AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 13
The doorbell rang and the butterflies in Alison’s stomach sprang to life, as predictably as if Pavlov himself had trained them to respond to the sound.
Tonight was kind of a big deal. Ella was bringing her two best friends, Gen and Abby, over to hang out. Abby owned the wine shop in town, so she was going to be providing the liquid refreshment. All Alison had needed to do was set out snacks.
Still, she couldn’t help but be nervous. Gen and Abby and Ella were more than just three potential friends– they were the significant others of Troy’s three brothers. Alison was pretty sure that this evening was more than just a “get to know you” hang. It was an audition.
She took a deep breath, smoothed down her blouse over her fluttering belly, put on her brightest smile and opened the door.
Ella stood in front of the group of three, a wine bottle in each hand and a wide grin on her face. She held the bottles up in the air. “Hey, girl. We’ve got grown-up grape juice and a whole night in front of us with nothing to do but drink it and talk. Are you ready?”
Alison laughed, instantly at ease. “More than. Come on in!”
She stepped aside and gestured toward the living room. As the women filed in, Ella continued, “This is Gen. She runs all the cool festivals and stuff in town, and also does event planning at the Hearts Afire Resort and Spa. And this is Abby. She owns the coolest wine shop, where she curates all the most amazing local vintages. And, as you know, she supplied the social lubricant for tonight.”
“Wow!” Alison chuckled. “I’m going to have you introduce me from now on. You’re damn good at it.”
“Agreed,” Abby said. “I had no idea I was half that cool. It’s so nice to meet you, Alison.”
“Oh, I was well aware of my coolness,” Gen grinned. “But it was nice to hear it confirmed. And it’s great to meet you, Alison.”
“I’m so happy to meet both of you. I’ve really been looking forward to this, ever since Ella called and suggested it.”
“Yeah, I am kind of brilliant that way,” Ella replied.
“So, one great thing about this house is that it’s got a climate-controlled sunroom in the back. Or a glass enclosed deck? Not sure, exactly. I just know that we can enjoy the sunset without freezing our fingers off.”
“Sounds great!” Abby said, and Alison led the three ladies back to the room, where she had arranged comfortable chairs in a gentle semi-circle, to facilitate conversation but also make it easy to see the view.
“Wow!” Gen exclaimed. “You must have one of the sickest views in Valentine Bay.”
“Well, my landlady does. I guess that means that I do, too. For the next couple of months, at least.”
They settled into their seats and Abby uncorked the first bottle, pouring the gem-like liquid into each waiting glass. They clinked the delicate stemware together, creating a soft, high chime, and Alison said, “Here’s to new friends, and new adventures. Here’s to us!”
“To us!” the other three echoed, and they all took their first sip together.
Alison gave a deep and contented sigh. “Oh my gosh, that is delicious,” she breathed.
Abby grinned. “Hey, what can I say? I’m good at my job.”
“No doubt.”
As the evening wore on and the four of them chatted, Alison relaxed. It wasn’t that she had changed her mind about this being an audition. She was still almost certain that it was. It was just that it was an audition that was going well.
The sunset filled the sky with brilliantly clashing hues of pink and orange, tinting the bottom of the clouds that passed across the horizon and making them look like oversized cotton candy. She thought it must’ve been one of the most beautiful sites in the world.
Alison leaned her head back, contentment washing through her. She’d never known peaceful evenings like this in her old life, enjoying a sunset and low-key conversations with friends.
It wasn’t that New York was bad. Far from it. It was brilliant, spectacular, the most exciting place in the world. But one thing it wasn’t was a place where you could lounge in a wooden chair on your back porch with friends you just met while sharing a bottle of wine and watching a slow sunset over crashing ocean waves.
She was ready for a little peace and contentment. Brilliant, spectacular, and exciting could take a backseat for now. They’d had their day. Mama needed a break.
No brilliant, spectacular, and exciting? I think you’re forgetting about one Mr. Troy Valentine!
“Hey, what were you thinking about just then?” Gen asked.
“What do you mean?”
