Page 53 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
“You never were one to hold back, Candy. Even when you were pretending to fit in, you were good at standing out.”
What’s that supposed to mean?
Candace took a sip of wine to cover her frown. Thankfully, their waiter came to check on them, buying her time to think of a response.
“I never pretended,” she corrected once they were aloneagain. “I let people see the version of me they wanted to see. Their biases aren’t my fault.”
“No,” he agreed with a conciliatory shrug. “People will think what they want, that’s for sure. You know, I don’t blame you for not wanting to come back. In a South Jersey town like Wonderwood, especially when we were younger, there’s a lot of backwards thinking. But it’s getting better.”
“Is that so?” Candace asked. She rested her chin atop bridged fingers and considered the man. “My friend tells me the town council still won’t approve a Pride parade down the boardwalk. It might be better, but not for everyone.”
Ted nodded, and his amiable expression turned serious.
“You’re not wrong. But if all the people who want it to change leave, this is how it’s always going to be. I want to help the ways I can. My dad might not be police chief anymore, but our name carries weight.”
“I suppose it does. Even my uncle wants a favor from him.”
“And my dad wants a favor from your uncle. I guess they both think they’re helping each other out by setting us up. Not that it isn’t a pleasure to see you,” he added in a tone that made her believe it. “But this wasn’t exactly something I could say no to.”
“Likewise. To both.” Pausing, Candace sighed as the weight of the day—all that she had been through since the moment she found out she was being fired from the job she worked so hard for—settled on her shoulders. She caught her slouch and straightened. Fixing Ted with a true smile, she admitted, “Regardless of why we’re here, it’s nice to see a friendly, familiar face.”
“Been seeing some unfriendly ones?”
Snorting, Candace told him, “You could say that. This place makes me feel like a teenager, drama and angst included.”
“Well,” Ted offered, looking as sincere as a person could, “allow me to be your no-drama friend? I come with the benefits of a charming personality and my old man’s credit card.”
“Ha! What a coincidence! I’malsocharming, and my uncle told me to send him the bill.”
At that moment, their waiter delivered their meals. Again, out of the corner of her eye, she caught the woman behind Ted watching them. She was a statuesque figure, with an intense, dark gaze that looked remarkably similar to Daisy’s. Or, maybe they just had the same glare. Ravenous as she was, Candace bit her lip before digging in. For herself and for the person she was trying to be, she decided to be honest.
“Ted, I should make it clear: ‘friends’ is as far as it can go for us. You seem like a great guy. But I’m—”
Holding up his hand, Ted stopped Candace. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I know how your uncle is. Him, my dad, and their friends with that Wonderwood Works political party are the ones who have managed to shoot down the Pride parade every year.”
There was sympathy in Ted’s voice; sympathy, along with understanding. The man leaned over the table with a conspiratorial smile. “I’ll tell you a secret: this year the parade is happening, approval or not. I’ll make sure to send the details if you want.”
Candace beamed. “I’d like that.”
It felt as if a massive, dark cloud moved on from its place over Candace’s head. There did not seem to be a hint of subterfuge in Ted’s demeanor. In fact, if anything, he looked…relieved.They settled into their meals and a normal conversation, as if they were old friends.
Ted, it turned out, followed in his father’s footsteps to join the police. He had worked his way up to lieutenant, and was aiming for a run at sheriff in the near future.
“Hmm,” Candace plotted as she twirled up another nest of spaghetti. “From lieutenant to sheriff, then you take your stab at Wonderwood’s esteemed mayor seat.”
Flashing a toothy grin, Ted confided, “You’ve found me out. I’ll see if I can earn your vote.”
A glass of wine in, Candace felt comfortable enough tellingTed about her work at Bagel Bombs! He was surprised, but wished her luck.
“After everything she’s been through, DeMarco deserves a win. She’s lucky to have you.”
Candace forced a smile. “Let’s hope that’s true.”
From there, Candace was grateful they moved on to lighter topics. Ted showed her pictures of his fishing boat. Modest and well-maintained, it was a far cry from the leisure yachts Candace had seen (or been on) at the local marinas. The little vessel was an old, converted police rescue boat—a tank of a craft, best-suited for choppy waters and catching flounder in the bay.
Candace told Ted about Demi and her yoga studio, which, as it turned out, he was already familiar with.
“It’s a nice place,” he said, his voice taking on an odd tilt. “My… er… friend… goes there.”
