The breakfast rush the next morning was as busy as always. It was mostly regulars, people who were in the Mountain Grove every morning, or at least almost every morning. There wasn’t really much work for Jane to do; most of the regulars tended to want to sit in the same place every day, and there were groups that would gather daily for a dose of conversation about sports or whatever before they headed off to work. Since the waitresses were kept hustling back and forth, mostly what Jane did was walk around with a couple of carafes, keeping coffee cups filled.

The night before, the last few days, seemed surreal when she thought about them. Even a few days ago the idea of being married had been a remote longing, with no prospects even remotely in mind. Now, if nothing got messed up, she’d be married in a couple of days. How had that happened? No wonder her head was spinning!

Things soon slowed down, as they usually did about that time of day. It was getting close to her normal break time when the manager, Mr. Arbothnot, came over to her. “Jane,” he said. “I need to talk to you in the office for a few minutes.”

“Sure, Mr. Arbothnot,” she said. “I need to talk to you, too.”

Jane followed the manager back to his cluttered office next to the kitchen. Once the door was closed, she asked, “So what’s this all about?”

“Probably news you’re not going to like,” he replied. “Now that school is letting out, things are going to be slowing down, like they always do this time of year, so we’re going to have to do some cutting back. You have seniority over Rebecca, but I’m thinking we can make do without a hostess until the late afternoon. I’m going to have to lay her off, and you’ll have to work evenings. I’m sorry if this messes up your social life, but that’s how things have to be.”

“How long do you think this will last?”

“Until late summer,” he said.

“Tell you what,” she smiled. “I wanted to talk to you about taking some time off anyway, and I know Rebecca can use the job. How about if you lay me off instead? I don’t know if I’ll be available when late summer rolls around, but maybe I could come back and be on days if that would work.”

“That sounds like it would work very well,” he commented. “And I’m sure Rebecca will be pleased. I haven’t talked to her about this yet, but let me break it to her. Would there be any problem if you worked through the rest of this week’s schedule and took the layoff effective after your shift tomorrow? I know you have some outstanding vacation time available, and I can pay you for that.”

“That would work just about perfectly for me,” she smiled.

“I’m just glad we could come up with a solution so easily, and one that makes everyone happy.”

It wasn’t until Jane was back out in front that it hit her: she’d burned a bridge. If this deal with Rick fell through at the last minute – although that didn’t seem likely – she’d be out of a job. She’d be drawing unemployment, which would help, but things would be awfully tight if she had to do that. Well, with any kind of luck she wouldn’t be coming back here to work anyway.

She was just getting things settled in for the lunch rush when the phone at the front desk rang. Usually the phone was answered back in the office, but apparently Mr. Arbothnot was out back having a smoke, so she picked it up. “Mountain Grove, how may I help you?” she said.

“Oh, Jane, it’s you,” she heard Sophia say. “I’m glad I caught you. I was afraid I’d have to have you paged or something.”

“Is something wrong?” she said, her heart sinking. She’d just torpedoed her job, after all!

“No, everything’s fine,” Sophia told her. “Rick is in a really good mood this morning. But I think you and I need to have a little talk just to work out a few things, and it might be best if he didn’t know we were having it. Could you do the Silver Rail right after work, like the day before yesterday?”

“Sure, that would be fine,” Jane replied, trying to sound professional; after all, she wasn’t supposed to take personal calls at work. “Five o’clock, then?”

“That’ll work,” Sophia said. “See you then.”

Despite Sophia’s reassurances, Jane couldn’t help but worry all day about what was happening. A life that had seemed pretty ordered, if a little on the uncomfortable side, all of a sudden had strange new things she’d never dreamed about before.

Needless to say, she was sitting at the Silver Rail with a wine cooler in her hand – apple this time, for the sake of something different – when Sophia walked in. “So how’s the future Mrs. Thredford today?” Sophia asked with a smile.

“More than a little nervous about this whole thing,” Jane admitted. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”

“Oh, it’s happening,” Sophia said. “Rick was just aglow this morning. He can’t quite believe he’s going to be marrying a woman as beautiful as you are, and who makes him feel so comfortable. He was very impressed, I can tell you that.”

“I hardly think I’m beautiful,” Jane protested. “I’m sure I told you they used to call me ‘Plain Jane.’”

“You may think that, but Rick doesn’t feel that way, and that’s what’s important, isn’t it? I must say, I thought you looked very nice last evening. You were dressed nicely enough to impress him, but not so much so that you overwhelmed him. That hit it about right.”

“It’s a little nicer than I normally dress,” Jane admitted. “Most of what I had on, I had to borrow from my roommate. I don’t have much in the way of clothes like that.”

