Page 20 of Shining Pearls
Turning to grab his phone, Alex typed quickly with his thumbs. “I’m adding a reminder in my phone to use that in a book––maybe I’ll even try to work it into the title.”
Once he finished his note to himself, he beamed down at me before kissing me on the tip of my nose. “You’re brilliant.”
I basked in his praise, until he brightened and said, “In fact, you’ve just given me an idea for a new plot twist in my latest work-in-progress. I’m going to go get it down on paper before I lose it.”
With that, he was gone. I hopped off the sink ledge and stared at my lonely reflection in the mirror. “Great job, Claire,” I whispered before flipping the bathroom light switch off and walking over to climb into my big, empty bed.
17
Josie
Itook an enormous bite of my double cheeseburger with extra-crispy bacon. Dean sat back in the booth across from me and gave me a wide, amused grin. “It’s a good thing you’re working in the pool again, or you’d be the size of a small whale.”
Even though I knew he was teasing, I gave him a light kick under the table. “I like to eat. It’s not a crime. Besides, I’m eating for two now.”
I said the last sentence around a crinkle-cut French fry, which made Dean chuckle. He lifted his pointer finger, likely getting ready to point out that the second individual I was eating for was a fraction of my size, but his response was interrupted by Aunt Mimi’s loud yelling.
It was Mimi’s diner, so she could behave however she chose, but her screeching at the cowering young man was drawing the attention of her patrons. “You tell your boss that I will not accept inferior produce.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The frightened delivery boy answered before trying to appease her by stuttering, “M-Mister Hayes asked me to give you s-s-some extra potatoes to make up for the m-mealy apples.”
Aunt Mimi’s already huge blue eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “So, heknewhe was sending me imperfect apples and went ahead and did it anyway?!? Take it away. Take it all away. I want it out of my sight.”
The poor boy was practically shaking in his shoes from her over-the-top, fiery reaction. “Yes, m-m-ma’am.”
Finally seeming to comprehend that she was scaring the innocent delivery driver, Mimi patted his hand. “It’s not your fault, young man. On second thought, don’t you worry about saying a word to your boss. I’ll take care of it myself.”
With that, she whirled around on her white cushioned shoe, making it squeak on the black and white checkered linoleum, and headed straight for the old-fashioned wall-phone that hung near the food pass-through counter.
She punched the phone’s buttons with her index finger, evidently already knowing the number by heart. Once her call was answered, she said crisply into the receiver, “This is Mimi Dawson of Mimi’s Diner, and I need to speak to Mr. Hayes immediately.”
Her no-nonsense tone must have worked because there wasn’t much of a delay before she launched into a tirade aimed directly at the owner of Hayes Farm Stand.
Dean and I were riveted to her half of the conversation. Even though it wasn’t really any of our business, eavesdropping on her kept us entertained as we finished eating our lunch.
“I am not the person to try to slide inferior products by. Did you honestly think I would serve anything inmydiner that wasn’t top-grade?” Mimi narrowed her gaze at the wall across from the phone as if it had offended her in some way.
Mr. Hayes must have been speaking because Mimi was nodding her head. Once or twice, she started to interject something, but stopped. Finally, she said, “Yes, that sounds fair.”
Dean leaned in and said to me, “Old Mr. Hayes seems to have managed to win her over.”
I nodded, but turned my attention quickly back to Aunt Mimi when she giggled. I didn’t think I’d ever heard the outspoken, hard-working woman do something so frivolous before.
After a bit more talking from the other end of the phone, my aunt wiped at an invisible speck on the counter with the cloth that perpetually hung from her apron and said in a flirty tone I’d never heard her use, “Oh, Howard.”
Dean and I locked eyes. Both of us were wearing stunned expressions. I leaned in to whisper, “I didn’t realize Mr. Hayes had a first name. I’ve never heard anyone call him anything but mister.”
“Me neither,” Dean said, bugging his eyes out at me. Shifting to lean in as far as I was, he sounded scandalized when he asked, “Are they flirting with each other?”
Aunt Mimi gave another giggle as if she was answering Dean’s question. I couldn’t wipe the wide grin off my face as I answered, “I think so.”
Dean shook his head. “I didn’t know the old bird had it in her.”
I chuckled, but before I could answer, Molly appeared at our table. “Well, don’t you two look super cozy?”
Unable to stop myself, I shifted back to lean against the booth, realizing too late that it made me look guilty. Although I was well aware that Brunswick Bay Harbor was a small town, I hadn’t realized it wasthissmall.
I wasn’t sure why Dean and I ran into Molly every time we were together, but I sure hoped she wasn’t tracking his phone or something crazy like that.
