Laina Turner - The Trixie Pristine Boxed Set Read online

  I sighed. “Okay, okay, I admit it does sound great. I will try and leave work a little early so I can talk to Derek at the bank.”

  Berklie clapped her hands with excitement. “Make sure to call me as soon as you talk to him.”

  “I will, I will. Now let me finish this sandwich.

  *****

  The rest of the day passed slowly, partly because I was anxious for it to be over so I could talk to Derek and partly because even though I had enjoyed the morning when the school kids came in, all too often my job was mundane and, frankly, boring. Still, as an adult with a son to provide for, I couldn’t help but wonder what right I had to complain about being bored when I had a steady paycheck. It was four o’clock when Arlene, another one of our part-timers came in. She was a second grade teacher at the elementary school and moonlighted at the library a few nights a week. Her husband had died the year before, and she was struggling to make ends meet for her two daughters and herself.

  “Hi, Arlene, how was class today?”

  “It was great, as always,” she said, smiling. She was one of the most positive people I knew. If I were in her shoes, I wasn’t sure I would be able to hold it together like she did.

  “Listen, it’s pretty slow today, so I’m going to go ahead and take off a little early so I can go to the bank,” I said.

  “That’s fine. I hear you’re thinking about opening a bookstore.”

  I gave her a puzzled look.

  She shrugged. “Berklie told me when she came to pick up Bailey from school. For what it’s worth, I think it’s a great idea.”

  Ahh, that made sense. Berklie wasn’t one for keeping things quiet.

  “Well, we will see. There’s not much to do here tonight. Just a few returned books to shelve.”

  “I’ll take care of them, don’t you worry. Now just run along,” she said shooing me to the door.

  “Have a good night, Arlene,” I said, slipping my light gray spring jacket over my arms and belting it but not bothering to do the buttons. I gave her a little wave and stepped out the door. I could have walked to the bank but decided to drive instead. I wanted a clean get away in case Derek laughed me out of his office. Plus it had become quite chilly after the sun went down.

  In the bank, Derek peered out the door of his office and waved me in. I had called him earlier, so he was expecting me.

  “Hi, Trixie, you’re looking good, as always.” Derek and I had gone to high school together. He was a good guy.

  “Thanks, Derek. How are Diane and the boys?”

  “Good, good. Now what brings you in to see me?” Derek said leaning back in his chair.

  I went into a lengthy explanation about the idea Berklie and I had and how I needed start-up money without putting everything I had in jeopardy. “So do you think I’m crazy?”

  “Not at all. I think the idea is a good one. This town could use a place like that. I know Diane would love it. Now there are a couple ways we can do this …”

  I left the bank in high spirits. Derek had given me many options, all of which were only moderately risky and scary. It was a much better scenario than I had imagined going into the conversation. It surely was a sign this was a good idea.

  *****

  I was bustling around my kitchen, cutting up some Sartori cheese and dumping crackers on a plate. I had already opened the wine, a Riesling, none of the boxed stuff. Berklie and Sophie were coming over, and we were going to start talking about the business and how to get it off the ground. Cody was with his dad, and while I missed him when he was at his dad’s, it was sometimes nice to have some “me” time that I didn’t feel guilty about. I heard a knock on the door.

  “You-hoo!”

  “C’mon in, Berklie.”

  She opened the door and didn’t wait a second before asking me, “Spill it; what did Derek say?”

  “He said it might actually be possible without me risking everything,” I said as nonchalantly as I could for maximum effect.

  Berklie screamed, almost breaking my eardrums. She was the excitable one of the bunch. “That’s awesome, Trix,” she said hugging me. “Our dreams are coming alive!” She twirled around.

  “Calm down,” I said, laughing at her silliness. “He said it might be possible. There are a few things he needs to check into first.”

  “When is he going to let you know?”

  “It shouldn’t be longer than a couple of days.”

  “I hear a car. It must be Sophie,” Berklie said.

  “It’s about time. She’s late.”

  Chapter 3

  You are not going to believe this shit,” Sophie said, dropping her purse on the kitchen floor and draping her light green spring coat over the back of the kitchen chair as she sat down. I poured her a glass of Riesling and pushed it in front of her. We watched as she took one long sip, then two, before sitting the glass back down. She sighed, picked up the glass, and took one more drink.

  “I got canned.”

  “What?” I exclaimed.

  “Yep. I am now one of the ranks of the unemployed.”

  “They fired you?” Berklie asked.

  “Technically, I was laid off due to slow economic conditions and a restructuring of the company, but I don’t have a job regardless of how it came about.”

  “Forgive me for what I’m about to say, but do you really even care?” I said tentatively, not wanting to upset her even more than she already was. But she had been as unhappy at her job lately as I had been in mine. “You haven’t been happy there for a long time.”

  Sophie sighed again. “Am I sad to lose the job itself? No. I admit I was bored. It stopped challenging me creatively a long time ago. But I’m freaked out because I don’t have a back-up plan, I just never thought that far ahead, which in hindsight is silly, I know, but I’ve never lost a job before. Without a direct deposit going into my checking account each week, I’m not sure how I’m going to pay my bills.” She drained her glass and slid it back over to me for a refill.

