Something of a Storm (All in Good Time Book 1) (5 page)

Chapter 7

There were tons of businesses within walking distance of our apartment. It wasn't necessary for us to get a job so close, but I knew it'd make things easier if we found something nearby.

Lexi and I picked up applications at more than ten places, but only one of them needed help bad enough that they were willing to hire both of us. It was a busy restaurant named Miller's, and not only were they willing to hire us, but they were also willing to work with us so that we worked the same shifts. I would work as a waitress and Lexi would be a hostess.

I was the one who was adamant about sticking together. Lexi insisted she would be okay working different shifts or even working at different places, but I just couldn't do it—especially when Miller's was willing to accommodate us.

We were supposed to start training the following Tuesday, which happened to be the day before I was scheduled to meet Peter for the first time. We had nearly a week to get settled in our place and get to know San Francisco before beginning our job. At first, that seemed like forever, but the time flew by.

We heard from Aunt Barb and Mrs. Williams during that week, but never from our mom. I called and left a message on her machine telling her we made the trip, but she didn't call back. Aunt Barb and Mrs. Williams, however, were both curious about how things were going.

Lexi was in the shower when I spoke with Mrs. Williams and I came really close to telling her all or part of what had happened on the way there. I'd shared a lot of my thoughts and feelings with her during the past couple of years, and I thought if I were to tell anyone it'd be her. I changed my mind and instead decided to keep the conversation surface level. I was glad I made that choice, because Lexi happened to take a really quick shower that night and I would have had to cut the conversation short.

The incident was still very present in my mind in spite of the fact that I never discussed it with Lexi. I couldn't help but replay the scene in my head. I assumed that was to be expected since it had only been a week since it all went down.

"You're lucky," Lexi said, coming out into the living room right before our first shift at Miller's.

"Why?"

"Because you have a uniform and I'm stuck having to come up with something to wear to work."

It was her first job, and she was excited enough about it that having to choose an outfit didn't matter much to her, and we both knew it.

"You have to wear all black. That's basically a uniform," I reminded her for about the third time. She stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror on the bedroom door. I could tell she felt confident, and it made me happy. I loved seeing a hint of her old personality peek through. "Plus, you don't have to fix your hair," she said, running her fingers through her hair as if she was stressed about how it looked.

I had on black pants and a white button-down shirt with my hair in a trusty ponytail. "Your hair looks gorgeous as always," I assured her.

She turned to look at me. "I'm nervous," she said.

"Don't be," I said. I was faking confidence for her sake. I'd never waited tables and was extremely nervous myself. "They're gonna tell us exactly what to do. That's what training is."

Lexi and I got to work fifteen minutes early for our shift, which was scheduled to begin at 4pm. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, but a steady stream of customers started rolling in by 5 o'clock. I was shadowing a girl named Trina. She was an experienced waitress who was thankfully very patient with my inexperience.

Lexi was at the hostess station with two other girls. I had a clear view of that area from my station, and I glanced over there frequently to make sure she was doing all right. It seemed as if she was having a good time, which helped me relax on a night when I could have easily been overwhelmed. There was so much to take in. I never realized how intense waiting tables was—or maybe it just seemed that way because everything was still so new. Either way, I couldn't believe it when I looked at the clock and saw that it was only 9pm. It seemed like I'd been there for an eternity.

I glanced at the hostess station to find Lexi standing there by herself. To my horror, there was a guy standing there talking to her. My heart sank as I watched for a few seconds. She smiled and seemed content to stand there and talk to him, but I wasn't at all comfortable with the situation.

Trina and I were just about to wrap up the last two tables in our section, and I hadn't asked for a break all night, so I told her I'd be right back and she easily agreed. I marched over to Lexi as quickly as my little feet could take me. She saw me out of the corner of her eye as I approached and turned to face me. She was smiling when she turned, but it faded when she saw my expression.

"Where are the other girls?" I asked right off the bat.

"Naomi went out for a smoke break and Maddie went to get some napkins for us to fold."

"And they just left you up here by yourself?"

Lexi laughed a little awkwardly as she glanced at the guy who was standing there. "I'm fine," she said. "No one's coming in."

"What about this guy? I asked gesturing to him. I looked at him. "Do you need a table or something?"

