disappeared through a doorway into the backroom for a moment and returned with fresh red lipstick and a long black coat that she pulled on over her black cashmere sweater and gray wool mini skirt. Zoe smiled at the girls as she expertly wrapped a stylish blue scarf around her neck that accentuated her eyes. “Ready?”
Sarah looked at her own outfit that she had spent the day roaming the city in and wondered how her long straight dirty blond hair must look in a ponytail. She glanced at Lisa who was self-consciously checking out her own outfit and lack of makeup in the small mirror on the glass display case.
Zoe approached Lisa from behind and handed her a tortoise shell comb, “Lisa, here, you are welcome to use my comb.” Zoe’s smile was wide, showing perfect, white teeth, lips curling at the corners. Lisa’s return smile was hesitant, not sure if she should be thankful for the offer or offended that Zoe was asking her to clean up before they went to dinner.
“Thanks,” Lisa muttered as she pulled a clip from her pocketbook and quickly combed out her thick brown hair, twisted, and clipped it into place.
“Lovely!” Zoe said as she retrieved the comb and dropped it into her pocketbook. “Shall we go?” Spinning around, coat flaring, she strode towards the door and the two women followed.
Once outside, Lisa and Sarah stood on the sidewalk one step below, as Zoe took out her keys to lock up the shop. Two old women walked by, one making a quick gesture at Zoe’s back with her index and pinky extended and two middle fingers curled under as Zoe locked the door. Sarah and Lisa watched in silence. Without turning around to see the sign of the horns gesture, Zoe called out merrily, “Bouna sera, signora Mistretta e signora Capuono.”
Zoe slowly turned around to see the two older women, huddling together hurrying away along the sidewalk. She flashed her big blue eyes at Sarah and Lisa, blinking in mock innocence, lips in a pout, “Can I help it if Mr. Mistretta is friendly with me?” The pout curled back into the Cheshire cat smile, and in a more confident tone, “He is absolutely ancient! I don’t know what she is thinking.” Giggling erupted between the three women.
“I thought we would go to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner, it’s this way.” Zoe motioned back up the street the way they had come, silver bangles on her wrist tinkling in the crisp evening air. The three turned back towards Hanover Street for dinner.
Chapter 8
Lisa poured another cup of coffee and returned to the couch where Sarah was sitting at one end under the afghan, her back leaning on the arm of the couch. Lisa carefully lifted the other end of the blanket while balancing her full mug and slipped in; returning to her warm spot at the opposite end of the sofa facing Sarah and pulling her legs under her. They had spent the better part of Sunday morning in their old ritual of chatting over coffee with the weak November sun streaming in the tall living room windows.
“Sounds like you are really enjoying your new job, Sarah. I am so glad you took a chance moving up here but I must admit I miss having you back home.”
“I know, but I will be back there Thanksgiving and then for a week during Christmas. We should make plans. Muddy River shuts down for a whole week, which is really nice.”
“I wish my company would do that.” Lisa took a sip of her coffee and tentatively changed the subject back to the dinner the night before.
“So, you seem to have formed a close friendship with Zoe.” Lisa ventured, not looking at Sarah but instead concentrating on her coffee mug.
“She has been very nice and it is good to have a friend here.”
“She asks a lot of questions. . .”
Sarah laughed, gray eyes sparkling. She teased her childhood friend. “You weren’t shy with the interrogation efforts either!”
“Well, I just figured you weren’t asking and maybe you should? She comes out of nowhere and stalks you to
Sarah looked at her own outfit that she had spent the day roaming the city in and wondered how her long straight dirty blond hair must look in a ponytail. She glanced at Lisa who was self-consciously checking out her own outfit and lack of makeup in the small mirror on the glass display case.
Zoe approached Lisa from behind and handed her a tortoise shell comb, “Lisa, here, you are welcome to use my comb.” Zoe’s smile was wide, showing perfect, white teeth, lips curling at the corners. Lisa’s return smile was hesitant, not sure if she should be thankful for the offer or offended that Zoe was asking her to clean up before they went to dinner.
“Thanks,” Lisa muttered as she pulled a clip from her pocketbook and quickly combed out her thick brown hair, twisted, and clipped it into place.
“Lovely!” Zoe said as she retrieved the comb and dropped it into her pocketbook. “Shall we go?” Spinning around, coat flaring, she strode towards the door and the two women followed.
Once outside, Lisa and Sarah stood on the sidewalk one step below, as Zoe took out her keys to lock up the shop. Two old women walked by, one making a quick gesture at Zoe’s back with her index and pinky extended and two middle fingers curled under as Zoe locked the door. Sarah and Lisa watched in silence. Without turning around to see the sign of the horns gesture, Zoe called out merrily, “Bouna sera, signora Mistretta e signora Capuono.”
Zoe slowly turned around to see the two older women, huddling together hurrying away along the sidewalk. She flashed her big blue eyes at Sarah and Lisa, blinking in mock innocence, lips in a pout, “Can I help it if Mr. Mistretta is friendly with me?” The pout curled back into the Cheshire cat smile, and in a more confident tone, “He is absolutely ancient! I don’t know what she is thinking.” Giggling erupted between the three women.
“I thought we would go to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner, it’s this way.” Zoe motioned back up the street the way they had come, silver bangles on her wrist tinkling in the crisp evening air. The three turned back towards Hanover Street for dinner.
Chapter 8
Lisa poured another cup of coffee and returned to the couch where Sarah was sitting at one end under the afghan, her back leaning on the arm of the couch. Lisa carefully lifted the other end of the blanket while balancing her full mug and slipped in; returning to her warm spot at the opposite end of the sofa facing Sarah and pulling her legs under her. They had spent the better part of Sunday morning in their old ritual of chatting over coffee with the weak November sun streaming in the tall living room windows.
“Sounds like you are really enjoying your new job, Sarah. I am so glad you took a chance moving up here but I must admit I miss having you back home.”
“I know, but I will be back there Thanksgiving and then for a week during Christmas. We should make plans. Muddy River shuts down for a whole week, which is really nice.”
“I wish my company would do that.” Lisa took a sip of her coffee and tentatively changed the subject back to the dinner the night before.
“So, you seem to have formed a close friendship with Zoe.” Lisa ventured, not looking at Sarah but instead concentrating on her coffee mug.
“She has been very nice and it is good to have a friend here.”
“She asks a lot of questions. . .”
Sarah laughed, gray eyes sparkling. She teased her childhood friend. “You weren’t shy with the interrogation efforts either!”
“Well, I just figured you weren’t asking and maybe you should? She comes out of nowhere and stalks you to
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