Chapter 9
Van
Though Liam had recommended I try the Oceana Grill, I wasn't in the mood to spend most of my paycheck on one meal.
Splurging was not in the near forecast, but maybe I could treat myself to something other than canned food, boosted with fresh veggies.
With that in mind, I headed over to the pizzeria I'd passed more times than I could count.
It sat a handful of buildings down from the bakery and Bookish, hopefully giving me a buffer from temptation.
There were many people I wanted to know better, but I was reluctant to get involved in so much as a friendship with anyone.
So I walked into Napoli's, the tangy aroma of tomato sauce and spices drawing me toward the counter.
They sold their pizzas whole and by the slice, along with pasta dishes and salads.
The dessert case called my name, but I thought maybe I'd push my luck at the bakery later.
Assuming they were open that late, which I hadn't thought to check.
"You can take a menu and sit down if you want, and I'll come take your order when you're ready."
The voice evoked cotton candy and licorice whips, but it was attached to a full-grown woman, making me blink twice before I could answer. "I think I'm ready now, actually."
"Sure." The name tag on her white button-down read Anna; she was the woman I’d seen walking on the beach with Ellie. "What can I get you?"
"This one." I pointed to a pizza covered in some of everything. "Can I get a small, plus a side of breadsticks?"
We exchanged money, and she assured me she'd bring the food out when it was ready.
I nabbed a paper menu for something to occupy my time while I waited, finding the woman's face plastered on the back alongside a man her age and an older couple.
There was a long biography for the pizzeria, beginning with Alan and Mary Murphy, who opened the place in the 70s but no longer ran it.
Instead, they'd entrusted the day-to-day operations to their son and daughter-in-law—who decided to sit across from me at the two-top table as she delivered my food.
"Are you Van? I'm Anna Murphy." She was short, and with her blonde hair and girlish voice, she reminded me of Kristin Chenoweth. Nothing about her screamed Italian to me.
"Yeah, I am." There was no point sighing in frustration, though I desperately wanted to.
"Newcomers are a hot topic, but all I've heard about you is that you work with Chris."
"That's right." I picked up a breadstick, hoping she'd leave me in peace to eat.
She rose, and I said a silent thank you. "I'll bring you some tiramisu on the house as a welcome to town."
"You don't have to do that," I called after her as she walked away.
Obviously, the townspeople would eagerly smother me with kindness.
Every single one of them would end up with a place in my heart, more to mourn when the reaper came to call.
It didn't seem as though I could stop it; like a tsunami, they all crashed over each other in a competition to be the most thoughtful of the bunch.
The pizza was excellent, not only because the crust was clearly homemade, but because someone else had made it for me.
It was hot, cheesy, and I didn't have to come up with the recipe on my own.
Knowing it was probably stupid, I saved some of the crust to bring home to Heidi.
It wasn't exactly healthy for her, but she deserved a treat now and then, too.
"Here you are." Anna set a dessert plate on the table across from me.
"That looks amazing."
"Thanks. The recipe has been passed down through my mother-in-law’s family for generations."
She looked up when the door opened, and I went back to eating as she greeted the new customers.
"Alex, Ellie! Come on in."
Fuck me.
"How are you, Anna?"
They spent a few minutes chatting, and the man from the picture on the menu came out from the back so they could all talk.
More than ever, it hit me how interconnected these people were.
They all knew each other, likely from childhood, and they spent their money in their fellow neighborhood establishments in solidarity with supporting small businesses.
The four of them talked animatedly, and it was similar to how I'd assumed they all sat around whispering about my every move.
No one could speak out of turn without the whole town knowing by the end of the day.
From what I could hear from where I was sitting, apparently Andrea had filed a police report, and Larry had been arrested earlier in the day.
The four of them batted around opinions about how long he'd be in jail and whether any of them would have to testify.
Suddenly, I realized I was guilty of eavesdropping on their gossip. Instead of listening further, I focused on the TV in the far corner playing reruns of Law I'd turned around to speak to her, and she'd disappeared.
There was a part of me that had wanted to ask her to stay, and a part that had wanted to be alone.
The choice had been taken from me, which I thought was for the best at the time.
But now, we shared a comfortable silence. Well, mostly. My brain never quite stopped, always keeping an eye out for who else was in the surrounding area. Only a handful of people walked ankle-deep in the chilly water, and they were farther down the strand.
