CHAPTER 3

Bright, glaring light accompanied by an overwhelming drilling sound woke Molly the next morning. She grasped her head as she sat up while her stomach managed a flip-flopping gymnastics routine worthy of gold. Vague memories of booze and an old cranky woman assaulted her like being hit by a truck at full speed. The aches and pains that coursed through her body matched the scene in her head. Holy shit, she thought, what happened to me?

Running her fingers through her mangy hair, Molly fought through the tangled warzone on top of her head. She tried to tame an awkwardly wound ponytail on the side of her head into submission when she noticed Seth. He was sound asleep in her corner reading chair. Shirtless. Palm to forehead, she let out a sobering sigh. She was remembering — everything.

Molly was relieved to find herself in bed alone, but it was a short-lived reprieve when she looked down to assess her appearance. The other half of her bed may have been empty, but she wasn’t dressed for company. Panic settled in as Molly realized what she was wearing — or what she wasn’t wearing — and firmly planted her face back in her hands as humiliation washed over her. She recalled the previous evening around their Facebook shenanigans, losing track somewhere around blow job and not picking things up again until just a few moments ago when she was silently cursing the sunny fall morning that forced her awake. She vaguely remembered getting ill, or at least feeling the need to, but everything else was a blur.

Blow job, she thought. Molly wasn’t the kind of girl to mess around for the sake of messing around. She also wasn’t the kind of girl to get drunk alone with a friend…who was male…and entirely too good looking for his own good. Seth was a good guy. She didn’t worry about him taking advantage of the situation, or her, for that matter. He was still here after all — sleeping in a chair no less — and a guy up to no good would’ve woken up in her bed with her or high-tailed it out of there after the finale.

Why was blow job at the forefront of her mind? Molly shook her head, searching for answers. Seth hadn’t taken advantage of her, she was sure of that, but what if he hadn’t had to? Awareness settled in, and she buried her face once again, hoping and praying she hadn’t acted like a cheap drunken floozy. Offering up the goods was something she could never undo.

Molly was plotting her escape from Pine Valley to avoid ever having to run into Seth again when her quiet moan was met with that knowing sensation. She was being watched. Her suspicion was confirmed by the deep, raspy voice in the corner. “Good morning. How do you feel?”

“Like I’m trying to die and can’t!” She pulled the blankets up a little higher, feeling a bit modest and painfully embarrassed.

His subtle chuckle was met with a shy grin as she watched him pull his shirt over his head, revealing the divine peaks and valleys of his chest and abdomen. Lord have mercy, he was hiding heaven under there. It triggered a slew of what ifs dancing around her imagination.

If they had done anything, however, would he really be sleeping half-dressed on the chair in the corner? Or would he be lying next to her wearing as little as she was? Or less?

That little voice that sat on her shoulder chimed in offering a sense of security with an idea she hadn’t even considered yet. Seth may not remember. If she was drunk to the point of losing twelve plus hours, he might have been too.

Molly’s nerves quickly converted to an odd sense of relief. There was hope in knowing if drunk Molly ventured to the wild side for a night of drunk naked shenanigans, drunk Seth may have joined her in mutual bad decisions. Then they could share their walk of shame…or whatever it was called in situations like this.

The embarrassment of what she may or may not have done in a drunken stupor must’ve been painted on her rosy cheeks. Or the awkward silence and looking everywhere but at Seth was the tell all. Or…maybe it was pulling the blanket in front of her and looking down at what lay beneath that told Seth where her mind was.

“We didn’t…you…didn’t…do anything, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he chimed in.

“I didn’t…we…didn’t…” She was shaking her head from side to side, unable to find the words to tactfully address what it was she was dancing around.

Seth shook his head to relieve her of her worry — her sudden shyness after such a bold night without a filter struck him as funny. He decided to let Molly off the hook rather than drag it out because he was pretty certain the hangover was going to be brutal enough.

“Oh good!” she said, clasping her chest, slouching with a sigh of relief. “I was so worried! I’ve never done that before. I mean I’ve done…that. Oh my God.” She paused to gather her thoughts, practicing that whole think before you speak thing. “I would have felt so bad if we — I mean, I wouldn’t feel bad about having…you know…with… Oh my… What I meant to say is I thought we had done…it, or at least done something, because I do remember something about blow jobs and if I did that…”

Seth’s smile faded to something like disappointment as she rambled through her thoughts out loud, confused and skewed as they were. Quick to dredge her way out of the hole she was digging for herself, she clarified, “I mean not that doing that…with you…would be bad, or…I mean, I would love to…well, what I mean is… I’m just not like that and don’t want you to think less of me if…well, you know!”

“I get it.” Seth chuckled, letting her off the hook. She may not be drunk still, but she was far from clear-headed sober. “And we didn’t. You did ask me if I wanted a blow job, though.”

Eyes wide, Molly covered her mouth to mute the loud gasp that erupted as the shock from his words struck her like a sharp bolt of lightning. “But you meant the drink. You kept your moral code intact, promise.” He winked.

