CHAPTER FOURTEEN - LIZ
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
LIZ
Liz stumbled slightly as she followed Melody into the kitchen.
“Okay, where is it?” Melody asked.
“Where’s what?” Liz felt Rose at her heels. She was a little surprised that Rose was even sticking around instead of retreating to whatever she was doing before Liz had called for a ride. Devin had apparently left early to hang out with some boy. Otherwise, maybe Rose wouldn’t have agreed to come pick Liz and Melody up anyway.
Melody whirled. “Girls’ night is going to fall flat if we don’t get more drinks in our systems.”
Liz frowned. “Alcohol was never required at our girls’ nights when we were younger.”
“That’s because we were too young to get our hands on it.” Melody offered a sheepish look. “Except for that one time we accidentally found Jo’s stash.” She swept her gaze toward Rose. “But we shouldn’t corrupt your sister’s young ears.”
“I’m sixteen,” Rose argued, putting her hands on her hips. “And you dragged me out to come get you two, so you’re not getting rid of me now.”
“Well, all I have is wine,” Liz told Melody. Liz was always stocked in wine because a glass during a hot bath at night was sometimes just the thing she needed to de-stress after a long day. And here lately, the days had seemed a whole lot longer.
“Wine is perfect.” Melody grinned wide and turned back toward the kitchen. “Where are your glasses?”
Liz followed her to the cabinets and pointed. “That one. Second shelf.”
“You’re getting three wine glasses, right?” Rose asked from behind them.
When Liz turned to look at her, Rose’s arms were tightly crossed at her chest.
“Oh, come on. I just want one glass,” her sister said.
“No.” Liz immediately shook her head. “The legal age is twenty-one.”
“That’s in public. No one cares what I do in the privacy of my own home. All I want is one drink.” Rose tilted her head, flashing puppy dog eyes at Liz. “Would you rather I drink my first sip of alcohol somewhere else with people I barely know? That sounds like a recipe for disaster. I mean, who knows what kind of lightweight I am. Look at you.” Rose gestured at Liz as if Liz was a slobbering drunk right now. She wasn’t.
Somehow Liz seriously doubted this would be Rose’s first sip of alcohol. She glanced over at Melody. “It’s illegal to give a glass of wine to someone underage, right?”
Melody seemed to laugh under her breath and grabbed a third wine glass from the shelf. “It’s just wine, Liz. Not hard liquor. It’ll be fine. Your sister is joining us for our girls’ night.” Her wide smile flickered for a moment and Liz thought she understood why. Melody’s sister had joined their girls’ night once. And then twice. And then Alyssa had become a part of their little group of friends.
“This is a one-time invasion of your girls’ night, okay?” Rose said. “It’s not like I want to be pals with you two or anything. I have my own friends. I’m just here for the wine.” She pointed at Liz. “And you owe me because I picked you up at the tavern. You’d have been walking home if I hadn’t come to get you. Something could’ve happened to you out there. You could’ve been picked up by some creep and married in Vegas.”
Liz rolled her eyes. Maybe she was rubbing off on Rose a little bit with all her safety-mindedness. “Fine. One glass for you.” And maybe just one more for her. Rose wasn’t wrong. Liz was a lightweight. Who knew what she’d do if she drank too much?
* * *
The next morning, Liz cracked her eyes open against the bright morning sun. The world was blurry and her brain was throbbing. One glance at the clock on her nightstand told her that it was just after 6:00 a.m. Oh, crap! She needed to get to The Bitery and start preparing muffins and pastries for the morning customers. Otherwise, she’d be serving stale leftovers from yesterday. She couldn’t charge for that. Her mom typically gave those out for free.
The aroma of coffee wafting in the air stopped Liz’s panic in its tracks. Rose had been living here for weeks now and had never made coffee in the morning so, either Liz had died in her sleep or Melody had done the honors. Liz glanced on the other side of the bed where Melody had climbed in beside her, still wearing her clothes from their girls’ night. Melody was gone and the bedding was neatly pulled up.
