“There’s plenty more I could say, but you don’t want to hear it.” She grabbed her purse and slammed out the door.
Jackson watched her go with a heavy sigh. He usually tried to avoid emotional scenes. This one found him anyway. It reminded him of something he’d heard his brother say: women are great as long as you don’t take them too seriously or expect them to behave logically. He didn’t usually agree with Carl, but he had to admit, there was a grain of truth in that.
Chapter Seven
Summer didn’t return to Second Time Around until the following Wednesday. She was a little thinner and paler as a result of her five days in bed, but she was as adamant as ever about making the weekly trip to the flea market. It took Violet most of the morning to convince her sister to let her go instead.
Along with the usual collection of dishes, toys, clothes and baby items, she ran across a man selling vintage movie posters. When she saw one featuring Abbott and Costello, she immediately thought of Jackson. After looking through several boxes, she found two that were in good enough condition to frame.
By the time she arrived back at work, it was past lunchtime. Summer stayed long enough to take a quick glance at everything before rushing out the door to meet Garrett. Eating at a restaurant after being sick didn’t seem very smart to Violet, but she knew better than to say anything. There were only a few people Summer took advice from; Violet wasn’t one of them.
After sorting through her purchases, she walked into the office to eat her own lunch. Half way through a tuna fish sandwich, she heard the chime of the shop door. A glance around the doorway had her smiling. Rachel looked as if she was walking on air. Had Pierre proposed?
“What are you doing here in the middle of the day?”
Dark curls bobbing, Rachel closed the distance between them in record time and grabbed Violet’s arms. “We did it, Violet! Tasteful Affairs is the official caterer for all the events at the trade center!”
Violet bent to hug her. “Rachel! This is wonderful! Congratulations! Your hard work finally paid off. I’m so happy for you.”
“I had to come tell you in person.” She pulled back and held out her hands. “Look at me. I’m still shaking.”
“Have you told Cory and Sully?”
Rachel nodded, sending her large hoop earrings into motion again. “They were with me when I got the call. This is the break we’ve been waiting for. With this kind of exposure, I’ll be able to purchase better equipment and offer a more varied menu. The possibilities are endless.”
“You’ll also have to hire more staff.”
“And give my current employees a raise.”
Violet laughed. “Even your weekend part-timer?”
“You, most of all. I couldn’t have done this without your support. You’re the one who kept telling me not to give up on my dream.”
“That’s what being best friends means.”
Rachel leaned against the counter. “We’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we? Remember all those plans we made when we were twelve. We were going to marry the Colson twins and live next door to each other. My daughter was going to marry your son.”
Violet laughed. “You got closer than I did. You actually dated Tim Colson.”
Rachel made a face. “Not for long. He was a decent kisser, but he chewed with his mouth open. I couldn’t get past that.”
“You’ve come a long way. You’ve gone international.”
Rachel’s hazel eyes started to glow. “I never dreamed I’d be dating a Frenchman.”
“What did Pierre say about your good news?”
“He offered to quit graduate school and work with me. I told him no thanks. He’s got the right name for a chef, but he can’t cook to save his life.” She glanced at her watch. “I gotta fly. Cory is waiting for me. We’ve got two hundred cupcakes to bake and decorate by nine in the morning.”
“If you need any help, let me know. I can come by your place after work.”
“Will do. See ya.”
Violet had finished her sandwich and was starting on her peach when Summer breezed into the office. “That was a quick lunch. I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
“Garrett had a hearing at the courthouse. How come you’re still eating?”
“Rachel dropped by. She got the catering contract for the trade center.”
“That’s fantastic. Tell her congrats for me.” Summer took out a tube of lip gloss and went to stand in front of the mirror on the wall. “I need to leave a little early tonight. Garrett wants to replace our patio furniture. I told him to forget about wicker. To me, it always looks dirty.”
“Where do you get these weird ideas?”
“From my excellent powers of observation. I’ve got the May bank statement to do. I couldn’t get the one for April to balance.”
“You’re a little late with that, aren’t you? It’s the beginning of July.”
Summer tapped her forehead. “Don’t you worry. I’ve got it all right here.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“What are those things in the corner?”
“Movie posters. They’re not for the shop. I’m going to do something with them.”
Summer gave her one of those assessing glances she was so good at. “You’re collecting movie posters now?”
“They’re for someone else.”
The arrival of a customer ended what was likely going to be an uncomfortable conversation. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly enough. It wasn’t long before Violet had the place to herself once more. In the lull before closing, someone came through the door. She glanced over her shoulder and just managed not to groan.
Every business has a handful of people that no amount of customer service can make happy. They simply refuse to be satisfied no matter what you do. Summer had nicknamed them ‘the party poopers’ and given each member of the club a name. This woman was known as Miss Always Complains. Her graying hair was pulled tightly into a bun, reading glasses sat low on her beaky nose, and her expression was set in what appeared to be a perpetual frown.
