Chapter 5 What Now?
Jen invited Tilly along for her day of getting ready to open her storefront.
And Tilly had needed the distraction. After an awkward distribution of tasks between Jen, herself and Isla (who seemed put off that Tilly would be joining the set-up), she was now balancing two boxes of fliers, a bag full of gold paper plates, napkins, and cups which had the logo of Jen's business and a balloon arch of gold, red and black.
She was wrestling the arch into Jen's SUV, trying to keep the balloons from popping, as the sound of thin rubber being rubbed and handled mixed with her whispered curses when someone's voice interrupted.
"I think you're supposed to assemble the arch at the destination."
Her head popped up from where she had been bending to contort the arch as carefully as she could into the vehicle.
With her glasses askew, hair falling from its bun in black and green fragments against her sweaty face, she frowned when she saw a familiar face.
When she registered how familiar, she felt a dip in her stomach.
"Ronnie," she said, trying to keep her voice from giving away any particular emotion, of which there were many rioting through her at a rapid pace.
He smiled in that way that was lopsided and she had once found charming. Until months of his charm and seduction had led her off a cliff dive into nothing.
"Hey, Til," he said, the words lazy and knowing. "You doing ok? You're sweating and your hair is everywhere." He squinted his blue eyes, zeroing in on her face. "Is your hair green?"
"I," she pushed some of the strands off of her sweaty face, and smiled self-consciously. "Yeah. I'm helping a friend with something."
"Tilly. Always helping." His smile was wide, but his words held a note of something like unkind joking. He had a way about him that sometimes made her wonder if he wasn't always just short of making fun of her. But then, he had been interested in her and had she mentioned charming?
"Yeah, well," she shifted her feet. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Amsterdam or Morocco."
"Oh, I've been all over. It's been a hell of a year since I left."
He was in a worn t-shirt and jeans with a beige beanie hat pulled stylishly over his light brown hair. His face was the same, but with scruff that added a roughness to him that wasn't unappealing.
None of that could hide the fact that he'd hurt her. It had taken a few weeks for her to come out of her post-relationship fog when he left.
"So, you're back?"
Please say no. Please say yes.
"I'm here for now," he answered with an easy shrug. And that was just like him.
Nothing was serious. Nothing was important. Certainly not her. And she needed to end this conversation and get back to her to-do list, which was the thing distracting from what was already a hard day.
"Well, I need to get going. Good to see you," she lied. She hoped it covered the truth of him putting her insides into turmoil.
"Yeah, I'll see you around. You still have my number, call me." He held up his hand in a phone motion to his ear and smiled that dopey smile.
"Mhmm, yeah," she replied noncommittally as she waved and he walked away.
She sighed, closing her eyes, and felt the smile fall from her face.
When she opened her eyes again, her heart kicked when she saw someone leaning against the SPD building, watching her from across the street.
His tall frame looked like it alone could hold up the building.
There was something about the way the chief held himself that intrigued her.
Like he was comfortable in his skin, and the world molded around him when he needed.
Sometimes stiff, but controlled. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips, his dark eyes never leaving her, and she had half a mind to march up to him and do.
..something. And the other half told her to keep away from him.
She would listen to the smart half.
When he lowered the coffee cup, her eyes followed his massive hand, making the cup look like a child's.
A loud pop made her jump, a hand flying to her chest, and a long breath left her when she realized it was one of the balloons giving way to the stress she was putting on it as she leaned on the car door. She closed her eyes again and pulled in a breath slowly to calm her nerves.
When she opened them again, he was gone.
She needed to get this thing to Jen's new shop before half of it was missing.
After she gingerly closed the door and prayed the whole five-minute drive to the shop, she cursed Ronnie for showing up on an already terrible day. The tarot card was working overtime with this misfortune.
She sent Jen a text telling her to get the door open for the balloon arch, and she determined to hunker down and help her friend, not wallow in her wheel of misfortune.
The evening was a beautiful and glossy affair with half the town coming in and out of the shop, checking out Jen's new offerings, and grabbing swag bags and plates of baked goods from The Black Cat.
Ursula had outdone herself with tall stems of bright red snapdragons, black dahlias, and giant marigolds that she dusted with the same gold leaf that decorated Eloise's blackberry and walnut tarts and Kelsea's black magic cake.