“Good morning,” Melody said cheerily from the doorway.
Liz looked in her direction. “When did you get up?”
“A little while ago.” Melody answered, looking wide-awake.
“How come you’re not hungover?” Liz’s throat felt dry and scratchy. Her eyes felt raw.
“Well, I think I’ve probably had more practice at drinking than you.” Melody gestured at the coffee on the bedside table. “That’s for you. I’m heading out. Rose offered to give me a ride to my car at the tavern.”
“Really?” Liz sat up stiffly.
“Yeah. I’m going home to freshen up and then open the thrift store this morning. Weekends are prime time for sales, and I’ve got to push out all the old stuff to make room for the new.”
Liz blinked again. If she wasn’t a little queasy, she’d be asking Melody a lot more follow-up questions.
“Drink your coffee and take the ibuprofen on the table too. You’ll feel better in about an hour.”
Liz was still furrowing her brow when Melody turned and left.
“I’m taking Melody to get her car,” Rose said from the doorway a moment later. “And before you freak out, I’m going to open The Bitery. I shouldn’t even be late. I plan to get all the breakfast items started, so stop worrying.”
“Really?” Liz asked.
“Yep.”
“Why?”
Rose laughed as she shifted back and forth on two-inch soles that made her miniskirt look even shorter. Liz would have something to say about that if Rose wasn’t being so nice offering to take her place this morning. “Because you deserve a morning to sleep off your hangover. And because I can.”
Liz was speechless for a moment. This was so unlike Rose that Liz wondered if she was dreaming for a moment. “Thank you,” she finally said.
“You’re welcome. See you later. No rush.”
Liz watched her sister disappear down the hall and heard the front door open and close a minute later. She sat there a moment before reaching for her mug and sipping her coffee. Just a few weeks ago, the thought of Rose opening The Bitery and running it on her own for a few hours would have made
Liz so anxious that she would have dragged herself into the shower and down the street no matter how horrible she felt. Not today though. Rose could handle things. And Liz did deserve a morning off. Since her parents had left for Ecuador, she’d woken at 4:00 a.m. most mornings and had worked full days. It’d been tiresome and thankless, and if Rose was stepping up to the plate for just a few hours, then Liz was going to enjoy her freedom. Or, at least, she was going to try.
She smiled to herself, relishing her French brew. She almost ignored her buzzing cell phone on the bedside table, but picked it up at the last second in case it was Rose alerting her that she’d burned the bakery down in two point seven seconds. She picked her phone up and read the text, her smile deepening. It was from Matt. A few weeks ago, a message from him would have made her anxious as well.
Matt: On a scale from one to ten, how bad is your morning after?
Liz’s grin slid away. How did he know she’d been drinking last night? It took a moment for foggy memories to lift to the forefront of her mind. She nearly dropped her coffee mug when she remembered texting Matt once she’d gotten back home last night. No, no, no. What had she texted him? She tried to scroll back and look through her message history, but there was nothing. Had she used Melody’s phone to send the texts? She vaguely remembered that she had for a reason she couldn’t recall.
Liz: I didn’t drink that much. I’d say the hangover is a solid four and a half.
Matt: Not bad. Do you need anything from me? I’ve discovered the secret to cure any hangover. I’ll share it with you if you’d like.
She tapped her finger along the screen.
Liz: Oh? We’re sharing secrets now. That sounds serious.
Was she flirting? She was hungover and flirting. This was so unlike her.
Matt: The secret is salted peanuts in Dr. Pepper.
Liz’s face scrunched up.
Liz: In?
Matt: Pour the whole pack inside the bottle. Then drink up. It sounds gross, but it’s kind of good. Salt is good for nausea.
Liz: I’ll take your word for it.
Matt: I’ll bring you some if you’d like.
