Page 36 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes

Outside, it was like a whole different world.

Sound from the party muted as the door shut behind them.

They were at the furthest end of the building, near the looming shadow of one of the many major bulwark concrete columns that supported the whole place.

Wind whipped around them, punctuated by the harsh, successive slaps of the waves breaking beneath the pier.

Arms crossed, Daisy leaned back against a column facing the dark expanse of the sea. Candace did the same. It was hard to tell how long she had been crying. But, fast, silvery streaks fell down the woman’s cheeks. Her words were labored .

“I’m so sorry, Daisy. This is all my fault. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

Gently, Daisy knocked their elbows.

“Hey now, remember? Let it be and ride the sea. It’s not the end of the world. You can tell him to shove it, and we’ll—”

“I can’t.” With furious swipes, Candace removed her tears.

Steadier, she explained, “He said he’ll throw everything he can at ruining Bagel Bombs!

if I don’t start working for him Monday.

Not just the physical location, all of it—the brand, our online presence, you.

Everything your parents worked so hard for, that we tried to fix, he’ll ruin because now I’m useful to him.

Or, maybe he was planning this the whole time, waiting for us to get nice and comfortable before he pulled the rug. Fuck!”

Daisy flinched as Candace slammed a fist against the concrete. When she went to do it a second time, Daisy stopped her. With care, she worked the woman’s balled fingers through her own. Their eyes met in the low light.

“What do you mean ‘useful to him’?”

She let loose a growl of a breath.

“There’s a conservative investment group he’s been trying to catch the eye of for a while. Apparently, they never saw him as Godly enough to sink their money into… until I gave him the idea to play up a family partnership. They loved that, especially after they heard all about how he saved me.”

Daisy snorted but was not the least bit amused. “Those types do love a good fake sob story.”

“They do. And it’ll all be for show. I doubt he’ll even give me any real work. He’ll just stick me in some closet. Again.”

“Screw that. We’ll lawyer up if we need to.”

Candace shook her head. She pulled her hand free and clutched it to her chest.

“This was a mistake. I’m sorry. I just got so obsessed with the idea of being the hero, of being your hero, I didn’t realize how much worse it would be if I got involved. You were right. I really am the worst kind of garbage. ”

Daisy felt the word as if it had been aimed at her. How could she have been so wrong?

“I should have never said that. You’re not garbage. You’re…”

Daisy trailed off. In her mind, she sifted through the pieces that were labeled “Candace.” The old ones, dusted off and seen in a new light… The oddly shaped ones that now seemed to fit… The ones from the present, so spectacularly shining…

Daisy told her, “You’re sea glass.”

“I’m what? ”

Kicking off from the column, Daisy retrieved a dirty wine glass from a bus tray by the door.

She smashed it against the side of the building and picked out a few shards.

Showing them to Candace, she said, “Look. It’s been broken, so it’s sharp and dangerous.

It gets tossed away and ends up drifting, lost at sea.

Then you know what happens? Over time, the edges get worn down.

They smooth and, before long, you have…? ”

“Sea glass.”

“Treasure,” she corrected. “Someday, someone is going to pick these pieces up. To them, it’ll be treasure.”

With her hand extended over the high balcony rail, watching Candace, Daisy let the shards fall into the sea.

“That’s littering,” the woman admonished with a wry tilt. She peeled from the column and approached the railing like a wary cat.

“I’ve picked up enough, the ocean owes me a few. And you, washing up on my shore a second time… I don’t want to lose you again, Candace. We’ll figure this out. Together.”

She murmured, “None of my binders planned for this.”

“No, we’ll have to get creative. Lucky for you, I’ve been feeling that in spades lately.”

“Hm?”

Daisy licked her suddenly desert-dry lips. She had not expected to bring up her recent free-time exploits, not without more practice. But Candace needed to know what she had done. She pulled out her phone and thumbed to the photo gallery .

“I’ve been making art again. Nothing special. Just some drawings and a couple sculptures with random things I find. But thanks to you, I wanted to try.”

“Oh, Daisy… These are beautiful.”

Candace grew quiet. Her expression was difficult to read, even illuminated by the phone’s glow as she continued to study the images. She looked at one, a rough pencil sketch of the newly renovated Bagel Bombs!, longer than the others before handing the phone back.

“You can have that if you want. I still owe you a prize for the eating contest.”

