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“And maybe a cat sweater,” I said smiling.
“Poor Pickles. When my cold is done, I’m going to have to go rescue him. Get him something manly to wear. A biker vest or something.”
I burst out laughing at the image of my hairless cat in a biker vest. I snagged the pamphlet from the counter and paused at the door, gave Leo a wave and then, on a whim, blew him a kiss. I didn’t have a chance to feel like a dork, though, because he reached out, caught it, and put it to his chest.
“Feel better,” I said.
“I already do,” he replied, and the whole way home, I thought about how he was right. Somehow, for some reason, we did make a good team.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I walked into the church basement on 29th street wearing my black confidence dress and one of my favorite red flats; I couldn’t wait until I could wear two shoes again. I inhaled, feeling both exhilarated and terrified that I was taking a step toward the reality I wanted to build. I hadn’t yet told anyone but Leo and Grace about it, so it was a little nerve-racking going into a meeting to discuss it fully. Still, it was making the second coffee shop feel more real.
“Welcome,” a man said at the doorway to the basement. “There’s coffee over there. I’ll warn you; it sort of tastes like tar. But it will do for now.” He had a handlebar mustache and a big smile that made me feel instantly better.
“Thanks. I’m Tillie Ashby,” I said, awkwardly balancing on my crutches so I could shake his hand.
“Geoff Ransom. I know, I know, it sounds like a celebrity name,” he said, patting my shoulder instead of accepting my handshake. It didn’t feel patronizing, though, like it could have. I continued to the weak coffee station as Geoff worked the room. If I had to guess, I’d say he’d been a salesman in another life.
I snagged one of the metal chairs on the end row of the mini arrangement Geoff had made. There were about four people sitting in the audience of all different ages, and everyone looked like they were questioning their life choices for sitting in a dingy church basement drinking tar-like coffee as Geoff told strange jokes and laughed too loudly. Still, I settled in, trying to stay open-minded. I needed all the help I could get to get started all over—and besides, maybe I could contribute a thing or two to the conversation.
If you had something worth contributing, the first coffee shop wouldn’t have failed, the ugly little voice in my head whispered. I did my best to quiet her.
“Are you the darling girl dating that popstar?” a voice whispered. I looked up to see an older woman in a hot pink sweater that had cats on it. I knew instantly she was the woman Leo had talked to. Panic started to set in.
I looked around to see if anyone was listening. We’d been lucky so far; the beard and hats were working. But the more we got away with it and the deeper into summer we got, the more I found myself relying on Leo more than my crutches. The more the fear grew, too, of what would happen once the secret summer slipped away. I was terrified it could all come crashing down at any moment because, as I’d learned on those basement steps, it really could.
“Don’t worry, Darling. I won’t say anything. I just think it’s so sweet how excited he was about this group for you. He thinks the world of you, Darling. Wouldn’t stop talking about how amazing you are and how you deserve to be happy. That one’s a real keeper. I wouldn’t be surprised if he sticks around for the long haul,” she said, winking at me.
I smiled but felt the heat rising in my face. Luckily, a few minutes later, Geoff took over the presentation, so I didn’t have to continue the conversation.
Geoff was talking about LLCs and licensing and all sorts of things I already knew, in truth. But even if I hadn’t, it wouldn’t have helped. Because I couldn’t stop thinking about what the sweet lady had said about Leo sticking around.
A few of the attendees of the meeting asked some questions. The older lady asked about release forms for cat models, prompting a few terrible cat puns and knock-knock jokes from Geoff. I smiled, though. The guy was trying, and he seemed like a genuinely good person.
After the formal presentation, the members stuck around to mingle. I stayed seated, not wanting to struggle with my crutches.
