By the time nine o’clock rolled around Tessa was sprinting to the door with her cordless phone tucked into her shoulder. “Yes, we open at 9,” she smiled a greeting and let in the few people that were waiting for her to open.
“Yes, I can check that for you. Can you hold for a moment?” She hit the hold button and tucked the phone into the clip at her belt. Friday before the holiday and she was going insane. Book orders still poured in and she had another truck coming in this afternoon. She’d even had to call in extra holiday workers to cover the call backs.
She hit the bookshelves to find the requested item and got the customer off the phone only to have another waiting for her. She’d been on the phone since seven with one disaster after another. She caught Nic’s eye as she dashed behind the counter to tag the book for hold.
Nic’s growl was nearly inaudible, but it was just enough to keep her moving. Thank God her best friend was professional enough to keep the stream of customers happy and not ask the questions she saw flaring in her eyes. In fact, she was glad it was too busy to discuss her rather torrid love life.
The four hours she’d come in before the store opened had been filled with paperwork, a shrilling phone and enough coffee to fill the Navasink. Her stomach did a sick roll as she ducked into her office. She hadn’t eaten since the dinner she’d shared with Jon the night before. More for her stomach lining than hunger she forced herself to eat half a bagel to soak up some of the acid and coffee sloshing through her system.
Her private line started ringing and she groaned. Swallowing the last of the cinnamon raisin bagel she snatched it off the hook. “This is Tessa can I help you?”
“Oh good, I got through. It’s been simply dreadful trying to get through to you, dear.”
Tessa’s forehead lowered to her desk. “Hello Mrs. Rothchild, how are you?”
“Absolutely harried! I can’t believe all the last minute details that have swamped us. I just wanted to make sure you would be at the festival tonight.”
Of course she was going to be there! Sweet George she had been on the phone all day finalizing the endless list of last minute details. “Yes, Mrs. Rothchild, I’ll be there.”
“You are closing early, correct? It’s terribly important that you are here on time.”
Keeping her eyes firmly on her blotter she forced them not to roll. “No, we’ll be closing regular time-“
“That simply won’t do.”
Tessa bit down on her tongue. “I’ll be there on time; my assistant will close for me. I’ll see you at six.”
“Oh yes…yes, that would be perfect. I knew I could count on you, Tessa.”
Hell you did, she though sourly. “I’ll be there, I promise.”
“Good, that’s wonderful. Alright then, I’ll talk to you later, dear.”
She hung up the phone. “Not if I don’t answer the phone,” she sniped at the cradled phone. The phone on her hip buzzed letting her know all the store lines were busy…Again. She snapped it off her belt and started running yet again.
The lunchtime rush left her short staffed as she shooed Adam out to get real food for the rest of the employees. No way was she going to have them try to fight the crowds out there if they didn’t have to.
After the third call from Mrs. Rothchild Tessa wanted to put her own head through the pretty front window she had set up. In fact, she’d started ignoring the private line letting it go to voice mail.
Cradling the phone on her shoulder again she punched in the code to pick up messages as she straightened a table of stocking stuffers. The incessant drone of Carol Rothchild’s voice buzzed in her ear and she listened with half an ear.
The dozen things she needed to do before she left to get ready whirled in her head leaving only half her brain in gear. After the third message about decorations and the entertainment for the night’s festivities she was ready to bury her phone under the pile of scattered merchandise and tell Carol to go hang.
“Hey Tessa, had to head into Philly this morning but Jovi Air will have me back in time for the shindig tonight. Wear those heels from last night,” he said his voice low and thick. It seemed as if he was going to leave it at that, then he began again, “I love you.”
She bobbled the phone as her breath caught, unprepared for the ending. The phone took out half the display and clattered across the tile floor. “Shit,” she mumbled under her breath and gathered the fallen merchandise. Cripes, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t heard him say it before. Okay so it was only the one time, but still.
Nic scooted around the counter and picked up the phone. “Was that a message from lover boy?”
“Hey!” Tessa made a grab for it, but she had already recoded to listen to the last message. “Nic that’s my private line!”
Nic’s eyes went soft as she heard Jon’s voice then her eyebrows winged into her bangs. “You didn’t tell me he told you he loved you?!” She said in strangled whisper. “How could you?”
“I-“ she began, only to be interrupted by a slim middle aged woman with an eager smile.
“Could you help me please?”
Tessa blinked and gave Nic an apologetic grin. “Of course, what can I help you with?”
Nic’s growl was definitely loud enough to be heard by half the store this time as she handed Tessa back her phone and whirled back to the cash register.
“Did I interrupt something?” the woman asked.
“No, just a little girl talk. What are you looking for?” she asked brightly and snuck a look over her shoulder at the dark gaze of her best friend. Lord, she was going to pay for that one. She chit-chatted with the customer as she brought her to the cooking section and even managed to sell her a few extra books by the time they’d made it through the store.
She walked her to the registers and closed herself in the cashbox before Nic could get to her. It didn’t stop her from talking through the door. “Avoiding me is useless. I will get the details,” and then she was gone. Tessa sighed and opened the safe to gather change to get her staff through the night.
As much as she wanted to talk things out with her, she was half afraid to verbalize all that happened in the last few days. Would it sound as insane to Nic as it did to her? She twisted her watch and nearly yelped, hopping out of her chair. She had just under and hour to get out of there and home to change.
“Okay, you guys are set to get through the night if you need reinforcements Joan is in the back calling orders and can ring. I’ll see you at the festival tonight.”
Nic nodded and waved her off. “We’ll be fine. See you in a few hours.”
Tessa gathered her belongings, head down as to look as inconspicuous as possible and managed to slip out the door unnoticed. Unlocking her car door she heard a loud bang and spun around and gave her first happy sigh of the day.
