Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
M orning routines were becoming the status quo. Mr. Meowzer and Natalie would wake around six thirty. She would give him his breakfast, then head to the kitchen to make coffee. She watched some of the morning news programs in the kitchen until her parents came down. The three would have coffee on the patio, discuss anything and everything, including plans for the rest of the day. Sally was usually off to work before nine, and Natalie and Robert would be on their way to physical therapy either late morning or early afternoon, depending on whether or not he had hydrotherapy—a fancy word for exercising in the pool.
While Robert was going through his paces, Natalie waited in the lounge area, working on her laptop, which was when she worked on her employer’s projects. She saved her side project, aka Mr. Bumbles’ family business, for her evenings. But she wouldn’t be working on the website this evening. Tonight, she was going to Clementine’s with Diana. Natalie had to admit she was feeling atwitter. Excited.
The day moved along quickly. Robert and Natalie went back to the house after physical therapy, and Natalie decided to change into a more appropriate outfit. It was her first night out since she won at Bennie’s. One would think she was getting ready for her prom. Natalie laughed at herself. Was she that in need of a night out? Apparently, she was!
She rummaged through her clothes and found a navy-blue polka-dot maxi skirt. It was almost a dress. A navy sleeveless T-shirt, a string of white mala beads, and silver ballet flats completed the simple, yet stylish outfit. Now what to do about the hair? She searched the “everything drawer” that contained everything from scissors, to tape, to paperclips, to a few unidentified washers, screws, and several spools of ribbon. A piece of navy-blue grosgrain caught her eye. It was the right length to turn it into a headband. She bent over and brushed her hair, slid the ribbon behind her ears, then flipped her head and let her hair fall to her shoulders.
Now what to do about makeup? That was going to require a little finagling. She had tinted moisturizer, cream blush, light brown eyeshadow, and brown pencil. The pencil would have to do double duty for her eyebrows and eyeliner. A tired-looking tube of mascara was at the bottom of her bag. It still had a bit of gel left, just enough to do the job. If she liked the end results, she’d consider investing a few dollars in new makeup.
After she finished getting dolled up, she turned to her kitty. “What do you think?”
He stared at her.
“Is that a ‘you look fabulous’ expression, or ‘put a bag over your head’ expression?”
He blinked again and rolled over.
“Am I to assume that is an affirmative that I am passable?”
He rubbed his head against her hand.
“I shall take that as a ‘yes.’ Thank you.” She gave him a kiss on the head. “Wish me luck!”
Natalie went downstairs to the patio, where her parents were enjoying the pastel colors of the early evening sky. Her father jolted upright. “Natalie! You look lovely!”
Natalie did a little curtsy. “See, I can wear a dress, but only when I want to.”
“I agree with your father. You look lovely,” her mother added.
Natalie gave them each a peck on the cheek. “Wish me luck!” She wasn’t sure what kind of luck it would be, but she was feeling optimistic. Big changes were coming. Welcomed changes. Even if she had no idea what was ahead, the idea that looking at life with a new point of view was happily accepted.
“Good luck. Have fun!” Her mother waved.
“Don’t go breaking any hearts tonight,” her father said brightly.
Natalie snickered, “As if.”
Settling herself into her car, she entered Diana’s address into her GPS. According to the device, it should take twelve minutes to get there. Natalie was surprised and delighted that her friend was only a short distance away. When she arrived at the address, she noticed two driveways. One led to the greenhouse and flower shop; the other led to the main house. As expected, the grounds were beautifully landscaped, with a wide variety of lush tropical plants pouring magnificent colors into the scenery. Natalie pulled in front of the house and kept staring at the floral eye candy. Diana opened the door and joined Natalie outside.
“This is spectacular!” Natalie gushed.
“It’s a work in progress,” Diana said, smiling.
“I am so impressed. This is paradise.” Natalie gawked at the bright fuchsia bougainvillea that draped along the side of the front patio.
“I have to give Jeremy most of the credit. He designed it. Come on back. You can see the rest of our production. And believe me, it can be a major production when a bride’s specialty flowers are running behind. Talk about stress.”
Natalie chuckled. “Most people don’t associate flowers with stress.”
“If you want to talk about stress, let me tell you, Bridezillas is not just a horrifying reality show. It lives and breathes here, too.” She cocked her head in the direction of the greenhouse. “Follow me.”
Diana opened the insulated doors. The area was teeming with colors and textures. To one side was a vast assortment of succulents; on the other, dozens of ferns draped their leaves in hanging baskets. Diana pointed out most of the obvious plants. The enclosed room led to another greenhouse, where rows of fresh flowers were in bloom. “This is beyond words,” Natalie said in awe. “How many people work here?”
