Chapter 38
Annie woke the next morning with a knot in her stomach. The thought of having to leave Saltwater Nook left her cold. She hadn’t had enough time; she’d barely begun, plus her credit card had taken a bit of beating getting the place ready to open.
She couldn’t imagine not being here: Not waking up every morning beside the fickle North Sea. Not flinging open the shutters on the kiosk to reveal the familiar, eager faces, and not discussing the weather as the coffee machine limbered up for another day’s work.
She lay with the comforting weight of a snoring Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle on her feet and the khaki of an October morning staining the curtains. The rain scratched against the window panes like it wanted to be let in. She had heard the now-familiar noise of shutters being adjusted and closed as Alfred let himself out; would her successor look out for him, she wondered? Annie decided she needed to speak to Mari herself. She would not let another egomaniac man bulldoze her life.
Mari answered on the second ring.
“Well, bless my soul,” she declared. “I am popular today. I’ve just had John on the phone.”
What a telltale tit, Annie thought, snorting inwardly.
“So, you know about last night,” said Annie. “It wasn’t as bad as it sounds . . .”
“Quite a cackling coven you’d instigated by the sounds of it.”
To Annie’s surprise, Mari sounded amused.
“It was the book club,” said Annie. “There were some . . . high jinks.”
“John was reluctant to go into detail, but he used the words sordid and sex aid; are these the high jinks to which you are referring?”
Annie almost laughed but swallowed hard to quash it. She decided it was best to just come right out and say it.
“It was a bit of a joke,” Annie began. “At last week’s book club, we’d been discussing my recent singledom, and the other members thought it would be a fun idea to get me a, er . . .” Annie stumbled. Was she really going to use the word dildo to a nonagenarian? “An, um, synthetic penis,” she finished, remembering Gemma’s more romantic affectation.
Annie heard a gasp followed by what could only be described as tittering in the background.
“Am I on speaker?”
“Ach, yes, dear,” said Mari. “My friend June is very interested in the current debacle. It’s better than telly!”
From some small distance the voice of the titterer called: “Do tell us more about the synthetic penis!”
Annie laughed. “Oh, Mari, I am sorry. I hope you don’t think we’re being disrespectful. It was just unfortunate timing that your nephew arrived when he did.”
“He called you a sex witch!” said the distant voice.
“I should be so lucky,” said Annie, and Mari and her companion chuckled daintily. “It was probably the candles that gave the witch vibes.”
“Cock by candlelight!” called Mari’s friend.
“Oh, hush now,” Mari admonished. “Annie will think we’re a couple of old hags.”
“Well, anyway,” said Annie, trying to steer the conversation away from cocks by candlelight. “I can assure you, I am in no way abusing your trust. I really hope this doesn’t make you change your mind about letting me stay.”
“Oh, tut tut. Not at all,” Mari said. “My nephew is being overprotective as usual, thinks I’m made of glass; a china prude, he’d have me cast as. Well, I can tell you, I am none of the above. You stay, my girl, and put those plans of yours into action. I’d like to see the Nook be an active part of the community again.”
“The local historical society isn’t best pleased,” said Annie.
“Ah, young Emily. She is a marvelous woman, full of passion! She’s not angry with you, dear, she just wants the Bay to keep the Nook. We’re all on the same team when you come down to it. Perhaps you are the person to unite us. Have you had any thoughts on a name yet?”
“I’ve been knocking around the Saltwater Café in my head,” said Annie. “I thought, keep it simple. I’ve run it by a few people, and they seem to like it.”
“It’s the perfect name,” said Mari.
Annie ended the phone call feeling dizzy with relief. She hadn’t realized quite how emotionally invested she was in the Nook until she was faced with losing it. She vowed never to take this new life for granted.
Chapter 39
After realizing that, in the awkward chaos that had brought the book club to an early close, they hadn’t chosen a new book, Annie messaged the group with a suggestion of Lady Audley’s Secret by Elizabeth Braddon. She had come across a copy in Mari’s bookcase and thought it would be nice—since they were all women—to read a Victorian novel written by a female author. Within moments her phone began to ping with responses.