Bound for the Outer Banks by Alicia Lane Dutton

that!” Ella took a big swallow of her complimentary Merlot and decided not to deter Lacey with the standard women’s health, vaginal dryness type stuff kind of answer. “I write about fashion.”
     
    “Ah Hah!” Lacey shouted. “I knew I had a good feeling about you. I mean after, you know, I tried to knock you out with the front door and all. But wait, why in the world would you come here to write about fashion. I mean women wear mid-thigh length beach cover ups trying to pass them off as dresses and men wear socks with sandals. Manteo is as fashion forward as Leningrad.”
     
    Ella laughed, “I came here for peace and quiet to write. I’ve just been on an extended vacation in Europe. I’ve done all the research and now it’s time to pitch some articles to magazines.” Ella was proud of that by-the-seat-of-her-pants answer.
     
    “Now THAT makes a lot more sense. I used to think if my business wasn’t here I’d have flown the coop years ago, but now in my almost middle age I’ve accepted that I kind of like it here. And by the way I’ll be saying almost middle age for quite a while because I’ve convinced myself I’m gonna live as long as Methuselah. Mid age for him was what? Five hundred years?”
     
    Ella surveyed the restaurant which was more than half full at five twenty. “It looks like you have a very successful business and I love the décor.”
     
    Lacey held the stem of her wine glass and firmly placed it on the table. “Oh no, this neutral baby shower gone bad is my Mother’s. I’m filling in while she and my Aunt Harmony are in New Bern for the day visiting my Great Aunt Imogene in the nursing home.”
     
    Ella tried not to look stunned. How many sisters could there be in tiny Manteo named Melody and Harmony? To Ella it rang of a bad Michael Jackson – Paul McCartney song. Thankfully at that precise moment Eric appeared with her fried green tomatoes.
     
    “I’m gonna let you eat in peace. Let me go channel Miss Melody for a little while.” Lacey sauntered over to a table with two elderly couples. The men did indeed have on dark socks and sandals and each woman was sporting a sleeveless loose dress. One was a cross between an acid wash and tie dye and the other sported seahorses around the bottom edge of the skirt. Lacey delighted them with a story about a couple who sneaked on to the Queen Elizabeth II museum ship across the water at Roanoke Festival Park. They had apparently enjoyed some type of sexual rendezvous and accidentally fallen asleep in the nude. The next morning they were greeted lying on some flour sack props by a high school tour group led by one of the sailors on the interpretive staff. The actor never missed a beat and speaking in true old English said, “Aye, as you can see, privacy was hard to find on such a small ship.” After Lacey had shared her story complete with accent, the table roared with laughter.
     
    Ella quietly ate the entire plate of fried green tomatoes although it was most assuredly an appetizer meant to be shared by an entire table. She watched Lacey continue to work the room and “channel Miss Melody” as she’d put it.
     
    Ella ate the Arugula salad with pecans and sliced strawberries until there was nothing left and she was tempted to lick the plate clean. The poppy seed dressing was some of the best she’d ever had. During her meal Lacey walked by and stealthily placed another Merlot on the table. Ella gave her a big genuine smile. If Lacey was anything like Melody and Melody was anything like Harmony then Ella certainly understood why BeBe had so much fun with her best friend.
     
    Eric cleared the shrimp and grits plate and looked at Ella as if she’d been lost at sea and this was her first meal since being rescued. As Eric stepped back from the table, he revealed Lacey standing behind him holding a large serving of “Non Yankee Bread Pudding.” Lacey sat down as she placed the delicate pink floral plate on the table in front of