"I've already got a table," he said. He flashed me a smile. I could tell he thought he was real charming.

I wasn't charmed. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why are you standing up here, then?"

He seemed surprised by the question, but he answered, "I just used the restroom."

"So I guess you'll be going back to your table?" I asked.

His eyes widened and so did Lexi's.

"Laney, I'm fine," she said. "Everything's fine here."

"Yeah," he agreed. "She was telling me she just moved here, and I was telling her some things she needed to see in San—"

"She was telling you all that, huh?" I interrupted. I couldn't believe my ears! I glared at that guy. "Do you make a habit of loitering at hostess stations?"

He smiled like he thought I was joking, but I stared at him stone-faced.

"Laney!" Lexi said.

I looked at her. "I can't believe the other hostesses just left you up here."

Lexi looked at the guy with an apologetic expression. "She's my sister," she said. "She gets a little protective."

"Your sister?" he asked. He smiled at me with that smile. I knew he thought he could win me over with it. He was young, sharply dressed and undeniably handsome, but he was not, I repeat,
not
winning me over. "Let me leave you my phone number and maybe you guys can hook up with me and some of my friends sometime. We can show you around."

"Absolutely not, mister!" I said. I couldn't believe the audacity of this guy.

He flinched and laughed a little as if he couldn’t believe I'd just called him mister.

"I think it's time you got back to your table," I said.

He gave me an appraising glance like he was trying to figure out whether or not I was joking.

"Shoo!" I said, flicking my hand at him.

"It was nice meeting you," he said to Lexi as he walked away.

I let out a sigh of relief once he was gone.

"What in the world were you thinking just now, Laney?" Lexi asked in a calm, measured tone.

"What were you thinking talking to him?"

"He's a customer!" she said. "I was just being nice—making conversation."

"He wasn't just making conversation," I said. "You heard him. He said he wanted to go out with you."

"So what? What's so wrong with that? I may not be ready for a boyfriend right this second, but I'm not going to be
a nun
the rest of my life. He's cuter than any guy I've ever seen in Greensboro—and nicer too. What's wrong with talking to him?"

Just then one of the hostesses walked up carrying a pile of cloth napkins. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" Lexi asked smiling at her. "Oh, you two just looked like you were having a private conversation or something."

"Oh, no, Laney just came up here to see how I was doing."

"She's doing great," the girl said, looking at me with a huge, hostess smile. "I can't believe this is the first time she's worked in a restaurant. She has a lot of the table numbers memorized already."

"Great," I said, faking a smile. "I was just checking in."

"How do you like working with Trina?" she asked. "She's great, isn't she?"

"Really great," I said. What I really wanted to ask is if customers made a habit of asking hostesses for their numbers, but I knew that would make Lexi even more mortified than she already was. I decided I should quit while I was ahead, so I headed back to finish my shift.

I was only there for a few more minutes before Trina told me I'd done a great job and that I could go home for the night while she finished up. I was getting paid by the hour to shadow her, and she didn't have to share her tips with me, but she still gave me twenty dollars for helping her out.

The lead hostess had no problem letting Lexi go home when I got off, and we were headed home before 9:30. Miller's was only a short walk from our place, and the sidewalk was far from deserted, but it was dark, so I was cautious. I didn't let Lexi see, but I held the mace bottle in my hand with it open and in the ready-to-spray position.

"I'm sorry if it seemed like I was a little hard on that guy," I said as we walked. "I'm just still a little—"

"I know," she said. "I am too. I wasn't trying to hook up with him or anything. We were just having a conversation."

"Can you believe how many people are still walking around out here at nine-thirty at night?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I think it's cool," she said looking around. "The only problem is I'm starving and my feet are killing me."

"I'm hungry too. We'll have to eat a granola bar right before work to hold us over from now on."

"Are your feet okay?" she asked."

"No, they're hurting," I said. "I think we may need to rethink our shoes."

"Especially with the hike to and from work," she said. "I think I have a blister."

"I don't think we'll be able to go shopping before our next shift," I said, "but we'll make it happen soon."

"We don't work till four o'clock tomorrow afternoon," she said. "We can go before then."

"Yeah, but tomorrow's my first day with Peter, remember? I'll be with him until just before our shift starts."

