Chapter 9 #2
And it was good. In fact, it was spectacular.
With Thorn as their guide, they were shown the fully finished dining room with its floor-to-ceiling windows.
Flanking the windows were beautiful aquamarine-colored panels embellished with thin, whimsical swirls of gold that surrounded a stylized, cream-colored 3.
According to Thorn, the twenty-five tables in the space would be covered with cream-colored table linens that were stain resistant.
“If someone spills red wine, we won’t have to toss them.”
He showed them the flatware, and Bernadine loved how substantial but lightweight they felt in her hand. “These are lovely, Thorn.”
But the pièce de résistance was the breathtaking crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
“Imported from Italy,” he explained. “It’s one of a kind.”
The women were blown away by just how beautiful it was.
“What do you think?” he asked, smiling. “How’d I do?”
“Amazing,” Rocky said, still looking up at the gorgeous chandelier. “The entire room is absolutely stunning.”
Roni asked to see the outdoor space where she and her musician friends would occasionally perform.
They followed him out, and he gestured around at the intimate space, which held a small stage and glass walls that could be closed or opened to let in the night air.
There was also a gas fireplace for the chilly spring and fall evenings.
“We can put ten tables out here, or about thirty-five chairs if we just want to do seating. Hope you approve, Roni.”
She took in the monitors and boards. “I do. This setup is fabulous. We won’t know if we’ll need to tweak anything until we do a rehearsal, but it looks good right now.”
Bernadine noted how pleased she appeared and that the other women did too.
Thorn walked them back into the main dining room, and she was again caught by the beauty of the chandelier.
He explained, “My plan is to have an opening night for Henry Adams people first, then the general public. My PR people will notify the local media and maybe the national outlets if they seem interested, but I want you all to dress red carpet because this is a special place for a special town.”
Bernadine’s excitement flared, and the faces of the others mirrored hers.
“Red carpet,” Tina said. “That means I need to fly in a date.”
“Who’s the boy toy of the month?” Bernadine asked.
“A cute young soccer player from Venezuela.”
Roni and Rocky stared. Amused, Bernadine shook her head at her friend’s choice of playthings.
Tina added, “I have shoes older than he is, but he brings the magic.”
Bernadine laughed. “That’s enough, Tina.”
“Can we see the kitchen?” Rocky asked Thorn, grinning Tina’s way.
The kitchen was three times the size of the Dog’s, and the stainless-steel appliances sparkled like a diamond bangle.
Once the tour was done, Thorn escorted them back to where they’d entered.
“We’ll take this plywood down the night before we open.
Have anyone who wants to come opening night call the church office so they can be put on a reservations list and be given a time to attend. We can’t seat everyone at once.”
“Got it,” Bernadine said.
The others nodded.
Once back outside, the women shared their excitement, swooned over the beautiful interior, and talked about strutting on the red carpet. “This is going to be so much fun,” Roni said.
They all agreed.
“I can’t wait to show it off to the Dark Horse people. I’m sure they’ll appreciate us having a fancy bougie place here.”
Roni and Rocky went back to their day, and Bernadine and Tina headed over to the construction site of her almost-ready-to-open B&B.
Like the restaurant, the B&B had its own beauty.
It was a Victorian design reminiscent of the Painted Lady homes of San Francisco.
Turrets and cornices and gingerbread trim.
There was a widow’s walk on the top of the three-story structure and the house was painted a gorgeous purple and indigo blue.
It was built with the prototype material Trent and the construction crews used on all the new Henry Adams builds and would supposedly withstand EF3 winds should a tornado decide to come calling.
Checking it out from the outside, Tina took it in and said in a voice filled with awe, “It’s so beautiful.”
And it was. It stood as a unique tribute to Henry Adams’s nineteenth-century roots.
“Let’s go in.”
Most of the interior work was finished. Bernadine and Trent had been keeping an eye on the progress made by the artisans and the interior decorator overseeing the project.
There were two en suite bedrooms per floor.
Tina planned to keep the top, third floor for herself.
In addition, there were fireplaces, a good-size kitchen, and a laundry room and small movie theater in the finished basement.
The common room off the spacious foyer held comfortable couches and a beautiful piano.
Tina didn’t play, but thought adding it was a nice touch, and who knew, maybe she’d have a guest or two who did.
Everything from the light fixtures to the furniture to the flooring was high-end.