"Sometimes I hate the ocean." Her tone had become musing, and I gave her space by watching Heidi sniff at every shell and pebble we passed. "Knowing my parents were lost to its depths, to the call of the waves, and the hidden treasure beneath."
The idea was disheartening. "They died doing what they loved, right?"
"That's what they tell me. Charlie was an excellent fisherman, and Sarah was not only his companion on the water but a great fisherwoman in her own right."
"How old were you?" Since Heidi strained at the end of her leash, I unhooked it and let her go.
"Nine months."
"Damn," I murmured. "Truly a baby."
Barking and jumping headfirst into the surf, Heidi brought a smile to my face.
"How long have you had her?"
Blowing air through my lips, I tiptoed along the truth. "Years. Uh, six, give or take."
"She's incredibly well-trained," Bailey commented.
I hummed.
"Riley would care for me while my parents were working."
My shoulders dropped at her change of subject, and I felt the corners of my mouth turn up in appreciation. "So you knew her before she became your de facto parent."
Glancing around, Bailey seemed to make a decision. Plopping in the sand, she brought her knees up in front of her. "She was my mother's best friend, ever since she moved here from Alabama as a teenager."
Sitting beside her, I stressed over how much room to leave between us. Not close enough to touch, but not so far that it insulted her.
"Riley is quintessentially southern, full of quirky sayings and a thick accent."
A trawler came into view, the sunset outlining the rigging and the bright red hull cutting through the water. Bailey waved, which was returned with the blowing of the ship's horn.
"You know them?"
"That's Jeremy's boat."
Heidi ran over, shaking out her fur so hard she lifted her back legs off the sand.
"Crazy girl, what are you doing?"
Instead of coming closer, she ran headlong back into the water.
Laughingly, Bailey said, "She'll bring the entire ocean back in her coat."
Struggling to ask what I didn't yet have a right to know, I fumbled out, "I, um, so, who's Jeremy?"
"A fisherman."
That was pretty obvious; at least she hadn't said he was her boyfriend. Maybe Bailey had secrets too. Or maybe she was playing my cat-and-mouse game of half-truths and little white lies.
"We used to work at Napoli's together in high school. Delivering pizza." Shrugging, she rested her head on her knees. Deep brown eyes latched onto me, a shy smile gracing her face. "We don't hang out much anymore."
"Do you have any idea how breathtaking your smile is?
" Unsure why I'd said it out loud, the words were nonetheless out in the atmosphere.
Warm ocean breezes lifted my hair, invisible hands nudging me toward this newfound crush.
It would hurt when I fell, physically and emotionally, but I couldn't stop gravity.
Fighting it was pointless, and possibly not worth the aggravation when it inevitably won.
"No, but feel free to tell me more." Her smile had grown, and my face mirrored hers.
"You're enough to mess me up inside, and I never even saw you coming."
"Messing you up inside isn't my intention." Leaning until her knees bumped mine, she said, "Messing up the outside is another story."
I was seconds from kissing her when Heidi pushed her way between us, her wet body quivering in excitement. As Bailey squealed, Heidi licked her face until she knocked her over.
"Oh, God, you're covered in sand." Standing and pushing Heidi away, I reached down to help Bailey up.
"It'll rinse off."
It was almost comical how much sand clung to her damp clothes. Maybe there was an outdoor shower or something at the marina. "Where?"
"My place is closer than yours."
Fuck. Me. "Are you inviting me over?"
Glancing at Heidi, she responded, "If you're willing."
"Is my wet dog going to mess up your floors?"
"Nah. We can give her a bath in my tub."
So, I attached Heidi's leash back to her collar, and she happily trotted beside Bailey as we navigated around tourists taking pictures on Hudson Street. Instinctively, I ducked my head to ensure my face wasn't visible in any of the shots.
"It's bad, isn't it?"
"What is?" I muttered.
"Whatever you're hiding from."
"I don't really want to focus on that right now."
But I would have to, eventually. I couldn't let Bailey entangle her life with mine unless she knew the entire truth.
Her warm hand clasped mine, squeezing my fingers. Instead of shaking her off like I should—as my inner fear screamed at me to do—I squeezed back.
Life is short, they say. If mine was destined to be shorter than most, maybe I should enjoy it instead of hiding from it. Even if it scared me half to death.