20. Fewer Eyes
FEWER EYES
“ Y ou’re dating Elias, the fifth son, right?”
“What?” she asked, turning around in the grocery store, her hand still on the apple she was putting in the produce bag.
She caught the part about her boyfriend’s name. Which she was secretly referring to him as. But the part about him being the fifth son and not referring to the local company he owned threw her off. The way it was phrased was what confused her.
“The guy that owns Fifth Kid Brewing,” the woman said. “Elias Carlisle. You’re dating him, right? I mean I’d think you’d know who he was and all.”
It was the way the woman was leaning into her and talking low as if she had some mystery she was trying to comprehend.
“I do know who Elias is,” she said, forcing a smile. “I’m assuming you know him?”
Since the guy had been in her bed twice in the past week and she’d been in his once, she’d say she knew him fairly well.
She’d spent last Friday night with him; he’d stayed at her place on Saturday and Tuesday.
She was going to his house again tonight when he got home.
He was working late and she took off a little early to pick up some food and get a few things done from home.
Sophie, Ellen, and her most recent paralegal, Kayla, had it all covered.
“My husband works for him,” the woman said.
“That’s nice,” she said. “Can I ask how you knew I was dating him?”
Elias had told her that her neighbor next to her had been looking out the window the first night he’d stayed. No one had said a word to her about a man at her place and she’d probably laugh if they did now.
Here in public, she didn’t want to be a bitch, but she wasn’t so positive she liked everyone knowing her business either.
“Oh,” the woman said. “I saw you two out to dinner the other night. Everyone knows Elias. He’s done so much for the community.” The woman leaned in again. “Not everyone likes him, but I think it’s a great thing.”
Since the woman’s husband worked for Elias, she was hoping he wasn’t going to get trashed.
“I didn’t catch your name,” she said.
“Zoe Blanchard. My husband is Tristian. He’s worked for Elias since he took over the business. They’d run that last brewery into the ground. I didn’t catch your name either,” Zoe said.
So much for getting away with this, but she learned that in this small town, everyone wanted to know everyone else’s business.
She put her hand out. “Phoebe Kelly,” she said.
“Oh, the new law firm in town,” Zoe said.
Not surprising Zoe knew that information too.
“That is me,” she said.
“It’s nice you two are dating. So many would love to land Elias, not just for his family name but the business. But I bet you don’t care about those things.”
“I don’t,” she said. How the hell had picking out apples turned into this with a stranger?
“That’s good,” Zoe said. “I know you’re probably thinking I’m rude saying this all to you, but Tristian likes his job and now that things are expanding even more with Fierce, he’s worried they might get bought out.”
“Sorry,” she said. “I can’t help you there.”
“I know,” Zoe said. “But billionaires always do those things. Buy and sell, so you know, it’s a concern for the area. Not that there is anything wrong with Fierce, but things are different.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t help you with your concerns or fears either.”
“I know,” Zoe said again. “I’ll let you get back to your shopping.”
“Thanks,” she said, surprised the smile stayed on her face. Guess she wasn’t as cold or snobby as people thought she was.
“Hello there, Ms. Kelly.”
She turned from where she was looking at the meat to see who called her name.
“Chief Morrison, how are you doing?”
“Doing well,” Chief said. “Good to see you frequenting our local store.”
“No reason to drive far to pick up food when I can come here,” she said. She didn’t care about going to a supercenter to save a few dollars. Time was more important to her.
“We appreciate the growth that has been happening around here lately. Hope it continues.”
Oh lord. Did they expect her to comment on that?
“Well, since I can be considered part of the growth and it would help my business, I’m right there with you.”
Chief Morrison laughed and walked away.
She went through the store picking up the rest of her food and something to cook at Elias’s tonight.
When she was checking out, the woman said, “Tell Elias my granddaughter appreciated the Christmas gifts.”
She lifted her head from where she was loading her food onto the belt to see if it was her that got addressed.
This was unbelievable. In just one month, people on the street recognized her and knew about her dating life. It was crazy.
No one else was in line at the moment though so it had to be her. “Are you talking to me?” she asked, just to clarify things.
“Yes,” the woman said. Her nametag said Dottie on it. “Elias. He helped my daughter out this year for Christmas. Well, secret Santa did. My daughter, she’s had a rough year and the brewery raised funds to help families for the holiday.”
“That was nice,” she said. “I’ll pass it along.”
There was no reason to ask how this woman was aware she was dating Elias or even knew her.
She honestly didn’t want to know.
She paid for her groceries, put the bags in her cart, and walked to her car.
The minute she got home, she debated for about five minutes whether to call her mother.
“Phoebe,” her mother said, answering the phone. “I didn’t think I’d hear from you until the weekend. Everything okay with work?”
She normally called her mother on Sundays.
“Work is going well, as I’m sure you and Dad know. I snuck out a few hours early today to pick up some food and work from home.”
“Good for you,” her mother said. “I’m sure you’re burning the candle at both ends. How are things with Elias?”