  “Then let’s figure out what you want to do,” said Berklie. “You’ve got a lot of marketable skills. A lot more than I do. Finding you a new job should be a snap.”

  “Did I ever tell you about my grandmother?” Sophie asked, changing the subject.

  “Just that she lived in California and you used to visit her during the summer,” I said. “Why?”

  “When she died, she left me a chunk of cash that I’ve never touched. I tried to just forget about it and leave it for a rainy day. Well, I think it’s finally raining.”

  Berklie looked up at her. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “Yes I am. I want to be your third partner if you’ll have me.”

  “Sophie, that’s awesome news. Of course we want you, don’t we, Trixie?”

  “I couldn’t think of anything I’d like more. But I will say the same thing to you that I said to Berklie: Are you sure you want to spend your nest egg on a venture that could end up a bad investment?”

  “Trixie, I appreciate your concern, but nothing is for certain. I thought I had a stable job and look—today that changed. What is that tired saying? That nothing in life is guaranteed except death and taxes. It’s the truth. So trust me when I tell you I would love to be a part of this venture. It’s worth the risk.”

  I walked over to her chair and gave her a hug. “Your misfortune of losing your job is our win in having you as part of the team!”

  “Thanks guys. This is going to be awesome. I just feel it. By the way, Trix, what did Derek say?”

  I repeated what I had just told Berklie, that things looked promising. We just had to wait. We talked more about the business, and then as usual the conversation turned to gossip.

  “Tom is driving me crazy,” Berklie said.

  “What’s he doing now?” I asked.

  “We had everything settled and ready to sign at the lawyer’s today, and at the last minute he wants to make a change. It’s the third time he’s done this, wai
ted until the last minute, and then the whole process has to stop and start all over.”

  “Do you think he’s having second thoughts, and this is his way to stall?” I said. “Maybe he’s realized that his blonde bimbo isn’t all she’s cracked up to be.”

  “Ha!” Berklie snorted. “Too bad if he has. That ship has sailed.”

  “You know guys; they don’t always know when to give up,” Sophie said.

  “True, but even Tom isn’t that big of an idiot. Plus, Sylvia has him on a tight leash,” Berklie said, referring to Tom’s slut, as she liked to call her. “Lord knows why, but she doesn’t want to lose him, it seems, from her controlling actions. Poor Tom, maybe he’s just now realizing what he has gotten himself into.” She laughed.

  “Men! I’m so over them,” said Sophie.

  “Oh good, take my mind off my pain-in-the-ass ex and share your stories. Now go on. What’s going on with you and Andrew?”

  “As of right now? Nothing.”

  “Oh honey, what happened?” I asked. Andrew and Sophie had been dating for a few months, and Sophie really liked him, but it had been rocky going. Sophie had caught him a couple times talking to other girls in a way she didn’t feel appropriate for people who were in a committed relationship, but he seemed to think it was okay.

  “Just more of the same. He seems to think commitment means it’s okay to go home with other girls after a few drinks or to flirt with them on Facebook, as if I won’t find out.”

  “See, I’m right. Facebook is the devil,” I said.

  “Sure enough,” said Sophie.

  “What are you going to do?” I asked.

  “I’m done this time. I can’t handle any more of his excuses.”

  “You’re doing the right thing, Sophie,” Berklie said. “Take it from someone who was married to a man full of excuses. They don’t stop; they just get better at what they make up.”

  “Unfortunately, she’s right,” I said. “If he can’t be trusted the first few months into a relationship, then it’s probably not going to get any better.”

  “Why are men such a pain?” Sophie asked. “Why do we even bother?”

  “Because when we find the right one it makes it all worth it,” I replied. “Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”

  “God, I sure hope so. I don’t want to be alone the rest of my life, but the thought of another almost twenty years with someone just to find out they’re scum. Not high on my list of priorities.”

  “Just think of it this way, Berklie,” I said, “you have a lot of experience in knowing how to spot the scum.”

  “I guess that’s something. If only it hadn’t taken me so long to do it.”

  “So back to this Tom thing,” I said. “Do you think he has regrets?”

  “First pour me another glass of wine. I need it.”

  “Of course. I can’t believe I was so remiss,” I said grabbing another bottle of Riesling and the wine opener, then pouring us all a glass, making short work of the bottle. Luckily, I still had two more as backup just in case this took a long time. I set down with the wine. “Here you go. Now, spill it.”

  “What I just don’t get is why he needs to bother me when he has the bimbo?”

  “Bother you how?” asked Sophie. “For sex?”

  Berklie rolled her eyes. “Yes! Can you believe it? I stopped in his office after I calmed down over his whole wanting to change our divorce agreement at the last minute thing again. By the way, did you know he’s hired some twenty-year-old, whom I doubt even knows how to type, to be his new receptionist?”

  “Wonder how that got past Sylvia?” I asked.

  “She must not know yet. Anyways, I went into his office and closed the door so they couldn’t hear how loud I was going to yell—don’t need people gossiping more than they already do—and in the middle of my yelling, he walked around his desk to me and tried to hug me then kiss me on the neck telling me to calm down. As if his actions were really going to calm me down.”