"Laney, I can handle going to buy us some shoes."

I hadn't even considered that. I just assumed she'd wait at the apartment till I got back from Peter's.

"Did you think I was just going to sit in the apartment all day and wait for you?" she asked, obviously knowing what I was thinking.

"Sort of."

She laughed.

"What?" I said.

"I'm not going to be trapped in the house all day."

"Then I'm not going to meet Peter," I said.

"Don’t be ridiculous," she said.

"I'm not. You're too young to be gallivanting all over San Francisco by yourself. It's dangerous."

"It has nothing to do with how old I am, and you know it." She paused. "And did you just say the word
gallivanting
?" she asked, laughing a little.

I shot her a little smile. We walked several paces in silence before I spoke again.

"I can't help but worry about you, Lexi."

"I'll be fine. If Andy's home, I'll see if he wants to go with me."

We'd gotten to know Andy quite a bit during the past week. He was a good guy. I trusted him and was happy with the idea of him accompanying her. It only helped ease my mind that he had a frail stature and could easily be overpowered.

"Either way, I'm giving you my mace and maybe even one of my knives to carry with you," I said. "Promise me you'll carry them in your purse."

"I promise, Laney, but seriously, you have to settle down. You're gonna make us both crazy worrying about me so much."

"I'm trying," I said. I meant it, I was trying my best, but it was incredibly difficult.

We didn't speak for a minute or so. We were almost home when she said, "I get the wooden one."

"What?" I asked.

"The one with the wood handle. That one's my favorite."

I was completely confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"The knife. You said I had to carry a knife and I was saying I wanted the one with the wood handle," she paused and giggled. "But I was just kidding. I know you just got that one."

"Yeah," I said. My heart fell from my chest and landed in my gut somewhere as I thought of that knife and where it ended up. "I just got that one. I'll hook you up with my silver one."

Chapter 8

Rita Williams warned me that Peter Craig was a little eccentric, but I wasn't quite prepared for the character I met the following morning.

I showed up at his studio at 10am just as he instructed. The exterior seemed like a mix of a business and a residence, and I had a hard time deciding whether or not I should knock or just open the door.

I decided to knock. I stood there for a full minute before Peter answered the door. I'd seen a photo of him on the internet, but he must have been on his best behavior when it was taken, because the man who stood in front of me was one of the wildest looking people I'd ever seen. Maybe it was that his white hair was standing on end as if he'd just been electrocuted. Maybe it was that he was wearing about five different patterns including paisley, plaid, and polka dots. Maybe it was that he stared at me open-mouthed through perfectly round spectacles.

"Aren't you gonna state your business?" he asked after we stood there and stared at each other for a few seconds.

"I, uh, I thought you were expecting me," I stuttered. "I'm Laney."

He continued to stare, slack-jawed.

"Are you Peter Craig?" I asked timidly. He was holding a glasscutter in his hand and he used it to tap on the small plaque that was mounted by the door, which clearly stated that I was standing at the entrance of Brushfire Studios, owner, Peter Craig.

I giggled nervously as he continued to stare at me. "I thought you'd have dreadlocks or something, or at least not show up like you just got off work at a hardware store."

I let out another nervous giggle and glanced down at my trusty jeans and t-shirt. I thought he was just making a random guess about the hardware store thing, but when I looked down I realized I was wearing one of my Callahan's t-shirts.

"I worked at a hardware store before I moved here," I said. "That's how I met Mrs. Williams."

"Rita told me you were skilled beyond your knowledge," he said. "She said you were a rare talent. She basically begged me to let you come study with me." He wore a serious expression that made me wonder whether or not he was happy about seeing me there.

"She said you were the best," I said, hoping to put him at ease a little.

"I don't take students," he said. He tilted his head back and did a thorough inspection of me through those glasses. "I'm an artist, not a teacher. I'm great at what I do and I really don't need anyone standing over my shoulder asking what's what and who's who."

My eyes widened. I suddenly got the feeling that he wasn't going to let me in. Up until now, I had assumed everything was all set and he was okay with me coming. I got very nervous thinking I'd just drug my sister to San Francisco for nothing.