“Then maybe you’d better think about getting some new clothes,” Sophia suggested. “I’m sure I told you that Rick tends to dress a little sloppy at work. Well, more than a little sloppy. I think you can help him improve in that way by setting a good example. You know, a little subtle guidance. You’re probably going to need a few special things for your honeymoon, anyway.”

“Well, you’re probably right, if we’re going to Hawaii. I take it we’re still going there?”

“You’re still going there. I have you booked for the first part at a little beachside resort cottage on the south coast of Kauai. It should give you plenty of opportunity to be alone enough to get to know each other some. The second part is in a nice resort hotel right on Waikiki. Rob and I stayed there when he was doing some research in Hawaii. It’s very nice and will give the two of you a chance to do some of the normal tourist things. The airline is all booked, Rick said to go first class. That’ll be nice.”

“Wow! I haven’t flown much, and never first class.”

“I haven’t much myself, but it’s been very nice when I have. Anyway, I don’t know if you’ve thought about it, but you might want to get yourself some nice vacation clothes. Sundresses, swimsuits, that sort of thing, at least something to get you through the first part of your honeymoon. Once you’re in Honolulu, there’ll be plenty of opportunity for shopping. It’ll be warm, so you’ll be able to dress lightly most of the time. There’s no reason you have to pack heavily, you’ll probably be bringing more back with you than you take.”

“Probably pretty expensive,” Jane sighed.

“I doubt you’ll have much problem getting Rick to pay for it so long as he likes the way it looks on you,” Sophia grinned. “That’s the way things work with men, after all, and I have no doubt it will work very well with him. In fact, I’d suggest you dress toward the, well, sexy side. It’s going to be especially important for Rick to keep his eyes on you during the honeymoon, and he needs to like what he sees. So something like sundresses that show a lot of skin. Since you’re going to a beach cottage, you probably ought to have a couple bikinis. Maybe one that’s really naughty, just to get his attention.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Jane admitted with a sigh. “I haven’t even owned a swimsuit in several years. I haven’t had any need for one.”

“You do now. You may run into a situation where you want something that’s a little more conservative, but it still needs to be eye-catching. There are one-pieces that look pretty radical but still more than cover anything that needs to be covered.”

“Sophia, you know that I’m not a person who tends to dress hot. I almost felt like I overdid it a little last night.”

“No, you hit it just right. Maybe you haven’t thought about it the way I have. Look, the main goal you need to have for the honeymoon is not only to get to know Rick, but to get him comfortable with you, right?”

“Well, yes.”

“I can tell you that until just recently Rick never believed he’d wind up with a woman, let alone a wife. He’s dreamed about it and lusted over it. Now, all of a sudden the reality is going to set in. There are some things you need to accomplish with him, mostly to make him less shy and more social, especially with you. I hate to come right out and say it, but the best way you have to do that is with sex. It’ll reach him better than anything, except maybe computer code.”

“I managed to figure that much out,” Jane nodded.

“Sex is a hugely powerful tool, and it’s going to be even more so with him. The thing of it is, it’ll only be a powerful tool for so long. Once he gets used to it, some of the power will fade. That means that you’re going to have to make maximum use of it while you still can. The key period for that is going to have to be on your honeymoon, which is part of the reason I wanted you to go to a warm place where people dress lightly. That’ll give you a chance to dress sexy enough for him to catch his eye without looking too out of place.”

“I guess you’re right. I hadn’t thought about it quite like that.”

“Then that’s what you have me for, to be an advisor. I’m not going to be a lot of help to you while you’re on your honeymoon, so I figured I’d better be sure you understood it. Of course, if you have to give me a call, either of you, I’ll be available.”

“I feel like I have enough to do as it is,” Jane told her. “And now I’ve added a big clothes shopping expedition on top of it, when I don’t really trust my own taste. I guess the time has come for me to ask for your help on this.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Drink up, we’ve got some shopping to do.”

The next three hours were crazy. Sophia led Jane through several stores, none of them extremely high level – “He may not pick up on it, but it’d probably be best if you didn’t look too expensively dressed,” Sophia told her. The cost was still considerable, but Sophia proved to have a very quick draw on her credit card and wouldn’t let Jane pay for anything. By the time everything was said and done, Jane had several nice sundresses, some skirts in different colors that more or less were like the one she’d worn the night before, several tops, one of them almost a twin to the camisole she’d worn at Umberto’s, and several swimsuits.

The swimsuits were interesting. None of them were anything like Jane would have picked out for herself. One of them was a one-piece with a neckline down near her waist, two were bikinis that Jane would have thought scanty until she saw one that Sophia pressed on her. That one was so tiny and so hot a thong job that it ought to have come with a warning label. “You may not want to wear this on a public beach,” Sophia smiled when Jane tried to protest. “I probably wouldn’t have when I was your age, and I ran around nude a lot at that point in my life. But it’ll be dynamite if your beach is fairly private. You may not want to wear it outside your room, but my bet is that if you do, you won’t be wearing it for long.”

