Page 49 of Watching Henry
“Yeah, I'm trying here. I know that I can be a player, I know that I never commit, and I can see that Florence is, well, naive, I guess. I don't want to screw this up. I don't want to hurt her. On the other hand, I don't want to let this opportunity go. I think there could really be something here. Something true, something real.”
“Having feelings doesn't mean that things have to work out,” Eleanor said. “You're not great at committing, I hear that. But just because this feels different to you, just because you think that you might be interested in more than a one night stand for once in your life, doesn't mean that the other person feels the same way.”
“I know,” Hadley said, even though she didn't really want to know.
“Just because you might want to commit to something more doesn't mean that Florence does.”
Hadley growled again. “I'm starting to think that running away might be a good option right about now. I think there's still time to get on that bus to Burning Man. Or to hop on down to the islands for a while.”
“Maybe,” said Eleanor. “Or maybe the good option right now is to stick around and see where this new-found urge to commit to something takes you?”
Hadley wanted to argue the point, wanted to laugh it off, but found that she couldn't. Because just for once, the thought of sticking around actually felt more interesting than the thought of leaving for something new.
“If things are supposed to work out, then they'll work out,” Eleanor said, standing up and stretching. “If they're not, then they won't.”
“Hopeful words.”
“Realistic words,” said Eleanor. “Besides, that's what makes life exciting, not knowing what's going to happen next, right?”
Hadley laughed just as the door chimed to indicate a customer coming in. “I guess so,” she said, then got to work taking orders.
THE COFFEE SHOP was busy all day. But by the end of the afternoon, business was winding down and Hadley finally had time to start clearing some of the dirty dishes.
“I'll give you a hand with that,” Eleanor said.
They both started piling up cups and plates from the stations at either side of the small room, carrying trays back to the sink in the back room.
“What's the plan for tonight then?” Hadley asked.
“I'm thinking dinner on the deck and an early night with the wife,” said Eleanor. “You?”
Hadley bit her lip. Maybe she'd try to talk to Florence again. Maybe she'd try and crack that shell a little bit. “Dunno, nothing special,” she smiled. “I'll wipe some of the tables down if you finish bringing in the dishes.”
“Sure thing.”
Hadley walked through the small opening in the counter out into the shop itself before realizing that she'd forgotten to bring a cloth with her. Honestly, her head was lost in the clouds today.
She turned to go back to the kitchen for a cloth, but at the exact same moment, Eleanor was coming out to collect dishes. The two collided and Hadley tripped, pinning Eleanor back against the wall with her weight and knocking the breath out of her.
Barely had she realized what happened when the door chimed and opened and then someone walked in.
Florence's hair was still wet, smoothed back over her head, her glasses perched on her nose, her mouth halfway into a smile as she stepped through the door.
Then she stopped.
Hadley opened her mouth to say hi.
But Florence was already going pale, color rushing out of her face, already beginning to turn, already pulling the door shut behind her, slamming it as she rushed back out onto the street.
“Wait!” Hadley cried.
But it was too late, Florence was gone.
Hadley turned back to see Eleanor's lips a centimeter or so from her own. In a rush she realized what Florence had seen. Or thought she'd seen.
With a groan she pushed herself back off the wall, freeing Eleanor.
“Oh, no,” she said.