Lynn smiled and returned to her table, feeling like a co-conspirator as she listened to introductions.
"I'm Anthony. Nobody ever calls me Tony, and this is Karen."
"Logan Biesterman."
Sarah, holding a chair, nudged Dakota, forcing him to move over. "Make room for Emily." She shoved the chair next to him. "Emily, this is Dakota. He likes computers and spends all his time selling on eBay. Dakota, this is Emily from Wisconsin and she's going to be a sophomore at our school."
Lynn admired the way Sarah had finessed the situation. Poor Dakota. His face bright red, he gazed at Emily, too tongue-tied to speak. Emily, entranced, seemed not to notice as she acknowledged Dakota.
"Really?" Her smile was brilliant. "You like computers? I shop eBay all the time. What do you sell?"
Dakota, haltingly, started to tell Emily about his business while she gave all her attention to what he said. Her interest birthed a miracle. Lynn marveled, along with the rest, as the suddenly voluble Dakota talked on. She caught Logan winking at Sarah, giving her credit for another job accomplished.
At last the waitress arrived, bearing a huge tray with the pizzas. The ravenous group dug in, Dakota and Emily sharing, giving all the appearance of becoming a pair.
"You have to sit at our table Monday, at lunch," Sarah said. "The worst thing about being the new kid is not having anyone to sit with in the cafeteria."
"Yeah, you got in with the TAMs. We know how that turned out," Anthony rolled his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Emily asked.
Seconds of silence, then Dakota remarked, "Uh, actually, it was them that got Sarah started on her life of crime. Tonight we're celebrating her arrest for shoplifting."
Lynn looked at Dakota, shocked, but the expression of disbelief on Emily's face was too funny. They all started to laugh, including Sarah.
Anthony, after watching Sarah, said, carefully, "This is good, Sarah. The more you talk about it, the less it'll hurt. None of us believe you're guilty of anything, so you might as well explain."
Seeing the acceptance in their expressions, Lynn decided that maybe Anthony was right.
Sarah started telling her story again, and this time the embarrassment and shame didn't seem as bad as before. Emily's outrage at her treatment by the TAMs clearly comforted Sarah.
"You mean you have to wait a whole month to find out what will happen to you?" Emily's voice filled with horror. "How are you going to be able to wait like that?"
"We'll keep her too busy to worry," Logan said.
"Yeah," Karen agreed. "You can volunteer at the Humane Society Kennel and then there's the perfume you're making."
That required another explanation for Emily, who looked impressed, making Sarah smile.
"This is your first offense, so you'll probably get probation," Dakota said. "I don't think you'll go to a juvenile facility. After all, you're innocent. You didn't steal like Ashley did."
Anthony nodded agreement. "Styll. You'll get diversion. That's what'll happen, probably."
"What's diversion?" Sarah sounded anxious again.
"It's when the judge makes up stuff for you to do as punishment, like volunteer work or writing an essay on the evils of crime—stuff like that. It helps if you do something to gain points with the judge while you're waiting. The science project helps."
"She can help me with the puppies," Karen said.
"I have an idea." Lynn had been listening to all this without comment. They looked at her expectantly. "I'm on the board of The Humane Society. We're having the annual fund-raising fashion show in three weeks." She saw Sarah's blank expression, and continued. "Every year they sort through the clothes donated to the resale shop and pick out the nicest ones for volunteers to model and sell at the show. We've never done teenage clothes because we didn't have anyone to put together what kids wear. You could do that, Sarah."
Logan agreed. "Yeah, you're good at clothes, Sarah. Now that you're over your Emo/Goth phase, you wear some pretty cool stuff."
She slanted him a look. "How much stuff would I have to come up with?"
"It would be a small part of the show," Lynn said. "Maybe three models with two outfits each." The interest mounted, thrilling Lynn because she was helping Sarah.
"I know," Dakota said. "You and Karen and Emily could be the models."
Emily smiled; turning shy. "I'm not exactly model material."
"You're beautiful." Dakota rushed to her defense. "You're short, and Sarah's tall and Karen's medium. Three body types. There you go." He nodded, pleased with himself.
Lynn caught some of his excitement. "Delon will volunteer to do hair and make-up. He'll love it."
"It'd be neat if we could do evening dresses," Karen said. "There's a dance at the end of the year."
"Oh, I know!" Emily was catching on. "I'll Skype my friends in Milwaukee and tell them to go re-saleing or scrounge some used prom dresses. Nobody ever wears them more than once."
Sarah joined in. "I'll e-mail my friends at my old school in Chicago to send stuff, too. That way we'll have major swag, clothes nobody's seen yet."
Logan had an idea. "You can all wear Sarah's new perfume, 'Shakespeare's Flowers.'"
Sarah looked at Lynn. "There will be about twenty bottles. We can sell them and donate the money to the Society."
Lynn clapped her hands together. "What a wonderful idea, Sarah."
"I was going to do it as a project for the science fair, but I'll get permission to make it for the show, and submit a paper on how I made it, instead, for the credit."
"Okay," Lynn said, "are we agreed? We'll do this?"
"Okay!" They said it as one, nodding.
"Can us guys handle promotion and advertising?" Dakota asked. "An e-mail blast, maybe, and posting on Facebook, and the school web site. I'll send out the 4-1-1 tomorrow." He looked at Emily. "I should have your phone number and your e-mail."
"Oh, sure," she said, pulling her cell out of her pocket. "Here everybody, program your numbers into my phone." She picked up a napkin and, using a pen, wrote her phone and e-mail on it. "Here's mine." She passed it on before turning to Dakota. "I've got graphics software, Dakota. We'll do the promotion together." Emily smiled shyly. "I have the new Star Wars game, too. It just came out. You can download if you want."
