trying to make sure she knew he’d be in town for the big day. When he hadn’t even come into the office that day, never mind take her out, she’d realized he was just making sure she knew his work schedule. The next week when he’d realized that she was upset he’d apologized, inviting her over to his apartment for take-out from their favorite Chinese restaurant. It had almost made her feel less pathetic.
The following year, determined to avoid a similar mistake and demonstrate her total and complete independence, she’d agreed to head out with Venice and Valeria. She’d cancelled at five o’clock the night of when Phillip had shown up at her cubicle looking uncharacteristically rumpled and asking if she could stay late to help with a pitch. Come to think of it, they’d ended up having Chinese take-out back at his apartment that night as well.
Lila rubbed her forehead to dispel the bad memories as she walked out of the market. From now on, she vowed to be more like Zsa Zsa Gabor. Or was it someone else? She couldn’t remember who’d said the quote, but she’d read it recently in a book on New Year’s Resolutions. Apparently the secret to happiness was good health, good friends and a bad memory.
Realizing she still had 25 minutes of her lunch hour, Lila headed to Annie’s shop before going back to the bookstore. Most everything was walking distance in Redwood Cove including her apartment and she loved tooling around in her big boots and Gram mittens. Still off-season, most of the people around town were locals. She was starting to recognize some of them and get the insider’s nod or even smile. On ‘clear’ days during winter the sun appeared from noonish to sundown and today the fog was finally starting to lift. Lila hummed a song stuck in her head, something about wriggling like an octopus. She and Charlotte had had a dance party a few days ago, tutus required.
The jingling bell at the chocolate shop’s door barely got Annie’s attention as she bent down over a large basket. Zoe was there as well and they were scrutinizing chocolate flowers amidst a bouquet.
“Are there too many on this side?” Annie asked, seeming to know it was Lila without looking up.
“Um,” Lila cocked her head to the side and tried to get a look from all angles. Bursts of color from real flowers intermingled with white, milk and dark chocolate flowers on sticks like lollypops. “It’s perfect.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Zoe exclaimed, giving Lila a big hug.
“I hate Valentine’s Day,” Annie grumbled.
“Apparently you’re in good company.” Lila told them the good news that Marion had shared with her and Godfrey this morning: Cover-to-Cover’s Internet sales had spiked over the last two weeks. An examination of the titles purchased revealed a preponderance of tragic love stories. It turned out that Godfrey had declared February “National Love-is-Bad-for-your-Health Month” and launched a successful viral marketing campaign leading fellow Valentine’s Day haters to the bookstore’s website. There, he recommended tales to comfort the lovelorn. Purchases ranged from classics such as Romeo and Juliet and Orpheus and Eurydice (alternate title: Don’t Look Back or You’ll be Sorry) to just released yet destined to become a classic “Nie Sprechen,” translation: “Never Speak,” a heartwarming German tale about a deaf/mute boy in love with a blind girl who both die alone.
“It’s the worst day of the year,” Annie agreed. “Do know how swamped I am right now? I don’t even have the time to tell you how swamped I am. That’s how swamped!” Valentine’s Day at a chocolate shop was no joke. The last-minute orders were still coming in as Annie and her boss back in the kitchen were struggling to complete
The following year, determined to avoid a similar mistake and demonstrate her total and complete independence, she’d agreed to head out with Venice and Valeria. She’d cancelled at five o’clock the night of when Phillip had shown up at her cubicle looking uncharacteristically rumpled and asking if she could stay late to help with a pitch. Come to think of it, they’d ended up having Chinese take-out back at his apartment that night as well.
Lila rubbed her forehead to dispel the bad memories as she walked out of the market. From now on, she vowed to be more like Zsa Zsa Gabor. Or was it someone else? She couldn’t remember who’d said the quote, but she’d read it recently in a book on New Year’s Resolutions. Apparently the secret to happiness was good health, good friends and a bad memory.
Realizing she still had 25 minutes of her lunch hour, Lila headed to Annie’s shop before going back to the bookstore. Most everything was walking distance in Redwood Cove including her apartment and she loved tooling around in her big boots and Gram mittens. Still off-season, most of the people around town were locals. She was starting to recognize some of them and get the insider’s nod or even smile. On ‘clear’ days during winter the sun appeared from noonish to sundown and today the fog was finally starting to lift. Lila hummed a song stuck in her head, something about wriggling like an octopus. She and Charlotte had had a dance party a few days ago, tutus required.
The jingling bell at the chocolate shop’s door barely got Annie’s attention as she bent down over a large basket. Zoe was there as well and they were scrutinizing chocolate flowers amidst a bouquet.
“Are there too many on this side?” Annie asked, seeming to know it was Lila without looking up.
“Um,” Lila cocked her head to the side and tried to get a look from all angles. Bursts of color from real flowers intermingled with white, milk and dark chocolate flowers on sticks like lollypops. “It’s perfect.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Zoe exclaimed, giving Lila a big hug.
“I hate Valentine’s Day,” Annie grumbled.
“Apparently you’re in good company.” Lila told them the good news that Marion had shared with her and Godfrey this morning: Cover-to-Cover’s Internet sales had spiked over the last two weeks. An examination of the titles purchased revealed a preponderance of tragic love stories. It turned out that Godfrey had declared February “National Love-is-Bad-for-your-Health Month” and launched a successful viral marketing campaign leading fellow Valentine’s Day haters to the bookstore’s website. There, he recommended tales to comfort the lovelorn. Purchases ranged from classics such as Romeo and Juliet and Orpheus and Eurydice (alternate title: Don’t Look Back or You’ll be Sorry) to just released yet destined to become a classic “Nie Sprechen,” translation: “Never Speak,” a heartwarming German tale about a deaf/mute boy in love with a blind girl who both die alone.
“It’s the worst day of the year,” Annie agreed. “Do know how swamped I am right now? I don’t even have the time to tell you how swamped I am. That’s how swamped!” Valentine’s Day at a chocolate shop was no joke. The last-minute orders were still coming in as Annie and her boss back in the kitchen were struggling to complete
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