Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ALLIE
It turns out the packages Teddy told me about yesterday afternoon at Rosemary’s were two more lamps.
While I’ve always enjoyed good lighting, I’ve never been this obsessed with it.
At the rate I’m going, I could open my own lamp store.
In fact, my lack of space has become such a problem I’ve had to turn my coat closet into a storage room.
The good news is that I finally got a great night’s sleep last night. My first since moving into my new apartment. After years of sharing a home with someone else, I’m finding it more difficult than I thought being on my own.
The upside is that I love not needing to consult with anyone about anything.
Brett was a real stickler about our apartment and wouldn’t let me display anything without his approval.
At first, I thought it was nice that he was so interested in our decor.
However, after two years of this I realized he was just a control freak.
Another thing I love about being on my own is that I can eat sugary breakfast cereal any time of day without comment from the peanut gallery.
My ex-husband was convinced that only fat people ate my favorite childhood treat, while my mom was determined that I eat enough for a football team in training.
She wanted to add two eggs and bacon to my standard serving of chocolatey goodness.
Settling onto my couch with a large bowl of Cocoa Puffs, I flip on the TV and scroll through my options on Netflix.
I settle on a documentary series about a mother who exploited her child as a teen-influencer on YouTube.
By the time I’m finished with the first episode, I’m thoroughly disgusted.
It seems that any idiot can have a baby, just not me.
Turning off the television, I close my eyes and take a little catnap in the sunbeam shooting through my front window. In that strange space between consciousness and oblivion, an array of thoughts shoot through my head.
Growing up with a mother like Margaret, I always thought I needed a husband to make my life complete.
I briefly wonder if marrying Brett had more to do with making that assumption a reality versus what might have happened had I realized I was enough on my own.
What if I’d never dated Brett and instead waited until I found someone who wanted a partner in life versus an incubator for his army of mini-mes?
Forcing myself to be truthful, I realize that I did love Brett. In fact, there were no real red flags until we started trying for a family. That’s when he became adamant he wanted a boy first and then a girl. Like I had any say in the order.
The funny thing is that neither one of us got our wish. I didn’t have any kind of baby, and he got four daughters. Talk about a world of unfairness.
After Brett left, I took half our joint savings and toured Europe for a month.
I stayed in five-star hotels and ate at Michelin-starred restaurants like some kind of celebrity.
I didn’t adhere to any budget. I just lived and spent and mourned.
I didn’t allow myself to think of the future beyond the next day.
That trip was the best thing I could’ve done to close one chapter in my life before opening another.
Brett was always very insistent that we each pay half of the expenses and that we have a joint savings account for when we purchased our first house.
Our lives were a fifty-fifty split, so I only took what was mine.
The good news is that my dad always raised me to have money of my own, so I also had a personal account that I never told my husband about.
I never anticipated using that money for anything other than the two of us, I just wanted to have some kind of autonomy to do things I wanted should he give me any resistance.
As it was, Brett not only had to approve our apartment décor, but he also had the final say where we ate, where we vacationed, and even who our couple friends were.
In retrospect, maybe there were some unseen signs that he wasn’t the man for me.
Snuggling into the couch cushions, my thoughts turn to Noah.
I wonder what kind of partner he’d be. From what I’ve seen since getting to know him as an adult, I imagine he’s gentle and caring.
He strikes me like the kind of man who wants to share his life, not run it like a dictator of his own country.
Noah Riley is the last person in the world I thought I would cross paths with, yet here we are. Not only do we work at the same place, but we also coach basketball together. Talk about an odd turn of events.
When I finally get up, I take a bubble bath in my claw-foot tub and then I get ready to meet Finley.
I’ve only ever lived in Elk Lake as a kid or a divorced woman, so I don’t really know what the demographic of single people my age is.
I don’t suppose it’s high, which makes me wonder why she moved here.
Although, I’m just assuming she’s single. Maybe she has a husband or boyfriend.
Checking my reflection in the mirror, I decide that I look pretty good. My barrel-legged jeans don’t show off my figure, so I’ve paired them with a burgundy-colored henley that’s snug enough to let the world know I take care of myself.
If I’m being honest, I know I’m not making such an effort for Finley.