Tina had spared no expense. It would be a gem when it opened, and Bernadine couldn’t be prouder to have the B&B added to her town. “Do you approve?” she asked Tina.
“Oh, hell yes! I love it. It’s even better than I imagined now that it’s come to life.”
A small elevator had been incorporated into the design for guests unable to navigate stairs, so the two friends entered it and rode up to the third floor.
Tina had yet to furnish her personal space, but the walls were painted a lovely calming shade of pale gold.
Bernadine opened the sliding glass door to the widow’s walk, and they stepped out into the sunshine.
They took in the panoramic view. “I’ll bet we can see Russia from up here,” Tina said.
“Stop!” Bernadine laughed.
“How about Topeka, then?”
The widow’s walk, constructed of black wrought iron, circled the building. “I need one of these,” Bernadine told Tina, even though adding one to her own home was neither possible nor practical.
“I’ve always wanted a house that had one,” Tina explained. “Who knew it would be in Tiny Town, Kansas, though. Thank you for letting me build it here.”
“Thanks for wanting to. You’re adding to Tiny Town’s future.”
For a few more minutes, they silently savored the view of the surrounding plains before stepping back inside. “How about lunch? Hungry?” Bernadine asked.
“Yes.”
“Then let’s walk down to the Dog.”
As they made the short walk, people driving down Main Street honked greetings at them and Bernadine and Tina waved in response.
Tina said, “I love how friendly everyone here is. Love all the flowers too,” she added.
Everywhere they looked there were flowers. The last of the late-season tulips and colorful irises accented the fronts of the buildings on Main Street, and the peonies by the church were showing their fat pink blooms.
“We have Sheila to thank,” Bernadine told her. “She planted them all before she was elected mayor, and we’re glad she did. She’s way too busy these days.”
When they arrived at the Dog, the lunch hour was just beginning, so the place wasn’t very crowded.
Stevie Wonder’s iconic “As” was playing on the jukebox.
Bernadine waved at Bing and Clay, Gen and TC, and a few other familiar faces as she and Tina were escorted to an empty booth.
A waiter arrived with glasses of water. Because both women were familiar with the menu, they went ahead and placed their orders.
A turkey club and fries for Tina, and a fresh spinach salad topped with grilled chicken for Bernadine.
Bernadine was seated facing the Dog’s entrance. Seeing her sister Diane come rushing through the door, she set her glass down, and the anger on her face caught Tina’s attention. “What’s wrong?” Tina turned around and figured it out. “Ah. Diane.”
“Yes, Diane.”
Before Bernadine could tell her about the last time she and Diane had spoken, Diane was standing beside their booth. “Oh, good. Found you.” She shot Tina a nasty look before turning her attention back to Bernadine. “I need a key.”
“What kind of key?”
“One to your front door. My old one doesn’t work.”
“Because I changed the locks.”
“Well, give me yours. I need to move my stuff in.”
Bernadine didn’t believe this. “Do you no longer speak English? What did I tell you about moving in with me?”
“You said no. But—”
“No is a complete sentence.”
Diane paused and studied Bernadine’s sternly set face. “I figured once you remembered that I’m your sister, you’d rethink that.”
“I haven’t.” Bernadine saw no need to explain again why Diane was undeserving of her love and support.
Tina said, “I’ll go sit with Gen and let you two work this out.”
“Yeah. You do that,” Diane responded dismissively.
“Not necessary,” Bernadine countered before telling her sister, “I’m not giving you a key.”
Diane appeared genuinely surprised. “But I don’t have any place to go.”
“Have you started looking for another job?”
“Not yet. I need a week or two to get over the trauma of being fired, I mean, laid off first.”
The truth. “What would you do if you were an only child?”
“I don’t know.”
“Pretend that you are.” Cold, but necessary. Bernadine refused to be guilted into surrendering to more Diane-inflicted pain. She already had enough for two lifetimes.
Diane snarled derisively. “Stop being such a fat Black bitch. I’m your sister. Give me the damn key.”
Tina’s jaw dropped, but Bernadine was unfazed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Bye, Diane.”
Their eyes battled for a few intense moments before Diane turned and stormed back to the exit and pushed through the doors.
Once again caught between rage and guilt, Bernadine’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Tina reached over and placed her hand atop hers. “You okay?”
“No. But I will be.”