Pelican's Landing

Chapter Nineteen

“How do you want to work the festival?” Annie asked as soon as Jordan walked into the office.

Jordan raised her eyebrows. “What festival?”

“On the Fourth of July,” she said. “Everyone will want to go.”

Jordan sank down onto the sofa and took a sip from her coffee cup. “There’s a festival?”

“Oh, Jordan, there’s been a festival on the Fourth of July since we were kids. How can you not remember?”

Jordan shrugged. “I forgot a lot of stuff,” she said. “So will we be busy here?”

“There’ll be more people in town than normal, but most of them will be at the festival. We rent a booth there so we’ll have to have someone work it too.”

“We do?”

“I guess I didn’t think to mention it to you. Matt always handled all of that,” she said. “We take mostly T-shirts and a few things that are unbreakable.”

“Okay. Well, that shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

“We’ve got to have the store covered, the booth covered, and give them all an opportunity to go to the festival itself,” she explained.

“What did you do last year?”

“Matt took the booth. Everyone else took short shifts here.”

Jordan groaned. “I’m not crazy about the idea of working the booth.”

Annie smiled at her. “Too many people for your liking?”

“If they all want to go to the festival, wouldn’t it be easier to split the shifts at the booth?”

“And you’ll work the store?”

“You and me?” Jordan asked hopefully.

Annie shook her head. Jordan still didn’t like to be left at the store alone. What she was afraid of, Annie had no idea.

“How about we call a staff meeting and get their opinions?” Annie suggested.

“Okay. You’re the manager. You call it.” Jordan leaned forward, grabbing her reading glasses and the latest T-shirt catalog from the desk. “Have you looked at this yet?”

“Not really. I flipped through it is all,” she said.

She pulled up the inventory, wondering if she should order more shirts before the festival. Certainly more of the Fat Larry T-shirts. Brandon was giving them away at a record pace. Matt would be proud. She glanced over at Jordan, watching her as she studied the catalog. She looked adorable with her reading glasses low on her nose.

“Do you know how cute you look in those glasses?” The words were out before Annie could stop them and she felt a slight blush on her face.

Jordan looked up, her eyes meeting Annie’s over the top of her glasses. “Yeah. They make me look super-smart.”

Annie leaned her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her hands. “Why are you single?” When Jordan raised her eyebrows questioningly, Annie continued. “And don’t say it’s because you used to work sixty or seventy hours a week. That’s just an excuse.”

Jordan put the catalog down beside her on the sofa and tossed her glasses on top of it. “No, it’s not really an excuse,” Jordan said. “I had goals—professional goals—and priorities and my love life was never at the top of the list. It wasn’t even near the top. And like a lot of things, the years kinda went by without me knowing it.”

“So what’s the longest relationship you’ve ever been in?”

Jordan laughed. “Does three dates constitute a relationship?”

“Oh, come on. Surely you’ve been out with someone more than three times.”

Jordan leaned back on the sofa and crossed her legs, resting one ankle across her knee. “Well, there was Debra. We hung out for a while. Debra was an investment broker, so we had things in common. But she was very competitive, and it was always a power struggle with us.” She grinned. “The sex was great.”

“But?” Annie prompted.

Jordan shrugged. “We both knew it wasn’t going anywhere. I think we were too much alike.”

“Are you that competitive?”

Jordan nodded. “At work, yes.” Before Annie could ask another question, Jordan asked one of her. “Why are you single?”

“Me?” Annie reached for her coffee cup, perhaps stalling for time. Why was she still single? “Well, the first time around was so disastrous, I was afraid to even consider dating again,” she said. She looked over at Jordan, holding her gaze. “Truthfully, there never was anyone…well, I guess I learned from Derrick…our relationship was nothing more than high school crap,” she said with a smile. “He was familiar, he was who my parents loved, our friends were all getting married, so I simply followed suit. But I never…I never felt for Derrick what you need for a marriage. I knew that. I knew that six months after we got married. I probably knew it before we got married.”

“You’ve been divorced…what? Four years or so?”

“Yes. I guess I just haven’t met anyone who…well, who…” She stared at Jordan, feeling a connection with her that she couldn’t quite understand. Jordan’s eyes were gentle and Annie didn’t want to pull away. “Maybe…someday,” she said quietly.

Jordan nodded. “Yeah. Me too.”

Annie smiled and finally pulled her gaze away. “I guess I should get back to my inventory.”

Jordan stood. “I’ll go cover the store if you want to get a vote on the festival.”

“Okay, thanks. Jessica and Staci aren’t working today, but I’ll get their take tomorrow,” Annie said.

Jordan paused at the door. “I’ve also been thinking about this office party you want me to have.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Mid-July work for you?”

“Sure. I don’t know that I’ll fit into a swimsuit by then, though,” she said. “My clothes are starting to get a little tight.”

“You can’t tell.”

“When I’m naked looking in the mirror, I can tell,” she said.

A smile touched Jordan’s face and she looked like she wanted to say something but didn’t. Annie smiled too.

“Whatever it is you’re thinking…”

Jordan laughed. “Not going to say.” She took a step back into the office. “But when will you tell the others?”

“I don’t know. Part of me wants to wait until it’s obvious. Maybe they’ll just think I’m getting fat,” she said.

“Think you’ll be embarrassed by what they think?”

“Yes. Especially when they find out it’s Matt’s,” she said. “They’ll assume we were having this clandestine affair right under their noses.”

Jordan shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, does it?”

Annie sighed. “Staci had a little crush on him. She used to tease that I did too.”

“Ah. So she’ll think you were lying to her.”

“Yes.” Annie waved a hand at Jordan. “I don’t do drama well. And I feel there’s going to be drama.” She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. “And when Derrick finds out, he’s going to totally freak out.” She looked at Jordan. “Please promise me you won’t let him back here. Because he’ll try to storm back here and confront me.”

“I promise I’ll protect you.”

“Thank you.”

Jordan turned to go but again paused and turned back. “By the way, if we can both sneak out of here early today, I thought maybe we could take a Jet Ski ride out in the bay.”

“Really?” Annie grinned. “That would be fun.”

“They’re going to start on the pier in a couple of days. I need to move them anyway.”

“Okay. I’m game.”

Jordan nodded. “Good. I’ll pick up dinner at the restaurant.”

Annie was still smiling long after Jordan left. A Jet Ski ride in the bay? She could hardly wait.