4. Book Club
4
BOOK CLUB
Mara
I drove up the long driveway to Lianna’s house for book club and parked behind three other cars at the edge of the grass. Her sprawling house sat at the top of a huge hill, overlooking one of the country clubs. I turned off my Mazda, and the abrupt halt of the air-conditioning made me feel the thick, post-rainstorm heat all the more. I got out of my car, feeling the humid air clinging to my skin. I was running late, so I still had on the t-shirt and black jeans I’d worn to work.
Looking around, I didn’t see Scarlet Smith’s car. I had been hoping to corner the mayor and ask about Ford Ross. Scarlet probably knew him since they had both grown up in this town and were around the same age. Besides, she was notoriously well-informed. If Mr. Hollywood Director was trouble, she’d let me know.
But Ford Ross was intriguing. Sexy, too, and intelligent, which was like catnip to me. I couldn’t help thinking about him, even though I knew that men as intense and driven as he seemed to be could complicate a woman’s life. Complications were the last thing I needed right now. My world was a big enough mess already, and I could only blame myself for that. My self- confidence seemed to exist only when I was managing the store. In all other areas, I was a hot mess, constantly second-guessing myself.
Since I knew Lianna never expected her guests to stand on ceremony, I walked in without knocking and followed the sound of voices toward her kitchen. When I stepped through the doorway, I spotted all my friends heading out the patio door.
Lianna’s open and welcoming demeanor put me at ease. When I’d moved here a year ago to take over opening the store, we’d immediately hit it off. When I’d revealed my computer background, she’d wrapped me in a hug and declared we’d be lifelong friends. She’d been right. She’d become my go-to person for after-work drinks or girls’ nights watching Netflix when her husband was out of town.
Now, Lianna waved for the others to go on outside before hurrying over to greet me. “I’m so glad you’re here.” As she enfolded me in one of her amazing hugs, her long, wavy brown hair tickled my shoulder, bringing with it the light scent of lilacs. “The only person who’s missing is Scarlet.”
I let go of her and nervously rubbed my hands down my jeans, grazing the outline of Ford’s business card in my pocket. I hoped Scarlet wouldn’t be a no-show. “Is she coming?”
“She’ll be here. She said she’d probably be late. Mayoral duties.” Lianna crossed to the small counter just off the kitchen that served as a bar. She raised an empty wine glass. “Can I pour you something? We were just heading outside to enjoy this gorgeous weather. Spring is off to a great start.”
“Gorgeous weather? Only if you’re a tree frog—or maybe a salamander.” I eyed Lianna’s lightweight summer dress with envy. “It’s way too hot and humid.”
“To-may-to, to-mah-to. I’ve been cooped up in the office all day and I’m dying to get some sun.”
I examined the wine bottles arranged on the bar, one of which dripped with enticing droplets of condensation. “I’ll take some of that chilled pinot grigio.”
Lianna attached a round red, white, and blue wine charm that reminded me of Captain America’s shield onto the stem of my glass, poured a generous amount into it, and handed it over.
“Enjoy,” Liana said. “It’s just us girls tonight. Paul’s out of town again.” The lines between her eyebrows deepened as she frowned. “At this rate,” she muttered almost to herself, “I’m beginning to think I’ll never get pregnant.”
That came as a surprise. “I didn’t realize you were trying.” Lianna was one of my closest friends. Why hadn’t I known she was trying to have a baby?
Some friend you are, Mara .
Lianna glanced away. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. You didn’t know because I’ve kept it to myself. I’m getting frustrated, though. Not being able to conceive makes me feel like a failure, which is stupid, I know. I guess that’s why I never mentioned it.” She hesitated, then blurted out, “We’ve been trying for nearly three years.”
And she’d never once mentioned it to me before? Why now? “I’m sorry. That has to be hard.”
She shrugged. “It is what it is. At least not having kids means I can pour myself into my work. It’s a good thing I like my job. I do wish Paul didn’t have to travel so much for work, but other than that, I love my life.”
Lianna worked as a program manager for a large software company. I knew from my experience in the video game industry how demanding managing an IT project could be. I still missed it sometimes. But it wasn’t a life most people would covet.
I envied Lianna’s passion for her job. Too bad I didn’t feel the same way when it came to running Ghost of a Chance. Too often, I resented the amount of work I had to devote to it.
“Do you ever wonder if you work too hard?” I asked, voicing the question I’d been asking myself lately.
Lianna raised one eyebrow. “And you don’t? You don’t have any employees to share the burden, and you haven’t taken a single day off since you opened that place.”
