CHAPTER FOUR #2
Hazel shook her head. “It hasn’t come up, and I didn’t want to say anything until I was officially on duty. But I owe her a phone call, and I’ll tell her then. How about you? Are you enjoying working at the landscaping company?”
“Yes, though I don’t see David much at all except in the evenings when he comes home from work. His mother is a delight, and I often wonder if this is what it must be like to have a real mother.”
“Everyone knows she adores you,” said Hazel.
She knew her mother loved her, but they had very different ideas about what was important in life.
Elliott Gladstone was part of that problematic situation.
Her mother and his had planned for them to marry when they were just toddlers.
They’d dated, but Hazel was very aware that he had no interest in her or any other woman.
Their mothers, however, didn’t have a clue.
Hazel and Misty hugged, and then Hazel went home to change into a pair of jeans and a red Sports Center T-shirt. On some people, they might look ordinary, but on Hazel’s long shapely legs, the jeans looked especially attractive, and the T-shirt showed off her full breasts without being too obvious.
Mike and Ross were taking her to dinner at the Lilac Lake café.
###
When she walked into the café, Hazel saw Mike and Ross sitting at a table outside with another man.
Ross saw her and waved her over.
Hazel approached the table, studying the slim, nice-looking, brown-haired man wearing glasses, gesturing to Mike as he spoke.
All three men stood as she approached and settled into her chair.
“Hello,” Hazel said, smiling at the three of them.
“Hazel, I’d like you to meet Craig Evans, our financial manager,” said Ross. “He’s just moved here from Boston. Craig, this is Hazel Belmont, the woman who’s going to keep us organized. You two may want to set up some individual meetings to see how you can work together.”
“Craig’s a whiz at keeping track of the many filings we must do and catching spots where we can improve,” said Mike.
“Do you give advice like a consultant?” Hazel asked Craig.
“I try to comment when I see things that need to be addressed,” he said. “Things like pricing for classes and lessons. Where they might be increased or decreased for better participation.”
“I like that. I have questions to ask you. For instance, I noticed the Center doesn’t have a retail outlet where tennis rackets and gear, baseball mitts, and such can be sold.
I bet the Concord sports store, Access Sports, might be interested in making a deal with the Center to sell things at the Center, with us getting a portion of the sales. Something like that.”
All three men smiled at her.
Craig chuckled. “No wonder Ross and Mike are so pleased to have you on board. Great idea.”
“There are ways to increase sales and participation at all times of the year by cooperating with the Inn for workout weekends and the like,” said Hazel. “I worked with a non-profit one summer, and there are all kinds of ways to make do through cooperative efforts.”
“When I checked your references, the praise for your work was outstanding,” said Ross. “Now, I see why.”
He glanced at Mike.
“Yes, I think it’s going to work out just fine,” Mike said.
Hazel warmed to their praise, feeling she’d made the right choice by leaving teaching. She’d already decided she’d get her taste of being with kids by helping out at some of the summer camps they were offering.
A waitress came to their table, and they all ordered. Then Hazel sat back in her chair, content to participate in non-business talk.
“Where are you living?” she asked Craig.
“I’m renting a house in town from Blake Loomis,” said Craig. “If I like it, I may buy it from him. He recently bought it to fix up.”
“That sounds interesting. You’ll love living in town,” said Hazel. “Of course, small-town living has its quirks.”
“I’m fine with any of it. I came out years ago and am comfortable with myself.” He flashed her a smile that lit his dark eyes, and Hazel returned it. Craig seemed like a very nice man.
###
That evening, Hazel sat at her kitchen table making notes about the day’s activities and what she intended to work on. She was pleased by the way Mike and Ross had encouraged her to do her own thing, only checking in with them when it was necessary.
Her cell phone rang. Her mother.
“Hi, Mom. I’ve been meaning to call you. I said I would, but time has slipped away. Let me tell you what I’ve been doing.”
“I hope you’re getting ready to come home and spend the summer with your father and me and, of course, Elliott.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about,” Hazel said.
“I have a new job. I’m no longer teaching and have started working at the new Sports Center here in town.
It’s a much bigger operation than it sounds.
They have every kind of sports facilities available, along with classes and children’s camps.
As you can imagine, summer is a very busy time for us. ”
“Whoa! Wait a minute. No longer teaching? What happened? You know how I feel about the importance of your teaching. It’s so respectable.”
“I agree, but the school needed to eliminate a third-grade teacher, and because I was hired last, I was the first to be let go. And as it so happened, I’m excited to be doing a different kind of work for more money and with the same benefits.”
“Did you say Sports Center? What kind of job is there for you? You haven’t played tennis since high school,” her mother said testily.
“I’m their new administrator,” Hazel said proudly. “It gives me a chance to use my organizational skills and a lot of creativity. I’ve just started, but I love it already.”
“It might be an opportunity to meet a lot of young men there,” said her mother. “Your cousin, Marla, has just announced she’s having her second baby. Your aunt is ecstatic.”
“Mom, you know I’m not ready to settle down, and certainly not with Elliott.” Hazel couldn’t, wouldn’t say why. It was up to Elliott to come out on his own. She’d do nothing to hurt him. He was kind and sweet to her.
“Do you have some man up there you’re not telling me about?” her mother asked slyly.
“Yes,” blurted Hazel, tired of this old game. Too late, she realized she might’ve made a bad choice.
“Oh, in that case, let me know when I can come visit and meet him. In the meantime, I think Elliott is planning to come to Lilac Lake. This way, he could see for himself. I’m so glad we had this chance to talk. Now, who is the lucky man to have your attention?”
Hazel froze. She needed to pick someone who had no interest in her but who might be willing to play along. She mentally raced through her list of single male friends and suddenly knew who that might be.
“His name is Mike. Mike Dawson.”
“Excellent,” said her mother. “Such a pleasant-sounding name. Now, tell me what he does.”
“Mom, I’m not ready to talk about him,” said Hazel firmly. “You don’t want to jinx it, do you?”
“No, you’re right. Just let me know when I can fly up there,” said her mother. “Oops! Here’s your father. He’s taking me to dinner at the club. He says hello. You and I will talk later. Love you.”
“Love you too,” said Hazel, feeling sick at the thought of the lie she’d told her mother. It was sure to come back and bite her in the behind.