I’m doing it because I’m meeting Noah right afterwards, and even though I claim I don’t want to date him, my younger self is looking for a little revenge for how he treated me in the past. I want him to see how good I look, and I want him to kick himself for ever passing up an opportunity to be with me.
I don’t leave my apartment until five of one because I’m only going downstairs. When I walk into Rosemary’s, Faith looks up from the cash register and calls out, “Allie, you’re here! Come tell me everything!”
I smile as I approach my old boss. Faith is pretty in that girl-next-door kind of way—sort of how my mom views me.
She’s lived in Elk Lake her entire life and took over the bakery her grandmother founded.
I imagine meeting and marrying a movie star was the last thing she ever expected to happen to her.
It gives me a little bit of hope that there’s an equally unexpected and delightful story arc in my future.
“Thank you for the cookies for the basketball teams,” I tell her. “I tried to pay for them, but Teddy wouldn’t let me.”
With a big smile, Faith says, “I’m glad he didn’t. It’s important for us to do things to support our community. And what better way than feeding kids?”
After ordering a pumpkin spice hot chocolate and a scone—Faith only lets me pay for the scone—I tell her, “I love teaching. I never thought of doing it, but it turns out I might have a real knack for it.”
“Good for you!” She doesn’t sound in the least upset that I left her with barely any notice. Of course, I wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine, as she mentioned on my last day.
“And now, thanks to you, I also have a great new apartment. Which I love, by the way.”
“I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with it.” With a wink, she adds, “That’s a hint that you should invite me over sometime.”
“Anytime!” I tell her. “When I’m not at the school, that’s where you’ll find me.”
“I’ll stop by soon,” she says. “Do you mind if I bring the twins?” She must recognize the look of panic on my face because she’s quick to say, “You know what? They need daddy time with Teddy before he leaves for LA.”
I hate that I feel relief, but as much as I feel myself healing from my baby trauma, I’m still not ready to have playdates with someone else’s toddlers.
The bell over the door rings and I turn to see Finley. “Allie, Faith, hey!” Her long blonde hair is flowing over her shoulders like some kind of shampoo ad. If she weren’t so darn nice, it would be easy to hate her.
“Hi, Finley. How’s business?” Faith asks.
“Better since you’ve given my card to everyone at the girls’ preschool. I’ve never taken so many pictures of little kids.”
“I don’t know about other parents,” Faith says, “but my girls never sit nicely when I try to take a picture of them. Evie sticks out her tongue and Claire tries to pull Evie’s hair.”
Finley laughs. “I’ve learned kids are better for strangers than for their parents.”
“Which is why I predict you’ll always have a lot of bookings,” Faith assures her.
Once Finley and I both have our orders, we find a table by the window. Sitting down, I say, “It’s sounds like business is booming.”
She plants herself in the chair across from mine. “I’ve been very lucky.”
“Do you have a husband or boyfriend?” I ask. I don’t want to come across as nosy, but I do want to know more about her.
“Neither. I moved to Elk Lake after a break-up.”
“I’m sorry. Were you together for long?”
“Only six months, and don’t be sorry. When it’s not right, it’s not worth feeling bad about.” That’s a concept that’s taken me awhile to implement in my own life, but I’m relieved finally to be getting there.
I take a sip of my hot chocolate before responding, “That’s what I keep telling myself.”
“It was different for you, Allie. You were married.”
“I sure was.” My tone makes it sound like my union with Brett was more of a jail sentence than a marriage. Although in retrospect, I’m starting to see it that way. What kind of man refuses to allow you to keep pickles in the refrigerator because he doesn’t like them?
“I’m sorry about what he did to you.” She explains, “I know it must seem strange that I know so much about you when we barely know each other, but I find the best way to make the people I photograph comfortable is to get them to open up and talk about themselves.” With a snort she adds, “Or in your parents’ case, you. ”
Cringing, I tell her, “It sounds like they told you everything.”
Her expression turns into one of pity. “They’re hurting for you. They love you.”
“Maybe in my dad’s case,” I tell her. “My mom is only trying to fix me. She wants me to run out and find someone else so I can be just like her.”
“My grandmother used to say the best way to get over one guy was to get under another one.” At my shocked expressions, she explains, “She was a teenager in the nineteen sixties.”
“Hippy?” I ask.