“I know, I know. But in my defense, I’m closed every Sunday and Monday.”
“Right. And you spend those days doing bookkeeping or marketing or website maintenance. You’ve been picking up some freelance work too, right? Don’t try to fool me, Mara. You wouldn’t recognize free time if it bit you in the butt.”
I offered a faint smile, trying to muster up some energy. Lianna was right. The past year had been grueling, with relentless work to get my store off the ground, but it felt like I’d barely made any headway.
Lianna let out a dramatic sigh and gestured toward the French doors. “Speaking of free time, we should go outside and join the others. Rose recruited a new member.”
As I stepped onto the patio, the sweet scent of freshly mown grass hit me, carried on a cooling breeze. Except it wasn’t a natural breeze, it was from an electric fan. Lianna had set up a couple of them to cool the seating area, and I stepped in front of one, feeling the breeze ruffle my ponytail.
The patio was a charming little oasis. Colorful cushions were scattered around a low table in the center, surrounded by potted plants bursting with pink and purple blooms. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Three book club members and an older woman I didn’t recognize watched me from their cushioned seats. I wondered what Ford might think if he saw us all together. Wait. No. I needed to banish that man from my thoughts.
We were a diverse group, which made our monthly gatherings entertaining. Apart from me, Lianna, and our missing mayor Scarlet, today’s group consisted of a bubbly librarian, a brainy cancer researcher —plus this new member who appeared to be quite a bit older than the rest of us. I pegged her as being in her late seventies. The rest of us ranged from our late twenties to early thirties.
I succumbed to the gravitational pull of the food tray on the low table. The loaf of crusty Italian bread looked like it had been baked fresh this morning. The dipping bowl of oil was dotted with bits of roasted garlic and spices, and the blocks of various cheeses and dish of kalamata olives beckoned to me.
I greeted the group with a playful, “Greetings, earthlings,” as I grabbed a plate and loaded it up with snacks.
Courtney, the cancer researcher with the sharp wit, lifted her wine glass adorned with a white cancer-awareness charm. “Hi, Mara.”
I teased her with a smile, “Cured cancer yet?” But Courtney didn’t bat an eye as she tucked her long red hair behind her ear. “Not yet, but I’m inching closer.”
I loved spending time with these women. They challenged me intellectually, which was something I missed from my former job. Just a year ago, I’d been a hotshot code-slinger and game developer. My business partner Destiny and I had been rising stars in the video game industry.
I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I’d made the right decision. When I left the video game industry to open Ghost of a Chance, I’d sold my half of our startup to Destiny and used the funds to open the store. It hadn’t been a smooth transition, but it was a dream come true.
I stepped closer to the low stone wall that separated Lianna’s elegant stone patio from the sloping lawn, captivated by the sight of two horseback riders crossing the open field below. Dressed in black equestrian helmets and tall riding boots, they were a picture of grace and power.
With a contented sigh, I claimed the spot next to Courtney on the sofa, setting my Captain America wine glass beside her cancer awareness one. Lianna took the chair at the head of the table, glancing around to introduce the newest member of our eclectic book club.
“Mara, this is Gertrude,” Lianna said, gesturing to the elegant woman to her right.
To my surprise, Gertrude immediately rose to her feet and extended her hand. Despite being my grandmother’s age, she moved with the grace and energy of someone in her thirties. Suppressing my groan at my tired feet, I pushed myself up from the couch to shake her hand, impressed by her agility. “Great to meet you. How did you learn about our book club?”
“I saw a flyer at the library,” Gertrude replied as we sat back down. She glanced at Rose, who sat at the foot of the table.
The oscillating fan caught Rose’s humidity-frizzed reddish-brown hair, and she brushed it away from her face. “We talked about finding more members, so I made a flyer and put it on the library’s bulletin board. Gertrude volunteers there, so we talk a lot.” As Rose spoke, the breeze from the fan carried the scent of freshly mown grass, making me long for the cool, open fields below the patio.
“We see each other at yoga too,” Gertrude pointed out.
“Which is why I got you a yoga charm for your wineglass,” Rose said, tipping her head toward the glass. “Each of us has a unique wine charm so we don’t mix up our glasses.”
Gertrude lifted her glass in a toast. “Thank you. It’s perfect.”
“Gertrude, I’m impressed you’ve already read the book. Not all our members manage it,” Courtney said, giving Lianna a pointed glance with her catlike green eyes.
“I do my best,” Lianna defended herself. “I usually read most of the book.”
