Page 21 of Holiday Wishes and Tentacle Dreams
Opening the front door once more, Jake was greeted by yet another blueberry pie, plus a hug from the elderly woman. The smile on her face drained his anger away. She meant well, and shehadbrought him a pie. The least he could do was make some coffee and chat with her.
Luckily, after having been there for more than a week, he’d figured out the coffeemaker, so he poured them both a cup. The kitchen filled with a comforting, nutty aroma, and they sat down to devour some of Dorothea’s delicious creation.
It was even better the second time around.
After the coffee and sugar hit his system, Jake was ready to have an adult conversation. From Dorothea’s eager face, she was champing at the bit.
“Have you seen anything?” she asked before draining her mug. Jake assumed it had been left behind by a renter. There was a cartoon lobster emblazoned on the side with the wordsDrinking the Last of the Coffee is Shellfishunderneath it.
Getting up to get her a refill, Jake shook his head. “Uh, no? What would I have seen?”
“Tentacles! A sea monster! Or maybe evidence washed up on the beach?” She stared excitedly at her cup as Jake replenished her coffee. Maybe she’d already had too much this morning. She was practically vibrating out of her chair.
“Right here in front of the house? No. The only thing I’ve noticed is that surfer. They’ve been at it for the past three days.” Jake sat back down at the kitchen table and sighed. “They come at about eleven and leave when the sun sets. All day long with no shirt in forty-degree weather. At least it hasn’t snowed yet.”
“I told you, we Mainers are made of strong, but strange, stuff.” Dorothea’s eyes sharpened, as if she’d just uncovered a state secret. “Wait. Do youlikethe surfer?”
Jake’s face warmed as he took another sip, hiding his embarrassment behind his oversized mug. “What are you talking about?”
“You do!” Dorothea stood and shuffled to the other side of the table, putting her arms around Jake, quite intimate for someone he’d only met a few days before. “You should do something about it.”
“No, no, I don’t think so.” Jake gave Dorothea a squeeze and slipped out of her embrace. “They probably don’t even like?—”
“Of course they do, sweetheart!” Dorothea shot Jake a crooked smile. “The surfing here isn’t that good. Why else would they keep coming back?”
Jake stood and made his way to the large bay window overlooking the beach. It was high tide now. The water came up to about twenty feet from the side of the house. He didn’t want to think too hard about what would happen if they had a severe storm.
He stared as the waves crashed against the sand. The sea was choppy today, and the sky was overcast. It made the surrounding area look more like a fishing village than a tourist town.
“So you think I should…” Jake didn’t know how to finish the sentence. What could he do that would be at all enticing to a potential lover? He was a disaster. He had nothing to offer. That was why he shouldn’t date anyone.
“Invite him in!” Dorothea squealed. “You have most of a blueberry pie right here. Isn’t that enough of an excuse? Tell him you made it. I don’t mind.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“Why not? Every romance starts with a little deception.” Dorothea chuckled, the sound like the creak of an antique wooden staircase. “My sweet departed Gerald would never have asked me out if he hadn’t thought I was a virgin. Later he found out how much more fun it was with a girl who knew what she was doing.”
“Dorothea!” Her slight vulgarity shook him out of his thoughts. “Remind me never to introduce you to my grandmother. The two of you would get into trouble together.”
Dorothea smiled, then her eyes narrowed. “Don’t distract from the topic at hand. Are you going to invite them in?”
Jake sighed. He was tired, and he’d been burnt by Phil. But maybe…maybe Doren would be his friend? He could use a friend.
“Fine. I will.”
Dorothea clapped gleefully and did a little hop. “I’ll get out of your hair so you can woo your beau.”
“You don’t have to leave. Doren doesn’t show up until?—”
Dorothea was already at the door, still smiling like a maniac. “You’ll need time to freshen up and practice what you’re going to say.”
Jake rubbed his temples with his fingers. He couldn’t escape the feeling that he’d been bullied into this. “This isn’t a marriage proposal…”
“Not yet!” Dorothea called as she stepped out into the sunny Maine day, hurrying along to her next stop. Probably finding some other poor soul to terrorize with her matchmaking skills.
Jake looked around helplessly. More time was exactly what hedidn’tneed. Overthinking was one of his favorite pastimes. It would have been better if she’d stayed and distracted him until Doren got there.
Heading over to the bay window, Jake stared at the ocean, willing himself to absorb some of the calm regularity of the waves. What would he even say to Doren? As evidenced by every job interview he’d had in the last six months, he was not good at first impressions.