“No.” I scan his face, looking for some sign of anger. “She had to head back to L.A.”
“When is she coming back? I’d like to thank her in person. Apologize, too.” He says this like he wasn’t cursing her name twenty-four hours ago.
“For what?”
“Got an email this morning from someone at Sanctuary. Ownership has changed hands. It’s now part of BIG.” Gerry tilts his head. “That’s Frankie, right? The BIG group?”
I nod.
“They want my endive. And they’re going to pay me for the crops I lost when Wild Coast backed out of the contract.”
“Really?”
“Compensation’s good too.” He slurps his coffee, calm as can be. “More than my lawyer thought we should ask for, and now I don’t have to pay her to negotiate it for me.”
“That’s great, Ger, but you’ll probably need to send Frankie a card. She’s not planning on coming back to Serenity.” I rip the Band-Aid off fast. I came here for a normal breakfast, not another serving of regret with a side order of questioning whether I’ve made the worst decision of my life.
“Who’s not planning on coming back?” Barry leans past Gerry to ask.
“Frankie,” Gerry answers for me.
“Frankie’s not coming back?” Larry pipes in from my left side. “Why? I thought you two were a thing.”
“Well, we’re not anymore!” I snap, then take a breath. “She’s got a part in a movie and had to go back to LA.”
“Did you hear that?” Pearl asks Flo through the order window. “Frankie’s got a big part in a movie and broke up with Cal.”
Before I can set any records straight, Flo ducks down to look at me through the window. “She didn’t want to do long distance?”
“No! I mean yes!” I scrub my hands across my face. “I’m the one who broke up…we weren’t even dating, so it’s not a breakup! We’re just not seeing each other anymore!”
Everyone goes silent. Or maybe that happened when I was yelling. Either way the diner is too still, and I still haven’t eaten breakfast.
“Can I get some eggs please, Flo?”
She answers by raising her eyebrows before cracking two eggs onto the grill andnotscrambling them.
Pearl fills my coffee cup, but only halfway.
“I’m sure you have your reasons for letting someone like Frankie get away.” Larry pats my back. Except it’s more a slap and leaves a stinging between my shoulder blades that’s almost as painful as the stinging my ego is currently suffering.
Everyone goes quiet again, and I sip my coffee, which has tasted burnt ever since Frankie left. Pearl sets a plate of fried eggs—gross—in front of me with a side order of what may have been toast before it was set on fire and charred black. I dip the black toast into the egg yolk and take a bite.
“So, you didn’t want to date a famous movie star? Is that it?” Barry asks before I even have a chance to chew my punishment.
I force the food down my throat, then cross my arms andlean on the counter. “I didn’t want the exposure that comes with dating a movie star, especially for Junie.”
He nods with his whole body, but his face pinches with confusion.
Gerry slurps his coffee, then runs a napkin over his mouth. “She’s sure good with her, though. Frankie, I mean.”
“Yeeep.” Larry joins Barry’s rocking back and forth. Even Pearl joins in by nodding so hard her head might pop off.
My phone buzzes, giving me an excuse not to respond while I read the message from my dad in my family’s group chat.
Sanctuary contract back on. Doubled avocado order for an Avocado Fest they want to put on next month. All hands on deck this weekend for picking.
Then a dozen more messages come in, one after the other that all circle back to gratitude for Frankie making it happen, followed quickly by plans to celebrate with her tonight, then disappointment when Mom says she’s gone.
