27. Girl’s Night Out
TWENTY-SEVEN
Girl’s Night Out
TARA
“There she is.” Celeste waved to a lady with long blond hair hanging in a ponytail at her nape.
“Hey, ladies!” Aimee walked up and hung her jacket on the back of her chair.
Celeste greeted her with a hug just as a curvy lady a little shorter than herself walked up. They exchanged hugs, and Celeste motioned to Tara. “Aimee, this is Tara. She grew up here but has been in Chicago for the last few years. She’s in town to help her parents with Between the Lines bookstore.”
“Tara, this is Aimee.” She held her hand on the pony-tailed, blond lady standing slightly shorter than Tara. “She owns Strings Attached, the yarn shop just off the Square on Grant Street, kind of catty-corner from Baba’s.”
“And this is Jenna.” She gestured to a tall, light brown-eyed brunette heading in their direction. When she arrived, Celeste helped out of her jacket.
“Thanks.” Jenna accepted her jacket back and hung it on her chair as Celeste continued. “She owns the Boulangerie on Lincoln Ave, across from the Town Hall.”
“My mom just picked up some of your pastries the other day,” Tara gushed. “They were delicious!”
“Glad you liked them.”
“Jo said she’d join us in a bit,” Celeste said.
“Great to meet you both.” Tara shook their hands.
“Nice to meet you, too.” Aimee sat down. “Celeste said your dad was in the hospital. How’s he doing?”
“He’s home now. It’s slow going, but he’s doing a lot better.”
“I’m glad to hear it. We were all worried.”
“All because some kid was texting?” Concern was written all over Jenna’s face. “Your mom must have been beside herself with worry.”
Tara let out a slow exhale that worked into a smile. She was grateful for all the support from the community, even from those she didn’t know very well but who knew and loved her parents. “We all were.”
A server came over to take drink orders and had returned with them a few minutes later just after Tara finished updating them on her father. They ordered food and started discussing their business group idea.
“That’s a great idea,” Aimee agreed.
Jenna’s face lit up with excitement. “A few years back in Columbus, they had something like this over the Christmas shopping season where shoppers could pick up a passport at various small businesses. Then, after making purchases at five or six different stores, they could upload a picture of it and get their names put in to potentially win a free night at a fancy hotel in downtown Columbus. In the LeVeque Tower, I think.” She frowned. “I didn’t win it.”
Tara laughed. “Maybe we can talk to the bed and breakfast in town to see if they’d like to participate?”
“Or see if Jo’s wants to offer a discount?” Celeste suggested. “Or maybe we can all go in and offer some sort of collective gift basket like the high school boosters offer when they’re fundraising?”
“That’s a great idea,” Jenna said as she sat up straighter and gestured with her hands. “My mom won one of their gift baskets once. It had a bunch of GC high school stuff in there, but also a lot of coupons and sample products from area businesses. She’s become a regular at one or two of those places.”
“All good ideas, for sure.” Tara looked around the table. “We just found out that Between the Lines can still get into the HomeFest. Are the rest of you going to be in it?”
Short for Homecoming Festival, HomeFest was the daylong festival the day after the big Homecoming football game at Grant’s Crossing High School. It was an art and music festival that ended with a fantastic fireworks display that rivaled the Fourth of July.
“I’ll be there,” both Jenna and Celeste answered together.
“I’ll have a booth set up next to Celeste’s,” Jenna said, placing her hand on Celeste’s shoulder. “Can’t go wrong with coffee and pastries.”
“My yarn shop caters to a niche market. We were there a year or two but didn’t really see much of a return on it, so I just enjoy the festival.” Aimee perked up. “Any of you need help?”
Tara spoke up first. “I would absolutely love some help. Thank you. Nothing fancy, but we plan to have a couple of tables outside the shop and will need one or two people outside.”
“Count me in!”
“Thanks!”
“We just need to get some more folks interested.” Celeste acknowledged.
“Agreed.” Tara sat up straighter. “Why don’t we set up a time to meet and invite all the women-owned businesses either on or around the square and propose our ideas then?”
Celeste, Aimee, and Jenna agreed.
“Great. I’ll write something up and hand it out around town,” Tara offered.
“I’ll help you,” Aimee offered, receiving an appreciative smile in return.
“Okay, ladies.” Celeste slapped her hands on the table. “Official business is now over. We didn’t get all dressed up for nothing, so let Girls’ Night Out begin!”
The table erupted in hoots and hollers just as their server returned to take orders for more adult-like beverages.
“So Aimee,” Jenna started. “What’s this about a new man in your life?”
“Ooh,” Celeste chimed in. “Did RJ finally ask you out?”
“Who’s RJ?” Tara asked.