Lynn smothered a smile at Dakota's expression
of wonder.
"Sarah," Logan said, eyeing Dakota and Emily, "I hope you know what you've started here. One business tycoon was a lot. Two might be too many."
Dakota made a face at him, and explained to Emily, "Logan and I are going into business someday. He can write software off the top of his head and he's never owned a computer. He barely knows how to use a mouse."
Emily stared. Logan shrugged and said, "I read a lot."
Mrs. Paxton walked up to the table. "Emily, we're going now. Say goodbye to your friends."
"Bless up, everybody. Bye Dakota. I'll see you all Monday at lunch." Emily rose and walked out with her family, leaving Dakota looking after her wistfully.
Karen said, teasing, "Dakota's crushing, major."
"Yeah," he said happily, "we're really a group, now."
When they got ready to leave, Lynn noticed the four girls still sitting in their booth, eyeing Sarah as she passed by, a calculating expression on their faces.
Sweet justice. Lynn experienced the satisfaction of a job well done. The enthusiasm of the group made her feel alive. She might be able to get along with Sarah and her friends after all. Lynn winked at the girls as she walked by.
They'll reconsider their treatment of Sarah after missing out on a fashion show and free makeovers by Delon. Besides, her dad is a cool guy who drives a Jag. Not too smart, ladies.
Smiling, Lynn paid the check and followed her group out the door.
It was close to midnight that evening and Lynn sat cross-legged on the floor in David's living room in shorts and a t-shirt, waiting for him to return from the Kensington, while she finished preparations for her surprise. Sarah had already gone to her room upstairs.
Proposing marriage and having your daughter arrested for shoplifting, all in the same day is major stress and she knew exactly what to do about it. Anticipation brought a smile to her face. She'd found a sheet and a pillow. She had in mind giving him a relaxing, aromatherapy massage—with a wee snitch of teasing to get even for the sunscreen episode on the boat. She'd show him how much she loved every bit of him.
How would David react? She wanted to be in control. Would he allow it? She didn't know that much about men, but the ones she'd had experience with thought any kind of touching meant sex right away. David wasn't like that.
He's been loving, considerate, and patient. He has a sense of humor
, she added, remembering the scene in the kitchen and the tender loving that came after.
How quickly she'd gone from a fearful, repressed female, terrified of the abusive beast she imagined lurked within every man, to a woman on fire anticipating her lover's naked body stretched out in front of her, waiting for her touch.
Shivering, aroused thinking about it, she settled on one of the small, sumptuously cushioned loveseats in the room, to wait for him.
Think of something else. Think about this house and what it says about David.
He'd chosen soft, brown leather for the loveseats and chairs, put the recessed lighting on dimmer switches to add a warm glow to the room. The effect, so definitely masculine, said he'd left his old life in Chicago when he came here looking for new beginnings.
His home was one of the larger Victorian cottages remodeled for modern tastes, but retaining some of the period features, like the pocket doors that closed off every room. She took advantage of that by closing off the living room from the upstairs. What she had in mind for the rest of the evening might get noisy.
The deep purple walls in his office made her smile, remembering the purple amethyst stones he'd wanted added to her ring. White, pleated shades, walnut and brass furniture, and shelves lined with well-worn books, completed the image of a Renaissance man with modern tastes. She could live with that. He hadn't turned his attention to the kitchen yet, but when he did, she had no doubt it would be enlarged and made state-of-the-art. A truck sounded in the driveway. She waited for him to find her. The kitchen door opened and closed; keys clattered on the table, and he called out, "Lynn?"
"In here, David."
"You're here." He sighed with relief. "I need someone to talk to tonight."
She walked to him to receive his kiss and return it. They stood, wrapped securely in each other's arms, drawing strength from the contact.
"So good," he whispered, nuzzling her neck. "Get comfortable. I'm going to get us a bottle of wine and then I want to hear how Sarah is doing."
Lynn toed off her sandals and curled up on a love seat with her back against one of the arms, content to be spending quiet hours with the man she loved.
"Here we go." He returned with two glasses and an opened bottle of white wine. He placed the glasses on the table, filled them, handed her one, and settled on the couch against the other arm, facing her, so he could stretch his long legs in front of him and rest his bare feet on her lap.
The intimate gesture delighted Lynn. She began absently massaging his toes, marveling at how easy she felt. David's gentle love had rid her mind of all the doubts and fears she had about intimacy. He had enabled her to become a new version of herself.
He sighed contentedly. "How did it go with Sarah and the others?"
"She's going to be okay, David. She has a lot of support. Logan will do anything for her. Karen, Dakota, and Anthony are good-hearted, wonderful friends, and they met a girl who's new in town at the Pizza Palace tonight. Her name is Emily, same age, same grade, and she and Dakota hit it off famously."
"Sarah called me to tell me about the fashion show."
"They all jumped right in when I suggested it. By the end of the evening Sarah was her usual happy self."
"Damn that Ashley." David gave a wry laugh. "When I got to the Kensington, the staff was sympathetic. A couple of the bus boys knew Ashley. One of them told me her parents got her on a plane this evening and sent her to live with an aunt in Florida… permanently. This town amazes me. Apparently problems are solved quietly and by consensus. You weren't wrong when you told me to trust the system. How does news get around so fast?"
Lynn laughed, reaching for her wine glass as she talked. "You'll get used to it. Oh, by the way, I'm going to help you relax, and get rid of all this tension. You're getting my special, essential oil massage with lavender, orange, and ylang oils. It's magic relief for stress. Okay?"
"You know how to do massage?"
"I live in a town famous for spas and massages. I'm an aromatherapist. Sure I know."
He sighed, blissfully. "It sounds wonderful. That stuff really works?"
"Of course. They do their thing when they get into your bloodstream through your skin, and when you breathe."