  Sophie started laughing. “What did you do?”

  “After I got over my initial shock, I slapped him. You should have seen the look on his face. In all our years together, even when I found out about Sylvia, I have never hit him, though sometimes I sure wanted to. He was so shocked I just burst out laughing, and I think that pissed him off more than my slapping him.”

  I laughed until the tears started rolling down my face. “What I’m picturing right now in my mind is just hilarious. I bet Tom was mortified at your reaction.”

  “I think he’s very clear now where I stand.”

  “Good for you, Berklie,” Sophie said. “He needs to know his place.”

  “I’m tired of talking about history. So, Trixie,” Berklie said with a teasing glint, “tell us about that handsome man you’re dating. Is it getting serious?”

  “I’m not sure what we’re doing besides having a great time together. I don’t want to rush things.”

  “He sure is handsome. If you get tired of him, I would love to take him for a spin,” Sophie said, joking.

  I teased back. “I’ll tell him you said that when I see him tomorrow.”

  Chapter 4

  The doorbell rang. Crap. I’m not ready yet. I ran to the door to let in my boyfriend Jack. We were going to dinner. I opened the door to find him as handsome as ever. Jack was my age, well, a few months younger, which made me the older woman. He liked to tease me about that. He was about six feet tall and lean but what made him absolutely gorgeous were his beautiful green eyes. Until I met Jack, I had only seen this shade of green in colored contacts, and it was the first thing I had noticed when we were introduced.

  Jack was a lawyer. A boring one as he called it, his specialty being estate planning, but Jack was far from boring. He was one of the most interesting people I had ever met. Funny, smart, and of course those beautiful green eyes didn’t hurt.

  “Hi babe,” I said, giving him a quick kiss. “Just give me five minutes and I will be ready.”

  “It’s always five minutes with you,” he said, joking.

  “Whatever, I’m worth it,” I shot back.

  He was right. I was always just a few minutes behind. Sometimes it seemed like my life was perpetually five minutes behind. I went back in my bathroom to finish putting on my makeup, and after what was a few more than five minutes I finally felt I looked passable.

  When I wasn’t being overly critical about my looks, I thought I wasn’t too bad for a thirty-eight-year-old woman. I was the same size eight as I had been for years, my hair was the same dark brown, though I had a little help from dark brown in a bottle to hide the grays, but I could truthfully say I had my original hair color. I had noticed in the last year a few laugh lines that stayed put even after I stopped laughing, but all in all, it wasn’t anything horrible. I had seen a lot worse. In fact, I had met this lady in my Zumba class the other day who told me she was only thirty-six, but I would have sworn was fifty. Although, the fact she had a tan that looked like she had been baking since it was fashionable in the eighties was probably a factor in why her skin was leathery and wrinkled.

  “I hate to rush perfection, babe, but we have reservations at Spagaino’s at seven, and you know how that hostess gives away your table after five minutes,” I heard Jack call out.

  “Coming!” I sprayed myself with my Donna Karen Apple perfume and gave a final glance in the mirror. This was as good as it was going to get. I walked to the front door, slipped on my black heels, and grabbed my coat. “I’m ready.”

  “You look as beautiful as always,” Jack said. Complimenting me was another thing he was really good at. “I love that red dress on you.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled. “Now let’s go before that bitch gives away our table.”

  We made it to the restaurant with a few minutes to spare, and I was soon enjoying a glass of the house Chianti.

  “So fill me in on this business idea you and the girls have,” Jack asked after we ordered.

  “Y
ou know how I have always wanted to own my own bookstore. Well, it looks like it might actually happen.”

  “Babe, that’s great,” Jack said, holding up his glass for a toast to my endeavor. “Tell me more.”

  “Berklie needs a job and has some money to invest from her divorce settlement from Tom, and Sophie just was laid off and has some money to invest that her grandmother left her. So I went to the bank to explore my options and found I actually had some that wouldn’t wipe me out. I decided that for once I should be daring and take a chance on a dream. Especially when I have two other people willing to take the chance with me.”

  “I think you’re absolutely right. You deserve to be happy. Now tell me how I can help.”

  “I was hoping you would ask that. I know this isn’t your area of expertise, but I was hoping you could write up a partnership agreement for us.”

  “That’s smart. No matter how close friends are, it’s a good idea to have business dealings clearly outlined and understood by everyone. I’d be more than happy to help out. You three just need to drop by my office sometime, and we can get it taken care of.”

  “Thanks, Jack,” I said, reaching over to pat his hand. My happiness was slightly diminished when I noticed over his shoulder that Tom was walking in with Sylvia the slut. There weren’t that many nice places to eat in this town, so it wasn’t surprising to run into to people you didn’t want to run into, but I hated seeing Tom with that woman.

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked, sensing the shift in my mood.

  “Tom and Sylvia just walked in,” I whispered.

  Jack frowned. “I still don’t know what he sees in her.” Jack and Tom were friends. Jack was the one who had handled Tom and Berklie’s estate planning, and one of the partners in his law firm had handled the divorce.

  “Some men just like the bimbo look,” I said. “Thankfully for me, you’re not one of them.”