Kelly’s head turned in the direction of the loud voice coming from up the street.
The woman storming out of Courtney’s Treasures, a quaint gift shop, was unfamiliar to her. But she knew the woman she was humiliating. It was Tawny.
“Everyone knows what you’ve done!” the woman shouted as she followed Tawny, who picked up her pace and headed right for Kelly.
“Hey, Tawny, what’s going on?” Kelly dropped her hands to her sides as she walked toward Tawny. She hoped aligning herself next to her new client would force the other woman to back off.
“You’ll pay for what you did!” The angry woman stopped advancing. She pointed a finger and scowled at Tawny before pivoting and rushing away. Eventually she was out of sight.
“I’m so embarrassed. First, you witness the altercation with Serena and now this. Talk about a heck of a morning.” Tawny shook her head. The expression on her face confirmed she was indeed embarrassed.
“Who is she? What was she talking about?” Shouting threats wasn’t common on Lucky Cove’s Main Street. She was more accustomed to them in the city, where it always seemed someone was yelling at someone else.
Tawny waved away the question. True to her word earlier of not being a fashionista, she wore yoga pants, a hoodie, and a black nylon bag slung across her body.
“It doesn’t matter, really. Since I started uploading my workouts online, I’ve learned everyone isn’t going to be happy with me.”
“I’m guessing she’s one of those people.”
Tawny broke eye contact with Kelly and looked at the window. “New display?”
The shift in conversation wasn’t subtle but Kelly understood why Tawny didn’t want to discuss the scene. As she said, it was embarrassing, not only for her, but also Kelly. The stranger’s raging outburst was an uncomfortable thing to see.
“It’s a work in progress.”
“Looks pretty good to me. I love the trench coat.” Tawny stole a glance over her shoulder.
Kelly suspected she was checking to see if the woman had returned. “You should call the police and report what happened. I heard her threaten you.”
“No, I don’t want to escalate the situation. She’ll calm down. Besides, my business partner is dealing with the matter. It’s really a big misunderstanding. She’ll see.” Tawny inhaled deeply and exhaled. “I think I need some yoga.”
“Restorative?” Kelly enjoyed a few of those yoga workouts when she worked at Bishop’s. While most days were non-stop from the moment she stepped from the elevator onto the ninth floor business offices, certain days hit her like a tsunami. Restorative yoga sessions helped her relax and soothe her frazzled nerves.
Tawny smiled. “You know your yoga.”
“I’ve taken a few classes. Though, not recently.”
“Let’s change that. Come over to my place tomorrow. I like to do a yoga session early in the day. Join me.”
Kelly chewed on her lower lip. She’d love to do a workout with Tawny, and she certainly needed to relax a little.
“Thanks, but I don’t want to intrude on your practice.”
“Nonsense. I’d love the company. I’ll text you later with the time.” Tawny hurried away along the sidewalk while Kelly headed to the boutique’s door and grabbed the handle. Tawny continued along Main Street, finally disappearing inside the gourmet cheese shop. It was nice to see a fitness pro like Tawny wasn’t afraid of dairy.
“Hey, Kell!”
Now there was a familiar and friendly voice that Kelly gladly stopped for. She let go of the door and walked toward her approaching friend, Ariel Barnes.
“What’s up? Day off from the library?”
Running into Ariel on Main Street wasn’t something Kelly ever thought she’d be doing. Given what happened, she’d expected if they ever passed by each other on the street, they’d simply nod and continue walking.
Her granny used to say God had plans they knew nothing about. Never in a million years did she think He planned for her and Ariel to reunite and rebuild their friendship, especially after ten years of silence.
They were at a summer party when Kelly slipped away with her on-and-off boyfriend and left Ariel on her own. Ariel wanted to leave but couldn’t find Kelly, her ride, so she got into the car with Melanie Carlisle, who was drunk. On the drive home, there was an accident. Ariel was paralyzed, and Melanie was arrested. The fallout continued in Kelly’s family. She’d been flighty, acting before thinking her whole life, and the incident at the party was yet another example of this unpopular character trait. Her parents made sure she knew her impulsive behavior needed correction.