The park looked like a winter wonderland of twinkling lights and gilded snow. She’d barely noticed the workmen in her rush into the store that morning and she certainly hadn’t had any time to look out the window with a customer crawling around her at every turn.
Since they were in the midst of an unseasonable mild streak, fresh fake snow had been blasted on the two large evergreens flanking the stage. They were decked out in fat lights and oversized ornaments as more super-sized Christmas lights brought the stage into focus. The simple lattice work that housed equipment and hidden speakers was painstakingly threaded with twinkle lights making the entire structure glow even in the fading daylight.
Games and rides were set along the back of the park, out of the way but close enough for parents to be able to keep an eye out. The actual festival would run for two days with the majority of the entertainment tonight.
They had a local band performing at seven then a DJ taking over from nine until midnight. Getting Carol Rothchild and her cronies to agree to midnight had been a feat and a half. There were a number of teens that wanted to be able to stay out a little later to socialize now that school was out for the end of the year break.
And personally, she wouldn’t mind a little adult socializing herself. If she could get through the preliminaries and not kill Carol, she thought darkly. She climbed into her car and made it home in record time.
A five minute shower revived her enough to that she nearly yelped at her reflection in the bathroom. Taking the time to make a pit stop at her vanity to cover up the lack of sleep was a priority. She just hoped she wouldn’t need a trowel to do so.
Fifteen minutes later she was pulling on thick tights and a smart little corduroy skirt both in the same shade of deep navy. She topped the outfit with a long sleeved t-shirt and as a final touch she tugged on her oversized Irish wool sweater. She didn’t have much opportunity to wear it since the thick cable knit turtleneck was so warm, but tonight would be perfect.
She pulled on her dark brown knee high boots and hoped Jon appreciated the three inch heel. It was too cold for the sparkly pumps she’d purchased in
She flipped her hair back and fastened oversized gold hoops to her ears and a pretty antique locket on an extra long chain. She grabbed festive red gloves and a matching scarf to ward off any residual chill and headed back out.
The drive back into town left her time to think and unfortunately her brain steered her right back into thoughts of him. Would he really come tonight? And how would they react to seeing each other in public. Every part of their relationship had been behind closed doors since the first night.
She didn’t know how to react to him with…well, with clothes on. The sex had blended so quickly into tenderness and then quite simply had overwhelmed her. She pulled her car around the back of her store and tucked it in close to the shipping doors. She’d offered up her parking lot for the crowds and hoped she wouldn’t regret it.
She tucked her keys into her small leather purse and looped it over her head, letting it fall behind her to stay out of the way. Just as she was climbing out her phone buzzed. She dug it out and hip checked her door closed, starting across the parking lot. “Hello.”
“Hey babe.”
She stopped immediately, the mere sound of his voice turning her knees to water. “Hey,” she said simply.
“Did you have a good day?”
“I was busier than three people put together on Wall Street.”
He laughed, “I’m gonna say that’s busy.”
“To say the least. Are you still in
“I’m in the air actually.”
“Does the stewardess know you’re on the phone?”
“I know a guy.”
She laughed and her world righted itself. “I missed you,” she said softly.
The sweet tone darkened in flavor. “Every part of me missed you too. I’m not sure I can sleep without you now, Tessa.”
Her hand fell to her jumping stomach and she swallowed a sigh. “I don’t think I managed more than an hour last night.”
“Well it’s not going to happen again. I don’t care if you have to get up at four in the morning for work, you’ll be in my bed.”
Her heart stuttered to a stop. “But-“
He interrupted, “Or I’ll be in your bed. I don’t care whose bed it is, but you better be next to me.”
She drew in a shaky breath. “Boy you are good at that.”
“Good at what?”
“Making a girl go stupid. The things you say…They just make me loose IQ points.”
“Nah, you’re one of the smartest women I know. That’s why I’m not letting you go or some schmo will snap you up. I don’t deserve you, but I’m keeping you.”
Well hell, she couldn’t think of a response to that one. “I-“
“I think I like this making you speechless thing. But I prefer a different way to do that. The next time I see you I’ll show you which way.”
She swallowed audibly. “I’ll look forward to it.”
“I’ll be at the shin dig around eight. I’m bringing Jakey, Stef and Jesse. Though I’ll probably never see the two older ones once I get out of the car. The old man just ain’t cool.”
“Tell that to their friends older sisters.”
Jon snorted, “More like the mothers.”
“Well I for one know a few twenty year olds that think you’re pretty hot.”
She could hear his grin. “Yeah? Care to give names and numbers?”
“Nope, I’m not competing with twenty year old boobs, are you crazy?”
“They got nothing on you, Tessa. Know that, okay? No matter what, just know that.”
Because there wasn’t much she could say to that, she simply said, “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Count on it.” And he was gone.
7 comments:
Awe - I just loved that phone chat between them. Very cool. I'm loving it...but you already know that didn't you Miss Tara.
This is a great story, I'm loving it!
Keep the chapters coming, thanks!!
Oh Tara this was a great chapter too - just keep wanting more though!
rutpop
new chapter up when i wake up, now i have to rush to get to class! it's worth the rush though. i cant wait to see what happens at the festival!!!
~Bird
It just gets better and better! I wish you could write a new chapter everyday! He is definitely coming up with some short yet effective lines! Keep up the amazing work
Great chapter, Tara! Love the "more like their mothers" line!
LMAO cute phone call.
More like thier mothers.. LMAO.. oh man aint that the truth too.
I love how he laid down the law that they need to sleep togther.. awww...man.. he so knows how to make her speechless. I love it! lol
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