“There’s six of us, including me and Jeremy. He is such a good sport about all of this. He works all week and then tends the greenhouses on the weekends.” Diana opened the rear door that led to an area of large tropical plants. “I almost feel guilty. Almost.” Diana chuckled. “I keep reminding him that all of this was his idea.”
Diana cocked her head, listening. “Here they come!” Giggles from her two little girls got louder as they approached. “Mommy! Mommy!” One of the tykes wrapped her arms around Diana’s legs.
“This is Jordan.” Then the other child wrapped her arms around her mother’s legs. “And this is Lindsay.” Diana placed her hands on the girls’ shoulders. “Say hello to Natalie. She’s one of my good friends.”
Both girls politely said hello and then hid behind their mother’s dress. A tall, handsome man had been lagging behind. “And this is the mastermind, Jeremy.”
Natalie held out her hand. “Very nice to meet you, Jeremy. This place is stunning.”
“Thanks. It’s all Diana. I just do the grunt work.” He smiled as he shook her hand.
“That’s not what I’ve been told.” Natalie smiled at the beautiful family. She crouched down and spoke to the two shy girls. “Do you help with the flowers?”
Jordan was the first to peek out. “Yes, but we aren’t allowed to use the knife.”
“That’s an excellent rule.” Natalie nodded. “And what about you, Lindsay? Do you help, too?”
Lindsay pulled the dress away from her face. “Yes, when Daddy is here.”
The group began to walk back inside and through the sheltered plants. “I think I could live in here,” Natalie cooed.
“It gets really, really hot sometimes,” Jordan announced.
“I am sure it does,” Natalie replied.
When they approached the front of the building, Jeremy said, “Come on, girls. Mommy is going out to play with her friend. Say good night to Natalie and give your mommy a big kiss.”
In unison, the girls said, “Good night, Natalie.”
“And?” their mother prodded.
“Nice to meet you,” the children responded.
Diana gave the girls a kiss and then gave one to Jeremy.
“Don’t have too much fun!” Jeremy waved.
“You should probably notify the authorities,” Diana quipped back.
“Shall I drive?” Diana pointed to her SUV.
“Sure. I’ve been Driving Miss Daisy every day,” Natalie joked. “He’s threatening to sit in the back. I just might let him,” Natalie chuckled.
“Your parents must be over the moon that you’re staying here for a while.” Diana hopped into the driver’s seat.
“Yes, and so am I. Did I tell you I am going to be here for the rest of the summer?” Natalie said as she buckled her seat belt.
“That’s great!” Diana turned to her with a big smile. “You can be my trivia partner every week.”
Natalie laughed. “Let’s see how I do tonight.”
“I have no doubt you will be mopping the floor with everyone else. Jeopardy! contestant? Ha!”
It took less than ten minutes to arrive at Clementine’s. The parking lot had well over two dozen cars.
“Gosh. I haven’t been here in forever.” Natalie stretched her neck to scan the parking lot. “I don’t remember it being this popular. It was always kind of a down-market joint.”
“New owners took over, cleaned it up, and made it a much more suitable place to bring the kids.”
Diana pulled into a spot and turned off the engine. She continued to explain the transformation as they walked to the main entrance. “They have all sorts of activities, including a ‘Grown Ups Only’ time slot so you can have a quiet dinner.” She swung open the brass and glass doors. “It’s become a very popular spot.”
“I can see that.” Natalie scrutinized the room. “And all the men are wearing shirts with sleeves.” She cackled.
“And no bare feet,” Diana added.
The hostess greeted them. “Hi, Diana. Same table?”
“Yes, and this is my friend Natalie. She grew up here and is spending the summer with her family.”
“Welcome!” The young woman smiled at Natalie. “Hope you enjoy yourself.”
Soft rock music floated above. “They’ve really classed it up.” Natalie noted the polished tables, which matched the light oak floors. The walls were also paneled in a light oak with large, framed drawings of indigenous trees. A long slate bar ran along one side. A low wall with the same slate and hanging ferns separated the dining area. Natalie noted the baskets. “Your handiwork?”
“Yep! I told them they needed to bring some life into the place.”
“Good move.” Natalie took in the new design and concept. “Big difference from the old, skunky, dark, and dank place.”
“Everyone in town was overjoyed with the remodel. We needed a place like this.”
People waved in their direction. Diana waved back, and Natalie smiled. It seemed like such a nice crowd. She could definitely see herself feeling comfortable here.
They were seated at a table in the rear corner, where the rest of the players would gather in a little over an hour.
Natalie perused the menu. “What do you recommend?”
“The short ribs. No question.”
“Well okay, then.” Natalie closed the menu and placed it on the table.
Natalie began to tell Diana about her parents’ plans to convert the garage. At first, she hesitated to reveal her idea about moving back. But why? Would saying it out loud make it real? She took a deep breath. “I’m thinking of moving back. Permanently. Well, as permanent as anything can be.”