“Or you watch the movie adaptation,” Courtney added, arching one elegant eyebrow.
“Busted,” Rose said, grinning and waggling a finger at Lianna. “Hey, we’ve all pulled that trick. We won’t judge.”
The French doors opened, and Scarlet strolled through them, dressed in a red suit as vibrant as her name. Her sophisticated bob haircut completed her poised look. Memories flooded back as I recalled our first encounter when I’d gone to the zoning office to open my store. She’d warmly welcomed me to the community, and it hadn’t seemed as though she’d been going through the motions and mouthing polite words. She’d really meant it. She was happy to have me here. Over the past year, she regularly stopped by the shop to see how I was doing.
“You sure know how to make an entrance,” I greeted her, my sore feet forgotten for the moment.
Lianna stood up and joined me. “It’s always a pleasure to see our illustrious mayor.”
Scarlet beamed at us and gave us quick hugs. “Sorry I’m late. I was judging the Gettysburg Address competition.”
Rose’s interest was piqued. “I know a few eighth graders who planned to compete. How did they do this year? Was there a clear winner?”
Scarlet’s face lit up. “There was this one boy who stood out. Although all of them had memorized the Gettysburg Address, he delivered it with such emotion that it was hard to believe he was so young. He was simply exceptional.”
I wondered if Ford had taken part in that contest when he’d been a boy. Lianna returned to her chair, so I took the opportunity to pull out Ford’s business card and hand it to Scarlet. “Do you happen to know this guy? He stopped by my shop,” I said.
Scarlet took the card and studied it closely. Her eyes went wide. “Ford Ross is in town? Wow. He’s a local superstar. Heck, that’s an understatement. He’s a national star. I’ll have to give him a call and welcome him back.”
Rose let out an excited shriek. “Ford Ross is in Sewickley? I just saw his photo in Here’s the Scoop . That guy is so hot . So was his date. He’s always out with some new actress.”
Hot certainly described Ford, with his wavy light-brown hair and his too-charming smile. The tall, slim, toned slice of gorgeousness filled out a pair of jeans in an enticing sort of way. Let’s just say, the man had excellent ass-ets. When he’d aimed that damned smile at me, it had made my knees go weak.
Suddenly, my brain locked onto a key part of what Rose had said. “What do you mean when you say, ‘some new actress?’”
“According to Here’s the Scoop , since his divorce, there have been a string of them. He’s never dated anyone for long,” Rose said with a shrug.
I furrowed my brows as I reached back and pulled my ponytail tighter.
Lianna arched an eyebrow. “You read Here’s the Scoop ?”
Rose shrugged. “Sure. People , too. And E! Online .” She toyed with the little book charm on her wineglass. “We have all sorts of magazines in the library. I might love books, but I also adore looking at photos of beautiful people on the red carpet.”
Gertrude set her napkin on the table and sat up straighter. “As in, the red carpet at a movie premiere?”
“Yes!” Rose squealed. “Ford Ross won an award at Sundance for best director. He’s a hot commodity. Can you believe it? A Sewickley native!”
“His movie was great,” Scarlet said, her pride and pleasure apparent in the warmth of her voice. “The theater here in Sewickley brought it back for a repeat showing after he won.”
My head was spinning. Red carpets, movie stars, awards - it was all so overwhelming. I plopped down clumsily onto the patio cushion. Ford’s life sounded vastly different from mine, and he sounded a bit too famous for my tastes. Not to mention, Rose’s comments suggested he was a womanizer. I didn’t want to get mixed up with someone who ran through women like they were nothing more than discarded tissues. Not after the way Doug had cheated on me.
I stopped myself, not wanting to dwell on Doug. I crossed my legs, leaned against the arm of the sofa, and forced myself to relax.
Scarlet sat between me and Courtney, and Courtney turned to her. “I don’t watch movies or follow the entertainment industry, so why does Ford’s name sound so familiar?”
“Hmm.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe because he was friends with your brother Conner?” Scarlet suggested, setting her wineglass with its silver gavel charm on the coffee table before leaning back against the sofa cushions. “Ford was in the same grade as me and Conner, but he went to the private school, Middlebridge Academy. Since I attended the public school, I probably wouldn’t have spent much time with him if our families hadn’t belonged to the same country club. My mom and dad hosted regular fundraisers for my uncle’s senate campaign. Ford’s dad was a contributor.”
“Now I remember him,” Courtney said, nodding. “We met at Conner’s graduation party.”
Scarlet glanced around the table. “Am I the last to arrive? Sorry if I kept you waiting.”