Ariel navigated her wheelchair to a halt. Her pale pink faux shearling denim jacket brightened her face. The white button-down shirt and dark jeans were her day-to-day uniform when she worked at the library. Lucky for her, the head librarian was a fan of Friday casual every day of the week. Ariel’s chestnut brown hair skimmed the collar of the jacket. Her bangs were finally getting longer. Kelly warned Ariel of bangs, often regretted and took forever to grow out.
“No. I went in for an early shift.” Ariel worked part-time at the library and the rest of the time as a freelance writer. She’d been landing magazine articles and recently finished a corporate project she’d tried to get for months. Her hard work and long hours were paying off.
“Nice day to be outside. What are you up to?”
“I was just at the post office. I ordered one of the DNA tests, and it arrived.” Ariel’s face lit up when she gestured to her Mary Poppins sized tote.
“Good Lord, that thing is ginormous. What else is in there? A body?”
Ariel laughed. “No, silly. I have things I need. Like my notebooks, reference books, and my makeup bag.”
“Oh, well, that explains it.” Kelly grinned.
“Don’t judge. I can’t imagine not having my honey melon lip balm or my midnight black mascara with me at all times.”
“Or any of the hundreds of other beauty products you own.”
“I said don’t judge.” Ariel winked.
Kelly held her hands up in surrender. “Not judging. Only stating facts. So, what prompted you to do a DNA test?”
Ariel shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m curious about where I come from.”
“Lucky Cove.”
“Haha. You know what I mean. Also, it’s a great way to connect with distant relatives. It’s probably the researcher in me. My mom isn’t thrilled. She says I’m wasting my money. She says both her parents came from Galway, Ireland. And my dad’s family is from a village in Scotland.”
“I get it. Maybe Caroline and I should do one of those tests one day.”
“Sisterly bonding?”
“Well, we need all the bonding we can get.” After the car accident, Kelly’s sister blamed her for Ariel’s injuries. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with Kelly. They limited all their communication to only what was necessary. Looking back, the fact that Caroline was in her senior year of high school was a blessing. Life became more bearable when she moved out to her dorm. Kelly no longer had to live 24/7 in a Cold War situation. Now that Kelly was back in Lucky Cove, she and Caroline were talking and visiting each other. For the first time in a decade, Kelly felt there was hope they’d be friends again.
“How did your appointment with Tawny go? Did she have a lot to consign? I mean, when I see her around town, she’s in her athleisure wear.”
“Surprisingly, she did have a bunch of clothes, and I’m sure they’ll all sell fast. She even has a Fendi purse she wants to sell.”
“No!”
Kelly nodded. “Wait. There’s more.”
“What?”
“It turns out Tawny is married to Serena Dawson’s ex-husband.”
Ariel’s forehead furrowed, she was trying to place the name, and then her eyes widened. “Serena as in your ex-boss?”
“The one and only.”
“How do you know? Did Tawny tell you?”
“Nope. Serena was at the house when I got there.”
“No! What did you do?” Ariel’s cell phone rang. It was her dad’s ringtone. “Oh, sorry. I gotta take this. I’m supposed to meet him for coffee. Call me later. I want to hear everything!”
After Kelly promised, Ariel steered her wheelchair along the sidewalk toward the Gull Café. It was for the best. She wasn’t eager to relive the encounter with Serena even though she mentioned it.
* * * *
Kelly returned to the boutique and spent the rest of the day on the sales floor. The nice weather brought customers who were eager to get a head start on updating their spring wardrobes. She glanced at her watch. She had fifteen minutes to go before locking the door, turning off the lights, and going upstairs to collapse on her sofa. It had been a roller coaster of a day, and all she wanted were her comfy clothes and a glass of wine. She looked at her watch again.
Fourteen minutes.
The last customer left a few minutes earlier, and Kelly tidied up and reviewed her schedule for tomorrow. She could stare at her watch for the next thirteen minutes, or she could get a sneak peek at what was in store for her tomorrow when she joined Tawny for yoga.
She pulled out her phone and found Tawny’s video channel.
There were dozens of workout videos to choose from, and they all were free. It looked like there was a variety to choose from, and not having to pay for the videos was a bonus. Kelly clicked on the first video, and Tawny started talking. She welcomed her viewers and gave them an overview of the twenty-minute workout they were about to start. Dressed in green leggings with lace inserts and a floral sports bra, Tawny began marching in place and encouraged her viewers to join in.