Liz tugged her lower lip between her teeth. A couple weeks ago, the answer would have been an immediate no. Now the no, thank you was coming slower. Maybe things were shifting in her world. To what reason, she wasn’t quite sure. Perhaps it was because Melody was home. Or because Rose was living with her, and her life was turned upside down and inside out. Bri would be getting out of prison soon, and she would finally be back in Trove where she belonged. Maybe all of the above added up to a much-needed change.
Liz tapped her finger along the screen.
Liz: Maybe another time.
The dots once again started bouncing as Matt replied.
Matt: Next time, huh? So you’re planning to return to the tavern for more drinks? Noted. I’ll reserve my Friday nights in case you need me to come pick you and Melody up. I’m glad Rose was able to do the honors last night. But you could’ve called me.
That text was followed up with a winking emoji that made Liz feel all kinds of sparkly sensations zipping through her body. And that was followed by a roll of nausea that had her getting up out of bed and quickly walking toward the bathroom. Maybe she needed that Dr. Pepper and peanuts concoction after all.
At almost noon, Liz finally made it into The Bitery. The bakery hadn’t burned down, but Rose did have the tip jar out on the counter. When she saw Liz eyeing it, she slid it underneath the counter.
“You can keep it out if you work past lunch time. I was going to see if Melody wanted to grab a bite together. If you can’t handle the bakery on your own, though, that’s okay.”
In response, Rose dipped to grab the tip jar and placed it back on the counter. She looked at Liz. “Devin is working with me this morning. I promised that all the tips would go to her.”
Liz glanced into the kitchen. “You hired help for the morning?”
Rose looked at her like she had two heads. “Well, I can’t run this place by myself.”
“I thought you said you could.”
Rose gave Liz a disbelieving look, as if the idea was absurd. “Devin always helps when I work. That’s why I put a tip jar out.”
Liz considered this. She looked around at all the satisfied customers, and then she turned back to her sister. “Does Mom know about this?”
“No, but I was going to talk to her about hiring Devin when she gets back from Ecuador.”
“Good idea.” That would line up with Liz discussing her own plans to cut back on hours. “Devin can stay. She knows the rules, right? Wash your hands, wear gloves, all that stuff.”
“Of course.” Rose looked at Liz as if she she’d grown a third head now.
Liz supposed she wouldn’t mind three heads if all of them weren’t pounding like her one head was doing this morning. “Great. Well then, I’m walking down to Hidden Treasures. Call me if you need anything. I’ll be back at some point.” But she wouldn’t rush. The freedom of having the morning to do as she wanted felt as intoxicating as the drinks she’d devoured last night.
Liz was smiling wider than she had in a long time as she stepped out into the breezy Saturday and turned toward the thrift store. Her hangover was almost gone. She almost felt like a new person today. What a difference a couple of weeks could make.
She stopped in front of Hidden Treasures to read a sign out front. In pink chalk was an invitation to come inside and stuff a bag for $10. Liz opened the door and stepped into a bustling scene. Everyone had large paper bags in their arms, stuffed to the tops and billowing over with clothing, books, and other items.
Melody sat behind the counter with her laptop in front of her. She looked up and waved Liz over. “Do you want to stuff a bag for ten dollars?” she asked as Liz drew closer.
“Maybe. How could you possibly make a profit that way?”
“You’d be surprised. I’ve sold at least two dozen bags worth already. And the room out back is full of stuff that needs to be put out front. Jo had devoted people who donated regularly. It’s an endless cycle. Business is booming.”
Liz couldn’t tell if Melody was being serious or sarcastic. “So, if you’re this busy, I’m guessing you don’t have time for lunch?”
Melody grimaced. “I’m starving actually. Can we order in and eat here? There’s a little table in the back room. My customers tend to come in waves.”
Liz glanced around at the store full of customers. “The same is true for the bakery. It’s kind of weird that way, isn’t it?”
“It is. Do you want to call out for our food?”
“Sure. Anything in particular?”
