Two of a Kind (6 page)

She resisted pointing out she’d just told him she didn’t want his opinion or involvement. “Thank you.”

“Just wait to have sex with him this time, okay? Get to know him a little.”

She did her best not to smile. “You’re probably right.”

“I am.”

* * *

LIKE MANY THINGS in Fool’s Gold, Jo’s Bar defied expectation. Instead of catering to men and their love of sports, Jo’s served mostly women. The lighting was flattering, the decor feminine and the large screens were tuned to shopping shows and reality TV. Men were welcome, as long as they retreated to the back room where there was a pool table and plenty of TVs showing sports. If they insisted on staying in the front of the house, they were expected to keep quiet about the signs counting down the days until the new season of
Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders—Making the Team.

Felicia liked the bar. When she came here, it was to meet her friends. Because in the few months she’d been in town, she’d made friends. Women who didn’t seem to mind that she was socially awkward and often said the wrong thing.

She sat at a table with Isabel, Patience and Noelle. They’d already put in their orders and each had a soda or iced tea.

“I’m thinking Labor Day,” Noelle said, stirring her diet soda with her straw. She laughed. “A traditional Christmas holiday.”

Noelle planned to open a new store in town. The Christmas Attic would celebrate the season. Like Felicia, Noelle was new to Fool’s Gold. The tall, willowy blonde was friendly and funny, but there was something about her eyes. Felicia would guess secrets but had no idea what they were.

Isabel, also a blonde but a little curvier, had grown up in the area. She was back in town for a few months helping her family with Paper Moon—a wedding gown boutique. Isabel was irreverent and self-deprecating. She was the one who teased first and laughed the longest. Felicia secretly admired Isabel’s sense of style and easy grace.

Patience had made Felicia the most nervous at first. The pretty brunette was the single mother of a ten-year-old girl and engaged to Justice. When Felicia had first arrived, Patience thought there was more to her and Justice’s relationship than friendship, but their siblinglike connection had become apparent. Since then, Patience had welcomed Felicia to her world and had made her feel welcome.

“There will be lots of tourists,” Isabel was saying. “We fill up for all the major holidays, and Labor Day is when people want that last rush of summer. Which is why it’s called the End of Summer Festival. I think you’d get a big crowd in the store.”

Noelle sighed. “I hope you’re right. Maybe it’s too early for people to be thinking about Christmas.”

“I know what you mean,” Patience said. “I’m going to have to figure out when to start decorating for the various holidays. It’s not anything I had to worry about before.”

Felicia often helped Patience out at Brew-haha, picking up a shift a few times a week. The work wasn’t very challenging, but she enjoyed the chance to work on her people skills in a low-key setting. She was also able to eavesdrop on people’s conversations and try to learn from them.

“I think the abundance of tourists would outweigh any concern that you’re asking them to think about Christmas too early,” Felicia told Noelle.

“She has a point,” Isabel said. “The day after Labor Day is the traditional start of the fall season. And then comes Santa.”

“You’re right.” Noelle nodded slowly. “If I can pull it all together by then, I’ll open over Labor Day.”

Patience leaned toward Isabel. “Justice and I are talking dates. How long do I need to order a wedding dress?”

Isabel grinned. “I can’t wait for you to come in and try on dresses. As for timing, it depends on the manufacturer.”

“I want something simple. It’s a second marriage for me.”

Felicia didn’t know the details of Patience’s past, but she’d heard that her ex had disappeared shortly after Lillie had been born and he’d never come back.

“It’s a first marriage for Justice,” Isabel reminded her. “He’ll want you to be a princess. You are perfect princess material. There are some great dresses you’ll love.”

Patience blushed. “Maybe. We’ll see. I’ll come in and try a few things on this week.” She waved her hand. “Okay, enough about me. Someone else talk, please. One of you must have news.”

Felicia thought about her job offer, then hesitated. She wanted to accept, but still wasn’t sure she was the right person.

