CHAPTER TEN
Allie
I looked around the shop feeling an odd mix of stress and resignation.
Same schedule. Same people. Same damn demands. I felt resentful and angry and uncomfortable. It wasn't like me. But I couldn't even begin trying to shake it. I closed my eyes and listened to the order from the customer. Then I hurried back into the kitchen, needing to finish the next batch of croissants when the first lot baked.
“Marcelle?”
“Yes, Ms. Hendricks?”
“We need two coffees here...” I called.
“Great. Coming up,” Kelsey called back, answering first. “I'm glad there isn't any cappuccino needed...I still can't work that thing.”
I would normally have shared her laugh about that, but this Monday morning I couldn't find it in me even to smile.
I was restless and drained and, quite frankly, gloomy. I was missing Drew. I wished we had more time.
Well, better one day than nothing.
It didn't make me feel much better.
“Ms. Hendricks?”
“Yes?” I spun round as Kelsey appeared with plates in both hands.
“Can you fill these, please? One raspberry, one apricot.”
“Oh. Sure. Thanks,” I added, walking over to the device stiffly. I was halfway through filling them both with apricot jam when I realized what I was doing. “Oh, for...”
“Having a bad day?” Marcelle asked kindly.
“Kind of,” I ground out. “Want a croissant?”
“Sounds great,” she said with a grin.
I passed her the spoiled croissant and headed off to find another one. Passed it, with the correct fillings to Kelsey, who headed out into the front. I sighed.
“What is wrong with me?”
“Sorry, Ms. Hendricks?” a calm voice said in my ear. Marcelle. I shook my head. One danger of talking to yourself when you work in a crowded environment is that someone will answer you.
“Nothing;” I said. “Just having a hard day.”
“I'm sorry for that,” she said sincerely. “Is there anything someone can do?”
“Nothing,” I said sadly. There really wasn't. “I just need a holiday.”
Marcelle nodded. “Me too.”
We both laughed. Closing this place was tricky. We'd managed a week off for the holidays but even that was a close-run thing and I worried about upsetting loyal customers.
“We'll get one sometime,” I promised. “Yes?” I asked our customers who'd come to the desk and were facing me with expectancy.
“A cappuccino to go and two scones?”
“Sure,” I said. My hands worked of their own accord, reaching into the front with the tongs to take out the scones, making foam for the coffee.
I managed to get that order right without messing it up and then I smelled something in the kitchen.
“Oh, for...”
I ran in to check on the buns. They were burning. I felt like crying. I had forgotten about them! It was something I had done twice in my whole life. What was wrong with me?
I leaned against the wall.
“It's okay, Ms. Hendricks,” my assistant said gently. “We'll just do more.”
I tightened the muscles round my eyes, holding back my tears. “Yes.”
We made new mix and I was just starting to knead it when Marcelle ran up from the back of the kitchen. I looked at her dully. Was there more disaster? “Um...what?”
“Telephone, Ms. Hendricks.”
I frowned. “Can you take it? Is it an order? The electrician?”
“It's someone who said they had to speak to you. Urgently.”
I rolled my eyes. It was probably the electrician, I reasoned. I had called him to service the oven weeks ago. If he was calling now to tell me he couldn't do it I was going to be mad. I marched up to the phone and lifted it in my fist.
“Hi?”
“Allie.”
I went numb. “You!” I said. It was him. Drew Liston. Calling me.
“It's me,” he agreed mildly.
I laughed. Suddenly, I noticed that the sun had come out and the day was beautiful outside. I had barely noticed it before. My heart soared. “It is. Why're you calling?”
“I need a reason?” he teased me.
I laughed. “Well, forgive me,” I teased back, making my voice sound all affronted on purpose. “But it is a surprise to hear from you, after all...”
He laughed. “I'm glad to hear it. It's good to hear your voice.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Same for me.”
“You can't hear your voice,” He said and I could almost hear his frown. “I can. So how's it the same?”
“I can too,” I laughed. “I do have two ears, dear... the phone's only on one of them.”
He laughed. “I miss you.”
My heart stopped. “That's so sweet,” I said. He laughed.
