Silver Linings (13 page)

Oh yes, Coco was ready. She had everything she intended to say to Ryan mapped out in her mind. It'd taken her ten long years to reach the point where she could confront him. She would call him a lowlife to his face. Nearly their entire graduating class thought he was a god—after all, Ryan Temple was a star athlete who played ball for the majors. Coco intended to remind Ryan and his friends how unworthy he was of their adulation.

She had her outfit, a classy black dress, spread out across the bed and was out of the shower, dressed in her robe, when there was a knock against her door.

“Is that you, Katie?” she asked, getting out her silver jewelry to wear with her dress.

“It's me.”

“Come on in.” The long silver chain with the large links was her favorite. She'd add a silk scarf. Gone were her days of sorting through the bins at the Goodwill. She could well afford this dress.

Katie opened the door and walked into the room. She had on the same clothes she'd worn when they'd visited the school.

Coco planted her hands against her hips. “Hey, you should be getting ready.”

Completely ignoring Coco, Katie plunked herself down on the end of Coco's bed. “Thanks for letting me borrow your car.”

“No problem. Where'd you go?”

Katie's hands were clenched in her lap. “I drove by James's house.”

“Oh? Did you see his parents?”

“No. The house looks like it's been abandoned. The windows are boarded up and it's vacant.”

Katie seemed to be seeing some kind of symbolism in this.

“Did you ever hear anything about his family moving away?” Katie wanted to know.

“No, I didn't,” Coco said, a little taken aback that Katie would even ask the question. If she had any information related to James, Coco would have mentioned it, no matter how minute.

Katie looked devastated, as if she were personally responsible for whatever had befallen James's family. “I didn't think you had.”

“Don't tell me you've decided not to attend the reunion now.” This argument was getting old.

“I'll go,” Katie murmured.

“Come on, Katie, lighten up. Just because the house James grew up in has been abandoned doesn't necessarily mean anything.”

“It feels like it does,” she argued. “I don't know how to explain it.” She straightened and expelled her breath in a long, deep sigh. “It's as if my trying to connect with James is a waste of time…everything we once shared was lost when he left for college.”

“You're reading far more into this than warranted,” Coco insisted. “Now go get dressed.”

“I wish I felt more optimistic.”

“Me, too. Try to think positive thoughts about you and James; that's what I'm doing.”

Katie nodded. “As usual, you're right.”

“Good girl, and be sure and wear that hot little red dress. You look fabulous in it.”

“Tonight? I was saving it for the dinner on Saturday.”

“What did you bring to wear for tonight, then?” To Coco's way of thinking, Katie needed to make a splash this evening, and the red dress would do that and more. It was important for her friend to look her best, especially if James was scheduled to show.

“I was thinking I'd wear the dark-wash skinny jeans with the teal top, blue scarf, and boots,” Katie said. “Isn't that what I showed you earlier?”

Clearly, her friend's mind was on something other than fashion, thought Coco. If Katie wanted to stand out in the crowd, she was going to need more help than Coco could give her, although that teal top would be a nice complement to her curly red hair.

“That outfit was for Sunday, and even then I had doubts. I'm afraid you might come off looking like you're ready to attend a Seahawks football game.” Tightening the cinch around her waist, she said, “Let me look at what you brought again.”

“Okay.” Katie led the way to her room.

It took several minutes to sort through the items Katie had unpacked. By the time Coco finished, the entire contents of Katie's closet were scattered across the top of the bed. They finally decided on a yellow sleeveless dress with a white sweater in case the air-conditioning was on high.

“You're going to knock everyone's socks off,” Coco promised, approving her final choice. It was perfect. It complemented Katie's coloring and gave her a look of understated sophistication.

Katie didn't look nearly as convinced. “I certainly hope James is impressed.”

“You okay now?”

“Of course.”

“Good.” Coco was eager to return to her own preparations for the evening.

Just as she was leaving Katie's room, an unearthly howl could be heard from downstairs.

“What was that?” Coco asked, startled.

Katie glanced toward the door. “It must have been Jo Marie's dog. Do you think he's hurt?” Katie asked, and then quickly added, “I better go check to make sure he's all right.”

Before Coco could remind her they had places to go and people to see, Katie dashed down the stairs. Her friend was a soft touch when it came to children and animals. Coco might have followed if she was more appropriately dressed.

Standing at the top of the stairs, she waited for Katie's return. It seemed to take an inordinate amount of time, but when Coco looked at her watch she found that it was less than five minutes.

“What was it?” she asked, as Katie bounded back up the stairs.

“Just as we thought…it was Rover. He wasn't hurt.”

“What did Jo Marie say happened?”

“She said he's mourning the loss of a friend.”

“A friend?” Coco liked animals, too, but she didn't get mushy over them the way Katie did. “You mean another dog?”

“No, she said it was a human friend who's decided to move away. Apparently, Rover thought the world of him.”