Courtney clinked her wineglass with Scarlet’s. “We’d never start without you, Madam Mayor.”
“Let’s discuss the book before we get distracted again,” Scarlet said. “We’re bad about that. Lianna, you chose the novel we read this month. Do you have some discussion questions for us?”
As the conversation turned to the book club selection, I let out a sigh of relief. It was nice to focus on something other than Ford’s celebrity status and womanizing reputation. I took a sip of my wine, savoring the dry, crisp taste, and leaned back into the patio cushion.
Thirty minutes later, Gertrude let out a satisfied sigh. “I have to admit, I haven’t picked up a romance novel in years. This book has been a great reintroduction to them. Back when I used to read them in the eighties, all the heroines were virgins, and all the heroes were nothing but manipulative man-whores.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her choice of words. “I think you’re going to fit into our book group perfectly.”
Gertrude beamed at me. “This book was a refreshing change from the ones I read back then. She was such a strong heroine. I need to start reading them again.”
Lianna pierced a kalamata olive with her fork. “I’ll let you look through my collection before you leave.” She munched on the olive. “I have scads of them.”
“We’re meeting at your place next month, right, Mara?” Scarlet asked. “What book should we read? You get to choose.”
I perked up. “I’ve been looking forward to this. I want us to read a graphic novel called Watchmen .”
Rose bounced in her seat. “Oh! That’s a popular one. We have two copies in the teen library.” She looked at Lianna. “HBO did a reboot, but it’s nothing like the original comic. Their miniseries is great, don’t get me wrong, but you can’t watch it instead of reading the graphic novel. They’re completely different. Someone made a movie version of the comic sometime around 2009 that sticks closer to the original story, though.”
“Is the 2009 movie any good?” Lianna asked as she tapped on her phone, taking notes.
Rose shrugged. “Good enough.”
Scarlet simply raised her eyebrows at me.
I knew her well enough to interpret that look, and I sent her a sharp glance. “Don’t be such a snob. Comic books have had a huge influence on our culture. If you want examples, look at all the superhero movies being made these days.” Was I actually holding up a movie franchise as an example after the way I’d ripped apart the entire industry only a few hours ago? Go me. Hypocrites unite.
Lianna waved a dismissive hand. “Scarlet, you’re just being Scarlet again. You’re always too worried about what people think about you.”
Scarlet shrugged as she selected a piece of cheese from the tray on the table. “I’m a politician. What do you expect?” She popped the cube into her mouth.
“I bet it’s killing you that we read a romance this month, huh?” I teased. “What if someone caught you? Having to read a comic book must be driving the knife even deeper.” I arched an eyebrow in challenge.
“Ha. Ha.” Scarlet enunciated in a forced voice. “Very funny. I’m not that bad.”
“Of course you aren’t, love.” I patted her hand. Was it possible to pat someone’s hand sarcastically? If so, I might have pulled it off, because Scarlet yanked hers away. “It isn’t your fault that your uncle’s a senator and you’ve always had to be perfectly proper in every way.”
Scarlet shot me an irritated scowl. “You make it sound like a bad thing. Shouldn’t we all be on our best behavior at all times? It’s called being mindful .” I’d heard that well-worn adage from her many times. Someone had clearly drilled it into her over the years.
Scarlet’s phone rang, and she checked the screen before standing up abruptly. “Can you excuse me for a minute? It’s my uncle. He almost never calls except on the weekends,” she said, scooting past Mara and heading back into the house to take the call from Senator Smith.
Rose glanced at her phone. “It’s getting late. I should leave if I want to get to sleep at a decent hour.”
That broke things up. Everyone started heading home. Ten minutes later, I pulled into the lot behind my building. I walked down the alley to my front door, conveniently located right next to the entrance of Ghost of a Chance.
Through my store’s big plate glass window, I spotted a light still shining from behind the counter. Damn, I must have forgotten to turn it off. I quickly punched in the security code and let myself in.
I paused next to the cash register and pulled Ford’s business card from my pocket, staring down at it. Rose’s revelations gnawed at me, a reminder of why getting involved with someone like Ford was a bad idea. But even knowing that, part of me wasn’t ready to let go. Did I really want to risk it? Sure, he was good-looking and seemed interested in me, but could I trust him? After what happened with Doug, I couldn't take any more chances.
But then again, maybe Lianna was right and I needed to get a life. Maybe I should put myself out there and try dating again. I tossed the business card on the counter, determined to find someone else to go out with.
Just not Ford Ross. A man like him could upend everything, and I wasn’t ready to gamble on that.