Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Vivian wiped her hands on her short black waitressing apron and let out a sigh.
It was another busy day at The Lighthouse Grill, and she could feel beads of perspiration at her hairline, threatening to run down her cheeks.
Since she was the owner and manager, she worked as a kind of jack of all trades in the restaurant.
Sometimes she ran drinks to the tables, sometimes she stepped in as a waitress when things were particularly hectic, sometimes she went around refilling all of the ketchup and mustard bottles, and sometimes she simply made her way around the bustling pub, greeting her customers and making sure their needs were met and that they felt at home.
She stepped inside the kitchen for a moment, grabbing a clean paper towel and mopping at the sweat on her face.
She'd been working harder than usual that day.
She had volunteered to take a couple of tables so that Alexis had the time to make a few phone calls for her jewelry business.
She had also been unusually alert about keeping the restaurant clean, getting out the carpet sweeper or the dusting rags whenever she saw a dropped piece of food or a smear of grime.
Ordinarily, she allowed the restaurant to look like a restaurant, not an exhibit in the Museum of Cleanliness, but today she had been cleaning as if she wouldn't get a paycheck if she didn't.
She ducked inside the staff bathroom for a moment, checking her reflection in the mirror. She smoothed her hair down, making sure it didn't look too sweaty. Her eyes blinked back at her, intense and also a little sad.
She shook her head at herself. She knew why she'd been working so unusually hard that day. She always enjoyed a fast-paced environment and visiting with The Lighthouse Grill’s regular customers, but she had to admit to herself that she'd been choosing an unnecessary amount of work to tackle that day.
She knew that her desire to keep moving had more to do with trying not to think about her predicament involving the money that Frank left her more than it had to do with anything else.
She blinked at her reflection, almost surprised by how much emotion there was in her eyes. She knew the whole situation had been bothering her, but she'd been running from thoughts about it for so long that she hadn't truly processed just how upset by it she was.
Come on, Vivian, she thought to herself with a sigh. There's no need to work yourself into a fatigue here. Besides, you can't escape thinking about it forever.
She left the bathroom, squaring her shoulders and telling herself that she was going to approach the remainder of her shift with more grace toward herself, keeping in mind the fact that she was only human, not a machine.
She winced a little as she passed a picture of her and Frank that was hanging right outside the kitchen.
She couldn’t help wishing that he’d been the man she thought he was all throughout their marriage.
She was making her way through the dining room, headed toward a table that needed to be cleared of its dishes, when she saw someone walk through the front doors of the pub. A moment later, her face broke into a joyful smile.
“Terrence!” She hurried across the restaurant to embrace him.
“Hi, sweetheart.” He gave her a big hug. “I thought I’d drop by and get a bite for lunch before my next health inspection.”
“So glad you did.” She remembered with amusement when he’d first showed up to The Lighthouse Grill to inspect them, and she’d found him unreasonably fussy and pompous.
She knew that Terrence liked for things to be in order and perfectly up to code, and that was what made him such a great health inspector.
He’d learned to give people a little more grace since they’d started dating, but she’d also come to value his particular ways.
He had a moral code and an unwavering faithfulness to what was right that she valued a great deal, especially after everything that had happened with Frank.
“If you want to sit at that little table by the window, I’ll be over with a cup of coffee in just a minute.
Then I can take your order. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips and went to sit down at the table.
Vivian cleared the dirty table in just a minute and then washed her hands and got Terrence a cup of hot coffee. She’d known he would want coffee, because he always did and he loved the coffee at The Lighthouse Grill. He’d even been the one to help her pick out the brand.
She poured herself a cup of coffee while she was at it, since things had finally slowed down a little, and she felt that she could take the time to rest and chat with her boyfriend for a while.
“Here you are.” She set the coffee cup down in front of him and placed hers beside it. “Let me just put your food order in and then I’ll come chat with you for a bit.”
“Sounds wonderful.” His eyes twinkled at her.
“I’ll just take a Reuben with a side salad and a cup of fruit, without the mangos.
Can I get that to-go? I may have to leave here before I’ve finished eating, I’m waiting to hear back from the manager of this motel.