“Well, that makes two of us. Now. I'm calling in lunch hour, so I guess I should be brief – you're probably mad down there – everyone buying...”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Place is packed. Monday afternoon.”
He chuckled. “Well, thanks for coming on to talk. I wanted to make a suggestion. Are you free this weekend?”
I almost dropped the phone. “What?”
“I said, would it be possible for you to visit this weekend?”
“What?” I was cold with disbelief. “You mean...at your home?”
He chuckled. “I thought maybe we could take off somewhere. Somewhere close to you. Or at least somewhere equally far from both of us? How about Michigan?”
I stared. “You serious?”
He laughed. “I am indeed. I have an apartment on the lake. Would you join me?”
“Okay,” I said. I was really laughing now. “But can someone please pinch me. I am dreaming, truly.”
He laughed too. “Unless this is some weird mass hallucination, I am awake, so you are too. And I don't think it’s a hallucination, because I don't think a Skype call with our board of trustees is the sort of thing people usually see when they hallucinate. Do you?”
I laughed. “I don't hallucinate.”
We both ended up chuckling.
“Well, would you maybe call me later?” He said as the laughter died down. “It's about time we got in touch.”
I was taken away. “Okay,” I said.
He gave me his number. I gave him mine. He hung up.
“Ms. Hendricks?”
“Yes?” I said. I turned around dazedly to face my two assistants. I felt as if someone had just hit me with a truck. I looked at them both without really seeing anything. I was in shock.
“Ms. Hendricks... you okay?” Marcelle looked concerned. “Should we fetch the doctor or something? You look bad.”
I shook my head, weary. “No... I'm fine,” I said. “Just tired. And... floaty. I don't know.”
They exchanged worried glances but I felt like laughing. I was in shock, but it was a happy sort of shock. I did laugh.
“I'm okay, guys, really,” I tried to assure them. “Just had some news. Now. How are the scones?”
“We need another batch,” Marcelle confirmed quickly. She glanced at Kelsey, who headed ably out to the front to deal with the growing crowd of customers. “Now, Ms. Hendricks. Are you really okay? I'm concerned.” she leaned in towards me, a conspiratorial gesture.
I shook my head, coming through to the front of the kitchen, her following me. “No need,” I said softly. “I won't die.”
“I'm not sure about that,” Marcelle said skeptically. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
I chuckled shakily. “I didn't, though, really. Now. Let's get these things in the oven, eh? We can feed the burnt ones to the starlings out in the back.”
“Great,” Marcelle nodded. Always efficient, she had already cleared them off the tray. I finished the batter in dazed silence, my mind already elsewhere.
My mind was dreaming of holidays at a lakeside. And Drew.
***
I hung up in a kind of daze. I couldn't quite believe I'd just done that.
“Mr. Liston?” My secretary, Melody, came in. She frowned at me. “What's wrong?”
I shook my head. “Nothing,” I said gravely. “What's up?”
“I just came in to bring you the minutes from the budget meeting you missed,” She said. She put them down on my desk and then left, glancing back at me with an odd expression.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Frowning down at the minutes from the meeting, they might as well have been written in Japanese Kanji for all the sense I could make out of them right now.
I'm so excited.
I grinned. I felt like a little boy again. Like when my grandfather took me fishing up in the hills or on the night before Christmas.
“Come on, Drew,” I said aloud. “You can make plans.”
I glanced at the clock. It was almost two pm. I had perhaps five minutes to make some holiday arrangements. I checked flights up to Lake Michigan. Our family owned a small house on the lake, usually under the care of an agent up there. I scrolled through my contacts, looking for her name.
“Stella?”
“Yes, Mr. Liston?” I was surprised she recognized my voice – it was usually my mom who made arrangements with her. I'd last spoken to her years ago.
“I was wondering if you could make the cottage ready for me this weekend?”
“Of course, Mr. Liston. From Friday afternoon?”
“Saturday morning,” I said.
“Perfect. You need me to leave the key in the usual place?”
“Don't worry – I'll bring my own,” I said confidently.
“Perfect,” she said.
It was. I was going to travel up there this Saturday. And take the chance to finally spend more time with Allie.
I still couldn't quite believe it.