Summer Days, page 6
“Oh shit.”
“Yeah. Plenty of family drama there if I wanted to engage with it, but I’ve avoided it entirely. I’m an only child. I gave up trying to convince them that I was still me. But their beliefs clouded any chance of them coming around to the idea that I was gay and that it wasn’t some sort of phase.”
“I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.”
“I’m assuming your parents were fine with it?” Tracy asked before she went back to her fruit salad.
“Yes. Always. Erin had a similar experience to you, so that only strengthened our friendship. She practically lived with us for the last two years of high school, after she’d come out. But yeah, I know I’ve been extremely lucky in that respect too.” Hannah took another sip of orange juice. “So, if you didn’t plan on staying, you were thinking of selling back then?”
“No. I always wanted to keep it. It meant a lot to me that my grandmother gave the house to me. My mother was completely blindsided. She had lawyers. I don’t even know what she got up to, but she was trying to contest the will. I just didn’t get involved. Eventually, I did get the keys, and I came out here to see what shape it was in. I hadn’t been out here for a while, and I knew it would need some renovations. I guess, I planned on renting it out, but I stayed while the work was being done, and I couldn’t bring myself to list it.”
“And you’ve been here ever since?”
Tracy nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t been back to Connecticut since then. My life’s here now. Breanna and Molly are my family.”
“I have a feeling that I could end up doing the same thing.” Hannah finished the last of her fruit salad, her words lingering in the air between them, and she could have sworn that she saw something flash across Tracy’s eyes.
Hannah knew that their age difference bothered Tracy, but maybe it wouldn’t be as big of a deal now that Tracy knew that she’d dated other women who happened to be older than her.
And the other concern, about living three thousand miles apart? Hannah knew that night that Tracy would assume she’d be heading back to New York soon, but now that Hannah had put it out there that she could see herself staying, she had to believe that maybe, just maybe, Tracy would give her a chance.
14
Tracy took her time walking to The Lazy Mermaid. Some days, she liked to time herself, to walk a little more briskly and treat it as her exercise for the day, but other times, like this afternoon, she took her time. She wasn’t even scheduled to work today, but after her morning spent petting cats and playing with puppies, she was feeling a bit restless.
This walk on the trail, passing tourists and locals, the ocean on her right and seagulls swooping overhead, always seemed to do her good. And lately, Tracy felt like she needed that extra self-care.
Four days after Hannah had come over for breakfast, Tracy was still thinking about what she’d said, about how flexible her work hours were. It was really quite impressive, along with what Erin had accomplished. Tracy had asked Hannah for the name of Erin’s channel, and she’d watched probably a dozen travel vlogs over the last few days, many of which Hannah had been in.
They’d ate pizza in Napoli. They’d posed in front of the Eiffel Tower. They’d jumped off cliffs in southern Portugal and landed in strikingly blue waters, the sun beating down overhead. And as amazing as the scenery had been, Tracy’s thoughts kept returning to how beautiful Hannah was.
Some of those videos were eight or nine years old, and Tracy could easily say that Hannah was even more stunning now. There was this relaxed confidence to her now that wasn’t in any of those videos, and it reminded her of their brief interactions ten years ago, when Hannah had come across as much older than she really was.
Those thoughts filled Tracy’s head on her walk, but as soon as she stepped inside the bar, she pushed them all aside. She didn’t want Breanna questioning the potentially goofy look on her face, because Breanna knew her too well. She would know exactly who and what she’d been thinking of.
The soft hum of people talking, and the clink of glasses and coffee mugs told her that The Lazy Mermaid was busy before she could even look around. Almost every table was full, and things were under control, the three staff they had on today busy clearing tables and delivering coffees.
Tracy slipped behind the counter and through the door that led to the back area where they had an office, a storeroom, and what used to be the kitchen when the previous owners had run the place which now served as a staff room.
When she didn’t find Breanna in the office or the storeroom, she wandered into the staff room, pausing in the doorway, her palm pressed against the open door, not quite believing that Hannah was standing beside Breanna. They were both so lost in their conversation, standing in front of the ovens with their backs to Tracy, that they hadn’t heard her come in.
Breanna turned, doing a double take when she saw Tracy. “Hey.”
“Hi.” Tracy let the door swing shut after her. “Hey, Hannah.”
Hannah’s hands were stuffed in the pockets of her shorts, her cheeks rosy, with almost a guilty look on her face, and now Tracy really had to know what was going on. Her first thought was that Breanna was conspiring to set them up, but why do that back here?
Breanna offered the explanation. “Since you happened to mention yesterday that Hannah’s a chef, I thought I’d ask her to come back here and see how bad this setup really is. How much work we’d actually have to do if we wanted to start serving food.”
“And?” Tracy wasn’t at all surprised that Breanna would do something like that. She’d been itching to do something that would improve the business whether that was having a live band once a week or something she’d mentioned more than once in the last few months, serving bar food, maybe just on the weekends to start.
Hannah winced. “It needs a lot of work.”
“In money terms?” Tracy asked, already afraid of the answer.