Doesn’t bode well for them.” Terrence frowned, and Vivian chuckled.
“You got it. Reuben, side salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and a fruit salad with no mangos. Be right back.” She knew what his favorite salad dressing was, so she didn’t have to ask.
When she returned to the table, she saw that he’d placed a saucer over her coffee cup to keep it hot.
“I put just a splash of cream in there, the way you like it,” he said, smiling at her fondly.
“Terrence!” Despite how consistently kind to her he was, she always felt touched by his thoughtfulness. “Thank you.” She sat down and took a grateful sip of the velvety dark liquid. “How’s your day been going?”
“Oh, fine, fine. Busy. But it looks like you’ve had a busy day yourself.”
“Why do you say that?” Vivian asked nervously, lifting a hand to her short hair and wondering if she still looked sweaty and disheveled.
“There are a lot of people here,” Terrence said simply.
“Oh.” She laughed. “Very true.”
“Are you free tonight?”
“I think I probably could be later on this evening. What did you have in mind?” She thought about taking a romantic stroll with him along the beach, and her heart fluttered at the thought.
“There’s a town meeting tonight,” Terrence said.
“Oh, really? I guess things have been so busy that I missed the email on that. What’s the topic?”
“Areas that need funding. I believe the town hall’s roof needs some new shingles after that storm, things like that. Would you like to come with me?”
Vivian shook her head. “I won’t be free that early in the evening unfortunately.
I promised to bring some dinner to Dean and Noelle—he needs the cheering up more than he needs the food right now, you know?
I don’t want to let him down. But –” Her heart started to beat faster as she was struck with a thought.
“I could donate some of the money that Frank left. Maybe that’s what I could do with it—give it away to Rosewood Beach.
I love my town, and I certainly consider it a worthy cause. ”
Terrence frowned a little, showing that he had reservations about that idea.
“Wouldn’t you rather know exactly what the money is being used for?
I mean, I don’t think your money will end up being used for the mayor’s next car or anything shady like that, but a broad donation like that wouldn’t give you control over what the money is actually being used for. ”
Vivian shrugged. “Honestly, Terrence, I feel that it would be best to simply be rid of it. I just hate thinking about it. It feels like a thousand little paper problems following me around.”
“I understand that,” Terrence said gently. “But I would encourage you to think on it for a little while longer. This isn’t a decision to rush, even if you would prefer to rush it.”
Vivian knew that he was right, but she didn’t quite know what to say. She was spared having to answer him, however, because at that moment, his phone buzzed and the screen lit up with a text message.
“Ah, time for me to go,” he said, standing up. “Oh, and there’s Alexis with my to-go order. Perfect timing.” He downed his coffee quickly. “Can I take this cup into the kitchen for you?”
She laughed. “No, but you’re a sweetheart to ask. You enjoy your lunch and have a good rest of your day.”
At that moment, Sally Lipton, the owner of Ocean Breeze Café and a dear friend of Vivian’s, bustled inside the restaurant. She looked around eagerly and waved a second later when she caught sight of Vivian and Terrence.
“Hi! I was just walking past and I thought I’d come in and say hi.”
“It’s hi and bye for me, I’m afraid,” Terrence said with a smile. “I’m off to work.”
“Hi and bye then, Terrence,” Sally said with a laugh.
“Bye, Vivian.” Terrence kissed Vivian on the cheek fondly. “Think on what I said, would you?”
She nodded. “I will.”
Terrence took the to-go bag from Alexis and headed out of The Lighthouse Grill, whistling a little as he went.
“You know, I’m surprised that man allows himself to eat while he drives,” Vivian said with a chuckle.
“Oh, he’s probably got some perfect system where he only ever takes a bite at stoplights or stop signs.” Sally laughed. “What was he saying? What does he want you to think on?”
Vivian sighed, sitting back down at the table and taking a sip of her coffee. “Something I’d rather not think about, I’m afraid. Would you like me to get you a cup of coffee?”
“Very smooth change of subject,” Sally said with a wink. “But I can get myself a cup. Why don’t we go sit at the counter together and have a girl chat? You’re always there to encourage me when I’m feeling low. Whatever this is, we can talk about it.”