“It’s Evelyn.”
At the mention of her name my stomach does a flip. “Oh,” I say in a weak voice.
“I haven’t heard from her since she arrived in Cancun a couple days ago.” He looks disbelievingly at the phone.
It continues to ring, and from nowhere I say, “Well are you going to answer it or leave your girlfriend hanging?” I roll my eyes. “Sure that call isn’t cheap.”
He shakes his head and answers the phone. “Evelyn. Baby! How are you?”
I pull the almond meal from the shelf, curiously watching on.
“You having a good time?” he asks.
I reach for the caster sugar and carry both items, slowly and eaves-droppingly, to the center table.
Chad chuckles, pressing his phone firmly to his ear. He begins to lightly pace across the floor. “Yeah, I miss you, too, baby.” A pause. “No, no, I’m not doing anything. I can talk.” He stops his pacing and holds up one finger to me, then points to his phone, gesturing a, “I’ll be just a minute.”
I act like I haven’t been listening on, as unavoidable as it is, and just wave him off.
Chad laughs at something Evelyn says, followed by a guttural, “Oh yeah?” Then he disappears around the corner, waltzing into the front of the café, the words, “Yeah, I wish I were there with you, too, babe,” lingering behind with a heaviness I didn’t quite expect.
“Whatever,” I whisper to myself as I walk to the refrigerator. You’re confused because you’re lonely, Sophie, I think. I grab as many eggs as I can hold. And because you’re being silly. Totally stupid.
Chapter Forty
“Hey, so did you hear that Emily may be coming back a few weeks earlier?” Robin asks as she rolls out her yoga mat. “Gatz’ll still have school, but she’s been thinking of coming to Seattle to visit for a while.”
“News to me,” I say, rolling out my own mat. “But why not just come back when he does? Oh—” Suddenly, it dawns on me.
Robin’s sitting on her mat, legs crossed and hands folded in her lap, and she’s nodding. “That’s right. Once school’s out they’re thinking of traveling some more. Those crazy globetrekkers.”
“Dear god.” I’m about to ask where they’ve got the money for this, but that’s never been an issue for well-stocked Emily. “Where to next?” I pull off my socks. “Further exploring the continent? Going to the land of the Hobbits?”
Robin begins to stretch her neck gently, saying, “With those two, who knows. She didn’t mention it in my postcard, but Jackie said she talked to her the other week.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Said they might go to South America, maybe Africa.” She pulls her hair back into a ponytail. “Jackie said something about sofa surfing?” She makes a befuddled expression. “Whatever that is?”
“Couch surfing,” I say knowingly. “Something those two would so do. The idea’s cool, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“They’re not joining a commune, are they?” Robin lies down on her back, adjusting the hem of her tank top. “I wouldn’t exactly put it past them.”
“No,” I say as the yoga instructor enters the room. “It’s staying in a house, not a hotel. Like HomeAway or Airbnb, just on someone’s couch. And free.”
“Okay, so it’s like they are joining a commune,” Robin says with a laugh. “Well seeing her in May possibly would be super awesome. I tell you, I never imagined I’d live my social life with a calendar at the ready all the time. Claire no longer living here, Em always gone, Lara seriously considering a move to Chicago!”
“I know, right?” I sigh, taking a lying position myself as the instructor approaches her mat. “Guess that’s life now.”
“At least it’s a good one.” Robin rolls her head along her rubbery mat to give me a smile. “Could always be worse.”
“Tell me about it.” I close my eyes, resting folded hands on my stomach.
“You nervous at the idea of Brandon coming into town for the adoption?” Robin’s question throws me completely off guard.
“Oh, erm…” I flutter my eyes open and stare at the ceiling.
“Because I totally understand if you are.” She reaches her hand out to me. “And I know you said you’d be there for me and support me in any way you can.” She rests her hand on my upper arm.
“Of course,” I say.
“But I’m not asking you to be there when he comes with the adoption papers. Or to the courthouse.” She gives me an empathetic half-smile.
