Take your time deciding but let me know a week in advance.
She clearly doesn’t want to take no for an answer, but I am not going to change my mind. Instead of telling her that, I put my phone away.
There’s a lot to recommend life in Elk Lake. There’s Finley and her odd fetish for pirates. Even though she kept up an emotional shield today, I feel like I got to know her better. And I like what I see.
Then there’s Kevin and Shelly next door. It’s nice having neighbors who stop to chat with you. There’s comfort in knowing people are looking out for you. Also, I’m looking forward to learning how to drive with more finesse, and I figure Elk Lake is a much better place to practice my skills than New York City. I set a reminder on my phone to check the timing of the next session.
Another bonus: my job is a lot less stressful here. Almost to the point of putting me to sleep at times. One day, our biggest emergencies were an infected splinter and a twisted ankle.
In addition to the negative impact of workplace boredom, I don’t like being pursued by my boss. It’s weird and uncomfortable. Constance does it with such entitlement, I briefly wonder if this is how women have felt since the dawn of time. It makes me ashamed to be a man.
After climbing into bed, my mind once again wanders back to Finley. If things go well between us during our sessions, maybe I’ll invite her to the Spring Fling. I don’t want to ask her beforethen because I don’t want our time together to be uncomfortable if it turns out she doesn’t like me that way.
Having said that, I get the feeling she might. That dream she claimed to have about tornados surprisingly included a character named “Pirate Thomas.” I fall asleep with a smile on my face.
So far, Finley Harper is the biggest draw for my staying in Elk Lake, and I’m really looking forward to seeing her again. Now that we’ve accomplished the original assignment Constance hired her for, we can get busy having some real fun.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
FINLEY
I was scrolling through social media before going to bed last night and saw an advertisement for my dream car—a 1990 white Ford Mustang convertible with tan interior. I’ve loved that car since I first saw it in a vintage romcom movie when I was a teenager.
I used to daydream about driving it around my little town. I’d wave to the locals, but not as me, Finley Harper, small-town girl on the spectrum. No. I was Miss Illinois, blowing through town on her state-wide tour. Sometimes I’d stop and chat with the people.
In one of these fantasies, Penny Freeport—our senior year prom queen and my biggest tormentor—gasps in disbelief, “Finley Harper, is that you?”
I pull over and smile at her smugly while acting like I'm trying to remember who she is. “Yes, I’m Finley Harper,” I tell her while adjusting the giant rhinestone crown on my head. “And you are …”
Staring in complete awe, she answers, “Penny. Penny Freeport. You know, from Mr. Hinkleman’s geometry class?”
I loathed Mr. Hinkleman’s geometry class. My failure there is what led me to being tested. Had I managed a mere two percentage points higher and gotten a D, I might have never known I was different from my peers. But as much as I hated geometry, I hated Penny even more.
“Penny Freeport …” I tap my chin five times before remembering. “Oh.” With a look of pure condescension, I ask, “Do you still live in town?”
This is where she pats her giant pregnant belly and tells me, “I married Jacob Smart. We’re pregnant with our second.” Their first came shortly after high school graduation. Two months to be exact.
“Jacob Smart?” Even though I spent hours upon hours fantasizing about running my fingers through his thick, wavy, black hair, I pretend I don’t know him either.Apparently, I’ve always had a thing for hair.
“Sadly, that name doesn’t ring a bell,” I tell her in my most bored tone before glancing at my watch. “I need to run. I’m flying to Paris tonight for my date with Wills.” That was before his wedding to Princess Catherine, of course. Once the two of them got hitched I lost my best revenge fantasy material. I’m no home-wrecker, even in the land of make believe.
Jumping back into my convertible, I peel back out onto Main Street and leave Penny in a cloud of dust and disdain.
Now, someone in Elk Lake is selling my fantasy ride at a very reasonable price. While I won’t be able to reenact my favorite fantasy—you know, because I’m not actually Miss Illinois—getting my hands on that car would still be sweet. There’s only one problem: I don’t drive.
That’s why when I woke up this morning, I went online and contacted our local driving school. I’ve wanted to get behindthe wheel for years, but for the same amount of time I’ve been worried I’d get overstimulated and wind up careening off a cliff. Not that there are any cliffs in Illinois or Wisconsin, but I’ve never wanted to risk it. Until now. Now my dream car is for sale.
It turns out if I take a six-week class and find someone to take me out to practice for fifty hours, I can be a licensed Wisconsin driver.Take that, all you sixteen-year-olds who think you’re so special with your “Please be patient, new driver” bumper stickers.
This morning, I’m taking pictures of Allie and Margie. They want them, so when the baby grows up, they can show him or her that both its mothers were always present. If you ask me, the whole arrangement is amazing.
When Allie agreed to adopt Margie’s baby, she made it clear she wanted Margie to be part of their baby’s life. She didn’t want her child to question their place in the world and ever feel like they weren’t wanted. The amount of love that little person is going to grow up with is positively staggering.
After getting dressed, I put on a brand-new pair of pink socks. I allow myself a full five minutes to relish the feel of them against my skin before putting on shoes. The confinement of the shoe constricts the fibers, making the whole experience moderately less gratifying.
When I walk into Rosemary’s for my morning latte, Faith greets me with a grin. “I talked to Teddy last night about doing a photoshoot for our anniversary and he’s up for it.”
“Excellent. What kind of look do you think you want to do?” Both Faith and her husband are gorgeous and would look amazing no matter who they dressed up as.