“You do, don’t you?”

It was just bright enough that Daisy could see Candace’s gaze flick to her lips. And was that… lust ? Memory of the other prize Daisy almost gave to Candace thrust into her thoughts. How on that day, the gorgeous woman before her had closed her eyes, waiting.

Would she have let Daisy kiss her then? What about now? Pulled by their shared heartbeat’s pulse, she found herself leaning forward to find out.

Candace went the other direction. She let loose a soft curse and yanked Daisy along with her, back towards the column. One hand on Daisy’s arm, the other over her mouth, she pressed them into the darkest shadow.

In the next instant, Vinny Lamarka power-walked past. They were hidden thanks to the columns’ curve and Candace’s quick thinking. His fast footfalls pounded against the pier planking, echoing further and further away.

Seconds trickled by as Daisy and Candace stayed as they were. Moving was the last thing on Daisy’s mind with this woman against her.

In a slow drift, the hand that covered Daisy’s mouth moved to mirror the other one gripping her forearm. Candace’s head rested in the crook of her neck, and every breath she took was like a searing caress. Her thigh, nestled in the valley between both of Daisy’s, tensed .

Stars steamed over Daisy’s vision. She held in a gasp that came out as a whimper. Her hands shot to Candace’s waist, diving under her jacket to dig at her tank top.

Goddamn , Daisy wanted to rip these clothes off. Before she could, Candace pushed back.

“I think he’s gone.”

“Yeah,” Daisy agreed in a delayed, dusky huff.

Stepping back into the light, Candace’s expression was serious. “It’s not because I don’t want to be seen with you. It’s just… I hid because I didn’t want this to end yet.”

“It doesn’t have to,” Daisy told her. She closed the distance between them once more, but resisted reaching out. “What do you want?”

“I want…”

In flats compared to Daisy’s heels, Candace had to look up to meet Daisy’s eyes. Her regular seafoam shine was so dark, it was like looking into the deep ocean. It threatened to swallow Daisy whole, and she would gladly let it, diving in head-first.

Instead, Candace pulled out her phone.

Keeping the annoyance from her voice, Daisy asked, “What’re you doing?”

“I never did get a chance to eat. I’m seeing if that Vietnamese place is still open. And, they are! Would you, maybe…”

Daisy cocked a grin.

“Best idea anyone has had all night. Banh mi, my place, a little strategizing, and the Simpsons ?”

“You read my mind. But I swear, someday, I’m making you watch something else.”

Linking arms with Candace, Daisy started to lead them around the balcony. Thankfully, they could saunter right out to the boardwalk and avoid going back through the world’s worst party.

“You can try,” Daisy told Candace.

And she would succeed. The woman was good at getting what she wanted.

The evening seemed set. Daisy decided once and for all that she wanted to get closer to Candace. She might even try her luck at a kiss. A little planning, deep confessions, followed by some oh-so-necessary stress release…. Where else could things go?

Then, on the way to retrieve their takeout, Candace texted Demi and Rio for ‘planning backup.’ She seemed shaken after the stunt her uncle pulled, so, of course, Daisy was not going to stop her from reaching out for support.

And, equally predictably, both helpful humans jumped to the princess’s aid.

Demi was excited for an excuse to leave the gala, and Rio happened to have the night off from their Wetlands Institute duties.

They met up at Daisy’s house, looking like two happy clams as they shared a joint from Daisy’s hidden porch stash.

The charged, borderline romantic mood died with Rio’s greeting of, “What’s up, buttface?”

Daisy would be lying if she said she was not disappointed.

Sharing Candace was bad enough, but having to split her sandwich added insult to injury.

She cut hers lopsided and kept the bigger portion.

They sat out on the porch where the screen wrap-around partition and flickering citronella candles (mostly) shielded them from the mosquitoes.

Daisy’s general lack of company meant that there were not enough chairs.

Demi staked her claim on the two-person loveseat, and Candace took the place beside her.

Rio had already been lounging atop Dad’s old Adirondack, which left Daisy to plop down on a cooler.

While they tucked into hoagie rolls stacked with chargrilled pork strips and pickled vegetables, Candace recapped her uncle’s demands between bites.

Afterwards, Rio asked the obvious question.

“If he’s known this whole time you were working at Bagel Bombs!, why is he making a stink now? Seems like he would have put his foot down sooner.”