Page 124 of Banter & Blushes #1

“ H ey Joe, can you come by later? I have something exciting to tell you about.” Elva barely hit send before three little dots popped up followed by a reply. “YES!”

Enthusiastic as always, she smiled, feeling pretty great about herself, her friends and her life lately.

Always the optimist with a smile on her face something about these last few weeks just felt different and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to admit why.

It will have to wait, she sighed, thinking about the bottle and her feelings.

She found Brett Marker siting at the counter waiting for his turkey sandwich. “Saturday already,” Elva smiled at her regular customer and friend.

“I drove by North Shores today. It’s really coming together.”

“It really is.”

“Good choice on the contractor. I know he had great references, but you still never know how it will go. “

“I just had a feeling about him, you know?

“I did, too” Jill bounced to a stop at the counter carrying his sandwich. “Here you go, your normal order.”

“Thanks Jill.” He smiled broadly, not wasting any time taking a bite into the turkey sandwich on toasted bread.

Joe made it to the restaurant in record time. “What’s your news?” She sat on the first stool, nearly squealing in joy.

“There’s news?” Jill’s ears perked up, and she made her way to the counter to hear all about it.

“News about what?” Elva looked at both ladies sitting attentively in front of her.

“A dat e?” Joe looked at Jill for agreement.

“Or a kiss?” Jill’s eyes were huge with anticipation.

“A kiss?” Elva said back.

“Or a dreamy stroll on the beach?” Joe offered.

“Okay, okay… or a kiss?” Jill re-asked.

Elva started laughing, lightly at first, but then rolling into big belly laughs.

Barely able to speak, she nearly whispered, “what?” To both of them wondering what in the world they were talking about.

“Dates and strolls…. And kisses?” She managed to get out to the rhythm of lions and tigers and bears.

But instead of ending it with oh my, she added a very assertive, “No!”

Joe and Jill looked at one another and laughed along with her. Joe winked at Jill for suggesting a kiss, twice. “What could your news be then?” Joe asked not thinking there could be any other possible topic than the handsome Mitch.

“A bottle,” she got out between breaths, trying to compose herself. “We found an old bottle. I think it washed up on shore after our big storm last summer.”

“Oh,” Jill’s excited face turned noticeably down. “Well, that’s cool.” She looked at her tables to see if they needed anything from across the room.

“That’s what you sent me a text about?” Joe was trying to piece together the last thirty minutes.

“Yes! It’s exciting. It’s very old. I’d guess late 1800’s or the very beginning of 1900. And it had initials stamped into the glass itself.”

“Okay, what were they?” Joe now realized her friend was excited for historical information. She liked that too, just not as much as the pressing date idea.

“W and T maybe? It was well worn.”

Brett’s face perked up. “Wait, a message in a bottle like from the old wive’s tale of the lighthouse?”

“It might be,” she looked at the group.

His curiosity peaked, “what did it say?”

Looking off into the busy restaurant she tried to remember the exact words, “it was about storms passing and sunshine returning.”

Taking another bite of his sandwich Brett’s face squinted, “huh?”

“Can you show us?” Joe needed to see the bottle and message for herself.

Shifting her weight from one side to the other before leaning on the counter, her face filled with delight at the topic. “Not at the moment. I left it with Mitch.”

At the sound of his name Jill perked up again. “Oh you found this with Mitch?”

Nodding her head in agreement, she explained, “We were walking on the beach…”

“Guess you’ll have to go back there,” Jill added thinking that was one way to get them to see more of one another .

Her shiny hair shook back and forth. “Not today. Besides, Mitch is going to bring the bottle by later so we can look at it better. I had to get back, so it just wasn’t the right time.”

Jill’s elbow nudged Joe’s very obviously. “So… it wasn’t the right time then, but later it can be?”

Seeing exactly what their focus was Elva sighed, “girls, I don’t know if you’re going to get what you want out of this situation. I’m not looking for a man and even if I was-“

“Even if you were? Hmm, that sounds like a maybe to me,” Jill pushed.

Reaching her hand across the counter, Joe rubbed the top of her friend’s hand before resting it there. “We just want you to be happy.”

“I’m very happy!” She didn’t know how many other ways she needed to say that. “Look, I’m not going to pretend that he isn’t unbelievably handsome, kind and smart. He’s all those things. He’s also not looking for anyone.”

“Maybe not until he met you.” Jill added in another maybe. “So, about a kiss?” She couldn’t help but bring up the possibility one more time.

“A kiss?” The group turned around to see John Mitchell standing behind them. His arms crossed in front of him looking very amused by their conversation.

Elva felt her cheeks go three shades of red hoping he didn’t hear too much of it. “We were just…”

Joe jumped in, changing the subject entirely. “Oh, is that the bottle you found?” She pointed to the aqua glass in his hand. “Can I see it?”

Smiling with his eyes never leaving Elva, he handed the bottle over, “sure.”