“At least fifty thousand,” Hannah said matter-of-factly. “Possibly a lot more depending on what your goals are. I’m just talking about basic working order. Everything in this kitchen is probably about twenty years old. And you’d have to do a few things with the layout to meet state requirements. I’m guessing on that part, but if this was New York… You’d have to make some changes to bring it up to code. You’d need to check the local situation, but even just equipment… You’re looking at upwards of fifty grand.”
Breanna sighed. “I thought it was worth a look,” she said to Tracy.
All she could do was nod. Breanna was the driver of this business, but sometimes Tracy worried about the risks she was willing to take. Not that she would ever do anything without a serious discussion, but Tracy had already voiced her concerns about even thinking about food. It brought in a whole other element of regulations, risk, and staff.
Things had been running so smoothly lately, especially the last two or three years. Tracy wasn’t ready to mess with that.
“Thank you for taking the time,” Tracy said to Hannah.
“No. Not at all. Like I said, I’m just giving a ballpark figure from what I’ve seen. You should get a real quote if it’s something you’re seriously considering.”
At the same time, Breanna said yes, and Tracy said no.
Hannah’s lips quirked into a smile. “I’ll show myself out.”
Breanna glared at Tracy before calling out to Hannah before she reached the door. “Don’t forget about the barbecue tonight.”
“I’ll be there. Erin has a date, so…”
Breanna grinned. “Lara’s really nice. They did look good together the other night.”
Hannah returned the smile. “She’s certainly smitten. See you later.”
When Tracy was sure Hannah was gone, she tilted her head. “I didn’t tell you Hannah was a chef so you could get her back here to assess the kitchen.”
Breanna shrugged. “It was a spontaneous thing. She’d just had a coffee and was on her way out. I wanted to invite her to the barbecue anyway, so this was just a small detour.”
“Why?”
“Because you know how much I want to see us serve food. I think it would bring in a lot of business.”
“No.” Tracy closed her eyes for a second, willing herself not to get angry with Breanna. “The barbecue. Why are you inviting her?”
“Well, I invited Erin because Molly is a bit of a fangirl, and I asked Hannah because it would be rude not to, and you two seemed to get along just fine last weekend.”
Tracy shook her head. “You know how I feel about being set up.”
“No one’s setting you up.”
Tracy stared at Breanna. “Please.”
“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Trace,” she said with a wink. “Got to get back to work.”
Tracy took a deep breath, watching the door swing after her. She normally showed up to Breanna and Molly’s monthly barbecue wearing whatever she’d had on that day. It was always a casual night with anywhere from four or five people to sometimes closer to twenty depending on who was free.
It was a night she enjoyed and looked forward to each month, but she couldn’t ignore the fluttering in her stomach when she thought about seeing Hannah there tonight.
Suddenly, it was no longer a casual night, and Tracy was already thinking ahead to what she’d wear.
15
Hannah slid her phone into the pocket of her navy shorts, relieved to finally be at Breanna and Molly’s just as the sun was setting behind her, the sky a fiery shade of orange fading into a deep purple.
She’d made two wrong turns, having to resort to double checking the map to see how far away she was. It would have been easier to get a taxi, but Hannah had the time, and she’d never been on these windy suburban streets.
As much as she loved her parents’ home with the beach view, there was something charming about the houses up here and for somewhere so close to the beach, less than a half hour’s walk away, there were so many trees and shrubs lining the quiet streets, including plenty of palm trees.
All the houses were so unique. All shapes and sizes. Many of them painted in bright, vibrant colors. Hannah found herself taking her time, and that’s probably how she’d gotten lost in the fading sunlight, twice, but she was finally here, knocking on their pale blue door, the voices of their other guests floating out from behind the white gate that presumably led to their backyard.
The door swung open. “Hey,” Breanna said with a smile. “Come in. Did you walk?” she asked, looking past her.
“Yeah. It’s not that far. I probably should have coordinated with Tracy, but I didn’t have her number, and when I knocked, there was no answer.”
“That’s probably because she’s about a half bottle of wine into her evening,” Breanna said with a laugh. “Sorry, I’m giving you the wrong impression. She’s not that bad. But she does normally come early and help us prep, and Molly is generous with the drink pouring. Anyway, let me introduce you to everyone.”
Hannah followed her inside. “I meant to say it to you earlier, but I love your tattoo. I only have a few small ones, but those koi fish are just… It’s a gorgeous tattoo. The colors are amazing.”
“Thank you.” Breanna led her down the short hallway and into a decent sized cream kitchen with windows and sliding doors that overlooked their back deck and the grass beyond it. “I knew exactly who I wanted to do it, and I waited three years for them to come back to California, but I think it was worth it. Tracy actually drew it.”
Hannah’s eyes went wide, but they were already on their way outside, passing the counters full of snacks and meat that was marinated and prepped, ready for the barbecue.
Outside, the deck area was draped in string lights, and Molly was working on getting the fire pit going, stopping what she was doing to come over and say hello.
Hannah still couldn’t believe that Breanna’s tattoo was based on a drawing that Tracy had done.