“I don’t know,” Jane replied dubiously. “This seems pretty, well, uh . . . pretty close to being naked anyway.”

“That’s the point,” Sophia laughed. “Remember, what you’re trying to do is to get Rick’s attention and keep it. This will sure do that.”

“It seems like a waste to be buying so many swimsuits for just one trip.”

“I don’t think you’ll find it a waste, at least if you get them to do what you need them to do. Besides, I’m trying to find an apartment for you in a complex with a pool. I’m still working on that one.”

They bought even more: underwear that was considerably sexier than Jane normally wore, some accessories, even a large suitcase for everything. There were a couple pair of shoes, one a pair of flats, the other with moderate heels – Sophia argued for something a little more extreme, but Jane wasn’t used to wearing heels and managed to draw the line at that. They also bought one nightie, one that didn’t cover a great deal, either, but Sophia said there might be situations where it would be worth wearing it. “Things may change later,” Sophia told her. “But in my opinion the best nightie, especially for a honeymoon, is the one you were born with.”

All in all, it was getting close to Jane’s bedtime when she drove back to the apartment, a little dazed from the flurry of shopping, and what they’d bought. Considering the hour, and the fact that Madelyn was obviously home, Jane decided to just leave the new clothes in the car for now.

Madelyn was watching TV when Jane came in the door. “I was more than wondering where you were,” she said.

“I had stuff to do,” Jane replied obliquely; she still didn’t want Madelyn to know what was happening. It would be better if it were presented as a done deal; she’d be less likely to get arguments that way. “It got later than I thought.”

“Walt and I were busy when you came in last night. So how did your date go?”

“Oh, it couldn’t have been better,” Jane smirked. “And I thank you for lending me those clothes. I think they went over very well.”

“So is this guy going to be worth the trouble?”

“I think so,” Jane grinned, and decided to let the cat out of the bag just a little. Not all the way, but just enough to have some fun. “I’m going to marry him.”

“Marry him?” Madelyn replied in amazement. “Isn’t that sort of quick to be making up your mind?”

“Madelyn,” Jane smirked. “He’s a nice guy, a little on the shy side, but he likes me, I like him, and he’s worth well into eight figures. Of course I want to marry him.”

“You’re sure about the money?”

“Not down to the penny, but I talked to his accountant, and that’s where I got the figure. You wouldn’t know it to look at the guy.”

“Wow, I didn’t think you had it in you, but you can’t let a find like that go by. Sounds like you got lucky.”

“I think so. All I can do is try and hope it all works out well.”

“Well, good luck,” Madelyn smiled. “If it doesn’t work, give me his phone number, would you?”

“I don’t think it would work with you,” Jane replied honestly. “I think you’d come on to him too hard. ‘Softly, softly, catchee monkey.’”

“I guess you have to be the judge on that. Well, if you want to use the apartment this weekend, you’ve got a clear shot. Walt and I are going to take off after work tomorrow night.”

“Anything interesting?”

“Well, we’re going up to Steamboat. Probably we’ll do some sightseeing and hit the pool and hot tub, but mostly I plan on just laying around, preferably with him. I’ll probably just be in to change clothes and get out of here. We probably won’t be back until late Sunday.”

“Well, have a good time, and don’t come back with something you don’t want. I’m exhausted, so I’m going to take a shower and head for bed. I might see you tomorrow night, or I might not. And thanks again for letting me borrow that skirt and top.”

Wow, made it, Jane thought as she went into her room and began to strip down for her shower. I sure didn’t want to tell her the whole truth or I’d be up all night, and I’ve got so much to do I don’t want to be that tired tomorrow. I’m going to have to tell her sometime, but it can wait till it’s a done deal. Maybe that way I’ll believe it myself.

In a couple minutes she was in the shower. Up till this point, she’d more or less planned on not worrying about moving what little she’d managed to accumulate until she got back from the honeymoon, but she realized now that could lead to an extremely awkward scene. Maybe it would be best if she moved out right away, well, before the wedding, not that there was that much difference.

Maybe if she loaded her car up tomorrow night, after Madelyn left, she could leave the car full of her things with Sophia and Rob until she and Rick got back. It would be a hassle, but would at least avoid an awkward confrontation with her roommate. She’d have to talk with Sophia about it in the morning, although she was sure the older woman would go for the idea.

