Page 19 of The Hampton Beach Café 4
“Well…I've been thinking…” Frances began, “…about the garden area out back. It's been neglected for far too long, and I think it has so much potential. I want to renovate it, make it a safe and inviting space for our customers to enjoy.”
Lucinda raised her eyebrows, intrigued. “What kind of renovations are you thinking of?”
“Well, for starters, we'll need to clear out all the overgrown bushes and weeds. Then I want to install some new seating—maybe some benches and tables with umbrellas for shade. And, of course, we'll need to make sure the area is well-lit and secure at night.”
Kennedy nodded, and Frances pressed her teeth down on the tip of her tongue—was Kennedy about to agree with her? For once!?
“That does actually sound great, but won't it be expensive? And what about the logistics of getting all that work done? Have you looked at the regulations about shade and heaters for winter?”
Nodding, Frances leaped to answer.
“It'll be a bit of an investment, sure, but I really do think it'll be worth it in the long run. As for the logistics, Clarkson has already contacted a local landscaping company to get a quote for the work. And I'm sure we can find some volunteers to help with the cleanup and setup of the new seating.”
Lucinda smiled, placing a hand on Frances' arm. “I think it's a wonderful idea. A lot of our customers would love sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine. This could be the perfect chance to add an additional benefit to customers while improving the overall experience for everyone.”
“So long as you do it safely, I think it would be a great addition to the café’s offerings,” Kennedy said before adding quickly. “I’m speaking here as a friend, not as a council member—you will still have to pass all the regulation checks before I can allow you to officially offer it to the public, of course.”
“Of course,” Lucinda echoed.
Frances had to stop herself from doing a double take—had Kennedy really just called herself a friend?
ELEVEN
The warm smell of freshly baked bread filled the air, and the sound of the dishwasher hummed in the background as she and Alex fussed with the morning preparations for the day.
“This has been such a great experience working with you,” Alex said, wiping his hands on the vintage-style apron. “I'm really enjoying being in the kitchen, getting to be creative, feeding you.”
Frances smiled at him. “I'm glad to hear it…Honestly? You're doing a great job. Everyone loves your food.”
“Thanks,” Alex replied, turning to start washing up.
“Can I ask you…do you think your parents would want to come up and visit? See the place?”
He turned back to her and looked thoughtful for a moment. “You know what…I'm really happy that you bought this old place. It's really nice to see it being taken care of by someone who loves it as much as they did…I think they'd like that, actually.”
The nostalgic look on his face was intoxicating, Frances realized. She watched his expression change as he thought about his parents and their history in the building.
“It must be a little bit weird for you, though?” Frances heard herself asking. “Me being here and running a business out of your family home…”
Alex shrugged. “Not really—I mean, you spent enough time here as a teenager; it was practically your home too. Besides, you bought this place to keep it out of developer’s hands. Even if I was weird about you running Café Bruno from here, you’d have more than balanced it out by saving it from being knocked down.”
He smiled at her, and the spark in her stomach leaped. She swallowed hard—this couldn’t be happening. Turning abruptly, she started wiping down the stainless steel splash back behind the stove.
Frances stared at her reflection in the already gleaming metal, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. She couldn't believe she was finding her best friend from high school attractive…Of course, she had thought he was hot back in the day, but he was Alex! Not to mention it was just four months after her divorce…Was it too soon to be attracted to anyone? Polishing the metal to a high shine, she tried to untangle her thoughts. Why hadn’t she been this freaked out when she’d been on a date with Clarkson? That had been an objectively terrible decision, considering the fan base fallout that she was still suffering through.
As she leaned into the metal and looked closer at a particularly stubborn water spot, she realized that her guilt was misplaced. She and Alex hadn’t seen each other for years, and when someone was as good-looking as Alex was—she cast a glance his way and felt her cheeks flushing pink—it was natural and normal to acknowledge that fact…right? Besides, she hadn’t really been deeply interested in Clarkson when they’d gone out. And it had been longer than four months since the last time she and her ex-husband had gone on a proper date. Spending all this time around someone she cared about—who just happened to be very good-looking—was just a passing fancy.
There was no need to complicate their friendship.
“Are you enjoying being back?” he asked.
Frances spun to face him and nodded. “It's been a bit strange being back—there's a lot of cliché hometown vibes, you know? So much has changed, but so much more has stayed the same.”
“I know what you mean,” Alex said. “I pretty much never left, and I still find myself surprised by some of the changes even though they happened right under my nose!”
“You never left at all?” she asked in disbelief.
He laughed as he shook his head. “No, never except for up to Boston and Salem. I've always wanted to go to England, though. The name Lockwood comes from Yorkshire, apparently, and I think it would be really cool to go.”