Then, just like that, he stuck his hand out and ruffed up my hair. "Rita's a dear friend and she said I'd like you, so I'll just have to take her word for it," he said. He gave a flick of his head for me to follow him inside, which I did.

"Just stay out of my way, and don't ask any stupid questions."

I brought some of the sketches I'd done for window designs, but I didn't dare offer to show him any of those. I knew Mrs. Williams had already emailed him some photos of work I'd done, and that would have to be enough. I decided that for now I'd be better off keeping my mouth shut.

"It took me over a year to make the windows you'll see today," he said. "They're being installed in a church across town and I'm going to oversee it."

"I'll bet they're beautiful," I said.

"Of course they are," he said. "If they weren't I'd lose my job." His tone carried a little humor, but he had not cracked a single smile since I arrived. I wondered if that's how he always acted.

His studio was beautiful. At first glance, it seemed glass and tools were scattered everywhere, but the more I looked around, the more I saw that it was highly organized. The selection of glass was overwhelming, and I hoped I'd be able to use some of it one day.

We didn't say much to each other as he finished up some things around the shop. He glanced at me every now and then, but he'd just go back to whatever he was doing. We stayed there for about thirty minutes before heading to the church.

He drove an old Volvo station wagon that had obviously been restored. He was odd enough that I wondered if he'd let me sit in the front seat with him, so I got in slowly, but he didn't say anything to stop me. It took us over thirty minutes in traffic to get to the church. We made a little small talk about how I was still getting used to driving in a big city.

After a little conversation, he turned on the radio, which was tuned to classical music. He cranked it loud enough that any further talking was out of the question. I didn't mind. I just stared at my new city with Beethoven or Bach or whoever it was as my soundtrack. I wondered what Lexi was doing. I couldn’t help but hope she decided to stay home with the door locked till I got back.

He turned down the music as we pulled into the parking lot of the church. "This place is smaller than you'd think," he said. "The glass projects I do are usually for grand cathedrals but this one's more like a little chapel you'd find in Sherwood Forest or something."

"I think it's charming," I said, getting my first look at it.

"It's charming all right, and so are the windows. They're not your typical church windows."

"How so?"

"The guy who hired me commissioned them for his mother and father. His dad is the pastor here and apparently his mom has always wanted stained glass. She was a fan of some of my earlier, art deco inspired stuff, and they gave me free reign to interpret the gospel as I saw fit. I've never had a church give me that sort of freedom before."

"Have they seen them?" I asked.

"No. The son is meeting me here today to get a glimpse, but the pastor and his wife are intentionally staying out of the sanctuary until the installation is complete."

The place was as charming on the inside as it was on the outside. I felt a sense of peace the moment I stepped foot in the door, and I thought it must be a feeling that comes with entering a holy place. The construction crew already had the first window underway. The old window was out and they were working on cleaning the space for the new one.

"I'm glad you got here, Peter," the foreman said. "I was just about to put it in and I didn't know which way was up."

Peter cracked a smile for the first time all day. He narrowed his eyes and wagged a finger at the guy who spoke. "You know better than to test me first thing in the morning, Freddy." He gave Freddy a curious expression. "Have you seen Zack Martin?"

"He's here," Freddy said. "He already got a look at the window."

Peter sighed and shook his head. I couldn't tell whether or not he was happy about that. I assumed Zack Martin was the man who hired him, but I was still a bit confused. I decided not to ask any questions.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked, figuring that was the only acceptable one.

He rubbed his own head, making his hair stand on end even more than it was already, then he pointed to a set of doors at the back of the sanctuary. "Go through those doors," he said. "You'll be in a hallway. The pastor and his family should be the only ones back there. Find Zack if you don't mind and tell him I'm here." Peter turned and immediately started informing some of the crew on things they weren't doing properly. He and Freddy were bickering as I walked across the sanctuary to find the man named Zack.

I couldn’t help but think of Zack Callahan. I smiled about the name and the visions of the heartbreaker that formed in my mind upon hearing it.

There were about ten doors off the long hallway. I hoped I'd be able to find the right person, since the last thing I wanted to do was let Peter Craig down. The first four or five rooms seemed like nursery or Sunday school classrooms. They were all dark and empty, so I just walked right by them.

I came upon a room that had about five mothers with babies sitting around in a circle. I thought about Peter telling me the pastor's family should be the only ones here and wondered who these people were. One of the ladies looked at me when I walked by.

