Chapter Twenty-Six
Twenty-Six
An hour before the Anders Fleming event, Colleen called Shelby for help. “I haven’t worn anything but sweats and T-shirts in a month. I’ve forgotten how to dress like a normal person,” she said.
“You are a normal person.” But she was happy for the excuse to run over and help her pick an outfit. It felt almost like the old days, when the best part of their night was the hour right before going out, dressed to impress, pre-gaming with some wine or Hunter’s specialty margaritas, blasting “Delicate” by Taylor Swift and “Whatever It Takes” by Imagine Dragons.
Shelby realized now that she’d taken the bond between the three of them for granted. She’d known some things would change when she moved to New York, but hadn’t realized that nothing would ever be the same.
“You look so pretty,” Colleen said. Shelby wore a mid-length blue gingham dress with short sleeves and a flared skirt. She paired it with her Keds, and left her hair loose.
“And you’re going to look beautiful. I know you’ve got something in here that’s perfect. Oh—what’s this?” Shelby said, pulling a navy-blue-and-white polka dot sundress with an empire waist from the closet. Colleen took it off the hanger and held it in front of herself, looking in the full-length mirror behind Doug’s closet door.
“Carmen Lombardo gave it to me when she found out I was pregnant. She said she loved her own pregnancies but never felt she had anything to wear.”
That was so like Carmen.
Once Colleen was dressed, they went out back into the garden to take a selfie for the Land’s End Instagram. When Shelby checked the photos after to find one to post, she saw that Colleen appeared melancholy in every single one.
“Tonight’s going to be a success,” Shelby said to her. “The store is going to be fine. You’ll see. And your parents will see. And by the fall, this rocky summer will just be a memory.”
Colleen gave her a smile, but Shelby could tell she didn’t quite believe her.
Anders Fleming, looking dapper in a light herringbone jacket, spoke for forty minutes against the pastel backdrop of the setting sun. Earlier in the evening, Mia set out a few dozen white folding chairs and strung fairy lights on the trees. The book-signing table was off to one side, decorated with a Land’s End Books banner. In the back, Duke’s fancy teak picnic table was designated for wine and cheese.
Shelby sat in the front row along with Duke, Mia, Hunter, and Colleen and Doug. Behind them, every chair was full. People trickled in even after Anders started speaking. Colleen reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Thank you,” she said.
Shelby leaned close to her and whispered, “I got you.”
She sat back and listened to Anders’s melodic voice read his own prose. A nearby bird, invisible in the thick of Duke’s trees, let out a staccato chirp. The air smelled like the garden honeysuckle. Shelby made mental note of it all, certain she could use some of it for her novel. One of the downsides to being a writer was that it was sometimes hard to be fully in a moment without storing details of experiences away for later, like a creative squirrel.
When it was time for Anders to sign books Mia tended to the line, taking people’s names and writing them on Post-its for when it was their turn to have their book personalized. When Shelby was confident everything was under control, she crossed the lawn to get a glass of wine.
Justin and Kate Hendrik stood together at the refreshment table. Shelby couldn’t believe his nerve. He’d tanked her chance to get an outdoor space for Land’s End, and he’d brought the store’s competition to the event she’d had to hold off-site.
Kate noticed her before Justin and smiled, greeting her with “Congratulations! Wonderful event.”
Justin turned around and offered her a nod.
“Thank you,” Shelby said. “And congratulations to you . I hear you’re officially open for business.” She’d walked by on opening day. The balloons had irritated her. She’d crossed to the other side of the street.
“Yes, well, a rising tide lifts all boats, right?”
“Absolutely,” Shelby said.
“Great spot for an event,” Justin said.
Was he for real? “I guess I have you to thank. If you hadn’t shot down my request for a beach permit, we’d be at Land’s End instead.” She turned to Kate. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
She slipped away, carrying a glass of white wine. Her dress clung to her back with perspiration. She pulled a rubber band from her wrist and tied her hair up in a high ponytail, letting a much-needed breeze reach the back of her neck. A rising tide lifts all boats? Spare me!
Shelby spotted Duke chatting with Shireen Glenn, the head of the Fine Arts Work Center. She ambled over just as the conversation seemed to break up.
“Hey,” she said to Duke. “Thanks again. This was perfect.”
“My pleasure. After all, I have an empty house. So much space to myself. It feels good to share it.”
She checked the time on her phone. “I made a reservation at Sal’s for a bunch of us, including Anders.” She’d invited Colleen and Doug, but she said she had to go home and get her feet up.
Duke rubbed his jaw. “I’d love to. But I already have dinner plans. With Max.”
“Oh, I included him in the reservation. No problem,” she said.
“Actually, we were planning to go out just the two of us.”
“Oh?” she said. Then “Oh.” She smiled. He gave a little wave as if batting a fly.
“It’s just a friendly... Oh, never mind.”
She reached out and touched his arm. “Have a great time. I’ll entertain Anders.”
A quick look over her shoulder showed the signing line dwindling. She headed over, but was intercepted by Hunter.
“So what’s the plan?” Hunter said. She wore a white satin shift dress, Doc Martens, and a Swarovski crystal peace sign around her neck.
“Duke can’t do dinner but I’m going to check with Anders now. Give me a minute.”
She made her way to the signing table just as Anders was getting up, shaking one last hand, posing for his umpteenth selfie. His face brightened with a smile when he saw her.
“You were fantastic,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
“Thank you ,” he said. “Great crowd.”
Shelby couldn’t necessarily take credit for the phenomenal turnout, but smiled graciously. The audience included several acclaimed authors who spent their summers in Ptown, including Michael Cunningham and Julia Glass. The entire board of the Fine Arts Work Center showed up, as well as the town librarians, Land’s End’s regulars, and people she didn’t recognize at all but who lined up to buy books.
“We have wine and cheese,” she said. “Can I get you anything?”
“You’ve done far too much as it is. And I appreciate it. May I take you to dinner to thank you?”
“Oh!” she said. “I actually made reservations for a bunch of us.”
“To be honest, after an evening like this, I can’t handle more than a quiet dinner. I’m an incurable introvert. It takes discipline for me not to just run home to be alone.”
She smiled. She understood. There had been nights on her book tour when she felt completely drained after a reading and couldn’t wait to get back to her hotel room. Hunter would be disappointed, but it was, after all, a Land’s End event and he was the guest of honor.
“Dinner sounds great,” she said.