her smile had something to do with that.
“Did you enjoy your dinner?” she squeezed Ben’s shoulders as he looked at her softly.
“I can’t believe you did this all by yourself,” Heidi’s smile was more genuine.
“My partner is floating around here somewhere,” Lizzie shifted her glance, certain Andrew found the table with Davis, Meg, Nora, and Mark. They didn’t have any obligation to Springs loyalties. “He does a lot of work. He’s the genius behind all the sauces.”
“That’s so exciting,” Heidi continued. “Ben says you’re doing well.”
“It’s okay. Not as steady as I hope. But it gave me time to do this for the Bensons.”
“And time to buy a house,” Sara added, apparently bitter about another fact Elizabeth left out of the emails.
“We found a nice house in Cambridge. I have a great kitchen and an office. And there’s room to grow.”
Sara lifted an eyebrow towards Heidi and a glance at Elizabeth’s naked left hand. She decided to leave Sara to her speculations and took Ben’s arm. “I hope you’ll excuse us. I have friends who came to see Jack’s band.”
Ben waited until they were out of hearing before he started laughing. “How on earth did I pretend to like that woman?”
“She was different at Springs.”
“You were always there,” he pulled her against him.
“She’s a good soul. Her heart is in the right place. She just thinks you are odd. Probably because she realized at some point you didn’t really like her all that much.”
“And I’m living in sin with you,” he kissed her cheek.
Lizzie laughed as they arrived at the table of her friends. “The band is on in a few minutes. I should probably go find the guys,” Jack offered his chair.
“Thanks, Jack.”
“How’s the food?” Andrew twisted out of Davis’ arm to glance at the buffet.
“Things are quieting down. I told the kids they can put out the apple cobbler when Jack starts playing,” Elizabeth explained as Ben presented a beer. She didn’t enjoy alcohol as much since Kate told her she had to wait six months until their next blood share. It seemed more like medicine every night. But the damp bottle was perfect at the end of her long day.
“It’s a success,” Davis lifted up his bottle to clink hers. “I know this is a charity gig, guys, but it’s one of the best spreads you’ve put out yet.”
“It’s the biggest spread,” Andrew moaned in exhaustion. “Although, those firefighter friends of Mr. Benson were a big help with the grills.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you both liked their company,” Meg laughed over her beer.
“I’m sure both Mr. and Mrs. Benson appreciate everyone’s help today,” Nora lifted Rose to her shoulder and beamed at Elizabeth. “This is a really impressive crowd.”
“All of Lizzie’s groupies,” Meg grinned.
“We came to support Jack, too,” Nora nudged her husband to nod in agreement.
“Did they do anything like this for Oliver’s memorial fund?” Jen asked Ben.
“There wasn’t a barbeque like this,” Ben pulled a chair beside Elizabeth. “But there has been an overwhelming response to his memory.”
“It really is impressive how many people rallied to his cause,” Jen interjected. “I read in the paper how some of his students started a recycle center - and how another group is lobbying in Congress. The memorial fund is for scholarships, too, right?”
“At his college in California,” Ben nodded, squeezing Elizabeth’s hand. “His widow set that up and got many alumni who took his classes to contribute. He inspired a lot of his students. ”
“Another Coldbrook boy who made good,” Jen smiled at Ben.
Elizabeth looked at the rest of her friends, who only knew Oliver as the brother for whom she left Ben so abruptly less than a year ago. They didn’t know the hero of the debate team, or the boy who gave Melissa Benson rides home from softball practice, or the madman who came to her apartment two months ago. None of them knew what he really was. None of them knew the vampire. None of them knew Thomas.
“That’s an amazing legacy,” Nora breathed out. “There are people who live for eighty years who couldn’t accomplish that much. It’s really impressive what he was able to do in his short lifetime.”
“Yes,” Elizabeth’s voice faltered. She saw the quick glances of all her friends and smiled. “So I hope in his honor, we will all recycle our bottles tonight.”
Mark was the first to laugh. “Sure thing, Lizzie,” his humor revealed a note of encouragement. “So what’s the next job for you two? Is it another party we can crash?”
“Nothing until they get back from their romantic getaway,” Andrew chuffed.
“Oh that’s right!” Meg exclaimed. “London?”
“A week in London. Then France. Then Italy,” Ben explained proudly.
“Hey what about the Fulton House?” Meg took a sip of her beer. “Do you think you’ll ever go back there?”
“I haven’t been there for almost a year,” Lizzie glanced at Andrew.
“But you loved that place,” Nora patted Rose’s back.
“We need our Saturdays,” Andrew shrugged.
“Did you leave, too?”
“I’m going to finish out the summer until Paula can find someone new.”
“You don’t think you’ll go back again?”
“Maybe I’ll find a new museum,” Elizabeth lifted her beer.
“Yeah, the Fultons are boring,” Meg shook her head. “You need something more dramatic.”
Elizabeth laughed quietly. “The Fultons aren’t boring. Not all of them.”
“Eh,” Meg shrugged her shoulders. “I think you’ll be okay without them.”
“Yeah,” Elizabeth nodded. “I think I will.” Ben wrapped his arm around her. Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder and smiled at her friends as the band began to play.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessie Olson grew up in a small Central Massachusetts town with lots of trees and a complete lack of restraint on her imagination. She has given tours in several local museums, discussing everything from gothic armor to the whimsical design of a Dabsville mainstay. Jessie finds a pleasant occupation of time whilst performing in local theater, cooking up something for a dinner party, or watching a ridiculous amount of BBC television on Netflix. An Ever Fixéd Mark is her first novel.
Find Her On:
Website and Blog: www.jessolson.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/everfixedmark
Twitter: @jessolson
Worcester Writers Collaborative: www.worcesterwriters.org or www.facebook.com/worcesterwriterscollaborative
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