Hannah had no idea Tracy could draw, and as Breanna introduced her to their friends and neighbors, Hannah could no longer ignore Tracy who she’d spotted out of the corner of her eye, looking stunning in white shorts and a royal blue tank top that Hannah knew would make her eyes even more beautiful.
“Hi,” Tracy said, motioning to the free chair beside her.
“Hey.” Hannah took a seat, wondering if she was imagining the gleam in Tracy’s eyes. Maybe it was the wine? Maybe, things were starting to look up for Hannah.
“Will I pour you a glass?” Tracy asked, getting up and going over to a barrel filled with ice and bottles of wine and beer.
“Sure.” Hannah inhaled a deep breath as her eyes fell on Tracy’s legs, moving higher to where her hair fell from behind her ear to cover her cheek. She swallowed as Tracy topped up her own glass and returned to her seat beside Hannah. “Thanks,” she said when Tracy handed her the glass, their fingers brushing for just a second.
Hannah didn’t want to get ahead of herself, but there was definitely something different about the way that Tracy was looking at her tonight. Whatever it was, it wasn’t there just a few hours ago, although Hannah got the feeling that revamping the kitchen was one hundred percent Breanna’s idea.
If Tracy looked a little tense then, now she was image of a relaxed woman. She had one leg crossed over the other, leaning back in her chair, and Hannah had to tear her eyes away.
Erin’s theory that she might find some closure was not happening. It was the opposite, really, and Hannah wished she’d come back sooner. Although, she had to reminder herself that it wasn’t too long ago that she’d been unhappy. Lost even. She’d needed these last ten years to grow up, to figure out what she really wanted, and maybe that wasn’t just about her career.
What if the reason she wasn’t that upset that she’d been cheated on was because she’d never really been invested in that relationship?
Or the previous ones.
Hannah had always felt like she’d just been drifting from one semi-serious relationship to another, always missing something. Never having that magnetic attraction. That spark.
“So, Erin has a date,” Tracy said before she took a sip of wine. “Molly’s trying not to be too disappointed, but she clearly is.”
Hannah cradled the cool wine glass, watching Molly add some wood to the fire, the flames jumping up to meet the timber.
“Is it strange having fans?” Tracy asked.
“Uh, well. I don’t know.” Hannah angled her chair more towards Tracy. The others were all involved in their own conversations, and Breanna was getting the barbecue going, so it was just the two of them sitting side by side. “I’d only be recognized by someone training to become a chef or a seriously motivated person who wants to improve their cooking skills at home. That’s a small number of people.”
She took a sip of wine, the crisp citrus flavors going down smoothly.
“For Erin,” Hannah said with a shrug. “It’s strange. Sometimes we’d be out somewhere, especially if she has her camera out, and people will come over and say hello and ask for photos. But other times, we could go days without bumping into someone who knows who she is. Like the other night at your bar. One woman did. Oh, and Molly, but I don’t think she even came over. I only know from Breanna. The woman she’s with tonight, Lara, didn’t know. I don’t know if she knows now.”
Tracy’s perfume drifted into her space, and Hannah didn’t know if it was the setting, sitting a few feet away from a bonfire and being surrounded by cozy lighting, drinking wine, but this felt surprisingly intimate, especially when it was just the two of them talking.
“Well, I had no idea,” Tracy said. “But that doesn’t count for much. Lara’s around the same age as me. I guess, we’re not Erin’s target audience.”
Hannah ignored the comment about their age difference. “You’d be surprised. The analytics say that Erin’s audience is predominately women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, but the other forty percent or so are women in their forties. I think they’re only discovering travel after their kids have grown up or they’ve gotten a divorce. I don’t know, but she does have followers who are older than her.”
“And does Lara know she’s leaving? At some point.”
Hannah felt a low swooping in her belly. It was like Tracy was asking her that question. It was the tone of her voice, the hint of sadness in it.
Hannah sucked in a breath. She’d actually spoken to Erin about this last night. “See, that’s the thing. Erin doesn’t have to leave. I mean, she probably has a few trips lined up in the coming months, but she can live anywhere. Especially, here, in the States. She’s had trouble with visas in the past. She wanted to spend more time in Sydney two or three years ago, but she couldn’t. Some European countries are easier, but if she wants to stay here, it’s not a big deal.”
“I watched some of her videos.”
“Yeah?” Hannah asked. She’d been a little surprised when Tracy had asked for the name of Erin’s channel.
Tracy nodded. “You were in a few of them.”
Hannah smiled. “Yeah, that’s something I try to forget about.” She had a feeling she was blushing.
“Why?”
Hannah sighed. “I don’t know. It’s like my twenties were documented. For anyone to see. I don’t think I ever did anything specifically embarrassing or anything, but it’s strange knowing that’s out there for anyone to see. I wouldn’t ask Erin to take them down though. Those videos were the ones that made her channel take off. She had a really creative editing style. For back then anyway. I think the standards for the average video content creator have dramatically risen in the last few years, but she was way ahead of the curve.”
