12. Chapter 12
N elie pulled her phone from her back pocket.
Chet . Again. Her heart tripped and soared as she walked toward her office.
She didn’t need her crew watching her stumble through her nerves.
And Chet made her nervous. He made her feel things she’d buried beneath her responsibilities of bills, health inspectors, advertising, and bank deposits.
Which was why she hadn’t returned his first call, or his second.
But she hadn’t deleted the voice messages. That gave her brownie points, right?
“Does Saturday work?” he asked when the call connected. Rude .
“Hello. I’m fine, thanks for asking. And how are you?” she asked with saccharin sweetness, closing the office door behind her.
“Victorious, now that you’ve answered my call.” He sounded irritated.
“Yeah, sorry about that. It’s been…”
“Busy?” It was always busy, and she didn’t want to fall back on that old standard. Woman-up , she told herself. If she was giving them a second chance, she needed to be honest with him and herself.
“No, not busy. I was going to say confusing and unnerving. And I’m nervous.”
“I’m nervous, too.” Nelie smiled at his quiet admission, feeling better. She twirled the pencil between her fingers, missing her old bedroom princess phone with the long, curling cord, the one she could wrap around her finger while she and friends talked for hours. The movement settled her.
“What about Saturday?” she asked, breaking their silence.
“The auction date.” Nelie’s heart stalled.
She was excited about spending time alone with him, but not in a fancy restaurant followed by a Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concert, or at least that’s what Ava had told her his plan was.
Nelie wasn’t a fancy restaurant girl. She didn’t need white tablecloths, subdued lighting, and overattentive servers.
Nelie wasn’t averse to excellent food, but she didn’t want to get dressed up to enjoy it.
Plus, her blisters hadn’t healed from the auction.
And while she didn’t mind classical music, an entire concert might lull her to sleep.
“Fine dining and a concert, right?” Nelie forced enthusiasm into her voice. She needed to be gracious. Chet was going to a lot of effort to give them a nice evening.
“If that’s what you want, or we could do something else.”
“Yes, please,” she blurted, and he chuckled.
“Which one? The original plan or something different?”
“Something else but surprise me.”
“You don’t strike me as someone who likes surprises.”
“I don’t, but I haven’t had a good surprise in so long, I’ve forgotten what it’s like.”
“No pressure then,” he said.
“None at all. Just don’t mess it up,” she teased.
“But Saturday works? Afternoon and evening?” Nelie pulled up the work schedule.
She was scheduled to work, but the list of employees who owed her was longer than her arm.
She’d find someone to cover for her. Other than last weekend’s auction, she had done nothing for herself in a long time.
Nelie needed this date. She deserved it, and most importantly, she wanted it.
“Yes,” Nelie said over the rising voices in the kitchen. Her nose twitched as she walked toward the door.
“Great. I’ll text you the details. Oh, and Ava wanted me to tell you—”
“Crap on a cracker! The fryer’s smoking!” Nelie disconnected, shoving her phone in her pocket as she grabbed the fire extinguisher and rushed toward the black smoke.
“T his is why I can’t have nice things,” Nelie said, later that evening as she stabbed at the ice cubes in her root beer.
“I wouldn’t call a fifteen-year-old fryer a nice thing. She was well past her prime and it took extra training for people to learn her eccentricities. She was on her last legs,” Eric said. “May she rest in peace.” He clinked his glass against hers.
“That’s not it.”
“I’m not just a pretty face, you know? Spill it, Nelie. Tell me what’s made your go-to attitude go MIA.”
“Chet was passing along a message from Ava, and I had to hang-up. Every time I even remotely get a hint at a personal life, the universe steps in and squashes it.”
“Maybe it’s testing you. To see if you really want it?” Nelie shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “Do you?” he asked.
“Maybe?” Nelie wanted it, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up. Chet had burned her before.
“Well, if you don’t believe it, the universe won’t either.”
“Okay, Dr. Phil. Top off my glass before I go looking for a good used fryer. Until we get one, it’s going to be tater tots or baked potatoes, and I don’t think either will be hits.”
“Are you kidding?” Eric grabbed her glass, dumping out the melted ice and filling it with fresh cubes and soda. “This is Minnesota. People will go nutso over the tater tots.” Nelie stood and took her drink. “And forget looking for a used one. Live a little. Let’s buy new.”
Nelie rolled her eyes. Comments like that were the reason Eric wasn’t in charge of ordering.
Gus had drummed it into her to never to spend more than she could pay by the end of the month.
She didn’t think he’d ever taken out a loan for the Galley.
The one time she’d suggested getting one for remodeling, he’d about blown a gasket.
After thirty minutes, she had nothing to show for her work.
She’d found a decent fryer at a reasonable price, but it was in Green Bay.
And I’ve wasted time I won’t ever get back .
She could have ordered a new fryer in the last half hour.
A fryer that wouldn’t require immediate maintenance and babysitting.
One that was reliable. One that could be delivered and installed, and pumping out fries by the weekend.
One that would keep her diners happy. Nelie looked at the checking and savings accounts.
The Galley could afford new. I do deserve nice things , she thought as she opened her local restaurant supplier’s website.
She selected two possible fryers and left a message for the sales rep to call her in the morning before switching over to the schedule and figuring out who she’d call first to take over her Saturday shift.
As nervous as she was, Nelie wanted it to work with Chet.
Eric’s taunt about not wanting it badly enough had stung.
If he’d been wrong, she could have brushed it off, but she couldn’t.
He was right. In the past, she hadn’t wanted a relationship badly enough with anyone.
She’d always put the Galley first, making it more important than the man.
And you make everything and everyone more important than you , her conscience nudged.
Another argument she wouldn’t win. It was a painful truth.
She put her wants and needs behind everyone else, because without Gus, her close circle of friends, and the community, she’d have nothing and no one.
She’d be homeless. Gus, Stella, and Haven had taken her in and had given her a home.
A place to belong and Nelie wouldn’t risk losing that.
The only personal pursuit she had was her baking, but even with that, she justified it was good for the business. She was afraid to be honest and accept it was a passion project that filled her with joy. Chet and his daughters also filled her with joy.
Nelie wasn’t completely on board trusting him, but after spending time with him and the girls at the ice castle listening to their what’s news game , she had a better idea of what Chet considered to be news.
If their budding second chance blew up, would she be the reason?
Her stomach clenched. She could be if she didn’t make some changes.
She needed to prioritize him and the girls.
Nelie needed to make her best effort at this.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Chet, eager for him to give her Ava’s message.