fields and fields of lavender and lots of other things like beekeeping, pottery, and craft demonstrations.”
Tess pretended to snore.
“And there’s a street fair going on at the same time, with a hundred and fifty different craft and lavender booths, plus music and food at both the fair and the farms.” I closed my eyes for a second and tried to remember what I’d read last night. “Grilled lavender pepper sausages…sundried tomato lavender barbecued chicken…lavender lemon sorbet…white chocolate lavender raspberry cheesecake…honey lavender lemonade…lavender black currant champagne.”
“Lavender black currant champagne?” Rosie said.
I went in for the kill. “Oh, and we can also tour six award-winning artisan wineries while we’re there. It’s part of the festival.”
Tess stopped walking. “Wineries?” she said. “Oh, I am so there.”
“It sounds perfect,” Rosie said. “I can’t wait.”
“Okay,” Tess said. “I’m almost on board. But how about we fly to New Orleans first, drop off the journals, and then continue on to Squid?”
“No way,” Rosie said. “It would tack an extra day to either end, and I’m already pushing it time-wise, even without a detour. Why don’t we just invite your teacher friend to meet us at the festival, and we can give her the journals there? She could probably use a break, too.”
“You’re completely missing the point,” Tess said.
“Why don’t you go then,” Rosie said. “You can meet us in Sequim when you’re finished. Noreen and I will be the two hotties at the bar drinking lavender black currant champagne.”
“Thanks a lot,” Tess said. She walked up ahead of us, and Rosie and I gave each other a look.
“Sorry,” Rosie yelled.
Tess turned around. “You know,” she said, “I’m just trying to make a difference here. My own daughter will probably never speak to me again, so I guess I thought…”
“Did something happen between you and Hannah?” I asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Tess said. She turned and started walking again.
Rosie and I caught up with her. “Listen,” I said. “I really think the best way to do this is to mail the journals. I’ll help if you want.”
Tess shook her head. “I know, I know. I’m always trying to save the world, and I really could use a weekend that’s just about me. And fun.”
“Exactly,” came out of my mouth, exactly like I was my small-group career coach, Brock.
Tess sighed. “But after we go to Sequim, we have to do something about world peace, okay?”
I HADN’T GOTTEN around to doing my homework, so I tried to make up for it by getting to Fresh Horizons South early. I wasn’t sure whether to sit in the small-group career coaching room and start writing my life story, or go into the office and try to get my hands on the career coaching DVDs. Maybe homeschooling was a better option for me. The more I tried to imagine it though, the surer I was that they’d still be sitting, unopened, on top of my DVD player a month from now, collecting dust along with my unwatched copy of The Biggest Loser Workout.
Since I hadn’t ever actually signed up for the small-group sessions, maybe it wasn’t too late to change my mind. I could just walk into the Fresh Horizons South office and register for twelve hours of private career coaching. But what if Brock turned out to be the private career coach, too, and it was essentially the same, just with more individualized embarrassment?
I stood in the hallway, surrounded once again by kiddie-size lockers, and tried to think it through. Maybe I’d just walk the cement block hallways for a while and get the rest of today’s mileage in, and then go home. The deal Tess, Rosie, and I had made this morning was that, assuming we could find a hotel, we’d agree on the best flights to Seattle and book them right away while we could still get seats.
Then we’d be honor bound to walk at least 10,000 steps a day each between
Tess pretended to snore.
“And there’s a street fair going on at the same time, with a hundred and fifty different craft and lavender booths, plus music and food at both the fair and the farms.” I closed my eyes for a second and tried to remember what I’d read last night. “Grilled lavender pepper sausages…sundried tomato lavender barbecued chicken…lavender lemon sorbet…white chocolate lavender raspberry cheesecake…honey lavender lemonade…lavender black currant champagne.”
“Lavender black currant champagne?” Rosie said.
I went in for the kill. “Oh, and we can also tour six award-winning artisan wineries while we’re there. It’s part of the festival.”
Tess stopped walking. “Wineries?” she said. “Oh, I am so there.”
“It sounds perfect,” Rosie said. “I can’t wait.”
“Okay,” Tess said. “I’m almost on board. But how about we fly to New Orleans first, drop off the journals, and then continue on to Squid?”
“No way,” Rosie said. “It would tack an extra day to either end, and I’m already pushing it time-wise, even without a detour. Why don’t we just invite your teacher friend to meet us at the festival, and we can give her the journals there? She could probably use a break, too.”
“You’re completely missing the point,” Tess said.
“Why don’t you go then,” Rosie said. “You can meet us in Sequim when you’re finished. Noreen and I will be the two hotties at the bar drinking lavender black currant champagne.”
“Thanks a lot,” Tess said. She walked up ahead of us, and Rosie and I gave each other a look.
“Sorry,” Rosie yelled.
Tess turned around. “You know,” she said, “I’m just trying to make a difference here. My own daughter will probably never speak to me again, so I guess I thought…”
“Did something happen between you and Hannah?” I asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Tess said. She turned and started walking again.
Rosie and I caught up with her. “Listen,” I said. “I really think the best way to do this is to mail the journals. I’ll help if you want.”
Tess shook her head. “I know, I know. I’m always trying to save the world, and I really could use a weekend that’s just about me. And fun.”
“Exactly,” came out of my mouth, exactly like I was my small-group career coach, Brock.
Tess sighed. “But after we go to Sequim, we have to do something about world peace, okay?”
I HADN’T GOTTEN around to doing my homework, so I tried to make up for it by getting to Fresh Horizons South early. I wasn’t sure whether to sit in the small-group career coaching room and start writing my life story, or go into the office and try to get my hands on the career coaching DVDs. Maybe homeschooling was a better option for me. The more I tried to imagine it though, the surer I was that they’d still be sitting, unopened, on top of my DVD player a month from now, collecting dust along with my unwatched copy of The Biggest Loser Workout.
Since I hadn’t ever actually signed up for the small-group sessions, maybe it wasn’t too late to change my mind. I could just walk into the Fresh Horizons South office and register for twelve hours of private career coaching. But what if Brock turned out to be the private career coach, too, and it was essentially the same, just with more individualized embarrassment?
I stood in the hallway, surrounded once again by kiddie-size lockers, and tried to think it through. Maybe I’d just walk the cement block hallways for a while and get the rest of today’s mileage in, and then go home. The deal Tess, Rosie, and I had made this morning was that, assuming we could find a hotel, we’d agree on the best flights to Seattle and book them right away while we could still get seats.
Then we’d be honor bound to walk at least 10,000 steps a day each between
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