“I think they are going great. I’m going to his house tonight to cook and then stay. It’s better as there are fewer eyes on us that way.”
“I hear the sarcasm in your voice,” her mother said. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not used to this small-town living. The fact that everyone knows Elias and now they are putting us together and I’m not sure how.”
“Tell me what happened,” her mother said.
She explained the three conversations in the grocery store. “It’s not the first time it’s happened either. We almost can never go out without someone stopping him to comment on his beer or knowing him, or something about the community that he plays a part in.”
Her mother was laughing. “You need to make yourself a part of the community too.”
“I am,” she said. “I didn’t think it’d be by dating Elias though.”
“Ahhhh,” her mother said. “That is what annoys you. You think people are going to think you’re trying to make a name for yourself by dating him.”
“No,” she said. Why hadn’t I thought of that? “Do you think people would think that?”
Which was a stupid question considering her interactions with the locals.
“If that isn’t what your concern is, then what is it?” her mother asked.
“I don’t like so many people knowing my business,” she said. “It’s annoying. I mean it’s a small grocery store and I have an employee’s spouse stopping me because they saw us at dinner one night. That’s how the Chief knows me too. Stopping to talk to Elias one night when we were out.”
“That’s not a bad thing and you know it,” her mother said.
“No,” she said. “I get that. He didn’t bring up Elias’s name, but commented on enjoying the growth. You know, like the underlying statement was that Elias played a big part in it.”
“I like the way you answered it though,” her mother said.
“I didn’t want to be a bitch,” she said.
“Never,” her mother said. “That isn’t like you.”
“I’ve heard myself described that way before,” she said.
“During work, sure. It happens. I’ve been told it a few times myself. I don’t care all that much and you shouldn’t either.”
“I know. I do find it nice all the things Elias has done for the area. He’s all about giving back. At first, I thought it was because he knew he was so big for the area and doesn’t want to piss people off.”
“That can and will happen anywhere,” her mother said. “I’m willing to bet there is more to it. Most likely his upbringing.”
“Yes,” she said. “He gives back. He cares. I’ve seen that in the short time we’ve been together.”
“When do I get to meet him?” her mother asked. “I haven’t wanted to ask before. I figured it was too early to come for a visit.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure,” she said. “He’s got to go to Charlotte soon. If it’s the end of a week or something, maybe I’ll see if I can do it with him and we can stay overnight. I don’t know if I can work it into my schedule.”
“If it doesn’t, then your father and I can take a trip to see you. It is hard, but I’m sure we can figure it out. Do you have plans with him this weekend?”
“Not much,” she said. “There isn’t a lot to do around here. I don’t like to go out to dinner all the time.”
“Because that is even more people to see you?” her mother asked, laughing. “This is funny considering going out to dinner was a pastime of yours when you lived here.”
“Pretty much,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind seeing his brewery. It’d be interesting, but I doubt he wants me there and I can’t take too much of the smell.”
“Did you tell him that?” her mother asked.
She heard the humor in her mother’s voice.
“I did. He had to check to see if he still had a pulse. As if it was a personal insult to him.”
“Ben would be the same way,” her mother said. “Remember how hard he worked to find a beer that Eve would drink because she didn’t like beer?”
Her future sister-in-law told the story as if Ben was going to have a heart attack when he grabbed his chest over that comment.
“I remember,” she said.
“It might be nice to see a part of his world,” her mother said. “I’m sure it’s a massive part of his life.”
“It is,” she said. She knew it from Ben.
But she’d like to think she was becoming part of Elias’s world too in the short time they’ve been together.
“Do you think you’ll bring him to Ben’s wedding?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s kind of tricky.”
“How is that?” her mother asked. “You ask if he can come or not.”
“His sister is getting married two weeks before. I don’t want to put the pressure on him he has to ask me to go there. And that is in New York. He’ll be flying there a few days before too.”
“And because it could be a last minute invitation you’re worried work could stop you from going and you don’t want him annoyed or upset, so maybe it’s best to not even bring it up and let him deal with it first?”
“That is kind of where I was going with it,” she said.
“I’m not going to get in the middle of your relationship,” her mother said. “But don’t put too much thought into it. Then you get hurt feelings when they don’t go the way you want. It’s why you take so long to decide on things in the first place. You overthink it.”
“I know,” she said. “But it’s new and I like where we are at. Sometimes it’s best to stay in that place.”
“Phoebe?” her mother asked.
“What?” she said. “I’m still here.”
“I wasn’t sure. Those didn’t sound like words out of my daughter’s mouth. She never stayed in one spot in life for long. I’d hate to think that was happening now.”
“Heard,” she said.
Even when she wasn’t sure of an answer or what to do, she didn’t stay put for long, as her mother said.
“Now you’re being grouchy.”
“Just a little,” she said. “And I’m going to change now. Elias texted so I’ll see what is going on.”
She hung up with her mother, looked at her text, and saw Elias had a call in a few minutes he hoped wouldn’t last long and planned to be home by six.
She replied she’d see him then unless he got held up.
Enough time for her to ponder about what her mother said.