Kelly looked; the boutique was still empty, no last-minute shoppers popping in. Breena and Pepper had left hours ago. She took a step back from the sales counter and marched in place, pumping her arms by her sides as Tawny instructed.
Tawny then added bigger moves to get the whole body prepped for the workout, but Kelly continued with the marching. As Tawny slowed down to grab a pair of hand weights, Kelly stopped marching in place and scrolled down the screen, reading the comments.
“Great workout.”
“Still scamming people with your workouts? Have you no shame?”
“Hey, can you do a workout for toning up the bra hang area?”
“Seriously, PBF? Personalized Body Fitness more like Pure Bull Fraud.”
“How do you sleep at night?”
“Love this workout!”
Kelly clicked the video, and it stopped. She drew back from her phone. “Talk about a mixed bag of comments. Seeing those negative comments can’t be easy,” she said to herself. The time display on the phone showed her it was close enough to closing time. Finally.
All in all, it was a good day but exhausting.
Kelly was getting used to being on her feet for extended periods. Before inheriting the boutique, it’d been a long time since she worked on a sales floor.
She glanced at her booties and smiled. They had good support, and she needed more shoes like them. Twenty-six and needing supportive shoes. How life had changed for her.
At the front door, she turned over the Open sign to Closed and turned the lock. Before she stepped away from the door, she took a sweeping glance at Main Street. A handful of businesses were still open, but most of them were dark.
There definitely wasn’t a lot of nightlife in Lucky Cove. Her evenings were a lot different from what they were when she was a single gal living in the big city.
Back in the city, she’d leave work like she was now. But she wouldn’t have been heading up to her apartment to change into her favorite pair of fleece pants and snuggling her tired feet into her Ugg slippers. She’d be meeting friends for drinks and a quick bite.
Oh, times had changed.
Just as she was about to pull away from the door, a figure across the street caught her eye.
Kelly couldn’t make out the woman’s face clearly, because she was out of the streetlamp’s pool of light. However, the woman’s leopard print coat was unmistakable.
So, Serena hadn’t left town.
Well, she was never one to be told what to do.
Kelly wasn’t sure why Serena was standing in front of the Gull Café. Maybe the grand dame of Seventh Avenue was waiting to be picked up by her car.
An unexpected thought flashed through Kelly’s head. Maybe she should check on Serena. Make sure she’s okay. Yeah, that was a silly thought. When was Serena not okay? Besides, Kelly didn’t feel like being insulted, belittled, or dismissed. She just wanted to make something quick for dinner and go to bed.
But, what if there’s something wrong?
What could be wrong?
Kelly’s internal struggle ceased when a man approached. She stepped closer to the door. All she could really see was his salt and pepper hair. Well, mostly the salted part. She squinted. It looked like Jason.
Serena checked her watch. No doubt, she was admonishing him for being late. But late for what?
He gestured to the restaurant, and Serena turned and walked toward the entry.
Kelly shrugged. Maybe they agreed to meet to work on a peace treaty. After what she witnessed earlier, the divorced couple needed one. Desperately.
They went inside the restaurant, ending Kelly’s surveillance. She walked away from the door and through the boutique to the stairwell.
As she climbed the steps, her thoughts shifted from the divorced couple to the fabulous faux leopard coat. Somehow, Serena inspired an idea for Kelly’s column on Budget Chic. Ten tips for working animal prints into a spring wardrobe. Serena finally inspired something other than a gory tell-all of Surviving the Dragonista.
Before her article, dinner, or wine, she needed to check on the leak. Or leaks. As she reached the landing, she gave herself a stern talking to. She ignored the leak, and it was irresponsible. In fact, it was a shadow of the old Kelly, and that couldn’t happen again.
No, before her yoga session with Tawny, she needed to contact the roofer. That sounded like a good plan. Deal with the stressful task and then indulge in an hour of yoga bliss.
Yes, she was looking forward to her workout with Tawny. Even though there was a chance Tawny would twist her into all shapes and break her, the visit couldn’t be any worse than it was today.