THE SECRET OF JOY by MELISSA SENATE

Author:MELISSA SENATE
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DOWNTOWN PRESS
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

ten

As they walked the half mile to Ellie’s, Rebecca told Theo about Matteo and his tears.

“Poor guy,” Theo said. “I’ve been talking to him about girls for years now. Well, since he was twelve. He’s had his heart broken three times and he’s only seventeen. He’ll be okay. He forgets how much his music means to him. It’s everything, really. He’s very lucky to have it.”

Rebecca smiled. “He’s lucky to have you, too.”

“He’d prefer his father to me. We’ve talked a lot about that, too. My father wasn’t around much at all, so I get it. And I didn’t tell my mother much of anything, like Matteo. I kept things to myself.”

“So how’d you get to be so good at talking about this stuff?” Rebecca asked.

“Good question. No idea. I was kind of a loner as a kid and a teenager. Made me introspective, I guess.” He stopped in front of Ellie’s beautiful white Greek Revival house with an impressive entry porch adorned by four white pillars. Narrow black-shuttered windows framed the red-painted door. “Here we are.”

Rebecca stared up at the gorgeous home. “I can’t believe Ellie has this huge house all to herself.”

“Not the whole house. It’s broken into four apartments. Many of the huge houses you see around are actually apartment buildings, or have an ‘in-law’ apartment attached to the main house.”

“Ah,” Rebecca said, recalling her first day in Wiscasset, when the Love Bus had picked up Ellie and she’d watched Tim come down wooden steps from a second-story landing. Theo led the way to the side entrance and rang the bell.

Ellie, decked out in a slinky red dress with black heels, opened the door and glanced past Rebecca and Theo down the steps. “I was hoping you were Tim. Not that I’m not thrilled to see you both,” she added with a smile. “Rebecca and Theo are here, everyone!” she called over her shoulder as she carried in their desserts and the cider.

No, wait a minute. We are not here. I’m here. And Theo’s here. But we’re not a couple. I do have a boyfriend back in New York. And an apartment. And a job being held for me.

Suddenly, she felt like a fraud. Like she was living one life here while she had another far away, with people waiting for her to come back. Not that anyone was necessarily waiting. Michael was likely out to dinner with his “friend” right now, perhaps talking about how his girlfriend had gone crazy and had moved to Maine. And Charlotte had her husband.

She could work things out with Michael. Maybe if she finally owned up to hating her job, to liking the relationship aspect of her work but not the legal aspect, she would get somewhere. If she went home, if she stayed with Michael, she could have Glenda Whitman.

That didn’t seem a good enough reason.

“I smell something Mexican and delicious,” Rebecca said. “I hope whoopie pies go with it.”

Ellie smiled. “Whoopie pies go with everything.” She peered around Rebecca and Theo out the window.

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