“The dog knew this person was leaving…for good?” Coco couldn't quite wrap her mind around that, but it was of little consequence. She was well behind where she wanted to be when it came to getting dressed and ready.

“Give me forty minutes.” She started back toward her room and then abruptly turned around. “Make that fifty.”

“Or another hour,” Katie teased.

“No way. I'm determined to be on schedule.”

Katie simply smiled. “You know there was a very good reason we called you Lightning in high school, don't you?”

“Very funny. I've changed my ways.” After nearly being fired from two jobs, Coco had learned to set her watch ahead fifteen minutes so if she was late then she would actually be on time. The trick had served her well.

“I'll be ready when you are,” Katie promised.

An hour later Coco had finished. When Katie saw Coco, her eyes widened appreciatively. “Wow. You look fabulous.”

“Thanks. You look really nice, too.” And Katie did. The yellow dress was perfect with her auburn hair and dark eyes. Katie had worn her curly hair short for several years now. Its maintenance was wash-and-go with a misting of spray conditioner. Her hair looked perfect every time. Coco envied her friend the natural look. For her part, Coco used every hair product available. She spent copious amounts of time taming her hair with a straightening iron and a dry shampoo for extra volume before it was wrangled into shape every morning. While it might look effortless, it was anything but.

They left the inn ten minutes before the mix and mingle was set to get started. They could have walked to the Captain's Galley but opted to drive because they were both wearing four-inch heels. At five-eight, Coco didn't need the height, but those extra inches boosted her confidence. She'd paid full price for these puppies and they were worth every cent. And surprise, surprise, they were actually comfortable.

Coco found a parking spot close to the restaurant. She did an admirable job of parallel parking, something she usually avoided like the plague.

Under normal circumstances Coco would have opted to be fashionably late. Not so this night. She wanted to be there first so she was in place when Ryan Temple arrived.

The scene was set in her mind. He'd arrive and of course all her classmates would treat him like he was visiting royalty. And naturally he would bask in the attention. To this point he was by far the most successful member of their graduating class. Athletic and talented, he'd played football and basketball, and pitched for their baseball team the year they won the state championship. Coco wasn't sure where his standing was currently. Not being a fan, she hadn't followed his career.

“You ready?” Katie asked, opening the passenger-side door.

“Ready.”
So, so ready.

They walked into the restaurant and were immediately assaulted by the scent of stale beer. A pool table was set up in the back of the room and the bar had two or three patrons who looked them over and smiled appreciatively. Dinner must be slow, because only two or three tables were occupied.

“We're here for the reunion party,” Coco mentioned to the waitress.

“Upstairs,” she told them, pointing to the back of the room.

The staircase was next to the pool table. Coco remembered reading that the Captain's Galley had closed down. That happened just after she'd graduated from high school. She'd heard it'd reopened under new ownership after she'd moved away. The new owners had chosen to keep the name, as it was a well-known watering hole. As she remembered, the food wasn't half bad, either, although she'd eaten there only a couple times.

It felt as if every man in the bar was giving them the once-over as Coco and Katie wove their way through the mostly empty tables toward the stairs.

“We're fresh meat,” Coco muttered under her breath.

A table had been set up at the top of the staircase and Angela Palmer sat there, looking official. She'd been one of the key organizers for the reunion and was a bit of a snob, as Coco remembered. Following graduation she'd attended cosmetology school and worked at a successful salon as a stylist. Coco disliked her because she'd always been keen on Ryan.

“Coco,” Angela cried, as if they'd been the very dearest and closest of friends. She stood and hugged Coco, leaning over the table and squeezing her neck.

Angela released her and then stared blankly at Katie. Coco could almost see her mind working as she struggled to put a name with the face.

“You remember Katie, don't you?” Coco asked, coming to the other woman's rescue. “Katie Gilroy?”

“Oh, of course. Katie Gilroy. Sorry, I had a brain fart there for a minute.”

“No worries.” Katie was generous in her willingness to look past the unintended slight. “I only attended Cedar Cove High our senior year. There isn't any particular reason you should remember me.”

“Yes, there is,” Coco insisted. “There're plenty of reasons. Katie helped the swim team win the regional championship.”

“Oh my, how could I have forgotten,” Angela said, and covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers.

Someone came up behind them, a couple Coco didn't recognize, and Angela was all business once again.

“You'll find your name tags here; they're listed in alphabetical order. I used maiden names.”

Coco picked up her name tag and so did Katie. She peeled off the back and pressed it on the shoulder of her black dress. Coco and Katie started to wander away, but Angela stopped them.

“Before you go,” Angela said, stretching out her arm to Coco.

Coco and Katie exchanged looks.

“Sorry to delay you, but I need a favor. A few of us are decorating the school gymnasium for the dinner and dance tomorrow night. We're meeting at about one and we could really use your help.”

“My help?”

“You always had such a great eye for these things. Would you mind?” Angela asked, her eyes wide and pleading.

Coco supposed she should be flattered. “Sure.”

Angela smiled at Katie. “You can come, too, if you like.”