Home Improvement (A Pajaro Bay Short Story) by Barbara Cool Lee Page A
Authors: Barbara Cool Lee
Tags: Romance
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as she came. When she made it to the cash register, Jazz gave her a biscuit (Mama Thu's Organic Vegan Low-Cal Doggie Biscuits with Flax Meal, $1.99 each).
"See? She loves her boots."
Kim gave her a skeptical look. "She loves the biscuits. Though I can't imagine why. They look awful."
"They're great, actually," Jazz said. "Nice and crunchy." She took a bite out of one, then tossed another in Kim's direction. It landed on a yellow polka-dot bikini with matching coverup (Chihuahua sized).
"I'm not eating dog biscuits."
"Why not? They're the same thing she sells at her stand down at the amusement park. Only there she calls them Mama Thu's Organic Snacks. Same recipe. These are about a buck cheaper, though."
Kim just shook her head and kept on unpacking the new fall fashions. Doggie fall fashions. Who knew there even were such things? Or that her friend could actually make a living selling them in this little tourist town?
But giving Jazz a hand around the shop was better than staring at the cottage walls all day.
Jazz knew it, too, because the next thing she said was, "Aren't you glad I talked you into accepting this prestigious position?"
"And what position would that be?"
"Chief Canine Wardrobe Officer," Jazz said without missing a beat. "Thrilling, isn't it?"
"Oh, is that why I'm getting minimum wage? Because I get all that prestige?"
"Yup." Kim came over and gave her a hug. "You should be paying me for this opportunity. Besides, I had to get you out of the house before you gave the Historical Society any more fits. I don't think they'll ever forgive you for tearing out that wall."
"It had to come out."
"Sure it did. But you didn't have to remove a load-bearing wall all by yourself without a building permit. I could hear the old biddies screaming from here to the lighthouse."
"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"
"Nope," Jazz said with another quick hug. "And Zelda Potter isn't, either."
Kim smiled.
"What?" Jazz said. "Why the grin?" Then she took a step back. "No!" she shouted so loudly that Arrow looked up at her warily. Then she scooped up the pup and danced around the shop. "You got the permit!" she shouted.
"Shhh. You don't have to shout."
"Why not? You finally got past Ms. Zelda Potter and the cackling hens of the Pajaro Bay Hysterical Society. That's fantastic." She set the dog down, much to Arrow's relief, and then grabbed Kim and waltzed her the length of the shop.
Luckily the bell on the shop door chimed, and Jazz let her go.
"What's the celebration about?" asked Robin Brenham, of Robin's Nest Realty next door. Robin wore a gorgeous coppery Donna Karan cashmere sweater and leggings which set off her jet-black hair and caramel skin tone perfectly.
"She got the permit!" Jazz shouted.
Robin beamed at her. "You must be thrilled."
Kim shrugged. "Indoor plumbing. That's a must. And aren't you boiling hot in that sweater?"
"I'm sweating like a pig," she said. "But it just came. I can't wait all year for it to get cold."
"You really think it's going to get cold enough here for cashmere?"
"Probably not, but I have to make some sacrifices for fashion." She pulled out a tissue and wiped her forehead. "Whew. So—ready for coffee?"
Robin's coffee was famous in the little row of shops called Alvarado Alley. It was famous in all of Pajaro Bay, actually. But Kim shook her head. "Can't come today. I've gotta meet the contractor in twenty minutes."
"A contractor who works on Saturdays?" Robin said. "What a treasure. Who is it?"
"Kelly Brothers."
"Which one? Gavin or Gage?"
"Gage."
"Yum," Jazz said.
"Yeah," Robin agreed. "Double yum. Too bad he's such a player. If he were husband material, I'd consider marrying again."
"I'm not looking for romance," Kim said. "I just need someone to fix the bathroom floor."
~*~
When Kim pulled into her driveway, she sat in her little red Mazda and looked at the cottage for a while.
Bluebird Cottage was an original Stockdale, built by the
"See? She loves her boots."
Kim gave her a skeptical look. "She loves the biscuits. Though I can't imagine why. They look awful."
"They're great, actually," Jazz said. "Nice and crunchy." She took a bite out of one, then tossed another in Kim's direction. It landed on a yellow polka-dot bikini with matching coverup (Chihuahua sized).
"I'm not eating dog biscuits."
"Why not? They're the same thing she sells at her stand down at the amusement park. Only there she calls them Mama Thu's Organic Snacks. Same recipe. These are about a buck cheaper, though."
Kim just shook her head and kept on unpacking the new fall fashions. Doggie fall fashions. Who knew there even were such things? Or that her friend could actually make a living selling them in this little tourist town?
But giving Jazz a hand around the shop was better than staring at the cottage walls all day.
Jazz knew it, too, because the next thing she said was, "Aren't you glad I talked you into accepting this prestigious position?"
"And what position would that be?"
"Chief Canine Wardrobe Officer," Jazz said without missing a beat. "Thrilling, isn't it?"
"Oh, is that why I'm getting minimum wage? Because I get all that prestige?"
"Yup." Kim came over and gave her a hug. "You should be paying me for this opportunity. Besides, I had to get you out of the house before you gave the Historical Society any more fits. I don't think they'll ever forgive you for tearing out that wall."
"It had to come out."
"Sure it did. But you didn't have to remove a load-bearing wall all by yourself without a building permit. I could hear the old biddies screaming from here to the lighthouse."
"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"
"Nope," Jazz said with another quick hug. "And Zelda Potter isn't, either."
Kim smiled.
"What?" Jazz said. "Why the grin?" Then she took a step back. "No!" she shouted so loudly that Arrow looked up at her warily. Then she scooped up the pup and danced around the shop. "You got the permit!" she shouted.
"Shhh. You don't have to shout."
"Why not? You finally got past Ms. Zelda Potter and the cackling hens of the Pajaro Bay Hysterical Society. That's fantastic." She set the dog down, much to Arrow's relief, and then grabbed Kim and waltzed her the length of the shop.
Luckily the bell on the shop door chimed, and Jazz let her go.
"What's the celebration about?" asked Robin Brenham, of Robin's Nest Realty next door. Robin wore a gorgeous coppery Donna Karan cashmere sweater and leggings which set off her jet-black hair and caramel skin tone perfectly.
"She got the permit!" Jazz shouted.
Robin beamed at her. "You must be thrilled."
Kim shrugged. "Indoor plumbing. That's a must. And aren't you boiling hot in that sweater?"
"I'm sweating like a pig," she said. "But it just came. I can't wait all year for it to get cold."
"You really think it's going to get cold enough here for cashmere?"
"Probably not, but I have to make some sacrifices for fashion." She pulled out a tissue and wiped her forehead. "Whew. So—ready for coffee?"
Robin's coffee was famous in the little row of shops called Alvarado Alley. It was famous in all of Pajaro Bay, actually. But Kim shook her head. "Can't come today. I've gotta meet the contractor in twenty minutes."
"A contractor who works on Saturdays?" Robin said. "What a treasure. Who is it?"
"Kelly Brothers."
"Which one? Gavin or Gage?"
"Gage."
"Yum," Jazz said.
"Yeah," Robin agreed. "Double yum. Too bad he's such a player. If he were husband material, I'd consider marrying again."
"I'm not looking for romance," Kim said. "I just need someone to fix the bathroom floor."
~*~
When Kim pulled into her driveway, she sat in her little red Mazda and looked at the cottage for a while.
Bluebird Cottage was an original Stockdale, built by the
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