by Tonya Kappes
The other blinking lights, on the phone, is a good excuse for me to get off. The longer he talks, the less angry I am at him.
Beatrice can’t thank me enough when she gets of the conference call with Charlie.
“I think I am going to explode.”
“Out of all the associates I’ve worked with over the years, you deserve this.” I take both of her hands in mine.
Beatrice is on cloud nine the entire day. The boutique is busy. We ended the day on a good note with a lot of sells.
I take my time driving to Hyde Park. When I pull into the driveway, I’m shocked to not only see Lucy, but she’s pulling weeds out of the flower bed.
“Lucy?” I question.
There are dead leaves crumbled in her hair when she looks back at me. I sit down next to her in the grass. This is obviously a time for an intervention.
Henry scratches on the door when he hears my voice. He bounds out into Lucy’s lap when I open the door, giving her kisses.
“Luce, what’s wrong?” I place my hand on her back.
“I think it’s over,” she whispers under her breath and looks up with her red puffy eyes. “Beck and I are over. He really is going to stay in Mason Crossing.”
“I’m sorry.” I wish I had more words to comfort her.
“I don’t want to move back there and become my parents. Why in the world would I want to do that?” She’s sobbing now.
“I wouldn’t want to be your parents either, but why would you have to be?” I pick a few dandelions, toss them out into the yard.
I can’t imagine Lucy cooking and running the vacuum each night, which is exactly what her mom does. I love her mom and she’s been a second mom to me, but she’s a little too June Cleaver.
“You need to put some distance between you and Beck. You need to go home and work. You’ll make the right decision on your time, not Beck’s, not your parents. Yours.” I reassure her.
“I‘m going back to Chicago tomorrow morning.” There is firmness in her voice.
I follow her inside as she gets her suitcase. She’s reached the stage in her life where the road is splitting off. She is sad, but strong, at the same time.
I rush down the stairs when the doorbell rings. I forgot about Natalie coming by to talk with me a little more about her idea for her mom’s birthday present.
She has six siblings with six different birthstones. Her idea is amazing. She wants simple seven-millimeter sterling silver beads with each of their birthstones evenly sprinkled throughout the bracelet.
Genius. Why haven’t I thought of that for moms?
“Natalie, you are amazing.” I look at the design I had sketched in my notebook. “We can definitely come up with it. Plus I’m going to show you how to do it.”
Natalie looks up and smiles. “I was hoping you could show me. I want her to know I made it and came up with the idea.”
I’m envious of Natalie. She has her mom, dad and siblings to go home to. She loves her family. It makes me think of Aunt Grace.
She is my family and the image of her walking with her head down into her apartment building is weighing heavy on my mind. She doesn’t look in the best health and I know I should treat her better I do, but sometimes she pushes my buttons the wrong way. Unfortunately it never ends with her.
“I was wondering,” I say, “if you want to work for me.”
Natalie is mature for her age, but fun and has an eye for fashion, which is proven in the short shorts, tight t-shirt, scarf wrapped around her neck, long knee socks and Chuck Taylor tennis shoes with a slew of Beadnicks bracelets she wearing.
“I’d love to!” She jumps at the chance. She is fidgeting with her bracelets. “I love your jewelry. What will I do, sort the beads? Where is the store going to be?”
She is talking and asking questions faster than I can process them.
“Hold up.” I put my hand in front of her. “Actually in a couple weeks I’ll be moving back to Chicago. I plan on keeping Dee supplied with bracelets, the simple ones we have in the store. I need your eyes to tell me what’s going on in the fashion world and what teenagers are looking for. I’m also talking with Nordstrom’s and Saks about carrying a spring line. That means I’ll need lots of ideas and maybe a few trips to Chicago. Plus you can make your own designs and we can market to teens.”
Natalie is a big part of Beadnicks’ success with the teenage population here. Plus her mother’s bracelet is a no-brainer. I would’ve never come up with the idea since I don’t have a mom to make any jewelry for.