“Wow, I saw that,” Isabel said, staring at her. “Okay, you have to tell us.”

“I’m not sure I...” Felicia hesitated, then decided to plunge ahead. “Pia Moreno is going to step down from her position running the festivals. Mayor Marsha asked me to take her place.”

All three women stared at her.

“That’s great,” Patience said. “You’ll be perfect for the job. It’s all about staying organized, and you’re really good at that.”

Isabel nodded. “I don’t know how Pia managed with three kids, and now she’s pregnant with her fourth. The town is lucky she lasted as long as she did.”

Noelle patted Felicia’s arm. “I know nothing about the festivals, but I can’t imagine you not being brilliant at anything, so well done you.”

“Thanks.” Felicia hated the insecurity welling up inside her. “I wasn’t sure what people would think. I’m new in town. Maybe someone who has been here longer would understand the nuances of what goes on better.”

Patience shook her head. “No, no and no. Noelle’s right. You’ll be great. As for being new, I’m sorry, but you’re already one of us.” She sighed heavily. “I suppose this means you won’t be filling in at Brew-haha anymore.”

“I don’t think I’ll have the time.”

“Don’t worry. I need to hire more full-time people. I’m blessed with many customers.” She raised her glass. “To festivals and whipping them into shape.”

Everyone drank.

Isabel leaned toward her. “Okay, so what’s the scoop on some fighter chick coming to town? I’ve been hearing rumors that we’re getting our own girl soldier. Is that true?”

“Yes,” Felicia said. “Consuelo Ly should be arriving in the next couple of weeks. I haven’t heard from her recently, so I don’t have an exact date. She’ll be teaching classes at CDS. Self-defense, hand-to-hand, some advanced weapons training.”

“Seriously?” Noelle asked. “I can’t decide if I’m excited to meet her or terrified.”

“I’m excited,” Isabel said. “Have you seen how Ford and Angel walk around town like they’re so hot and we should all be falling all over them?”

“They haven’t been like that,” Patience said.

“Ford struts. I’ve seen him strut.”

Patience’s expression turned knowing. “Someone is worried about her past.”

“I’m not,” Isabel said firmly. “I refuse to be. I was a child and he can’t hold that against me.”

From what Felicia had heard, years ago Isabel had had a crush on Ford and been devastated by his departure. There were also rumors that Isabel had written to him regularly, but Felicia wasn’t sure about that.

“I don’t think Consuelo is interested in Ford,” Felicia said. “Or Angel. She’s known both of them for years. She says they’re not her type.”

“Too bad,” Patience said. “I’m so into this being in love thing. I need one of you to join me. I want to be able to talk about how wonderful Justice is and how my heart beats faster when he walks in the room.”

“You can talk about it all you want,” Noelle told her.

“It’s not the same.” Patience glanced at each of them. “I want one of you to fall in love. I mean it.”

“I’m leaving town in March,” Isabel said. “This is a bad time for a relationship. I refuse to fall for some guy and then have to decide between him and my career. It’s not going to happen.”

Noelle shrugged. “Sorry, but I’m getting over a bad breakup.”

Patience pressed her lips together. “You’re sure you don’t find Ford or Angel attractive?”

“They’re very sexy, but not my type.”

Patience turned to Felicia. “What about you? You like both Ford and Angel.”

“Kind of how I like Justice,” she said. “Biologically speaking, humans aren’t generally attracted to family members. It keeps the gene pool healthier if we’re not.”

“I’m very disappointed,” Patience told them. “You’re all letting me down.”

Felicia knew her friend was just kidding, but she still felt guilty. An odd phenomenon and not one she was comfortable with.

“I slept with Gideon,” she blurted, unable to stop the words.

All three of them turned to stare at her.

Isabel raised her eyebrows. “It’s always the quiet types. Have you noticed that?”

“Gideon?” Noelle asked. “Radio Gideon of the dreamy voice? OMG, I love listening to him.”

