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A lopsided grin spread over Lee’s face. “You’re welcome anytime, Miss...”
Wyatt shot him a hard glare, and I laughed. My hand shot out. “Lark Butler. Nice to officially meet you. And that is so kind of you. I just might take you up on that.” I headed toward the door and directed a smile at Wyatt. “See ya later, Oscar.”
He straightened and frowned, and I stifled a little laugh. I knew damn well his name was Wyatt, but if he was going to be such a grouch, then Oscar it was.
Breezing past them, I stepped out onto the sidewalk and into the late-morning sunshine. I pulled a deep breath of coastal air into my lungs and let the warmth of the morning wash over me.
There was something special about this town and its quirky residents. I felt it in my bones. Outtatowner was definitely a place I would hope to come back to someday. After a little walk along the beach, I would check my website for messages and line up a new job and a new town.
* * *
“You could always try California again.”My mother’s voice was soothing as I cradled my phone to my ear and scanned the newspaper one more time.
California.LA. The city of broken dreams and hordes of hopeful actresses, like myself. I still couldn’t believe I had sent out dozens of audition tapes and hadn’t received even a single callback. Honestly, it was embarrassing.
No freaking way.“I don’t know...”
“I’m sure you’ll get that callback any day now!”
Her unwavering faith infused her words. If Mom could make things happen with tenacity alone, she would.
“It’s been weeks and I haven’t heard anything. I think that ship has sailed, Mom.”
“Aubergine.”
I rolled my eyes. Since moving to a commune, my mother and stepfather, Larry, had taken to being addressed only by theirspirit names: Aubergine and Eagle. “Sorry, right. Aubergine.”
“Goddess will provide.”
In all sincerity, I came by my general positivity honestly. My mother was a literal ray of sunshine. Though what she lacked in firm parenting skills, she more than made up for in enthusiastic support.
“I’m just hoping Goddess will provide an interesting job and a decent place to stay.” My website traffic was still surprisingly strong, but there hadn’t been any new inquiries for my services yet. “There’s not a lot in the small-town mourners market.”
“You could come live here. We all provide for each other in blessed peace and harmony.”
Live in the nudist commune with my mother and Larry? Hard pass.
I resorted to the story I told myself when doubt inevitably creeped in. “These immersion acting jobs are really good for me. I’m honing my improv skills, and it looks fantastic on a résumé, which I can’t say of all the temp jobs I’ve been doing. Come fall, I’ll go back to my rounds on the off-Broadway audition circuit again. This is only temporary. An adventure.”
From the small bench on the sidewalk I had taken over, I scanned the long strip of downtown Outtatowner. The tourist season was picking up, and several storefronts hadNow Hiring Seasonal Helpor something like it posted on the front windows. Even the Sugar Bowl had a sign looking for a weekend barista.
The happy faces of tourists meandered past me.
I supposed it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to hunker down in a cozy little town until the next job popped up. Granted, I would have to keep up the facade of Bowlegs’s mysterious funeral attendee, but with so few people in attendance, that probably wouldn’t be all that hard.
“Okay, Aubergine. I should get my day started and, you know, figure out the rest of my life. Love you.”
“Many blessings,” she replied, and I hung up with a sigh and a chuckle.
I closed my eyes, tipped my face to the sky, and let the warm sun soak into me. “Okay, Goddess,” I whispered. “If I am supposed to stay here, then give me a sign.”
I held on to my thought, willing some of my mother’s faith inGoddessto spread to me. I took a few deep breaths, cracked one eye open, then the other. The town continued to bustle around me.
Absolutely nothing had changed.
I sighed and stood. With determined steps toward my car, I flipped the local newspaper into the trash. Something would come up; it always did. For now I could head up the coast to find a new beachy town before making my way back to the hustle of the city.
My white Converse high-tops walked a determined line up the sidewalk and around the crowds of shoppers and families heading toward the beach.