My mom.
What constitutes my mom? Aunt Grace stepped in as my mom on a second notice. No one ever asked her if she wanted me. She never once let me go hungry. Why haven’t I made Aunt Grace a bracelet?
“I think I want to make one for each of my four sisters. They’d love to have a birthstone bracelet.” Natalie’s voice brings me back from my thoughts.
The bracelet Natalie has in mind for her mom is an easy bracelet. In fact, it’s the easiest bracelet I’ve ever made. It’s a good starting bracelet, especially for a teenager. Straight circular beading on wire.
“Birthstone bracelet.” I think about marketing it just as that. “I can call these birthstone bracelet for teenagers and mother’s bracelet for the moms.”
She agrees, and we have several bracelets made in just under an hour.
I want to call her parents and set up a meeting so I can share my ideas about Natalie and the future of Beadnicks in Cincinnati. If I’m going to be in two cities, I’ll definitely need her help. She’s going to be an integral part to the teen line and the mother bracelet idea I have.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Training Beatrice is a lot smoother than I thought it would be. It’s embarrassing, how she’s always been two steps ahead of me.
“I must confess.” she says, shying away in a little-girl way, “I took the reports home last night and scoured every inch and detail. I want to do a good job. I want to become a buyer and move to New York and onto Italy.”
I often dreamed of becoming a buyer for Gucci. I would lay in bed with a sketch pad and design clothing and jewelry. I just didn’t realize it was going to be my jewelry line. I laugh.
“Thoughts become things, so choose the good ones.”
I can see Beatrice thinking about that for a second.
“Thoughts become things,” she says, taking it in, “so choose the good ones. That’s good.” She scribbles it down on her pad.
During lunch, I take my mother’s bracelet idea to the local hospital. What better way to get to a new mother than through their bundle of joy?
Think about it, everyone who has a baby gets a gift. Usually a shitty gift from the gift shop. You know, the ceramic blue or pink booties with a couple flowers in it, or the bear dressed in a pink or blue shirt.
What if a Beadnicks mommy bracelet is an option? The child is born in July, so they can buy the ruby mommy bracelet. Who will want flowers when they can get a Beadnicks bracelet for a little more money?
I walk into the gift shop and don’t see any jewelry for a new mom. There are several different breast cancer items, and angel bracelets, but no baby jewelry.
Within minutes, I have, Eloise, the manager of the gift shop, in the palm of my hands. She calls the labor and delivery manager to come down to talk to me.
“This is a great idea.” They agree with each other. Eloise looks at the labor and delivery nurse manager. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yes.” The nurse manager says, “We give away bags filled with coupons and samples to all new families. We can put your business card in each bag stating they can get one in our gift shop.” Evidentially, they’ve been trying to come up with new gifts for new moms. “We don’t have great gifts for new moms and these will sell.”
My phone vibrates. I look at it to see if it is Beatrice. It’s Bo. I push ignore and send him to voicemail. Hopefully sending him to voicemail will send him a message.
“What
if I come up with a postcard brochure, elegantly done, of course? I will get your opinion before we mass-print them and use those. That way the new mom can see a picture of an actual bracelet.”
The deal is done.
Bo calls again. This time I answer.
“Hello?”
My heart still sinks every time his name pops up on my phone. I want to tell him off, I want to let him know that I know his little Piper secret.
“If I didn’t know better, I think you’re avoiding me.” He nervously laughs. “I’m coming into town tonight and I want to see you.”
Tonight? How am I going to come up with a payback scheme in a couple hours?
“Hallie?”
“I’m here.” I want to get him out of my mind.
“I heard. You’re doing fantastic.” Monk probably told him that I asked for advice. “Piper told me you gave notice at the boutique.”
Piper.
“Pick me up at eight? You know where I live.” I’ll definitely have a plan in a couple hours.
There is just one more stop I need to make before I go back to work.
