Granddad shuffled in and surveyed the mess on the counter. “We may need to order out,” he whispered to Harriet, though everyone heard him loud and clear.
Harriet slipped her an apologetic look. “Oh, no. Emma has this handled, don’t you?”
“Of course, I do. Granddad, could you show George the leaky faucet in your bathroom? He’s agreed to take a look at it, and we should hold him to it before he comes to his senses.”
Granddad nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, Georgie, come see. I don’t want some strange repairman in my bathroom. He might steal my blood thinner medication and try to sell it on the black market.”
Emma waited until the two had left the room before asking, “How are things going?”
Harriet shrugged. “I like it here. Are you … happy with me?”
“Very much so. You’re doing great.”
It was not a conversation that could be elaborated on. Everything was in wait-and-see mode. Harriet had cleaned the bathrooms and mopped the kitchen during Granddad’s nap today, but when he was awake, she would relax next to him and justbe there. Emma couldn’t ask for more than that.
The only thing making Emma nervous was the constant exchange of text messages and FaceTime calls between Harriet and her boyfriend, Martin. Granddad didn’t seem to mind. They often included him in their conversations. It was Emma who didn’t like it. Long distance relationships were not meant to remain long distance forever.
Not that she wanted to spy, but she’d been taking careful account of Martin’s good and bad qualities in the bits she’d overheard, putting them up against hypothetical men Harriet could dateherein Burbank.
After all, if Emma planned to continue her matchmaking streak, she might as well start where she could do the most good.
On her cons list was the fact that Martin’s hair was continuously greasy and dirty. He’d pull off his ball cap, run a hand through it, and then stick the disgusting cap back on. Also, he was an over-the-road trucker, so even if Harriet moved to be with him, he’d constantly be away from her. He also made corny jokes and often allowed long pauses in their conversation as if he didn’t have a thought in his head. Harriet needed someone with better communication skills.
To be fair, on the plus side, he seemed very attentive, maybe to the point of being an annoyance, and he was big on compliments. He always told Harriet how pretty she was and how much he missed her.
“I think that’s enough carrots,” Harriet said with a little laugh.
Emma looked down and realized she had indeed peeled and cut up the whole bag during her contemplation.
Harriet picked up the cutting board and slid the carrots into the roasting pot around the roast. “It’s very nice of you to make dinner for us, Emma.”
“I want to help while I’m here.”
“Itching to get back to work?” Harriet asked.
Emma nodded.
“So, you do wardrobe makeovers? Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s part of it. We go through every item of clothing they own and get rid of what’s not working. Then I take the client to a store that matches their needs and help them pick out clothes they’ll actually wear. If I do my job right, it saves them time and money, and they feel more confident about how they look.”
“That’s fabulous. You said that was part of it. What’s the other part?”
“I have some regular customers, mostly older ladies who ask me to shop for them. I know them well enough to know what they like, and I have relationships with stores so I can bring items to their homes, let them try them on, and then return anything they don’t want. Sometimes I do online shopping for them as well.”
Harriet sighed. “That’s it. I’ve decided I’m going to be you when I grow up, Emma.”
***
Thanks to a quick run to the hardware store and a couple of YouTube videos, George had the leak in the bathroom fixed before dinner.
Emma called them to the table, all official-like, and George slid into the empty chair next to Harriet. She’d been staring at her phone, but she quickly put it away and glanced around as if reacquainting herself with reality.
“Hello again,” she said, smiling at George. “Did you figure out the leak?”
“I did. I almost feel handy now.” He glanced across at Emma and shared a small smile with her. “Usually I have to beg my brother to come help me. He got all the mechanical skills in the family.”
“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true.” Harriet tipped her head in sympathy. “Though I know what you mean. My boyfriend, Martin, taught me all sorts of maintenance things for my car, but I’m not sure I’ll remember them when I’m stranded on the side of the road. Although, there’s always nice men who pull over and offer to help before I can even get the jack out of the trunk.”