Diana grabbed Natalie’s hand. “Really? That would be so incredible. A year-round trivia partner, and a good friend nearby? I’ll be in heaven.”
Natalie was grinning from ear to ear. It felt good to say it, and extra good to see Diana’s reaction. “There’s nothing for me in Jacksonville. My chapter there is over. Time to write a new one.”
“Wow.” Diana took a deep breath. “This is huge, right?”
“Right!” Natalie’s face was beaming. “I guess I should start getting used to this place.”
Someone caught Diana’s eye, and she smiled and waved. Natalie casually turned her head to see who it was. The Bee Guy!
“You know him, I suppose?” Natalie’s face went slack.
“Garrett? Sure. He’s a bee farmer. Nice dude.”
“I went to a demonstration at the apiary yesterday,” Natalie said, with a slight bit of trepidation. Why? She wasn’t sure.
“Oh, cool. Fascinating, isn’t it?” Diana gushed.
“Very much so. There are a lot of moving parts, including the bees.” Natalie was back to relaxation mode. “So, what’s his story?” Natalie had to ask. It had become abundantly clear she was going to be interacting with him at some point down the road.
“Divorced. Married a beauty queen, but when she realized he wasn’t leaving his hives to help promote her career, she bolted.”
“How long were they married?”
“I think it was about five minutes.”
Both women burst out laughing.
“But seriously,” Diana said, regaining her composure. “I think it was a year, maybe a little more. She was Ms. Orange Blossom and thought she had hit the big time.”
Natalie couldn’t help but ask, “Is he dating anyone now?”
“Not that I know of. I think he closed the door on that idea. At least for now.”
“I totally get it,” Natalie sighed.
A server came over to the table. Natalie was ready to place her order, but before she could say anything, the waiter said, “Mr. Webster would like to buy you ladies a drink.”
Natalie almost choked. “Um . . . I’ll . . . um . . . I’ll have a cranberry and soda. Thank you.”
“Club soda with lots of limes for me,” Diana added.
“Tell him thank you very much,” Natalie said begrudgingly, and then went on to tell Diana about her first interaction with Bee-man.
“He may have been busting your chops,” Diana offered an explanation.
“He doesn’t even know me,” Natalie sputtered.
“I think you are letting your well-earned hostility toward men cloud your judgment.”
Natalie pursed her lips. “You may be right. I was unreasonably rattled. I think the smile and wink pushed me into irrational indignation,” she said, smirking.
Diana chuckled. “You’re excused.”
If Bee-man had any intention of coming over to talk to them, something must have changed his mind, because the women ordered and ate their meal without a visit from him.
The short ribs did not disappoint, and they finished their dinner several minutes before the rest of the challengers arrived. Natalie wondered if Bee-dude was a trivia buff, but he remained seated at the bar, watching a baseball game.
The trivia manager handed out pre-printed cards with five boxes on each, and placed tabletop bells in front of the contestants. “Write your name at the top. You will be given five questions. When you have completed the questions, ring the bell. The first card with the correct answers will win the round.”
Natalie was excited. This was a different technique than Bennie’s, where people would ring the bell and answer out loud. The round went quickly, with Natalie and Diana the first to slam the bell. That was how the rest of the evening proceeded. After winning a half dozen rounds, people were stage-whispering “ringer.” And where was Mr. Jeopardy! contestant? If he was there, he wasn’t letting his presence be known. At least, not yet. It wasn’t until the final round, when his friends booed him, that there was confirmation that he was even there. “Are you sure you were on that show?” one of his mates whined.
It was good clean banter, and the women bought a round of drinks with their winnings.
“See you next week!” Diana announced. More moans and groans followed them out the door. Natalie had forgotten about her imagined nemesis at the bar until she heard a voice—“Good night, ladies”—and he gave them the two-finger salute.
“Don’t you find him annoying?” Natalie asked, and locked arms with Diana.
“Garrett? No! He’s a doll.”
Natalie was still not convinced, but then she thought about what Diana said about her attitude toward men in general. “You’re right. I need to get over my ‘all guys are creeps’ mentality.”
“That’s my Natalie!” Diana gave her friend a hug. “I had so much fun tonight. I don’t think I’ve ever won more than three rounds. But twenty-five? I am now a trivia star, thanks to you!”
“You did half the work.” Natalie slung her arm around her friend. “And agreed. That was a lot of fun.”
By the time Natalie got home, her parents were already in their room. She bounded up the stairs and found Mr. Meowzer sitting comfortably on the bed.
“Miss me?” He stretched. Natalie opened a pouch of food that he gladly accepted. “Mommy aced the contest tonight.” Mr. Meowzer was too involved with his dinner to respond.
Natalie changed into her pajamas and powered up her laptop. She was more intent than ever to work up a website for the beekeeper.