“Oh, yeah. I think her proudest moment was when she and a group of her friends burned their bras at a sit-in for civil rights. I’m not sure what one thing had to do with the other, but Gram used to say there was a lot to protest back then so they tried to get it all in when they could.”
I snort laugh. “I feel like my mother would have run around handing everyone’s bras back to them while lecturing them on the importance of marriage and family.”
Finley takes a bite of her muffin. After swallowing it, she says, “Your mom is happy with her life and that makes her think everyone would benefit from the same existence.”
“You give her a lot of credit.”
“Your mom is a good person.”
“You think that because she’s not always on you to hurry up and get married and have a family.”
Finley’s green eyes open wide. “You don’t think she’s on me, too?”
“You’re kidding?” I don’t know why I’m surprised. Margaret’s rapper name could be Tenacious Mags.
“Your mom wants the people she cares about to be happy. I take it as a compliment.”
“Do you date a lot in Elk Lake?” I ask. “Not that I’m currently looking.”
“I went out with the guy who owns the autobody shop outside of town.”
“Herbie Elks?” I ask in moderate horror. Herbie is a fifty-something-year-old with a pot belly and a comb-over.
“Jake Elks,” she says. “Herbie is his dad.”
“Jake and I went to school together,” I tell her. “He was always a nice guy. Quiet though. Why did you stop seeing him?”
She grunts, “Because he was too quiet. He never had anything to say. So much so that I talked enough for both of us. And if I wanted to date myself, I would just stay at home in my pajamas and order a pizza.” With a wink, she adds, “Which is what I currently do every weekend.”
Finley and I talk for a full hour, and I discover that I like her a lot. She’s funny, animated, and content with who she is. It’s an endearing combination. I’d happily keep chatting, but Noah walks in.
“I made another appointment,” I tell her pointing in Noah’s direction. “My co-coach at the high school.”
Finley leans across the table and whisper shouts, “He’s cute! Are you seeing each other?”
I quickly try to discern how I feel about Finley’s admiration of my childhood crush, and I discover I don’t like it. Noah is more than cute, he’s drop-dead gorgeous. Even though I’m not interested in dating him, Finley’s reaction to him ruffles my feathers.
I don’t have a chance to answer her question because Noah comes over to our table. “Hey, Allie,” he says before his eyes are drawn in Finley’s direction.
“Noah,” I mumble.
I don’t say anything else for a long minute, so he introduces himself to Finley. “Noah Riley.”
Finley bounces to her feet like a tightly-wound jack-in-the-box.
Sticking out her hand, she says, “Finley Harper. I’m a friend of Allie’s.
” That’s such a sweet thing to say that my residual irritation evaporates.
I really do think Finley and I could be friends.
So long as she stops looking at Noah like he’s an all-you-can-eat donut buffet, that is.
Indicating an empty chair, Noah asks, “Do you mind if I join you?”
“Take my seat,” Finley says. “I’ve got to get back to work. I have a shoot with a new couple.” She tells Noah, “I own Happy Snaps.”
“Ah, the place where Allie’s parents go.” Noah makes a funny face in my direction, and I can’t help but smile.
“My parents and so many others,” I tell him. “Finley is very busy.”
My new friend turns to me. “I had a lot of fun, Allie. I hope we can get together again soon.”
“Absolutely,” I tell her. Then I give her my phone number. “Call anytime.”
Finley calls me immediately which programs her number into my phone before saying, “I most certainly will.” Then with a small wave, she walks out of the bakery.
When she’s gone, Noah says, “She seems nice.”
Instead of agreeing with him, I practically shout, “Do you want to date her or something?”
“I don’t even know her.” He looks up behind me and adds, “They’re here.”
“Who’s here.”
“Jordan and Margie.”
I’m not sure what this has to do with us, so I simply say, “That’s nice.”
Noah’s eyes squint in question. “You did get my voicemail message, didn’t you?”
I shake my head in response. “My parents are the only people I know who still use voicemail.” That’s when I realize that Jordan and Margie have come over to our table. Neither looks the least bit happy.
Jordan addresses Noah first. “Thanks for meeting with us, Coach.” Then he turns his attention to me. “You too, Coach.”
I have no idea what any of this is about, but I have a feeling I’m about to.