“Aunt’s upstairs.” Uncle Jimmy sweeps the stoop without looking at me. Or maybe it’s just me not wanting to face the fact that threw them to the curb.
I slink upstairs with the smell of shame all over me. The odor isn’t as bad as it usually is. Maybe the debugging worked and left a nice smell to boot.
However, Aunt Grace’s number still hangs by a thumbtack. Carefully, I tap on the right side of the number and watch it flap up and down.
“Hallie.” Good old Aunt Grace is just as happy to see me as always. She has her hands outstretched in front of her. No matter how much I’ve wronged her, she always makes it right.
I fall into her like a young child. Her arms are comfort for me today. I need her to forgive me for the way I’ve treated her.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Aunt Grace’s embrace becomes tighter. No matter how hard I have always pushed her away, she squeezes harder.
“Nothing.” I pull away and take the bracelet out of my pocket. “I’m on my way back to work and I want to give you a bracelet I made for you.”
The emerald mommy bracelet sparkles in the dull hallway light. Aunt Grace’s smile is even brighter.
“It’s emerald.” I want to make sure she knows the stone.
“Yes, I know. Your birthstone.”
She whispers as I put it on her arm. “It’s beautiful, Hallie. I love it.”
“I’m glad.” I roll it around on her wrist. “I want you to be the first mom with a Beadnicks mother’s bracelet.”
It looks good against her small wrist.
It’s my way of telling her I recognize her as my mother. She gets it.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Tears gather in the corner of her eyes. But I’m not ready to go there with her.
I squeeze her shoulders. “I love you and I hope you enjoy it.”
“Oh, I will.” She is still ogling the bracelet when I leave.
I call Wilson as I trot down Aunt Grace’s stairs. I have a favor. A big one he needs to be in on, and it involves Bo.
He is reluctant at first. Luckily, with a little coaxing and holding one little Prudence over his head, he decides to go along with my plan.
Uncle Jimmy and I do a very nice job ignoring each other. He glares at me as I tell Wilson I’ll be home after work.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Bo once told me how much he likes my hair down. I look in the mirror and make sure that every last hair is in place. I go over the plan with Wilson so he knows it, in and out. He assures me he does.
I dress in an extremely short, tight short-sleeved dress with high heels that accentuate my legs. My underarms are sweating so much I pull the old model trick of putting a mini pad in my armpit. If my plan works, I won’t be in this dress for long.
After I hear a car door shut, I look out and Bo is walking up to the front porch with an armload of daisies. Orange ones that happen to be my favorite. He thinks he’s going to work me. Well, I’ve got news for him.
Wilson opens the door as I’m walking down the stairs.
“This is where Hallie lives, right?” Bo is unsure he’s at the right house. He sticks his head back out the door and looks up at the numbers on the overhang.
“Hi, Bo.” I walk up, letting Wilson put his arms around me and lightly kiss me on the lips. “This is Wilson.”
Wilson sticks his hand out to shake Bo’s. But Bo’s cold demeanor doesn’t allow him to shake back.
“Hallie, can I see you outside?” His hand with the bouquet of daisies falls towards the ground.
“Sure.” I agree, knowing I just hit him below the belt with my actions. “I’ll be right back, babe.” I look up at Wilson with an evil grin signaling his efforts have paid off, and give him a peck on the cheek.
Bo watches, and takes a step back out on the front porch, leaving little room between me and the door. His tender eyes turn into a raging bull, his eyebrows bent into a V leaving making him look like he smells something really foul. He does, another lie from me.
“Ready for dinner?” I question him while pulling down the hem of my dress.
“Is he why you have been distant the past couple week?” Bo drops his head, “Were you seeing him this whole time?”
If I didn’t know better, I think there is a tear in his eye.
“Now, Bo,” I say, and play the coy card on him. “No commitment, remember? Ready for dinner?”
“Are you serious?” Bo’s disgust shows all over his face. He drops the daisies. “Maybe you aren’t the girl that has been running with me for the past couple years. Maybe you aren’t the girl who I’m really proud of. I know you’re not the girl I’ve been falling in love with.”