“Hello,” Violet called out, determined to be friendly. “Is there anything I can help you with this afternoon?” As she spoke, she moved to her usual spot near the counter. From that location she was close enough to be of assistance, but far enough away that she didn’t invade anyone’s space. Her greeting received a grunt in reply. After a few seconds, she tried again. “It’s a hot one today, isn’t it?”
The woman held up a bony index finger. “These bookshelves are dusty.”
Violet resisted the urge to contradict the woman. She and Summer cleaned the shop every morning before they opened. It was unlikely the shelves could have collected any amount of noticeable dust so quickly. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll take care of it right away.” As she reached under the counter and retrieved a rag, she asked, “Are you looking for a particular book?”
“No,” the woman replied, moving into the clothing section. “I just noticed that the shelves were dirty. Is your air conditioner not working? It’s very warm in here.”
Violet paused in wiping the nonexistent dust from the shelf. “This part of the shop gets hotter because it’s close to the window.”
“You should put up those heat-reflecting blinds.”
Did such a thing even exist? “That’s a great idea. I’ll talk to the owner about it.”
“What happened to the homemade soaps that used to sit on this table?”
“We sold out of them last week. The lady who makes them brought in another box before lunch, but I haven’t had time to unpack them yet. Which ones were you looking for?”
“Cucumber melon and lavender daydream. I need two of each.”
“I’ll go see if we have any.”
Violet was on her way back with the bars of soap when the door chime rang again. She turned to greet the newcomer, and her eyes collided with a steady gray gaze. The boyish smile on his face set her heart racing.
> “Oh, hi, Jackson. I’ll be with you in a moment.”
His glance went from her face to the watch on his arm to Miss Always Complains. “No hurry. I’m sure the restaurant will hold our table.”
Violet didn’t know what he was talking about. She nodded vaguely before returning to her customer. “I have cucumber melon, but not lavender daydream. Would you like to try the pomegranate pear instead?”
Miss Always Complains smiled as she took the soap and sniffed it several times. If Violet hadn’t been so agitated, she might have fainted from the shock of it. “It smells nice. I’ll take it.” She nodded her head in the direction of Jackson. “Your boyfriend is very handsome.”
In the silence of the shop, Violet knew Jackson could hear every word. “He’s just a friend.”
More surprises were in store for Violet. Miss Always Complains actually laughed and leaned closer to say, “But you’d like him to be more, wouldn’t you?”
* * * * *
In spite of the woman’s efforts to keep her voice down, Jackson got the gist of what she was saying. When he walked into Second Time Around and saw the very recognizable ‘I’ve-had-it-up-to-here’ expression on Violet’s face, all he wanted to do was help her. His implication that they had plans for the evening was meant to hasten the woman’s departure, not provoke an investigation into Violet’s personal life.
As he waited for her to deny any romantic interest in him, he felt a sudden and inexplicable wish to hear her confirm it. Why would he want to hear something like that when he was involved with Myrna? That was evidence of the kind of arrogance he detested. He’d never been one of those guys who believed no woman could resist him. In the midst of this internal dialogue, he heard Violet speaking.
“Will this be all for you today, or is there something else I can get you?”
Violet had done the right thing by ignoring the nosy woman’s question, but Jackson wished he knew why she didn’t answer. Was it because she didn’t think it was any of the woman’s business? Or was it because she wasn’t sure of her answer? Backing away from a line of thought he shouldn’t even be following, he waited for the woman to leave before joining Violet at the counter.
“I thought she’d never go.”
“You and me both. Thanks for your help with that.”
“No problem. In case you’re thinking I go around telling little white lies to get myself or others out of trouble, I’ll tell you here and now that I don’t. I can make good on that offer for dinner.”
She smiled. “That’s okay. I won’t hold you to it.”
“I wish you would. I could use some undemanding conversation.”
“How can I refuse when you put it like that?” she asked teasingly.
He reached forward and tapped her on the nose. “Be nice to me, or I’ll leave you to your fate next time. How soon can you be ready to leave?”
“Fifteen minutes.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You can turn the sign on the door before another of the party poopers decides to come in.”
Jackson laughed as he walked over to do as she asked. “Party poopers? Is that what you call your loyal customers?”
“Only a few of them. Summer came up with the name. She says it’s her way of dealing with them. I have to admit it helps.”
“Jetta does that, too. Not with our clients, but with my girlfriends.”
Violet looked up from doing something at the cash register. “You don’t mind?”
“Not really. Most of the names are pretty accurate.”
“I’m not sure what that says about your girlfriends.”
“Or me, right?”
“Well, yes, now that you mention it.”
“Believe it or not, there’s a method to my madness.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” she said as she disappeared into the office. He waited for her to reappear before replying.
“Will you really? This is a first. The women I know don’t take a man’s word for anything.”
“Then perhaps your method needs tweaking.”
He chuckled as he held open the door for her. “Maybe you’re right. I hope The Buckhead Grille is okay with you.”
“I’ve never been there.”
“Never? Maybe we need to have a talk about the men in your life.”