“RJ Emerson. He works with Kiro at the fire station,” Celeste answered. “Another firefighter.”
Tara gave a sly smile. “What’s with these firefighters?”
Celeste leaned into Tara’s shoulder. “Gurl! They’re hot!”
“And they’re just really good guys. Good looks? Decent men? All in good shape? Mmm!” Jenna shimmied her shoulders. “What’s not to love?” She narrowed her eyes back at Aimee and took a sip of her wine. “So? Tell us! What’s going on?”
Aimee’s cheeks turned pink. “Why’d you guys have to start with me?”
“Why not?” Jenna laughed.
Laughing, Aimee released an exasperated sigh. “Okay. I’ve gone on a few dates here and there, but nothing serious. One guy I like travels a lot anyway.”
Jenna set her glass on the table. “But what about RJ?”
Aimee waved her off. “He and I are just really good friends. What about you, Celeste? You and Kiro are getting awfully serious.”
Celeste quickly changed the subject. “Tara broke up with a real piece of work a few months ago. We need to find her a date.”
Tara waved her hand. “No. No. No. I’m good, thanks.” She turned to Jenna. “How about you, Jenna? Ever bake for the guys at the fire station?”
“I’d love to enjoy some of them for sure.” She leaned closer. “You know who’s especially adorable though?”
Tara’s brows shot up. “Adorable? Shouldn’t you be asking which is especially hot?”
“Besides everyone?” Aimee asked, causing the table to erupt in laughter.
“I know who I’ll vote for.” Celeste grinned.
“He is so into you, too,” Jenna said. “No. The one I’m talking about is the chief.”
Celeste’s jaw dropped open. “What?”
“Yeah.” Jenna grinned, her eyes wide. “He comes into my bakery a lot. He tells the dumbest jokes, but he’s so cute.”
“Wait.” A crease formed on Celeste’s brow. “Isn’t he married?”
Jenna’s shoulders dropped, and disappointment overtook her features. “Is he?”
“Pretty sure he has a kid, too,” Celeste added.
Jenna huffed out a breath. “Dammit. Gotta scratch his name off the list then. He has such a great smile, and I just love that hint of silver in his hair.”
“Here comes Jo.” Aimee waved her over and pulled out a chair.
“Mike is holding down the fort behind the bar,” Jo said just as she collapsed into a seat. “Nice to take a break and get off my feet.”
“Who’s the new bartender?” Celeste wondered.
Jo twisted around in her chair to glance back at the sun-tanned man with his hair pulled into a low ponytail, mixing a cocktail. “That’s Jake. He just started with us. He moved up here from Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands or some place.”
Jenna craned her head for a better look. “Is that a little gray on his temples, I see?”
Aimee elbowed her in the ribs. “Going for another older man?”
Jenna shrugged. “Something to be said for experience.”
“He really knows his way around a bar, so he’s going to be a nice addition until he opens his own place,” Jo explained.
Tara perked up. “His own place?”
Jo nodded as she swallowed the last of her drink. “Mmhmm.” She pressed her finger against her lips. “Yeah. He just bought the old train depot and has plans to fix it up. I think he wanted to name it something tropical. He talks about it all the time. I think he’s calling it Low Key tavern only instead of spelling it like it sounds, he’s going to use his last name, Leaux, L-E-A-U-X, and Cay, C-A-Y. He says it’s pronounced the same but looks fancier.” Jo laughed. “He’s really good with rum drinks, which has caused our own sales to go way up. It’s not surprising, though, considering all the time he spent tending bar in the islands, so that’ll be a specialty of his place.”
“Great, that there will be more welcoming spaces for people,” Tara added.
Celeste agreed. “You got that right.”
Jo continued. “The way he talks about the place, I’m going to want to hang out there.”
“That’s high praise coming from you,” Jenna said, catching Jake’s eye.
“Thanks, Jenna.”
After a couple of hours of catching up and getting to know each other better, Jenna rose to her feet and said her goodbyes. “My aunt is opening the bakery tomorrow morning, but I still have to be there at seven a.m.”
“Oof.” Tara slouched. “You don’t get to enjoy true retail hours, do you?”
“Not at all. A baker’s job isn’t glamorous, but I love it!” She gave everyone at the table a hug. “Stop by tomorrow for a pastry. We’re open until one p.m., but we open our doors at six a.m.”
“Looks like Mike and Jake are getting busy.” Jo stood up as well. She smiled over at her husband, who was mixing a drink behind the bar. “Thanks for helping me escape the bar for a little while.”
They all exchanged goodbyes filled with smiles and hugs.
“I’m going to call it a night as well.” Aimee stood up and gave a hug to both Tara and Celeste. “This was fun. I’ll stop by your shop tomorrow to help with those flyers.”
“See you then.”