Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
“ I totally forgot to tell you this yesterday,” Rhett began. He and Lisa and a few of the inn’s guests were in the dining room Monday morning eating breakfast, and Rhett had a mischievous look. “I may have run into Violet at the post office.”
Lisa set her coffee cup down. “What did you do?”
He chuckled. “I told her that I was looking forward to sampling her food at the festival.”
“What did she say?”
“Nothing at first. She narrowed her eyes at me like she was trying to figure out something, like maybe how I knew she was participating. But then she recovered and smiled and said she was very excited and expected to win her category.”
“Ugh. She is so full of herself.”
“I don’t think she knew that you were also going to be there. I told her you were excited about it too and her jaw dropped. And then she said she had to run, and she raced out of there.”
Lisa laughed. “You definitely poked the bear. Now she’s going to be even more determined to beat me. I wonder if her lobster quiche is good?”
Rhett reached out and took her hand. “It can’t possibly be anywhere near as good as yours.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss and Lisa smiled. She could always count on Rhett.
Lisa looked up and saw Lauren walking toward them, carrying a tray of breakfast and coffee. She waved her over to join them at their table. All the other guests were paired off and Lisa always liked to make guests feel welcome, especially when they were friends of the family.
Lauren set her tray down and said hello to both of them. Rhett took a final sip of his coffee, then headed up for a refill and to get a plate of breakfast.
“Hi honey, how was your weekend?” Lisa asked.
Lauren smiled. “Good. Busy. I am looking forward to having the next two days off.”
“Do you have any special plans for your time off?”
“Mostly just to relax, maybe do some more shopping. Oh, and a few of us are having dinner tonight at Millie’s.”
“Oh, Rhett and I love the scallop and bacon tacos at Millie’s. They are so different and have blue cheese on them. If you like scallops, you should try them.”
“I do. And that does sound good,” Lauren agreed.
“Tell me more about the filming. It seems like it’s been pretty quiet so far, no wild parties yet,” Lisa said.
Lauren laughed. “I’m not sure if Walter and Kay would agree with that. Although it hasn’t been too bad yet—as you said, we haven’t had any parties yet. They were a little loud last night, though.” She told Lisa about the music and dancing and flirting.
“So, it’s an experiment of sorts? You put all these pretty people together and then see what happens and if romance develops?” Lisa said.
“Exactly. And having them all live together amplifies everything—heightens emotions.”
Lisa was intrigued. The concept of a reality show was relatively new to her. She’d tried watching one of the popular housewives reality shows, but only managed to watch a few episodes. The particular show she watched just seemed like a bunch of women fighting about silly things. She couldn’t understand why they were so popular and said as much to Lauren. “Why do people love those shows so much?”
Lauren smiled. “People like to see into another world, a different lifestyle that usually includes wealth and luxury. And even though the drama does often seem petty, and annoying even, the conflict brings viewers back each week. If everyone just got along, it wouldn’t make for a compelling show.”
Lisa thought about that. “I suppose so. But I bet some people would enjoy a show where people are kind and get along and live in a luxurious world. I’d watch that!”
“I actually agree with you somewhat. I think sometimes these shows overdo it with the somewhat forced drama. Some of these women have interesting careers. I know I’d love to see more of that,” Lauren said.
“Yes! Now that would be interesting. Maybe you can suggest it for a new show?”
Lauren laughed. “I can try. I don’t have a lot of influence yet. This show is the first one that I’ve led. It needs to go really well.” Lisa noticed a note of nervousness in Lauren’s tone.
“I’m sure it will. Your concept sounds interesting. And people seem fascinated with Nantucket—it will have that aspirational quality.”
“Definitely,” Lauren agreed.
Lauren and Lisa both looked up as Angela walked over to the table with a cup of coffee and a jelly donut. Lisa was happy to see her, but surprised, too. “Is Mary still sick?”
Angela nodded. “She is. She called this morning and said she would like to come back on Wednesday, so you’ll have me for two more days at least.”
“I’m sorry she’s still sick. We always like to see you, though,” Lisa said.
Angela smiled. “Thanks. I always love coming back here, too.” Angela had stayed at the inn when renovation work was done on her grandmother’s cottage and Lisa had enjoyed her company.
“Lauren was just telling us how the show is going and what she’s going to do on her days off.”
“You’re off Mondays and Tuesdays, right?” Angela asked.
Lauren nodded. “Yes. I’m looking forward to relaxing and exploring the island a bit and maybe just sitting on the beach.”
“Are you still up for going to see Kristen’s art show? It opens on Tuesday. We could have dinner at my place first. Philippe can make us his grilled swordfish—it’s so good, and then we could head into town.”
“Yes, I’d love to do that. What time should I come by?”
Angela thought for a minute. “Why don’t you come earlyish, say around 5:30, then we’ll head to the opening at seven. I tend to fade early, so the earlier, the better.” Angela hesitated for a moment and looked as though she’d said something she shouldn’t have. Lisa instantly suspected what she meant.
Angela sighed. “I might as well just tell you, since your daughters already know. I spilled the beans when they were over the other night. We’re pregnant.”
Lisa was thrilled for her. “That’s the best news, Angela. Congratulations to both of you.”
“Thank you. We weren’t going to say anything until I was further along, but it was kind of obvious when I was drinking water at appetizer night and everyone else had wine. Plus, I didn’t want to keep the news to myself. I know there’s always a risk, but I’m thinking positive.”
“As you should. Just be careful not to overdo things. You’ll be fine,” Lisa assured her.
Angela took the last bite of her jelly donut, glanced at her watch, and then stood. “Okay, time for me to get to work. Lauren, have fun today and I will see you tomorrow night.”
“Sounds good. I’ll bring something for dessert, if that works.”
“Perfect.”
After Angela left, Lauren got herself a second cup of coffee. She wasn’t in any hurry, and it was nice to linger and chat with Lisa and Rhett. She’d also been thinking about when would be a good time for the cast to have dinner at Rhett’s place. They would have several evenings out at restaurants and nightclubs.
“Rhett, are you still interested in having our group come in for dinner? And with it being filmed and shown on the network?”
Rhett nodded. “Of course. I’d be crazy to turn down that kind of publicity. When were you thinking?”
“Well, I’m assuming the weekends are too busy, so what about a Wednesday or Thursday night, possibly?” If he said Wednesday was the better day, she’d probably aim for the following week.
“Wednesday and Thursday nights are about the same, so whatever works best for you. We do have a side room that might be a little quieter and out of the way.”
That sounded perfect. “Great. Could we do this Thursday or if that’s too soon, next week could work?”
Rhett thought for a moment. “This Thursday should work.”
“It will be nine for dinner, and then another table nearby for the production staff. I’ll be there as well,” she said.
“Okay, that’s fine. We’ll make it work. What time were you thinking?” Rhett asked.
“We’ll come early, so we don’t disrupt things too much. Is five good?” Lauren knew the restaurant was probably less busy then, which would be a good thing.
“Yes, that’s when we open and that would work out well. It doesn’t usually get too busy that early.”
“Maybe I’ll see if one of my girlfriends wants to have dinner that night, too. We’ll sit at the bar and watch from a distance. If you don’t mind?” Lisa sounded excited at the thought of it.
“Of course! You’ll see a little of the craziness.” Lauren laughed. “They’ve actually been pretty well-behaved so far, so it might not be all that exciting.”
“Doesn’t matter. It will still be fun to watch,” Lisa said.
Lauren finished her coffee and said goodbye to Lisa and Rhett. She was ready to take a walk on the beach and then head downtown to do some more exploring.