“Oh my God! That’s why I can’t stop thinking about blow jobs!”

His laughter boomed, making her painfully aware of what she was spewing, confirming the part of her brain that thought up all the words was still heavily sodden in booze — booze clearly still talking on her behalf. Seth moved to Molly’s bedside and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, tilting her stare upward.

“Are you okay now? To be by yourself?” he asked sweetly.

Seth’s tender affection brought a smile to her face and a sudden warmth Molly didn’t recognize. She said in a small voice, “Yes, thank you.”

He bent down to her level, kissing the top of her head while his hand slid from her neck down her back. “Okay, good. I’ll catch you a bit later. Call if you need me.”

And he left.

After a slow start to her morning and her head feeling like it was tightly locked in a heavy vice, Molly finally made her way downstairs to her shop. There was already a steady morning flow of business — the coffee shop was full of customers and books were selling. All seemed right in the world despite the previous night’s escapades.

That was…until several gray heads could be seen around the large table in the rear corner. Cady and her posse, who else could it be? They were known to frequent Reading Grounds, but never on a Wednesday. Wednesday was bowling day. And bowling meant they took their usual gossip gathering to the bowling alley instead of Reading Grounds, Church, or any of their other weekday hot spot that filled their social calendars. Kind of like when they got together to play Bridge and Pinochle two nights a week, but it was really just another bitty brigade update mixed with an unofficial wine tasting or whiskey round up.

First order of business — a sobering cup of the strongest brew Molly could wrangle up. Then she’d need it to muster up some courage before wandering to the table to see what they were up to and why they were there on a non-book club day. Something told Molly there was more to this visit than a change in Wednesday venues. Despite being discreet, Pine Valley had a way of knowing things, and all Molly could focus on was that nagging inkling that the ladies knew something and they were there to rescue her from it. Lord have mercy.

Cady on her own was a handful. With her gray-haired ladies, they were a force Molly hoped one cup of strong joe was enough to manage. Like a fierce crime boss, Cady always sat at the head of the group surrounded by her loyal geriatric soldiers on either side of her. She would be intimidating with her sharp and edgy presence if not for her sweet and doting nature that came out when you least expected it, but desperately needed it.

“Hey, ladies, what brings you in today?” Molly questioned “Isn’t today typically the day you meet at Savory Sweets Bistro?” She pointed out the window. “You know…down the…road?”

“Have a seat, dear…” Cady said coldly, accompanied with a quick gesture to the seat at the opposite end of the table.

It suddenly felt like judgement day as Molly sat under the scrutinizing eyes of the jury that was to decide her fate in some catastrophic event or another. Cady and the ladies had been good to Molly, very good — treated her like family. But there was a side to this tight knit group you didn’t want to poke, and Molly hoped that wasn’t the side she was on today. Shit. Had evil Evelyn gotten to them?

“Okay…what’s up!” Molly shouted with excitement while tossing her arms out in an exaggerated attempt to derail her building anxiety.

“Honey, calm down,” Cady said with a side-eye. “We’re here to help,” Cady offered while Prissy read Cady’s mind and offered Molly a napkin. “And wipe the sweat from your brow, darling.”

These ladies worked in unison — like a perfectly oiled machine where each part always knew what the others were thinking and reacted accordingly — an almost creepy well-planned and practiced performance. It was either that, or they had frightening clairvoyant abilities that allowed them to share their thoughts and ideas to work in such a synchronized manner.

“You’ve done well, my dear. We’re quite proud of you and young Seth,” Cady said, her hands tented in front of her. The only thing missing from her stately monarchial-like presence was a hairless cat in her lap to stroke, and a butler at her side waiting to dab her mouth after each sip of coffee and reapply her bright cherry red lipstick. She was like the small-town godfather who ran the local booze trade.

“I…I don’t know what you mean?” Molly deluded, knowing full well what they were talking about. The new fake Facebook account targeting Evelyn Shirley. If there was anyone in town who knew as much or more as evil Evelyn, it was Cady O’Reilly and her senior mafia gang.

Regina slid a notebook across the table without a word. Molly exchanged a puzzled look when Regina nodded to her, then followed the unspoken direction and opened the notebook. Now who was clairvoyant and reading the ladies’ minds?

“I don’t understand. What is this?” Molly asked.

“Have you looked at Facebook yet this morning?” Ginger questioned.

“Facebook? No. Not at all,” Molly fussed, her pitchy tone giving her away. “I don’t do...Facebook. Nothing good ever comes from that. I mean, who has that kind of time? Wait…why?” Molly paused, realizing she and Seth may not have been the only ones on Facebook shaking things up. She closed her eyes and asked, “Evelyn?”

Letting out a deep sigh, Molly opened her eyes to an iPad — her iPad — sitting there, logged into Molly’s Facebook account. She wanted to question how they not only got the iPad, but how they managed to log into her account, then quickly let it go. There was a shift in priorities when Molly saw what had been posted. She could only handle one nosey old broad at a time.

