Victoria hissed quietly. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not paying that much for those crappy salads. Don’t worry about it, Vic. She’ll never notice.”
Victoria sat upright, nervously watching Pearl’s movements behind the counter until she felt sure Rose’s audacious move had gone unseen.
“So. A little. Or a lot?” quizzed Rose, scarcely missing a beat from their previous conversation.
“A little or a lot what?” Victoria feigned a confusion that, although worked very well with others, was usually swept quickly aside by Rose.
“You know what, Vic. Disappointed. Are you just a little disappointed with your life or are you really disappointed with it? Come on now, be truthful.” Rose leaned toward her, elbows on the table, her cold coffee swirling moodily in her cup as a velvet shawl of dark curls fell around her bright blue shoulders.
“Okay. Okay, I guess you’re right, Rose. Sometimes I wish things had turned out differently. Sometimes maybe I wish I had gotten out when I had the chance.”
She glanced quickly at Rose to see if this confession had shocked her, but Rose had already picked it up, packaged it away and moved on. It was one of the traits that made it so easy to share things with her. She never offered judgment or advice, just listened. Victoria shifted in her seat, not able to find a comfortable position. She felt unclean, as if she’d confessed her bowel of iniquity and then regretted her repentance. She began to tidy the table. Dishes were stacked into matching sets. Cutlery and serviettes found matching pairs. Rose had used five creamers and Victoria gathered them, annoyed at the imposition on her symmetry.
“So, tell me about your ride in.”
“Oh. Not much to tell, really. He told me about some of the places he’s traveled to. He seems really nice.” Victoria grabbed a handful of napkins and began to snap them into tight, defensive little origami figures. She didn’t want to talk about Elliot. She felt selfish and wanted to cradle his memory close to herself, not taint it with the opinion of others.
“Hmm. I’m sure he is very nice. Seems like it anyhow.” A touch of quiet. “So, is he rich?”
“Rose!” Victoria attempted to admonish her with a frown. “How would I know if he’s rich? I just got a lift to town with him, I didn’t check his bank account.”
“Too bad. I would have.” And they laughed, happy to relieve the tension between them. But it was true. She’d never have come straight out and asked, but they both knew if Rose had spent twenty minutes in Elliot’s company she’d have gained most of his past, his future and a good deal in between, including his financial position and marriageability.
A glimpse of white ticked across Victoria’s eye, and she literally leapt from her seat. “Oh! There he is already, I’ve got to go.” She flustered her purse open and began digging.
“You’re getting a ride home with him, too?” Even Rose could not contain her surprise, and it pleased Victoria to see it.
“Yeah. He said he was going back that way anyhow. He wants to take some pictures off McCully Hill or something. It’s not a special trip or anything,” she jabbered as she threw too much money beside the origami flower that the bill had blossomed into. “Bye, Rose. It was fun.”
“But, what about . . . ? Never mind, I’ll phone you later.”
Victoria hurried across the street as the white truck pulled in and parked. She worked to slow her pace as a tall figure, graced with the lean muscles of a runner, hopped from the truck and walked toward her, his faded denims and black T-shirt casually doing him justice as his curls flirted in the breeze. Flipping her hair back, she greeted him with a sunny smile.
~ Chapter 4 ~
Hinckly sported a few paved roads, but the one that ran out past Elliot’s farm was not one of them. It was pockmarked with frost heaves and potholes, and the truck more jostled than drove along it. Victoria hadn’t
“I’m not paying that much for those crappy salads. Don’t worry about it, Vic. She’ll never notice.”
Victoria sat upright, nervously watching Pearl’s movements behind the counter until she felt sure Rose’s audacious move had gone unseen.
“So. A little. Or a lot?” quizzed Rose, scarcely missing a beat from their previous conversation.
“A little or a lot what?” Victoria feigned a confusion that, although worked very well with others, was usually swept quickly aside by Rose.
“You know what, Vic. Disappointed. Are you just a little disappointed with your life or are you really disappointed with it? Come on now, be truthful.” Rose leaned toward her, elbows on the table, her cold coffee swirling moodily in her cup as a velvet shawl of dark curls fell around her bright blue shoulders.
“Okay. Okay, I guess you’re right, Rose. Sometimes I wish things had turned out differently. Sometimes maybe I wish I had gotten out when I had the chance.”
She glanced quickly at Rose to see if this confession had shocked her, but Rose had already picked it up, packaged it away and moved on. It was one of the traits that made it so easy to share things with her. She never offered judgment or advice, just listened. Victoria shifted in her seat, not able to find a comfortable position. She felt unclean, as if she’d confessed her bowel of iniquity and then regretted her repentance. She began to tidy the table. Dishes were stacked into matching sets. Cutlery and serviettes found matching pairs. Rose had used five creamers and Victoria gathered them, annoyed at the imposition on her symmetry.
“So, tell me about your ride in.”
“Oh. Not much to tell, really. He told me about some of the places he’s traveled to. He seems really nice.” Victoria grabbed a handful of napkins and began to snap them into tight, defensive little origami figures. She didn’t want to talk about Elliot. She felt selfish and wanted to cradle his memory close to herself, not taint it with the opinion of others.
“Hmm. I’m sure he is very nice. Seems like it anyhow.” A touch of quiet. “So, is he rich?”
“Rose!” Victoria attempted to admonish her with a frown. “How would I know if he’s rich? I just got a lift to town with him, I didn’t check his bank account.”
“Too bad. I would have.” And they laughed, happy to relieve the tension between them. But it was true. She’d never have come straight out and asked, but they both knew if Rose had spent twenty minutes in Elliot’s company she’d have gained most of his past, his future and a good deal in between, including his financial position and marriageability.
A glimpse of white ticked across Victoria’s eye, and she literally leapt from her seat. “Oh! There he is already, I’ve got to go.” She flustered her purse open and began digging.
“You’re getting a ride home with him, too?” Even Rose could not contain her surprise, and it pleased Victoria to see it.
“Yeah. He said he was going back that way anyhow. He wants to take some pictures off McCully Hill or something. It’s not a special trip or anything,” she jabbered as she threw too much money beside the origami flower that the bill had blossomed into. “Bye, Rose. It was fun.”
“But, what about . . . ? Never mind, I’ll phone you later.”
Victoria hurried across the street as the white truck pulled in and parked. She worked to slow her pace as a tall figure, graced with the lean muscles of a runner, hopped from the truck and walked toward her, his faded denims and black T-shirt casually doing him justice as his curls flirted in the breeze. Flipping her hair back, she greeted him with a sunny smile.
~ Chapter 4 ~
Hinckly sported a few paved roads, but the one that ran out past Elliot’s farm was not one of them. It was pockmarked with frost heaves and potholes, and the truck more jostled than drove along it. Victoria hadn’t
Similar Books