I smiled and decided it'd be awkward not to state my business. "I'm looking for the pastor and his son—a man named Zack," I said.

"I don't know if I'd call him a
man
," one of the ladies said, giggling a little. She looked at another lady. "Is Zack a man yet?"

All of them laughed. "I think when you make your first million you're a man," one of them said.

The girl who spoke first turned to me with a shrug and a huge smile. "I guess he's a man," she said.

"Do you know where he is?" I asked. "I'm here with the stained glass people."

"Oh I heard about that," she said. "Is it getting put up today?"

"Yes it is," I heard a deep voice say from over my shoulder. "And don't think I didn't hear you questioning my manhood in here," he said.

I could hear them all laughing hysterically as I turned to face the person who'd come to stand behind me. He was not a man. I mean, he
was
a man, but not the type of man I expected. He definitely didn't seem old enough to commission Peter Craig to re-window a church. He couldn't be much older than me—25 tops.

I gawked at him for a few seconds. He must have been the most gorgeous human being on the planet. He was ten times better looking than Zack Callahan, and until this day, I hadn't thought that was even possible. He had the same tall, dark, all-American look, but this Zack blew the other one completely out of the water.

He was standing so close I was unable to function or think. My body physically couldn't handle the proximity. It was the first time I'd ever been stunned speechless by a guy. I stared at his chest to avoid looking at his face. He had on a t-shirt with some non-descript logo on it, and I traced the shape of it. I could feel blood trying to make it's way to my face, so I took a calming breath before I tried to spit out the words.

"I'm here with Peter Craig," I said. I gestured down the hall as I cleared my throat. "He asked me to tell you he was here."

Without another word, I took off down the hallway. I should have probably thanked the girls or not been in such an awkward hurry, but I couldn't think of anything else to do but walk away.

"Wait up," I heard him say when I was about halfway down the hall. I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer that I wouldn't say anything ridiculous.

"I saw the first window," he said, falling into stride next to me. I didn't look at him. "It's amazing. Did you have anything to do with it?"

I let out a little laugh. "Oh, goodness no, I haven't even seen it yet. It's my first day working with Mr. Craig. I just moved here from Washington."

"I go to Seattle quite a bit," he said.

"Oh, that's cool," I said. "I've actually never been there."

He laughed a little as if he thought I might be joking, but when I didn't laugh back, he said, "What brings you to San Francisco?"

"I came to work with Mr. Craig," I said. "Or maybe I should say I came to study with Mr. Craig. I'm not getting paid or anything."

I started to reach out to open the door to the sanctuary as we approached, but he jumped in front of me and held it open. "You're supposed to let the gentleman open the door for you," he whispered as I walked past him.

I smiled but couldn't think of anything clever to say, so I just stayed quiet. Peter caught sight of us entering the sanctuary. "I heard you peeked," he yelled from across the room.

"Was I not supposed to?" Zack asked.

"They're your windows, you can look at them if you want," Peter said.

"I just saw one," Zack assured him.

They had a conversation about how blown away Zack was and how his mother was going to cry her eyes out when she saw them. Peter smiled several times during the whole exchange, which gave me hope that maybe one day he'd smile for me too.

Peter told Zack that the second window would go in that day and that all five of them would be installed by Friday. Zack assured him that he was happy as long as they were ready for church on Sunday, and Peter and Freddy both promised him that would be the case.

They spoke for about five minutes before Zack said, "I guess I should be letting you guys get back to work. I'll drop by again later this week to see the progress."

Peter and Freddy both told him goodbye, but I stayed quiet. Zack turned to leave, but as he did, his gaze shifted to me.

"I didn't catch your name," he said.

"Laney, Delaney, Laney." I said like a babbling idiot.

"It was a pleasure, Laney," he said, smiling and extending a hand, which I shook. "Welcome to San Francisco."

"That boy could run for governor," Freddy said, when the door closed behind Zack.

"President," Peter said. "Don't you think so, Laney Delaney Laney?" He phrased it as if that were my first, middle and last name and then he cracked a smile. He was teasing me, and I gave him a fake little warning glare. This made his smile broaden a bit, which pleased me greatly.