As far as that went, from what she could tell from what Sophia had said last night and tonight, if everything went well, it was planned that Rob and Sophia would have Rick moved into the new apartment by the time they got back from Hawaii. Maybe Sophia would be willing to deal with her things, too. It might take a while to learn where everything was, but she had the impression that Rick didn’t have a whole lot of stuff either. That would minimize the confusion, all right. She could see dimly that transitioning from the honeymoon into some semblance of a normal life was going to be stressful.

Once they returned from the honeymoon, Rick would be going back to work. Since she would be without a job, she could see she might have a little trouble finding things to do, too. But then, she’d been thinking about looking for a different job, but hadn’t had the time to do it. It wasn’t something that needed thinking about right now, but it was definitely something to deal with in the future.

Morning came all too soon, and with it, a lot to do on top of it being her last day at work, and hopefully forever as far as the Mountain Grove was concerned. The hell of it was that she had a lot to do today, and adding packing up her stuff to the list was almost overwhelming. At least the way the schedule worked today she had to be in a couple hours early, which mean she could leave a couple hours early.

There was one cure for that. As soon as she went on break, she called Sophia and explained what she’d been thinking about.

“That sounds like a marvelous idea,” Sophia told her. “I have no problem with having your car parked at home while you’re gone, and it’ll help with setting the apartment up. I’m working on a real good lead this morning, so maybe that’ll get settled easily. I can come over and help you pack up, if you need me to.”

“The help will be appreciated. The thing of it is, I’ve got a few things I need to do once I get off work, and I don’t want to get started packing until I know my roomie has taken off for the weekend with her boyfriend. I don’t want to waste time explaining everything to her.”

“I can see that. Well, I can help. Why don’t you just give me a call when the coast is clear?”

“Sure, that’ll work.”

“Don’t forget, you need to get a bikini wax today.”

“I hadn’t forgotten,” Jane sighed. “I’ve been trying to forget about it though.”

“You’re going to need it if you plan on showing off some of those bikinis, especially that hot one,” Sophia laughed. “Tell you what. Do you like Chinese? I could stop and pick some up on the way over to your place. That would save you a little time.”

“I’m not a big fan of Chinese but I can eat it. Right now, though, it sounds better than trying to find something myself with everything I have to do.”

“All right, that will work. Maybe I can manage to leave you with another few pearls of wisdom while we’re working.”

For once Jane wasn’t exactly looking forward to the day coming to an end. Oh, she was going to be glad to be done with the Mountain Grove, there was no doubt about that. It hadn’t been a bad job, even though she was on her feet all the time and the pay could have been a lot better, but it wasn’t work that took a college graduate to do, except maybe in a college town like Boulder. Still, there was a touch of sadness when she cashed out and clocked out for the last time, picking up her last paycheck in the process. When she got right down to it, it hadn’t been all that bad a place, but leaving it made her hope that she was leaving it for something better.

First there was a stop at a doctor’s office, then she went to get the bikini wax done. It hurt just as much as she expected it to, which was a lot. It stung and the pain stayed with her. At least she could comfort herself that it had been in a good cause, but she was still uncomfortable when she got back to the apartment.

She’d barely gotten in the door when Madelyn showed up, clearly in a hurry to get going with her boyfriend. “So,” she asked. “Have you got a date with your guy tonight?”

“Not tonight,” Jane admitted. “But we have a big day planned for tomorrow.”

“Well, good for you. I hope it works out for you. I’ll be thinking of you while Walt and I are up in Steamboat.”

“Well, have fun. I’ll be thinking of you, too.”

In a few minutes Madelyn was gone. In spite of feeling uncomfortable, there was no choice but to get started packing up her stuff in the apartment. After calling Sophia, she set to work, realizing that she was going to be leaving some things behind, but they were things that she hoped she had little use for. Perhaps Madelyn would be able to use them.

Sophia soon showed up, bearing boxes and bags and take-out Chinese food, so they sat down to eat it before it got any colder. “You know,” Sophia said as they ate. “I have to admit that I’m surprised that this has gone as well and as quickly as it has, but I think you and Rick are going to work out pretty well together. In spite of a few things you’re obviously going to have to work out, I think the two of you are actually a pretty good fit.”

“I hope so, Sophia. I certainly hope so. This has all come down very suddenly, and I realize I’m risking a lot on some gut feelings and theories. But it looks like there’s a good chance it could work, and I just hope I’m not making big mistake tomorrow.”

“I don’t think you are. I’m sure you’re going to have some troubles. In fact, I’d be very surprised if you didn’t. It’s going to take some tolerance and adaptation on both your parts, but I think you can do it, even though you may find yourself having to adapt more to him than he does to you. But I think you can make him adapt to you, as well. You should have some fun along the way, and don’t forget, I’m available if you need some help.”

“Like Rick said the other night, if things don’t go well, we’ll both know who to blame, too.”

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