The Encore Lives of Effie Edenson: A Middle Falls Time Travel Story by Shawn Inmon

Author:Shawn Inmon [Inmon, Shawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Time travel, Redemption
Publisher: Pertime Publishing
Published: 2022-01-30T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

After her mother’s solemn proclamation, Effie expected her to do everything she could to block her from seeing Harlan, but she didn’t. Effie knew where her mother stood on the idea of dating Harlan, but she never went out of her way to stop it, which was somewhat unusual.

After he passed the rigorous hurdle of meeting her parents, Harlan claimed his reward and set their date for that Saturday night. Effie told her parents she was going out that night and would be late coming home, but neither raised an eyebrow. Phyllis did shrug her shoulders as if she were resigned to whatever terrible thing was about to befall Effie.

Effie chose not to tell Harlan what her mother thought of him. From all outward indications that night at dinner, it had appeared that she had liked him. Effie let him go on living in that world. He was only going to be around for a few more weeks or months at the most anyway, so it didn’t really matter.

Their first date looked a lot like many other young couple’s first dates in Middle Falls in the early seventies. Harlan made them a reservation at Burl’s Steakhouse, which was perhaps the nicest place in town. It had soft lighting, real tablecloths, candles in red jars, and soft music playing over hidden speakers.

Effie compared this situation to how a similar one might have played out in her previous lives, when she had been struggling with her illness and did everything she could not to digest more than a few hundred calories each day. She had her tried and true strategies but was so relieved today to simply be able to look at the menu, order what she wanted, then eat it. She thought she might even have dessert.

The maître d’, with his long-practiced eye, recognized a young couple on a first date and seated them in a corner booth at the back, where they could have some privacy.

When they settled in, a waiter appeared almost instantly, holding two thick, heavy menus. He took their drink orders—soft drinks for both—and hurried away. Saturday night was busy at Burl’s.

Effie opened the menu, then leaned forward and said, “Are you sure we can afford this?”

For the first time since she had woken up, Effie wished for just a small bit of her old fortune, so she could have insisted on paying.

Harlan opened the menu, pursed his lips, and ran a finger down the prices. Then his eyes bugged out, his mouth fell open, and he said, “Holy bananas! I’m not sure I can afford the Cokes we ordered.”

Effie started to rummage through her purse. She was almost sure she had a ten-dollar bill stuffed in her wallet. When she looked back up at Harlan, she could see he was laughing at her.

“That’s sweet, but relax, will ya? I’ve got us covered. I know I am a humble substitute teacher right now, but I was working construction and building houses before I took the pay cut to become a teacher.

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