Of course, there it was. In an attempt to settle their score with Evelyn, Seth and Molly managed to provide yet another opportunity for her to capture them together instead. Evelyn wouldn’t be doing her Facebook following justice if she didn’t blast her findings on Facebook for the whole town to see.

The picture was innocent enough. It was of Seth checking the lock on the door from the inside of her shop late the previous night. Then a picture of Seth leaving early that very morning…before the store was open. Evelyn painted it as a promiscuous scandal with her #RumorHasIt caption…

Molly Anna Sexton is no Pollyanna — sleepovers with one of Pine Valley ’s finest? The coffee isn’t the only thing getting hot at Reading Grounds. It must’ve been a full night of mouth to mouth. Thank you, PVFD for resuscitating the stripper.

“You see why you need the notebook?” Cady asked, as if all the pieces to the puzzle had just fallen into place. The ladies’ presence and notebook were supposed to make perfect sense — but didn’t.

“No…help me out here,” Molly replied with a little more snark than she intended.

“Excellent first round, honey. Loved what you wrote on Facebook last night…” Cady wore a pleased grin.

She pointed to Ginger, who recited from memory, “‘Wilted flowers of Garden Society Chairperson a close second to the faux silk dollar store variety’.”

“Brilliant, dear, just brilliant!” Prissy offered with enthusiasm and a cute little hand clap.

“Oh, to be a fly on her wall when she read that!” Cady admitted through gritted teeth. “I’m sure her panties were in a tight bunch after that one! Her flowers? Brilliant!”

“How did you know…?” Molly looked around, dropping her voice to a whisper. “How’d you know it was Seth and me? I mean, not that it was, but what makes you think…?”

“Pfft. You’re overselling it, dear,” Cady replied. “We need to work on your…delivery.”

“Oh, honey,” Ginger said sympathetically, “Evelyn Shirley doesn’t hold a candle to this one.” She tossed a thumb in Cady’s direction. “Nothing. I mean nothing gets by her.”

Cady shrugged. “Technology is a grand tool.”

“And she has nephews in Portland who are like spies!” Regina whispered with enthusiasm. “They’re like all those guys in books and movies. Their lives are so dangerous and delicious!”

Cady rolled her eyes. “Okay, it helps…knowing people.”

“They do all her dirty work,” Ginger giggled.

Molly was speechless. Who knew small town USA had such dark and gritty secrets? And who were these nephews from Portland? It was like a James Bond movie in the making…AARP style.

Molly shook it off and got back on topic. “How did Evelyn get this picture anyway? It was late last night, like really late. We had been…talking well past midnight. I didn’t even notice…”

Cady and the ladies smiled as reality set in at Molly’s pause. Those puzzle pieces from earlier were settling into place.

“Wait,” Molly started, her eyes pinned on the table as if the thoughts she was pulling together were resting there, “I have noticed her driving by shortly after closing. Many times, but never this late.”

“Uh huh.” Cady nodded, and let her continue.

“Now that I think about it…Evelyn seems to go by at around the same time, same direction, most nights.”

“If it’s that often, it may behoove you to…look into it a bit, if you know what I mean,” Cady suggested. “In addition to your Facebook exploits, of course.”

Caught, Molly thought.

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Molly’s words lacked as much confidence as the poker face she was trying to sell them. Her lips quivered as she tried to conceal the smile about to break through. Molly sat under the watchful stares around the table until she broke. “Okay! It was us! Seth and I are behind Rumor Also Has It.”

A brood of cackles and knee slapping erupted at her admission until a few tears welled and sides pinched from the laughs they were sharing.

“Oh, dear…that was a good one. Talk about a punch to the gut. Her flowers!” Prissy offered as they got ahold of their silliness and got back to the point of the impromptu meeting.

“The notebook is full of information — things you won’t find online, dear. We have each known her most of our lives, if not our entire lives. There is information in that notebook that will surely set her britches on fire! The best part is she won’t know where it’s coming from because some date back decades!” Cady delivered with pure joy.

“Oh, I see! Why…are you doing this for me? I appreciate it, I do! I just don’t understand.”

“Because we care about you — and the boy. We want you to have a fair shake,” Ginger replied with a sweet smile and single hand over her heart, as if to hold in her emotion.

Prissy smiled. “We don’t want her to scare you off…or him. Or him and you…together,” she giggled.

“And because that Evelyn Shirley is a weaselly little snake in the grass and deserves to get a little taste of her own damn medicine too! You give it to her good, girl!” Cady said with a fierce tone and intention, shooting her fist in the air. “You’re karma!”

Molly and Seth had allies, the best kind in this town. It seemed their first attempt failed, and Evelyn fired back with a solid shot, winning this round. It was okay, though. They were just getting started and still anonymous under the cloak of mystery. One thing was made clear as Molly scrolled through the day’s #RumorHasIt posts: Evelyn felt threatened and knew the new account was meant to bring her down. She was preparing for war — she was targeting everyone.

Molly needed to call Seth. They had more planning to do. Maybe even a little recon work.

Evelyn — one.

Molly and Seth — zero.