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CHAPTER FOUR

Tom

Tom breathed a sigh of relief when his shift was finally over. They’d been slammed at lunch, and after a brief lull around three, it had picked up again until he finally clocked out at six thirty. There was a definite uptick in business thanks to the tourists staying in the area so they could visit Plimoth Patuxet Museums and Cape Cod, or even Boston, from Hawthorne Bluff’s central location.

“Wanna grab a coffee before heading home?” Charlotte asked, grabbing her bag from the locker next to his. The petite blonde fireball was his best friend in the whole world and had been since they first met on the playground in first grade.

“Sure,” Tom replied. “I take it you wanna go to Cuppa Joe’s, not get a cup here, right?”

“Of course.” Char snickered. “I mean, the coffee here is good but not as good as Cuppa Joe’s.” A brisk October breeze kicked up colorful leaves along the sidewalk as they hurried along to the café.

“So … what’s been going on with you?” Char asked after they’d ordered cappuccinos and were seated on one of the overstuffed sofas near the front window.

“Not much. School, work, sleep, repeat,” Tom said honestly. “Although I have a new study partner for calculus,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

“Really? Tell me more. Is he cute?” She practically leered at him.

“Um, I never said it was a guy,” he said, ignoring her question.

“But it is, right? I’m hoping for a really cute guy who’ll teach you more than calculus.” Her smile was wicked.

“Okay, fine. Yes, it’s a guy, and yeah, I think he’s pretty cute.” He sighed. Char wouldn’t be happy until he provided every last detail. “His name is Will, and he works over at Bradley House.”

“Oh! Will Hargrove? I know his sister, Melissa. He is cute. Well done, my friend.”

“Okay, just stop right there. We agreed to study the hell that is calculus. Nothing more,” Tom chided her.

“Well, I happen to know that he likes guys, so at least you two have that in common. You know that means I’ll stay ever romantic and hope that you two fall madly in love over a math formula or whatever it is you do with that calculus crap.”

“So he’s gay, huh?” Tom’s mind drifted, thinking of what it might be like to kiss Will. Where had that come from? Shaking his head back to the present, he said, “Wait, it doesn’t matter. Again, we’re just study partners. It’s not like I’d stand a chance with him anyway.”

“You stop that right now, Mister ‘I Can’t Have a Relationship Because All Relationships Suck’!” she whisper bellowed. “Don’t you be talking shit about yourself.”

How did she manage to be so quiet and yet scream at the same time?

“But you know it’s true,” he whined. “They never work out for me.”

“That’s your mom talking right there. Didja ever stop and think you might sabotage any chance you could have with someone?” She looked at him, and he could see in her radiant blue eyes how much she really cared for him. “I think your mom’s done a number on you, Tom. She’s had a bad time of it and now tries to convince you that relationships can’t work. But they can. I mean, look at me and Cee Cee.” Cee Cee was Cecile, Char’s girlfriend of almost six years. Char toyed with the magenta stripe on the side of her pixie haircut as she spoke.

“I know it works for you, but I think it’s because you’re both a little weird. Or wacky. I haven’t decided which.” Tom grinned.

She smacked his shoulder playfully. “Damn right, we are! We take pride in our weird wackiness. But remember, you love me.”

“That I do,” Tom admitted. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He poured sincerity into his words. Char had stood by him through it all. When kids had tried to bully him in high school, Char was there to stand up for him, fists at the ready. When he had realized he was gay, Charlotte was the first person he’d told. She’d hugged him and said she’d be his friend forever. Then she told him that she was pretty sure she liked girls—so they could be each other’s wing-people—she’d help him find guys if he helped her find girls.

“Hey,” Char said gently, “friends forever, remember? We’re in this together.”

“I know. Now before we both melt into a puddle of mushiness, what’s up for the rest of the weekend?”

“Cee Cee and I are doing a stay-at-home date night tonight. She’s working until eight, and we knew we’d both be too tired to go anywhere.” Cee Cee worked at The Bee’s Knees, a small gift shop in the next block that sold bee- and honey-related products. With the number of tourists in the area increasing for the fall holidays, the shop stayed open later on Fridays and Saturdays. “She’s gonna swing by here, and we’ll pick up a pizza at Tavino’s before heading home to watch a movie or something,” Char said. “You’re welcome to come by if you want.”

“And horn in on your cuddle time? Thanks, but no thanks. I wanna spend some time with my mom,” he explained. “Between work and school, I don’t get to see her as often as I used to.”

“Speaking of your mom, have you talked to her yet about moving out?” Tom had been considering reducing the number of classes he was taking next semester and working more so that he could get an apartment. He loved his mom, but he was twenty-four now and needed to think about going off on his own.

“No. I’m afraid to,” Tom admitted. “She’s gonna try and talk me out of it, I just know it.”

“You’re right, she will,” Char said honestly. “But you have to be firm, Tom. This is what you need.”

When Tom got home, he found his mom watching her soap operas in the living room. There was one she was particularly fond of, and she taped the episodes all week, then binge-watched them on Friday night.

“Hi, Mom,” he said quietly, sitting on the sofa.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Alice replied, her eyes glued to the screen. “This’ll be over shortly.” A bowl of popcorn sat in her lap, and Tom reached over and grabbed a handful of the fluffy kernels. He sat patiently, knowing it wasn’t a good idea to interrupt his mom when she was so engrossed in her program. Finally, about fifteen minutes later, she reached for the remote and turned off the TV.

“Wow, that was an exciting week on the show,” she declared. “Not like here in Hawthorne Bluff, where nothing ever seems to happen.”

“Yeah, well, they gotta keep things interesting on those stories so that people keep watching. Real life isn’t usually like that,” Tom said.

“So how was work today?” Alice asked, changing the subject. “Was it busy?”

“Yeah, it was crazy for lunch today. There was a bit of a slowdown in the middle of the afternoon, but it picked up again for dinner. I was really happy to get outta there when my shift ended,” he told her. “Char and I went to Cuppa Joe’s for coffee after work. She was meeting Cee Cee there, and then they were heading home with a pizza.”

“Didn’t you wanna hang out with them?”

“Nah. I didn’t want to butt in on their date-night stuff. Besides, I’ve barely seen you all week. Figured I’d come home and see you.”

“You’re a good son, Tom.”

“Thanks, Mom.” He almost told her that he was thinking about moving out, but he wasn’t ready to have that discussion with her yet. He’d brave those choppy waters when he felt better prepared for the backlash. Instead, he asked her about her job at Standish Construction Company, where she worked as a personal assistant to the owner.