“No, of course not. No, this is your and Bobby’s thing.” I rapidly try to think of something to say. My mind was nowhere near Brandon, nowhere near the topic of Rose’s upcoming adoption.
“You were there for me to face him before,” Robin says in a sweet tone. “Bobby and I can take it from here.”
“Oh, of course, of course.” I furrow my brow, making a graceless yet understanding expression.
“What?”
“You’re right.” I turn my strange expression into a bright and forced smile.
“Everything okay, Sophie?” Robin props herself up on one arm. “We are talking about Brandon coming back here in a couple weeks, right? How it’s possibly being weird for you and all?” A pause. “Aren’t we?”
I close my eyes and nod my head. “Yeah.” I inhale deeply as the instructor tells everyone to take their places. “Yeah, I’m just processing everything, that’s all,” I half-lie. I assure Robin that everything’s fine—there’s no need for her to worry or consider me or my feelings in this adoption. This isn’t about me.
“Okay,” she says in an unsettled way. “If you say so.”
“I’ll be fine,” I insist, folding my hands on my stomach once more. “I am fine.” I shoot Robin my best convincing look. “Thanks, though. Don’t worry. I just need some yoga time, that’s all.”
“You and me both.”
“All right,” the instructor says in a calm voice. “We’re going to begin with some deep breathing and meditation exercises.”
As we’re instructed to breathe in and out, deeply, in even tones, and meditatively, choosing a mantra or focusing on a peaceful image or mood, blocking out all outside noise and distractions, I can’t help but find my mind focusing on the distraction, the noise. And it’s not Brandon. Much to my own surprise, my thoughts drift to Chad.
It’s been a week since Chad came over to the café to help. Once Oliver returned from what he called “a glorious vacation in San Francisco with the city’s best and hottest tour guide,” I told Chad it wasn’t really necessary for him to come help out anymore. Two hands on board would certainly be enough until Evelyn returned to work on Sunday.
The truth of the matter, though, is that I couldn’t handle Chad being there, in my café, working so closely with me. It’s not that I’m afraid something would happen between us. It’s that being around him, alone like that, made me feel things I haven’t felt since—since—since Paris! And even then that was totally convoluted, and look how that turned out! Having him help me would be borrowing trouble, and it is better for everyone if he kept to eating desserts rather than baking them.
Besides, a lonely girl alone with a guy with whom she has a history is a recipe for burned cookies, scorched crème brûlée, and collapsed macarons. Until I can figure out what it is I’m feeling and get control of things, emotions in check, Chad and I need to return to a friendship where he does nothing but pester and tease me, in a purely platonic way, and I him…and at a safe distance.
***
“It’s nine-thirty,” I say, trying my hardest not to shriek and go into panic mode. I glance at my watch. “Nine-thirty, Oliver. Where on Earth is she?”
“Maybe she’s still in Cancun?” Oliver shrugs, face wrinkled in apology.
I dry my hands on my apron before tying the loose shoelace of my black and white glitter sneakers. “That’s not funny, Oliver.” I grab an empty to-go box from atop the diminishing stack.
Before I turn the corner out of the kitc
hen I quickly look back at Oliver, who’s wearing his big, silly chef hat, his hands covered in flour and sunk in a deep ceramic bowl.
“I sure hope Evelyn’s okay,” I gasp. “That she didn’t get into an accident or some tragedy down there!”
“I think she more likely missed her flight,” he says pragmatically.
“Oh, god.” I tuck the box under my arm and tell Oliver I’ll give her another call as soon as I pack up some stuff for a customer.
As soon as I finish my sentence my cell phone rings. “That could be her!” I say, shrieking this time.
“Hello. Evelyn?” I blurt into my phone.
“Hi, Sophie.” It’s Evelyn, and relief washes over me as I scratch off the possibilities of “Missing Person” and “Tragic Accident.”
“Did you miss your flight?” I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Are you okay? Where are you? Did you forget you’re scheduled to work today?”