She smiled, but it seemed forced. Had he stuck his foot in his mouth again?
“Do you want me to follow you?” she asked as they walked toward the parking lot.
Jackson shook his head. “I don’t invite a woman to dinner and then expect her to drive.”
* * * * *
This remark didn’t seem to need a reply so Violet didn’t make one. Instead she stood to the side while he opened the passenger door and then sat down on the cream-colored seat. It was like being in a recliner. After putting on her seatbelt, she ran her hands over the soft leather.
“I bet this is nice to travel in,” she said when he joined her.
“It is. That’s one of the reasons I bought it. I spend a lot of time in my car. It’s basically my second office.”
She stretched out her legs and sighed. “I can’t do this in Leonie.”
“The answer to that is obvious.”
“Get another car, you mean? I couldn’t do that. It would be like turning my back on an old friend. Leonie still has a lot of miles left in her.”
He sent her a sideways glance. “Most people don’t care about that. It’s all about having the latest and greatest.”
“That stuff doesn’t matter to me. The money I save on a car payment allows me to do other things I enjoy.”
“It sounds like you’ve got your priorities in order.” He parked in one of the last available spaces. “It’s a good thing I’ve got a reservation, or we’d be eating at Taco Bell.”
Violet glanced at the imposing exterior and then at her printed camp shirt, beige pants, and Sperry boat shoes. “That’s where I should be eating. I’m not exactly dressed for this place.”
He shut off the engine. “Trust me. You’re fine. You’ll see a little bit of everything in here.”
As they were shown to a table, Violet breathed a sigh of relief. Jackson was right. There was a mixture of college students in cutoff jeans and men in business suits. After they gave their order to the waiter, he sent her one of his slow smiles. It set the butterflies in her stomach spinning in circles.
“Thanks for coming tonight. Myrna cancelled on me at the last minute. She said something came up at work.”
“That happens sometimes.”
“It’s unusual for her, but I wasn’t entirely surprised. She’s been giving me the cold shoulder since Sunday when she slammed out of my house.”
Violet chuckled. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at what happened. It was the look on your face when you said it.”
He waved a hand at her. “Oh, sure. Go ahead and make fun of my misfortunes.”
“I wouldn’t do that. As for getting the cold shoulder, every couple has disagreements. Rachel and Pierre fight at least once a month.”
“What about you?” he asked, leaning forward on his elbows. “Do you fight with your boyfriends?”
In order to fight with a boyfriend, she needed to have one. Violet bit her lip. “No, but you can’t go by me.”
“Why? If you’ve discovered the secret to avoiding conflict, I’d like to know what it is.”
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be working in a consignment shop. I’d be writing books and going on talk shows.”
The arrival of their food turned the conversation to something less serious. Jackson was telling her about Sierra accidentally shredding the wrong document when she noticed a couple being shown to a table not far from where they were seated. Violet didn’t know the woman, but she did recognize the man. It’s hard to forget the guy who gave you your first kiss.
Jackson must have realized he’d lost her attention. He looked back over his shoulder and then at her. “Did you see so
meone you know?”
“Yes. It surprised me because Lucas moved away after he graduated from college.”
“Was he one of those boyfriends you don’t fight with?”
Violet played with the roll on her plate. “Sort of. We worked together at Columbus State. I was thrilled when he asked me out because I’d liked him for a long time. I tried so hard to keep him from meeting my sisters, but it happened anyway.”
Jackson looked at her curiously. “Why would you do that?”
“You’ve seen Leah, right? Well, Summer and April are as beautiful as she is. Whenever I brought a guy home, he lost interest in me and went after one of them. I was determined not to let it happen with Lucas, but I failed. He met Leah when she came to see me at work.”
“How did she not know that you were interested in him?”
“I hadn’t told anyone about him. After getting burned three times before, I wasn’t taking any chances. I should have known it wouldn’t work.”
“So he dropped you for Leah?” Jackson shook his head. “To each his own, I guess.”
“You have to say that. I’m sitting here.”
He reached into the basket for another roll. “I don’t have to say anything. I’ve already said it. Long before I saw Leah, I told you that you had a pretty smile and beautiful eyes. As for Lucas and any other guy in your past, you need to forget them. They’re only a few males out of hundreds of millions.” He reached his hand across the table and put it over hers. “You’re a lovely person, Violet, both inside and out. Don’t let a couple of idiots have such power over you and make you think less of yourself.”
Her lips started to quiver as tears welled in her eyes. She wasn’t sure if it was his words or the understanding in his eyes that affected her the most. “Thank you.”
He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze and then drew his hand away. “Now that we’ve settled that, I think we should finish off this meal with a piece of mud pie. The portion they give you here is huge. We could easily share it.”
She laughed a little shakily as she dabbed at her eyes. “That’s sounds good to me.”
“Does it? I was waiting for you to tell me you’re on a diet. Myrna is always on one. It drives me crazy.”
Mine for a Day (Finding Love Book 8) Page 7