“Surprise me,” Melody said, preparing to ring someone up at the register.
Liz headed to the little back room where Melody had a fold-out cot, a small table, and a tiny counter with a sink and dorm-size fridge. She dialed out for a pizza delivery and then headed back up front where Melody was helping a little girl pick out a stuffed bear from a selection of toys along the right-hand side of the store.
“My Great-aunt Jo used to tell me that all the used toys were from the Isle of Lost Toys, waiting to be adopted and taken to a new home. And that being a toy’s second owner was even more important than being their first owner because they were lost. She said that helping a toy feel found and loved again was a very important job.”
The little girl with braided pigtails nodded as she clutched the bear in her arms more tightly.
“You’re up for the task?” Melody asked with all seriousness.
“I am,” the little girl said solemnly.
“Well, then that toy belongs to you.” Melody looked at the mother. “No charge. Just take very good care of that bear.”
“You are just like Jo,” the mother said, with evident respect in her tone. “That’s something she would have done. Are you following in her footsteps and keeping the store open?”
Melody seemed to hedge. “Through the summer, at least.” She looked at the little girl. “So, every time you stop in this summer, you can take one of these lost toys home, okay?”
The girl revealed several missing teeth as she grinned widely. “Thank you, Ms. Melody!”
“You’re welcome.”
Liz waited for the mother and child to walk away before speaking. “You’re staying through the summer?” Liz felt like ever since Melody had arrived, she’d been expecting her to leave at any moment. A day, a couple days, a week. Part of her feared that Melody might even leave without a goodbye the way she’d done the first time.
Melody turned to face her. “After going to the prison yesterday, I decided I want to be here when Bri gets out. That’s a huge deal. I don’t want to miss it.”
“You could come back for her release,” Liz said. “I kind of thought you couldn’t wait to ditch the isle again.”
“That was true. Now I kind of can’t wait to stay a little longer. My decision has a little bit to do with you too.”
“Me?” Liz asked.
“You can’t reverse time, but you can make up for lost time. I think that’s what I’m here to do with you. And my dad. Myself. Another month won’t kill me.”
“Wow. I’ve been thinking all morning that I barely recognize myself these days, but you’re changing too,” Liz said. “We must be good for each other.”
Melody smiled. “And on that note, girls’ night part two is happening this evening. After work, I’m giving you a driving refresher course.”
Liz felt her heart thump beneath her blouse. “You are?”
“I am. And then we’re creating a website for your photography business while we drink more wine.”
“Dr. Pepper for me,” Liz said. “With salted peanuts in it.”
Melody’s expression twisted comically. “That’s disgusting.”
“Someone told me it was good for a hangover.” But Liz didn’t plan on drinking tonight. Apparently, instead, she was going to be driving. “I might need one of those brown paper bags after all,” she told Melody.
“For the bag sale?” Melody asked.
Liz felt her stomach clench and coil. “For the driving lesson.”
To: Bri Johnson
From: Liz Dawson
Subject: Three’s a Crowd
Bri,
Three is only a crowd when the third person is my little sister. Rose somehow invaded Melody’s and my girls’ night at my house. There was wine. It’s still a little foggy in my head, but I know that I used Melody’s phone to drunk-text Matt, which might be one of the most embarrassing things of my adult life. Of all the people to text under the influence, why him? Don’t answer that. Whatever you might or might not say would be misguided. I don’t think of Matt that way. Really.
The hangover was short, but the embarrassment might last a little longer. It’ll be okay, I guess. Just, note to self, next time I drink, hide my cell phone. And everyone else’s around me, just in case.
There’ll be no wine tonight. Melody is giving me a refresher course on driving. At least that’s the plan. And no matter what, I’m going to do it. Even if I have to wait out a panic attack of epic proportions or vomit outside the driver’s side door—again. At some point, I’ve got to face my fear instead of waiting for it to go away.
Wish me luck!
Liz