Page 27 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes

The woman sprang to her feet, her face a mask of nervousness. She started to make a break for the exit, but Ted caught her.

“Maddie, wait!”

The woman, Maddie, did stop. As she and Ted locked eyes, his hand drifted from her forearm to her hand.

It was hard to misinterpret that .

“You’re together.”

Casting a shy, but undeniably proud smile, Ted corrected her. “Engaged, actually. As you can guess from this date, my dear dad doesn’t approve.”

Without missing a beat, Candace insisted that Maddie join their dinner. If they were going to be forced to play this game for their families, they would make them regret it.

Candace flagged down their waiter, saying, “Let’s turn these wine glasses into bottles and unpack some issues.”

Against all odds, Candace’s date turned out to be a pleasant affair. She did not even mind that she became the third wheel for a loving, committed couple. Maddie was understandably on guard. Yet, once she realized that Candace was not after her fiance, she eased up enough to talk about herself.

Maddie was lovely.

Tall and refined, she wore a long, yellow spaghetti-strap maxi dress that showcased her toned frame and looked stunning against her dark skin.

As a physical therapist and personal trainer, bodily health was a strong passion of hers.

She not only attended Demi’s yoga studio, but taught spin classes once in a blue moon.

With a bashful, weighted expression, Maddie said, “Demi’s a saint for putting up with me. I wasn’t my best self back in high school when we dated. It took me a while to sort out who I was.”

Hearing that snapped everything into place for Candace.

While she had not recognized Maddie, Ted said they attended Holy Mother Prep together.

They talked about shared memories, mutual acquaintances, and Maddie even mentioned sitting next to Candace in a class or two.

But the cast of people who matched that description, and had also dated her best friend, held only one possible solution.

Back then, Maddie had gone by a different name.

It was difficult to not feel furious. Not at Maddie and Ted, of course, but at the position his father put them in.

Her transition was why he did not approve of them getting married.

Why he joked about Candace ‘setting Ted straight.’ She did not know the specifics of why Ted and Maddie needed to go along with his father’s charade.

If it was anything like her own complicated familial relationship, she could empathize.

Someday, Candace hoped Ted could be the change he planned.

The rest of the dinner went by like it was the most normal situation in the world.

Just a sweet couple and their loveless lesbian friend.

After the day she had, Candace needed the chance to let loose and the pair were happy to join.

They paid the impressively sizable bill they managed to wrack up, left their waiter a ridiculous tip, and parted with the promise to go out again soon.

Candace was glad she did not have far to drive back to her room at the Comfort Clam. With a belly full of carby goodness and feeling a pleasant buzz from the wine, she was ready to pass out.

The figure she saw looming by her car woke her right back up.

It was nearly 11pm. They had been one of the last tables in the restaurant, meaning that the few remaining cars were of workers closing up for the night. There was no one else around.

The parking lot was not too well-lit, but headbeams from passing traffic gave her the occasional glimpse.

Had Candace not recognized the man, she might have turned tail and run.

As it was, taking in the sight of her uncle’s fixer, she slowed her approach.

If he was keeping tabs on her, it could not mean anything good.

Vinny Lamarka cast Candace a lazy grin once she got within conversational distance. “Candy, Candy, Candy… This car of yo urs sure makes it easy to spot you around town. Did you have a nice date?”

“It was. Ted Cando and his fiancée are good together.”

The man gave her a regretful shake of his head.

“Your uncle is going to be disappointed. He would have preferred you two hit it off. It would look a lot better for him if you—”

“I don’t give a damn how my love life looks to anyone,” Candace snapped. She was not in the mood to play polite princess with a slimeball. “I did what my uncle asked. Ed Cando should be happy until he sees the bill. Now, I don’t care if you do or don’t mind, I’ve had a long day, so I’m going home.”

Since the man propped himself up on her driver’s door, Candace went for the passenger side. Lamarka charged around and blocked her path.

“I’ll bet you have,” he continued in a suggestive drawl. “You’ve been busy.”

Candace froze, bolt straight. Instinct made her shift her keys between her knuckles. She retorted, “I’m trying to get my life back in order. You’d be busy too.”

A smile cocked Lamarka’s thick moustache. He mocked, “It’s a shame about that career hiccup. Funny how that happens to difficult little girls, isn’t it? Then, they come running back home to daddy–or uncle , in this case–to save them.”

“You don’t know me.”

“That’s hurtful. Without me expediting the process for your guardianship paperwork, who knows how long you would have been in the system after your grandparents gave up on you. I know you better than just about anyone else. So, I’ll give you a piece of advice: be careful.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Candace argued. But even she heard the waver in her voice.

“Fibbing is for children. You want to be a big girl, don’t you? That means taking responsibility.”

“I am,” Candace growled. “I’m not perfect. I’ve made mistakes, and I’m sure I’ll make some more. But I’m doing my best.”

“Is that so?”

The man leaned into her space. One hand pressed over the door to prevent her from opening it, and the other hooked casually to his belt. The scent of pungent aftershave and sweat made her head pound.

“Doing your best for who, exactly? Your uncle is a generous man. Even after you turned your back on him, the man who raised you when your own father failed, he welcomed you back with open arms. Don’t test his patience too much… and don’t get in his way.”

There was some awful, ugly insinuation behind the look Lamarka gave Candace. Despite the warm late-spring air, his regard chilled her to her core. She felt herself shrinking under the man’s threat, but tried to hold her ground.

“I’m helping my friend, that’s all.”

“I hear you,” Lamarka soothed. “But it’s not good for the resume to cling to a sinking ship, is it? Some businesses are meant to end up at the bottom of the bay.”

Candace did not want to dignify the words with a reply, and Larmarka seemed content to let the metaphor hang. He shrugged.

“Best luck, Candy. When you’re ready to be good, let us know. Otherwise… There’s a lot more to lose than a silly career.”

With that, Lamarka stalked off into the darkness. Candace was able to hold her sobs in just long enough to get her car started and on the road.