“I’m not coming in today.” Evelyn’s tone is icy, without any inflection, any emotion, except for perhaps perturbation?
“Um, okay.” I set the to-go box down on the nearest countertop and scratch my head. “Is something wrong? Do you want a day off to recoup, come back tomorrow?”
“No.” Still a very icy tone.
I look to Oliver and crease my brow. I hold up one questioning hand in the air. “All right…” I drag out.
“I’m not coming in today or tomorrow,” Evelyn states strongly. “I quit, Sophie.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry for the short notice.” A hint of intonation sounds in her voice, but quickly returns to a flat chill. “But it’s not working for me anymore.”
“Omigod.” I clap a hand to my forehead. “Wh-wh-why? What happened? What changed?”
“I’m not interested in talking about it. You want more info, ask Chad.”
“Wh-what?” I pull the phone back for a second and stare at it in disbelief. “Evelyn? What are you talking about? What about Chad? What’s going on?”
“Goodbye, Sophie.”
“Evelyn!”
Before I can utter another word the line goes dead.
“Evelyn?” I repeat. “Hello?”
“Oh no,” Oliver says, sullen. “Is it bad?”
I look down at my phone, mouth agape, and finally splutter out, “Shit.”
I ring Evelyn up a half-a-dozen more times, but to no avail. Her line, instead of ringing a few times before going to voicemail like it had earlier, now goes straight to voicemail. I’m clearly being blocked.
“I can’t believe this,” I say, thunderstruck. I toss my phone atop my handbag. “How could she do this? So sudden! Not even the polite two week’s notice?”
Oliver rubs his flour-covered hands on his apron and says, “Maybe it got to be too much work with school?”
“But she could have told me. To just up and leave like this? And what the hell about Chad?”
“Chad?”
“That’s right! Evidently he’s got the scoop.” I begin to massage my temples. “This is so unbelievable. When am I going to catch a break with keeping employees?”
“Look.” Oliver pads over to me. He removes his chef hat and hangs it on an available peg next to what used to be Evelyn’s apron. “You got me here. I’m worth at least three Evelyns.”
He forces a smile out of me, and I tell him he’s right, but one less person is still one less person.
“Come on.” He hands me the neglected to-go box. “You finish this order and I’m going to take care of the customers up front.”
“Thanks.” I take the box from him.
“We’ll figure this out,” he purrs, “but first things first.”
“You’re right,” I say, adjusting my apron. I smooth back my hair and nod my head. Though still in a state of shock, I have a business to run. Nothing is going to keep me down. I’ve got to keep it together.
“You give me a hand for a minute up there please,” I point in the direction of the front of the café, “then finish up the pains au chocolat, and when there’s room for a breather I’ll work on a Help Wanted ad ASAP.”
“That’s the spirit!”
“Unbelievable!” I rasp under my breath and wag my head heavily. “So unbelievable…”
“No worries,” Oliver soothes. “No worries.”
“Yeah, well.” I heave a sigh. “Oh! And I’m also going to find out just what Chad has to do with all of this. What the hell?”
Oliver abruptly retrieves my cell phone. “You want to call him now and find out?” A look of intrigue comes over his face.
“No.” I yank the phone from him and toss it back onto my bag. “Things are spiraling out of control, Oliver, but at least I can control my reaction.”
I cock my head to the side and give him a quirky look. “Besides, he’ll just blow smoke up my ass. This has to be done in person. He owes me an explanation.”
“Oooh.” Oliver wiggles his eyebrows up and down and tells me to give Chad a piece of my mind.
“Whatever he has to do with all this I’ll find out, but Evelyn does live with him.”
“Ahhh.”
I lead Oliver to the front and say, “Someone’s going to pay them an unexpected little visit this afternoon and find out just why Evelyn’s really up and quit like this.”
“Someone?” He looks confused.
I roll my eyes and can’t hold back a laugh. “Me, Oliver. I’m the someone. Come on. Let’s get back to work for now. I’m sure there’ll be enough drama after lunch.”
