Nest or Invest by Enni Amanda

Author:Enni Amanda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lumi Publishing
Published: 2021-01-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

On a windy Sunday afternoon, Elsie took her usual table at Gotherburg, one of the nicer restaurants on the riverbank. The familiarity of the setting usually soothed her, but this afternoon it couldn’t settle the nerves buzzing around her stomach. She’d asked Marnie to meet her here, without Shasa. Marnie was the easier option, the one without childcare issues, the older of the two who dressed more conservatively. They wouldn’t look so mismatched sitting at the same table. Not something Elsie should have worried about, but a lot of her old friends frequented the restaurant.

She had to start with easy and work her way to difficult. This was uncharted territory.

Running into Jeff had raised difficult questions. Was she capable of building real friendships? What did Shasa and Marnie think of her? Was she a patron, an investor, or an acquaintance? She was too old to ignore these things; it was time to get answers and shape the life she wanted to live.

Last night, sitting on her balcony, drinking another solitary glass of wine, Elsie had decided she wasn’t happy with the status quo. The divorce had left her with an empty life, but she didn’t have to accept it. Come to think of it, she didn’t have to accept any of Jeff’s values or opinions. If Jeff thought she had nothing in common with Shasa and Marnie, she didn’t have to agree with him. Her relationship with other people was up to her. The more she’d thought about it, the clearer it had become. By the time she’d dropped her head on the pillow, she’d made the decision to start with Marnie, and see if she could make a friend. How did single people make friends at her age?

Elsie watched as the waiter filled her water glass. She could have picked a different meeting place, but it was hard to break habits. She’d spent years avoiding the less affluent parts of the town and never ate at malls.

The lush greenery behind the ceiling-height windows shook in the wind, creating a tropical vibe. Elsie had always loved this spot, right by the sturdy glass that shielded her from the elements but allowed her to see everything, like being outside without any of the discomforts. Behind the branches, she caught a glimpse of Waikato river, brown and fast flowing. She couldn’t believe people swam in it.

“Hi!” Marnie’s chirpy voice gave Elsie a start.

“Hello! Please have a seat.”

Marnie wrapped a light cardigan around her ample bust and sat down. “It’s chilly in here!”

“They have very good air conditioning. Would you like to order?” Elsie slid the leather-covered menu across the table.

Marnie took it and perused it with a slight frown.

“It’s on me, obviously,” Elsie added.

“Oh, it’s okay. I’m not that hungry.”

“Try the scones.”

Marnie tilted her head. Her curls bounced and earrings jiggled. Elsie experienced a pang of jealousy at her youthful, smooth skin hiding behind her conservative, unflattering clothes. Elsie was over twenty years older. What was she looking for? A mother-daughter relationship?

Marnie shrugged, closing the menu.

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