Patience stared at Noelle. “You didn’t just say OMG.”

Noelle laughed. “Sorry. I love to read teen fiction. It’s a flaw, but one I can live with.”

Isabel leaned toward the center of the table. “Patience, honey? You’re missing the point. Felicia had sex with the mysterious Gideon.”

Patience turned to Felicia. “How did that happen?”

“In the usual way. We were outside on his deck and...” Felicia stopped and cleared her throat. The three of them were staring at her with identical expressions of confusion.

“You mean you’re curious about the order of events that led up to our encounter. Not where and in what position.”

Isabel leaned back in her chair. “You know, I’m going to have to think about that. No one has ever given me a choice like that before.”

Noelle patted Felicia’s arm. “You’re one of my favorite people, you know that?”

“Because I’m a freak?”

“You’re not a freak. You’re honest. There aren’t enough honest people in the world. How do you know Gideon? You must know him because I can’t see you jumping into bed with a perfect stranger.”

A lovely assessment of her character, Felicia thought, however false. Because that’s exactly what she’d done. Twice.

“We met four years ago, in Thailand. It was a brief, um, encounter. When I got here, I heard him on the radio and realized it was the same man. I didn’t know what to think or do, so I’ve been avoiding him for the past couple of months.”

A plan that had been going really well, until spiders had worked their arachnid mojo and changed everything. Although she couldn’t really say she objected to the ultimate outcome.

“I wanted to talk to someone about the job offer,” she continued. “So last night I drove to his house to speak with him.”

“You drove to his house?” Patience repeated. “Just like that? You’re so brave. I wish I was like that. Direct and fearless. I overthink everything.”

Felicia thought about explaining why she’d picked Gideon, then stopped herself. It was possible her friends wouldn’t understand her reticence in speaking with them about the job.

“What’s his house like?” Noelle asked. “Is it fabulous? I bet it’s fabulous.”

“The part I saw was nice.”

“They did it on the deck,” Isabel said, reaching for her drink. “I’m guessing there wasn’t a tour.”

“Oh, right. The deck. That’s pretty hot.” Noelle smiled. “You two make a cute couple. Ooh, I wonder if he’s going to dedicate a song to you tonight. I’ll have to listen.”

“I’m sure he won’t,” Felicia said, knowing now she, too, would have to listen. Just in case.

Is that something a man would do after a night with a woman? She wasn’t clear on what normal people did in relationships. She might have slept with Gideon, but he was still a mystery to her. She’d had sex, but never love. A physical encounter but not a boyfriend. She hadn’t ever even been on a traditional date.

How was she supposed to find a man and fall in love when she couldn’t even get asked out on a date?

* * *

“GOOD EVENING, FOOL’S GOLD,” Gideon said into the microphone. “I’d like to start tonight with a favorite, for a friend of mine.” He pushed the button, and the Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There” began to play. He thought about mentioning the spiders but knew that would lead to questions, and he enjoyed his nights without the phone ringing to interrupt.

The red light on the wall flashed.

So much for a quiet night. Gideon walked to the front door. For a second he wondered if Felicia had come by, then decided if she wanted to see him again, she would be waiting at his house, not interrupting his work.

He opened the back door and found Angel standing on the steps, a six-pack in his hands.

“Hey,” he said, motioning for his friend to follow him back to his desk. “Tell me you’re not looking for a place to crash. Ford already claimed the back room here.”

They walked into the control room. “I’m good,” Angel said. “And you’ll be free of Ford soon, too. We’re renting a house with Consuelo. It’s furnished. We’ll have the keys in a couple of days.”

He passed over a beer.

Gideon took it and popped the top. “You’re going to live with Ford?”

“You sound surprised.”

“You’ll kill each other.”

Ford and Angel had always been competitive. They would bet on anything and liked to create elaborate challenges with ridiculous payoffs.

“We’ll be fine,” Angel said. “Consuelo will keep us in line.”