Chapter Forty-One
The two unexpected construction zones I hit as I make my way to Lake Union have forced me to detour, which have bought me the much-needed time to attempt a calm state of mind, and to get a game plan together before I burst onto the scene all dramatically, demanding answers. I need every second I can get, I’m beyond incensed!
I turn up the radio, golden tunes from the oldies station streaming in and trying to offer their comfort and calm. Come the chorus of Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill,” when I notice I’m white knuckling my steering wheel, I decide to turn off the helpless radio.
“Relax, Sophie,” I try to give myself a pep talk.
There’s a perfectly logical and acceptable (though difficult to digest, no matter) reason as to why Evelyn’s decided to quit. People quit their jobs every day, and there are a number of reasons why Evelyn could have decided her time at The Cup and the Cake was done.
But her behavior is so out of character. I can’t believe that she would walk away from the café like this—no warning, so cold, and referencing Chad? What did he have to do with all of this? Whatever it is, I sure as hell am going to find out. Chad’s caused me enough trouble over the years…
I pull up to Chad’s houseboat, right alongside his oversized truck, and summon all the patience and calm I can muster as I plod to his front door.
“Chad? Evelyn?” I call out hoarsely as I knock on the side door on the deck. “Hello? Anyone home?”
I decide to try the actual front door, the door that’s less frequently used given how close the side door is to the parking lot.
“Evelyn? Chad? It’s Sophie!” I knock incessantly on the front door.
When I don’t get a response, I turn sharply on my heels, rifle through my handbag for my cell phone, and make my way back around to the side door.
“Sophie?” I hear my name called.
“Hello?” I call out and trot to the side of the house. “Hello? Wait! I’m here! I’m here!” I swing left and am greeted by Chad standing in the doorway.
“Sophie?” He’s wearing an expression that says I’m the last person he’d expect to pay him a visit. “What are you doing here? This is a surprise.” He pushes the door further open.
“A surprise,” I huff, yanking my handbag up higher onto my shoulder. “You’re telling me this is a surprise?” I swallow and catch my breath, trying to summon back any sense of calm I may have found on the drive over. I gesture to the door.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.” He lazily waves me on in.
“I must say that this is rather unexpected,” he says. He makes a beeline for the living room, plopping down onto the sofa where, from the looks of it, he’s spent the majority of his day, if not the evening prior.
“Then again,” he says with a chuckle, “this weekend’s been filled with the unexpected.”
There’s a single piece of pizza in a greasy, opened box on the coffee table, surrounded by an appalling number of cans of beer and soda, as well as a cell phone and three different remote controls. The large-screen TV across the room is on, set to mute, running some local news broadcast. There are pillows and blankets strewn about the sofa and an adjoining chair.
“Chad?” I ask, raising a disgusted eyebrow. I pan about the rest of the living room and on into the open kitchen. Despite the mess, the place actually looks the best it ever has.
Jackie used Chad’s place as a test site for her interior design company a few months back, and I’ve yet to see it. I have to give her credit where it’s obviously due—she knows what she’s doing.
I peer down the hall and on into one of the bedrooms, curious if Evelyn’s back there, but I can barely see inside thanks to the half-cracked door.
I look back at Chad. “So what the hell happened here?” I set my handbag on a surprisingly clean countertop separating the open-style kitchen from the living room. “Why the pizza, the blankets, the pigsty?” I skip past any due compliments on the design of the place and head straight to the unavoidable problem.
“Life’s gone to shit,” he mutters, back turned to me. “But it’s all good.”
“Chad,” I say loudly. I snap my fingers to get his attention, but all I get is the back of his greasy head, his hair clearly in need of washing, some brushing.
“Sophie,” he groans, sinking even lower into the sofa, “if you came because you need help at the café, I’m really not up for it. Sorry.”
“Is Evelyn here?” I cut to the chase.
No response.
When Girlfriends Find Love Page 31