He walks to the car, and doesn’t looks back.
I watch with a bitter look and taste in my mouth.
“Did it work?” Wilson opens the door behind me after Bo drives off. “Hallie? Did the plan work?”
“Yes,” I say in a soft voice and let the tears flow down my face.
I pick up the flowers and take them upstairs. Smelling them, I lay them next to my bed. I put on his Sunday shirt and run my fingers along his note.
“Goodbye, Bo.” I put my head down on the pillow. I’ve hurt him just like he hurt me. The only difference is I spare him. I didn’t tell him I know about him and Piper. Piper transfers
me to get me out of the way. He uses me when he is in town. He deserves to be hurt. Or is he relieved he doesn’t have to pretend that we never slept together when I come home? Really, I save us both the trouble.
Week Ten
Sit down, shut up and bead.
Found on the wall in a bead store.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Not hearing from Saks, Nordstrom’s or O magazine, combine with Bo, puts me in a really bad mood that even Beatrice can’t get me out of. I should be happy with the hospital deal. And the four boutiques love their shipment and have sold more than anticipated.
Natalie’s parents agree to let her work the Cincinnati market, and I offer her a good wage.
“I’ve missed you,” Addy says as she cleans after dinner/dessert crowd, and makes a fresh pot of coffee. “You haven’t been running?”
“I’ve been busy with the beads.” The exhaustion of working two jobs—three, really—is beginning to take its toll on me. The past few mornings I’ve had to drag myself out of bed to get ready. “Plus, I’ve been training a girl from work because I’m moving back home next weekend.”
I can’t believe I only have one more week left. It’s gone by so fast. Sadness blankets my heart to think I’m going to have to leave Addy, Dee, Wilson, Beatrice and Hyde Park Square.
“We sure are going to miss you around here.” Addy throws Henry a treat.
“I’m sure someone new will come along shortly after to keep you company.” I laugh, sipping my java and trying to sort my feelings out in my head.
“You�
��re going to be famous and I can say I poured her coffee,” Addy says.
“I’ll send you an autograph.” I laugh, secretly wishing her words will come true.
Henry and I walk out Café Beginnings. I smile up at the green house that’s embraced me over the past three months.
“Wilson?” I yell down the stairs after Henry goes traipsing to find him. “Coming down.”
“Hey.” He is putting some clothes in a duffle bag. Henry’s nose is dug all the way down in it.
“Whatcha doing?” I ask in my best little kid voice.
“I haven’t taken a vacation in over five years.” He’s shoving all kinds of things in. Just like a man, taking perfectly clean clothes and throwing them in without folding them.
“I’m going to take the next two weeks and visit Prudence. We are going to go sightseeing and hang around the city.” He zips the bag and slings it over his shoulder.
“That’s great. I’m surprised Prudence is going to take off work.” I’ve never known her to take more than a couple of days off. “She better take you to eat at Superdawg.” My mouth begins to water and I can almost taste the awesome hot dog, a Chicago staple.
“Will do.” He walks up the stairs with me and Henry on his heels. “Bye, buddy. See in you Chicago.”
He gives Henry a few pats on the head and me a quick hug. He’s gone--just like that.
The house is too quiet. Everyone important to me seems to be going in a different direction and my stomach is turning. Is this what it feels like to grow up?
With a little background music and Henry by my side, I bead all the mommy bracelets orders from the hospital, plus a few extra. With nothing but time on my hands, I need to keep my mind busy.
It doesn’t take long to make all the orders, since the design is pretty easy. I call Eloise to see if I can drop them off tonight.
Eloise is pleased with the brochures for the labor and delivery bags. The space she’s cleared on the counter is prime real estate for Beadnicks. I use the acrylic bracelet stands Dee gave me to hang some of the mommy bracelets on. In a clear bowl filled with white rice, I lay a few Swarovski birthstone crystal bracelets. The white background enhances their sparkle.
