Ten
10
Salem
I had made notes. Several, in fact.
My first day on the job had included the kickoff of a new exhibition. The artist was brilliant with his photo-realistic paintings. The Light Within included forty of his works, displaying the faces of people in raw, emotional states.
Kendrix had pulled this one together since they had been in the market for a new curator at the time. He’d done a good job, but there were some things that needed to be tweaked. Hence my notes. By day three, we should have sold more of the paintings. Advertisement was lacking.
Having thrown myself into the new job and researching the best way to reach new customers, I had neglected my new apartment. All my things were in boxes still. I’d been living out of them the past week.
The house back in Boston had sold within two days, which made things easier in a way. Packing things up had been hard.
I’d told Eamon’s parents that they could come over to go through his things and take what they wanted. His mother had been sure to make several scathing comments about the house being sold, my moving back to Florida, and packing away Eamon’s life. When they left, I drank a bottle of wine and cried.
But three days later, I’d gotten in my car and driven south. Both sorrow and relief flooded me when I drove away from the empty house that had been our home. Starting over, a new life, moving on—it was terrifying.
Thankfully, the new job had kept me distracted. I had yet to leave before nine each night. Kendrix often ordered out food, and we ate here. Sunday night, after the evening kickoff of the exhibition, we’d gone out to dinner to celebrate. Marlana included.
I was lucky that I worked for someone who wanted to hear my ideas and thoughts. Kendrix seemed excited about the things I’d brought up, and we had spent three hours mapping out our next exhibitions last night. We went all the way into the month of May.
I suggested doing an exhibition with artwork all by the seniors graduating high school in the area. We would contact the schools and speak with the art teachers. It was something I’d wanted to do in Boston, a way to draw in more of the community. However, the owner had not liked the idea.
Kendrix had loved it.
Vanna would have loved it. I wanted to incorporate her somehow into that exhibition, but I hadn’t figured out how just yet. She was the reason I’d found my love for art. That I had a talent even. If remembering her didn’t always trigger memories of Rome, then I’d think about her more often. Because of him, I’d almost not taken this job.
The faint tune of bells began, which played when the door to the entrance opened, and I turned around to see who had come in, ready to greet them and hopefully sell another piece of art. The sight of Pepper walking toward me with a pleased grin on her face surprised me. I had liked her, but she was connected to Rome in a roundabout way, and I didn’t want any connection to him in my life.
“You took the job,” she said. “I’ve been looking for you to show back up at the bar.”
How many people did she see come in and out of that bar? And why would I have stood out?
“Yeah, I, uh…” What did I say? I didn’t want to be rude. “I’ve only been here a little over a week. Getting settled in and things.” And not coming back to your bar. Rome isn’t someone I want to see again.
“I’ll be there at four today. You can stop by after work. Drinks are on me. I’ll even throw in dinner.”
I stood there, battling on how to turn down her very kind offer. She’d come here, looking for me, and that was nice. If things were different, she’d make a good friend.
“Listen, if this is about Tex, he is in Ocala. He works there almost as much as he is here.”
Oh. That was interesting. Where did he work? Still at that bike repair shop? Not that it mattered. I didn’t care where or what he did. Sure, I’d been curious before, but the cruelty he’d spewed at me when he met me in this parking lot had ended it.
“It is about Ro—uh, Tex,” I admitted. She had picked up on it. “I just, um—”
“Salem,” Kendrix called.
I turned to see him walk around the corner, looking down at his phone. He was dressed in jeans, a blue striped oxford shirt, and Adidas tennis shoes. His short blond hair was styled perfectly, and his jawline was smooth from a fresh shave. He was an attractive man, and I was almost certain that Marlana had a thing for him. I just wasn’t sure if he reciprocated her feelings.
“I’m going to order some lunch. What are you in the mood for?” He lifted his head, and his hazel eyes shifted from me to Pepper. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know someone was here.” He smiled at her, and then his gaze moved back to me. “I can wait.”
“It’s okay. She’s not here to see the exhibition. She’s here to see me,” I explained.
His eyebrows lifted slightly. “Oh, I didn’t realize you knew anyone in the area.”
I really didn’t. I sure didn’t know the man Rome had become.
“I met her the first night I was here before the interview. She served me drinks at her bar.” I looked back at her. “Pepper, this is Kendrix. My boss. He owns the gallery.” Then I shifted my attention back to him. “Kendrix, this is Pepper, the owner of Paradise Brew. Great bar, live music, amazing fried dill pickles and cocktails.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Pepper. I’m glad Salem is finding some friends. I want to keep her here.” His smile turned back to me. “We should go one night after work.”
Uh, no. Not happening.
“Oh, yeah. I, uh…maybe Marlana would want to go. I’m not much of a bar-at-night person.”
“Is that so? Well, tonight, I can assure you, it will be slow. Monday nights always are. My biker crowd won’t even be there. You both should come. I insist. It’s on the house. Order whatever you want.”
I was stuck. There was no way to get out of this. Maybe that was good. Rome was out of town. No bikers. I could go and appease Pepper and get it over with.
Kendrix was waiting on me.
“That’s very nice of you. I can’t see why not—that is, if it’s good with Kendrix and Marlana.”
Pepper’s expression remained friendly, but it felt as if she knew too much. Could read my mind. That was a little unsettling.
“I’d love to. Thanks. We will be there,” he told Pepper.
“Is Marlana your wife?” she asked casually, but it didn’t feel as if she was asking for her.
Kendrix shook his head and chuckled, as if that was a ridiculous idea. “No. I’m divorced. Marlana is the administrator here.”
Pepper’s gaze flickered to my left hand so briefly that I’d have missed it if I hadn’t been looking directly at her. The smile on her face grew as she met my gaze. “I’ll see you around?”
“Six thirty at the latest,” Kendrix told her.
“I’ll reserve you my best booth,” she replied. She gave me a smirk, like we were in on a secret that I was clueless about before heading for the exit.
Glancing over at Kendrix, I fully expected to see him watching her leave, but his eyes were on me.
“I hope that’s okay with you. I didn’t mean to push.”
I managed a smile. “It’s fine. I promised her I’d stop in after work if I got the job, and I haven’t done that yet.”
“Who was here?” Marlana came walking out of the employee room with a cup of coffee.
Today, her glasses frame was a radiant blue color. So far, she’d worn four different pairs.
“A lady I met who owns Paradise Brew,” I told her.
Marlana’s eyes widened. “The cool biker bar?” she asked. “You do know that The Judgment MC frequents that place. Their bikes cover up the parking lot. I have been so tempted to go there one night.”
“Yes, but the bikers won’t be there tonight. We were invited, and it’s on the house,” I told her.
“We, as in…” she asked, looking from Kendrix to me.
“As in the three of us and Banner, too, if he is coming in this afternoon,” I told her. Although Pepper might not be expecting four.
Marlana clasped her hands together. “Yay! This is so exciting. I need time to change before we go.”
I glanced down at my pencil skirt, red heels, and blouse. “Do we need to change?”
“You look just fine the way you are,” Kendrix told me.
My eyes shot up to meet his. I knew that look, and I had been hoping I was reading him wrong. It seemed the more time we spent together, the more he looked at me that way.
Marlana was the one he needed to be giving those looks to. She wasn’t damaged.