Carol covered the event for an article, the fire department cut a gold ribbon so large it was worn as a cape around Jen's shoulders after it fluttered to the ground in a graceful dance as applause erupted.
And then there was Jen. Her friend with her gold jumpsuit, showing off her strong arms and her hair in an intricate slick updo with streaks of gold.
She was glorious, strong, creative, and pushing her dreams into a whole other realm.
Cora, also their mayor, and one of Jen's best friends, gave the opening speech.
A speech about women taking control of their bodies later in life.
Isla was there helping where she could, but she gave Tilly the impression of an overly anxious bird, flitting around from person to person and task to task.
Jen's maybe girlfriend, though it was still slow and complicated, had started with lies and hexes, which Tilly could imagine was not an easy road.
Jen didn't bring women around them often. When asked why, she shrugged and said, "You're my family. I only bring someone who I think can handle the fire and the joy."
Isla had not yet been brought around.
Still, watching her watch Jen at the opening ceremony had been like watching a character in a movie fall a little more in love, though an anxious love, as the woman hardly stood still, and she emitted a worried energy.
It felt like frantic sparrow wings in Tilly's belly.
When Jen waved Tilly up to help her pop the special bottle of strawberry champagne that the group surprised her with, Tilly leaned into this moment with her friend.
Cork popped, cheers bouncing off the walls and into the darkening streets, laughter and bubbly passed around in slender flutes.
It was one of those snapshot moments they would remember, each a little differently, a different angle, but still with the gilded shine of happiness and pride.
Isla was waved in by Jen and all of them, but she hung on the very edge with wariness.
They had dressed for the occasion, all with varying levels of sparkle.
"Cool seeing your best friend shine like this, isn't it?" Eloise whispered as she bumped her shoulder against Tilly's.
Tilly's smile spread. "Yeah. It's the coolest."
"Oh, hey Carol." Eloise tilted her head, stepped back, looked Carol up and down. Carol's attire tended to be business casual in shades of black or grey. But seeing her in this cocktail dress with a fitted bodice and high neck, a pleated full skirt made of shimmery taffeta, she radiated.
"You look hot in this bright blue. I would look like a child's crayon, but you look fantastic. Doesn't she look fantastic?" Eloise asked Taylor as he switched out Eloise's nearly empty glass of champagne with a new bubbly glass.
"Absolutely. The blue is," he faltered for a moment, "very blue." He smiled at Eloise's eye roll. But when Jenson joined them, he waved to Carol. "Jenson, help me out. Carol's blue dress. It's a great blue."
Jenson took a moment to consider her while Carol stood there frozen and looking slightly uncomfortable with the attention. But then he nodded thoughtfully. "It is. Reminds me of a blue jay."
The women looked at each other before laughing; the men shrugged as they drank their champagne in their well-fitted suits.
"Well, while the bird simile is an odd choice, you look beautiful," Eloise winked at her.
Carol's hands flitted over her waist and down the pleats with uncertainty, like she was trying to convince the dress it belonged on her. "You think so? The woman said cobalt blue is my color."
"The woman is right," Tilly agreed, nodding.
Eloise twirled her finger in the air as she held up her hand, cradling her strawberry champagne. "Spin for us, girl. Show it off."
Carol laughed, shaking her head as she twirled awkwardly, but with charm.
Watching Carol Weatherby laugh and relax had been like watching a beautiful transformation in a fast-forward time-lapse.
She had held herself stiffly for so long that it had become her natural state, and to find people who would invite her into a space of peace and welcome was like watching a dinner plate dahlia bloom.
"You need any quotes? Because I can wax po-et-ic about our girl Jen. She's a queen."
"Actually, a couple of quotes about her business expansion and how it will help women would be great."
"Wanna come over for dinner tomorrow and get some stuff on the record?" Tilly asked.
"Will you be making dessert?" She looked at Eloise, who rolled her eyes.
"What a silly question. Strawberry bourbon shortcake."
"Then I will be there."
A pop punctuated their plans and drew their attention to where Cora had opened another bottle of champagne.
It was all glittering and celebratory. Exactly the kind of thing that took Tilly out of her head.